Chapter 5: Who is Favored by the Gods?

"The digit in the ones place is... 1! It's an odd number! Everyone, check if the number you hold is odd?"The host announced the first number in a bright and cheerful tone. As soon as the number was revealed, about half of the crowd immediately showed expressions of disappointment, while the other half cheered joyously, loudly expressing their gratitude for their good fortune.Hutao paid no attention to the reactions of others; her eyes merely stole a glance at the idiot over there. He still wore that cold, indifferent expression, neither excited nor despondent. It was impossible to tell whether he had won or not.But it didn't matter—he must have won! With the number she gave him, how could he not?Hutao smugly averted her gaze and glanced sideways at Dai Lao. However, what met her eyes was Dai Lao's ever-constant, gentlemanly smile."It seems my luck is quite good?" Dai Lao flashed a smile at Hutao.(Grumble... Hmph! Don't think you're so clever just because you guessed the first number correctly!)Hutao turned her head sharply, awaiting the second number's reveal."The tens digit is out! The number is 2! It's an even number! Everyone, did you guess correctly?"As the host's voice rang out, the crowd erupted again into a mix of cheers and resigned sighs. The idiot maintained his usual frigid expression, not even bothering to check his number; he simply stood like a wooden figure, clutching his small ticket in the crowd.Dai Lao smiled as well. It seemed his second number was correct too. Although Hutao was displeased, she had no choice but to wait for the next number. In the meantime, Dai Lao took the number slip from his pocket and sneered at it disdainfully..."Alright! The third number! It's 2 again! Still an even number!""This... what is going on?!"The number of cheers in the crowd dwindled. Meanwhile, Dai Lao suddenly let out a slight exclamation, which made Hutao feel a brief, smug sense of satisfaction.Look! The genius was staring at his number slip with wide eyes, completely engrossed. There was no doubt—he must have guessed the hundreds digit wrong. But his ability to handle stress seemed remarkably poor. For outsiders, this lottery method was completely random. Did he really need to react with such surprise?"Dai Lao, could it be that... you made a mistake?"Hutao tucked away her malicious grin, adopting a sweet and gentle tone as she spoke. "What a shame~ Perhaps even a genius can't completely defy the will of fate."Dai Lao twitched his lips and raised his head, glancing at Hutao before looking back at his number slip. After a brief moment of contemplation, he finally responded."No... I... I'm still correct."In an instant, Hutao's smile froze on her face."But... I did get it right... but what is going on?"It was clear that the majority of people in the crowd would never understand what the genius was feeling at this moment. He remembered his number clearly, and he remembered his digits. He swore he would never forget his handwriting. But what was this? How had the number slip in his hand changed? He distinctly remembered putting it into his pocket, yet when had the digits changed? When had the handwriting changed?By the time the fourth number was revealed, the cheers were almost gone. Dai Lao looked stunned, but Hutao was just as shocked. She could hardly believe that the person beside her had chosen such an obscure odd-even arrangement! But with the appearance of the fifth number, her heart was completely gripped in anticipation."Alright! We've now revealed five numbers. Let's see how many people have guessed correctly. Hmm, only three people? Well then, let's reveal the final number! After four consecutive even numbers, let's see what the last one will be!"The host stirred the crowd's excitement as the lottery machine began to spin once again. The three remaining participants, tense and gripping their number slips, hurried to the front of the stage. Dai Lao, who had originally shown no interest in the lottery, now found himself nervously clutching his ticket, his gaze locked on the machine."This is impossible... This can't be happening!"Hutao kept her eyes fixed on Dai Lao, scrutinizing him up and down. She couldn't believe that such an improbable thing could occur. Surely anyone with even the slightest knowledge of lotteries would know that five identical numbers in a row was utterly impossible! Therefore, the last digit in everyone's hands must be odd, right? Yes... they must all be odd!Click. The final number ball rolled out of the machine.At that moment, everyone craned their necks, watching the final, fateful number. All four of the winners, Dai Lao included, held their breath, their fingers trembling around their number slips. Two thousand eyes were fixed on the slowly rolling ball as it neared its final destination. Finally, the last number was revealed...The three participants around the stage slumped, their faces full of regret as they let go of their slips. The tickets fell with them.Hutao turned her head. Beside her, Dai Lao stood frozen, staring at his number slip with a blank expression. From the look on his face, it was clear he hadn't won. This meant there was only one winner among all of them!Princess Houmu sat back in her chair, calmly facing the audience with the utmost grace. She flashed a delicate, serene smile, waiting for the idiot to step onto the stage. She was eager to announce to everyone that this fool was the one chosen by the gods to be her birthday guest. He should be granted the honor he deserved!"Well then! Is there anyone who won?"Come on... step up!"Did anyone guess all six numbers correctly?"Hurry up... hurry up, little daddy! I'm waiting for you~"No one? Has no one been favored by Lady Luck?"Hey... come up already."Could it be... no one won? I'll ask again, no one?"Shorty, idiot! Hurry up! You've won, stop pretending to be so composed! Come on, take your number slip and get up here already! Do you need me to ask you personally?"Really no one...? Princess, what should we do? No one...?""I! I think... I won..."Yes! You won! ... Huh?!Hutao's smile instantly froze. She was utterly shocked to find that the voice didn't come from below. Looking around, she saw that the idiot's lips hadn't even moved! Then who won? Who was it?!Under everyone's gaze, the princess slowly turned her head. In the focus of the crowd's eyes, a dashing, knightly figure stood on stage, holding a number slip.No... this can't be...!Hutao's mouth fell open as she fell into a state of disbelief. Below, the crowd was nodding in approval."It's young Master Dai Lao! It turns out he was the one who guessed correctly!""Of course! Young Master Dai Lao is truly favored by the gods. He's nothing short of a child of destiny!""Ah, it's Mr. Gudase who won! That's no surprise.""Yes, yes, Dai Lao Gudase is the strongest among us. And he was the one who personally saved the princess. It seems that Lady Luck has tied him to the princess once again—this must be fate."The crowd buzzed with excitement, and Dai Lao's surprise and shock were soon overshadowed by their admiration. He looked at his number slip once more, and a smile slowly returned to his face. Yes, this was the favor of Lady Luck, this was the blessing of the gods! He was a genius, the center of attention, the focal point of the crowd. It didn't matter why the numbers had changed; it didn't matter what had happened to his original slip. Because this was the will of the gods—this was the true "divine will!""Well then, dear Princess Hutao,"Dai Lao knelt gracefully, taking the princess's right hand and gently kissing her hand's back."According to the will of the gods, I am honored to be your guardian knight for this birthday celebration. Please allow me to add the most radiant glow to your special day."Hutao stood frozen, allowing Dai Lao to kiss her hand. She didn't understand... she couldn't fathom why her meticulously planned trap had led to this result. According to her design, none of this should have happened!She was baffled. Desperate for answers, she turned her gaze toward the cheering crowd below, seeking the one who should have replaced Dai Lao and knelt before her, kissing her hand...He turned.As his footsteps echoed, the idiot slowly made his way out of the square. In a crowd full of admiration, no one noticed the departure of the beggar. He blended into the surroundings, slipping unnoticed into a dark alley beside the square, disappearing from sight.The snowflakes that had hung over the square vanished. Suddenly, Hutao remembered something. Without a second thought, she jumped off the high stage and dashed toward the square's edge. The students gasped, unsure of what was happening but instinctively made way for her. Before they could recover from their surprise, realizing they should have stopped the princess from running, little Hutao had already vanished into the alley....Princess!After a long pause, the crowd finally snapped out of their shock. But when they followed Dai Lao into the alley, they soon discovered the tangled roads had swallowed their princess into the dark...