While Liyue and Ruo once again focused on their chess ga, Li Yao moved beside Han Li and sat to his left side. Yue Li was on the right, and before him was the duo of Liyue and Ruo in the middle of a witty battle.
Wei Yuanfen and Hua Feilan sat to the side, both exchanging glances. They were the ones with the most shallow relationship with Han Li, after all, and they knew it. Even though it was not awkward because they were all familiar with each other, both of them still subconsciously compared themselves to each other.
Taking inventory of everyone with a glance aid at their eyes, Han Li brought all attention in the room to himself, except for the duo playing chess.
Han Li placed a hand on the chessboard, and Ruo and Liyue looked at him.
"None of you are people I don't trust. You are all people I rather enjoy being with. And no need to look around; that includes you too, Hua Feilan."
Hua Feilan blinked. She was the tallest person in the room—taller than even Han Li—and when all of their gazes focused on her, she felt her gaze falter.
Clearing her throat, she nodded.
She was not inexperienced in dealing with the gaze of a crowd; she used to run a matchmaker service before she beca Han Li's disciple, after all.
Liyue sneakily took his hand and placed it out of the chessboard.
Ruo moved a pawn and said in passing, "But I'd say not to do that."
"Hm…" Surprised, Han Li paused. "You an?"
"You have too many won. How can you trust them all?" Ruo frowned as one of her rooks was killed. "I don't an to offend anyone here, but they're all like horny rabbits after your affection. I don't know. I have a feeling that if you were to die, you are bound to die in an internal conflict rather than an external one.
"Maybe one of your won who you trust so much would backstab you perhaps?"
Yue Li and Liyue looked at Ruo with a gaze filled with displeasure.
"That's not so kind, Ruo." Even Hua Feilan was frowning.
Han Li wasn't offended but intrigued.
It was not that he hadn't considered it himself; after all, he was a man, in his own opinion, with only one weakness: His won.
Of course, he had always known the risks attached to it. He was sure the only people whom he genuinely cared about wouldn't do anything untoward to him, but The Spirit was a clear example of how his trust could backfire.
Had it had more ti and had Liyue not been so blessed with all that she had—it could have ended up crazy.
He would have only fallen deeper and deeper in love with 'Liyue,' who was actually the Spirit, and when the Spirit had enough of using him to her agendas, she would probably get rid of him or go do her own devices.
One had to be pragmatic even in love. Being a cynic wouldn't help him gain actual worthwhile relationships, but being naive wasn't his style.
He'd rather not have too many things going on in his back; he had already been a bit too loose with his heart. Han Li liked being sure about things. Only then could he not look back into his backyard and focus all his attention on cultivation.
"Why do you say that?" To Ruo, he asked.
This woman he had countless untold feelings towards was a weird person. She didn't talk much and was always doing sothing. Her only friend outside his circle of won was Shin Wenyu, Monk Hen Shin's disciple.
She was not far too different from the Ruo in his mories. She was even still attached to Yue Li like a daughter to a mother.
The only difference was he hadn't been able to win her heart like in the past life.
Ruo was like a free bird, flying in the air with her wings wide and looking at everything with the gaze of a spectator. Even her Existence was akin to a bird at rest, ready to fly.
She knew he loved her—everybody knew—but she had never spoken anything about it. Even when he tried to ntion it in the past, she just escaped with so kind of blatant excuse like "Mother Yue told not to talk with you for a day. Let's talk tomorrow!"
Gracefully tucking a strand of her white hair behind her ears, she moved another piece in the board.
"That's why I said I don't want to offend anyone." She sighed, "You guys imdiately grow worked up when I speak badly about him—Especially Liyue and… Mother Yue, You."
Yue Li frowned still, and Liyue was a mirror image.
Liyue's moves itself grew a bit aggressive, and one by one, Ruo started to lose her pawns.
Ruo was calm. Even her brown eyes were just as watery as ever. Han Li looked at her with a smile; she really was a beautiful woman—maybe it was because he was looking with his own eyes.
Her long and curly white hair fell to her hips, her skin was a fire white, and brown eyes that glinted like gold stood in her eyes, with a very curious glint hidden inside.
Ruo had taken all of Han Li's won as her teacher figures, and throughout her growth, she had been showered with affection. The monks considered her a part of themselves—even when she blatantly didn't cut her own hair—while Han Li's circle considered her a part of theirs.
She had learned to be curious from Hua Yu. She had learned from the monks to be wary of her own desires, and she had learned to be pragmatic and cautious from Han Li himself.
She was the only one who would daringly call Yue Li a "Fool" other than Han Li without even thinking twice. Li Yao should have influenced that.
And all of this was not even Han Li's observation. It had all been noted by herself, and she was the one who saw it all in herself. She must have learned to judge people like that from the obstinate Monk, Hen Shin.
That was his observation. Nobody ever needed to teach her all this audibly; she just watched with wide eyes from an inconspicuous place and then nodded to herself when soone did an actual good job in every circumstance, in her opinion.
When they do sothing stupid, she shakes her head and sighs: "What a dumbass…"
So, in her opinion, Han Li was doing sothing stupid for her to speak. Or she would have just continued playing her gas without letting him interrupt.
"You say you don't want to offend anyone." Han Li smiled and reached out to pat her head. "Yet you say an offensive thing about behind my back?"
Ruo sighed, feeling the protective palm over her head.
"You always do that... It's so annoying."
She then took his hand and placed it over Liyue's head—now he couldn't even take it and put it back on top of her head. Thus, he just patted Liyue's head, who seed to stop frowning because of that.
"Anyway," Ruo continued on her earlier point. Looking at Han Li, "You know what? You have that weird power to bind people in promises, right? The one you used on Sister Feilan when you t her for the first ti. I myself would have bound everyone here in at least a binding that says they can't betray anyone you care for without verbally telling you—everything would remain civil at least."
Han Li's ability to use Heart Qi bindings was an open secret among the circle of Han Li's won. Even though they didn't really know that it was Heart Qi itself.
Hearing Ruo's words, Yue Li gave a little smack on the back of Ruo's head, and the girl grimaced in grievance.
"Mother Yue… Why? I am speaking reason!" she said, feeling wronged, rubbing her head: "Now he only has you guys around, but he doesn't seem to have any plans to stop. It won't be like this when he has a bunch of horny won around him who want him for themselves—I bet you will all regret it when it actually ends badly."
Yue Li scoffed. "That smack was for acting like a smart ass. And Xiao Li, I've told you before, but don't touch her if she doesn't want to be touched—even if it is a simple pat."
Ruo purred, "It's not that serious. And again, I don't need you to speak for , Mom. I know the language."
Wei Yuanfen chuckled from the side, broken out of her daze.
"Really. One thing she said was right on point, though. Master even tried to get , his disciple… on his bed once. He has no intentions to stop—"
"And you will be on his bed in so more ti." Liyue interjected, "Don't be too shaless! I know you love him, witch. How dare you talk bad about him. Shaless, shaless, too shaless! I'll watch you moan under him one day, you bet."
Wei Yuanfen blushed.
"Who said that I love him?"
Her short hair especially stood out in the room full of long-haired won, and she blinked nervously as Han Li threw her a silent glare.
He was taking in everyone's reactions with clear curiosity.
Hua Feilan remained silent, but feeling awkward, she said, "I don't mind entering in a binding that confirms we can't betray each other. It just gives us more confidence, right? We can all trust each other even if no emotional attachnt is considered.
"Isn't it… good to have that? To trust others with no limits considered—not to trust, but to know that you won't betray ."
Li Yao nodded to that.
"Indeed, I also support it. It's the rational thing to do with all the people he considered his won. At least, it is better in my opinion."
Ruo nodded at Hua Feilan and Li Yao as if they were the only smart ones in the room.
Liyue smirked and moved a chess piece.
She said calmly, "Checkmate."
Ruo looked at the board, and her cute face changed slightly.
"You must have cheated when I wasn't looking!"
It was the first ti Liyue saw Ruo so flustered.
That made her sure that it had indeed been a good idea to cheat.
"We can trust each other even without your 'oh so smart idea,'" Liyue looked at Han Li's hand still resting above her head. "He just has to keep trustworthy won around us. Only people we trust. Or don't even bother with them—he can tell them apart fine enough. I trust all of you."
Ruo cald down and shrugged.
"Your enemies don't 'betray' you, people you consider friends do. You should read so books, Liyue!" She shook her head, "Naive idiots. This is why I hate talking with you all, a bunch of true idiots."
Yue Li pinched her ears, but Ruo only growled.
"You are a fool too, Mom! The biggest fool. I bet you will be the most heartbroken when soone stabs your son on his back, and you could have prevented it."
Yue Li faltered there. She was obviously supportive of the idea now.
Han Li suddenly laughed softly, unable to hold himself back, and pinched Ruo's cheek.
That made her puff in irritation.
"I was here to talk about exactly that, too." He nodded smilingly. "It would be better to have so safety asures in place so that soone couldn't impersonate one of you—or even ."
He took his hand from Liyue's head and Ruo's cheek before growing serious.
All grew subconsciously... silent.
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