Can Only Tell the Truth - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Having them all was apparently out of the question, so they gave us three months to choose.

The capital was in an uproar. People were even placing bets on who I would pick in the end.

My brother insisted on grilling me about which one I liked so he could go make a fortune at the gambling house.

I wanted to know too! In the end, after he pestered me until I had no choice, I thought it over and decided on Shen Xian.

My mother said, “Shen Xian has already admitted he’ll listen to you from now on. If you marry him, you’ll definitely live the good life.”

My brother said, “I say pick Lin Zhi. How many years does Shen Xian have left to live? And, little sister, you don’t know this, but happiness after marriage isn’t about who listens to you. It’s about-” Then he gave me a look that said, you know.

I did not know. Instead, I thought of something else. “If Shen Xian dies young, won’t all his money become mine? Mother, Brother, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll pick Shen Xian!”

And so my brother took me to the gambling house to place a bet. I disguised myself, putting on the most fashionable outfit among the capital’s young dandies, tying up my hair and wearing a white jade crown. Then the two of us rode to the gambling house, one horse each.

The place was packed to the rafters. Surprisingly, the bets on Shen Xian and Lin Zhi were split evenly, fifty-fifty, in perfect harmony.

My brother slapped down a thick stack of banknotes. “All on Shen Xian!”

His voice was probably too loud, because everyone immediately crowded around us and started chattering.

“Brother, it definitely won’t be Heir Shen. General Lin commands heavy troops. If he has to, he can simply snatch Yun Wan away.”

“What nonsense. Heir Shen has fine, delicate features. Young ladies from official families love that sort of thing.”

“Bah, whatever. I bet on Grand General Lin anyway.”

I snorted. “In my opinion, neither of those two is worthy of the young lady of the Yun Family. I once saw Miss Yun, and she was simply as beautiful as a fairy descended from heaven-”

Before I could finish, a large, powerful hand slammed me down onto the gambling table.

“The Great General has arrived!”

At that announcement, everyone in the gambling house instantly fell silent, trembling in fear.

With my face squashed against the table, I struggled with all my might. “You… bastard… so many people here… and you grab me?”

Lin Zhi pressed down even harder. In a cold voice, he said to the owner of the gambling house, “Do you not want this gambling house to stay open? You dare open bets on anything now?”

The owner dropped to his knees, on the verge of tears. “Great General, please spare this lowly one’s life. It’s just that the demand in the capital was too high. Even if I didn’t open the bet, someone else would have. Great General, please let this lowly one off this once. Just treat this lowly one like a fart and let me go.”

I couldn’t help bursting out laughing. “With those words, Lin Zhi probably won’t fart again for the rest of his life!”

The more I thought about it after saying it, the funnier it became, and I kept laughing. Behind me, Lin Zhi seized both my wrists and hauled me up in one motion.

“Is that so?”

His voice was ice-cold.

My smile vanished.

Then he saw the huge pile of banknotes on the table, all placed on Shen Xian, and his expression darkened even further.

With an angry shout of “Shut it down!” he dragged me out of the gambling house.

At the sight, my useless brother immediately cried, “I bet on Grand General Lin! The person who bet on Shen Xian just now wasn’t me! I’m betting on Grand General Lin!”