Message

"Incoming holocom from Ma and Ba."

"Pick up," Souren says, not looking up from his tablet as he lies sprawled on his bed.

"Receiving holocom." After a moment, the call loads and the blue-green light renders an image of his mother and father standing in the room. Souren quickly sits up, brushing off the nonexistent dust off his clothes out of habit, and straightens his back. Perfect, poised.

He inhales, then speaks. "Ba, Ma! How are you? How is Lianxiu?"

"Souren!" The holographic form of his mother smiles. "We're doing well, the discussions are going smoothly. How are you? Studies coming along?"

"Yes. I've been reading through the classics. I'm almost through Xiyouji."

"Good, good. We have a message for you."

Of course. But Souren's poised smile doesn't falter. "Yes?"

"One of the officials here, Tao Xianshen, is sending his son to Huaqing to study. We offered to let him stay with you in the mansion, as a show of goodwill."

Souren's expression changes for a fleeting second, but not long enough to be noticeable through the holocom. "Of course, Ba."

"Excellent, that's all settled then. You'll be a good host, I trust?" Souren's father looks at him seriously.

"I understand." He'd be foolish not to. "Anyway, I've been meaning to—"

"Sorry dear, your mother and I have another meeting in a few minutes; we just wanted to give you the news as soon as we could. Talk to you soon."

Will it be soon, though? Souren bites his lip to avoid this retort. "Yes. See you, Ba, Ma."

After the call disconnects, he gives himself a moment to regain his repose, then turns to An. "An, I trust you heard what Ma and Ba said?"

"I did."

"Good. Please inform the serv-bots to prepare for his stay. We'll need a feast, on the first day at least. And… what else do I need to do? An, can you make a list?"

"Understood, Young Master."

~~~

"An, would you care for a game of xiangqi?"

"Now?" Although An can't look surprised, the tone of voice is able to express something akin to it.

"Yes."

An obliges, and procures the Chinese chess game board. Souren helps in setting up, thumbing the familiar marks of the characters carved into the pieces, colored red and black for the respective sides.

Boy and robot are evenly matched. After his parents left for Lianxiu, An has been Souren's primary opponent for the game. Although An easily beat Souren in the beginning, Souren has honed his skills through the years and can put up a fair fight, even against a program that can calculate ten moves into the future.

Within ten minutes, Souren puts An's general in checkmate.