Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
When the plane landed at the military base in the suburbs of Hua Cheng, the scorching sun was hanging high in the midday sky. Lou Cheng noticed its brightness the moment he stepped out of the cabin, as the air was illuminated by golden rays.
He accompanied the Ji couple for lunch before seeing them take off with Lin Que on another plane. Then he took the jeep from the base to the main road, where he saw Auman and the driver Zhao Zhenhua waiting in his gray commercial car.
Sitting back in his familiar sear, leaning on the soft, comfortable leather seat with the luxurious mini bar in front of him, Lou Cheng felt like he’d been gona a long time rather than just two days.
This is how a man should live. He closed his eyes and sighed.
Seeing that Lou Cheng didn’t want to talk, Auman sat quietly in the other corner. She switched her phone to silent and chose to type her communications rather than speak.
As the car left the highway and turned into the busy commercial circle, Lou Cheng opened his eyes, tilted his head to the side, and looked at the street through the tinted glass.
Lunch hour had already passed by half an hour, but there were several delivery men in uniforms busy on the roads. Weathering the scorching sun, they rushed off to their destinations with their lunchboxes.
A new shop had opened near the road and it seemed that business was booming. He couldn’t tell what they were selling, but the line at the door was long and several onlookers had gathered.
This is how life should be. There were similar scenes in the war-torn zones, but there people lined up to collect relief supplies, not delicious food. Recalling what he had seen and heard the previous day, Lou Cheng suddenly felt a little emotional.
Auman followed his gaze and looked out of the window. Fulfilling her duty, she said,
“This shop has paid people to line up, and the method has been very successful. They’ve opened up quite a few outlets.”
Hired actors? The emotions Lou Cheng had felt dissipated.
How did I feel emotional about this?
Auman retracted her gaze and saw her boss’ strange expression. She quickly added,
“So I heard from a friend who specializes in this.”
But Lou Cheng suddenly gone silent. He shook his head before breaking into laughter, and his body and mind were once again at ease.
…
It was afternoon in Connecticut, but the blustery wind was strong and the earth was cold.
Yan Zheke had just finished class when she received a call from Lou Cheng. He told her that Lin Que had been rescued and was not in grave condition. It might even be a blessing in disguise for him.
As for the details, Lou Cheng didn’t divulge them over the phone. All he said was that he would explain to her in detail when they met over the Christmas holidays.
Yan Zheke understood and didn’t ask further. She kept her textbooks in her orange sling bag and walked out of the classroom. All she felt was that the skies were blue and the wind was refreshing. The clouds were high and far out of reach, making her feel at ease. She felt carefree and full of joy.
She strolled along the scenic school path when she saw a bouquet of bright red roses and picked up their faint fragrance.
Alfred, whose eyes were blue like the ocean, smiled radiantly and said,
“Sophia, may I have the honor of asking you out for dinner?”
He had the same mentor as Yan Zheke but wasn’t in the same small team. His short blonde hair rippled in the wind. He was a handsome man.
“Sorry,” Yan Zheke answered directly.
“I’ve been asking around, and I know that you always go home at night without plans. Sophia, I’ve been told you can be cold and uptight, but I see past that. I’m drawn to your soul, to your intelligence, to how you command the attention in a room, to how you surprise even our mentor whenever you speak.” Alfred couldn’t hold back as his emotions overflowed.
Sophia was the name Yan Zheke had given to herself in America.
“That’s your issue and has nothing to do with me,” answered Yan Zheke. After which, she waved her left hand and said, “Can you see this? I have a boyfriend. No, I have a husband, and this is my wedding ring.”
“No, that can’t be,” Alfred whined.
“I wouldn’t lie.” Yan Zheke shook her head and walked past him.
Alfred thought silently before yelling after her,
“I won’t give up! Even if you are married, you still have the freedom to go after love! You have the right to break up!”
Yan Zheke stopped in her tracks and turned to stare back at him. She took out her phone and opened the voice recorder before speaking slowly,
“Can you hear me?”
“I can,” Alfred answered, not knowing why.
Clearly, my ears are working.
“Great.” Yan Zheke nodded. “In that case, I’m officially rejecting you and giving you a stern warning here. If you engage in similar actions again, I will see that as harassment. I will then inform my lawyers and apply for a restraining order. If one time isn’t enough, I will do it again. And if that still doesn’t work, I will do it a third time. Believe me, I have the ability.”
“If you doubt my resolve, I can call my lawyer right away.”
Alfred was glued to where he stood. He didn’t understand why chasing an ordinary girl would end like this.
“Sophia, isn’t this extreme?” asked Alfred, feeling confused and a little wary.
Yan Zheke smiled slighttly and answered,
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“Being extreme now could save me a lot of trouble in the future. Not everyone understands rejection.”
“I hope you won’t waste either of our time. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to sue you for harassment.”
She turned, intending to leave, but caught site of a large rock by the path. She smiled politely and said,
“Besides that, I’m a martial artist.”
Before she finished her sentence, she stepped forward and executed a Force Concentration, swinging out her right leg and straightening her foot in her tiny boot.
Bam!
Dust flew into the air and the rock cracked into several pieces.
Alfred looked on in awe and fear.
Yan Zheke retracted her leg and walked towards the door steadily. Soon, she saw Aunt Du driving over to pick her up.
After she pulled open the door and sat down, she didn’t hurry to buckle her seatbelt. Instead, she bent her body down and rubbed her right leg, moaning in pain.
I haven’t been practicing the past few months and my body is so weak!
The kick was so painful that she almost broke down.
She removed her boots and her socks and saw that her heel had swollen. She was also on the verge of tears.
Yan Zheke picked up her phone and sent an angry message to Lou Cheng.
“It’s all your fault!”
When Lou Cheng saw the message, he was bewildered.
What did I do wrong?
…
After returning from the war-torn zones to his usual routine, Lou Cheng continued to plan for the winter holidays with Yan Zheke.
Yan Zheke had a five day Financial Summit Forum in Europe to attend, and he was thinking of getting a visa to meet up with her there in advance.
As he was currently in the Mastery Period, had not signed up for the Battle of the Kings, and wasn’t in the rotation of the top-tier professional league, he was relatively free.
He thought about it as he got into his car and entered the club, the same as usual.
At this moment, Auman’s phone vibrated with an incoming call. After speaking for a minute, she tilted her head and said,
“Mr. Lou, Empress Luo wants you to go to her office.”
Feels rather official… Lou Cheng noticed something was off.
Lou Cheng and Ning Zitong had each other’s phone numbers and WeChat and kept in contact from time to time. If there was really an urgent matter, she wouldn’t have gone through his personal assistant.
Wary, Lou Cheng took the lift to the fifth floor. When he stepped out, he felt that the air was heavy.
This was caused by Physical Invulnerability experts. The thought flickered in his mind as he knocked on the door of Ning Zitong’s office.
Ning Zitong’s exhausted voice sounded,
“Come in.”
Lou Cheng pushed opened the door and saw the beautiful senior massaging her temples.
“Did something happen?” he asked directly.
Everything was fine yesterday.
Ning Zitong forced a smile and said,
“Long Zhen has officially informed us that after his contract expires in January, he will not extend. He will be joining the newly promoted Haiyuan Club for the top tier professional league.”
“Why?” Lou Cheng blurted.
Isn’t this a little sudden?
Although Optimus Prime, Long Zhen often challenged the Dragon King—and always got his ass kicked—he seemed to enjoy it!
“Long Zhen is a proud man. He wishes to prove that he isn’t just a man who enjoys glory beneath the name of Dragon King. He also wishes to prove that he will not always be the second choice. This isn’t something that can be changed by winning a few titles. Therefore, he is joining the Haiyuan Club to lead the team and challenge Longhu officially as an opponent. He’s been waiting for this opportunity for a long time,” answered Ning Zitong helplessly. “Haiyuan is also related to the military, so there won’t be a problem with the technicalities of the contract.”
Though this wasn’t totally unexpected, if Long Zhen had persisted and desired to prove himself, it would have just been a matter of time. Did he have to be so sudden? Many thoughts flashed across Lou Cheng’s mind. He recalled that the number one in the Haiyuan Club was an old friend of his master, Empty Nest Greybeard, Wu Molian. He recalled the Witch, Qian Hui; Cheetah, Li Yuan Qi; and the Banished Immortal, Li Xiaoyuan, who joined before even finishing his undergraduate studies.
With Long Zhen, their strength is strong.
Ning Zitong lifted her cup and took a sip before looking to Lou Cheng.
“I initially intended to wait until you had experience in title matches and had gained mastery of other concepts before letting you work into the top tier professional league. It seems I cannot wait that long now.”