"Master... what is this?" she asked softly, her voice frail and still carrying the hoarseness that hadn’t completely faded after her earlier self-harm.
"This is called Go game."
Chen Ye showed a gentle smile on his face, picked up a black piece and then a white piece, and waved them in front of Zhiwei,
"It’s a very fun game, even more entertaining than the snowcat you used to play with."
Mentioning the snowcat, Zhiwei’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and her little face seemed to blush a bit.
Chen Ye pretended not to notice and continued explaining:
"Look, each of us takes a color of pieces, and we take turns placing them at the intersections on the board. Whoever first connects five of their pieces in a straight line, whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, wins."
He picked up a black piece and gently placed it at the center position of the board with a crisp "pop" sound.
"Like this, the master played one piece. Now it’s your turn, Zhiwei." Chen Ye pushed the small pile of white stones towards Zhiwei, "Try placing your white piece anywhere you think is good."
Zhiwei looked at the lone black piece, then looked at the pile of white stones in front of her.
She raised her head and looked at Chen Ye again.
Under the light, the man’s gaze was gentle, without any urge or impatience.
Such an expression, she had never felt from Chen Ye before.
Zhiwei took a deep breath and, mimicking Chen Ye’s gesture, gently placed the white piece on an intersecting point next to the black piece.
"Hmm, very good."
Chen Ye nodded approvingly, picked up another black piece, and placed it slowly on another spot,
"Now, the master has made another move. Look, Zhiwei, if Master plays here again, wouldn’t it almost connect three?"
Zhiwei focused intently on the board. She was already clever, and Chen Ye’s explanation was simple and easy to understand. She quickly grasped the rules of the Go game.
Her small brows slightly furrowed as she began to seriously consider where to place the white piece to stop the master and create opportunities for herself.
For Zhiwei, who had never been in contact with recreational games,
the simple and interesting Go game immediately captured her attention.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the crisp noise of stones dropping on the board.
Qing Jun, at some point, also emerged from the inner room, rubbing sleepy eyes. She saw the master and her sister playing with small stones on a grid-patterned board, curiously edging over.
"Master, sister, what are you playing?" she whispered, afraid of disturbing them.
Chen Ye waved her over, beckoning her to come and watch.
Zhiwei was completely absorbed in the game and did not react much to Qing Jun’s arrival, just focusing intently on the board, pondering her next move.
Although her moves were still immature, often missing one while attending to another,
Chen Ye could sense her tense nerves slowly relaxing.
The round ended, with Zhiwei losing.
She looked at the line of black pieces connected on the board, showing a fleeting hint of frustration on her little face:
"Master, again!!"
Chen Ye smiled faintly.
...
Deep in the night.
Outside the door, the sound of two small girls playing Go could still be heard.
In the Cultivation Room, Chen Ye sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, preparing to immerse himself in practice, dispelling the slight fatigue from the day’s events at the Market and the two disciples’ playfulness.
He indeed felt somewhat helpless. The Go game was just a fleeting pastime from his previous life,
yet it captivated Zhiwei and Qing Jun to the point of addiction, playing multiple rounds in succession, refusing to rest even this late at night.
"Oh well, it’s rare for children to find something they like,"
Chen Ye shook his head. It’s normal for these two girls, unfamiliar with such novel games, to get a bit engrossed.
As for delaying cultivation?
That would naturally be impossible.
In the original plot, the two disciples won’t exert their potential for several hundred years, so a little time won’t matter.
He closed his eyes and practiced for about a two-hour period, when he heard a very faint "knock knock" sound.
Chen Ye opened his eyes and looked at the simple wooden door of the Cultivation Room.
The door wasn’t closed completely, leaving a small crack.
"Who is it?" he asked.
Zhiwei, dressed in clean moon-white nightwear, her long black hair falling smoothly over her shoulders, further accentuating her petite form,
was carefully squeezing through the door gap, holding a wooden basin.
The basin was filled with hot water, and the rising steam blurred her slightly pale little face.
"Zhiwei?" Chen Ye was a bit surprised, "Why are you still awake this late?"
Zhiwei did not answer immediately, just silently placed the wooden basin in front of Chen Ye steadily.
The water surface rippled gently, the steam thickened.
Only then did she lift her head, quickly glancing at Chen Ye with her obsidian-like eyes, before dropping them just as quickly.
Her voice was soft, with a hint of stubbornness: "... feet."
"Feet?" Chen Ye was puzzled, instinctively looking down at his own feet. After a day of running around, they were indeed somewhat weary.
Zhiwei reached out with her fair small hand, pointed at the wooden basin, then at Chen Ye’s feet, conveying her meaning concisely.
Her face wore a serious expression, as if saying, "Don’t you understand yet?"
Chen Ye looked at her concerned little grown-up demeanor, feeling both amused and warmed in his heart.
This girl, even though she herself is still a little one who needs care, always thinks about serving her master.
He was about to say something, but Zhiwei had already half-squatted down, reaching out to untie his cloth shoes without asking.
"Wait, Zhiwei, Master can do it himself."
Chen Ye quickly stopped her. He couldn’t bear the thought of such a little girl washing his feet.
Zhiwei paused, looked up, her cool eyes fixed on him, her small mouth slightly pursed, silent, but her gaze clearly conveying "No."
Chen Ye locked eyes with her for a moment, and eventually gave in with a helpless expression.
He had experienced her stubbornness.
He complied, sitting down on the small stool beside the meditation mat, allowing Zhiwei to continue her task.
Her small hands were a bit cold, but she skillfully untied the cloth shoes.
Soon, Chen Ye’s feet were soaking in the warm water.
Zhiwei rolled up the sleeves of her nightwear, exposing her alabaster wrists. She carefully tested the water temperature before reaching in, gingerly starting to massage Chen Ye’s ankles.
Her touch was gentle, her actions somewhat clumsy, evidently her first time attempting such a thing.
The two little girls had served the "previous body" (although the previous body was Chen Ye himself),
but never this intimately...
The Cultivation Room fell silent, with Zhiwei’s shallow breathing being the only sound.
"Master’s feet... don’t smell too bad, right?"
Chen Ye, suddenly recalling something, made small talk, trying to break the slightly awkward silence.
Zhiwei’s movements briefly froze,
She looked up, giving Chen Ye an annoyed glare, as if her cool eyes were capable of shooting fire.
"... Not smelly!" She squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, her voice both urgent and rapid.
After speaking, she lowered her head, the force of her massage subconsciously increasing, as if venting her frustration.
Chen Ye felt the pressure on his feet and chuckled quietly.
This child, still so easily teased.
After washing, Zhiwei carried the basin without saying a word and headed to leave.
Her small figure stood straight as a pencil.
Before departing, she calmly said:
"It’s only natural for a disciple to wash the master’s feet."
"?"
Chen Ye was at a loss.
This girl, still a riddle maker?