Upon hearing Xu Wanying call out like that, the aunt and niece immediately sat up straight and stopped whispering to each other.
"Third Sister-in-law, are you sure you want to get off here?" Jiang Jinyu asked again.
Xu Wanying nodded: "This is it, we're sure to win this game."
Her attitude was very firm, and Jiang Jinyu did not try to dissuade her any further; she followed suit and made her move.
But before she could make more than a few moves, Xu Wanying regretted it again.
"Ah, what kind of first move was this? It reeks of failure! I said I would change it, but I haven't. Could it be that I've been blinded by some evil spirit? Is there a ghost here?"
She didn't say anything about taking back her move, but just looked around suspiciously, as if there were really evil spirits floating around her that had changed her mind.
"Huh? Third Aunt, is there a ghost or not?" The chubby boy was the first to jump up, his whole body tense, clearly terrified.
Xu Wanying said in a low voice, "I don't know either, but I always feel a chill around me. Could it be that the dirty thing is deliberately blocking my eyes so I can't see the chessboard?"
"Ah, Auntie, do you feel cold? I feel a bit unwell too." The chubby boy quickly sat down next to Jiang Jinyu.
Despite his robust build compared to others his age, he is actually quite timid.
"It's alright, it's broad daylight, evil spirits wouldn't dare to come out," Jiang Jinyu reassured her.
“Little sister, you can’t say such things. Some ghosts with profound cultivation have been cultivating for thousands of years. They are not afraid of sunlight.” Xu Wanying started making things up as soon as she opened her mouth.
Upon hearing this, the chubby boy became even more frightened.
[Haha, how can the little fat boy be so timid? Luckily, he became a eunuch later, so the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness's mansion doesn't have to be handed over to him. Otherwise, a perfectly good military family would have been ruined.]
Xu Wanying had a very serious expression on her face, but she was secretly overjoyed and even mocked Pan Ge'er.
Jiang Pan's eyes widened instantly. No longer timidly leaning against her aunt, she plopped back down in her chair, her brows furrowed. She was seething with anger but couldn't vent it, so she could only sulk with her head down.
My third aunt is such a bad woman!
"Brother Pan, just bear with it, don't forget what your mother said." This time it was Jiang Jinyu who whispered in his ear.
The chubby boy could only nod in agreement. Jiang Jinyu raised her head and said to Xu Wanying, who was still suspicious, "Third sister-in-law, then these moves don't count. You can start over."
From the moment Xu Wanying started saying there was something unclean, Jiang Jinyu realized that it wasn't some evil spirit blinding her; it was clearly that her third sister-in-law wanted to back out of the game but was too embarrassed to say it directly, so she was just making excuses.
"Oh, is that alright? A true gentleman never goes back on his word when he plays chess," Xu Wanying asked, feigning modesty.
Jiang Jinyu blinked, gaining a new understanding of her third sister-in-law's shamelessness.
This is a classic case of wanting to take back a move while also saving face—it's unbelievable!
"We were just playing around, there's no need to take it so seriously. Besides, Third Sister-in-law, this isn't a case of taking back a move; she just hadn't thought it through before, but now she has a better strategy!"
Jiang Jinyu was trained by the Cen family, so she was naturally good at saying nice things and could come up with words instantly to whitewash the situation.
Xu Wanying clapped her hands with delight, but then, realizing she had been too overtly emotional, she coughed lightly, suppressing her joy and adopting a helpless expression instead.
"Although I don't like it this way, since my little sister strongly suggests it, I'll change it as you say!"
Her reluctant expression made it seem as if Jiang Jinyu had a knife to her throat, forcing her to take back her move.
Seeing Xu Wanying happily take back her move, even the system couldn't sit still: [Host, you really are a terrible chess player. Nobody wanted to play chess with you before, right?]
[Hey, System, there are indeed people like you who are prejudiced against me, always calling me a terrible chess player. But look, I've met a kindred spirit today! Jiang Jinyu truly lives up to her mother-in-law's reputation as a daughter of a distinguished family; she's a refined lady, worldly-wise, and possesses a magnanimous spirit.]
Clearly, Xu Wanying had some understanding of her own chess skills. In modern times, she had also learned Go, but she was bad at it and loved to play. She also liked to take back moves, so her fellow members of the chess club were all afraid of her.
When Jiang Jinyu brought the chessboard today, Xu Wanying immediately rubbed her hands together, vowing to fight for three hundred rounds.
Hearing her third sister-in-law praise her in front of the artifact, Jiang Jinyu's depressed mood dissipated considerably, and she completely adjusted her mindset.
This wasn't a game of chess; it was just a way to please Third Sister-in-law. So, in the subsequent games, she stopped thinking about winning and started plotting how to lose.
However, Xu Wanying's chess skills were really too poor. Occasionally, she would make ridiculous mistakes when placing a piece, and there was no way to avoid them. Jiang Jinyu could only give her subtle reminders.
The two played a game of chess, albeit haltingly, and it ended with Xu Wanying's victory.
"Oh dear, how did I win? Little sister, you're too kind." Xu Wanying chuckled lightly, appearing completely unfazed by the praise or criticism.
But in reality, she was going crazy inside: [Ahhh, I won! Heaven knows the last time I won a game was back in middle school, during evening self-study, playing twenty games of Gomoku with my deskmate, and she only let me win one because she went easy on me. Now I've finally won in a fair and square game. And this is Go, and my opponent is a noble lady from a wealthy family who's proficient in all the arts!]
Mom, I've finally made something of myself!
She couldn't help but call out "Mom" in her heart; she was clearly overjoyed.
Jiang Jinyu's lips twitched. What kind of fair and square game was this? She not only let them win, she let them win big.
The system couldn't help but complain: [Host, I thought you were so excited to tell your mom because you got into Tsinghua or Peking University!]
Shut up!
"Little sister, you came all this way to keep me company and cheer me up, so I can't let you leave feeling down after losing the game. Let's play another round, and I'll make sure you win next time!" Xu Wanying said understandingly.
[Oh my god, where can you find someone as kind-hearted as me! I'm so kind, Jiang Jinyu would be moved to tears!] She even boasted to herself in her heart.
Upon hearing these words, Jiang Jinyu felt as if her head was about to explode, and her mind was buzzing.
The sudden bad news was like a bolt of lightning, and she was unwilling to accept it for a long time.
That game of chess was the most painful one she had ever played in her life. Not only was the game rudimentary, but her opponent was also a master of taking back moves. Yet, she couldn't afford to lose face and had to rack her brains to help her opponent win the game.
After nearly half an hour, the opponent finally won as she wished, and Third Sister-in-law was all smiles. Just when she was about to complete the task assigned by her parents, Third Sister-in-law suddenly wanted to play one more game.
Why not just give her a rope and hang her?
At least give me a quick and painless end!
This game of Go left her with a psychological trauma, and she never wants to play Go again in her life.
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