Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
After he was done with the pair exercise, Lou Cheng cast a glance at Yan Zheke and was just about to head over to her.
Cai Zongming, who had just been ravaged by ‘Gorilla’ happened to pass by and mocked him once. “Isn’t it enough that the two of you have made eyes at each other for the whole morning during exercise? Spare some thoughts for the other damn singles, will you? Consider the feeling of this foreigner too!”
“Hehe...” Lou Cheng let out a laugh first before throwing him an excuse. “I need to confirm tomorrow’s arrangements!”
After he said this, he strode away with wide steps before Cai Zongming could reply and made his way right in front of Yan Zheke.
“How punctual of you~” Guo Qing teased him once while wiping the sweat from her forehead. She returned to the female’s locker room.
Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke smiled at each other, as they noticed the embarrassment in both their eyes. However, the awkwardness of being teased a few days ago had already vanished, and there was the hint of some indescribable sweet happiness instead.
“She knows about us already?” Lou Cheng randomly sought out a topic to start the conversation.
Yan Zheke crossed her arms before her chest and turned towards the side. Her cheeks had blushed once more as she feigned a spit and said,
“Is there nothing between us?”
“You’re the one who’s looking a little obvious, you know. She loves using this to tease me, saying that Cheng is most likely to chase you or something. What on earth are you thinking?”
“What on earth are you thinking then?” Lou Cheng asked, beaming.
Yan Zheke threw him a glance immediately, and the movement of her eyes caused his heart to pulse wildly. “I’m not thinking about anything at all! I normally turn it around and joke about her and Qiu Zhigao during such a time.”
She seemed to have relaxed quite a bit after seeing that Lou Cheng did not display overly close affection towards her, and simply flirted a little more than he used to do. Her hands were no longer grasping at each other, and she used one hand to comb the hair that had escaped her ponytail while keeping the other hand downward.
“Are they making any progress then?” Lou Cheng took the opportunity to ask.
Yan Zheke wrinkled her beautiful eyebrows slightly, “No progress, I suppose. Guo Qing has been pretty troubled about this as of late. You and Qiu Zhigao share the same bedroom. Do you know what he thinks?”
“He’s a nerd, always leaving early and returning late every day. Other than meeting each other in some classes, we’ll only chat half an hour before I go to bed. At any rate, he wouldn’t bring up Guo Qing on his own unless we start to joke about their relationship.” Lou Cheng sold Qiu Zhigao out without any hesitation at all.
He had successfully chased Yan Zheke, so he didn’t bother whether he could maintain a friendly relationship with Guo Qing!
After he said this, he changed the topic and said, “Are we having lunch or dinner outside tomorrow?”
He had his answer long ago in regards to this question, but no matter what his thoughts might be, he felt that he should still consider the girl’s view first, and should only make a swift decision if the girl looked a little hesitant about it. This way, he was able to show both respect to the girl and his confidence in making his own judgment.
Yan Zheke’s eyes looked up adorably and she replied after a moment of pondering, “Let’s go during lunch. If we were delayed by anything unexpected during the night, we might not be able to catch the last school bus.”
“Okay.” Lou Cheng agreed without any hesitation at all.
In reality, he was hoping to eat dinner since the special training would only end at noon. It would be a little rushed if they were to head out for lunch during this time. He was fine after the martial arts training in the morning, but Yan Zheke would most definitely be feeling a little tired. The proper way would be to allow her time to take a bath, take an afternoon nap, and rest for a while. However, since the girl had made a choice to date during the afternoon, then he had to agree even if it meant raising all four limbs into the air. In the text ‘having a date with Yan Zheke’, the important word was ‘Yan Zheke’ and not the ‘date’!
Moreover, he vaguely understood that Yan Zheke’s choice was propelled by the fact that he had made his confession too hastily and consequently forced her to accept it just hurriedly. She wasn’t used to the change in their roles yet, and she was instinctively afraid about what might happen next if they could not catch up to the school bus. This was the part where he needed to put on a good show of performance and allow her to lay down her defenses little by little.
When he thought up to this point, he wore a slight smile on his face and said, “I’m gonna analyze every inch of the data and videos on Hongluo Martial Arts School later today, so I can hurry up and ask your guidance tomorrow, Coach Yan.”
“Pu...” Yan Zheke laughed involuntarily before her countenance smoothened. “Very good, it’d seem that you have a very positive attitude! So you haven’t forgotten that I’m Coach Yan~”
Both parties chatted quite happily about this subject. There was faint happiness resonating between the space where their eyes met.
By this point, Guo Qing had finished bathing, tidied her stuff and walked out of the female locker room. As she stared astonishingly at the duo, her mouth turned into an ‘O’ shape as she blurted out. “You guys are still talking to each other?”
“How long have they been chatting?” She cast suspicious glances between Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke.
Yan Zheke hurriedly feigned normality as she said, “We’ll talk more about Hongluo Martial Arts School when there’s time. I’ll be taking my bath now.”
After she said this, she hurried her way into the female locker room without daring to look at Lou Cheng or Guo Qing. A blush seemed to rise on her face yet again.
“Haha, I’m gonna take my bath too.” Lou Cheng avoided Guo Qing’s interrogative gaze, let out two burst of dry laughter and headed towards the male locker room.
Their strange actions caused Guo Qing to curl her lips involuntarily and mutter under her breath,
“Something’s off!”
...
The next day afternoon, the second the pair exercise had ended, Lou Cheng flew into the male locker room with unsurpassable speed.
He didn’t seek out Yan Zheke to talk today because they had already agreed to meet each other at twelve fifty at the bus station!
After he had bathed himself from top to bottom carefully, he rushed straight back to the dormitory without waiting for Cai Zongming and opened his wardrobe. Following ‘Casanova’s’ guidance last night, he picked the short leather jacket that gave him a spirited look, and put on a pair of beige colored casual pants in pursuit of a clean and refreshing appearance.
After he was finished changing his clothes, he arrived before the basin, gave himself a serious shave and tidied his hair style while suppressing his excitement. He wished that he could do every detail to perfection.
After he was finished with his preparation, he checked his cell phone and discovered that it was only 12:30 p.m. There was still a full 20 minutes before the encounter, and even if he walked all the way from the dormitory to the bus station it would take at most 5 to 6 minutes.
“Let’s go there early and wait for her...” Lou Cheng thought while feeling both excitement and nervousness.
This is the very first date of my life!
When he walked past the supermarket, he suddenly had a flash of thought, took a turn and walked right into the store.
It would probably take at least 50 minutes between getting on the bus until the sautéed crab was cooked. This meant that Yan Zheke would only be able to eat after 1:40 p.m. She had trained for an entire morning, and now it was the time where she needed to replenish energy the most. She would be uncomfortably hungry by the time the sautéed crab was served!
I’ll buy her some snacks to eat on the way!
When he was making his selection, Lou Cheng recalled the words Yan Zheke once said to him and sought out her preferences.
“Mm, she dislikes sweet biscuits and enjoys crackers more... I can’t buy too much or it’ll affect the next arrangements...” A few minutes later, Lou Cheng bought a small bag of biscuits to the counter. After a moment of consideration, he then added another small bottle of mineral water into the purchase. He did not ask for a plastic bag but stuffed the items into his left and right pocket.
Hehe, I should give her a pleasant surprise!
After arriving at the bus station, he stuffed both hands into the pockets of his leather jacket to conceal the fact that they looked swollen. He didn’t wait long before an immeasurably beautiful figure gracefully walked towards him.
Yan Zheke wore a pink colored sweater on the inside, and a long white down jacket on the outside. Her clothes had a hat with the same fluffy edges attached to it. It accentuated her beauty and made her look both beautiful and tender. She wore a pair of black leggings at the bottom, and her legs looked both long and straight. She wore a pair of girlish snow boots on her feet, which made her look both charming and cute.
Lou Cheng was a little spellbound by her appearance, and after inhaling once deeply, he told himself that he needed to appear generous and dignified. He could not look like he was cowering before her appearance. Then, he pulled out his hands and welcomed her and said, smiling slightly, “It seems like you would always arrive ahead of time?”
It was only when he approached Yan Zheke that he noticed that she was wearing a cute shoulder backpack with thin strappings. It gave her a very student-like atmosphere.
Yan Zheke did not look as open as she usually did. She bowed her head and smiled faintly, saying, “I very much dislike people who arrive late of time, and after I put myself in another’s shoes, it became a habit for me to arrive at a meeting ahead of time too.”
“She hates those who arrive late...” Lou Cheng memorized this and turned his body to the side. He pointed at the school bus and said,
“This bus is just about to head out right away. I’ve already bought the tickets already.”
“Mm.” Yan Zheke nodded almost unnoticeably and looked a little shy. She quietly followed Lou Cheng and fell half a step backward behind him. They got up the school bus together and found a pair of joined seats.
After letting her take the seat beside the window, Lou Cheng gave himself a boost of encouragement and got ready to dispel the discomfort the girl was feeling. And he purposely said, “It’s quite late already. Are you hungry?”
Yan Zheke was startled for a moment before she slowly nodded. “A little.”
“It would take twenty or thirty minutes to reach the old school district, and we have to switch transports later and wait for the dishes to be served later. We may not be able to eat anything before fifty minutes have passed.” Lou Cheng purposely voiced his analysis before taking out the small bag of biscuits from his pockets. “I, I bring a bag of soda crackers for you. Have some of these so that your stomach won’t feel unwell.”
Yan Zheke raised her right hand and covered her mouth, looking somewhat surprised at Lou Cheng. It was vivid that joy had flowed out of her eyes when she saw the bag of crackers appear in front of her.
“I’ll have some then,” she said in a soft tone as the corner of her lips curled upwards unconsciously.
Lou Cheng hurriedly opened the bag for her and handed it over to her. Yan Zheke grabbed and took out one cracker using her delicate fingers.
She was just about to put it in her mouth when she suddenly paused and said with a soft voice, “Ay, I didn’t bring water with me. It’ll get pretty uncomfortable to eat crackers without water.”
Lou Cheng ‘conjured’ a small bottle of mineral water smilingly and opened the bottle cap. He stared straight at her eyes and said,
“I’ve prepared it already.”
Yan Zheke’s pink lips opened slightly, as a layer of haziness flashed past her beautiful eyes. She turned her head and looked out the window, biting her lips softly with her teeth and said smilingly, “I was wondering what’s inside your pocket. So these are what you’re holding...”
When Lou Cheng saw her gracefully finish the crackers and drink the water, he struck while the iron was hot and took out his cell phone. He replayed a video he had downloaded beforehand and said, “This’s the collection of the best matches fought by the captain of Hongluo Martial Arts School, Jiang Guosheng. What do you think, Coach Yan?”
The master of Hongluo Martial Arts School was a Sixth Pin Dan stage expert called Wang Hui. He was old, and his disciple’s disciples would be the leading players this time. The leader of the team was the Professional Ninth Pin Jiang Guosheng. He was the direct disciple of the martial arts line, ranking at fifth place at thirty-four years old.
Yan Zheke moved her head closer and watched the video with bright eyes, saying, “I’ve given it a serious research. Looking at the data available on the internet, it would appear that the school master Wang Hui once had a background at ‘Longhu Club’. Therefore, their fist style obviously carried a resemblance with the ‘Fire Sect’s Unique Skill’. They are well versed in explosive power, attack, and possessed the secret inheritance called ‘flaming force’. Once this move struck an enemy, the force would burst apart, causing a burning sensation on one’s skin. It’s somewhat similar to your Power of Blaze, but it did not contain the tremor force that you speak of.”
Lou Cheng also moved a little closer to her, and almost out of one’s mind as he stared at her supple black hair and caught a whiff of her near indiscernible scent. He was so distracted that he nearly couldn’t focus on what they were talking about at all, so he had no choice but to force Condensation Stance onto himself and answer seriously, “Their fighting style is very much like the ‘Fire-like Invasion Move,’ exploding into bursts of power again and again. They aim to break their enemies through sheer force before their own strength is depleted.”
“In this regard, Jiang Guosheng’s fighting style is more prudent, whereas Fang Tong’s fighting style is more frantic. Fang Tong is like an uncontrollable blaze of fire, but Jiang Guosheng has better mastery when it comes to dealing a killer move. He seemed capable of compressing the force in his entire body into a tiny area before exploding it outwards. It does share some semblance to a dan stage martial artist’s move.” Yan Zheke said in glowing spirits. Before she knew it, the anxiety and uneasiness she was feeling had mostly vanished.
Fang Tong was the other Professional Ninth Pin in Hongluo Martial Arts School and a disciple’s disciple under the school master Wang Hui. He was a powerful twenty-three years old fighter, and Hongluo Martial Arts School could be considered to be at the middle level in the preliminaries with two Professional Ninth Pins in the team.
While exchanging words about this matter and arriving at the old school district, Lou Cheng discovered with joy that Yan Zheke seemed to have regained a state of normalcy. She would only blush during the occasional moments he was staring at her.
The duo walked inside the campus and rushed towards the closest north gate. The online hailed car was waiting right there. The cold snap of spring hadn’t decreased along the way, and every blow of the wind felt very cold.
Lou Cheng subconsciously sneaked a glance at Yan Zheke’s left hand. The girl’s skin was white and tender, and her fingers were thin and long. Her fingernails were a healthy pink color.
If I hold her hand, would she shake it off away?
Thump thump thump! Lou Cheng’s heartbeat abruptly quickened at the sudden appearance of the thought. Varied thoughts ran through his mind as they started a tug of war.
Although she has said that she wants some time to get used to dating life, it should be fine if I held her hand for a little while since we have already confirmed our relationship, shouldn’t it?
Would this make her unhappy, and make her think that I don’t respect her enough because I forcefully hold her hand before she has adjusted?
...
Just as he was hesitating, Yan Zheke suddenly put both hands into her down jacket’s pockets and said smilingly, “It’s pretty cold.”
“Yeah...” Lou Cheng choked out.
Alright, I guess there’s no need to struggle now!
Yan Zheke cast a glance at him and asked strangely, “What’s wrong, Cheng?”
“It’s nothing. I was just feeling a little guilty and afraid that you might get a little too hungry...” Lou Cheng spoke the truth, but it wasn’t what he was really thinking just now.
Yan Zheke pursed her lips into a smile and said, “I’m the one who’ve chosen this timing. Why would it be your fault?”
While chatting about trivial things, the duo reached the north gate and got on the online-hailed car. They soon arrived at ‘Dingshang Sautéed Crab in Hot and Spicy Sauce’. Lou Cheng had checked and confirmed a long time ago that this restaurant would only close after two thirty, so there was no need to worry if they might miss lunch.
“Six crabs please, the 499 yuan kind.” Lou Cheng blurted out the words he had prepared a while ago the second he saw the waiter.
He had no intentions to mind about money at all during his first date!
The waiter was just about to jot this down when Yan Zheke pulled Lou Cheng, pursed her lips and said, “I think it’ll be better if we take the 199 yuan ones. All crabs taste about the same, and the bigger they are the heavier their shell is. It’s not worth it. The one hundred and ninety-nine kind is just perfect, and anything smaller would not have meat in their legs.”
Her distinct black and white eyes stared straight at Lou Cheng as she expressed her own opinion.
Seeing that the girl was so insistent, and recalling that her grandfather’s house was at Jiangnan—a place also most well-known for its taste in crabs—and not to mention that Lou Cheng wasn’t the kind of person who impressed others by feigning to be more than he was, he nodded. “Alright, then we’ll take the 199 yuan crabs then.”
“Let’s ask for four crabs for now. Didn’t you say that we’ll eat hotpot later on? Didn’t you say that their handmade noodles are pretty great? It’ll be boring if we just eat crabs for the whole day.” Yan Zheke said seriously.
Lou Cheng gave it some thought and felt that it made a lot of sense. And so he said smilingly, “As I thought, Coach Yan’s considerations are more comprehensive after all!”
“You got it~” Yan Zheke raised her chin. There was a smile between her eyebrows.
They found a quiet place to sit and began babbling about all kinds of things as they normally did. It was as if they could never exhaust their subjects of conversation until the waiter brought them their sautéed crab.
A fragrant scent slipped into their noses, and Lou Cheng made a hand gesture for Yan Zheke to taste the crab first.
The girl smilingly picked up a crab and bit it softly. Suddenly, he was a little worried that the crab might not be suitable for her tastes.
Yan Zheke sucked out the meat inside the crab’s leg in familiar fashion before closing her eyes. With a smile, she said, “It tastes really good. The sweetness of the crab’s meat isn’t lost, and it’s spicy in a way that really whets one’s appetite.
Phew... Lou Cheng let out a sigh of relief as if he was the one who was praised by her. He chuckled and said, “Eat some more then.”
“Don’t just watch, you’re the main big eater who can eat five bowls of cooked rice.” Yan Zheke joked with curved eyebrows.
When they were done sweeping through the sauteed spicy crab and new year cake, and were waiting for the hotpot to boil up, she asked with great interest, “Cheng, how are you planning to fight tomorrow?”
Lou Cheng had thought about this a long while ago, and after deliberating for a moment he said,
“If Hongluo Martial Arts School paid any attention at all, they would not just set my name aside and not search for my information. That means they should understand how I fight and know what I’m good at, except my supernatural Power of Blaze.”
“Since this is an arena battle, naturally I’ll be doing my best to win and not leave my trump card for the future. Therefore, the second the battle starts I’ll use my Power of Blaze immediately, take down my opponent and open a path towards a swift victory...”
“I’d lose the element of surprise when the second opponent arrives, so I’ll first pretend to wander around using mercurial balance. The moment I find an opportunity, I’ll immediately suppress them with the 24 Blizzard Strikes, not giving them the chance to unleash their explosive power at all...”
How could I not do my best when I’m fighting an official contest before the girl I like?
Yan Zheke held her face with her left hand and listened to his words with great attention. There seemed to be a sparkle in her eyes.
After discussing how he was going to fight for a bit and enjoying the hotpot, they footed the bill with a full belly. Since there was a discount, they spent a total of nine hundred yuan or so. Lou Cheng, who was ‘rich and overbearing’ after participating in the Warrior Sage Challenge Tournament did not feel any heartache after spending this much money at all. In fact, he even felt that the money was very much worth it, and it was acceptable as long as the girl was satisfied!
After he got out of the store, Lou Cheng unconsciously coughed once before he said with feigned casualness,
“Let’s walk around the shopping mall over there and digest the food a bit.”
“Mm.” Yan Zheke did not object to the suggestion.
The duo walked shoulder-to-shoulder, and the girl’s near indiscernible scent slipped into the tip of Lou Cheng’s nose again. it made him feel a sense of impulse and expectation once more.
He swiftly cast a glance at the girl and found that her hands were swaying slightly at the sides. She had not put her hands into her pockets probably because they had just finished eating a hotpot and feeling a little warm.
Thump thump thump. Lou Cheng heard the sound of his quickening heartbeat once more.
Should I hold her hand for a bit?
She wasn’t completely prepared, but didn’t she say that she’s a little attracted to me, and agreed to my confession? Holdings hands should be within permission, right?
Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump!
Lou Cheng felt like holding her hands, but he was afraid to do so. He was afraid that the girl would be unhappy, and that he would leave a bad impression in her heart.
Suddenly, he experienced a flash of inspiration, and he recalled the method Cai Zongming taught him earlier!
Should I try that?
I’m just pretending to hold her hand, and not holding it after all!
Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump!
This thought completely dominated all of his mind, and Lou Cheng could finally hold back his thoughts no longer. While he was still chatting idly with Yan Zheke, and while his eyes were staring straight at the front, his hands slowly, very slowly made its way to the side.
Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump! Although it was just fake hand holding, he still felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest. It was because he had no idea how the girl would react and feel about this.
It was because of the unknown outcome that made him nervous. It was because of its great importance that made him afraid!
Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump!
Lou Cheng gulped once with difficulty as his right hand somewhat stiffly and tremblingly made its way towards Yan Zheke’s delicate hand. He touched the back of the girl’s hand and just felt that her skin was soft, tender and slightly cool.
From the perception of his Listening Skill, he could hear Yan Zheke’s left hand abruptly shrinking away from him. However, it had frozen the spot just as quickly and did not move away, maintaining a tiny and near indiscernible distance.
“Is this!?” Light seemed to descend inside Lou Cheng’s head and cast away all the darkness in his mind. Not daring to look at Yan Zheke, he abruptly flipped his palm over and grabbed her somewhat thin palm. His excitement, elation and nervousness had reached the absolute limits.
So Listening Skill could be used this way too...
The girl beside him kept her head low and counted the ants beneath her feet. Lou Cheng felt as if he was stepping on clouds as he held her soft and almost boneless hand. His head was only filled with the thoughts about the place where their skins were touching each other, and he had completely forgotten the time of day. Sweat was forming in his palm because of excitement and nervousness. He just wanted to hold Yan Zheke’s like this and walk on forever, praying that there would never be an end to their journey.
He had no idea what kind of sceneries were around them, or what stores they just passed by.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before Yan Zheke finally asked him a question with a softly spoken voice, “Where are we going?”
Lou Cheng let out a hiccup of bewilderment before he abruptly broke out of his trance. he looked at his surroundings with a dumb look on his face.
Where on earth have we walked to?
He explained in a somewhat panic voice, “I, I was too excited and nervous, and I didn’t pay attention to the road...”
And this is not to mention that my palm has gone all sweaty and wet. Yan Zheke must be hating this a lot... Great upset filled every corner of his heart.
Yan Zheke cast a sideward glance at him from the corner of her eyes before pursing her lips into a sudden smile. She withdrew her left arm and took down her backpack. She took out a napkin and passed it over to him. She said, smiling beautifully, “You didn’t sweat as much even when you are fighting in the Challenge Tournament...”
He accepted the napkin and wiped off the sweat on his right palm. Lou Cheng felt a wave of emptiness and loss overcoming him. He hadn’t performed well enough today, and he might not have a chance to hold her hand any longer. He would have to wait until next time.
It was at this moment he felt a softness entering his palm suddenly. The girl’s cool, left hand had entered his hand and gently grabbed the edges of his palm.
“This is!”
Wild joy overcame Lou Cheng as he returned the hold strongly. When he lifted his head to look at Yan Zheke, he found her twisting her head to a side. The blush over her small and delicate ear was incredibly attractive, and the skin of her inclined face looked as smooth as a jade and as delicate as a flower. A blush had appeared on her face which made his heart pounded, and made her pretty as a peach.