The Right Way to Flirt

"Would you teach me? Daddy told me that some people have extraordinary gifts. When they first enter the Dao, Heaven grants them techniques, and they receive innate cultivation methods. Just like Senior Brother Hua. He has an innate cultivation method too, and it's really powerful."

Senior Brother Hua again?

"Of course I would. As long as you want to learn, Junior Sister, I'm willing to teach you anything."

Qin Yi spoke to her with utter sincerity.

With Qin Yi staring straight at her and saying such earnest words, the young Gu Yiyi grew bashful.

She lowered her head slightly. "Why?"

"Because I liked you from the bottom of my heart the moment I first saw you, Junior Sister. Naturally, there's nothing I wouldn't give to someone I like," Qin Yi said bluntly.

When pursuing girls, you had to be direct and try your best to make them blush.

As long as the other person became shy, wouldn't you stop being shy yourself?

Besides, this way of speaking would have been perfectly normal in later times. Even if you said something like that, the girl would take it as a joke and wouldn't take it too seriously.

But this world was different from the modern world.

Overall, the people here were somewhat like those of ancient China, relatively reserved when expressing romantic feelings between men and women.

Thus, hearing Qin Yi say so directly that he "liked" her, Gu Yiyi blushed scarlet and turned her back to him. "Y-you... what nonsense are you saying?"

Once she grew shy, Qin Yi no longer needed to be. He continued bluntly, "I'm not talking nonsense. Every word comes from my heart. The first time I saw you, Junior Sister, I thought you looked like a fairy. Of course, these are only my feelings, so you don't need to let them weigh on your mind. You can refuse to accept my affection, but please don't restrict my affection for you."

You had to flirt with a girl to win her over.

Proper flirting wasn't simping. There was a difference between flirting and simping.

Perhaps this was the first time in her life that Gu Yiyi had heard such a fierce, direct confession. She became both bashful and nervous. "Y-you... stop saying things like that. If you keep going, I... I won't speak to you anymore."

"All right, I won't." The essence of flirting was knowing when to stop.

If the other person wasn't put off, you could keep flirting, but if they showed resistance or displeasure, you had to stop in time.

Otherwise, continuing would only produce the opposite effect.

"Then do you still want to practice this swordsmanship?" Qin Yi asked her.

Gu Yiyi said, "Forget it. That's your innate swordsmanship. You should learn it yourself. Besides, it looks like your swordsmanship only has three or four moves."

To her, having so few moves made it like chicken ribs-hardly worth eating, yet a pity to discard.

After all, when fighting someone, the more varied your swordsmanship, the more effective it would naturally be.

Having many moves would keep your opponent guessing.

With a mere three or four moves repeated over and over, others could easily figure out how to counter them.

Besides, Gu Yiyi was already learning a set of sword techniques herself. Coveting another before mastering her own would do her no good.

"Let me take you somewhere."

The girl blinked and suddenly made a suggestion.

"Sure."

Qin Yi didn't ask where they were going. Since she had suggested it, it ought to be somewhere interesting.

The girl immediately led the way, taking him down Emerald Bamboo Peak and up another mountain peak.

This peak had an even larger training ground, and ordinary disciples weren't allowed to come up here to cultivate and practice their martial skills.

As soon as they arrived, they heard the clash of weapons from the spacious training ground.

Then they saw a man and a woman practicing the same set of sword techniques in perfect harmony, brimming with tender affection.

Their Sword Qi was like frost. As they swept their Sword Qi about, streaks of frost fell onto the ground, forming patches of crystalline frost flowers.

Gu Yiyi had just been about to introduce the place to Qin Yi, but when she saw the man and woman, the smile on her face instantly vanished.

Then she turned her back.

Gritting her teeth, she ran back down the mountain.

Following behind her, how could Qin Yi fail to understand?

The man was none other than Senior Brother Hua Yunfeng, while the beautiful, graceful woman was her older cousin, Gu Qingshuang.

The person Gu Yiyi liked was Hua Yunfeng, but Hua Yunfeng had only ever had eyes for Gu Qingshuang. Now he was even practicing couples' swordsmanship with her.

How could that possibly make her happy?

Seeing that she was about to run down the mountain, Qin Yi hurried after her and caught her hand. "Junior Sister Yiyi, we've already come all this way. Why head back down?"

"I don't want to go up anymore." Misty tears veiled Gu Yiyi's eyes, but her deep-seated pride kept her from showing her hurt and distress in front of Qin Yi.

At a time like this, a simp would surely try every way to comfort her, then shower her with one heartwarming gesture after another.

But as someone cutting in to steal another man's love, he had to keep flirting, finding new ways to do it.

"I think I saw Senior Brother Hua Yunfeng with a woman. They seem quite in sync with their swordsmanship."

"Stop talking. I don't want to hear it." The girl shook her head and covered her ears.

Qin Yi smiled. "Junior Sister Yiyi, why don't we practice our swordsmanship too?"

At a time like this, he certainly couldn't say that if Senior Brother Hua Yunfeng had feelings for her, seeing her practice swordsmanship with another man would surely make him jealous, and perhaps he would come over to stop them. That would reveal whether he had her in his heart.

Saying that would undoubtedly make him a simp, and after all that simping, he would end up with nothing.

As someone taking the initiative to cut in and steal another man's love, he needed some artistry in his words.

The outcome could be the same, but the process absolutely couldn't.

"I don't think that woman is as pretty or as nimble as you, Junior Sister Yiyi. Her swordsmanship is so poor. If you stepped in, you'd surely crush her in every respect."

Hearing this, Gu Yiyi immediately retorted, "Nonsense. That's my older cousin. She's the strongest female disciple of the younger generation. How is she anywhere near as bad as you say?"

Though she said that, the hurt on her face did indeed lessen somewhat.

At a time like this, what any girl needed wasn't comfort, but someone who shared her indignation against a common enemy. Only that would strike a chord with her.

Of course Qin Yi knew that her cousin was outstanding, and very beautiful too.

But at a time like this, he had to go against his conscience and disparage her.

Qin Yi said, "Whatever you say, I just think she's no match for you, Junior Sister Yiyi. Her movements look far too stiff, without the slightest beauty."

A hint of smugness suddenly appeared on Gu Yiyi's face. "When it comes to nimble movement, she definitely can't compare to me. I'm one of the best in the younger generation at that."

Qin Yi put on a surprised expression. "Junior Sister Yiyi, you really are an impressive expert."

With his flattery, her low spirits truly seemed to have been suppressed.

She looked back toward the mountaintop and thought for a moment before finally agreeing to Qin Yi's suggestion. Her soft, moist lips curved upward slightly. "All right. Since you have such a good eye, let's go practice our swordsmanship too."