My uncle taught me various card playing techniques in the past, but he was right — my fate was in my own hands. How to navigate life's path depended on my choices. Just like this moment of entertainment, using some tricks to amuse them might not necessarily be a bad thing.
"Your luck is so good, you should buy a lottery ticket. And if you win, remember to share some with us!" Shirley joked with a hearty laugh. I nodded, indicating no problem at all, even though I was the only one who knew what was really going on.
Without a bit of technique, it was impossible not to draw the turtle. However, the thought of my uncle gambling using techniques made me feel heavy-hearted. I could almost see the countless amount of money, and the image of Viola's uncle with his chopped hands...
To be honest, I worried a lot about my uncle. I was afraid his gambling could get him into trouble. We had a very deep bond, but I didn't know how to advise him.
"Can a person's luck really be this good?" Zoe asked softly. She hadn't spoken since we started playing "Draw the Turtle." I wasn't sure if it was because she felt awkward, but she seemed distracted.
Perhaps she wasn't interested in playing cards at all. If she was heading to a room right now, to engage in something more intense... everything would probably be smoother. I'm a real tragedy!
"It's impossible. His luck can't be this good. Never drawing the turtle each time, he must be hiding something from us," Monica analyzed calmly. She had always been wise, and she simply didn't believe my luck was that good.
Her words made others suspicious too. They chattered and discussed, and Monica's gaze towards me was off. I scratched my head awkwardly. Truth be told, I'd probably stolen glances at her legs the most. I didn't even know why...
I faintly heard the sound of raindrops on the window. I got out of bed and walked to the window, drawing the curtains aside. It was raining outside.
The gentle raindrops tapped lightly on the glass window. Small streams of water traced their paths on the window, just like how I used to lie in bed and watch the rain. I liked being alone in the darkness. It made me feel safe.
Suddenly, I felt a little homesick. I thought of my parents back home and the friends I used to play with. I didn't know how they were doing now. I didn't know if Viola had found a boyfriend, or if she was waiting for me to return...
Honestly, I'm a very traditional person, with old-fashioned values. Even though Shirley and the others dressed up nicely and looked pretty, they still couldn't give me the same feeling Viola did — genuine and clean, capable of living a steadfast life...
"Come here quickly and tell us honestly what's going on!" Shirley roared at me with a toothy grin. All the girls had reached a consensus: I must have a secret to drawing the turtle.
Seeing their eager expressions, I felt it was time to showcase some real skills. But I suddenly remembered what my uncle told me the first time he taught me card games.
He said that the reason these techniques could fool others' eyes was that they didn't understand the techniques and had no guard against them. It was essential to never expose them and to keep them a secret from anyone.
My uncle had said a lot of things before, but three of them stuck in my mind. The phrase from a moment ago was one of them, so I immediately abandoned the idea of showcasing my skills. Although it was a fantastic opportunity for a show-off.
"Really, it's nothing. Actually..." I looked at all the paper stuck on their faces. It wouldn't be easy to simply brush it off, but I couldn't reveal my secret either. What should I do?
"Actually what? Actually, you don't want to tell us, right?" Monica's words made me feel a bit guilty. She was too clever; nothing could escape her gaze.
"No, it's just... Let me show you!" After thinking it over, I decided to pull off a "Turtle Hands" move!
I picked up the deck of cards and shuffled them in my hands. Then, right in front of all the girls, I demonstrated a card flourish. It's quite simple, something anyone could learn in a second. But I could only perform an up-and-down flourish, while my uncle could do it left and right, his speed so fast it was impossible to see clearly.
The deck of cards extended in a long ribbon in my hand, and their faces showed unabashed amazement. This performance earned a perfect score in terms of impressiveness. Instantly, my vanity was greatly satisfied!
"Wow!"
"Oh my God! How did he do that?"
"This is unbelievable! So handsome! A gambling deity!"
All the girls stared at me in astonishment, gasping in disbelief. I knew they were all floored, and I had successfully diverted the conversation away from my secret.
I shook my head and shuffled the deck of cards again, performing the flourish in the air once more. It wasn't that I intentionally exposed myself; it was just that the "Turtle Hands" flourish was too simple. Anyone could learn it in a second. Even if they kept questioning me, I could say I saw it online.
"Cough, cough. Do you want to learn?" I grinned as I looked at them.
" Hurry up and tell us how you did it. It's so amazing, is this magic?" Shirley had lost her composure long ago, holding onto my arm and not letting go. The other girls wore equally expectant expressions.
It was time to showcase some real skills! I shuffled the cards and dealt some to each of them.
I instructed them to place one corner of the card between their pinky and ring fingers, any of the four corners would do, and the opposite diagonal corner rested against the thumb. It was straightforward; a single hand could easily hold the card.
All they needed to do was exert pressure with their fingers to create an arc in the card, and it would naturally pop out. The other hand simply had to catch it as it came out.
While popping the card, the hand catching it would move up and down, creating the illusion that the card was being pulled out. Such a simple sleight of hand!