📖 Written by: MSY

🗓️ Published on: December 22, 2025

📖 Chapter 26 – Who’s the Wager

✍️ Summary by MSY

After her stunning violin performance with Old Ghost and Old Fiend, Su Nan gracefully exits the stage, her composure intact despite the bittersweet reminder of the brilliance she lost during her three years of silence. The band members urge her to rejoin them, but Ning Zhile quickly intervenes, reminding them that Su Nan is carving her own career path now. Qin Yu, overwhelmed with admiration, throws herself into Su Nan’s arms, declaring her a goddess.

Back upstairs, Su Nan finds Fu Yechuan and Lu Qi still present, seated with Cheng Yi and Cheng Huai. Qin Yu, irritated, demands a new game to distract from their unwelcome company. Lu Qi, awed by Su Nan’s hidden talent, suggests dice. Qin Yu mocks him, but Fu Yechuan’s low, heavy voice cuts through the noise: “Su Nan, are you afraid to play a round?” His eyes never leave her, his emotions storming beneath the surface. Su Nan, calm and unyielding, accepts with a faint smile. As the table is set, she lowers her gaze and asks softly: “What’s the wager?”

💖 Review by MSY (Reaction Voice)

This chapter had me holding my breath. The transition from Su Nan’s commanding stage presence to the tense upstairs confrontation was seamless. Her violin performance was still echoing in the air, and yet here she was, facing Fu Yechuan again—two different arenas, both demanding strength.

I loved how the band members tried to pull her back into their world, calling her “Little Sister Su Nan” and praising her as the only one who could match their rhythm. It was touching, but also bittersweet. Her faint smile, her quiet refusal—it showed she’s moved on. She’s not clinging to the past anymore; she’s building something new.

Then the upstairs scene—wow. Qin Yu’s sass was on full blast, dragging Su Nan to sit beside Cheng Yi and sneering at Lu Qi. Her line about him forgetting his own surname had me laughing. But the tension spiked when Fu Yechuan spoke. His voice was heavy, his eyes locked on Su Nan, and you could feel the storm inside him. He wanted to challenge her, maybe provoke her, maybe test her.

Su Nan’s response was perfection. “What’s there to be afraid of?” delivered with a faint smile—it was icy, confident, devastating. She wasn’t intimidated, wasn’t rattled. She treated the dice game as nothing more than a trivial pastime. That calmness was her weapon.

The final line—“What’s the wager?”—was chilling. It wasn’t just about dice. It was about power, pride, and the stakes of their tangled history. Su Nan was ready to face him head‑on, not as his ex‑wife, but as his equal—or perhaps his superior.

🔎 Deeper Review & Analysis

👩 Character Deep Dive

Su Nan is poised and fearless, her violin performance proving her brilliance while her calm acceptance of Fu Yechuan’s challenge shows her strength. Qin Yu is fiery and protective, quick to defend Su Nan against Lu Qi’s arrogance. Ning Zhile is steady and loyal, reminding everyone of Su Nan’s new career and trusting her judgment. Old Ghost and Old Fiend highlight Su Nan’s talent, their admiration reinforcing her transformation. Lu Qi remains arrogant and mocking, blind to his own humiliation. Fu Yechuan, conflicted and stormy, cannot take his eyes off Su Nan, his challenge revealing both regret and desperation.

⚔️ Themes of Talent and Confrontation

The chapter explores talent as a source of authority — Su Nan’s violin performance crowns her as untouchable. Confrontation follows, as Fu Yechuan challenges her in a game of dice, symbolizing the clash between past ties and present independence.

⏳ The Author’s Pacing

The pacing flows from triumph to tension. The performance builds to a peak of admiration, then shifts sharply into confrontation upstairs. The final line lands as a cliffhanger, perfectly setting up the next chapter’s drama.

🔮 Predictions

I predict the dice game will become a symbolic battle, testing pride, power, and hidden emotions.

Looking ahead, several plot threads seem likely:

• Su Nan: Her calm defiance will unsettle Fu Yechuan, proving she cannot be baited or controlled.
• Fu Yechuan: His challenge will expose his inner turmoil, deepening his regret and admiration.
• Lu Qi: His arrogance will backfire, leaving him humiliated once again.
• Qin Yu: Her fiery loyalty will continue to shield Su Nan, though her impatience may spark conflict.
• Ning Zhile: Her steady presence will reinforce Su Nan’s authority, ensuring she faces the challenge with support.

👉 Reader Engagement

Which moment thrilled you most — Su Nan’s flawless violin performance, her cold dismissal of Lu Qi, or her chilling final line: “What’s the wager?”

💬 Share your thoughts below — I’d love to hear which part left you most eager for the next chapter!

This post contains a summary and personal commentary for discussion purposes.