Zhao Yanxun’s opponent was, coincidentally, his own teacher.
After that, he fell silent, took another sip, and then stood up.
"I’ll be going now. See you at the finals." He reverted to his usual arrogance. "This time, I won’t lose."
Cheng Liao was surprised to find that Zhao Yanxun had a somewhat endearing side.
Sheng Jingchu picked up his coat. "Let’s go too."
Cheng Liao looked at the half-full bottle of wine on the table. "There’s still half a bottle left. Isn’t it expensive?"
She promptly drank the rest herself.
After finishing, she felt a bit tipsy and started mumbling about Kim Kyu.
Kim Gu was just as well-known in Korea as Zhao Yanxun, though he wasn’t as much of a media sensation.
The media preferred more sensational figures, and Zhao Yanxun, with his good looks, family background that fit perfectly with Korean aesthetics, and tendency to make bold statements, always generated high click rates for any news related to him.
But Kim Kyu was particularly low-key. He looked rather plain, the kind of person you wouldn’t notice in a crowd, and his playing style wasn’t particularly distinctive either—less aggressive than Zhao Yanxun, less unpredictable than Cao Xianluo. Yet this unremarkable player had the highest win rate in the Korean Go scene.
He was like the legendary Xuan Tie Sword of the invincible Dugu Qiubai, a heavy, unsharpened blade that wielded unmatched power through its simplicity.
Cheng Liao had diligently collected information on Kim Kyu, even putting together a notebook filled with clippings about him.
This kind of research might be useful for journalism, but it didn’t help much in actual gameplay.
The Go Academy had long since analyzed Kim Kyu’s strategies, and although Sheng Jingchu had never played against him, he was already very familiar with Kim Kyu’s style.
It seemed that Cheng Liao was really drunk; she rambled on about Kim Kyu, then moved on to Zhao Yanxun, and then to Cao Xianluo.
She even remembered their birthdates perfectly.
When she reached Jiang Chunlai, she paused. "Never mind about Jiang Lao, you two might not even face each other." Finally, she got to Kato Kiyomasa. "You two should know each other well. He even invited you to his wedding."
She asked Sheng Jingchu, "What musical instruments does he play?"
Sheng Jingchu had known Kato Kiyomasa since they were teenagers, though they hadn’t spent much time together. Both were busy, and the language barrier made communication difficult. Their connection was mostly based on mutual respect for each other’s Go skills.
He thought for a moment. "He holds his liquor pretty well."
Cheng Liao was taken aback. "So, doesn’t that mean you got the short end of the stick? You even sang at his wedding, and all he does at yours is drink?"
Knowing her obsession with money, Sheng Jingchu said, "But he’ll give us a wedding gift."
She nodded eagerly. "Right, the wedding gift! We can’t lose out on the red envelope we gave him."
She was a bit clingy when drunk, like a cat seeking warmth, practically glued to Sheng Jingchu’s side, with just her fuzzy head poking out.
He crouched down and patted his back. "Come on, I’ll carry you."
Cheng Liao latched onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck so tightly that he could barely breathe.
In just two short months, she had lost quite a bit of weight, her frame now so slender that even through her thick clothes, her bony structure pressed painfully against his heart.
He carried her, walking slowly, not in a hurry to call a cab.
The streets were crowded, and people kept glancing their way. Some recognized Sheng Jingchu and discreetly took pictures with their phones.
He called her name, "Liao Liao..."
She seemed to hear him, but also didn’t, only responding after a long pause with a soft "Mm."
He repeated, "Liao Liao."
"Mm."
"Liao Liao."
"Mm."
He called her name over a dozen times, and finally, Cheng Liao patted his head. "Good, I’m here."
I’m here, I’ve always been here.
In a place where you can see me, where your fingertips can reach me…
The semifinals ended with Zhao Yanxun defeating Cao Xianluo.
As for Sheng Jingchu, he won against Kim Kyu, and Jiang Chunlai lost to Kato Kiyomasa, which seemed almost inevitable, especially compared to Cao Xianluo’s loss to his own disciple.
Zhao Yanxun’s prowess was a reflection of his teacher’s skill—Cao Xianluo had dominated Korean Go for thirty years, rarely losing a match during that time.
As one generation gives way to the next, a new wave of players replaces the old.
However, Zhao Yanxun was unusually quiet during the post-match interview.
For the finals, Sheng Jingchu drew a bye.
Kato Kiyomasa would face Zhao Yanxun first, with the winner then going up against Sheng Jingchu.
Sheng Jingchu felt a sense of nostalgia; after nearly ten years in the Go world, this was his first time getting a bye.
With no match to play, Sheng Jingchu didn’t bother watching the others. Instead, he seemed to relax, even taking the time to teach Cheng Liao some Go strategies.
Cheng Liao, holding the Go basket, was excited. "I heard that getting a lesson from you costs this much." She held up her fingers to indicate a number.
"I didn’t know that," Sheng Jingchu denied. "I don’t think I’ve ever given anyone lessons."
"That’s just the going rate because that’s what Yao Ke charges." Cheng Liao held up another number. "And since your win rate is higher than his, your price should be higher too."
Sheng Jingchu nodded. "Well then, consider it your New Year’s money for this year."
Cheng Liao, ever the pragmatist, asked, "Do you have any sure-fire moves, like the ‘Dragon Subduing Palm’ that can defeat everyone with a single strike?"
Sheng Jingchu nodded. "There’s no one-move win, but there are some techniques."
He explained a few, and Cheng Liao diligently wrote them down.
"But I’d advise you not to use them," he said, placing a black stone on the board. "If you try to win against me, you’ll definitely lose. But if you don’t aim to win, you might last a bit longer."
Cheng Liao was puzzled. "What kind of logic is that?"
"If you play randomly, I might have to think a bit. But if you start laying out a strategy, I’ll immediately know what moves are coming."
"Is that because you taught me?" Cheng Liao wondered. "But that doesn’t make sense—Zhao Yanxun was taught by Cao Xianluo, yet he still won."
"That’s different."
"How so?"
Sheng Jingchu pointed to his head. "Their minds are different."
The match between Zhao Yanxun and Kato Kiyomasa ended with Zhao Yanxun emerging victorious.
Sheng Jingchu had always struggled with sleep, sometimes relying on sleeping pills. After reaching the finals, his sleep became even more troubled. Despite gaining an early advantage in his first game against Zhao Yanxun, he was overtaken in the mid-game and lost the match.
Cheng Liao was very worried but tried not to show it. Sheng Jingchu, however, remained calm, even offering a post-match analysis during the interview.
"Zhao Yanxun wasn’t in the best shape, but I made more mistakes."
After returning home, Sheng Jingchu didn’t review the game but watched some TV before going to bed at his usual time.
Cheng Liao followed him. To take care of him, she had been sleeping in the guest room next to his.
She randomly pulled a book from the shelf. "How about I read you a bedtime story?"
She looked at the cover and realized it was a copy of The Erotic History of Emperor Yang of Sui.
She froze for a moment, then cleared her throat awkwardly. "You actually read this kind of book?"
Sheng Jingchu glanced at it. "It’s probably Xiao Cao’s. Go ahead and read it."
The book was written in a very colloquial style, with content that was quite sensational, describing the various mysterious skills possessed by Emperor Yang’s concubines.
Cheng Liao read it with great embarrassment, censoring the content as she went along. "When Emperor Yang saw the beauty, his lust was instantly aroused. The beauty pretended to resist but eventually yielded, lightly unfastening her feathered robe. Emperor Yang pressed the beauty onto the bed, and the rest of the content is available in the paid chapters. You can choose from Alipay, ICBC, ABC, CCB, China Post, Everbright Bank, Baidu Wallet, and many other payment options to unlock it..."
Sheng Jingchu laughed. "Can I report this for inappropriate content?"
Cheng Liao closed the book. "If you don’t pay, you’ll just have to go to sleep. Listen to my instructions—close your eyes. Do you see it? There’s a sheep on a hillside. Another sheep joins it, and then a whole flock. They start bleating together: sleep, sleep, sleep..."
He closed his eyes, but instead of seeing sheep, he saw Cheng Liao, wearing that shirt with the little fox embroidered on it, holding a bunch of foxtail grass, her dimples deep and her smile warm, like the sun in May.
In the second game, Sheng Jingchu won easily.
Zhao Yanxun was displeased, complaining that the hotel’s soundproofing was poor and that he hadn’t been able to rest well for days.
This issue sparked outrage among Korean Go fans, who accused China of deliberately interfering with their national Go master.
The organizers quickly tried to resolve the situation.
At the Shangri-La Hotel, Zhao Yanxun complained that the floors were too high—he was afraid of heights.
At a five-star hotel under the Ji family’s brand, Zhao Yanxun felt the décor was too dark, affecting his mood.
At Jiangcheng Hotel, Zhao Yanxun claimed the feng shui was bad, saying the HSBC building next door was blocking the flow of dragon energy.
The organizers were at their wits’ end and finally asked him, "So where would you prefer to stay?"
Zhao Yanxun pointed to Sheng Jingchu, who was passing by. "At his house!"
Cheng Liao watched in shock as Zhao Yanxun’s entourage moved his luggage and belongings into Sheng Jingchu’s home.
His demands were extensive, from the patterns on the bedsheets and the designs on the duvet covers to the placement of vases and the room’s temperature and humidity. He even had something to say about Cheng Liao’s ringtone. Recently, she had been using Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, but he insisted she change it to Mozart because he didn’t like Beethoven.
Cheng Liao whispered to Sheng Jingchu, "Let him be picky, let him be as picky as he wants. He’s practically a drama queen!" She then added, "Our Panda is still the cutest!"
Sheng Jingchu wholeheartedly agreed. "That’s why he’s still single."
Fortunately, this fuss was only for one night.
The third round became a tense battle, with the advantage swinging back and forth.
Most observers felt that Zhao Yanxun had a slight edge. Unable to understand the game herself, Cheng Liao went into the hallway to recite the Lord’s Prayer over and over.
It was the only prayer she knew by heart, having heard Cheng Yi end her prayers with it every time.
There are two versions of the Lord’s Prayer, with slight differences.
One goes, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."
The other version says, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."
The difference lies in whether the prayer addresses "Father" or "You."
Cheng Liao preferred the version that says "Father," as it made her feel like she was immediately becoming Jesus Christ’s daughter.
At noon, the game was adjourned, and Cheng Liao accompanied Sheng Jingchu for a simple meal.
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