Qin Jiujiu began to change after that day with the Chinese medicine, could it be…? Xie Jing soon stopped speculating, as he had no desire to figure things out. To him, as long as Qin Jiujiu didn't know his secret, he could let her live for now. He had never been one to pry into others' affairs, so he didn't intend to uncover the true reason for Qin Jiujiu's transformation.
Xie Jing maintained his aloof demeanor. After holding out her hand for a while, Qin Jiujiu realized he had no intention of taking the object, so she withdrew it. However, Xie Jing seemed determined to antagonize her. Just as she was about to retract her hand, he snatched the bell away.
"Miss Qin's kindness is appreciated, so I shall accept it," he said, his tone still nonchalant. Qin Jiujiu felt that this man, with his seemingly upright and refined appearance, concealed a terrifying darkness beneath his facade.
Yet, she was determined to win him over. This task was far more challenging than fostering the romance between the male and female leads. Qin Jiujiu suspected she might be killed by the villain before she could even begin. Therefore, valuing her life, Qin Jiujiu decided to stay away from the male lead and cling tightly to the female lead, becoming the dog's leg of the second male lead…
"No need, no need, as long as Second Young Master Xie likes it, that's good, that's good…"
Qin Jiujiu quickly demonstrated through her actions how a sycophant was made, maintaining a smile on her face. She had overlooked a detail in the novel: Xie Jing killed everyone who smiled at him, except for the male and female leads. The author included this detail as foreshadowing for later events, but Qin Jiujiu, having stayed up late to read, hadn't paid close enough attention. If she had remembered this, she would have felt as though her neck had already snapped.
Xie Jing watched Qin Jiujiu's incessant foolish smiling and smiled himself. However, the villain's smile sent a chill down Qin Jiujiu's spine. This was not a good omen. She subtly stepped back, trying to distance herself from Xie Jing. At this moment, only these words echoed in Qin Jiujiu's mind: Cherish life, stay away from Xie Jing.
Xie Jing naturally noticed this gesture. "You seem to be very afraid of me?" His tone remained cold and devoid of emotion, but Qin Jiujiu could detect a hint of annoyance in his eyes. Qin Jiujiu suddenly recalled a passage from the book describing how a minor demon had angered the villain by bullying him when he was weak. Xie Jing had suddenly unleashed the primal power within him, and before killing the demon, he had asked this very question.
Without waiting for the demon's reply, he had continued, "It's right that you are afraid." His tone was still casual, but his subsequent actions had reduced the demon to dust…
Qin Jiujiu instantly straightened up and then calmly and seriously replied to Xie Jing, "Second Young Master Xie is handsome and refined, a perfect gentleman. With such exquisite looks, all the women in the world would flock to him, so who would fear him? How could I be afraid?" Inwardly, Qin Jiujiu was terrified, fearing she would be strangled to death the next second.
Xie Jing of course knew she was flattering him. If all the women in the world came to him, wouldn't he have to kill them all? However, Xie Jing didn't voice this thought. He simply watched Qin Jiujiu, observing her fawning demeanor. He had seen many such fawning individuals before, those who preyed on the weak when they appeared vulnerable but would grovel and beg for mercy once they discovered his strength. Her behavior was similar.
Xie Jing felt a pang of displeasure, but this time, he did not act. Xie Jing wanted to see what other tricks this woman had up her sleeve, how many faces she possessed. He would kill her only after he had figured her out.
Qin Jiujiu dared not look directly at Xie Jing, only stealing quick glances. Then she heard Xie Jing's voice from above her, "You don't even look at me, how do you know I'm handsome?" In a flash, Xie Jing was in front of her. Qin Jiujiu's heart leaped into her throat. She didn't know why the villain had the leisure to come to her room to cause trouble today. She remembered that the villain was usually direct: kill if he wanted to kill, no wasted words. What was happening now?
Qin Jiujiu felt that this feeling was worse than being killed outright. However, being the life-valuing person she was, Qin Jiujiu held onto a sliver of hope. Perhaps the second male lead wouldn't kill her yet; otherwise, he wouldn't be wasting so many words on her.
At this moment, she needed to prove to Xie Jing that she wasn't afraid of him. So, Qin Jiujiu abruptly looked up. Xie Jing was incredibly tall, and Qin Jiujiu was petite; her head barely reached his chest. Standing together, as they were now, anyone looking from behind would not be able to see Qin Jiujiu. When she looked up, Qin Jiujiu was stunned. Xie Jing was looking down, seemingly staring at her, and they were extremely close.
Qin Jiujiu could even feel his breath, which, like the man himself, was icy cold and lacked warmth. As someone who had never been in a relationship in her twenty years of existence, Qin Jiujiu was merely too lazy to interact with the boys in real life. This situation was enough to make her blush furiously.
Therefore, Qin Jiujiu, disappointingly, blushed. Her face turned a deep crimson.
"Are you hot? Why is your face so red?"
Qin Jiujiu wanted to roll her eyes at the great villain Xie, but she dared not. So, she could only suppress her thoughts. You're standing so close to me, don't you think you know why I'm blushing? Qin Jiujiu desperately wanted to blurt this out to Xie Jing, but she was still quite rational and didn't dare to act presumptuously in front of the powerful figure. However, it had to be said, such a powerful figure would normally be silent for half a day. This current situation was illogical!
"Yes, it's a bit hot. Don't you think so? We shouldn't stand so close…"
Thus, Qin Jiujiu took a large step back. She truly couldn't stand the second male lead, this block of wood. No wonder he couldn't win the female lead's heart. Alas, he was a clean-hearted youth who didn't even grasp the concept of romance. Qin Jiujiu truly admired the female lead for being able to make such a block of wood realize his feelings and fall in love.
The female lead truly lived up to her title. Qin Jiujiu marveled inwardly.
This time, Xie Jing did not move closer to her, nor did he show any intention of leaving. Qin Jiujiu thought that this stalemate couldn't continue; she hadn't finished her delicious food yet! So, she took the initiative to speak, "Second Young Master Xie, is there something you need from my room today?" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Most people, upon hearing this, would state their business or leave if they had none, but Xie Jing was certainly not most people.
He did not reply and showed no sign of leaving. Qin Jiujiu no longer knew what to say to ease the awkwardness, but she soon decided it was best to continue eating. Eating was also a good way to alleviate awkwardness. So, Qin Jiujiu began to invite Xie Jing to eat, though without much enthusiasm.
"How about, Second Young Master Xie, you dine with me?" As she spoke, she thoughtfully moved a stool for him, gesturing for him to sit down. However, Xie Jing suddenly left without any warning.
"Miss Qin, please continue eating. I shall not disturb you further…"
Did he dislike the food? Qin Jiujiu attributed everything to the food's merit and encouraged herself to eat more in the future, thinking perhaps Xie Jing would then stop bothering her.
If Xie Jing knew Qin Jiujiu's thoughts, he would probably call her a fool again.
Xie Jing left this time simply because he heard footsteps approaching. He was too lazy to deal with others. As expected, after Xie Jing left, Qin Jiujiu's father entered.