In the morning, Li Xiuying was taking Nannan for a walk outside the villa.
Two slender figures jogged over.
As they passed the old man and the child, they actually stopped.
These two were none other than Chen Xing'er and Shi Wenyan.
Chen Xing'er had a habit of waking up early for her morning exercises. The environment of Xiangshan Tan Mansion was, of course, excellent. She had already started her run early in the morning.
As for Shi Wenyan, she was naturally accompanying her boss.
"Hello, Auntie!"
Chen Xing'er greeted them enthusiastically.
"Hello, hello, hello to you too!"
Li Xiuying quickly responded, surprised to see Chen Xing'er at Xiangshan Tan Mansion so early.
Chen Xing'er's gaze fell on little Nannan. She squatted down and said, "What a beautiful and adorable little girl. What's your name, and how old are you?"
Little Nannan shrunk back.
But seeing that Chen Xing'er was pretty and friendly, she still answered, "My name is Hu Siyang, and I'm five years old."
"Oh, how cute!"
Hearing the name, Chen Xing'er suddenly understood.
The last time she specifically came to see Chen Fan was because she heard him taking his child to kindergarten, which dispelled her doubts about Chen Fan's identity.
Now she knew that the child didn't have the surname Chen, which meant she wasn't necessarily Chen Fan's child.
She giggled and asked, "Isn't your dad awake yet?"
"Dad..." Hu Siyang shook her head, unsure how to explain.
"Auntie, isn't Chen Fan awake yet?" Chen Xing'er asked Li Xiuying.
"He should be up by now," Li Xiuying said. "He needs to take Nannan to kindergarten later."
"What's Nannan's relationship with Chen Fan?" Chen Xing'er took the opportunity to inquire.
"Nannan's father was a very good friend of Mr. Chen before he passed away."
Chen Xing'er seemed approachable, and Li Xiuying, instead of being reserved, chatted happily with her. "Mr. Chen treats Nannan like his own daughter..."
Chen Xing'er then understood.
They walked around for a bit, and when they reached the vicinity of Villa No. 1, Chen Xing'er waved goodbye.
"Goodbye, Auntie!" Under Li Xiuying's instruction, little Nannan also politely bid farewell.
Hearing the address, Chen Xing'er suddenly stopped again.
"Nannan, don't call me Auntie anymore. Call me Auntie, okay?"
She squatted down in front of little Nannan again, saying with a smile.
Li Xiuying was stunned for a moment.
"Why should I call you Auntie? My mom said that when you meet a pretty lady like you, you should call her Auntie."
Nannan asked doubtfully.
"Because, Auntie is your dad's sister. Your Uncle Chen Fan treats you like his own daughter, and I am your Uncle Chen Fan's sister."
Chen Xing'er said with a smile.
Little Nannan nodded and said, "I don't have an Auntie. So, are you Nannan's Auntie?"
"Nannan, you're so good. Auntie came out for a run and didn't bring any gifts. When you come back from school, Auntie will give you a gift, okay?"
Nannan's eyes lit up, and she nodded obediently. "Thank you, Auntie. But Nannan has received a lot of gifts recently."
"Then Auntie's gift will be a special one."
Patting Nannan's little head, Chen Xing'er was very happy.
Li Xiuying, however, was surprised and even a little uneasy.
Chen Xing'er didn't say much more. She waved and left with Shi Wenyan.
Back home, Chen Fan and Su Yingxue were already awake. As for Wang Tingting, she habitually slept until late in the morning.
Li Xiuying then recounted the encounter with Chen Xing'er.
Su Yingxue looked at Chen Fan with suspicion.
"It's fine. Let her call me Auntie. She can accept the gift too," Chen Fan said calmly.
He didn't explain further. After breakfast, he drove Su Yingxue to work as usual, and then took Nannan to kindergarten.
When he returned to Villa No. 1, there were already guests at home.
Fan Tingyun and his daughter, who were sitting on the living room sofa, stood up in unison when they saw Chen Fan.
"Mr. Chen, I apologize for disturbing you!" Fan Tingyun said.
Knowing that it was these two, Chen Fan guessed that they were here to request another match.
He smiled slightly and said calmly, "You're not intruding. Welcome, Grandmaster Fan. Last night's game wasn't satisfying enough. Grandmaster Fan has come at just the right time!"
He wasn't being polite; he genuinely felt a craving for a game of Go.
Go was one of his few hobbies. He hadn't played in years, and last night's game couldn't satisfy him.
The reason he had accepted Chen Xing'er's challenge and agreed to play last night was partly due to his desire to simply play Go.
"Thank you for indulging me, Mr. Chen!" Fan Tingyun said excitedly. "I've been pondering all night. Your Go skills are truly exceptional, no less than those of current top professional players."
While driven by his pursuit of Go, he also wanted his daughter to have an opportunity to learn.
Chen Fan smiled and said, "There's a chessboard in the study. Let's have a game first."
So, they set up the chessboard in the study.
After guessing who would play first, Fan Tingyun took black and went first.
His opening was watertight, with both offense and defense balanced, showcasing his master-level demeanor.
After a few moves, it was clear that Fan Tingyun's mastery of Go was far superior to Fan Sisi's.
After all, he was a former world champion, and his pursuit of the ultimate path of Go was deeply ingrained in his bones.
Even though he had retired and could no longer compete with the current top players in the Go world, his experience, insight, and overall strategic vision remained.
It was just that with age, his physical condition and energy levels couldn't match younger players, and the top stage no longer belonged to him.
Fan Sisi watched from the side, her expression extremely focused.
This time, Chen Fan did not initiate an immediate attack. Instead, he calmly developed his position.
Black and white intertwined, and after the opening, the intentions of both players began to emerge.
Fan Tingyun played with dignity and order, taking the corners and sides.
But Chen Fan was building a large formation, aiming to envelop the center.
Fan Sisi, who was watching, looked surprised.
She had thought that last night's game represented Chen Fan's playing style: fierce, sharp, immensely powerful, and with precise calculations.
But it seemed that wasn't the case.
Everyone who has learned Go knows the saying: 'Gold corners, silver sides, grass belly.'
The way of Go begins with the corners, spreads to the sides, and concludes in the center!
But Chen Fan disregarded the sides and corners, developing his position in the vast center.
Theoretically, the center is the most expansive area, much larger than the corners and sides.
However, it is also the most difficult area to secure. The center is called 'grass belly' precisely because it is very easy for an opponent to stir up trouble there, leaving one with nothing in the end.
Therefore, in Fan Sisi's view, Chen Fan was being too overconfident.
What she could see, Fan Tingyun could also see.
Before Chen Fan could fully establish his presence in the center, he placed a stone right in the middle of the board.
The game was still early. If he had played this move ten moves later, after entering Chen Fan's large formation, it would not have been too late.
But Fan Tingyun feared Chen Fan's strength and decided to act sooner.
Chen Fan smiled and placed a stone.
A powerful "head-on block!"
Also known as: "Head of the Divine."
This was a move intended to kill.
If you dare to come, I will dare to kill.
Fan Tingyun glanced at the smiling Chen Fan, his heart filled with awe.
Such a dominant move, such immense confidence, and... extraordinary spirit!
He hadn't seen such a style of Go in a long time.
He fell into deep thought and then chose to maneuver and live.
As long as he could make a living group in the center, he would have the territorial advantage and could win the game.
As the game progressed, his long deliberations became even longer.
Finally, looking at the black stones in the vast sea of white that could not form a second eye, Fan Tingyun scooped up a handful of stones and placed them on the board.
"Mr. Chen's spirit is astonishing."
"If you had pursued the path of a professional player, the Go world would likely be shaken, and no one would be able to contend with you!"
Chen Fan smiled, "Grandmaster Fan exaggerates. Go is, after all, just a minor art."
Fan Tingyun sighed inwardly.
He had devoted his life to it, and yet his livelihood skill was inferior to that of the man before him.
And this skill, in the man's eyes, was merely a trivial art.
"Thank you for the lesson, Mr. Chen. Next, I hope Mr. Chen will guide my daughter in another game."
"If you require a consultation fee, Mr. Chen, please do not hesitate to ask."
Fan Tingyun added.
Chen Fan laughed, "Mr. Fan, you jest. I was eager for a game today, so why talk about consultation fees?"
"However, young Sisi, I will not hold back. Don't cry today."
Fan Sisi was embarrassed, her face flushing. "Mr. Chen, I won't cry. One day, I will defeat you!"
"Good, your ambition is commendable."
Chen Fan said with a smile, "But don't make me wait too long. When I'm old and my mind isn't sharp, your victory won't be glorious."
Fan Sisi couldn't help but roll her eyes.
However, after these few words, her mindset was clearly much more relaxed than it had been last night.