Xu Lai calmly stretched out his hand, directly blocking her.
Ruan Lan’s kiss landed on Xu Lai’s hand, and then she watched as he wiped his palm on his clothes.
She froze for a moment, then said with a mix of shame and annoyance, "Xu Lai, I’m offering you a kiss here, and you have the nerve to dodge?!"
Ruan Lan was furious. She was the campus belle of Dongli University, the dream girl of countless male students. But they couldn’t even get a chance to speak with her, let alone steal a kiss. Not only did Xu Lai show no appreciation, but he also seemed disgusted by her. It was unbearable!
"Give it up. I’m the man you can never have."
Xu Lai’s tone was complicated as he said, "Who asked me to be your brother-in-law? If your sister finds out, she’ll kill me."
"Oh my, oh my." Even though Xiao Yu had lost the game, she was laughing with exceptional glee. "Ruan Lan, so Xu Lai is your brother-in-law. How does it feel to be rejected?" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novｅlfire.net
"Heh." Ruan Lan curled her lip and scoffed, "Some people actively hit on my brother-in-law in a bar, acting as if they actually succeeded."
Xiao Yu was silent for a moment before she started arguing with Ruan Lan, saying things like, "I’m more charming than you," and, "That was an accident."
Xu Lai needed to get home quickly. Ruan Tang had already called him twice during the game, but his phone had been on silent, and he was only just seeing the missed calls now.
"Young friend, please wait a moment!" a powerful, resonant voice suddenly echoed through the Go parlor.
People turned their heads, and someone exclaimed, "It’s Zheng Zong, Zheng Jiuduan!"
At that name, the whole Go parlor erupted. A group of old men gathered around, and a few quick-witted ones even took out paper and pens to ask for an autograph.
Zheng Zong! He was the first Ninth Dan player in Hua Country’s Go community and had brought countless honors to the country. As he grew older, he had stepped back to become a mentor, personally teaching prodigies like the young player who was ranked first in the world by points.
Although he was semi-retired, it didn’t diminish Zheng Zong’s status within the community. This was also why Xiao Yu had suddenly gotten so excited during her game against Xu Lai—she had recognized Zheng Zong.
"Hehe, hello everyone." Zheng Zong greeted everyone warmly, then quickly caught up to Xu Lai and got straight to the point. "Sir, I wonder if you would be interested in joining the Go Association and becoming a professional player!"
Xu Lai’s answer was just as direct. "Not interested."
The Go parlor fell silent for a moment. Never mind Xiao Yu and the crowd of onlookers; even Ruan Lan was baffled. She tugged hard at Xu Lai’s sleeve, her voice filled with shock. "Brother-in-law, why wouldn’t you agree?"
"Why should I?" Xu Lai asked, finding her reaction strange.
Ruan Lan was at a loss for words.
"Zheng Jiuduan, that so-called joseki of his was clearly a fluke!" the middle-aged man who had questioned Xu Lai earlier shouted. "Please don’t let him deceive you!"
"What is your Go rank?" Zheng Zong asked coolly.
"Amateur second dan..."
"And what is my rank?"
"You’re a professional Ninth Dan." After answering, the middle-aged man added smugly, "Zheng Jiuduan, though my rank is low, I’ve studied all sorts of Go manuals. My judgment is certainly as good as yours."
"Xiao Yu gave you a three-stone handicap, and you still couldn’t beat her. Meanwhile, this gentleman soundly defeated Xiao Yu. What’s the use of your theories then? Such ignorant arrogance!" Zheng Zong’s tone was icy.
Theory was important, of course, but without a flexible mind and the ability to adapt, it was nothing more than armchair strategy.
The middle-aged man’s face soured, but he couldn’t refute the statement. After all, the one scolding him was Zheng Jiuduan! Hearing scattered snickers from the crowd, the middle-aged man huffed, flicked his sleeves, and stormed out.
As he reached the door, he thundered, "I’m never playing Go again! Go losing me is a huge loss for the game. You’ll all regret this!"
But Zheng Zong simply cupped his fists and said, "Thank you for sparing Go!"
"Let’s go, let’s go." Xu Lai picked up his daughter and glanced at Ruan Lan. "It’s time to go home."
"Oh." Ruan Lan responded and said goodbye to Yu Xiaoxiao and Li Li, then shot a mocking face at Xiao Yu. "Just you wait! Dong University will definitely lose the Go match in five days!"
"Bleh, says the loser!" Xiao Yu shot a face right back at her.
Xu Yiyi was dumbstruck. Aren’t you two college students? Have you no shame? Quarreling like children... No, wait. Kids in kindergarten don’t even argue anymore.
Zheng Zong stared deeply at Xu Lai’s departing back, his heart aching with regret. "What a pity, what a pity!"
"Zheng Jiuduan, is my brother-in-law really that good?" Yu Xiaoxiao asked cautiously.
"Judging from this game alone, he’s no less skilled than Watanabe Shinji," Zheng Zong said solemnly.
A series of sharp gasps filled the room.
Watanabe Shinji! He was one of the top Ninth Dan players from Sakura Country, known for his unpredictable moves that often defied standard patterns and dazzled audiences in major competitions. In terms of status in Sakura Country, he was on par with Zheng Zong.
Yu Xiaoxiao and Li Li were secretly delighted. After spending just one day with him, they had already accepted Xu Lai as their brother-in-law. Hearing how formidable he was now made them ecstatic.
"He’s your brother-in-law?" Zheng Zong’s eyes burned with eagerness. "Could you give me his name and contact information?"
Zheng Zong had made up his mind. He absolutely could not let this Go prodigy, hidden among the common folk, fade into obscurity! Although geniuses often had quirky temperaments and Xu Lai hadn’t been very responsive to him, Zheng Zong believed that if he was persistent enough with his invitations, the man would eventually agree to become a professional Go player.
"Zheng Jiuduan, you can just go to the Dongli University infirmary. My brother-in-law is the head of the infirmary," Li Li said quickly.
You could have heard a pin drop in the room.
Xiao Yu covered her face, her expression pained. So, she had played a game of Go against a school doctor... and lost? In that moment, her passion for the game wavered. She suddenly felt that life, and the life of a Go player, was just too hard...
Zheng Zong was indignant. "What a waste of talent! An absolute waste! How could such a prodigy be a doctor? He shouldn’t be wielding a scalpel! He should be holding Go stones, dominating tournaments!"
"Brother-in-law, that White 37 move... was that a fluke, or is it a real move?" Ruan Lan asked expectantly in the taxi on the way back.
Xu Lai knew exactly what his sister-in-law was thinking and smirked. "I’m not teaching you."
"Why not!" Ruan Lan protested.
"It’s better that you don’t know," Xu Lai said, shaking his head.
"No, you have to tell me!" Ruan Lan glared.
"Your aptitude is too poor." Xu Lai glanced at her and said seriously, "You should just give up on Go. You’re better suited to being a shut-in. Are video games not fun enough, or is anime not good enough for you?"
Ruan Lan gritted her teeth in anger. Her despicable brother-in-law was being too harsh, not leaving her even a shred of dignity!
But when she thought about the predicament of Dongli University’s Go club and the ever-arrogant Xiao Yu...
She couldn’t help but bite her red lip. Hugging Xu Lai’s arm, she whispered breathily, "Brother-in-law, if you teach me how to play Go, I’ll do anything."