IHSAGW Chapter 24

“The qualifiers end today. Tomorrow is a rest day.”

At the dinner table, Nian Le updated Huo Weiran on the situation.

After nine days and eight rounds of matches, he had won seven. As long as his score placed him among the top thirty-two, the organizers would call within twenty-four hours to notify him, and the list of qualifiers would also be posted at the tournament venue.

Nian Le remained calm. That evening, he reviewed game records, worked through life-and-death problems, and then went to bed.

The next day, he woke naturally. The first thing he did after opening his eyes was refresh the Yixin Cup website on his phone.

Still no list.

After breakfast, he even cleaned up the guest room.

Carrying the bedsheets and clothes to the laundry room, Nian Le refreshed the website again.

In previous years, the Yixin Cup standings were finalized very quickly. The qualifying list was usually released the very night after the final round. But with everything that had happened at Mianhai Dojo, Nian Le had expected a slight delay.

He just hadn’t expected it to take this long.

After lunch, he sat in the living room, his eyes drifting to his phone every so often as his fingers lightly tapped the tabletop.

Holding a bundle of clothes in one arm, Huo Weiran walked into the laundry room. He noticed that the dirty laundry basket on the other side was completely full, it contained the bedsheets and duvet cover from Nian Le’s room.

He stood there for a long moment, staring.

Almost unconsciously, he placed the clothes in his arms on top of that pile.

This…

…was proof that the two of them were living together.

In the days ahead, their clothes would continue to overlap here, carrying the scent of everyday life. Quiet, peaceful, naturally blending together.

Looking at the laundry basket, Huo Weiran felt something strange.

He couldn’t describe it, but it brought him an inexplicable sense of comfort and security.

After changing the sheets in his own bedroom, Huo Weiran stuffed both of their clothes into the washing machine together. He dropped in two pleasantly scented laundry pods, then deliberately tucked them beneath Nian Le’s clothes.

The washing machine began to run.

Watching their clothes tumble and twist together inside the drum, warmth slowly crept up to Huo Weiran’s ears.

Meanwhile, Nian Le was downstairs watching a live broadcast of the Go League when he suddenly heard movement upstairs.

Looking up, he saw Huo Weiran carrying two baskets of freshly washed laundry toward the rooftop with one hand.

Nian Le vaguely spotted his own clothes mixed in with the load.

Momentarily surprised, he immediately got up and followed him upstairs, confirming that the guest room’s sheets and duvet cover were indeed inside one of the baskets.

For some reason, all of their laundry had been mixed together.

Nian Le took one basket from Huo Weiran, intending to separate their clothes, but Huo Weiran suddenly stopped walking and quietly moved the basket farther out of reach.

“We’ll hang them together.”

Nian Le clearly remembered that Huo Weiran had a cleanliness obsession. He disliked washing his clothes together with anyone else’s. The last time they had met in the laundry room, Huo Weiran had deliberately pushed their laundry baskets so far apart there could practically have been a galaxy between them.

But now…

Taking advantage of his longer reach, Huo Weiran simply carried the basket farther away.

Nian Le quickened his pace to follow him upstairs. Inside the sunroom, they began spreading out the half-dried laundry.

“From now on,” Huo Weiran said as he hung up a shirt one-handed, breathing in the shared fragrance lingering on both of their clothes, “yours and mine… we’ll wash them together.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the slightly puzzled look on his fiancé’s face.

Remembering how he’d acted before, Huo Weiran felt his cheeks warming. Meeting Nian Le’s gaze, he forced himself to come up with a justification for the change.

“…Washing them together saves water.”

It was rare for his younger brother to be so environmentally conscious especially when it meant overcoming his germophobia.

Nian Le’s eyes brightened.

He nodded approvingly.

Together, they hung up the guest room’s bedsheet. Nian Le pulled it taut so it would dry without wrinkles.

The sheet from Huo Weiran’s room was dark-colored and noticeably heavier in his hands, but Nian Le treated it no differently, gripping the corners and spreading it open.

A breeze swept through.

The half-dry sheet billowed up, brushing lightly across Nian Le’s face and making him itch.

Instinctively, he touched the bridge of his nose.

Remembering Huo Weiran’s cleanliness obsession, he turned to check his reaction.

Huo Weiran’s expression remained calm and indifferent, as though he didn’t mind the tiny incident at all.

His heart, however, had once again begun beating wildly beyond his control.

The sunroom was flooded with light.

As Nian Le reached up to hang the clothes, the sunlight shone through his white shirt, outlining the slender curve of his waist beneath.

The fabric was slightly translucent, revealing fair skin beneath it. A thin layer of well-proportioned muscle covered his body. The lines of his back were smooth and elegant, his waist slim yet resilient, and down the center of his back ran a beautiful groove, the path where water would naturally trail from the nape of his neck.

Huo Weiran quickly turned his face away, forcing himself not to look any longer.

Only after the dark bedsheet blocked the sunlight did he finally glance back.

Nian Le’s long fingers gripped the edge of the sheet tightly.

Against the deep-colored fabric, they looked almost translucent. His slender knuckles were taut, and his slightly pink fingertips brushed lightly over the cloth.

It was impossible to look away.

Just then, another breeze caught the sheet.

It swept past the fair forehead before him, the straight bridge of his nose, and his pale lips.

That sheet…

…had once covered the bed where Huo Weiran himself had lain.

With only that single thought, his scalp tingled, a rush of heat surged through his chest, and he struggled to steady his breathing.

Only when Nian Le turned back could Huo Weiran manage to put on an expression as though nothing had happened.

He could no longer tell whether this like opening cans with his legs before was another one of his own little tricks.

But one thing was certain.

Nian Le was truly… beautiful.

Only after Nian Le went downstairs did Huo Weiran snap back to his senses.

Picking up the empty laundry basket, he followed after him.

After hanging the laundry, Nian Le returned to the living room and checked his phone again.

Still no new messages.

He waited.

And waited.

By evening, there was still nothing.

Nian Le set up a Go board.

Huo Weiran switched on the living room lights and sat not far away, his gaze drifting toward Nian Le from time to time as he quietly kept him company while waiting for the results.

The living room was exceptionally quiet.

Only the crisp sound of stones landing on the board echoed through the room.

Turning slightly, Huo Weiran saw Nian Le sitting upright before the board.

Though only in his twenties, he carried a maturity far beyond his years. His demeanor was refined and tranquil. His back was perfectly straight as he lowered his eyes to the board, picked up a white stone between his fingers, and calmly placed it on the grid.

Nian Le’s attention had become completely absorbed in the game before him.

Huo Weiran glanced at the phone beside him, its screen still dark.

An inexplicable anxiety welled up inside him.

He had witnessed all of Nian Le’s efforts over the past several days.

Competing during the day.

Studying Go at night.

And in every spare moment in between, taking care of him.

He had already done everything he could.

But if the outcome wasn’t what he hoped for…

Just imagining Nian Le feeling disappointed made Huo Weiran’s chest tighten.

Somehow…

It hurt even more than losing a match himself.

Time passed second by second.

Nian Le silently glanced at his phone once more. There was still no message.

He gathered the stones from the Go board, stood up, and headed toward the guest room.

Huo Weiran immediately set down what he was holding and, as he had before, quickly followed after him.

“I might…” Nian Le turned on the staircase to speak, but before he could finish, his phone suddenly vibrated and rang.

Standing below, Huo Weiran instinctively held his breath, looking up intently as Nian Le answered the call.

“Hello, is this Player Nian Le?” a professional male voice came through the receiver. “I’m a staff member from the Yixin Cup. I apologize for calling so late.”

“It’s alright,” Nian Le replied calmly, his gaze falling on Huo Weiran below.

Why does he look even more nervous than I am?

“First of all, congratulations on advancing through the qualifiers! With a total ranking of ninth place, you’ve successfully qualified for the Round of 32!”

The staff member looked at Nian Le’s player profile, unable to hide his excitement.

After all, this was an amateur 3-dan player. Everyone ranked ahead of him or even tied with him were genuine professional players, all holding respectable ranks.

Looking at the overall standings, calling him the tournament’s dark horse wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Holding his phone, Nian Le listened to the expected news with a gentle expression.

“I understand.”

“The Round of 32 officially begins tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. There are several new rules you’ll need to know.”

Reading from the documents in front of him, the staff member carefully explained the updated dress code, tournament format, and other important regulations. Only after hearing Nian Le acknowledge everything did he move on.

“For players who advance to the Round of 32, the organizers will provide complimentary accommodation and meals.” The staff member made a note beside Nian Le’s name. “May I ask if you’ll be needing these arrangements?”

Nian Le knew the conditions for the Round of 32 would be much better.

He just hadn’t expected them to be this good.

His phone wasn’t on speaker, so he wasn’t sure how much Huo Weiran downstairs could hear. Huo Weiran simply stood there, quietly watching him, a faint light shining in his gray eyes, his expression earnest and focused.

After thinking for a moment, Nian Le looked away from Huo Weiran’s gaze and answered gently,

“Thank you. Yes, I’ll need them.”

“Very well. I’ll register that for you.”

After recording the request and apologizing once more for the late notification, the staff member ended the call.

Nian Le lowered his phone just as Huo Weiran hurried up the stairs until they were standing at eye level. His eyes silently asked the question.

“They notified me that I’ve made it into the Round of 32.”

Even though he’d expected the result, hearing it confirmed still lifted his spirits.

“Congratulations.”

Huo Weiran’s expression was completely sincere. He was genuinely happy for Nian Le.

They had been separated by some distance during the call. Huo Weiran had strained to listen but couldn’t make out everything, so all he could do was remain as quiet as possible.

“After making the Round of 32, they provide free room and board,” Nian Le said, sharing the good news. “I asked them to reserve a room for me.”

Huo Weiran stared at him quietly.

He replayed that sentence in his mind several times before finally understanding its implication.

“You…”

His throat tightened. The words lingered on his lips before he forced them out.

“You’re… leaving me during this period?”

His expression was restrained, as though he were suppressing an uncomfortable emotion.

The moment Nian Le saw it, he hurried to explain.

“The staff just told me the rules for the Round of 32 have changed. Each game will now last over seven hours. No one can play continuously for that long, so they’ll suspend play for an hour in the middle to let everyone eat and recover.”

For Nian Le, the new rule couldn’t have been better.

Meeting Huo Weiran’s eyes, he continued,

“Even though it’s not far from here to the venue, going back and forth within a single hour would be too rushed. So I requested a room where I can have lunch and rest at noon.”

It was only for that brief midday break.

He would return even later in the afternoon.

He wasn’t leaving.

Huo Weiran felt much of the tightness in his chest ease, though he couldn’t understand where that sudden ache had come from.

A career was important.

It was important to everyone.

As Nian Le’s fiancé, he should support him wholeheartedly—not feel so unsettled over a few days of temporary separation.

Pressing a hand against his chest, Huo Weiran still felt as though something heavy was lodged there.

“I’ll come back in the afternoon and have dinner with you.”

Watching Huo Weiran’s unconscious gesture, Nian Le’s eyes briefly swept across his chest before softening.

“But at lunchtime, I’ll only be able to prepare a few dishes for you in advance. Is that alright?”

From three meals a day with four dishes and a soup…

…to three dishes and a soup…

…and now, to pre-prepared meals.

The decline in meal quality was obvious.

Nian Le felt a faint sense of guilt, but since he had no intention of accepting the meal allowance Huo Weiran had offered, he could still meet his eyes without hesitation.

Naturally, Nian Le’s tournament came first.

Huo Weiran nodded in agreement.

Yet the thought that the time they spent together would become shorter stirred an inexplicable restlessness inside him.

This was only an arranged marriage.

They weren’t lovers in the middle of a passionate romance.

There was no way he would have such an absurd desire to stay glued to Nian Le every moment of the day.

He told himself that this emotional fluctuation was simply because he’d grown accustomed to the routine of the past several days. The sudden change felt uncomfortable. Once he got used to Nian Le coming home later…

…he should be able to adapt completely.

“Oh, right. Xiao Ran, do you know anywhere nearby that sells or rents formal suits?”

Glancing at the time, Nian Le remembered that the Round of 32 had stricter dress requirements.

Contestants were required to wear formal attire.

He had noticed that rule earlier and planned to rent or buy a suit after receiving confirmation, but he hadn’t expected the notification to come this late.

Huo Weiran wasn’t especially familiar with Jiangzhou.

But as for formal wear…

His gaze settled openly on Nian Le, traveling slowly from head to toe.

“I have a few suits here.”

“You can come try them on.”

Nian Le looked at the man in front of him, who was a full head taller and at least two sizes broader than he was. Just as he was about to say something, Huo Weiran had already turned and begun leading the way upstairs to the third floor.

Stopping in front of a room, Huo Weiran opened the door.

Nian Le followed him inside and realized that this was probably Huo Weiran’s walk-in wardrobe.

The walk-in closet was divided into two levels. It was spacious and well-lit, with an overall oval shape. The center dipped down in an artistic design, furnished with a round table and sofa. Nian Le even noticed a glass wine cabinet nearby, stocked with several bottles of liquor.

“This used to be her dressing room,” Huo Weiran said, stopping in front of a row of suits. “She’d have models with a similar build to hers change here and walk for her, so she could choose outfits.”

Even without him saying it outright, Nian Le knew the “she” Huo Weiran referred to was Madam Huo.

“Later, she suddenly became obsessed with runway shows by the snow house, fireplace, and swimming pool, so she converted the entire basement level into a dressing room. After this room was remodeled, it became my wardrobe.”

Huo Weiran took out two suits and handed them to Nian Le.

“Go try them.”

Nian Le entered the fitting room. To his surprise, the suits weren’t nearly as oversized as he’d expected. He put on one set, and found that both the sleeves and trouser legs fit him perfectly.

After straightening his shirt cuffs, he walked out wearing the suit, buttoned the jacket, and looked toward the mirror.

A black suit was the safest choice.

The one Huo Weiran had picked was impeccably tailored, emphasizing Nian Le’s tall, slender frame. The waist was subtly tapered, giving him an elegant and refined appearance.

Unable to find anything wrong with it, Nian Le turned toward Huo Weiran.

Only then did he realize Huo Weiran was sitting in the middle of the sofa with a glass of wine in hand, one long leg casually resting on the round table as he quietly watched him.

The crystal chandelier above cast dazzling light across the room. Against the black leather sofa, Huo Weiran’s fair complexion stood out even more. His sharply defined mixed-race features and gray eyes elevated the entire atmosphere of the dressing room.

Nian Le had never seen Huo Weiran in such a relaxed posture before.

His gaze briefly landed on the long leg resting atop the table, noticing how straight and well-shaped it was.

The next moment, Huo Weiran stiffened slightly.

Slowly, he lowered his leg back to the floor and sat much more properly.

Won’t even let me look?

Only then did Nian Le notice the wine in Huo Weiran’s hand. He remembered that Huo Weiran was already an adult, but also recalled the accident he’d suffered. He wasn’t sure whether his body could handle alcohol now.

Just as Nian Le looked up, about to ask, Huo Weiran had already set the glass aside.

The question died on his lips.

Instead, he adjusted his lapel and simply remarked,

“It fits well.”

“I’ll try the other one.”

As Nian Le headed back into the fitting room, Huo Weiran’s eyes followed him. Almost unconsciously, he stood up, remaining there until the fitting room door closed.

Huo Weiran had known for a while that Nian Le had an attractive figure.

He simply hadn’t expected it to be this striking.

It was only an ordinary black suit, yet it somehow accentuated Nian Le’s jade-like elegance even more. Gentle, composed, refined…

He looked like the carefully nurtured heir of a prestigious family, every movement radiating poise and dignity, the sort of successor every elder would willingly entrust with the family’s future.

Being looked down upon by him with that calm, gentle gaze…

…would be enough to make anyone surrender completely and willingly obey whatever he said.

A man like that…

…was his fiancé.

The “little wife” his mother always joked about using to keep him in line.

Huo Weiran lowered his eyes to the leg he had instinctively withdrawn, then glanced at the wineglass beside him.

He couldn’t understand why a single look from Nian Le had made his body react on its own.

That invisible sense of restraint…

For someone who had always valued freedom, it made Huo Weiran deeply uncomfortable.

Looking toward the tightly shut fitting room as though determined to prove something, he picked up the bottle and poured himself another drink until the glass was half full.

Nian Le changed into the second suit.

It was a British-style double-breasted suit in royal blue with peaked lapels.

He had assumed he wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but once he walked out and looked in the mirror, not only did it suit him perfectly, it even made him look a little younger.

Turning toward Huo Weiran—

He saw him standing by the round table, staring without blinking.

With a single stride of his long legs, Huo Weiran crossed several steps at once, lightly vaulting up from the lower level.

“It still needs… a tie.”

A faint flush colored Huo Weiran’s cheeks.

He opened the tie drawer, selected several at once, draped them over the cast on his right forearm, then walked over to Nian Le, stopping close behind him before the mirror.

“Red stripes… champagne… black…”

Using his left hand, he held one tie after another against Nian Le’s chest for comparison, tossing aside any that didn’t match.

As he leaned closer and closer, his head gradually lowered until he was near Nian Le’s ear.

Watching them in the mirror, Nian Le caught the faint scent of alcohol.

It was sweet.

Every time Huo Weiran spoke, the fragrance became more distinct.

“This one… a blue tie in the same color family. See these fine diamond patterns…”

His head dipped even lower.

His lips lightly brushed against the pink tip of his fiancé’s ear.

The touch was tingling, almost numbing, carrying the dizzy warmth of intoxication.

The sensation lingered on his lips long afterward.

Sensing something was wrong, Nian Le raised a hand and pressed it gently against Huo Weiran’s forehead.

Turning around, he immediately noticed the unnatural flush spreading across Huo Weiran’s face.

“And this narrow tie… it goes well with the black suit…”

Holding the tie, Huo Weiran wrapped one arm around Nian Le’s neck. His casted right arm came forward as well as he tried to tie the knot.

But his fingers refused to move.

No matter how hard he tried…

…they wouldn’t lift even the slightest bit.

Huo Weiran froze.

Only then did it seem to register.

He lowered his head to stare at his fingers, his eyes gradually dimming as the strength left his body.

He began to sway.

Nian Le immediately caught him with one arm, supporting his weight against his own body.

Quickly taking the tie Huo Weiran had chosen, he helped him over to the sofa.

After removing the ties draped across Huo Weiran’s body, Nian Le stood up.

The moment his support disappeared, Huo Weiran slumped sideways onto the sofa as though he’d lost the only thing holding him up.

His eyes drifted shut, completely drunk.

Looking at the bottle on the table, Nian Le discovered that nearly half of it was already gone.

He lifted Huo Weiran’s legs onto the sofa as well.

Silently, he picked up all the ties Huo Weiran had tossed aside one by one and neatly returned them to the cabinet.

Once everything was put away, he looked back.

Huo Weiran was still asleep, his breathing slightly uneven.

Curious, Nian Le took a small sip from the remaining drink.

A rich sweetness flooded his mouth, accompanied by the mellow aroma of whiskey, layered with notes of vanilla and cocoa.

His expression became rather complicated as he looked at the sleeping man on the sofa.

It was only a bottle of Baileys.

A sweet liqueur of barely over ten percent alcohol.

Half a bottle had left him this drunk.

At future banquets, he’d probably end up seated at the kids’ table.

Quietly, Nian Le returned the remaining half-bottle of Baileys to the wine cabinet.

Then he looked at the large, sleeping figure sprawled across the sofa and let out a silent sigh.

Darkness swallowed the world.

Huo Weiran’s memory stopped at the moment he was looking for a tie. When he regained consciousness, he found himself lying in his bedroom, tucked neatly beneath the blankets.

He was still wearing the same clothes. Aside from a few wrinkles, everything was perfectly in order.

For some reason, a faint sense of disappointment welled up inside him.

Yet he couldn’t even explain what he had been hoping for.

It was already broad daylight.

When Huo Weiran went downstairs, he found a glass of fruit juice on the dining table with a note beside it.

The juice was meant to help with his hangover.

The note also mentioned that there was food in the refrigerator and that he only needed to heat it in the microwave for a few minutes. At the end, Nian Le thanked him for lending him the suit.

But no matter how many times he read it…

There wasn’t a single word about him getting drunk.

An uneasy feeling quietly settled in Huo Weiran’s heart.

The last time hot oil had splattered onto his arm—a trivial incident—Nian Le had been deeply concerned.

But now, after he’d ignored his own limits and gotten drunk…

Nian Le hadn’t mentioned it at all.

Standing in front of the microwave, watching the plate slowly rotate, an uncontrollable thought surfaced in Huo Weiran’s mind.

Could this… be a sign that he’s giving up on this arranged marriage?

If they had truly decided to spend the rest of their lives together, he definitely wouldn’t have pretended nothing had happened.

Only someone who didn’t care anymore…

…would remain so calm.

Only someone who didn’t care…

…would offer neither advice nor criticism.

Huo Weiran’s heart trembled uncontrollably.

After taking only a couple of bites of breakfast, he hurried upstairs and stopped in front of the familiar guest room.

Slowly, he turned the doorknob.

The room was spotless, but there were still traces that someone had been living there.

More importantly…

The suitcase was still there.

It stood quietly in the corner like an anchor that instantly steadied Huo Weiran’s heart.

He wasn’t leaving.

There had to be some kind of agreement between him and Mother.

Something important enough for him to tolerate all of Huo Weiran’s shortcomings.

After quietly closing the guest room door, Huo Weiran went back downstairs and sat at the breakfast table again.

Yet his mind kept replaying the image of his fiancé wearing that suit the night before.

The uneasiness spread through him like countless ants gnawing away at his heart.

I wonder… how he’s doing today.

Nian Le, meanwhile, felt rather helpless.

Huo Weiran’s suit was obviously expensive.

He didn’t dare ride a bicycle to the venue, afraid he’d stretch the fabric or scrape it. There was no way he could afford to replace it.

In the end, he took a taxi instead.

The Round of 32 was treated completely differently from the qualifiers.

The first thing awaiting the players outside the venue was the media.

Reporters lined both sides of the road, armed with cameras fitted with enormous telephoto lenses, snapping photos of every competitor who arrived. The more well-known players were even stopped briefly for interviews.

Simply entering the venue felt like walking a red carpet.

Bracing himself, Nian Le headed inside.

The relentless clicking of camera shutters echoed around him, and before long, someone stepped into his path, holding out a microphone.

“Hello, Player. I’m a reporter from the Sports Channel…”

The voice sounded strangely familiar.

Nian Le looked up.

The moment their eyes met—

“H-Holy shit?”

Xiang Lang froze at the sight of the familiar face.

He immediately turned to the cameraman.

“Cut that! Cut that part!”

“So it was you!” Xiang Lang said, looking Nian Le up and down with obvious curiosity.