"Yunhe, Cangliu, what did you see?" Bai Cha pointed at the two captured horses on the chessboard and glanced at Gu Mingze beside her. "You, shut up."
Gu Mingze immediately complied, blinking.
Initially, Bai Cha had only called Lucifer. Lucifer wasn't fond of lively occasions downstairs, only occasionally helping her with food and drinks or blocking wine during the peak of the revelry.
Thinking that they had finally had their fun, she decided to let them play for another three hours. Unexpectedly, Meng Qinghuan and Xiang Nan, anticipating that Bai Cha would "abuse" Lucifer, came to join the fun. They informed Yunhe and Cangliu in advance, who, also disliking noise, came over directly. Gu Mingze, being attached to Cangliu, followed.
"Does Miss mean I wasn't careful enough?" Yunhe pondered and seriously replied, "A horse, a lone piece, advanced deep into enemy territory, only to be blocked by a pawn."
"I overlooked Gu Mingze's role. He could have strengthened my position, but instead, I made him act as a detriment," Cangliu stated.
On the chessboard, Bai Cha's horse, accompanied by a pawn, advanced into the enemy's territory. In Bai Cha's hands, the pawn cleared the path and the horse moved forward. However, after Bai Cha switched the board and handed it to Lucifer, Lucifer, while evading Bai Cha's attack, inadvertently caused his pawn to block his horse's legs. Consequently, both pieces were immobilized.
"Not entirely," Bai Cha nodded. "Your individual skills are sufficient, but your overall strategic vision is lacking. I assigned Meng Qinghuan and Gu Mingze to you as support, yet you still haven't broken out of your old patterns."
Lucifer felt a pang of shame. No wonder Bai Cha hadn't attacked him with her chariot and cannons in the early stages, only keeping him at bay to prevent him from moving. Yet, she had still cornered him with two horses and a pawn. It was a risky move, and indeed, after the board was switched to him, he quickly made a mistake under Bai Cha's pressure.
At the same time, Lucifer clearly realized that while forcing him into a desperate situation, Bai Cha had also deliberately created vulnerabilities on her own board. This was intended to trap him after the board switch, and he had fallen right into Bai Cha's trap without the slightest suspicion and without hesitation.
Watching Lucifer's resigned and dispirited expression, Xiang Nan and Meng Qinghuan lowered their heads, struggling to contain their laughter until their sides ached. Their schadenfreude was beyond redemption.
Little did they know that when they had felt they were the best in the world, they had been similarly crushed by Bai Cha, leaving them utterly dejected. Although Lucifer maintained a facade of polite humility, his proud spirit was evident.
Indeed, it was abnormal for the foremost dragon demon not to have pride. However, since he was now in the Shadow and a subordinate, Bai Cha naturally had to temper his spirit and, at the same time, guide his overall strategic vision and thinking abilities.
"Chess requires not only intelligence but also experience. It's normal to lose when you're not familiar with it the first time. You've done quite well for your first attempt," Bai Cha said, resetting the chess pieces on the board. "Let's play again."
Downstairs, the earlier revelry had subsided into quiet, with a group of people sprawled on the floor, completely inebriated.
Upstairs, they were also sprawled on the floor. Lucifer, losing his composure for the first time, lay on the ground. However, his well-proportioned physique and handsome features made him pleasing to the eye even as he lay there, frowning and rubbing his temples.
It was the first time Lucifer had felt so exhausted. Despite not engaging in strenuous physical activity, he felt completely drained.
Yunhe and Cangliu beside him were not much better. What surprised Bai Cha was that Lucifer wasn't in the best condition; it was Cangliu.
Bai Cha didn't know if Cangliu understood her better or if his reaction time was inherently faster. When they played chess for the first time, Cangliu had already achieved what was expected after several hours of training.
On many occasions, Bai Cha had the illusion that she had already coached Cangliu many times.
Now, after a whole night, with three people sprawled on the floor, Meng Qinghuan had also succumbed and lay on the carpet, unwilling to move. Only Xiang Nan and Bai Cha were in a deadlock.
It wasn't that Cangliu and the others didn't want to get up and watch how the great players fought. It was that Xiang Nan had been contemplating his move for a full half-hour. They had lain on the floor, dozing, for a long time without hearing Xiang Nan make his next move.
Of course, Bai Cha's earlier suggestion to handicap them with chariots and cannons was out of the question. Both Meng Qinghuan and Xiang Nan were top-tier players. Even giving up a chariot would make it difficult for Bai Cha to guarantee a win.
After another two hours, Xiang Nan sighed, picked up a nearby teacup, and toasted Bai Cha. "Master is amazing."
This was a concession.
"It's been a long time since I heard you call me that," Bai Cha hummed lightly, a smile in her voice. "You played black. You lacked some luck, otherwise, a draw would have been possible."
With that, she surprisingly turned the chessboard around as she had before.
Meng Qinghuan and Xiang Nan were both stunned. Lucifer and the others' skills were insufficient, so it was understandable for Bai Cha to train them back and forth like this. But for Xiang Nan, a top player, to have the board changed mid-game, the difficulty of winning would be too great.
"Alright, you all can leave now." The group, their curiosity piqued and wanting to continue watching, didn't expect Bai Cha to dismiss them. "Go rest for a while. You're all on vacation for the next few days."
Everyone was a bit bewildered. This was the first time Bai Cha had coached someone without allowing others to observe. However, given Bai Cha's firm tone, they had no choice but to leave. As Lucifer closed the door, he left a small opening. The moment the door closed, he angled it subtly, just enough to faintly hear Xiang Nan's first words inside the room.
"Why."
Inside the room, Bai Cha smiled softly, pushed her teacup forward, her expression softening considerably. A faint smile played on her lips. "How much do you know?"
"I've vaguely sensed something," Xiang Nan replied truthfully.
"It's not the time yet," Bai Cha said, patting Xiang Nan's shoulder with a complex expression. She then stood up. "Since you understand my meaning, you should have realized that the current situation is not good. I've transferred Meng Qinghuan's spot as the second-in-line successor to you."
"Miss Bai?" Xiang Nan was somewhat surprised. Just as he was about to say something, Bai Cha silenced him with a finger against his lips.
An ordinary man, faced with such unparalleled beauty, would have been overcome with infatuation. But at this moment, Xiang Nan distinctly detected a trace of sadness.
"Your surname is Xiang. That's actually good," Bai Cha smiled. "Don't you think, perhaps, the surname Bai is a curse?"
Her words were cryptic. Xiang Nan lowered his gaze, unsure how to respond. He hadn't expected Bai Cha to directly pass on the succession rights to him; he had thought Meng Qinghuan would at least be second.
As soon as the door opened, Meng Qinghuan and the others were indeed still standing obediently at the doorway. They were likely trying to eavesdrop, but the room had excellent soundproofing, making it impossible to hear. Moreover, no one had expected Bai Cha to finish so quickly. They were caught off guard by the suddenly opened door.
"Do gentlemen eavesdrop?" Bai Cha teased, seemingly in a good mood.
"I was out of line, my Mistress," Lucifer replied without embarrassment, admitting it frankly. He performed a perfect gentleman's bow. "Which of us do you require for this mission?"
If it were a simple mission, he and Bai Cha would suffice. However, Bai Cha's intent to teach was evident, so Lucifer still needed to inquire about her wishes.
"We'll decide later. The Maple Forest Ghost Wall is merely a transition to the underwater secret realm; it's a necessary route. Clearing it out is a good thing," Bai Cha said. "For subsequent missions, we'll proceed with the usual team..."
"Then will Chacha bring me along?" a clear and melodious voice sounded nearby, like a gentle breeze rustling through wind chimes, pure and captivating.
Bai Cha blinked in surprise. Before she could react, a pink figure lunged towards her, pushing her onto the soft carpet. She nestled into Bai Cha's embrace like a small pink rabbit, nuzzling against her.
"Be careful," Bai Cha said with a smile, pushing herself up. Her slender fingers threaded through Freya's pink hair, letting Freya snuggle into her neck and act spoiled.
"Did Chacha get hurt?" Freya tilted her head up, her pink pupils glistening with a hint of grievance, the rest filled with slyness. She was clearly acting up, almost wantonly playing in an area that most people would avoid. It was obvious she was doing it on purpose.
She knew her Chacha would never get angry.
"What do you think?" As expected, Bai Cha showed no signs of anger, merely pinching Freya's earlobe with a hint of helplessness. "Tell me, what do you want?"
"Oh, Chacha hasn't paid attention to me in a while, so I want to play chess with Chacha too~"
Both of them were petite, and their positions on the carpet were quite a sight. Everyone, including Mo Ziye, who had followed them, was momentarily stunned. Recalling Freya's undisguised admission of her affection for Bai Cha, and seeing Bai Cha's doting demeanor, everyone fell into a moment of silence. Only Meng Qinghuan showed no surprise.
"Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai! I want some too!" Mo Ziye finally came to his senses and also joined them.
At least when Freya said she liked Xiao Bai, Mo Ziye had thought he was overthinking it. He had always believed his Xiao Bai was straight. But now, Mo Ziye was no longer sure and quickly squeezed in to vie for attention.
Bai Cha rubbed her temples, feeling a slight headache, but still stood up and rearranged the chessboard.
"Mo Ziye, you go first," Bai Cha waved her hand, signaling Mo Ziye to come over.
Mo Ziye immediately became excited.
Triumphant.
Happy.
Even if everyone else was present, Xiao Bai called him first!
However, a few minutes later, Mo Ziye couldn't smile anymore. In less than ten minutes, Mo Ziye had already lost five games.
Each game took two minutes, a first. Everyone else was suppressing their laughter. Except for Mo Ziye, everyone else understood that Bai Cha had called him first not because she valued him, but because Mo Ziye was time-efficient.
Mo Ziye and Lucifer were polar opposites. Lucifer was cautious, reluctant to have his pieces captured. Mo Ziye, on the other hand, completely disregarded his pieces being captured, or rather, he couldn't react in time.
Before the game could progress two moves, half of Mo Ziye's pieces were captured by Bai Cha. Usually, it was only after Bai Cha captured Mo Ziye's pieces that Mo Ziye would realize he had made a wrong move. Still unwilling to concede, Mo Ziye finally began to reflect and proceed cautiously after several games, but he was still quickly cornered by Bai Cha.
Watching Mo Ziye ponder over his dwindling pieces, Bai Cha stood up and took out another chessboard, resetting the pieces.
Freya immediately sat down happily and started a game with Bai Cha. Her playful expression softened into a more serious one, and she happily played with Bai Cha for two hours.
The result surprised everyone again.
One draw, one loss. The loss was Bai Cha's.
Freya was satisfied and, leaning on Bai Cha, laughed happily.
Anyone could tell that Bai Cha had done it on purpose.
Anyone could tell Freya was different.
"Don't come along for this mission, alright?" Bai Cha pinched Freya's little face and gently coaxed her. "Are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied, satisfied. Then I'll wait here for Chacha to return," Freya said, hugging Bai Cha's neck and acting spoiled. "Then Chacha, when you're done, will you pay attention to me~?"
Bai Cha sat on the floor, wrapping her arm around Freya's waist, a hint of twilight in her eyes. "Hmm, I'll go back with you after the World Championship."
This time, it was Freya's turn to be stunned. Her heart skipped a beat. This time, it wasn't infatuation, but rather a subconscious fear.
"...Really?" Kanshuge