Thinking this, Zhu Pingniang shifted her attention from Xu Chang’an and focused on completing her chess ga. She clasped her hands together, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at the black and white pieces.
Dividing her thoughts in half, Zhu Pingniang concentrated on the chessboard and no longer had the mind to think about anything else, placing one move after another.
Seeing this, Xu Chang’an’s eyes instantly lit up.
He enjoyed music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but if he had to say which he liked the most so far, it would indeed be chess.
Music, calligraphy, and painting were also good, after all, he had daydread about Yun Qian playing music for him.
But chess was different.
The basics were relatively simple, and he could quickly play chess with Yun Qian.
Therefore, having the desire to play chess with Yun Qian, he had a special fondness for chess from the beginning.
However, liking it was one thing; spending his days on Muyu Peak playing against young ladies, whether during mountain gatherings or festivals, they invariably called on him to play chess.
Thus...
Xu Chang’an deeply understood how embarrassing his ager chess skills were. Any senior sister on Muyu Peak could easily defeat him.
As a husband, how could he want to embarrass himself in front of his wife?
So, practicing chess skills promptly to avoid too much embarrassnt was an important cultivation for Xu Chang’an, especially since he wanted to personally teach Yun Qian how to play chess—how could he improve himself otherwise?
The Zhu Pingniang before him was undoubtedly a treasure in Xu Chang’an’s eyes when it ca to her chess thinking.
In terms of the ga, her move with the white piece, Celestial Yuan, turned her advantageous position into an ordinary field. So, without going easy, she played against herself, and the chess skills were truly equal.
The tense situation made Xu Chang’an itch with excitent, his breath unintentionally growing heavier.
Zhu Pingniang: "..."
It wasn’t that she was distracted, but Xu Chang’an’s burning gaze was affecting her.
She glanced up slightly and saw Xu Chang’an lost in the world of black and white on the chessboard, his intense fascination evident.
Xu Chang’an was too focused to notice that Zhu Pingniang was holding a piece, not making a move, but instead staring at him.
"..." Zhu Pingniang glanced down at her skirt, her lips twitching slightly.
This was the first ti she had seen Xu Chang’an showing such affection; this young man wouldn’t bother to look at her no matter how flirtatious she acted, as if he were a ditating monk.
Though he had changed now, it wasn’t her he liked, but the chess.
"What a quirk," Zhu Pingniang muttered softly, but her lips curled up slightly.
Her mood inexplicably improved.
Zhu Pingniang continued the ga. She held the black pieces, hesitated for a long ti before making a move, then imdiately picked up a white piece to bring the black piece into a dangerous spot again, starting another round of deep contemplation.
Quickly.
As the chess ga beca increasingly complex, Zhu Pingniang took longer to think over each move.
The Celestial Essence Chess was designed to waste the advantage of the first move. Given the need to save face, the girl playing first must give a small concession to the other, so under challenging circumstances, the optimal move in Celestial Essence Chess is to mimic the opponent’s move, buying ti to think while disrupting the opponent’s thoughts.
But the problem was, Zhu Pingniang was playing against herself; how could she disrupt her own thoughts?
Looking at the handso young man next to her, was he disrupting her thoughts?
From him, she saw glimpses of Li Zhibai’s elegant figure in the past; was this disrupting her thoughts?
Of course it was.
Looking at Xu Chang’an, Zhu Pingniang seed to travel back in ti to when she opened the door of the Daoist Temple and saw Madam Li sitting in the stone pavilion sipping tea.
Zhu Pingniang’s breathing involuntarily quickened significantly.
Her mind was in chaos, but it didn’t help the situation.
——
Fascinated by the situation, Xu Chang’an’s forehead glistened slightly with moisture, his temples faintly ached.
He truly admired Senior Zhu more and more.
He wondered if it was because young won typically had scattered thoughts, always thinking too much, enabling them to multitask to such an extent?
But the problem was, Xu Chang’an considered his own thoughts intricate and scattered; did this an his chess skills wouldn’t be lacking soday?
Hopefully.
The sound of rushing river waters echoed in his ears, blending with the patter of rain, making it seem when he closed his eyes that a storm had just passed, the sound of water bringing a tranquil mind.
At this mont, Zhu Pingniang’s movents suddenly changed; as if she had caught a flaw, her whole rhythm shifted montarily.
Perhaps the lighting in the pavilion had dimd a bit. Zhu Pingniang, while placing a piece, instinctively drew open the curtain beside her.
A splash of sunlight, mixed with slightly chilly rainwater, entered and spilled over her face.
She swayed slightly, her speed of placing pieces quickened, until finally, the mont of decisive victory beca clear.
Quickly.
Much to Xu Chang’an’s regret, this chess ga also ca to an end.
After letting out a long sigh, Xu Chang’an reluctantly said, "The white piece... won."
Even though she had played the Celestial Essence Child, she still won, and the complexities made Xu Chang’an appreciate the effort involved.
"Chang’an."
"Yes."
Xu Chang’an looked over, noticing Zhu Pingniang’s particularly serious expression.
Being stared at by soone with long black hair like this, Xu Chang’an instinctively straightened his back.
"The black piece lost... do you feel regretful?" Zhu Pingniang asked.
"Yes." Xu Chang’an nodded.
"Huh?" Seemingly hearing an unexpected answer, Zhu Pingniang tilted her head and montarily lost herself in thought.
User Comments
0 comments from readers