I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 47: You Can Even Call Me Dad

Close to 10 p.m., the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed through the house, and the door opened.

Seeing Cai Xiaomei and Yu Dongming walk in together, Yu Shao, who was sitting on the couch watching a movie, immediately called out, “Dad, Mom, you’re back?”

“Yeah.”

As Cai Xiaomei changed her shoes, she asked, “Your principal called me today and said you’re joining the Go league. What’s that about?”

Yu Dongming, equally puzzled, placed his shoes on the rack and asked, “I thought it was a wrong number at first, but your principal said it’s definitely you. You know how to play Go? Why didn’t we know this?”

He always thought he understood his son well, but the principal’s call had left him utterly bewildered. His son, playing Go? And representing the school in a competition?

He had once considered enrolling Yu Shao in extracurricular classes for things like piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting, but Yu Shao had been so adamantly against it that he eventually gave up.

“I got bored and read a few Go books before. Found it interesting, so I taught myself,” Yu Shao explained quickly, having prepared his excuse in advance.

“Self-taught?”

As parents, they didn’t think their son lacked intelligence. If he wanted to learn Go, he could probably manage it. But the image of their son sitting patiently for hours playing Go? That seemed improbable.

“Even if you taught yourself, is your self-taught level enough to represent the school in the high school Go league?” Yu Dongming asked incredulously.

“Maybe I’m just naturally gifted, haha.”

Yu Shao chuckled awkwardly, brushing off the question. “The principal probably thought I was decent and asked me to join.”

“Look at you,” Cai Xiaomei said, rolling her eyes. “Even if you have talent, you can’t be arrogant. You should stay humble and focused. There are plenty of talented people in this world. If you rely solely on talent and stop working hard, you’ll be left behind sooner or later.”

“Mom, you’re absolutely right!” Yu Shao nodded fervently like a bobblehead.

“This might actually be a good thing,” Yu Dongming said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “If you’re really interested in Go, how about signing up for some formal classes?”

“Let’s not…” Yu Shao’s face stiffened. Attending a Go class would feel worse than prison. It would be pure torture.

He could already imagine the scenario: the teacher passionately explaining an outdated opening structure while he sat there debating whether to play dumb or stand up and point out the flaws. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.

“See? You were just saying even if you have talent, you need to work hard. Now you’re contradicting yourself,” Cai Xiaomei said, slightly annoyed. “I think it’s great! If you’re talented, why not explore it further? Who knows, maybe you’ll make a name for yourself one day.”

“Mom, Go is just a hobby for me. Besides, as a student, isn’t studying the most important thing?” Yu Shao said with a smile. “We only get two days off each week. I’d rather rest and recharge so I can study better during the week. Balance is key, right?”

“Always with the excuses,” Cai Xiaomei said, rolling her eyes again. Then, as if a thought struck her, she added, “We don’t have a Go board at home, do we? Let’s get you one.”

“You can spend time online watching games played by top players. Then try setting up their moves yourself and figure out why they play the way they do.”

“So this will save you from spending all day gaming with those no-good friends of yours. Why can’t you hang out with kids who are good at studying? Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘You are who you associate with’?”

“It’s not that you can’t play games, but everything should have limits. Computers have radiation too. Don’t let your grades drop and ruin your eyesight at the same time…”

Cai Xiaomei kept rambling, her thoughts wandering further afield. Yu Shao, however, didn’t interrupt, simply sitting there and listening quietly.

Eventually, it was Yu Dongming who couldn’t take it anymore. He gently tugged on his wife’s shoulder and said, “Alright, sweetheart, it’s late. The kid has school tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Cai Xiaomei finally stopped. She glanced at Yu Shao and said, “Why are you still sitting here? Go take a shower and get to bed!”

“On it.”

Yu Shao smiled, picked up the remote control to turn off the TV, and headed to the bathroom.

After showering, Yu Shao returned to his room, turned off the lights, and got ready for bed.

“Did I… forget something?”

Lying in bed, he had the nagging feeling that he was overlooking something.

After thinking for a while, it hit him—he hadn’t accepted Wu Zhixuan’s friend request on WeChat!

Grabbing his phone from under his pillow, he opened WeChat, scrolled to his contacts, and tapped the red notification to approve Wu Zhixuan’s friend request.

No sooner had he added her than his phone buzzed twice with new messages.

[Yahu]: Wow, you only accepted my request this late? I thought you weren’t going to add me at all!

Yu Shao immediately started typing.

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: Shouldn’t you be touched? It’s so late, and I still remembered to add you as a friend.

[Yahu]: Huh? That’s true!

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: What do you mean ‘that’s true’? It’s a fact!

[Yahu]: Fine, fine. Thank you for remembering to add me. I misunderstood you!

Yu Shao couldn’t help but find Wu Zhixuan a bit adorable. He typed back:

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: So, do I get a reward for this?

[Yahu]: I’m broke!!! (Opens wallet, closes eyes in despair.jpg)

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: I don’t want money.

[Yahu]: Then what do you want?

Yu Shao thought for a moment before replying:

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: You’re destined to become the greatest female Go player in the future, right? How about sending me a signed photo every time you level up a dan rank? That way, I can show off for ages.

[Yahu]: Deal! Quick, send me your address!

Yu Shao immediately sent her his address and contact details.

[Yahu]: Got it, got it! You’ll be getting a signed photo from this future Go Sage in a few days! But hey, why aren’t you asleep yet? It’s already past ten.

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: Isn’t it because I had to approve your request?

[Yahu]: My bad!!!

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: And you’re still awake, aren’t you?

[Yahu]: I’m older than you, so of course I sleep later. Only little boys like you go to bed early.

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: ? How old are you?

[Yahu]: Seventeen, but I’ll be eighteen in a few months. So you should call me ‘sister.’

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: But I feel like your mental age is closer to seven. You could even call me ‘dad.’

Wu Zhixuan instantly sent a furious meme.

Chuckling, Yu Shao typed back:

[Fish Lacking Oxygen]: Alright, I’m off to bed. I’ve got class tomorrow. You should sleep early too.

[Wu Zhixuan]: Goodnight, goodnight! Sweet dreams!