Daji rose and walked over with a seductive sway, her hands resting on my shoulders and pressing against my body. I felt my heart pound like it would leap out of my chest. Daji carried a captivating fragrance, similar to that of a fox spirit, but fainter. Yet, despite its subtlety, its allure was even stronger than the fox spirit's. Just a whiff of it made my body feel weak.
"Not here," Daji whispered.
"Hmm?" I moved my hand from her lower back downwards.
"...I don't mean your hand," Daji chuckled. "I mean you should sit over there."
She pointed to a corner at the foot of the bed.
"Oh." I shuffled over.
Daji then knelt at a corner near the head of the bed, diagonally opposite me. She extended her hand and drew a few strokes in the air on the bedsheet, which surprisingly materialized into a grid of golden lines!
"You know magic!" I exclaimed in surprise.
"Jiang Ziya taught me," Daji smiled. "Here, imagine we are chess pieces. What piece do you want to be?"
I thought for a moment. "A Chariot."
Although each chess piece has its unique strengths, the Chariot undoubtedly possesses the greatest overall offensive power.
"Then I'll be a Horse," Daji said, raising her hand. "You go first."
"...How do I move?" I asked.
"You're the Chariot, move however you like," Daji said, pointing to the grid lines on the bed.
I moved along the edge of the bed to the head, forming a straight line with her.
Daji then moved in a "日" pattern on the grid, like a Horse's move, landing between the two pillows, positioning herself to "capture" the Chariot.
I knelt up and followed the golden lines, shifting to the center of the head of the bed, beside Daji. The lines were drawn quite closely, so I had to be right next to her to avoid crossing them. The mattress was also very soft, and I nearly stumbled over from Daji's proximity. Fortunately, she put her arm around my waist, holding me close. My courage grew, and I embraced her directly. Daji didn't object, only whispering in my ear, "It's my turn."
With that, Daji pulled back slightly, steadying me, and then she "slid" across the bedsheet, jumping to the edge of the bed, forming a checkerboard pattern with me, each of us occupying a corner.
Daji knelt and turned back. "I've dodged your pursuit, now it's your turn."
"Is there a boundary?" I asked, as she was already at the edge.
"Yes."
Even with the boundary lines, since there was only one piece each, with one move per turn, it would be difficult for my Chariot to catch her Horse. However, Daji clearly understood this. To avoid a stalemate and to continue her explanation, she directly "jumped" her Horse next to me, and our positions were once again close. I naturally embraced her.
"It's your move," Daji smiled, her fragrance filling the air, almost making me want to push her down.
"You've brought yourself to my lips, how else can I move?" I asked with a smile. "Am I supposed to devour you?"
"Then devour me!"
I pretended to open my mouth to bite her nose, but Daji cupped my chin with her hand, closing my mouth. "It's not eaten like that. If you want to capture me in a match, you'll have to duel me."
"...I can't possibly beat you," I said.
"So you can't devour me. You have to escape. Unless, the contestant controlling your piece is forced to make you attack me, then you'll be sacrificed."
"Real-life Chinese Chess?" I asked in surprise.
"Uh-huh."
So thrilling! But then I thought, "That's not right. According to the rules of chess, if I capture you, how can you resist?"
"According to the competition rules, if you initiate the capture, you are the attacker, and I am the defender. In that case, I will let you have three moves, and then we will duel. If you can eliminate me within those three moves, you will have successfully captured me. If you fail to eliminate me within three moves, then we will have a fair duel, and whoever wins stays on the board. The loser will be captured and their body removed from the arena."
"...A body! Must it be a matter of life and death? Can't I just surrender if I can't win?" I frowned.