When I stepped into the tea room again, the room had been tidied up again.
On a low mahogany table, a new set of celadon tea set was neatly arranged.
Clearly, this was prepared for her.
Chu Wuyang didn't even lift her eyelids, only slightly twitching the tip of her nose to compose herself.
Without any hesitation, he sat down directly opposite Mr. Jin.
His posture was as composed as if he were a home turf player.
Grandpa Jin kept his head down.
His gaze fell on the unfinished game of chess, his fingers occasionally tracing the edge of the board.
He seemed to be pondering something, or perhaps waiting for someone to make a move.
"Are you relieved after seeing the person?"
He spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone as if each word had been steeped in old tea, slightly sultry.
Chu Wuyang snorted coldly.
"What do I have to worry about?"
His gaze, however, unconsciously fell upon the chessboard—black and white intertwined.
The game remained deadlocked for a time. Although Black had an extra piece, he couldn't launch an attack, while White's defense was tight.
The situation is almost deadlocked.
She raised her eyelids, her tone sarcastic.
"After all... if you want to win this game, you still have to rely on me, the black piece."
Since Old Master Jin wouldn't dare do anything to Jin Xian if he wanted to threaten her, she was naturally quite at ease.
As soon as he finished speaking,
It seemed that Mr. Jin had been enlightened about something.
A hint of interest appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He placed a piece with a "snap," precisely in the position she had indicated.
Move that long-silent black piece one step.
In an instant, the game was turned around.
That seemingly useless black piece, once placed, immediately affects the entire game.
They blocked the white pieces' retreat and launched a coordinated attack from both sides.
The game, which had been evenly matched, changed dramatically after this move was made.
Black's pieces instantly engulfed the entire board, forming an overwhelming offensive.
White had no chance to fight back.
"pretty!"
Mr. Jin finally looked up.
The deep wrinkles on his old face made him look even more sinister under the light.
"Girl, you've got some skills. You're right. Using your expertise to break this deadlock is truly a miracle."
"Shall we play the next round?"
Chu Wuyang withdrew his gaze, too lazy to take another look at the game of chess where the outcome was already decided.
"Won't."
Two words: decisive and efficient.
She couldn't even be bothered to say a polite word.
His cold attitude was enough to completely extinguish any consensus that had just been reached on the chess game.
Grandpa Jin wasn't annoyed at all; on the contrary, he seemed to appreciate her indifference.
He poured her a cup of tea himself; the porcelain cup clinked softly against the edge of the table.
"You're being modest."
"No matter how ingenious the chessboard is, it is still a small space and cannot compare to the thrill of real-life games."
"We've sparred several times, and each time it's been a close call."
"To be honest, I'm an old man who has seen countless people, and aside from family wealth, you are the most suitable person to be the Jin family's granddaughter-in-law."
He paused, a hint of regret in his eyes.
"What a pity, you just happened to be born into such an... ordinary family background."
Chu Wuyang's lips twitched, her smile chilling to the bone.
She finally understood who the Jin family inherited their sharp edge disguised in sugar—their words were sweet, but their hearts were like a high, frosty platform, looking down on all living beings.
She stopped responding, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.
Bitterness filled the tip of the tongue.
She frowned, slammed the cup down without ceremony, and spoke in a tone colder than the tea itself.
Let's get down to business.
Grandpa Jin waved his hand, signaling the servants to clean up the chessboard.
The chess pieces were put back in their boxes, the chessboard was closed, and they were neatly placed back on the antique shelf in the corner of the tea room.
He leaned back slightly, relaxed, but responded to her teasing with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Then I won't waste any more words."
He continued in a deep voice,
"Your previous promise to leave doesn't count."
"The final decision on this matter rests with Jingmin."
"He won't let go, so you can't leave."
Chu Wuyang naturally understood what he meant.
Jingmin's personality was inherently obsessive, and the influence of his mental illness made him even more eccentric—it was a kind of obsession only a madman possessed, and once he fell in love, it was like a venomous snake coiling around his bones.
He would drag the other person down with him even if it meant their own demise, and he would never let go.
She had already witnessed it five years ago, and in the end, didn't he still come back?
Her gaze fell on Old Master Jin's face, her tone neither too light nor too heavy.
"Since you know Jingmin so well, you must have already come up with a plan, right?"
Grandpa Jin didn't respond to her question, but simply threw it back at her verbatim.
"Feel free to share your insightful opinion."
Chu Wuyang picked up the cup of tea again.
She could tell it was "Phoenix Dancong Honey Orchid Fragrance" at first sip.
The initial taste should be bitter followed by sweetness, with a lingering aftertaste.
But after taking two sips, she couldn't taste any sweetness on her tongue; only bitterness and a heavy, lingering sensation.
It poured down her throat and into her chest, making her feel cold inside.
She gently raised her eyes, gazing at the understated yet exquisitely decorated tea room, before lowering her gaze again.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
How ironic.
Two people were sitting in the tea room: Jingmin's maternal grandfather and his closest bedmate.
These are the two people who are now sitting at the same table.
They were calculating his future, plotting how to drag him down into despair.
"If you want to force Jingmin to let go, you naturally have to do something... make him jealous, disappointed, or even disgusted to the point that he can no longer love."
She murmured an additional sentence,
"When disappointment accumulates enough, people will naturally leave."
Old Master Jin frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with this strategy.
"Not enough."
"Given Jingmin's personality and vigilance, he can anticipate even the slightest movement you make and will stop you at all costs."
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