Having a seat in front of the old master was a special privilege.
It wasn’t surprising that Gu Kaichang was furious he had never been given such an honor.
Only on rare occasions, when he played a few good moves in chess, would Grandfather allow him to sit on a small stool.
So what was Gu Zhaoping doing now?
Did she think rules didn’t apply to her?
Did she just take a seat wherever she pleased?
No wonder her own fiancé despised her upbringing.
“Gu Zhaoping, what do you think you’re doing?”
Gu Kaichang frowned, unwilling to even touch her, and looked down at her from above.
“Stand up.”
Finally, his voice broke the quiet concentration at the chess table.
Both players looked up, their expressions different.
Gu Kaichang frowned even more.
Even though he was from the second branch of the family, he was close in age to Gu Zhaoping.
They had always interacted as equals.
In fact, he had always felt that he had a certain authority over her, like he was supposed to keep her in check.
He knocked on the edge of the chess table with his fingers.
“I told you to stand up.
Didn’t you hear me?”
He scowled.
“In front of Grandfather, do you think you have the right to sit?”
As the de facto “eldest son” of their generation, Gu Kaichang believed it was his responsibility to keep the younger members in line.
When they stepped out of bounds, it was his duty to give them a warning a knock on the table, a quiet cough.
That subtle dominance, where people immediately got the message and corrected themselves, was a satisfying feeling.
It made him look authoritative while still acting as a leader.
Gu Kaichang didn’t even bother to check Gu Zhaoping’s reaction.
Her presence wasn’t important.
Turning instead to the old master, he spoke in a warm, respectful tone.
“Grandfather, Yingjie and I are here to keep you company.
Don’t worry, with us here, you won’t be bored today ”
Old Master Gu reached for something behind him.
It was as if he hadn’t heard a single word.
Gu Kaichang hesitated, feeling a flicker of awkwardness, but he chose to remain composed.
Slowly, he retracted the hand that had been resting on the chess table.
But just as he did
A gust of wind brushed past his face.
And then, a sharp, stinging pain exploded against his skin.
SMACK!
Old Master Gu had picked up a fly swatter and slapped him across the face.
The swatter was solid, made of soft silicone, brightly colored like a child’s toy.
Gu Kaichang was completely stunned.
His head jerked to the side.
A second later, the burning pain registered hot and searing.
Clutching his cheek, he barely dared to touch the sore area.
His voice, high pitched from disbelief, cracked as he shouted.
“Grandfather?!”
There weren’t even any mosquitoes or flies here.
The old master thought the environment felt too artificial, so he had some bugs deliberately kept around for entertainment.
He would often pass the time swatting them.
Like an old man strolling through a park with his trusty cane, he always had his fly swatter with him.
And now, without hesitation, he had left a bright red imprint on his “eldest grandson.”
Annoyed, he shoved Gu Kaichang aside.
“Get lost.
I’m playing chess with your sister.
Who said you get a say?”
“You think you’re in charge here?
Who else is playing chess with me except her?”
The old master’s commanding presence bore down upon him.
Gu Kaichang was left completely speechless, his entire mind in turmoil.
He was almost thirty years old how could he still be beaten like this?
Why wasn’t it Zhaoping getting hit?!
Old Master Gu tossed the fly swatter aside and didn’t even glance at his two grandsons.
Instead, he focused back on the chessboard.
He was still in shock.
His hands were shaking.
Zhaoping’s level was too high.
Even now, he couldn’t fully comprehend her moves.
Gu Kaichang was too noisy.
Who had invited him here anyway?
He was disrupting the game!
Finally, the realization sank in.
Gu Kaichang stood there, utterly dumbfounded.
His mind was blank as he stared at the chessboard.
This was the most humiliating moment of his life.
No matter how much he tried to rationalize it, he couldn’t understand.
Why was the old master still allowing Zhaoping to stay?
What was going on?
Wait…
Did he just say he was playing chess with her?
The board was already deep into an endgame.
From what he knew about chess studied only to please his grandfather
Zhaoping was winning.
Gu Kaichang’s pupils shrank.
Zhaoping?
How does she even know how to play chess?
Did she have the patience for it?
Every time she visited Grandfather, she was either scrolling on her phone, taking selfies, or gossiping with high society wives and daughters.
When had she ever shown the focus to study something as complex as chess?
It had always been the men of the family gathered around the board.
Gu Zhaoye and Gu Yingjie were the strongest players.
He and Gu Zhaosi were slightly weaker.
But there was no way Zhaoping
No, even if she could play, let’s say for the sake of argument
How was she winning?
Even they weren’t as good as Grandfather!
How could she be better than him?
For the first time in his life, Gu Kaichang truly looked at Zhaoping.
Just then, she let out a quiet chuckle.
That tiny sound alone was enough to pull everyone’s attention toward her.
She didn’t seem affected by this little interruption.
She remained completely composed.
Then, with a small push, she moved her final piece.
“Grandfather, checkmate.”
Gu Kaichang’s eyes widened in shock.
His breath caught in his throat.
She won?
Impossible.
Completely insane.
He wasn’t delusional!
Grandfather had lost?
Old Master Gu sat down heavily.
He had resisted for as long as he could, but in the end, he had been defeated.
Staring at Zhaoping, he suddenly realized
He had underestimated her far too much.
“Zhaoping…
When did you learn chess?”
He no longer cared about losing.
His voice carried a newfound curiosity.
“In high school,” Zhaoping answered with a soft smile.
“I was bored.
I studied different strategies in my free time.”
Gu Kaichang felt like someone had just shoved a mouthful of dirt down his throat.
His face twisted in disgust.
Bored?
She had the patience for that?
Everyone knew what she was like in high school.
Makeup, dating, shopping
She was the last person who would sit down and study chess.
Free time?
Did she even attend class?
Wait.
A cold feeling crept up his spine.
Had she been planning this since then?
Was she deliberately currying favor with Grandfather all along?
How scheming could she be?
Seeing the old master, for the first time, eagerly pulling Gu Zhaoping into the house, Gu Kaichang’s emotions surged to his head.
Without thinking, he grabbed her wrist.
“Wait!”
Both she and the old master stopped.
They frowned, clearly irritated by his abrupt action.
Gu Kaichang swallowed, tightening his grip.
Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “Gu Zhaoping, if you’ve known how to play chess all this time, why didn’t you accompany Grandfather earlier?
Did you never think about honoring him?”
A crime could always be fabricated if one wanted to convict someone.
Gu Zhaoping raised an eyebrow slightly and merely smiled.
Her gaze lowered not just tolerant, but condescending.
“Oh, that’s because international chess has always been an activity for men, hasn’t it?”
Her tone was light, unconcerned, as if merely stating a fact.
She was simply handing back to him the very logic he had tried to impose on her earlier.
Yet her words struck like knives, making both Gu Kaichang and Gu Yingjie’s faces darken as if they had just seen a ghost.
Their chests felt stifled.
They had played for years and never once beaten Grandfather.
Why did her words have to be so sharp?
Even Old Master Gu was momentarily stunned.
Then, somewhat awkwardly, he turned back and muttered, “Well, that’s because you lot were always hogging the board.
How was she supposed to join?
And do you think she would want to waste time playing against you bunch of rookies?”
“Zhaoping, come.
Grandfather won’t play with them anymore.
You come play with me instead.”
“Our Gu family has you.
You are the pride of the Gu family!”
Gu Zhaoping moved her wrist slightly and effortlessly shook off Gu Kaichang’s grip.
She dusted off her sleeve lightly and followed the old master inside.
Leaving behind Gu Kaichang with a crisp red handprint on his face and Gu Yingjie with a complexion like iron.
For the first time in their lives
They had lost to Gu Zhaoping.
Old Master Gu was so excited that his hands trembled as he walked, dialing a number.
“Old Qi!
Get over here, quick!
My granddaughter is incredible she’s a chess prodigy!”
“What ranking, you ask?
Oh, don’t nitpick!
She’s not a professional, she’s just talented.
You’re being too pedantic!
We all know you’re a FIDE Master, nearly an International Master
But aren’t you embarrassed to challenge a kid?”
Hanging up, Old Master Gu turned to his granddaughter, his voice still shaking.
“That old guy got riled up.
He’s coming right away to play a game.”
Gu Zhaoping just smiled and sat down.
“Alright.
I don’t mind.”
Old Master Gu nodded and reassured her.
“Don’t worry.
If he bullies a kid, he’s shameless.
I’ll spit on him for it.”
Again, she smiled, but her tone was surprisingly serious.
“I don’t mind.”
Old Master Gu blinked.
Looking at his granddaughter, her expression and demeanor completely different from before, he suddenly felt something strange.
She no longer looked like the reckless, arrogant Zhaoping of the past.
Instead, she resembled a seasoned business executive calm, composed, emotionally steady.
Muttering to himself about how odd it was, he was just about to probe further when she finally redirected the conversation to the real topic of the day.
“Grandfather, about Four Seasons of the Wealthy who from our family is participating?”
Only then did Old Master Gu remember.
The show had been approved with his consent.
It was meant to showcase the elegance of prestigious families and preserve their legacy.
The Gu family’s reputation wasn’t the best.
If they wanted to advance in society, improving their public image was crucial, so he had allowed it without much concern.
He frowned slightly.
“Zhaoye.
And…
You, I suppose.”
He hadn’t intended to include her at first.
Originally, the main focus was on Gu Zhaoye.
As the eldest son of the main branch, he held a significant role in the family business and had a respectable public image.
He was the perfect candidate to represent the Gu family.
Not to mention, his little girlfriend, Ruan Nian, had excellent public appeal.
For families like theirs, loyalty in marriage wasn’t the priority public influence was.
Fang Yining might be his fiancée, but since their engagement wasn’t publicly announced, netizens didn’t know about it.
So why not let Ruan Nian play the role of his public girlfriend?
A widely admired romance would only boost their reputation.
But adding Gu Zhaoping to the show
This was his first time making such a decision.
Gu Zhaoping nodded.
That was all she needed to hear.
Her trip here had not been wasted.
“Alright, Grandfather.
I’ll meet with the director this weekend.”
Her system’s task was to appear on this show.
It was likely meant for her to present the refined elegance of a century old elite family.
She needed to prepare accordingly.
Old Master Gu chuckled at her serious attitude and asked casually, “Why not tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is a workday.
I have to go to the company.”
Her tone was straightforward.
Old Master Gu choked on his words.
She…?
Going to work?
Was she joking?
Everyone knew she was just a troublemaker.
She had been given a meaningless position in a peripheral department because no one expected her to show up.
Was this some kind of joke?
Had Zhaoping really turned over a new leaf?
For a moment, he almost reached out to feel her forehead for a fever
But he held back.
She was a chess genius now.
He needed to give her proper respect and understanding.
With a solemn nod, he said,
“Good.
If you can really go to work, Grandfather will be very pleased
Ah, Old Qi is here!
Quick, go crush him!”
Going to work was a daily thing.
She never took leave.
Gu Zhaoping merely smiled.
Grandfather would have plenty of chances to be “pleased” in the future.
It would become routine.
But for now, the challenger had arrived, so she wouldn’t say more.
Old Master Qi strode in, wearing a traditional Tang suit, carrying his own chess set in a sleek box.
Storming into the room, he boomed,
“Who?
Who’s the genius?”
Seated at the table, Gu Zhaoping raised her head slightly and nodded.
“Pleasure to play.”
Master Qi’s eyes widened.
He recognized her.
For a second, he nearly backed away in shock.
Then he turned to Old Master Gu, eyes burning with disbelief.
“You’re telling me this troublemaking granddaughter of yours is the one I’m playing against?
Are you messing with me?!”
But Old Master Gu was brimming with excitement.
“Qi, just watch.
My granddaughter is incredible!
She’s going to give you a tough match!”
Master Qi hesitated, still unconvinced.
But eventually, he took his seat.
Gu Zhaoping, as calm as ever, quietly arranged the pieces while listening to their exchange.
The board was set.
“Please.”
“I’m a certified FIDE Master.
Girl, if you think my playstyle is too aggressive
Well, I won’t hold back.”
Master Qi smirked.
“I’ve been studying a famous endgame recently.
I’ve come up with an almost perfect solution.
If I use it, don’t start crying.”
Hearing this, Gu Zhaoping’s expression turned slightly amused.
But she remained composed.
“Alright.”
Something about her unwavering attitude unsettled Master Qi.
Still skeptical, he made his opening move.
Old Master Gu held his breath.
Gu Zhaoping remained completely steady.
Master Qi, however, was not.
At first, his small eyes widened slightly.
Then, they grew even larger.
His eyelids twitched.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
His fingers trembled over the board.
For the first time, he considered resigning.
Old Master Gu, unable to follow the game anymore, turned to him in confusion.
Master Qi, drenched in cold sweat, hunched forward and whispered,
“Girl, tell me the truth
You’re not actually a professional player?”
Gu Zhaoping smiled faintly.
“No.”
“Then how how do you know this endgame so well ”
She sighed and clarified,
“This endgame has only one correct solution.
I just happen to be familiar with it.”
A polite pause.
“Because I created this solution when I was sixteen.”
Silence.
The sound of two elderly men’s blood pressure skyrocketing.