Martial Arts Master

Amidst the muddled yellow of the evening light along the side of the road, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke remained there in silence for a moment, then turned their shoulders and headed towards the main entrance of the hotel.

“My brother’s sudden awakening is probably a result of him being scolded by Grandpa…” Yan Zheke said indistinctly as she walked.

Lou Cheng sighed. “He’s invested so much… Anyway, he’s gotten the championship and achieved his dream, so there’s no need for him to butt heads with your grandfather.”

While he was in high school, he was relatively inexperienced when it came to parting ways and the sadness that followed. Back then, his wisdom and viewpoints weren’t fully formed. He was filled with hope for the future and felt that meeting again would be a regular occurrence. All other feelings were indistinct, vague, and their profoundness was lost in his muddle-headedness.

Now he knew more. He struggled together with everyone, sweat blood together, and together they had faced the day, treasuring each other’s company more and more as they went along. He knew now that everyone had their own paths, and when it all was finished, there wouldn’t necessarily be another time. Consequently, he was unable to control his sadness.

It was okay; Lin Que was his brother-in-law. In the future, he would also enter professional competitions, so their opportunities for meeting again would be plentiful. It was just that he was sad for the previous two years, as they had worked together to achieve the same goal, worked together brilliantly, and tasted both victory’s sweetness and defeat’s bitterness together.

“Yes, but I’m still depressed…” Yan Zheke flattened her mouth, her face looking like she’d been wronged.

Lou Cheng was about to repeat the two sentences when he suddenly saw his own mother and father-in-law emerge from the revolving doors. He hurriedly straightened his back and cleared his throat.

However, he did not loosen his grip on Yan Zheke’s hand, as if he were to say something.

“Mom, Dad…” as Yan Zheke said these two words, her cheeks quickly flushed red, but she never withdrew her right hand.

“Uncle Yan, Aunt Ji,” Lou Cheng said immediately afterward. It was if there was no feeling in his arms or legs.

Yan Kai saw that they were tightly gripping each other’s hands, nodded her head lightly, and responded to Lou Cheng’s greeting,

“Okay.”

His mouth opened and then closed as if he wanted to say something, and in the end didn’t open again.

Ji Ming Yu chuckled. “Lou, how’s your injury? Is it alright? You did really well in tonight’s competition. It was quite eye-popping.”

“You’re exaggerating Auntie, it’s nothing major. After a few weeks, it’ll be fine,” Lou Cheng responded straightforwardly.

“Not bad, look after yourself. Keke, sleep together with Mom tonight. Us two girls can talk and make your father sleep on the sofa outside,” Ji Mingyu said laughing as she glanced at her daughter.

“Mmm.” Yan Zheke nodded, then she leaned her body towards Lou Cheng to say, “I’ll go with my parents first.”

She paused her lips and leaned her head slightly to the side as she said, “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow!” Lou Cheng replied with a smile, waving at Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu as he said, “Aunt, Uncle, goodnight.”

“See you tomorrow.” Ji Mingyu lightly smiled as she repeated her daughter’s words. Yan Kai courteously nodded his head.

Seeing the three of them head off, Lou Cheng sighed. The atmosphere upon meeting his mother and father-in-law has been somewhat awkward and subdued, but it was as he expected. He’d been overcautious in his expectations of a grand scene.

He didn’t know if Talker was this kind of Mighty One if he had been his usual unrestrained and carefree self when he met his mother and father-in-law.

Letting his imagination run wild, Lou Cheng returned to his own room and turned on the lights.

On the right was a bed that he had not slept in for quite a few days. On the left was an array of chaotically arranged items. Lou Cheng suddenly had the feeling like he’d come back from a several months long business trip to a lonely home. As the room filled with light, it also filled with loneliness, and was striking in its unfamiliarity.

Was this what a night after seizing the crown should be like? Only me by myself? Lou Cheng sighed, didn’t change his shoes, and went to lower the curtains. The building towered above the outside. The lights of thousands of homes were lit up like stars in the sky, flourishing but also lonely.

After staring in a daze for a moment, Lou Cheng suddenly felt his phone vibrate. Taking it out, he saw that Yan Zheke had sent a message.

“I’m talking with my parents, they’ve got a good impression of you,” Little Ke said with a shy smile.

The corner of Lou Cheng’s mouth rose. It was as if his injury had disappeared and there wasn’t a trace of it left. He replied with a wicked grin,

“So, can we get married?”

“Wow, what a great thought! The revolution still hasn’t succeeded, you must continue to fight hard, comrade!” Yan Zheke said, replying with a hand making a fist.

Lou Cheng laughed despite himself and lifted his hand up to see the pledge ring on his finger, then he once again glanced towards the outside.

This time, he felt that the lights in the night outside put out a calming and soothing warmth in order to help the passerbys help find their way home.

…

The next day, the National Competition champion Lou Cheng rose early as he always had. There was no slacking or goofing off.

His arm had an injury, so it was hard to perform a lot of moves. He could only focus on inner training, footwork, and his legs. The morning light could always shift and give way to wind, blowing in contrast to ones wishes.

At 7:40, Lou Cheng finished his usual training and returned to the hotel, washing his body with some difficulty.

At that point, with nothing to do, he suddenly felt some strange emotions. It felt as if them obtaining the National Competition championship wasn’t real and that it had been some sort of dream. If it wasn’t for the gold medal hanging by his side, he was afraid he truly would be unable to believe it.

“It hasn’t even been one day, how can I already be reflecting on it…” Lou Cheng shook his head and laughed despite himself. With his heart pounding, he took the card, left the room, and prepared to hail a cab to the Capital’s martial arts arena.

xx

Unconsciously arriving at his desired destination, he put on a pair of sunglasses, stuck his hands in his pockets, and slowly walked towards the entrance of the martial arts arena.

Around the square inside, there was no trace of the waves of spectators who had come and gone the night before. Even the floor had already become neat and clean. Not a single trace or vestige had been left behind.

Passing by a few men and women who were coming to open their stores, Lou Cheng’s didn’t know why his mood had become so splendid. Even the shadows on the bricks underneath his feet as he walked seemed pleasing to his eyes.

The main entrance of the arena re-opened. It was desolate, with not a trace of any human beings inside. On both sides of the walls hung posters of his and Peng Leyun’s “confrontation”.

Laughing lightly, Lou Cheng stuck his hands in his pockets and slowly walked closer to the arena, looking for a place to sit down. He looked softly at the spot where last night’s great bout had taken place, at the spot where two children had fought tooth and nail.

Their fighting style was on the straight and narrow path, but their bodies had still not yet developed. Their power wasn’t sufficient, their footwork was aimless and didn’t have any real substance or might to it. While watching film and television, they would bellow with every strike in a burst of excitement, using their full vitality.

“Hey, be careful!”

“Don’t hurt yourself!”

A few elders sitting by the side incessantly reminded him until they were led by the coach over to the viewing platform.

Noticing Lou Cheng laughing as he observed the arena, one outgoing elder laughed and said, “You young folks don’t need to study style. We old folks have no choice, so all we can do is find the time to come and have a look.”

As Lou Cheng thought, he said with a smile, “Practising style is a good thing.”

While speaking, he got up quickly and added, “The appropriate training can promote development. If it’s not the appropriate training, then it can hinder development.”

“Ah…” The elders looked at one another with some confusion.

Lou Cheng didn’t say anything further as he stuck his hands in his pockets and headed towards the entrance. As he was about to leave, he turned back his head and glanced towards that familiar yet unfamiliar arena.

From this angle, it was if he was a spectator seeing Lin Que lift up the trophy, himself lifting his head up to the sky and crying out, and Yan Zheke rushing towards the arena…

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he turned around, leaving this place.

…

Outside of the arena, Lou Cheng took out his phone, snapped a picture of the entrance, and sent it to Yan Zheke.

“Ah… the martial arts arena!” Yan Zheke was first astonished, and then, with a furious anger, said, “And you didn’t take me along!”

“Next time we’ll go together!” Lou Cheng said with a goofy laugh. “I just got carried away on a whim is all.”

Yan Zheke sent an emoji covering its mouth in laughter. “My foolish Cheng still can be this goofy!”

After saying this, she added, “Empress Dowager invites you to come and eat lunch, the address is…”

Lou Cheng’s previously carefree and pensive mood vanished and he hurriedly replied, “Should I buy anything? Cigarettes, alcohol, fruit? It seems I should bring something if it’s my first visit…”

“No need…” Yan Zheke said perplexedly. “It’s not an official visit, just eating a meal together, and we’re still just students.”

“But it’s still my first time meeting your parents. When meeting my mother and father-in-law, I need to show how important it is to me!” Lou Cheng sent an emoji of a hand rubbing the chin.

Everybody likes someone with manners!

“I’m so inexperienced… I’ll… I’ll ask Empress Dowager!” Yan Zheke hesitated for a moment and then decided to ask someone with experience.

Lou Cheng snickered. “Empress Dowager also probably won’t understand. For your father, it’s the first time having such a meeting so many years after your birth.”

“Don’t worry! Anyway, the important thing for my mom and dad is that they’re not so fussy!” Yan Zheke stopped for a moment and then said, “Empress Dowager said there’s no need to bring anything. She says to relax and not be so reserved.”

“Fine… then should I just come over directly without any shame?” Lou Cheng asked.

Yan Zheke sent an emoji with its eyes spinning. “There’s no hurry, you can go back and change your clothes. Wear… wear that dark shirt and the, the…”

Seeing her instructing him aimlessly, Lou Cheng couldn’t keep from laughing as he said, “Ke, are you a little nervous?”

“I still don’t know what a silly child like you is going to do!” Yan Zheke rolled her eyes.

“Hehe.” Lou Cheng didn’t press. He sent sent a pair of hands giving a salute. “I’ll listen to every word of Coach Yan’s commands!”

Because she cared about her own and their future together, Ke was nervous and fidgety…

Agh, I’m the same…

Getting back to the hotel, he rummaged through his clothes and dressed according to Yan Zheke’s previous tips. After dressing, he called a car and prepared to leave.

On his way down to the lobby, he ran into Li Mao, Li Xiaowen, and the others, who were giggling as they were about to go out. He could feel their happiness.

Waving his hand, Lou Cheng stood at the entrance waiting for a car. At this moment, the sun shone brightly, and all was well with the world.