0050 Yichun Liquor (Part 1)
The rain this year seemed thicker than in previous years. After noon, haze accumulated overhead, gradually swallowing and burying the originally bright sunlight, turning into heavy clumps of fluffy clouds that piled up in the sky.
This oppressive force lasted for an unknown period of time, until suddenly, a clap of thunder struck without warning under the clear sky, finally urging down the long-accumulated rain.
The windows of the Spring Festival Gala Building were originally half-open, but now that the wind was blowing and the rain was pouring down, it was impossible to keep them open. Zhan Yaoguang went forward and closed them one by one.
But the rain came so suddenly that even with his nimble hands and feet, he was still drenched by the slanting rain and mist. The boy was covered in a layer of damp raindrops, and a shiver ran through his eyelashes.
A torrential downpour swept through the courtyard, leaving the branches and leaves wilted, while a few rumbles of thunder muffled the deep daylight.
Shu Fu was curled up on the couch reading a book. The light of day suddenly dimmed, making it difficult for her to read. She pressed her fingertips against her dry eyes, and when she looked again, she saw Zhan Yaoguang standing in front of the couch.
He asked in a low voice, "It sounds like thunder outside... Are you afraid of thunder during the day?"
Shu Fu paused, then slowly shook her head.
Zhan Yaoguang said "Oh," kicked off his soft shoes, and sat down on the couch next to her. He warmed his slightly cool hands on his clothes before reaching over to pick up the long gauze sash hanging from her waist on the couch.
"Do you know what this kind of weather is called in our southern border region?"
The boy kept his head down, avoiding her gaze, and absentmindedly repeated the motion of wrapping her belt around his fingertips and then unwrapping it.
"I don't know," Shufu said honestly.
"It's called 'chickens going back to their coops,' which means the time when free-range poultry are returned to their cages. Every year at this time, my grandmother would no longer allow my cousin and me to read," he said, then suddenly raised his face, a faint glint in his eyes, "Reading in this kind of weather is very bad for your eyes."
Although he didn't say it explicitly, he was implying to her through every gesture that she should stop reading and pay attention to him.
Shu Fu suddenly smiled, her bright clothes and clear eyes making her stand out even more in the dim light.
The boy was almost stunned, his face slowly turning red.
He thought that it was truly a blessing from heaven that he could share a bed with such a woman and receive even the slightest bit of her favor.
“Then I won’t read the book. How about I teach you to play chess?” Shu Fu said.
Zhan Yaoguang blinked, but didn't refuse her.
Shu Fu then closed the book and tossed it into the bamboo basket with a handle on the screen. She then sat up and found the chessboard and the black and white chess pieces, arranging them one by one on the table.
After all the preparations were completed, Zhan Yaoguang suddenly pulled Shu Fu into his arms from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, and asked, "Is it ready? How do we begin?"
Shu Fu was enveloped by the sudden, refreshing scent and was somewhat at a loss, so she quietly pulled her wrist away.
He couldn't struggle.
“Feifei,” Shufu said softly, her face burning, “you can’t hug me like this. Playing chess is called ‘playing against each other,’ you should sit opposite me.”
"Why do we have to sit facing each other? That would be too far from you, and I don't want to. Besides, I have long arms, so I can reach the pieces just as easily from here."
Shufu: "...Everyone does it this way, it's the rule."
The boy continued to twirl her belt around his fingers, his tone nonchalant: "Does everything that others do necessarily mean it's right? I'm not going to do the same thing as them."
Shu Fu paused for a moment, as if something was about to break through the fog and sprout in her mind.
She ultimately didn't say anything in rebuttal.
Outside the window, spring rain fell like silk, its gentle patter echoing on the eaves. Shu Fu handed a basket of black chess pieces to Zhan Yaoguang, her fingertips tracing patterns on the board as she softly explained to him:
"There are nineteen lines in each direction on the chessboard, which intersect to form 361 points. You must place your pieces on these points. Points that connect to other points are called 'liberties'. If a piece's liberties are completely blocked, it becomes a dead piece and can be removed from the board... Do you understand?"
Shu Fu wanted to glance at him, but the boy was so close to her that when she tilted her head back, she almost brushed her face against the corner of his red lips.
Startled, she immediately straightened her posture and continued, "It's okay if you don't understand. Only by experiencing things firsthand can you truly grasp their essence. Let's set up a game and see what happens."
After speaking, she first picked up a white chess piece and placed it on the chessboard.
Zhan Yaoguang had never played chess before, but he was extremely good at observing. He imitated Shu Fu's movements, picking up a black piece with his index and middle fingers and placing it neatly next to her piece.
A satisfied smile spread across the boy's eyes; he felt the situation was quite pleasing to the eye.
Playing chess is like brewing tea over a low flame; even if Zhan Yaoguang is a novice, it is impossible to determine the winner in an instant.
Shu Fu wanted to give him a chance and tried her best to achieve a draw. Therefore, she thought carefully before making each move, and when she reached the later stages, she would often hold the chess piece with her brows furrowed for a long time before making a solemn move.
Zhan Yaoguang, on the other hand, had fewer concerns. He was unrestrained and would simply place his feet wherever he found a pleasing sight, spending the rest of his time entangled with Shu Fu's clothes.
He loosely wrapped the slender silk ribbon around her waist around his little finger, slowly pulled it a bit, then looked up at her expression and found that she didn't seem angry, so he went a step further and pulled it another finger.
Shu Fu remained frowning, deep in thought.
This only annoyed Zhan Yaoguang. He brushed aside the stray hairs on the back of her neck and gently kissed the girl's fair neck.
Shufu shuddered, as if she had been pulled out of a dark pool teeming with waterweeds.
What are you doing!
“You haven’t moved for a while, I was afraid you’d fallen asleep,” he poked her waist, his tone quite innocent. “Chess is so boring, let’s play something else?”
He was implying something.
Shu Fu almost immediately realized his intention, and immediately pulled her legs together, pressing her body close to the small table.
"No! The game isn't over yet, you can't be so distracted!"
Shu Fu caught a glimpse of Zhan Yaoguang's thoughtful expression and, fearing he might use some self-destructive tactic to end the game prematurely, quickly added, "Unless you win, then I'll... then talk about other things!"
The boy did as she suggested and continued playing chess with her.
But Shu Fu was already flustered by his antics and couldn't calm down. Zhan Yaoguang, on the other hand, was clear about his purpose and wouldn't give an inch in any move.
After several rounds of exchanges, Shufu was surprised to find that she was actually at a disadvantage in the situation.
Shu Fu let out a breath, tossed the remaining chess pieces back into the chess box, and said in a muffled voice, "Zhan Yaoguang, you're going to win."
The boy was bewildered: "Huh? I won?"
The girl was displeased. She broke free from his embrace, turned around, leaned back, and sat cross-legged opposite him: "You know how to play chess?"
Zhan Yaoguang shook her head, her tone frank: "No."
"Then how did you..."
A laugh escaped the boy's lips: "Because I've been watching you. Sometimes when I see you staring at a certain spot without moving, I know you're afraid I'll land there."
Shufu: "..."
That cunning little rascal!
"You can't do it like that. This round doesn't count. I'll go find some dice and we'll play that game!"
As Shu Fu spoke, she sat up, and her feet under her brocade skirt began to move restlessly, preparing to step into her soft shoes.
Zhan Yaoguang was stunned for a moment, quite dissatisfied with her broken promise. Her lips were taut, and she pulled her back without saying a word: "Little Second Sister, are you going to go back on your word?"
“I don’t deny it,” Shufu said weakly.
Furthermore, where did he find the name "Little Second Sister" from?
She subtly stretched her dough, only to feel a faint heat rising behind her ears.
"Then you mustn't move."
The boy's dark, star-like pupils were fixed on her, and his warm breath brushed against her face.
Shu Fu stared at him blankly, her heart pounding rapidly.
———
Hmm, we need to be all lovey-dovey first before letting the younger brother make his appearance.
Also, I managed to survive and get two stars! ω
Thank you, everyone! TAT
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