The wind and snow swirled, and the lamp shadows flickered.
“If you’re cold, go back to your room and sleep early.”
Chu Xianning’s cold and aloof voice was mixed with the wind and snow, and it fell into Jiang Huai’s ears.
After saying this, Chu Xianning turned her face away, not daring to look into Jiang Huai’s eyes. If she saw the disappointment in his eyes, she would feel an indescribable awkwardness. It was as if she had already foreseen this disappointment. A moment later, she heard Jiang Huai speak again, “I thought of a very interesting story last night and want to tell Master now.”
Jiang Huai’s voice was innocent, without any hint of grievance or loss. Chu Xianning slowly turned her head to look at him, staring at him seriously for a few seconds. Finally, she softly hummed and said, “Tell me in the room.”
Chu Xianning stood up, and Jiang Huai quickly picked up his umbrella and came to her side, shielding her from the snowflakes falling beside her.
The two returned to the room together. After entering the room, Chu Xianning’s body burrowed into the quilt on the bed, her whole body wrapped tightly by the bedding. It was not like last time, when even when lying on the bed, her white and tender little feet were still exposed, free for Jiang Huai to knead as he pleased.
Jiang Huai moved a chair and sat beside her. The lamp in the room was extinguished, and the light from outside the window was slightly dim. Snowflakes fell one by one. He leaned back in his chair and earnestly told the story in the darkness.
The story was not something he had just made up, but something he had indeed thought of in the past couple of days. Chu Xianning had no intention of sleeping, but as he told the story, her eyelids began to feel heavy.
Gradually, she truly fell asleep.
Chu Xianning slept soundly, neither kicking off the quilt nor tossing and turning. Jiang Huai sat there, looking at her gently. At this moment, he had no wicked thoughts of stealing a kiss. Just looking at Chu Xianning like this made him feel unspeakably at ease.
He knew why Chu Xianning had refused a hug. The shyness from a few days ago had not completely faded yet, and Chu Xianning had always been thin-skinned. He shouldn’t have pushed her too hard.
“Master, sleep well. Goodnight.”
Jiang Huai said very, very softly, then held up his umbrella and walked out of the room.
***
Jiang Huai became a frequent visitor to Fang Qingmu’s courtyard.
Perhaps it was because they had been chatting particularly happily lately, Fang Qingmu often invited Jiang Huai to his courtyard. When he had nothing to do, Jiang Huai began to ask Fang Qingmu for advice on formations.
It was well known that True Person Qingmu was the strongest formation master in the Eastern Region. Fang Qingmu generously taught him everything, praising his terrifying talent in formations. His evaluation of Jiang Huai’s talent in formations was once… with such talent, as long as he diligently studied the formation diagrams he left behind, within ten years, he could possess his current understanding and achievements in formations.
Fang Qingmu was also a master at playing chess. Today, he had invited the Chess Saint to play a game, and they would drink later. Jiang Huai watched the game from the side. He didn’t find it boring at all; watching others play chess was quite interesting. The Chess Saint was accompanied by Mu Yao today. Mu Yao wore a white palace dress, looking pure and elegant, winning admiration from anyone who saw her for her gentle and intelligent demeanor. However, Jiang Huai’s impression of her was still stuck on the time she took advantage of him and touched his chest.
Today, she was also wearing white lace leg warmers, but she had not put on embroidered shoes. Her white, tender little feet were stepping on the ground, yet they were spotless due to the spiritual qi enveloping her body.
Fang Qingmu and the Chess Saint played very seriously, but unfortunately, Fang Qingmu lost all five games. The Chess Saint played particularly diligently. He never treated the chessboard carelessly and never conceded a move, as it was disrespectful to both his opponent and himself.
“You brat…” Fang Qingmu looked at the Chess Saint with a wry smile.
When the Chess Saint was not yet the Chess Saint, Fang Qingmu had won several games against him. Now, times had changed. That young boy had become the Chess Saint, while he himself was near death, with little time left.
“Why don’t we let the two young friends play a couple of games?” Fang Qingmu looked at the Chess Saint opposite him. The Chess Saint had no objections, but Jiang Huai suddenly spoke up at this moment, “I’ll play two games against the Chess Saint on behalf of Uncle Fang?”
The Chess Saint was first stunned, then naturally nodded gently and agreed.
Jiang Huai quickly sat opposite the Chess Saint. Before making a move, he looked at the Chess Saint’s face and said earnestly, “I did not go all out when I played against the Chess Saint before. I hope Senior will not blame me.”
The Chess Saint’s expression seemed unsurprised. Instead, he finally smiled with relief, “You’re willing to play seriously with me now?”
“Senior knew long ago?”
“That game, in different time periods, did not feel like it was played by the same person.”
Jiang Huai was dumbfounded, and indeed, he thought his cleverness could fool the Chess Saint, but in reality, the other party already knew.
The chessboard was set up again. This time, Jiang Huai made the first move. Fang Qingmu sat beside him, seriously observing their game. Jiang Huai’s moves were never hesitant; each piece exuded a decisive aura. The Chess Saint was the same. This game was played exceptionally quickly, and by the end, the Chess Saint was defeated.
But he was not discouraged; instead, he laughed heartily, “Again.”
The next game began. The chessboard held countless subtleties, and both Fang Qingmu and Mu Yao watched with rapt attention. The Chess Saint, far from being disheartened by his defeat, became more and more bright-eyed with each loss.
Jiang Huai was puzzled at first, but gradually he understood.
Perhaps in the past, the Chess Saint believed he had reached the end of his journey in chess, and naturally found it extremely uninteresting. Now that he saw a new path, he was naturally overjoyed.
Jiang Huai played ten games against the Chess Saint, winning all of them. At this moment, he showed no signs of fatigue. He politely asked the Chess Saint, “Senior, let’s play again another day.”
Although the Chess Saint still seemed a bit reluctant, he nodded in agreement, “Alright, if you have time another day, I’ll invite you to Aolai Continent for a game.”
Jiang Huai nodded gently.
So, Jiang Huai and Fang Qingmu prepared dinner together. Both of them had been practicing their cooking skills for a long time, and each made three dishes. Summer Wanyu was still deeply asleep. Tonight, only four people would drink together in the courtyard.
The four sat at a square table. Mu Yao sat opposite Jiang Huai. He ate his meal seriously. All four had some wine in their cups. After a few drinks, Jiang Huai spoke little, mostly listening to Fang Qingmu and the Chess Saint chat. The two had some history; Fang Qingmu had once guided the Chess Saint, thus being indebted to him, and the Chess Saint respected Fang Qingmu immensely.
Jiang Huai ate his food and drank his wine. He inadvertently lowered his gaze, and a pair of white and tender lotus feet were now resting on his legs.
He glanced at Mu Yao nonchalantly. Mu Yao had an innocent and naive expression, but her white and tender little feet under the table were restlessly moving on his legs. She didn’t even blush, nor did her eyes show any guilt.
Her little feet were particularly restless, as if trying to go somewhere strange. They were directly clamped by Jiang Huai’s legs.
Mu Yao’s drinking action paused slightly, and some wine spilled from her cup. The others at the table looked at her. She answered innocently, “I choked because I drank too fast…”
Jiang Huai released his legs, and she retracted her white silk-clad feet. She pouted slightly, ate a few more bites of food, then put down her chopsticks and said, “It’s a bit stuffy in the courtyard. I’m going out for a walk.”
The Chess Saint nodded gently, but Mu Yao came to Jiang Huai’s side, “Come with me for a walk.”
Her voice was soft and gentle, a perfect act of coquettishness. Unfortunately, Jiang Huai didn’t fall for it at all. “No.”
“Didn’t you put down your chopsticks?”
“I still want to drink.”
Hmph.
For a gathering of elders, drinking only truly began when the chopsticks were put down.
With that, Jiang Huai raised his cup, filled it, and toasted the two seniors in front of him. However, the Chess Saint gave him a strange look, then looked at Mu Yao, but still said nothing, only drinking his wine.
Mu Yao didn’t go out either. Instead, she moved her chair next to Jiang Huai, her dark eyes staring at him without blinking, “Then I’ll wait for you to finish drinking.”
Jiang Huai glanced at her askance, “After I finish, I’m going home to sleep.”
“Then take me with you.” Mu Yao blinked innocently at him.
Jiang Huai was stunned. He quietly glanced at the Chess Saint. Obviously, the Chess Saint’s expression also stiffened. Jiang Huai immediately felt pressured. He looked at Mu Yao again, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
But Mu Yao looked at him, resting her cheeks on her hands, “I’m not talking nonsense.”
Her eyes were innocent again, but this time Jiang Huai understood her intention.
This was probably her way of saying, “So you haven’t been paying attention to me lately.” In the past few days, Mu Yao had sent many spiritual pigeons to Jiang Huai’s courtyard, asking if he was free tomorrow and if he wanted to go out together, or if he wanted to come to her courtyard to play, whatever they played. Some of the letters in the spiritual pigeons even contained extremely ambiguous words, but Jiang Huai only glanced at them and ignored them. Later, he was too lazy to even read them, crushing the spiritual pigeons made of spiritual qi directly.
Jiang Huai couldn’t figure it out. What was it about him that attracted Mu Yao? This wasn’t a harem protagonist script. Why did the more he ignored her, the more interested she became? Such a proud young lady, logically, after being rejected twice, should have stopped seeking further humiliation, instead of insisting on bothering him.
“There’s no room for you in my bed.”
“Then I’ll discuss with your Dao Companion to see if I can squeeze in?” Mu Yao answered without hesitation, but a moment later, the Chess Saint finally spoke, “A’Yao…”
Jiang Huai, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, found that Mu Yao was making a face at the Chess Saint, “I don’t want Daddy to interfere. This is between him and me. Daddy’s not allowed to interfere.”
Just as the Chess Saint was about to speak again, Mu Yao covered her ears and started shaking her head, “I don’t listen, I don’t listen, I don’t listen!”
Even Jiang Huai was speechless for a moment. He shook his head helplessly, raised his wine cup, and looked at the Chess Saint in front of him. The Chess Saint gave him a meaningful look but said nothing more, only drinking his wine.
The four of them drank a few more cups of wine in the courtyard. Mu Yao also raised her cup along with them. With each drink, her body became more limp. When she was too weak to support herself, she would lean slightly towards Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai shifted his body, but she leaned closer and closer, until Jiang Huai held her by the shoulder and said softly and helplessly, “Miss Mu Yao.”
“Hmm?”
“Please have some self-respect.”
After saying this, shouldn’t she restrain herself?
But Mu Yao only looked at him with hazy eyes, her delicate pink tongue lightly licking her lips.
“I just have no shame.”
