75: I won the bet!

Tu Nan never looked back.

Since she had made her choice, she would no longer ponder what changes the untaken path might have brought to her life.

She only needed to know that she would stay with her Children until they had successfully passed through their entire Childhood Stage.

Watching them grow into strapping youths.

There was a commotion at the entrance.

A middle-aged man in military uniform walked into the banquet hall, surrounded by a crowd.

"Defense Minister McCoy is here too," a whisper came from behind.

Who?

Tu Nan's eyes subtly shifted.

Isn't that McCoy, the core of her fabricated identity—her "father," the Sand City garrison officer, a nobleman?

She didn't expect him to appear here.

The question is, did Li Na, or anyone else present, know about this lie?

Was anyone observing her?

Tu Nan calmly surveyed the banquet hall's layout, subtly retreating backward, and, while everyone's attention was drawn away, quickly slipped into the most luxuriously decorated lounge.

She turned sideways and darted in, curling up on the sofa with her back to the door.

Waiting.

Inside the lounge was an old grandfather clock, its ticking hands sounding no different from a death knell to Tu Nan.

Waiting was always so long; Tu Nan had once again placed a bet at the card table.

If McCoy really appeared as she wished, then she could proceed to the next step.

If no one came, she could say she missed this precious "opportunity," or pretend she didn't want to meet her "father."

The worst case scenario would be... someone else coming, and insisting on creating an opportunity for her.

A two-thirds chance wasn't too bad.

What number would the Goddess of Fortune roll on the dice?

Time mercilessly flowed by, minute by minute.

The doorknob turned, and the dice cup... was uncovered.

"There are too many people, ah, Tu Nan is nowhere to be found."

It was Li Na! Tu Nan's heart sank. Was it really the worst outcome?

"You worry too much. Ah, it's not good for you to interfere too much in father-daughter matters," sighed the Female Beast who entered with Li Na.

"There's no one here, and this is the last room. The ceremony is about to begin, let's go look over there."

Exactly. Tu Nan hoped Li Na would think the same.

But unfortunately, Li Na said tiredly, "Let's rest for a bit, these shoes are really pinching my feet..."

Footsteps gradually approached; Tu Nan took a deep breath, rapidly thinking of a countermeasure.

Just then, the lounge door opened again.

Li Na and the person who entered both seemed stunned.

"Oh my, Defense Minister McCoy! Your clothes..." Li Na exclaimed.

"Ah, my apologies. There was no sign outside this room, so I came in," a deep Male Beast voice apologized politely.

"No, no, no, we were looking for someone. This room should be reserved for you, we were presumptuous."

Tu Nan lowered her breathing to the minimum.

Yes, this was the highest Rank lounge, and the Sand City Defense Minister, having traveled a long distance, was the most important guest at this military-dominated banquet.

If McCoy needed to rest, he would definitely appear here.

This was why Tu Nan was waiting here.

"Do you need to change clothes? We'll leave now." Footsteps and the sound of the door closing echoed sequentially. Li Na and the others left.

The room returned to silence.

"Aren't you coming out?" McCoy, it must be him, spoke unhurriedly.

Tu Nan's solo battle truly began now.

***

Tu Nan turned on the sofa, pulling herself up to kneel on the backrest.

Fortunately, only McCoy was left in the room.

McCoy's secretly wary expression immediately relaxed upon seeing only a delicate Female Beast appear.

"So it's a beautiful lady." McCoy nodded slightly, very gentlemanly.

Beautiful and delicate Female Beasts always made noble Male Beasts more considerate and polite.

"Would it be convenient for you to give me a moment to change my clothes? You see... this was an accident on my part."

McCoy lifted the formal attire he was holding, smiling rather dashingly.

"I was specifically waiting for you here."

This beautiful Female Beast said something unexpected.

"Oh?" A glint flashed in McCoy's eyes. "What do you mean? I don't seem to recall ever meeting you?"

Tu Nan revealed a sweet smile.

"Don't you know me now, Father?"

McCoy was greatly alarmed!

The pink bubbles that had just popped into his mind instantly shattered. He quickly tallied up his mistresses. Which one of them had given birth to such a daughter for him back then?

"Who is your mother..." His head ached.

A daughter of such low Rank?

He had started to lose interest in women in recent years, and his wife's father and brothers had been promoted another Rank, so family stability was more important. He wasn't at all pleased to have a daughter pop up now.

Tu Nan winked playfully, saying to the middle-aged gentleman, "You don't need to worry about my mother. I think, perhaps, you might be interested in 'your son-in-law?'"

"The new A-Rank Male Beast from Mata Star, the new star of the Sharp Blade Squad, Li... do you know him?"

McCoy was somewhat moved.

An A-Rank wild Male Beast, of course, he would pay attention to him.

"Or perhaps you would like to have a pair of twin grandchildren?" Tu Nan continued to throw out bargaining chips. "A boy and a girl, you must have heard about it already? Hmm... it's quite a topic of conversation, isn't it?"

The middle-aged gentleman nodded hesitantly.

Indeed, this was also news that had already reached Sand Star. But what did it have to do with him?

"Alas..." Tu Nan feigned a sigh.

"My Li has always admired you greatly, sir. He very much wants to join your command, but it just so happened... he enlisted on Mata Star."

"Now it's not so easy for him to go to Sand City, is it?"

Tu Nan explained to him unhurriedly.

"But what if... I am your daughter, then everything makes sense, doesn't it?"

"After all, he wouldn't bear to see me too far from you... If I kept complaining about wanting to return to Sand Star, and he was pestered to no end by me, then it would be reasonable for him to come to you for help, wouldn't it?"

McCoy finally understood.

This Female Beast had come to pledge allegiance on behalf of her husband.

Interesting.

Tu Nan finally rose from the sofa, gracefully swaying as she approached him, tentatively taking the coat he held in his hand.

She was not rejected.

Tu Nan obediently lowered her head, helping McCoy take off the soiled coat and place it aside, then serving him by putting on the new one.

Tu Nan re-buckled his belt for him.

Click, the belt buckle fastened perfectly, making a delightful soft sound.

McCoy watched as this Female Beast respectfully served him, her movements gentle and meticulous, her attitude earnest.

He nodded in satisfaction, then put his arm out, lowering his head to ask, "Then... my goddaughter, whom I'm meeting for the first time, what name did your birth parents give such a clever you?"

"Father." Tu Nan's hand threaded through his arm, affectionately linking with him.

"Please call me Tu Nan."

Although... I don't have birth parents, I still really like this name.

Tu Nan smiled.

"Your son-in-law is on the awards stage today, perhaps you'd be interested in meeting him?"

McCoy slightly raised his hand, gesturing.

Let's go.