The young woman turned and looked at Ji Mo upon hearing this. "So, you're not only a scoundrel, but also a liar? If you can't even afford the tea money, where would you get the money to return mine?"
Ji Mo felt a bit embarrassed. Although he was poor, he did have ways to get money.
The best way, naturally, would be to return to the Prince's mansion and ask Ying Tianbao for it.
But he wouldn't do that. He wanted to repay her kindness with his own abilities.
"Miss, I truly have a way to return much more money to you."
Ji Mo said very seriously, then changed the subject. "However, you'll have to lend me some money first."
The young woman's eyes widened, and she stared at Ji Mo vigilantly. "Now, I'm even more certain that you're a scoundrel. You claim to repay kindness, but you actually just want to swindle me out of my money."
However, despite her words, the young woman still took out a piece of silver and gave it to Ji Mo.
"Here are ten taels of silver. Consider it a gift from me. Do some small business and support yourself from now on. Not being a scoundrel anymore would be the best repayment to me."
"Miss, I'm really not a scoundrel. Please wait here for a moment, I'll go earn money for you right now."
Ji Mo's forehead was covered in black lines. He instructed her, then turned and darted into a nearby gambling house.
"Hey, scoundrel, come back! I gave you money to do business and live your life, not to gamble. My father said gambling is harmful, and once a person gets addicted to gambling, they're ruined."
The young woman quickly chased after him, following him into the gambling house, wanting to stop Ji Mo from making a mistake.
From a distant street corner, two women quietly watched the scene unfold.
It was Li Qiufeng and Hong Xing, who had just arrived.
"Miss, this Ji Mo is indeed despicable and shameless. He's pretending to be poor again and playing with a young woman's feelings. Hmph, what a scumbag."
Hong Xing cursed with disdain.
"Perhaps he genuinely didn't bring any money. Otherwise, he wouldn't endure the shopkeeper's scolding for a bit of tea money."
Li Qiufeng couldn't help but defend Ji Mo.
Given Ji Mo's current reputation in Wangjing, he wouldn't eat for free and damage his own reputation.
Hong Xing said, "Miss, at this point, why are you still speaking up for this scumbag? Didn't you see the jade pendant on that young woman's waist? He's targeting Ji Mo next. Everything happening now is clearly a trap set by that Ji fellow specifically for the young woman. I can't believe this person is so calculating, advancing step by step. It's truly terrifying!"
A jade pendant?
Li Qiufeng, possessing an eidetic memory, recalled the shape of the jade pendant on the young woman's waist and immediately knew the other party's identity. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
Ji Mo was indeed after the young woman.
"Originally, I still held a sliver of hope, wishing I had misunderstood you. But now, it turns out you truly are someone who will stop at nothing to achieve your goals. I, Li Qiufeng, pride myself on my intelligence, yet I've been played like this. It seems I am merely a tool for you to use."
Li Qiufeng stumbled, her delicate face suddenly turning extremely pale.
She had originally intended to meet Ji Mo and ask him for clarification in person.
Now, with the facts laid bare, there was nothing left to ask.
Heartbroken, she quickened her pace and left.
On the bluestone pavement, a trail of crystal tears was left behind.
"Scoundrel, give me back my silver! I forbid you from gambling."
The young woman entered the gambling house, wanting to snatch her money back.
Gambling was a bottomless pit. Once addicted, a person was ruined.
She didn't want to give money only to end up harming Ji Mo.
However, it was already too late.
Ji Mo walked up to a dice table and, without a word, placed the silver in his hand.
He never gambled, but now, to repay her kindness, he had to make an exception.
Earlier, while drinking tea at the teahouse, he had overheard others discussing that the mastermind behind this gambling house was Marquis Changsheng, Wang Guang.
Since it was opened by that bastard Wang Guang, there was no need to be polite; he would fleece him thoroughly.
Dice games were the simplest form of gambling.
It involved betting on the sum of three spinning dice in a shaker. If the total points of the three dice were greater than ten, it was considered "big"; if less than or equal to ten, it was "small."
The shaker was made of special materials, isolating it from all divine sense probes.
The outcome of wins and losses depended entirely on luck, with a payout of one to one.
"Place your bets!"
The dealer shouted, then opened the shaker and announced the points: "Five, five, six, big!"
Ji Mo had bet on big and immediately won ten taels.
He rubbed his ears and nodded with satisfaction.
Indeed, skills were never a burden. The gambling techniques he learned under the system's coercion were actually useful.
Simply by relying on his hearing, he could easily discern the size of the dice points, winning money with no pressure.
The young woman's eyes widened with curiosity. It was her first time entering a gambling house, and she was surprised at how quickly the money came, doubling in the blink of an eye.
Ji Mo didn't hesitate and placed several more bets. In a short while, he had earned three hundred and twenty taels.
"Scoundrel, you have such good luck!"
The young woman couldn't help but say. This operation of winning every bet still shocked her a little.
Ji Mo's consecutive wins quickly drew the dealer's attention, but the latter didn't react much. After all, Ji Mo's bets weren't large; it was just small money.
However, soon the dealer felt something was amiss. Ji Mo was always confident of winning, betting all his silver. He won ten rounds in a row, earning over ten thousand taels in a short time.
The young woman beside him was stunned, her cherry-like mouth agape, looking endearingly foolish.
Ten taels of silver had multiplied a thousandfold in such a short period, truly astonishing her.
"Scoundrel, you're amazing. Keep betting, keep betting!"
Indeed, no one could escape the law of true fragrance. The young woman, who had been unwilling for Ji Mo to gamble earlier, was now tempted by the taste of success and couldn't help but join in.
The dealer's lips curved into a cold smile. The leeks were finally ready to be harvested.
"Six, six, six, triple, all bets are off!"
The shaker was opened. Both big and small bets lost. The dealer took all the winnings.
Ji Mo instantly went from being wealthy to penniless, losing all his capital.
"You cheated!"
Ji Mo couldn't help but exclaim, accusing the dealer.
He was absolutely certain that it had been three, five, six, a total of fourteen points, which was big.
But when the shaker was opened, the dealer had tampered with it, turning it into triples.
His technique was very skillful, but it could deceive other gamblers; it couldn't deceive Ji Mo.
"Cheating? What a joke. My Changsheng Gambling House is honest and trustworthy, a golden signboard. If you can't afford to lose, then don't play. If you want to cause trouble, you've come to the wrong place. Haven't you heard whose territory this is?"
The dealer stared at Ji Mo with icy eyes, his face full of sarcasm.
Although he was surprised his cheating was seen through, he wasn't afraid at all.
No one in Wangjing dared to cause trouble at the Changsheng Gambling House.
The surrounding gamblers also started to jeer. After all, they had seen many people who, after losing all their money, resorted to being unreasonable. They believed Ji Mo was simply unable to accept defeat.
"The Changsheng Gambling House is the property of Marquis Changsheng. The Marquis is upright and never cheats people."
"If you can't afford it, then scram, you pauper. Losing a little money and crying and wailing here, aren't you ashamed?"
Some people also mocked Ji Mo, intending to curry favor with Wang Guang.
Others also ridiculed Ji Mo for being ignorant, daring to cause trouble here, perhaps not wanting to live.
Wang Guang was notoriously vengeful. If he held a grudge, there was only a dead end.
"If that's the case, then I hope your Changsheng Gambling House can afford to lose later."
Ji Mo frowned. He was about to get serious.