"We’re friends."
Liu Runxi spoke calmly, not as an explanation, but as a simple statent of fact.
Wei Yun’er’s eyes lit up. "Oh, so you’re friends. I thought if she were your girlfriend, I’d need to maintain so distance to avoid any misunderstandings."
Her words seed thoughtful, but to Shen You’an, they were like a strong cup of tea—impossible to ignore.
Liu Runxi’s brows furrowed sharply. He wasn’t naive; he could clearly sense Wei Yun’er’s probing intent hidden in her words. It displeased him greatly, but his greater fear was that An’an might misunderstand.
He turned his head to look at Shen You’an beside him. The girl’s expression remained poised, her eyes holding a faint smile as she looked at Wei Yun’er.
Wei Yun’er walked cheerfully up to Shen You’an. "Hi, I’m Wei Yun’er. Since you’re Runxi’s friend, you’ll be my friend too."
Shen You’an raised an eyebrow and glanced at Liu Runxi. "Why have I never heard you ntion this friend before?"
Wei Yun’er’s smile froze montarily before quickly recovering.
She playfully glared at Liu Runxi, then stepped forward to casually hook her arm around Shen You’an’s. "Runxi and I t here at this chess academy when we were children. At the ti, my parents forced to learn Go, and I was emotionally distraught. Runxi supported a lot, both emotionally and with Go. He’s not very talkative and tends to keep his feelings to himself. It’s understandable why he didn’t ntion to his new friends."
Ah, childhood friends.
And that "new friends" phrase—how interesting.
Shen You’an gently brushed off her hand and smiled lightly. "Sorry, I’m not comfortable being so close to strangers I’ve just t."
Wei Yun’er hadn’t expected her to show no courtesy whatsoever, and the smile on her face beca slightly forced.
Liu Runxi, typically reserved, couldn’t suppress his reaction this ti upon hearing Wei Yun’er repeatedly insinuate her closeness to him. "Wei Yun’er, you know exactly what kind of relationship we have. Don’t make say anything unpleasant."
Wei Yun’er sighed and turned to Shen You’an. "Ever since he transferred to Qingzhou, we’ve grown distant. Are you one of the players competing today?"
She skillfully shifted the topic, her gaze landing on the number badge in Shen You’an’s hand.
Just then, a staff mber wearing an organizer badge briskly approached, glancing around before his eyes lit up upon spotting Wei Yun’er. He hurried over to her. "Mr. Wei, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. The Dean wants to see you—please co with ."
Wei Yun’er smiled and nodded. "I’ll join you after I finish talking to my friends."
The staff mber glanced at Liu Runxi and Shen You’an respectfully before stepping aside to wait.
Shen You’an raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Wei?"
Wei Yun’er glanced at Liu Runxi with a smile. "I’m embarrassed to admit I’m one of the judges for this competition."
Shen You’an narrowed her eyes slightly.
The girl before her lifted her chin proudly, her smile carrying an air of superiority.
Judging a Go competition at such a young age—indeed, she had reason to be proud.
Wei Yun’er sighed. "Runxi, if you’d continued down this path back then, your achievents would far surpass mine. You’re so talented. Among that group of students, Dean Sun always thought so highly of you. He even ntioned you to recently—he spoke with such regret. You should co with to see him. His health isn’t great these days, but if he could see you, he’d certainly be very happy."
Wei Yun’er’s eyes brimd with a sincere pleading, as if truly lanting the retirent of a Go prodigy.
Shen You’an glanced at Liu Runxi, her expression unreadable.
He really was being humble.
Liu Runxi’s deanor remained stoic, his tone growing colder. "I will pay a visit to Dean Sun, but as for Go, I’ve never regretted my past decisions."
Wei Yun’er grew increasingly disappointed as he stayed unmoved. She adjusted her smile and turned to Shen You’an. "Even though you’re Runxi’s friend, I still can’t bend the rules for you. Fair play is what cos first on the chessboard. That said, if you ever have any issues, feel free to co to . On behalf of Runxi, I’ll help however I can."
With those words, she cast a aningful glance in Liu Runxi’s direction.
Shen You’an chuckled. This girl was interesting. What did she an by "can’t bend the rules"? Fair play? She might as well say outright that Shen You’an was incompetent and unable to cheat even if she wanted to.
Who did she think she was looking down on?
Liu Runxi’s voice was as cold as a glacier. "You underestimate An’an, and you’ve underestimated too."
With that, he didn’t spare her another glance and pulled Shen You’an away.
Wei Yun’er stared at their retreating figures, the sweet smile on her face vanishing instantly, replaced by a shadowy gloom deep in her eyes.
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