Yining was forced to turn around and look over there. When people around started to make a noise, Luo Shenyuan took the wine handed to him by Lianxi and took a sip.
Seeing him young and handsome, with a calm and extraordinary demeanor that was incomparable to ordinary people, Lianxi felt a little warmed. She sat down on the round stool next to him and saw that the chessboard in front of him was still untouched. She smiled and said, "I know a little about chess. I wonder if Lord Luo would be willing to play with me?"
Her slender white hand picked up a black piece.
Luo Shenyuan's smile remained unchanged, but his fingers were playing with the wine glass without saying a word.
Someone nearby said, "Luo San, you're too clueless. When has Miss Lianxi ever played chess with anyone? If you hadn't come along this time, she probably wouldn't have wanted to play a song with us. Don't offend this beautiful lady."
Luo Shenyuan put down his wine glass after a long time and took the white piece from the chess cup. "In that case, young lady, you can make the first move."
Lianxi slightly pulled her sleeve and slowly dropped a piece of gold on the jade plate.
Yi Ning's clenched fists gradually relaxed. She couldn't see the chess game clearly, but she saw a subtle hint of impatience on Luo Shenyuan's face. She knew this Lianxi girl must be a poor chess player. Third Brother hated playing with poor players; he considered it a waste of time. It seemed that this was especially true for those with exceptional talent.
His chess skills were the best in the world, but he seldom played chess because he had no rivals.
When teaching Yining, he would reluctantly play chess with her. On other days, he wouldn't even look at others playing chess.
After several moves, Lianxi's face gradually became solemn, and he held the chess piece against his chin as he thought.
Cheng Lang was speechless. He actually went to play chess with Luo San, hoping to attract his attention? He usually dealt with those lucrative merchants, and he had lost his sense of propriety. It was time to start over.
Lianxi soon discovered that this Lord Luo didn't even have to think. After a long pause, she'd make a move, and he'd follow it immediately, waiting for her to make it. He'd cornered her step by step, leaving her powerless to fight back. She forced a laugh, put the chess piece back, and said, "The grapes in the courtyard are ripe. I just sent someone to pick some. Please, gentlemen, have some fresh grapes."
Luo Shenyuan threw the remaining chess pieces back and picked up his wine glass again.
Cheng Lang seemed to remember something when he heard this. He turned his head and asked Yining, "Do you want to eat some grapes? The grapes here are a variety introduced from the Western Regions. They were originally difficult to grow, so the craftsmen took great pains to make them bear fruit. They are very sweet."
Without Yining saying anything, a plate of cleanly washed grapes was brought up in a short while.
Lu Jiaxue glanced at him. Cheng Lang wouldn't be so nice to someone for no reason. It turned out that he had some sincerity in his proposal to marry Yi Ning. No wonder he was so embarrassed when he brought Yi Ning in just now.
His nephew who was always wandering around with women could actually be sincere sometimes.
The grapes from the house over there were also brought up quickly.
Lianxi washed her hands in the copper basin brought by the maid and dried them with a scented handkerchief. She picked a purple grape from the plate and peeled it herself. She pinched it between her slender white fingers and brought it to Luo Shenyuan's lips.
Luo Shenyuan looked up at her and smiled slightly.
Lianxi's face suddenly turned red, and someone next to her started to tease her, "Miss Lianxi, don't be like this. You have to kiss him and feed him. Who knows, he might just eat it."
Lianxi felt even more embarrassed after hearing this. She was a famous actress, not one of those low-class prostitutes in the brothels, so she couldn't do such a wanton thing. But looking at Lord Luo's expression, it seemed that he was unwilling to eat the fruit even though he had peeled it with his own hands.
As soon as she put the grape between her red lips, she heard another round of applause, and she was also excited to the point of being dizzy. Just as she was about to lean forward, she suddenly heard Lord Luo's very light and cold voice: "I advise you to stop at this point. If you go any further, I will show no mercy."
The sound seemed to be right next to my ear, but no one else could hear it.
But Lianxi suddenly came to her senses. She looked into his eyes, which were clearly ruthless, even though he was smiling. She swallowed the grapes and forced a smile, saying, "Please stop joking, everyone. This is too much."
Yining only seemed to vaguely see him pushing the woman away.
Having seen enough, Luo Shenyuan found it difficult to be attracted by these women. An ordinary man, faced with such a beauty, would have already been unable to resist and pressed himself against her. Cheng Lang gently closed the window again. The noise from the other side was muted by the vines, so no one noticed.
"My cousin just said that this Lianxi master seems to be related to you?" Yining asked him.
Cheng Lang's life was chaotic, and he'd slept with so many women he barely remembered any of them. He explained, "She wasn't originally called that. She was only thirteen when she was sold as a skinny horse. The restaurant redeemed her, and I saw her and gave her some pointers. I gave her a new name, and she was quite clever, so she became famous."
A girl from a poor family couldn't compare to a young lady from an aristocratic family like Yining. As a skinny girl, sold from childhood, she needed to be proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to serving men. Marrying as a concubine was the best way out; otherwise, losing her charm meant death.
In fact, skinny horses were not so bad, at least they were trained to the standards of ladies from noble families and served dignitaries. If those with ordinary looks were sold to brothels, their fate would be miserable.
"You're still lucky if you don't marry your cousin." Lu Jiaxue thought of Cheng Lang's past relationships and said it calmly. He didn't bother with these things. He just let him have his way. There would always be someone ready to take his chances.
He just had nothing better to do, so he brought Yining out to see how Luo Shenyuan usually entertained people. He really was the type who didn't get involved in anything, which was quite rare indeed.
Lu Jiaxue drank his tea, smiled deeply, and asked her, "Do you think it's fun?"
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