Taboo Mage - Chapter 203 - Lottery Event

Feeling groggy, Pan Yuzhi wasn’t a bad woman. I held the copper mirror in my hand, my fingers tracing the patterns on it. I smiled and placed the mirror under my pillow.

When I woke up again, it was Lin Huan who was calling me.

He stood at the head of my bed, and the little fox was pawing at my cheek, insistently rousing me from my slumber.

“What are you two doing?”

I was in a bit of a grumpy mood, pulling the covers tight and shooting a glare at Lin Huan.

Lin Huan chuckled and said, “Boss, everyone is waiting for you. I booked a table at De Yi Winery. If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss dinner.”

“De Yi Winery?” I raised an eyebrow; this guy was quite perceptive.

I turned over, sat up in bed, rubbed the little fox’s head, and then ushered both him and Lin Huan out while I quickly changed into some clothes.

When I made it downstairs to the living room, Jue Chi, Zhou Qifang, and Uncle Lin were already sitting on the sofa waiting. I awkwardly scratched my head and called everyone to head out for dinner.

De Yi Winery is a well-known Chinese restaurant in the city. I’ve heard the chef there is a direct descendant of the imperial kitchen in the Forbidden City, and their skills are family heirlooms.

When we arrived, it was the peak dining hour. Thankfully, Lin Huan had called ahead to reserve a table. We filed in, Lin Huan leading the way, with Uncle Lin and Zhou Qifang in the middle.

Jue Chi was carrying the little fox at the back while I walked beside him.

Worried about the little fox being recognized, I disguised him a bit before we left. Now he looked just like a samoyed, albeit a smaller one.

However, the little fox was quite strikingly handsome, and as soon as we entered, he drew a lot of attention. I had to remind Jue Chi to keep him tucked close.

The table Lin Huan reserved was in a private room themed around the plum blossom, leaning towards a traditional Chinese style.

As soon as the sliding door opened, the fragrance of plum blossoms wafted in, instantly calming my previously restless mood.

The dishes had been pre-ordered, and the waiter brought them out quickly. Everyone had been hungry for a day or two, and the speed at which we picked up our chopsticks resembled that of African refugees.

Just as we were happily eating, someone knocked at the door of our room, and Lin Huan called for them to come in.

The sliding door opened, and a waitress in a pink cheongsam walked in with a bright smile, saying, “I’m sorry to interrupt your meal.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes internally. They knew they were interrupting us and still chose to knock on the door-wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

The beautiful waitress, clearly unaware of the countless times I had mentally criticized her actions, maintained a standard smile and continued, “Well, today is the fifth anniversary celebration of our hotel, and there will be a lottery event. I wonder if you all would be interested in participating?”

A lottery? I shook my head. “No, thanks.”

“The amount you’ve spent qualifies you to participate. The grand prize is a car. Are you really not interested?” The waitress persisted.

I shook my head again. “Nope, we haven’t had good luck lately. Events like this aren’t suitable for us.”

The waitress was about to keep persuading us, but Lin Huan suddenly piped up, “Boss! This event sounds pretty good. It’s free, and what if we hit the jackpot?”

I huffed, “I see you’ve got your eyes on that car. Are you trying to impress a girl?”

Lin Huan mumbled for a while without responding, but the look on his face definitely confirmed my suspicions.

Just as I was about to tease him some more, the beautiful waitress continued, “Exactly! If you win the grand prize, your meal would effectively be free, and you’d even make a profit. Even if you don’t win, at least you can enjoy the excitement. What do you say…?”

I was about to refuse when Zhou Qifang, who had been silently sitting by, suddenly chimed in with a smile, “Let’s go for it. Just bring over the lottery tickets when you can.”

I shot him a surprised glance. This guy, who usually seemed to live in an ice cave, was really interested in a lottery today?

As soon as the beautiful waitress heard our agreement, she dashed off, giving me no chance to backtrack.

Not that I genuinely wanted to backtrack. While the lottery didn’t spark my interest, this wasn’t solely my event. If the others wished to participate, I had no solid reason to oppose.

Not long after we finished our meal, the beautiful waitress knocked again, this time bringing three lottery tickets and reminding us that the lottery would start soon.

Since the lottery stage was close to us, we could simply open the door and see what was happening without having to leave our room.

We opened the door to find a small stage set up in the hall across from us, where a host was holding a microphone and excitedly sharing something with the audience.

I wasn’t interested in the lottery, so I gave one ticket to Lin Huan and another to Zhou Qifang. The last one, since neither Jue Chi nor Uncle Lin expressed any interest, I handed it to the little fox to play with.

The little fox was thrilled, holding the lottery ticket with both paws as if it were its favorite toy, staring intently at the numbers on the ticket with its big, curious eyes.

The lottery event outside had already begun. I hastily swallowed the last bite of my meal just in time to hear the host announce the number for the third prize.

I took a glance at the ticket; the third prize was a single washer. It wasn’t exactly expensive, but it wasn’t cheap either. Few people dining at this restaurant would be thrilled about such a prize.

Everyone was focused on the grand prize, a German car.

When the third prize was drawn, the winner turned out to be a young couple. The girl happily walked up to the stage to claim the prize and shared a few words of gratitude with the audience.

The second prize was a meal voucher, and the winner was a businessman who looked quite prosperous. He seemed to be treating some important guests, and the cost of that meal must not have been small. Winning the second prize clearly made him much happier than he would have been with the first prize.

Finally, it was time for the grand prize, and everyone was on the edge of their seats.

Lin Huan, sitting nearby, had tensed up completely, and I found myself getting a bit anxious as well. The atmosphere in the private room became charged with anticipation.

As the host announced the winning number for the grand prize, I was still processing what was happening. It wasn’t until the little fox suddenly began barking excitedly that I swiftly turned my head to look.