Author: Vanilla Muse

Posted in Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

Let Me Shoulder this Blame! 56

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 56

In the end, he did not kiss the youth in his arms. He only gave him a light kiss through the barrier of his hand. His voice was soft and low, “Jinchu, you don’t know—how happy Brother is…”

The eyelashes under his palm fluttered. The sensation was ticklish. Without a sound, warm tears sprouted.

It’s over. It’s over.

Su Shi was afraid to look at his own experience points. He was so ashamed that he slammed his head into that embrace.

There was a pain in his chest, but Lin Feng embraced him tighter, and stroked his thin back. “It’s my fault, Jinchu, it’s my fault. Just wait for a bit more. Go overseas, rest, and have some fun. Once I finish taking care of matters here, I will go pick you up…”

Hearing him bring up that foreordained plane flight, Su Shi’s breathing turned slightly stagnant. His heart was tingling with pain. His taut body gradually loosened.

The plane will crash. Su Shi was afraid that the protagonist would spend his entire life under a cloud of guilt, for being the one to put him on that plane with his own hands.
Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.
It was just one world. Anyway, his experience points have already been lost. He could not take the initiative to disobey the system’s main story line. But at the very least, within the time that he had left, he could, to the best of his abilities, leave the other party with some warm memories, no matter how short they may be.

Lin Feng hugged him. Feeling that the person in his arms was gradually calming down, he was about to help him lie down, but Su Shi suddenly grabbed on to his wrist.

“Brother, rest for a bit, okay?”

The warm yellow lamplight was reflected in the bright black pupils, emitting a thin, soft, and warm light.

Facing the light in those eyes, Lin Feng’s breathing stuttered. His expression turned warm and he nodded with a smile. Following the strength of Su Shi’s tug, he leaned down, and brushed a soft kiss to the youth’s forehead.

The bedroom light finally went out, but Chairman Lin did not come out all night.

*

On the day of Su Shi’s flight, Lin Feng did not come to see him off.

The prosecution was at the most critical period, and a trial was to be held on the same day. It was difficult for Lin Feng to get away. Su Shi was not surprised. Packing his luggage absently, he was about to call the assistant, but there was a faint noise in the corridor.

Somehow, it gave him an ominous premonition. Su Shi dragged the suitcase out, and followed the sound.

The assistant was standing outside Lin Jing’s bedroom. He was tenaciously dragging the struggling Lin Jing, his eyes filled with an anxious and irritated light.

“What’s going on?”

Although he followed Lin Feng all year round, the assistant was very respectful to the chairman’s younger brother, and there were very few times when he would bring out such an intense attitude.

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Su Shi’s expression sank slightly. He quickly stepped forward to block their path, and looked directly at the pale-faced Lin Jing.

Met with the dark look in Su Shi’s eyes, Lin Jing’s body shook uncontrollably. He subconsciously wanted to answer, but the assistant quickly said, “Nothing!”

Having said that, his expression morphed into a stiff smile. He raised a hand to push Su Shi out. “Jinchu, you don’t have to worry. I just have to exchange a few words with the second young master, and then I will take you to the airport right away…”

“What happened to Brother?”

Su Shi raised a hand to separate them. His tone was heavy.

The assistant’s face turned stiff and he could not change the topic in time. Lin Jing hurriedly grabbed on to Su Shi with tears in his eyes. “Jinchu, Brother—Brother was abducted by them. They want me to bring a business contract to them, and they also want us to drop the lawsuit, what to do…?”

“Second Young Master, you–”

The assistant was so angry that his face turned white. He paced back and forth a few times, sighed heavily, and raised his hand to support Su Shi’s arm. “Jinchu, they are only flinging threats, they won’t actually do anything to Chairman Lin. First, let me have someone send you to the airport, you leave as soon as possible…”

“What are all of their demands? What else do we need?”

Su Shi interrupted his words, no longer paying attention to Lin Jing, who was standing still. Instead, he turned his attention to the struggling assistant.

He had also been wondering all this time, his body was not suitable for long-distance flights, and the relationship between the two has been recognized, so why was the protagonist still so anxious to send him abroad at this time?

Now it would seem that Lin Feng had long been aware of some hidden threats.

The assistant was silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed in compromise. “We notified the police and temporarily announced the withdrawal of the lawsuit. Now, we only need the second young master to bring the business contract to them so that the police can have a chance at rescue.”

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

“Brother Li, Brother Li, listen to me—Liang Qiu has evidence that I was the one who administered the drug (to Mu Jinchu). If I go, I will definitely be arrested, and I will have to go to prison too!”

Lin Jing grabbed his arm and looked at him in panic. His eyes were full of fear and timidity. “I can leave the entertainment circle. I can go abroad and learn to do business. But I can’t be arrested again. If that happens, then I will have no path forward anymore–”

“Therefore, you don’t care about Brother anymore?”

Su Shi cut into his words. His gaze was light and fell upon Lin Jing serenely.

Lin Jing’s throat suddenly tightened, and he turned speechless. His face paled as he stumbled back a few steps. He held his head and weakly crouched on the floor.

Time passed minute by minute.

Su Shi’s gaze gradually cooled.

The object of his mission was Lin Jing. As long as Lin Jing was alive, it was not necessary to guarantee Lin Feng’s safety.

As long as he pretended that nothing happened, boarded the plane according to the arrangement of the assistant, and leave the world smoothly, everything after that would have nothing to do with him.

He pulled out the plane ticket and stared at it in his hand.

Lin Jing’s gaze fixed on the ticket, his chest violently undulating. His eyes unexpectedly exhibited an irreconcilable envy.

Su Shi suddenly turned up the corner of his mouth, tore the ticket in half, and threw it on the floor.

“Fine, I’ll care.”

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The author has something to say:
System: No need to explain, let’s break up. 🙂
#You’ve never loved me in the first place! (つД`)

Posted in Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil

FOD: Xue Zi Xuan 6.7

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 6.7 – Not Forgetting the Original Intention

Zhou Yun Sheng could not misunderstand the split second of forward force imposed by the young man. He lived beneath the other’s roof; he could not afford to not bow his head. He said “like” in a voice that was practically inaudible, slowly approached, and kissed the young man at lightning speed on the cheek.

Originally, Xue Zi Xuan had wanted to tilt his head so that the kiss would land on his lips, but considering the shy character of the teenager, he had to reluctantly press down his desires. He didn’t want to scare him away at this point.

There was a trace of wetness left on his cheek, and the smell of steak and sauce, but it did not make Xue Zi Xuan feel sick. On the contrary, he was now very satisfied and very happy. At this point in time, the teenager liked him, and as long as he thought about it, he couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

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He kissed the teenager’s cheek again. Then he moved back and ate at a very slow pace. In contrast, Zhou Yun Sheng’s movements were lightning quick as he finished dinner and dessert. Then he held the glass of milk in his hands and took small sips. He watched the customers leave one by one. The restaurant went from crowded to empty. Zhou Yun Sheng suspected that the young man would eat until the end of time.

Xue Zi Xuan had tried his best to extend the time between the two of them, but time still passed minute by minute. Only when he saw that the restaurant was about to close, did he settled the bill and left with the youth.

The parking spot was still a long way from the restaurant. Zhou Yun Sheng wanted to go quickly, but the young man held his waist, so he had to lean on his arms to move forward step by step. Their bodies were pressed so tightly together that their shadows on the ground were completely integrated into one.

Xue Zi Xuan took the Chinese bellflower from his sleeve and inserted it into the youth’s chest pocket. He leaned his head over and kissed him on his cold cheek.

Zhou Yun Sheng knew that once the sluice was opened, the floodwater could not be recovered. Xue Zi Xuan got a small advantage, and then it became increasingly easy for him to eat Zhou Yun Sheng’s tender tofu. He would kiss him out of the blue at every opportunity, incessantly.

He desperately wanted to slap him away, but had to put up with it, so he found a topic as distraction. “When did you bring the flower out? I thought it was left at the restaurant.” It was just a flower; did he need to bring it around everywhere?

“This flower is the first gift I bought for you. It has a different meaning. How could it be randomly left behind?” Xue Zi Xuan sighed contentedly, and guilt flooded his eyes. In his last life, up until the tragedy happened, he never gave the teenager any gifts. It’s not that he didn’t love the teenager enough, but that he didn’t know how to love him.

In this life, he was willing to learn, to change, and to dedicate the best in the world to the youth in his arms.

Zhou Yun Sheng curled his lips in disdain, but his touch was gentle when he stroked the purple petals. This was also the first gift he received.

Suddenly, flakes of snow fluttered down from the sky, and the temperature dropped. Some pedestrians let out excited shouts, and some pulled up their collars and moved quicker. Xue Zi Xuan held the shivering youth close to him and walked a few steps. They passed by a shop window and he saw a long men’s coat on the display mannequin. He stood and looked at it for a while, and then he walked in to ask for the price.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The price of seven or eight thousand RMB was considered nothing to the young master of the Xue family. He quickly swiped his card for the purchase and had the salesperson cut off the tag.

Zhou Yun Sheng glanced at the overcoat. He felt that this coquettish style with a mink fur collar was very mismatched with the young man. The clothes he wore were always high quality, custom-made, low-key, and luxurious. In addition, they were one of a kind.

But this was a shallow world based on looks. No matter how parvenu the temperament of clothes, when coupled with Xue Zi Xuan’s overwhelmingly noble face, the style immediately improved by several levels. He put on the coat and left the store under the infatuated gaze of the salesperson.

“Like this, it’s warm.” He opened the lapel of his coat and wrapped the boy completely in his arms. With his head flaked in a crown of snow, he chuckled.

The thick fabric cut off the cold wind from all directions, and the body temperature of the young man was constantly flowing, bringing with it the aroma of cologne. This seemingly unreliable embrace was now so warm, broad, and quiet. Zhou Yun Sheng went deeper into his arms, trying to ignore his constantly trembling heartstrings.

Xue Zi Xuan covered them tightly with the layer of clothes, and they stepped steadily towards the car one step at a time. They arrived at the car. He opened the car door and turned on the heater. Both of them sighed comfortably, but at the same time faintly felt lost.

It was past one o’ clock in the middle of the night, when they returned to the Xue manor. Fu Bo was still waiting in the living room.

“Young Master, sir is waiting for you in the study.” He stepped forward and handed them two dry towels.

“I see.” Xue Zi Xuan nodded expressionlessly. When facing outsiders, he was still the cold-blooded and hard-hearted Young Master Xue. However, when he turned to look at the boy, he immediately smiled softly and bent over to help him take off his shoes.

“I’ll do it myself.” Zhou Yun Sheng resisted with a flushed face.

“Your socks got wet. Quickly go back to the room and soak your feet.” Xue Zi Xuan took off his shoes very quickly, and touched the soles of the teenager’s feet, as if he never had mysophobia before.

Fu Bo became more and more shocked and apprehensive the longer he watched. His complexion flipped between green and white, looking just like an artist’s painting palette.

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Posted in The Big Landlord

The Big Landlord 100.1

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 100.1 – Scholar

Seven days prior.

Tian Long Gambling House was a business that An Zi Ran built up by himself.

It wasn’t something that he obtained after becoming An Zi Ran, but rather something that he built up bit by bit for himself, so his awareness of Tian Long Gambling House was much higher than that of the An family’s businesses.

However, even a person made of iron could not handle that many days of high-intensity work, especially since the number of businesses under his hand has increased to three.

Originally, he planned to establish Tian Long Gambling House first. The carving workshop and playing card business were not in his plans, but then in order to better operate the gambling house, he had to have these two industries firmly within his hands.

But recently, he encountered some trouble.

The high quality official card paper that he used for making playing cards was a famous paper product that only qualified officials could afford. The low output was also a contributing factor to its price.

But the most important point was that the cost was too high.

Ten playing cards could be made from one sheet of the high quality official card paper. A deck of fifty-four cards required five and a half sheets of official card paper, including printing and labor costs, the cost of completing a deck of cards was likely to exceed fifty copper coins. This kind of situation was not conducive to the popularization of playing cards.

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People in the capital make at most a hundred copper coins a day. Their daily allowance to spend outside was even less. How could they possibly deliberately spend fifty copper coins on a deck of playing cards? If they had this kind of money then it would be better to buy a few pounds of meat and eat it with the family.

An Zi Ran’s plan was to keep the cost at about ten copper coins as much as possible. But if the cards were made entirely of official card paper, then this idea would not be possible at all. So it could only be replaced with another type of paper.

However, looking at all of Da Ya, there weren’t many types of paper that could replace the hardness and feel of the official card paper.

It couldn’t be that he would have to start a papermaking business himself could it?

An Zi Ran was afraid that if things went on like this, even if he knew how to duplicate himself, he could not juggle so many different things. And too many side occupations would only cause more problems.

Looking at the situation now, in the absence of a suitable paper to replace the official card paper, he could only temporarily service just the rich clientele.

While he was pondering, a warm body suddenly covered his back from behind.

An Zi Ran did not look back. The only person who could easily approach him was Fu Wu Tian.

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A pair of hands covered his temples and lightly rubbed a few times. The accumulating headaches in the recent days suddenly eased a lot. He had been thinking too much during this period of time.

“Wang fei, would you like to go out and relax?”

An Zi Ran hesitated. “Okay.”

He had been busy for so many days. He also wanted to relax, and with more and more industries under his hands, he could not do everything by himself, so he planned to delegate some of that responsibility in a few days.

When he heard that the two of them were going out, the lao wang ye also wanted to tag along.

He hadn’t been outside for nearly three months. Since the cheating incident, he had been quiet again, and was trying his best to hone his skills. He only came out of secluded training yesterday, but it was still his grounding period, so he could only move about within the Imperial Fu Palace.

Fu Wu Tian ruthlessly rejected his request.

He wanted to spend time with his wang fei. How could he possibly bring such a giant third wheel along?

In response, lao wang ye gave him a single comment.

“You ungrateful brat!”

“You make trouble without reason.” Fu Wu Tian countered, tit for tat.

The dialogue between these two amused everyone within the prince’s palace.

An Zi Ran couldn’t help laughing out loud. How come he felt like he had heard this dialogue somewhere before? It really wasn’t some ordinary joy.

In the end, they still didn’t take the lao wang ye out.

The streets of Jun Zi City were intricate. There was a bustling market in four directions: east, west, south, and north. They were named after the four cardinal directions. For example, An Zi Ran’s Tian Long Gambling House was located in the area collectively referred to as the East District. It was the liveliest place in the four major markets of the capital.

But they were not going to visit the East District today.

An Zi Ran has been in and out of the East District for the past two months. He was already clear about the lay of the land, and so was Fu Wu Tian. Since he gave up his military power, he could accompany him every day, which was a great help to him.

So today, they decided to look at the West District, which was the farthest.

West District was not as prosperous as East District. There were no brothels or gambling houses here. Instead, there were a lot of taverns, inns, and teahouses. But the majority of the shops here were the kind that sold various miscellaneous things, for example, clothes, tealeaves, steamed stuffed buns, lamb meat, secondhand clothes, stone work, wood work, etc. There were an abundant variety of items for sell. Thus, the night market in the West District was the liveliest of the four major districts. Even the East District could not compare to the West District when it came to the night market.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

At this moment, An Zi Ran and Fu Wu Tian were strolling on the streets of the West District.

From time to time, the sound of hawkers yelling and the laughter of children and the elderly would reach their ears. The atmosphere here was much more peaceful and warmer than in the East District.

Seeing this, An Zi Ran couldn’t help remembering the letter from Steward Su a few days ago.

During his time running the casino, Zhou Laohan’s wife garnered huge success. The rice noodles she made were well received in An Yuan County, and many people liked to eat them.

Zhou Laohan’s wife didn’t conceal her recipe. She shared her rice noodle-making recipe with Chef Wang. She was a woman who liked cooking. Later, she experimented with Chef Wang to come up with many delicious dishes. They created two large-sized snack dishes that couldn’t be squeezed into the noodle bar, so Steward Su took the initiative and opened up a restaurant in An Yuan County.

An Zi Ran thought that if the results were good then he could try opening one in the capital and see how it went. Just as he was thinking that, a hand suddenly landed atop his head.

He looked up and saw Fu Wu Tian staring at him. He blanked for a moment and then realized that his thoughts had subconsciously turned in the direction of making more money.

“…Let’s go over there and take a look.”

An Zi Ran shifted the topic with a slight awkwardness, and then he walked ahead before the other could respond.

Fu Wu Tian saw the tips of An Zi Ran’s ears turn red. With a smile in his eyes, he kept up without saying anything.

An Zi Ran wasn’t a foodie, but he was very interested in the food here.

For example, dandan noodles, congee, cakes, steamed buns, crab soup, etc. There were snacks that he had never eaten before, not even in his previous life. He could smell the dense aroma of the food when he walked past the shop and it stirred his appetite.

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Posted in Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

Let Me Shoulder this Blame! 55

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 55

Probably because he took a harsh psychological blow from Mu Jinchu’s excessively resolute tone, Lin Feng flung himself into the turbulent business world. He didn’t go home for more than a week, and the plane ticket was sent home through the assistant.

“Chairman Lin is very busy, it will be better after a while…”

The assistant guiltily whispered the explanation. He cautiously gauged Su Shi’s expression.

“Jinchu, actually Chairman Lin has always been thinking of you the most. The sanatorium over there, Chairman Lin personally selected it out of dozens of others. They have the most professional medical equipment and medical staff. You go over there to live for two months and your body will definitely get better.”

“Brother cares about me, I know.”

Su Shi received the plane ticket that the assistant handed over to him. His gaze landed on the flight number, and the last traces of hope in his heart finally extinguished.

Sure enough, it was the flight number as dictated by the script.

There was no difference in the eventual outcome of the main plotline, but between buying the ticket himself and leaving, and Lin Feng buying the ticket to send him away, there was still a difference.

Obviously, he had gained a lot of experience points. As long as he boarded that plane, then he could satisfactorily end this world’s mission. But once he recalled the burning dark flames in those eyes, his chest could not feel relief.

Looking at the dullness in the other person’s eyes, the assistant felt more and more nervous. He found an excuse to go outside, and then gave a call to Lin Feng.

“…I understand, I will go home tonight.”

The sky was already turning dark, but the office lights were not turned on. Lin Feng leaned back in his office chair and rubbed his eyebrows tiredly.

After a while of silence, he added another sentence, “Don’t tell Jinchu yet, lest he thinks too much.”

Jinchu’s reaction that day was really too fierce. There are some things that one must not have excessive hope for. He could only curb all the thoughts and feelings that he had yet to put into words, and put all his energy into the high-stakes games of the business world.

It’s been so many days, but he had yet to have another good rest like the one he had that day at the hospital (with Jinchu).

Liang Qiu had been recently forced into a dead end, and the Lin clan had already begun the specific process of preparing for prosecution. By the time Lin Feng finally settled the business at hand and hurried home, it was already late at night.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The assistant quickly came out to greet him, looking anxiously at the closed bedroom door. “The lights in Jinchu’s room have not been turned off. I dare not knock on the door. Would you like to go see him now?”

It was already late. Lin Feng frowned slightly as he looked at the faint light seeping out from the crack beneath the door. He walked over quickly.

Worried that Jinchu had fallen asleep and forgotten to turn off the lights, Lin Feng didn’t knock on the door. He just opened the door as quietly as possible.

That youth was indeed lying with his head down on the table. He didn’t even have the good sense to cover himself with another layer of clothing. His thin back rose up and down slowly with his even breaths, evidently showing that he was in deep sleep.

Lin Feng sighed and walked over carefully. With one arm on Mu Jinchu’s back and another arm under his legs, he lightly lifted him up.

Vaguely aware of the change in posture, Mu Jinchu frowned at first, but still did not open his eyes. He just instinctively leaned into the arms to absorb the heat near him.

When Jinchu cuddled against him, Lin Feng’s heart clenched. He carefully placed the youth on the bed and unfolded the quilt to cover him, but then his eyes fell on the letterhead spread out on the table.

It seemed to be an unfinished letter.

Suddenly, from the depths of his heart, a hidden hope that he dared not voice was born. Lin Feng sat beside the bed, picked up the letter paper, and looked down.

The contents of the letter made him feel slightly surprised, and he raised his eyebrows as he continued to read. His expression unconsciously softened.

The handwriting on the paper was neat and clean. Don’t know why, but it drew forth a feeling of nostalgia. Written in the letter were long-winded words talking about a bunch of trivial matters.

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On his eighteenth birthday, received a gift from eldest brother; on the day of the college entrance exams, Brother specially prepared breakfast; had a fight with Lin Jing, and then Brother gave Lin Jing a beating; at the graduation ceremony, saw Brother amongst the audience, he even wore sunglasses for fear that others would recognize him.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and blinked away the moisture in his eyes. His chest felt hot and tight.

Even he didn’t remember all this. So in that period of time that he did not pay much attention to, they actually had no many points of intersection.

Faintly feeling that there was a presence near him, Su Shi blinked out of his sleep and looked over in a bewildered daze. “Brother?”

“Brother is here, sleep well.”

His throat was choked with emotions. Lin Feng raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, his tone still gentle and soft.

He was already accustomed to the other’s surprise attacks, so Su Shi murmured a sound of acknowledgement and planned to continue sleeping, but then he felt that something was wrong.

Vacantly opening his eyes, he found that the letter paper was in Lin Feng’s hand. His expression suddenly changed, and he raised his hand to make a grab for the paper. “Brother, you can’t look at this!”

“Okay, okay. Brother didn’t have time to look at it. Here, returning it to you. Don’t worry.”

Lin Feng steadily hugged the fluttering body against his chest. His expression did not change, his heart did not jump, and he lightly patted Jinchu in a placating manner. “It’s all right, it’s all right. Don’t worry. Brother swears he didn’t see anything…”

It would be strange if he did not see!

His experience points were about to collapse!

Su Shi curled up tightly and gripped his clothes hard. He felt so distressed that he couldn’t breathe.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

He was worried that the protagonist might blame himself too much, so he wanted to leave behind a suicide note. Who knew that he would fall asleep after only writing part of it? He only had time to finish writing up the sentimental first half.

And unexpectedly, it was actually read by the protagonist.

Su Shi squinted as he watched the protagonist’s favor value soaring all the way. He took a quick breath, lifted his head, and said numbly, “Brother, I–”

“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter even if you don’t say it out loud.”

Lin Feng saw the terrified and watery look in Mu Jinchu’s eyes. He held his breath for a beat, but couldn’t help letting out a faint laugh. He covered those eyes with the palm of his hand and leaned down with his body.

“I thought that—forget it, Jinchu, thank you.”

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Posted in Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil

FOD: Xue Zi Xuan 6.6

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 6.6 – Not Forgetting the Original Intention

Originally, Zhou Yun Sheng had intended to act awkwardly in order to embarrass this Tianshan Snow Lotus Xue Zi Xuan, but who knew that the other party had no sense of shame at all. Zhou Yun Sheng could bet that if he continued his original trajectory, the other party would pick up the knife and fork and feed him one mouthful at a time.

“System, this person really hasn’t been taken over by another soul? Scan it again, and be meticulous.” He ordered in his mind.

The system also detected abnormal data, so it wasted a bit of energy, scanned Xue Zi Xuan several times from beginning to end, and replied with an icy electronic voice: “Reporting to the host, this human soul fits into this world.”

Zhou Yun Sheng imitated the young man’s behavior to cut off a piece of steak, put it into his mouth, and chewed slowly. His peach blossom eyes scanned the other person with a hidden look of inquiry. If he could, he really wanted to pry open the young man’s head and see what he was thinking.

“What is it?” Xue Zi Xuan’s body trembled from being the object of focus of the youth’s gaze. Goosebumps erupted over his bare neck and hands. This was definitely not out of aversion or disgust, but a physiological reaction caused by too much excitement.

Such a focused, pure gaze was something he had longed for a lifetime.

“Brother is particularly good-looking when eating.” Zhou Yun Sheng bootlicked the young man. Of course, he really did think this in his mind. After all, the young man was born from an influential family, and was cultured from a young age. There was an implicit and elegant charm in his every action. In particular, his face looked like jade, and his demeanor was elegant. He would be the perfect male god in the eyes of many young women.

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It would not be an exaggeration to say that in this restaurant full of upper-class people and social elites, none of them could top Xue Zi Xuan in terms of appearance or manner.

Xue Zi Xuan never cared whether people slandered or praised him, but right now he was extremely happy. One arm wound around the youth’s back to land on the chair. He half circled Zhou Yun Sheng in his arm, and got close to place a kiss on his supple pink face.

His kiss was like the touch of a dragonfly upon the water, the touch was very light, but the temperature was burning. Zhou Yun Sheng never knew that his skin was so thin that such an action caused him to immediately become hot. He blinked his watery peach blossom eyes and whispered, “What are you doing? What did you kiss me for?”

Xue Zi Xuan looked at him and smiled. “When you like someone to the extreme, you will have the urge to kiss him when you see him.”

Goddamn, another confession. Are you a confession demon? Zhou Yun Sheng was dallied with again. He was really itching to toss a glass of red wine in the other’s face. But in order to avoid OOC, he restrained himself with all his might. Huang Yi was a boy with a low self-esteem, a lack of love, and a timid and cowardly attitude. If he heard this sentence, the most authentic reaction must be shyness, not anger.

Zhou Yun Sheng put down the knife and fork, and covered his cheeks with both hands, leaving only a pair of eyes that were about to overflow with water exposed. The frenetic and helpless expression looked both pitiful and cute.

Xue Zi Xuan chuckled. As long as he was with the teenager, every minute and every second was of extreme happiness, every breath brought with it a sweet aroma, and every mouthful was the taste of happiness. Compared to the despair of the previous life, such a life was tantamount to the top of bliss. How could he be willing to let go? Naturally, even in death he would not let go.

“All right now, kissing is a way for Westerners to show affection, you see.” He squeezed the youth’s red earlobe and motioned for him to look to the right.

There was a pair of foreign lovers sitting next to each other, chatting while eating. Don’t know what the woman said, but the man kissed her on the cheek with a smile.

Duplicity after duplicity. It was normal for a man to kiss a woman, but how could it count when a man kisses a man? Furthermore, you kept me in the dark when you ordered a couple’s meal set, and the tiramisu brought out is cut into the shape of a heart. Do you take me for a fool? Silently cursing up to here, Zhou Yun Sheng lost steam. He had to admit that in the eyes of the Xue family, he must be the same as a dumb fool.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

He took a few glances. Only then did he slowly put down the hands that were covering his face. He whispered, “So it’s like that.” Then he picked back up the knife and fork, ready to decimate this couple’s meal set.

“Brother kissed you because he likes you. Then what about you, do you like Brother?” Xue Zi Xuan did not intend to let him off, guiding him patiently and systematically with his words.

Frick. You’re not done, huh? You offender. Die, you damn gay guy! Scolding up to here, Zhou Yun Sheng realized that he was also a gay guy. He couldn’t help but choke. He lifted his head, and looked at the young man with misty eyes overflowing with water, and pleaded silently.

Xue Zi Xuan turned feverish from head to toe due to Zhou Yun Sheng’s stare. He cupped the back of the youth’s head with his hand, and continued to question, “Does Xiao Yi like Brother?” Hidden beneath the final lilt of that question were countless expectations.

Zhou Yun Sheng, as an orphan who lacked love and was adopted by a kind person, could he say that he didn’t like the brother that was raising him? He nodded his head with great difficulty. Then he licked his lips unconsciously.

Xue Zi Xuan’s eyes darkened. The palm covering the back of the youth’s head applied a bit of forward force, but then quickly let go. He had almost pressed the boy to himself just now, and wanted to disregard all to attack those red lips. Heavens knew how much he longed for him. He longed so much that his heart broke into pieces.

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Posted in The Big Landlord

The Big Landlord 99.2

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 99.2 – Portrait

Jiang Sheng rarely appeared in front of people, so not many people knew him. Thus, he was the best person to go to Tian Long Gambling House.

“The matter of the small garden can be temporarily set aside, but the card game must be figured out as soon as possible.” Luo Yang said uneasily.

Jiang Sheng took the gold card. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Rest assured. I’m not like the useless men under your command. The master told me yesterday that I must figure out the secret of Tian Long Gambling House, and he takes this matter very seriously.”

Luo Yang’s eyelids jumped.

The master went over him, and furthermore, only told Jiang Sheng this?

Jiang Sheng ignored the complications in Luo Yang’s heart and left the gambling house after speaking.

At the same time, on the first day of opening, the handsome man who accidentally barged into the small garden also brought his guard, Da Hei, to Tian Long Gambling House. These days, he had Da Hei keeping an eye out on Tian Long Gambling House. He learned about the membership program two days ago, but didn’t have an opportunity to go out until today.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

“Gong zi, do you really want to buy a gold card for five hundred silvers?”

Da Hei felt pain whenever he thought about this amount of money. Although he knew that the gong zi did not lack silver, he was short of money. He would rather hide it in his pocket than waste it on gambling.

“We’re already here. This time, no matter what I must satisfy myself.” The handsome man closed his fan and went in.

Da Hei quickly followed.

Following instructions, the two arrived at the counter.

There was a middle-aged person at the counter. When he saw them coming over, he immediately stood up with a pleasant smile on his face and said very politely, “Is there something these two customers need help with?”

The handsome man said, “This gong zi wants to get a gold card.”

The middle-aged person’s eyes lit up. Everyone who applied for a gold card was considered the casino’s financial backer. They either had money or power. None of them could be slighted. “Please wait a moment, gong zi. Gold card applications are on the second floor. This little one will immediately have someone bring you up there.” After he finished speaking, he immediately called over another servant.

The servant smiled at the two and said, “Gong zi, please follow this little one.”

The handsome man’s eyes brightened. On the first day, because there were too many people, he didn’t notice, but all the people working at Tian Long Gambling House were all smiles, but they were not exaggerated smiles and they were very polite. More and more, he felt that the person behind the casino was unfathomable, and the means of operating the casino were absolutely first-rate.

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The gold card was different from the silver card. The gold card had a portrait on it, so it was necessary to draw the image of the cardholder first. This drawing was then passed along, and the card would be completed the next day.

Due to his identity, it was inconvenient for the handsome man to have his image painted, so he asked the artist at the casino to draw Da Hei’s face. The cardholder could only take a maximum of two people with them into the small garden. Thus, as long as he always brought Da Hei along, then it would not be a problem.

The speed of the young artist was very fast. The two waited for only a quarter of an hour before Da Hei’s face was drawn.

The handsome man glanced at it. That artist’s skill was very high. It looked almost the same as the real person. There was no need to worry about the portrait not being recognizable.

Then, the handsome man put down a deposit of two hundred and fifty silvers. After paying, he suddenly thought of a question and asked, “If I suddenly regret it and don’t want the gold card, can I still get my money back?”

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The young artist looked at him, unsurprised. Obviously, this was not the first time someone had asked him this question. He replied, “Responding to gong zi, if you regret it now, you can only get back two hundred silvers.”

“Why only two hundred silvers?” The handsome man asked.

The young artist pointed at himself. “Gong zi, what do you think of this little one’s painting?”

The handsome man looked again. “Skills are superb. Brushwork is very expressive. I* have seen a lot of portrait painters. You* are among the top five.”

[*T/N: He uses 在下 to refer to himself here, which is a humble way of saying “I,” and he uses 阁下 to refer to the painter, which is an honorific way of saying “you,” and can also be translated as “your distinguished self,” “sire,” or even “your majesty.”]

The young artist started to laugh. “One of my* portraits costs fifty silvers.”

[*T/N: The painter also uses the humble pronoun 在下]

His smile was full of confidence.

The handsome man wanted to say that it was quite expensive, but when he thought of what he had said just now, wouldn’t that be like hitting himself in the face if he said it out loud. Suddenly he laughed. That trick was very well played. He wholeheartedly accepted defeat. But the more it was like this, the more interested he became in the person who operated behind the scenes of Tian Long Gambling House.

After the two left, the young artist gave the dozens of portraits drawn today to a servant and had him deliver the paintings.

There were so many portraits, but the young artist was not exhausted. A few days ago, he would never have thought that his portraits could sell for fifty silvers.

All his success today was thanks to that person.

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Posted in Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

Let Me Shoulder this Blame! 54

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

[T/N: I don’t understand all the nuance and slang of the netizens’ comments in this chapter, so some things might be translated too literally. But in general, what I gathered is that it’s a bunch of rotten woman gushing over the Lin Feng x Mu Jinchu pairing. Lol.]

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Chapter 54

Their photos from the hospital still ended up being circulated around. Netizens excitedly imagined plentiful associations between them. They even fearlessly and lively dragged out what they dubbed an “evil cult” matched pair*.

(*T/N: 甚至还很看热闹不怕事大的拉出了一对号称“邪教”的配对)

After just a few hours, their imagined story line was already boundlessly expanded. And the number of hits even broke through the millions already.

[Melon Eater: You see, I said it was because of love!!!]

[Have You Seen This Pot: It’s the archetypal tyrant CEO story line. Confirmed! First, for the sake of Mu Jinchu, he suppressed his own blood-related younger brother and forced him to apologize. Then he forced Liang Qiu onto a dead end path. And he also slapped the reporters in their faces. Finally, it’s that longing look! I ate this evil cult pair! Tasty!]

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

[Injuring on Pretext: Tyrant CEO Gong x Infatuated Shou! Mu Jinchu was also very abused ah QAQ If the chairman did not return just in time, he would definitely be buried* to death by others. That crisis from before was simply bad enough to cause one’s soul to flee one’s body in alarm…]

(*T/N: ”be buried” as in other people digging pits for him, and forcing misunderstandings on him)

[Professional Flag Waver: Thought it was a knife, took a bite, and realized that it was sugar! Chewing on melon seeds. Begging chairman da da* to carefully pamper Jinchu!]

(*T/N: 大大 da da – literally “big big,” kind of like putting someone on a pedestal or calling them lord, but in a cutesy way)

[Midpoint of Story: Begging chairman da da to carefully pamper Jinchu, plus one. Jinchu has been wronged so much by others… Those people should all apologize! Chairman da da almost returned too late (つД`)]

[Bento Monopoly: Wait, we’re stamping it* just like this?? What if Chariman Lin is straight? Have you guys thought of the consequences?! Is it okay to open the door and accept the courier?!]

(*T/N: “stamping it” – deciding that something is the truth, as in, stamping a seal of approval on something)

[Weather into Sand: Whatever! Drunk life dreams dead cult*! In my mind, this is love ah! ヾ(≧▽≦≧▽≦)ノ]

(*T/N: To my understanding, this person is saying that they’re drunk on this couple.)

……

Su Shi swiped at the screen, occasionally glancing at the experience points that were like toy building blocks, growing rapidly, but tottering on the verge of collapse. His lips twitched. His mood complicated.

“All right now, take a break before playing with your phone again. And drink the medicine first.”

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Then, Lin Feng helped him retrieve a prepared set of clothes for lounging at home. Seeing Su Shi looking at the phone as if entranced, Lin Feng smiled lightly and tapped his fingers on the table. He put both the clothes and medicine on the chair.

“Okay—here it comes!”

Su Shi nodded quickly and guiltily tucked his phone under the pillow. He took the clothes and changed into them. Then he carefully looked at Lin Feng who had a calm expression on his face. “Brother, do you have someone that you like?”

To be called a “misunderstanding,” it must be different from the facts. For the sake of his precarious experience points, he must maintain this “evil cult” pairing.

“Why are you suddenly asking about this?”

Lin Feng’s breathing was slightly stagnant, as if he were suddenly pierced in a secret place that he did not dare to think about. His heart shuddered inexplicably.

Meeting the clear light in those eyes, he gathered all the complex emotions into the bottom of his heart, and put on a light smile. He gathered Su Shi towards his chest and rubbed the youth on the head.

“Brother also doesn’t know. And right now, I don’t have the extra energy to think about it. Maybe—some time in the future, perhaps I will have someone I like all of a sudden.”

Su Shi was relieved. He lowered his head and sipped the medicine.

The youth sat quietly on the bed. He seemed to have gotten skinnier during his stay at the hospital. His bangs were slightly long. There hadn’t been time to trim his hair. Right now, they lay scattered across his brows. With his head bowed, the longer hair at the back of his head drooped down on either side of his neck, revealing a glimpse of his delicate white neck.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The sight was so beautiful that it made the looker’s heart warm up.

Lin Feng’s heart clenched inexplicably. He subconsciously lifted a hand to his forehead.

He couldn’t continue on like this.

His palm seemed to be scalded by a sudden rise in temperature. He instinctively retracted his hand and slowly curled it into a fist.

“Jinchu, how about Brother send you abroad to relax and have fun, and then come back after a period of time?”

Su Shi’s hand trembled and clenched the cup subconsciously.

The plotline would return to its original path sooner or later. Even if he did not take the initiative to follow the plot, eventually he would be sent on the plane that was destined to crash.

Su Shi was silent, and Lin Feng’s heart sank swiftly.

“It’s not that I don’t want you, Jinchu. Don’t be afraid. Brother just–”

Suddenly he could not continue to speak, and he couldn’t help raising his hands to embrace the body in front of him. The muscles in his arms unconsciously stretched taut.

“I’m just afraid that if I keep you by my side, I will do something wrong…”

An ominous premonition struck Su Shi’s heart, and his entire body shivered. Grabbing on tight to his experience points, he resolutely raised his head. “Brother, I’ll go!”

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The author has something to say:
Su Shi: No, no no. Brother, endure! You can’t bend! Do not bend!!
(╯°ロ°)╯
Gong: ???
#Little brother doesn’t seem to like me Q^Q#

Posted in Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil

FOD: Xue Zi Xuan 6.5

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 6.5 – Not Forgetting the Original Intention

Spending thousands of yuan to purposely eat a set meal for couples, the relationship between the two men was abundantly clear. The waiter did not reveal any strange expression and continued to ask, “What wine would you like, sir?”

“A glass of Alsace Pinot Noir, and a glass of hot milk.”

“Okay, please wait a moment.” The waiter took the menus and went off.

Xue Zi Xuan smiled at the teenager. Zhou Yun Sheng smiled back purely, but his heart was tangled. What are you ordering a couples meal for? Are you bullying me for not understanding French?
Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.
Just then, a man and woman in luxurious clothes got up and left after eating. They stood in front of Xue Zi Xuan’s seat with a playful smile on their faces.

“Zi Xuan, I heard that you are ill, are you better now?”

“I’m fine now, thank you for your concern.” Xue Zi Xuan nodded politely.

“This is…?” The man spoke hesitantly. After peering at the youth, the woman exclaimed in a stunned voice, “Zi Xuan, who is this, ah? He looks so much like Jing Yi!”

The likeness was to this extent; she did not believe that there was no blood relationship between the two. Did they guess wrong? Perhaps this wasn’t Young Master Xue’s little lover, but President Xue’s bastard son? But that’s not right. How could an illegitimate child be so harmonious with the lawful child? Xue Zi Xuan may look gentle, but it was actually very hard to get close to him.

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“This is Huang Yi, Xue Jing Yi’s twin brother, and also my younger brother.” Xue Zi Xuan said flatly. “Xue Jing Yi has no blood relationship with me, she is a child adopted by the Xue family.”

With this said, the two immediately understood. So that pampered little princess was actually not of Xue blood.

“Xiao Yi, greet Brother Fang and Mrs. Fang*. They are my friends.” Xue Zi Xuan had no friends, but for the future, he was willing to make a few more friends from now on.

[*T/N: XZX addresses her with 嫂 sao, which means sister-in-law, but I don’t think XZX and Brother Fang are blood relatives. He’s just trying to make it sound like they’re close friends to build connections.]

“Brother Fang and Mrs. Fang, I am very pleased to meet you.” Zhou Yun Sheng greeted them like a clever and loveable child, but on the inside his heart was thrumming with nerves. Xue Zi Xuan was confusing him more and more. It could be inferred from the attitude of these two people that they have a close relationship with the Xue family, and introducing Zhou Yun Sheng to them was equivalent to letting the outside world know of his existence. Then how will Xue family’s heart transplant operation work?

Just what does Xue Zi Xuan want to do? Zhou Yun Sheng couldn’t remember how many times he has pondered over this question already.

The two were very flattered by Young Master Xue’s words. Friends? In the upper class circle of the capital, who dared to call themselves Young Master Xue’s friends? This person was like a snow lotus found only on the Tianshan mountain range*.

[*T/N: Basically saying that XZX is so out of everyone’s league.]

They immediately became enthusiastic, chatted for a while, and invited the two to a banquet that was being held a few days later. After receiving a positive response, they left contentedly.

Xue Zi Xuan looked at their departing backs and an expression of fear crossed his face. Currently, the Xue family had yet to fall into ruins. The Xue financial group was still an unshakeable force in the industry, owning both wealth and power that ordinary people could not image, but none of these belonged to him. The compliments and awe that people respectfully show him were all due to Xue Rui’s influence.

A pianist, even if he was famous all over the world, in some people’s eyes his existence was but as small as an ant. So he needed power and wealth to protect his beloved teenager.

This might be difficult for the Xue Zi Xuan who used to love the piano as much as one’s life, but to the Xue Zi Xuan of now, this was very simple. In the last life, in order to wait for the teenager’s forgiveness, he didn’t dare to stray too far away, and he didn’t dare to die off, as a result, he was struck by Xue Yan again and again. In the course of battle, he learned how to deal with frauds and conspiracies, and he also learned how to socialize with famous figures and people of the upper crust.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

He transferred the scant remains of the Xue family overseas to foreign countries, where he operated and slowly expanded. Finally, he regained a foothold in China. Of course, there was no shortage of Xue Yan deliberately throwing in the towel in consideration of his act of saving the teenager’s life. But in any case, he must thank the other man for teaching him many things, such as being on guard and being ruthless.

While he was lost in thought, the waiter had brought the dishes over. Xue Zi Xuan immediately withdrew from his thoughts, laid out a napkin for the teenager, and arranged the tableware.

“Brother, what should I do? I don’t know how to use a knife and fork (to eat).” Zhou Yun Sheng posed the question with a red face.

Xue Zi Xuan couldn’t help leaning in towards his ear, and said softly, “You can eat however you want. Of course, if you want me to feed you that is also possible. Although your bruises are better, there should still be some lingering pain, right?”

After that, he scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes and ground beef meat, brought it up to the youth’s mouth, and looked at him earnestly.

The young man was so considerate with every move, and his dark and deep eyes were full of tenderness, as if watching his most beloved one. Bathed in such hot eyes, Zhou Yun Sheng’s flushed face was really red now, and he looked down slightly, afraid to look at him.

“Open your mouth.” There was a hint of a smile in Xue Zi Xuan’s tone.

Perceiving the strange looks from the people around them, Zhou Yun Sheng couldn’t help but shyly swallowed the mashed potatoes and said vaguely, “Brother, why don’t you eat yourself, and I can learn from you. Look, my hands are completely better, they don’t hurt a bit.” He lifted his hands as he spoke and shook them slightly to emphasize his words.

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Posted in The Big Landlord

The Big Landlord 99.1

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 99.1 – Portrait

Two days later, news of Tian Long Gambling House’s membership program has already spread among the upper class of Jun Zi City.

Along with the exposure of the membership system, there was also the existence of the small garden. In order to increase the bargaining power, An Zi Ran also spread word that there were new gambling games in the small garden.

He had planned this long ago.

If it were just a normal discount, the upper crust of Jun Zi City would certainly not be taken in. If that were the case, then Tian Long Gambling House might really crash and burn, just like the other nine gambling houses had guessed, but with the additional attraction of new gambling games, then things were different.

Within the capital, everyone now knew how popular the card games at Tian Long Gambling house was.

The customers who were attracted to the playing cards were not just those who often mingled with the gambling houses, but there were also some people who were not interested in gambling at all. Those types of people have also shown interest in the cards games. There were also some people who have never stepped into a casino before, but made an exception for Tian Long Gambling House.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

But this was just one of the reasons. What really made them set aside any ill feelings towards casinos was Tian Long Gambling House’s architectural structure.

The new casino not only had a spacious interior, but also unique and innovative designs. Each room was separated. Moreover, there were leafy green plants to contrast and enhance the interior design. It was completely different from other gambling houses, which gave off a foul atmosphere of billowing smoke and chaos, immediately ruining one’s mood.

Now, the existence of card games has spread throughout the capital. With that as a reference point, everyone couldn’t help but be curious about the new types of gambling games in the small garden.

The small garden were elegant and stylish, very novel, and also had fun games that other have never played. It just so happened to cater to those wealthy merchants and nobles who already have a son and wanted to pursue new interests and comforts. So the first day the membership system was announced, a dozen wealthy merchants obtained the gold card right away.

Because the casino just opened, in order to attract customers, An Zi Ran deliberately lowered the requirements. The gold card cost five hundred silvers and was good for one year. If people wanted to keep their membership after one year, then they had to pay another five hundred silvers.

The price sounded very expensive, but for most wealthy merchants in Jun Zi City, it was still within an acceptable range. If you wanted to ask which place had the most wealthy merchants, then that would be Jun Zi City. In addition, An Zi Ran had people spread the word that there would be discounts for gold and silver cards this year. Next year, the fee would be doubled.

The effect of this was undoubtedly significant.

By word of mouth, starting from the wealthy merchants who applied for the gold card on the first day, the mystery of the small garden gradually spread to senior officials and wealthy businessmen.

On the second day after the membership program started, the number of people applying for a gold card multiplied several times, and it continued to increase.

By the time the other gambling houses found out, they were already left behind in the dust.

Luo Yang finally couldn’t sit still anymore.

They still haven’t figured out the specifics of playing cards, and suddenly a small garden has appeared? Furthermore, not only could you not go in casually, but you also had to pay a fee of five hundred silvers every year. Wasn’t this just plain robbery?

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If this were the case before, they would never dare to imagine that so many people would be willing to spend this unjustifiable sum of money, but the fact has slapped them so badly that Tian Long Gambling House was indeed achieving great success. It has only opened for a few days, but their profits within that time could match them for a month’s worth of revenue.

“Master Luo, this is Tian Long Gambling House’s gold card.” Manager Li passed the card in his hand to Luo Yang with a somber face.

Luo Yang looked at this gold card and he couldn’t help but frown a bit. In order to obtain this card, he deliberately took out five hundred silvers. He wasn’t aching over that amount per se, but once he thought about how he had contributed five hundred silvers to Tian Long Gambling House, his heart felt very unpleasant.

The gold card was made from legitimate real gold. Apparently, the words written on the card also used real gold, and the appearance was elegant and stylish. It was impossible for ordinary people to easily imitate it. It really fitted the identity of some senior officials.

Some gambling houses were thinking of copying these gold cards and selling them under the name of Tian Long Gambling House to make money for themselves, but if they could think up this idea, then naturally An Zi Ran could think of it.

In addition to the name of the holder on the gold card, there was a corresponding small portrait on it. An Zi Ran specially painted these small portraits. The painting skills were very delicate, and most people could not imitate it.

But this was only one strategy.

What really left them at wit’s end were the customer records. Every card member of Tian Long Gambling House had a file. When they wanted to enjoy the benefits brought by the card, they must first confirm their identity. They could only enter if they passed. Otherwise, it was a counterfeit.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Luo Yang turned around and looked at the man standing to the side of the door. He tossed him the gold card. “Jiang Sheng, the following matters will have to trouble you.”

When he said this, his attitude was obviously different from when he spoke to Manager Li, because Jiang Sheng was not his subordinate. It was just that the two of them served the same master, and Jiang Sheng had the same foresight and skills, so he was responsible for the gambling house’s security.

The portrait on the gold card was of Jiang Sheng himself.

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Posted in Didn’t Love You Enough

Didn’t Love You Enough 8

Posted on by Vanilla Muse

Happy Mother’s Day~!

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Chapter 8 – Entering the Palace

After nearly a month, Yuan Fu was certain that His Royal Highness must have taken a liking to one of the palace attendants in Xi Li Palace Hall.

His Royal Highness went to Xi Li Palace Hall almost every day. He would sneak into the courtyard, and peek inside from the window. Every time Yuan Fu followed along, he would be very scared and on edge.

His Royal Highness would even climb a tree in the Xi Li Palace Hall courtyard to watch the palace attendants inside the courtyard.

Aiyo! Your Royal Highness, what on earth are you doing! If the guards patrolling the palace saw this, it would not be a good thing at all! This was too shameful! Yuan Fu was going crazy.

He has been with the crown prince for a long time, but he never thought that His Royal Highness would have such a hobby. He liked gers and ones that were so young too, ah!

Yuan Fu was really curious, what kind of ger was he that he would cause His Royal Highness to be so hooked?

In the inner study that day, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng called Yuan Fu to his side and dismissed all his other servants. “I think you have also guessed, your future master is in Xi Li Palace Hall. I will assign a task to you right now. You must manage it well. How is your relationship with the Royal Snack Kitchen’s Lin momo from my imperial mother’s palace?”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng thought about it a lot and still decided to place Jia Bao in his imperial mother’s palace. His palace was still not cleaned out yet. He wouldn’t be at ease.

The Royal Snack Kitchen* was a small kitchen in his imperial mother’s palace that specialized in making refreshments and snacks. Usually, there wasn’t much work to do, and the work was not very hard. There also weren’t many people in the Royal Snack Kitchen, so there were very little disputes.

[*T/N: It’s called 御点房 yu dian fang in Chinese, which doesn’t translate into anything coherent, so I straight up called it the Snack Kitchen, based on its function. Then I felt that it didn’t sound elegant enough, so I tacked on a Royal at the front. XD If you have a better name idea, I’m open to suggestions.]

He knew that Lin momo was part of his imperial mother’s dowry, and was in-laws with his imperial mother’s trusted aide, Zhou momo. Lin momo’s craftsmanship was exceptional, and she had some face* in front of his imperial mother.

[*T/N: face = respect / regard / good reputation]

Moreover, Lin momo had a good temper, and will not easily scold or hit the servants under her. Place his treasure there first, and then he could be a little more at ease.

“This… our relationship is not bad.” Yuan Fu considered carefully. His popularity in the palace was quite good.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng nodded. “Have Lin momo select him to go work with her in the Royal Snack Kitchen, and look after him. His name is Lin Jia Bao. In the palace he is called An Zhu. Twelve years old. From Pei County. He has big eyes, and two small dimples on his face. Go take a trip to the small warehouse*, and get this done. If you don’t handle this well, then you don’t have to follow me anymore.”

[*T/N: This isn’t explained very well in the raws, but it seems like XYHC is telling YF to go to the small warehouse to pick up a bribe to help grease the wheels.]

“Yes. This slave* will definitely get it done.” Yuan Fu saw that His Royal Highness’s expression was serious and replied promptly.

[*T/N: 奴才 nu cai translates to “slave or flunkey.” I know it sounds horrible in English, but that’s how all the servants in the palace address themselves. I considered using the term “servant,” but that seems to lack the same nuance. Servants in the palace got a salary, but they lacked human rights and weren’t really in control of their lives. Any of the masters within the palace could kill a servant for wrongdoing with no repercussion.]

Yuan Fu received the crown prince’s order, and went to the empress’s Yong Shou Palace.

When Yuan Fu arrived at the Royal Snack Kitchen, Lin momo was making refreshments with several palace maids. Seeing Yuan Fu coming over, she set down the work in her hands and went to greet him. “Yuan Fu gong gong, what are you doing here at this time? Does His Royal Highness have some command?”

“For what reason? Last time, when His Royal Highness was here with the Queen Mother, he ate the kidney bean cakes made by your Royal Snack Kitchen, and he was extremely fond of it. Returned to the East Palace and got the chef to make it*, but His Royal Highness said that the taste is not the same. So that’s why I came here.”

[*T/N: No pronouns specified in the raws, so he could be saying that the ML ordered the chef to make it, or that he, Yuan Fu, wants the desserts to make ML happy. Either way, it’s just an excuse.]

“Then I will go make it now. Please wait a moment, Yuan Fu gong gong.” Lin momo heard that His Royal Highness liked the dessert that she made and was very happy.

“Momo, don’t rush yet. Let your subordinates do it, ba. I’m not in a hurry… hehe…” Yuan Fu quickly grabbed Lin momo.

Lin momo looked at Yuan Fu’s expression and knew that he had something to say. She ordered the maids in the kitchen to make pastries, and then she pulled Yuan Fu out of the kitchen and came to the servant residences in the back.

Lin momo took Yuan Fu into her own room. As the head momo of the Royal Snack Kitchen, Lin momo’s place of residence was a bit bigger, with a front room and a back room.

Lin momo took him into the front room and had him sit down. “What’s the matter, Yuan Fu gong gong?”

“Lin momo, we can be considered old friends. To be honest, I really do have a favor to ask you this time,” Yuan Fu said to Lin momo. “Today, new people came into the palace, and tomorrow, they will receive their assignments. I have a distant relative among them. I think Lin momo is kind and friendly, and your craftsmanship is so good. If he could work under you then that would be good.”

“Just this, ah? It’s not difficult at all.” Lin momo had thought that it was something bad. There weren’t many people working under her in the first place, and it wasn’t a problem to have one more person.

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