"If you can't win, just try harder, cheer up," Yan Hua encouraged Qi Yu.
Qi Yu crouched on the ground, picking at Chen Xi's dragon scales.
Finally, Chen Xi, who had sat up, lightly patted Qi Yu's shoulder, transforming him back into his original form.
Chen Xi hugged the transformed dragon cub, Qi Yu, in his arms.
His dragon tail coiled around Si Qing, who was trying to escape, transforming him back into his original form as well. Then, Chen Xi bundled them both up and held them close.
After picking them up, he continued to sit on the ground, kicking his legs in protest.
Qi Yu stretched out his claws, trying to wriggle out of his embrace. "I told you I couldn't win, Master, why didn't you intervene? Ah, Lord Chen Xi, your tears are getting on my head!"
Qi Yu yelped and struggled.
But before long, he was pressed back into Chen Xi's embrace.
An Nuo and Shao Feng were discussing the celebratory banquet. They walked over while talking and saw this scene.
"Daddy!" Qi Yu stretched out his claws towards Shao Feng and An Nuo.
"Mommy!" Si Qing reached for An Nuo.
But they were held so tightly that they couldn't break free.
Cornered, Si Qing even tried to bite Chen Xi, but the dragon scales were too thick, and he couldn't bite through.
"Hahahaha," Shao Feng laughed heartlessly at the sight, then playfully pinched Qi Yu and Si Qing's claws as he leaned in.
"Save me, I can't get out!" Qi Yu strained with all his might.
"Alas, I can't help you," An Nuo crouched down and pinched Qi Yu's nose.
Qi Yu looked utterly dejected, sprawled out like a salted fish.
Seeing that Chen Xi had been crying for half an hour and still wasn't getting up, Yan Hua finally surrendered. "Alright, alright, I admit I didn't make that move just now. Let's continue."
As he spoke, he pulled Qi Yu and Si Qing, these two salted fish dragon cubs, out of Chen Xi's embrace. "As for these two, just let them go. Look at how you've tormented the children; they don't even look like dragons anymore."
"If they don't look like dragons, then what do they look like?" Qi Yu asked listlessly, lying limply in a heap.
Si Qing stared at Yan Hua. "Master, Elder Sister already said that we're no match for Lord Chen Xi."
"Tsk, you two are too slow; he can't even beat him," Yan Hua said with disdain, piling Qi Yu and Si Qing into Shao Feng and An Nuo's arms. Then he turned back to continue playing chess with Chen Xi.
Chen Xi's next move would ruin three moves, and even then, he might not win.
Every time Yan Hua played chess with him, he had to flood the board to barely prevent Chen Xi from losing too embarrassingly.
Jin Yan walked over and happened to see this scene. Seeing Yan Hua habitually retracting his chess piece to let Chen Xi take back a move, he couldn't help but scoff, "Chen Xi, if you can't play chess, don't. How can you get more addicted the worse you are?"
"Who knows?" Yu Yuan stood on the other side, observing the game. "You've already lost this badly, and Yan Hua is practically giving you his entire base camp to let you win, yet you still don't know how to play."
Chen Xi was so angered by the two of them that smoke seemed to rise from him. "Stop talking, stop talking, I'm almost winning!"
"My heavens, with this board, if you still can't win, then you're truly useless," Jin Yan said, looking astonished.
Look at the situation of the game.
No, one could even call it a situation anymore.
It was entirely Yan Hua subtly guiding Chen Xi on how to beat him, while Chen Xi stubbornly chose the unconventional path, not wanting to win.
Yan Hua propped his chin on one hand and had already started reading a book while playing chess.
Qi Yu and Si Qing were held by An Nuo and Shao Feng, watching the game and criticizing Chen Xi:
"Lord Chen Xi, you're too bad! Play there, this is a dead end!"
"Lord Chen Xi, why don't we play a different game? Playing this is bad for your health."
Chen Xi blinked and looked back in confusion. "Why is playing chess bad for your health?"
"It's stressful!" Qi Yu buried his head in An Nuo's embrace. "Watching you makes me want to go down and play for you."
Hearing this, Chen Xi rolled his eyes.
Yan Hua finished reading for a while and looked back, realizing his game wasn't over yet. Chen Xi was still struggling. He finally couldn't stand it, snatched the chess pieces, and made a few moves. Then he stood up and congratulated Chen Xi.
"Alright, alright, you win. You're so good, so amazing. You can go play something else now."
Qi Yu and Si Qing next to them almost burst out laughing.
Chen Xi: "..."
I feel insulted.