Xie Yue knows the intelligence level of this girl very well and is very well aware of the problems and dangers this woman can bring to him. So early as when he first met her, he started to radiate an aura of "I am nobody."
He expected she would start to eye him once Ning Fengzhi opened his mouth. But until then, he had to stay under her radar and not let her notice him so as not to shorten his available time in advance. This is not the outcome Xie Yue desires, so he deliberately avoided her.
After all, in this world, people can see through a person's cultivation level quite easily if they have experience or enough soul power themselves. Even now, Xie Yue can relatively guess some high-level people's soul power levels approximately.
Other than using soul power to probe directly, if one has seen and fought with many people of similar soul power levels, they can easily distinguish the level from the oppression emitted from them. But gaining experience takes time. After all, only a little experience is needed to tell whether a person's oppressive level is 10+ or 20+, but rich experience and observation are needed to tell whether it is 17 or 18 accurately.
At the first time they met, Qian Renxue was still young and inexperienced. She also didn't probe Xie Yue using her soul power that much in front of Ning Fengzhi. But Xie Yue knows her talent and intelligence; if he came into contact with her often, his cultivation level would be seen through, whether she has experience or not. So he avoided her most of the time to keep his peaceful time a little longer.
But after Ning Fengzhi told Xue Qinghe about them a year ago, Xie Yue didn't hide it anymore and took the initiative to contact her. Since she also wanted to get close to him, they hit it off and became best brothers—on the surface.
_____________
Xie Yue and Xue Qinghe continued their friendly conversation. The crown prince did his work as Xie Yue sat talking about this and that.
Soon, Xie Yue stretched out boredly as he looked at the setting sun.
"Big Brother, it's time to end your work. Let's go and take a bath together," Xie Yue said.
Hearing him, the smile on Xue Qinghe's face froze for a second, but soon it returned to normal.
What did Qian Renxue fear? She was used to being invited to bathe together by Xie Yue. But every time, she would come up with many excuses and leave. She also understood that she couldn't reject him again and again since it was common for buddies to bathe together. But she had to. Are you asking her, a female, to bathe with a male?
At first, she felt nervous whenever Xie Yue invited her. It was her first time facing such a situation, after all; in the royal family, no one invites anyone to bathe together since they weren't that close. But here, Xie Yue did. Luckily for her, Xie Yue was a very understanding and innocent brother; if she told a lie, he would believe it and wouldn't push further. So even now, when Xie Yue invited her today, she didn't have the initial fear of her identity being exposed. She thought: "I just have to say something, and he won't push further."
But unexpectedly for her, Xie Yue said the next sentence, which put her in much trouble.
"Big Brother, you have to come with me today even if you have a war to attend. Otherwise, I will think that you don't consider me your brother," Xie Yue said, looking at her stubbornly.
Before, Xie Yue didn't push this matter further since it would put Qian Renxue in a difficult position. If he pushed further and further, she would think that he already had doubts about her disguise and might take drastic decisions. After all, the matter about her disguise is very important to her, so she would even go to the length of killing him to keep the secret and suspicion.
Yeah, she can't kill outright since the Two Bone and Sword Douluos were not for show. Because of them, even her two titled Douluo-level guards can't come inside the sect. Once they did, the two Bone and Sword Douluos would sense it. So when she comes to the sect, she comes alone without any hidden guards and only with a few royal guards. Her safety is not threatened in the sect at all because of her identity as Ning Fengzhi's disciple. Even though the identity as crown prince is valuable, it is not as valuable as the former identity. So there is no necessary need for her two hidden guards to stay with her here either.
But those two Sword and Bone Douluos are also the reason why she can't kill Xie Yue here in the sect, considering the latter's identity. But that doesn't mean she can't do that outside the sect. So Xie Yue never wanted to touch and test this dangerous sleeping snake named Qian Renxue unnecessarily.
While Xie Yue didn't push this bathing matter further, he couldn't stop bringing it up either. He has his plans for doing that. Little by little, he made her realize that him asking her to bathe with him is not that fearful or dangerous.
As for threatening Qian Renxue with her identity, this stupid thought had once crossed Xie Yue's mind, but he soon dismissed it.
Qian Renxue was indeed a proud girl who had never faced failure until now and always liked to finish what she started, going to great lengths to finish her goal. This specific task about taking control over the Heaven Dou Empire is also very important to her since she wants to prove herself to her mother. This is her personality, which is a flaw but also a strength. And Xie Yue can indeed exploit this nature.
But that doesn't mean he can outrightly blackmail her. He can use this blackmail anonymously but never openly. Even when he blackmails her, the chance of Qian Renxue directly abandoning the plan is also possible. She is not stupid.
Xie Yue asked himself: if someone got a hold of his secret and they were threatening him, but the threat was really not a threat in the first place, would he accept their demands?
No. Not even a little. Since they can't do anything to him. What's the point in dancing to the tune of others? Who says that they will stop threatening him after only doing it once?
So, Xie Yue was sure if he overdid the blackmailing without giving her a sense of safety, Qian Renxue would drop everything and go back to her grandfather to inherit her angel god legacy.
As for blackmailing directly? Hmm... Never think about it. It can indeed give Qian Renxue a sense of safety once she knows who threatens her. After all, she would feel that she is in control. But it would also harness her hatred, which Xie Yue doesn't want.
Once she became fed up with him, she would outrightly go for his head. If she brings her grandpa back to avenge her, that would be the end for Xie Yue. The STGT sect is not the Clear Sky Sect. Qian Daoliu doesn't have any agreement not to attack this sect.
While these were the reasons why he didn't continue to push the bathing matter before, today's act of pushing further also has its reason.
Hearing him say that, Xue Qinghe's mind raced.
"Moon, it's really not convenient for Big Brother to bathe with you today. I know you will understand me," Xue Qinghe said, directly using some minor emotional tactic to divert Xie Yue by asking for his understanding.
Seeing Xie Yue's stubbornness, she felt no lie could make him stop wanting to bathe with her today. So she said this. She believed the innocent and good-natured Xie Yue wouldn't like to be a burden to anyone; it is her understanding of him after a year of interaction.
Yes, it would be the case if it were any other day. But who made Xie Yue remember that heart-beating incident a year ago and made him want to take revenge on her today? It is her unluckiness to stay in this sect today, which made Xie Yue feel it convenient.
So, Xie Yue decided to take her down using an emotional quote which he remembered very well from his past life. He wants to give her a surprise bomb....
"Big Brother, I understand that you are busy; that's why I never bothered you to spend more time and play with me."
"But I heard someone say something during my travels this time, which continued to bother me throughout the whole time. This, in turn, made me question whether you care about me or not," Xie Yue said with a doubtful but sad tone, little choking while talking too as if he felt abandoned.
Seeing Xue Qinghe's face full of questions, Xie Yue laughed inside his heart as he continued.
"Respect people who find time for you in their busy schedules, but love people who never look at their time when you need them."
"This is what that person said," Xie Yue finished as he looked at Xue Qinghe with expectation-filled eyes as if still believing that she would say something.
Hearing Xie Yue say such a philosophical phrase, Xue Qinghe—or Qian Renxue—felt a headache coming over. She never expected someone to teach Xie Yue something like this.
She cursed inside her heart at that unknown person: "Which idiot said these words? And why do they have to say this in front of Moon?" She really wasn't good at cursing.
But soon she turned her attention to the phrase Xie Yue said: "It seems indeed true... And I am not in either category."
She felt a huge headache coming over. It seems as if there is no salvation for today's situation. Will she compromise and bathe with him? No. Not even in her dreams. She is not a boy like Xie Yue expected; she is a girl, so how can she bathe with a boy? And her disguise can never be exposed.
Thinking rapidly, she really couldn't see a possibility where she could salvage her relationship with Xie Yue and keep her identity hidden too. If possible, she really didn't want to fall out with Xie Yue. He was second only to her talent; she really wanted to make him her loyal subordinate. But the current situation didn't allow her.
If it were any other person in her place, hearing the quote Xie Yue said would make them feel emotional and guilty. But Qian Renxue would not. She was an intelligent and rational girl even at this little age. There is nothing for her to feel guilty about regarding Xie Yue. So she said:
"Moon, don't misunderstand me. It's really not convenient for me to bathe with you. It's a full moon today. If my feet touch the water, I will fall into a sick state for days, which will result in many subsequent problems." She said another lie she came up with, now only to see whether she could still fool the innocent Xie Yue for the last time.
She looked at his face, expecting some change. But seeing there were no desirable reactions, she knew she had no other way but to fall out with him. Maybe once his current childishness disappears and he forgets about this incident, she can try reconciling in the future and recruite him. She thought so as she decided to say sorry and leave.
"If you don't understand your Big Brother, then I can only..."
.
.
.
.
.
Author: Support me, Support me, Support me (╯︵╰,)