TFRLTOP Chapter 65 Part 2

This, of course, was Ming Ming’s specialty—and she immediately crushed Jiang Fuling in a total bloodbath.

“Another round?”

“…Yeah, another!”

The more Jiang Fuling lost, the more determined she became. Every defeat only fueled her drive to try again.

Five rounds passed…

Ten rounds…

Fifty rounds…

By the end, Jiang Fuling was crying as she stormed out—she didn’t even bother to take the board with her.

The system informed Ming Ming that Jiang Fuling had originally come over looking for validation after getting destroyed by Jiang Ruotian in Go… only to come here and get destroyed again in Gomoku.

Ming Ming clutched her stomach, pounding the table with laughter.

Serves her right!

When Emperor Wanqian arrived, the first thing he saw was his beloved consort slumped over the table, shoulders shaking, fists clenched tight, looking like she was trying to stifle sobs. The shadow guard had already reported that Jiang Fuling had visited the Snowfall Pavilion—and the emperor had immediately suspected trouble. Sure enough, the woman had come looking to stir something up.

Should he tell Ming Ming about the burned stronghold?

Was her work destroyed in that fire too?

Or… a darker thought crossed Wanqian’s mind. Could it be that among the flames last night, along with Jiang Ruotian’s ruined base, there had also been someone Jiang Zelan truly loved?

The emperor’s gaze darkened. If that were the case, then perhaps that fire had burned exactly what needed to be burned.

He deliberately made some noise as he approached so that Ming Ming would notice.

Sure enough, she stiffened, looked up, and locked eyes with him.

Wanqian froze.

Her eyes were red, tears glimmering at the corners—so he was right, she’d been crying… wait, what?

Why was she laughing?

Ming Ming, still unable to stop giggling, wiped at her eyes and said, “Why are you back so early?”

Wanqian came closer and brushed a tear from her cheek with his fingers, his tone calm and even. “What has my beloved so amused?”

Ming Ming beamed with pride. “Jiang Fuling came to play chess with me—ended up getting crushed! She ran off crying! Hahaha! She wanted to beat me at Go, but I wiped the floor with her at Gomoku instead.”

She swayed with self-satisfaction. The emperor glanced at the board—sure enough, it was a Gomoku setup.

So he’d been worrying for nothing.

“My love is skilled at Gomoku?”

Ming Ming lifted her chin proudly. “I’m amazing at it!”

A faint smile touched his eyes. “Then would you allow me to play a few rounds with you?”

Still high on her winning streak, Ming Ming agreed instantly. “Sure, let’s go!”

They played a few rounds—unsurprisingly, Ming Ming won them all. Remembering what she’d said earlier, Wanqian guessed she might’ve been upset by Jiang Fuling before and asked, “Do you play Go as well?”

Ming Ming hesitated. “A little… maybe.”

“Oh?” He smiled with interest. “Then why don’t we play a few rounds of Go?”

Her eyes darted around nervously. She’d only just learned the basics—she’d definitely get crushed.

“How good are you?” she asked cautiously.

Wanqian chuckled. “Not bad.”

She groaned inwardly. Great. Anyone who says ‘not bad’ is always being humble. Fall for that, and you’re dead.

She sulked silently: Seriously? You can’t handle losing a few rounds of Gomoku, so now you’re going to destroy me at Go? Pretty much?

Just like Jiang Fuling.

Seeing her pout, the emperor added gently, “Actually, I’m not that skilled. You might even have to give me a few pointers.”

…This damn emperor. He even knew how to disarm before striking!

She regretted saying she could play at all, but it was too late now.

He personally set up the board, sorted the pieces, and gestured gallantly. “Please, you take the first move.”

Seriously? He was even treating her like a master player. So humble it was suspicious.

Ming Ming’s tail would’ve been wagging if she had one—completely swept up, she went along with it.

They began to play. Ming Ming’s pace was brisk; she only knew the basics and relied entirely on intuition. After three or four moves, Wanqian had a perfect grasp of her level.

But he wanted to indulge her. So he took his time, pretending to ponder deeply, trying to both guide her and quietly let her win.

Watching him frown in concentration, Ming Ming thought smugly, Hah, this stupid emperor barely knows what he’s doing. Look how hard he’s thinking!

After a few minutes, Wanqian suddenly said, “They say seven stones along the edge may live but still lose. I finally understand what that means today.”

Ming Ming’s ears perked up—she’d heard Jiang Fuling say something like that earlier but hadn’t understood it.

The emperor smiled faintly, seeing her curiosity. “It means that even if you manage to keep a few pieces alive along the edge, your overall position is already doomed. Hard to recover from that.”

He pointed at the board. Ming Ming nodded thoughtfully, committing the lesson to memory.

A few turns later, she made a surprisingly good move. Wanqian praised her warmly: “I was planning a formation there, but it seems my dear consort knows the principle of ‘attack every open point.’ That one move alone broke my shape entirely—how brilliant of you.”

Ming Ming blinked. “???”

Then, “!!!”

Wait, am I really that good?!

As the emperor subtly adjusted the game—praising her, encouraging her, slipping in actual lessons—Ming Ming’s eyes grew wider and her grin brighter, her imaginary tail wagging faster and faster.

At last, Wanqian sighed dramatically. “Once again, my beloved wins.”

He smiled, his tone full of fond admiration. “Truly, my love is a genius. Whether it’s Gomoku or Go, your talent is remarkable. I’m deeply impressed.”

Ming Ming waved her hands modestly, though her face could barely contain her grin. “No, no, not at all—uh… good game! Yeah, good game! Hehe…”

She couldn’t tell how much he’d been letting her win—and that was exactly how he wanted it.

In truth, Wanqian had half wanted to crush her—to watch her lose game after game, biting her lip, eyes brimming with tears, glaring at him through that mix of anger and frustration…

God, that would’ve been satisfying.

Then he’d pull her into his arms, kiss her until the tears stopped—make every flicker of emotion on her face belong only to him.

Maybe then he could almost believe it—believe that she’d given him her whole heart, that she really did love him.

But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Rewarding after punishing was a way to tame someone. He still wanted to tame her—but not like that.

He’d find another way to clip her wings.

The emperor reclined lazily on the couch, one knee bent, a single Go stone twirling between his fingers as he studied the board—looking, to anyone else, like he was seriously reviewing the game.

His lowered lashes hid the truth in his eyes.

Ming Ming remained blissfully unaware of the dark turn in his thoughts.

At that moment, she was completely lost in her own joy—thrilled at how fast she’d “improved” at Go, every inch of her body buzzing with the same ridiculous thought:

Damn… maybe I really am a genius!