Chapter 12: Pressing Harder with Each Step

　　“Biaomei, I bet that you’ll win!”

　　Li Yun Qing, who wouldn’t be satisfied if he didn’t startle people once again, threw out these words, making people dizzy.

　　He took a medal from his body and threw it on the table.

　　“This is the medal of our Li family. Let it be the award of the winner.”

　　“Yun Qing, could it be that you’re joking?!”

　　Bai Mu Fei at a side picks up the medal and looked at it for a long time.

　　“Could this be the Long Hu Ling from the legend? I heard that with this medal, you can command every people of Li family to do anything……”

　　“Right, it’s Long Hu Ling.”

　　Murong Qi Qi doesn’t know what Long Hu Ling is, but the other three families including Murong family knew the importance this Long Hu Ling has in the Li family.

　　Li Yun Qing casually bets the Long Hu Ling on Murong Qi Qi. In the end, what is he plotting?

　　“Biaomei, I put the lives of my family on you. If you lose, when I return, I’ll need to kneel at the ancestral shrine.”

　　Li Yun Qing’s calm words and his green jade colored clothes made him seem more upright.

　　He slowly walked to Murong Qi Qi, lowered his head and looked at her. How come in so many years, he hadn’t noticed that this biaomei had a pair of astonishing eyes?

　　This pair of eyes, don’t know how dazzling it’ll be under the moonlight.

　　“I’d like to see the appearance of biaoge kneeling at the ancestral shrine.”

　　Murong Qi Qi already understood this biaoge’s character. He is someone who liked to watch and isn’t afraid that his back will get hurt. At this moment, he pushed her into the limelight while he is sitting at a side to watch a play! This guy absolutely did it intentionally!

　　“Haha ha……”

　　Hearing Murong Qi Qi’s words, Li Yun Qing laughed out loud. Because of his laughter, the hairs on his shoulder flowed.

　　“Hearing biaomei say this, I know that I won the bet!”

　　Handsome man is a handsome man. Every gesture, every smile or angriness, all are like a painting.

　　“Demon yatou!”

　　This time, Murong Qi Qi didn’t see the coldness in Li Yun Qing’s smiling eyes, instead she saw a touch of gentleness. Could it be that she saw wrong?

　　Not waiting for Murong Qi Qi to understand the reason. Li Yun Qing went back and continued to sit leisurely as if he is certain that Murong Qi Qi will win over Duanmu Yi Yi.

　　“I’ve always believed in Yun Qing’s eyes……”

　　Bai Mu Fei pulled down the jade ring on his thumb.

　　“Third miss, if you lose, when I return, I’ll have the same fate as Li xiong1, ah! Hoping that third miss will work hard!”

　　Bai Mu Fei’s ring also let people be startled. Everyone knows that among the four great families, Bai family is the richest in the capital. Now every business is taken care of by this eldest young master. This jade ring was also his keepsake.

　　“Since gege2 thinks that third miss will win, I’ll also bet.”

　　Bai Yi Yue pulled out a golden buyao3 from her hair.

　　buyao

　　“This is Guang Hua gongzi’s newest hairpin design Bu Bu Shang Lian. Third miss, add oil!”

　　Add oil is a Chinese saying for do your best

　　Duanmu Yi Yi never thought that Li family and Bai family would bet on Murong Qi Qi. This is really bullying people too much! Which one of the three things they bet wasn’t a treasure? Bai Yi Yue’s ‘Bu Bu Sheng Lian’ is Tong Bao Zhai’s Guang Hua gongzi’s work. You couldn’t even buy it money.

　　Guang Hua gongzi just put out a few jewelries throughout the year. Every single one is one of a kind. The moment it came out, it’s sold. Even theniangniang’s4 in the palace took pride at having Guang Hua gongzi’s jewelry.

　　Duanmu Yi Yi had wished for this ‘Bu Bu Sheng Lian’ a long time. For a girl, having jewelry from Guang Hua gongzi would be the happiest thing.

　　“Humph! You all have full confidence in her. When the time comes, don’t regret!”

　　Duanmu Yi Yi gritted her teeth. She couldn’t believe it. Where is Murong Qi Qi better than her and could get Li family and Bai family’s affection?!

　　Right! Bai Mu Fei and Li Yun Qing have a good relationship. It must definitely be because of Li Yun Qing’s face that they stood at Murong Qi Qi’s side. It must be like that!

　　Duanmu Yi Yi’s words once again let Shangguan Wu Ji frown. He silently put a black dagger on the table.

　　“I bet that third miss will win!”

　　Compared to the three others, Shangguan Wu Ji’s dagger didn’t seem significant, but Murong Qi Qi thought that the thing Shangguan Wu Ji carried on his body must be a treasure.

　　She picked up the dagger and pulled it out,

　　‘Ceng……’

　　A light shone, making everyone unable to open their eyes.

　　“Good dagger,” Murong Qi Qi said softly.

　　Although this dagger looked normal, the body was black. Lying on the floor, it would only be seen as an unusual dagger. But Murong Qi Qi who was familiar with a variety of weapons, knows that this was the ‘cutting iron like flesh’ treasure.

　　Seeing that Murong Qi Qi likes it, Shangguan Wu Ji felt like he had found one of his kind.

　　She is obviously a physically weak girl, but the focused look she had when holding the dagger, gave birth to a strange feeling in Shangguan Wu Ji’s heart.

　　“It’s good that third miss likes it!”

　　“Shangguan gongzi, if I win, is this dagger really mine?”

　　Murong Qi Qi had always liked daggers. It’s easy to carry and this dagger was a rare treasure. She held it in her hand and didn’t want to put it down.

　　“Of course!”

　　“Good! For this word, today ben xiaojie will risk my life!”

　　Murong Qi Qi loves the dagger so much that she didn’t want to put it down. Although in the eyes of others, Li family and Bai family’s bets have the most luring power, but in her eyes, this dagger was her favorite.

　　“Third jiejie, even boasting should have some ability!”

　　Murong Qing Lian had also set her eyes on this dagger. Thinking that this dagger would simply be ruined in Murong Qi Qi’s hand, Murong Qing Lian directly bet on Duanmu Yi Yi. If Duanmu Yi Yi wins, she can ask for the dagger!

　　“I bet on miss Duanmu!”

　　Murong Xin Lian also bet on Duanmu Yi Yi. No need to say of Murong Jun. He had always looked down on Murong Qi Qi plus the fact that Duanmu Yi Yi is a beautiful lady so naturally he needs to please the beauty.

　　The remaining Duanmu Hong Chen, after looked once more at his meimei and Murong Qi Qi, smiled apologetically at Murong Qi Qi. He put a jade in front of Duanmu Yi Yi.

　　“Sorry, third miss.”

　　“It doesn’t matter.”

　　Brothers and sisters should help each other. Besides, Murong Qi Qi felt that she didn’t have a deep friendship with Duanmu Hong Chen that was worthy for him to abandon his meimei and bet on her.

　　After it was settled, each side had the same number of people, but the bets on Murong Qi Qi side are obviously more expensive, making Duanmu Yi Yi’s heart imbalanced.

　　The four great families’ relationship wasn’t bad, but the other three families seemed like today they had drunk the wrong medicine, betting their treasures on Murong Qi Qi. How could Duanmu Yi Yi not be angry?

　　“Murong Qi Qi, what do you want? This is our bet; you also need to bet something! But looking at your poor appearance, you won’t be able to pull out any treasure.”

　　Gritting her teeth, Duanmu Yi Yi removed the egg-sized East Sea pearls on her skirt.

　　“If you win, these pearls will be yours. If you lose……”

　　Duanmu Yi Yi swept over the calm lake and smiled viciously. Slender fingers pointed at the sparkling lake.

　　“I want you to jump into the lake!”

　　Comments:

　　Xiong: brother used among peers Gege/ ge: big brother used among family Buyao: a hairpin that shake with every steps you take Niangniang: concubine of the palace