Chapter 252: Playing with Fire

No problem.

Jing Liu's voice remained steady, but a few degrees colder than before, "Just curious, how did the two of you meet? Miss Sai Fei Er is not a native of Luofu either."

Well~

Sai Fei Er blinked her blue eyes, then suddenly reached out, picking a pale‑green tea cake shaped like a lotus from the delicate snack platter on the table.

She didn't eat it herself; instead, with a natural flick of her wrist, she handed the tea cake to Bai Hang's lips.

"Ah Bai, ah—" she cooed, her voice sweet enough to sicken, "Give this a try, it looks good!"

Bai Hang: "!!!"

She froze completely.

Her eyes behind the sunglasses widened, staring at the tea cake that nearly poked her lips, then at Sai Fei Er's blue eyes full of "playful mischief" and "cooperate with me", and she felt the sudden drop in air pressure from Jing Liu's side…

(Sai Fei Er! You're playing with fire!!!)

Bai Hang's heart screamed, but she had to keep a smile on her face.

She forced her mouth open, took a quick bite of the tea cake with Sai Fei Er's hand, then immediately turned her head aside, mumbling, "Hmm… the taste is acceptable. Miss Sai Fei Er, you should eat it yourself."

This "forced" rapid eating and immediate distancing, in Jing Liu's eyes, looked more like shyness (?) and an unwillingness to be too intimate.

Sai Fei Er, satisfied, withdrew her hand, naturally ate the remaining piece of the tea cake that Bai Hang had bitten, licked her fingertips, and toward Jing Liu's direction flashed an innocent smile.

"How did we meet~"

After finishing the pastry, Sai Fei Er leisurely answered Jing Liu's earlier question, "It was just an ordinary encounter! I was strolling the street, saw Ah Bai setting up a stall selling some novel Small Gadgets, thought it was interesting, so I went up to chat! The conversation clicked, Ah Bai even invited me to her little courtyard at home! Then we became good friends!"

With each sentence she leaned a bit closer to Bai Hang, until finally almost half her body was leaning on Bai Hang, and the Tail inadvertently brushed Bai Hang's back of the hand.

Bai Hang: "…"

(I didn't! I'm not! Don't speak nonsense! Clearly you yourself stuck on like a piece of taffy!)

She felt her smile about to crack.

Especially she could clearly feel the chill emanating from Jing Liu, almost solidifying into frost.

Jing Liu said nothing.

She simply watched the almost‑cuddling posture of the two opposite, listening to Sai Fei Er's seemingly innocent yet every sentence emphasizing intimacy with Bai Xing, feeling Bai Xing's reaction, though trying to conceal it, still leaking a bit of awkwardness and tension.

(Coercion... it must be coercion.)

(This Sai Fei Er must have gotten hold of some leverage over Bai Xing, or used some mysterious method, causing Bai Xing to be so… tolerant, even cooperating with her in this intimate pose.)

(And Bai Xing... perhaps to protect something, perhaps forced, thus had to go along with this dangerous Cat Demon.)

The cold anger in Jing Liu's heart gradually ignited.

Not because of those vague personal feelings, but for the seemingly old friend now trapped in a "dangerous situation" without realizing it, Bai Xing.

She set down the tea cup; the porcelain cup met the wooden table with a light, clear "Tap."

I see.

Jing Liu's voice showed no emotion, "It seems the two of you share a shallow friendship."

She paused, then suddenly turned to Bai Hang, her tone slightly softened yet carrying undeniable concern: "Miss Bai Xing, if you encounter any difficulty in Luofu, or have anything inconvenient to speak of… you may tell me. Though Jing Liu has already vacated the position of Sword Leader, she still retains a little influence in Luofu."

That statement was almost a self‑revelation.

Bai Hang's heart jumped.

Jing Liu...?

She hurriedly waved her hand, her smile even more forced: "Lord Jing Liu, you speak too heavily! I am fine, no difficulties. Miss Sai Fei Er… is just lively, likes to play, no malice."

The more she explained, the more it sounded to Jing Liu like a coerced victim's cover.

Sai Fei Er, as if not grasping Jing Liu's subtext, kept smiling, even more aggressively reaching out, grabbing one of Bai Hang's arms, leaning her head against Bai Hang's shoulder, rubbing it.

"Exactly~ Bai and I get along great! What difficulty could there be?"

She smiled toward Jing Liu, her eyebrows and eyes curving, but deep in those blue eyes flickered a mischievous, naughty glint, as if saying, "See, she's mine~ don't try to meddle."

Jing Liu's hand resting on her knee curled slightly, the knuckles faintly whitening.

(This Bad Cat.)

She could almost be sure Sai Fei Er did it on purpose.

Bai Hang, watching Jing Liu's clearly restrained cold aura and Sai Fei Er's "I'm just here to cause trouble" smirk, felt overwhelmed.

She inhaled deeply, trying to speak again to ease the almost solidified atmosphere:

"Lord Jing Liu, actually Sai Fei Er really is just…"

"Don't call me Lord."

Jing Liu's cold voice cut off her words outright, with an undeniable, decisive tone.

Bai Hang was startled by the abrupt interruption, instinctively changing her address: "Then… Miss Jing Liu?"

Tsk.

Jing Liu let out a very light syllable, frowned slightly, still displeased with the address.

Bai Hang: "…"

(This reaction... why does it feel oddly familiar?)

The expression of Black Curtain Lady flashed in her mind instantly.

(How could even this place…)

Her mouth twitched involuntarily, a ridiculous sense of déjà vu rising inside.

But now is not the time to comment; she had to go with the flow, tentatively switching to a simpler address:

"Jing Liu?"

Hmm.

Jing Liu almost immediately replied, her voice still flat, yet the taut cold around her seemed to ease slightly.

She even nodded, as if feeling... satisfied with this title?

Bai Hang felt the pressure on her shoulders (physically from Sai Fei Er leaning on her, mentally from Jing Liu's aura) grow heavier.

She hurriedly, taking advantage of the seemingly loosening atmosphere, tried to steer the topic toward a safer direction:

"Speaking of which, Jing Liu, you... are actually the Luofu Swordmaster from the rumors? How rude of me."

Jing Liu lifted the teacup, took a sip of the now slightly cool tea, her tone flat and unruffled, as if stating a fact unrelated to herself: "Just a former one."

Bai Hang: "..."

(... Why suddenly start using such terse lines at a time like this?!)

She struggled to maintain a perfectly appropriate look of surprise, nodding along: "Even so, the Position of Swordmaster represents the pinnacle of the Luofu Sword Path and the outstanding achievements in guarding the Xianzhou, still admirable."

She spoke these words sincerely; even though the person before her was shrouded in mystery, the weight carried by the name Jing Liu was clearer to her than to anyone.

Jing Liu did not respond to the compliment, merely gazing toward Bai Hang's direction; the black Eye Mask obscured her sight, yet made that focused gaze all the more striking.

She seemed to be examining something through this disguise.

At that moment, Sai Fei Er, who had been leaning on Bai Hang and seemed to be playing with the tip of her Tail, suddenly lifted her blue eyes, blinked innocently, and her cat ears twitched curiously.

"Eh? Former Swordmaster of Luofu? I think I've heard of that~"

Her voice was clear, with a hint of just-right doubt: "But...... I recall the rumors saying that that formidable Swordmaster Lord was...... wanted, right? Why can Jing Liu Miss sit here so leisurely drinking tea?"