Facing Lin Yin’s questioning, Li Ye’s entire body was trembling.

After waiting for a long time without getting the answer she wanted, Qin Ke, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly chuckled.

“What’s wrong? Can’t answer? Then let me help you.”

As Qin Ke spoke, Lin Yin’s gaze returned to him, her eyes filled with hidden anger—even though he was good-looking.

She still disliked this man in front of her.

“Your uncle owes a total of five million at my casino.”

When she heard that number, Lin Yin was stunned.

Five million?

To ordinary people like them, five million was a huge sum. And with her current ability, making that much money was nothing short of a fantasy.

Her body trembling, Lin Yin turned to her uncle and asked, “What on earth is going on?”

She knew he had a gambling problem in the past, but ever since he got sick, he’d reined it in a lot. Sometimes he even helped out with small jobs to support the household.

So how on earth did this debt balloon to five million?

“Uncle!”

When Li Ye still didn’t respond, Lin Yin shouted again.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I couldn’t control myself. I thought that if I bet everything in one go, maybe our life wouldn’t have to be this hard anymore…” Li Ye stammered.

Hearing his confession, Lin Yin felt utterly heartbroken.

“Why?” She asked blankly.

Why would he do this to her?

Hadn’t she done enough?

Working three jobs every day, paying rent, saving for medical expenses, giving her uncle a living allowance.

In the end, all that money was gambled away by her uncle, and he even borrowed from loan sharks—otherwise, the debt wouldn’t have ballooned so much.

Lin Yin trembled with rage.

The surgery costs for her uncle added up to about 500,000. That was also the balance in the bankbook. But now, with a five million debt looming over them, it was far beyond what she could handle.

And now, if this money had to be used to repay the debt, what would she use for her uncle’s surgery?

Everything she had suffered for was supposed to be almost over.

Now it was all ruined by this mountain of debt.

Lin Yin lifted her head, her furious gaze locking on the man before her.

Even as he watched her and her uncle fall into utter despair, Qin Ke still wore a smile. That faint smile on his lips seemed to mock their ignorance.

It made the fire in her chest burn even hotter.

If not for people like him—those who entice and enable gambling, who exploit people’s greed with false hope—how would her uncle have ended up like this?

Qin Ke saw through her thoughts and asked,

“You think this is our fault?”

“Isn’t it? This is how you make your money, isn’t it? Otherwise, how could you afford that car outside?” Lin Yin shouted angrily.

She truly hated people who lent at high interest. And she was deeply disappointed in her uncle’s actions.

If they hadn’t figured out exactly how gamblers think, they couldn’t have pulled this off.

But hearing Lin Yin’s shouting, Qin Ke didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled again.

He asked, “So what, you’re blaming me?”

“Yes.”

Qin Ke straightened up and looked closely at the girl in front of him. She seemed more like a girl than a woman.

“You’re not wrong—I do make money this way. But if your uncle wasn’t such a hopeless gambler, would I even have the opportunity?”

His simple statement left Lin Yin speechless.

She hadn’t expected this man to make sense.

But she had no argument.

Qin Ke was right. If her uncle hadn’t given in to that temptation, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

The more Lin Yin thought about it, the more hopeless she felt.

Everything was so close to being over.

Her voice hoarse, she asked, “Can you… give us just a few more days?”

“I already gave you a month. A month ago, your dear uncle said the exact same thing.”

As he spoke, Qin Ke’s gaze landed on Li Ye again.

To be honest, he rather admired Lin Yin. But unfortunately, she had such a terrible uncle who was on the verge of ruining her life.

Just as Lin Yin was about to speak, Qin Ke added,

“You know what? During this past month, instead of trying to repay his debt, your uncle sold the gold jewelry your mother left for you and continued gambling.”

After saying that, he curiously watched Lin Yin’s reaction.

Maybe she was too far beyond anger—because now Lin Yin’s face went cold and expressionless.

If she said she didn’t blame her uncle, she’d be lying.

The jewelry Qin Ke spoke of was her mother’s keepsake, something she had treasured the most. Her uncle had always known that.

How could he do something like that?

If it weren’t for the years they had spent relying on each other, Lin Yin would’ve slapped him by now.

Qin Ke slightly reined in his smile. He leaned back into the sofa and looked at the two in front of him.

“Are you two putting on a show for me right now? Because I don’t have the patience to watch. One question—do you want to keep your life, or pay up?”

Even though she was furious, Lin Yin couldn’t forget that her uncle had taken her in when every other relative had abandoned her.

She took a deep breath and looked again at the handsome man before her.

“Please… just a few more days. I swear, I’ll find a way to repay the money.”

Since the debt was owed, she would repay it—even if the amount was astronomical.

But Qin Ke didn’t agree to her request.

“No.”

He rejected her coldly.

Lin Yin’s heart grew heavier in an instant. She feared that if things kept going like this, her uncle’s hand might really be chopped off.

People like Qin Ke were capable of anything.

Lin Yin’s voice grew tense. “Then what do you want to do?”

Qin Ke didn’t answer immediately. His eyes slowly roamed over Lin Yin.

How should he put it…

This woman matched his taste—strong-willed, with fire in her. If he could tame her, it would probably be… fun.

Yes—he thought of it as fun.

After a moment’s thought, his gaze shifted back to Li Ye, who was still cowering behind his niece.

“Li Ye, it looks like I have to make it clear to you: I, Qin Ke, am not someone you can just owe money to. I don’t like owing people, and I don’t allow others to owe me. If they try… they pay ten times over.”

“Master Qin, please! Please don’t kill me—don’t kill me! Yin’er, please help me beg Qin Shao for mercy…” Li Ye cried out in despair.