Gu Qishao was uneasy over the fact that Mu Linger hadn’t questioned him about running away from Medical City. If she had really dropped the issue so lightly, he was scared she had something else planned behind the scenes!
“Qi gege, you’re afraid of betting against me?” Mu Linger laughed.
“What are we betting?” Gu Qishao asked.
“What does Qi gege want to bet?” Mu Linger asked.
“Whatever you want,” Gu Qishao was still on guard.
Mu Linger giggled as she walked closer and whispered something in Gu Qishao’s ear that made him freeze. Then she backed away and asked, “Do you dare?”
Gu Qishao was markedly hesitant, but still agreed in the ended. “No problem. Don’t you go back on your words either if you lose!”
Mu Linger only laughed and went to the corner to write down her guess before handing it to Zhao mama. Nobody knew the contents of their bet. However, Gu Qishao’s stern expression convinced them it couldn’t be a simple gamble. Just like that, the seven of them ended up with four betting matches.
Currently, little Rui’er was still studying the spread of items before him. He wanted many things, so how was he supposed to choose? Han Yunxi and the rest watched him exaggerated calm, ready to accept their wins or losses. By contrast, Zhao mama was extremely tense as she stood on the opposite side of the table! She carefully opened up each slip of paper and her own record of her masters’ bets. Of the four rounds going on, Long Feiye and Han Yunxi were one pair.
Han Yunxi had guessed that Rui’er would choose the abacus, while Long Feiye had written down a hidden weapon. The loser was still going to eat the winner’s homemade noodles.
Between Tang Li and Ning Jing, he had chosen account books while she had chosen a precious sword. The winner would again hold the reigns to the moneybags between the couple.
Gu Beiyue and Gu Qishao had respectfully bet on a stamp and a gold ingot. The loser would serve the winner for an entire day.
With Gu Qishao and Mu Linger, Zhao mama could only laugh at the contents of Mu Linger’s paper.
At this moment, Rui’er looked back at Han Yunxi with a clueless expression. “Just one?” he asked.
“No, you can take as many as you like. Just pick your favorites,” Han Yunxi said quickly.
Rui’er split his mouth open into a grin. He looked back at the pile of things before picking through them intently. Everyone’s gaze focused on his body.
Abruptly, Rui’er bent down between an accounting book, abacus, and sword. Han Yunxi, Tang Li, and Ning Jing tensed. Suddenly, Rui’er picked up the abacus. Han Yunxi was thrilled and shot Long Feiye a provocative grin in joy. If not for the fact that she couldn’t distract Rui’er, she would be gloating out loud right now!
He’s my son all right. The first thing he picked helped me win!
Long Feiye gazed calmly upon Rui’er. Just because he picked an accounting book didn’t mean Han Yunxi had won. He could pick a hidden weapon too.
While Han Yunxi was celebrating, Rui’er simply played with the abacus for a bit before tossing it back.
This…
Han Yunxi’s smile froze as Long Feiye turned to give her a penetrating look. It was clearly mockery. Han Yunxi now wanted to bring back her son and give him a spank. Fooling your mother, huh?
While Long Feiye and Han Yunxi were exchanging looks and brows, Ning Jing and Tang Li grew tense. Now Rui’er had picked up the accounting book and sword! Tang Li bet on the former while she picked the latter. Rui’er crouched there for a while to study the book while Tang Li caressed little Tang Tang’s head in anticipation.
Little Rui’er put down the sword and held the accounting book in both hands as he walked towards Zhao mama. Tang Li’s lips split open in a grin as he muttered to Ning Jing. “My big bro always looked at accounting books when he was young. He’s gotta be imitating him.”
Ning Jing was too resentful to meet his gaze.
Unexpectedly, Rui’er tossed the accounting book at Zhao mama’s feet and declared, “Don’t want it!”
Everyone gave a start before bursting into laughter. Only Tang Li’s face…had turned completely black! Other children might pick their favorites, but it looked like Rui’er was the kind who picked up his least favorites and tossed them out!
Han Yunxi subconsciously patted her chest, thankful that her son had abandoned the abacus. By the time Rui’er returned to the spread of items, everyone grew a new shade of nervous. Before they were hoping Rui’er would approach their items, but now they wished he kept far away.
Rui’er headed for a pile of toys and pastries before knitting his brows. It was clear he disdained the lot. He sat down, crossed his legs, and gestured at Tang Tang with a childish voice, “Candy, wanna eat some?”
Little Tang Tang was getting sleepy, but woke up with her eyes shining as soon as she heard “eat.”
“Eat!” she nodded furiously.
Tang Li and Ning Jing only felt helpless. Little Tang Tang was completely uninterested in other people’s things during their entire journey no matter how fun or tasty they were. Why was she so powerless to resist Rui’er’s belongings?
“Come!” Rui’er said seriously.
Tang Tang jumped out of her father’s lap while Rui’er toddled over to a corner to bring back a small bamboo basket. Still speaking in a childish tone, he told Tang Tang, “Fill it.”
Did this mean Tang Tang could take as much as she want?
“Thank you, little brother!” Tang Tang was overjoyed. “I like you, little brother!”
Rui’er had already started ignoring her to examine the other items on the ground. Meanwhile, Tang Tang took the food first, filling her basket with all sorts of pastries, before adding in toys. Nobody had placed these things on their slips because Rui’er didn’t like them. Thus, none of them paid attention to Tang Tang as they continued to watch Rui’er.
Rui’er tossed aside a few more things including a string of coins, a ruler, and some hanging ornaments. Abruptly, Tang Tang picked up a stamp and asked, “Little brother, this thing, gimme?”
Everyone looked over and Ning Jing’s face turned white. Gu Qishao was the first to guffaw with Han Yunxi following. If this had happened at the birthday banquet today, the Tang Clan might have been ruined. However, in the privacy of their own company, Han Yunxi didn’t mind it a bit. Long Feiye’s unruffled features showed that he didn’t care either. Still, Ning Jing had a fright. She was about to scold Tang Tang when Han Yunxi stopped her.
“It’s only a game,” she murmured, “Let them do as they want.”
Tang Li felt it was inappropriate as well, but Long Feiye only glanced over and said, “See what Rui’er’s intentions are, there’s no harm.”
Tang Li and Ning Jing relaxed somewhat at their words, but they were still worried! Suppose…supposed Rui’er refused to give her the stamp but Tang Tang insisted on keeping it? They were both young children. Although they had been taught, their childish natures were far from obedient.
Little Tang Tang raised the stamp up high while Rui’er looked over dubiously. As soon as he spotted the item, he ran over and cried, “Not giving! Not giving not giving!”
His determination was clear by repeating the same thing three times. He stopped in front of Tang Tang but didn’t snatch the item from her hands, choosing to extend his palm instead. “Give, me!”
Tang Tang was scared by his temper and quickly handed over the stamp, “Don’t want it! Don’t want don’t want!”
She wasn’t gonna keep something like that!
Long Feiye laughed while the others were amused. Their mirth filled the hall while Tang Li and Ning Jing finally relaxed. Tang Tang had a backbone though, and retreated to her father’s side with the basket of sweets and toys instead of taking any of Rui’er’s other things.
Rui’er placed the stamp back in its original position before picking through the other items again.
“Looks like I’ve won,” Gu Beiyue smiled.
“Heheh, I haven’t lost either,” Gu Qishao disdained him. Just as he finished speaking, Rui’er picked up the gold ingot that Gu Qishao had written for his slip. Seeing this, Gu Qishao’s eyes widened. Mu Linger tensed as well as she stared at the boy.
The gold ingot was huge and required Rui’er to pick it up with two hands.
“How could this child not love money?” Gu Qishao muttered to himself. His own father had cheated the officials out of so much cash, so why wouldn’t he like money?
Why wouldn’t Rui’er like money? He might not recognize silver drafts, but he knew what this big shiny piece of gold was. Cradling it in his hands, he ran to Han Yunxi and said, “Imperial mother, for you.”
Han Yunxi was amused. “Rui’er, don’t you want it?”
“Don’t wanna. For imperial mother,” Rui’er said seriously.
After stealing his mother’s silver drafts, he gave her a gold ingot. This child really made one unsure of whether to cry or laugh. How would he feel after growing up and looking back on his dastardly ways?
Han Yunxi openly accepted it and stroked his head before planting a kiss on his forehead. “Son,” she said seriously, “You’ll have to give all the gold you see in the future to imperial mother, understand?”
Rui’er immediately nodded. “Okay!”
Gu Qishao looked at Han Yunxi with an equally serious expression. “Poison lass, you can’t trick a little kid like that! Hurry and give it back to him.”
Han Yunxi really did return the gold ingot to Rui’er, but he stuffed it back to her again.
“Rui’er, you really don’t want it?” Han Yunxi asked.
“Don’t wanna!” Rui’er was determined.
Han Yunxi glanced at Gu Qishao, who had already wilted in his seat. He hugged his knees on the chair and looked at Rui’er grievously before his eyes drifted towards Mu Linger sitting nearby. He had lost, but that didn’t mean Mu Linger would win. The terms of her bet already made his hairs stand on end as he hoped dearly for her loss.
Rui’er resumed picking out the things he didn’t like, amassing a sizable pile. Han Yunxi’s abacus, Long Feiye’s hidden weapon, Ning Jing’s sword, and Gu Beiyue’s stamp all survived the weeding along with books of classic prose, the Four Treasures of the Study, and some porcelain. Zhao mama looked hopelessly at the collection. Could this really count as a proper raffle?
“Rui’er, do you want all of these things?” Han Yunxi silently sighed to herself. So it turns out my son’s a little greedy boy.
Rui’er didn’t reply immediately, but he did circle around the items before picking up the abacus again, startling Han Yunxi!
