“Alright then.” Zhou Fan looked at Pei Yu Han, who clearly had a cold, mature face but wore an expectant expression like a child, and said with a helpless smile.
“Empress Dowager, I hope you can last for two hours tonight, otherwise I won’t be able to enjoy myself at all.”
Hearing Zhou Fan’s slightly teasing words, Pei Yu Han immediately puffed out her cheeks and said,
“I’m wearing over a dozen layers of thick clothes today; even if I lose ten times in a row tonight, I can still persevere.”
“I refuse to believe you can win against me ten times in a row without losing once yourself.”
“Tonight, I absolutely will not be utterly defeated again!”
“Good, since Pei Empress Dowager is so confident, let’s go inside and start the game now.”
Zhou Fan yawned, seemingly not taking Pei Yu Han’s words to heart, and said, “This time, be quicker, don’t always be so slow.”
“I have other things to attend to after I finish playing with you.”
“Hmph, I know.”
As the two walked into the house while talking, Shen Yufu, hidden not far away, felt that things seemed to be different from what she had imagined.
Through her observation, she found that there seemed to be no intimate atmosphere or close gestures between Zhou Fan and Pei Yu Han that would suggest a romantic relationship.
Their interaction was more like that of playmates.
After all, Zhou Fan and Pei Yu Han’s conversation just now also revealed that they were merely going inside to play a game.
As for whether this game was proper or not?
Shen Yufu, hidden in the corner of the courtyard wall with an Invisibility Talisman, indicated that she needed to observe further.
After Zhou Fan and Pei Yu Han entered the house together, Shen Yufu’s mind stirred, and she took out a pre-prepared Peeping Talisman from her Storage Pouch.
After using Qi to apply the Peeping Talisman to her eyes, Shen Xianzi, dressed in a white Daoist robe, focused intently on peeking into Zhou Fan’s room.
Inside the room.
Zhou Fan, sitting opposite Pei Yu Han, had actually noticed Shen Yufu’s peeking long ago.
After all, his current Cultivation had reached the mortal limit; small tricks like Shen Yufu’s invisible peeking could deceive ordinary Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators, but they couldn’t deceive a top-tier mortal existence like him, who Cultivates both Body Refining and Qi Refining, and has an incredibly keen perception of the outside world.
However, he could also understand the reason for Shen Yufu doing this; it was simply because he had spent less time with her recently, plus three rivals of comparable beauty had suddenly appeared in the Daoist temple.
So, the adorable Fu Fu Jie was jealous and wanted him to spend more time with her.
Hmm, it does seem like he’s been a bit too engrossed in making friends with the three imperial ladies recently, leading to a somewhat perfunctory attitude when he was with Fu Fu Jie.
It seems it’s time to properly accompany Shen Xianzi again; let’s make it tonight and all of tomorrow, a full day and two nights. I believe that even if Shen Xianzi possesses a Water Spiritual Root, she should be docile and quiet for a while after that.
While thinking about how to “punish” Fu Fu Jie for unauthorized tracking and peeking, Zhou Fan skillfully crushed the pouting Pei Empress Dowager on the chessboard.
Pei Yu Han had been obsessed with playing Chinese chess with Zhou Fan these past few days. The penalty rule they set was that the loser had to remove one outer garment before the next game could begin.
Originally, Zhou Fan had no intention of setting this rule, but Pei Yu Han was a terrible player who loved to play, clinging to him from morning to night every day to play Chinese chess after they became familiar with each other.
In order to make time for his own Cultivation and to spend time with other women, Zhou Fan could only set this rule.
At the same time, Zhou Fan also set a time, allowing Pei Yu Han to come to him to play chess only at dusk.
Although the time was a bit late, there was nothing he could do.
Who told Zhou Fan he was so busy now?
In the morning, he had to accompany Empress Su Caiwei to discuss music theory, playing the zither and flute in harmony, and incidentally taking the Empress to experience the mundane life in the capital.
In the afternoon, he had to accompany Noble Consort Yang Ruoyao on outings, using his celestial abilities to roam between heaven and earth with Imperial Concubine Yang, and appreciating Imperial Concubine Yang’s graceful dance amidst the sea of clouds at the mountain peak.
When he occasionally found some free time, he couldn’t neglect the Cultivation of various new Spells, as many Spells, though inconspicuous in combat, were very useful in various specific situations.
For example, small Spells like Dust Cleansing Spell and Water Removal Spell were very practical.
…
Getting back to the main topic, after Zhou Fan noticed Fu Fu Jie’s arrival, he decided to finish quickly and return to satisfy the Water Fairy earlier.
Therefore, today he used his full ten-tenths chess skill against Empress Dowager Pei Yu Han. Basically, as soon as Pei Yu Han made a move after thinking for a long time, Zhou Fan would immediately follow with a move.
Under such relentless pressure, even though the Empress Dowager was well-prepared today, having worn over a dozen outer garments.
After an hour passed, Empress Dowager Pei Yu Han only had two left on her.
Cough, the weather was indeed a bit cold.
Pei Yu Han, of course, noticed this, but at this moment, her competitive spirit had been ignited by Zhou Fan, whose chess moves were particularly treacherous today.
Therefore, even though she only had two outer garments left, Pei Yu Han still had no intention of stopping.
She moved her body, which was like warm, fragrant jade, closer to Zhou Fan, and said stubbornly in an unyielding tone,
“Zhou Fan, let’s play another game. I’m sure I can beat you in the next one!”
“Pei Empress Dowager, I recall you said the same thing when you lost the last game.”
“Oh, that’s because I fell into one of your new traps in this game, didn’t I? I’ve already figured out how to break it now, Zhou Fan, quickly play another game with me.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Fan surveyed the unobstructed brilliance of the bright moon outside the window, a look of hesitation on his face.
The distance between the two at this moment was only a chessboard, so Empress Dowager Pei Yu Han could clearly perceive Zhou Fan’s gaze towards the window.
She raised her delicate hand, wanting to block his view, to make Zhou Fan focus on the game and not get distracted.
But alas, today’s moon was particularly large and round, truly beautiful, causing the Empress Dowager’s two small hands to be unable to completely block Zhou Fan’s gaze towards the window.
The Empress Dowager simply stopped trying to block it. After a moment of thought, the Empress Dowager, eager for victory, decided to use a taunt.
“Zhou Fan, what are you hesitating about? I’m not afraid, are you?”
Zhou Fan withdrew his gaze from the window, calmed his mind, and slowly said,
“Since the Empress Dowager has such refined taste, I, Zhou, shall naturally accompany you.”
As his words fell, Zhou Fan waved his hand and used True Qi to reset the chess pieces for both sides.
He still played with the black pieces and moved second, while the Empress Dowager played with the red pieces and moved first.
“Empress Dowager, please.”
“Hmph, Zhou Fan, you’re doomed to lose this one!”
The Empress Dowager opened with a cannon move, and Zhou Fan moved his horse up the seventh file.
The Empress Dowager advanced her pawn on the seventh file, and Zhou Fan advanced his pawn on the third file.
…
This time, the Empress Dowager played very quickly, seemingly confident.
But Zhou Fan’s moves were even faster; after all, there was still a certain gap in their chess skills, and the Empress Dowager’s every move was actually within Zhou Fan’s expectations.
So, as expected, Empress Dowager Pei Yu Han lost the game in less than fifteen minutes this time.
Slowly sipping a mouthful of tea, Zhou Fan’s gaze once again fell upon Pei Yu Han, whose cold, mature face was flushed red, and he slowly said,
“Empress Dowager, please.”