Sitting on the bus, tears suddenly fell from her face like rain. She felt suffocated, her heart heavy, wanting only to cry.
Am I crazy? Tian Jing Xin, to feel heartache for such a despicable man!
She was truly crazy because she felt heartache so clearly and helplessly.
She just wanted to hold him tightly, wishing to protect him. Everything she had heard and seen about Jiang Xiang Yang made her feel indescribable pain.
The suffering this young man had endured felt as if it was placed on her shoulders as well. But what could she, so fragile and useless, do?
Besides shedding useless tears that would only make him hate her, she could do nothing.
She had never hated her own weakness and uselessness as much as she did today.
Chapter Seventeen: First Glimpse of Light
An old alley was hidden in the noisy night of the city. At the end of the winding bluestone path was an unremarkable house, with a dilapidated camphor wood door eroded by time.
Pushing open the courtyard gate revealed a narrow yard, with intermittent sounds coming from the rooms in the back.
From the outside, the old brick and gray tile building looked unassuming, masking its identity as a bar and a hidden gambling den.
Within six months, the underworld had learned about this notorious underground casino. Those in the dark circles remained discreet; the gambling den naturally persisted. Rumors circulated that the backer was a young man skilled in gambling, martial arts, and known for his sharp mind.
Some claimed he acquired the gambling den through his skills, but these remained unverified. Running such an operation implied he was no ordinary person.
As the saying goes, existence itself is reasonable, and being alive means having one’s own path.
The old, spacious hall served as the public gambling area with simple games: “Machine Mahjong,” “Landlords,” and “Big or Small.”
Gamblers could be casual observers or exchange chips to play, but once you participated, you were responsible for the consequences. Regardless of winning or losing, you had to leave peacefully; causing trouble would lead to serious repercussions.
If you had no cash, you could still play by mortgaging a house or car, processing quickly in the adjacent room, or taking a high-interest loan, provided you could repay it.
