Chapter 170 - 170: Chess Game

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation      Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Song Fan was intrigued when she learned that it was a chess banquet, as she had a great passion for chess.

“If I can have a friendly match with you, then I’ll certainly attend,” Song Fan replied eagerly.

Old Master Fu was delighted to hear that Song Fan had accepted his invitation. He believed that if she was willing to attend, there might be a chance to reconcile her with Fu Nian.

Old Master Fu smiled warmly and said, “Actually, my grandson is quite skilled at chess as well. It would be more enjoyable for you young people to interact with each other than to play against an old man.”

Song Fan still hadn’t fully grasped the situation but nodded and agreed, “Sure, we can have a match when the time comes.”

After hanging up the phone, several pairs of eyes were fixed on her. Song Fan found it a bit unnerving and asked, “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Xu Yuan shook his head and remarked, “I didn’t expect you to be so close to Old Master Fu.”

“Why did you break off the engagement back then?”Qi Shuo asked.

Curious about the sudden turn of conversation, Song Fan asked, “What does my agreeing to play chess with Old Master Fu have to do with the break off of engagement?”

Song Kai grabbed her shoulder and said with frustration, “You mustn’t be swayed by Fu Nian.”

Song Fan was even more bewildered. She questioned, “What does this have to do with Fu Nian?”

Gu Chen then clarified the situation, saying, “Old Master Fu has only one grandson, and his name is Fu Nian.”

While Gu Chen maintained a cold demeanor, Xu Yuan and the others understood that he was displeased.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

They recalled Song Fan’s past engagement with Fu Nian, which had been canceled. Although the Fu family didn’t publicize it widely, Fu Nian would speak honestly about the engagement if someone brought it up. As a result, the news had spread.

Now that Song Fan had accepted Old Master Fu’s invitation in front of them, they were unsure what this engagement meant to her.

Song Fan finally realized that Old Master Fu had been referring to Fu Nian, and she smiled as she clarified, “I completely forgot about that. I thought we were going to play chess with other people.”

Song Kai cautiously asked, “So, do you still have feelings for Fu Nian?”

Song Fan chuckled and replied, “I never had feelings for Fu Nian. I returned from the countryside specifically to call off the engagement with him back then.”

After hearing Song Fan’s declaration, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she didn’t have romantic feelings for Fu Nian, they were relieved.

Gu Chen chimed in, “If you enjoy playing chess, I can join you. It’s a good way to pass the time.”

Xu Yuan quickly added, “Gu Chen is quite skilled at chess. Since you both are recuperating and have some free time, why not have a match together?”

Song Fan was puzzled and asked, “But I thought Gu Chen is busy with work.

Why would he have the time for this?”

“That’s because he has a lot of free time, so he’s looking for something to do. Since the company’s operations rely on everyone else, there aren’t as many tasks for him,” Qi Shuo explained.

Xiao Lei nodded and added, “From an outsider’s perspective, it seems like Gu Chen is seriously injured and confined to his home, so they assume he can’t be involved in company matters every day. He’s just finding small tasks to occupy his time.”

Gu Chen remained silent and listened to their explanations, not offering any rebuttal.

A few of them thought of a good reason. Gu Chen himself did not know that he was actually doing this. He was busy investigating the overseas company.

Feeling bored with her own recuperation, Song Fan turned to Gu Chen and suggested, “How about playing a couple of rounds with me?”

Gu Chen agreed, saying, “I’ll have Su Yang bring the chessboard.”

In their first game, both Song Fan and Gu Chen were cautious, testing each other’s chess skills. Xu Yuan and the others gathered around to watch the match, unable to determine the stronger player at this stage.

Song Kai, who had no knowledge of chess, pretended to be deeply engrossed as he stared at the chessboard, giving off an air of understanding.

Upon looking at his expression, Xu Yuan leaned over and asked, “Did you notice anything?”

Song Kai shook his head and replied, “It’s hard to say.”

Xu Yuan nodded and shared his thoughts, “I agree. It’s difficult to predict the winner between these two. It’s too early to tell.”

The two of them continued their discussion on the same topic. Song Kai’s brain was working crazily to engage with Xu Yuan, and Xu Yuan noticed that Song Kai had a keen eye for the game, often offering unique insights into the chess match.

Qi Shuo, aware of Song Kai’s lack of expertise, allowed them to continue their conversation, finding it entertaining.

After some probing moves, Song Fan gained a preliminary understanding of Gu Chen’s style of play and began to shift the game into a more intense phase, signaling the true beginning of their match..