Chapter 133: No Wonder You All Like Her

Accompanied by the continuous fermentation of the explosive news "Political Strongman Takemiya Susumu Assassinated," this upcoming Go game in Hokkaido was covered by the media and public opinion with a layer of supernatural, mysterious, and even fatalistic color.

"Bloody Kisei Tournament," "Cursed Game," "Walking with the God of Death and the Genius Girl"... various sensational headlines flooded newspapers and the internet.

In TV talk shows, various "experts" talked eloquently, attempting to interpret this "coincidence" from metaphysical, psychological, and even social symbolic perspectives.

There were even some Nihon netizens who didn't mind the drama blowing up bigger, or who were dissatisfied with Takemiya Susumu's political views, leaving half-joking, half-serious comments on social media:

"Could this be... heaven using Takemiya-san's blood to roll out the red carpet for Her Majesty Nuo's ascension to the Kisei throne?"

"Although it's a bit disrespectful to say so, with Takemiya-san's death, the heat of the Kisei tournament has simply broken through the sky... Her Majesty Nuo, this is the destiny of heaven! (Laughs)"

"The blood of the old era watering the throne of the new era? This script is too thrilling!"

For the vast majority of ordinary citizens, the assassination of a political figure like Takemiya Susumu, although shocking, to some extent was not completely unimaginable.

Political infighting, entanglement of interests, who can say for sure?

The life and death of upper-class figures are ultimately separated by a distant distance from their daily lives of firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

After the initial shock, the news become conversational fodder.

...

After returning to Edo, Xu Nuo entered a highly cautious dormant period.

The aftermath of the Takemiya Susumu incident had not settled.

Although the police locked the main suspicion onto the "homeless scapegoat," large-scale investigations and screenings were still continuing.

To prevent any possible oversights or accidental exposure, she cut off all contact with the Crescent Group in the short term, except for emergency communications.

Days slid by rapidly in a rhythm that was regular on the surface but tense on the inside.

During the day, she immersed herself in the world of Go, occasionally accepting brief media interviews that couldn't be pushed away.

At night, she returned to the apartment, continuing her unshakeable physical training and refinement of network skills.

Soon, the calendar turned to its last page and...

2017 arrived.

The main light in the apartment wasn't turned on, only a few ambient lights emitted soft halos.

Xu Nuo still stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass window, looking down at that river of stars formed by countless lights below her feet.

"Teacher,"

She looked at the blurry illusory figure belonging to Xu Yunzhou reflected on the glass, and spoke softly,

"At this time last year, I also stood here..."

"I asked you, a me like this... would you hate me?"

Memories surged up. The panic and self-doubt of last year, and that weak yet solid comfort after receiving an affirmative answer, seemed to have happened just yesterday.

Xu Yunzhou had a gentle smile on his face.

He didn't speak immediately, just gently moved the mouse and clicked that [Reward] button emitting warm green light.

"I still have the same answer, never."

Receiving this expected yet eternally reassuring answer, Xu Nuo seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

She took a small step forward, getting closer to the cold glass window.

Then, she stood slightly on tiptoe.

Raised her face and closed her eyes.

Gently pressing her warm and soft lips onto the position of Xu Yunzhou's reflection on the glass—about the height of his lips.

This was a kiss separated by a layer of cold medium, yet incomparably pious.

"Teacher,"

Her voice pressed against the glass, sounding somewhat muffled, yet carrying complete reliance and satisfaction,

"Thank you..."

"For accompanying me through another New Year."

Xu Yunzhou steadied his mind, and he brought up Xu Nuo's current attribute panel.

[Comprehensive Charm Value: 87/100]

Only a 3-point gap remained from the ultimate goal of 90 points.

Although the assassination of Takemiya Susumu shocked the world and triggered countless guesses, looking across the world, there were only three or five people who knew the executor behind the scenes was exactly this young girl before his eyes.

Therefore, her "Influence" score didn't gain a significant bonus because of this incident.

Perhaps... it really requires waiting until the moment the Kisei title is finally crowned to end this Xu Nuo instance.

Having figured this out, Xu Yunzhou made a calculation in his heart:

"Not just the New Year, this year's Spring Festival, and Valentine's Day... as well as your birthday..."

"I can accompany you through them all."

Xu Nuo was silent for a few seconds.

The lights outside the window flickered brightly and dimly in her eyes.

"And then..."

Her voice was very light, so light it seemed it would scatter in the air at any time,

"Will it be... time to part?"

She paused, asking that question that had always lain across her heart yet she didn't dare to think deeply about:

"Will we have to... wait until eight years later, in 2025... before we can truly meet?"

Xu Yunzhou also fell silent for a moment.

"...Perhaps."

He could only answer like this.

"Mhm."

Xu Nuo gave a low response, not pressing further, not complaining, not even revealing a trace of disappointment.

She seemed to have long been accustomed to burying expectations very deep, so deep she could even deceive herself.

She turned around, a clear smile suddenly blooming on her face:

"Then, Teacher..."

"This year, let's properly spend... the last Valentine's Day together."

...

Soon, the Spring Festival arrived.

The apartment was filled with the warm aroma of food.

Xu Yunzhou transformed into the God of Cooking again, making several exquisite Bazhou dishes—Spicy Chicken Cubes red and alluring, Water-Boiled Pork Slices floating with a layer of fragrant chili and Sichuan peppercorns, Mapo Tofu trembling and emitting hot steam, and a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, refreshing and palate-cleansing.

On the dining table, two sets of bowls and chopsticks were placed.

Although Xu Yunzhou couldn't touch them, Xu Nuo still stubbornly served food and poured wine for him.

Carefully moving the best part of every dish into that empty bowl opposite her.

The wine glass was also filled with sake.

"Teacher,"

She raised her own wine glass, facing the empty air, her voice carrying joy,

"Happy New Year's Eve."

At first, Xu Yunzhou didn't pay much attention, just thinking this girl was acting a bit particular.

But looking at that bowl full of dishes and the full glass of wine, and then combining it with the almost pious atmosphere in this quiet room, the more he thought about it, the more he felt...

Why does this process reveal a bizarre sense of familiarity?

Offering tributes, setting a banquet, pouring wine, praying...

This, isn't this... offering sacrifices to ancestors/spirits?

The only difference is there's no photo hung up, replaced by a holographic projection.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, yet his heart softened.

This girl was "spending" the festival with him using the most solemn method she could think of.

This time, she declined all invitations to spend New Year's Eve together from seniors and peers at the Go Institute.

She chose to return to this apartment alone, staying up to see the old year out with that "existence" only she could perceive.

After the meal, everything was tidied up properly.

Hugging a large bag of potato chips, Xu Nuo curled into the soft sofa.

Xu Yunzhou also fetched popcorn chicken he had prepared long ago.

The two, one illusory and one solid, sat side by side on the sofa, watching the Spring Festival Gala from their distant homeland Great Xia through a live internet broadcast.

When a certain song and dance segment ended and the host announced the next program, Xu Yunzhou's heart inexplicably "thumped."

As expected, that figure now almost a household name in Great Xia appeared on the screen—Song Jiaru.

She wore a gorgeous long dress integrating modern design and classical elements, standing in the center of the dazzling stage under the spotlight, her skin whiter than snow.

Feeling guilty, Xu Yunzhou "glanced" at Xu Nuo beside him from the corner of his eye.

Feeling... is this little vinegar jar going to erupt?

Given the fierce energy this girl had when looking at Song Jiaru on the streets of Kyoto last year, wishing she could stab the other party to death with her gaze... seeing Song Jiaru shining radiantly on such a grand occasion now, and singing an affectionately lingering song, wouldn't this little vinegar jar explode into fireworks on the spot?

Who knows, she might pop out another upgraded, power-enhanced version of a fatal question, like "If she and I fall into a black hole at the same time, who do you fish out first"...

However, unexpectedly, Xu Nuo just sat there quietly, her gaze focused on the TV screen, listening to the entire song.

There was no expression of displeasure on her face.

Even, when the camera gave a close-up of Song Jiaru's face, capturing the instant she gazed deeply into the lens, Xu Nuo actually imperceptibly, gently nodded her head, as if acknowledging something internally.

After the program ended, entering commercial time, the living room recovered a moment of quiet.

"Teacher,"

Only then did Xu Nuo speak softly, her tone exceptionally calm,

"This Song Jiaru... sings really well."

She paused and added a sentence, her voice still flat:

"The person is also really pretty."

She paused again, this time for slightly longer, before saying as if to herself,

"No wonder... you all like her."

You all?