Translator: Transn Editor: Lucas
It was a windy night and the stars were twinkling in the sky. Sensing the cold temperature, Lou Cheng put Yan Zheke’s left hand into his warm pocket and sighed excitedly.
“I’m teeming with excitement now. We’re going to Capital for the National Competition this April.”
He found it difficult to calm down after watching the lot-drawing ceremony and thus urged his little fairy to take a walk with him along the lakeside.
“That’s still two months away. You should contain your excitement for now.” Yan Zheke poked fun at him with a smile.
“Yeah, I know, but I just can’t restrain myself.” Lou Cheng took a breath of the moist air and replied with a big smile, “However, excited I am. I’ll relax and concentrate on practicing this winter break and try to make greater progress before the National Competition.”
They had lots of professional lessons and away games this semester. Though Lou Cheng did not feel physically tired, he was actually worn out psychologically and was in need of a break so that he could relax and prepare for a new start.
“Good boy~” Yan Zheke deliberately spoke in an elder’s manner and then rolled her eyes upward. “I’ll go to the south part of the river on January 3rd and spend a few days with my grandpa. Maybe I’ll get an opportunity to find you some data on the Nine Words Formula if it’s not a secret to our sect.”
“Ke still remembered it even though I haven’t mentioned it...” Lou Cheng could not help smiling, feeling his heart warm up as if he had drunk a bowl of hot soup in the winter.
“It doesn’t matter even if it’s actually one of your sect secrets,” he joked. “When I become Shushan Study’s son-in-law, I’ll be one of you and get access to the Unique Skill of the Fighting Sect.”
“Stop daydreaming~!” Yan Zheke rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. No one knew whether she was talking about Lou Cheng being Shushan Study’s son-in-law or was just jeering at his idea that. As Shushan Study’s son-in-law, he would be able to get access to the other sect secrets besides the Unique Skill of the Fighting Sect.
“We should be optimistic about our future and, thus, enjoy our lives.” Lou Cheng was apparently in a good mood. Taking the girl’s hand, he walked slowly along the lakeside to enjoy the beautiful night.
He paused and again began dreaming. “I’ll go to Moshang to pay a New Year’s call to my Master and Senior Sister and also light incense in front of the memorial tablets of the Patriarchs. Well, maybe I’ll get the chance to learn more about the Unique Skill of the Ice Sect and even gain more if I’m lucky enough.”
For example, the elder Queen of Thought and the other elders may tell me something about the words for the ‘Army’, ‘Forwarding’, and ‘Swordsman’ formulas and the latest research findings on cultivation.
“Well, you finally learned to pay a New Year’s call to the Ice God Sect!” Yan Zheke said jokingly.
“Of course. Coach Yan has taught me well!” Lou Cheng praised her sincerely.
After being acknowledged as a disciple of the Ice God Sect, Lou Cheng knew he could no longer just call them to say Happy New Year casually, since Ke was always warning him about this.
“I’m happy that you realize it~ How are you going to thank me? Well, I guess you’re going to say that we needn’t say thank you to each other!” Yan Zheke blinked her eyes.
“How about giving you a kiss or a massage?” Lou Cheng suggested.
Yan Zheke stared at him, feeling annoyed but amused. “Are you going to thank me or molest me?!”
“The things that happen between me and my girlfriend can’t be called molesting!” Lou Cheng smiled.
Before the girl got annoyed out of embarrassment, he suddenly recalled something and changed the topic. “Ke, I remember that you mentioned that the last exam, which was originally supposed to be on the 19th, was moved ahead of schedule and we’ll actually have it tomorrow.”
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Yan Zheke turned to her boyfriend as her eyes blinked with bewilderment.
“Have you told that to Empress Dowager?” Lou Cheng asked.
“No, I haven’t.” Sensing her boyfriend’s intentions, Yan Zheke looked at him and asked, “Why do you mention it?”
“I’ll also finish all my exams tomorrow. What about going for a trip to Gao Fen and coming back home on the 20th? Because I didn’t get a chance to accompany you during the Youth Tournament,” Lou Cheng suggested in high spirits.
He had intended to have dates with his little fairy in Gao Fen for a few days after the Youth Tournament, but was called to Moshang by Geezer Shi.
Yan Zheke turned her gaze upward and replied in a lively tone,
“Okay~”
During the New Year’s break, they were both busy preparing for their final exams and did not get a chance to date!
Lou Cheng felt so excited since Ke had promised without hesitation. “Just relax over there. I’m going to alter the tickets and book a hotel. You can ask Gu Shuang something about Gao Fen.”
“Okay.” Yan Zheke gave her boyfriend a tissue.
After cleaning the seat, they sat down and began preparing for the trip. After a while, Yan Zheke said with hesitation, “Cheng, Shuang Shuang said that no one is in her home and invited us to stay there...”
She was already used to using her close friend’s nickname in front of Lou Cheng.
“We’ll feel uncomfortable there...” Lou Cheng began to unconsciously reject the invitation.
After typing a few words on her cellphone, Yan Zheke turned to look at her boyfriend, giving him a sarcastic smile. “Cheng, you’ve changed! You are not the Cheng that I knew before~!”
“How have I changed?” Lou Cheng asked with a muddled face.
“You wouldn’t reply me like that before, you would just say, ‘Do you want to go there? If you want to, we’ll go to Gu Shuang’s home’.” Yan Zheke raised her chin with smiling eyes, her long, white down jacket served as a foil to her beautiful figure.
“...” Lou Cheng did not know how to answer, so he smiled with embarrassment. “I just want to give you some suggestions instead of making the decision. In the end, I’ll obey your orders.”
Yan Zheke combed her hair with her fingers while complaining.
“You’re hiding intentions that can’t bear the daylight!”
After saying this with a flushed face, the girl turned her gaze sideways and changed the topic. “How stupid I am to ask Shuang Shuang for something about Gao Fen...”
“Why? She still doesn’t know about our relationship? That’s impossible!” Lou Cheng blurted out in astonishment.
“Not that, actually. Think about it, if I tell her that we’re going to visit Gao Fen but stay outside of her place, what will she think of us? She would get the wrong idea! How embarrassing would that be?!” Yan Zheke pouted while making the explanation.
“A girl’s thoughts are really complicated...” Lou Cheng thought for a while and then said, “What about if you go to her house and I stay outside? Or maybe you can tell her that you’re on your period?”
According to Ke’s menstrual cycle, her period will come tomorrow...
Yan Zheke tilted her head to one side and burst out laughing. Lou Cheng felt as if there were hundreds and thousands of flower buds opening in front of him.
She replied with soft eyes and charming dimples,
“I’ve already told that to Shuang Shuang~!”
“She has already told Gu Shuang about her period?” Lou Cheng opened his mouth wide, feeling it was annoying but amusing.
Ke almost tricked me again...
“Well, it was you who asked me to insult her and allow her the opportunity to tease me so much!” Yan Zheke replied with a flushing face.
Gu Shuang urged me to use contraceptives and asked when I began having sex with Cheng!
Before Lou Cheng could answer her question, she continued, “Shuang Shuang wants to invite us for dinner at a top-three restaurant in the Xing Province.”
“Okay.” Lou Cheng promised casually and handed the cellphone over to the girl. “Two rooms with large beds, the Mingqi International Hotel.”
He had a good impression about this five-star hotel.
“One room is enough...” Yan Zheke said after thinking for a while, and then her face again flushed upon seeing the excitement and joy in Lou Cheng’s eyes. Turning to look sideways, she continued, “You must make an excuse like needing to rub my stomach and thus come to sleep with me, right? Am I right?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I must do that,” Lou Cheng replied with a smile.
Of course, he really was just thinking that.
“Now that you are going to sleep in my bed, it will be a waste to book two rooms!” Though saying that confidently, Yan Zheke was biting her lips slightly and avoiding meeting Lou Cheng’s eyes.
...
After finishing the exam on the 17th, Lou Cheng gathered with Zhao Qiang, Cai Zongming, and Qiu Zhigao for a meal and then went back to the Xing Province with Yan Zheke in the afternoon. Their first destination was not Xiushan, but Gao Fen.
At seven in the evening, they arrived at Gao Fen and were picked up by Gu Shuang, who was dressed in fashionable black, and then went to that private club near Weiyang Park.
The club was sumptuously decorated, which showed that it was an extravagant place.
“Nouveau riche style,” Yan Zheke murmured in Lou Cheng’s ear.
“As long as the food here is delicious,” Lou Cheng replied to her with a smile.
Gu Shuang complained, “Can’t you stop showing off your romance every second? I’m disappointed with love affairs!”
The waiters were in front of them, leading the way.
“It was you who dumped the boy, right? How many times have you done that?” Yan Zheke poked fun at her close friend.
At this moment, Lou Cheng noticed that lots of guests here were warriors with flourishing Qi and blood, among which some were even able to withdraw their strength at ease, and thus pretend to be normal people.
They seemed to be familiar with each other as they gathered in threes or fours and went somewhere together after passing the hall.
“Why are there so many people here?” Gu Shuang found it weird.
After all, it was a private club.
The waitress smiled and explained, “Miss Gu, today’s the gathering of the Gao Fen martial arts circle, and you know that our boss has a good relationship with them.”
“The Gao Fen martial arts circle gathering?” Gu Shuang unconsciously took a glance at Lou Cheng.
This young man was not only her close friend’s boyfriend, but also the champion of the Youth Tournament!
“The new year is coming and lots of circles will have a gathering.” The waitress was unwilling to say any more about it.
“The new year? There’s still half a month.” Gu Shuang shook her head in confusion.
At that moment, they heard someone making a commotion outside the door. When they looked back, they saw another group of fighters enter the hall, talking with a handsome young man who was surrounded by them.
Lou Cheng was familiar with the young man, Zhang Zhutong of the Divine Fire Club.
“What a coincidence...” Lou Cheng could not help smiling to himself.
Just like when he encountered Zhang Zhutong for the first time, he was standing by while Zhang Zhutong was surrounded by a group of supporters. But their thoughts and attitudes were much different than the last time.
Keeping a smile on his face, Zhang Zhutong listened to those talking with him carefully but seldom spoke a word. Then all of a sudden, he got a weird feeling and turned his gaze sideways unconsciously, catching Lou Cheng’s eyes in surprise. The unforgettable figure was now standing in a corner that the brilliant light could not reach.
Noticing his gaze, Lou Cheng nodded and gave him a smile.