Chapter 9: Gamble

“The Master has ordered that you follow me to the study at once!” The voice was cold, as if the speaker feared being tainted by some bad luck. Once the message was delivered, she hurried away from the room.

Xiao Min knew that days like these would not last long. She had originally wanted to sneak away, but every time she looked at the expectant eyes of her "cheap" mother, she felt she couldn't bring herself to leave.

Nervously, she followed the maid to the study. She didn't even have time to admire the scenery along the way; she only felt that she had entered an antique-style courtyard. Looking at the exquisite wooden door before her, she could smell a refreshing scent of sandalwood even before entering.

Xiao Min felt her spirits lift! She held onto her mother, who had insisted on following her the entire way. The person inside the room seemed to already know that someone was standing outside.

“Come in—!” A majestic voice, allowing no room for refusal.

When Xiao Min hesitantly pushed the door open and entered, a middle-aged man was sitting by a desk with his brows tightly furrowed. The desk was piled high with books. His features were as sharp as if carved by a knife, incredibly handsome. Even though he was sitting, he couldn't hide his tall, slender frame—neither fat nor thin. Looking at him now, he must have been a heartthrob in his youth.

The man looked up. When he saw Xiao Min, he was visibly startled, though he kept his composure. But when his gaze fell upon the "cheap" mother beside her, a clear look of desolation crossed his face.

Although Xiao Min didn't understand what the man was thinking, the sorrow in his eyes could not be hidden.

After a moment, he looked at Xiao Min and asked softly, “Who are you?” His majestic voice carried a hint of dominance, as if she would face unimaginable consequences if she didn't tell the truth.

Xiao Min swallowed hard. Although this man didn't eat people, a single pinky finger of his could easily end her life, so she dared not act arrogant.

Looking at the man, she answered earnestly, “I am Xiao Min.” Her voice was firm, not sounding like a lie at all.

In truth, one couldn't blame her for such a perfunctory answer. She couldn't exactly say that she didn't know what she used to do, or that she had transmigrated here.

The middle-aged man paused, his deep eyes fixed on Xiao Min as if trying to see right through her. “You say your name is Xiao Min?” he asked slowly, staring into her eyes.

“Yes!” Indeed, Xiao Min had just arrived in this place. She didn't know how she had ended up in this Prime Minister’s residence, nor did she understand how she had muddled her way into becoming someone else's daughter. Under the current circumstances, this was the best answer. Since ancient times, the more one says, the more mistakes one makes; it was better to say less.

After an unknown amount of time—Xiao Min felt her legs beginning to tremble—the man stood up and walked slowly toward her. Xiao Min suddenly felt an invisible pressure. The woman in plain clothes beside her pulled her closer, looking somewhat evasive.

The man walked to her side, but his gaze remained on the woman who was cowering and refusing to even look at him. His eyes were filled with sorrow. He raised a large hand, wanting to touch the woman’s dark hair.

Unexpectedly, the woman hid behind Xiao Min, leaving the man’s hand hanging empty in the air, looking desolate and lonely.

“Sigh—!” The man looked utterly dejected. He let out a heavy sigh, then withdrew his gaze. The tenderness in his eyes instantly turned cold.

He looked straight at Xiao Min and said coldly, “I don't care who you are, what your intentions are, or where you came from. If you dare to touch Yue’er even slightly, or hurt her heart!” He paused, his tone becoming even more frigid. “Then don't blame this Prime Minister for being ruthless!” Having said that, he flicked his sleeves and walked back to the desk.

The teacup he had just picked up was crushed to powder in his large hand, falling in pieces to the floor.

*I!* Xiao Min cried out in injustice internally. If it weren't for that "Miss" wanting to gouge out her eyes, how would she have ended up in this predicament?

She clenched her hands. *They are the butcher, and I am the fish.*

She glanced at the woman beside her and gritted her teeth!

Xiao Min, having regained her composure, looked at the man with the furrowed brows, her expression calm. “What if I have a way to treat the Madam? Then…” Her voice was not loud, but it made the already chilly air grow even colder.

For a moment, the room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. With Yue’er in this state, he had naturally invited all the famous doctors in the world, but each time they returned empty-handed. Even those so-called experts hadn't been able to prescribe a single dose of medicine.

After a moment, Prime Minister Xiao took a deep breath. He looked at the woman in plain clothes beside her, then at the plain-looking, unremarkable Xiao Min, his expression complex.

He pondered for a while, and finally, as if compromising, he said, “Very well. If you truly have such ability, what do you want?” The simple words struck home. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he could not give up. Besides, Yue’er usually hated him the most; it was only because this girl was with her today that things were better. In the past, she would never even see him.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yun Tian shook his head helplessly.

“Talking to a smart person is truly refreshing!” A brilliant smile appeared on Xiao Min’s face. She had bet correctly. The heavy stone in her heart finally fell, and she let out a sigh of relief.

“This young woman has no great demands in this life, only the hope to travel freely through the various countries!” She stated her heart’s desire simply, her eyes clear and unhidden, open and straightforward.

In her previous life, she had only wanted a stable life, yet she ended up in such a state. Living a second life, she had figured it out: she wanted to live freely for herself!

“……!” The corner of the man’s eye twitched slightly; he had not expected the girl to say such a thing.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, “If you can truly cure Yue’er, this Prime Minister will provide you with enough travel expenses.” His answer was equally concise. He looked at the woman in plain clothes, who was still clinging to the girl, his eyes full of doting affection.

“Good, it’s a deal! As for the money needed during the treatment, this!” She looked at the man opposite her with calm eyes, without a hint of timidity.

She understood that this woman was suffering from a heart ailment, so expenses would certainly be high. She was secretly overjoyed.

“If you need anything, go directly to the accounting office to get it,” he said, his deep eyes fixed on Xiao Min.

……

When Xiao Min finally returned to the wooden hut, she let out a long sigh of relief. She had been truly nervous just now; despite her indifferent appearance, she had been terrified inside.