I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 300: Sorry, I'm into Girls

The group chatted as they walked, and soon they reached outside the Go Association, boarding the bus prepared by the Southern Go Association. Everyone began picking empty seats to settle in.

Once everyone was on board, the driver started up the bus and headed toward the airport.

“I heard Korea has so many Instagrammable spots—perfect for taking pictures! I’m gonna go all out snapping photos this time!”

“Those scenic spots are probably filled with pretty girls too. I wonder if this trip will lead to a romantic encounter.”

“Bro, I told you to be cautious about women, and yet your heart is full of them?”

“I heard the Korean Go Association has some really gorgeous female pro players. I’m definitely checking in at the Seoul Go Association.”

The bus was abuzz with laughter and chatter. None of the professional Go players were talking about Go.

After all, they’d poured too much energy into the game already. On the tournament stage, every Go conversation revolved around victory and defeat—often tense and suffocating.

This Korea trip was a rare break for them. At least before the team matches began, they could put Go and competition aside for a while.

Yu Shao listened to everyone’s chatter while looking out the window, and even he started to feel a little excited.

“Ssst.”

At that moment, Yu Shao heard the sound of plastic tearing behind him. He instinctively turned his head.

Wu Zhixuan was seated right behind him, just finishing tearing open a plastic bag that held an egg tart. When she noticed Yu Shao looking at it, she subconsciously pulled the tart back.

“No way!”

Wu Zhixuan shot him a guarded look like a cat protecting its food. “I only bought one egg tart.”

Yu Shao couldn’t help but laugh and teased, “But I’m really hungry... I didn’t eat breakfast.”

Wu Zhixuan froze for a second, then panicked. She quickly ducked her head and took a tiny bite out of the tart with lightning speed, then looked back up at Yu Shao.

But Yu Shao was still staring at her egg tart.

Seeing that, even after she took a bite, he was still staring, Wu Zhixuan started to panic. She blew on the tart a couple of times, “Ptui ptui!”

Then she licked the crumbs off her lips, and proudly extended the half-eaten, slightly spit-covered tart to Yu Shao. “Wanna eat it?”

Before Yu Shao could answer, a few nearby male players in their early twenties lit up like wolves spotting prey.

“Eat eat eat eat eat!”

“Give it to me!”

“No way, I want it!”

They actually started arguing over who would get to eat the saliva-covered egg tart, as if a brawl was about to break out.

Wu Zhixuan was stunned. She looked utterly horrified and yanked her hand back, then stuffed the entire tart into her mouth in a panic. Her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk.

Seeing this, the guys sighed in disappointment.

Hearing those sighs, Yu Shao really couldn’t tell if they were joking about wanting to eat that tart—or dead serious.

Although, Tao Lan did think that someone like Zheng Qinxuan looked so clean, he probably didn’t have any saliva-borne diseases like H. pylori or hand-foot-mouth.

So that tart... should be relatively safe to eat.

Tao Lancheng, sitting behind Gu Chuan, turned her head at some point, glanced at Zheng Qinxuan, and said flatly, “Disgusting.”

“It’s my saliva, and I’m the one eating it. How’s that disgusting?”

Wu Zhixuan instantly snapped, swallowed the tart in a couple bites, and shot back, “Besides, I didn’t actually spit on it. I just puffed on it a little!”

Xu Zijin didn’t argue. She pulled a beautifully packaged Black Forest mini cake out of her sky-blue LV drawstring bucket bag and handed it to Yu Shao.

Yu Shao was caught off guard, surprised by the gesture. He accepted the cake and said, “Thanks.”

“No need.”

Xu Zi’s expression remained calm as she turned back to gaze out the window.

Watching that, Wu Zhixuan got even more annoyed. Xu Zijin’s gesture contrasted sharply with her own, making her look super stingy.

“I only had one egg tart, okay? If I had more, I would’ve shared!”

Wu Zhixuan grumbled under her breath, puffing up her cheeks again, maybe still savoring the taste. But she somehow looked even cuter like that.

Nearby, Wu Shuheng twitched his mouth when he heard her.

He didn’t buy it.

As her brother, he knew how food-possessive Wu Zhixuan was. If she liked something, she’d never share—even ten egg tarts wouldn’t make a difference.

He still remembered how, as a kid, he stole one of her teddy bear cookies, and she cried for half an hour straight—leading to a combined parental beatdown.

Since then, he never dared touch her food again.

Even now, if he grabbed too much of a dish she liked at dinner, Wu Zhixuan would obviously be annoyed.

He had never met anyone more possessive over food than her!

“‘If I had more, I’d share’...? Yeah, right.”

At that moment, a male player sitting at the very back stared at Wu Zhixuan’s puffed cheeks in a daze.

That is, until someone pinched his side, and a sharp pain snapped him back to reality.

“Well?”

A long-haired, beautiful female player slowly retracted her hand and looked at her boyfriend with a fake smile. “She cute, huh?”

“Pfft—not cute, not cute at all.”

The guy chuckled awkwardly while rubbing his side, trying to change the subject. “I was just thinking where we could go for photos in Korea.”

“Go to some Instagrammable spots. Lots of pretty girls there.” The girl said calmly.

“Nope!”

The guy’s face changed instantly. He shook his head like mad. “Forget it—I’m not going anywhere!”

...

...

Not long after, the minibus arrived at the airport. Everyone got off in turn. After picking up tickets and clearing security, they headed to the departure hall.

Yu Shao found a seat next to Su Yiming. Seeing Su Yiming on his phone, reading a novel, he asked curiously, “What are you reading?”

Li Chaoxuan’s Rise.

Su Yiming seemed completely engrossed and didn’t even look up as he replied.

“Historical fiction?”

Yu Shao was a little surprised. In the memories from his past life, Ji Dynasty had been the last Chinese dynasty in this world. He asked, “Is it good? You’ve been reading it all the way here.”

“Wouldn’t say it’s great.”

Su Yiming shook his head, a faint smile on his face. “But... I find it kind of funny. I’m reading it like a comedy.”

“Reading it like a comedy?”

Yu Shao was taken aback. Though he hadn’t read the novel, he remembered from his past self’s memories that this particular book was one of the most popular Ji Dynasty novels. Even if he hadn’t read it, he’d definitely heard of it.

The novel leaned toward the serious side—it told the story of a lowly beggar in the Ji Dynasty who clawed his way from the streets to the imperial court, navigating its dangers with cunning and grit. It didn’t sound funny at all.

“I don’t know how to explain it... it just feels kind of...”

Su Yiming thought for a moment, then said, “Cringe?”

Cringe?

Yu Shao’s face went weird. He was just about to say something when Wu Zhixuan suddenly called out, “Yu Shao!”

Hearing her call his name, Yu Shao couldn’t help turning to look at her.

Ever since the egg tart incident earlier, Wu Zhixuan had been a bit down, lost in thought the whole way. But now, all of a sudden, her mood seemed to shoot up.

“Once we get to Korea tonight, I’m treating you to Korean BBQ!”

To emphasize her generosity, Wu Zhixuan patted her full chest and said, “Eat as much as you want!”

Yu Shao was a little surprised. “For real?”

Just then, Xu Zijin, who had been watching a variety show on her phone, looked up. She took out one of her Bluetooth earbuds and turned to look at Wu Zhixuan.

Wu Zhixuan noticed the glance, tilted her chin up proudly, and said to Yu Shao, “What, you think I’m lying? Are you coming or not?”

“Coming.”

Someone offering dinner? Of course Yu Shao wouldn’t say no. He nodded like a pecking chick. “Of course I’m coming.”

Xu Zijin looked at Yu Shao for a moment longer, then calmly put her earbud back in and returned her attention to her variety show, as if none of this had anything to do with her.

Just then, Wu Shuheng’s voice floated over: “Wu Zhixuan, can you treat your brother to a meal for once...?”

Yu Shao was stunned. Wait, was Wu Zhixuan not planning to treat Wu Shuheng?

“You’re not treating me, but you’re treating him? You’ve got some nerve!”

Wu Zhixuan scrunched her nose at her brother. “You’re the one who should be treating him!”

Watching the scene unfold, two nearby young male players exchanged a glance, regret clear in their eyes.

“D*mn, if I’d known this was possible, I would’ve stared at her egg tart and said I was hungry,” muttered one of them, a guy wearing glasses.

“Same. If I’d said I was hungry first, I could’ve scored Xu Zijin’s cake and dinner from Wu Zhixuan. I’m so mad at myself.”

His buddy looked equally regretful and whispered, “Man, if I could win over Wu Zhixuan, I’d give up my title for it.”

“You shameless b*stard,” said the guy with glasses. “If I could win over Xu Zi, I’d hand over all my titles!”

“...You’re even more shameless than me.”

Ever since Wu Zhixuan and Xu Zijin entered the departure lounge, every guy there had been sneaking glances their way.

It was winter. Wu Zhixuan was wearing a khaki wool coat from the autumn/winter collection, wrapped in a white scarf and slim jeans. The look made her seem less cute and more poised and mature.

Xu Zi, on the other hand, wore a branded short cardigan in the classic Chanel style, a brown blouse underneath, a pleated skirt, and knee-high socks. It had a kind of innocent-sultry vibe, perfectly matched with her cool temperament.

The two sat in a row. Originally, the lounge area used by the Go Association wasn’t very crowded, but gradually, more and more people began gathering nearby.

A group of college-aged guys started nudging each other as they sat nearby.

“You go talk to her!”

“You go! Isn’t that a little forward?”

“What are you scared of?”

“If you’re not scared, go yourself!”

“...”

“Both of them are great, but I like the one in the khaki coat more. She just looks so sweet.”

“I prefer the other one.”

Eventually, one guy finally mustered the courage and stood up, blushing as he nervously approached Xu Zi—but halfway there, he chickened out and scurried back.

“What the hell? You came back?”

“You said you liked her, right? I like her too, but you said it first. If you don’t go ask for her WeChat and I do—what then?”

“She... kinda gives off pressure. And that bag of hers is stupid expensive. I’ll pass. The other girl seems way more approachable. I'm going for it!”

After more shoving and muttering, another college guy stood up and tried to approach Wu Zhixuan—but again, stopped halfway and ran back, starting to nudge the others instead.

“What the hell? You too?”

“I saw Yu Shao. From that Ten Wins Match. They’re probably all pros. Forget it. That’s way out of our league. Honestly, I’m thinking of just asking for an autograph instead.”

“Tao Lan? Sh*t, you too want an autograph—hell no! Forget that. You should be asking for her WeChat!”

“Fine, fine. He can go then.”

They pushed each other around for ages, but none of them actually dared approach. One guy finally stood up, took a deep breath, steeled himself...

Only to see the whole Go Association group rise in unison and head toward the boarding gate.

The college students watched them walk away, filled with regret and disappointment—as if something they never had... had already been lost.

...

Since the plane tickets had been booked by the Go Association, not individually chosen, seats were random. As it turned out, Yu Shao was seated with Zheng Qin and Gu Chuan.

As soon as Yu Shao got on and sat down, Gu Chuan elbowed him lightly.

“What?”

Yu Shao turned his head to look at Gu Chuan, puzzled.

Gu Chuan didn’t say anything. He shot Yu Shao a look, then flicked his chin toward the diagonal seats in front of them.

Yu Shao glanced that way, and when he saw what Gu Chuan meant, he couldn’t help sucking in a breath. “Tss…”

In the seats diagonally in front of them, Wu Zhixuan was sitting right next to Xu Zi. Both of them clearly looked... not great.

Zheng Qin’s scalp tingled too. He whispered, “Why don’t they switch seats?”

Pretty much everyone at the Southern Go Association knew Wu Zhixuan and Xu Zi didn’t get along—especially after that egg tart showdown on the bus earlier.

“With Xu Zi’s personality, she won’t ask to switch.”

Yu Shao whispered back, “And if Xu Zijin doesn’t ask, Wu Zhixuan will see switching seats as admitting defeat. So she won’t ask either.”

“You know them that well?”

Gu Chuan looked shocked. “Don’t tell me you’ve got something going on with both of them?”

“You mean Xu Zijin gave you that cake just to piss off Wu Zhixuan, and then Wu Zhixuan invited you to dinner to get back at her?!”

“No matter how good your Go is, you won’t be everyone’s target. But if...”

Gu Chuan’s expression grew increasingly horrified, even more so than when he’d seen Su Yiming unleash The Storm. “If you’re involved with both of them, you’re definitely gonna become the target of everyone!”

“No.”

Yu Shao looked speechless. “I’ve played more than ten games with both of them.”

“What does that mean?”

Gu Chuan was confused. “What does the number of games have to do with anything?”

“Go is also called handtalk, meaning it’s like communicating through moves. But in my opinion, it goes deeper than words.”

Yu Shao whispered, “Because words can lie. But the stones you place on the board—those don’t. That’s how I can tell.”

“D*mn, that’s deep.”

Gu Chuan was truly impressed. “No wonder you’re so good at Go. I could play a hundred games with someone and still have no idea what kind of person they are.”

Zheng Qin chimed in, “They’re not gonna get into a fight, right?”

Yu Shao chuckled. “Don’t worry. Definitely not.”

Time passed, minute by minute. Wu Zhixuan and Xu Zi had almost no interaction, let alone a fight.

Xu Zi wore her Bluetooth earbuds and watched her preloaded variety show. Wu Zhixuan sat with her eyes closed, pretending to sleep—but the occasional flutter of her lashes gave her away.

They might not get along, but they weren’t kids. A physical fight? Out of the question. Zheng Qin’s comment was clearly a joke.

Not long after, the plane took off.

Flying from Jiangling to Seoul took just over two hours—shorter than flying from some eastern provinces to the west domestically.

As they approached Korea, many people looked visibly excited, whispering about their plans once they arrived.

Except for Fang Wuxin, most of the players on this trip had never been to Korea.

For them, this trip was more of a vacation. Watching the team tournament was just a side activity.

Yu Shao took out his phone, connected his Bluetooth, put on his earbuds, and was just about to start watching a suspense movie he’d downloaded earlier—when he saw a young man in his twenties stand up and head toward Wu Zhixuan.

Seeing this, Yu Shao took out one earbud and glanced in that direction.

“Hi?”

The young man looked a bit nervous. “You’re not actually asleep, are you?”

Hearing someone speak, Wu Zhixuan immediately opened her big, sparkling eyes. She looked at the guy and asked, “Nope, I’m awake. What’s up?”

“I saw you on the plane just now. You’re heading to Korea too, right? Mind if we exchange contact info?” he asked nervously.

Wu Zhixuan blinked, then smiled sweetly, showing two cute dimples. “Sorry, I’m into girls.”

“Huh?”

The guy looked at Wu Zhixuan, then at Xu Zijin—and froze.

“She’s my girlfriend. Gorgeous, right?”

Wu Zhixuan reached out and hugged Xu Zi’s right arm, sticking out her tongue with a playful smile. “Sorry about that.”

Xu Zijin’s brows twitched slightly at the touch, but she didn’t pull her arm away. She kept watching her variety show.

The young man’s face turned bright red—but also looked like he was breathing easier. He quickly nodded. “I’m sorry, really sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine, really!”

Wu Zhixuan waved it off casually, then closed her eyes and leaned her head on Xu Zi’s shoulder. “Wifey, I’m gonna keep napping. Let me use you as a pillow.”

The guy stared at the scene, full of regret. He shook his head and turned to walk away.

As he left, Wu Zhixuan immediately let go of Xu Zi’s arm, closed her eyes, and went back to resting.

“Not even a thank-you?” Xu Zi kept watching her screen but asked quietly.

“Oopsie~ Thanks, my golden little goddess.”

Wu Zhixuan mumbled without opening her eyes. “Zhixuan loves youuu~”

Gu Chuan stifled a laugh and shook his head, finally taking off his earbuds and stopping the movie.

“You’re lucky it wasn’t Su Yiming you were fake-dating, or he’d have made you fight him for real.”

Yu Shao suddenly imagined the scene—if Xu Zi really were Wu Zhixuan’s girlfriend...

D*mn.

That picture was... honestly kinda beautiful.

He suddenly couldn’t focus on his movie anymore, so he opened a Go app on his phone and started reviewing a game offline. Playing always calmed his mind.

As he reviewed the game, Yu Shao fell into deep concentration. His eyes sharpened, completely immersed in the board before him.

Nearby, Zheng Qin, who had been watching a movie, suddenly noticed Yu Shao was playing through a game. He glanced at the screen—

—and froze.

His eyes filled with confusion.

Yu Shao was replaying an AI self-play game, utterly focused, reproducing each move from memory. He savored the brilliance in every stone.

Zheng Qin stared and stared—then his expression abruptly changed. A deep look of shock appeared on his face. He pulled out his earbuds and stared in disbelief at the game on Yu Shao’s screen.

“That large jump... makes zero sense. Locally, globally, from any perspective, there’s no reason to play it. It’s total nonsense!”

“But... after over sixty moves, that large jump ends up in a perfect spot!”

Zheng Qin swallowed hard, eyes locked on the screen. “And White... White just sacrificed stones in that situation?”

“And after the sacrifice, Black didn’t even try to attack White’s dead stones. Instead, it played a slow, strange reinforcing move?”

“And White, like a cat with its tail stepped on, went all-out and launched a vicious attack on Black’s thin shape?”

“After all that back-and-forth... just when Black was about to survive... it ignored the local fight?”

“And White didn’t punish it—White also tenuki’d?!”

Zheng Qin’s eyes were filled with confusion.

“And then Black just boldly played a cracked shape move—

Wait... No... That move is actually good!”

Realization dawned on him, and his mind went blank. “That cracked shape... the one all Go players avoid like the plague—”

“Actually threatened all of White’s weak points across the board!”