"Click click click--" The pattern swirls.
Then, it gradually slowed down...
But things didn't go as planned. The next second, the pattern on the screen slowly froze, and in addition to the other two patterns, a cherry appeared right in front of us, which meant we had won!
One-time payout, you've won!
Immediately afterwards, the coin dispenser at the bottom of the slot machine made a crisp clattering sound, and two shiny coins slowly rolled out.
You... you won?
Draco: "..." (Stunned)
Diana: "..." (Equally stunned)
The two sat there motionless, staring at the two extra coins, as if they were witnessing something incredible.
The surrounding environment seemed to freeze.
After a brief silence, scattered murmurs broke out again, this time tinged with a greater sense of amusement and curiosity:
"Wow! We actually won! Even though it was just one cherry..."
So... does the bet still stand?
"Didn't they say they wouldn't gamble on that anymore?"
"Hurry up, stop dawdling, we're all watching!"
Amidst the cacophony of speculation and jeers, Draco was the first to recover. He frowned, glanced at the two damned coins, and then turned to Diana with an embarrassed and helpless expression.
"You don't need to care, and you don't need to keep your promise. I didn't do anything; it made me win, so it doesn't count."
However, the instant Draco finished speaking—
Diana suddenly moved, leaning forward abruptly and, before Draco could react, quickly covered his lips with her soft ones.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
All the surrounding sounds disappeared.
Draco could only feel the soft, unfamiliar touch on his lips that was fleeting, and the scent lingering around his nose.
The next second, a deafening sound exploded!
Wow--!
"Sharp!"
They really kissed!
"Stimulate!"
After the loud noise, Diana recoiled as if burned, lowering her head and not daring to look Draco in the eye.
And Draco... became completely mentally impaired.
He stood frozen in place, still in the position he had been kissed, his eyes filled with a completely unexpected bewilderment.
His mind was blank at that moment, with only the lingering, subtle sensation on his lips constantly reminding him of what had just happened.
He never expected things to turn out this way!
I just wanted to help!
Just as the surrounding jeers reached their peak, but Draco was still in a daze, Diana took a deep breath.
She then forced herself to lift her head, her gaze fixed on Draco's chin, but she quickly explained, trying to remain calm:
"You... you shouldn't overthink it! I'm just... just fulfilling my promise! From now on, I'm your assistant!"
Just as Diana turned to slip away, Draco was still reeling from the sudden act of gagging her.
That bystander who got chased away by Draco is back again.
"Madam!" he winked at Diana, "How about we try again? Maybe that last time was just a hundred coincidences? Maybe we won't win this time?"
"Get lost!" Draco was ruthless this time, raising his foot to kick him. The bystander cried out in pain and dodged with a laugh.
Then he ran away again, but the man was clearly not going to give up. He lingered nearby, waiting to see more of the drama unfold.
After dismissing the troublemakers, Draco turned to Diana, softening his tone as he spoke gently:
"Don't listen to his nonsense. Don't get involved in this pointless gambling anymore. From now on, you'll be my assistant. I'll pay you on time, and you won't have to make money this way."
However, Diana's mind raced again. She decided to take another gamble. If she won, she would have another 1,000 dollars!
This is so important to them!
Besides... since we already kissed once, it doesn't seem as... unacceptable as I imagined?
Anyway, Collard is a good person and he's trying to help them. If a few kisses can get them the money they desperately need...
A bold, even somewhat crazy, idea popped into their head: what if they kissed each time they won, and won 50 times... that would be 50,000 yuan! That's exactly the amount they needed!
The idea startled Diana, her cheeks instantly turning bright red. She shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off the absurd thought, but the urgent need for money and the wishful thinking took root and sprouted like weeds.
"Stop it, Diana," Draco said helplessly, looking at her. "Your husband is still at the casino."
These words failed to dissuade Diana; instead, they solidified her resolve. "I've made up my mind. I'll take one last gamble."
"No way!" Draco sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Won't your husband have a problem if he finds out?"
"It was just a kiss," Diana said.
According to foreign etiquette, a kiss is nothing special, so she added, "If he wins and earns 1000 yuan, he probably... won't mind."
But his last sentence sounded somewhat hesitant.
You may not care, but I do!
Draco secretly grumbled to himself.
Dude, I'm a married man too! A married woman and a married man, it just doesn't feel right.
"Why don't you cook instead..." Draco tried to change the subject, hoping to dissuade Diana. "I'm getting tired of all the delicacies on the ship; I'd like to try something different."
Upon hearing this, Diana paused for a moment.
She was initially just wavering, but Draco's reassurance reignited her rebellious streak.
"I'm not making a scene... I just don't want to owe you too much."
She stubbornly said that the more Draco prevented her from fulfilling her promise, the more she felt like a weakling being given charity.
"I feel even more uneasy if you don't let me gamble," Diana said, biting her lip, her eyes a little unsettled. "Anyway, your luck isn't good... I'll just gamble a few more times, and stop when I've won enough."
She said that, but in her heart she was already tacitly agreeing: at worst, she would just kiss him a few more times and repay the favors one by one in this embarrassing way.
Therefore, Draco advised her not to do anything reckless, but the more she felt she had to prove that she wasn't just taking advantage of him for nothing.
Draco was very troubled by this.
Fortunately, this time he doesn't intend to let things take their course anymore.
He decided to use some tricks; since Diana was so persistent, why not just let her win?
So Draco operated with his right hand and put his left hand in his pocket.
To others, he was just doing normal operations.
Insert a coin, pull the lever, the pattern spins... then stops.
Undoubtedly a low-scoring hand.
"Yay!" Diana cheered excitedly upon seeing the result, as if she had won some grand prize.
Seeing this, Draco secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This absurd bet has finally come to an end.