Qin Si Ye was the first to sit down on one side of the chessboard, looking up at her. "Quick, sit down. What are you spacing out for?"
"Si Ye, is this what you wanted me to do?" Yin Xi stared directly at him.
Today was a workday, and everyone else was at work. He had actually asked her to play chess; he certainly had a refined taste.
"Mmm. What's wrong, any problems?" Qin Si Ye's lips curved upwards, and he asked again, "Otherwise, what did you think I asked you here for?"
What did she think? She knew nothing, so what could she possibly think?
Yin Xi cleared her throat and slowly sat down opposite him. "I just didn't expect you to ask me to play chess."
"We both have the day off today, and the children aren't home, so it's a perfect opportunity for us to have a good practice."
Qin Si Ye's sword-like eyebrows lifted slightly, and he continued, "I remember last time at the old house, the last time we played chess, you lost to me. Don't you want to win back?"
Qin Si Ye's taunt suddenly ignited a fighting spirit in Yin Xi. She brought the white chess box in front of her. "Alright. Rock, paper, scissors, whoever wins goes first."
"Deal." Qin Si Ye smiled, seeing that she was getting into it.
Yin Xi won two out of three games. Excited, she seized the initiative and placed the first chess piece.
"Okay, your turn."
Qin Si Ye unhurriedly placed a black piece in an advantageous position.
For a moment, the room was silent, with only the crisp sound of pieces being placed.
The two were evenly matched, neither giving way, both determined to defeat the other.
They played back and forth, encircling and blocking, and in no time, the board was covered with black and white pieces.
However, looking at the board, they were still evenly matched, with no clear winner.
Qin Si Ye couldn't help but look up at the woman contemplating opposite him and asked, "How old were you when you started learning Go? Have you not forgotten all these years?"
"Five," Yin Xi replied with two words, then added, "I have a good memory."
Qin Si Ye's lips curved upwards at her unashamed words. "When I learned Go, there was only one other girl in my class.
As far as I remember, very few girls study Go. I didn't expect you to be so good."
He recalled that he was an outstanding student in the Go training class, with almost no classmates who could match him, and even the teacher was sometimes defeated by him.
When he took his grading exams, he sailed through them smoothly, passing each level on the first try.
If she had been his classmate back then, he wondered if he would still have been so invincible.
However, they were six or seven years apart, so they couldn't have met.
"I'm one of the few girls you mentioned who's a top student. Are you scared?" Yin Xi smiled playfully at him, her eyes sparkling as she steadily placed a piece.
Qin Si Ye's sword-like eyebrows shot up. "In my dictionary, there is no such word as scared."
"Then fine. Your move," Yin Xi said dismissively, looking at him.
Qin Si Ye picked up a black piece, lowered his head to carefully examine the board, and quickly placed a piece.
After Yin Xi made her next move, he found himself unable to find a place to put his piece.
Furthermore, a section of territory was already in a precarious state, and he had missed the opportunity to rescue it.
He couldn't help but knit his brows, deep in thought, and hesitated for a long time before placing the black piece in his hand.
"Hahaha. Stop struggling and admit defeat," Yin Xi said, unable to hide her excitement and joy, laughing heartily.
"This is the consequence of you not concentrating on the game."
Putting down the chess piece, Qin Si Ye looked at her directly, unfazed. "If it makes you laugh so happily, I'm happy even if I lose."
Yin Xi's heart was touched. Blinking her beautiful peach blossom eyes, she walked to the water dispenser, poured two cups of water, and handed one to him.
Qin Si Ye took the cup, stood up, and stretched his muscles. He asked in a low voice, "When you were little, why did you decide to learn Go?
Shouldn't girls be learning dance and piano?"
"Alas!" Yin Xi sighed lightly. "There's no helping it; I was never interested in those things. Instead, I preferred competitive activities like this, perhaps influenced by my mother."
"Your mother, she understands Go too?" Qin Si Ye looked at her curiously.
"Yes. My mother learned Go from my maternal grandfather; he was a famous Go master in the area." Yin Xi paused, her thoughts drifting to the past.
"After I started learning Go, my mother often played with me, so my skills improved very quickly.
In high school, my mother passed away from an illness, and I never played Go again until I met you."