Uneasy daily life

"Bai Jun is both too superstitious and too unsuperstitious."

Yukino Yukinoshita made a precise summary.

Chapter 72 Chat-based Chess Player

"Disrespectful to gods and Buddhas, the young man lacks a sense of awe."

Yukinoshita's father said selectively, "Kant said: 'Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and the more steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me...'"

“Famous quotes are the standard for critical thinking, but my father used them as weapons for verbal attacks.”

Yukino Yukinoshita interrupted, frowning, "Is Haku-kun disrespecting the starry sky, or disrespecting morality?"

The father, with his hands behind his back, said sternly, "He disrespects me."

"?"

"That's true, since you're already here, respect is essential..."

The white figure pulled out an incense stick from beside the shrine and turned to invite, "Let's light some incense."

"..."

Yukinoshita's father took the incense, looked at the white-figure photo enshrined in the shrine, his mood was a little twisted, and his expression was bewildered.

Offering incense to celebrate a major threat plus being hung on the wall?

Should we still offer incense to our biggest threat, Plus?

"Uncle, don't be shy, come on in."

"Young man, you're too kind. No need for that."

The two pushed a stick of incense back and forth.

"Didn't Bai Jun say he liked the secluded corners of the city?"

Yukino Yukinoshita looked around the clean, spotless living room and asked a question with some concern.

"You've made some money, and you're already rushing to improve your life, aren't you?" Yukinoshita's father said calmly as he put the incense back. "Treating hardship as a special privilege, turning your back on your promises once you've achieved success—young man, that's not a good thing. Remember, never forget your original aspirations..."

"I will remember your teachings, Uncle!" Bai Ying nodded earnestly and said, "Hero, I'd like to stay at your house..."

Yukinoshita's father: "But we should also be realistic and adapt to the times. Improving our lives is a natural pursuit, and having a space for solitude and contemplation is excellent for young people to gain independence and a spirit of independence. Outstanding young people should never forget their original aspirations and be flexible in their methods!"

Bai Ying nodded approvingly, "It's like this, Uncle, isn't it? I've learned it."

Yukinoshita's father: "Hahahaha..."

Open attacks and hidden arrows... no, it should be called open attacks and hidden swords. I couldn't quite understand my father's worries and hesitations, but his attitude was exceptionally clear—attack, attack, and attack again. He wouldn't let me and Bai Jun be alone, and even if we didn't have anything to say, he would stand there and disturb me.

If this drags on, it will most likely become Bai Jun's shield and a weapon against his father.

The father was getting annoyed and started arguing unreasonably.

"You two decide the winner first, I'll check the kitchen and prepare lunch while I'm at it."

Yukino glanced at the ingredients she hadn't finished processing in the kitchen, and the soup ladle on the floor. She simply walked into the kitchen, leaving the living room for the two of them to fight it out.

The aroma of meat wafted from a pot in the kitchen. I opened it and peeked inside. The meat being stewed was probably Chinese braised pork, a dish I'd seen in cookbooks.

Hmm? Vegetable chunks, salad dressing, salmon... I don't see any rare or unusual ingredients. Is Bai-kun studying Japanese cuisine? Because of the promise of ten meals?

I've been taking some time lately to study Chinese cuisine, and Bai Jun is also thinking about Japanese cuisine.

The surprise was discovered before it even arrived, really.

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled slightly, picked up the soup spoon, washed it in the sink, and then continued preparing lunch, finishing the Japanese dishes.

She could faintly hear her father and the white-clad figure talking outside. Preparing lunch, Yukino Yukinoshita examined the knife marks, preparation methods, and the completeness of the seasonings on the ingredients, muttering softly, "She learns faster than me..."

Next time, let Shiro-kun cook Japanese food.

Yukino Yukinoshita thought happily.

Ok?

Yukino Yukinoshita tilted her head slightly and glanced at the empty kitchen doorway.

"Why is this corner so clean?"

"Cleaning out of boredom."

"Hmm? A newly bought Go set? Young man, do you know how to play Go?"

"In terms of chess skills, I am better at Gomoku."

"Okay, let's play a game of Go then."

The sound of the father and Bai Jun talking drifted from the living room... It wasn't that Bai Jun was being mischievous; it was probably just his imagination that someone was watching him.

……

……

Do you know how to play Go?

Yukinoshita's father had a calm and composed demeanor, quite like a national champion.

"A piece or a group of pieces connected by lines on the board will be removed from the board if all the lines around it are blocked. Unless you can counter-encircle and remove the opponent's pieces, you cannot place a piece at the intersection where the lines around you are blocked. In the end, if you have no more moves, the player who has the most territory on the board wins."

Bai Ying briefly described it and summarized: "Encirclement and counter-encirclement, setting traps, anticipating the next move, thinking about the game, a kind of intellectual game called Go."

"Haha, that's mostly right. We're just playing around, no need for more precise or extreme judgments about winning or losing. It's good for our physical and mental health. You don't mind if I play black first, do you?"

The father smiled beneath the snow. Martial virtue? Martial virtue means putting martial prowess before morality, winning first and worrying about nothing else!

Bai Ying didn't mind: "My surname is Bai, so of course I'll take the white piece."

Yukinoshita's father placed a piece on the chessboard, and after a few moves, he roughly judged Shirokage's skill level.

His level of knowledge about chess is merely superficial.

Haha! I'm a level 25 amateur player! I even have a certificate!

Watch as I utterly annihilate and utterly belittle you!

Whether my goddess will change her mind or not doesn't matter, I'm determined to vent my anger!

Black and white pieces alternate, and pieces are continuously placed. Relying on their mastery of the rules, an amateur level 25 expert surrounds a piece belonging to a knowledgeable player.

"The young man is quite skilled, but I am still better."

Yukinoshita's father reached out and picked up one of the white stones that was surrounded, lifted it off the board, flicked it with his finger, and it fell into the box containing the white stones.

"Impressive, no wonder you're called Uncle." Bai Ying clapped his hands. "With your chess skills, defeating me would be a piece of cake."

"Haha, you flatter me—I can't admit defeat prematurely."

Yukino's father ate the candy coating, threw back the cannonball, and said with a smile that hid a knife, "Young man, you should know what Yukino is thinking, right?"

"I know, I know, I like it."

Bai Ying glanced at the chessboard and answered casually.

The father's gaze was sharp.

Very well, the treacherous scoundrel has been distracted by the game of chess. When his mind is not working properly, use dialogue to elicit his thoughts!

“Young people are always enthusiastic and impulsive.” Yukino’s father lowered his voice and casually placed a piece on the board. “The young man is a thoughtful person with a certain attitude towards life. Have you met someone you care about? If so, then you should make a clean break.”

"I do have someone I care about recently."

Bai Ying took out her phone and played a song.

Hmm? Why does this voice sound so familiar?

The father, engrossed in his chess game, paid little attention. After listening to the first few lines, he habitually criticized, "Negative, too negative. Is this the kind of music your son listens to all the time?"

Bai Yingluo said, "This is the end credits song for the movie I wrote the screenplay for."

"It seems to be a negative movie as well," Yukinoshita's father casually remarked. "It's bound to do poorly at the box office."

"Hmm? Uncle, didn't you recognize it?" Bai Ying suddenly realized. "That's right, the singing voice is different from the speaking voice. This song is sung by the hero's sister."

The Hero's older sister? Oh... Haruno, the goddess of the middle school!

"The song is beautiful, its lingering melody is so enchanting that one forgets the taste of meat for three days; its melodious and graceful tune is so moving that one is moved to tears; its dramatic and captivating performance is so exquisite that even the wild geese linger and do not return."

Under the snow, the father listened, praised, and thought it was wonderful.

"really."

The white figure smiled as he placed a piece, removing several pieces that had been carelessly surrounded by the opponent.

As Yukinoshita listened, her father's brows gradually furrowed. Something seemed off about the song.

Cocoon, butterfly, moth, dead cocoon, withered pupa...

Ouch—my stomach is starting to hurt!

Has the Chinese goddess not yet moved on from the problems of the past?

The father's face tightened under the snow.

pat.

Bai Ying placed his piece and urged, "Uncle, it's your turn."

"Oh, oh." Yukinoshita's father quickly placed his piece, then asked casually, "Yono plays music and can lend her voice to movies. Has she already achieved some success?"

"Didn't the uncle ask?"

The white figure slowly placed a piece, a fang-like smile revealing a glint in his eyes: "Perhaps you dare not?"

"Ahem! What wouldn't I dare to do? Young man, don't make wild guesses and fabricate stories."

Yukinoshita's father coughed a few times, quickly denying it, then suddenly frowned: "Young man, what is your relationship with Yang Nai?"

"The relationship is better than with the older man."

Bai Ying chose a more aggressive approach.

"How dare you! Yang and I are father and daughter!" Yukinoshita's father's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Yes, yes, without being physically close, how can we be like strangers?"

The white-clad figure casually remarked, "There was once a man named Witt..."

……

Witt is waiting for his best friend.

Kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, helpfulness, and a whole host of other praises are well-deserved to describe that friend.

Just watch, he'll arrive here on time, laughing heartily, and give himself a hug.

Time ticked by, and the appointed time was fast approaching, but my friend hadn't arrived.

Witt believed his friend wouldn't be late, but why hadn't he arrived yet?

He couldn't help but worry that something might have happened to his friend. But he couldn't get in touch with him for the time being.

Time passed again, the appointed time had come, and my friend still hadn't arrived.

Witt paced back and forth anxiously, his worry and anxiety growing stronger with each passing second. Why? Why hadn't his friend arrived yet? What had happened to delay him? What was going on that kept him from attending to him?

Time has passed again.

Witt, glancing wearily at the road ahead every now and then, leaned against a roadside bench, his thoughts wandering aimlessly as he whiled away the unbearable hours. Perhaps his friend wasn't perfect, which was why he was late, but why was he late for him? Come to think of it, something similar had happened before; a friend bought a cake, and when he was cutting it, he gave someone else a huge slice, leaving himself only a small piece…

Could it be that my friend doesn't consider me a friend? Does my friend care about me far less than I care about him?

There is evidence for this—otherwise, why would he share such a small portion of the pie with himself? Otherwise, why would he be so late in arriving?

The tendrils of pain, grievance, and sorrow, accompanied by contemplation, entwine the limbs and bones, and pass through the internal organs.

Witt was out of breath.

Maybe... he did it on purpose this time?

The idea sprouted, quickly branched out and blossomed, and grew upright.