Endurance, Vast World on the Chessboard

"What is it? Not used to it?" Old Master Yan noticed Serena Feng's momentary distraction. His slightly sunken eyes gleamed with wisdom.

He wasn't hard of hearing—how could he not catch what these people were saying? Because of Master Marcus Wynn's talk of marrying Serena Feng, he, who usually ignored worldly matters, had even sent someone to inquire about her.

After learning what Serena Feng had been through, Old Master Yan immediately summed her up with one word: enduring!

She endured what others could not, suffered what others would never bear. Serena Feng's endurance was something even most men could not achieve—truly admirable!

"It's true, I'm not used to it. This is the first time anyone has praised me like this—I'm honestly a bit flattered." Serena Feng had no intention of hiding or covering up her past.

She didn't see her past as some unspeakable shame. Without those experiences, she wouldn't be who she was today.

Old Master Yan chuckled. "You'll get used to it in time. With Marcus Wynn's protective nature and his reputation, hardly anyone would dare touch someone he wants to protect."

Marcus Wynn is no ordinary young master. He made his name more than twenty years before the Wang clan's heir, and his roots run far deeper—plus, he doesn't have the burden of the Wang clan dragging him down.

Thinking of William Wang Jinling, so talented and refined, Old Master Yan couldn't help but feel it was a pity. Still, without the Wang clan's burdens, in another decade the young master's fame would surpass even them old-timers. But then again, without the Wang clan's support, there would never have been such a renowned young master in the first place.

Blessing or curse—it was just like Serena Feng's situation now. Master Marcus Wynn's support brought her trouble, but it also made people think twice before underestimating her.

Seeing Old Master Yan treat Serena Feng so kindly, quite a few people grew jealous. If not for the reputations of Old Master Yan and Master Marcus Wynn, someone would surely have tried to embarrass Serena Feng.

Of course Old Master Yan noticed those jealous looks, but he didn't care. He trusted Serena Feng to handle it herself. Anyone who could catch Marcus Wynn's eye had to be talented. At first, these people might envy or look down on her, but once they saw her abilities and realized the gap between them, all they'd have left was respect—because Serena Feng was simply on another level.

"Miss Su Wan, Miss Serena, please." The page waiting nearby stepped forward as soon as Old Master Yan's group arrived, bowing respectfully. With Old Master Yan's permission, he led Serena Feng and Su Wan away.

Serena Feng nodded to Old Master Yan and the others, then walked off gracefully. Su Wan, though snubbed by the crowd, didn't dare act out in front of these great scholars—a single word from them could ruin her reputation. No matter how dissatisfied she was, her smile didn't falter.

For chess, all you'd need was a small room, but the Royal Academy had set the board right in the center of the open square. Old Master Yan and the others sat off to the side, sipping tea and watching the game, perfectly at ease.

Once Serena Feng and Su Wan were seated, a young page came to ask who would play black and who white.

Before Serena Feng could speak, Su Wan jumped in with a bright, helpful smile, explaining the rules as if she feared Serena wouldn't understand. Serena didn't bother to reply—she simply picked up her tea and said, "Excellent tea." Only after Su Wan finished did Serena say, "Miss Su Wan, you're the guest. Please take black."

She basically treated Su Wan like a chatty little maid. Su Wan had tried to put Serena Feng in her place, but ended up trapping herself—and could only accept the black pieces from the page.

"Wendy won't stand on ceremony, I'll go first." With a crisp snap, Su Wan placed her stone on the board.

Graceful hands, slender fingers—watching a beauty play chess was a pleasure in itself.

The black stone landed on the white jade board, stark and striking. Those close enough craned their necks to get a good look, as if this single move could decide the whole match.

"What a fine move! The Su clan truly is a great family—Miss Su Wan may be a woman, but she's mastered every refined art: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."

Playing outside made the match feel freer, but it lost some solemnity and gained a bit of noise. Serena Feng looked completely relaxed, picked up a stone, and placed it almost carelessly.

"Huh..." What was that supposed to mean?

"Does Miss Feng really not know how to play chess, like the rumors say?"

"That move's worse than a beginner's! Miss Feng must not know chess at all."

Serena Feng just smiled without saying a word, her eyes full of playful amusement. So-called scholars, when noisy, were no different from market gossips—just a bit more polished in their speech.

Look at Old Master Yan, a true scholar—when he saw her play a "random" move, he didn't even twitch an eyebrow. That was real composure. Noticing Serena Feng's gaze, Old Master Yan lifted his head slightly, their eyes meeting.

No doubt, no confusion, no scorn—Old Master Yan was as calm and wise as ever.

Serena Feng silently praised his poise and said no more. Su Wan picked up her black stone, graceful and serene, and offered, "Miss Feng, would you like to take your move back? I can let you redo one step."

See? Now that's real poise.

"A true gentleman never regrets his move. Surely Miss Su doesn't fail to understand that? Besides, my move was perfectly fine—why would I take it back?" Tch, did they really think she was clueless and just messing around here?

Hmph... Serves Su Wan right. Of all the four arts, chess was her only strong suit. Serena had learned chess in the army from an instructor who was a real master. He said that every soldier needed to know chess, because those skilled at chess are skilled at strategy.

Chess holds a whole world—your moves reveal your mind and character. Serena Feng thought that made sense, and besides, it was easy to set up a board in camp. She'd go to the instructor whenever she had time for a match.

When Serena Feng first started, her moves were terrible, but her opponent never minded, always beating her soundly. Serena was stubborn—not afraid to lose, but determined to win it back if she did.

She put in the work to study the game, and eventually managed to fight him to a draw. Once, she even got lucky and won by five stones. After that, Serena never played chess with the instructor again.

The instructor waited for Serena Feng, but when she didn't show up, he even came looking for her himself. Serena refused to play, simple as that—she knew her own limits. That win was pure luck and his carelessness; one victory was more than enough for her.

Serena was satisfied, but the instructor was left with regret. Serena was slippery—he couldn't find a chance, so he had to carry that disappointment for the rest of his life.

Since then, Serena Feng rarely touched chess. As the instructor said, those skilled at chess are skilled at strategy. Whether she was really good at scheming, she didn't know—but she did know how to hide her strengths.

As a military doctor, her role was already sensitive. If the officers found out she was 'good at planning,' they might suspect her of ulterior motives—and she'd be doomed without even knowing why.

If Su Wan hadn't insisted on including chess in the four-arts contest, Serena Feng would have almost forgotten she could play.

Su Wan played each move with utmost caution, thinking hard before every stone. Serena Feng, on the other hand, did the exact opposite—she played fast, almost without thinking, just glancing at the board and dropping her white stone. Only...

Author's note to readers: I've always loved the military camp setting and always wanted to write a tough, iron-blooded soldier. Ahhh... I really do have a thing for uniforms.