"Uncle, you flatter me."

Ye Sheng stood up and bowed respectfully once again.

Shen Weijun looked at him, remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded slowly.

"You played chess well. It was an unorthodox style, but it was cunning and ruthless."

"Uncle, you flatter me. I was just lucky."

Ye Sheng said modestly, but his heart was pounding.

The thoughts of this future father-in-law are even harder to fathom than the endgame of this chess game.

Shen Weijun ignored his modesty, closed the chess box, raised his head again, and stared straight at Ye Sheng with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"Your land deeds and house deeds, as well as the empty promises you made, really surprised me."

He paused, his tone suddenly becoming serious: "But, Ye Sheng, in the business world, what we have no shortage of are smart people, and what we have no shortage of are those who can have the last laugh."

"A moment's vision and a moment's success don't prove anything. What I want to see is your resilience, your patience, and whether you can maintain this clarity and ruthlessness in adversity."

Ye Sheng's heart was in his throat.

He knew that the real test was coming.

Shen Weijun pointed to the chess set on the table and slowly said, "Starting tomorrow, you will play chess with me every night."

"Huh?" Ye Sheng was stunned.

"Let's make this chessboard our battlefield."

Shen Weijun's lips curled into a sly smile: "If you can win thirty games from me, I will acknowledge you and hand Shuling over to you."

Winning thirty games?!

Ye Sheng gasped!

Although he won the last game, it was an extremely difficult victory, and he almost exhausted all his energy.

He could sense that Shen Weijun's chess skills were unfathomable; in the game just now, he might not have even used his full strength!

Winning thirty games from such a master is no less difficult than asking him to pluck the moon from the sky right now!

"What? Scared?"

Shen Weijun's tone carried a hint of provocation: "If you find it difficult, you can give up now. Goodbye, and don't bother seeing me out."

"I'm not afraid!"

Ye Sheng blurted it out almost without thinking!

He straightened his back, and his stubborn, unyielding spirit was instantly ignited!

He looked at Shen Weijun, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit!

"Uncle, let alone thirty rounds, I'll play three hundred rounds with you!"

"I will not only win thirty games against you, but I will also prove to you that I, Ye Sheng, keep my word! The future I promised Shuling will be exactly what I promised her!"

"good!"

A genuine, undisguised appreciation finally burst forth in Shen Weijun's eyes!

What he wanted was that fearless and indomitable spirit!

Why should a man who doesn't even dare to accept a challenge entrust his daughter's life to him?

Outside the door, Jin Xiangyu, Shen Shuling, and others were waiting anxiously. When they saw them come out, their hearts were in their throats.

Shen Weijun didn't look at them, but left a message for Ye Sheng.

"Kid, remember what you said today."

"Don't let my daughter down, and don't let me down either."

After saying that, he walked back to the main seat with steady steps and picked up the cup of tea that had gone cold again.

Although he didn't say anything explicitly, everyone present understood—

Ye Sheng has not yet completely won this battle.

But they've already secured their ticket to the final battle!

Jin Xiangyu and Ye Xiang exchanged a glance, both seeing joy in each other's eyes.

As long as there is hope, there is nothing to fear! They believed in their son!

Although Shen Shuling's heart was finally at ease, it was then raised again by Ye Sheng's bet of "thirty games of chess".

She quickly walked to Ye Sheng's side, her voice a mixture of worry and exasperation as she softly complained, "Are you crazy? My dad's chess skills are so bad that even the city champion can't beat him! You still dare to promise to win thirty games against him? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"

Looking at her anxious little face, Ye Sheng felt a warmth and tenderness in his heart.

He reached out and gently stroked the tip of her nose.

"Fool."

"For you, I'd rather not play chess."

Even if it costs me my life, I will win it back for you.

These passionate and heartfelt words, like a bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly ignited a dazzling display of fireworks in Shen Shuling's heart.

She couldn't utter another word of complaint. Her face flushed, she lowered her head, and the smile on her lips, which she couldn't suppress, was sweeter than honey.

Meanwhile, Shen Weijun, who was pretending to drink tea in the main seat, took in the whole scene out of the corner of his eye.

His hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

A sentence inexplicably surfaced in my mind—

You little rascal, you're smart to know what's good for you.

...

Haicheng University.

In the quiet office, the only sounds were the rustling of papers turning and the soft scratching of pens on paper.

Ye Yao was meticulously organizing a thick stack of academic materials.

Leng Siqing sat quietly to the side, helping him copy some of the documents, her delicate handwriting clear and neat.

"Brother Ye Yao."

Leng Siqing put down her pen, rubbed her slightly sore wrist, and frowned slightly: "Do you think Ye Sheng's proposal to the Shen family today will go smoothly?"

“I heard from Shuling that her father is not an easy person to deal with.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Yao raised his head, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"Don't worry, although Asheng may seem carefree at times, he's sensible and quick-witted. Since he dared to go, he must have made thorough preparations. We should trust him."

"Um."

Leng Siqing nodded slightly, but the worry between her brows did not completely disappear.

She had long been as close as family to the Ye family, so naturally she was worried about Ye Sheng's marriage.

Seeing her like this, Ye Yao's heart softened. After filing the last document, he stood up.

"Alright, that's enough for today. I need to go to the resource room to get a few copies of the teaching syllabus for next semester. Siqing, thank you so much for keeping me company until so late again."

"It's not hard work at all!"

Leng Siqing quickly waved her hand and stood up as well: "Brother Ye Yao, you have done so much for me. I only helped you with copying and writing. This little thing is far from enough to repay your kindness."

She was speaking from the heart.

If it weren't for the Ye family, Ye Nian'an, and Ye Yao, she might still be living in some remote rural area, leading a precarious and humiliating life. She would never have the chance to sit in a university office and do what she loves most.

She could never repay this debt of gratitude in her lifetime.

Looking into her clear, bright eyes, Ye Yao's heart was once again stirred by a gentle ripple.

He stepped forward, raised his hand, and very naturally ruffled Leng Siqing's hair.

"Silly girl."

His voice was as gentle as ever, but it carried a hint of doting that no one else had ever heard before: "You have never owed me anything. Sit down and rest for a while, I'll be right back."