Ningyuan looked at Xiao Kai oddly, then at Tianran, "Do you... know each other?"
"Haha, of course we don't know each other," Xiao Kai hurriedly said, "But now we do, don't we, Miss Tianran?"
Tianran hesitated and looked at Xiao Kai, her eyes flickering. It wasn't clear what she was thinking. After a while, she nodded and said softly, "Yes."
Ningyuan tilted his head, feeling that something was not right. The always confident and dignified beauty seemed to become shy and reserved after interacting with Xiao Kai. She no longer looked like a businesswoman. She appeared more like a sheltered girl who never left her home.
"Could it be... Could it be...," Ningyuan suddenly broke into a cold sweat, "Could it be love at first sight?"
Of course, Tianran did not fall in love with Xiao Kai at first sight. Faced with this once who had kidnapped her and now denied it, the centipede demon, Tianran decided to use all her wits to resolve the situation. At this moment, her brain was operating at an astonishing speed, and countless thoughts had already flashed through her mind, "Why is it here with Ningyuan? Are they here to find me? This centipede demon, what does it want to do? I remember it saying that as long as I speak, it can crawl into my mouth and suck my brain marrow clean. If so, I must not speak today. But Ningyuan has been laughing and talking with it, clearly knowing it well. Why doesn't it suck Ningyuan's brain marrow?," she wondered.
She continued to think, "Looking at it, although it likes to devour brain marrow, it's not blind. Today, its purpose in approaching me is obviously not to suck my brain marrow, but it has other purposes. Even though I don't know what its purpose is, today I must not disobey its will. Otherwise, once it acts like a beast, I'm afraid I'll die on the spot."
Her brows furrowed, and she thought, "Ningyuan is known as a prodigy, and I've heard of him for a long time. As a public figure, he is obviously not a problem. Now this makes the situation clearer. Ningyuan doesn't know the true identity of the centipede demon. He treats it as a friend but it wants to use him to do something immoral. They found me today, it seems like a coincidence, but this centipede demon is deep in thought and has strange ideas. It's not a coincidence but it deliberately brought Ningyuan here. Clearly, it wants to find me not to devour my brain marrow but for some other purpose. Although I don't know what it wants, today I must not disobey its will, or else I may lose my life on the spot."
Miss Tingyue squeezed her little fists, couldn't help but sigh quietly, "If this had happened a month ago, I could still go to Master Xuemei, but a month ago, Third Brother took Master Xuemei to catch the demons. Instead, they were harmed by the demon. Since then, our Sima family has been unable to deal with demons. This centipede demon has harassed me several times, obviously having a huge conspiracy to deal with our family. After I solve the current crisis, I must report to my father no matter what and seek help from the experts of Mount Emei to help our Sima family resolve this crisis."
So, the world is really small. This Miss Tingyue is none other than the second Miss of the Sima family, the elder sister of Sima Tingxue, and the famous businesswoman in the business world today: Sima Tingyue.
Once Tingyue figured out the key, her expression immediately softened, and she smiled, "I came here to contemplate life. Ning is here to broaden his horizons. So Mr. Yan, what are you here for?"
Xiaokai was actually very nervous. He was afraid that Miss Tingyue would shout "demon" loudly and also afraid that Miss Tingyue would not look kindly at him. After all, this was his last gamble with Ning. Whether he won or lost, it was all at stake. Seeing Miss Tingyue's smile, his heart finally calmed down, and he laughed, "I am an ordinary person, I am just here to watch the excitement."
Tingyue's expression softened even more, and she glanced lightly at Xiaokai, with a somewhat charming look in her eyes, and smiled, "Please sit down for now, the next performance is about to begin."
Ning eagerly nodded and sat down next to Tingyue, patting the seat next to him, "Come on, Xiaokai, sit here."
"Tsk, these non-mainstream tricks are also used." Xiaokai didn't want to sit next to a big man. It was a crucial moment in the game of love, and Xiaokai, who was daring and thick-skinned, understood this well. He pursed his lips and walked directly to the other side of Tingyue, sitting down next to the beautiful woman.
"Miss Tingyue, nice to meet you for the first time," Xiaokai jokingly reached out his right hand. "Nice to meet you."
Tingyue, feeling reluctant, but even happier, reached out her hand, "Mr. Yan is so polite."
Xiaokai unceremoniously grabbed the soft and smooth hand, shook it hard a few times, and then let go. Tingyue bit her lip, the expression on her face seemed somewhat strange, but there was a faint blush on her face.
Ning, on the side, couldn't help but feel a little dumbfounded. He remembered very clearly that Miss Sima had always been very reserved. Once at a social gathering, a business tycoon took a liking to her and leaned over to kiss her hand. She rejected him in front of a hundred people, which led to a long commercial dispute between the tycoon and the Sima family, causing direct economic losses of several million Yuan to the Sima family. Of course, the tycoon's loss was said to be even greater.
Ning realized that if he didn't act quickly, he would really lose.
"Hehe, Miss Tingyue, can't be partial," Ning put on a very handsome smile and extended his hand. "Although it's not the first time we've met, please take care of me!"
Tingyue hesitated for a moment, then smiled, "Since we've met before, there's no need for such formalities."
Ning's hand was left hanging in the air.
He had just seen that Tingyue actually had quite a bit of affection for him. A simple request for a handshake should not have been refused no matter what. It would have been the perfect way to match Xiaokai's move and not lose face. So, he had carefully considered this move and believed it would be successful.
Who would have known that he would be rebuffed as soon as he extended his hand.
Tingyue also felt somewhat resentful, thinking to herself, "Ning, I'm sorry. Today, I have to satisfy that damn centipede demon no matter what. If you blame anyone, blame yourself for befriending the wrong person."
"Hehe, Ningyue, we're here to watch the performance," Ning stammered. "Look, the one going up next is actually a woman."
He was right. This time, the one being put into the cage was indeed a woman. Although she seemed to weigh at least 150 pounds and had more muscles than most men, she was still a woman. A woman fighting a tiger was quite sensational, so many spectators around whistled.
"Alas, another life is going to be lost," Ning lamented. "I just hope it's not a human this time." As he spoke, his eyes were already focused on a piece of bone near the cage, still dripping with blood, the only imprint left by the fighter who had just been eaten by the tiger.
He was confident that, based on Tingyue's recent words, she would resonate with these compassionate sentiments.
Tingyue indeed showed a sign of agreement. She was about to speak, but Xiaokai, somewhat ambiguously, interrupted, "Ning, that's not quite right."
As soon as Xiaokai spoke, Tingyue fell silent.
Ning pretended to be surprised, "Are you saying you want humans to lose to the tiger?"
"See, you're sinking to a lower level," Xiaokai declared with confidence. "Humans and tigers are both living beings. Regardless of who loses, whether it's the tiger or a human, it's a loss of life and should be lamented. Besides, tigers eat humans because of instinct, while humans kill tigers for survival. There's no right or wrong in it."
After this speech, Tingyue immediately nodded in agreement, "Right, Mr. Yan's words are profound."
Ning asked, "Do you think this is justified then?"
"Of course not," Xiaokai said. "The real culprits are the ones who capture them and put them in this cage to fight each other."
"Right," Tingyue echoed. "It's the owner of this gladiatorial arena."
But Xiaokai shook his head, "No, the real culprits are not the arena owner, but all of you idle onlookers who like to watch the show."
After this statement, Tingyue was unexpectedly speechless for some time before saying, "Mr. Yan is right. Tingyue sits here, observing the weak being preyed upon and deluding herself with thoughts of compassion. But she doesn't realize that she's the one who's really doing harm."
As she spoke, she fixed her deep gaze on Xiaokai's face, appearing as if she had been conquered by Xiaokai's "profound thoughts." Ning, watching this scene from the side, couldn't help but sigh. He thought to himself, "It seems she truly has fallen in love at first sight with Xiaokai. But... no matter how much she dislikes me, today I definitely cannot give up."
Xiao Kai looked at Ning Yuan's blushing face, and thought about his fervent affection for Xiao Yun. He couldn't help but feel somewhat moved, shaking his head and sighing, "Ning Yuan, why are you so stubborn? Feelings cannot be forced."
Ning Yuan, however, thought he was talking about Si Ma Tingyue, and immediately retorted, "You two have just met, what kind of feelings are you talking about?"
Si Ma Tingyue shook her head and said, "Ning, you've been known as a child prodigy since you were young, why have you become so mundane? Mr. Yan and I are just kindred spirits, it's simply mutual appreciation. How did it become about emotions?"
"He doesn't think that way," Ning Yuan said at a critical moment, not caring about the earlier agreement: "He just wants to seduce you."
"Goodness," Xiao Kai was simply dumbfounded, "You are shameless! Weren't we just talking about not ruining the situation?"
Ning Yuan persisted, "Look, Tingyue, his reaction clearly shows that I've exposed him."
"Ning Yuan, you're not acting like a man," Xiao Kai shook his head. "I used to think you were a good person, I didn't expect you to not keep your word."
Ignoring him, Ning Yuan turned to Si Ma Tingyue and asked, "Miss Tingyue, what are your thoughts now?"
"What thoughts?" Si Ma Tingyue responded, "I don't understand what you mean."
"He clearly wants to deceive you into bed. Are you still willing to communicate with him?" Ning Yuan persisted.
Si Ma Tingyue's face reddened slightly, but surprisingly she wasn't angry. Biting her lip, she hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Actually... if two people truly love each other, eventually they will end up in bed."
Ning Yuan gritted his teeth and added, "But... what if he never intended to truly love you, only to deceive you into bed?"
Si Ma Tingyue blushed even more, stealing a glance at Xiao Kai, and her voice became even softer, "If it's with someone I truly like... even if it's just going to bed... it's not impossible."
Finishing her sentence, she even glanced at Xiao Kai, and said softly, "Mr. Yan, do you think... what Tingyue said makes sense?"
Xiao Kai's mind was already overloaded, and he nodded in a daze, "Of course it is."
Ning Yuan rolled his eyes as if unable to bear this blow, swaying slightly, he was left speechless. He felt a surge of frustration, as if he wanted to spit out a mouthful of blood right there and then.
At this moment, Xiao Kai finally came to his senses and asked, "Are you saying... you'll go to bed with me?"
Si Ma Tingyue blushed like blood, her eyes showing a mix of reproach and coquettishness, and she looked extremely alluring. After glaring at Xiao Kai, she suddenly chuckled, "Never mind if you didn't hear it."
Although she didn't want to repeat it, her demeanor, actions, and words all indicated a strong agreement. Ning Yuan felt as if at that moment, the world was turned upside down; everything was in utter chaos, and the situation couldn't be described, as the saying goes, "beyond one's wildest imagination." He stared dumbfounded at the two, as if watching a performance on stage, feeling an unreal sensation. After being lost in thought for five minutes, he finally sighed, "Forget it, forget it. I've lost this round today! From now on, I won't bother Xiao Yun anymore."
Despite saying that, the desolation on his face couldn't be concealed, as he realized that his first infatuation in over twenty years had come to an end.
Xiao Kai sighed in relief and said, "Alright, since you've conceded, let's end it here for today."
On the sidelines, Si Ma Tingyue couldn't help but feel confused, vaguely aware that there were some agreements between these two that she didn't know about. With the name "Xiao Yun," she also had some knowledge of it, but in the rush of events, she didn't have time to ponder further. Seeing Xiao Kai's relieved look, she felt a weight lift off her heart and quietly thought, "Thank goodness. It seems I've finally dealt with this scoundrel. When I return home, no matter what, I must inform my father, and even if it costs a lot, I must ask the experts from Emei sect to deal with him."
Just as she was thinking this, she saw Xiao Kai turning back to her, staring straight at her, seemingly wanting to say something. Si Ma Tingyue's heart throbbed anxiously, thinking, "Oh no, in trying to please him, I spoke too much. If he really asks me to go to bed with him, what should I do?"
After pondering for a while, Xiao Kai didn't know how to say goodbye to Si Ma Tingyue. They had just been chatting so lively, and even the fact that the girl had said embarrassing things like "go to bed with me" after the game was over, it would be too shameless to just leave abruptly. Xiao Kai couldn't be as composed as Ning Yuan, he couldn't simply leave a girl who was clearly attracted to him without a reason.
"Um..." Xiao Kai cautiously said, "Miss Tingyue, it's getting late, should we..."
"Where do you... want to go?" Si Ma Tingyue hesitantly swallowed her saliva, "My parents are at home, it might not be convenient..."
"That's not it..." Xiao Kai tried to explain, "I'm not going to your house, I'm going home, and you..."
Si Ma Tingyue's voice suddenly trembled, "You... live alone at home... your parents aren't there?"
Surprised, Xiao Kai said, "No, they're not at home, what's wrong?"
Si Ma Tingyue clenched her small fists nervously, and stammered, "That... that's not good, I'm a pure and self-respecting girl, so... maybe... maybe we should wait for some time..."
Only then did Xiao Kai realize and chuckled, "Miss Tingyue, you've misunderstood. I meant, it's getting late, let's both go home; we can chat another time."
Si Ma Tingyue blushed, nodded repeatedly, "Okay, another time."
"Do you want me to accompany you home?" Xiao Kai suddenly thought of being courteous and asked again.
"No need, no need," Si Ma Tingyue shook her head vigorously like a rattle-drum.
"Ahoo!" A mournful cry interrupted them, catching their attention. It turned out that the female fighter had managed to pin down the tiger, and at this moment, her fists the size of bowls were raining down on its head. The tiger's mouth sprayed blood, making for a chilling sight.
This would have been a scene of significant philosophical debate, but at this moment, the three people's state of mind had changed drastically, so they simply nodded to each other and dispersed.