Chapter 172 - 171: Thirteen Orphans

"Thirteen orphans." The three people said aloud, having their eyes nearly rolling out from the socket in surprise. 

Xiao Yun dusted off her hand and looked to the side at Pei Ren whose face had paled. Playing Mahjong certainly wasn't Xiao Yun's first time. She had played Mahjong in her past life and honed her mathematical skills in it. Although most of the games used her luck. In gambling, her luck could top at the first in her family. 

The combination of tiles called Thirteen Orphans wasn't only rare and had a very small chance to occur. Other than luck and cheating, Pei Ren couldn't understand why the Lady of luck was on Xiao Yun's side. 

"How could it be? N- No way!" Pei Ren stood up from her seat, the thought of losing the deal and the shop affected her greatly to the point that her whole body shook. She pointed her hand toward Xiao Yun and began to rage. "You must be cheating! There's no way that you could pull out Thirteen Orphans!" 

"You were the one who cheated! Did you forgot what you said, give the proof first before you libel her!" Ou Tan rebuked. 

"N- No!" Pei Ren took Xiao Yun's hand forcefully but she couldn't budge her hand at the least. The difference to the power that Xiao Yun gave surprised her. 

Xiao Yun looked at Pei Ren who back down and raised both hands. "You could search me all you want, Mrs. Pei but-" her eyes turned cold from feelings as she tapped at Pei Ran's tableside and the hidden tiles that she prepared beforehand. "-I think you would be the one in problem if we pursue the problem now."

Pei Ren bit down her lips and Xiao Yun continued. "Do you admit that you lose, Mrs. Pei? For your information, if you say you didn't make any agreement with me. I will use the paper that you signed to sue you back." 

Even if Pei Ren wanted to take back everything she had already signed the deal that Xiao Yun was holding. Suing Xiao Yun wouldn't do anything good as she was the one who did the same thing to Liang Hu and know the damage she would receive if she did so. 

Pei Ren could only stare at Xiao Yun's beautiful smile that underlaid her dark tone. "I - I understand... I lost."

Xiao Yun nodded and turned off the recorder from her hand. 

Liang Hu finally understood what game the young lady was playing at. Xiao Yun cleverly directed the deal from Pei Ren to gambling, slowly she alluded her into agreeing her conditions by being the bargaining chip. She made the whole situation to revolve around her and controlled the next moves that would come from the simple-minded Pei Ren. But what made her curious was the reason behind Xiao Yun's unlimited confidence and for a moment she doubted her skill as a bluff. 

Pei Ren disappeared not long after she lost. Xiao Yun glanced at the hour on her watch that was running out of time and spoke to Liang Hu who has received back the shop certificate from Pei Ren. 

"Mrs. Liang, it is about the deal that I mentioned befo-" 

Liang Hu raised her hand to stop Xiao Yun from talking, "I heard about your offer before. I will be more than glad to work with you, Ms. Yu." 

Xiao Yun looked at the hand that Liang Hu's offered for the handshake and returned. "I will be a little busy at the moment, but I will soon be in contact with you, Mrs. Liang. It was pleasant to meet you."

"Likewise." Liang Hu replied with a smile and saw Xiao Yun going away from the shop. 

She crossed her arms, reminded by the gaze that Xiao Yun had and shook her head. 'What a frightening young lady at the same time, she's very pitiable. In that young age, her eyes have seen something affiliated with death-'

By the time Xiao Yun came back to meet up with her group, Xue Xiu Yong called her out to ask.

"Did you finish your business there?" 

"Yes." Xiao Yun replied and sensed him brooding over something to her face and asked, "What is it? Is there anything stuck on my face?"

"No. Nothing." Xue Xiu Yong evaded her question and stepped forward toward the bus. Xiao Yun didn't dwell on his question and shrugged her shoulder lightly to follow them.  

Time passed and in the late evening, the school held a test courage for the younglings to have fun at night. Test courage is an amus.e.m.e.nt that needed for two students to walk in a course at night while being scared by other students. 

The students gathered at the backyard of the Hotel that led a little near to the forest where the test courage would be held at. Xiao Yun stood with Nie An and Zhi Ling Ling near the back entrance. 

"Test courage, huh? It's not like we are a middle schooler." Nie An sarcastically commented making the other two girls to laugh. 

"It's exciting so it's fine, right?" Xiao Yun walked over to the place where the students have gathered at. 

Nie An yawned lightly. "Well, that's true but I hope they could do it in the afternoon... it's eight now and I'm tired after all the walking from Leifeng Pagoda."

"But if they do it in the afternoon, it wouldn't be a test courage, right?" Zhi Ling Ling pointed out the obvious. 

"Well... that's right." Nie An replied with a sigh. Actually her legs were not tired but she wasn't good at anything like horror and ghosts. 

"Everyone! Come here in line. We will be drawing a draw and each people with the same number would follow the course in a group!" The teacher called out the names of students as the picked out the rolled papers from the box. 

When it was Xiao Yun's time, she unrolled the paper to see the number of twenty three and looked around to see anyone else with the same number. 

"Excuse me, are you number twenty three?" 

A voice of a girl came from behind. Xiao Yun took a turn to see a confident-looking young lady with blonde hair calling her out. 

"Yes, I am number twenty three. Are you also number twenty three?" She asked to see Ji Gu Na nodding in response. 

Ji Gu Na reached out her hand, masking her annoyance and disgust at Xiao Yun cleverly. "My name is Ji Gu Na. Nice to meet you." 

"Likewise, my name is Yu Xiao Yun." Xiao Yun replied back to her handshake with a smile. At this point, Ji Gu Na had completely sure that she would win.

"The weather is cold today isn't it?" Ji Gu Na continued the conversation. 

"Yes."

"I'm not good with the dark and anything scary. Please understand if I scream." Xiao Yun laughed back softly, "I'm also not quite good with the dark."

Xue Xiu Yong who had drawn out the number walked over to see Zhuang Huan Wu walking over toward Xiao Yun and stepped out toward them. 

"Xiao Yun." Both voices called up for her, gaining her attention to the back to see them. 

"Huan Wu? Xiu Yong? What is it?" 

Zhuang Huan Wu and Xue Xiu Yong glanced at each other for a moment. Zhuang Huan Wu smiled at Xue Xiu Yong's glarings and turned to speak at Xiao Yun. 

"In the afternoon, I forgot to give you this." Xiao Yun looked at the bracelet that she hadn't given to her friends yet and took it in surprise. "How did you have this? Did I took it out by mistake?" 

Zhuang Huan Wu shook his head. "I found it on the road, I think it fell from your bag."

"Thank you." Xiao Yun gave a delightful smile before she lost her bracelet. 

Xue Xiu Yong placed a hand over his heart. He looked away for a moment trying to calm his heart down and saw Ji Gu Na staring at him with sparkling heart-shaped eyes. Being the easy man he was, Xue Xiu Yong gave a pleasant smile.  

"Who is this?" Ji Gu Na asked, feigning her innocence. "Your friends, Xiao Yun?" 

Xiao Yun glanced at Ji Gu Na who had dropped the formality and nodded. "This is Xue Xiu Yong and Zhuang Huan Wu." 

"I'm Ji Gu Na, nice to meet you!!" Ji Gu Na extended her hand toward Xue Xiu Yong and he returned back kindly. 

"Nice to meet you." Zhuang Huan Wu and Xue Xiu Yong greeted back the greeting. 

Ji Gu Na was about to continue to become closer with Xue Xiu Yong her idol but the teacher began to call out the number for Xue Xiu Yong. "19!" 

Xue Xiu Yong raised her hand and excused himself before walking. "It's my turn now. I'll be going!" Xue Xiu Yong raised his hand and waved to walk away. 

At the time, Ji Gu Na realized that Xue Xiu Yong's eyes stayed all the time on Xiao Yun. Ignoring the other people around him. The hate that she had for Xiao Yun began to flourish again.