Qi Xia reached out and slightly shook the box in front of him, only to hear the unmistakable rolling sound of a “Dao” inside.
“Monkey, my turn now, right?” Qi Xia asked.
“You…” The Human Monkey’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He had planned every step, yet something had gone wrong—where?
There was still one in the box?!
He quickly counted the “Dao” on the table—twenty-two, exactly. So what was that one in the box?
“Your initial bet wasn’t ten at all…” The Human Monkey’s eyes widened slowly. “You bastard, you tricked me?!”
Qi Xia reached in and pulled out the last “Dao.” “Exactly. If you can use your sleight of hand, I can use my specialty too.”
Placing the “Dao” on the table, he said calmly, “Luckily, I kept this box in front of me the whole time, so you never got a chance to check inside.”
“Deception…?” The Human Monkey muttered, dazed. “You knew I’d cheat from the start?”
“Not exactly. Just an extra layer of insurance for myself.” Qi Xia shrugged. “My box always had one more ‘Dao’ than yours. It didn’t affect the outcome—as long as I took them all out in the final round, everything fell into place. You said your ‘Dao’ were ‘no fewer than mine,’ and I had eleven. No rules broken.”
“But when did you pull this off?” the Human Monkey demanded. “When that woman handed you the ‘Dao,’ I saw it clearly—ten, no more.”
“I don’t have your flashy skills.” Qi Xia picked up a “Dao,” trying to mimic the Human Monkey’s sleight of hand, but failed after several attempts. “If I wanted to add one to the stakes, I had to hold it from the very beginning.”
The Human Monkey understood instantly.
When the woman handed over the “Dao,” this man already had one in his hand.
When he cupped his hands to receive the four “Dao” from her, it was five from the start.
“To think I lost that early…” The Human Monkey slumped into a chair, drained. After a pause, he looked up at Qi Xia, as if wanting to speak.
Qi Xia noticed but leisurely gathered the “Dao,” handing them to Yun Yao.
Finally, he left two on the table and pushed them toward the Human Monkey.
“Monkey, I advise against it,” Qi Xia said slowly. “These two are for you to start over. You’ve come this far—don’t throw it all away in a fit of pride.”
“What… you…” The Human Monkey was stunned. This man had seen right through him.
“If you really go all-in, I’ll play my trump card too,” Qi Xia said. “I don’t mind a fight to the death—I’ve got nothing to lose. But you won’t win.”
The Human Monkey lowered his head completely, defeat written in his eyes.
“Good. We’ll meet again someday.” Qi Xia nodded and swiftly left with the other three.
Once outside, he finally exhaled deeply.
“Qi Xia, what’s wrong?” Yun Yao asked. “Were you scared he’d bet his life against you?”
“Yeah.” Qi Xia kept glancing back, wary of the Human Monkey following.
“But didn’t you have a ‘trump card’?” Yun Yao chuckled. “You’re way smarter than him. If it came to life or death, I’d bet on you.”
“Trump card my ass. Let’s go.” Qi Xia hurried them along. “That was all a bluff. That monkey surprised me—cheating like that? If it were life or death, I’d have no idea what tricks he’d pull.”
“Bluffing? Hahaha!” Yun Yao burst out laughing. “You’re a damn good actor. Are you a conman or something?”
“Just move,” Qi Xia sighed.
They found a spot by the roadside to rest. Though dawn had broken just an hour or two ago, it felt like an eternity.
“Let’s split the ‘Dao,'” Qi Xia said. “We earned ten. Since both you and I contributed, we each get three. Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian get two.”
“Qi Xia, can I date you?” Yun Yao suddenly asked, out of nowhere.
“Wh—” Qi Xia nearly choked. “Are you serious? Do you even realize our situation?”
Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian gaped at her, convinced this girl had a few screws loose.
Yun Yao blinked and pressed on, “Do you like me?”
Qi Xia frowned and shook his head. “Flattered, but I’m married.”
“That’s fine.” She didn’t hesitate. “I can just be your girlfriend here in the ‘Endgame.’ Once we’re out, we go our separate ways.”
“Are you insane?” Qi Xia was baffled. “Did you not hear me? I have a wife!”
Yun Yao studied him blankly, then scratched her head and muttered, “Still not enough?”
“Enough what?”
She took a deep breath. “Qi Xia, forget about your wife. Am I uglier than her? Less deserving? Instead of pining for someone out of reach, why not—”
“Yun Yao, don’t ruin the respect I have for you.” Qi Xia’s gaze turned icy, murderous. “No one talks about my wife like that. You know I’m not a good person.”
“Oh? Gonna yell at me?” She smirked. “Or hit me? Go ahead, I’m right here.”
Qiao Jiajin was utterly lost.
This sudden hostility was the last thing he’d expected.
“Hey, hey—let’s all calm down,” he interjected. “What the hell just happened?”
The air was thick with tension.
Seeing Qi Xia genuinely furious, Yun Yao suddenly giggled.
“Alright, alright…” She waved it off. “Just kidding. Sorry, Qi Xia. I shouldn’t have said that about your wife. Whoever married you must be amazing.”
Qi Xia frowned, even more confused.
“What’s your game?”
“I was testing if I could trigger an ‘Echo.’ Guess it failed.” She sighed. “Maybe you didn’t scold me hard enough, or maybe I don’t like you that much… Either way, I rushed it. Don’t be mad, okay?”
“Testing for an ‘Echo’?” Qi Xia caught on. “So your trigger is…”
“‘Unrequited longing.'” Yun Yao smiled sheepishly. “All my life, I’ve gotten everything I wanted. When I’m truly denied something, the bell tolls.”
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