"Eve, you really can't beat those old guys?"
In Noah's memory, Evelyn had only played the neighborhood elders a handful of times, and she had lost more often than she won. Neither side had ever taken it seriously. Only he, watching from the side, had gotten excited and thrilled every single time.
"Even if your sister could win, I shouldn't win too many." Evelyn pressed a piece down. "Old folks have their pride. You can't make your elders lose face."
"Ah? You actually think about stuff like that…" Little Noah back then had never understood any of it. Winning and losing had mattered more than anything; all he cared about was coming out on top.
But thinking back now, Evelyn had only been in her early teens herself—a young girl in the bloom of youth—yet her emotional intelligence had already reached that level. The praise and approval from the older neighbors probably hadn't come just from her politeness and quick learning.
"So you actually can beat them?" Noah's curiosity still lingered on the point.
"Take a guess." Evelyn placed her last piece, once again driving his king into a dead end. "Nate, you lost again."
"Eve…" He stared at the scattered mess on the stone table and let out a helpless sigh. "You really won't let me win at all?"
"You said yourself I didn't have to."
"Nate, little Evelyn, you're back." A white-haired old man approached behind Noah, looking at them with kind eyes. "All grown up now. How old are you this year?"
"Grandpa Ellis, you're getting forgetful again. It's not like we haven't seen each other in years."
"Oh… is that right? Last time I saw you two, you were still so little…"
Everyone in the neighborhood knew about Grandpa Ellis's memory issues. In the old man's mind, the two of them were still the little kids from years ago, so every meeting came with the same line: "All grown up now."
"I'm twenty, Grandpa Ellis." Noah bent down and waved at the light-yellow mutt trotting beside the old man's feet. "Carrot, come here."
The little dog obediently ran over, wagging its tail happily at Noah, looking especially affectionate.
"Want a game, sir?" Evelyn set up the pieces and politely invited the old man.
"Chess? Sure, sure."
Grandpa Ellis's eyes lit up as if he'd found treasure. The old man might forget everything else, but the chess he'd played for decades was burned into his bones—every move, every tactic crystal clear. Once he got into it, the whole world faded away.
Noah led the old man's pet to the side and gave up his seat so Grandpa Ellis could play Evelyn. The mutt nuzzled affectionately against Noah's leg like an old friend reunited after a long time.
Carrot was a gift from the old man's children. Grandpa Ellis had lost his wife early, and his kids worried he'd be too lonely, so they brought him the dog. The mutt was usually tied near the entrance of the old building; it knew every resident who came and went and never barked at people.
In the past, Noah had often fed Carrot snacks and loved playing with it; their bond had always been especially deep. Once, after bombing a test and not daring to let Evelyn know, he'd hugged the dog at the stairwell entrance from dusk until dark. Only when he couldn't hide anymore had Evelyn come and dragged him home.
When they parted, the boy and dog had looked heartbreakingly tragic, like they were being separated forever.
Back then, whenever he angered Evelyn, Noah would always run to Carrot to form a united front, wrapping his arms around its neck with the air of someone hiding behind a powerful ally.
Until the time he talked back to Evelyn and even called her by her full name. The girl had spanked him hard right in front of the dog.
While getting spanked, he had still been lying across Evelyn's lap, shouting "Carrot! Carrot!" at the mutt, and the dog had whined back dramatically as if its eyes were full of tears.
"Carrot, you've gotten fatter again." Noah stroked the dog's light-yellow fur and could feel the thick, solid muscle underneath—definitely heavier to lift now.
"Pretty soon I won't even be able to pick you up."
"Woof, woof." Carrot gave two gentle barks.
"Grandpa Ellis must be spoiling you with good food. You're gonna turn into one big carrot."
"Woof woof."
Noah held the dog in his lap and looked back. The chessboard had already reached an endgame. Grandpa Ellis's brows were furrowed, hesitating, holding a neatly carved "rook" in his hand without daring to set it down. A few more old-timers had gathered to watch.
"Hey, Ellis, you're in trouble now."
"Take the rook and it's check."
"Take what? Move the rook and the king is gone."
Some hadn't even noticed the game and started chatting with Noah and Evelyn, who had just returned home—joking about "college kids" and "bookworms," asking the usual older-generation questions: "When did you get back?" "Where are you studying?" "Got a girlfriend yet?"
Amid the laughter, the red side's king was forced into a corner. Grandpa Ellis sighed and laughed at himself: "Getting old, getting old. Can't keep up with you young people anymore."
Seeing their usual chess buddy lose, the other old men grew eager, and the situation suddenly turned into a rotation—everyone clamoring to play Evelyn next.
Noah sat to the side holding Carrot, quietly cheering for his sister in a low voice. Evelyn glanced at him with a faint smile, the curve of her lips carrying a hint of playful challenge, as if saying—*Watch closely, Nate. This is your sister's real strength.*
More and more elders lost one after another, each shaking their heads and sighing with bitter smiles. Suddenly a familiar gentle female voice came from behind: "Gentlemen, let my Evelyn go. It's almost time for lunch."
"Mom." Evelyn turned to look. Laura was carrying two bulging plastic bags. "Why so many groceries? It's not even the holidays yet."
"You and Nate just got home—we have to make something nice. Is the game almost over?"
"Almost, almost."
Evelyn turned back. Her moves suddenly became aggressive and reckless; after a few mistakes she quickly lost the final game.
She stood up, politely bowed to the old men, and pulled Noah away from the scene.
Lunch was prepared by her and Laura together. The two worked side by side in the kitchen—washing, chopping, stir-frying—coordinating salt, oil, sauce, and vinegar while chatting about their respective work and lives.
"Actually, Mom's always been afraid you two are hiding difficulties. You and Nate both like handling everything yourselves and never tell me."
"That's because we can solve them ourselves. If something's really serious, we'll tell you. Mom, don't worry." Evelyn's tone was light, trying to ease the woman's concern.
"I knew you'd say that. In all these years, when have you ever asked Mom for help?"
"That's… because we're all grown up now. We can't just run to you for everything."
"Alright, alright." Laura sighed. "In a couple of days your uncle Dave's family is having a college acceptance party for his son. You and Nate should go."
"Uncle Dave… college party… Mom, did he invite us?"
"Yes. His boy got into college this year. He wants us to celebrate together. Mom has something going on, so I won't go." She glanced sideways at Evelyn. "You two go for me."
"Okay, got it."