Huangfu Jue undid the buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves, his right hand gripping the polo mallet.
"Playing a game before eating won’t be too late."
"I can wait for you to finish eating before we compete."
Across from him, the little one also spoke up sensibly.
Gazing at his adorable little face, Huangfu Jue turned to look at Gan Yuan, who watched him with concern, and his heart softened for a moment.
"One goal to determine the winner, that should be acceptable, right?"
This statement was surprisingly in the form of a question.
The man who was usually domineering and assertive, never taking no for an answer, since when did he ever ask for others’ opinions? It had always been him deciding what to do.
Such a gentle inquiry was truly rare.
"Fine then!" Gan Yuan could only smile and step back, "Just one goal."
"Then I’m serving, Uncle Huangfu, you must be careful," the little one reminded as he gripped the mallet tightly.
"Hit the center of the ball slightly off to the sides to make it spin, and what you get is a curved shot..." Huangfu Jue smiled, standing in place as he instructed, "The direction and the curve of the shot depend on the degree of deviation to the left or right."
The little one listened intently to his explanation, looked at the mallet in his hands, then at the ball on the ground, thought for a while, and then swung the polo mallet down with force.
The ball flew out, tracing a small arc in midair.
He had grasped the mystery of it; it was just that he still needed practice when it came to actual execution.
Huangfu Jue exclaimed with praise, then stepped forward, running to intercept the ball, "Pay attention to the angle of the ball, judge the correct direction... Yes... that’s right... here I come..."
He strode towards the ball, chasing it down, and Gan Tang also ran over.
One walking, the other running, their speeds were not much different; because Gan Tang was closer, he reached the ball first, immediately swinging his mallet, sending the ball flying out again, heading straight for Huangfu Jue’s goal.
Watching the ball fly past the goal, Huangfu Jue slowed down and raised his left hand.
"1:0, Team Gan Tang, wins!"
The servants cheered, and Gan Tang ran towards him.
"Thank you, Uncle Huangfu!"
Two large hands reached down, picked the little one up from the ground, and Huangfu Jue smiled as he helped him pat off the grass clippings on his knees.
"No need for politeness."
"Let’s go eat," Gan Yuan approached, wiping the sweat off the little one’s forehead with a towel, "Xiaotang, come down now, your uncle has been busy all day and is very tired."
The little one agreed and made to slide down, but Huangfu Jue gently pushed him up.
"It’s alright, I’m not tired."
"Don’t hold onto your uncle too much, too; let him save some energy!" Gan Yuan said softly from the side.
He had often seen other children being held by their fathers on the street, and he actually envied it a lot.
It was just that, due to his proud nature, he didn’t like to express himself proactively; with Gan Yuan suggesting it, he certainly wouldn’t hesitate any longer.
The little one responded, and immediately stretched his small arms around Huangfu Jue’s neck, leaning on his shoulder.
Enjoying the comfort and warmth of the man’s embrace, he quietly asked,
"Uncle Huangfu, have you also been a Polo Player?"
"Yeah. In high school."
"How long did it take you to get to your current level?"
"About... three months, I guess!"
"That’s amazing!" The little one looked up at him incredulously, "How did you do it?"
"There are no shortcuts." Huangfu Jue smiled and stroked his little face, "Just work hard, back then, we were preparing for a competition, but now you can take your time."