Chapter 63: Breaking the Rules for Her

Redeemed Internet Cafe

Shen Gan walked in carrying a backpack in one hand and holding a basketball under the other arm.

He was dripping with sweat as he strode into the internet cafe, pulled out his ID card, and said, “Give me a computer.”

Yi Qingzhuo was lazily sprawled in the boss’s chair, looking up from a book. She didn’t even bother taking the earphones out of her ears. As soon as she saw it was Shen Gan, she said without a second thought, “Can’t do it.”

Shen Gan’s pupils contracted sharply. He hadn’t expected it to be Yi Qingzhuo today.

Usually, it was Li Hengyang who ran the internet cafe. It had been almost a month since he’d last seen Yi Qingzhuo here.

Of course, last night didn’t count.

In terms of being at the internet cafe, Yi Qingzhuo hadn’t shown her face in a long time.

Shen Gan clutched his ID card. “I’m an adult. Why can’t I get a computer?”

Yi Qingzhuo didn’t even lift her eyelids. “No reason. I don’t want to.”

Because of Shen Chaoyi’s instructions, Yi Qingzhuo rarely broke her own rules or bent her principles.

“You? You can just refuse a customer?” Shen Gan was stung by her attitude.

Why was this person so unpredictable?

Before, his sister said whatever it took to let him in. Now, out of nowhere, she wouldn’t let him in.

Yi Qingzhuo casually pulled out her earphones and drawled, “Yeah, what about it?”

It was said with such shameless confidence that it left him completely choked, with no ground to argue.

Shen Gan’s eyes went wide. “It’s the weekend today! My sister won’t care where I go on weekends. Besides, you didn’t agree to my sister, did you?”

“Shen Gan, right? Aren’t you almost taking the college entrance exam? You come to the internet cafe every day, making your sister worry?” Yi Qingzhuo’s tone was careless.

But the real point was in that last half-sentence.

Shen Chaoyi was so busy she didn’t even have enough rest time, and now she had to worry about Shen Gan’s future.

Before, Yi Qingzhuo had been indifferent, keeping aloof.

But now, she mainly didn’t want Shen Chaoyi to be so tired.

Shen Gan heard that and yanked his ID card back. “My sister told you all that? You’re that close already?”

Earlier, Yi Qingzhuo had been so rigid and uncompromising.

Now she was taking Shen Chaoyi’s side?

Shen Gan squinted, feeling like he’d missed a lot.

“That’s between us,” Yi Qingzhuo said, her eyes twinkling like stars, her gaze falling on the ring on her left hand.

“So no matter what, you won’t let me play?” Shen Gan’s face darkened.

Just then, the people behind him started urging.

“Shen Gan, what’s going on? Can’t we play?”

“Didn’t you always play before? Why?”

“Yeah, what happened?”

Yi Qingzhuo tilted her head and glanced at the three boys behind Shen Gan.

She curled her lips. “Need me to call your sister and ask for permission?”

“No thanks.” Shen Gan snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Yi Qingzhuo straightened up and lazily watched Shen Gan’s retreating back.

She picked up the phone on the table and couldn’t help but tap on the profile picture imprinted in her heart.

She zoomed in on the picture. It was Shen Chaoyi, smiling demurely and warmly.

Looking at Shen Chaoyi, an involuntary smile crept onto Yi Qingzhuo’s lips.

Just moments ago, she had been cold enough to keep people at arm’s length, had even put on a cold face and refused to spare Shen Gan’s dignity.

But the moment she turned to Shen Chaoyi, she smiled like she was worth nothing.

Yi Qingzhuo stared at her phone for two minutes. The chat history between them still stopped at the last time she asked her out. They’d added each other as friends but never really had a proper conversation.

After a moment’s thought, Yi Qingzhuo typed a line on the keyboard.

Before she could send it, she quickly deleted it again.

She tossed the phone into the drawer.

Picking up the book, she hadn’t even flipped two pages before she slammed it shut.

Getting up, she took the phone out of the drawer, her long legs stepping over the chair as she walked outside.

First People’s Hospital

“Doctor Shen, you’re off work now.”

“Okay, I’ll finish looking at this medical record and then go.”

Shen Chaoyi stood up and returned the medical record to the nurse station.

She turned around, went back to the changing room, took off her white coat, and only then took out her phone, which she hadn’t had time to look at all day.

But there were only a few app notifications and messages from the work group.

No missed calls, no unread messages. Mainly, no messages from that person.

It felt like they were together, and yet not together.

The shine in Shen Chaoyi’s eyes dimmed slightly. She turned off her phone, changed into her own clothes, grabbed her bag, and headed toward the parking lot.

When she reached the first floor, a sudden inspiration struck.

She looked down at the watch on her wrist. Compared to usual, she was getting off on time today, which felt a bit early.

So Shen Chaoyi changed direction mid-step.

She hadn’t walked far before she arrived at Pei Zhoujin’s Flower Nursery.

As expected, this “Senior Activity Center” was in full swing in the afternoon.

Inside, there were small groups of elderly people playing chess, practicing tai chi, drinking tea, and chatting.

Shen Chaoyi pushed the door and walked in. Her eyes immediately landed on Pei Zhoujin, who was playing chess in the gazebo.

She walked over quietly and stood behind Pei Zhoujin.

With a soft voice, she said, “Old Dean Pei, how many games have you won this afternoon?”

Pei Zhoujin turned around slowly at her voice, but before he could speak, the man across from him interrupted, “You seem to have high hopes for your Old Dean Pei, but you’re wrong. He’s lost three games this afternoon.”

Pei Zhoujin’s face darkened instantly. He felt embarrassed in front of a junior like Shen Chaoyi. Displeased, he said, “Then why don’t you mention the one game I won?”

The man across from him laughed heartily. “We only played four games, and the one you won was a narrow victory. Old Pei, if you’re not good enough, you should know your limits.”

Pei Zhoujin was so angry his beard and mustache bristled. “You only beat me this afternoon. Before that, you were always my loser. How arrogant. See what you’ll do when you lose next time.”

“Seniors, maybe Old Dean Pei isn’t in form today. Chess isn’t a competition, after all. Harmony is most important, as long as everyone’s happy.” Shen Chaoyi placed both hands on Pei Zhoujin’s shoulders and spoke gently.

She knew Pei Zhoujin was a stubborn old man who cared about face and refused to admit defeat.

If he lost face in front of her, a junior, he’d probably be sulking for several days.

The white-haired old men across from them exchanged glances at Shen Chaoyi’s words, their smiles widening.

They stroked their beards. “Little Shen, your Old Dean Pei just can’t take a loss. He’s been losing all afternoon and refuses to leave. He insisted he had to win three games before going.”

“Who can’t take a loss? Aren’t you all bunching up and plotting together? Several of you playing against one, and you still have the nerve to gloat?” Pei Zhoujin bristled at that.

His clear eyes widened with full force.

Shen Chaoyi chuckled softly and patted Pei Zhoujin’s shoulder. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Then, seniors, would you allow this junior to show off a little and play a game with you?”

The old man across from her lit up at that. “You? Come on, let’s see what kind of soldier Old Pei has trained.”

Pei Zhoujin snorted and stood up. “Chaoyi may not be a student I trained personally, but I’ve always had a good eye for her. I’ve put effort into nurturing her, and I naturally have high hopes.”

“I’ll show you that the junior I’ve guided can easily crush you old folks.”

Pei Zhoujin quickly salvaged his dignity, regaining his presence.

Shen Chaoyi sat down, very humble. “Not at all. I’m just a junior seeking advice from you seniors.”

The chessboard was reset. The people who had been chatting in groups nearby, seeing Shen Chaoyi’s fearless attitude like a newborn calf, slowly gathered around.

If Shen Chaoyi lost, that would be fine—expected.

A young person couldn’t possibly beat retired old men who played chess every day.

But if Shen Chaoyi won, that would be interesting.

“Little Shen, who taught you to play chess?” the old man across from her asked, stroking his beard and starting some small talk.

Shen Chaoyi sat up straight, very respectful.

She gave a small smile. “No one taught me. When I was little, I used to stand next to my grandfather while he played chess. I picked up a thing or two, but it’s just the surface, hardly worth mentioning.”

“So you just learned? You remember the rules?” an old man in the crowd watching said cheerfully.

Shen Chaoyi’s clear, lively eyes flickered. “I remember.”

The game began. Shen Chaoyi, as the junior, voluntarily took the red pieces, letting her opponent move first.

After a few moves, Shen Chaoyi’s skill wasn’t yet clear.

But Pei Zhoujin, standing beside her, narrowed his eyes.

From the moves Shen Chaoyi had made so far, while he couldn’t gauge her true level, it was clear she was far from a beginner.

As the game reached its midpoint, the spectators fell silent, holding their breath as they watched the evenly matched struggle between Shen Chaoyi and her opponent.

This was no mere surface-level skill. Shen Chaoyi had been modest.

Now, the man sitting across from her dared not underestimate the young woman anymore.

His eyes darkened as he thought carefully, weighing every move.

Initially, he had planned to give the brave young challenger a bit of face so as not to dampen her enthusiasm.

But the further the game went, the harder it became.

Shen Chaoyi was playing the fox in the sheep’s clothing.

Now the opponent was regretting not having a solid strategy from the start, leaving him without a dominant position.

His brain worked at full speed just to barely counter Shen Chaoyi’s chess style.

Shen Chaoyi, for her part, was patient. Several times she gained the upper hand but didn’t show it. Humble and reserved, she quietly waited for her opponent to think before moving her pieces.

But ultimately, Shen Chaoyi was an amateur. Though her style was fresh and each move steady, her opponent was old and crafty.

Once the man across from her started to take it seriously, Shen Chaoyi’s early advantage gradually slipped away in the later stage.

Her mind raced for the next move. Her fair fingers pinched one of her opponent’s captured pieces. A contemplative look spread across her gentle face.

Bit by bit, Shen Chaoyi was on the verge of losing.

Pei Zhoujin, standing beside her without a word, furrowed his brow.

Several times he wanted to speak up and remind her.

But remembering the saying that a gentleman doesn’t speak while watching a game, he held himself back.

Just then, a hand with well-defined knuckles reached over from Shen Chaoyi’s other side and covered the back of her hand.

It guided her hand to move the chess piece to a different spot.

“Here.”

Shen Chaoyi’s long lashes trembled as she whipped her head around.

It was Yi Qingzhuo’s exquisite eyes, bright as the Milky Way.

Yi Qingzhuo tilted her head at the same time, the bridge of her high nose and the tip brushing against Shen Chaoyi’s cheek.

She curled her lips in an ambiguous smile. “Doctor Shen, if you don’t go home after work, you’ll keep the person waiting for you anxious.”