Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
After skimming over the topic of Erzi, Qi Fang returned to the main topic. Both perturbed and full of curiosity, she asked,
âCheng, when you go visit Zhekeâs house, how much money in the red envelope did you receive from her parents?â
I need to go to the bank tomorrow and get this prepared!
Hearing this, Cheng smiled and said, â10,001 yuan.â
That time when it was the unofficial visit with his mother and father-in-law, he didnât bring any corresponding gifts. He was waiting until they went to Jiangnan and then he could go for a âleisurely strollâ with the elder member of the Ji family (no, he should call him âGrandpaâ), and then he could give them a large sum of money.
Actually, in regards to the Ji and Yan Families, 10,001 yuan really wasnât that much. Only when you considered the Lou familyâs situation as well as the fact that Lou Cheng was still studying did it carry a significant meaning in actuality.
â10,001... thatâs good, good.â Qi Fang sighed with relief, her smile coming back again.
Two months ago, she would have been worried about the issue of giving presents to her future daughter-in-law, because she had spent almost all her savings on buying a new house and its refurbishing. But now things were getting better. Lou Chengâs father, Lou Zhisheng, had gotten promoted with some shares and a corresponding bonus. Thus the families finances slowly but surely became enough for them to manage, so that they could take out 10,000 yuan without any issues.
As for the two young ones to be married, it was still early! They still had at least three years. When the time came, the family would certainly be well off!
Lou Cheng could sense his mother relaxing, and he couldnât help but grin.
âMom, thereâs no need for you to go to the bank tomorrow, Iâve got nearly 10,000 in cash right here. You can just scrape up a little bit and that will be enough.â
âThe gift for your wife... â Qi Fang made a slip of the tongue, then laughed and said, âItâs the homecoming gift for your girlfriend, how can I use your money?â
Lou Cheng calmly and gently said, âBut if I give my own parents money due to filial piety, is that not the proper thing to do?â
Mom, youâre not wrong. She is my wife, Iâve got the certificate...
âAbsolutely not. This is a gift from your father and I for Zheke.â Qi Fang waved her hands as she refused. âAt this point, our family can handle this. Keep your cash for yourself to spend, donât make her feel wronged.â
âOkay, okay, okay.â Lou Cheng didnât persist. Anyway, in two days, heâd find another opportunity to give his mother the money.
At this moment, Lou Zhisheng came out of the shower, and the three family members talked at length about Yan Zhekeâs visit and meeting the in-laws as a television program played in the background. At last, Qi Fang clapped her hands together, deciding that tomorrow after she was done with the housekeeping, she would escort her husband to go buy a few nice items of clothing in order to avoid embarrassing her son.
The stars were sparse and the moon was bright. As the night gradually became darker, Lou Cheng finished washing up and lied on his bed, sharing with Yan Zheke all of the topics they had discussed, along with other amusing anecdotes, perfectly acting out the role of an enemy within his own family.
After talking about this, he could feel the isolation and silence all around him. He sighed and smiled as he pressed the keyboard and said,
âThis night is endless. I canât sleep alone!â
Yan Zheke snickered in response. âThatâs too bad. I have Empress Dowager accompanying me, and we have talked with each other throughout the night, so I donât understand what this âlonelinessâ youâre talking about is.â
After talking, she sent an emoji symbolizing âYou think Iâll sympathize with you? I can barely keep from laughingâ.
Afterwards, she added, âAlright, alright, Big Sister will dote on you tomorrow. Be a good boy and go to sleep.â
Knowing from experience his dear wifeâs subtle fluctuations and changes in mood, the corner of Lou Chengâs mouth rose, and he said with a wicked smile, âHow will you dote on me?â
âHow will I dote on you? In broad daylight, in a crowded public place right in front of everyone. What kind of doting would you like?!â Yan Zheke said with fake anger.
âI just wanted you to take me to eat breakfast. Where do you want to go? Classmate Ke, youâve got a bit of a dirty mind lately!â Lou Cheng replied mischievously.
âI...â Yan Zheke face became red. She gritted her teeth for a moment and then sent an emoji slapping someoneâs head and said, âItâs because youâre so perverted, it makes me think dirty things! I blame you for everything! Quick, say âIâm wrongâ!â
âYes, yes, yes, Coach Yan, Iâm wrong.â Lou Cheng held in a laugh as he typed, and at the same time felt a strange sense of longing.
Seeing his response, Yan Zheke was quiet for a few seconds and then said,
âCheng... â
âWhat?â Lou Cheng replied suspiciously.
âI miss you a little...â Yan Zheke took her phone and lied down, and her eyes softened.
Even though theyâd only been apart for four hours...
âMe too.â Seeing these words, Lou Chengâs mood settled and his heart became tranquil like the moonlit scenery outside the window.
This was the opposite of fiery passion, and he felt it was another kind of beauty.
...
Early the next morning, Lou Cheng got out of bed early and washed quickly. After doing some warm-ups before his physical training, he put on the navy blue Longhu Club martial arts suit and ran towards the villa estate at Back Water Lake.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the neighborhood, he sent a message. He didnât have to wait long before he saw Yan Zheke running out, her raven black hair tied up. Her whole body was white as silk, and she looked both smart and beautiful.
âWhat a coincidence!â Lou Cheng laughed as he opened his mouth.
Classmate Ke was wearing a womenâs Longhu Club martial arts suit. Along with him, it really seemed as if they were wearing coordinating coupleâs outfits, and they hadnât even discussed it beforehand!
âVery coincidental!â Yan Zhekeâs dimples appeared as she smiled sweetly.
Girls always liked it when coincidences like this happened, as it made them feel like both sidesâ hearts and minds were interconnected.
Without many words, the two of them stared deeply into each otherâs eyes, and with a smile on their faces, they headed towards the path of Back Water Lake.
Daybreak came early in summer, so those who exercised in the morning also had to adapt themselves and do so earlier. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke went through three places and then found a relatively hidden and remote place to practice.
After a tender-hearted kiss, the two of them separated. Lou Cheng adopted his stance and loosened his joints, causing cracks and pops to emit from inside his body.
After doing this, he couldnât help but lean his head and looked towards his wife. All he could see was Yan Zhekeâs rosy cheeks as she prepared to practice her still stance.
âYou, practice your stance. What you are looking at!?â Sensing Lou Chengâs gaze, she playfully protested with a fluid glance, flowing with charm.
âIâm looking at the power of your training style,â Lou Cheng responded playfully as he began training, his posture fierce as a tiger.
They then concentrated on their own training, every once in a while looking at one another. The two of them felt that the time passed very quickly, and in the blink of eye, the early morning exercises came to an end.
âKe, what plans do you have today?â Lou Cheng asked with a smile as they slowly jogged back to eat breakfast.
Yan Zheke turned her eyes and said, âI shall chat with my mom and dad and help them cook dishes. There is one more thing: I have to buy a gift for your family.... And you?â
âIf youâd have said you didnât have any plans, we would have just fooled around.â Lou Cheng laughed mischievously.
âFool around with yourself!â Yan Zheke said angrily, but laughing as she glared at him.
What kind of phrasing was this?!
Lou Cheng laughed, turned, and said, âNow that youâre going to spend the day in domestic bliss with Father-in-law and Empress Dowager, Iâll go back home and help my mom do a big clean-up.â
At the moment, he still wasnât overly familiar with his in-laws, so if he went and inserted himself into their daily affairs, it would be quite awkward and might destroy both the atmosphere and feeling.
âAfter doing the big clean-up, Iâll go to the Gushan Martial Arts School and borrow their Strength Training Gymnasium to train for another two hours so that I can try and attain the Inhuman stage earlier. Then Iâll look for Qin Rui and Fatty Jiang and get together with them...â He described his plans.
âAlright.â Yan Zheke nodded her head up and down.
As they jogged, the two of them slowed their pace, grabbed each otherâs hands, and then resumed their quicker pace.
After they had eaten rice dumpling outside of their former middle school and heâd escorted his fairy to the neighborhood entrance, Lou Cheng went through the day according to his plan.
...
The afternoon was intense. The scorching sun hung in an empty sky, and it was as if steam was rising up from the ground like heatwaves.
Lou Cheng, Jiang Fei, and Qin Rui hid in a row underneath the shade of a tree and sat on top of a railing. They leisurely looked at the entrance of the middle school, at the growing young boys and girls entering together.
âCheng, if you werenât wearing glasses, a huge group would surely come and surround you,â Fatty Jiang said as he turned around and looked at his palâs glasses.
âYeah, Chengâs a big celebrity now in Xiushan. For all of the new recruits in the martial arts schools, thereâs no need to say much. All you have to do is mention that he did some part-time work here as a coach, and the number of people who sign up explodes.â Qin Rui followed up with a laugh.
After heâd achieved meditation, his strength had increased quickly. After he had received the physical training of the preliminaries, he was nearly at the level of a Ninth Pin, and he had quickly overtaken Dai Linfeng.
Lou Cheng laughed lowly and said, âBut I got here by fighting tooth and nail, so the both of you arenât jealous. Right, how is it that Old Cheng hasnât come again? Usually, when I try and find him on QQ to talk, he takes a long time to respond.â
He reckoned he hadnât seen Cheng Qili in nearly a year.
âItâs the same when I look for him. Gah, maybe itâs that heâs made a lot of new friends in university and heâs busy with other things. Doesnât have time to meet up with his old classmates.â Jiang Fei sighed. âI always thought that as time went on, the amount of classmates we would keep in touch with would drecrease, but the three of us and our friendship would be preserved for a long time. Agh, the next time that Old Cheng will think of us will probably be when he sends his wedding invitations...â
I donât know whether I will or wonât send him my own wedding invitation... Lou Cheng silently judged him, and was quite disappointed. When it came to friendship, if one person dropped contact, then they would quickly become like strangers.
âThereâs not many other classmates who behave like this,â Qin Rui joked.
âIâm just making an analogy, merely wallowing in my anguish at Old Cheng losing touch.â Jiang Fei pointed at the entrance of the middle school. âI miss those years. Me, Cheng, and Old Cheng would sit over there from time to time and stare at the entrance to see which pretty girls were worth appreciating. When it was almost time to get to class, weâd go inside. There was one time when we saw Yan Zheke, her long hair flowing...â
Talking till now, he remembered that goddessâ final destination, and grievously looked at Lou Cheng as he said, âForget it, I wonât say anything. This really is a tragic story.â
âHaha.â Lou Cheng laughed with his whole body.
Qin Rui followed him by laughing. âIâve heard that theyâve recently switched educational directors, and theyâve demanded that girls shall not keep their hair long... â
âDamn, what a pervert!â Jiang Fei cursed in agitation.
While talking and laughing while telling stories about school, Qin Rui smugly said, âCheng, what do you think the chance is of me entering a Professional Ninth Pin Ranking Event?â
He had looked for Lou Cheng in the morning to ask for advice.
âIf you bear down and train hard for three months, the chances are high for the October Ranking Event,â Lou Cheng answered without flattering or disparaging him.
âAlright!â Qin Rui clasped the railing, his smile difficult to conceal.
Jiang Fei heard all of this and then let out a sigh. âI feel like the two of you and I are in different worlds. Iâve just enrolled in school and still want to become a successful person. My dream is just to study for two years, follow the straight and narrow, and find a job where I wonât be working hard until Iâm old after graduating.â
âAfter two more years, your requirements will be even lower,â Lou Cheng teased, âJust having a job will be enough!â
âMaybe... no, I need to pull myself together!â Jiang Fei seemed as if heâd gotten a shot of adrenaline.
He had once wanted to lose weight and persist in training, but after winter break, he didnât have many results, and eventually it became once a week. Usually, heâd just goof off, and he kept his original body shape. As a result, as before, he didnât have a girlfriend.
While Jiang Fei was muttering to himself, Lou Chengâs cell phone went off. He had a call coming in.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHello, Master?â He saw that it was comrade Shi Jianguo and quickly accepted the call.
âHey, you little brat, your visa to America is under handling.â Geezer Shi coughed. âAre you busy today?â
Lou Cheng responded in confusion, âNo, Iâve got nothing going on.â
Why is Master asking about this?
âGood. Iâve got that small thing for you to do. At most itâll be half a day of work.â Geezer Shi snickered.
A small thing? Lou Cheng said to himself in shock.