Few students participating in the summer camp play Go, as it’s a hobby that’s difficult to maintain without personal interest and family support.

In the dormitory, Cen Huai’an and Xiao He set up the Go board, bowed to each other, and took their seats.

Cen Huai’an handed the black stones to Xiao He. “We don’t need to guess who goes first; you can start.”

Xiao He didn’t hesitate.

Regardless of who started, anyone without skill would find it impossible to win.

Someone had opened the door to Cen Huai’an’s dormitory, and other students from the dorm began to gather, filling the room.

They couldn’t understand the game, but they could feel the intense and fierce atmosphere between Cen Huai’an and Xiao He.

“Who understands this?”

Someone asked quietly, afraid to speak loudly and disturb the game.

The student questioned shook his head; he didn’t understand either, but the game of Go looked quite exciting.

Xiao He’s skills had improved significantly, showing a lot of talent in the eyes of others.

However, Cen Huai’an had made even greater progress.

His Go skills were already superior to Xiao He’s, so winning against him was currently impossible for Xiao He.

Normally, Cen Huai’an would slow down the game to let Xiao He appreciate the changes in the board and learn from the game.

However, since it was late and there were classes the next day, Cen Huai’an decided not to take his time.

In the beginning, the game was relatively calm.

Xiao He felt it was similar to before—difficult but with some hope.

But as the game progressed, he began to feel the pressure.

Shocked, he looked at Cen Huai’an and asked, “How have your skills improved so quickly?”

Cen Huai’an didn’t know how to explain that he had been concealing his true ability in their previous games.

He simply replied with a “Hmm,” saying, “My great-grandfather has high expectations of me.”

Xiao He’s face showed strain as he furrowed his brows, trying hard to figure out his next move.

The other students around felt their hearts racing as they turned their attention to the seemingly younger Cen Huai’an.

This child, who appeared several years younger than them, was impressive.

After all, participating in national competitions and a summer camp at his age was no small feat.

The game resembled the one Cen Huai’an had played with Grandpa Jiang when they first met, but this time the roles were reversed, with Cen Huai’an controlling the board.

He didn’t rush Xiao He; as long as Xiao He wanted to continue, Cen Huai’an patiently waited.

The other students around, however, were impatient, wishing they could play the game for Xiao He, despite not understanding how.

In the end, Xiao He chose to concede.

He had held out for a long time but knew he couldn’t beat Cen Huai’an.

He placed his stones on the board and looked at Cen Huai’an. “Although I lost this time, I won’t always lose. One day, I will beat you.”

Cen Huai’an, while tidying up the game, looked up seriously and said, “I’m waiting for that day.”

He had no intention of giving Xiao He an easy win.

“An’an, your skills have improved again.”

A familiar voice came from the crowd.

Cen Huai’an turned to see Hong Youxuan standing by the door, smiling gently at him.

“Brother Youxuan?” Cen Huai’an was both surprised and pleased.

He hadn’t expected to encounter so many familiar faces at the summer camp.

Hong Youxuan was in high school and was attending the high school summer camp.

High school and middle school boys stayed in the same building.

“I heard someone was playing Go and thought it might be you, so I came to check.”

Hong Youxuan’s eyes remained on the partially cleaned Go board, contemplating whether he could win if he played against Cen Huai’an.

The answer was no; Cen Huai’an had outpaced him in Go.

“We haven’t played Go for a long time,” Cen Huai’an said to Hong Youxuan.

Hong Youxuan’s smile grew warmer. “It looks like we’re on the same page. I’ll come find you tomorrow night.”

Xiao He looked at Hong Youxuan with curiosity, thinking to himself:

The capital really is full of hidden talents.

After the game, other students from different dorms left one by one.

Hong Youxuan and Xiao He also departed.

Once the door was closed, one of the students couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked Cen Huai’an, “You can play Go? That’s impressive!”

Cen Huai’an remembered him—Wang Aihua.

His self-introduction at the class meeting had been amusing, making jokes about his parents’ personalities, which was different from the usual formal introductions and left a deep impression.

Cen Huai’an nodded. “It’s just a hobby.”

Wang Aihua leaned in and grinned. “I can see it’s more than just a hobby; your skills are quite high. I remember you said you were eleven years old, right?”

After the Lantern Festival, Cen Huai’an turned eleven.

He was three to four years younger than the average middle school student.

Cen Huai’an nodded.

His age was apparent even without mentioning it.

Wang Aihua’s eyes showed admiration as he gave Cen Huai’an a thumbs-up. “Amazing! You’re definitely a genius! Do you know about the youth class?”

Outstanding students and their families often have well-informed news.

Those who agreed to send their children to summer camp naturally paid close attention to their future and inquired about good opportunities.

Cen Huai’an knew about it.

Great-Grandpa Jiang had mentioned it to him, and he had also looked at the admission requirements for prestigious schools’ youth classes.

He had even considered whether to give it a try.

However, Chu Xia disagreed with him going now.

Cen Huai’an was too young and hadn’t experienced much.

Early exposure to advanced education wasn’t beneficial.

Geniuses are prone to psychological issues, and the current youth classes were still figuring out how to nurture these children.

At his age, the pros of joining such a class outweighed the cons.

Cen Huai’an was currently happy with his life.

The classroom knowledge was simple, and he could learn advanced math and Go on his own.

The teachers didn’t interfere, and he was satisfied with his school life.

Thinking about leaving home and his parents to join the youth class made him reluctant.

He looked at Wang Aihua. “I know about it.”

Wang Aihua pulled over a stool, sat next to Cen Huai’an, and bit into an apple. “Have you ever thought about participating in the selection for the gifted program?”

Cen Huai’an replied, “I’m not going to the gifted program. I like the middle school I’m in. Besides, I don’t think I’m a genius; I just started school earlier.”

Cen Huai’an had never mentioned skipping grades in elementary school; he progressed through middle school as usual.

He didn’t find school boring, so Chu Xia didn’t push him to skip any more grades.

Wang Aihua, not knowing Cen Huai’an well, nodded as he chewed his apple. “I heard the gifted program is full of geniuses. My mom wanted me to try, but I declined. I’d just be asking for trouble. I’m not that foolish.”

Two other boys from the dorm overheard this.

One of the chubbier boys said, “I tried out and got rejected, haha. I guess I’m not a genius.”

He scratched his head innocently. “It means I’m not a genius.”

The thinner boy said, “I have self-awareness. I’m not a genius, so I won’t try something I know is impossible. It’s embarrassing to fail.”

Cen Huai’an furrowed his brows; the remarks were unpleasant.

He looked at the chubbier boy, who indeed looked a bit embarrassed.

“If you’re afraid of failing and refuse to try, you’ll never progress. How can you make improvements?” Cen Huai’an said and then went to wash up.

Wang Aihua chuckled and picked up his washbasin. “We think alike. Cen Huai’an, wait for me. I’ll go with you!”

The chubby boy hurriedly grabbed his washbasin and followed, leaving the thin boy in the dorm with a simmering frustration.

He gritted his teeth and muttered, “You all strive to improve. If you can’t achieve something, you’ll look foolish.”

The chubby boy, Li Lianyu, placed his washbasin next to Cen Huai’an and gave him a big, honest smile. “Cen Huai’an, thanks for what you said earlier.”

Cen Huai’an was brushing his teeth and couldn’t respond immediately, so he waved his hand.

After he finished brushing his teeth, he said to Li Lianyu, “I was just speaking my mind. Don’t take it too seriously.”

Although Cen Huai’an didn’t like the comments from Hou Yongjin, he was speaking his mind, not just for Li Lianyu’s sake.

Li Lianyu, however, felt that Cen Huai’an was helping him.

He, along with Wang Aihua, began to follow Cen Huai’an to classes and meals. He also got to know Zhang Lu, Xiao He, Tang Song, and Hong Youxuan.

However, Hong Youxuan was in the high school training camp, and his classes and activities were different from theirs.

He didn’t have much chance to meet with Cen Huai’an and the others.

Beijing University not only arranged lectures by talented professors but also various practical activities.

On the first day, Cen Huai’an couldn’t hide his abilities.

During a lecture, the professor occasionally discussed topics beyond middle school mathematics.

Some students who had studied deeply could answer some questions, but when it came to more advanced questions, no one could solve them except Cen Huai’an.

Everyone realized that this student, younger than them, was not only impressive in Go but also significantly stronger in mathematics.

When Cen Huai’an received the first-place award in the math competition, these students had already known him.

Now, they were even more impressed.

Cen Huai’an’s classmates secretly referred to him as “the terrifying presence.”

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At home, with Cen Huai’an absent, only Chu Xia, Cen Zhengnian, and the three dogs remained.

Chu Xia suddenly felt the house was quieter.

However, Chu Xia continued to cook as usual.

When Cen Zhengnian came home early, he cooked instead.

Without An’an around, Cen Zhengnian and Chu Xia were more relaxed at home, and their relationship improved.

Ye Xingxu noticed that Cen Zhengnian seemed particularly happy these days.

A married man like Ye Xingxu understood. He nudged Cen Zhengnian with his elbow and, lowering his voice, asked with raised eyebrows, “Is the child-free couple life good?”

Cen Zhengnian glanced at him and pushed him away. “You live with your wife every day. I don’t have your experience.”