You Can Even Call Me Dad

Near ten o'clock that night, the door opened with a click.

Seeing Cai Xiaomei and Yu Dongming walk into the house together, Yu Shao, who was sitting on the sofa watching a movie, immediately called out, "Dad, Mom, you're back?"

"Mm."

As she changed her shoes, Cai Xiaomei asked, "Your principal called me today and said he wanted you to participate in the Go league. What's going on?"

Yu Dongming also looked puzzled. He placed his shoes on the shoe rack and asked, "I thought he'd dialed the wrong number, but your principal said it was really you. You know how to play Go? How come we didn't know?"

He had always felt that he knew his son quite well, but when he received the principal's call, he had been completely dumbfounded.

Since when could his son play Go? And now he was even going to represent the school in a competition?

He had previously wanted to enroll Yu Shao in some extracurricular classes so he could learn music, Go, calligraphy, and painting, but Yu Shao had looked as though he would rather die than submit, so he had let it go.

"I was bored before, so I read a few Go books. I thought it was pretty interesting, so I taught myself," Yu Shao explained at once. He had prepared this excuse long ago.

"You taught yourself?"

Yu Dongming and Cai Xiaomei immediately exchanged glances.

As parents, they certainly did not think their son was stupid. If he wanted to learn Go, he would definitely be able to.

But they really could not imagine their son sitting patiently over a Go board for half a day.

"Even if you taught yourself Go, with that self-taught level of yours, can you really represent the school in the high school Go league?" Yu Dongming found it rather unbelievable and asked.

"Maybe I'm just more talented, haha."

Yu Shao laughed it off and brushed him aside. "The principal thought I played pretty well, so he had me participate."

"Look at you, getting all pleased with yourself."

Cai Xiaomei rolled her eyes and said, "Even if you really are talented, you can't become arrogant. You have to remain humble and avoid pride and impatience. There are plenty of talented people in this world. If you think you're talented and stop working hard, sooner or later, others will leave you behind."

"Mom's right!"

Yu Shao immediately nodded like a pecking chicken.

"This is actually a good thing."

Yu Dongming rubbed his chin and asked, "If you're really interested in Go, do you want to enroll in an extracurricular class?"

"Let's not do that..."

Yu Shao instantly froze. Sending him to a Go class would truly be worse than sending him to prison. It would be torture.

The teacher would stand at the lectern, spouting nonsense about an opening pattern that had already been eliminated. Should he pretend to be an ostrich, or go up and point out that there was something wrong with the pattern?

Just imagining the scene made Yu Shao's scalp tingle.

"Look at you. Just now, you were saying that you had to work hard even if you were talented, and now you've already forgotten."

Cai Xiaomei said with some displeasure, "I think it's pretty good. Since you're talented, you can develop it a little. Maybe you'll really accomplish something in the future."

"Mom, I only play Go for fun. Besides, as a student, isn't studying hard the most important thing?"

Yu Shao smiled and said, "I only have two days off each week as it is. If I rest properly, I'll be able to study better when school starts again. You have to balance work and rest."

"You sure have plenty of twisted logic."

Cai Xiaomei shot Yu Shao a look, then seemed to suddenly think of something. "Do we even have a Go board at home? Let's buy you one."

"When you have nothing to do, you can watch how those formidable players play online, then set up the positions yourself and see why they made those moves."

"That'll also keep you from spending every day playing games with your good-for-nothing friends. Can't you play with kids who get good grades? Do you know what it means that those near vermilion become red, while those near ink become black?"

"I'm not saying you can't play games, but everything needs to be done in moderation. Computers give off radiation too. Don't let your grades drop and your eyes get ruined as well..."

As Cai Xiaomei continued, she gradually wandered off topic, but Yu Shao did not interrupt her. He simply listened quietly.

In the end, Yu Dongming could not take it anymore. He tugged at his wife's shoulder and said, "All right, honey. It's late, and the child still has school tomorrow."

Only then did Cai Xiaomei finally stop. She glanced at Yu Shao and said, "Why aren't you off taking a shower and going to bed?"

"I'm going."

Yu Shao smiled, picked up the remote, turned off the television, and headed toward the bathroom.

Soon, after taking a shower, Yu Shao returned to his bedroom, turned off the light, and prepared to sleep.

"Did I... forget something?"

Lying in bed, Yu Shao had the vague feeling that he had forgotten something.

After thinking for quite a while, Yu Shao finally remembered.

He still had not accepted Wu Zhixuan's WeChat friend request!

With that thought, Yu Shao pulled his phone out from under his pillow, opened WeChat, swiped to his contacts, tapped the red notification dot, and accepted Wu Zhixuan's friend request.

After adding her, Yu Shao was just about to put down his phone and go to sleep when it vibrated twice.

Yahhoo: Roar roar, you only accepted me this late? I thought you weren't going to accept me!

Yu Shao immediately typed a reply.

Fish Lacking Oxygen: Shouldn't you be touched? It's already this late, and I was still thinking about accepting your friend request.

Yahhoo: Huh? I guess you're right.

Fish Lacking Oxygen: What do you mean, "I guess"? You obviously are.

Yahhoo: All right, all right. Then thank you for still remembering to accept me. I misunderstood you!

Yu Shao felt that Wu Zhixuan was genuinely a little cute, and he could not help typing:

Fish Lacking Oxygen: Don't I get any compensation?

Yahhoo: I'm very poor!!! (Opens wallet, then painfully closes eyes.jpg)

Fish Lacking Oxygen: I don't want money.

Yahhoo: Then what do you want?

Yu Shao thought for a moment, then typed:

Fish Lacking Oxygen: You're definitely going to become the most formidable female Go player in the future. So every time you advance a rank, send me an autographed photo. That way, I'll be able to show off for ages.

Yahhoo: That works! Quick, send me your address!

Yu Shao immediately sent Wu Zhixuan his home address and contact information.

Yahhoo: OKOK! You'll receive an autographed photo from this Go saint in a few days! It's already past ten. Why are you still not asleep?

Fish Lacking Oxygen: Isn't it because I had to accept your friend request?

Yahhoo: I'm sorry!!!

Fish Lacking Oxygen: Besides, aren't you still awake too?

Yahhoo: I'm older than you, so of course I'll sleep later than you. Only little boys like you go to bed early.

Fish Lacking Oxygen: ? How old are you?

Yahhoo: Seventeen. But I'll be eighteen in a few months, so you should call me Sis.

Fish Lacking Oxygen: But I think your mental age might only be seven. You can even call me Dad.

Wu Zhixuan immediately sent over a furious reaction image.

Yu Shao smiled and typed:

Fish Lacking Oxygen: All right, I'm going to sleep. I still have class tomorrow, so you should go to bed early too.

Wu Zhixuan: Good night, good night! Sweet dreams!

Dear readers, please support the book by following it. Compared to other urban novels released around the same time, its results aren't exactly ideal. Although I was mentally prepared for writing such a niche story, I still hope that those of you who can keep reading will give it a little support. That way, the ratio can rise too. This humble author bows once, twice, and once more.