Chapter 161 Playing Around

Jiang Lan hurriedly covered his mouth, then threatened, "Don't say nonsense. I've never been there, understand?"

Li Huaining blinked, indicating that he understood.

"We are simply bound by fate! This is just like what is written in books, it is the arrangement of the heavens!"

Jiang Lan massaged her temples, leaned against the table, and muttered, "No, it's the arrangement of Xue Mingrui and his brothers."

"What?" Li Huaining asked.

"Nothing, come eat." Jiang Lan pushed the fruit platter toward him. "Do you like reading?"

"You can tell?" Li Huaining looked at Jiang Lan shyly. "It's not so much that I like it, but I feel that the world in books is extremely beautiful, like another mortal realm."

"What else do you read besides scholarly texts on ordinary days?" Jiang Lan tried to find a topic of conversation.

"Historical records and the like, as well as unofficial histories of strange spirits and anomalies, I've dabbled in them all."

"Oh, what do you do for leisure on ordinary days?"

"Reading and practicing calligraphy."

"Do you paint?"

"I do, but my grandfather said I lack any real aptitude, so I didn't pursue it deeply." Li Huaining said with a hint of regret, "Actually, I quite like painting, but it's not presentable."

"If you like it, just do it. Why care about other people's views and opinions? So what if you're not talented? There are plenty of untalented people in this world. If you have to make everything you do reach the ultimate standard, wouldn't living be exhausting? Besides, life is short, one must enjoy it to the fullest. Be happier."

Li Huaining's eyebrows curved into a smile. "Whose young master are you? Why haven't I seen you before? Which study hall do you attend? Can I go with you?"

Jiang Lan straightened up and immediately shook her head. "No, no, no. I am not someone who does serious scholarship, don't let me be a bad influence on you."

"It doesn't matter." Li Huaining leaned in and said, "My family told me that even when the two most notorious playboys in Jiankang City took turns taking me out to play, they still couldn't corrupt me."

"Uh... I happen to be one of the playboys you just mentioned." Jiang Lan felt a little awkward. Was she really being used by the noble families recently as a negative example to educate their household youths?

"You are that young master of the Jiangnan Zhao clan." Li Huaining wore a look of shock, but not a shred of embarrassment at being caught speaking ill of someone to their face.

"No, I am the other one," Jiang Lan explained.

"Oh~ that Heir of the Duke of Wei's estate who broke into the Liang State princess's boudoir by night!"

Why did Li Huaining seem even more excited than he was about Zhao Yang earlier?

Jiang Lan couldn't figure it out, and didn't want to dwell on it. Right now, she was only thinking about how to drag this fellow along to the garden as well, since she still had a hidden task to complete.

Thinking this, Jiang Lan looked at the culprit diagonally across from her—Marquis Mu—with even less friendliness.

Gritting her teeth in irritation, Jiang Lan drained her cup in one gulp. At this moment, Zhao Yang walked over to offer a toast.

"Brother-in-law, come on, let's go play a round!"

Jiang Lan's face was full of confusion. "Play what?"

There were songs and dances at the banquet, and tables were set up on the side, some for playing chess and writing essays, others for composing poetry and fu.

"If you want me to compose poetry, I won't do it!" Jiang Lan shook her head to indicate she wasn't participating.

"Compose poetry? Even if you could, I certainly couldn't, right? Get up, get up, let's go." Zhao Yang directly pulled Jiang Lan, who was sitting in her seat, up. "It's definitely fun, let's go."

Jiang Lan stood up helplessly, then looked at the longing look in Li Huaining's eyes nearby.

"Would it be alright if I brought a friend along?"

Zhao Yang was as astute as they come; the moment Jiang Lan spoke, he knew who she meant. Initially, he wanted to refuse, but looking at Jiang Lan's expression, she probably wouldn't go either if he refused. "Alright then, let's go together!"

Zhao Yang also hurriedly pulled the nearby Li Huaining to his feet. "Hurry up, you two ancestors, if we don't go now, it'll be too late."

"What's too late? What on earth are you going to play?"

When Jiang Lan arrived, she found out that this fellow was playing pitch-pot in the garden and had locked horns with the third young master of the Grand General's Estate. He had already lost three rounds, amounting to ten thousand liang of gold.

"Aren't you someone who isn't short on money?" Jiang Lan rolled her eyes and prepared to lift her foot and leave. Zhao Yang hurriedly grabbed Jiang Lan's sleeve. "Good brother-in-law, money is of no concern to your brother me, but I still want my face and reputation! Help me out. If you win, all these gambling stakes are yours. If you lose," Zhao Yang leaned in secretly and whispered, "I'll cover for you, just help me save some face."

Jiang Lan understood now; this fellow wanted her to be a scapegoat. The original Jiang Lan had never even heard of playing pitch-pot, and this Zhao Yang had seen right through that, deliberately seeking her out. Still, being able to openly state his intentions made him not entirely the worst sort.

"Not helping, never played."

Jiang Lan turned to leave, but the young master from the Shen family opposite laughed mockingly. "Hhehehe, Zhao Yang, I thought you found someone formidable, turns out it's just a coward. Looking so scrawny and weak, I'm afraid he couldn't even throw it far!"

A crowd burst into laughter. When Xue Liu of the fourth branch hurried over, it happened to coincide with this scene. "Shen Kai, what did you just say? This is my cousin! If you have the guts, play a round with me!"

Zhao Yang hurriedly grabbed the hot-headed Xue Liu. "The base price is a thousand liang of gold a round, what are you trying to play?" Then he whispered, "He's genuinely formidable, don't be impulsive."

"Damn you, why didn't you stop me earlier?" Xue Liu said through gritted teeth.

Zhao Yang argued unconvincingly, "I had to be able to hold you back, didn't I?"

"What? Is the sixth young master of the Xue family afraid?" Shen Kai demanded, akimbo.

Jiang Lan opened the box from earlier, took out one piece, and handed the rest of the boxful to Xue Minghao. "Third cousin, take these. Don't chicken out, anyway it's not our silver."

Zhao Yang looked at Jiang Lan, "..."

"Fine!" Having no other choice, Xue Liu, caught on the horns of a dilemma, could only bite the bullet and step up. As a result, in no time at all, over a dozen night-pearls were completely lost.

The commotion here grew extremely loud, and quite a few people from the banquet walked over to see what was happening, forming three tight circles around the spot, blocking it completely.

Xue Mingrui managed to squeeze his way through alongside Xue Mingfang and Xue Mingshi. Seeing that the one who had lost a whole box of night-pearls was actually his sixth brother, his head grew as big as a bushel.

"What is to be done about this now?" Xue Mingfang asked anxiously. He didn't particularly care about these night-pearls, but losing face like this was unbearable.

Looking at his sixth brother, who was sweating profusely and whose hands were already shaking uncontrollably, Xue Mingrui stepped forward. "I'll go!"

Jiang Lan grabbed Xue Mingrui and asked, "Do you have absolute certainty?"

"Four or five tenths of it. Shen Kai comes from a general's estate; although he hasn't entered the military ranks, his archery hasn't lagged either. If I go up, by using some strategy, I might lose more gracefully and salvage some dignity."

"Then there's no need for that."

"Huh?" Xue Mingrui panicked. "Brother Lan, what did you say? Hey, hey, hey, why are you walking over there?"

Only to see Jiang Lan take out the night-pearl from her bosom, place it into the box on the field, and say to Shen Kai, "Young Master Shen, the night-pearls in my sixth cousin's box are already completely lost. I'll add one more right now, how about playing a round with me for fun?"

Shen Kai had already been intoxicated by victory and agreed without any consideration. Naturally, he was supremely confident, given that his archery was already superb and he had few rivals even within the military camps.

"This humble person knows the Heir has never played this before, shall I give you a three-point handicap?"

An uproar arose at the scene. Pitch-pot was originally meant for entertainment, and gambling so heavily was already highly inappropriate; to publicly humiliate someone like this, wasn't it going too far?

Jiang Lan waved her hand and said, "I truly haven't played this before, and you don't need to give me any handicap. Just let me try it out first."

"Young Master Heir, feel free to try," Shen Kai said, standing akimbo with a loud laugh.