165 The Most Direct Question (1/2)

Jing Jiu thought about it seriously while looking at her for a while.

This was their first meeting that night, and so how should he evaluate her?

The appearance had never been important for him, but from their conversations, the young woman showed that she had very good temperament and personality.

But is my opinion of you so important?

It wasn't until he recalled that Bai Zao had earlier on asked whether the relationship between him and Zhao Layue was that of Cultivation partners that Jing Jiu understood her intention.

Jing Jiu said, ”I won't consider this kind of thing, and it has nothing to do with you.”

”So it means that I'm not too bad in your eyes.”

Bai Zao's eyes suddenly brightened, like the stream water lit by the morning sunlight.

Jing Jiu said, ”As I have heard somewhere, Luo Huainan and Tong Yan are possible partners of yours.”

Bai Zao explained gently, ”Big Brother Luo is the disciple of my father, and Tong Yan is the disciple of my mother. My parents have their own ideas, but they are not mine.”

”Why don't you choose them?” Jing Jiu asked.

Regardless of everything, Luo Huainan and Tong Yan were her best partner choices, unless Zuo Ruosui and Guo Nanshan also jumped in the competition.

Bai Zao responded with a gentle smile, ”Because I don't like them.”

Suddenly Jing Jiu felt this matter was getting troublesome, asking, ”Do you actually like me?”

Talking about liking at their first meeting was kind of awkward.

”Yes,” replied Bai Zao, giving out a charming smile.

Jing Jiu asked, ”What do you like about me?”

Bai Zao said, ”I like the way you play chess. It's really beautiful, though you insist on believing that chess playing is merely a pastime, having nothing to do with beauty and ugliness.”

”I perhaps won't play chess anymore,” said Jing Jiu.

Bai Zao said, ”I heard that your swordplay is the best on the Green Mountain, which I also like very much.”

Jing Jiu thought about it before saying, ”I seldom use the sword.”

Bai Zao said, ”This time I have given up painting and participated in calligraphy instead, as I was inspired by your chess game. I heard that you have a disciple on the Green Mountain and that he is also outstanding.”

Jing Jiu said after a moment of silence, ”Gu Qing…not bad, but it's because he has a good temperament; it has nothing to do with me.”

Bai Zao said, ”I like your careless attitude the most. Perhaps it's because I care about too many things, and I can't act the way you do. It's for that reason that I think you are the best.”

Jing Jiu was fully aware that it would be a difficult thing to change his careless and lazy temperament. ”As a matter of fact…I have been cultivating very hard,” said Jing Jiu after some thoughts.

Being refused four times in a row, Bai Zao didn't get upset as she said gently, ”I like your look the most.”

Jing Jiu stopped talking, because he couldn't cut himself on the face with the Thoughtless Sword.

Bai Zao said, ”I'm not a natural-born talent, so my cultivation was quite difficult. Though my outside appearance looks feeble, I have developed a straightforward temperament. I hope that you don't think I'm too direct.”

Jing Jiu said, ”I understand. I can also say directly: this matter has no future.”

…

…

Bai Zao left.

Jing Jiu lifted up the teacup and walked to the window, looking at the night sky.

The tea was still cold.

As he said those last words, Bai Zao didn't say anything, merely looking at him once.

Jing Jiu didn't know how to describe the look in her eyes—implicit affection? Or was it explicit?

He couldn't understand what her eyes were saying.

It was because he had seen this kind of expression many times in his previous long years, and he had seen less of i after he stayed behind closed doors on Shenmo Peak.

Actually, he had often stayed behind closed doors on Shenmo Peak and not come out for twenty or even thirty years, because he thought these expressions of the eyes were too troublesome.

Even now, he would still avoid certain places due to these eye expressions, such as Qingrong Peak…

He didn't expect to see such an expression at this Plum Meeting.

Bai Zao was a warmhearted and loving young woman, the opposite of her feeble appearance.

She was quite outstanding.

And charming.