Xiao Manxuan gently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling as if she was thinking of something joyful, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips. Her slender fingers softly brushed over the piano keys, and a deeply emotive melody began to flow.
The audience in the bar followed the melody, starting with tranquility, then gradually escalating, and as the rhythm of the notes slowly diminished, it left them craving more, immersed in the tune.
Apart from Lin Tian, everyone else seemed a bit intoxicated by the music; he felt that the music was infecting the mood of those around him. Lin Tian could sense this emotion but remained clear-headed.
Is the little girl really this impressive? Has her music reached the point of affecting the audience’s emotions? Then her skills must be incredibly high, it’s unexpected, but the little girl really has a knack, thought Lin Tian in amazement.
"Hey, you rascal, how did I play?" The people in the bar hadn’t snapped back to reality yet when Xiao Manxuan quietly walked down and asked expectantly.
"Second Miss, did you start learning piano from the womb? You’re beyond master-level," Lin Tian said admiringly, giving her a thumbs-up.
Xiao Manxuan smiled sweetly and said, "You’re exaggerating. I just learn things quickly. Do you remember the last move I used when we fought? My sister said it would take a normal person several months or even half a year, but I learned it in three days."
The move from their fight? Lin Tian was startled for a moment, then recalled the first day on the job when Xiao Manxuan had challenged him, asking him to fight blindfolded. He remembered using his X-ray vision to counter the move. So, was Xiao Manxuan actually a genius?
"Second Miss, with that said, you are extraordinarily gifted. Why didn’t you study Ancient Martial Arts, learning just a single technique?" Lin Tian wondered, considering her talent, cultivating Ancient Martial Arts wouldn’t be inferior to the Miss.
"Mom and sister want me to be safe and happy. She said learning Ancient Martial Arts is too arduous, demanding too much, and she just wants me to be carefree and happy; she also doesn’t want me to be involved in the Ancient Martial World," Xiao Manxuan said, lowing her head with a hint of guilt, because her mother and sister had always been protecting her, and she hadn’t been able to help much, sometimes even causing her sister worry.
True sisterly and motherly affection, Lin Tian understood why they did that. If he had a brother or sister, he too would want to shield them alone.
He patted Xiao Manxuan’s back, comforting her, "Don’t worry about the Miss. You’ve forgotten about me. I’m here, and I won’t let anyone bully Mrs. Xiao and the Miss."
"Lin Tian, you’re really kind. You’ve helped us a lot. Thank you. But don’t forget, you still owe me one favor, and judging by their expressions, I played no worse than your ex, right?" The little girl’s mouth curled up in a smile like a little fox.
Indeed, although the audience had recovered from their trance, some still had lingering expressions on their faces. These people, coming from wealthy families and nurtured from young, had at least higher musical literacy than Lin Tian and Liu Wenxing.
"Hey, Mr. Xiao, nice to meet you." While the two talked, Bai Yufeng came over, smiling as he greeted Xiao Manxuan.
However, Xiao Manxuan just nodded politely but remained close to Lin Tian. Her intimate gesture with Lin Tian caused a slight frown to appear on Bai Yufeng’s face, a shadow quickly passing through his eyes.
"Oh, isn’t this Lin Tian. I heard you won ten million from me; it’s truly memorable," Bai Yufeng turned to Lin Tian, smiling.
He implied that if you make me lose money, I’ll remember you. However, Lin Tian hardly took him seriously, finding him slightly inferior to his brother, otherwise Bai Zhengchu wouldn’t have kept the Bai Family’s plans from him.
"Brother Bai’s being too petty; who are you, the second young master of the Bai Family? How could you possibly be short of money? Could it be that Mr. Bai doesn’t trust you and has handed over the family business to your brother?" Lin Tian said with a slight smile, his words striking a nerve.
Indeed, his status in the Bai Family couldn’t compare to Bai Yuze’s. His facial expression was a bit unnatural, awkwardly lifting his glass of red wine for a sip. Fortunately, his friend Sun Decai came over in time to save him from embarrassment.
"Hehe, how are you guys hiding here chatting away so blandly? Our game is about to start; aren’t you joining the fun?" Sun Decai, bringing Qi Jing along, approached with a broad smile, as if all the previous displeasure had never occurred.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yufeng’s gaze flickered. He said, "If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. Our King game is about to start. How about you join us, Lin Tian and the others?"
"King game?" Lin Tian had never heard of it and wondered what they were up to.
"Brother Tian, I’ve seen them play the King game before. It goes ..." Liu Wenxing leaned over and whispered an explanation in his ear.
So that was it; Lin Tian finally understood. The King game involves ten participants who draw from a deck of playing cards with Ace to 10, plus a Joker, making eleven cards representing numbers 1 to 10. After shuffling, each person draws one card as their secret card, keeping its face hidden from others. The person who gets the Joker reveals it and becomes the King, while the remaining card on the table is the King’s secret card.
The King has absolute power in the game. He can call out one or two numbers, and the called individuals must obey the King’s order unconditionally. Since the King is unaware of his secret card number, he could accidentally call on himself, setting himself up.
"Lin Tian, dare to play? As long as the King’s order doesn’t involve any illegal activities, you must obey unquestionably. If not obeyed, the punishment is to pay ten million RMB," Bai Yufeng said leisurely, watching Lin Tian.
Damn it, thinking of ganging up on me? You guys are still too green! Lin Tian noticed the hidden smirk in the eyes of Bai Yufeng and Sun Decai and knew that the duo wanted to use the game to get back at him for thwarting their previous covert attempt.
"No problem, it’s participatory for Liu Wenxing and I. Let’s go," Lin Tian thought amusedly, looking forward to seeing how he’d turn the tables on them.
Soon, they moved to the center of the hall where a table stood with a fresh deck of playing cards. Expecting a spectacle, the crowd of people chatting and drinking gathered around, and six more joined Lin Tian’s group to form a team of ten.
After extracting the numerals and the Joker, Bai Yufeng shuffled the cards again and spread them out on the table. Lin Tian used his X-ray vision to observe his shuffling, internally sneering. There was nothing amiss with the shuffle, but the backs of the cards were marked with extremely subtle signs; they had tampered with the deck in advance!
These two had apparently conned many a family scion before; tonight, Lin Tian happened to walk into their trap. He kept his cool, pretending to be none the wiser, though Xiao Manxuan standing behind him seemed a bit tense.
Each pulled a card, and unless something unexpected happened, the Joker was undoubtedly meant to be snatched by Sun Decai first. However, Lin Tian wouldn’t let it happen—he was quicker, drawing the Joker before Sun Decai even made a move.
With his hand halfway to the marked Joker, Sun Decai was caught off guard!
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