After Transmigrating, My Younger Brother Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 20
High above, the night sky was deep and silent, most homes already dark. Only the red candle in Cheng Jiuxiao’s room flickered, its glow spilling onto the windowsill.
Cheng Jiuxiao pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it gently. Under the oppressive gaze, he couldn’t help but speak
Hero, do you even know what time it is? We can talk tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere.
Song Heng’s handsome face remained cold as he pressed, Enough nonsense. Will you answer or not?
Song Heng had sensed something was off about Cheng Jiuxiao from the moment they stepped into the Sun and Moon Inn. Everything seemed to be pushed forward by an invisible hand.
Seeing Song Heng’s urgency, Cheng Jiuxiao lowered his hand and sighed softly. Do you know what divination is?
Cheng Jiuxiao’s expression suddenly turned serious, his posture straightening slightly, no longer joking.
But Song Heng scoffed at this, his tone laced with mockery. Are you going to tell me that all your so-called ‘help’ and ‘guidance’ came from some nonexistent divination?
He spoke each word with deliberate slowness, his gaze fixed intently on Cheng Jiuxiao, waiting for the slightest flicker of guilt to betray him.
Cheng Jiuxiao had anticipated Song Heng’s disbelief. A faint smile curved his lips as he replied, Yes, and no.
Song Heng chuckled softly, but the sound lacked warmth, his eyes like frosted glass, concealing simmering anger at being toyed with.
As unspoken tension thickened, Song Heng struck first. The objects on the table trembled as he slammed his hand down, sending a celadon teacup filled with tea soaring into the air. He flung it forward.
The cup merely brushed Cheng Jiuxiao’s temple, yet he remained seated calmly. Reaching behind him, he caught the teacup effortlessly in his palm.
Cheng Jiuxiao took a sip of tea, sighed, and said, Young Master Song, if you continue acting this way, our conversation will likely end here.
Song Heng snorted coldly but refrained from further action.
After a moment of silence, Cheng Jiuxiao spoke again
I’ve always been fond of divination. Three months ago, out of sheer boredom, I cast a hex for Great Sheng. No matter how I calculated, the outcome remained the same Great Sheng is destined to perish.
Song Heng suppressed his earlier agitation, his focus sharpening.
In his previous life, when he died, Great Sheng, though weakened by internal corruption, had not yet fallen.
Cheng Jiuxiao dipped his fingertip in water and slowly wrote the character  broken on the table.
As the final stroke faded, he said, The omen only changed on the day the Song Manor was destroyed.
The character on the table gradually dissolved into nothingness. He continued, I couldn’t understand why. I repeatedly observed the celestial patterns and consulted the compass, yet the divination still yielded the same eight characters ‘Turn misfortune into fortune, transform danger into safety.’
Song Heng’s eyes blazed with anger. So, the annihilation of my family will somehow save Great Sheng from disaster? What a ridiculous joke!
Ignoring Song Heng’s emotional outburst, Cheng Jiuxiao pressed on.
I secretly investigated the official records and discovered that the notices declared the entire Song Family dead. Yet, two conspicuous beggar children had recently appeared in the city.
He chuckled softly. After discreet observation, I found that the male beggar possessed the Song Family’s long-lost Netherworld Needle Technique, while the female beggar, despite a wounded leg, moved through the night with ghostly speed.
Cheng Jiuxiao lifted his gaze, his eyes piercing Song Heng like arrows. I believe these are the variables foretold by the omen.
Cheng Jiuxiao’s words silenced Song Heng.
He was right. Song Heng was indeed a variable.
And Cheng Jiuxiao’s claim that Great Sheng would fall was highly likely due to Prince Jin’s collusion with foreign powers.
After a moment, though Song Heng was now half-convinced, he stubbornly retorted, A variable is just a variable. Why put any faith in it?
Cheng Jiuxiao shrugged. Though I roam the martial world, I don’t want Great Sheng to fall either. Leading you on your journey is no trouble at all. I’ll help where I can.
Song Heng …What else can you even do for us?
Cheng Jiuxiao feigned shock, his tone tinged with accusation. I’ve already guided you onto the road to the capital to confront Prince Jin, and I’ve provided you with lodging. What more could you possibly want?
Song Heng fell silent, averted his gaze, and turned to leave the room.
As he stepped over the threshold, he tossed out a casual remark Brother Cheng, if you’re so fond of wearing a mask, at least wear it properly. Otherwise, if someone breaks in at night, they might think they’ve seen a ghost.
Cheng Jiuxiao shifted his gaze from the youth’s retreating figure to the bronze mirror. He saw the corner of his mouth drooping on the right side, while the skin on his left cheek was pulled upward. Upon closer inspection, the expression looked utterly bizarre.
Another spring returned in the blink of an eye. The rain fell ceaselessly, gently nourishing the flower buds that had yet to bloom in the lingering winter chill. Around the corner, seeds quietly sprouted, their first green shoots reaching upward.
A young nobleman, clad in an Ink Blossom Brocade Auspicious Robe, stepped through shallow puddles on the stone-paved path beneath a green-boned umbrella. Tiny droplets splashed up and settled back down as he walked slowly toward the Gambling House, another umbrella tucked under his arm, his steps as light as clouds.
Inside the Gambling House
A pair of slender hands shook the dice cup back and forth with dizzying speed, captivating the crowd. Every eye was fixed on her hands, no one daring to miss a single moment.
The tense atmosphere spread silently through the room.
The woman slammed the dice cup heavily onto the table, the white jade bell hairpin in her hair jingling with the impact.
Her eyes, naturally alluring with their slightly upturned corners, now shone with excitement. The curve of her brows and eyes washed away any hint of seductiveness as she called out eagerly
High or low?
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
This woman’s reputation had spread like wildfire over the past two months. She had swept through every gambling house in Bian City, large and small, leaving the housekeepers gnashing their teeth in frustration. Yet she always walked away with her pockets full.
Currently, Zhu Zhenzhen was gambling against a rotund merchant. When she smiled at him, he blushed.
Though slightly flustered, he maintained his composure and declared firmly, Big!
Zhu Zhenzhen’s smile widened. Leaning across the table, she met his gaze and asked, Final bet?
Beneath the table, her fingers subtly manipulated a silver thread. With this hidden mechanism, she could manipulate the dice inside the cup to show her desired numbers.
The merchant remained resolute Big!
Zhu Zhenzhen sat back, coiled the thread around her finger, and gently lifted the dice cup.
1, 3, 4.
It was small!
The crowd erupted in gasps. This woman had now won eight consecutive rounds without a single loss.
As they watched her gather the silver coins into her arms, a smile played on her lips as she said, Modesty, modesty.
Seeming unsatisfied, Zhu Zhenzhen tucked away her winnings and called out, Anyone else want to gamble?
The merchant, undeterred by his loss, slowly waddled over to her side. Just as he was about to speak, a deep, melodious voice echoed from the doorway.
Sister, it’s time to go back and eat.
The voice was rich and resonant, like a fine vintage wine.
His sword-like brows swept toward his temples, framing deep-set eyes with long, thick lashes. His skin was pale and cool, and the exquisitely carved boy of yesteryear had matured into a figure resembling a deity.
The man lifted the bamboo curtain with one hand, and, as if finding the gambling den too cramped, he slightly bent at the waist.
His gaze seemed to hold nothing but the woman in the plum-green ruqun dress.
Zhu Zhenzhen didn’t have time to pay him any attention. She simply smiled faintly at the wealthy merchant beside her, her soft voice seeming to ensnare his heart.
Young master, she said, shall we play another round?
The tall man, who had been standing at the entrance without entering, furrowed his sword-like brows, his cold gaze sweeping over the merchant.
The merchant, captivated by the woman’s bewitching beauty, was torn between his infatuation and the man’s menacing glare. He stood frozen, unable to speak.
After a long moment, Zhu Zhenzhen grew bored. She turned and ran toward Song Heng.
Song Heng halted his advance, waiting for the woman to rush toward him.
The mole beneath her eye radiated a captivating allure.
She stopped before him, tilting her head slightly to look up at him.
Song Heng had just turned eighteen this year, yet his height seemed to stretch endlessly, like a willow branch reaching for the sky.
A lingering excitement still sparkled in Zhu Zhenzhen’s eyes as she dangled her money pouch before him, the clinking of silver coins echoing from within.
We’ve earned enough for today, she said. Let’s head back.
Her words made the surrounding gamblers seethe with resentment, yet they were powerless against her.
In the Gambling House, if you could cheat without getting caught, that was considered skill.
Zhu Zhenzhen accepted the offered umbrella, turned, and led the way out of the Gambling House.
Before leaving, Song Heng glanced back at the wealthy merchant. The man’s plump hand twitched slightly as he stared out of the Gambling House, his gaze fixed on the woman who had just exited.
Song Heng paused for a moment, then pivoted on his heel, raised his umbrella, and followed her.
Just a cloth merchant, after all.
A fine drizzle hung in the air, and mist shrouded the surroundings, as if they were enveloped in a cloud, obscuring the distance.
The unmarried woman’s hair fell in obedient strands, unadorned by a bun. Compared to three years ago, she had changed little, her features merely having matured into a more refined beauty.
The hairpin she wore had been purchased by his men, and the Ink Blossom Brocade Auspicious Robe she wore today had been tailored by a tailor he’d commissioned a month prior.
There was no particular reason for these gifts, merely a sense of returning the kindness she had shown him in the past.
And as he had anticipated, the dark blue umbrella complemented her skirt perfectly.
Unaware of the thoughts of the man behind her, Zhu Zhenzhen lifted her skirt to avoid puddles as she made her way back to the Sun and Moon Inn, her purse heavy with winnings.
A light rain fell outside the Sun and Moon Inn, keeping the streets sparsely populated. Inside, however, the inn buzzed with activity as travelers sought shelter, meals, and tea.
Three years ago, when Cheng Jiuxiao first took them in, he allowed them a couple of months to rest before putting them to work.
Serving tea and water was the norm.
Later, Zhu Zhenzhen’s exceptional mathematical talent and astonishing memory set her apart from the other three. She successfully mastered the inn’s most crucial asset the account books.
She became the first employee at the Sun and Moon Inn to be spared from manual labor.
Under her meticulous management, the inn flourished, becoming more organized and prosperous than ever.
Recently, however, she had developed some rather uncouth habits.
The moment she entered, she heard the innkeeper, Lu Yin, wailing mournfully, Zhenzhen, next time we reconcile the accounts, could you please not throw the ledger at me? he muttered. Especially not when it’s so busy today…
Zhu Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow, then grandly opened her coin purse and tossed a tael of silver onto the table.
Lu Yin scoffed, unimpressed by the meager sum, and continued his melodramatic wailing.
With a flick of her wrist, she added another two taels.
Lu Yin’s hand, holding the brush, paused momentarily. He arched an eyebrow, shot her a few pointed glances, and fell silent for now.
After Zhu Zhenzhen dumped the entire money pouch onto the table, Lu Yin set down his brush, grinning. I was right, wasn’t I? Just some simple accounts.
Silencing someone with money feels so satisfying, Zhu Zhenzhen thought. Now I understand why Long Aotian is so arrogant.
Whether Lu Yin had learned it from Zhu Zhenzhen or not, his love for money seemed to grow stronger by the day.
Seeing his delight, Zhu Zhenzhen mischievously poured cold water on his enthusiasm. We’re heading to the capital in a few days. Will you handle all the arrangements for the carriage and luggage?
Lu Yin opened his mouth to reply, but Zhu Zhenzhen’s voice cut him off.
She spread her hands. After all, I have no money left. It’s all with you now. With that, she patted her bottom and walked away, leaving Lu Yin standing in the wind, utterly bewildered.
The silver in his hand had instantly lost its allure. After settling all the arrangements, he might even have to pay out of his own pocket…
The money pouch suddenly felt like a hot potato. With Zhu Zhenzhen already gone, he had no choice but to accept it.