Chapter 663: Sudden Turn

“Ah?” Qiao Jiajin was stunned. “Is there etiquette for haircuts inland too?”

“That’s right,” Chen Junnan explained patiently. “In the first month, you can’t cut your hair—it’s said you’d lose your uncle. You have to wait until Long Tai…”

“Hey!” Di Hou slapped the table. “Are you two ever going to stop? Hurry up and deal the cards.”

Chen Junnan’s words were cut off, but he didn’t mind. He just turned back quietly and said with a light laugh, “Don’t rush, Monkey Brother. How’s your uncle doing?”

Seeing that Di Hou ignored him, Chen Junnan casually picked up a card and placed it in front of himself.

“Monkey Brother, I haven’t even looked at this card, and I already know I have a big winning hand. Want to chat about it?”

Di Hou slowly lifted his head, met Chen Junnan’s eyes, and finally shook his head. “Don’t embarrass yourself. Your skills aren’t up to par—better just look at your card first.”

“Oh?” Chen Junnan smiled. “If I flip this card and it’s enormously big, how would you handle that?”

“Then you’d lose, wouldn’t you?” Di Hou frowned. “You’ve already figured out the rules—go over ‘sixteen’ and you ‘bust.’ If you draw an ‘enormously big’ card, you’d be out in the first round.”

Chen Junnan was taken aback, realizing Di Hou had a point—anyone could fail on their first draw.

But if that’s the case, doesn’t this game have a huge flaw…?

He slowly glanced at the community card in the center of the table, “She Ri,” and felt like he was starting to get an idea.

“Hey, are you going to reveal your card?” Di Hou asked. “The card you draw is a ‘face-up’ card, so what’s with keeping it hidden?”

Chen Junnan snapped back and looked at Di Hou, who had a smug expression. Naturally, Chen Junnan felt defiant.

“Damn it, fine, I’ll reveal it. I’m not scared of you.”

With that, he flipped his card over and slapped it on the table.

Everyone fell into a brief silence.

“Li Chun.”

Another “Li Chun.”

“Oh man…” Chen Junnan felt like he’d twisted his back. “How is it another damn ‘Li Chun’? Is this deck full of thirty-six ‘Li Chun’ cards?!”

“Do you even know what you’re saying?” Di Hou said with a dry laugh. “You’ve all seen this deck before, and you reshuffled it last. Who’s to blame?”

“Damn it… ‘Li Chun’ it is, then…” Chen Junnan scratched his head. “At least it’s better than busting.”

Chen Junnan’s hand now showed “Zheng Yue Chu Liu” from Li Chun, plus “Er Yue Er,” making the total sum instantly reach “eleven.”

“The next card I draw can’t make the sum exceed ‘five’…”

Chen Junnan quickly calculated in his mind and realized that, besides “Zheng Yue Chu Yi” from Chun Jie, the only other option for a sum not exceeding “five” would be “She Ri Jie’s Er Yue Er.”

“Oh no…”

“Hey!!” Di Hou was getting fed up. “Deal the cards already!”

“Alright, alright.” Chen Junnan hurriedly drew a card and pushed it toward Qiao Jiajin. “Old Qiao, this round’s probably on you.”

Qiao Jiajin took the card nervously, then flipped it over to reveal the face.

“Shang Si!”

“Good one, Old Qiao!!” Chen Junnan exclaimed joyfully. “You didn’t bust right away!”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jiajin was also thrilled. “Shang Si Jie!”

Their excitement lasted less than three seconds before Qiao Jiajin blankly asked, “So, Junnan, what date is ‘Shang Si Jie’?”

“Um…?” Chen Junnan’s smile stayed on his face as he blinked. “How the hell would I know?”

The two fell silent, and the atmosphere grew awkward.

“San Yue San…” Qi Xia said weakly from the side. “It’s a strong card.”

“Hah?” Qiao Jiajin relaxed upon hearing Qi Xia speak. “I knew it—San Yue San! My card’s definitely fine.”

Qiao Jiajin quickly added it up: his “San Yue San” plus “She Ri’s Er Yue Er” totaled “ten,” so the next card he drew couldn’t make the sum exceed “six.”

Next came Qi Xia’s card.

Chen Junnan placed one in front of him, and Qi Xia slowly raised his right hand, flipping it over.

His right pink finger was already turning purple-black, and his whole hand was trembling, but he didn’t seem to care as he revealed the card.

“Yuan Xiao.”

“Zheng Yue Shi Wu…” Qi Xia’s face turned ashen upon seeing it.

Just that one card was “one-one-five,” summing to “seven points.” Combined with the community “She Ri,” his total reached “eleven,” just like Chen Junnan.

Now, the only path to victory was to see who between him and Chen Junnan could draw “Chun Jie”—if they did, there might still be a slim chance.

But luck can be so cruel. When Chen Junnan dealt Di Hou’s card, Di Hou flipped it over with a slap.

The card read “Chun Jie” in twisted letters.

“Ha… hahaha!” Di Hou couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “What a coincidence… You two, this card ended up with me.”

Chen Junnan froze for half a second, then grabbed Di Hou’s card. “Sorry, the deck wasn’t shuffled properly. I’ll get you another one.”

Di Hou was also stunned and quickly grabbed Chen Junnan’s wrist. “Hey! What do you mean ‘not shuffled properly’? Is that how you play?”

“It’s obviously not shuffled right!” Chen Junnan said. “What kind of shuffle was that? I keep getting ‘Li Chun,’ and now ‘Chun Jie’ went to you. I think this round doesn’t count—let’s just start over.”

“Don’t push it too far!” Di Hou gripped Chen Junnan’s hand tighter. “You guys were the ones who shuffled last. My patience has limits.”

Chen Junnan reined himself in a bit as Di Hou held him, and he glanced back at Qi Xia.

Qi Xia just sighed helplessly, not giving any instructions.

This round wasn’t completely hopeless—it was just a long shot, with all their hopes resting on Qiao Jiajin.

After all, the next draw would definitely make both him and Chen Junnan exceed “sixteen,” but Qiao Jiajin had a chance to survive.

Unfortunately, Di Hou had drawn “Zheng Yue Chu Yi,” so his total was only six points, safer than anyone else’s.

“Am I the highest now?” Qiao Jiajin held his “Shang Si” card, looking at the others in disbelief. “With ‘San Yue San,’ can I even speak up?”

Di Hou shrugged and gestured invitingly.

“I’ll raise one.” Qiao Jiajin said. “Fei Ma Mao, the person I respected most once told me, ‘If your card is small but you can still talk, even your old man isn’t as big as you.’”