Chapter 5: Going Home

【Simulation ended】

Please select the reward for this simulation:

1. Memories from age seventeen.

2. A random item carried at age seventeen.

3. A random skill mastered at age seventeen.

It seems Qiye is not a vengeful person; he won't cause her trouble just because she slighted him.

Ruan Xing breathed a sigh of relief. After a quick glance, the first two options were useless, so she chose three.

【Congratulations, you have obtained the Weaving skill from age seventeen.】

The improvement this skill brought to Ruan Xing was not very obvious; she simply gained some extra experience in weaving out of thin air, her fingers became more nimble, and her eyes perceived things with greater detail.

It was better than nothing, but it still couldn't solve the problem at hand.

Theoretically, refusing Qiye was the safest course of action, but returning to weave meant remaining under her parents' control, and she wouldn't be able to protect her sister; her sister would still be sold.

She couldn't let that happen. She had to seize this opportunity to follow Qiye; only then could she deal with her scumbag father and protect her sister. Besides, Qiye was involved with gangs and was considered a figure of some standing in Jiangning City. Being by his side would surely provide better access to information than staying at home, which would also allow her to find a path to Cultivation sooner.

Looking back at the memories left by the previous simulations, the improvement in her eyesight allowed her to keenly perceive that the man shaking the Dice Cup was using a suspicious technique. However, she didn't understand Gambling, so she couldn't be certain what method was being used—was the Dice Cup rigged with a special mechanism, or?

She had already made up her mind to follow Qiye and join the gang, but whether she won or lost the third round would determine her initial status and the degree of importance Qiye placed on her.

Thinking of this, Ruan Xing started the Simulation again.

【Simulating...】

Age six: You agree to the third gambling match with Qiye. You guess Big, Qiye guesses Small, and you lose.

Your father rushes over to hit you but is stopped by Qiye's subordinates. You are taken away by Qiye, who begins to teach you Gambling. You propose to Qiye that you will not participate in any gambling matches until your Gambling skills are accomplished, so as not to damage your future luck. Qiye agrees.

Age seven: You study Gambling diligently, but progress is slow. Qiye rarely pays attention to you.

Age eight: You study Gambling diligently. Your mother finds you in private and tells you that your father plans to sell your sister to someone else as a child bride. You beg Qiye to save your sister, but Qiye refuses.

Age nine: You study Gambling diligently but only learn the basics. Qiye suddenly tests your Gambling skills and is disappointed with your progress.

Age ten: You study Gambling diligently.

Age eleven: You study Gambling diligently. Qiye leaves Jiangning City and takes you with him. On the road, you are ambushed by a group of masked men, and you die.

【Simulation ended】

Please select the reward for this simulation:

1. Memories from age eleven.

2. A random item carried at age eleven.

3. A random skill mastered at age eleven.

Ruan Xing couldn't wait to choose three.

【Congratulations, you have obtained the Gambling Entry skill from age eleven.】

It seems she truly had no talent in any aspect. If not for the Simulator, she would only ever be an ordinary person living in a daze, struggling daily for three meals, and getting married and having children when the time came.

But she was unwilling to live such a life.

Carefully savoring the gambling techniques and identification methods that had suddenly appeared in her mind, Ruan Xing reviewed those memories again. She examined every detail thoroughly—she could almost count the hairs on the hand of the man shaking the Dice Cup—and finally discovered what was different.

During the first two rounds, Qiye leaned forward with his hands on the table, and the man shook the Dice Cup properly without any unnecessary movements. By the end of the second round, Qiye sat up straight with his hands under the table.

The posture of the man shaking the Dice Cup changed; his left thumb, which had originally been supporting the bottom of the cup, shifted to a grip parallel to the edge of the cup's base.

When he opened the cup, a slight pressure from his left thumb could quickly flip the dice, causing her to lose every time.

This was a relatively low-level Cheat. If someone were standing next to the dealer watching, it would be easy to spot. However, because this was a match between Qiye and someone else, others dared not get close, allowing this low-level method to be used. This Cheat was aimed solely at Ruan Xing, and by slightly blocking the angle with the back of his hand, it was seamless.

Having confirmed the method, Ruan Xing simulated it one more time to be sure, then breathed a sigh of relief. However, in this simulation, Qiye still refused to save her sister.

Ruan Xing instinctively felt something was wrong. Such a small favor was just a matter of a word for Qiye; why was he unwilling to help? Even if she won three rounds in a row, was she still an insignificant existence in Qiye's eyes? Or was there an issue with her sister's identity? Was she not his biological daughter? The more she thought, the wilder her imagination ran, so she quickly stopped. In any case, there was still a year or two; she would deal with it then.

Each simulation took at most a dozen seconds. Before Qiye had even finished his tea, he heard a crisp voice reply.

"Qiye, I've decided. I will play the third round with you."

The smile on Qiye's face deepened. "Very well, then let's begin."

The man moved his left hand slightly and shook the Dice Cup. The dice tumbled back and forth inside, emitting a crisp clattering sound. Even those not participating in the match had their heartstrings tugged by this sound. When the cup landed, all eyes converged upon it.

"What do you guess?"

"I guess Big. But, Qiye, may I have someone else open the cup?"

A flash of surprise appeared in Qiye's eyes, but he agreed after a moment's thought. "You may. Who do you want to open it?"

Ruan Xing looked around at the people. Aside from Qiye's subordinates, they were all gamblers who frequented the Gambling Den. She didn't know any of them, nor did she know who had colluded with the fat man to set up her scumbag father. But it didn't matter; among this group, there was the only person who wanted her to win.

"Father, come and open it for me!"

"Me?" Ruan Fu looked at Qiye and the man beside him with some fear. The man had punched him several times when pulling him away earlier, and the pain left him unable to make a sound for a long time. Seeing Qiye nod, he hunched his shoulders and walked to the table, picking up the Dice Cup. "Th-then, I'll open it."

The dice were revealed: three sixes. Big.

Ruan Fu's face could not hide his joy, but with Qiye still present, he dared not speak.

Qiye didn't even look at the dice, drinking the last of his tea. "You won, little girl. What is your request?"

Ruan Xing pursed her lips into a shy smile, jumped off the chair, and ran to Qiye's side. Qiye cooperated by leaning over to listen to the whisper Ruan Xing shared in his ear.

After hearing it, he looked completely astonished and asked in return, "Are you sure?"

"Sure, I'm sure." Ruan Xing nodded repeatedly. "But you must keep it a secret for me. Also, I want to follow Qiye and receive your guidance."

Pushing his chair back, Qiye stood up. "Fine, I agree. You go home now; in a few days, I will send someone to your house to pick you up."

Ruan Xing nodded obediently and picked up her basket and broken porcelain bowl. She hadn't forgotten she was here to deliver food, though it was a pity about the meal her sister had made, now spilled on the ground and trampled by the crowd.

Ruan Fu only then remembered he hadn't eaten. He walked over happily, wanting to go home with Ruan Xing, muttering under his breath: "I didn't expect Xing'er to have this ability; she's my daughter, after all. We've hit the jackpot! Now that we have Qiye as our backer, let's see who dares to look down on me. Tomorrow I'll deal with that fat pig..."

His hand was about to land on Ruan Xing's head, and he was just about to ask what request she had made, when his wrist was suddenly grabbed. He looked back and saw it was the cold-faced man who had punched him earlier. He quickly apologized with a smile: "Is there anything else, brother?"

The man didn't speak, so Ruan Fu had to look at Qiye again. Qiye wore a warm smile. "I told her she could leave, but I didn't say you could. I still have something to discuss with you, Brother Ruan."

Ruan Fu's face stiffened, his legs trembled incessantly, and he cast a look of help toward Ruan Xing.

Ruan Xing acted as if she didn't see it, carrying her basket as she trotted out the outer door; walking onto the street, the air felt brand new, unlike the turbidity inside the Gambling Den just moments ago.

The sounds of hawking on the street were endless, and Ruan Xing stretched out her hand, three copper coins lying quietly in her small palm.

Ever since before the first round, she had been eyeing those copper coins swept onto the floor; otherwise, she would have long forgotten about the basket, but it was a pity that there weren't many coins dropped beside the basket, and she only managed to pick up three.

Using these three copper coins to buy a large meat bun, she ate as she walked; she had just used ten Simulations in the Gambling Den, and now she had 14.3 points left. With no new points coming in for the moment, she planned to hold off on using these points for now, saving them to deal with emergencies.

By the time she returned home, Ruan Tao had already finished washing the clothes and was hanging them out to dry in the courtyard; seeing her, she asked, "Why are you back so late?"

Ruan Xing pursed her lips and placed the basket on the table; she hadn't yet figured out how to explain this matter to Ruan Tao.

Ruan Tao saw the broken porcelain bowl inside and suddenly understood; she put down the work in her hands, pulled Ruan Xing's hand over, and looked her up and down to check, "Xing'er, are you hurt anywhere? It's good that you're fine."

Ruan Tao actually didn't blame her for losing a few more bowls? Ruan Xing was a bit surprised, "Sister, aren't you mad at me?"

"They're already broken, what's the use of blaming you? Besides, what does this have to do with you? It must have been Dad throwing a tantrum again. Compared to a few bowls, I care more about whether you were hurt."

Ruan Tao pulled her younger sister into her arms with a heart full of pity, "Xing'er, endure it for a few more years. When Sister is older, I'll find you a good brother-in-law, and then I'll take you away with me."

Hearing Ruan Tao's words, Ruan Xing felt even more glad about her choice, and she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Sister, do you hate Dad?"

She should hate him, right? If it weren't for that scumbag father, Ruan Tao wouldn't have had to shoulder all the household chores at such a young age, and she could have enjoyed more of her childhood.

Who would have expected Ruan Tao to ask back, "Xing'er, do you hate Dad?"

Without waiting for Ruan Xing to answer, a look of desolation appeared on her face, "Actually, Dad wasn't like this before... When I was little, Dad was very good to both Mom and me. Mom came home very late from work every day, and I was raised by Dad. He never cared about what others said regarding him living off a woman; he was happy every day cooking, washing clothes, and playing with me, and he even taught me how to write and read. Look, this is Ruan Tao, this is Ruan Xing; these are our names, they sound nice and look beautiful."

(End of this chapter)