Don't come if you don't want to, anyway she has a competition in the afternoon. We'll see each other then.
Nie Xiujin was present at the venue. They greeted each other, and Jian Xi asked about his health condition. He said he was much better and could participate in the talisman drawing competition in the afternoon as usual.
He Qingchen stayed right by Jian Xi's side, never leaving her for a step. Although he had noticed Ye Ze's gaze from the judging panel, he paid no heed to it. Instead, he boldly held Jian Xi's hand and even glanced back at Ye Ze.
This infuriated Ye Ze, and he nearly charged down from the stage to separate their hands!
In the past, He Qingchen had often held Jian Xi's hand, but now this gesture seemed to grate on Ye Ze's nerves.
However, since the competition was still ongoing, he could only wait until it finished before having a talk with He Qingchen!
The first place in this event went to the team leader of the S City Special Security Bureau. Second and third places were also decided. With this, the evaluation of the Five Metaphysical Techniques was officially completed, leaving only the talisman drawing competition in the afternoon.
Ye Ze hastily awarded the first prize without even joining the group photo, and immediately went to find He Qingchen.
Of course, as Jian Xi's family, he couldn't let her participate when talking to He Qingchen. It wasn't that there was anything Jian Xi couldn't hear, but he was worried she might say something inappropriate!
Finding it boring, Jian Xi went to Tang Xingyou. Chief Song had booked their flight for 9 pm, so after the event, they would head straight to the airport.
It wasn't that Chief Song didn't care about his staff, but a small case had occurred in B City yesterday. Lin Xi Wen and Qi Yunzheng went to handle it, leaving only Shi Fan and Chief Song to liaise with the Underworld, while the bookstore also needed staff. So they were really swamped.
Actually, with Jian Xi and the others, they didn't need to participate in this competition. But no one wanted to miss the chance to gauge their own level or see if they had improved compared to others over the past year.
When Jian Xi arrived, Tang Xingyou was packing her luggage in her room, almost done.
"Sister Xingyou, are you sure you don't need me to go back?" Jian Xi asked.
"No need, it's nothing big, just some mischievous kids. They ran too fast and couldn't be caught. Two have been apprehended, one left. The liaison with the Underworld is simple too, you don't need to get involved," Tang Xingyou said with a smile.
Hearing that it wasn't a major issue, Jian Xi felt relieved. "Alright, call me if anything happens. I'll be back in a few days."
"By the way, He Qingchen has booked a private room tonight. Let's have dinner together, and then the driver can take you straight to the airport."
"Sure." Tang Xingyou zipped up her suitcase and put it against the wall.
Suddenly remembering something, she asked Jian Xi, "Will your second master be joining us for dinner tonight?"
Seeing her cautious demeanor, Jian Xi couldn't help but laugh. "Sister Xingyou, why do you act like a mouse seeing a cat whenever you see my second master? Is he really that scary?"
Tang Xingyou thought for a moment and said, "Yes, look at that face of his. Although devilishly handsome, it's also so cold it could 'freeze' your heart! Especially when he doesn't talk, it's quite intimidating!"
"No, it's just that my second master may have an underdeveloped facial expression, but his inner world is very rich. Did you know he has a mild case of social anxiety? When people stare at him for too long, his ears turn red, and his hands curl up from nervousness. Also..."
Jian Xi mercilessly began to reveal Ye Ze's weaknesses, intending to help Tang Xingyou feel more at ease when facing him.
Little did she know that in the future, Tang Xingyou would grasp these 'weaknesses' tightly, teasing him relentlessly!
But that's a story for another time.
After a short chat, Jian Xi's phone rang. It was He Qingchen.
Jian Xi glanced at the time. Their conversation had lasted less than half an hour, quicker than expected.
No need to guess - He Qingchen must have prevailed, otherwise it would have been her second master calling.
At noon, the two didn't join anyone else, instead going on a date while receiving longing glances from her second master.
The talisman drawing competition started at 1 pm, so Jian Xi and He Qingchen returned after lunch.
The talisman drawing competition had the most participants among all the events, with thirty-seven people taking part.
The rules were straightforward: use the tools provided by the Metaphysics Association to draw a randomly selected type of talisman. The one with the highest level talisman would be ranked first, and among those of the same level, the most effective one would take precedence.
The competition began, and the screen randomly cycled through options before stopping on the Summon Lightning Talisman.
Many people immediately sighed, as this talisman was not easy to draw. Without sufficient cultivation, the drawn talisman would fizzle out.
"Begin."
At Ye Ze's command, everyone picked up their brushes and dipped them in cinnabar to start drawing.
While everyone else had started, Jian Xi leisurely picked up her wolf-hair brush, dipped the tip in cinnabar, and in one breath, began drawing on the yellow paper.
The moment her brush stopped, those around her turned to look, sensing an aura stronger than even a high-level talisman. They gazed at Jian Xi in disbelief, as if beholding a priceless treasure.
Wow, Jian Xi alone was like an entire team - a metaphysics grandmaster!
No way, why compare anymore? They should quickly try to recruit her to their own bureau!
Thus, at this exchange event that had been held numerous times, an unprecedented scene unfolded - a bidding war for talent!
That's right, a bidding war. Even the vice president of the Metaphysics Association whispered to Ye Ze, "Little Ze, can you..."
But Ye Ze cut him off, "No, I respect my junior sister's wishes." He then got up and went to fetch her.
However, before he could approach the crowd, they parted on their own. Ye Ze glanced at He Qingchen, who had his arm around Jian Xi, and his eyes almost froze over as he realized what was happening.
Of course, He Qingchen was not someone to be trifled with.
The moment they learned that Jian Xi was He Qingchen's girlfriend, they immediately abandoned any ideas of trying to poach her.
No matter how good the benefits, could they compete with the He Family?
Not far away, when Jian Xi was surrounded, Nie Xiujin didn't move a muscle. If this had happened yesterday, he would have been hopping mad. But today, seeing He Qingchen there, it was none of his business. The big shot would definitely not leave B City!
At first, Tang Xingyou was quite anxious, but after seeing He Qingchen enter the crowd, she realized the situation and stopped worrying about Jian Xi being poached away.
