Destined

Qi Yuze was appalled at how fast she changed. She clearly knew what she was doing and how it was not right to do so either. But she was still persistent and quite stubborn. He had to say, he really hadn't met someone like her ever before.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Game," Liu Xinyu repeated calmly. "Don't you want me to leave you alone?"

"I do," he answered very honestly. "You're disturbing me. I would like some peace and quiet."

Liu Xinyu nodded her head, "Yes, yes. I had my moments like those too so I can understand your feelings. So, to get rid of me, you should be willing to do anything right now. That's why I suggested, we play a game. If I win, you'll tell me your name and I'll stop disturbing you right now. If you win, I'll disappear from your life like I was never even here."

Qi Yuze stared at her carefully as he tried to see through her intentions but he was still gonna stick to his initial impression, she was a liar and good at disguise because he really couldn't tell what she was up to or how much of what she said was true.

"How about I just tell you my name and you disappear?" Qi Yuze put forth his own condition for a peaceful negotiation because he did not wish to put in more effort. 

Liu Xinyu simply lifted her index finger and shook it before his eyes, "No! Once you tell me your name, it means we are starting to know each other. You want me to back off after that? Not happening. I'd be even more interested in falling deeper into this. So, if you really want to get rid of me, you have to win."

Qi Yuze pondered over her words, trying to find a way out but he had to seriously consider this proposal for the sake of his peace. Because he could see she was not willing to back off without a fight. He usually liked this fighting spirit in people but currently, he was not a big fan since she was putting up a fight just to squeeze her way into his life.

"Okay. What game?" asked Qi Yuze.

"That's up to you," said Liu Xinyu. "This should be a fair fight. I don't do sneaky things when it comes to games. It's all up to you. The game is of your choice, the rules are yours too."

"You're putting yourself at a disadvantage?" Qi Yuze pointed out as his brows arched up in question at her.

"I'm not putting myself at a disadvantage, I'm just giving you favorable conditions. I don't want you to say later on that I cheated. But let me clear this up, my foot is still not completely fine. I can walk but playing sports would be difficult unless I don't wanna walk ever again. So, can we choose a game where we don't have to move our feet?"

Qi Yuze still remembered her foot injury. In fact, one could see her pale complexion too. Her lips were dry even right now and looked like withered petals. There were abrasions on her hands too. There was even a cut on her neck. She made people feel pity but only if she kept her mouth shut. 

Because he did fall for that quiet version of hers when he pulled her out of the pond and saved her life. She was shivering and was so quiet as she was in shock. With her thin hospital gown clinging to her body, she did look pitiable. But his views were shattered the very same day when she came to tease him like the helpless person whom he saved earlier that day had nothing to do with her.

That's why he said she was duplicitous. There was more than one side of hers and she wasn't willing to show all her cards too. It made her mysterious but also a very dangerous person.

Qi Yuze shook off unnecessary thoughts from his mind and looked into her dark eyes but had to lower his gaze. He couldn't seem to stare into her eyes for some reason. They had a very familiar feeling and evoked a familiar feeling of fear within too. He couldn't understand this feeling. Clearing his throat, he looked around the library and suddenly found something, "Can you play chess?"

"Chess?" asked Liu Xinyu.

"Not Go. I'm asking about Western chess."

Liu Xinyu nodded her head, "I think I know how to play."

"Then let's play chess," saying that, he stood up and walked to another boy in the library who was carrying a chess in his bag. He borrowed the chess from him and came back. He put it on the table and said, "Let's begin. I'll take white."

"Great! Black seems to suit me as always," was Liu Xinyu's response.

Yiyi also curiously came to stand beside them as she watched the setting of the chessboard and couldn't help but ask, "What is this? Why don't I know this?"

Liu Xinyu didn't have the chance to tell her ghost friend that this was Western chess how could an ancient ghost like her know about it? Actually, Liu Xinyu had never played chess with a human being before. But she had played with the computer a lot. So, she was still somewhat confident in her skills. 

Liu Xinyu and Qi Yuze sat across from each other, their eyes locked in fierce concentration. The chess board between them held the battleground of the strategic duel, each move calculated and deliberate. With every piece carefully maneuvered, the tension between them mounted as the game progressed. 

Liu Xinyu's brows furrowed in determination, her fingers hovering over the wooden pieces as she contemplated her next move. She was the kind of person who always took every match seriously. No matter how insignificant the game she was playing, she would always take not only the game seriously but also her opponent.

But Qi Yuze wasn't just any opponent too. He was equally intense, his gaze unwavering as he plotted his next move. He might not take most things seriously in his life, but right now, he was truly motivated to win. He had a clear goal to win. All because he wanted to get rid of Liu Xinyu's badgering. 

As the game unfolded with passion and skill, both demonstrated their mastery of the game, each countering the other's advances with calculated precision. Neither of them was willing to concede for their own reasons. As the game reached its climax, the tension around them reached its peak. The delicate balance of power was broken by Liu Xinyu as she made the last move with a smirk and said, "Checkmate!"

Qi Yuze first looked at the move she made and then looked up at her. He could only give her a nod of acknowledgment. They were evenly matched until the very end but she still emerged victorious with her final move. Qi Yuze had to say, she had some skills. But what impressed him wasn't her victory, it was her attitude towards it.

Liu Xinyu didn't look arrogant after winning nor did she seem overly excited. She was just as usual with a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Since I'm the winner, should we hold our ends of the bet?"

Qi Yuze nodded in agreement and plainly told his name, "Qi Yuze."

Liu Xinyu's smile waned once she heard his name. She was momentarily speechless which caught even Qi Yuze's attention. 

"What's wrong?"

"You and I seem to be really destined," commented Liu Xinyu out of nowhere.

"What?"

"Don't you think so?" she asked him. "You seem to not remember my name. It's Liu Xinyu. The same Yu character as in your name. Your name 'Yuze' means a refreshing monsoon after a humid day and my 'Xinyu' means new rain. If you think about it, both our names seem to have the same meaning. Both represent a new beginning. Isn't that what means to be destined?"

Qi Yuze was actually listening to her attentively and also felt like there was some reality to her words. Xinyu represented the start of a new spring while Yuze was the beginning of monsoon after a dry and hot summer day. Both rains were bringing new life to the world. A new beginning. 

He actually never thought that his name sounded so beautiful.

"Mr. Destined, it's very nice to meet you!"

Liu Xinyu smiled at him refreshingly as she finally held her end of the bargain too and turned to leave. Once she said something, she'd obviously try her best to be responsible for her words. She got what she wanted which was his name. Now, it was time to leave. There was a limit to how much you could push someone at one time and she knew when to pull back before she became a real nuisance.

One has to leave a way out for oneself for the next time, no?

"Let's meet again if we are fated. And if we do, don't deny this fate again!"

Qi Yuze was left looking at her dashing back walking away from him.