GTB Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Whoever Wins Sleeps on the Bed

Seeing Shí Yan leave, Jiang Jiuchu couldn’t restrain herself any longer. She immediately put down her book, went to the bedside, and bent down, saying to the little fox lying prone on the bed:

“Hey! Little fox, you’re so cute, you wouldn’t bite people, would you? Can I give you a hug?”

Whether the little fox understood or not, its fox eyes stared straight at Jiang Jiuchu, and it chirped at her before getting up and taking two steps forward.

Seeing this, Jiang Jiuchu tentatively reached out to touch it. Seeing it obediently nuzzle against her palm, her heart melted.

She picked up the little fox in one go, sat back at the table, and took a piece of pastry, imitating Shí Yan. “Want to eat more?”

As soon as she said that, the little fox whined and reached out its paw to grab it.

Jiang Jiuchu didn’t expect that the little fox loved to eat pastries just like humans. She remembered the book she had just been reading, which seemed to say that among all spirits, foxes were the easiest to cultivate into demons.

Seeing the little fox finish the pastry in a few bites, her eyes darted around. She picked up two teacups on the table and turned them upside down, placing a piece of pastry under one in front of the little fox.

After switching their positions, she picked up its paw and pointed it at the two inverted cups. “Where’s the pastry? Guess correctly and I’ll let you eat it.”

The little fox seemed to understand Jiang Jiuchu’s words, and its little paw immediately pointed to the teacup covering the pastry.

Seeing that it had pointed correctly, Jiang Jiuchu took out the pastry from under the cup and fed it to the fox.

After it finished eating, she added another cup and moved them around several times, until she herself couldn’t tell which cup the pastry was under, before stopping and asking:

“Alright, choose!”

The little fox rested its paws on the edge of the table for a moment, then pointed its paw at the cup on the far right of the table, turning its head to whine at Jiang Jiuchu.

Jiang Jiuchu quickly opened the cup to check, excitedly taking out the pastry and hugging the little fox. “You’re so smart!”

The little fox happily wagged its tail, and after eating the pastry it had guessed correctly, it continued to cling to the edge of the table, its meaning clear.

The two were having a great time playing when suddenly, a knock on the door startled Jiang Jiuchu, who jumped up and instantly threw the little fox out of her arms.

The little fox, who was having so much fun, was suddenly thrown to the ground and stumbled. Its fox eyes looked at Jiang Jiuchu with resentment, and it whimpered.

Ignoring the little fox’s accusation, Jiang Jiuchu hurriedly got up and walked to the cabinet, took out bedding and pillows, and began to make her bed on the floor.

Shí Yan glanced at the pastry plate on the table, which was half empty, bent down to pick up the little fox, and threatened, “Little thing, didn’t I tell you not to be greedy? If you steal food again, I’ll chop off your paws.”

Hearing the voice behind her, Jiang Jiuchu’s heart tightened, and she swallowed, silently spreading out the bedding.

After laying out the bedding, Jiang Jiuchu, worried that Shí Yan would suddenly turn off the lights again, turned and walked to the table, picked up her book, and lay down in the bedding.

After flipping through a few pages of the book, she turned her head to look at the one person and one fox comfortably leaning against the big bed, sighed in her heart, and felt that her life was not as good as a fox’s.

But moving out didn’t seem feasible, not to mention what the servants in the house would say, even the Empress Dowager would definitely not allow it.

Alas! What to do? She looked at the man on the bed, who was helping the overfed little fox smooth its belly, and felt that he didn’t seem so cold-hearted after all.

Should she try?

Thinking of this, she immediately sat up and called out to Shí Yan, “Seventh Prince.”

Shí Yan raised his eyes to look at Jiang Jiuchu, his hands moving without stopping. “What is it?”

Jiang Jiuchu forced a smile and looked at Shí Yan. “Is Your Highness bored?”

Shí Yan was stunned for a moment, his phoenix eyes staring straight at Jiang Jiuchu. Seeing a hint of slyness hidden in her eyes, he didn’t understand what this woman was up to.

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Jiang Jiuchu rolled her eyes and took the initiative to suggest, “It’s still early, and I can’t sleep anyway, how about we play a game of chess?”

“No time.” Shí Yan said, putting the little fox aside and picking up a book from the short table to open.

Jiang Jiuchu was a little dazed, not expecting him to refuse so bluntly. She thought to herself, if you don’t want to play, then don’t, holding a book doesn’t make you look busy?

As if she didn’t have one, Jiang Jiuchu picked up the book next to her pillow, and an idea flashed in her mind. She spoke to Shí Yan again, “Has Your Highness ever read ‘Essays on Spirits and Oddities’?”

Seeing Shí Yan look towards her, she shook the book in her hand. “Want to borrow it for a couple of days?”

Shí Yan’s eyes flickered as he looked at the book in her hand. This book had been banned a hundred years ago, and although it had been unbanned after the change of dynasties, it had already disappeared. How did she have it?

He paused, then withdrew his gaze and refused again, “No need.”

Jiang Jiuchu was a little discouraged, thinking, why is this person so stubborn? Was she really going to sleep on the floor like this all the time?

No, she had to fight for herself. After hesitating for a while, she boldly said:

“I heard that Your Highness is a playboy and arrogant, so, Your Highness doesn’t want to play chess with me, is it because you’re afraid of losing and hurting your face?”

Shí Yan chuckled, put down the book, and thought, fine, he wanted to see what kind of gamble this woman wanted to make with him.

“Since that’s the case, then I’ll play a game with you.”

As he said that, he put on his shoes and got out of bed, walked to a display rack and took out a set of jade chess pieces, placing it on the table. He looked at Jiang Jiuchu, who was sitting over with a delighted expression, and asked:

“Speak, what do you want to bet?”

Jiang Jiuchu’s body stiffened as she sat down, and she looked at Shí Yan awkwardly. “Is… is it that obvious?”

“Otherwise? Do you think you can simply relieve my boredom?”

Jiang Jiuchu rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, of course not, but this person was quite self-aware.

Thinking that the person was already sitting in front of her, he shouldn’t refuse, she said directly, “How about whoever loses sleeps on the floor?”

Shí Yan found it amusing, she really overestimated herself, she couldn’t stand it after only the second day, she was indeed a spoiled young lady who had been pampered since she was a child.

He just didn’t know where she got the confidence to win against him, could it be because of his reputation as a playboy?

A calculation flashed in his eyes, and he asked in a low voice, “You mean, if you win, you want to sleep on my bed?”

“Yes.” Jiang Jiuchu nodded a little embarrassed.

Shí Yan thought for a while, “It’s not impossible, but what if I win?”

“If you win, you also sleep on the bed!” Jiang Jiuchu said, then seemed to realize something was wrong, and quickly said again, “It’s just whoever wins sleeps on the bed.”

“But I’m already sleeping on the bed.” As he said that, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Jiang Jiuchu with a wicked smile.

“Miss Jiang really has a good plan, if she wins, she can sleep on the bed, and if she loses, she won’t suffer any loss, while I am exactly the opposite, I have no winning stake, but I have a losing stake.

“Why don’t you think about it, is there any need for this Prince to play this game of chess?”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu felt that he really didn’t need to bet, after all, he was already sleeping on the bed.

“Then Your Highness can think of a bet yourself!” Jiang Jiuchu was full of confidence. Her chess skills were already good, and she had been guided by Brother Fu, she would definitely be able to win against this pampered playboy in front of her.