The Smoking, Drinking, and Perm-Haired Bratty Young Lady

Macau City.

In the private hospital of the Casino King's family.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of attendants and medical staff, a pink-haired girl slowly awoke from her hospital bed, her long eyelashes fluttering faintly as she opened her eyes.

The surrounding caretakers collectively sighed in relief upon seeing her regain consciousness.

If anything had happened to the girl, their careers would have been over—at the very least, they wouldn’t have been able to continue working in Macau City.

Fortunately, the girl had woken up, and nothing serious seemed to have happened.

At least… on the surface, that was how it appeared.

The moment the pink-haired girl came to, her clear eyes filled with confusion. Why am I here? Shouldn’t I be at home playing games right now? How did I—

Wait.

The game!

That despicable bastard!

Memories of what had happened before she blacked out flooded back, and her blood pressure instantly skyrocketed.

Beep, beep, beep—

The steady rhythm of her heart rate monitor suddenly accelerated, rapidly climbing until it surpassed a terrifying 200 beats per minute. The medical staff in the room nearly collapsed in fright, their legs going weak.

Reacting quickly, they scrambled to stabilize her.

Before the girl could even utter a word, a needle pricked her fair, delicate arm.

Her eyelids grew heavier, her heart rate gradually returning to normal. In less than a minute, she had fallen into a deep slumber once more.

A nearby doctor wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Madam, the young lady mustn’t get too agitated—it could lead to complications."

A noblewoman, bearing a striking resemblance to the girl, nodded. "Understood. When will Tongxin wake up?"

"She should regain consciousness in about half an hour. If her emotions remain unstable, we may need to…"

The doctor trailed off, glancing meaningfully at the syringe nearby.

The noblewoman nodded again. "Very well. You may leave for now. If Tongtong shows any further issues, I’ll call for you. You’ve done well today—go to accounting and collect an extra month’s pay."

The fear in the medical staff’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by sheer delight.

Truly, risk and reward went hand in hand.

Just because they had been on duty today and were the ones to assist in the emergency, they had earned an entire month’s salary for free.

What was this if not a stroke of luck?

"Thank you, Madam!"

The group of medical staff hurriedly expressed their gratitude before exiting, leaving only the noblewoman to keep watch in the room.

Her eyes filled with worry, she tightly clasped her daughter’s small hand.

Tick, tock, tick, tock…

Time passed minute by minute, the effects of the sedative gradually wearing off. Once again, the girl stirred awake.

This time, she seemed much calmer—perhaps out of fear of being jabbed with another needle.

"Tongtong, are you okay? Mommy was so worried about you, wuuu…"

The noblewoman immediately teared up upon seeing her daughter awake, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"That jerk! Who was the one who stuck me with a needle earlier?"

"I’m gonna break their legs!"

The girl’s adorable face twisted into what she clearly believed was a "ferocious" expression, though the effect was more comical than intimidating. It was hard to believe such a pink-haired girl could be so vicious.

Her tiny face was practically screaming "menace."

The noblewoman blinked, her heart melting at the sight of her daughter’s "fierce but cute" act.

Mwah, mwah, mwah—

She planted several loud kisses on the girl’s cheeks.

Pink-haired girl: "…"

"Ew, Mom! You’re so gross!" The girl feigned disgust.

But despite her words, her body betrayed no resistance—if anything, she seemed pleased, her toes wiggling happily beneath the blankets.

Her delicate, pale feet remained hidden, giving away nothing.

The girl did her best to maintain her "intimidating" facade, as if it could make her seem more formidable—like a hedgehog curling into a spiky ball when threatened.

But just like a hedgehog, if someone managed to flip her over, they’d discover a completely different side.

A soft underbelly, exposed and vulnerable.

No longer a threat, but a squishy little thing anyone could poke and tease.

"Wuuu, Tongtong, you’re so scary, wuuu…" The noblewoman deliberately played along, pretending to be frightened.

Just as expected.

The girl’s vanity was instantly stroked, her chest puffing up with pride as she adopted the haughty demeanor of a bratty little princess.

"Hmph! Stupid Mom, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that? If you keep it up, don’t blame me for getting serious!"

The pink-haired girl waved her tiny fists threateningly in front of her mother.

The noblewoman blinked.

So adorable.

It was hard to believe this pink-haired girl was already twenty years old, still carrying the innocent temperament of a child.

She had a sweet tooth, especially for cakes and strawberry-flavored milk—daily essentials in her diet.

Xia Tongxin!

That was the girl’s name. Unlike the rest of the Casino King’s family, who bore the surname He, she took her mother’s surname, Xia.

The reason was simple: the larger the fortune, the fiercer the infighting.

Due to past internal conflicts, the Casino King had already lost several of his children. As his youngest daughter, he refused to let history repeat itself. On the day of her birth, he had publicly declared before the entire family:

No one is permitted to harm her in any way. Likewise, she will not be involved in any family affairs.

Still, the Casino King feared it wasn’t enough. To further ease the suspicions and jealousy of his other children, he even changed her surname to her mother’s.

Thanks to her unique status, her father’s favoritism, and her exclusion from family affairs, Xia Tongxin was adored by everyone in the household.

She was even granted a separate share of stocks and an astronomical trust fund—right in front of the entire family.

In short, she could live ten lifetimes without ever needing to work, spending her days eating, drinking, and enjoying life.

Money would never be a concern.

The only things she needed to worry about were how to stay happy and how to spend the phone-number-sized sums deposited into her account daily.

Her carefree, childlike innocence lasted until she started school. It was then that she realized she seemed… a little immature compared to her peers.

Everyone said she was like a kid who’d never grow up.

And so, the girl embarked on a mission to "mature."

Smoking, drinking, perming her hair, getting tattoos… hanging out with delinquents.

The cigarettes she smoked had to be strawberry-flavored, the alcohol had to be fruity low-proof pineapple beer, and her hair was dyed pink...

She was rebellious, but not entirely—afraid of pain, she swapped tattoos for stickers. Yet even so, the girl insisted on sticking her own badass "dragon sleeve" decal.

As a result, a peculiar little loli often appeared in the casino.

Pink hair, a cigarette dangling from her lips, a beer in hand, a flashy sticker sleeve on full display, and an utterly smug expression plastered on her face.

If she ran into someone she disliked, she’d mercilessly "humiliate" them—kicking their butt while taunting, "Trash fish~"

Then she’d finish the job by slapping them with a wad of cash. The ultimate insult!

Her mother, a noblewoman, saw nothing wrong with her daughter’s behavior, dismissing it as teenage rebellion.

After all, their little Tongtong had always been such a sweetheart—no, scratch that, their Tongtong was a good kid at heart, incapable of anything truly wicked.

Her favorite pastime? Squatting alone to watch ants march in lines, even helping stray ants reunite with their colony.

Adorable, right?

Though smoking wasn’t great for a girl. The noblewoman had confiscated all of Xia Tongxin’s cigarettes and issued a strict ban: anyone caught supplying her with tobacco would lose their hands.

She smiled gently, watching her feisty daughter.

"Tongtong, can you tell Mommy what happened in your room earlier? You were so angry… Mommy was really worried, boo hoo…"

The noblewoman had long figured out her daughter’s weakness—hard tactics didn’t work, so she went straight for the soft approach, playing the pity card.

Xia Tongxin, who’d been ready to stubbornly clam up, now wavered.

Passing out from rage was embarrassing, but… her dumb mom looked so pitiful…

Ugh…

"I-it was just… losing a game…" Xia Tongxin mumbled, head hanging low, lips pouting, her cheeks flushing red as her tiny, cute ears burned hot.

The noblewoman blinked, a giant question mark hovering over her head.

That’s it?

"Shut up, get out!" Xia Tongxin snapped, her face burning with shame as she defaulted to her usual "ferocious" act—though it came off more like a kitten’s growl.

The noblewoman’s eyes sparkled.

How could she be this cute?!

And then…

Smooch, smooch, smooch…

"Idiot! Big dummy! Trash fish Mommy, get out!" The girl’s flustered shrieks rang out as she pummeled the noblewoman with her tiny, soft fists—the same woman who’d just planted a dozen kisses on her.

The noblewoman grinned, utterly unrepentant.

She ended the assault with one last big hug before finally preparing to leave.

Throughout it all, the girl’s fists rained down like a storm, never letting up—until, eventually, they just… stopped.

Why?

Boing, boing, boing~~~

A magical little sound effect.

The girl fell silent, staring at her mother’s chest, then down at her own.

Her gaze dropped straight to her toes.

Clenching her fists, she gave her own chest a test punch.

Thud.

A dull thump.

Then she swung at the noblewoman.

Boing~

The girl: "…"

Silence was the bridge tonight—and the girl was feeling particularly bridged.

At visible speed, her face reddened, eyes glazing over with a misty sheen, her lips trembling into a pout.

"Stupid! Dummy! Demon! Evil cow! Waaah…" The girl burst into loud, dramatic sobs.

The noblewoman: "…"