The Love Reality Show's Big Boss and Little Sweetie - Chapter 71

[Rich folks just love putting on these hollow shows. Call him ‘Young Madam’ a few more times, let me hear it!]

[Mu Chi’s expression is so hard to keep straight lol!]

[So the situation now is that the Qi family has already acknowledged Mu Chi as their daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and Young Madam.]

[I knew it! Mu Chi is popular wherever he goes, even if it attracts some flies too.]

[LMAO, the Great Demon King really has to keep a close eye on his wife no matter where they go.]

[Serves him right! People with foul mouths deserve a good lesson.]

The scene was comical and chaotic. The greasy-faced rich kid scrambled up from the floor, shrinking back timidly as he asked, “Are you Qi Liao?”

It wasn’t surprising he didn’t recognize Qi Liao. Having spent most of his time abroad, Qi Liao rarely appeared at banquets within the Beijing social circle. For years, he had been like a mythical dragon—seen only in glimpses, never fully revealed—and had little interaction with these second-generation rich kids.

“Get lost,” Qi Liao couldn’t be bothered with more words.

The rich kid hesitated for a moment, then left the casino unwillingly.

Qi Liao said to Mu Chi, “Let’s continue the idiom fill-in-the-blanks.”

Mu Chi: “…Okay.”

[The illustrious cruise ship casino… is actually playing idiom fill-in-the-blanks?]

[Well, at least it’s an educational game.]

[A casino even kids can enter must be a law-abiding, tax-paying good casino!]

After playing idiom fill-in-the-blanks, poetry fill-in-the-blanks, and classical Chinese fill-in-the-blanks for a while, Mu Chi was numb: “I feel like I’m taking a Chinese language exam.”

Qi Liao’s game card was almost out of points. “Let’s go check out somewhere else,” he said.

Holding their chips, the two went looking for a quieter, simpler table to place bets.

“Let’s go play Big or Small,” Mu Chi suggested. “We’ll leave once we lose everything.”

Qi Liao: “Mhm.”

[…You’re not here to gamble, you’re here to donate points, right?]

[In a casino, people like you are called ‘dumb money’.]

When Mu Chi reached the table, the dealer rolling the dice called out in a sweet, coquettish voice, “Place your bets on Big or Small! Win big, lose little, guarantee you won’t leave tonight!”

Mu Chi whispered into Qi Liao’s ear, “Is this some kind of trap?”

Qi Liao casually pushed all their chips onto the ‘Big’ space. “It’s fine. We’ll only bet on Big. We’re sure to lose everything.”

“Okay.”

A few scattered voices called out, “Small! Small!”

The dealer manually shook the dice cup. A rapid clatter-clatter-clatter sounded before it landed on the table with a definitive thud. “Opening the cup! Four, five, six—Big!”

The crowd sighed in disappointment, “Agh!!”

Mu Chi: “…”

The dealer pushed all the chips in front of Qi Liao. “Where this time?”

Qi Liao: “Big.”

One minute later, the dealer: “Opening the cup! Six, six, six—Heavenly Roll!”

“…”

After four or five consecutive rounds of ‘Big,’ the crowd protested, “You must be cheating!”

Qi Liao pushed the chips forward. “Keep them. Take it all.”

Dealer: “But this is thirty thousand.”

Qi Liao grabbed Mu Chi’s hand and was about to leave the casino directly when Qi Yuan’s assistant stopped them. “Emergency! President Qi can’t hold on anymore! He’s lost a hundred million!”

Qi Liao: “What?”

Mu Chi: “??”

[Big Bro, what happened to you?!]

[You lost a hundred million in just this little while?]

[Big Bro is mighty, earns big and loses big!]

[LMAO if he could really afford the loss, he wouldn’t be asking the Great Demon King for emergency help.]

[That’s a fresh, juicy hundred million we’re talking about! Of course he’s anxious!]

Mu Chi and Qi Liao went to provide backup, utterly speechless along the way. Earlier, Qi Yuan had claimed he could win back Qi Liao’s debt in one night, but now he had sunk his own money into it.

His act of showing off had even fooled Mu Chi, a master of bravado himself.

The place where Qi Yuan was located was a private room within the casino, a gathering place for big shots where ordinary rich kids wouldn’t dare to set foot. Here, wins and losses of tens of millions were commonplace.

So, Qi Yuan losing a hundred million didn’t seem all that surprising.

The corridor here was carpeted, extremely quiet. Wall sconces brightly illuminated the intricately patterned wallpaper, lending a distinctly medieval style, as if they were walking through a castle, approaching a vampire’s den.

“This place is a gold-swallowing pit,” Mu Chi remarked.

Qi Liao deeply agreed. “We mustn’t follow Big Bro’s example. One wrong step, and you’ll stumble further down the path.”

Mu Chi nodded, putting on a profoundly serious face for the camera following them: “Everyone must stay away from gambling and cherish your lives.”

[LOL why are they making a public service announcement now?]

[I’ll definitely listen to my male god’s words!]

[Big Bro, you’ve messed up! / LOL]

When they reached the private room, the assistant opened the door and invited them in.

As soon as Mu Chi entered, he was hit by the pungent smell of smoke. A middle-aged man, cigarette in one hand, was throwing down a set of black domino-like tiles with the other. “Kong.”

Qi Yuan sat near a small vent window, legs crossed, appearing rather nonchalant. The points he discarded were smaller than the other man’s. “President Wang, President Zhang, President Lin, you’ve won again.”

President Wang stubbed out his cigarette and laughed unceremoniously. “Your luck with the tiles is just terrible.”

The shape of Qi Yuan’s eyebrows was identical to Qi Liao’s. Whether he was frowning or raising an eyebrow, the resemblance was striking. Because of this, Mu Chi could easily tell that despite Big Bro’s calm and collected facade, his mood was already thoroughly foul.

Upon seeing them, Qi Yuan offered a genuine smile. “Here to play?”

“Who brings their whole family to a card game?” President Wang laughed mockingly. “Could it be you’ve called for reinforcements?”

Qi Yuan fixed a cold stare on him. “What if I have?”

President Wang fell silent for a moment, then spread his hands. “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. This cruise ship is yours, after all.”

Qi Yuan’s smile suddenly returned, though his eyes held no warmth. “We’re in international waters. If someone were to fall overboard, I doubt any plane would come to fish them out.”

President Wang shut his mouth.

The man with his back to Mu Chi and the others finally spoke. “Changing players is fine, as long as the debt remains on President Qi’s tab.”

“Naturally,” Qi Yuan said, then gestured with his eyes for Qi Liao and Mu Chi to take over.

Qi Liao immediately rolled his eyes. “Secondhand smoke causes cancer. You all keep inhaling; I’ll wait outside.”

“…”

Qi Liao took Mu Chi’s hand and led him out of the room.

Qi Yuan smiled again. “President Wang, you see…”

President Wang’s expression was sour. “Fine, we’ll stop smoking, alright?”

Listening from outside, Mu Chi said to Qi Liao, “I think Big Bro is destined for a ‘the Wangs are bankrupt’ moment sooner or later.”

Qi Liao raised a hand and tapped Mu Chi’s nose. “Trade secrets. No reckless talk.”

The tips of Mu Chi’s ears grew warm, and he turned his head away.

Shortly after, the assistant came out. “The smoke smell is gone inside.”

Only then did Qi Liao and Mu Chi deign to re-enter with reserved dignity. Qi Yuan had already vacated his seat. “I’m the banker. Which of you will take over?”

“I don’t know how to play Pai Gow,” Qi Liao stated.

Qi Yuan’s gaze, which had been resting on the golden watch on his brother’s wrist, stalled. “What?”

“I never said I knew how to play Pai Gow.”

“…………”

President Wang let out a loud laugh. “President Qi, your brother is a riot. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t know. This uncle can teach him.”

The Qi brothers turned icy glares on him in unison. The combined pressure of their wolf-like, formidable stares instantly silenced the room.

“…I know a little Pai Gow,” Mu Chi said, raising his hand like a student.

Qi Yuan’s face softened instantly. “Now you’re reliable.”

Qi Liao added, “He’s just playing for fun. Wins and losses don’t matter.”

“Naturally,” Qi Yuan said with a smile. “Winning is best, but losing is fine too.”

Mu Chi sat down nervously in the seat Qi Yuan had occupied. Qi Yuan addressed the three other “Presidents”: “Gentlemen, I’ll trouble you to play a few rounds with my sister-in-law.”

The man to Mu Chi’s left glanced at him without much emotion and nodded.

On his right was President Wang, who scrutinized Mu Chi. “President Qi, how come your sister-in-law is a man?”

Qi Yuan retorted, “How come your son is dating three girlfriends at once?”

President Wang frowned. “What’s it to you?”

Qi Yuan shrugged. “Exactly. Your family affairs are none of my business, so kindly stop meddling in mine.”

President Wang sneered. “No matter, let’s see you talk your way out of losing a hundred million.”

Qi Yuan offered a thin, humorless smile. “Thanks for the reminder.”

Mu Chi felt immense pressure sitting at the table. He maintained a stoic expression as he shuffled the tiles, rolled the dice to determine the dealing order, and dealt the cards. He had one doubt. “Big Bro, were you always the banker?”

Qi Yuan: “Of course. After all, I’m the owner of this cruise ship, so naturally, I’m also the banker at this table.”

Mu Chi: “…” Big Bro, you’re just too honest.

Like other card games, Pai Gow involves players ganging up on the banker. It can accommodate up to 8 players. Thankfully, there were only 4 here, otherwise, Mu Chi would have been overwhelmed.

The man on the left then said, “If you don’t wish to be the banker, you can pass the role to me next round.”

President Wang objected. “How can that be? President Qi is the host here; he should fulfill the duties of the ‘landlord’.”

Mu Chi thought, The duty of the ‘landlord’ is to lose vast sums of money to you? I’d rather not be that landlord.

Qi Yuan said, “President Lin always knows what to say. Forget about me—I’m not one for standing on ceremony about age. But my sister-in-law here is only twenty-five. You seasoned seniors should go easy on him.”

President Lin gathered his bone tiles, clasping them in his palms. “This round, I won’t compare tiles with you all.”

Qi Yuan clapped his hands lightly, smiling. “President Lin, you have my gratitude.”

President Wang grew anxious. “Xiao Lin, how can you do this?”

President Zhang tried to smooth things over. “Let people play Pai Gow how they want. Are we the only ones allowed to win money, and they can’t even recoup some losses?”

“Lao Zhang, you…” President Wang shook his head. “Forget it, forget it. No need to make me out as the villain here.”

Qi Yuan sprawled casually on a nearby sofa. A server brought drinks, and he poured himself a glass, sipping slowly as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “Little Brother, care for a drink?”

Qi Liao declined. He brought a stool and sat beside Mu Chi to watch the game. “How do you play?”

Mu Chi explained the rules. “It’s a bit like dice. Players compare the values of their tile combinations against the banker’s. There are 32 tiles total. Each player gets 4 tiles and must split them into two pairs of two. Players can exchange tiles among themselves. If both of a player’s pairs beat the banker’s corresponding pairs, they win.”

“Sounds pretty simple.”

“It is simple,” Mu Chi said. “This game was quite popular where I grew up. I used to play with the grandpas and grandmas next door when I was little. Everyone in my family knows how to play.”

Qi Liao placed a hand against the small of Mu Chi’s back. “Transferring you some luck.”

While Mu Chi was feeling pleasantly floaty, the other players finished comparing their tiles.

President Wang played a set first: “Pair.”

Mu Chi played: “Sequence.”

President Lin played: “Kong.”

Mu Chi played: “Long Ace.”

No one could beat it. Mu Chi played again: “Pair.”

President Zhang played: “Five Points.”

Mu Chi: “Long Six.”

Mu Chi won, without a shred of suspense.

The others: “…”

Qi Liao asked, “You won?”

Mu Chi nodded, a picture of modest restraint. “Mhm.”

President Wang, not convinced, spat out, “Again!”

Whether Mu Chi was blessed with explosive luck tonight or fueled by the fortune Qi Liao had transferred to him, the result was the same. After ten consecutive wins, a deathly silence had fallen over the gaming table.

Qi Yuan suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter: “Hahaha! Sister-in-law, you really are our lucky charm, a veritable Maneki-neko…”

Mu Chi felt a bit awkward; even he was embarrassed by a ten-win streak.

Qi Liao asked, “Is the debt cleared?”

“Just a little short,” Qi Yuan said, beckoning a server and ordering several drinks and nuts. “Relax, there’s plenty of midnight snacks. Mu Chi, what would you like?”

Mu Chi was indeed a little hungry. “Ice cream.”

“You can’t fill up on ice cream, order a pasta too,” Qi Yuan insisted. “It’s my treat tonight, gentlemen. What would you all like?”

President Wang was in no mood to eat, having lost all his winnings. “Not for me.”

President Lin said, “I’ll have pasta as well, the same as Mu Chi’s.”

Hearing this, Qi Liao narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on President Lin. President Lin endured the stare and offered a gentle, refined smile in return.

Oblivious, Mu Chi asked Qi Liao, “What do you want to eat?”

Qi Liao: “I feel like eating a person.”

“…” Mu Chi said seriously, “Cannibalism is illegal.”

Qi Liao: “Then I want a century egg and lean pork congee.”

Mu Chi immediately said, “Then I’ll have that too.”

Qi Yuan clapped, feigning emotion. “Such beautiful spousal harmony!”

Mu Chi had become immune to Big Bro’s provocative remarks and automatically filtered them out, focusing on the game.

President Lin was also quite handsome and spoke to Mu Chi with refined courtesy: “Mu Chi, how do you manage to win every time?”

Mu Chi looked up. “Just luck.” As he spoke, his eyes, filled with unspoken affection, glanced at Qi Liao—it’s all the good luck he passed to me.

Qi Liao was appeased. He openly rested an arm on the table, creating a barrier between Mu Chi and President Lin.

Even without words, the two seemed to share an endless conversation, their tender feelings so thick they could practically send all the single dogs in the room flying from the sheer force.

[Are they back together now?]

[They never really fought! Mu Chi just regained his memories.]

[Mu Chi still loves the Demon King!]

[Ever since being with the Demon King, Mu Chi’s luck has improved. He’s truly his noble person!]

[Ten wins in a row! If I were this OP in Honor of Kings, I’d be invincible.]

[Is President Lin also interested in Mu Chi?? This is their first meeting!]

[If you were sitting next to a fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged pretty cat who’s also a Pai Gow master, wouldn’t you be tempted?]

[The Demon King really finds love rivals everywhere he goes, LMAO!]

After another round of Pai Gow, the midnight snacks and drinks arrived. Mu Chi ate his century egg congee, nibbled his ice cream, and took a sip of champagne, feeling utterly blissful.

Qi Liao couldn’t understand this combination; he only drank mineral water.

“I didn’t order champagne,” Qi Yuan remarked, puzzled.

No one paid him much mind. President Zhang said, “Probably a complimentary bottle.”

Qi Yuan nodded. “Well, that’s just how generous I am.”

“…”

Suddenly, the private room door was shoved open. A young man with dyed yellow hair stumbled in recklessly. Seeing the room full of big shots, cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. Noticing the champagne in each person’s hand, he practically dropped to his knees.

“Uh, uh… Ah…”

Qi Yuan: “Performing such a grand salute before the New Year? No red envelope for you.”

Yellow Hair: “…That… you all drank the champagne…”

Qi Yuan’s brow furrowed sharply; years of experience told him something was wrong. He stood up swiftly, his presence intimidating. “What about the champagne?”

Yellow Hair trembled. “It’s not my fault! The server delivered it to the wrong room! You all just drank it without asking…”

“Get to the point!”

President Wang went limp in his seat. “It’s not… it’s not poisoned, is it?”

Yellow Hair immediately waved his hands and scrambled up. “No, no, not poison! It’s just… laced with a little… mood-enhancing medicine.”

Everyone: “……………………”

Mu Chi stared dumbfounded at the champagne flute in his hand, all his blissful feelings gone.

Yellow Hair finished speaking and fled. “It’s not my fault!”

Inside the private room, the assembled magnates fell into an eerie silence. Very soon, everyone began to feel a distinct, rising heat.

Mu Chi went soft-limbed and slumped against Qi Liao. “Gege, take me away.”

Qi Liao scooped him up and headed for the door. Passing Qi Yuan, he said, “Big Bro, you…”

Qi Yuan took a deep breath, forcing composure. “I’m fine.”

“Then… take care of yourself. No, I mean, hold on,” Qi Liao could only manage to look after Mu Chi now.

“…………”

[？？？？？？？？？]

[Shocking! Business tycoons gather for gambling, end up dosed with aphrodisiacs together!]

[Gambling—it truly harms others and oneself!!!]