Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Mystery of Su Ziye

Liu Ru gazed silently at the young man in black before her.

It was as if he had never left this place.

Today’s operation was the first time Su Ziye was not by her side; she had to rely entirely on her own judgment and execution.

Liu Ru did not know how well she had performed, but there was one thing she could be certain of.

She had completed the task Su Ziye had entrusted to her.

“Here.” Liu Ru lifted her hand and handed the blue envelope to him.

Su Ziye took the envelope, but did not open it. Instead, he smiled at Liu Ru. “You haven’t opened it, have you?”

“No,” Liu Ru nodded.

“Aren’t you curious?” Su Ziye asked.

Liu Ru thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“As expected of you.” Su Ziye smiled slightly. “Why aren’t you curious?”

Indeed, why wasn’t she curious?

Back in the Hall of Stars, Liu Ru had witnessed the frenzy this blue envelope had caused; nearly everyone was desperate to claim it at any cost.

Yet, in the end, it was she who had unexpectedly emerged victorious and seized the prize.

Liu Ru looked at Su Ziye. “Because there’s no need to be curious.”

“That’s not what you told me to do.”

“What do you think?” Su Ziye looked at Liu Ru.

“My only duty is to carry out your instructions. The most important thing for me is to do what you ask of me well. Everything else is unimportant,” Liu Ru replied calmly.

The girl with golden hair in white attire was perfectly composed.

“Alright.” Su Ziye nodded. This beautiful youth rarely displayed unnecessary emotion. Even now, he showed little sign of approval. He glanced at the blue envelope in his hand, still not opening it, and continued, “What did Kalotes say?”

“He asked me if you were Xiche,” Liu Ru answered, looking at Su Ziye.

Su Ziye’s expression did not change. “And how did you reply?”

“I said I don’t know Xiche,” Liu Ru said calmly.

“Then I can tell you—I am indeed Xiche. That was once my name,” Su Ziye replied mildly.

“Should I call you by that name from now on?” Liu Ru asked.

“No need, because for a long time to come, I won’t be using that name. In fact, I still prefer ‘Su Ziye.’” Su Ziye smiled. “Anything else?”

He was not much surprised that Kalotes had recognized him so easily.

“He said he would visit you tonight,” Liu Ru reported.

“That’s not like him,” Su Ziye mused aloud. “What do you think of Kalotes?”

“I can’t say,” Liu Ru replied.

“Just tell me your first impression,” Su Ziye said evenly. “After all, I haven’t met him in person yet.”

“Unusual, powerful, unexpectedly frivolous, yet gives an impression of unfathomable depth,” Liu Ru considered before answering.

“Yes, that’s Kalotes—the current president of the student council.” Su Ziye offered a gentle praise. “I look forward to meeting him. By the way, would you like something to eat?”

As he spoke, Su Ziye glanced at the Third Highness behind Liu Ru.

At the mention of food, the Third Highness lifted her head, her eyes even glimmering slightly.

“Of course, there will be enough for you as well,” Su Ziye assured her.

...

Liu Ru did not get the beef stew she craved.

She had developed a nearly obsessive attachment to beef stew, but Su Ziye was not willing to make the same dish every time, though by all appearances, he enjoyed it as well.

Instead, they had black tea and lemon cake.

The steaming tea was fragrant and rich, the pale yellow cake soft and refreshing with just the right touch of sweetness. Though it was not a meal, it was more than satisfactory as an afternoon tea.

Especially since the Third Highness seemed to enjoy the food immensely—both the tea and the cake met with her full approval.

“I sometimes think, if the Third Highness were to wear a frilly dress, she would look astonishingly beautiful. But I doubt there’s anyone in this world who could persuade her to change her clothes,” Su Ziye remarked as he watched the Third Highness eat.

The Third Highness looked up, a little confused by Su Ziye’s words.

In fact, since her arrival in this city, the Third Highness had almost always worn the same attire: a voluminous black cloak that covered her entirely, and beneath it, a finely crafted black dress enveloping her in darkness. Unless she raised her head, even her face could not be seen.

“It’s just the idle grumbling of a boy with regrets, Your Highness; you needn’t pay it any mind,” Su Ziye said with a smile. “After all, I have a younger sister myself. One day, to see her in a frilly dress would also be a delight.”

He then turned to the quietly dining Liu Ru. “How about a game of chess?”

...

“These are pawns, these are knights, bishops, chariots, and this is the general,” Su Ziye said, skillfully producing a wooden chessboard, about forty centimeters square, from who-knows-where, and arranging the red and black pieces in their places.

“I don’t really know how,” Liu Ru said, shaking her head at Su Ziye’s enthusiasm.

In their months of traveling together, Su Ziye had never taught her this game, so Liu Ru was a bit at a loss.

“It doesn’t matter. The rules are simple, I can teach you.” Su Ziye proceeded to explain the moves: the knight leaps in an L, the bishop moves diagonally, the general commands the field, the cannon attacks from afar. Soon, the board was set, and he looked at Liu Ru. “Come on, after a couple of games you’ll get the hang of it.”

Liu Ru nodded and tried moving the general forward one step.

“You’ve found the blind spot in my thinking,” Su Ziye praised, moving his cannon to the center.

In little more than two minutes—perhaps only a bit more than one, given how long Liu Ru took to consider her moves—her lines were in complete disarray. She had lost her knights, horses, and cannons, and her general was barely escaping encirclement.

“Checkmate,” Su Ziye said calmly, delivering the final blow. “You’ve lost.”

“I feel as though you didn’t go easy on me at all,” Liu Ru commented, serene as ever.

“In this universe, the greatest respect you can pay an opponent is utter annihilation,” Su Ziye replied. “Besides, I’ve hardly ever played chess with anyone before. Let me enjoy myself for once.”

“Then let’s play again,” Liu Ru said.

There was plenty of tea and lemon cake. Over the next half hour, they played six more games. Though Liu Ru managed to last a little longer each time, overall her defeat was always decisive.

Yet she never asked him to go easy on her. Each time she was checkmated, she quietly conceded and reset the board.

On the eighth game, as Liu Ru, playing red, reached for her first move, she suddenly felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She turned and saw the snowy chin of the Third Highness.

The red-haired, stunning girl silently pointed to herself, then looked serenely at Su Ziye.

For a moment, Liu Ru was a little confused.

“She probably thinks your losses have been too tragic, and now that she feels she’s learned the basics, she wants to try her hand at defeating me,” Su Ziye interpreted calmly for Liu Ru. “Is that right, Your Highness?”

The Third Highness nodded quietly.

“Would you like to let her play the next game?” Su Ziye asked Liu Ru.

Liu Ru immediately stood and helped the Third Highness into her seat.

Though Liu Ru was not yet a student of Nightleaf Academy, her respect for the Third Highness was no less than that of any student. Since coming to this city, she had received countless kindnesses from her.

With Liu Ru watching, the Third Highness and Su Ziye began their first match.

Or rather, their duel.

Their maneuvers were dazzling to behold. Liu Ru, a mere novice, could only sense the intensity of their play, though she could not grasp exactly where the tension lay.

One thing was clear: Su Ziye had said the Third Highness was exceptionally clever, and it was true.

As the number of pieces on the board dwindled, the contest shifted from fierce battles with major pieces to strategic maneuvering with minor ones.

“Checkmate.” Su Ziye calmly advanced his pawn to the far rank, then looked at the Third Highness and smiled. “You’ve lost again.”

The Third Highness said nothing. She simply nodded, returned the captured pieces to Su Ziye, and began to reset the board.

“One game is enough, isn’t it?” Su Ziye did not move, though his hand trembled slightly.

Of course, his words remained firm. “Your Highness, you’re only just learning the game. You shouldn’t overexert yourself; one game a day is your limit.”

Before he finished, he saw the Third Highness already setting up the board for him.

A light sweat broke out on Su Ziye’s forehead. At that moment, a soft knock sounded at the door.

Su Ziye sprang from his seat. “How could there be more visitors? Your Highness, even your place isn’t safe if you can be found.”

Liu Ru eyed Su Ziye with exasperation. “You’re not afraid of losing to the Third Highness, are you?”

“Not at all—truly, it’s a distinguished guest!” Su Ziye replied loudly, hiding his unease. He opened the door and, seeing the red-haired man outside, was overjoyed. “Senior Kalotes, you’ve come just in time!”

Liu Ru watched Kalotes at the door and sighed inwardly—so he could indeed find them.

“Seems I’ve come at a bad time,” Kalotes said with a gentle smile, standing at the threshold, making no move to enter.

“How should I address you?” Kalotes asked, looking at Su Ziye.

“Just call me Su Ziye; that’s the name I’m registered under,” Su Ziye replied easily. “Won’t you come in?”

“Of course not,” Kalotes replied, firmly remaining outside. “I think you need me to rescue you right now, don’t you?”

Su Ziye nodded, then turned to Liu Ru and the Third Highness. “Eat and play as you like. I’m going with Kalotes to a place for adults. You two stay here and relax.”

With that, Su Ziye led Kalotes away, soon vanishing from Liu Ru’s sight.

Only the Third Highness remained, sitting there somewhat forlornly.

Noticing her apparent disappointment, Liu Ru’s heart stirred, and she sat across from her.

“I may play terribly, but if you don’t mind—”

She made the first move.

The Third Highness looked up, a little surprised, then lowered her head.

She produced a writing tablet, scribbled quickly, and turned it to Liu Ru.

“I don’t mind. Thank you.”

...

“Are you really that afraid of losing to the Third Highness?” In a quiet little tavern, Kalotes looked at Su Ziye with a smile.

“Go back, I’ll teach you the rules of chess, and you can play a game against her yourself,” Su Ziye retorted, full of “if you think you can do better, be my guest.”

“I’m not fond of chess,” Kalotes replied modestly.

“Then never mind.” Su Ziye abided by the principle of never pursuing a retreating opponent.

“I never thought you’d come to see me so soon, Senior,” the youth changed the subject.

“You solve my riddle, and now you blame me for coming too soon?” Kalotes smiled calmly at Su Ziye. “You’ve managed to have it both ways.”

“I truly don’t understand what you mean, Senior,” Su Ziye feigned ignorance.

“You call me ‘Senior’—what’s not to understand?” Kalotes looked at him. “Suppose I told you I’ve had my eye on you for a long time. Would you believe it?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Su Ziye replied nonchalantly. “After all, you’re Kalotes.”

“There’s nothing special about being Kalotes,” Kalotes said, filling his glass and sipping slowly. “I am fated not to exist in this history. But you—you may be the most dangerous being in this world.”

“You flatter me, Senior,” Su Ziye said modestly.

“Let’s dispense with the pleasantries,” Kalotes said, looking at Su Ziye. “How did you figure out the answer to my riddle?”

“The reason is simple,” Su Ziye replied, meeting Kalotes’s gaze at last, dropping all pretense.

“I based my judgment on one thing: the student council would never leak the topic of the third trial without reason. If a leak occurred, there could only be one explanation.”

“And what would that be?” Kalotes prompted.

“That the third trial’s challenge was so difficult that even if the topic was leaked, it would make no difference to the outcome—and might even be beneficial,” Su Ziye said.

Kalotes smiled. “And then?”

“And then came the key to your riddle,” Su Ziye continued calmly.

“The real answer was in your words to me.”

‘I will announce the topic of the trial to the entire city.’

Su Ziye looked at Kalotes, his dark eyes clear and cool.

“Am I right?”