Chapter 149: Qingqing Has Got a Boyfriend (Part Two)

Chess in China boasts a long history, and many people are passionately fond of the game. Within the confines of a single board, two sides engage in a strategic contest of wits and courage, featuring generals, cannons, horses, chariots, and soldiers... Yet, despite the intellectual rigor typically demanded by the game, Wang Yuqing's uncle appeared entirely at ease, moving with effortless mastery, whereas Gao Zheng, sitting across from him, had broken out in a cold sweat.

"Flying horse!" Wang Yuqing's uncle shouted loudly, slamming a piece down as he crossed the boundaries of Chu and Han to leap straight into Gao Zheng's territory. This move sent a look of sheer dismay across Gao Zheng's face.

"Gao Zheng, my friend, what do you think of this flying horse move? In three moves at most, I'll have your general's head," Wang's uncle declared with a smug expression. Having won three consecutive games, this was his personal best since he had ever taken up the game of chess.

Gao Zheng looked at the uncle's bizarre horse maneuver and offered a bitter internal smile. *My dear uncle, who on earth taught you that a horse can move like that?* If anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of chess rules were present, they would instantly spot that Wang's leap was utterly illegal, simply because his horse's path was blocked—the classic "hobbled horse leg." Yet, Gao Zheng dared not point it out. His sole objective in playing was to bridge the gap and win their favor, meaning no matter how bizarre the uncle's moves were, Gao Zheng had to feign deep admiration and pretend the man was a tactical genius.

The reason behind Gao Zheng's cold sweat was quite simple. He simply could not endure the uncle's erratic gameplay. As the old proverb goes, "Three feet of river border hide ten thousand fathoms of strategy," for chess is ultimately a battle of wits. And what are the cardinal sins of the game? Chess adages warn: "Guard the elephant's eyes against blockage," "Fearsome is the hobbled horse," "Drive not the chariot into perilous terrain," "Fire not the cannon rashly," "A clumsy player flails his elephants wildly," "Never deploy the advisors without cause," and "Expose not the general to danger." Yet Wang Yuqing's uncle managed to commit every single one of these catastrophic blunders. To make matters worse, he was fundamentally confused about even the most basic movements of the pieces.

"Uncle, I surrender." Gao Zheng swept his hand across the board to clear the pieces and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Ha! Four wins in a row! Come on, Gao Zheng, let's go another round," Wang's uncle laughed heartily, eager to continue the match.

"No more, no more. You're simply too formidable, Uncle; I won't subject myself to any more humiliation," Gao Zheng declined repeatedly. *Are you kidding me?* If they played a few more games, he'd likely lose his mind. Playing chess with Wang Yuqing's uncle was far more exhausting than facing a grandmaster.

Seeing that Gao Zheng was reluctant to continue, the uncle smacked his lips in lingering disappointment.

"All right, you two stop playing chess. Wash your hands and come eat," Wang Yuqing's aunt called out from the kitchen.

"Coming right up, Uncle, let's go eat." Hearing those words, Gao Zheng let out a long sigh of relief, feeling incomparably jubilant.

"Very well, but after dinner, we're playing a few more rounds." The uncle's remark sent another wave of bitter resignation through Gao Zheng's heart.

After washing up, Gao Zheng deliberately chose to sit right next to Wang Yuqing. Noticing this gesture, Wang Yuqing's uncle and aunt exchanged glances and nodded in silent unison. It seemed this match was all but sealed.

Seeing Gao Zheng seat himself beside her, Wang Yuqing furrowed her delicate brows, but with her aunt and uncle present, she held her tongue.

"Here, Gao Zheng, try your aunt's cooking and see how you like it," the aunt said, piling a generous serving of food into Gao Zheng's bowl with her chopsticks.

"Thank you, Aunt," Gao Zheng replied hastily. He picked up his chopsticks, delicately plucked a piece of chicken, and placed it in his mouth to chew. Having received rigorous training in dining etiquette, his movements from picking up the utensils to chewing were flawlessly elegant, instantly projecting the image of a well-bred young man.

"Mmm... Aunt, this is truly wonderful. It's absolutely delicious," Gao Zheng said, setting down his chopsticks and offering high praise. In truth, the meal fell far short of what his family's private chefs prepared.

This compliment delighted Wang Yuqing's aunt infinitely, and she continuously spooned more food onto his plate, much to Wang Yuqing's growing displeasure. Those kinds of favors used to be exclusively hers.

Noticing Wang Yuqing pouting and taking out her frustration on the rice in her bowl, Gao Zheng couldn't help but find it amusing, never imagining she possessed such a delightfully petulant side. Promptly, he picked up a chicken drumstick and placed it in her bowl. "Yuqing, eat more meat to keep your strength up." Yet this gesture of concern only caused Wang Yuqing to curl her lips in annoyance. She initially wanted to return the drumstick to him, but firstly, Gao Zheng was a guest, and she could not be discourteous; secondly, Gao Zheng was treating her kindly, and she couldn't simply spurn his face in public, especially with her aunt and uncle watching closely.

***

"Gao Zheng, which residential complex is your family in?" Wang Yuqing's aunt finally broached the subject. The main event had arrived; inviting Gao Zheng over for dinner was primarily to vet his family background.

"My home isn't far from the downtown area," Gao Zheng replied evasively.

*Downtown?* Wang Yuqing's aunt and uncle exchanged glances. Anyone able to afford property in the city center likely came from a well-to-do family. At that, the aunt gave her husband a subtle cue.

"What kind of work do your parents do? Do you have any siblings?" Picking up on his wife's signal, the uncle chimed in with the next inquiry.

"My father is a civil servant in another province, my mother runs her own company, and I'm an only child." Gao Zheng's phrasing was remarkably adroit. He mentioned his father was a civil servant without revealing he was a provincial-level senior official, and stated his mother owned a company without mentioning its world-renowned status.

Yet this answer alone left Wang Yuqing's uncle immensely satisfied. He exchanged another meaningful look with his wife.

Then the aunt pressed on: "Gao Zheng, how are your grades at school?"

Gao Zheng glanced at Wang Yuqing, smiled, and answered, "Not quite as stellar as Yuqing's, but I generally rank in the top ten in the school."

"That's exceptionally good," the aunt nodded, casting yet another glance at her husband. And so the interrogation continued tag-team style, with the aunt and uncle alternating questions. Gao Zheng showed not a trace of impatience; every reply was impeccably polished, brushing past sensitive details with grace while elaborating appropriately on safe topics. His answers left the older couple nodding in continuous satisfaction.

This relentless questioning, however, finally drove Wang Yuqing past her breaking point. "Uncle, Aunt, what on earth are you two doing?" she demanded, shoving her bowl and chopsticks aside and pouting in a sulk.

"Hehe, no more questions, no more. Come on, let's eat, let's eat," the uncle chuckled heartily, halting the cross-examination.

The remainder of the meal passed in relative quiet. Afterward, when Gao Zheng offered to help clear the dishes, Wang Yuqing's aunt gently rebuffed him with the notion that young gentlemen didn't belong in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the uncle made a move to drag Gao Zheng back to the chessboard. Terrified by the prospect, Gao Zheng hastily claimed the hour was late and he needed to head home. Seeing this, the uncle reluctantly relented, telling him to visit often, and instructed Wang Yuqing to see him down to the lobby.

Once downstairs, Wang Yuqing turned to Gao Zheng with an apologetic expression. "Gao Zheng, I'm so sorry about tonight. My aunt and uncle are just like that, please don't take it to heart."

Gao Zheng responded with a broad, sunny smile, "Not at all, I think your aunt and uncle are wonderful. By the way, Yuqing, let me ask you something—where did your uncle learn to play chess?"

"Oh, that? I'm not entirely sure, but he frequently plays with the kid who lives across the street."

"How old is that kid?" Gao Zheng pursued further.

"He's in the third grade. Why do you ask?" Wang Yuqing looked puzzled, failing to see the relevance.

"Ah, well, that explains everything," Gao Zheng muttered under his breath before laughing it off. "It's nothing, just curiosity. Anyway, Yuqing, you should head back up, it's quite chilly down here."

"Right. Drive carefully on your way back. I'll head up now, bye-bye." Wang Yuqing waved farewell and turned toward the entrance.

***

After watching Wang Yuqing disappear inside, Gao Zheng finally got into his car and drove home.

"Well, dear, what do you think of that young man?" back in the living room, the uncle was eagerly querying his wife.

"Splendid. From his speech and manners to his conduct and appearance, he's top-notch. I'd give him a nine out of ten," the aunt nodded, expressing her utmost approval.

"I feel the same way about him. It seems Yuqing has a pretty good eye for people after all."

"Uncle, whose good eye are we talking about?" Wang Yuqing asked just as she returned from seeing Gao Zheng off.

"Yuqing, my dear, I was talking about your boyfriend," the uncle said with a beaming smile.

"What on earth are you talking about? When did I ever have a boyfriend?" Wang Yuqing was momentarily stunned by the assertion. Xiao Lin's face flashed briefly across her mind, but she immediately shook her head.

"You child, still trying to hide it? Don't worry, I won't breathe a word of this to your father!"

"What? Hide what?" Wang Yuqing was completely lost in a fog of confusion.

"Qingqing, that young man who was just here—he's clearly the one you've been dating, isn't he? Your uncle and I are both very pleased with him. Be sure to invite him over to the house more often," the aunt said, deciding to drop all pretexts since the girl refused to admit it.

"What? You mean Gao Zheng? No, no! We're just ordinary friends! Oh, goodness, where on earth are your minds wandering?" Wang Yuqing protested with an agitated flush.

Yet her flustered reaction only served to convince her aunt and uncle that their suspicions were spot on.

"You guys, you guys... honestly! Hmph, I'm not talking to you anymore!" Catching the knowing looks exchanged by her elders, Wang Yuqing felt driven to distraction. With an angry stomp of her foot, she fled to her bedroom.

"Say, old Xiao, are we really not going to tell her parents about this?" the aunt asked her husband once the bedroom door clicked shut.

"Better not to say anything for now. You don't know my brother; if he found out Qingqing was dating someone, I guarantee you he'd storm over here tomorrow and give the poor boy a thrashing," the uncle chuckled wryly.

"Relax, I think the lad is quite exceptional. They're young, it's natural for them to fall in love. Come on, wife, let's turn in for the night," the uncle said, stretching lazily as he headed toward the bedroom.