At the beginning of summer, she opened her mouth to speak.

She didn’t mean it that way, but she didn’t know how to explain it either. After all, she couldn’t let An An slack off.

Just as she was contemplating how to explain it to Cen Huaian, a boy about ten years old walked into the house.

He was wearing a white polo shirt and black knee-length shorts.

Seeing the people seated in the living room, he smiled gently and greeted them politely, “Great-grandpa. Hello, Grandpa Jiang. Hello, Auntie, and hello, little brother.”

“Xiao Xuan, you’re here!” Grandpa Jiang chuckled as he waved at Hong Youxuan.

Chu Xia also smiled and nodded, while Cen Huaian, prompted by Chu Xia, slowly said, “Hello, brother,” albeit a bit sluggishly.

Hong Yuande, not one for small talk, stood up as soon as his great-grandson arrived and said, “Now that Xiao Xuan is here, let’s begin.”

Grandpa Jiang, however, didn’t move. “Let Xiao Xuan rest for a bit first. Can’t you see he’s all sweaty?”

Hong Yuande waved his hand dismissively. “He’s just a boy, no need to coddle him.”

With a smile, Hong Youxuan addressed Grandpa Jiang, “I’m fine, Grandpa Jiang.”

He then followed Hong Yuande to the side, and Grandpa Jiang, unable to argue, pulled Cen Huaian along, calling out for Chu Xia to join them.

The group made their way to Hong Youxuan’s study.

The so-called study had very few books, most of them related to chess.

Unlike Grandpa Jiang’s study, which had various books and manuscripts scattered about for work, the desk by the bookshelf in this room was clean and empty, as if it were only for show.

The middle of the room had ample space, with a large square table.

A chessboard and pieces sat on it, visible immediately upon entering.

Surrounding the table were several chairs, making the room feel much like a chess room.

Hong Youxuan and Cen Huaian sat on opposite sides of the chessboard, while Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande sat on either side, their expressions now serious, abandoning their earlier casual demeanor.

Chu Xia left the room, only to return shortly with a tray holding a teapot and teacups.

She poured tea for Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande, and then two cups for Cen Huaian and Hong Youxuan.

When Hong Youxuan saw the teacup placed in front of him, he smiled up at Chu Xia. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Although he was still a child, Chu Xia was struck by the calm and refined air that surrounded him, so different from the gentle demeanor of Cen Zhengnian.

It was clear that this temperament was just part of who Hong Youxuan was—polite and courteous, much like a child raised in an ancient aristocratic family.

Chu Xia glanced at Hong Yuande and then at Hong Youxuan, curiosity sparking within her.

It wasn’t uncommon for the personalities of elders and their descendants to differ, but these two were so completely opposite that she couldn’t help but wonder how Hong Youxuan’s parents had raised him.

But these thoughts were fleeting.

She wasn’t familiar with Hong Youxuan or his parents, so she quickly brushed them aside, focusing instead on the chess game between Cen Huaian and Hong Youxuan.

The two children were playing Go, starting with guessing who would go first.

Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande debated for a while over who would be the one to grab the pieces for the guessing game.

Hong Yuande began boasting about his accolades in the world of Go, trying to prove that he was better than Grandpa Jiang.

Before he could finish, Grandpa Jiang grabbed a handful of white stones and asked, “Xiao Xuan, odd or even?”

Before Hong Youxuan could answer, Hong Yuande roared, “Jiang Zhongmin! You’re cheating!”

Grandpa Jiang smiled kindly, looking every bit the benevolent old man. “If we wait for you to finish talking about your honors, we’ll waste the whole morning.”

At this, Hong Youxuan chimed in, “Great-grandpa, don’t be angry. Grandpa Jiang is a guest, and you’re the host. Let’s let him grab the stones.”

With a heavy “hmpf,” Hong Yuande said, “For my great-grandson’s sake, I’ll let it slide this time.”

Grandpa Jiang sighed and shook his head. “Yuande, you’ve lived more than half a century, and yet a child understands better than you.”

“Jiang Zhongmin, you’re no different!” Hong Yuande retorted, immediately bristling.

The two elders began bickering again, and Chu Xia quickly tried to mediate.

Cen Huai’an, watching the adults argue, looked perplexed.

Why were Grandpa Uncle and Great-Grandpa quarreling over something as simple as guessing who would go first?

Sighing like a little adult, Cen Huai’an grabbed a handful of white stones and looked up at Hong Youxuan. “Odd or even?”

Hong Youxuan glanced at the two bickering elders, seemingly accustomed to their arguments.

He had witnessed such scenes many times before. What puzzled him more was why, despite always arguing, they still met up so often.

Seeing that the adults weren’t stopping anytime soon, Hong Youxuan turned to Cen Huai’an and answered, “Odd.”

Cen Huai’an replied, “Then I’ll guess even.”

They counted the white stones—there were an even number.

Hong Youxuan swapped the black and white stones between them, and the two boys began their game, tuning out the noise around them.

By the time Chu Xia had finally managed to calm the elders down, she turned to see that the game between Hong Youxuan and Cen Huaian was already well underway, with several black and white stones laid out on the board.

Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande were both surprised. “Xiao Xuan, An An, when did you start?”

Cen Huai’an didn’t respond.

Once he focused on a game, he blocked out everything else, not hearing anyone around him.

Hong Youxuan, on the other hand, looked up with a smile and said, “We started right after guessing who would go first.”

Grandpa Jiang raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, but the emotion quickly passed.

With a gentle smile, he nodded approvingly. “Very good, very good.” He quietly placed the white stone he had been holding into Hong Youxuan’s bowl.

Hong Yuande, however, let out a loud “hmpf,” glared at Grandpa Jiang, and pulled up a chair to sit next to Hong Youxuan, watching his game closely.

Grandpa Jiang also took a seat behind Cen Huaian.

Chu Xia wiped the sweat from her forehead and took a sip of tea to calm her nerves.

Finally, the two elders had stopped arguing—it had been exhausting trying to keep the peace between them.

Chu Xia had learned a little about the rules of Go by this point, but even after watching the game for a while, she still couldn’t understand the strategies of either player.

Why did Cen Huaian place his stone there? Why did Hong Youxuan move there?

Who had the upper hand in the game?

Her head spun from trying to figure it out.

In the end, she gave up and decided to observe the expressions of the two players, occasionally glancing at Hong Yuande and Grandpa Jiang’s reactions for any clues.

Through their expressions, Chu Xia could roughly guess who was likely to win the game.

Hong Yuande’s demeanor had shifted from his earlier casualness to a furrowed brow, indicating intense focus and a strong presence as he observed the game.

In contrast, Grandpa Jiang maintained his smile, occasionally nodding slightly.

Except for Chu Xia, no one paid much attention to his subtle gestures.

Cen Huaian’s face showed no particular expression, and he wasn’t sweating much, suggesting the game was still manageable for him.

Hong Youxuan, who had been smiling throughout, lost his smile as the game progressed.

His brow furrowed deeply, and he fixed his gaze on the board, mirroring Cen Huaian’s concentration.

As time ticked by, Chu Xia felt the tension in the room and became anxious herself.

She clenched her fists and leaned forward, staring at the board as if she could understand the complex shifts in the game, though in reality, she was completely lost.

The three adults were silent, not wanting to disturb the children.

They lost track of time as they were absorbed in the match.

Chu Xia noticed Cen Huai’an beginning to sweat and quietly took out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead.

Despite Cen Huai’an’s perspiration, Hong Youxuan’s expression suggested he was struggling as well, his brow furrowing even more tightly.

The number of stones on the board increased, and both Cen Huaian and Hong Youxuan slowed their pace.

Chu Xia thought the game would be ending soon.

As soon as she had this thought, Hong Youxuan placed a stone in the lower right corner of the board and looked up at Cen Huaian with a smile. “I lost. Little An An is very impressive.”

There was no trace of frustration from losing on his face; instead, he appeared relaxed and genuinely admiring Cen Huaian’s skill.

“Little An An, could you tell me how you came up with that move?”

Chu Xia couldn’t understand the game, but Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande could tell that after that move, Hong Youxuan had begun to fall behind, eventually running out of options.

Cen Huaian tilted his head and looked at the board.

His youthful voice filled the study as everyone listened intently to his explanation of his strategy.

Chu Xia, unfamiliar with Go, was puzzled by the technical terms and didn’t grasp their meaning, but she maintained a composed demeanor and occasionally nodded, concealing her lack of understanding.

Hong Youxuan, however, appeared enlightened.

He stood up and cupped his hands toward Cen Huaian, “Thank you, Little An An. I understand now. I need more practice.”

Cen Huaian also stood and returned the gesture, “You were very impressive as well.”

Cen Huaian was sincere in his praise, as he genuinely felt Hong Youxuan was skilled.

Previously, during the Liangzhou Children’s Cup Go competition, Cen Huaian had found himself somewhat challenged by his senior, Zheng Duoping.

However, after studying with Grandpa Jiang for a few more months, Cen Huaian felt he could quickly defeat Zheng Duoping if they played again.

Of course, Zheng Duoping’s skills had likely improved too, but Cen Huaian’s progress had been faster.

In the game against Hong Youxuan, Cen Huai’an had barely managed to win, which made him truly appreciate Hong Youxuan’s skill.

Hong Youxuan’s smile widened even more in response to Cen Huaian’s praise. “Thank you for the compliment, Little An An.”

Overall, the game between the two children was quite pleasant.

After finishing, they huddled together to discuss their strategies.

In contrast, Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande were not on good terms.

Seeing his great-grandson win, Grandpa Jiang wore a smug expression, while Hong Yuande’s face grew more intense, his eyes glaring fiercely at Grandpa Jiang.

Although their glares continued, they did not argue as loudly as before.

Chu Xia watched the two elders bickering like children while the two boys interacted amicably, discussing the game.

She had to stifle a laugh.

Chu Xia understood why Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande had stopped arguing after the game.

With the outcome decided, any further boasting from Grandpa Jiang or frustration from Hong Yuande would only negatively affect the children.

It could lead to the winner becoming arrogant and the loser feeling resentful.

With the children getting along so well, the two disapproving elders had naturally prioritized the children’s well-being.

This situation demonstrated that both Grandpa Jiang and Hong Yuande had good character traits.

Finally, Chu Xia found an opportunity to bring up Guo Lin with Hong Yuande.

Hong Yuande raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at Cen Huai’an, asking, “Is Little An An the genius student that Xiao Lin told me about?”

Chu Xia smiled and replied, “The genius student was a bit of an exaggeration by Teacher Guo. However, Little An An’s mentor is indeed Teacher Guo Lin.”

Previously, Guo Lin had called Hong Yuande, excitedly announcing that he had taken on a highly talented student.

Later, when the student came to the capital, Guo Lin expressed regret and mentioned to Hong Yuande that if someone brought his written materials to him, he hoped he could accept the student.

Eventually, Guo Lin said that the student had been taught by others, and he and his student had missed their chance.

Hong Yuande hadn’t taken it seriously; he considered himself a Go genius and wasn’t one to accept students lightly.

Moreover, he was already teaching Hong Youxuan, who was also quite talented.

To his surprise, he ended up meeting the student Guo Lin had mentioned, and it turned out to be the grandson of Jiang Zhongmin.

Not surprisingly, Jiang Zhongmin was also Cen Huaian’s mentor.

This realization stirred a sense of regret and jealousy in Hong Yuande.

He saw Cen Huaian’s talent during the game and realized that despite Cen Huaian’s short time studying Go, he managed to win against his great-grandson.

The talent was indeed extraordinary.

The fact that such a talented student was the great-grandson of the crafty old man Jiang Zhongmin made Hong Yuande think, “How come his luck is so good?”

Despite this, Hong Yuande, being an elder, quickly moved past his dissatisfaction and remained quite pleased with his great-grandson.

Chuxia mentioned this mainly to thank Guo Lin’s teacher, feeling bad about not following through with his kind offer.

Hong Yuande, being straightforward by nature, waved it off nonchalantly and said, “There’s no need to feel bad about this. An’an learning with his great-grandfather is the best. I’m already busy teaching Xiaoxuan, and I don’t have the energy to take on another student.”

Although Hong Yuande was reluctant to admit it, he knew that Grandpa Jiang was indeed a formidable Go player.

Playing against Grandpa Jiang was always enjoyable because they could battle without reservations.

Despite their constant bickering, this was the main reason their friendship had lasted for so many years.

Grandpa Jiang knew that Guo Lin’s teacher was Hong Yuande, but he was unaware of An’an’s initial plan to visit him when they arrived in the capital, which took him by surprise.

Nevertheless, as Hong Yuande mentioned, An’an learning with him was the best outcome.

Acknowledging this, Grandpa Jiang cast a smug look at Hong Yuande, nearly causing him to lose his temper again.

As Chuxia and An’an left Hong Yuande’s house, Cen Huai’an still seemed reluctant to leave and asked Grandpa Jiang, “Great-grandfather, when can we come back to play Go with Brother Xiaoxuan?”

During the friendly interaction earlier, Cen Huai’an had already changed the way he addressed Hong Youxuan.

Truth be told, Chuxia admired Hong Youxuan; he had managed to earn the trust of Cen Huai’an, a naturally guarded child, so quickly.

Even with his cousins, Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian, Cen Huai’an had not let his guard down during their first meetings; it was only over time that he gradually opened up to them.

The same was true with his friends Hu Pandeng and Xiao He back at the family compound in the Northwest.

Grandpa Jiang was also surprised at how well An’an and Hong Youxuan got along.

Having taught Cen Huai’an Go for so long, he understood An’an’s personality.

But Grandpa Jiang was pleased to see this development.

He had watched Hong Youxuan grow up and knew he was a well-mannered and gentle child.

Making friends with him might help mellow An’an’s temperament.

When Chuxia brought Cen Huai’an back home from Grandpa Jiang’s, it was already late.

The bus was filled with people heading home under the last light of the setting sun.

It was so hot that Chuxia didn’t feel like cooking and wished she could live in a place with air conditioning someday.

Dinner was brought back from the cafeteria by Cen Zhengnian. “Which friend did Grandpa take An’an to meet today?”

Cen Zhengnian knew that Grandpa Jiang had many friends in the cultural circle. Some were close by and familiar, while others were not as well known to him.