While holding her delicate hand it felt so smooth he imagined that it could accidentally slip away from his grasp, he thought that he could say something to express the happiness and excitement in his heart. However, he intentionally held back this impulse. Yan Zheke had had to muster her courage and overcome her hesitation before she finally dared to hold his hand. It would be best if he gave her some quiet time to calm down. The more he spoke and confessed to her, the more pressure she would feel because of his actions. She might even become angry out of embarrassment.
There was a good saying by an elder—the silent toad catches the fly!
"Let's head that way." Lou Cheng feigned nonchalance and pointed in a direction. His hand holding Yan Zheke's right hand had tightened though, gripping it tightly.
"Mm." Yan Zheke responded with a voice that was as soft as a mosquito's.
With a happy look on his face, Lou Cheng led the way and did not look at Yan Zheke, giving her some time to adjust as well. Along the way, he felt as light as air as if he were becoming immortal, and there was this wonderful feeling that he was returning home with his wife.
The two didn't talk much when they arrived at the cake shop he had chosen. However, before they knew it, their fingers had locked into one another's.
"This shop's fresh cream cake is pretty great. It's not too sweet, and it's not greasy either. I think it's pretty suitable for your taste. Would you like to take one back with you for breakfast tomorrow?" Lou Cheng pointed out the cake to Yan Zheke in an attempt to encourage her to go inside.
Yan Zheke's thin, yet supple, black eyebrows moved slightly as she asked in puzzlement, "How do you know that their fresh cream cake is pretty good?"
"I..." Lou Cheng was going to say he had sampled their food before, but suddenly he had a feeling that he would be forcing the girl to feel touched if he did so. After she had made a move to hold his hand, any intent to go further than that might put pressure on her to the point of having the opposite desired effect. After all, she hadn't completely fallen for him yet, lowering the defenses inside her heart and fully accepting the fact that they were dating each other. If he forced too much it might very easily go awry. And so he paused and said, "I checked it out on the internet and just happened to see this."
"Checked it out on the internet..." Yan Zheke repeated it once in a low tone before lifting her head to look up at the shop sign—Meimei bread.
She seemed to be moved by Lou Cheng's descriptions and did not object to his suggestion. She walked cheerfully into the store, selected a cream cake for herself and bought five meat floss bread to go, for Lou Cheng. Previously, when they had chatted about light refreshments on QQ, Lou Cheng once mentioned that the bread he loved the most was meat floss bread.
After he paid the bill, Lou Cheng feigned calmness and held the girl's hand once more, spreading his fingers and making them intertwine with hers. It was only when Yan Zheke had returned the hold that he quietly let out an internal sigh of relief. While enjoying the wonderfulness of interlocked fingers, he chatted idly with the girl while carrying the cake and the bread, bringing her to another spot that he had planned.
"Are you tired from walking? The environment here looks pretty neat and clean. Should we go inside and have a seat?" After arriving at the spot, Lou Cheng pretended to observe the interior of a cafe before pointing at it and mentioning it. He then added, "A shop like this normally wouldn't just sell coffee."
Yan Zheke pursed her lips into a smile, her dimples vaguely appearing in her cheeks. She said, "And here I thought you would hold my hand and keep walking on forever..."
Her cheeks blushed slightly yet again when she mentioned the word 'hold'. She did her best to divert her attention away from the fact their skin was touching, and their fingers were interlocked.
Seeing that the girl had calmed down enough to poke fun at him made Lou Cheng even happier, and he even joked himself. "Do I look like such an inconsiderate person?"
"Who was the one that kept walking aimlessly?" The dimples on Yan Zheke's face deepened as she laughed softly while saying this, mercilessly exposing Lou Cheng's temporary loss of his soul earlier.
"Haha, I was too moved and excited..." Lou Cheng finally had the chance to voice his feelings out loud. At the same time, he pushed open the coffee shop's door and headed towards the quiet, sheltered table at the back.
When they arrived beside the four-seater table, he released Yan Zheke's smooth, delicate, hand and watched her slide into her seat. He felt a sense of loss as he felt the emptiness of his palm.
As Lou Cheng watched Yan Zheke sitting across from him and the empty seat beside her, an idea suddenly came to his mind. He said with a straight face, "Why don't you take the inner seat. We'll sit together and take a look at the other videos of Hongluo Martial Arts School. We can mull over them for a bit, I still need guidance from Coach Yan too!"
Thank you, master! Thank you, my friends at Hongluo Martial Arts School!
"So you still remember that I'm Coach Yan~~" Yan Zheke joked. After a moment's thought she decided that he was right and she stood up once more to move to the inner seat.
Lou Cheng hurriedly sat beside her and took the menu from the waiter, opening for Yan Zheke.
He did not show her anything in particular this time, because all of the milk tea in this cafe was relatively acceptable. Yan Zheke couldn't go wrong, no matter which flavor she selected. As for the pastries, since she disliked those with chocolates or those that were extremely sweet, her scope of choice was naturally limited. 'Coincidentally,' he had tested every kind of pastry within her scope, and he confirmed that their quality was all above standard!
"I'll have a Hong Kong-style milk tea and a Chiffon cake..." Yan Zheke made her choice after mulling it over for a brief moment.
Lou Cheng also ordered a cup of Yuenyeung for himself before he found a cellphone prop, he then took out his cell phone and displayed the device on the table. His cell phone began to play the best of the best battle videos of the various fighters in Hongluo Martial Arts School.
Seeing that Yan Zheke was watching the video intently, he slyly stretched out his right hand and grabbed the delicate palm she had laid on her thigh. He pulled her hand close to and placed it on top of his own thigh.
At first, Yan Zheke was taken by surprise. Then she said with a touch of annoyance and amusement,
"Pay attention!"
Be it sitting together to research battle videos, or asking for guidance from Coach Yan, they are both merely a pretext!
"Mm-hmm, I'm paying attention." Lou Cheng's eyes were aimed straight at the phone's display, but his five fingers were tightly interlocked with the girl's scallion-like fingers, unwilling to give an inch. He caught a whiff of the faintly discernible scent that stirred his heart as it drifted past his nose.
Before they knew it two hours had passed while they were researching the videos, discussing the battles, occasionally straying off the topic, talking about nothing and watching some funny things. Their hands only parted one time when they had both gone to the lavatory.
As Lou Cheng recalled the various visions of Yan Zheke smiling or scolding lightly, he thought that even life as an immortal would not be better than this. Unfortunately, the time of this happiness was always brief, and night would ultimately arrive.
Suddenly, Yan Zheke noticed that the sky outside had already begun to darken. She hurriedly lit the screen of her cell phone and checked the time. With a slight surprise she said, "It's almost six... let's head back now, shall we?"
"Do you want to eat dinner before we head back?" Lou Cheng hadn't checked just one delicacy shop, so he took the opportunity to suggest this.
Yan Zheke's eyes lifted once before she said charmingly, "Let's go back to the school to eat. I'll treat you in the cafeteria."
"Alright." Lou Cheng did not persist. One must know not to overdo things during a first date.
When he closed the comedy video and started booking a car, Yan Zheke took another sip of her milk tea and said with satisfaction, "The milk tea in this cafe is pretty great. I didn't think a cafe you randomly picked would have such high standards. Your moral standing today is quite Okay, I see."
"Hehe, how could it possibly be random?" Lou Cheng thought complacently as he said with a smile, "No no no, it's all thanks to Coach Yan's moral standing. My moral standing has all but been used somewhere else."
After he said this, he purposely swung their interlaced hands.
Yan Zheke's face blushed red as she pretended to spit and turned her head to the side.
They appeared to have forgotten to let go of each other's hands upon returning to the old school district. They just continued holding each other's hands and slowly walked across the road that was lined with maidenhair trees. They passed by the old and ancient-looking school building and they were immune to the gazes of onlookers by this point.
Once they had gotten on the bus, Lou Cheng noticed the vehicle had started to move after they had sat for a while, he was just about to speak when he noticed that Yan Zheke's eyes were drooping. Her long, black and dense eyelashes trembled slightly like a pair of small fans, and her head dipped occasionally. She had fallen asleep.
She had trained for four hours straight and then she came out for the date without taking an afternoon nap. They had been out until six in the evening, and her stamina wasn't as abnormal as his. It was no wonder that she would be feeling sleepy and tired... Lou Cheng felt tenderness for the girl as he watched her. He used Delicate Force on her hand that he was tightly holding to change the direction she was falling in and pulled her towards him without waking her. He allowed her to slowly and gradually lean against his shoulder.
At the same time, he used the muscles in his body to counter the movements of the bus. The second the vehicle ran into a rough patch on the road, he would add a counter force to Yan Zheke to cancel out the turbulence. He did his best to ensure that she slept peacefully and did not fall off of his shoulder.
Her beautiful forehead leaned against his shoulder, and a serene scent teased the tip of his nose. The girl's soft skin was right next to his head, and her soft and long breaths resounded around his ear. Peace, serenity, and happiness filled Lou Cheng's heart. He felt the girl's weight on his shoulders, and he also sensed the pressure of wanting to make her have a better life.
Perhaps this is what dad once meant by the responsibility of a man...
After the vehicle had reached the new school district, Lou Cheng gave Yan Zheke a gentle push while laughing softly,
"Wake up, we're about to be late for the martial arts special training."
"Ah..." Yan Zheke's dark and beautiful eyes were filled with bewilderment. Her confused expression made Lou Cheng's heart tremble at the sight. When she was fully awake she let out an exclamation and said with a red face, "Turn your head away quickly, quickly! Don't move!"
Lou Cheng was puzzled, but he obediently looked to the corridor all the same. He heard the girl pulling on the zipper of her backpack, taking out a napkin she began wiping the elbow and shoulder area of his leather jacket repeatedly.
"So that's why..." He blurted out, but his words were interrupted vehemently by the girl before he could finish. "Haven't you ever seen someone drooling while they slept?! Humph!"
"The Coach Yan, who drools while she sleeps, is so cute." Lou Cheng could not help but praise her from the bottom of his heart.
Yan Zheke pouted.
"I don't want to talk with you anymore!"
Lou Cheng was all smiles as he pulled the 'angry' girl down the bus aisle. All the way he kept an eye on the girl's reactions, ready to let go of her hand obediently if she wasn't ready to hold hands in the school district where there were more familiar faces around. However, other than a bright red face, Yan Zheke showed no signs of withdrawing her hand.
When they entered the cafeteria, Yan Zheke brought him to the rice window first, she took out her meal card and said,
"Rice worth 2.30 yuan, please."
The rice-serving worker glanced at the two of them in astonishment. He seemed to be checking if they were asking for a group of people so he could confirm how many bowls he needed for preparing the rice.
Yan Zheke said innocently, "The guy beside me is a glutton who is good at eating. Even without dishes, he could eat rice worth 2 yuan!"
Pft... Lou Cheng nearly burst out laughing.
Did you just attribute your appetite for rice to me?
"He doesn't look like it." The rice-server sighed.
Yan Zheke snickered upon hearing this and she cast a sideways glance at Lou Cheng. Some traces of playfulness flowed from her eyes.
Lou Cheng simply thought that Yan Zheke was a feast for his eyes and he felt like just sitting there and watching her. He did not even desire to eat his rice anymore.
Their dinner had lasted for a very long time, and the two of them reluctantly made their way to the entrance of the Third Dormitory Building where Yan Zheke stayed.
Yan Zheke covered her mouth as she broke into a yawn. She wore a light smile while she said, "I feel so tired from skipping my afternoon nap."
"Go on and get to your bedroom then. Wash up and lie down. I know you're tired, you need to get some sleep." Lou Cheng said with concern.
Yan Zheke nodded obediently. Then, she suddenly put on a deadpan expression and talked like an old mum,
"You should get some rest soon after you return to your room. Don't just research battle videos all the time. You have to strike a balance between work and rest so that you won't feel tired tomorrow, got it?"
Her words warmed Lou Cheng's heart and he teased. "Got it, Coach Yan!"
Yan Zheke nearly broke into laughter as she pursed her lips and waved good bye.
"See you tomorrow, Cheng."
Lou Cheng mimicked her usual tone and said seriously,
"See you everyday!"
When she heard this, Yan Zheke covered her mouth and smiled softly. She turned around and took two steps, but came to a stop again. Turning her head she smiled at him timidly, expressing slight embarrassment.
"Cheng, I, I am very happy today."
After she said this, she half ran into the dormitory, like an agile rabbit, without waiting for Lou Cheng's reply. It was only when she approached the unit's entrance that she slowed and turned around to glance at Lou Cheng, where she found him still staring at her like a fool. She gave him a bright smile.
When Yan Zheke's back finally disappeared into the passage, Lou Cheng finally smiled gently and said to himself in a soft voice,
"I'm very happy too, one hundred times happier than usual..."
…
In a certain room on the second floor of Hongluo Martial Arts School, the schoolmaster Wang Hui, whose white hair had a few lines of silver in it, asked the three men beside him,
"Have you found any data on Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's Lou Cheng? The one without a rank."
Jiang Guosheng had practiced martial arts for many years, and the environment and his self-cultivation had improved his temperament. He possessed some masculinity even though his countenance was relatively average. Seated properly on his knees, he said, "We've investigated him. He's not your average person. He once participated in the Phoenix Cup Warrior Sage Candidate Challenge Tournament and fought his way into the top eight. He was able to beat a Professional Ninth Pin although he had just practiced martial arts for only half a year. This's proof of his talent and strength. Although he isn't stronger than Lin Que right now, he's definitely not someone to be underestimated."
Wang Hui nodded slightly and smiled at another man.
Cheng Yun. You have met your match. Songcheng is very big, but it's also very small. There're only so many youngsters with potential if you think about it carefully."
Jiang Guosheng also followed his gaze and looked at the young man with stern eyes.
This was the last disciple his master took in after turning down other candidates for many years due to his reluctance to see talent slip by. Pan Chengyun was just twenty years old, and he had only been practicing martial arts for a little over two years. For a while now he had been an Amateur First Pin, but based on the usual sparring exercises he conducted, he believed that he already was at the level of Professional Ninth Pin. The only thing left for him to prove it was the Ranking Event.
He was his martial arts school's secret weapon for the preliminaries. He would give Songcheng University Martial Arts Club a 'pleasant surprise'.
A team with three Professional Ninth Pin fighters was strong enough to fight for a division's quota!
Pan Chengyun said as cold as ice,
"I've seen his match videos, and his weaknesses are as obvious as his strong points. He's the kind of fighter who can take out a Professional Ninth Pin, if he does well, but would lose even to an Amateur First or Second Pin, if he is properly countered."
"I'm confident enough that I can beat him."