ushernet Chapter 980 - 979: Back Here Again
Chapter 980 - 979: Back Here Again
After saying these words, Chu Ge casually picked up a clean towel from the shelf, wiped the water off his hands, smiled at Qin's mother, and said, "Auntie, I've finished what I wanted to say. If there's nothing else, I'm going to play chess with Uncle now."Looking at Chu Ge, who was composed and exuded a firm determination in his eyes, Qin's mother's expression changed repeatedly. But in the end, she said nothing, and all the words she wanted to say turned into a sigh.
Leaving the kitchen, Chu Ge played a few games of chess with Qin Yan. Qin Ruojing and Qin Ruoying sat nearby, claiming to watch. Although Chu Ge seemed no different than usual, focused and at peace, they felt very uneasy, occasionally sneaking glances at their mother, who was sitting alone, absentmindedly watching TV.
After all, they were well aware that in those past few minutes, their mother must have told Chu Ge a lot, and the conversation between them couldn't have been too pleasant. They just hoped Chu Ge would finish his chess game with Qin Yan quickly so they could find a chance to ask Chu Ge properly.
Waiting always feels so long. Although Chu Ge and Qin Yan had only played chess for just over an hour, Qin Ruojing and Qin Ruoying felt like they had been waiting forever.
When Chu Ge once again won the game, Qin Yan conceded wholeheartedly, muttering "lost again," and straightened up from the table. Qin Ruojing and Qin Ruoying watched him eagerly, afraid that he might just be stretching or having a sip of water and then continue playing with Chu Ge.
Fortunately, what they feared did not happen, and Qin Yan's next words made them breathe a sigh of relief.
"Little Chu, let's call it a day."
Before Qin Ruojing and Qin Ruoying could fully relax, they heard Qin Yan say again, "These two girls have been waiting for you for half the day. If I don't let you go, I'm afraid I'll make my daughters anxious."
Hearing Qin Yan say this, Chu Ge immediately laughed, but Qin Ruojing and Qin Ruoying blushed. They thought they had looked quite normal and hadn't said a word while Chu Ge and their father played chess, yet their father had still seen through their thoughts.
It must be said, Qin Yan, after a lifetime as a seasoned police officer, had remarkably sharp eyes.
"Dad, we're not in a hurry. If you haven't had enough, let brother-in-law keep playing with you. I haven't had enough of watching you guys play."
Qin Ruojing kept silent, and Qin Ruoying retorted.
"Really? If that's the case, then I'll continue playing a few more games with Little Chu; I haven't really had enough."
Qin Yan smiled at Qin Ruoying and spoke as if he was about to sit back down.
Hearing her father say that, Qin Ruoying immediately felt a little annoyed with herself. Why did she even have to explain?
While a hint of embarrassment appeared on Qin Ruoying's face, Qin Yan laughed heartily again, "Alright, I'm tired even if your brother-in-law isn't. Let's not play anymore."
Having said that, Qin Yan walked back to his bedroom, muttering with amusement under his breath, "Hiding under my own nose and thinking I'm senile?"
Qin Yan's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the room heard it. The same sentence made everyone think different things.
"Chu Ge, want to go for a walk? Didn't the doctor advise you to make sure to get enough rest and also engage in moderate activity?"
Qin Ruojing suggested, and Chu Ge nodded, "Sure, let's go for a walk."
"I'll come, too," Qin Ruoying immediately chimed in. Regardless of wanting to know what their mother talked about with Chu Ge, she didn't want to stay home alone facing her parents.
The three of them walked out the door. The weather outside was a bit chilly, and they walked side by side. Once they were a little further from home, Qin Ruoying couldn't help but speak.
"Brother-in-law, what did my mom say to you when you were doing the dishes?"
Chu Ge grinned, "She said compared to the last time she saw me, I seem more energetic. I told her, of course! Joyful events lift the spirit, and I'm about to have a wedding with your daughter, so my spirits are naturally different."
Qin Ruojing gave Chu Ge a sidelong glance, "Seriously, can't you talk properly?"
Chu Ge shrugged, "I know you're serious. I'm being serious too. How am I not speaking properly?"
Qin Ruojing got even angrier, "Aren't you asking the obvious? Do I not understand my own mother? What she told you definitely wasn't this. If it were, would she need to speak to you alone in the kitchen?"
Chu Ge turned his head to look at Qin Ruojing and smiled, "Then what do you think your mother should say to me that would require such an opportunity to speak alone?"
Qin Ruojing hesitated for a moment, her expression revealing some conflict. She wasn't sure if her mother had really said those things to Chu Ge. If her mother hadn't said anything, and given their conversation, her thoughts might have shifted. Then revealing her mother's previous thoughts now seemed somewhat inaccurate, didn't it?
Qin Ruojing stopped walking. Qin Ruoying, with similar thoughts, also stopped. Only Chu Ge continued to walk unhurriedly, with the same slight smile as before.
After a few steps, Chu Ge turned around and smiled at Qin Ruojing and Qin Ruoying, "What's up? We were having a nice walk, why stop all of a sudden? Are you cold? Or is it... that you have something you find hard to say?"
Qin Ruojing's expression became more awkward, and she forced a very unnatural smile, resuming her steps, "What nonsense are you talking about? What could I find hard to say?"
Qin Ruoying also caught up. Though she didn't speak, her gaze was fixed on Chu Ge's expression, her heart filled with the same conflict as her sister's.
The three of them, each with their own thoughts, walked on for a while. Under the street lamps, their shadows stretched long, and the only sound accompanying them was the sound of footwear hitting the pavement.
"We've reached here again."
As they walked, Chu Ge stopped, sat on the curb, stretched, breaking the long silence between the three of them.
Qin Ruojing and Qin Ruoying were taken aback and turned their gaze to Chu Ge together.
"We've reached here again?" Qin Ruojing repeated Chu Ge's words and looked around. Seeing nothing unusual, she asked puzzledly, "You've been here before?"
"Yes, the last time I accompanied you home, I came out for a walk with your dad and we ended up here."
Chu Ge nodded, raising his hand to point to a small section of the road ahead with a smile, "Right here, your dad gave me quite a thrashing. I still remember, it ended with him throwing me to the ground with a shoulder throw. I lay there looking up at the stars, and I was in such a sorry state."
Qin Ruojing blinked, imagining Chu Ge being thrown to the ground by Qin Yan. It seemed unbelievable, so she shook her head, "Impossible, my dad has such a good impression of you, why would he get into a fight with you?"
Qin Ruoying furrowed her brows and added, "Besides, brother-in-law, you're so skilled, even if my dad is quite powerful, there's no way he could have a chance to throw you over his shoulder, right?"
Chu Ge was taken aback, finding Qin Ruojing's words somewhat plausible, while Qin Ruoying seemed to have missed the point...
"What I'm saying is true." Under the sisters' questioning gazes, Chu Ge chuckled and explained to Qin Ruojing, "Your dad does have a good impression of me. We talked a lot about his stories that day and got along really well. That's why your old man suggested a good spar between us, going all out."
After explaining to Qin Ruojing, Chu Ge looked over at Qin Ruoying and said, "Xiao Ying, how come I didn't realize you were so sincere before? No matter how skilled I am, even if your dad went all out, would I really do the same with him? If I threw him to the ground, what would that be?"
Hearing Chu Ge say this, Qin Ruoying smiled sheepishly, realizing her question had somewhat missed the mark. Qin Ruojing, however, furrowed her brows, questioning, "But wait, when you were playing chess with my dad, you weren't polite at all. You told me a whole bunch about a man's thoughts. I still remember your exact words."
That Qin Ruojing would ask this didn't surprise Chu Ge. He had prepared to explain this to her, but hearing her say she remembered his exact words did catch him off guard. He couldn't help but smile, "You remember those words? Really?"
Qin Ruojing nodded, "Of course it's true. You don't know how worried I was at the time about slipping up until you told me those things, making me realize I was overthinking it. So, I remember exceptionally well what you said then."
Chu Ge laughed with interest, "Since you remember, why not tell me again what I said back then? It's been so long, I've practically forgotten myself."
Qin Ruojing didn't hesitate and immediately said, "You said back then, to put it simply, on the battlefield, would you respect a weak, incompetent enemy who fawns and kowtows to you or respect the kind of opponent who fights you to the end with all their strength, or the kind of opponent who's so strong you can't help but admire them?"
Chu Ge smiled, "Yeah, I did say that and probably said a bit more?"
Qin Ruojing continued, "You also said back then, 'as they say, the chessboard is like a battlefield. In this regard, my dad is the same. If you let him win and he finds out, it would be an insult to him. But if you decisively and outright defeated him, you could earn his respect. In some sense, this is the quality a real man should have.'"