Chapter 170 The Satisfaction of Scheming and Manipulating

"Oh...!"

"Apologies, everyone. I didn't expect my luck to make such a comeback on this sixth round!"

He pointed to where he had placed his bet, smiling with open, flamboyant confidence, though a cold, calculated glint flashed in his eyes. The nine-million profit was merely a bonus; more importantly, he wanted Chen Shuang to see that he kept his word—that he had the power to give her everything she desired.

"Nine point five million on Big. Well, this is great! After accounting for the five hundred thousand I lost earlier, I've still cleared a net profit of nine million!"

"Thanks for the support, everyone. Much appreciated!"

The triumph in his voice was half the exhilaration of winning, and half the certainty of a scheme successfully executed.

The beautiful Croupier snapped to attention, quickly using her rake to gather the chips on the table and pushing the winnings toward Lin Chen with a respectful tone:

"Sir, these are your nineteen million in chips. Please verify."

Lin Chen casually picked up a one-million-value chip and held it out to the still-dazed Chen Shuang. His tone seemed relaxed and offhand, but his eyes were locked onto her reaction; every movement and every word had been precisely calculated.

He wanted to deliver this "surprise" exactly when she was most stunned and flustered, to break down her defenses and make her feel that he was sincere—that he was truly willing to spend money on her.

"Here. One million in chips. It's yours."

His tone was indifferent yet carried an undeniable air of command, while his eyes held a trace of subtle scrutiny, observing every micro-expression on her face.

Chen Shuang had yet to recover from the shock of Lin Chen hitting the jackpot. Her eyes wide, she looked from the chip to Lin Chen, her voice trembling with disbelief:

"Th-this? You're just giving me one million?"

"W-weren't you just saying that?"

"Y-you're really giving it to me?"

Her heart raced—half from pleasant surprise, half from sheer incredulity. In all her life, no one had ever been this generous or this straightforward with her, especially not when she was at her most desperate and helpless. At that moment, her internal defenses quietly began to crumble.

Lin Chen couldn't help but smile at her adorably stunned expression. His smile was gentle and handsome, perfectly masking the calculation in his eyes as he teased her:

"What else? Unless... you think you need to give me a kiss before I hand it over?"

Having been reborn for so long and having wooed so many beauties, he was well-versed in these games. He had calculated that Chen Shuang was shy yet resilient; being teased like this would likely make her flustered, but it would also spark a certain affection. This was exactly what he wanted—to gradually close the distance and lower her defenses.

Chen Shuang burst into laughter at his teasing, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. The embarrassment and tension in her eyes faded, replaced by an unfamiliar ripple in her heart. His smile was charming, and his tone carried a hint of doting—a stark contrast to the greasy, sleazy man from before.

Before Lin Chen could react, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, then immediately lowered her head, her ears turning bright red.

In that moment, shyness, joy, fluttering excitement, and a trace of budding dependency intertwined within her, leaving her feeling flustered, yet filled with anticipation.

In truth, she hadn't realized it herself, but she had been genuinely moved by Lin Chen. Handsome, wealthy, humorous, a man of his word, and not at all sleazy—compared to that pathetic man, he was like night and day. The scales in her heart had quietly tipped toward Lin Chen; her initial wariness was being replaced by attraction.

She whispered to herself:

"Handsome, wealthy, not a pervert, and most importantly, he's so good to me and keeps his promises..."

"Could it be... that I've actually met my soulmate?"

Once this thought emerged, she couldn't suppress it. She snuck a glance at Lin Chen before quickly lowering her head again, her heart racing even faster. She felt a mix of shyness and longing, and even began to secretly hope for more moments with him.

She had no idea that she had already stepped, step by step, into the trap Lin Chen had laid; that flutter of attraction had been calculated by him all along. Little did she know that this was all a meticulously crafted performance.

He had deliberately lost five rounds to goad everyone into betting on Small, allowing him to rake in a fortune while simultaneously establishing an image of "immense wealth" in front of Chen Shuang. His promise of one million wasn't a whim; it was a precise exploitation of her desperation and desires. His teasing for a kiss was meant to break the barrier between them and spark that sense of attraction.

This was his plan: to use money and perfectly timed tenderness to slowly dismantle her defenses, to let her be swept away by this "surprise," to let her grow accustomed to his presence, and ultimately, to have her willingly stay by his side, never able to leave him again.

Lin Chen watched her flushed ears and darting eyes, a flicker of imperceptible calculation and certainty flashing in his gaze as his smile deepened. Everything was under his control.

The Croupier asked, "Sir, will you continue playing?"

Lin Chen looked at the people who had lost their money and gave them an unexpected answer.

"I'm done!"

The lecherous man exclaimed, "What? You're stopping?"

Lin Chen smiled, "That's right. I've made enough for today."

"Thanks for the company, everyone. How about I treat you all to some juice or cold drinks to cool off?"

Then, he took Chen Shuang by the hand and walked away.

Chen Shuang followed him back to his room in a daze.

"Are you happy?"

It was only then that Chen Shuang realized they were in Lin Chen's room.

"Yes."

She began to wonder if Lin Chen wanted something from her now.

"One million is enough to treat my mother's illness," she thought to herself.

"Lin Chen gave me one million so readily... he must want me."

Looking at the handsome, wealthy Lin Chen before her, she felt a stir of excitement.

"What if I establish a relationship with him? Perhaps my fate could change for the better."

She felt a mix of anticipation and trepidation.

Lin Chen walked over and took her hand, his gaze lingering on her heaving chest.

Chen Shuang: "You... if you want... I... I'm willing."

Lin Chen feigned seriousness and asked, "Willing to do what?"

Chen Shuang: "Anything you want!"

Her face flushed bright red as she spoke, her voice dropping to a whisper on the last few words, though Lin Chen heard her clearly.

Looking at her tall, slender figure, with her slim waist and curvy hips, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Good. If you're my woman, I'll take you to make some more money over the next few days. But tomorrow, we're changing casinos. You arrange it."

Chen Shuang nodded. Then, Lin Chen began to get handsy, removing her clothes.