Chapter 4
"There are a few blocks between the Marquis’ Mansion and here. By the time you bring the money, the sky would be dark, how are we going to fight dogs then?" Xu Tianan casually said, lazily.
Murong Ye’s face darkened, "My money has been used up, and the dog fighting arena and gambling stakes do not allow credit. If I don’t go back to redraw money, how am I to continue competing with you?"
"You can use the pretty lady behind you as collateral!" Xu Tianan looked diagonally behind Xurong Ye, smiling sinisterly.
Pretty lady? What pretty lady?
Murong Ye looked behind him confused and blankly only to see Murong Xue standing two meters away looking faintly at him. His heart jumped, "Sister, what you doing here?"
Sister?! Xu Tianan did a double-take. When he saw Shuang Xi respectfully following behind her, he had thought that she was Murong Ye’s little lover. He never expected her to be Murong Ye’s sister, the one who is engaged to Prince Jing, Ye Chenyi.
Rumors have it that she has a serious illness and weak const.i.tution. And that she lived deep in the mansion and seldom showed her face. He didn’t expect her to be such a beauty.
"I was pa.s.sing by and saw you here, so I came in."
Murong Xue’s cold voice travelled through one’s eyes and hit straight to the heart. Xu Tianan’s heart fluttered. His brother Xu Tianyou often followed at the side of Prince Jing. According to him, Prince Jing does not like this fiancée of his and even intends to demote her to a lowly concubine. If he humiliates her, does that give Prince Jing a reason to demote her to concubine? When that happens, and Prince Jing is happy, Prince Jing might even give him a reward!
He would have gotten the lady and the Prince Jing’s praise. Definitely a worthy proposition!
Xu Tianan’s eyes brightened and sinisterly sized up Murong Xue from top to bottom. She’s so dedicate and pretty; that body is definitely delicious and soft. He really felt like taking her into his arms and harshly ravage her, "Murong Ye, don’t talk about sibling love. Hurry and give me a firm word on whether you are going to use her as your collateral…"
"Xu Tianan, watch your mouth. This is my sister, not an item, how can I use as collateral?" Murong Ye sharply interrupted him, his face black till it could almost drip ink.
Xu Tianan was unconcerned, "What sister? It’s just a girl, money-losing goods; what’s there to be precious about? If I were you, I’ll immediately use her as collateral to exchange for a few thousand taels, pick a good dog, and earn back my ego. And when the servants bring back the money, then just redeem her…"
"I am not as inhuman as you as to sacrifice my sister’s reputation to just to fight dogs," Murong Ye’s face filled with anger. If the proud Marquis’ Household’s Young Mistress is used like an item for collateral at a colosseum, the public’s cynicism would be enough to drown her. Wherever she would go, she would be laughed at till she’s unable to look up.
"Stop sounding
"Shut up, Xu Tianan!" Taunted, Murong Ye’s chest filled with anger and thundered, all ready to pounce on Xu Tianan and beat him up.
Murong Xue pulled him back and walked a few steps up front. She coldly stared at Xu Tianan, "My brother’s luck is just a little bad today. You don’t need to goad him. If you wish to fight dogs, I will accompany you."
Murong Ye might be a useless playboy, but he is very protective of her. Naturally, she will not stand on the sidelines and watch him get ridiculed.
Xu Tianan widened his eyes in surprise, "You fight dogs with me?" Murong Xue is a gentle and weak lady, brought up in the depths of the mansion. He reckoned that she has not even seen c.o.c.k-fighting or cricket-fighting. Now she wants to dog-fight with him? Is he imagining it?
"Can’t I?" Murong Xue’s said coldly.
"Of course you can!" Xu Tianan looked at her determined gaze and confirmed that she wasn’t joking, but was serious about dog-fighting with him. He haughtily smiled. As long as she is not afraid that the splashes of blood would make her faint, he didn’t mind, "Pay up the 500 taels and choose a dog… how much will you put as stake?"
"For this round, we shan’t gamble with money; we’ll gamble a finger!" Murong Xue’s cold voice travelled into his ears. Xu Tianan froze mid-action while taking out the bills and looked at her shocked, "You mean whoever loses will have to cut off a finger?"
"That’s right!" Murong Xue nodded, "Do you dare to gamble?"
"Of course I dare!" Xu Tianan raised his chin arrogantly and wantonly sized up Murong Xue. Those lecherous eyes openly flashed his wretched and evil desires, "I know best how to take care of ladies. Even if you lose, I won’t cut off your finger. You just need to serve me well for a night and we’ll call it…"
"Smack!" A slap harshly hit Xu Tianan’s face, cutting him off and turning his head to the side. A bright red five-fingered print immediately formed on half of his face, hot and painful.
"Murong Xue, you dare to hit me?!" Xu Tianan was furious. Spitting out the blood at the corner of his mouth, he viciously pounced towards Murong Xue.
He wants to teach her a lesson? How overconfident!
Murong Xue laughed coldly and kicked Xu Tianan.
Xu Tianan did not expect that and was kicked in the stomach. He fell to the ground wincing, brows knotted, and stared hatefully at Murong Xu.
"If you agree to the stake, just nod your head. If not, just shake your head. There’s no need to say so much rubbish." Murong Xu looked down at him condescendingly, full of contempt and disdain.
Xu Tianan choked. That hateful little girl who has never seen the world actually dared to hit him, kick him, laugh at him, and caused him to lose his face. How reckless of her! If she wants to court death, he’ll grant her wis.h.!.+
Thinking bitterly, Xu Tianan stood up and quickly walked to the metal cages, pointing at the dogs within saying, "I want this one, that one… and this one. Bring them all over…"
Murong Ye looked complicatedly at Murong Xue. In his impression, his sister is a gentle and beautiful lady. When he heard that he wanted to fight dogs, he was so shocked that by the time he got out of his daze, she had already finished negotiating all the terms with Xu Tianan. The dog-fight was on and he could do nothing to stop it. He lamented in his heart – because he as the older brother did not take good care of his sister, his sister had rashly set the stakes. If his sister loses, he’ll cut his finger on behalf of his sister. He has been using these ten fingers for the last 14 years and is quite reluctant to cut whichever of them…
Watching Xu Tianan buy four, five dogs at one go, he shouted angrily, "Xu Tianan, you and my sister are only betting on one round, you only need to choose one. Why did you choose so many?"
Xu Tianan glanced at him, "I like it. What do you care?"
Murong Ye’s face darkened, "You have picked all the fierce dogs away, leaving a bunch of useless sick dogs. You obviously want her to lose…"
"So what?" Xu Tianan raised his chin and unabashedly admitted, "If she has ability, why don’t she pick a champion from the sick dogs and bite my dog to death!"
"You…" Murong Ye stare at Xu Tianan could almost spit fire, "Despicable coward!"
Xu Tianan coldly snorted and ignored him, urging irritably, "It’s getting late, do you want to fight dogs or not? If not, I’m going home."
It’s just another despicable, disgusting and old ploy. She really couldn’t be bothered.
Murong Xue laughed coldly and slowly walked up. Her calm eyes pa.s.sed over the cages and stopped at a cage in the utmost corner.