Ning Yuan was originally full of momentum, but when she saw Xiao Yun, she immediately wilted and stammered, "Xiao Yun, I have true feelings for you..."
"Nonsense, spare me," Xiao Yun quickly interrupted him, "The three bets, right? No problem, I'll accept them on his behalf."
Ning Yuan was suddenly overjoyed, "What if I win?"
Xiao Yun smiled seductively, "If you win, I will be your girlfriend, of course."
Ning Yuan was almost swept away by her smile. She reached out a hand and exclaimed, "Great, it's a deal, we'll clap as a pledge!"
"But..." Xiao Yun didn't reach out her hand, but rather asked, "What if you lose?"
"Haha, how could I possibly lose?" Ning Yuan laughed loudly, "Just because you're cultivators, it doesn't mean you will definitely win. There are many things in which even immortals might not have an advantage. This time, I will definitely win!"
Xiao Kai finally spoke again, but his voice was quite soft, "Um... you haven't asked for my opinion yet?"
"That's right, the master hasn't spoken yet," Xiaoxin quickly echoed.
"Do you not agree?" Xiao Yun's gaze suddenly shifted to him, her expression seeming to be smiling yet also hinting at a threat. Xiao Kai's voice immediately lowered even more, "I...I didn't say I don’t agree... I just... I really don't have any assurance."
Xiao Yun glared at him sternly, "If you dare to lose, just you wait and see how I'll teach you a lesson!"
Xiao Kai shrunk his neck, looking helpless.
Xiao Yun's gaze then turned to Xiaoxin and Xiaoyue, as she asked Xiao Kai, "Tell me, what's the deal with them?"
"In response to the main wife, my name is Xiaoxin, and she is Xiaoyue," Xiaoxin answered respectfully, "We are indeed not call girls, we are our master's servants."
"Servants? What kind of servants?" Xiao Yun's brows furrowed, "In this day and age, where did servants come from?"
"In response to the main wife, we are indeed our master's servants," Xiaoyue said, "Everything about us belongs to our master. Our duty is to serve our master's food, clothing, and accommodation, protect our master's safety, obey our master's orders, and satisfy all of our master's requests."
"All requests?" Xiao Yun's eyes widened, "What if he wants you to attend to his bed?"
Xiaoyue smiled faintly, with a hint of shyness on her face, "If the master really wants Xiaoyue, it would be Xiaoyue's honor, Xiaoyue would be very willing."
The situation that followed was quite chaotic. Ning Yuan, with a head full of questions, was driven away by Xiao Yun. Before leaving, she arranged with Xiao Kai for the date of the bet. Then it was Xiao Yun's turn to interrogate Xiao Kai. The Huangshan Spirit Gathering Conference was something that could be mentioned, but the matter of the fox's lair, that was something that could never be disclosed. Although Xiao Kai didn't dare to confront his senior sister head-on, he still had a knack for jokes. The two little foxes followed Xiao Kai's lead and kept their lips sealed, not divulging any information. After coaxing Xiao Kai for a long time, Xiao Yun eventually had to admit defeat. But she was determined in her heart, from now on, she must closely guard her junior brother, and at least not let him do anything behind her back.
The next morning, as soon as Xiao Kai finished getting ready and opened the door, he saw Ning Qing standing at the door.
"What... what do you want?" Xiao Kai was a bit jumpy, he looked left and right, making sure the little beauty wasn't bringing people to seek vengeance, before letting out a sigh of relief and saying, "I'm headed to work now, if you have something, come find me in a couple of days."
"However, I've been waiting here for an hour." The voice of the little girl was full of grievance.
"But, I really am going to be late." After saying this, Xiaokai felt like the wicked wolf in the fairy tale, bullying poor Little Red Riding Hood.
Ning Qing pouted and looked at him without saying a word. That white dress, pretty face, ponytail, and pitiable appearance made Xiaokai suddenly feel guilty. He scratched his head, pinched his nose, and subconsciously looked away.
The little beauty spoke in a small, pitiful voice, "Xiaokai, do you really dislike me that much?"
"No, of course not," Xiaokai chuckled dryly. "You're so beautiful, how could I dislike you?"
"Then... why won't you let me be your girlfriend?" Ning Qing's big eyes twinkled, looking incredibly cute. Fortunately, Xiaokai's resistance had been exercised, and he sighed, explaining, "Miss Ning, feelings are not that simple. When two people want to be in a relationship, they need to understand each other, get to know each other, and cultivate their feelings slowly, step by step, before everything falls into place. It's not like you, acting recklessly..."
"Well, we can take our time," Ning Qing persisted. "I have plenty of time."
Xiaokai suddenly felt very depressed, not knowing what to say.
"Also," Ning Qing seemed to be on the verge of tears again. "I got hurt yesterday, my legs and feet were bleeding, and my arm had a large bruise. It hurts a lot."
"I'm sorry," Xiaokai wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It's all Xiaoyue’s fault, she was too rough."
"Okay, Xiaokai, I don't blame you," the little girl looked at Xiaokai affectionately, her face blushing. "If... if you agree to be my boyfriend, I’ll forgive you. How about it?"
Xiaokai could only smile bitterly. "Miss Ning, let's discuss this another time, okay?"
"Fine then," Ning Qing bit her lip with her white teeth, then suddenly seemed to realize something and laughed cheerfully. "Then... I’ll come to find you every day. Xiaokai, you're right, feelings need to be cultivated. I believe, one day, you will agree to be my boyfriend." She raised her white little fist and waved it in front of Xiaokai, showing her determination. Xiaokai's heart pounded, and he dared not say another word, vigorously nodding his head and then turning away and running.
Behind him came Ning Qing's clear, bell-like voice, "Xiaokai, be careful on the way, I'll come see you whenever I have the time."
Recently, the Planning Department of Tianyi Company had become lively again. At lunchtime and after work, groups of colleagues gathered to gossip, and the subject of the discussion was none other than their new manager, Yan Xiaokai.
The former acting manager, Yan Xiaokai, had disappeared for a while, leaving the Planning Department neglected, with nobody to take charge. The company's top leaders seemed to have forgotten about the department, only focusing on their own business, until Yan Xiaokai returned a few days ago.
Upon his return, Yan Xiaokai immediately became the official manager of the Planning Department. That same morning, the company's finance director, Miss Xiao Yun, went to his office and chatted with him for a whole morning, then left with a smile and a mysterious air.
Sharp-eyed individuals noticed that the manager's clothes were disheveled, and his demeanor was a bit disheveled as well, with a bright red lipstick mark on his cheek, the source of which was quite apparent.
After that, a series of events unfolded.
That same afternoon, people were surprised to see a pure and delicate girl walking straight into the manager's office. Although she didn't stay long, according to Mr. Jia Zheng, the head of the cleaning department, this girl was no ordinary person; she was the little princess of the Nings, a famous real estate group, and was said to be eighteen years old, sheltered and cherished by her father. Mr. Jia also mentioned that the little princess had been in contact with Manager Yan for quite some time, but they used to be more discreet about it, and now they were more open.
Of course, as the legendary figure in the hearts of all the employees of the Planning Department, Manager Yan Xiaokai's romantic encounters did not end there. One evening, someone noticed that two stunning women hung around the department's entrance. When Manager Yan came out, they each held one of his arms intimately, not at all minding his familiarity. However, these two beauties were definitely not Miss Xiao or the Nings.
According to the most extreme gossip, Manager Yan had once taken four beautiful women for a stroll on the street, and the four women were in good spirits, calling each other sisters. There was no sign of any jealousy among them.
With such an array of romantic encounters, Manager Yan was enveloped in a mysterious and dazzling aura. Along with this aura, Xiaokai was ultimately unable to work normally as he was entangled. Nevertheless, the employees of the Planning Department had no complaints about this, as because of Xiaokai, the department had now become an influential presence within the Tianyi company. They had more tasks, more things to do, and more money to earn. There's no one in the world who would object to earning money, so even if Xiaokai didn't do much, they all wholeheartedly supported their legendary manager to thrive on his flirtatious journey.
Of course, nobody knew how distressed Xiaokai really was lately.
Ning Qing completely understood Xiaokai's words about "feelings needing cultivation". Every morning, she made sure to "meet" Xiaokai on time (i.e., stand by Xiaokai's door to talk) and every afternoon, she made sure to come to Xiaokai's office to "discuss business" (which was really just chatting). Xiao Yun started coming to him every day, pulling him aside repeatedly to threaten and intimidate him, tirelessly discussing the issue of the three bets with Ning Qing. Xiaokai could tell that she was still concerned about the bets, and she was genuinely afraid that Xiaokai would lose, but he couldn't understand why she insisted on the bets. It only created trouble for herself.
He really couldn't figure out the girl’s mind. Xiao Yun was strong-willed and prideful. Once she had made up her mind about Xiaokai, she believed he was the best. Regardless of the bet, she was convinced he would win anyway. So, instead of giving up the bet, she wanted to increase the stakes and see Xiaokai challenge Ning Qing.
But now, when it came to the actual bet, she was unsure. In this state of vacillation, she repeatedly discussed strategies with Xiaokai. Unfortunately, she couldn't figure out what Ning Qing really wanted to bet, so each day she would ask, "Xiaokai, what does Ning Qing want to bet?"
A few days later, Ning Qing finally came to find him. "The bet begins!"
Ning Qing emerged from the black Ferrari's door, extending her hand politely. "Get in."
"Where to?" Xiaokai felt a bit apprehensive. "What are we betting on?"
"Don't be so impatient," Ning Qing smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out when we get there."
Xiaokai nodded and got into the car, with Xiao Yun following suit.
Surprisingly, Ning Qing was also in the car. When she saw Xiaokai getting in, she immediately reached out and hugged his arm tightly, and Xiao Yun did the same, embracing Xiaokai's other arm. The two women glared at each other, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere.
Seeing this scene reflected in the mirror, Ning Qing could only smile wryly.
After driving for about ten minutes, they stopped. Ning Qing turned to Xiaokai and said, "We're here."
Xiaokai looked up in surprise and, through the car window, saw four elaborately gilded characters on the building ahead: Baishi Daochang.
"This... where is this..." Xiaokai was still puzzled, but Ning Qing had already stepped out of the car and, looking at the gilded characters, nodded. "This is s City's largest Go Institute!"
"I know. Baishi Daochang is very famous," Xiao Yun's face turned a bit pale. "I heard that this year's Fujitsu Cup final is prepared to be held here."
"It seems that Miss Xiao also knows a lot about this place," Ning Qing nodded with a smile and talked confidently. "Baishi Daochang is one of the best Go institutes in China, hosting various high-level Go competitions and regularly holding many exhibition matches and friendly matches. Therefore, professional players come and go here almost every day. It can be considered a very good place for training."
"Are you going to play Go with me?" Xiaokai asked.
"Of course," Ning Qing confidently clenched her fist, her eyes beaming. "Although you are a cultivator, your brain is still just like that of an ordinary person. Even if you have powerful abilities, profound cultivation, and a lot of treasures, in the world of Go, you are still just an ordinary person. I don't believe, with my Go skills, I can't defeat you!"
As they spoke, they had reached the doorway. Ning Qing took out a beautiful card but before she handed it over, the person at the door bowed respectfully and said, "Master Ning, it's been a while since you last came. Master Liu has mentioned you many times."
"Hehe, I've been busy lately, so I've come less frequently," Ning Qing replied with a smile. "These two are my friends, and this is my younger sister."
The man nodded repeatedly. "Since you're here with Master Ning, please come in."
Xiaokai and Xiao Yun exchanged glances and saw each other's concern. At this moment, Ning Qing leaned in and whispered, "Xiaokai, my brother often comes here to play. I've been here many times with him."
This was the first time Xiaokai had seen such a place. After entering, they found themselves in a hall, followed by several game rooms. As soon as Ning Qing walked in, various people surrounded them.
"Master Ning, when will you guide me through another game?"
"Master Ning, long time no see; do you have time to play handicap go today?"
"Wow, a grandmaster has arrived; look, everyone, this is the Go genius who beat Master Liu last year! Let's go and watch!"
"Ha-ha, Ning Qing, you little rascal, you've finally come. Master Liu has been looking for you four times. Every time you weren't here, this time you must put on a show."
Finally, Ning Qing said, "The bet begins!"
"I would rather remain calm," Ningyuan said with a slight smile. "Everyone, I have important matters to attend to today and cannot accompany you."
"That won't do. If you don't accompany us, you should at least accompany Lao Liu. I'll call him right away," a man who seemed very familiar with Ningyuan said cheerfully as he ran over and patted his shoulder. "If the old man knows you're here, he'll definitely come over without a second thought."
"I really can't," Ningyuan earnestly shook his head. "I'm here today to compete with my friend."
"Your friend? Who's that?" The man turned around in astonishment, his eyes scanning Xiaokai and Xiaoyun's faces, then he leaned in close to Ningyuan and whispered, "What's his name? Which team is he from? What's his professional level?"
"He's called Yan Xiaokai, an amateur player, not affiliated with a team, and not ranked," Ningyuan replied.
"Damn, are you bullying people?" The man actually started complaining. "I say, Ningyuan, you're really wasting your talent. If you just practiced a bit, you could be a world champion. But look at you, you can't even finish a few games in a month. Occasionally, in your free time, you specifically pick on novices. If Lao Liu saw this, he'd definitely be heartbroken for a while."
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the hall stopped talking and was listening attentively, so his voice easily reached Xiaokai's ears.
"This person is quite arrogant," Xiaokai whispered to Xiaoyun. "Who is he?"
Xiaoyun's face grew even paler. "He's very famous. His name is Gu Dao, one of the four small kings of the Chinese Go world, a professional at the seven-dan level."
"Wow..." Xiaokai took a sharp breath. "Professional? And one of the four small kings? Then...who is Lao Liu?"
"Liu Dayuan," Xiaoyun said with a bitter smile. "A universally known super master in the Go world, holder of the Grand Slam title, and the current world's number one Go player."
Episode 5