Chapter Index

    “Why are you back? Weren’t you supposed to be at a business conference?” Wenren Yi asked, sipping the orange juice Lin Ganzhi handed her as she lazily greeted the middle-aged man who had just arrived.

    “I bet you wish I hadn’t come back,” the man snorted at his daughter, who looked more handsome than most men. “You can come see Grandma, but I can’t come see my own mother?”

    The moment the father and daughter met, there were no greetings, hugs, or sweet talk like other families. Their conversation was filled with gunpowder, especially since Wenren Yi’s father, Wenren Qi, spoke with the tone of a superior officer reprimanding a subordinate, which instantly reminded Lin Ganzhi of the painful memories of his university military training.

    Although the atmosphere was a bit tense, as a guest, Lin Ganzhi still stood up and greeted Wenren Qi. “Hello, Uncle Wenren. I’m Lin Ganzhi, a friend of Wenren Yi. I apologize for the intrusion.” Lin Ganzhi’s voice was particularly soft in front of elders, partly out of respect and partly out of shyness.

    “Hello, Mr. Wenren. My name is Yan Shengping, Ganzhi’s husband,” Yan Shengping also stood up and greeted him, neither servile nor overbearing. As a businessman with sharp instincts, even without knowing the specifics of the Wenren family’s business, Yan Shengping could tell at a glance that this man was not simple. However, he didn’t show excessive politeness or respect, treating it as a normal visit to a new friend’s family, not resorting to the usual social niceties of his circle.

    It was just that their forms of address were not quite in sync. Lin Ganzhi noticed that since they arrived, Yan Shengping hadn’t followed his lead in calling the elders “uncle” or “auntie,” instead addressing them as “Mr.” or “Madam” based on their surname.

    Wenren Qi took note of the young man before him, who had a unique aura. When their eyes met, he could sense the man’s ruthlessness. Although it was well hidden, Wenren Qi’s years of experience were not for nothing. Fortunately, there was no malice, his conversation was pleasant, and he wasn’t trying to curry favor. He was handsome, but his complexion didn’t look good. Just as his daughter had said, he was really here for medical treatment.

    In contrast, Lin Ganzhi looked like a simple-minded person, which explained why he could get along with his own clueless daughter. And that soft “uncle” really tugged at his heartstrings.

    “My daughter has mentioned you two to me. You truly are a handsome and talented couple,” Wenren Qi’s demeanor suddenly changed. “Ganzhi, here. I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had time to prepare a proper gift for you. This is a red envelope. Take it.” Wenren Qi smiled warmly and pulled out a red envelope at least three centimeters thick from his suit pocket.

    Lin Ganzhi was completely bewildered. He was just here for a visit, not a daughter-in-law meeting the in-laws. Why was he getting a red envelope?

    “Don’t worry, bro, it doesn’t mean anything else,” Wenren Yi said, patting Lin Ganzhi’s shoulder as if it were a common occurrence. “My dad has this habit. Whenever a friend of mine comes over, he has to give them a red envelope. We don’t have this custom abroad for the New Year, but he’s really attached to the tradition. He has a whole stack of red envelopes in his drawer, just waiting to be given out.”

    Hearing this, Lin Ganzhi’s impression of the fierce-looking uncle improved instantly. This was a rich dad hobby he could get behind.

    “What’s wrong, Ganzhi? It’s not much, just a small token. The New Year is coming up, so you can keep it for good luck money when you go back to the country,” Wenren Qi said, taking a few steps forward as if coaxing a child.

    Lin Ganzhi subconsciously glanced at Yan Shengping. Only after seeing the approval in Yan Shengping’s eyes did he patter over and accept it with both hands, saying sweetly, “Thank you, Uncle~” His eyes sparkled, and his chubby cheeks were incredibly endearing.

    Wenren Qi’s expression faltered for a moment. What a good boy. He wondered if he’d be interested in having a godfather. If his own two kids were half as well-behaved as Lin Ganzhi, he’d be laughing in his dreams. As Wenren Qi’s gaze on Lin Ganzhi grew more intense, before Yan Shengping could even make a move, Wenren Yi pulled him back.

    “Dad, Ganzhi isn’t a girl, and he won’t be so easily bought into being your godson. You think you can win over my best brother with just a small red envelope?” she said with a look of disdain.

    “Ahem, ahem!” His intentions exposed, Wenren Qi coughed forcefully and pretended not to hear, turning to chat with his parents instead.

    Only Lin Ganzhi was left stunned. They had just met, and already… god… godson?

    “Ever since I brought my first female classmate home in elementary school, my dad has had this thought of adopting a goddaughter more than once,” Wenren Yi said, accustomed to it. “He’s probably a doting father to daughters, but my brother and I take after him, so it’s a good day if we don’t get into a fight. But,” Wenren Yi smiled meaningfully, “you’re the first godson he’s wanted to adopt.”

    So he thought he wasn’t enough of a top!

    Lin Ganzhi and Wenren Yi started roughhousing on the spot.

    Yan Shengping, seeing their true nature, couldn’t be bothered to pull the two elementary schoolers apart. If these two could actually get together like the internet shipped, he’d write his name backward. Lin Ganzhi’s denseness was like a natural barrier; any third party’s intentions would be shattered before they could even form.

    “Have you eaten? Rushing back so eagerly,” the grandfather asked his eldest son.

    “I’ve eaten. I had a simple lunch and a meeting, then came straight here,” Wenren Qi said, sitting between his parents. “Dad, since you’re free, play a game of chess with me.”

    “You didn’t come back to see your mother, you came back to torture my old bones! Go find your Uncle Qin!” the grandfather said, looking at his eldest son as if he were unfilial.

    Beside them, Grandpa Qin quickly held his hot tea and played dead, determined to ignore Wenren Qi.

    Just as Wenren Yi was about to translate, Wenren Qi’s gaze shifted to their side. “Ganzhi, do you know how to play Chinese chess? How about a couple of games with your uncle?”

    “I’m not very good,” Lin Ganzhi said honestly.

    “What about Little Yan?” Wenren Qi’s gaze shifted to Yan Shengping.

    “Dad, stop bothering us. You’re a chess addict, go find a professional player. It’s no fun playing with you anyway, you never let us win!” Wenren Yi blocked him.

    “The chessboard is like a battlefield. There’s no such thing as letting someone win!” Wenren Qi said stubbornly. “Hmph, not only do you not play with me, but you also point out my shortcomings and don’t let others play with me. You went back to the country without even telling me. Your mother in Australia knew before I did!” Wenren Qi started rambling about his daughter’s faults. A moment ago he was domineering, now he was just being sour.

    Wenren Yi was speechless. Her dad was always like this when he couldn’t win an argument. He knew she was a softie, right?

    Lin Ganzhi held back a laugh as he watched the father-daughter duo bicker. He secretly tugged on Yan Shengping’s sleeve and asked, “Do you want to play? I feel kind of bad for Uncle.”

    “And you don’t feel bad for your husband?” Yan Shengping’s voice was low enough for only the two of them to hear, his tone playfully accusatory. A while ago, Yan Shengping would have eaten his meals and taken his medicine on time just to get rid of that title, but now he was using it himself. Lin Ganzhi froze, looking at Yan Shengping at a loss, feeling both surprised and shy.

    Seeing Lin Ganzhi lower his head, Yan Shengping was about to pinch his cheek and call him a little heartless brat, but then he heard Lin Ganzhi stammer, “I-I didn’t say I don’t feel bad for you. If you don’t want to, I’ll turn him down for you.”

    !

    Yan Shengping rubbed his thumb hard against his index finger and said in a deep voice, “Uncle, I’ll play with you. Please go easy on me.”

    Seeing Yan Shengping relent, Wenren Qi’s goal was achieved, and his face instantly lit up with joy, all traces of his earlier grievance gone. A servant quickly brought over a chessboard and a table. It was rare to find friends who played Chinese chess abroad, and those who did were usually not very skilled, making it hard for Wenren Qi to get a satisfying game. Today, his craving just happened to flare up. He would still go easy on his daughter’s friend, but he would definitely not be vague about winning when he had the chance.

    When the two started their game, Lin Ganzhi very cooperatively pulled up a small stool and sat next to Yan Shengping. The two elders also stood on Wenren Qi’s side. Wenren Yi sat with her grandmother in the middle as a neutral party, watching a bit of both sides. The old lady was still in good spirits, which was a rare occurrence, and it made her family happy.

    At the beginning, both played by the book. Wenren Qi’s expression was quite relaxed, and his moves were like he was playing with a child. Yan Shengping, on the other hand, was calm and composed with every move, looking very standard. That was until two minutes later when Yan Shengping silently captured one of Wenren Qi’s pieces.

    “Not bad, young man,” Wenren Qi couldn’t help but praise, not having anticipated Yan Shengping’s move. But since he could still offer praise, it meant it wasn’t a threat to him. He followed up with a move of his own, taking one of Yan Shengping’s pieces. However, Wenren Qi’s expression was much more serious than before.

    He was no longer using his “playing with a child” tactics; he was now making his moves as he should. Even Lin Ganzhi, who only had a basic knowledge of Chinese chess, could feel the subtle sense of competition in the air.

    Yan Shengping’s demeanor didn’t change because of this. He remained as calm and composed as when he was working at home. He had never been seen frowning over work or professional matters. With a sickly pallor, he made his moves without haste, his aura subtly matching that of the fifty-something Wenren Qi.

    “Wait, that move!” Wenren Qi showed some agitation as Yan Shengping unexpectedly captured one of his important pieces, looking as if he never expected Yan Shengping to make such a move.

    The two grandfathers were also full of praise, looking at Yan Shengping as if he were a treasure.

    “Let me tell you, your dad has played golf for so many years and has never seen a layman as skilled as Little Yan. You shouldn’t underestimate him. He’s very capable, started from scratch. Not like you, a rich second generation!” The grandfather was good at praising people, just a bit hard on his son.

    Wenren Qi: Is it my fault I’m a rich second generation?

    However, the interest on Wenren Qi’s face didn’t diminish in the slightest. Instead, there was a sense of excitement from meeting a worthy opponent, and he went all out.

    In the early stages, Yan Shengping was mainly on the defensive. By the middle of the game, he seemed to have figured out Wenren Qi’s playing style and switched from defense to offense. His moves became aggressive and ruthless, with the slight risk of having his own weaknesses exposed if he wasn’t careful.

    “Oh, my cannon.”

    “How did my horse just disappear like that?”

    Twenty minutes later, Yan Shengping captured Wenren Qi’s general, winning the game.

    Wenren Yi had played chess with her dad for so many years and had never seen him get so thoroughly dominated, completely powerless to fight back. She subconsciously scooted her stool a little closer to Yan Shengping.

    The two grandfathers also switched sides, silently standing behind Yan Shengping.

    Wenren Qi: …

    “Interesting. Little Yan, let’s play a few more rounds!” Wenren Qi’s competitive spirit was completely ignited, and he no longer dared to underestimate this junior.

    By dusk, if there had been betting on the chess games, Wenren Qi would have probably lost his pants.

    Wenren Qi had said he couldn’t go easy, so Yan Shengping really didn’t, winning all afternoon until Wenren Qi was in a daze, his past glories shattered to pieces.

    Lin Ganzhi was worried if it was really okay to be so audacious in a guest’s home. But as soon as they left the chessboard, Wenren Qi was ready to call Yan Shengping his brother, and they even exchanged WeChat contacts.

    “Why are you calling each other brothers? By that logic, wouldn’t I have to call you ‘Auntie’?” Wenren Yi was speechless.

    Lin Ganzhi raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in his handsome almond eyes. “Forget ‘Auntie.’ How about you call me ‘Little Uncle’?” He might lose out in age, but it would be nice to win in terms of seniority.

    “Get lost, get lost!” Wenren Yi glared at Lin Ganzhi.

    Calling him “Little Uncle” was impossible. Not in this lifetime.

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