She came in a hurry and didn't bring anything fun. She patted her waist and cuffs, only managing to rummage out some useless trinkets. But as she turned her head, her gaze fell upon the table beside them. It was clear that Xie Jing and Xie Yun had been playing Go and hadn't had time to clear the board, which was still complete.
Xie Jing followed Qin Jiujiu's gaze to the Go board. Although the room was very dark, he had been accustomed to darkness for so long that such an environment made him feel more comfortable. At the same time, years of adaptation had made his senses more acute in the dark. He could easily discern Qin Jiujiu's expressions and actions in such an environment.
Could it be that she specifically came to play Go with him? Xie Jing couldn't quite believe it. Would such a noisy woman come to play Go with him late at night?
But Qin Jiujiu soon confirmed his suspicion. After asking Xie Jing if she could play with the board and getting his consent, she excitedly ran to the table, picked up a few Go pieces, and walked up to Xie Jing holding them. "Second Young Master Xie, how about we play with these?" This action was truly unexpected from Xie Jing. He then saw her sit down on the floor without any regard for her appearance and start playing with the pieces.
It was the first time he knew that Go pieces could be treated so roughly! This Go board was an object of immeasurable value, but Qin Jiujiu was naturally unaware of it. Otherwise, she would never have used them to play marbles on the floor! It was simply wasteful!
However, Xie Jing not only didn't stop her but stood there watching her play. After observing for a while, he figured out what she was up to. Qin Jiujiu stopped playing and looked up, her eyes meeting his. As their gazes locked, Xie Jing felt that strange emotion resurface! In the dim light, he found Qin Jiujiu's face not only not displeasing but also felt no resistance to her closeness.
Qin Jiujiu didn't notice Xie Jing's unusual reaction, as she couldn't see his face clearly anyway. Playing alone wasn't much fun, so she decided to pull Xie Jing into her game. "Second Young Master Xie, quickly sit down, sit here!" After saying that, she patted the floor beside her, gesturing for him to sit. Seeing that Xie Jing didn't move, she seemed to remember something, took out a handkerchief from herself, and meticulously wiped the floor next to her.
Xie Jing watched her series of actions, feeling a slight tightness in his chest. His heart beat rhythmically for the first time. He didn't want to pay attention to her, but for some inexplicable reason, he sat down beside her.
"I'll teach you how to play this, it's very fun!" Qin Jiujiu's smile was genuine. This environment made her temporarily forget that the person sitting in front of her was the main villain in the novel. She was truly having fun and sincerely wanted to invite Xie Jing to join her.
Xie Jing chuckled, "Does such a childish game need teaching?" Before Qin Jiujiu could object to the word "childish," Xie Jing snatched the Go pieces from her hand and demonstrated it to her.
Qin Jiujiu felt her intelligence being crushed at that moment. Xie Jing had effectively shut her up before she could even speak.
"You really are... smart!" Qin Jiujiu instantly changed her words to this, "You're just too stupid." Her light tone felt as heavy as lead to Qin Jiujiu's ears. Xie Jing had successfully ignited Qin Jiujiu's competitive spirit!
"Then shall we have a match?" Xie Jing thought this woman's intelligence was perhaps only that of a two or three-year-old, but he failed to realize that he himself had been successfully tricked by this woman with the intelligence of a two or three-year-old into playing such a childish game!
Qin Jiujiu lost this round, but she felt that Xie Jing had only gotten lucky. So, she pestered him into playing three more rounds, claiming it was best of three, but Xie Jing won all three. Qin Jiujiu then changed it to best of five, only to be utterly defeated! Since Xie Jing never refused her, Qin Jiujiu increasingly forgot how terrified she should be of the person sitting beside her. She kept trying to renege on the game, but sleepiness still hadn't arrived!
Xie Jing watched the expressions on Qin Jiujiu's face change like a magnificent scroll, and his lips curved upwards. The weather tonight seemed to be excellent!
Qin Jiujiu decided to practice diligently herself and then challenge Xie Jing again. "Second Young Master Xie, this is enough for tonight. My luck is truly bad. I'll find you to battle again next time!" Qin Jiujiu naturally blamed her losses on her bad luck, completely ignoring the fact that she hadn't won a single game!
After Qin Jiujiu left, the room fell into complete silence again, and the light seemed to dim even further. Xie Jing did not go to bed. He leaped out of the window, and the empty room became even quieter.
On her way back to her room, Qin Jiujiu realized what she had done. She had been dancing on the edge of death! Xie Jing, who had been secretly following Qin Jiujiu, saw her suddenly begin to pound her own head as if possessed, look around furtively, and then run back to her courtyard.
Xie Jing watched Qin Jiujiu enter her room, and soon her brightly lit room also fell into darkness. Xie Jing paused, nudged his palate with his tongue, and then flew away.
The next morning.
Because Qin Jiujiu had played with Xie Jing until late the previous night, she woke up very late the next morning. As soon as she got up, she went to Bai Qianluo's room. To her surprise, when she entered, all three members of the protagonist group were there!
Qin Jiujiu quickly tiptoed to Bai Qianluo's side. Although the male protagonist was majestic and tall, she couldn't touch him. Only the female protagonist was the one she should butter up. Clinging to the female protagonist's thigh would make Qin Jiujiu happy.
"Sister Bai, this sword is so beautiful!" Qin Jiujiu's shadow flashed past Xie Jing and then appeared beside Bai Qianluo. Her voice was soft and sweet, and Xie Jing found it incredibly pleasant.
Besides Bai Qianluo, the voices of all the women he had met before disgusted him. He found the look in their eyes and the words they spoke to be contradictory, which made him extremely annoyed.
Qin Jiujiu, however, was different. Although her voice was soft, it was not quiet. Xie Jing clearly glimpsed that although she had a smile on her face, she showed no affection when she saw the sword. As for how Xie Jing judged this, it was by comparing the sparkle in her eyes to the sparkle she had when looking at food.
Bai Qianluo was wiping her Qing Jue sword. Seeing Qin Jiujiu, she smiled charmingly.
"Do you like it too?" Bai Qianluo seemed very surprised. Qing Jue Sword, as an ancient divine sword, was not exactly beautiful. Although Qing Jue was calm at the moment, the fame of an ancient divine sword was not for nothing. Even in its non-combat state, Qing Jue still exuded a sense of pressure. Let alone a weak woman like Qin Jiujiu, even an ordinary man would be frightened by this sword. Bai Qianluo had practiced this point countless times along the way.
For a cultivator like Bai Qianluo, her sword was equivalent to her life. The disciples of the Dao Xuan Sect all practiced swordsmanship. Once they found their sword, they would be bound to it until death. Therefore, when Bai Qianluo saw that Qin Jiujiu was not only unafraid but also seemed to like the sword, she felt an increased affection for Qin Jiujiu.
Qin Jiujiu now appeared like a girl next door, a soft and cute one. Not to mention men, even women like Bai Qianluo would feel delighted seeing her. However, Qin Jiujiu did not realize that she was acting like she was being pampered. She only knew that the female protagonist was happy, and she felt that she had hope of living again, so her smile increased.
But Bai Qianluo's next action made Qin Jiujiu unable to smile.