With that in mind, Ye Xunzhi stepped straight in front of Nie Chu:
"I'll bet with you, but I want to add a condition. If your nephew loses, you have to officially announce on Weibo that you're not as good as my brother, and you can never delete it."
Nie Chu almost laughed at this windfall falling into his lap:
"Fine, but the same goes for you. If you lose, you have to get your brother to post that he's not as good as me."
Ye Xunzhi paused at that condition and turned to look at Ye Lan. How could he possibly not support his own little sister?
"Of course I can do that too."
Old Master Jiang had only come out to earn some extra cash because he was bored at home. He hadn't expected to stumble across such an interesting turn of events.
His interest piqued for once, he slapped his thigh. "All right, I won't need this board for my game anymore. Whoever wins in the end can take these 1,000 yuan."
An Yuan said, "I have no objections."
Nie Chu smiled with particular confidence. Other people might not know, but how could he not?
His nephew usually kept a low profile, but he had actually won international junior championships in both Go and Chinese chess. His future was limitless.
Using a bathroom trip as an excuse, Ye Lan hauled Ye Xunzhi outside. The two crouched in a corner and lowered their voices:
"Little sister, how confident are you?"
Ye Xunzhi's face was full of resolve. "Don't worry, Second Brother. Just leave it to me. I don't have even a ten percent chance, but that's exactly what decides who wins between us. Someone with nothing to lose has nothing to fear!"
That astounding twist nearly threw Ye Lan's back out.
"At a time like this? Cut the dark jokes."
"Fine. One hundred percent."
[Why doesn't anyone like hearing the truth these days? Nie Chu's nephew has won international championships. If I could beat him, I'd be the one winning international championships.]
[But I'd better not tell Second Brother, or he'll definitely despair.]
Ye Lan fell into utter despair. His brain must have been smeared with shit just now for him to fight over his pride.
The two returned to the private room, and Ye Xunzhi and An Yuan sat across from each other at the board.
The two adults beside them seemed to inhabit different worlds.
Nie Chu positively beamed.
Ye Lan was already in the process of notifying his manager of this disastrous news.
Nobody in the livestream had expected things to develop this far.
[Seriously? Are they really starting? With stakes this high? Either of those two luxury endorsements alone must be worth millions, right?!]
[More than that. These are international luxury brands. Tens of millions is standard. Is this the confidence of big stars? I can't watch.]
[How did I never notice how reckless Ye Lan was before? His opponent is an international champion in both Go and Chinese chess, and he just sent his sister in like that?!]
[One correction: Little Sister Little Xun volunteered herself. But she's carrying an astronomical endorsement on her head. If it were me, I'd already be shaking.]
[Just a passerby, but aren't today's top stars way too arrogant? Putting brand endorsements like these on two little brats? What do they know? They probably think it's playing house and don't even understand the cost.]
The instant this idiotic comment appeared, fans from both sides piled on. If they wanted to let their nephew or sister play, what fucking business was it of yours?
An Yuan looked up without blinking. Considering himself the more experienced one in this area, he raised his hand and said:
"Since this is a wager between us, I'll leave the choice to you. Tell me what board game you want to play. I'll take you on in anything."
Ye Xunzhi smiled. "Then don't regret it. I want to play five-in-a-row."
Everyone: "..."
[What the hell? Five-in-a-row?]
[Wow. You really delivered the most cowardly words in the fiercest tone.]
[And here I was getting nervous all this time. Why does this feel as pointless as taking your pants off to fart?]
Even the usually composed An Yuan struggled to keep his expression steady. "Five-in-a-row?"
"Yep." Ye Xunzhi sounded confident despite having little justification. "Do I look like someone who enjoys making life miserable for herself? Of course I'm going to choose something that isn't your strong suit."
Ye Xunzhi felt not a shred of shame about backing down when she couldn't win.
Five-in-a-row didn't involve that many techniques. It relied purely on intelligence, making it perfect for someone with no technical skills like Ye Xunzhi.
"Just tell me whether five-in-a-row is a board game."
An Yuan gritted his teeth a little. "It is, but you still won't win."
Their wager officially began, in a best-of-three format.
In the livestream-
[Wait, are they really just starting like this? With stakes this high... in five-in-a-row!]
[From this moment on, the lives of two top stars are riding on a BabyBus. Let's observe a moment of silence for them.]
Nie Chu was utterly bewildered. He turned his head in disbelief. "Ye Lan, your sister is actually this shameless."
Ye Lan, equally stunned by this outrageous maneuver, immediately straightened his back and gave him a disdainful glance:
"Yep, she doesn't want her shame anymore. You can have it. You don't have any, anyway."
Nie Chu choked, then snorted. "Keep talking tough. My nephew is an all-rounder on the board. I suggest you use this time to hurry up and draft your concession post on Weibo."
Ye Lan walked behind Ye Xunzhi with a look of distaste. "Stay away from me. I have a phobia of morons. They scare me."
Nie Chu's face turned green.
Under the cameras' gaze, the two sat at the board. It was clearly five-in-a-row, yet they played with the force of vast armies.
An Yuan keenly sensed that something was wrong. At the beginning, he could clearly feel Ye Xunzhi's inexperience and difficulty, so their progress was very slow.
But gradually, he noticed the pace picking up. Ye Xunzhi went from hesitating over her moves at first to placing her stones decisively later on, as though...
She was gradually adapting to his style!
The first game ended with An Yuan winning narrowly by a single stone.
The live comments filled with wails. Nie Chu's grin nearly stretched to his ears, while Ye Lan remained expressionless and silent.
Yet An Yuan, the winner, couldn't smile at all. He looked at the calm, unhurried Ye Xunzhi opposite him, who was openly filching Old Master Jiang's tea to drink right under the old man's gaze. A competitive fire gradually kindled in his eyes.
An Yuan said, "Next game."
Neither of the two older men waited for them to move. They had already started briskly clearing the stones themselves.
The second game began. Ye Xunzhi moved quickly, like the world's most meticulous machine that needed no thought. Almost as soon as An Yuan placed a stone, her white stone followed, pressing him at every step.
Every click against the board seemed to strike the strings of people's hearts.
Even the livestream comments thinned considerably.
[What do I do? I'm so nervous I could puke.]
[Folks, a friendly reminder: you can breathe in front of your screen.]
Ye Xunzhi won the second game.
The viewers behind the comments sucked in a breath.
[She really evened the score.]
[Great! Brother Ye is definitely winning this time. Fans of that beast, get ready for your master's official post admitting defeat!]
[You Ye fans shouldn't get cocky. We won't know who wins until the very end. Ye Xunzhi probably just got lucky.]
The third game began, and sweat started beading on An Yuan's forehead. The pressure of an opponent closing in at every step, like a sword hanging over his head, made even breathing a little difficult.
"Click." The crisp sound of a stone being placed decided the outcome of the game.
Ye Xunzhi calmly raised her head and smiled. "It doesn't really fit five-in-a-row, but I still want to say-"
"Checkmate."
An Yuan lowered his hand. "I lost."
Nie Chu stared at his nephew in disbelief and shrieked, "That's impossible!"
Ye Lan had been entirely focused on discussing the subsequent PR response with his manager. At that sudden shriek, he jerked his head up.
"Second Brother, I won!" Ye Xunzhi was overjoyed.
[Praise me! Praise me!]
Ye Lan froze for a few seconds before catching on, then excitedly scooped her up and spun her around once in the air:
"Holy shit, you really won! Baby, you're fucking amazing!"
Then, realizing he was too excited, he hurriedly added:
"Swearing has nothing to do with my manners. Those words just help express my emotions."
But nobody paid any attention to that remark anymore. For Ye Lan's fans, the entire livestream felt like New Year's.
[So cool, Little Sister Little Xun! You'll always be a god in my heart!]
[Folks, who gets it? That "checkmate" hit me right in the heart.]
[Woohoo! Be more confident. I'm going straight for "Hi, wifey."]
[Everyone in the comments, keep your underwear on. Little Sister Little Xun is still underage. Three years minimum, the death penalty maximum! So you understand, right... I'm not afraid to die. Let me!!!]
[Enemy upstairs, come fight!]
[...]
At this moment, Ye Xunzhi was going to reclaim everything she was owed for all the injustices she had once suffered:
"So next, let's discuss how you're going to make that post."
Ye Lan: hunting mode awakened.
Before you continue