Chapter 33 Five-in-a-Row

“Not bad, playing chess exercises your intelligence. The smarter you are, the better you play. You should practice more.” After all, merfolk lacked intelligence the most. She said in a low voice, “Continue.”

“Alright.” Chi Mei gripped the chess piece tightly.

With the success of the first move, Chi Mei quickly got into the groove and started placing pieces proactively. After filling nearly half the board, Chi Mei finally had three white pieces in a row with no black pieces blocking either end. He just needed one more to win, but at that moment, Jiang Yang placed a black piece to block his victory.

As if unwilling to admit defeat, Chi Mei placed another white piece, making four in a row. He only needed one more to succeed.

Jiang Yang mercilessly blocked his path.

Chi Mei’s disappointment was visible.

Xiao Rong lay on the steps, cupping his face in his hands and sighing, “What a pity! Just one more piece and you would have won. But don’t worry, Your Highness, try again.”

“Try again?” Jiang Yang smiled slightly, placing a black piece to one side of the white pieces. Amidst the crisscrossing of black and white, five black pieces had already formed a line. “He has already lost.”

“What? Impossible!” Xiao Rong sprawled half his body on the steps, even stretching out his fingers to count one by one. Discovering that she had indeed won, he said incredulously, “This can’t be! How did she connect five black pieces? How did I not see that?”

After muttering to himself, Xiao Rong looked up, his round eyes slightly widened at Jiang Yang: “You’re really something. As a grown woman, don’t you know to let our Prince win a little?”

“Xiao Rong!” Chi Mei said in a low voice, “This is just a game after all.”

“But, Your Highness, she won so easily against you. Isn’t that disrespectful to you?” Xiao Rong pouted.

Jiang Yang thought for a moment, feeling this might be like when a Go master is invited to the palace to play against the emperor. Even if the emperor is terrible at the game, the Go master can’t just directly defeat the emperor. They have to fight for 300 rounds and then lose with difficulty, thus showcasing the emperor’s superior chess skills while not appearing too sycophantic.

“There’s nothing disrespectful about it. She is my wife-master, and I am one with Ah Yang.” After saying this, Chi Mei’s eyes revealed a hint of gentle laughter as he placed the black pieces back into Jiang Yang’s hand. “Ah Yang, let’s continue.”

Jiang Yang took back the chess pieces and continued playing with Chi Mei.

Xiao Rong lay to one side, complaining softly, “Eating soft rice forcefully… hmph.”

His voice was very low, and the sound that came out was extremely faint. Chi Mei’s dull senses couldn’t hear it, but Jiang Yang could hear it clearly.

Of course, Xiao Rong knew Jiang Yang could hear. Perhaps he had intentionally said it for Jiang Yang to hear. After speaking, he smugly looked up to observe her reaction.

Eating soft rice forcefully? Not bad, being able to eat soft rice forcefully is also a skill!

Jiang Yang didn’t feel insulted, but rather a bit proud. She raised an eyebrow, which only served to irritate Xiao Rong even more.

He had never seen such a shameless woman! Xiao Rong thought angrily, but soon his attention was drawn to the chess game unfolding on the board, move by move.

The rules of Five-in-a-Row are much simpler than Go, very easy to learn, yet not lacking in fun. Even the generally low-intelligence merfolk could quickly understand it.

Observers often have a better overview of the game than the players themselves, especially when they saw Chi Mei clearly make a wrong move, only focusing on connecting his own white pieces in a line, forgetting to block Jiang Yang’s black pieces. She was just one piece away from connecting five.

He’s definitely going to lose, Xiao Rong thought.

But Jiang Yang didn’t place the black piece in that spot. Instead, she placed it in an inconsequential location. Even a novice like Xiao Rong could see that Jiang Yang was letting Chi Mei win.

Xiao Rong pursed his lips, recalling the previous game. Had Jiang Yang really not gone easy on the Prince? Her chess skills were superior, her strategies far-reaching. If she hadn’t intentionally let the Prince win, how could he have lasted so many moves?

He sneaked a glance at Jiang Yang. Although this woman always seemed to be at odds with him when they were together, often saying things that infuriated him half to death.

But when she wasn’t speaking, her appearance and demeanor were extremely imposing, the type that could attract countless male merfolk offering small fish in admiration just by walking outside the palace. Previously, he had thought this woman was just all looks and no substance, merely possessing a good appearance. Now it seemed she wasn’t entirely as she appeared, her gentleness manifesting in unnoticed details.

Xiao Rong glanced at Chi Mei again.

Although the merfolk didn’t agree with this marriage, as a fellow male, how could Xiao Rong not see the Prince’s shyness and possessiveness when facing Jiang Yang, ignoring all the rumors and using a lowly, humble attitude to crave a little bit of attention.

Fortunately, that woman wasn’t entirely heartless, not trampling the Prince’s feelings underfoot. Otherwise, the Prince would be too pitiful. Xiao Rong comforted himself.

After three games, Jiang Yang ‘accidentally’ let Chi Mei win several times. Chi Mei finally won a game, still in a state of shock, his face saying ‘Who am I? What did I just do?’

Xiao Rong jumped up, clapping happily: “The Prince has won! I knew the Prince was the best, winning against Jiang Yang in just three games!”

Chi Mei smiled obediently, pressing his lips together: “No, it’s all because Ah Yang let me win.”

Jiang Yang leaned against the stone pillar, smiling lazily: “No, I didn’t let you win.”

“Your Highness, can I have a turn too? I’ve been watching for so long, my hands are itching to play,” Xiao Rong pleaded.

Chi Mei instinctively looked at Jiang Yang, his eyes nervous.

Jiang Yang thought, what is there to be nervous about? Is he afraid he can’t beat Xiao Rong?

“You two play a game,” Jiang Yang stood up to make room for Xiao Rong.

Xiao Rong, completely unaware of the concept of politeness, quickly scooted over.

The moment Xiao Rong sat down, Chi Mei’s nervous expression suddenly disappeared. Jiang Yang belatedly realized, if he wasn’t nervous about not being able to beat Xiao Rong, what was he nervous about?

Before Jiang Yang could think it through, the two had already started playing. Chi Mei had played three games with her, and practical experience had made his chess skills much more mature than Xiao Rong, who was merely a spectator. Moreover, Chi Mei changed his previously conservative style, turning defense into offense, forcing Xiao Rong to retreat step by step. Xiao Rong could barely keep up with Chi Mei’s moves, let alone think about where to place his own pieces. As expected, he lost.

Xiao Rong lowered his head sadly, reviewing the game.

Chi Mei raised his head to look at Jiang Yang, his eyes shining like twinkling stars. He didn’t say a word, but he was like an obedient little dog, sitting properly in front of its owner, wagging its tail, waiting for praise.

Jiang Yang curled her lips: “Well played.”

Chi Mei’s face instantly lit up with a smile, his radiant expression more captivating than the luminous pearls at the bottom of the sea.

“Your Highness, I know why I lost now. Let’s play another game,” Xiao Rong pleaded with Chi Mei after reviewing the game.

Chi Mei looked at Jiang Yang first, and only after she nodded did he say, “Alright, just one more game.”

“Great! Just one game.”

There’s a saying in the matriarchal country: A man’s words are like June rain, not to be trusted.

They said they would only play one more game, but now it was already the fifth game.

Xiao Rong gradually improved through practical operation, not only blocking Chi Mei’s attacks but even starting to play with ease.

Chi Mei pressed his lips tightly, his attitude changing from relaxed to serious, but in the end, he still fell behind. Xiao Rong connected five pieces first.

Xiao Rong shouted happily, “I won! I won!”

“Ah Yang, I lost…” Chi Mei’s thick eyebrows drooped slightly, the corners of his eyes also drooping downwards, looking exactly like a dejected puppy.

“Winning and losing are common in war, don’t mind it.”

But Chi Mei’s expression was still very downcast.

Jiang Yang looked at Xiao Rong shouting and cheering happily, remembering who it was earlier that said winning against the esteemed Prince was disrespectful.

Jiang Yang rubbed his shoulder and said, “It’s alright, I’ll win it back for you.”

Chi Mei’s eyes immediately widened, joy visibly spreading across his eyes. He quickly made room for Jiang Yang and stood behind her, hands on his hips, fiercely saying to Xiao Rong, “I only lost to you earlier because I was careless. Don’t get cocky, watch how Ah Yang defeats you!”

This tone, this hands-on-hips posture, and these lines – it all sounded and looked like a street thug relying on someone else’s power.

Jiang Yang shook her head with a smile and began to play.

After all, the merfolk had just been introduced to Five-in-a-Row. Although they picked it up quickly, they were still no match for an old hand like Jiang Yang. Xiao Rong was soon defeated.

“Hahaha, Ah Yang won! You’re no match for Ah Yang at all!” Chi Mei shouted happily, his smile bright and unrestrained, his voice like clear, crisp jade pieces clinking together.

“Your Highness, you’re really something. Unable to beat me yourself, so you found a helper!” Xiao Rong pouted, looking unhappy.

“If you have the ability, you find such a capable helper too! But Ah Yang is the best in the whole world! You simply can’t find anyone like her!” Chi Mei swam happily in front of Xiao Rong, proudly swaying back and forth before him. “Stop talking nonsense, a loss is a loss. Go make dinner now, cook a few more dishes. I want a sumptuous lunch to reward our Ah Yang!”

Jiang Yang: Killing with kindness, as expected of you!

Xiao Rong had already been sad about losing the game, and now he was being rubbed with salt. He left with a resentful face.

Chi Mei fell into Jiang Yang’s arms, laughing uncontrollably.

In the kitchen, Xiao Rong was chopping sea lettuce while grumbling discontentedly: “Bad woman, don’t be so smug. Sooner or later, I’ll win it back. I must avenge this humiliation.”

“What humiliation? Did that woman Jiang Yang bully you?” Fu Yue walked into the kitchen and, seeing the unhappy Xiao Rong, immediately thought of Jiang Yang. That woman never did anything good.

“Isn’t that so!” Xiao Rong told him all about the chess game.

Fu Yue listened for a while and asked, “Five-in-a-Row… is it really that fun?”

Xiao Rong nodded furiously: “Of course it is! It’s so much fun! Jiang Yang said the smarter you are, the better you play.”

“Then I want to learn too,” Fu Yue said seriously. He wanted to become smarter too, so that in the future, he could defeat that cunning bad woman Jiang Yang.

Xiao Rong was generous and taught Fu Yue how to play Five-in-a-Row and some strategies.

But what Xiao Rong didn’t know was that after Fu Yue learned Five-in-a-Row, he taught his younger sisters and brothers, who then taught other children, and gradually it became popular among adult merfolk as well.

The merfolk heard that Five-in-a-Row could make them smarter, so they all threw themselves into learning it, and it instantly swept through the entire merfolk tribe.