Eight hundred taels truly was no small sum.

Many official families, when marrying off their daughters, could arrange quite respectable weddings with one to two thousand taels of silver.

Otherwise, a high official like Minister Zhao wouldn’t find it so painful to eat a meal at the tavern, and even the dignified Crown Prince had to run up a tab after treating someone once.

Luo Sheng certainly didn’t believe her precious nephew could have eight hundred taels of pocket money.

“Where did the gambling money come from?” she continued questioning Kou’er.

Kou’er sighed again with an expression of intolerance for this spendthrift. “After Young Master Xu lost what little money he had in hand, where else could it come from? He borrowed from the gambling house. Miss, you don’t approve of Young Master Xu gambling, do you? Then you should manage him soon—Young Master Xu can’t go on like this…”

Luo Sheng naturally knew this couldn’t continue, but Xu Xi was a youth who had lacked proper discipline since childhood and was now at that impulsive, rebellious age of fifteen or sixteen. Simply blocking him forcefully would be useless.

She still needed to come down hard once to let that rascal know pain.

This was also why Luo Sheng, despite knowing Xu Xi went to the gambling house daily, had never intervened.

However, it was time to act now.

Qianjin Pavilion was connected to that mysterious assassin organization—better to pull Xu Xi out of that quagmire sooner.

“Go tell those people they can close the net.”

“Yes, this servant will arrange it right away. Miss, you say Young Master Xu is quite handsome in appearance—how can his brain be so useless…” The little maid started chattering on endlessly again.

Luo Sheng urged expressionlessly, “Go quickly.”

Only then did Kou’er reluctantly stop talking and go make arrangements.

The next day brought wind. Though not particularly strong, it cut like knives against one’s face.

Even so, it couldn’t stop Xu Xi’s enthusiasm for going out.

Xu Fang chased after him. Because she ran urgently, the cold wind blew her delicate cheeks bright red.

“Elder Brother, why are you going out again in such cold weather?”

She knew in her heart Xu Xi was going to the gambling house but didn’t dare say it plainly, lest her brother, whose temper had been getting worse lately, flew into a rage from shame.

“It’s boring at home—just going out to wander around.” Seeing his sister blocking his way, Xu Xi looked impatient.

Xu Fang saw Xu Xi’s reaction and felt a pain in her heart. She tried to persuade him, “The New Year is approaching—Elder Brother, please don’t go out. Wait until the Lantern Festival and we can go admire the lanterns together—”

Xu Xi frowned and interrupted Xu Fang. “What’s so interesting about lanterns? Those are things girls like.”

Xu Fang’s expression darkened slightly. “Then what does Elder Brother like?”

Could it be he only liked gambling?

Thinking of how her brother had been constantly running to the gambling house these days, becoming more obsessed day by day, Xu Fang was extremely anxious.

She had blocked him, tried to persuade him, even scolded him, but her brother seemed possessed, absolutely refusing to listen.

Could gambling truly cause someone to lose their mind?

She should have told their parents and elders so they could restrain her brother and bring him back from his wayward path.

But she couldn’t.

She didn’t trust their sweet-faced but bitter-hearted stepmother, and trusted their ruthless father even less.

She could even be certain those two were waiting for someone to expose her brother’s gambling addiction so they could seize the opportunity to throw him out.

And her foolish brother still dreamed of being a wealthy young master for life!

Xu Xi became even more impatient. “Does Elder Sister have to manage even what I like? Elder Sister lives at Duke Ningguo’s manor year-round and rarely even comes home—I’ve never said anything about that.”

Xu Xi was very averse to Xu Fang constantly staying at Duke Ningguo’s manor.

In his view, the Duchess of Ningguo was merely a distant cousin, yet his sister went to stay at their manor every few days—wasn’t this making people laugh at them for social climbing?

Marquis Changchun’s manor wasn’t as good as Duke Ningguo’s manor, and their stepmother perhaps wasn’t as nice on the surface, but no matter what, this was still their home.

Even if his sister lived at Duke Ningguo’s manor permanently, she couldn’t become a young lady of Duke Ningguo’s manor. When outsiders mentioned their siblings, the first thing they thought of was that their mother was Princess Huayang, daughter of a traitorous minister.

Their background was indelible—what was the point of his sister’s constant self-deception?

Hearing Xu Xi’s words, Xu Fang froze, then felt uncontrollable heartache.

Was her brother mocking her for social climbing and despising their own family?

But where did her foolish brother know that if she hadn’t maintained close ties with the Duchess of Ningguo all these years, Marquis Changchun’s manor probably would have long since had no eldest young lady.

Through countless sleepless nights, she had repeatedly hesitated about whether to tell her brother about that nightmare hidden deep in her heart.

At first, when her brother was young, she didn’t dare tell him, fearing he would reveal something and bring fatal disaster upon himself.

Later, when her brother grew up, impulsive, willful, and straightforward, she dared even less to tell him.

“When Mother was still alive, she was close with Cousin, and Cousin treats us well too. What’s wrong with us being close to Cousin?” Xu Fang asked with trembling lips.

Xu Xi sneered coldly. “Elder Sister, don’t drag me into it, and don’t manage me.”

“Why can’t I manage you? Xu Xi, I’m your elder sister!”

Xu Xi looked at the angry Xu Fang and extended his hand. “Since you’re my elder sister, then give me some silver. I’m out of spending money.”

Xu Fang’s eyes trembled, her heartache beyond words.

How had her brother become like this?

Before, though her brother was impulsive and competitive, always getting into fights with others, he still had his pride.

But since becoming addicted to gambling, her brother’s spine had bent.

A smiling face flashed before Xu Fang’s eyes—the gentle smile their stepmother Yang Shi wore year-round.

A chill surged from the bottom of her heart, flowing to all her limbs.

Yang Shi was taking revenge!

That time Miss Luo had ruthlessly slapped Yang Shi’s face, and since then no one dared bully her brother anymore. Yang Shi couldn’t stand seeing her brother do well, so she used an even crueler, more shameless method for revenge.

Yang Shi wanted to turn her brother into a gambling addict who would disown his own family, forever trapped in the mud unable to climb out.

The deeper her brother sank into the gambling house, one day creditors would come calling. By then, Yang Shi would cry a few false tears, and their father would finally have reason to drive out his legitimate eldest son.

Neighbors would sigh that her brother brought it upon himself, even mocking their long-deceased mother with contempt.

After all, though they were all their father’s children, Yang Shi’s one daughter and two sons were all so excellent.

Xu Fang suppressed the fear in her heart and grabbed Xu Xi’s wrist. “Elder Brother, I can give you money, but you can’t gamble anymore—”

Xu Xi had long been impatient and forcefully broke free from Xu Fang’s hand. “If you don’t want to give it, forget it—stop making so many excuses.”

He turned and strode forward, wishing he could fly to Qianjin Pavilion.

Today… today he absolutely had to win back what he’d lost!

“Elder Brother, I’m begging you, please don’t go anymore.” Xu Fang unwillingly chased after him and desperately grabbed Xu Xi’s sleeve.

Xu Xi looked at her coldly. “Elder Sister, will you ever stop?”

When he was little, she abandoned him alone and ran off to Duke Ningguo’s manor for fine clothes and good food—now she knew to manage him?

Xu Fang could no longer think about how heartbroken and disappointed she was. She gritted her teeth. “In any case, you’re not allowed to go today. Wherever you go, I’ll follow!”

Xu Xi sneered. “If Elder Sister makes such a scene, aren’t you afraid Father and the others will find out?”

Xu Fang froze.

Xu Xi seized the opportunity to pull his sleeve free and walked away quickly.