#i can write a whole essay about how much I love chuyi's character but that will be a story for another day

[fragrantpines]

But what about… kissing more food men

Before you can even get close to Xifeng Wine, his hand grabs onto your shoulder with a surprising amount of force, forcing you to stand as still as a statue while his sharp eyes inspect you from head to toe.

In the blink of an eye, he spins you around so that your back faces him. His hand moves from the top of your shoulder to the back of your neck, exerting little force to his fingertips that press dangerously against the side of your neck.

“Are you trying to trick me again, general?”

His voice whispers lowly against your ear, sending shivers down your spine. You weren't sure if the shivers were caused by his thumb pressing dangerously close to your pulse point, or the compromising position he had placed you in– move too far back and your back would be lying against his chest; move too far forward and he might take that as a sign that you were trying to run away and knock you unconscious just like the last time. The option left (the only safe option really) is to continue standing like a frozen statue until he no longer asserts you as a threat, when his eyes no longer see you as the General of the Qin and begins to recognise you as the young master of Kongsang.

However, just as you start getting used to this awkward position, his other hand pushes your face to the side, tilting your head upwards until your lips perfectly align with his, stealing away any words that had formed in your head along with your breath.

By the time he pulls away, both of your faces hold a similar shade of blush, his looking much more prominent as if he had just taken a sip of the strongest wine known to man while drinking you in.

He doesn't say a word before burying his head into the crook of your neck, arms wrapping loosely around your waist while muttering.

“Stay…. Don't leave me again….”

“You know, trying to distract your opponent during an ongoing game of chess is an illegal move.”

Chuyi Flower Cake lifts his head from the chessboard and smiles at you kindly, his expression unreadable with the blindfold tightly wrapped around his head.

Without looking back down, he moves a piece on the far left of the board and declares, “Checkmate.”

Instantly, your smile fades as your attention snaps back onto the chessboard, refusing to believe that he had already checkmated your king in such a short amount of time. However, as soon as your eyes took a quick scan over the board, you were forced to admit defeat with a heavy sigh, waving an invisible white flag over your head.

“I thought you said that you've never played Western chess before!”

“I haven't, but the strategies and pieces are similar to the chess I am familiar with.”

Frustrated, you slam your head against the table with a loud groan, refusing to believe that you have just lost your 10th game in a row.

“You could've at least looked a little surprised when I tried to distract you,” you mutter softly.

For a split second, a look of shock flashes across Chuyi's face, slowly being replaced by widening eyes and a blush as the realisation of what “distraction” you were referring to slowly dawns on him. Unconsciously, he lifts a hand up to cover the lower half of his face, hoping that his reddening face doesn't slip through the gaps of his fingers while his eyes dart away from your figure for a moment to regain his composure.

Eventually, he manages to pick up the courage to extend an arm over the table and slowly pat the top of your head, whispering softly. “Focus on improving your insight instead of relying on such unreliable tricks. Next time, if you wish to partake in an act of intimacy, any time outside of a chess game is suitable.”

Instantly, you shoot your head up with a smile. “Does that mean Mister Chuyi will kiss me if I kiss him to?!”

For a moment, Chuyi looks taken aback before he dissolves into laughter. In a heartbeat, he bends over the table and presses a small kiss on the top of your forehead, fondly gazing down at you from behind the blindfold.

“For you, always.”