Chapter 171: Played Three Games, Lost Three Times

“Let’s eat…” Xiao Yutian said as he sat down.

Sitting alone at the head of the long dining table, Lin Qingyou deliberately chose the farthest seat from him.

As a result, the distance between Xiao Yutian, Lin Qingyou, and Yin Hanyu felt as vast as the Yangtze River.

Lin Qingyou did this to prevent Xiao Yutian from playing any tricks.

But she seemed to have overthought it… because throughout the entire meal, Xiao Yutian just ate normally.

From start to finish, he didn’t say anything sarcastic or provocative—he simply ate his meal quietly.

Lin Qingyou studied him cautiously multiple times, but he didn’t seem to notice.

He just kept picking at the mandarin fish on his plate.

It was said that Xiao Yutian loved fish, and tonight’s fish were all personally raised by him.

Lin Qingyou looked at the mandarin fish on her own plate and frowned slightly.

Yin Hanyu immediately took her plate, preparing to remove the fish bones for her, but she stopped him.

Yin Hanyu asked, “What’s wrong? No appetite?”

Lin Qingyou shook her head. “No.”

She whispered to Yin Hanyu, “Isn’t he always acting superior, looking down on everything? I thought he’d prepare some exquisite, luxurious, and complicated dishes just to make things difficult for you.”

After all, unlike Yin Yixuan, who had been trained in dining etiquette since childhood, Yin Hanyu wasn’t as refined. Some foods required specific ways to be eaten, and without training, it would be easy to make mistakes.

Yet, tonight’s meal—though well-prepared—was actually very simple.

It was just regular home-cooked dishes.

Take the fish in front of them, for example.

It wasn’t some rare, expensive delicacy—just an ordinary mandarin fish.

Steamed mandarin fish was a common home-style dish, yet Xiao Yutian seemed to enjoy it a lot.

Yin Hanyu gestured toward the peach blossom tree nearby. “There’s a small stream under that tree. Your grandfather personally raised these fish.”

“‘Peach blossoms float on flowing water, where fat mandarin fish thrive,’” Yin Hanyu said as he carefully picked out the fish bones for Lin Qingyou. “It suits his pursuit of elegance.”

Lin Qingyou scoffed. “Pursuit of elegance? He’s just a tyrant—arrogant, condescending, and full of himself.”

“By his standards, he should be raising some ridiculously expensive fish and then mocking us for not knowing how to eat it properly—or for never having eaten it before.”

Yin Hanyu chuckled. “Wife, you’ve been watching too many TV dramas. Your grandfather isn’t that petty.”

“He’s not petty?” Lin Qingyou snorted. “What he said to you earlier wasn’t enough proof?”

“He was just stating facts.” Yin Hanyu placed a few pieces of greens onto Lin Qingyou’s plate.

“But…” Lin Qingyou said, “Even if it’s the truth, he didn’t have to say it so bluntly!”

So what if Yin Hanyu didn’t know those things? Did that mean he deserved to be humiliated and ridiculed?

“Qingyou, I’m not that sensitive,” Yin Hanyu said calmly. “Your grandfather was simply stating facts. I really don’t know those things.”

“He was just being honest—how is that humiliation?”

“You’re way too forgiving,” Lin Qingyou huffed. “He was clearly trying to humiliate you. You’re just too nice to hold a grudge.”

At that moment, Xiao Yutian suddenly set down his chopsticks. “I’m finished. Take your time.”

Yin Hanyu and Yin Yixuan nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Xiao Yutian then got up and left the table.

Watching his retreating figure, Lin Qingyou found him more unreadable than ever.

Yin Yixuan nudged Yin Hanyu. “You really played chess with Xiao Lao?”

Yin Hanyu nodded.

“But… you don’t even know how to play?” Yin Yixuan frowned. “Xiao Lao is a national-level player—even Grandpa can’t beat him. You’re not even a beginner, aren’t you just humiliating yourself?”

“Why would it be humiliating?” Yin Hanyu replied. “Everyone starts as a beginner. Weren’t you a novice when you first learned?”

Yin Yixuan: “…”

“I don’t know how to play, but I can learn,” Yin Hanyu continued. “And if the first person I play against is a master like Xiao Lao, losing is completely normal. But if I somehow won, I’d be an instant prodigy, wouldn’t I?”

Yin Yixuan was speechless. Did he think he was the protagonist of some shonen manga?

Still, Yin Yixuan asked, “So… did you win?”

Yin Hanyu shook his head. “Nope. I played three rounds and lost all three—utterly crushed.”

Yin Yixuan: “…!!!”

Well, at least he was honest.

“So tell me, how is this not self-humiliation?” Yin Yixuan glanced in the direction where Xiao Yutian had walked off. “He’s probably off bragging to Grandpa right now—telling him how he completely destroyed our family’s ‘treasured grandson’ in chess.”

“Let him brag,” Yin Hanyu said indifferently. “I did lose. I really wasn’t a match for him.”

He didn’t mind at all. Instead, he ladled himself a bowl of soup.

Chess had drained his mental energy—he needed to replenish himself.

It had been a long time since he’d exercised his brain like this.

Chess was actually quite fun.

Suddenly, the sound of a beautiful piano melody filled the air.

Yin Yixuan peeked outside and immediately widened his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Ming Yu asked.

It was rare to see Yin Yixuan looking so dumbfounded.

“That… that… that person playing the piano…” Yin Yixuan stammered, pointing. “He was supposed to be my piano teacher!”

“My mother paid an outrageous amount to hire him—even tried to pressure him into accepting—but he absolutely refused and then disappeared!”

“What?!”

Lin Qingyou immediately put down her chopsticks and looked over.

The next second, her jaw nearly dropped.

“Isn’t that the world-famous pianist, Stephen?!”

Yin Yixuan nodded. “Yeah. People said he vanished, some even thought he was dead… but he’s been here at the Xiao family’s estate all along?”

Stephen’s piano skills were legendary—his performances were worth a fortune. Since his disappearance, his status had become even more mythical.

Yet now, he was playing for Xiao Yutian?

As if to entertain him?

After finishing the piece, Yin Yixuan stepped forward, much more respectful toward Stephen than he was toward Xiao Yutian.

“Mr. Stephen, hello. It’s truly an honor to hear you play in person.”

Stephen smiled, speaking in accented Chinese. “I remember you—you’re that kid from the Yin family, aren’t you? Time flies—you’ve grown so much.”

“Thank you for remembering me. It’s my honor…” Yin Yixuan jokingly added, “Mr. Stephen, did you disappear just to avoid becoming my piano teacher?”

Stephen laughed. “No, no, no… I fell seriously ill, and I was fortunate that Mr. Xiao saved me. That’s the only reason I’m still alive.”

“I also happen to love it here, so I decided to stay.” Stephen glanced at Xiao Yutian. “Luckily, my playing pleases him. In exchange, I get to stay here without being kicked out.”

Yin Yixuan twitched.

Stephen’s performances were worth a fortune, and now he was playing just to please Xiao Yutian—just for a place to stay?

Xiao Yutian lounged in his chair, looking utterly at ease.

Stephen began playing another piece.

Suddenly, Xiao Yutian turned to Yin Hanyu. “Would you like to learn piano?”

Yin Hanyu shook his head. “No.”

Xiao Yutian’s expression darkened instantly.

Stephen’s playing abruptly stopped.

The air, once serene, suddenly became tense.

Xiao Yutian slowly rose from his chair and approached Yin Hanyu. “Why not?”

Yin Hanyu replied bluntly, “Because I don’t want to. No need for a reason.”