"Maybe it's because I just finished a self-play game and didn’t adjust my state in time. Even though I held back as much as possible…"
Yu Shao stared silently at the board, a faint regret welling in his heart.
For low-level players, unless it was a competitive match, high-level players like him generally wouldn’t give it their all.
It was similar to how some elite Go dojos prohibit their aspiring professionals from competing in amateur tournaments, even if these players hadn’t yet become professionals.
Going all out might crush the growth of aspiring players.
During his earlier games with Zheng Qin, Yu Shao hadn’t played seriously for this exact reason.
In this match, he still held back, but Xu Zijin had played impressively. She guided the game into a complicated entanglement and delivered a series of sharp moves.
As a result, faced with her aggressive white stones in that intricate situation, Yu Shao had no choice but to respond with fiercer tactics. This led to a crushing defeat for her white stones.
"You’re already playing really well."
Yu Shao spoke softly.
He meant it. In his view, Xu Zijin's skill level was slightly below Zheng Qin's but still among the best for amateur players.
Yet, Xu Zijin didn’t respond. She kept her head down, her hair obscuring her face, making it impossible to read her expression.
She sat motionless in her chair, silent.
Seeing this, Yu Shao sighed quietly and began cleaning up the Go pieces himself.
Before long, he finished, looked up at Chen Jiaming, and said, "Mr. Chen, it’s about time. Can I leave now?"
"Huh? Oh, yes, of course."
Chen Jiaming snapped out of his daze, nodded, and said, "But won’t you have dinner? The school cafeteria should be serving by now. You could eat there before heading out."
"I’ll pass today," Yu Shao shook his head. Not knowing how to face Xu Zijin, he added, "I’ll grab something on my way home."
With that, he slung his backpack over his shoulders and fled the activity room as though escaping.
The room fell silent once more.
Xu Zijin still sat with her head bowed.
"Xu Zijin... are you okay?"
After a moment of hesitation, Chen Jiaming couldn’t help but ask in a concerned tone.
Xu Zijin didn’t reply, as if she hadn’t heard him.
Chen Jiaming was about to continue when he noticed something and abruptly froze, closing his mouth.
Xu Zijin’s body was trembling slightly.
Though the motion was subtle, Chen Jiaming caught it.
After a brief silence, Chen Jiaming turned to Zhong Yufei and said, "Let’s give her some space."
Zhong Yufei, now coming back to his senses, nodded instinctively and followed Chen Jiaming out of the room.
Once outside, Zhong Yufei exhaled a long breath, patting his chest. "Yu Shao’s skill... it’s just... unbelievable."
He struggled to find words to describe his thoughts.
After a pause, Zhong Yufei added, "Although Xu Zijin lost, her skill is impressive too. With both Yu Shao and Xu Zijin, we’re bound to dominate this year’s High School Go League!"
"Compared to them, I’m just... so weak it’s almost embarrassing." Zhong Yufei shook his head with a sigh.
Chen Jiaming was quiet for a moment before saying, "Then you should play more games with Yu Shao. It’d probably help you improve."
Zhong Yufei was stunned and immediately shook his head like a rattle drum. "No way, Mr. Chen. Even if playing with him helps improve my skills...
"My confidence would be utterly crushed."
As the school bell rang, signaling the end of class, the Chinese teacher assigned homework and hurriedly left. The classroom erupted into chatter.
Thinking about his visit to the activity room later, Yu Shao felt a headache coming on.
"Zhou De, where’s your Introduction to Go: 38 Lessons? Lend it to me. I’ll return it tomorrow." Yu Shao turned to Zhou De.
While packing his bag, Zhou De asked curiously, "Why do you need a beginner’s book on Go?"
"It should have some game records. I need to study them later."
Yu Shao explained briefly, then gave Zhou De a sideways glance. "Didn’t you swear to learn Go? What’s this? Gave up already? Classic you, Old Zhou."
"I’m a genius, okay? Genius!"
Zhou De smirked and pulled a copy of Go Opening Patterns Explained from his desk. "I’ve skipped the beginner phase. The basics are easy for me, and I’m already diving into opening patterns!"
Yu Shao sucked in a breath, skeptical. "Really?"
Zhou De grinned smugly. "Liberties, life and death, capturing stones, real eyes, false eyes—it’s all simple stuff. Child’s play! I, the Shen Yi of Jiangling, am no ordinary talent!"
Yu Shao asked, "Can you solve the life-and-death problems in the book?"
Zhou De’s confidence faltered as he hastily backpedaled. "Life-and-death problems? I’ll get them eventually. I’ll master the openings first, then tackle those."
"Hand me the book. I’ll return it tomorrow."
Not wanting to waste words, Yu Shao grabbed Go Opening Patterns Explained from Zhou De.
"Is this how you borrow books? So bossy!"
Zhou De grumbled, then suddenly brightened. "Hey, Yu Shao, can I join you in the activity room?"
Yu Shao glanced at Zhou De and asked, "Are you after Xu Zijin?"
Zhou De denied it flatly. "Really, I’m not! I just want to learn Go! Look, I’ve already grasped the basics. I just need someone to play with. I want to improve!"
Yu Shao stared at Zhou De intently, as if seeing through him.
"Okay, maybe a little."
Zhou De finally admitted. "But hey, what guy in school isn’t interested in Xu Zijin? At most, I’d just steal a few glances. Besides, I really do need someone to play with. I just started; I can’t exactly waltz into a Go club, can I?"
After some thought, Yu Shao decided it wouldn’t hurt to bring Zhou De along. Watching him fumble could be entertaining. "Alright, come with me. When Mr. Chen arrives, I’ll ask him. It should be fine."
Zhou De hugged Yu Shao excitedly.