Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
After leaving the Martial Arts Interest Club, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke directly returned home. They were intending to go to the supermarket to make huge purchases over the weekend, which was the next two days. This was to stock up ingredients for the new year and birthday celebration the next Monday.
After showering, Yan Zheke dried her hair, changed into a set of clean and refreshing home clothes, stood in front of the bed before opening her arms, leaning backwards and falling onto her bed comfortably. After which, she said in a coquettish manner, “Cheng, Cheng. I’ll sleep a while first. Come and give me a massage till I fall asleep.”
“Alright.,” Lou Cheng leaned over while grinning. He controlled his body and exerted the right amount of force for massage to help relieve the anxiety and deep level of fatigue in the girl’s muscles. Yan Zheke closed her eyes in satisfaction.
“A bit higher, a bit higher. Yeah yeah yeah, this spot around my waist is so sore. Oh, my poor waist...” Yan Zheke guided her exclusive masseur.
After speaking, she suddenly realized that Lou Cheng had paused temporarily and was chuckling.
...She was initially lost but realized soon enough. She sunk her head into the pillow and hammered her side with force before reprimanding fiercely,
“It’s all because of you!”
Lou Cheng anxiously apologised seriously. His massaging skills were getting better and it wasn’t long before Yan Zheke relaxed her entire body, her fatigue was relieved and she became sleepy.
After massaging for a short while longer, Lou Cheng could see her breathing getting steady as she entered into a deep sleep. He retracted his hands and leaned to the side. He intended to play games on his phone for a while before going to the lawn outside for practice.
Just when he got into position, Yan Zheke, as though she had an automatic radar installed, leaned towards him. Her arms went around his chest and his legs around his legs, slightly above his knees.
In an instant, Lou Cheng was bear hugged and the culprit’s long and thick eyelashes weren’t moving at all. She was having a good dream.
“Ke sure is sleeping well...” Lou Cheng looked at Yan Zheke’s silent and beautiful face with a smile.
As he looked on, he suddenly felt like sleeping too.
What a great sleep... This type of life is really relaxing... Relax... Re...
Lou Cheng didn’t attempt to resist the calling. Hugging Yan Zheke, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
An unknown amount of time had passed before Lou Cheng woke up. When he did, the skies were already dark and outside was quiet. Only a faint amount of light shone through from the windows where the curtains weren’t drawn and dyed the room in a faint glow.
“...What time is it now?” Yan Zheke asked casually as she opened her eyes groggily.
Lou Cheng laughed lazily, “The skies just turned dark. It’s probably around six o’clock”
“Mm.” Yan Zheke changed her posture and laid side by side with Lou Cheng. With a lazy tone, she continued, “I’m a little hungry...”
“My stomach hhasad already issued a protest!” Lou Cheng turned his head over and looked at the girl’s small and delicate ears.
“Let’s not prepare any troublesome dishes later. Thaw the meat, cut it up and we can just roast it. We have several sauces from Xiushan, Songcheng, Japan and Korea. You are free to choose what you like.” Yan Zheke said generously. “Then we can wash some vegetables. When you get tired from the eating, we can wrap it...”
She continued saying. Suddenly, she bit her lips and complained, “But I don’t want to move. All I want is to just lie down... What should we do?”
“What a coincidence, me too!” Lou Cheng felt that he was taken prisoner by his little fairy girl and the blanket.
“Are you thinking of starving your wife?” sneered Yan Zheke.
“...I’ll get up, I’ll get out of bed immediately!” Lou Cheng struggled to turn his body and leave the blanket. However, he realised that Yan Zheke had sat up too.
Seeing his surprised and confused expression, Yan Zheke lifted her chin, looked to the side and said,
“I have to supervise you!”
Although she said it was supervising, she was the one ordering Lou Cheng around for the whole process. Not only did she get bossy, but she also ordered Lou Cheng to do various other things. This finally ended when they connected the electrical supply and heard the meat cooking in the roaster.
It was quiet and the light in the room was warm. The aroma of the meat had also spread throughout the room. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke took a look at each other, raised their cups with faint smiles on their faces and toasted their drinks.
How often would touching events happen in reality? However, this would be sufficient.
“Don’t over roast it, the succulent part of the beef is also the easiest to dry up. The texture will become tough...” Yan Zheke was recalling her past experiences, digging out her personal experiences on roasting meat and trying hard to make herself seem omnipotent.
I’m Coach Yan!
While eating, Lou Cheng suddenly stopped and tilted his head to face the door.
“What happened?” asked Yan Zheke who was a little lost.
“Someone is approaching.” Lou Cheng stood up and walked towards the door. His actions were relaxed as he didn’t sense any danger.
After ten to twenty seconds, the doorbell rang. He counted to three before opening the door.
A middle-aged man who was wearing a black tuxedo, a black bowtie and a well-ironed shirt was standing at the door. He had a refreshing moustache and said with a strong accent,
“Good evening, are you Mr. Lou?”
“Yeah.” Lou Cheng looked at him with doubt, not knowing why he was here for.
The middle-aged man handed over the invitation card with both of his hands, smiled and replied,
“My master would like to invite Mr. Lou for dinner this weekend. If it’s possible, he would like you to wrestle with him. A friendly interaction. This would not be open to the public, only for the guests of the banquet to spectate.”
The challenge has finally come? Lou Cheng thought to himself. He took the invitation card, opened it and found the logo of the Msasi Martial Arts Gym, a tightly clenched fist holding a trident. The location of the banquet, the exact timing and the name of the person who invited him were also on the invitation.
“Brandon...” Lou Cheng read out the name and knew who he was.
He lifted his head, looked at the middle-aged man, nodded his head politely and said,
“I’ll be at the banquet on time.”
“Thank you.” The middle-aged man placed his right hand on his chest and bowed.
After seeing him leave, Lou Cheng closed the door and was greeted with the interrogative eyes of Coach Yan.
“What is it about?” Yan Zheke could only vaguely hear “banquet” and “wrestle”.
“Brandon from the Geruga Sect wishes to challenge me at a high-end banquet.,” laughed Lou Cheng nonchalantly.
Brandon was one of the most famous martial artists from the Geruga Sect for the last few years. He had become a senior, which was the equivalent of an inhuman, at the age of twenty-two. This year he would be twenty-four years old. He was also one of the top rising stars in all of America.
His father Adri was also a senior martial artist. He was the middle-aged Caucasian swinging the huge sword when Lou Cheng had just arrived at the Msasi Martial Arts Gym.
With two seniors in a family, this has consolidated the position of the Jackson family in Connecticut!
“When is it?” Yan Zheke was rather interested and asked curiously.
For such official challenges, there would definitely be safeguards. Moreover, both parties were at the inhuman stage and had better control. Therefore she wasn’t particularly worried.
“Tomorrow evening!” Feeling a strong urge for dramtics, Lou Cheng bent his back, extended his hand and asked, “Miss, would you like to go with me?”
“It would be my utmost honor.” Yan Zheke smiled and extended her hand to him.
...
Seven o’clock the next night, the couple wore their martial arts uniforms from Songcheng University as couples wear and arrived at the manor beside the river by car. Behind the lead of the servant, they entered the banquet hall.
The ladies were elegantly dressed and toasted to one another. The scent of perfume was so poignant that Lou Cheng could feel an itch in his nose and wanted to sneeze.
He and Yan Zheke weren’t underdressed at all as the host of the banquet was also in a martial arts suit.
Brandon stood beside the window, holding on to a cup of light gold champagne. When he saw Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke, he raised his cup and smiled at them.
He had black hair, brown eyes and was tall. His muscles were tight and his skin tone was close to a shade of bronze. Overall, he was full of power and gave off a pressurizing aura.
After sipping on some alcohol, Brandon laughed from afar,
“Would you like to have an “opening act” or be the “final act”?”
As he spoke, his finger pointed to the opened martial arts gym outside the banquet hall to prevent Lou Cheng from misunderstanding him. That place was well lit and was as bright as day. There were also various large Roman style stone pillars.
“I’m fine with both options.” Lou Cheng replied with a smile.
“In that case, let’s do it now. I’m feeling a little excited about it.” Brandon smiled apologetically.
The conversation between the two of them attracted the attention of the guests. One by one, their gazes fell on them. Every single one of them was feeling excited about it.
Lou Cheng glanced around and asked,
“Where’s the referee?”
“Referee?” Brandon shrugged his shoulders and continued, “I hate referees.”
“Official challenges have to have a referee. Otherwise, I will not accept it.” Lou Cheng expressed his opinions resolutely.
Brandon instantly revealed a mocking expression,
“As an outstanding martial artist, how could you rely on the protection of the referee? Could it be that without a referee, you are too scared? And want to back down? Have you forgotten that martial arts are an art used on battlefields? Have you forgotten about the boiling fresh blood and the bravery of a man?”
“You are only a man and a real warrior if you get used to fighting without any protection. If you admit that you are a little boy who cries in his mother’s arms or admits that you are a shameless coward, feel free to leave!”
These words infuriated Yan Zheke. Her body was even starting to shiver a little from it.
“Let’s go.” Lou Cheng pulled her back, turned around calmly and walked towards the door.
If I haven’t experienced the few life and death battles previously, I would definitely be infuriated now. However the more one had experienced walking at the edge of death, the more one wouldn’t actively attempt to experience it again.
I’m not afraid but it doesn’t mean that I like it.
Since I started practicing martial arts, all the battles that I was involved in without a referee were either because I had absolute confidence or was forced into it. Why would I let myself fall into such a dangerous state?
This was a complete contradiction to my resolve in martial arts!
What I’m trying to protect isn’t how others would look at me!
Yan Zheke was following Lou Cheng when she calmed down after seeing the surprised looks of the guests. She held on to Lou Cheng’s hand tighter and felt that he was braver to not accept the challenge.
“Alright!” At this point. Brandon who was behind him clapped his hands. He sighed and continued, “I guess I could only try to accommodate you. Mr Polk, sorry to have to trouble you to be the referee for our battle today.”
Lou Cheng stopped, turned around and faced the gazes of those, who were seeing him as a coward, in a composed manner.