The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man

An Dongyang was clearly not afraid of his father.

”Mom, I really have something to do. Please just let me go out! I promise you, I’ll be back as soon as I’m done. I swear Dad won’t find out.”

Besides, it wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this. As he shook Mrs. An’s arm, the stern expression on her face immediately crumbled.

She looked utterly exasperated.

”Fine, I’ll let you go, but you have to come back quickly. Otherwise, your father is really going to be angry.”

The moment Mrs. An finished speaking, An Dongyang called out in agreement and headed out the door.

Whether he actually took her words to heart was another matter entirely.

The reason Mrs. An dared to let An Dongyang go was simple: he was Mr. An’s only son. Even if his father got truly angry, could he really disown him?

After leaving the An Family estate, An Dongyang met up with Old Nine.

An Dongyang’s rear was still aching, so Old Nine had to help support him the entire way.

Boss Lü’s ”gambling den,” as it was called, was really just a courtyard. It was Boss Lü’s territory, and people frequently came to gamble.

An Dongyang arrived in broad daylight. Even during the day, the place was bustling with people. Just standing in the courtyard, you could hear the constant shouts and cries from within.

When Boss Lü saw An Dongyang, he raised an eyebrow. ”Well, well. Has Young Master An come to line my pockets?”

Now that he had money, An Dongyang had his confidence back. His expression was icy. ”I never intended to owe you anything. Here’s the money. We’re square.”

An Dongyang pulled the money from his coat and handed it to Boss Lü. After counting it, Boss Lü’s attitude immediately softened.

”The exact amount.”

He looked up, taking in An Dongyang’s condition, and immediately broke into an apologetic smile. ”Young Master An, don’t be mad. I admit I was a bit rough last time. How about we play a couple more hands? Consider it my way of making it up to you.”

An Dongyang had no desire to gamble again and refused outright. ”No, thanks.”

Just then, a man walked out of a room. Spotting An Dongyang, he immediately rushed over. ”Hey, Dongyang! Come on in! Let me tell you, I’m on a hot streak today—up several hundred already. We can go grab a drink together later.”

This was an acquaintance of An Dongyang’s, a regular at the gambling den. In fact, he was the one who had brought An Dongyang here in the first place.

An Dongyang clearly considered the man a good friend. He let himself be pulled deeper into the gambling den, his mouth protesting that he wouldn’t gamble, even as his body followed along.

Old Nine had a gambling addiction as well. They had gotten two thousand yuan from the sale, and An Dongyang had given him fifty. He felt the cash in his pocket and followed them inside.

Old Nine tapped the money against his palm, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

’In this world, vice, gambling, and drugs... none are easy to quit.’ He’d been hanging around gambling dens since he was a kid. He’d seen countless people swear to the heavens that they’d never gamble again, only to come crawling back within three days.

’There are always people in this world who lie to themselves. But a leopard can’t change its spots, so how could human greed ever change?’

Boss Lü paid his men well, so the courtyard was never short on muscle. No one would ever dare to default on a debt to him; it was simply unthinkable.

The reason Boss Lü had managed to thrive was because he operated on principle.

He thoroughly investigated the background of every single person who set foot in his gambling den.

He knew exactly how much wealth each person possessed.

Once Boss Lü had won every last penny a person had, he would cut them off completely.

Many would cry and beg to be let back in to gamble, but Boss Lü would never allow it.

That was his bottom line.

It was also the reason he had been able to operate peacefully for so many years.

Boss Lü stood in the courtyard while his lackeys kept watch at the street entrance. If they spotted any trouble, a runner would immediately come to inform him.

Bored, he stood in the courtyard and lit a cigarette.

Just then, the ”friend” who had dragged An Dongyang into the gambling den emerged and walked straight over to Boss Lü.

”Brother Lü, we had an agreement. I get a ten-percent cut for everyone I bring in. An Dongyang’s back in the game, so shouldn’t we settle up?”