Chapter 455: Chapter 439: Contesting Sharpness
Xie Xun felt a lump stuck in his chest. He looked at Fang Chuning’s ignorant, clueless face, then glanced at Xie Jue’s inscrutable one. The thought of his Second Brother’s unrequited love—hopelessly unrequited at that—only made Xie Xun angrier. If this matter were to be exposed, wouldn’t his Second Brother be mortified? He couldn’t bear to see even the slightest discomfort or embarrassment befall his Second Brother, so how could he ever reveal it? Infuriated, Xie Xun spun around and left. The ache in his chest reminded him again why this fight had even started in the first place.
Fang Chuning contained his mirth and turned to Xie Jue, saying, "Zhixu’s temper is getting worse by the day."
"After all, he’s a Prince now, commanding a three-army force. Mercy has no place in a general. Tell me, which Great General with renown that echoes across the land has a mild temper?"
"Me!" Fang Chuning said with a laugh. "I have an excellent temper!"
"Have some shame! The moment I’m not around, you’re badmouthing me behind my back, aren’t you?" Xie Xun unexpectedly turned back at just the right moment to catch Fang Chuning in the act. "If you’ve got such a ’great temper,’ then how did I end up with all these injuries?"
Fang Chuning and Xie Jue exchanged a glance, both caught off guard by Xie Xun’s return. Fang Chuning grinned and asked, "Why are you back again?"
"Second Brother roasted a sweet potato for me, and I haven’t eaten it yet."
Xie Jue tapped the chessboard lightly with his finger, as if to remind Fang Chuning, "...It’s your turn."
Xie Xun strode back and plopped himself down decisively, his eyes locked on Fang Chuning as though the latter were a criminal. Fang Chuning glanced at the game board and whispered a complaint to Xie Jue, "See? It’s all Xie Zhixu’s fault for disrupting my flow. I’m about to lose."
"Your poor chess skills are my fault? How shameless!" Xie Xun thought the beating he gave Fang Chuning the other day hadn’t been thorough enough—he should’ve knocked out all his teeth so he couldn’t spout another word.
Unsurprisingly, Fang Chuning lost the round. Distracted by a few bickering exchanges with Xie Xun, he made a critical mistake.
Among experts, a single misstep leads to another, and soon the entire game becomes impossible to salvage.
"My chess skills are weak?" Fang Chuning retorted. "I can tie with Ting Feng in a match. How about you?"
"As if! Second Brother must’ve gone easy on you!" Xie Xun scoffed outright, unwilling to believe it. His Second Brother had been taught chess by their maternal grandfather, and he had long since surpassed his teacher. Barely anyone could defeat him.
"Back at the Imperial College, I ranked first in nearly all six disciplines," Fang Chuning said with a wide smile. "What about you? What was your ranking?"
With just one sentence, Fang Chuning absolutely floored Xie Xun, who felt stifled and sputtering with indignation. He was on the verge of combusting if the conversation went on any further. Yet, frustratingly, Fang Chuning wasn’t exaggerating in the least—he had been quite famous at the Imperial College.
A natural genius who didn’t even try yet always came out on top.
Xie Xun, despite being fuming, grudgingly admitted to himself that Fang Chuning was indeed talented. Still, no amount of brilliance could make him worthy of his Second Brother’s affections. Surely, it was only because Fang Chuning had grown up alongside Xie Jue that he enjoyed such special treatment from him.
Xie Jue discreetly kicked Fang Chuning lightly, signaling him to tone it down lest he provoke Xie Xun further. With his internal injuries yet to heal, who knew what would happen if he got pushed too far?
Xie Jue, for one, had no intention of watching Xie Xun get so furious that he coughed up blood courtesy of Fang Chuning.
But despite his attempts at subtlety, Xie Jue couldn’t escape Xie Xun’s sharp gaze. Xie Xun had clearly seen the kick, which only made him more aggrieved and even angrier.
"Second Brother!"
To Xie Xun, this felt like blatant favoritism. Wasn’t he supposed to be the one Second Brother was closest to? Xie Jue, upon seeing the wounded expression in Xie Xun’s eyes, could only feel a mix of exasperation and amusement.
"It’s cold out—why don’t you go back to your room to rest?" Xie Jue suggested seriously. "Take Ruyi with you for some fun if you’d like. Why stay here?"
"I’m here to keep an eye on him!" Xie Xun declared in a low voice. There was no way he’d just let this fox spirit hang around to seduce his Second Brother.
Xie Jue had already reset the pieces on the chessboard. Fang Chuning raised his eyebrows and asked with a smirk, "By the way, what exactly does ’fox spirit’ mean?"
Xie Xun sneered, "It’s another way of saying you’re ugly!"
Xie Jue finally gave up on mediating. "Fine, why don’t the two of you just go outside and have another fight?"