Mei Jie’s alluring eyes stayed locked on me.

“Still playing dumb, huh? I’ll admit, I have decent luck, but you expect me to believe that I’m lucky enough to draw a Heavenly Pure Flush Seven Pairs on the last hand? Fine, let’s say I hit the jackpot on that one. But why is it that in the following rounds, no matter what I needed to Pong or Kong, you always managed to throw the exact tile I needed?”

She paused deliberately before continuing, “Especially since Flower Jie and that guy were clearly working together to cheat. You expect me to believe you weren’t in on it?”

I froze.

It turned out Mei Jie had known all along that Flower Jie and that man were colluding to cheat. But if she knew, why didn’t she call them out? Why did she keep playing with them?

“I don’t care what you believe,” I replied, offering no explanation.

I didn’t bother to act deferential just because Mei Jie was my manager. On the contrary, I stayed as indifferent as ever, treating her like a stranger.

My attitude wasn’t because I was clueless about social norms or trying to act cool. It was something Liu Ye had drilled into me.

He used to say, “A professional gambler doesn’t just need tricks up their sleeve—they need an unshakable backbone. Otherwise, no matter how skilled you are, your benefactors won’t respect you. They’ll see you as a disposable tool. And when things go south, guess who’ll take the fall?”

Mei Jie didn’t seem annoyed by my coldness. Instead, she laughed.

“Chu Liu, do you know? You’re the only one in all of Tianxiang Spa who dares talk to me like this. Aren’t you afraid I’ll fire you?”

I stayed silent.

“Let me see your hand,” Mei Jie suddenly said.

I glanced at her, unsure of her intentions, but I extended my hand anyway.

Mei Jie lightly grasped it, her fingers gently brushing across my palm. Her touch was soft and smooth, like fine silk. The gesture felt a little suggestive, but Mei Jie appeared oblivious to that.

She began tracing slow, deliberate patterns on my palm with her fingertips. It was a peculiar, tingling sensation—soft and slightly ticklish.

I had no idea what Mei Jie was up to, and I didn’t ask. I let her do as she pleased.

After a while, she finally spoke. “What a beautiful hand. It would be a shame if you weren’t a gambler.”

I was speechless.

Liu Ye had said something similar before. He used to praise my hands for being long, slender, and sturdy—ideal for concealing tricks. “These are hands born for gambling,” he’d said.

“Come on, I’ll take you somewhere,” Mei Jie said, releasing my hand and grabbing her car keys.

But just as she was about to leave, she paused, pulled a bundle of cash from a drawer, and tossed it onto the mahjong table.

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“No matter if you cheated or not, I only won tonight because you were there. Consider this ten thousand yuan a token of appreciation.”

The money was well-deserved. Without hesitation, I pocketed it.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder why Mei Jie, knowing Tao Hua and that man were cheating, would choose to keep playing with them. But since she didn’t bring it up, I didn’t ask.

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Mei Jie drove a red Audi A4. I sat in the passenger seat, silently staring ahead.

After a long while, she glanced at me and asked curiously, “Chu Liu, you’re an odd one. You don’t talk much, never smile, and now you’re sitting in my car without even asking where we’re going. What’s your deal?”

I stayed silent.

Seeing I wouldn’t answer, Mei Jie chuckled softly. “The more you act like this, the more curious I get. Are you trying to be cool, or are you naturally this aloof?”

Without looking at her, I replied evenly, “A woman shouldn’t let herself be curious about a man.”

Though I wasn’t old, my tone carried an air of maturity.

Mei Jie laughed again, turning to give me a playful look. “Oh? Don’t tell me you think my curiosity means I’m interested in you? Where’s your confidence coming from? Do you think that’s even possible?”

“Nothing’s impossible,” I said.

Mei Jie burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking, her chest rising and falling with the motion.

I knew why she laughed. Her laugh wasn’t mocking, but it carried a hint of disbelief.

As the manager of Tianxiang Spa, Mei Jie had seen her share of men—powerful officials, wealthy tycoons, notorious gangsters. Many of them had tried to win her favor. Compared to those men, I was nothing, a mere speck of dust.

She glanced at me again, her tone teasing. “You really are something. Your imagination runs wild. Fine, let’s pretend for a moment that I did fall for you. What would you do to take care of me?”

“Money,” I replied.

“Money? And where would you get that money? You think your thousand-yuan salary from the spa is enough to keep me fed?”

Women are pragmatic creatures, and I didn’t blame her for being realistic. After all, who doesn’t like money?

“So, you’re saying as long as there’s money, you’d be with me?” I asked.

“In your dreams,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Though she didn’t dislike me, my audacious words clearly annoyed her a little.

But her reaction only fueled my determination. In my dreams, huh? Then I’ll make sure you dream that dream—in my bed.

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I didn’t expect Mei Jie to take me to an underground casino.

The casino was located in a hotel with tight security. Entry required an invitation from someone inside, and you couldn’t use the main entrance. Access was through a special elevator in the underground parking lot.

The casino wasn’t large, but it was well-equipped. Slot machines, fishing games, and karaoke betting machines lined the outer area. Deeper inside, there were tables for baccarat, blackjack, dice games, and roulette.

Since it was dinnertime, the place wasn’t too crowded—around a hundred people or so.

Mei Jie seemed familiar with the place. After showing me around, she pointed upstairs. “The ground floor is for walk-ins. Upstairs is VIP. They’ve got everything you can think of, and customers can even set up their own private games.”

By private games, she meant customers could bring their own group, or the casino could provide players. The games could range from poker and pai gow to mahjong and dice. Whatever you wanted, as long as you had the money, they’d accommodate—even rock-paper-scissors.

The casino’s profits in these games came from the rake.

I didn’t understand why Mei Jie had brought me here. Did she think I was a cheat and wanted me to help her make money?

Seeing my silence, Mei Jie asked, “Want to play a few rounds? I’ll go exchange some chips.”

I immediately shook my head. “No, I’ve never gambled before.”

Her expression fell slightly, tinged with disappointment. But I wasn’t lying—I had never gambled in a casino before.

During my years with Liu Ye, we’d traveled across the country, visiting countless gambling dens. But he never allowed me to sit at the table.

Liu Ye’s reasoning was simple: “This is training to overcome inner demons. Once you sit at the table, you’ll want to win. And once you want to win, you’ll cheat. If your skills or mindset aren’t solid, cheating is a one-way ticket to disaster. Even if you get away this time, you’ll eventually get caught. Only when your heart is as steady as a mountain, unshaken by anything, can you sit at the table—and only then can you cheat.”

Mei Jie seemed unwilling to give up and asked again, “Chu Liu, don’t you want to make more money?”