After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

Lu Zhufeng was so heartbroken he couldn't speak. He wished it were all a lie, but he couldn't ignore it. He knew himself well enough that if it really was that kind of situation, he was capable of doing such a thing.

The pain wasn't sharp, but dull and heavy, like a red-hot iron, searing his heart again and again, so hot that he almost lost the strength to stand.

He slowly closed his eyes, and it seemed as if her farewell words were still echoing in his ears. Each word was like a needle chilled to ice, piercing the softest part of his heart, causing him so much pain that he almost vomited blood.

No, he can't lose Ningning, he absolutely can't lose Ningning.

Only now did he realize how much Wei Zhaoning loved him, and what he was willing to do for him. He had actually lost this person who had his heart and soul completely devoted to him.

He couldn't. He had to bring Ningning back to his side. He would treat Ningning a thousand times better.

The collapse of the Marquis's mansion was not only caused by Lu Zhufeng, but also by Lu Ze.

Since his brother fell from power, his business has plummeted, and nobody is willing to come into his shop to buy anything anymore.

He knew that day would come, and he thought to himself that he would have to rely on himself. Fortunately, he had built up a network of connections.

Since his elder brother couldn't offer any help, he decided not to force the issue, believing that relying on himself was the safest approach.

So he thought of the several officials his elder brother had befriended before his promotion. Those officials greatly appreciated him, and their contact had never ceased over the years, their relationship growing ever closer.

This is the time to test people's hearts, to see if these officials can still be relied upon after his brother's downfall, and whether they are worth befriending.

To Lu Ze's surprise, when he invited these officials to dinner and drinks, they not only did not refuse, but also had a great time. After several invitations, the officials invited Lu Ze again, and their words did not show any disdain or take advantage of his misfortune. This made Lu Ze feel that his own connections were more reliable.

He didn't bring up business right away; that wouldn't be appropriate. He wanted to have fun with everyone first. So he quietly delivered the newly made perfumes to the residences of the various officials, who gladly accepted them.

Lu Ze felt that he still had room to make a difference, so after playing with the adults for a while, he put forward his idea.

"My lords, do you like the spices I've blended? What do you think of them?"

Lord Chen was closest to Lu Ze, and he nodded, saying, "Not bad, Lu, you've got some talent in this area. Keep it up."

Lu Ze was a little confused. That's it?

Keep it up? And then what? Are you just giving it away for free again?

The other adults didn't pay any attention and casually remarked, "Good job, young Lu, you're quite handsome."

After saying that, they went back to drinking noisily, and the topic was thus diverted. Lu Ze groaned inwardly, how could it be like this? This was not what he had imagined.

However, he didn't dare to say anything more. After all, these VIPs were his major clients. If he offended them, he would lose the business. He couldn't afford to offend them.

So he continued to eat, drink, and have fun. The adults didn't take it to heart. For the next period of time, they would invite Lu Ze to any activities and treat him like a younger brother.

Lu Ze felt that this trend meant he still had a chance.

He just waited there, playing with the adults, and in his spare time, he didn't forget to solidify his title as the gambling king.

But in reality, this title has now been entirely given to him by Lu Ze himself. Perhaps at first he won a few times and got lucky, which led people to call him "Little Gambling King". Unfortunately, there are no undefeated generals at the gambling table. In particular, the former gambling king who taught Lu Ze to "win every game" has died under the Regent's sword. Now he has to rely on his strength, and naturally he has ended up like an ordinary gambler.

Feeling that he had once been successful and unwilling to accept defeat, he continued to gamble with his money, losing everything until he had nothing left. He still thought that if he could try again, he might be able to turn his life around.

Maybe next time they'll win money, enough to turn their lives around. But gamblers never stop there. They want more after winning once. What if they win again next time? Won't they get even more money? Who would complain about having too much money? One more round won't hurt.

Often at this point, the gears of fate begin to turn, and the next round will surely result in losing everything, returning to square one overnight, or even incurring debt.

The gambler will regret it, wondering why he didn't just grab the scissors and leave after winning money. He should have been given another chance, and if he had won, he would have left.

This vicious cycle continues, turning eyes bloodshot with gambling, extinguishing humanity, until finally, they are reduced to a grotesque, inhuman being kicked out of the casino.

Lu Ze is that kind of person. Not only can he not pay the rent for two shops, but he is also heavily in debt because of his title as the gambling king. The money he owes at the casino is enough for him to open ten more shops. The casino is no longer willing to let him buy on credit and has stated that if he does not pay off his debts within a month, he can forget about getting his hands and feet back. Or, if things get serious, they will consider whether to take his life to pay off the debt.

Lu Ze was terrified. When he came to his senses, he found it unbelievable how he had accumulated so much debt in such a short time. His two shops were now just for show, but they were his last lifeline.

He simply didn't have time to play these adults' games of taking it slow and steady. If he couldn't raise the money soon, he might not even be able to save his own life.

So he went directly to the officials and earnestly asked them to help promote the shop's business, saying that the spices he blended would definitely not cause the officials to lose everything, and that it was a good business.

The adults were shocked. "We treat you like a little brother. You can't do this to us. Your shop isn't that great. Why should we ruin our reputation to promote you? Besides, have you forgotten what happened to your shop before? It's not that we don't want to help, it's just that your shop is not up to par. I may be speaking harshly, but every word is well-intentioned."

Lu Ze retorted, "But I've already improved it. You gentlemen have all used the incense in my shop, and you all said it was good. I would never ruin your reputation. I've spent a lot of time and effort researching it day and night. Please help me again, gentlemen. I'm really desperate... Those spices will definitely make you a lot of money. As long as they can be sold, there will definitely be repeat customers."