Chapter 95 (Ordinary)
...
But little did he know where to farm the favorability ratings for these characters.
When Bu Qingjue woke up in the morning, only Wen Tianyu was left in Jingge.
Jie Zhou said that everyone else had gone out, and Wen Tianyu didn't ask what they were doing. He just indicated that he would not step out of the Jingge gate.
Even without asking, they probably know what they're doing...
He understood as soon as he saw it, so there was no need to ask.
Although we can't see the specific "favorability rating," there's no doubt that Jie Zhou has the highest favorability rating right now.
After all, they had been through thick and thin together for some time.
Although they initially used a shameless method to forcibly pull people out, by sheer coincidence, Jie Zhou also happened to want to leave.
He also promised to give Jie Zhou a new name, and coincidentally, there were so many books in Jingge that he had never seen before.
Jie Zhou and Wen Tianyu exchanged a few words, and the two of them made a simple tug-of-war to test each other, stopping short of a full exchange.
Jie Zhou frankly admitted that what attracted him to Jingge, besides being Bu Qingjue's target, was these documents.
He grew up in the Xie family. His childhood was miserable. Things got a little better as he got older, but not much better. He was born to an outsider. Let alone reading books, he could hardly get enough to eat.
Over the years he had gotten used to it, and he never fought or competed. His hatred was deep in his heart. If he hadn't discovered that he was being used, he wouldn't have made up his mind to leave the Xie family.
Since he had already left, Jie Zhou wanted to do something he hadn't done before.
But he didn't expect to see Bu Qingjue next to the bookshelf.
"You read books too?"
"Do I look like someone who doesn't read books?"
“That’s not what I meant,” Jie Zhou said, sitting beside him and patiently pouring him tea. “I was just wondering if the books on your side are different from ours.”
“They are indeed quite different, but they are similar,” Bu Qingjue said, taking the teacup. “Actually, many of the allusions are the same, probably because…” The author himself was, after all, a modern person.
Therefore, the completion of the worldview should also be based on the original author's understanding.
The rest of the sentence was a bit hard to understand, so Bu Qingjue didn't finish. Jie Zhou didn't seem to care and asked, "What do we do next?"
"It's nothing, just rest first. Beishan is safe now, and you can do whatever you want."
"...Then why do you read books?"
“I already told you I’d name you,” Bu Qingjue continued dismissively, “I know I’m bad at naming things, so I need to find more inspiration.”
Honestly, if he were given free rein, he would choose a name like "Understanding the Male Lead".
However, the homonym "scumbag male lead" is really unlucky.
"..."
Jie Zhou turned his head slightly to the side.
...He said that Bu Qingjue was just trying to appease him by saying it offhand, which he could understand.
He didn't expect the other party to remember it so well.
Bu Qingjue didn't speak, seemingly focused on doing something: giving him a name.
Bu Qingjue didn't look at Jie Zhou's expression. He only felt that someone next to him got up and sat down again, also reading a book, and that the teacup next to him was always warm, with the temperature and tea just right.
He hadn't read so quietly in a long time. The last time was back in college, when he didn't have any friends with him and just read by himself with headphones on.
Bu Qingjue rummaged through the entire bookshelf, lingering among many ornate phrases and encountering many beautiful verses again, some he had seen before and some he hadn't. At least a hundred different ideas went through his mind.
This is the first time he has named someone, and probably the last, because he will not have any children and will not play a significant role in anyone's life.
"Male lead, from now on you'll be called Xie Zhoujian. You're not allowed to dislike it."
"Now you know, your name wasn't chosen randomly. I racked my brains, searched through ancient books, and compared countless others to give you my greatest blessing. So no matter what happens, you have to believe me, okay?"
Bu Qingjue said it casually, unaware of how much this action moved Jie Zhoujian, to the point that Jie Zhoujian truly believed in Bu Qingjue and stayed with him until the end.
But the recollection didn't end there, and the six members of Jingge, each with their own secrets and ulterior motives, actually became the most unforgettable part of Bu Qingjue's life during this period.
During the day, apart from Wen Tianyu who appeared at Jingge without fail, everyone else came and went, each with their own things to do.
Ruan Linglai was someone he was certain about, so he took the initiative to work with Xie Zhoujian to find Ruan Linglai's zither, which was indeed very effective.
Ruan Linglai also took the initiative to find a nearby Jie Zhoujian to learn some self-defense techniques. Yan Shiqun and Aju disappeared somewhere. Bu Qingjue and Jie Zhoujian worked together to collect intelligence from all sides.
It's extremely rare for six people to be together.
However, once they get together, things will be different from the head-to-head confrontation that Bu Qingjue imagined.
It was more like a short skit.
Even the introverted and law-abiding young lady has been encouraged to be more outgoing, which is quite interesting.
Bu Qingjue played an indispensable role in this.
Because whenever a real argument breaks out, or the atmosphere becomes tense, he is the best lubricant.
This is, after all, a chaotic world. People gather together with their own agendas, and having distinct personalities is both a good thing and a bad thing.
Although it was interesting, Bu Qingjue could clearly sense everyone's wariness.
If, as Bu Qingjue thought, if they hadn't met because of this, their relationship would probably be better.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs." He didn't forget that he also had his own agenda when interacting with everyone. In order to make the plot proceed smoothly, he was trying to "please" these people with a specific purpose in mind.
A tiny bit of genuine feeling might be mixed into everyone's pretense, but it's too little, too insignificant, to change their true purpose.
Observe, analyze, and cater to their preferences.
Bu Qingjue even gave everyone a pseudonym, which was linked to their true purposes, as he had learned over the past few days.
The character is a hermit who is a descendant of the Heavenly Eye and hears the voice of the heavens. He is presumably a wise and reclusive person who is conserving his energy and waiting for the right opportunity. At the same time, he probably wants to protect various documents from being stolen.
Ruan Linglai, the daughter of the Ruan family, is displaced and seeks revenge for her family. She seems to be learning swordsmanship recently, but it's unclear how effective it will be.
It is suspected that the Demonic Cult's wild goose has also gone missing and is hiding here waiting for an opportunity, but it seems to have a misanthropic complex... I wonder if it plans to kill all the righteous people.
The villainous traitor, Ah Ju, has defected here and is suspected of being an inside man. His personality is unpredictable, and his motives are elusive.
Finally, there's... Jie Zhoujian, oh no, Jie Zhoujian.
The male lead's character design, the male lead template, but not the male lead.
It was an unexpected turn of events, but he did become the male lead in Bu Qingjue's heart, and Bu Qingjue believed that he would play a significant role in the subsequent plot.
Wen Tianyu probably saw all of this, but he said nothing.
Bu Qingjue pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a bit of a headache.
He has stepped into a classic ensemble drama, but the urgency from the outside world is too strong, and there is no time to slowly understand the preferences of this group of people.
He sat on the steps of Jingge Pavilion, watching Jie Zhou teach Ruan Linglai to wield a sword, feeling a little itchy to try it himself.
...As expected, it would be better to know some practical skills to help the plot develop, right?
That evening, he mentioned the matter to Xie Zhoujian.
Jie Zhoujian was somewhat surprised: "When I asked you before, you said you didn't want to. Could it be that you're interested now?"
"Well—I guess so," Bu Qingjue admitted frankly. "It's not that I didn't want to, I just wasn't sure if I could do it well, since I've never done anything like it before."
“It’s alright, you have spiritual roots, that’s enough,” Jie Zhoujian said. “It’s night now, they should all be asleep, why don’t we give it a try?”
"Okay, but your sword is a bit heavy. Could you start by learning something lighter?"
Jie Zhou whittled a piece of wood into the shape of a wooden sword for him on the spot. Bu Qingjue held it in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and asked, "How do I learn? Where do I start?"
“You’re a beginner, so start with simple footwork to get a feel for it,” Jie Zhoujian said, reaching out with one hand to grasp Bu Qingjue’s wrist holding the sword, and the other to support his arm, Bu Qingjue’s back pressed tightly against his chest. “Step forward, swing your sword, turn around…”
His every movement and every word moved Bu Qingjue's body with fluid grace.
The ambiguous distance between them made Bu Qingjue distracted.
"Can you feel it?" Jie Zhoujian breathed on his ear: "This is what it feels like to wield a sword."
"Ah...ah," Bu Qingjue came to his senses, "probably..."
"It's alright, take your time. Sword techniques can't be confined to one style, and actual combat tests your adaptability... But you're quite good at this."
"Did you teach Linglai this way too?"
"Um?"
His question was rather abrupt, lacking any build-up or transition.
Bu Qingjue only realized this after asking the question and wanted to say something to brush it off, but Jie Zhoujian replied: "No, she is quite talented. She can learn it after one demonstration. Besides, teaching you is different. You should keep your distance from the girl."
"...A very standard answer."
I always felt it was an answer that was easy to guess.
However, Ruan Linglai is actually quite talented in this area, which is truly rare.
"It's a pity she hasn't been exposed to it since she was a child. She started learning the piano in elementary school, but her physical strength is relatively weak, so she suffers a bit when learning."
Well... after all, he's so old now, it's about time he learned a trick or two.
Aju suddenly jumped down from somewhere and said, "You two, why aren't you sleeping so late? Are you having a secret rendezvous outside?"
Bu Qingjue retorted: "It is learning swordsmanship."
"No way, you're immune to Gu poison, and now you're going to learn swordsmanship? Wouldn't you be able to wipe them all out by yourself?" Aju waved his hand: "Haha, just kidding."
“Who knows?” Bu Qingjue said, playing with the wooden sword in his hand. “What if I really am that powerful?”
Aju said, "Then I will definitely follow you around without hesitation."
Bu Qingjue: "You're such a snob."
Aju: "It is only human nature to yield."
"Are you all still awake?" Ruan Linglai also came out of the pavilion and said, "Is Young Master Bu practicing swordsmanship?"
"Did I wake you up?" Bu Qingjue said, "I'm not very skilled; I only taught you a short passage during the day."
"Not at all, Young Master Bu will definitely be able to learn it well! Would you mind if I took a look?"
Jie said during the day, "It's not some exclusive secret, nothing special."
Aju leaned against a tree trunk: "Then I want to see it too."
Bu Qingjue: "...I just wanted to learn swordsmanship, how did it become a three-on-one battle between famous masters?"
“Four against one,” Aju looked up. “There’s a troublesome guy hiding in the tree.”
"..."
The wild goose ignored him, appearing on a branch but showing no intention of coming down.
Ruan Linglai sat properly on the steps: "Since everyone is here, Young Master Bu, please continue practicing. I will play the zither."
Jie asked during the day: "Does Miss Linglai really enjoy playing the zither?"
Ruan Linglai: "No, it's just something I started learning in elementary school. But I also dreamed of becoming a female knight-errant when I was little, it's just that I didn't have the opportunity."
Bu Qingjue: "Heroine? Hahaha, good, it's not too late now."
Aju: "Really? After I finish learning, I can be all of you by your side."
Bu Qingjue: "You changed your expression too quickly!"
Ruan Linglai: "Haha."
The lone goose leaned against a tree and glanced at a window in the attic.
He gave a cold snort without showing any emotion, cursing the hypocrite in his heart.
I'm not going to indulge your voyeuristic tendencies.
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