Volume 1, Chapter 9: Taking Advantage of a Vulnerable Moment

Jiang Li’s divorce was news that reached Lu Jinyao almost immediately.

Although he had asked Qin Yue to keep an eye on things, the fallout from the divorce between Shen Yechu and Jiang Li had inevitably impacted the business world. Shen Yechu’s rapid ascent had been built in the early stages on the reputation of Jiang Li, a professional sixth-dan female Go player. Without her, he would have had no name recognition at all in the beginning. Consequently, when the divorce occurred, everyone speculated whether Jiang Li, having been left with nothing, would ever be able to return to her former peak.

Qin Yue had expected Lu Jinyao to take some action upon hearing the news; otherwise, why would he have specifically instructed her to monitor Jiang Li’s affairs? Yet, Lu Jinyao had only offered a bland "I see," and said nothing more.

Jiang Li’s tournament was just three days away. She traveled to the neighboring province with Cui Tao and her fellow disciples. The competition was scheduled for two days, and having prepared thoroughly, she felt no nervousness.

The tournaments she had participated in previously were generally closed to spectators, with progress usually shown via live stream. Perhaps because this particular event was small in scale, the organizers allowed one hundred people into the venue to watch from the stands.

"Don't be nervous. Play well, and treat this as a chance for a comeback. If you don't play well, that's fine too; we'll just call it a warm-up to find your rhythm," Cui Tao said, fastening her contestant badge and offering careful instructions.

Jiang Li patted her chest confidently. "I won't embarrass you, Master!"

Cui Tao was left both amused and exasperated. "This is an opportunity for yourself, not a matter of my reputation."

"Only when Master has a reputation can you find better opportunities for me!"

Cui Tao laughed heartily. "You child, even at a time like this, you still haven't lost your cheeky nature."

Jiang Li arrived at the arena alone. It was an atmosphere she was familiar with—her chance to climb back to the top. The tournament consisted of seven rounds, and Jiang Li swept through them without suspense, her seat moving closer to the front until she reached the first board.

The final battle!

In Go tournaments, the opponents grow stronger as the rounds progress. Jiang Li, having won six consecutive games, faced an opponent who had also won six. Cui Tao was anxious; if Jiang Li had lost earlier, one could say she was out of practice or lacking touch. But after winning six games, losing this one would mean her skills were truly inferior, and she would face criticism.

As the minutes ticked by, the referee brought out the game clock and announced, "We are now adding time. Each side has ten minutes; exceeding the time limit results in a loss."

Cui Tao panicked even more; Jiang Li was not known for her speed! The pressure of an added clock increases exponentially; as you watch your time dwindle, you become increasingly tense and prone to mistakes.

With ten seconds left on the clock, Jiang Li finally placed her last black stone and declared the game over. The referee stepped forward to count the territory. "Black has 185 stones; Black wins by 0.75 points. The winner is Jiang Li!"

The crowd below finally broke into relieved smiles, and Jiang Li smiled too. Thankfully, the hard work of this past period had not been in vain.

She shook hands with her opponent and left the venue, but before she could even exit, her senior fellow apprentice bounded up to her. "Junior sister has won the championship and made a perfect comeback! You have to treat us!"

The others behind her also clamored for hot pot. Jiang Li waved her hand. "Let’s go!"

The group headed out, laughing and chatting. Watching Jiang Li’s lighthearted back, Cui Tao felt a deep sense of emotion. Finally, his straightforward and lovable little apprentice had returned.

At the hot pot restaurant, Jiang Li and the others toasted one another, the atmosphere lively and boisterous. She seemed to see both her former, glorious self and the self who had given up everything for Shen Yechu. But she had no regrets. Jiang Li never regretted her decisions. She had no reason to feel guilty toward Shen Yechu or that marriage.

In a hazy, drunken state, she saw Lu Jinyao.

He walked into the hot pot restaurant alone, his black shirt collar slightly open, wearing charcoal-gray trousers. His sharp-featured, handsome face caused many in the shop to glance his way. Jiang Li stared straight at him until Lu Jinyao arrived at their table.

Cui Tao was the first to sense the unusual dynamic between them. He greeted him politely, "Hello, are you a friend of Little Li?"

Lu Jinyao bowed slightly to him and replied courteously, "Hello, Master Cui. I am her friend, Lu Jinyao."

Cui Tao nodded calmly; the young man seemed decent and well-mannered. However, the others at the table were not so composed. The senior fellow apprentice stood up with a start, his face flushed, shouting, "You, you, you—you're that 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' guy!"

The other apprentices echoed, "That's right! You're the one-hundred-million-dollar man!"

Cui Tao gave each of them a solid rap on the head, feeling as though he had lost face. But Lu Jinyao remained calm, seemingly unbothered. He shook hands with each of them, polite yet distant. "Yes, I am preparing the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' piece," he said. "I won't be accepting money." "Thank you for your interest."

From the moment he stood there, Jiang Li’s mind had been a jumbled mess. Why was he here? On a business trip? Working? Teaching?

After greeting everyone, Lu Jinyao naturally took a chair offered by the owner and sat down next to Jiang Li. From start to finish, he did not look at her once.

The senior apprentice raised his glass, grinning foolishly. "So Master Lu and our junior sister were classmates! What a coincidence!"

"Come, you must toast me! Based on our junior sister’s seniority, you have to call me 'senior brother' too!"

Jiang Li was startled. Lu Jinyao’s current status was not something to be trifled with, and she hurriedly tried to stop her senior brother’s thoughtless behavior. "Senior brother, you're drunk!"

To her surprise, Lu Jinyao did not mind. He picked up a glass, filled it, and even wore a faint smile. "To you, senior brother."

Lu Jinyao set the glass down, and Jiang Li’s heart skipped a beat. That was... her glass.

After a drink, the senior apprentice became even more uninhibited. If it weren't for Cui Tao sitting between them, he would have likely draped his arm around Lu Jinyao’s shoulders. Lu Jinyao, for some unknown reason, actually drank and chatted with them as if they were old classmates who hadn't met in years.

Jiang Li, feeling somewhat annoyed, picked up her glass. Just as she was about to drink, she remembered that Lu Jinyao had used it. Her face flushed an unnatural shade of red. What was going on? Why was she panicking over such trivial details just like she used to when she was in love?

It was he who had suddenly returned to the country, he who kept appearing in her line of sight—why should she be the one to change her life trajectory for him?

I won't!

Defiantly, Jiang Li grabbed the glass and downed it in one gulp.

Lu Jinyao, who was still talking to the senior apprentice, slowly curled his lips into a handsome arc. He had captured every expression of hers: her shock, her confusion, her panic, the way she frowned for no reason, and finally, her compromise in drinking from the glass he had used.

After many drinks, Jiang Li felt her consciousness beginning to blur. Lu Jinyao sat beside her, looking as serene as if the bottles at his feet were filled with nothing but water.

Cui Tao saw that it was getting late and urgently called a stop to his loud-mouthed, embarrassing senior disciple. "Little Lu, you've been drinking and can't drive. Ride with us."

"Thank you, Master Cui, but I brought my assistant."

Cui Tao nodded. He looked at Jiang Li, who was leaning half-collapsed against Lu Jinyao’s shoulder, and hesitated.

Lu Jinyao gentlemanly helped Jiang Li up. "Master Cui, I’ll have my assistant drop her off on the way. It’s hard enough looking after those few."

Watching his senior disciple and the others dancing and toasting the air, Cui Tao decided it would be better to be passed out like Jiang Li. After giving him the address, Cui Tao herded his drunken, embarrassing students like ducks into a car and left in a hurry.

Lu Jinyao looked at the defenseless Jiang Li, lowered his gaze, and scooped her up into his arms. The white luxury car door opened, and Lu Jinyao carried her into the backseat.

Qin Yue waited for a moment, but Lu Jinyao gave no instructions. She glanced into the rearview mirror. Her boss, rumored to be uninterested in women and obsessed only with his work, was currently staring at the sleeping Jiang Li with a look of pure infatuation.

After weighing her words for a long time, she spoke softly, "Mr. Lu, where to?"

About a minute passed before Lu Jinyao replied in a low voice, "Back to the hotel."

Qin Yue screamed internally: *Boss, don't take advantage of the situation!* But she efficiently started the engine and drove toward their hotel.