Chapter 169 A divine move?

"Little thing , what were you thinking about just now when you entered the room?"

"You're the little thing!"

Ning Xi shrank her neck, tilting her body slightly. Her hands pressed against Ye Fan's chest. "You... don't get so close! We have an agreement, remember? No going overboard…"

By the time she finished speaking, her voice was barely audible.

Ye Fan shamelessly blinked, a smirk on his face. "Did you forget? Back at Zhai Ya Xuan, I clearly said that the agreement doesn't count today."

"You… you're cheating!"

Ning Xi's cheeks turned as red as ripe cherries, so vivid and enticing. When it came to arguments, she was no match for Ye Fan. She could only mumble a soft threat, "If you keep this up, I'll tell Auntie when she gets back… tell her you're bullying me!"

"Ahem!"

Ye Fan's expression turned strange, as if he were both smiling and not. "Xiao Xi, let me be honest with you. My mom would love that. She's…"

He trailed off, deciding not to continue. The rest was too soon for Ning Xi to hear.

There's a time and place for everything.

"You…"

"I'm an injured man here. Can't you cut me some slack?"

"…"

Ning Xi glared at Ye Fan, utterly exasperated. She could clearly see he was taking advantage of the situation, yet she was helpless.

When it came to strength, she was no match.

When it came to words, she was no match.

When it came to...

No matter what, she couldn't compete with Ye Fan.

It was infuriating!!!

"Stop fooling around!" Ning Xi huffed coquettishly.

Her soft and sweet tone tickled Ye Fan's heart, making it itch. Shameless as ever, he spread his arms wide. "To make up for the trauma my body suffered, I demand a hug of love."

"Get lost!"

"Got it."

Ning Xi huffed again and adjusted the strap of her dress. Bending over, she pulled out a Go board from under the coffee table. "You—play a game of Go with me."

She'd figured it out. If she didn't find something to keep Ye Fan occupied, he would definitely not stop messing around.

"Sure."

Ye Fan readily agreed to Ning Xi's suggestion. He got up and moved to sit opposite her, placing the books on the side of the coffee table near him. As he opened the Go set, he casually said, "Let's set the rule first—no resigning midway."

"Pfft—"

Ning Xi rolled her eyes, raising her small fist in mock determination. "Today, I will definitely beat you. Don't get too cocky!"

"Confidence is good, but overconfidence is dangerous."

Ye Fan slid the box of black stones toward Ning Xi and grinned. "No handicap. If you win even one game, I'll admit defeat!"

"…"

Ning Xi held her forehead, speechless.

No kidding! If she won, wouldn't it automatically mean Ye Fan lost?

"Click—"

A move to the star point in the lower left corner.

Faced with Ning Xi's aggressive start, Ye Fan responded with a relaxed and unhurried playstyle.

"Click—"

"Click—"

The two made their moves quickly, and in no time, over eighty moves were played.

As the board's layout became clearer, Ning Xi's pace slowed significantly. In the end, she began to think long and hard about every move. Her serious demeanor, with the soft light accentuating her features, made her look like a pearl glowing faintly, exuding a scholarly air.

Ye Fan had anticipated this. He pulled a book from his side and began flipping through its pages.

Multi-tasking?

No, no, no. That's too small-minded!

At this moment, Ye Fan was handling three tasks at once—reading to gain experience points, keeping an eye on the Go board, and occasionally admiring the lovely girl sitting opposite him.

The sunlight poured in, softened by the window, filling the room with a warm glow. The occasional crisp sound of stones being placed on the board echoed, creating a cozy atmosphere.

The game lasted nearly two hours and still wasn't finished.

"Completed reading. Experience points +40."

When Ye Fan heard the system notification in his mind, he closed the book quietly. Glancing at Ning Xi, who had her chin resting on her hands, staring blankly at the board, he couldn't help but smile.

"Xiao Xi, you're about to lose."

"No, I'm not!"

Ning Xi snapped out of her daze, stubbornly refuting. "The game isn't over yet, so we don't know who's winning. Don't be so full of yourself!"

She took a deep breath, picked up a black stone, and played a move to block the white stones in the lower-left corner. At this point, she was clearly at a disadvantage in this small corner. All she could do was try her best to salvage the situation.

But little did she know, her move fell right into Ye Fan's carefully set trap.

Ye Fan chuckled softly, picking up a white stone with his fingers.

"Click!"

A capturing move, taking all the black stones in the corner.

This single move crushed any hope of a comeback for the black stones.

"I…"

Ning Xi bit her lip and furrowed her brows, feeling utterly defeated.

How ruthless!

Did he really have to go that hard?

This jerk couldn't show her a little mercy?

"Take your time."

Ye Fan smiled warmly as he stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom. Hopefully, by the time I'm back, you'll have found a way to break this sure-kill setup. Good luck."

"Fine, I'll find a way!"

Ning Xi muttered, unwilling to give up. Deep down, she knew there was no chance, but she just couldn't stand Ye Fan's smug face.

As Ye Fan's footsteps echoed away, Ning Xi glanced at the bathroom door and huffed, muttering to herself, "Sure-kill move, huh? Who says I can't turn it around!"

With that, her hands began "rearranging" the board. Looking at her handiwork, she smiled proudly, thinking, "This should count as a miraculous move, right? It has to count!"

Either way, she didn't lose!!!

When Ye Fan returned and saw the chaotic state of the board, he was stunned.

"What happened here?"

He asked, then laughed immediately after.

There were only two people in the house—himself and Ning Xi. If it wasn't him, then it could only be…

What a miraculous move, indeed. Truly… impressive!

Ning Xi said nothing, merely wagging her left hand and huffing proudly, embodying the very essence of cuteness.

"Hahaha…"

Ye Fan burst into laughter. Honestly, he hadn't expected Ning Xi to pull such a stunt.

"What are you laughing at?"

Ning Xi's cheeks turned red as she crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Stop laughing!"

"Okay, okay, I'm not laughing."

Ye Fan suppressed his laughter, poured Ning Xi a glass of lemon water from the fridge, and began tidying up the board.

Ning Xi sipped her water in small gulps, occasionally sneaking glances at Ye Fan, her eyes sparkling with joy.

When she finished her drink, she helped him clean up the Go pieces. After everything was tidied up, she softly said, "Ye Fan, you're really talented at Go. You should consider becoming a professional player."

"That's not something I'm considering for now."