Chapter Fifty-Nine: Brother-in-law, Are You Really Up to It?

"Puhahaha... Doggie is so wicked, brother-in-law is about to blow a fuse."
"Come on, brother-in-law, tame this little demon."
The streaming chat was awash with laughter, while Yang Xiaofan gritted his teeth in silent frustration.

He took a deep breath, constantly reminding himself—this was his sister-in-law, he couldn't hit her. It took quite a while before he managed to calm himself.

"I'll let it go this time. But if it happens again, you’d better watch out," he warned.

"Choked~!"
Qin Nuanxin gave a mock salute, her adorable girlish antics making Yang Xiaofan feel a strange urge to behave.

She really was a little enchantress. He thought to himself that, once he got on good terms with the Qin family, he’d better hurry and take Qin Nuanyu away, just to keep her out of reach.

The two of them arrived at the Senior Activity Center.

Inside, people were playing mahjong, cards, Chinese chess... all sorts of games, really. But the largest crowd was gathered around a single Go table.

With his current powers of perception, Yang Xiaofan merely swept a glance across the room, seeing straight through the crowd—Qin’s father was locked in a game of Go with another old man.

And with his grandmaster-level insight, Yang Xiaofan could tell at once: Qin’s father was about to lose.

Sure enough, after a moment’s hesitation, Qin’s father dropped a piece with a clatter.

"This round goes to Old Li," someone announced.

A collective sigh rose from the crowd.

"Who would’ve thought Old Qin would lose so badly today," someone murmured.

"It’s brutal—so many games and not a single win. Old Li’s gotten a lot stronger," another remarked.

Old Li grinned slyly, clearly in high spirits. As the city’s Go champion, he’d spent years losing to Old Qin, a bitter and helpless experience. But a few days ago, he’d picked up an old Go manual at a street stall, and after studying it, his skills had soared. Now, going up against Old Qin was a breeze—he barely had to think.

Years of pent-up frustration vanished in a single afternoon. He’d never felt so comfortable.

"Old Qin, I haven’t even been trying, and you’re already down for the count? That’s no fun at all!"

Qin’s father felt like coughing up blood. At home, he was routinely humiliated by Yang Xiaofan, and now, out in public, Old Li—a man he’d bullied for years—was humiliating him in front of everyone.

And to lose so many games in a row without a single win—it was beyond humiliating. But Old Li refused to let up. If he left now, he’d never live it down. He’d have to keep his head down every time he saw Old Li from now on.

At that moment, Yang Xiaofan and Qin Nuanxin pushed through the crowd. Qin Nuanxin patted her father’s shoulder and said,

"Dad, Mom says it’s time to come home for dinner."

Old Li immediately cut in, "Old Qin, you’re not trying to run away because you’re scared, are you?"

Qin’s father flushed with embarrassment.
"Run? What do you take me for? I never run away!"

"Good, since you’re not running, shall we continue?"

Qin’s father frowned. He’d already seen Old Li’s skill—if they kept playing, he wouldn’t stand a chance. No matter how many rounds, he’d keep losing.

What now?

Just as he was fretting, his eyes landed on Yang Xiaofan.

A smile crept onto his lips. Yang Xiaofan’s Go skills were far superior—orders of magnitude beyond his own. If Yang Xiaofan played, he was certain to beat Old Li.

With this in mind, he coughed lightly and said,
"Old Li, the thing is, I didn’t sleep well last night. My head hurts, and I’m not at my best. How about this: I let my apprentice play a round with you instead?"

"Your apprentice? Who?"
Old Li looked bewildered.

Qin’s father grabbed Yang Xiaofan’s arm.
"Here he is—Yang Xiaofan. He’s mastered all my Go secrets. His skill is about equal to mine. If you can beat him, I’ll admit defeat. How about that?"

Old Li sneered.
"Old Qin, is this your last resort—letting a youngster embarrass himself in your place? It makes no difference. Whoever plays, it’s still a loss."

Yang Xiaofan was utterly confused.
When did he become Qin’s father’s apprentice?

Just as he was about to expose this, Qin’s father leaned in and threatened quietly,
"If you beat him, we’ll call it even between us. But if you don’t, don’t think about stepping foot in our house again."

Yang Xiaofan narrowed his eyes. Was he being threatened? Did Qin’s father take him for a fool?

"Uncle Qin, that’s not very fair. You’re only letting me in your house. When the time comes for me to marry Nuanyu, you’ll probably set another trap. If I help you now, it’ll be for nothing. You have to promise to let me marry Nuanyu, or I won’t help."

Qin’s father glared at him.

"You little rascal, are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn’t dare. But if you don’t agree to my terms, I’ll just go home and help Aunt Qin wash vegetables. Think carefully—after all, you’re the one who’ll be embarrassed. With all these folks around, your reputation will be all over the neighborhood by tonight."

"You—!"

Qin’s father trembled with fury. Yang Xiaofan was shamelessly taking advantage of him.

On the other side, Old Li was growing impatient and couldn’t help but frown.
"Old Qin, what on earth are you doing? Are we playing or not?"

"Alright, alright, enough with the nagging," Qin’s father snapped. He cast another glance at Yang Xiaofan and, gritting his teeth, said,
"Fine, I agree. But on one condition—you must win. If you lose and embarrass me, don’t blame me for being harsh."

"Don’t worry—I won’t lose."

With Qin’s father’s promise secured, Yang Xiaofan relaxed, ready to go all out.

He plopped down on the bench, smiling.
"Sir, please go easy on me."

Old Li sneered at Yang Xiaofan’s youth. So young, yet daring to challenge him? The gap was too wide—he didn’t take Yang Xiaofan seriously at all.

Qin Nuanxin couldn’t help but whisper,
"Brother-in-law, can you really win? Uncle Li is very skilled at Go!"

Yang Xiaofan smiled confidently.
"All you have to do is cheer me on. Leave the rest to me."

His assured tone made Qin Nuanxin’s heart flutter.
This brother-in-law—so handsome!

Meanwhile, the streaming chat was abuzz.

"Brother-in-law plays Go? Isn’t he an artist?"

"He’s so good at painting, but surely he can’t play Go too. It takes a lot of skill, and that old man probably isn’t easy to beat."

"Not easy? That’s our city’s Go champion! He’s no ordinary player. Brother-in-law spends all his time painting—he can’t possibly have practiced Go. He’s doomed, he’s going to embarrass himself!"

"No one is perfect. Brother-in-law is already amazing—he paints brilliantly and is rich. He’s practically flawless. We don’t need to expect him to be good at everything, including Go."