Xianyu gazed intently at Jingliu, a mischievous smile in his eyes unlike his usual expression.
The tips of Jingliu's ears flushed faintly. She was the first to give in, averting her gaze from Xianyu to the bowl and chopsticks before her.
Xianyu did not mind when he received no answer.
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Jingliu tightened her grip beneath the table, firmly hooking her little finger around his.
"Winning or losing doesn't matter," Jingliu said softly.
What could she possibly need Xianyu to do for her?
When they had first become a couple, Jingliu had left for the front line without getting to spend much time with him.
After she returned to the Luofu, Xianyu had painstakingly prepared a thousand peonies and presented her with three hairpins he had commissioned from Yingxing at some point.
And a ring whose true purpose Jingliu had nearly misunderstood.
The night she received those gifts, Jingliu put away the hairpins and ring, carefully carried that enormous bouquet of peonies back to her room, and preserved them in ice one by one.
Xianyu had already given her more than enough.
Now... whenever he met Jingliu, Xianyu always remembered to bring her a flower, even taking care to put it in a bag.
That gesture suited Jingliu perfectly.
If their friends saw Xianyu presenting Jingliu with that flower in front of them, they would share knowing smiles and tease the couple without going too far.
Yet Jingliu did not want to display her intimacy with Xianyu in front of others.
How could Xianyu not know that?
Jingliu should have been the more accommodating one toward a lover so much younger than herself, yet Xianyu had done a better job than she had.
Thoughtful and considerate of her feelings, Xianyu quietly placed