The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 107: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (5)

"So, how does it look?" Rongjing had been watching Yun Qianyue's changing expressions closely, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"It's interesting! Three moves per round, and whoever wins gets to drink, while the loser doesn't. Alright, I might not be the smartest, but I've got a mind sharp enough to beat you!" Yun Qianyue tossed the diagram back to Rongjing. Though it was her first time seeing a setup like this and she couldn't guarantee victory, her years of practice in chess had to count for something—if not, she joked to herself, she might as well hang herself.

"Very well!" Rongjing poured wine for the two of them.

Watching him fill her cup, Yun Qianyue leaned down to inhale the aroma, muttering to herself, "Now this is good wine. One taste and I could die happy."

"For just one sip of Orchid Brew? If I told you there's Snow Lotus Wine buried at the peak of the Nine Rings Mountains, and Lingzhi Elixir hidden in Heavenly Snow Mountain, would you be willing to die ten times over?"

"What?" Yun Qianyue's eyes lit up. "You have more wine hidden away?"

Rongjing raised a brow. "Yes. However, since our connection might last only while I'm under Yun Grandpa's orders to keep an eye on you, those wines are reserved for my future wedding. Since you don't plan to marry me, you have no chance of tasting them."

Ugh. So he was just teasing her! Snow Lotus Wine? Lingzhi Elixir? Her imagination was running wild. She gritted her teeth. "Fine! I hope your future wife can appreciate good wine."

Rongjing looked at her for a long moment, nodding. "She will."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes, silently wishing that the woman he eventually married would be someone who couldn't even handle wine—so that his precious stash would go unappreciated.

"Let's begin." Rongjing chuckled slightly.

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue thought to herself that she'd make sure to win this game and finish off the entire bottle, leaving Rongjing with none. She made her first move, adjusting a white piece and disrupting the layout of the Exquisite Board.

Rongjing observed her movements with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He moved a black piece, quickly restoring the setup to its original form.

Yun Qianyue muttered inwardly; geniuses were truly a cut above! She adjusted another white piece, disrupting the board once again.

Unfazed, Rongjing casually leaned against a rock and moved another black piece, smoothly restoring the layout.

Frowning, Yun Qianyue moved yet another piece, disrupting the board once more.

Rongjing adjusted a piece back in place, then smiled at her. "After three moves, it's a draw. Neither of us wins, so neither of us gets to drink. Let's continue!"

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue realized that if this continued, not only would Rongjing not get to drink, but neither would she. Determined, she reached over to a black piece and rearranged the board into a new setup, one that was still technically part of the Exquisite Board.

Rongjing raised a brow. "You took a black piece?"

"There's no rule against moving any piece I choose, is there?" Yun Qianyue raised her brow as well.

"Fair point!" Rongjing nodded, a playful glint in his eye. He then picked up a white piece and disrupted the board yet again, saying, "And no one said I couldn't move a white piece."

"Indeed!" Yun Qianyue gritted her teeth and moved another black piece, changing the layout once more.

"Not bad!" Rongjing praised her, moving another white piece, shattering the board's pattern again.

Yun Qianyue moved a black piece, creating an empty space in the center. Pleased, she said, "Let's see you fix this gap! You need two pieces to fill it, but you're only allowed to move one."

Rongjing calmly moved her last piece to a different position, remarking, "Doesn't that solve it?"

Yun Qianyue was speechless. "You moved a piece I had just placed?"

"There's no rule against moving a piece that's already been touched. You were well aware of that when you took a black piece earlier, weren't you?" Rongjing responded with his usual gentle smile.

Left without words, Yun Qianyue silently cursed. That fox! If this kept up, neither of them would be able to drink. Taking a deep breath, she rolled her eyes around the board before randomly picking a piece and setting it down, deciding to play by instinct. After all, if the Exquisite Board was meant to reflect one's true intentions, she only had one goal in mind—getting a drink, with no patience left for strategy.

After placing her piece, she waited a while, but Rongjing didn't move. She raised her head to look at him. "What's taking you so long?"

"I lost. You get to drink." Rongjing looked at the empty spaces on the board, defeated. With a sigh, he sat back.

"Really?" Yun Qianyue looked down at the board, surprised and delighted. Who would've thought her random move would work? Laughing to herself, she picked up her cup, savoring the scent, then downed it in one gulp. She felt the warmth spread from her core, making her feel as if she were floating. She sighed blissfully, "This is indeed excellent wine!"

Rongjing watched her, a faintly appreciative glimmer in his gaze as her cheeks flushed red from the drink, glowing like the morning sun.

Yun Qianyue couldn't bear to set her cup down. The wine's warmth radiated through her, settling in her lower abdomen in a way that was deeply comforting. Looking at him, she declared, "Since you lost this round, I'll make the next move."

"Alright." Rongjing nodded.

Yun Qianyue casually moved another piece, confident that luck would favor her once again.

"No need for me to make a move—you've lost," Rongjing said suddenly, lifting his own cup with a smirk.