The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Lu Sangjiu was choked speechless. After all, Xie Ningyuan hadn’t really said anything. Everyone else had just imagined it all.

Meanwhile, Yan Zui propped her chin on her hand and chuckled. ”So that’s the kind of relationship you two have... You should’ve just said so earlier.”

As she spoke, she even shot Lu Sangjiu a flirtatious wink. ”Don’t worry, I’m not interested in my friends’ men.”

Lu Sangjiu’s lips twitched. ”No, you’ve really got it all wrong...”

Xie Ningyuan looked at her with an innocent expression. ”Hm? What did she get wrong?”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

A vein throbbed on her temple. She threw a punch at his infuriatingly smug face. ”You! Shut up!”

Unfortunately, her punch was easily caught.

Holding her fist in his palm, Xie Ningyuan tilted his head. ”So many people are watching. If you really want to hit me, how about I let you hit me to your heart’s content later when no one’s around?”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

At her wit’s end, she stood up, grabbed Xie Ningyuan, and started dragging him outside.

The others looked at each other in dismay. Chi Yan couldn’t help but sigh. ”Alas, public morals are truly in decline!”

After a moment’s thought, he added, ”But Lu Fairy is so beautiful, it’s not that strange she’d make a monk’s heart waver.”

Feng Lin shot him a glance. ”Then why hasn’t your heart wavered?”

Chi Yan stated matter-of-factly, ”Because I’m not a monk!”

He made such a good point, they were left speechless.

Lu Sangjiu dragged him all the way out of the Moon Viewing Tower before turning to glare coldly at Xie Ningyuan.

”I have tolerated you again and again. Don’t force me to turn on you.”

She frowned. ”I can guess what you’re thinking, but from now on, please stop your pointless games. Otherwise, our partnership ends here.”

”I’m not getting together with Gu Jue, and I’m not getting together with anyone. I know better than anyone what a difficult path I’m walking... Xie Ningyuan, if we can cooperate, we’ll continue. If not, let’s part ways here and now.”

Xie Ningyuan rubbed his nose. ”’Such a temper... But don’t you think that since they enjoy misunderstanding things, it’s better to let them misunderstand that you’re with me?’”

He suggested in all seriousness, ”We have to work together, but we can’t tell anyone the details. Since we’ll be spending a lot of time together, rather than have people suspect something else, it’s better to let them suspect *this*. It could even save you some trouble, don’t you think?”

Lu Sangjiu said coldly, ”If you had discussed this with me beforehand, it might have been a decent suggestion. But now... I’ve told you before, I hate it when people try to control my life.”

”You made this decision without consulting me. Did you think I was the type to just meekly accept whatever comes my way?”

Xie Ningyuan: ”...No.”

”Then why did you do it?”

”It was worth a shot...” He gave a guilty little cough. ”Besides, you wouldn’t have agreed even if I had discussed it with you... Acting first and reporting later seemed like it might have a chance of working out.”

This made Lu Sangjiu even angrier. ”I told you I’d handle my own affairs! Why are you in such a hurry to make choices for me? Are you in a rush to be reincarnated?”

Xie Ningyuan paused. ”...What if I really am?”

’If I weren’t running out of time, I would have been willing to take things step by step instead of making her angry like this.’

Of course, Lu Sangjiu just thought he was arguing with her for the sake of it and cursed, ”You’re insane!”

She turned to leave but he grabbed her. ”Wait... I was wrong.”

Lu Sangjiu looked back to see him with a rare, docile expression. ”I promise I won’t do anything like this again. Please don’t be angry anymore, okay?”

Lu Sangjiu expressionlessly pulled her hand away. ”But I’m still angry.”

Xie Ningyuan: ”...”

He thought for a moment, then took out a jug of Moon Clear Wine and offered it to her. ”How about now?”

Lu Sangjiu accepted it without any courtesy and then stated, ”Don’t show your face around me for a while. Just seeing you is annoying. I’ll find you after the Sword Seizing Conference is over.”

Xie Ningyuan: ”...Fine.”

Lu Sangjiu then turned on her heel and walked back to the restaurant without a single glance back.

’Hiss... They say you can’t bite the hand that feeds you, but that doesn’t seem to apply to her at all, does it?’

’But it was my fault for being too hasty. I deserve the cold shoulder... I suppose I’ll stay out of her sight for a while so I don’t make her angrier.’

Meanwhile, as Lu Sangjiu walked, much of her anger had already subsided.

’In the end, I’m the one who needs Xie Ningyuan’s help to keep my secrets and investigate the Qilin Sect. Since I’m the one asking for a favor, I should have hidden my anger, no matter how upset I was.’

’If it had been anyone else, I probably would have smiled and played along, then found a chance to get back at them later and give them a taste of their own medicine.’

’But with Xie Ningyuan... maybe because he knows so many of my secrets, I’ve unconsciously started to feel a sense of closeness to him. I always end up revealing my true feelings in front of him without meaning to.’

’This... isn’t good.’

Taking a deep breath, Lu Sangjiu adjusted her mindset and stopped thinking about Xie Ningyuan, striding toward the private room on the second floor.

Halfway there, however, her Divine Sense suddenly detected something, and she couldn’t help but pause...

Huo Xu had just finished watching the Sword Seizing Conference matches and was feeling a bit tired. Recalling that the Moon Viewing Tower had recently acquired a fine batch of stove-warmed wine, he prepared to head back and enjoy some.

But just as he vaulted over the wall into the Moon Viewing Tower’s backyard, he saw Lu Sangjiu standing nearby with a beaming smile. ”Senior, you’re back!”

Huo Xu raised an eyebrow. ”What are you doing here?”

”I knew you’d be back soon, Senior, so I was waiting for you, of course.”

It never occurred to Huo Xu that she knew he was returning because of her powerful Divine Sense. He just assumed someone from the tower had told her and that she had been waiting here all this time, so he didn’t ask any further.

He simply strolled up to Lu Sangjiu. ”You need something from me?”

Lu Sangjiu held up the small jug of Moon Clear Wine in her hand and swayed it in front of Huo Xu. ”Nothing in particular. I just wanted to invite you for a drink, Senior.”

Seeing Huo Xu’s indifferent expression, as if he couldn’t care less, she added, ”It’s Moon Clear Wine. Would you care for a taste, Senior?”

This time, Huo Xu’s expression changed. ”...Moon Clear Wine?!”

Moon Clear Wine was so precious that even a wealthy Nascent Soul Cultivator like Huo Xu couldn’t bear to buy it often.

Come to think of it, the last time he’d had Moon Clear Wine was three years ago. His craving was instantly piqued, but after a moment’s hesitation, he still didn’t reach out for it.

”Showing such courtesy for no reason... If you have a favor to ask, just say it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare accept your wine.”

Lu Sangjiu gave a demure smile. ”It’s nothing major, really... I’m just worried something might happen later in the Sword Seizing Conference.”

”My master didn’t accompany me this time, and the martial uncle who did come doesn’t like me. I feel completely out of my depth.”

”I’ve heard that you hold a high position in the Gold and Silver Gate, Senior, and that you even have the ear of the Sect Leader.”

”So I was thinking... since the Sword Seizing Conference is organized by the Gold and Silver Gate, you all must have more influence here.”

”So if I run into any trouble later on—if I’m framed or bullied or something—could I ask you, Senior, on account of this jug of wine, to step forward and speak a word of justice for me?”