"I'll bet against you too!"
It had to be said — Yan Qingsang was remarkably good at riling people up. Once Yan Jinnan spoke up, several other clan geniuses chimed in as well.
Ten million. Every genius present could scrape together that amount. But actually losing that sum would still be a devastating blow to any of them.
Yan Qingsang let out an odd chuckle. "Wonderful, truly wonderful — so many people eager to hand me their money."
Yan Jinnan sneered. "Yan Qingsang, save the bragging. Including Huang'er, that's four people betting against you. Can you even produce forty million?"
"When clan members settle a wager among themselves, welchers face family law. What are you worried about?" Yan Qingsang didn't bother confirming he could produce the funds. "Besides, I'm more concerned about whether any of you can pay up."
Yan Jinnan slammed his palm on the table. "Empty words mean nothing. If you want to bet, put up the Ling Shi first. Seeing is believing — everything else is just talk."
"Right, right — show the money, show the money," the others clamored.
When Huang'er saw this scene, she offered a faint smile. "Since you're all so eager to bet, I'll sit this one out. Brother Qingsang, if you don't have enough, I can lend you some."
Hearing this, Yan Qingsang was genuinely taken aback. In the Yan clan, Huang'er was famously cold as frost — under normal circumstances, she wouldn't give any of these people the time of day. In the past, her interactions with Yan Qingsang had been limited to the bare minimum courtesy between cousins.
The fact that she was now offering to lend him money was quite unexpected.
"If you're not betting, Huang'er, then I'll just bet against the three of them. Thirty million — that much I happen to have." Thirty million was close to Yan Qingsang's entire net worth at this stage. Putting up every last coin for a bet would be absolute madness.
But Yan Qingsang had the confidence to back it up right now.
Without a moment's hesitation, he flung a Storage Ring onto the table. "Thirty million, right here. If you've got the guts, try and win it!"
Yan Jinnan and the other two, too proud to back down, each produced ten million.
"Elder He, Elder Quan — would you two serve as witnesses?"
The two elders, seeing the young clan members locked in this kind of contest, made no move to stop them. In fact, they rather encouraged such rivalry. The sums were a bit large, but at least it would spur their competitive spirit.
"Very well. Since you insist on betting, we two old codgers will reluctantly serve as arbiters. But regardless of who wins or loses, you must not let this damage the harmony between clansmen."
Yan Qingsang grinned. "If any of them can beat me, I, Yan Qingsang, will bow before the strong — prostrate myself in full admiration. I would never hold a grudge."
Yan Jinnan sneered in return. "I'm more worried you can't afford to lose."
With the wager set, the family banquet continued. Elder He and Elder Quan each said a few words about the Ancient Jade Grand Assembly, offering encouragement and building their spirits.
Throughout all of this, Jiang Chen remained extraordinarily low-key. He would occasionally steal a glance at Huang'er as though admiring her from afar, then quickly look away. This approach actually made him less likely to arouse suspicion. If he had paid her no attention whatsoever — if he hadn't so much as glanced at her the entire time — that would have seemed far too unnatural.
After all, with Huang'er's otherworldly grace and bearing, it would be impossible for any man to go the entire evening without looking at her even once. That kind of deliberate avoidance would have been suspicious.
Later in the banquet, Jiang Chen finally put on an act of mustering his courage and began going around offering toasts.
Elder He and Elder Quan politely accepted. Yan Jinnan and the others put on airs and gave him the cold shoulder, but Jiang Chen didn't care — he drained his cup in salute first. Seeing this, the others reluctantly took a small sip to acknowledge him.
Jiang Chen couldn't care less about these people.
The entire purpose of his toasts was simply to reach Huang'er's seat.
When his turn finally came, Jiang Chen assumed the expression of a starstruck fan. "Miss Huang'er, on my very first day here, I heard celestial zither music drifting over from beyond the courtyard wall. It must have been yours. A celestial being playing a celestial instrument — the two complemented each other perfectly. This humble wanderer, Shao Yuan, would like to offer Miss Huang'er a toast."
At last, Jiang Chen had a legitimate reason to look Huang'er full in the face.
Huang'er felt warmth flooding her chest. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms and weep. But she knew — she absolutely could not afford to show any weakness right now.
She kept her expression composed, delicately picked up the cup, and took the faintest sip of wine before asking coolly, "You understand the zither as well?"
"I am merely a rough wanderer with a passing knowledge of music. I wouldn't dare presume to discuss the zither with Miss Huang'er."
Yan Qingsang deliberately gave a light cough, interrupting. "All right, all right, Shao Yuan, stop rambling. My cousin here has very high standards. You'd best just admire her music and not harbor any other ideas — otherwise, we won't even be able to call each other brothers."
Jiang Chen gave an awkward laugh.
Huang'er shot Yan Qingsang a glance. "Always running your mouth."
"Heh heh, I'm just giving him a heads-up so he doesn't bring trouble on himself." Yan Qingsang clearly had no desire to see Jiang Chen getting chummy with Huang'er. Though he sympathized with her, he was still a member of the Yan clan and had to consider its interests.
Elder He and Elder Quan felt a measure of relief seeing Yan Qingsang proactively put this Shao Yuan in his place. Earlier, when Jiang Chen had offered Huang'er that toast and said those words, they had already felt a flicker of displeasure. They feared this young man might not know his place and attempt to confess his feelings to Huang'er.
If that had happened, the two elders would have had no choice but to throw him out.