When the female supporting role has a beauty system

Chapter 1365 Unrequited Love 19
Zhou Shiyu also came out of the bedroom at this moment and joined the army of persuading: "Teacher Xu, why don't you just stay at home as a guest today? It's usually just my uncle and me at home, it's quite lonely."

"With you here, the house is always lively."

Unable to refuse the two, Xu Yanzhen agreed to have a simple meal at the Zhou family's house before returning home. Looking at the busy maids in the kitchen, Xu Yanzhen hesitated, "Do you need any help?"

Zhou Jinxu pressed down on her shoulder: "No need. If Yanzhen is bored, how about we play chess? I saw a Go set in your study last time I went there."

Xu Yanzhen seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly smiled slyly: "Okay, let's play chess then."

Zhou Shiyu took out the Go set from under the coffee table and placed the black and white stones. He then sat to the side, seemingly wanting to watch the game.

Zhou Jinxu gestured for Xu Yanzhen to make her move first. Xu Yanzhen picked up a piece and placed it with a "thud" in the center of the board.

Zhou Jinxu raised an eyebrow slightly; this starting move was rather unusual. He pondered Xu Yanzhen's intentions and placed a piece in the corner. On the fourth move, Xu Yanzhen placed another piece, then rested her chin on her hands, her smile as radiant as a sunflower: "I won!"

Zhou Jinxu snapped out of his daze, looked at the five white pieces that had formed a line, then at the pieces he had placed all over the board, and finally at Xu Yanzhen, who was smiling mischievously across from him.

Xu Yanzhen could no longer hold back her smile, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons: "You didn't say what kind of game you were playing, Gomoku is a game too."

Zhou Jinxu stared at the chessboard for a while, then looked up at Xu Yanzhen, who was leaning on the coffee table, her eyes crinkling with laughter. This was the happiest she had ever smiled in front of him; even the dimples on her face seemed much deeper than before.

Zhou Shiyu silently turned his head away, concealing the smile on his face. His uncle thought Xu Yanzhen was some kind of unparalleled master, and spent the whole time trying to figure out her playing style and strategy.

Turns out, they were playing Connect Four with him. This joke, I must say, will keep him laughing for a year.

Seeing Zhou Jinxu staring at her without saying a word, Xu Yanzhen's smile faded. She waved her right hand in front of Zhou Jinxu and said, "Are you... angry? It's my fault for not explaining clearly just now. I apologize to you."

Zhou Jinxu quickly grabbed her hand and stroked the back of it with his fingers: "I'm not angry, I was just amazed and didn't know what to say for a moment."

Xu Yanzhen blushed slightly, and instead of asking him what amazed him, she withdrew her hand and said, "Although I bought a Go set, I'm just starting to learn. I only know how to play Gomoku."

Do you want to continue playing?

She wanted to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting from Tan You, and had been buying these props one after another. However, Go was inherently difficult, and when she heard about the concepts of liberties, eyes, and empty spaces in Go, Xu Yanzhen felt completely overwhelmed.

Therefore, she usually drags Tan You to play Gomoku with her, even though she gets crushed in Gomoku, Xu Yanzhen enjoys it immensely.

Zhou Jinxu slowly picked up the chess pieces: "Of course, but there has to be a stake in playing chess. What does Yanzhen want to bet with me on?"

Xu Yanzhen wasn't so easily fooled. She looked at Zhou Jinxu warily: "You... have you ever played Gomoku before?"

Zhou Jinxu shook his head honestly: "No, but I've heard of it."

Xu Yanzhen felt relieved: "So what kind of prize do you want?"

Zhou Jinxu thought for a moment: "The prize is that the loser has to promise the winner one thing."

Xu Yanzhen raised a finger: "You're not allowed to do anything illegal or disorderly." Zhou Jinxu nodded: "Of course, I know Yanzhen has a high moral standard, so I won't make any requests that would put you in a difficult position."

Zhou Shiyu silently covered his face, watching as Xu Yanzhen stepped into Zhou Jinxu's trap. His uncle had never played Gomoku, but he hadn't said he didn't know how to play.

They played five games initially, and Xu Yanzhen won every single one. Of course, Xu Yanzhen's wins became increasingly difficult because Zhou Jinxu's improvement was too great.

Watching Zhou Jinxu pick up the chess pieces, Xu Yanzhen tentatively suggested, worried that Zhou Jinxu might get angry after losing too much: "How about... we stop playing? Just consider our bet void?"

“No, a person should keep their word.” Zhou Jinxu refused outright: “Shall we play another game? I think I know how to play this Gomoku game.”

Xu Yanzhen followed her instructions and started a new game, this time Zhou Jinxu narrowly won. Looking at the pieces that almost covered the board, Xu Yanzhen sincerely exclaimed, "You're amazing!"

Zhou Shiyu couldn't stand the old fox's act of pretending to be innocent any longer, so he stood up and said, "I'll go pour tea for Teacher Xu."

With Zhou Shiyu gone, Xu Yanzhen and Zhou Jinxu interacted more naturally. Even after Zhou Jinxu won, she applauded him, saying, "Zhou Jinxu, you learn so quickly!"

Zhou Jinxu glanced at her and said, "It's all thanks to Teacher Xu's excellent teaching."

Xu Yanzhen pinched her earlobe. The way he addressed her as "Teacher Xu" at this moment gave her a strange feeling...

A sense of immorality?
She glanced at the chessboard: "Do you want to continue playing?"

Zhou Jinxu was like a gambler who had lost everything and finally saw a glimmer of hope, desperate to turn the tide. He started tidying up the chessboard: "I want to play a few more games. Is Yanzhen scared?"

Xu Yanzhen considered her own Go skills and then thought that Zhou Jinxu was a beginner, so she nodded and said, "Okay, let's continue."

She readily agreed, but then the situation reversed. From winning five games in a row to losing nine in a row, Xu Yanzhen couldn't help but wonder if Zhou Jinxu had set her up.

Zhou Jinxu saw the suspicion in Xu Yanzhen's eyes. Instead of explaining, he took a step back and brought up Xu Yanzhen's initial suggestion: "How about we cancel the bet? It was just a small bet between friends."

Xu Yanzhen looked up and saw Zhou Jinxu's calm expression, showing no sign of guilt. She couldn't help but doubt her own suspicious nature. Was she really that bad? Or was Zhou Jinxu a genius?
"No need. A bet's a bet, and I admit I'm not as good as him." She put away the chess pieces, refusing to continue playing this time. Whether Zhou Jinxu was faking it or had genuinely improved rapidly, she couldn't afford to lose any more.

A hint of regret flashed in Zhou Jinxu's eyes; he had hoped that Xu Yanzhen could play a few more rounds with him.

Zhou Jinxu helped her tidy up the chess pieces; the only sound in the living room was the crisp sound of the pieces falling into the jar. Xu Yanzhen's voice suddenly rang out: "Now I owe you four requests. What do you want me to do for you?"

Zhou Jinxu chuckled: "No rush, I haven't decided yet."

Xu Yanzhen didn't dwell on it. She stood up, leaning on the coffee table, and said, "Okay, you can think about it slowly. I need to get up and move around a bit; my legs are numb."

She and Zhou Jinxu were sitting cross-legged at the coffee table playing chess. After sitting cross-legged for so long, Xu Yanzhen felt like her legs weren't even her own anymore. Zhou Jinxu quickly got up to help her: "Are you alright?"

Xu Yanzhen held his hand and stood there for two minutes before she felt better. She looked up at Zhou Jinxu and smiled, "Much better, thank you."