Volume One, Chapter 11: President Shen Has Abandoned You

Jiang Li had not slept all night. At dawn, she dragged her weary body out of the hotel.

When she returned to Cui Tao’s place, it was just past six in the morning. Everyone was still asleep, so she quietly went back to her room and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

She only woke up groggily after eleven.

Her phone lit up with a message from the senior apprentice brother sent two hours earlier: “We went out for a walk. Junior sister, if you’re awake, go eat something first.”

Jiang Li rubbed her throbbing head and headed to the bathroom.

The splashing water and the misty steam in the bathroom brought back memories of last night.

She looked down at herself and saw the marks left by Lu Jinye all over her body.

She quickly took a shower, then wrapped herself up tightly in clothes, even bringing out a scarf to cover herself.

After dawdling for nearly an hour, she ran into her senior brothers returning.

“Little junior sister, have you eaten?”

Jiang Li nervously tugged at her scarf. “Not yet.”

They quickly closed the door they had just opened and pulled her along as they turned around. “Then let’s go to the dining hall.”

Jiang Li hurried a few steps and asked, “Where’s the teacher?”

“The teacher is downstairs. We’re waiting upstairs to go down together.”

Downstairs, sure enough, Cui Tao had already ordered dishes and was waiting for them.

He nodded toward the group. “Sit down and eat quickly, we need to be back before 5 p.m.”

The senior apprentice brother muffled food in his mouth and mumbled, “In such a hurry? What’s the rush?”

“Your junior sister’s comeback championship is great publicity for the Go Association. They’ve arranged an interview for her at 7 p.m.”

“Huh?” Jiang Li glanced nervously at the marks on her neck. “Can’t we reschedule? I... I want to rest and adjust.”

“What’s there to adjust?” Cui Tao kindly offered her some food with a smile. “They won’t ask difficult questions, just the usual reflections after winning and future plans.”

“We’ve talked about this before, so don’t be nervous.”

“But teacher...”

“Oh, you kid, go make some face for the teacher! Just say you’re Cui Tao’s proudest disciple! Blow your own horn, the teacher has your back!”

Seeing his stubborn old man expression, Jiang Li steeled herself, “Alright, but don’t come after me later!”

During the meal, Jiang Li felt uneasy. She knew she’d have to find a way to quietly cover the marks on her neck later.

---

Back in the capital, it was still before 5 p.m.

Jiang Li suggested going home to freshen up first, but Cui Tao was adamant.

“Teacher! I’m not running away. I’ll take a taxi over in half an hour at most!”

“Half an hour? What’s there to freshen up for? Just go straight to the TV station; they have clothes and everything there.”

Jiang Li was frustrated—why were all these old chess teachers so stubborn?

At the TV station, she used the excuse of changing clothes to send everyone away.

In the dressing room, she stared angrily at the unmistakable red marks on her neck.

Lu Jinye had been reckless and left, but he had put her in such a humiliating situation. If only she hadn’t indulged in his wolfish advances.

Worrying wouldn’t help, so Jiang Li changed into a dress.

She deliberately chose a qipao with a higher collar. Though it had a thigh-high slit, she didn’t care now.

After changing, the collar just barely covered the red marks.

Jiang Li finally exhaled in relief. As long as she didn’t turn her head abruptly, the marks wouldn’t be noticed.

After finishing her makeup and hair, Jiang Li played with her phone while waiting for the notification.

The forum had already begun posting her game records; heated discussions over each move ensued.

Of course, there was no identical game in history.

Criticism about a misplaced “pincer” or a less-than-ideal “tiger’s mouth” move was abundant.

But most believed her style of play remained as sharp as ever—no decline.

“Go is like a person, and a person is like Go.”

Jiang Li’s style was lively yet steady, ruthless yet retaining an escape route.

She never sought a crushing victory; as long as her win rate was one percent higher than her opponent’s, she was the ultimate winner.

She knew she wouldn’t lose. Though the final game seemed to be won by only three-quarters of a point, she had been calculating the score from the endgame to ensure she always had that one-point edge.

Watching the post’s popularity rise and climb to the top, she felt pride swell inside her.

Yet, untimely people always appeared in the least expected places.

Bai Nannan stood before Jiang Li, clutching a stack of materials, jealousy unable to mask her face.

“Miss Jiang, long time no see.”

“Hm,” Jiang Li replied coldly, lowering her head to look at her phone again.

“Your status has changed now. Winning the championship should bring you some glory.”

Jiang Li remained silent, scrolling through other posts.

Bai Nannan stepped closer, voice sharp: “I suppose divorcing Mr. Shen has brought you quite a bit of exposure. With that, Miss Jiang, maybe you can enjoy some pride for a while.”

Jiang Li put away her phone and tilted her head to look at her, smiling faintly. “Miss Bai might not know, but I was awarded the honorary presidency by the National Go Association. That kind of glory I had before I even got married.”

“But since you mentioned Mr. Shen, Miss Bai, haven’t you gotten what you wanted?”

At the mention of this, Bai Nannan’s fury flared.

Since two weeks ago, Shen Ye Chu had been distracted and restless. Yesterday morning, while showering, Bai Nannan handed him clothes and he unexpectedly said, “Xiaoli, thank you.”

Though he later apologized and said he had just gotten used to seeing Jiang Li as a housekeeper or aunt, Bai Nannan still felt uneasy.

A woman’s intuition is sharp; she sensed Shen Ye Chu still cared for Jiang Li.

“Of course I got what I wanted,” Bai Nannan’s gaze darted to the door, “Brother Ye Chu and I have loved each other for years. If it weren’t for Miss Jiang interfering, we would already be married!”

Jiang Li followed her gaze and saw the staff entering, stunned by Bai Nannan’s words.

Bai Nannan curled her lips into a triumphant smile. How about that? She wanted everyone to know Jiang Li’s sordid face.

“Is that so?” Jiang Li stood, her curves accentuated by the perfectly tailored qipao and exquisite makeup and hairstyle, the two of them worlds apart.

“Miss Bai seems to have forgotten that when Mr. Shen was at his lowest, you demanded a 5 million dowry. He had no choice but to abandon you.”

“As for why he chose to marry me, it’s probably because of my ‘fame’—something that could help him soar.”

After saying this, she no longer looked at Bai Nannan’s increasingly ugly expression and walked toward the door.

At 7 p.m., the interview officially began.

The host politely asked the routine questions, and Jiang Li answered gracefully.

During the break, she sat in her seat touching up her makeup and discussed the forum’s game analysis with Cui Tao and the others.

When she turned, a familiar yet strange figure stood in the corner of the studio.

Shen Ye Chu.

Jiang Li’s expression instantly turned icy cold.