“Wait a second!” Han Heng suddenly spoke up.
Jiang Fuyue: “?”
“Hehe… I just want a photo.” As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and snapped a shot of the room.
Back in the living room, Han Qishan was still sitting in his original spot. His expression had shifted from anxious to calm and composed.
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow. “You’ve figured out your next move?”
“Hehe, I have.”
She sat down and glanced over the board—and paused.
The old man had already made his move, placing his piece. “I’ll go here! And take out this whole area of yours.”
Jiang Fuyue looked up.
“Cough! Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No reason.” She looked away and asked, “You’re sure about that move?”
“Absolutely.”
“Alright.” Jiang Fuyue nodded. “Then I’ll go here.”
Han Qishan froze.
The girl smiled faintly. “I win.”
“No, no, no! I misplayed! I didn’t mean to go there! Let me take it back…”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t stop him. With great patience, she watched him pick up the black piece he’d just played and move it to another spot.
As he did, he mumbled to himself, “Yes, this is the right move. I misread earlier… Mhm, no doubt about it!” To seal his decision, he nodded firmly—twice.
Jiang Fuyue: “This time you didn’t misread, right?”
“No, not at all.”
“Sure you won’t change your mind again?”
“Not a chance!”
“Eyes clear, hands steady?”
“Absolutely! I’m sharp as ever!”
“Okay then,” Jiang Fuyue said. She picked up her white piece and placed it elsewhere, lips curling. “Now what? I still win.”
Han Qishan: “!”
Not far away, Han Shen silently turned his head—I really can’t watch this.
Han Ke used his laptop to hide his face, chanting mentally: That’s not my dad. No way, no how…
As for the reckless Han Heng, he ran over, loudly complaining, “Dad! You’re cheating! Bullying Yueyue!”
Han Qishan: “…” This isn’t even about being a watermelon rind anymore—he’s just a fool!
“Grandpa,” Jiang Fuyue suddenly spoke up, calm and cool. “Another round?”
“Nope!” He got up with a huff. Another round would just be another loss.
Haven’t won once today. Boohoo…
“I’m going to bed!” he grumbled and stormed upstairs.
Han Heng leaned over to whisper to Jiang Fuyue, “Don’t believe him. He’s definitely sneaking into the study to dig out his old go manuals.”
“…Oh.”
Han Shen walked over and said, “Don’t mind him. The older he gets, the more childish he becomes. No one’s played chess with him like this in ages. Even if he loses, I’m sure he’s happy deep down.”
“Mhm.” Jiang Fuyue nodded and reached out to adjust three white stones—the very ones the old man had switched.
Han Shen glanced down and fell speechless.
He’d seen the move from the sofa out of the corner of his eye but hadn’t said anything. After all, calling out someone like that… well, best to give the old man a little dignity.
When Jiang Fuyue returned, she hadn’t mentioned it either. Han Shen had assumed she hadn’t noticed.
Turns out… she absolutely had.
At that very moment, Han Qishan was sneaking peeks over the second-floor railing: “?”
Wait—so the clown was me all along?
Too embarrassed to show his face, he was now determined to dig out every go manual he owned and reclaim his glory!
Downstairs—
Han Shen’s eyes lit up. “How about a round with your uncle?”
Jiang Fuyue looked up. “Sure.”
They sat face-to-face. Han Ke immediately closed his laptop and came over.
After all, their eldest brother had been trained by a national-level player. He rarely played, and he’d never initiated a game like this before.
This was going to be good.
Han Heng, not really interested in chess, plopped down on the couch and pulled out his phone. He opened a beauty filter app and started editing the photo he just took.
Once done, he zoomed in, zoomed out, tilted left, tilted right, and finally nodded in satisfaction.
Then he opened Weibo, uploaded the picture, and captioned it:
“If I had a daughter, I’d definitely give her a room like this. 💖”
Han Heng—youngest ever winner of China’s three major film awards, holder of seven international acting trophies—a rare actor with both critical acclaim and mainstream popularity.
Though now over 40 and pushing 50, he was still a dreamboat in the eyes of countless girls, women, and grandmothers.
His Weibo follower count had passed 100 million ten years ago.
Naturally, the post exploded.
【First! I’ve been fighting for top comment since elementary school. Now I’m a mom of two. Life complete.】
【Claiming this spot before reading…】
【OMG—when did you have a daughter?!】
【Judging by the window and ceiling, isn’t this his own house? Why does a room like this exist in his home then?!】
【Guaranteed trending topic: Han Heng’s pink room】
【More like: Han Heng suspected to have secret daughter】
【Wasn’t there a leak about a top actor secretly marrying and having a kid? Was it him?!】
【A daughter would be great. His genes deserve to be passed on.】
【I’ve been pushing for him to marry and have kids for years. Dream finally coming true! Sobs!】
【He’s more than old enough anyway—about time】
【No more Valentine’s and Qixi posts where he cries about being single!】
【I wanna see the little princess!】
【I just want to know who gave him that daughter. I swear I’m not jealous, just in awe.】
【Shout-out to the mystery wife—thank you for ending his lifelong bachelorhood.】
…
The gossip online snowballed, spreading at lightning speed.
Within fifteen minutes, it had hit the trending list.
By then, Han Heng had already tossed his phone aside and trotted over to the chessboard—not to watch the game, but to enjoy his big brother’s distressed expression up close.
“Second Bro, do you think Big Bro is faking it or seriously struggling?”
This was Jiang Fuyue’s first time at home—maybe Han Shen was going easy on her.
Han Ke glanced at his eldest brother’s tense face and deeply furrowed brows: “Ninety-nine percent real.”
“Whoa—no way. Is Yueyue actually going to beat Big Bro?”
“I’d bet on it.”
Han Heng clicked his tongue.
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Han Shen surrendered. “I lost.”
Jiang Fuyue smiled. “Uncle, your playing style is… unique.”
Han Shen gave a wry smile. “You mean I’m too conservative, right?”
“Everyone has their own style. I like risky, unconventional moves. You prefer stability and safe wins.”
Han Shen actually felt comforted by that.
Suddenly curious, he asked, “Do you think white still has a chance at a comeback?”
Jiang Fuyue looked over the board and nodded. “Yes.”
Han Shen was surprised. The white side had already been driven into a dead end. No escape.
“You want to switch sides and try?”
Jiang Fuyue’s interest was piqued. “Sure.”
She loved a challenge—especially against skilled opponents.
They switched seats. Jiang Fuyue took white, Han Shen black.
Han Ke looked at his niece with growing intrigue.
She looked so much like her mother back in the day—but her personality was… completely different.
Han Heng couldn’t help reminding her, “White’s been cornered. You’re picking up a mess.”
Jiang Fuyue: “Just for fun.”
Han Heng pouted. What’s fun about a guaranteed loss…
“Uncle, I’ll play now.”
“Okay.”
The moment her piece landed, Han Shen sucked in a sharp breath—
“You sure?!” That was a dead move! Completely meaningless!
“Yes.” Jiang Fuyue nodded. “Your turn.”
Han Shen couldn’t make sense of it. He stopped thinking and played as he saw fit—further tightening the net around the white side.
“Yueyue, you’re about to lose.”
“Really?” Jiang Fuyue smiled. “We’ll see.”
She placed another white piece.
Han Shen blinked, then his expression changed—shocked, impressed, and amazed.
“It’s… a tail-cut escape!”
Though white had sacrificed pieces, it had carved a path out of encirclement. Maybe not a win, but definitely no longer doomed.
Jiang Fuyue: “Let’s keep going.”
Han Shen: “…Okay.”
***
Half an hour later—
Han Shen: “I lost.”
This time, he lost completely.
Han Ke smacked his lips, once again reevaluating Jiang Fuyue.
Han Heng grinned smugly. “Big Bro, you’re having a rough day~”
Han Shen shook his head. “Not bad luck. I’m just outmatched.”
So, he conceded wholeheartedly.
“Yueyue, who taught you to play? That aggressive, razor-sharp style… it’s not like any top domestic masters I know of.”
