Chapter 24: Sooner or Later, I’ll Squeeze Xie Sicheng Dry
Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu felt a bit awkward and didn’t really want to eat the fruit basket that Xie Sicheng had sent over. However, Chi Wang had already taken the grapes to wash.
They weren’t sure what variety of grapes they were, but they looked plump, juicy, and very sweet.
Chi Wang quite enjoyed them, popping one into his mouth after another.
Seeing Shu Tingyu drooling with desire, he handed him one and said, “Since he brought them over, don’t be shy. Go ahead and eat.”
Shu swallowed the grape and said, “When you accept favors, you become indebted.”
Chi Wang replied, “It’s fine, just eat.”
With his encouragement, the two finally started eating.
Suddenly, Shu said, “I’ve heard that eating grapes can make the baby’s skin fairer and eyes bigger.”
Chi Wang laughed. “There you go again. That’s just superstition. It’s more reliable to believe that since both of the baby’s fathers have fair skin, the baby will naturally have fair skin.”
After saying that, Chi Wang paused—why was he so naturally envisioning the baby’s appearance?
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The three exchanged glances, all knowing who it likely was, given that it wasn’t time for the dorm inspection yet.
Chi Wang was the first to walk over and open the door. Sure enough, it was Xie Sicheng. He was wearing a gray-blue pajama shirt. The bright hallway lights accentuated his pale skin, making the veins on his neck clearly visible.
Xie looked down at Chi Wang, noticing he was wearing loose pajama pants rolled up at the cuffs, revealing a section of his calf. His slippers were flip-flops. Xie frowned slightly and said, “The temperature has dropped; you should keep warm.”
Chi Wang replied with an “Ah,” and said, “I’m not afraid of the cold; it’s fine.”
“…” Xie changed the subject. “Would you like to come over to my place?”
Chi Wang quickly nodded. “Sure!”
He followed Xie to room 405. When he opened the door and saw the interior, he was stunned. He took a few steps back, looked at the room number again to confirm it was indeed a dormitory.
He looked at Xie incredulously. “Wait a minute, is the school okay with you renovating the dorm like this?”
Xie replied, “Yes.”
It wasn’t surprising that Chi Wang was shocked. From the outside, Xie’s dorm looked like a regular room, but inside, it was a different story. The four sets of beds and desks had been removed, and the interior resembled a small apartment bedroom. There was a two-meter-long, 1.8-meter-wide bed, complete with bookshelves, wardrobes, tables, and chairs. There was even a small tea table with a Go board, and a fluffy rug underneath. Abstract paintings hung on the walls, and a vase with a few branches stood on a small shelf.
In short, it was quite stylish.
Xie entered first and handed him a pair of slippers. “Wear these.”
Chi Wang looked down to see that they were orange-shaped plush slippers, just his size—clearly bought with him in mind.
He took off his shoes, put on the plush slippers, and entered the room. A pleasant scent greeted him—indescribable but not like typical perfume. It was gentle and subtle, fresh and comfortable.
Chi Wang asked Xie, “Did you set this up this afternoon?”
Xie replied, “Yes.”
Chi Wang looked at him. “Is ‘yes’ the only word you know?”
Xie asked, “Will you move in with me?”
Chi Wang: “??”
He chuckled. “Can’t you say something else?”
Xie lowered his eyes to look at his smiling face, vaguely reminiscent of the spirited expression he had the first time on the bar stage.
A bright, dazzling smile like a diamond, resembling a meteor streaking across the night sky.
After a pause, Xie continued, “Let’s play Go. Do you know how?”
Chi Wang’s smile faded slightly, looking a bit dejected. “No, I don’t.”
This was quite an advanced game; he couldn’t just pick it up casually.
Xie said, “I can teach you.”
Chi Wang was momentarily surprised but then quickly became excited. “Sure!”
He was always eager to learn new skills; the more, the better!
Xie walked over to the tea table, took off his slippers, and sat down on the rug. He glanced up at Chi Wang, who immediately understood. He walked over, mimicking Xie’s actions, took off his shoes, and stepped barefoot onto the rug before sitting down.
Xie began explaining the rules of Go. “This is a Go board. These points here are called ‘stars,’ and the central star is the ‘tengen.’ The empty points around a stone are its ‘liberties.’ If these points are occupied by the opponent’s stones, those liberties no longer exist…”
He explained in detail, speaking slowly, and Chi Wang listened attentively.
After covering the basics, Xie let Chi Wang play with the black stones first.
Chi Wang picked up a black stone and placed it on the central tengen point.
Xie asked, “Why did you place it on the tengen?”
Chi Wang replied naturally, “When I play Gobang, I always take this spot.”
Realizing something, he humbly asked, “Is there something wrong with that?”
Xie explained, “Go emphasizes overall strategy. Playing the first move at tengen makes for an unstable foundation; it’s generally not recommended.”
Chi Wang suddenly understood. “Oh, I see. Sorry, let me start over.”
As he spoke, he was about to pick up the black stone. Xie extended his long fingers and pointed to the corner. “Start by playing at the ‘3-3 point’ in the corner; it’s one of the nine star points I mentioned.”
Chi Wang said, “Oh, got it.”
He picked up the black stone and placed it where Xie indicated.
Xie picked up a white stone and placed it next to Chi Wang’s. As Chi Wang continued to place stones, Xie guided him on where to play next. “For this first game, don’t worry about winning or losing; consider it practical teaching.”
Chi Wang smiled. “I understand.”
He was filled with joy, his face always wearing a smile. Even Xie seemed particularly pleasing to his eyes.
Xie glanced at him a few more times, noticing his change in demeanor. He became even more earnest in his teaching. “Now, your black stones are surrounding the white stones, just one move short. The white stones have only one liberty left. If you place your black stone here, you can capture all the white stones within the encirclement—this is called ‘capturing stones.'”
Chi Wang placed the black stone on the last liberty, sealing off the white stones and removing them from the board. “Like this?”
Xie nodded. “Yes.”
Chi Wang pondered for a moment and said, “It doesn’t seem that hard; it’s quite interesting.”
Xie said, “Go can be played simply or with great complexity. If you’re not competing, you can play more casually.”
Chi Wang curiously asked, “Have you participated in competitions?”
Xie paused before answering, “I participated in middle school.”
Chi Wang asked, “Were you any good?”
Xie replied modestly, “I achieved professional 9-dan level.”
Chi Wang was astonished. “What!? You’re that skilled?”
Xie’s gaze fell on Chi Wang’s surprised face. He couldn’t help but rub a white stone between his fingers. “I retired in high school.”
Chi Wang said sincerely, “That’s still amazing! A world champion! You’ve brought glory to your family!”
To Chi Wang, someone with such skills was like a shining gold mountain. Looking at Xie again, he found him even more handsome.
He was patient in teaching, too—not bad at all!
Xie asked, “Do you want to continue learning?”
Chi Wang replied enthusiastically, “Yes!”
Back in dorm 404, Luo and Shu were worried.
Luo asked, “How long has it been?”
Shu checked the time. “It’s been an hour and twenty minutes.”
Luo said incredulously, “They’ve been gone that long? Do they have that much to talk about?”
Shu said gloomily, “They already have a baby, and Chi Wang has decided to keep it. They must have a lot to discuss.”
Luo didn’t respond. He understood Chi Wang; although he talked excitedly with Shu, Chi Wang wouldn’t let them raise the child.
Moreover, Chi Wang wouldn’t choose to raise the baby himself; he was quite decisive.
He had said from the beginning that he’d leave the child to its father.
So it was normal for him to get along with Xie.
Chi Wang finally returned just before the dorm inspection time. Since he was next door, it was a quick trip.
Both Luo and Shu could see the joyful aura emanating from him. His fair face had a healthy blush, his eyes shone like stars in the night sky, and his lips were curved into a relaxed smile—his teeth white and lips red, exceptionally beautiful.
Luo felt a pang in his heart and asked, “Why are you so happy?”
Chi Wang’s eyes curved into a smile, revealing his tiger teeth. “Hehehe, I learned something new.”
Luo asked, “What did you learn?”
Chi Wang replied, “Go! I have to say, it’s quite fun.”
Luo understood and didn’t ask further.
Chi Wang was in high spirits and said happily, “Once I get good at it, maybe I’ll get a ranking. Maybe I can open a Go studio in the future.”
Shu asked, “That seems pretty difficult. Have you already learned it?”
Chi Wang puffed out his chest confidently. “I’ve got the hang of it! If I keep learning from him for a month or so, I should be pretty good.”
Shu had also been tutored by Chi Wang before and had been discouraged by him.
He found Chi Wang fascinating; he learned everything quickly and was eager to pick up new things. For example, he could play several musical instruments and even knew how to play the suona. From bits and pieces he’d mentioned, Chi Wang had worked part-time in high school playing the suona at village funerals, earning money while getting to eat at banquets seven or eight times a month.
Shu couldn’t help but drift off in thought. No matter his circumstances, Chi Wang could always take good care of himself and live well.
He admired Chi Wang and felt even more respect for him, harboring an inexplicable dislike for Xie.
But Shu chose to keep quiet, deciding to support all of Chi Wang’s decisions.
Since Chi Wang was getting along with Xie, he wouldn’t show any hostility toward Xie on the surface.
Chi Wang wasn’t aware of Shu’s internal struggle; he was genuinely happy at the moment.
“Learning is endless” was his motto!
Tomorrow was the weekend; he could continue learning from Xie!
Sooner or later, he’d squeeze all he could out of Xie.
Chi Wang went to bed happily, no longer feeling empty from quitting two part-time jobs.
—
The next day, Chi Wang slept in again and didn’t wake up until after 7 a.m. Both Luo and Shu were already up—one was cleaning, and the other had just returned from outside, carrying breakfast.
“Breakfast—it’s fried sauce noodles from the second cafeteria, your favorite,” Luo said to Chi Wang.
Chi Wang groggily got out of bed. As he was climbing down the ladder, his foot slipped, and he nearly fell. Shu screamed and rushed over to help, but Chi Wang hooked his arm around the railing and caught himself.
“It’s fine, just a small mishap.” Chi Wang was fully awake now. As he got down, the already shaky railing came loose.
Chi Wang: “…”
What a lousy bed!
He went to wash up first. Afterward, he opened his toolkit and began repairing the railing.
He had basic spare parts on hand, so he quickly reattached the railing. After tightening it with a wrench, he made sure it was secure.
The whole process was smooth, and Luo and Shu were used to it by now—
Chi Wang could fix all sorts of things! He even knew carpentry!
Ask him what he couldn’t do—nothing; he could even have a baby!
Chi Wang packed up his tools and was about to eat breakfast when there was a knock on the dorm door. Shu went to open it—it was Xie.
Xie was holding an antique-looking food box. Seeing Shu open the door, he lifted the box slightly and said concisely, “I’ve brought breakfast.”
Luo deliberately asked, “Is there some for us?”
Xie glanced at him. His eyes remained indifferent, but his words were considerate. “Yes, breakfast for three.”
Luo: “…”
Shu exclaimed, “Wow.”
Chi Wang scratched his head and asked, “Master, have you eaten already?”
Xie: “?”
Master?
