“You made it into the Top 32?” Xiang Lang couldn’t hide his surprise. The Yixin Cup wasn’t like other competitions where the results might be influenced by outside factors. There was absolutely no room for foul play. Making it into the Top 32 meant that Nian Le was undeniably a formidable player!
“I was just lucky,” Nian Le replied, his eyes gentle, as though he had truly made it this far through sheer good fortune.
“Don’t be so modest.” Xiang Lang suddenly remembered that he had promised his good buddy he would drive the young man away. He couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
Work had been so busy lately that he hadn’t had the chance to bring the matter up. Now that Nian Le had made it into the Top 32, there was no way he could cause trouble at a time like this. He didn’t want to affect the young man’s mood before his match.
“Reporter Xiang, I’ll head inside first.” Nian Le glanced at the time and spoke in a gentle tone.
Xiang Lang quickly nodded and wished him, “May you get off to a winning start!”
He watched the tall, slender figure in a black suit walk into the competition venue and continued staring for a long while before finally turning away.
Nian Le immediately went to check the match schedule. Unlike the previous stage, where the 289 participants had been assigned to different boards, the Top 32 bracket was arranged in a tree structure. It followed a single-elimination format: one game determined the winner and loser. The defeated player would be eliminated on the spot, while only the winner could advance.
The bottom row of the tournament bracket listed the matches scheduled for today.
Nian Le found his own name. When he saw the three characters beside it—Yang Xiufang—he fell silent.
Previously, he had said that he and the auntie seemed destined to cross paths, but even that had been an understatement.
They had already encountered each other during the qualifying rounds, and now they were facing each other again in the very first match of the Top 32. It was a strange twist of fate that was difficult to describe.
However, unlike the previous qualifying rounds, where losing a single game would not have mattered much, the Top 32 stage allowed absolutely no room for mistakes. One misplaced piece could cost a player the entire game.
Nian Le found his assigned board. The venue was even larger than before, but there were now only sixteen Go boards. These were intelligent boards capable of recording moves simultaneously. Although their surfaces felt almost identical to those of traditional boards, the sound of placing a stone on them was still somewhat different.
The nameplates beside the boards were also much more sophisticated. They displayed not only each player’s name but also their rank.
Even the complimentary bottled water provided by the organizers had been upgraded—from two yuan per bottle to four yuan per bottle.
Players gradually began entering the venue. From a distance, Chi Mianmian waved at Nian Le to greet him. Nian Le nodded in acknowledgment.
Not far behind Chi Mianmian was the auntie. She wore a white shirt paired with black trousers, and her plain-looking face was lit up with an excited smile that she could hardly contain.
The auntie headed toward Nian Le, but another player suddenly reached out and stopped her.
“Hello,” the player said politely. “I accidentally spilled some water on the table. Could you help clean it up?”
The auntie froze for a moment. Instinctively, she looked down at her own clothes. Comparing herself with the staff members currently working around the venue, her face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment.
“I-I’m a competitor too.”
The player was clearly stunned by her response. After apologizing, he watched her in astonishment as she walked all the way to the board opposite Nian Le.
“We meet again, young man.”
Once the auntie had settled into her seat, she looked at Nian Le with a beaming smile. Unlike before, when she had awkwardly found herself at odds with someone she knew, she was no longer troubled or helpless. Instead, she happily pulled her chair a little closer and lowered her voice to speak to him.
“You might not believe this, but my original ranking was outside the Top 32. Then two players were caught making secret deals behind the scenes and were disqualified. As luck would have it, I ended up taking the thirty-second spot!”
Nian Le smiled.
“I’m really so happy.” The auntie could barely contain her joy. “I know I can’t win, but just making it into the Top 32 means I’ll get a prize of 15,000 yuan, even if I lose every single game. If I used that money to buy pork ribs, my whole family would eat until we got sick of them!”
“And another thing! My husband and my boss have always said I had nothing better to do, so I went and entered some Go competition. Last night, I told them I’d made it into the Top 32, and every single one of them was left speechless. You should’ve seen the looks on their faces!” The auntie covered her mouth and laughed, unable to contain her delight.
“Even my child didn’t know I could play Go before. He always thought I was just someone with a junior high school education who could only do physical labor. He never imagined I had this skill up my sleeve.”
The auntie was in such a good mood that she couldn’t stop talking. It wasn’t until half an hour before the match, when the referee announced the rules for the Top 32 stage, that she finally quieted down.
Reporters at the venue continuously snapped photos of the referee and the players. Flashbulbs flickered, and the sound of camera shutters filled the air.
Nian Le listened quietly to the rules, while the auntie looked around nervously. Only when the competition officially began and most of the reporters had left the playing area did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“I’ve been wondering whether we could finish that unfinished game of ours,” the auntie whispered. “We hadn’t even played a hundred moves in that game, and I’ve been thinking about it for the past two days. I feel like neither of us managed to play to our full potential.”
Nian Le said nothing. He picked up a white stone from the Go bowl with his fingertips and raised his eyes to look at her.
That single glance was enough for the auntie to understand. She placed a black stone on the board, and just as in their previous game, the two began taking turns at a leisurely pace.
The game that had lasted more than five hours last time took less than twenty minutes to reconstruct today. They quickly replayed their moves up to the point where Nian Le had regained consciousness after his headache.
Only then did the auntie slow down and begin thinking seriously.
It was clear that she had reviewed the game after returning home. Her moves were now much more efficient than before. Nian Le’s gaze remained steady as he responded to her more carefully considered formations.
Her already meticulous playing style had become even more intricate. Delicate, complicated emotions spread everywhere, inch by inch, occupying every corner and winding along every boundary. The web of moves was so dense that it almost seemed difficult to breathe.
The auntie had an extraordinary command of details. It was as though she possessed countless hands—or perhaps she was a spider sitting at the center of its web, coldly watching a tiny white moth collide with the strands. She would quickly crawl toward it, wrapping it in layer upon layer of silk until it was completely trapped.
Nian Le lowered his eyes, continuing to place his stones at the same steady pace.
The auntie’s brows furrowed deeply. After pursuing and blocking him at every turn, she finally managed to squeeze out one point from the white stones.
The white cocoon, wrapped tightly in the spider’s web, had stopped struggling, as though it had already lost its life. The spider stood beside it. Although it had captured its prey, a greater sense of unease was quietly rising within it.
In the next instant, slender, fair fingertips picked up a white stone and placed it on the board without the slightest hesitation.
Tap.
A small knight’s move attacked a cutting point in Black’s formation.
The white cocoon, which had been lying quietly in the web, suddenly struggled with all its might and snapped several strands of silk. The spider rushed over to repair the damage, only to hear the sound of countless wings flapping overhead.
The spider abruptly raised its head from the dense web.
Above it, countless little white moths were flying through the air, like individual points of white light. They connected into a vast, shimmering expanse and soared toward the sky.
The night stretched endlessly, its stars brilliant and dazzling. The magnificent sight left the spider momentarily entranced. It wanted to find the edge of this vast sky, yet it barely noticed what was happening beneath its feet.
The prey that had once been tightly wrapped had already broken free. It fluttered out of the tiny web and took flight.
The spider could no longer reach it. All it could do was watch that tiny white speck follow its companions into the boundless night, gradually disappearing into the darkness.
The auntie stared blankly at the Go board before her.
She saw the intricate web she had painstakingly constructed, and she also saw the wings that could never truly be confined, no matter how tightly she tried to trap them.
Even now, she was still peering through the tiny gaps in her web, unable to see the full expanse of the sky.
The game ended, and the referee came over to count the stones. Yet the auntie remained immersed in the game, unable to pull herself away from it.
“I lost.”
Before the stone-counting was even finished, the auntie had already figured out the result. She looked at the young man sitting opposite her and couldn’t help giving a bitter smile.
“My Go… my perspective is too narrow. I must have made a fool of myself in front of you.”
“There’s no such thing as making a fool of yourself. Your play was incredibly meticulous.” Nian Le leaned forward slightly. “You also considered your moves very thoroughly.”
The auntie’s eyes shifted. For some reason, she suddenly thought of her home.
Her child’s studies, her husband’s job, her parents’ health, the looks and comments of her in-laws and sisters-in-law, a piece of clothing in the wardrobe, a pair of socks, a packet of seasoning in the kitchen, discounted eggs at the supermarket, and even the toilet paper in the bathroom.
She knew she didn’t really want to think about so many things, yet somehow, every single responsibility seemed to fall on her shoulders.
Just like a spider, she spun a web that looked good enough to get by. She worked tirelessly to make a living, constantly rushing around to patch up one part of the web after another.
She had spent more than half her life laboring away, only to forget that she could simply raise her head and look at the sky.
Everyone clearly lived in the same world, yet somehow, they all inhabited different worlds.
The auntie couldn’t stop the tip of her nose from stinging with emotion. When she looked at the young man before her again, she found gentle concern in his amber-colored eyes.
“Losing to you wasn’t a waste.” The auntie raised her hand and wiped the corner of her eye. When she looked at Nian Le again, a glimmer of light had appeared in her eyes.
“I’ve decided not to spend the prize money on pork ribs anymore. I want to see what the world looks like through your eyes, too.”
Nian Le smiled.
By then, the referee had finished counting the stones. White was ahead by six and a half points. The referee handed the auntie the form confirming the result of the match.
“By the way, how old are you, young man?” the auntie asked casually as she signed the form. “You seem so refined and well-mannered. Are you still in school?”
“I’m a junior this year,” Nian Le replied, unscrewing the cap of a bottle of mineral water beside him and taking a small sip.
“Going to university is a good thing! What are you studying?” The auntie put down her pen and looked at him curiously.
“Law.” Nian Le smiled.
“Y-you? Law? As in the law of the legal system?”
The auntie froze in place. Remembering how mercilessly the young man had beaten someone up in the cream puff shop, she stared at him with undisguised disbelief.
“Would you like me to conjure up a fireball for you instead?” Nian Le teased, amusement shining in his eyes.
“No, no! I just thought that law students…” The auntie’s face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
On television, people who studied law always recited long strings of legal statutes and regulations to frighten troublemakers into backing down. But this was the first time she’d encountered someone who could turn off the surveillance cameras and then beat someone up while threatening them.
But then again, that made sense.
When dealing with people who respected the law, clearly laying out the relevant regulations could be effective. But those hooligans were different. Even if they left after being lectured about the law, they would definitely come back to harass them later.
“I understand now.” The auntie rubbed her face awkwardly. Her fondness for the young man increased considerably.
After the match ended, Nian Le accompanied the auntie out of the competition venue before turning around and heading back inside. He rested for a while at the accommodation provided by the organizers. By lunchtime, most of the list of players advancing to the Top 16 had already been announced.
Nian Le waited until the competition had ended and the complete list of players advancing from the Top 32 to the Top 16 was released before finally returning to the villa.
To protect the borrowed suit, Nian Le reluctantly took a taxi again. As soon as he arrived at the villa, he changed into his usual clothes and went to the kitchen. He noticed that Huo Weiran had barely touched the food in the refrigerator. It seemed he wasn’t accustomed to eating prepared meals.
Since the food shouldn’t go to waste, Nian Le had no choice but to reheat it for himself. He planned to cook something fresh for Huo Weiran, but while he was reheating the dishes, Huo Weiran had already come downstairs, bringing the tableware with him and setting it on the table.
His younger fiancé clearly hadn’t noticed that the food was pre-prepared. Sitting opposite Nian Le, he ate one bite after another, his mind obviously occupied by something else.
Nian Le remained silent, not wanting him to discover the issue with the food.
The two finished their meal in silence. After Huo Weiran placed the dishes in the dishwasher, Nian Le took the opportunity to go to the living room and review the day’s Go game.
Huo Weiran sat stiffly on the sofa, repeatedly glancing at the person in front of him. He changed seats seven or eight times, moving from one sofa to another before finally settling down beside Nian Le.
Huo Weiran had already sensed that Nian Le was bothered by what had happened when he got drunk yesterday. Otherwise, Nian Le wouldn’t have remained silent for so long.
Nian Le had just finished reviewing the game and was preparing to set up a few more boards when he looked up and discovered that Huo Weiran had somehow taken a seat beside him. His younger fiancé was holding a Kindle, quickly lowering his eyes to read, looking every bit like a diligent student absorbed in his studies.
They were sitting so close that Nian Le could easily bump into him if he moved his hand. He shifted the Go board and stone bowls aside and moved a little farther away.
Huo Weiran remained where he was, his gaze fixed intently on the words in front of him. Yet, as he sensed the distance growing between them, an inexplicable ache gradually spread through his chest.
Did Nian Le think that the more he learned about his fiancé, the more disappointing he became?
Not only did he have a bad personality and no promising future, but he was also a drunkard.
Australia had strict laws prohibiting underage drinking. As a racing driver, Huo Weiran had even more reason to avoid alcohol, since it could impair his reaction time. It was only yesterday that, for some inexplicable reason, he had ended up drinking so much.
Huo Weiran wanted to explain himself. He had rehearsed what to say countless times in his mind, but from Nian Le’s perspective, actions spoke louder than words.
This was their first cold war since they had started living together.
Huo Weiran wanted to tell him that throughout the entire day, he had been thinking about him involuntarily. Even though he knew perfectly well that their engagement was nothing more than an arranged marriage, he still couldn’t control his feelings.
Nian Le was merely refusing to speak to him and keeping a little distance between them, yet Huo Weiran felt as though something were relentlessly grinding against his heart. For the first time in his life, he felt such pain and torment.
At least one person had to swallow their pride to end a cold war. But Huo Weiran knew all too well what giving in would mean.
He didn’t want to become the kind of person his mother described as someone controlled by his “little wife.” He didn’t want to see her wearing that triumphant expression, nor did he want to lose his dignity and freedom by blindly obeying another person.
That was a shackle disguised as love.
Huo Weiran didn’t want to be tamed, yet his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the person beside him.
A voice kept echoing in his heart.
Talk to me.
Even just look at me.
Nian Le stared at the Go board, then glanced at the game record beside his hand. His mind was continuously working through the possible variations of the game as he slowly picked up a white stone.
Dozens of possible board positions unfolded in his mind. In an instant, he spotted a brilliant move. He quickly placed the white stone on the board, then reached for a black one.
But as he lifted the black stone from its bowl, his grip slipped. The stone fell onto the table, bounced, and dropped to the floor.
The sound of the stone striking the tiled floor was crisp and clear.
Nian Le instinctively looked toward the sound, only to see a dark figure beside him suddenly dart away. In the blink of an eye, Huo Weiran had straightened up on the other side of the long table and was holding out the black stone he had picked up.
The entire process had taken less than three seconds.
Nian Le was momentarily stunned before slowly coming back to his senses. Looking at the stone in Huo Weiran’s hand, he reached out to take it and gave his younger fiancé a gentle smile.
“Thank you.”
His fair fingertips brushed lightly across Huo Weiran’s palm, leaving behind a hint of warmth and a faint, tingling sensation.
Just like that, the ice between them melted away.
The stubborn resistance in Huo Weiran’s heart dissolved instantly at the sight of that smile.
Looking at the black stone, Huo Weiran suddenly realized that Nian Le might have dropped it on purpose. Perhaps this was his way of giving Huo Weiran an opportunity to save face and make the first move toward reconciliation.
Huo Weiran had never encountered such a clever approach before.
He’s practically a genius.
Nian Le continued placing the black stones, reconstructing the game in his mind. He hadn’t even reached the third move when a voice suddenly came from beside him.
“Yesterday… was actually the first time I’d ever gotten drunk.”
It took Nian Le a moment to process those words before he turned his head to look at Huo Weiran sitting beside him.
“Getting drunk doesn’t feel very good.” Huo Weiran watched Nian Le’s expression from the corner of his eye, then awkwardly raised a hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his knuckles.
“I’ll… be more careful in the future.”
“Mm.” Nian Le gave a brief response and turned back to the game, seemingly unconcerned.
Suddenly, the sofa shifted beside him. Huo Weiran had moved a little closer.
“Do you need me to write a written pledge?”
Nian Le’s fingers paused around the stone. Unable to hide his surprise, he turned to look at the person beside him.
Why would he need to write a pledge?
Nian Le didn’t consider himself one of Huo Weiran’s elders or relatives, so he didn’t think he had any authority to manage this sort of thing, much less demand that Huo Weiran write a formal promise.
Besides, did someone who had gotten drunk after just a couple of sips of sweet wine really need to write a pledge?
Nian Le met those beautiful gray eyes. Huo Weiran’s sharply defined face was now very close to his, and his expression was remarkably serious.
“No need.” Influenced by Huo Weiran’s earnest attitude, Nian Le hesitated for a moment before firmly rejecting the suggestion.
“Why not?” Huo Weiran’s brows knitted slightly. He instinctively straightened up, moving even closer to the person beside him.
“Do you not care about me, or do you simply not care about my health?”
A trace of confusion flashed through Nian Le’s eyes. Listening to Huo Weiran’s accusation, he felt as though he had somehow become a heartless scoundrel. The Go stone held between his fingers seemed impossible to either place down or keep holding.
Remembering that he had only just borrowed his younger fiancé’s suit and tie yesterday, Nian Le carefully considered his words. He set down the stone and turned to face Huo Weiran.
“I care about your health, too. But your body is your own, and you’re the one who gets to make decisions about it. You’re already an adult. You don’t need someone constantly reminding you what you should and shouldn’t do.”
His response was practically flawless, yet Huo Weiran inexplicably felt uncomfortable. He could sense the distance hidden in Nian Le’s words, but he couldn’t find a way to argue against them.
Before he could come up with a response, Huo Weiran watched Nian Le turn back toward the board, his attention once again fixed on the game, as though nothing more than an insignificant little incident had just occurred.
Nian Le had spent the entire day playing Go outside. After returning home and finishing dinner, he had continued playing. His eyes remained glued to the board, as though he couldn’t spare even an extra glance at Huo Weiran.
Huo Weiran’s chest felt unbearably heavy. He took out his phone and unconsciously checked his hair and clothes.
After finishing another game, Nian Le studied the final position. He raised his head, closed his eyes, and rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearing away the countless intersecting black-and-white lines in his mind and leaving behind a relaxed, open space.
The surroundings were completely silent.
Nian Le checked the time, straightened up, and began collecting the stones from the board. He had barely flicked his fingers a few times when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone approach and place two bottles of alcohol on the table.
Nian Le turned his head and saw two bottles of whiskey. Judging by the labels, their alcohol content was well over forty percent.
He instinctively looked up.
Huo Weiran was staring intently at him with his gray eyes. He raised a hand and removed the hair tie holding his hair at the back of his head. His naturally curly hair fell loose, with several strands hanging beside his face.
The living room lights illuminated his sharply defined, cool features. His gray eyes seemed to conceal a smoldering fire.
Nian Le could only watch as Huo Weiran unscrewed a bottle cap with one hand, lifted the bottle, tilted his head back, and began gulping down the alcohol.
Remembering how Huo Weiran had gotten drunk on less than half a bottle of sweet wine, Nian Le looked at the bottle of forty-percent vodka that was already half-empty. Imagining Huo Weiran being carried out of the villa, his breathing momentarily caught.
He immediately stood up and rushed forward, snatching the bottle from Huo Weiran’s hand.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t going to interfere?” Huo Weiran retorted, looking at his fiancé.
He had sounded so righteous earlier, acting as though he didn’t care in the slightest. Yet now, he was moving faster than anyone else to stop him.
Huo Weiran reached for the alcohol on the table again, keeping the person beside him in the corner of his eye.
Nian Le lowered his gaze to the bottle in his hand. A helpless smile appeared in his eyes as he stepped forward and took the second bottle away as well.
With both bottles confiscated, Huo Weiran turned his face away, his expression indifferent. He refused to look at the “little wife” sitting beside him.
So now you remember you have a fiancé, huh?
“As long as I’m here, I’ll look after you.” Nian Le set one of the bottles down and spoke gently. “You should avoid things that harm your health.”
Nian Le had previously searched online for signs of rebellious behavior in young people.
Apparently, the main signs were smoking, drinking, and dating. Whether you liked it or not, all three could take a toll on your health and easily lead to trouble.
However, Huo Weiran seemed to know his limits. Nian Le glanced at the bottle in his hand and noticed a faint tea fragrance drifting from it.
“The suit you picked out for me yesterday was very nice.” Seeing that Huo Weiran had calmed down, Nian Le changed the subject. He placed both bottles to one side and sat back down on the sofa.
“The tie matched it well, too.”
Remembering what he had seen just before getting drunk the previous night, Huo Weiran’s eyes darkened slightly. He casually took a seat beside his fiancé, his body unconsciously leaning toward Nian Le.
“Did your match go well today?”
“Very well. I made it into the Top 16.” Nian Le looked at Huo Weiran with some curiosity. “The suit fit me perfectly today. Does your wardrobe have clothes in every size?”
“No. Those few suits were from when I was fourteen or fifteen. I never wore them.” Huo Weiran looked at Nian Le, his gaze slowly traveling over him as he examined his appearance.
“Your height now is about the same as mine was back then.”
Nian Le turned to look at his younger fiancé, whose physique was exceptionally impressive, and fell silent.
Even while lounging lazily against the sofa, Huo Weiran’s height advantage was unmistakable.
“I’m already over 190 centimeters tall, and I can still grow.” Huo Weiran moved a little closer to Nian Le until they were facing each other, close enough for him to catch the faint scent lingering on the other man.
The clothes Nian Le was wearing had previously been put into the washing machine by Huo Weiran himself. The fragrance clinging to them was also one Huo Weiran had chosen—a delicate scent reminiscent of flowers and grass beginning to sprout in spring.
“I…” Nian Le fell silent for a moment. “I’m over a hundred centimeters tall, too.”
The corners of Huo Weiran’s mouth involuntarily lifted.
He stared at the person before him, slowly lowered his head, and rested his forehead against Nian Le’s shoulder. With the slightest tilt of his face, he could see the other man’s fair, slender neck.
“Are you feeling unwell?” Nian Le looked down at his younger fiancé’s sudden display of intimacy, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.
“I just had a few sips of alcohol.” Huo Weiran lowered his eyes slightly, gazing at the face in front of him while maintaining his previous position.
Nian Le quietly glanced at the bottle that smelled faintly of tea. He decided to do his younger fiancé a favor and not expose him, allowing him to carry on with his performance.
It was already getting late. After letting Huo Weiran lean against him for a while, Nian Le half-supported and half-guided him back to his bedroom.
He then prepared the ingredients for the following day before returning to the guest room to rest.
The next morning, Nian Le didn’t prepare any hangover-relief juice for Huo Weiran. In a tacit understanding, Huo Weiran didn’t ask about it either.
After breakfast, just as Nian Le was about to leave, Huo Weiran quickly put on a mask and hat, disguising himself from head to toe. He accompanied Nian Le all the way to the entrance of the residential community, his gaze following closely as Nian Le got into a taxi and drove away.
After yesterday’s matches, which determined the sixteen players advancing from the Top 32, only sixteen competitors remained. Among them, there were just two amateur players, three professional players of low dan rank, five of intermediate dan rank, and six of high dan rank.
Nian Le glanced over the now considerably simpler tournament bracket and checked the name of his opponent for the next round.
His opponent was a professional fourth-dan player.
Walking briskly to the board assigned for his match, Nian Le found that his opponent had arrived early.
The man had a thick, unkempt beard and wore a formal suit that looked as cheap as they came. His jacket was unbuttoned, his shirt collar hung wide open, and one leg was casually propped up on his chair as he shook it from time to time.
Nian Le’s gaze lingered for a second on the thick hair covering the man’s muscular leg.
Then he calmly sat down opposite him, his expression composed and serious.
The competition had not yet begun when Xiang Lang hurried to the edge of the playing area with his phone in hand. He scanned the venue twice, and when he spotted the person he was looking for, he lowered his voice.
“Bro, I found your arranged-marriage partner.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the call. Just imagining Nian Le wearing his suit and sitting upright in front of a Go board made Huo Weiran’s heart race uncontrollably.
They had been apart much longer than before. Although he had managed to get used to it over the course of a day, his chest still felt strangely empty. No matter what he thought about, his mind kept returning to Nian Le.
He couldn’t find a livestream of the competition online. Rather than letting his imagination run wild, Huo Weiran could only look for other ways to gather more information about him.
It was as though finding anything related to Nian Le could fill the emptiness in his heart just a little.
“Oh, crap. This is bad.”
Xiang Lang’s uneasy voice suddenly came through the phone.
Huo Weiran’s heart immediately leaped into his throat. “What happened?”
Xiang Lang stared intently at the scruffy man sitting opposite Nian Le and drew in a sharp breath.
“Do you know someone named Wu Xingyi?”
Holding his breath, Xiang Lang moved around to the left side of the playing area. He finally got a clear view of the nameplate beside Nian Le’s board, confirming that he hadn’t mistaken the man’s identity.
Wu Xingyi?
Huo Weiran quickly searched the unfamiliar name. Hundreds of results appeared, but they all contained roughly the same information.
Wu Xingyi was a professional fourth-dan Go player from Jiangzhou. He had earned his dan rank at the age of thirteen and had won countless youth-level dan championships. He particularly enjoyed challenging players of the same rank and would only enter promotion tournaments after establishing himself as unbeatable among his peers.
“Don’t be fooled by the fact that he’s only a professional fourth-dan player. He might be considered a mid-level professional, but his strength is absolutely not to be underestimated.” Xiang Lang sighed.
“He’s been waiting for a player of the same rank to return to China and compete against him, so he hasn’t entered a promotion tournament in three years. People call him the strongest fourth-dan player. His current strength is difficult to assess. Ordinary mid-level professionals can’t beat him, and even high-dan professionals aren’t guaranteed to win against him.”
Huo Weiran’s breathing briefly faltered as he stared at the man’s photograph on the screen. His expression grew serious.
“Your arranged-marriage partner is in a pretty tough spot this round. Facing Wu Xingyi might mean he has to stop here.”
Xiang Lang sounded a little regretful.
“Still, for an amateur third-dan player to make it into the Top 16 of the Yixin Cup is already an impressive achievement.”
Huo Weiran closed his laptop and unconsciously touched the hair Nian Le had trimmed for him. For some reason, he suddenly remembered their first date in the residential community.
In Nian Le’s eyes, there were flashes of blades and swords, along with the graceful flight of a swan soaring toward the horizon. Winning or losing seemed like an insignificant matter to him.
“He… can do it.” Huo Weiran held his phone in one hand and looked out the window. The sky stretched endlessly above him, clear and brilliantly blue.
“Oh?” Xiang Lang sounded intrigued. “What’s this? Have you changed your opinion of him? You’re so stubborn that nobody can get through to you. Did he slip you some kind of love potion?”
Remembering his own behavior over the past two days, Huo Weiran felt a little uncomfortable.
“That’s an objective assessment.”
“An objective assessment?” Xiang Lang clicked his tongue several times. “You think an amateur third-dan player can beat the strongest professional fourth-dan player? You’re really something when it comes to being objective.”
The tips of Huo Weiran’s ears began to burn. He hung up the phone, refusing to listen to any more of Xiang Lang’s teasing.
“‘It’s just an objective assessment\~’” Xiang Lang repeated his good friend’s words in an exaggerated, mocking tone.
Just as he put his phone away, he noticed the man sitting opposite Nian Le rummaging around in his pocket. After a moment, the man pulled out half a handful of sunflower seeds.
This was the first time Nian Le had encountered a Go player cracking sunflower seeds before a match.
Since Go games could last a long time, the Yixin Cup’s rules did not prohibit players from bringing food into the competition venue.
In many previous Go tournaments, there had been no breaks during a game. Some players would even eat while playing. However, out of courtesy, they generally avoided making noise while eating.
Wu Xingyi, on the other hand, cracked his sunflower seeds exceptionally loudly.
Crack, crack, crack.
He casually tossed the shells onto the Go board.
Nian Le quietly watched the man in front of him.
Wu Xingyi returned his gaze with deliberate provocation, his expression carefree and insolent.
“Pretty boy.” Noticing Nian Le’s refined, otherworldly appearance, Wu Xingyi cracked his seeds even louder. “Never seen anyone eat sunflower seeds before?”
“I understand,” Nian Le replied with a gentle smile, his gaze calmly settling on Wu Xingyi. “You’re very nervous, so you’re using this method to relieve your stress.”
Wu Xingyi’s hand paused mid-motion. He almost burst out laughing.
“Nervous? I’m nervous about playing against an amateur third-dan player like you?”
Nian Le’s expression remained unchanged.
“If you weren’t nervous, your behavior wouldn’t earn you any respect from your opponent.”
“Then don’t respect me.” Wu Xingyi shifted his backside on the chair and tossed the sunflower seed shells down with even greater force. “You’re so young, yet you act like an old fossil.”
After finishing the seeds in his hand, Wu Xingyi pulled out another handful. Several shells fell onto the floor, prompting a staff member to rush over and clean them up.
The staff member glanced helplessly at the competitor who continued littering, but all he could do was remain nearby and keep sweeping.
“Oh, if it isn’t Fourth-Dan Wu Xingyi!”
A familiar voice came from nearby.
Nian Le looked up and saw Xiang Lang approaching with a cameraman, wearing a broad smile.
“Quick, take a few more shots,” Xiang Lang instructed the cameraman. “We might need them when we write the report.”
Wu Xingyi glanced sideways at them but continued behaving exactly as he pleased.
“Fourth-Dan Wu, I’ve heard that your playing strength has improved again recently. Your older sister, in particular, has been paying close attention to your performance in the Yixin Cup.” Xiang Lang put on a concerned expression and held his microphone toward the man.
“Before the match begins, is there anything you’d like to say to your family?”
The moment Xiang Lang mentioned his older sister, Wu Xingyi’s entire body visibly stiffened.
His hand stopped cracking sunflower seeds. Without making a sound, he lowered the trouser leg he had rolled up, covering the hair on his leg. Even his sitting posture became noticeably more proper.
“Is this segment going to be broadcast?” Wu Xingyi asked, stuffing the sunflower seeds back into his pocket. He even remembered to take a sip of water to rinse his mouth.
“It might not be made public. The footage will be edited later, after all.” Xiang Lang maintained his professional smile.
Seeing Wu Xingyi visibly relax with relief, Xiang Lang suddenly changed the direction of the conversation.
“However, I heard that your older sister has entered the final stages of the U.S. Women’s Sanda Championship and will be returning soon. I also have her contact information. If your sister wants to see the interview, I’d be more than happy to send the footage to her privately.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Wu Xingyi’s expression darkened considerably.
Even in front of the camera, he didn’t dare glare fiercely at the reporter. He quickly stood up, took the cleaning tools from a staff member, and efficiently swept all the sunflower seed shells off the Go board and into the trash bin.
Then he returned to his seat in a huff, folded his arms across his chest, and sat there sulking.
After watching Wu Xingyi clean up the mess and noticeably improve his behavior, Xiang Lang asked him a few brief interview questions. He then left him with a parting remark.
“I’ll be keeping a close eye on you throughout the competition!”
With that, he led the cameraman away.
Before leaving, he didn’t forget to wink smugly at Nian Le.
Nian Le smiled faintly in response. Xiang Lang turned back, proudly ran a hand through his hair, and felt that he had just looked incredibly cool.
“Looks like I underestimated you.” Wu Xingyi held back his frustration and stared intently at the opponent sitting across from him. “You’re an unknown amateur third-dan player, yet you actually know Reporter Xiang and can even get him to stand up for you.”
“We just happened to meet once,” Nian Le replied, his smile as faint and gentle as ever.
“Oh, give me a break.” Wu Xingyi rolled his eyes. He was just about to remark that Xiang Lang had a pretty wide circle of connections when the chief referee stepped onto the stage and began announcing the rules and precautions for the match.
After patiently listening to the rules, Wu Xingyi finally heard the chief referee announce the start of the game.
As the player with the first move, he practically couldn’t wait to slap a black stone onto the board.
“Two hours at most.” Wu Xingyi stared at the refined young man opposite him and lowered his voice.
“Two hours, tops, and I’ll beat you for sure!”
Nian Le raised his eyes and leisurely glanced at the man who was known as the strongest fourth-dan player. The corners of his mouth lifted into a slight smile.
During the opening phase, both players proceeded with extreme caution. Looking at Nian Le’s formation, Wu Xingyi couldn’t help studying him a little more closely. He even found himself checking the time subconsciously.
Although his opponent was only an amateur third-dan player, making it into the Top 16 meant he must have some real ability.
Wu Xingyi rolled his shoulders a few times, straightened his back, and decided it was time to show his true strength.
Xiang Lang adjusted the press badge in his hand. As one of the few journalists permitted to enter the competition area during a match, he was only allowed fifteen minutes inside after the game began. Choosing the right moment to enter was therefore crucial.
More than an hour passed. Estimating that the players inside should have reached the middle game, Xiang Lang entered the venue as quietly as possible with the cameraman.
After filming the required footage, he paused beside Nian Le’s board and gestured for the cameraman to take a few pictures.
Although Xiang Lang wasn’t deeply knowledgeable about Go, he could tell that the difference between Black and White was not particularly large at this point.
Wu Xingyi seemed utterly confident of victory, sitting in a relaxed and casual posture. Nian Le, meanwhile, kept his eyes lowered toward the board, his tall, slender figure perfectly composed.
After his opponent placed a white stone, Wu Xingyi’s eyes flashed with excessive smugness. He quickly placed a black stone, aggressively occupying the outer influence White had just established.
He intended not only to destroy his opponent’s potential territory but also to dismantle that outer influence entirely.
Nian Le remained expressionless. His white stone made a light, elegant jump, strengthening his position while preparing to counterattack.
Wu Xingyi responded by wedging in a black stone, immediately blocking White’s escape route. Coordinating this move with his earlier stones, he intended to trap several white stones and turn them into dead stones.
Wu Xingyi’s strategy in these few moves was all about catching his opponent off guard.
Nian Le slowed down and carefully examined the board before him.
“This is a joseki I’ve been studying. It’s not fully developed yet, but it’s more than enough to deal with you.” Wu Xingyi suppressed his growing excitement at the prospect of victory and glanced toward a referee patrolling the area in the distance.
Nian Le’s eyes shifted slightly as he looked up at his opponent.
In Go, joseki are sequences of moves developed through countless battles, representing the most balanced and reliable ways to handle particular positions. Beginners generally have to memorize joseki when they first learn the game. Later, once they understand the underlying principles and can apply them flexibly, they can be considered strong players.
Creating a new joseki, however, demands an exceptionally high level of skill and creativity. Even Nian Le was still a novice when it came to developing new joseki. He didn’t consider himself qualified to create one yet.
“My joseki even has a name,” Wu Xingyi continued in a low voice, his eyes filled with the smug satisfaction of someone who believed he had already won.
“It’s called the Gaga Joseki.”
“It’s the kind of joseki that makes opponents like you go ‘gaga’ with frustration.”
Nian Le’s amber eyes met Wu Xingyi’s gaze, and an enigmatic smile appeared on his face.
He picked up a white stone from the bowl and placed it on the board.
His first move was a hane, connecting with the white stones that were about to be captured.
Wu Xingyi froze for a moment, then extended his black stones, continuing to besiege the white group.
Nian Le’s long, jade-white fingers picked up another stone and swiftly played the second move: a breakthrough, cutting through Black’s encirclement.
Wu Xingyi sensed that something was wrong and tried to repair his position, only to see Nian Le play a third move—a bend—followed by a fourth move that cut through Black’s formation.
Each stone landed decisively, and the momentum continued to build, layer upon layer.
It was like a raging sea, with enormous waves surging higher and higher until they blocked out the sky and swallowed the person staring up at them in stunned amazement.
What a brilliant counterattack, coordinating attacks from within and without!
Wu Xingyi sat frozen in his chair. For a moment, he even felt the urge to applaud his opponent.
“What… what is that move called?”
It took Wu Xingyi quite some time to recover before he finally looked up at the man across the board.
Nian Le thought for a moment, then answered him seriously.
“Braised Gaga Style.”
Wu Xingyi’s expression immediately twisted.
Looking at the joseki he had been so proud of, now rendered utterly ineffective in Nian Le’s hands, he felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
He had been too ambitious in trying to create a new joseki. He was still far too inexperienced. Without years of accumulated experience and thousands of games behind him, how could he possibly hope to invent something new?
The position for Black deteriorated rapidly. There was no longer any point in continuing the game.
Wu Xingyi struggled with himself for a long time. Finally, he let out several frustrated grunts, picked up two black stones, and placed them along the edge of the board, resigning the game.
“You’ve given me something to think about,” Wu Xingyi said, studying the board. “Maybe I shouldn’t keep playing against people of my own rank. I should broaden my horizons.”
Nian Le quietly drank some water while watching his opponent sign the confirmation form.
“We should play again sometime. I’ll make sure not to use an experimental joseki next time.” Wu Xingyi still felt somewhat unwilling to accept the outcome. “You’re no ordinary player. We should meet again at the summit, not have things end here.”
Meet again at the summit?
Nian Le glanced at a sunflower seed shell that had been left uncleared beside the board. He stood up and smiled gently at Wu Xingyi.
“We won’t be meeting at the summit.”
“Based on your disrespectful behavior toward Go and your opponent, you’re still standing at the foot of the mountain. The only thing you can do is look up at me.”
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