Chapter 51 He is very popular
The plan was to reward Xiao Sui, but perhaps because she had been out in the wind all day, Ning Qi started coughing as she walked back to her courtyard. After dinner, she began to have a headache and feel cold.
After Xiao Sui helped her finish washing up, he wrapped her tightly in the quilt, touched her head with a serious expression, and fed her medicine after confirming that her temperature was not high. "You should rest early."
Ning Qi only poked her head out, blinking her eyes as she looked at him. Although she had some symptoms of a cold, she was in good spirits and stubbornly refused to lie down. "I'm not sleepy. Talk to me for a while."
Xiao Sui sat down.
Ning Qi moved closer to him, finally having a chance to look at him properly. She looked him up and down and said, "You've been so busy taking care of me, have you gotten hurt today? I saw they threw all their talismans at you."
"It's alright." Xiao Sui opened his arms and showed them to her.
"How can you tell from that?" Ning Xi pouted.
Xiao Sui bit his lip, his fingers touching his belt.
Ning Qi watched as his ears turned bright red as he unbuckled his belt, pulled open his collar, and let the fabric slowly slide down his shoulders.
She took several deep breaths to clear her mind and carefully checked herself over. There were no external injuries, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, it seems their talismans weren't very good after all."
"I used my spiritual power to protect myself," Xiao Sui explained.
"So that's how it is." Ning Qi's gaze was already fixed on that rosy, upturned spot. Recalling its texture, she moved closer, swallowed, and felt his warm, moist breath on her full muscles. It looked even more tempting than before, making her want to bite.
She opened her mouth, just as she was about to bite, when someone lifted her head up and instead, bright red lips enveloped her.
"Hmm...?" Ning Qi widened her eyes and pushed him away by reaching out from under the covers.
Xiao Sui felt her push and immediately released her, his face showing annoyance. "Sorry, don't you want to kiss me?"
How could she not want to kiss someone so cute? Ning Qi screamed in her mind, but pretended to be calm, "My cold will infect you, and you still have to participate in the competition."
"It's alright." Xiao Sui relaxed, pressed his forehead against hers, and gently kissed her cheek. His deep voice, like a sigh, fell into her ears, "If only I could take your place when you're sick."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ning Qi raised her head slightly, sealed his lips that were so close to hers with her own, held them between her teeth and rubbed them together, then stuck out her tongue to push his words back down his throat.
Xiao Sui held her hand with one hand and supported the back of her neck with the other, responding gently to her.
Ning Qi let out a comfortable groan, forgetting her headache and feeling much better.
As they kissed, they became somewhat lost in the moment, and the blanket that had been tightly wrapped around them came undone, her hair falling onto Xiao Sui's arm, where veins were bulging.
When Ningqi opened her eyes the next day, she still felt dizzy and unwell.
Xiao Sui kissed her forehead, tucked her in, and told her to rest well and not to go watch the game.
Ning Qi knew that her body was not in good condition, and now that the weather was getting colder, it was indeed not advisable to go out and catch a chill, so she rested in the house for three whole days.
With nothing else to do during the day, she would ask Qianyu and the others about Xiao Sui's situation.
"Didn't Young Master Xiao tell you? He got full marks in both his basic Taoist skills and talisman drawing, and he got second place in formation. There's only one swordsmanship competition left, but he's already in the top eight." Zhizhi counted on her fingers. "I've calculated it. Young Master Xiao's points will definitely put him in the top five. Going to the Immortal Realm is no problem at all."
Ning Qi nodded in satisfaction, feeling very proud. Of course, she had heard Xiao Sui talk about his competition, but he spoke of it casually, as if he hadn't achieved anything significant, and immediately shifted the topic to her, asking what she had done that day, how she was feeling, and whether she was feeling any better.
I still prefer listening to Zhizhi's explanation.
Qianyu frowned. "What's so good about going to the Immortal Realm? He's your servant, so he should stick to his duty. You don't know how popular he is now. He's surrounded by people wherever he goes. I'm afraid that when he comes back from the Immortal Realm... he'll get carried away."
“Impossible,” Zhizhi retorted. “Young Master Xiao is determined to stay with the princess for life.”
Ning Qi nodded in deep agreement.
Qianyu looked worried, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
“But I heard from Aying that some young girls and boys have been hanging around Young Master Xiao these past few days.” Zhizhi stroked her chin. “Princess, why don’t I keep an eye on Young Master Xiao? Those people know me, so they’ll know that Young Master Xiao is one of your people.”
Ning Qi smiled and said, "It's a good thing that Xiao Sui is popular now. You go and keep an eye on him to see how he behaves. I've rested enough, and I'll go watch his last match tomorrow."
She was indeed curious about Xiao Sui's current popularity. When he came back that evening, she didn't mention that she wanted to watch his match, but planned to sneak over.
The next morning, Xiao Sui left as usual, and Ning Qi dozed off for a while before washing up.
The morning session was the quarterfinals, and the finals were in the afternoon. After she finished getting ready, her head was still a little dizzy, but she didn't take it seriously and left on time.
"Both Young Master Xiao and Young Master Yan have made it to the finals." Upon arriving at the competition venue, Zhizhi asked cautiously, "Who do you hope will win?"
This is asking her who she should choose, right? Ning Qi tapped her head. "What do you think?"
Zhizhi covered her forehead. "I definitely hope Young Master Xiao wins. I wonder if your thoughts are the same as mine?"
Ning Qi smiled and said, "Of course they're the same."
She thought it was an obvious answer. It seems that her image as a devoted follower of the male lead for the sake of the mission was too deeply ingrained in people's minds. Even Zhizhi, who was always by her side, couldn't be sure of her feelings.
Ning Xi thought to herself, "Why don't I bring up the matter of canceling the engagement with my father after this sect competition?" She stroked her chin. "Xiao Sui did a good job this time. My father shouldn't object to them, right?"
After all, her father agreed to her engagement with Yan Chongyan because he saw his potential in cultivation.
Xiao Sui is no less capable than him.
Once she made up her mind, Ning Qi kept her eyes on Xiao Sui and didn't notice Yan Chongyan, who had a gloomy look in his eyes, standing next to her.
Xiao Sui's match between the four and the two was not difficult. After exchanging more than twenty moves, he feinted and, taking advantage of his opponent's inattention, put his sword to his neck, winning the match.
Cheers erupted from the crowd, with many people shouting his name to cheer him on—a stark contrast to the first day of the competition when nobody knew him.
During halftime, several people brought him water and pastries, but Xiao Sui refused and walked straight to Ning Qi. He squatted down beside her as if no one else was there, completely unconcerned about his humble posture, and asked with a serious expression, "Why have you come?"
Ning Qi felt a little guilty. "I came to watch your match."
"Your body hasn't fully recovered yet, so it's not good for you to be out in the wind here. You should go back quickly," he said, his tone softening as he coaxed her.
"No, I want to watch your match." Ning Xi's attitude was firm. She had already missed three days, and if she didn't watch the sect competition soon, it would be over.
Xiao Sui helplessly touched her clothes, and only after confirming that she was dressed warmly enough did he resign himself to his fate and say, "I will finish the competition as soon as possible."
After he finished speaking, a cultivator came over to remind him that it was time to rest, and he followed the cultivator back to the arena.
"I told you so, he's the princess's male concubine, he only got to where he is today by selling his body." Whispers came from behind, and although they were kept very low, Ning Xi still caught them.
"How could that be? Everyone has witnessed his strength. What does he have to do with the princess?"
"Tsk, you don't understand. With the princess's favor, what kind of elixir can't he get? His cultivation level will naturally rise. Otherwise, would he have had such strength before?"
Ning Qi was furious. She went back to find the jealous husband, identified the speaker, and told Zhizhi to find an opportunity to put a sack over his head and beat him up.
Zhizhi nodded after memorizing his face.
The final match was about to begin, and Xiao Sui and Yan Chongyan stepped onto the field.
She wasn't surprised at all that the final victor was one of the two, after all, one was the male protagonist and the other was the villain, both of whom were top-tier characters in the book.
After the referee shouted "start," Yan Chongyan launched the first attack. His longsword was as fast as lightning, stabbing straight at Xiao Sui's throat, showing no mercy.
Xiao Sui reacted swiftly, dodging to the side and blocking his sword strike. The two swords collided, sparks flying.
Yan Chongyan did not give up and thrust out more than a dozen swords in succession, each strike aimed at Xiao Sui's vital points.
"Young Master Yan's offensive is too fierce." Zhizhi frowned. "So he really wants to win that much."
Ning Qi pursed her lips, suspecting that he didn't actually want to win, but was simply targeting Xiao Sui.
Xiao Sui retreated several steps, then suddenly leaped into the air, using Yan Chongyan's forward momentum to land on his sword. He exerted force so much that he almost pinned Yan Chongyan and his sword to the ground, and thrust his long sword toward Yan Chongyan's chest.
Yan Chongyan exerted force with his wrist, quickly drew his longsword, and raised it to block his attack.
The offensive and defensive shifted, and Xiao Sui gained the upper hand, launching continuous attacks against him.
The longswords drew silver lines in the air, occasionally sparking as they clashed. The two exchanged dozens of quick blows, but still couldn't determine a winner.
They appear to be evenly matched.
Ning Qi followed their figures so closely that her eyes couldn't keep up, and she saw double images.
She rubbed her eyes, but still couldn't make out Xiao Sui's figure.
Although Xiao Sui was anxious, he did not show it on the surface. He patiently waited for Yan Chongyan to make a mistake, and he could sense that the other party was becoming restless.
He just needs the right opportunity.
Yan Chongyan quickly lost his patience, and his swordsmanship in attacking him became somewhat hasty, exposing his vital points to him.
Xiao Sui slightly raised the corners of his mouth, about to stab him, when he suddenly froze and quickly turned his head away.
In a moment of stunned silence, Yan Chongyan's longsword had already pierced his shoulder.
Yan Chongyan revealed a smug smile.
The surrounding area instantly became lively, with cheers, boos, and disappointed howls.
The referee walked into the competition area, ready to announce the results.
Xiao Sui raised his hand and pulled the sword off his shoulder. Blood instantly soaked his clothes, but he seemed completely unaware of it.
"You..." Yan Chongyan was surprised and wanted to say something, but he had already run quickly towards the spectator seats.
Everyone was drawn to his strange behavior, and all eyes were on him.
He ran to the center of the spectator area and picked up a richly dressed young girl.
The girl's eyes were closed, and when he picked her up, her arms slipped down, indicating that she had clearly lost consciousness.
Yan Chongyan's pupils contracted. Was that the princess? He could keep an eye on the princess's condition while he was competing with him?
Why did the princess suddenly faint?
He followed without realizing it.
Zhizhi trotted after Xiao Sui, looking like she was about to cry. "I don't know what happened, the princess suddenly fainted."
Xiao Sui's face was extremely ugly. "I'll take the princess back. You go to the palace and fetch the imperial physician."
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