Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 22

Su Rong brought along Yue Wan, while Zhou Gu was accompanied by Zi Ye. Together, the four of them boarded a carriage and left the Lord’s residence. 

Inside the carriage, Su Rong noticed Zhou Gu shifting uncomfortably and asked, “Are you more used to riding horses?” 

Zhou Gu nodded. 

“The sun outside is scorching, and it’s midday, riding a horse isn’t ideal. The carriage provides shade and keeps the heat at bay. Just bear with it. It’s not that far, only about an hour away,” Su Rong said. Truthfully, she also preferred horseback riding whenever she left the city. Usually, she’d slip out and have a horse brought to her outside the gates. But she couldn’t break her act so soon after getting acquainted with Zhou Gu, so she had to endure the slow pace of the carriage. 

“An hour?” Zhou Gu frowned. Spending that long cooped up in the carriage was proving to be unpleasant. He almost regretted agreeing to come along. 

“It’s not too bad, just that the carriages are slower,” Su Rong replied and took out a chess set. “How about a game of chess to pass the time?” 

Zhou Gu agreed. “That sounds fine.” 

Su Rong unfolded the chessboard and asked, “Which pieces do you want?” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Zhou Gu replied. 

Su Rong chose the white pieces for herself and made the first move. 

Zhou Gu picked up a black piece and followed suit. 

At first, Zhou Gu played casually, treating it as a way to kill time. He didn’t take the game too seriously, thinking it was just something to humor her with. But halfway through the match, he found himself sitting up straight, surprise flickering across his face as he glanced at Su Rong. 

Su Rong’s expression remained serene, her small face calm and focused. She didn’t even lift her head to meet his gaze, her full attention seemingly on the board. 

Zhou Gu’s eyes traveled from her face to her hands. Those slender, delicate fingers, soft as they looked, were capable of a ferocious and precise style of play. How could such a gentle-looking girl have such a sharp and aggressive approach to chess? If he didn’t start taking this seriously, he might actually lose. 

Of course, Zhou Gu couldn’t bear the thought of losing to a girl so much younger than him. He devoted himself fully to the second half of the game, determined to turn things around. 

Yet, even with his newfound focus, Zhou Gu found himself unable to secure victory. The more they played, the more astonished he became. Su Rong’s moves were unpredictable. One moment, she struck decisively on one side of the board, the next, she attacked from an entirely different angle. Her strategy was unconventional and erratic, a stark contrast to the disciplined and methodical approach he had been taught. 

When the game finally concluded, Zhou Gu had no choice but to admit defeat. 

Su Rong placed the final piece on the board, her brows lifting as she broke into a bright smile. “Zhou Gu, you’ve lost!” 

Zhou Gu: “…” 

Zi Ye leaned over, his expression one of utter disbelief. “My young master actually lost?” 

Yue Wan clapped her hands in delight. “Hooray, hooray! My lady won!” 

Zhou Gu stared at the chessboard in silence. He had been entirely serious in the second half of the game, trying his best to recover, yet he had still lost, fair and square. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he turned to look at Yue Wan. 

Yue Wan immediately put her hands down and stifled her excitement, not daring to celebrate any further. 

Zhou Gu turned back to Su Rong, who tilted her head at him. “You’re not upset, are you?” When he didn’t respond, she quickly added with an innocent look, “It’s not my fault, you didn’t take me seriously at the beginning. Don’t blame me.” 

Zhou Gu let out a soft “Hmm” and said, “I don’t blame you. Let’s play again.” 

Su Rong nodded eagerly. “Sure!” 

In the second game, Zhou Gu adopted a serious approach right from the start. Every move was calculated, his sharp gaze fixed on Su Rong as he tried to anticipate her next play. 

But to his surprise, Su Rong’s style this time was entirely different. Her moves seemed almost careless, lacking the intensity of the previous game. There was no sense of aggression, no apparent strategy, it was as if she were playing absentmindedly. Zhou Gu found it impossible to predict her next move. 

He frowned slightly and reminded her, “I’m not upset. Take this seriously and play properly.” 

“I am taking it seriously,” Su Rong replied with a playful smile. “But if you lose this game too, promise you won’t get upset, okay?” 

“I won’t lose again.” 

That remains to be seen, Su Rong thought to herself with a grin. 

This game lasted longer, but in the end, with a single-piece advantage, Su Rong emerged victorious once again. 

Zi Ye’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Young Master, you lost again?” 

Yue Wan clapped her hands in delight. “Miss, you’re amazing! You won again!” 

Zhou Gu: “…” 

He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, then raised his eyes to Su Rong. Suddenly, a wry smile broke across his face. “Feeling very proud of yourself?” 

Su Rong’s lips curved upward in an unmistakably smug grin. “Well, all my years of studying chess manuals weren’t wasted.” 

Yue Wan almost blurted, “Miss, when did you ever study chess manuals? You’ve only ever played against yourself out of boredom! I’ve never seen you study a chess manual even once.” But she wasn’t foolish. She knew better than to say something that might make the young master feel even worse. 

“My chess skills may not be outstanding, but they’re not bad either. I was taught by Grand Tutor Qin from the Eastern Palace,” Zhou Gu remarked, idly spinning a chess piece between his fingers. “You say you’ve studied chess manuals since childhood? What kind of manuals?” 

Su Rong sighed lightly. “Nameless ones. They were burned a long time ago.” 

“Burned?” Zhou Gu raised an eyebrow. 

Yue Wan, eager to add credibility to her mistress’s words, chimed in, “Young Master, when Miss was seven, she accidentally knocked over a candlestick and set an entire courtyard on fire. It was nighttime, and the wind was strong, so the fire couldn’t be contained. Everything in the courtyard turned to ash. Only the two of us made it out.” 

Zhou Gu was taken aback. “That must have been terrifying. You’re lucky to have survived.” 

Yue Wan nodded emphatically. “I was so scared I cried my eyes out and couldn’t even stand. It was Miss who dragged me out. Just as we ran out the gate, the roof beams collapsed. It was terrifying!” 

Zhou Gu looked Su Rong up and down. “It’s hard to imagine, with how slim and delicate you are, that you could manage to drag someone along while running.” 

Yue Wan wanted to blurt out, “My Miss has incredible strength!” But she held her tongue, remembering the madam’s advice that men preferred gentle and delicate women. Instead, she modestly replied, “In moments of danger, Miss is far more capable than I am.” 

Su Rong chuckled. “In desperate situations, people can tap into extraordinary potential.” 

Zhou Gu nodded in agreement. 

Su Rong glanced at him. “Another round?” 

“No, I think I’m done. I can’t beat you anyway.” Zhou Gu decided it was better to quit while he was behind. Losing twice was bad enough, losing three times in a row would be even more embarrassing. 

Su Rong admired his composure. A man who could accept defeat gracefully and without resentment wasn’t bad at all. 

She began packing up the chessboard and asked Yue Wan, “How far are we from our destination?” 

“Five more li,” Yue Wan replied. 

Su Rong nodded, then turned to Zhou Gu. “How about we start with a river tour today? Tomorrow morning, we can ride out and climb Phoenix Mountain. There’s not enough time to go up the mountain today.” 

Zhou Gu looked at her. “You know how to ride?” 

Su Rong nodded. “I learned from my eldest brother.” 

Zhou Gu’s gaze lingered on her. With her soft and slender frame, he couldn’t help but wonder if she might be jostled right off a galloping horse. Still, the prospect of avoiding another carriage ride convinced him. “Alright.” 

He didn’t realize that Su Rong had subtly roped him into another outing for the next day. 

The carriage eventually arrived at Maple Leaf River. Although the season hadn’t yet turned the maple leaves red, the river was already bustling with people. 

Su Rong and her group alighted. Both she and Zhou Gu were exceptionally good-looking, while Yue Wan and Zi Ye were equally charming and spirited. Their arrival immediately drew the attention of many passersby. 

Among the crowd, a group preparing to board a boat glanced over, and their movements froze simultaneously.