Xiao Ling froze.

Did the announcer just say Dongli won? How is that possible?

She hurried back into the gymnasium and saw the advancement list on the central screen:

1. Xiao Ling

...

7. Xiao Yu

...

20. Sun Daniu

...

49. Ruan Lan

50. Lu An

"Those two games of Go were so bizarre. Lu An's stones were clearly being captured the whole time, and then she suddenly won..."

"Ruan Lan was even more absurd. She didn't play a single standard opening, yet her victory was even more decisive."

"You two Go simpletons, those were new opening patterns that have never been seen before in the professional world!"

"..."

The gymnasium buzzed with discussion. Everyone was talking about the two games that had just finished, their voices a mixture of excitement, confusion, and most of all, shock.

"What happened?" Xiao Ling asked, walking over to her sister, Xiao Yu, with a frown.

"Sis, you should watch the game replay tonight," Xiao Yu said, her tone complex.

The real games had only truly begun after her sister walked out of the gymnasium earlier.

It was practically a slaughter.

The stones played by Ruan Lan and Lu An seemed just as chaotic as before, yet these opening patterns, never before seen in the world of Go, had taken shape. The former was a Divine Dragon soaring through the sky; the latter, a fierce tiger descending the mountain!

At that moment, the two male, professional second-dan players from Southwest University of Science and Technology were so shocked they gasped. A biting killing intent emanated from the Go boards, rattling them to their core. They completely lost their composure, their foreheads beading with cold sweat.

After that, their position collapsed like a landslide.

Xiao Yu was familiar with one of the patterns; it was the White 37 move she had witnessed a few days ago.

But the other one... was completely unfamiliar.

Could it be another one of Xu Lai's own creations?

A powerful sense of crisis welled up in Xiao Yu's heart. She knew that Dongli University must have come prepared this time.

As she was leaving the venue, Ruan Lan walked past Xiao Yu and snorted haughtily. "What's the use of having a high rank? At my level, it'll take you at least two or three years to catch up. Keep trying, little Xiao."

Xiao Yu was furious. But she also knew that the other girl was telling the truth and had no way to retort, so she could only glower as Ruan Lan walked away.

"Brother-in-law, how did I do?" Ruan Lan asked, looking expectantly at Xu Lai. Lu An looked over as well.

"Pretty good," Xu Lai nodded. Although it was a messy game between amateurs, at least they won.

"Congratulations." Ruan Tang had arrived toward the end of the match and only saw the last half. She smiled.

"Daddy, Yiyi is hungry," Xu Yiyi said, looking up at Xu Lai.

He laughed. "Then let's go eat."

"Brother-in-law, will you have time to give us some extra lessons after dinner tonight?" Ruan Lan asked hopefully.

"No time. I have a date with your sister," Xu Lai refused.

Ruan Lan and Lu An might lack talent, but he had already given the game records to his sister-in-law. They shouldn't have any problem winning the matches in a few days. If they could lose after all that... then not even an immortal could help them.

A date with Xu Lai?

Ruan Tang was taken aback. "How come I didn't know about this?"

"Now you do," Xu Lai said with a grin.

Ruan Tang rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not going."

"Taking our daughter for a walk on the beach, and her mother isn't coming? Hmm... well, if you don't come, you don't come."

This is what he calls a date!?

Ruan Tang gently pinched Xu Lai's arm. Looking into her daughter's bright eyes, she quickly added, "Mommy is definitely going!"

"Yay!" Xu Yiyi cheered.

The family of three then left, leaving behind the regretful gazes of the Dongli University Go club members.

"Can't be helped. My brother-in-law is hopelessly devoted to his family," Ruan Lan sighed. "We'll just have to rely on ourselves."

Lu An's tone was slightly disappointed. "Consultant Xu probably thinks our Go skills are too poor and that we're an embarrassment to him."

"Senior Lu, don't overthink it," Ruan Lan consoled her. "In my brother-in-law's eyes, the only people who exist are my sister and my niece. Besides, we have the game records. That's enough."

After a pause, Ruan Lan continued, "This year, we must beat Dong University!"

"Yeah."

Lu An nodded, her heart settling as she saw Ruan Lan's spirited determination. After all, she would be a senior next year, busy juggling her thesis and an internship. The Go club would naturally need to be passed on to her successor. And Ruan Lan had long been her preferred choice.

Even if they lost this year's competition, the Go club wouldn't fall apart with Ruan Lan as its president.

***

They had a simple dinner at home.

As usual, Ruan Tang ate a hearty meal: a bowl of soup and two bowls of rice.

Xu Yiyi nibbled on her meat, her mouth still shiny with grease.

Ruan Tang picked up a napkin and gently wiped her daughter's mouth. "Which beach are we walking on tonight?"

East Sea City had several fine sandy beaches. For example, the beach at the foot of Mount Haitang boasted a stunningly beautiful coastline that stretched for over ten kilometers, and the Golden Sand Beach in the development zone was also excellent.

"It's up to you. You're the head of the family," Xu Lai said.

The head of the family, huh?

Ruan Tang repeated the phrase in her mind, feeling a bit dazed. From the moment Xu Lai had reappeared before her holding their daughter, her life and career had undergone earth-shaking changes. Ruan Tang found that she no longer resisted Xu Lai as she had in the past; she would even send him a text if she wasn't coming home for dinner.

Just like an old married couple. Wait— this is all just because Yiyi is so reliant on Xu Lai as her father. That's it, that's all!

Ruan Tang's face grew a little hot as she quickly admonished herself.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Let's just go to the beach by our house. It's not crowded, the atmosphere is nice, and we can come right back when we're tired."

"Okay."

After dinner, they arrived at the beach, where the Sea Demon Beibei completely let loose and dove straight into the ocean.

"I'm going home to visit my family!"

With that parting shot, Beibei vanished without a trace.

The bright moonlight scattered across the sand.

Barefoot, Xu Yiyi waded into the shallows, chasing Xu Lai and splashing water at him. She giggled, clearly having a wonderful time.

Ruan Tang sat on the sand, hugging her knees and watching her daughter's smile. She suddenly wished that time could stand still forever in this perfect moment.

She called out, "It's getting chilly, don't play for too long, or you'll catch a cold!"

"Mommy, come play too!" Xu Yiyi ran over, took Ruan Tang's hand, and pulled her toward the sea. "Daddy runs so fast!"

Ruan Tang was infected by her daughter's childlike enthusiasm and joined in on splashing water at Xu Lai.

Their joyous laughter echoed endlessly across the beach.

While the family of three was enjoying this blissful time together, the Go community in Hua Country was reeling from the shock of two particular games.

Veteran players, led by Ninth Dan Zheng Zong and Ninth Dan Xiao Duo—the father of Xiao Yu and Xiao Ling—stayed up all night replaying and analyzing the games.

In the end, their scalps tingled.

They had all represented Hua Country and won championships in world competitions. With their keen insight and formidable Go skills, how could they not recognize the terrifying power of these two new opening patterns?

It was only because Ruan Lan and Lu An were weak players. If one of them had been playing, the game would have been a crushing victory from the very first move.

However, Zheng Zong had a faint suspicion that these moves must have come from Xu Lai...

Such a brilliant and unpredictable genius of Go, yet he hadn't entered the professional world to bring glory to Hua Country. What a pity

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