Veiled Hands

Chanting, clinking of coins, laughter, the hall was overflowing with energy. Its air thick with the scent of burning lantern oil, anticipation and faint traces of wine.

The house was alive.

Wooden tables filled the area, each surrounded by eager players, their eyes glinting as the clatter of dice echoed through the crowded gambling den. Shadows danced on the walls as men and women played along.

Mingyao sat among the players, her delicate fingers curling around the edge of her score sheet. Her lips pressed into a line as she eyed the spiraling numbers—she was drowning in debt, already thousands of taels deep.

"Big, big."

"Small."

Everyone was placing their bets. Some leaned forward anticipating, their eyes locked onto the dice. Others already celebrating. Many were relieved to have already cleared a substantial portion of their debt through the communal pool style of the game. Now, they were playing to win.

Mingyao, however, had a different agenda. Play to lose.

Chen Xiao watched her, hopelessly. From an outsider's perspective, she was a woman on the verge of ruin, her trembling hands and downcast eyes told the story she wanted.

She had rigged the game subtly yet masterfully, drawing the seventeen-thousand-tael debt toward herself like an unseen current pulling one to the depths.

The bank was exploiting its debtors with unfair interest and underhanded dealings, but now she held the contracts that bound them. But before she could finish her scheme, she needed to ensnare one Chen Xiao just as she had earlier that day. She could simultaneously weaken the Chen family's coffers.

The trick was simple: play the fool, let the losses pile up, and lure Chen Xiao into her web once more.

She cast a sidelong glance at him. His gaze flickering between her and the game, his concern growing. She was subtly playing him, winning him over emotionally and giving him the stage to once again save the damsel in distress.

But there was a snag—her luck, or rather, the unnatural way in which she was losing. The ebb and flow of the game wasn't random. Every minor victory she scraped together was overshadowed by staggering losses, as though the house had marked her as prey.

She was going to cultivate this unnatural situation by calling it out, making it seem as though the house was truly against her.

She clenched her fists, nails biting into her palm, before slamming them onto the table.

"This game is rigged!" Mingyao shouted amidst the chants of "Big! Small!"

The entire hall fell silent. All eyes turned to her. A moment passed before a man across the table smirked and shook his head. "I beg to differ. You're just unlucky. No one's forcing you to stay."

Mingyao's gaze swept over the crowd before she jabbed a finger at the table.

"Unlucky? Then explain this—out of the entire fifteen-thousand-tael debt, nearly every man here has either cleared his debts or at least reduced them to a manageable amount. While, the few women still playing have only sunk deeper. Some have doubled or even tripled their debt!" Her voice rose, her frustration on full display.

"And I'm the worst of them all! I walked in with a five-hundred-tael debt—now I owe nearly seven thousand! How is that even possible?"

"Is that so?" the men asked.

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, but the man scoffed.

"Maybe it's just that, like every other woman here, you're terrible at gambling. Stop whining and leave. No one's stopping you. Let the real players handle the game."

Mingyao's jaw tightened as she narrowed her eyes. "Look around. Who's dealing the games? Who's running the token stations? All women. And every losing streak seems to fall on us, while you men conveniently rake in winnings or at least break even. This isn't just bad luck—this is a setup. A scheme to trap more women into servitude."

The smirking man leaned back in his chair, unimpressed. "Speak for yourself. You walked in with the highest debt among all of us, so what's another few thousand taels to someone already drowning?" He shrugged. "For the rest of us, this is an opportunity—a chance to walk free and win big. You lost. Accept it."

Mingyao opened her mouth to protest, but another voice cut in.

"Banker, continue the game."

Mingyao was grinning internally. Mo Yan was really getting into character. If she hadn't known beforehand that this was Mo Yan, she might have exploded in frustration. Now, all that had to happen was ensuring Mo Yan won the majority of the winnings while she bore the brunt of the losses.

Mingyao clenched her fists—not so subtly— just enough for Chen Xiao to notice. His gaze softened as he leaned toward her to make his offer. "Miss Shen, if you're struggling, I can help."

But Mingyao shook her head. "No. I will fix this myself."

She placed all her remaining slips onto the table, the weight of her gamble thickening the air with tension. "All in. If I win, I walk free of debt. If I lose, I double it."

Chen Xiao stiffened beside her. "That's reckless—"

"It's necessary."

"Are you sure about that, young lady?" Mo Yan asked, a look of contempt in his eyes. "I thought you were saying this game was rigged."

"It is," Mingyao said firmly. "That's why I'll be the one to roll the three dice."

Mo Yan raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his lips. "Oh? In that case, I'd like to bet against you. What do you say?"

"This has nothing to do with you," she replied coolly.

Mo Yan chuckled. "Doesn't it? It has everything to do with me. You don't respect the art of gambling, and that's a shame. I suppose it falls on me to teach you a lesson."

"Leave her alone," Chen Xiao interjected, his voice laced with warning.

Mo Yan ignored him. "What's wrong? Are you afraid to take a wager?"

Mingyao narrowed her eyes. "A wager?"

"Yes," he said, leaning forward slightly. "If you win, not only will your debt be cleared, but I'll also hand over all my winnings—fifteen hundred taels—to you."

Mingyao's fingers tapped against the table. "And if I lose?"

Mo Yan's smirk widened. "Then my fifteen hundred taels will be doubled to three thousand, and your debt—apart from doubling—will increase by another fifteen hundred."

Chen Xiao tensed. "That's—"

Mingyao lifted a hand, stopping him before he could say more. She turned back to Mo Yan, her gaze unwavering. "Fine. I accept. But on one condition."

Mo Yan leaned back, folding his arms. "And what's that?"

"If I win, you must apologize to every woman here and admit that they are just as capable at gambling as men."

Mo Yan blinked, then let out a short laugh. "That's it? That's your grand condition?"

"Yes."

His smirk turned into a full grin. "Alright. You've got yourself a deal."

Mingyao reached for the dice. "What do you choose?"

Mo Yan's eyes glinted clearly amused. "I'll take the opposite of whatever you pick."

She didn't hesitate. "Then I pick small."

"Then I pick big," he said smoothly, resting his chin on his hand as the game began.

Mingyao lifted the bowl, shaking it vigorously. The dice rattled within, each shift of her hands sending a fresh wave of anticipation through the crowd. Chen Xiao watched her, his fists clenched. When she finally set the bowl down and lifted it, the first die showed a one—his breath hitched, hopeful. The second, a five—his stomach twisted.

If the next die had anything less than five, Mingyao would win. The odds were in her favor. 

And then, the final die—a six.

Silence.

Mingyao's face paled. Her lips trembled before she let out a breathless, defeated laugh. Then, as if the weight of her loss was too much, she crumpled to the floor.

Chen Xiao hesitated before lowering himself beside her, offering silent comfort as the crowd erupted in murmurs. Mo Yan grinned triumphantly, collecting his winnings. "Thank you for the extra 1,500 taels."

The games had ended. One by one, the gamblers trickled out of Qian Fu Hall, leaving only the two of them sitting on the wooden floor. The glow of the lanterns flickered above, casting soft, golden hues over Mingyao's teary eyes.

Chen Xiao finally broke the silence. "Miss Shen, would you care for a drink?"

She let out a bitter chuckle. "Master Chen, I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"It's not a joke." His voice was warm. "You shouldn't be this down. It's just money."

"Just money?" Her laughter was hollow. "Maybe to you. To me, it's my freedom—my life."

Chen Xiao's gaze remained on her. "Then… how about one last game?"

She frowned. "What kind of game?"

"A game. Just like this afternoon. If you win, I pay off your debt and you walk free. If you lose…" He smiled. "I still pay, but on one condition—you become my wife."

Mingyao blinked, "Master Chen, are you taking advantage of my situation?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. I just don't want you to cry."

"And what do you gain from this?"

"A free Lady Shen," he said. "And perhaps, a future Madam Chen."

Mingyao hesitated. "I'm bad at these games."

Chen Xiao laughed. "Don't worry—we won't be playing with dice. Tell me, Lady Shen, how is your drinking capacity?"