If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

After the boat had been sailing for an hour, the scenery on both banks gradually changed from the bustling city of Jiankang to the sparse countryside.

The river widened, the fog dissipated, and the winter sun shone thinly on the water, breaking into pieces of gold leaf.

Xi Lingxian leaned against the gunwale for a while, feeling a bit cold from the river breeze, when she heard Xi Song's voice coming from inside the cabin.

"Sis! Are you coming?"

She walked over and saw a low table in the middle of the cabin. Xi Song was sitting cross-legged on one side, with several chess-piece-like objects spread out in front of him.

Xi Lingxian paused for a moment, and upon closer inspection, she realized that they were not chess pieces, but five wooden throwing pieces, round and sharp at both ends, flat and wide in the middle, like flattened almonds, one side painted black and the other side painted white.

The black side is engraved with a calf pattern, and the white side is engraved with a pheasant pattern.

There was also a woven rug laid out next to it, with a grid pattern drawn on it.

"A chupu?" Xi Lingxian raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Xi Song's eyes sparkled. "I'll play a few rounds when I'm bored on the way."

The days on the boat were long; it took four or five days to travel from Jiankang to Guangling by water. It was really hard to pass the time without finding something to do.

"Just the two of us?" Xi Lingxian asked.

"Add my sworn brother too." Xi Song gestured to the side.

Xi Wenzheng was carrying a bowl of tea when he heard this. He smiled gently and said, "I was just there to make up the numbers. I didn't play very well."

This is something only disciples of aristocratic families are proficient in; Xi Wen, a newcomer, has barely managed to grasp the basic rules.

Xi Wen wore a dark blue straight robe today, her hair was neatly tied up, and she looked clean and refreshing.

He sat down opposite Xi Song, put his teacup aside, and casually arranged the chess pieces on the chessboard.

"We're one short for the game." Xi Song sighed, resting his chin on his hand. "Big brother has been given a ton of official documents by Father. He said he has to finish approving them all on the first day before he can play with us."

The three people were casually setting up chess pieces when footsteps came from the other end of the cabin.

Xi Jian walked out of the inner cabin, followed by Wang Jue.

Xi Jian chuckled and glanced at the dice set on the low table as he walked, "Oh, you guys certainly know how to have fun."

Xi Song immediately straightened his back: "Father, we're short one person. Would you like to play with us?"

Xi Jian glanced at his son and said, "If I get involved, it will make me look like I'm bullying the child."

He stroked his beard, turned to look at Wang Jue, and said, "Erlang, I heard you're pretty good at dice?"

Wang Jue's gaze swept across the low table, lingering for a moment on the few pieces of wood.

"I know a little bit," he said.

Xi Song was instantly aroused by his competitive spirit. He was an old hand, and he wanted to show him how good he was.

Xi Jian stroked his beard and laughed, "You young people are having fun, but your elder brother and I still have official documents to approve."

He left right after he finished speaking.

There was a moment of silence in the cabin.

Xi Song glanced at Wang Jue and smiled maliciously. "Young Master Wang, come, come, sit here."

Wang Jue's gaze passed over Xi Song and landed on Xi Lingxian.

"I'm sorry to bother you."

Four people, just enough to make a game.

Xi Wen smiled gently and pushed the seat towards the middle: "Young Master Wang, would you like to go first?"

"No need." Wang Jue reached out and picked up a five-wood coin. "I'll just follow along as you guys go."

Xi Lingxian raised her head.

He sat diagonally opposite her, the hem of his bamboo-green robe hanging over the edge of the table, his long fingers turning the five-piece wooden coin with ease.

She picked up the dice cup, shook it, and slammed it onto the table.

"Then I'll go first."

Five woods settled, three black and two white. A mixture of colors.

Xi Song leaned over for a look, then burst into laughter: "Sister, your luck is terrible!"

Xi Lingxian resignedly picked up the chess piece and moved it forward one step.

When it was Xi Wen's turn, he rolled a high number, which allowed him to move two steps in a row, and he steadily and smoothly crossed the first obstacle on the board.

"Brother, you're lucky." Xi Song gave a thumbs up.

Xi Wen smiled and turned his head slightly to look at Xi Lingxian: "Your horse is still near the starting point. Be careful it doesn't get captured later."

Xi Lingxian rubbed her nose and smiled slightly.

Wang Jue sat opposite, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table lightly.

Xi Song rolled a random number and, grumbling, moved his chess piece forward a small step.

Then he pushed the dice cup in front of Wang Jue: "Your turn."

Wang Jue took the dice cup and threw out five dice.

Five all-black – Lu. The highest nobility.

Xi Song's eyes lit up. "Your luck is amazing!"

Xi Wen nodded slightly: "Young Master Wang, your technique is excellent."

Xi Lingxian raised her head, looked at the five dice with their black sides facing up, and pursed her lips slightly.

It wasn't because I was lucky.

She had seen him play dice.

In his past life, at a banquet, he threw three rounds of Lu, winning against everyone present without batting an eye.

When asked about his secret, he simply said two words: "Coincidence."

Say the most infuriating things in the most indifferent tone.

Wang Jue picked up the chess piece, moved it three times, and landed it steadily in the center of the board.

His chess piece was more than ten squares away from Xi Lingxian's chess piece, which had not yet moved from its starting point.

"Young Master Wang is confident of victory," Xi Wen said with a smile.

Wang Jue put down the chess pieces, turned his head slightly to look at Xi Wen, and smiled faintly: "It's still early."

"The captain's pheasant move was quite good. But—"

He picked up a chess piece and flipped it between his fingers. "Sometimes moving too fast isn't necessarily a good thing."

Xi Lingxian glanced at the two of them and said calmly, "Let's continue."

The dice cup spun around again.

Xi Wen smiled and shook his head. "Sister, you made that move too hastily just now. Next time you can wait an extra round."

His tone was unusually gentle.

Before Xi Lingxian could speak, Wang Jue's voice rang out first.

"She didn't rush that step," he said. "Sometimes, with dice, it's better to go slowly than fast."

His gaze lifted from the chessboard, past the chess pieces and the pieces, and landed on Xi Lingxian's face.

"Is that right?"

Looking into his overly calm eyes, Xi Lingxian felt a surge of anger rise in her chest again.

She said, "Whether you walk fast or slow, everyone has their own way. As long as you don't block other people's way, it's fine."

Wang Jue looked at her, something flickering slightly in his eyes.

"Miss Xi is right," he said, "but—"

He reached out and picked up a chess piece, pushed it forward one step, and it landed right next to Xi Lingxian's chess piece, the two pieces standing side by side.

"Some things, whether we admit it or not, are ordained by fate."

Xi Lingxian's eyelids twitched as she looked at the two chess pieces placed side by side.

Xi Wen picked up his teacup and took a sip, his gaze sweeping between Wang Jue and Xi Lingxian, a smile barely able to stay on his lips.

In two consecutive games, Xi Lingxian turned the tables and lost, which made her a little devastated.

Wang Jue sat diagonally opposite her, relaxed, one hand resting on his knee. "You shouldn't have made that move just now."

Xi Lingxian looked up at him.

Wang Jue pointed at Bo Xi and said, "Look, your knight is here. If I move to this position in the next round, both of your pieces will be captured."

"So?" she asked.

Wang Jue tilted his head slightly, his expression serious: "So you should beg me to let you have a hand."

Xi Lingxian stared at him for two breaths.

He picked up the dice cup expressionlessly and threw it heavily.

All black. Highest score in the entire event.

Wang Jue looked at the five dice with their black faces up and slowly raised an eyebrow.

Xi Song looked at the two of them, unable to put his finger on what was wrong.

After a few rounds, Xi Lingxian's luck began to decline. She had two consecutive mixed hands, and two of her knights were captured by Wang Jue's pieces.

Her brows furrowed more and more; she felt like she could devour Wang Jue.

Wang Jue glanced at her for two breaths, then gently tossed the toss; the result was a mixed color, allowing her to move only one space.

Xi Song's eyes widened suddenly: "You—"

"Bad luck."

Wang Jue remained expressionless, picked up the chess piece, and moved it forward a small square.

Xi Lingxian's warhorse escaped unharmed.

The game continued. Wang Jue's "luck" seemed to have failed to recover.

The number he rolled kept getting smaller and smaller, and the path he took kept getting shorter and shorter.

The chess piece that had passed three checkpoints in a row now stood steadily in the center of the board, as if waiting for someone.

Xi Lingxian noticed it too. She wasn't stupid; someone who had rolled three times in a row suddenly got five consecutive mixed results.

What is this?

Xi Lingxian gritted her teeth.

Wang Jue leaned back against the bulkhead, watching her grit her teeth, a very faint smile curving his lips.