Originated from mountains and seas, life never ends

"...Please let me go. I really don't know how to catch up with Qin Xiao."

Miao Kaijie said helplessly. The boy opposite him pursed his lips and stared at him closely with his beautiful eyes.

"That's not what I meant." Mo Hanyu's throat tightened, "I just wanted to ask what Qin Xiao said to you."

Miao Kaijie looked at him meaningfully and said sincerely, "The truth hurts."

"Just say it when I tell you to." Mo Hanyu was displeased.

Miao Kaijie could only smack his lips and apologize to Qin Xiao in his heart: "He said you are just a child, you don't know anything about love."

As expected, Mo Hanyu's face looked ugly.

Miao Kaijie sighed in his heart: "How nice it would be if you were a girl——"

"Get lost!" Mo Hanyu hated hearing these words the most in his life. He raised his foot to kick him, but he dodged it swiftly.

"Oh, look at you, you're still angry." Miao Kaijie returned to his nonchalant look and looked at him with a playful smile, "If you want to ask me, why don't you ask Senior Sister Xia, or Junior Brother Yin will do."

"If it doesn't work, ask Shen Youge."

"Get lost." Mo Hanyu didn't want to say anything more to him, so he turned around and left.

Miao Kaijie curled his lips and said, "Throw it away after use."

Mo Hanyu's mind was in a mess. He almost didn't sleep last night. He was thinking about how to get along with Qin Xiao in the future and how Qin Xiao would react. He -

Mo Hanyu paused for a moment and looked blankly at Qin Xiao who was walking towards him. It was too late to hide now, so he could only bite the bullet and greet him.

But as soon as he raised his hand, Qin Xiao walked over without even looking at him, without any reaction at all.

Mo Hanyu: ...

Mo Hanyu felt half disappointed.

She turned her head and tried to grab him, but her hand was halfway extended when she pulled it back. She stood there at a loss, staring at the figure walking away quickly.

Owl him...

Are you so disgusted that you don't even want to care about it?

Qin Xiao, who was deep in thought, did not hear the sound of the boy's heart breaking behind him. He was completely immersed in his own world.

His first reaction was to ask Mo Hanyu, but because of various reasons, he decided to give up. Then he thought of Bai Ze, but heard from Xia Wule that he had already talked to him and if he still hadn't found the answer, he would have to look for another way.

Qin Xiao wanted to find something to do. Mo Hanyu also said there was no rush to respond.

Then you'd better stay away from him for the next few days. Chen Mo's injury is no longer a problem, and Xia Wule's condition is relatively stable. I hope nothing goes wrong before the game.

Qin Xiao thought for a moment and decided to ask Meng Liyun.

"Phoenix tattoo? I don't have one." Nangong Huaxue asked curiously, "Let me see."

Qin Xiao thought that they were all girls anyway, so he showed her the photo.

"Wait a minute, I'll draw it." Nangong Huaxue picked up the paper and pen beside him, fiddled with it for a while, and then held it up. "How is it? Does it look like it?"

Qin Xiao was silent for a while: "Don't worry, just draw slowly."

Nangong Huaxue was silent.

In a moment, he finally drew a picture that was 70% like the real thing. Nangong Huaxue held it up and looked at it for a long time, then put it away.

"I'll check for you later. According to what your senior sister said, she was awakened by stimulating her emotions. From her description, it seems that she was not an evil cultivator at the beginning, but was caused by excessive negative emotions in her heart. Hmm..." Nangong Huaxue frowned and looked at the pattern, "Did this tattoo appear on its own?"

"She doesn't know this, and she didn't have the chance to look at her back before this." Qin Xiao said, "From what she said, she felt a burning pain in her back the night she awakened. It hurt for most of the night before gradually subsiding. It doesn't appear on weekdays, but only when she is practicing Qi."

"...I understand." Nangong Huaxue nodded, "I'll check it out when I have time."

"Please." Qin Xiao thanked him.

Normally, the conversation would have ended at this point. But for some reason, Qin Xiao remained silent for a while and changed the subject.

"How are you and Wang Ji doing lately?"

"Very good." Nangong Huaxue was surprised. He didn't seem like the type of person who would inexplicably pry into other people's private affairs.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"That is..." Qin Xiao felt it was difficult to speak, "Do you know how to reject his confession without hurting him?"

"Someone confessed to you? Who?" Nangong Huaxue's eyes lit up and he became energetic.

"I... just ask."

"This is not like you." Nangong Huaxue ignored him. "When you encountered this situation before, you just refused and ran away. Why is it different this time?"

"Who is it? Male or female?"

Nangong Huaxue's gossipy heart was burning.

"Why are you asking so many questions? We can't be together anyway." Qin Xiao said unhappily with red ears.

"Why?" Nangong Huaxue was amazed. "Why is it impossible?"

"We...it's impossible anyway." Qin Xiao shook his head and said persistently.

"Actually, I've wanted to say this to you for a long time, Xiao." Nangong Huaxue straightened up and said seriously, "I think you don't have to suppress your feelings all the time. You should also look forward."

"I'm always looking forward." Qin Xiao retorted.

"Then why didn't you agree to him?"

"Why should I agree to him?"

"Because he must be different in your heart." Nangong Huaxue said confidently, "If it was before, you would have rejected him directly or run away. But now you only want to prevent him from getting hurt. Isn't that special?!"

Qin Xiao was speechless and turned his head away without saying anything.

Nangong Huaxue was so angry at him for being so stubborn, but she couldn't do anything about it: "Alright, alright, if you ask me, I'll just make him give up when he sees difficulty."

Qin Xiao's ears twitched, obviously he was listening.

"It's just... those likes and loves. It must be in the early stages now. In his eyes, you are the perfect image. You just need to shatter his fantasy."

Seeing that he didn't understand, Nangong Huaxue explained, "For example, if you like someone, you must be attracted to him because of something about him, maybe his appearance or his temperament. As long as you destroy the thing that attracts him, he will naturally not like you anymore."

"It's like a little sister of mine who pursued a man passionately for almost four years, but she gave up because she couldn't accept that the man would burp and pick his nose."

Qin Xiao: ...

"Do you understand? That perfect fantasy has been shattered." Nangong Huaxue gestured to him, "If you don't want to hurt him, you have to let him give up on you and be disappointed in you."

Qin Xiao thought for a moment and felt that what she said made sense.

"So who is that person?" Nangong Huaxue persisted.

Qin Xiao glanced at her and smiled at her: "Goodbye."

Nangong Huaxue: ...

“Just throw it away after use!” Nangong Huaxue pounded the table and gritted his teeth as he watched the projection go off.

"Just wait for me..." Nangong Huaxue's eyes rolled around, and he smiled sinisterly when he recalled the news his subordinates had brought him not long ago.

Yin Xihui thought Qin Xiao was crazy.

Otherwise, why would he suddenly change his usual behavior and become rude and impatient?

It was like this for several days.

Yin Xihui invited Qiu Puyue and Qin Xiao to have tea together. He wanted to talk to him about his recent changes, but found that he was back to normal.

Yin Xihui narrowed his eyes and quickly recalled the scenes of the past few days, and got the answer.

"Are you trying to make him give up?" Yin Xihui smiled and took a sip of tea.

Qin Xiao paused: "I don't understand what you are talking about."

"If you were in front of Mo Hanyu, your fingers would 'accidentally' hook into the tea bowl, soak it for a few times, and then splash the water everywhere." Yin Xihui exposed him mercilessly.

Qin Xiao: ...

"…Is it obvious?" He asked in a low voice after a while.

"So it is true." Yin Xihui laughed and shook his head. "Who gave you this idea? It's really interesting."

Qin Xiao pursed his lips and said nothing.

Yin Xihui also felt helpless: "Don't you realize that your method is completely useless?"

Of course Qin Xiao discovered it.

When Mo Hanyu dipped his fingers into tea, he would worry that he would be burned. When he shook his hands, he would feel worried that he would be hurt. When he deliberately burped after dinner, his eyes would be filled with smiles...

That scorching gaze seemed to burn through him.

Qin Xiao's veins bulged, he felt helpless and powerless.

Yin Xihui smiled and shook his head, advising him: "Let it be."

"You're tired of pretending these days, aren't you?"

Of course, what Yin Xihui was referring to was not how tired his body was, but how tired his heart was.

Qin Xiao was silent for a while and nodded.

"We will be leaving for Star in a few days. Although the competition is not important to you and me, I still advise you to keep your spirits up."

"No, it's quite important." Qin Xiao said seriously, "I have also been practicing these two days."

"That was my fault." Yin Xihui followed suit.

Only after Qin Xiao left did Qiu Puryue look at him.

"So... can we talk about it now? About Mo Hanyu."

"Isn't it obvious?" Yin Xihui laughed, but leaned over and whispered in her ear.

Qiu Puryue seemed to be thinking about something. Seeing that he seemed to be enjoying the fun, she couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you worried?"

"worry about what?"

"The two of them... might have a falling out."

Yin Xihui sneered: "How is that possible?"

"Why not?" Qiu Puryue frowned, "If Qin Xiao keeps refusing to agree, we might not even be able to be friends in the end."

Yin Xihui jokingly asked, "Would you like to take a gamble?"

"What are you gambling?"

"I bet Qin Xiao will agree to Mo Hanyu's confession before the end of the competition." Yin Xihui was quite confident and looked at her closely. "Want to bet?"

"Even if he agrees, it won't be so soon, right? Senior Xia has been pursuing me for such a long time..." Qiu Puryue still felt that it was unlikely. Although Mo Hanyu and Qin Xiao had a good relationship, based on her understanding of Qin Xiao, she felt that he was not the kind of person who would fall in love.

"You're not going to do anything secretly, are you?" Thinking of this, Qiu Puyue became suspicious, not knowing where his confidence came from.

"If you accept this bet, you definitely won't do that." Yin Xihui promised.

Qiu Puyue's eyes turned and she nodded: "Okay."

"I bet five silver coins."

Yin Xihui smiled and shook his head: "No gambling."

"What's the bet?"

Yin Xihui looked at her, his eyes darkening. Seeing that she was beginning to feel uncomfortable, he retracted his gaze and said, "Well, if I lose, I will give you ten gold coins."

"So big? I—"

"Listen to me." Yin Xihui tapped her lips, interrupting her next words, "If I win, you have to promise me something."

"how?"

"I promised you something? What is it?"

"This can't be told in advance, otherwise it will be so boring." Yin Xihui shook his head.

Qiu Puryue thought for a moment. Her experiences from childhood to adulthood made her feel that Yin Xihui's request would not embarrass her, so she nodded: "Okay."

Yin Xihui smiled with satisfaction, like a fox seeing its prey fall successfully into the trap it had set.

Qiu Puyue looked suspicious: "Are you sure? Why?"

"I'm just guessing based on past experience." Yin Xi smiled faintly, "Qin Xiao is very indulgent towards him."

"But this matter is different." Qiu Puryue was puzzled.

Yin Xihui thought of something interesting, smiled, and took a sip of tea: "I think it's the same."

"Since he didn't refuse at the first opportunity, it means the chances of success are very high. And..."

"Qin Xiao can't bear to let him hang for so long." Yin Xihui sneered, and suddenly a sound came from his ears.

"I heard everything..." Xia Wule suddenly popped his head out from the treetops outside the pavilion and smiled grimly.

Qiu Puyue was startled and quickly sat down. Yin Xihui still looked lazy.

"So what does Senior say?"

Xia Wuliao laughed twice and rolled his eyes: "I want to bet too."

"Oh?"

"I bet he agrees within a year, but not in the competition." Xia Wuliao put down a bag of silver coins and said.

Yin Xihui accepted it with a smile: "Of course."

"Xiao Mo, do you want to take a gamble?" Xia Wu Le suddenly spoke up and asked in one direction.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a shadow appeared outside the pavilion, which lengthened and widened, and a young man dressed in black emerged from it.

The young man met the various looks from the crowd, lowered his eyelids, and put down two gold coins: "Within two months."

Yin Xihui smiled even more happily.

Xia Wuliao looked at Chen Mo and chuckled. Their relationship had improved a lot since that day. Although he still hadn't agreed, their every move had shown them to be much closer.

"I'll ask the others, remember to keep it a secret." Xia Wuliao watched the fun and didn't mind making things worse, so he specifically reminded, "Don't tell that old man."

Yin Xihui watched her go away with a big smile on his face.

Qiu Puyue looked at Chen Mo, but felt strange.

"Two months... the competition isn't even over yet, why do you feel that way?"

Is it because you slept in the same room with Qin Xiao and the others before, so you are familiar with the situation?

Chen Mo lowered his eyes and left without saying a word.

Mo Hanyu, who had no idea that the progress of his relationship with Qin Xiao had become a gamble, came to the pavilion and intuitively felt that Qiu Puyue's eyes were a little strange.

"What's the matter?" Yin Xihui asked him first.

"Qin Xiao came to see you?" Mo Hanyu looked at him.

"He just drank a cup of tea and left." Yin Xihui told the truth, "Why, you don't dare to show up in front of him, and only dare to ask someone in private?"

"It's not a big deal..." Mo Hanyu felt uncomfortable and stretched out his long legs to sit down. "What do you think he is thinking?"

"I don't know what he's thinking, but I think you can test him." Yin Xihui faced Qiu Puryue's increasingly dissatisfied eyes without changing his expression and smiling like a peach blossom.

"Ok?"

"Try to challenge his bottom line and provoke him?"

"How can I do that? What if I make him angry?" Mo Hanyu frowned, "I want to pursue him, not to make enemies with him."

"You're wrong." Yin Xihui shook his head and put down the tea. "All the standards and rules are for people you don't like. If you really like someone, you won't care whether he meets the standards you set, and you will unconsciously lower your bottom line."

"He doesn't know, don't you know? How much he pampers you..."

"I'm asking you to test him, but I'm not asking you to step on his bottom line." Yin Xihui said, "If you want to know if you are special in his heart, just say something that bothers him and see how he reacts."

But now, he might be annoying to Qin Xiao, and he would cross the line of anger if he opened his mouth...

Mo Hanyu felt that what Yin Xihui said made sense and decided to wait a few days before trying again.

Qin Xiao's recent words and actions have revealed a sense of restlessness. It is obvious that he is worried about something. It is better for him to hide for a while.