Chapter 475: Chapter 393: Is the Birth Mother Indifferent like a Chrysanthemum? The Young Miss Turns the Tables with a Reckless Move 33
While preparing various ingredients in the kitchen for the upcoming meal, Wang Ma kept peering out, occasionally glancing at the living room. She was observing the dynamics between Xie Yanshang and Su Zhiruan, evaluating the situation in her mind.
When she saw Su Zhiruan sleeping on the couch and Xie Yanshang setting aside his work, watching her intently,
Wang Ma suspected something. Seizing a moment of leisure amidst her busyness, she took out her phone and sent a message to someone else.
Quickly and guiltily, she peeped around and pocketed her phone, then went back to preparing the meal.
All of this went unnoticed by Su Zhiruan and Xie Yanshang.
Xie Yanshang, perhaps conscious that he had been looking at Su Zhiruan for too long, averted his gaze and returned to his work.
Somehow, his work suddenly lost its appeal. While he had been proficient at it, self-doubt about his recent behavior distracted and preoccupied him.
A task that was nearly finished now felt impossible to attend to.
Xie Yanshang was a decisive man; realizing his attention was not on his work, he simply put it aside, closed his laptop, and placed it to one side.
He then went upstairs, intent on finding a suitable room for Su Zhiruan.
In the living room, only Su Zhiruan remained asleep.
Wang Ma continued to prepare the ingredients in the kitchen, cooking with two other helpers.
When Su Zhiruan woke up again, the faint scent of food wafted in the air. Upon opening her eyes, she saw Wang Ma carefully placing dishes on the dining table and covering them with lids.
Besides Wang Ma, there were two other assistants in the kitchen; they were all servants of the Xie Family, with Xie Yanshang sitting across from Su Zhiruan.
His back was toward Su Zhiruan, and even from his silhouette, she could tell he was focused.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Xie, I can’t believe I fell asleep,” Su Zhiruan apologized softly after rubbing her eyes and straightening her somewhat creased clothes before standing up.
It was indeed somewhat embarrassing to have fallen asleep while visiting someone else’s home.
As Su Zhiruan approached, she noticed Xie Yanshang was playing chess by himself.
On his own, he was playing both the black and white pieces.
The chessboard was in mid-battle; he was his own adversary.
On hearing her words, Xie Yanshang simply nodded slightly and, after looking at the chessboard before him, asked her in a calm voice, “Do you play chess?”
Su Zhiruan saw the chessboard and nodded, “A bit.”
“Your turn,” Xie Yanshang said, replacing the black piece he had been twisting between his fingers back into the box, then pushed the box to the other side, motioning for Su Zhiruan to take a seat.
Su Zhiruan didn’t decline Xie Yanshang’s invitation. She scrutinized the board, assessing the black pieces’ current situation. In the various worlds where she worked on tasks, she inevitably used chess as leisure; she had practiced and studied Go far longer than most people, making her a difficult opponent to beat.
But Xie Yanshang was no ordinary person.
Just by glancing at the game, she could tell his skills were exceptional.
Most people tend to have biases when playing chess, especially against themselves, but he was different. Each move he made was a direct assault on the other side.
After a moment’s consideration, Su Zhiruan placed a black piece on an inconspicuous spot on the board.
Xie Yanshang looked at where she had placed her piece and nodded imperceptibly.
That was the exact spot he had contemplated playing moments ago.
The two fell silent, engaging in an exchange of chess prowess.
It might have been mutual recognition between heroes, or perhaps it was the revelation of their characters and styles through the game.
Xie Yanshang’s initial intention was to keep Su Zhiruan company, ensuring she didn’t feel alone by playing chess with her. Even if her skills were lacking, he intended to prolong the match to spare her any awkwardness.
But as they played, Xie Yanshang found himself getting serious about the game.
“Miss Su is quite impressive,” Xie Yanshang complimented sincerely after Su Zhiruan made a move that significantly changed the tide of the game; he felt fortunate to encounter such a worthy opponent, finding the experience gratifying.
“Dr. Xie is even more impressive; you play exceptionally well!” Su Zhiruan said with a smile as she played her move, looking at him.