Chapter 3: Does she even know how to play chess, and yet she dares to sit?!

What was wrong with Zhaoping?

What was happening to Gu Zhaoping?!

Madam Hua gasped for breath, clutching her husband’s sleeve tightly.

They wanted to call Gu Zhaoye, but no matter who dialed, his phone was turned off.

When they asked his assistant, the only response was:

“The President is currently with Miss Ruan and has instructed not to be disturbed by anyone.”

Madam Hua nearly rolled her eyes and fainted.

Unbelievable.

Absolutely infuriating.

He was shutting out everyone including them!

What if his grandfather called for him?

At this point, they had no choice but to admit right now, Zhaoping was their most reliable option.

…No, in fact, she had always been the most reliable.

Even though she didn’t stay home often, she was always available when called.

Whenever the old master wanted to see her, he could.

Unlike Gu Zhaoye, who was too busy with business.

And their third son, Gu Zhaosi, who was studying abroad and never returned.

A strange feeling crept into Madam Hua’s heart.

She wasn’t sure who she was upset with.

She could only sigh and accept that Zhaoping would be the one visiting the old master today.

Of course, when it came to Zhaoping, unreliability was never an issue.

She had set her watch fifteen minutes ahead.

It was a habit of hers.

The human body had a natural lag in biological time compared to the external world.

She always left herself a buffer to react accordingly.

With this habit, she had never once missed an important event.

Sitting in the car, she immersed herself in quiet meditation.

She paid no attention to the curious stares of the Gu family’s household staff.

Grandfather Gu was at a private wellness estate built atop an artificial mountain.

Though called a “nursing home,” the entire place had been custom-built for him.

Even entering required passing through multiple security checkpoints.

Removing her sunglasses,

Gu Zhaoping scanned her face at the entrance.

Just then, another low-profile black car drove by.

A window rolled down, and a voice called out in surprise.

“Gu Zhaoping? Why are you here instead of Gu Zhaoye?”

Without even looking, she immediately recognized the voice.

She didn’t respond.

Instead, she smiled at the security guards and exchanged a few polite words.

She didn’t even bother rolling up the car window before sitting back down.

The car moved forward.

The driver sneaked a glance at the second-branch young master, who looked utterly dumbfounded at being ignored.

Dear heavens.

This was outrageous!

The eldest miss was way too direct she didn’t even close the window before driving off.

She hadn’t even given an excuse to pretend she hadn’t heard!

Gu Kaichang’s eyes widened.

Hanging halfway out of the car window, he nearly fell out in shock.

He fumed as he watched her car drive off, swaying boldly.

“Gu Zhaoping! Gu Zhaoping!”

The faster he shouted, the faster her car sped away.

Turning to the eldest son of the third branch, Gu Yingjie, he asked,

“Wait, was that really Gu Zhaoping? Did she just ignore me? What’s the meaning of this?”

Gu Yingjie was also surprised.

“Isn’t she usually the friendliest one? Always the one trying to get along with us while we give her the cold shoulder. Did someone scold her?”

Gu Kaichang slumped back into his seat, then recalled a rumor he had heard.

Finally, he smirked, a little pleased.

“Oh, I get it now. Her fiancé scolded her yesterday.”

“Why?”

“Because of Ruan Nian! Yesterday was her birthday, and she wanted Gu Zhaoye to be with her. But he had already agreed to go watch some boring play with Fang Yining and wasn’t keen on it. One call from Ruan Nian, and Gu Zhaoye canceled his plans without hesitation. Gu Zhaoping didn’t understand and went to cause a scene. She got caught by the media. Then, she proudly went to invite Shen Yifeng to the New Year’s banquet. Not only did he refuse, but he also scolded her for being shameless, clueless, and always making a fool of herself, tarnishing the Gu family’s name.”

Gu Kaichang sneered.

“Ruan Nian just wanted some company on her birthday. Why was Zhaoping meddling? Even her parents didn’t interfere what business was it of hers as an older sister?”

Gu Yingjie, at least, had some sense.

He simply let out an “uh” and refrained from commenting.

He knew that his cousin also had feelings for Ruan Nian.

But since Gu Zhaoye had been with her first, Gu Kaichang played the role of the gracious supporter, publicly encouraging their relationship.

Yet privately, he couldn’t help but harbor resentment.

Especially toward those who opposed Ruan Nian.

He could be downright vicious.

Suddenly, Gu Yingjie realized something.

“We should hurry up the mountain. If Zhaoping gets there first and Grandfather doesn’t see us, he’ll be furious.”

Gu Kaichang snapped back to attention.

He quickly ordered the driver to start moving.

As the eldest sons, they were supposed to lead the way.

Letting Gu Zhaoping arrive first would be a disgrace.

“Grandfather wants to play chess. We’ve been practicing for so long just to play with him. Even if she gets there first, there won’t be a place for her at the table.”

Gu Kaichang chuckled.

Meanwhile, Gu Zhaoping had already stepped out of her car.

She saw the elderly man, now in his nineties, sitting in the courtyard.

Dressed neatly in a traditional Tang suit, he was slowly setting up chess pieces on the table.

One glance was all she needed to understand the game’s situation.

Grandfather was still at an amateur level, studying a chess puzzle.

Coincidentally, this particular position had only one correct solution.

And she knew it well.

She asked softly, “Grandfather, I came to see you.”

Old Master Gu froze for a moment.

When he lifted his head and saw her, his expression immediately darkened.

“What are you doing here? You never do anything worthwhile and only bring disgrace. You’ve even made it into the news again. Our Gu family has you”

Gu Zhaoping listened, a faint smile on her face.

She did not refute or correct him.

This made Old Master Gu feel an inexplicable chill, and he subconsciously stopped mid-sentence.

Something was off.

Why didn’t Gu Zhaoping have her usual stubborn, defiant look—the one that refused to admit fault?

It made him feel like he had lost his authority to reprimand her.

Gu Zhaoping had studied psychology.

People unconsciously mirror the expressions of others.

Seeing her calmness would slowly dissolve Old Master Gu’s anger.

She did not deny the actions of her past self, but she also did not intend to bear the consequences for them.

Her eyelids lifted slightly as if wondering why he had stopped speaking.

Then, with a hint of kindness, she encouraged him.

“Grandfather, I’m listening.”

Old Master Gu: “…”

He felt even more unsettled.

What did she mean by that?

Did she actually want to listen to his scolding?

How was he supposed to continue?

His frustration, which had been building up, suddenly had nowhere to go.

Faced with this attitude, he found himself unable to even curse at her.

It was as if something was suffocating him.

Suspiciously, he asked, “You…Grandfather is scolding you, and you have no reaction?”

Gu Zhaoping smiled.

She lowered her head slightly before looking back up.

It was as if the answer was self-evident, as if the old master had asked a joke rather than a serious question.

“How you choose to evaluate me is your business. I only need to listen.”

Old Master Gu hadn’t even had the chance to be shocked at how obedient she sounded today when she followed up with another sentence.

“The opinions of others don’t affect my sense of self-worth.”

Old Master Gu nearly spat out blood.

He stared at her calm expression.

She really believed what she was saying.

Which meant that, despite his long-winded reprimand, she hadn’t taken a single word to heart.

She was just letting him “express himself” freely watching his performance like an audience member.

Old Master Gu no longer wanted to speak.

He didn’t want to say another word to her.

Lowering his head, he grumbled and began placing chess pieces on the board.

The way he slammed them down was a clear sign of his emotions.

In his younger days, Old Master Gu had been skilled at hiding his emotions.

But as people age, they begin to express them more openly and expect others to simply accept it.

After all, if one gives a scolding, one must also give a reward.

As he set up the board, Gu Zhaoping reached out and pressed down on one of the pieces.

“Grandfather, are you trying to solve this chess puzzle?”

Old Master Gu frowned and looked up.

Gu Zhaoping simply smiled.

Her fingers lightly tapped a specific point on the board, her gaze sharp and focused.

“Rook to c3. Checkmate in seven moves.”

What?

What did she know

Old Master Gu was about to rebuke her when something clicked in his mind.

Wait a minute.

Since when did Gu Zhaoping know anything about international chess?

She had never even won a game of Gomoku!

Dumbfounded, he looked down at the board.

For some reason, he instinctively followed the sequence she had mentioned.

He placed the piece down.

His heart skipped a beat.

A moment ago, the puzzle had seemed unsolvable.

Now, the position had suddenly become clear.

His mind reeled.

He lifted his head and stared at her in shock.

But Gu Zhaoping merely gazed at the board in silence.

She looked at it the way one might look at a beloved child.

This was terrifying.

His once incompetent, troublemaking granddaughter

Had just cracked a chess problem he himself had been stuck on?

What kind of alternate reality was this?

In the world of chess, the highest title was Grandmaster (GM) players with a rating above 2500, considered among the best in the world.

Beneath that were International Masters (IM) and FIDE Masters (FM).

Old Master Gu wasn’t at a level where he could earn an official title, but he was among the more skilled amateur players.

If Gu Zhaoping could solve a puzzle he couldn’t…

Did that mean she was nearly at the level of a professional?

Close to an FM?

That was impossible!

If the Gu family were to produce a chess prodigy, it should have been Gu Zhaoye or Gu Zhaosi.

They had always seemed far more intelligent than her!

Old Master Gu’s voice trembled, shaken to his core.

“You…You know how to play?”

Gu Zhaoping nodded.

“I know a little.”

She picked up a piece the same kind she had been maneuvering since she was sixteen.

By the time Gu Kaichang and Gu Yingjie arrived, they were completely out of breath.

Cars could only go halfway up the mountain.

From there, they had to take a sightseeing cart.

But unfortunately, today’s transport had been mismanaged

The last available ride had already been taken.

By none other than Gu Zhaoping.

The moment Gu Kaichang realized this, he was so furious he nearly passed out.

He had no choice but to grab his cousin and start sprinting up the hill.

The old master was strict about punctuality.

Being late would mean a serious scolding.

“Grandfather! Grandfather, we didn’t mean to be late! There weren’t enough cars today”

Gu Kaichang burst into the courtyard, panting heavily.

He had prepared a thousand excuses and pleas for forgiveness.

But before he could even finish speaking

No one was listening.

No one even acknowledged him.

The silence was suffocating.

Gu Kaichang nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

Dazed, he glanced around.

Where was Grandfather?

Feeling uneasy, he exchanged glances with Gu Yingjie.

Using the last of his strength, he stepped forward.

And then

He saw it.

The almighty, dignified Old Master Gu was crouched beside the lake.

Playing chess.

Because of how hard his mind was trying to process this, it was as if his CPU had overheated and short-circuited.

The old man was even sitting on a cheap folding fishing stool, hunched over the board.

His hands trembled as he struggled to place a piece.

The shock on their faces was indescribable.

Gu Kaichang took a step back, bumping into Gu Yingjie.

Who was playing against him?

It was her.

The old master, who had never let anyone sit beside him, had actually brought out a grand armchair.

For none other than Gu Zhaoping.

At that moment, Gu Kaichang’s fury erupted like wildfire.

She knows how to play?!

And she dares to sit?!