Chapter 103: Offering Advice

Li Pingyang glanced over and saw that Lu Qianxue was holding a black waist badge—the very black rider’s badge that Elder Lin, Lin Bowen, had given him earlier.

He instinctively reached over to check himself and was immediately struck with alarm. The badge was indeed missing!

He thought to himself how careless he had been. Smiling, he reached out to take it, but Chen Le snatched it away with a stern expression, glaring at him with sharp eyes.

“Chen Le, give it back to him.”

Seeing Chen Le causing trouble again, Lu Qianxue called out. Reluctantly, Chen Le said “Yes” and tossed the badge to Li Pingyang.

Feeling emboldened by having Commander Lu’s backing, Li Pingyang grinned triumphantly at Chen Le, who glared wide-eyed in frustration, thinking, “You just wait!”

After leaving Commander Lu’s room, Chen Le led the military strategist Li Pingyang to his own quarters to rest. It was a room hastily prepared from what had once been a study.

Entering the room, Li Pingyang found it reasonably tidy, with Chen Le following closely behind, carrying a folded quilt.

As soon as they entered, Chen Le used his back to push the door closed.

He stood by the door and tossed the quilt directly to Li Pingyang. It felt as if he had been hit by a heavy object, so Li Pingyang quickly turned and caught it, scolding him for being so rough.

Just as he spoke, he suddenly sensed the atmosphere had shifted.

“Deputy Commander Chen, please calm down. I wasn’t trying to upset you on purpose just now, nor was I trying to steal face in front of everyone.”

“And don’t worry! I have absolutely no feelings for Commander Lu. She’s not my type.”

Hearing the latter, Chen Le glanced at Li Pingyang and asked, “Really?”

Li Pingyang could tell that Chen Le cared deeply about Lu Qianxue. With a man’s intuition, he guessed Chen Le was secretly in love with her.

But Chen Le was blunt and awkward, unwilling or unable to express his feelings, keeping his affection locked away in his heart.

He never told Lu Qianxue, and she treated him only as a brother, completely unaware of his feelings.

So Li Pingyang smiled and continued to explain:

“Of course! Someone like me, a cracked and crooked melon, could never be a match for Commander Lu. The only one who could be worthy of her is someone like Deputy Commander Chen—handsome and talented.”

“Not only handsome but also a master of martial arts. I bet the girls chasing after you are too many to count, right?”

At this, Li Pingyang glanced up to gauge Chen Le’s expression.

“Of course.”

Chen Le lifted his head proudly, brushing his bangs aside with his hand, clearly pleased by the compliment, a happy smile spreading across his face.

With both his intellect and emotional sense lacking, Chen Le’s intentions had long been seen through by Li Pingyang.

He wanted to build a good relationship with Chen Le, using the opportunity to infiltrate the Thunder Hall, gain intelligence, and help rescue those who had been captured.

“Didn’t expect you to be quite the smooth talker!”

Chen Le’s hostility toward him dissipated. His earlier anger had stemmed from jealousy over Li Pingyang’s closeness to Lu Qianxue.

Now that Li Pingyang had declared no feelings for her, he was no longer an enemy, so there was no reason to be angry.

Seeing Chen Le still standing, Li Pingyang invited him to sit down and poured a cup of water from a blue porcelain cup on the table.

Chen Le sat down, thumped his sword on the table, feeling a bit thirsty, and drank the water.

Li Pingyang sat beside him and began to counsel him, speaking about matters of the heart.

He told Chen Le about a friend who liked a girl deeply but was always cautious and never dared to confess.

Instead, he kept his love hidden, afraid that revealing it would cost him even the friendship.

As if empathizing, Chen Le listened closely, paying more attention than ever before.

“Of course, if my friend had even a fraction of Deputy Commander Chen’s handsomeness, he would have won the girl long ago!”

Li Pingyang said this with a smile, looking at Chen Le, who seemed to ponder for a moment before asking how to win a girl’s heart.

Li Pingyang pretended ignorance and asked Chen Le if he himself liked someone.

Chen Le nervously looked away, denying it and saying it was a friend.

“Generally speaking, there are three key points to courting a girl.”

Li Pingyang struck a pose of a romantic expert. Chen Le looked at him with admiration, already trusting him deeply, asking what the three points were.

Li Pingyang took a sip of water and continued:

“First: Unwavering, meticulous care.”

This care can be shown in any small way, as long as she knows you care and feels your concern.

“Second: Damn gentle tenderness!”

You must let her sense your charm and soften your tenderness, appearing whenever she needs you.

For example, offering an umbrella under the scorching sun, a towel when she’s sweating, or a slice of watermelon when she’s thirsty.

“Third: The art of strategic retreat!”

To pursue a girl, you must first be confident, become a star in her eyes, illuminating and dazzling her.

Make her notice you, then show up regularly.

But when she tries to talk to you, pull away.

Persist with this for a while, and she will start to miss the constant presence, feeling a void.

If she’s already fallen for you, she’ll come looking for you—then you’ve succeeded.

After Li Pingyang finished, Chen Le was utterly impressed, seeing him in a new light.

They even became sworn brothers, with Chen Le viewing Li Pingyang as his life mentor.

He began to imagine Lu Qianxue unable to live without him, utterly devoted, a silly grin spreading across his face.

“Um... Deputy Commander Chen, I…”

“Just call me Chen Le.”

“Alright. Chen Le, may I see those captured people?”

Chen Le was lost in thought but turned to look at Li Pingyang in confusion, asking why he wanted to see them.

Li Pingyang explained that he knew some of those inside and wanted to use his connections to persuade them to stop resisting and join the Thunder Hall.

Chen Le immediately agreed, saying that their “tough nuts” were at an impasse, so it was good to let him try.

They arranged to meet with them tomorrow.

After bidding farewell, Chen Le returned to his room.

He wrote down the three tips Li Pingyang had given him on a piece of paper and pondered them carefully.

Lying on his bed, he set his sword aside, crossed his legs, propped his head on one hand, and studied the note in the other.

The next day.

Chen Le rose early and personally prepared breakfast for Lu Qianxue.

Knocking on her door, he carried the food into her room.

Lu Qianxue had just dressed and was sitting in a daze when she suddenly looked up in surprise, seeing Chen Le delivering her meal.

She felt as if the sun had risen in the west!

Blinking to confirm she wasn’t mistaken, Chen Le said it was his cooking and asked if it suited her taste.

Lu Qianxue was stunned again, feeling as if this were all unreal.

After breakfast, she pushed open the door and stepped out.

Just as she stretched, she noticed Chen Le by the well in the courtyard, shirtless and bathing.

Chen Le’s muscles gleamed as he scooped water with a wooden ladle, pouring it over his head.

Noticing Lu Qianxue watching, he hurriedly flexed his abs.

Unexpectedly, Lu Qianxue slammed the door shut with a bang and muttered, “Are you crazy?”