Realizing she had been tricked, Shen Suining flushed with anger and shame. She broke free from He Hansheng’s grasp and swung at him, only to have her wrist caught and twisted behind her back.
With her hands restrained, Shen Suining raised her knee to strike at He Hansheng’s lower body.
He Hansheng nimbly dodged while allowing Shen Suining to break free. The two began fighting across the room.
After a brief scuffle, He Hansheng covered the corner of his mouth with a muffled groan. “Stealing money is one thing, but you actually hit my face.”
Shen Suining quickly retreated, leaning against the wall while panting heavily. Seeing He Hansheng’s disheveled state, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat pleased. “Even a rabbit will bite when cornered.”
She raised her hand, tossing the few pieces of broken silver she had taken from He Hansheng’s money pouch into the air before catching them again. “Thanks.”
“You…” He Hansheng laughed in frustration. “Who borrows money with that kind of attitude?”
“Borrow? This is clearly what you owed me!”
“Sister Cuihua, one should be reasonable. The broken items at Wan Hua Lou that day, plus the expenses at the suburban inn – I covered all those costs for you.”
“Well, I left you the antidote, didn’t I?” Shen Suining said disdainfully. “For someone so tall and strong, I never expected you’d be so petty. It wasn’t just me who broke things at Wan Hua Lou. Besides, we left our room and the charcoal we requested for you that day. What’s wrong with you paying a bit more?”
He Hansheng seemed to have never encountered someone so shameless. Choked with anger, he couldn’t speak, his neck turning completely red.
“Take me to Song Sanniang,” He Hansheng stood up.
“Why should I?”
“Aren’t you short on money? I’ll give you some,” He Hansheng said with a dark expression. “Take me there.”
Shen Suining was delighted. Although the process hadn’t been pleasant, this outcome was exactly what she had hoped for.
In fact, it somewhat exceeded her expectations.
With He Hansheng as her walking money pouch, Shen Suining stood taller. She returned to the gambling den to find Song Sanniang, slamming a silver ingot on the table with a “smack.” “Can I join the table now?”
Song Sanniang glanced at the silver, then at He Hansheng behind Shen Suining, lifting her chin. “Was he with you from the start, or did you just find him to back you up?”
“Why do you care so much? I’ve given you the money.”
Shen Suining reached impatiently for the chips, but Song Sanniang blocked her hand.
“Hall Master Shen is too good at cheating. I won’t gamble with you,” Song Sanniang said in a voice only the two could hear, then looked at He Hansheng. “Let him gamble with me. If he wins, you’ll naturally get what you want.”
Shen Suining and He Hansheng: “…”
He Hansheng hesitated. “I don’t know how to gamble.”
Song Sanniang was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “Then it seems you won’t get what you want tonight.”
Shen Suining took a deep breath and pushed He Hansheng to sit at the gambling table. “You gamble with her. I’ll teach you. At worst, we’ll fail together.”
With that, Shen Suining briefly explained the rules to He Hansheng.
Six dice, both sides place bets, fifteen points as the midpoint for guessing big or small – this was the simplest gambling method, requiring only speaking. As soon as Shen Suining finished explaining, Song Sanniang sat opposite them with the dice cup.
Shen Suining stared at her. “You’re shaking it yourself?”
“Of course not.” Song Sanniang snapped her fingers, and someone from the neighboring table immediately came over to take the dice cup.
He Hansheng inexplicably felt some pressure.
Back when I was with my father in the military, I had seen soldiers engage in small bets occasionally, so I had some idea of the rules, but I had never actually sat at a gambling table.
Fortunately, Shen Suining was by my side. She looked confident, likely because she was a regular in such places, which put He Hansheng somewhat at ease.
Just then, a burly man from the gambling den brought over two jars of wine and poured a bowl for each side. Song Sanniang added, “Gambling for money alone is dull. The loser must also drink as a penalty. The one who loses all their chips or passes out first is the loser.”
He Hansheng’s face paled.
But Shen Suining didn’t notice and boasted recklessly, “Don’t worry! Whether it’s cards or drinks, once I’m at the table, the word ‘lose’ doesn’t exist for me!”
“…” He Hansheng closed his eyes, feeling a pang of unease.
As the dice cup rattled, He Hansheng became like a puppet on the stage, blindly guessing whatever Shen Suining suggested, completely devoid of independent thought.
Luckily, for the first three rounds, Shen Suining’s guesses were correct, and He Hansheng finally gained a bit of confidence.
Song Sanniang, who had been forced to drink three bowls in a row, grew displeased and rapped the table as a warning. “If anyone else interferes, it will be considered a foul.”
He Hansheng: “…” His anxious heart finally sank into despair.
The dice cup landed on the table again, and Song Sanniang leaned forward slightly to ask, “Young master, will you guess big or small?”
He Hansheng glanced at Shen Suining.
But just as Shen Suining was about to speak, someone covered her mouth and dragged her away.
He Hansheng immediately stood up, but Song Sanniang reminded him, “Young master, the game isn’t over yet. Are you conceding defeat early?”
He Hansheng clenched his fists and looked in Shen Suining’s direction.
“Don’t worry, that young master is an old friend of mine. I won’t harm her—I’m just ensuring the rules aren’t broken,” Song Sanniang said, sensing his concern. “Young master, make your guess.”
He Hansheng hesitated, staring at the dice cup on the table. After a moment, he finally ventured, “Small?”
Song Sanniang lifted the cup to reveal seventeen points. She gestured for him to drink. “Your turn.”
He Hansheng took a deep breath, picked up the bowl, and downed the wine in one go.
Song Sanniang clapped her hands in admiration. “How bold, young master!”
No sooner had she spoken than there was a loud thud—He Hansheng’s face slammed onto the table, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Seeing this, Shen Suining was horrified. She broke free from the hand covering her mouth and shouted, then retaliated with a swift palm strike. A brawl erupted, and chaos instantly engulfed the scene.
Song Sanniang’s expression darkened. She immediately grabbed a gourd from beside the gambling table and splashed its contents into Shen Suining’s face.
“Sanniang, you—”
Shen Suining stared in disbelief, but before she could finish her question, she collapsed straight to the ground, unconscious.
…
The two were thrown into the firewood shed.
Shen Suining wasn’t completely knocked out. As a seasoned wanderer of the jianghu, she always took antidotes in advance to guard against such tricks before missions. However, the drug Song Sanniang used on her was stronger than ordinary sedatives, and though she couldn’t fully resist it, she retained a sliver of awareness.
Their hands and feet were tightly bound with ropes. In her dazed state, Shen Suining sensed that she was leaning against someone. She thought Song Sanniang had at least been considerate enough not to let her face hit the ground.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shen Suining woke up.
She opened her eyes and realized they were covered by a white silk blindfold. The firewood shed was unlit, leaving her in complete darkness.
Shen Suining let out an exasperated laugh. Her hands were tied behind her back, and the drug’s effects hadn’t fully worn off yet, leaving her unable to move. She could only call out to He Hansheng, whom she was pinning to the ground, “Hey, are you awake?”
There was no response at all.
Shen Suining figured it must be because they had drugged the wine. He Hansheng had downed such a large bowl of it, so the drug’s effects would undoubtedly last longer for him than for her.
Though somewhat surprised that Song Sanniang had double-crossed her, Shen Suining remained optimistic. She still carried the universal antidote prescribed by Ji Shi Hall—as long as she took it, it could neutralize any drug.
Shen Suining strained to lower her head and finally managed to bite out the antidote tucked in her chest.
Using her teeth, she tore open the packet and held a tablet in her mouth. Before long, her body could move normally again.
But even with her mobility restored, Shen Suining couldn’t break free from the ropes on her own. After a moment’s thought, she tentatively asked He Hansheng, “Something as trivial as lip-to-lip contact shouldn’t outweigh saving a life, right?”
He Hansheng’s breathing was even. Still unconscious, he naturally gave no response.
“No answer means you don’t mind, huh? Don’t blame me later for taking advantage of you after I save your life.”
Having mentally prepared herself, Shen Suining held a new antidote tablet in her mouth and, nudging and sniffing with her nose, located He Hansheng’s lips.
She lowered her head and pressed her lips to his, gently parting them with her tongue to deliver the antidote into his mouth.
Mission accomplished, Shen Suining lay back down, quietly waiting for He Hansheng to wake up. Once he did, they could escape.
However, after waiting for one incense stick’s time, then two… He Hansheng still hadn’t woken up. Instead, he began to snore lightly, as if he were simply asleep.
“…” Shen Suining patiently waited for a full half-hour before she finally lost her temper. She opened her mouth and bit He Hansheng’s neck hard.
“Mm—” He Hansheng groaned in pain, his eyes fluttering open for a moment before he sank back into a deep sleep.
Shen Suining: “…”
Alright, she understood now.
This man wasn’t drugged unconscious—he was dead drunk.
…
Author’s Note:
【Mini Theater】
Shen Suining: Can anyone relate? It’s not the god-like opponents you need to fear, but…
He Hansheng: I’ll clear my name right away!