Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Yan Zheke woke up at 5:30 PM. She put on Lou Chengâs t-shirt and shorts to take a shower and came back to the room to change into her own clothes.
She pointed at her wrinkled shirt and complained, âItâs your fault! Get me an iron.â
âHow can I go out like this? How can I go home like this?â
âOur iron broke two days ago...â Lou Cheng looked up blankly and then a grin appeared on his face. âDonât worry. I got this.â
âAhh?â Yan Zheke gazed at her official husband, confused.
Lou Cheng reached out his right hand with a thin layer of white frost. As the ice melted, steam rose and heat rolled.
He pulled the shirt with his left hand and moved his right palm down slowly. The crumpled part became flat.
Yan Zhekeâs eyes shone brightly. She couldnât help complimenting him.
âCheng, your supernatural ability is becoming more and more practical. Youâve unlocked this new function.â
âEver since I perceived the root pulp, my control of the ice and fire supernatural ability has become better,â answered Lou Cheng humbly. âThank you, Coach Yan!â
Spending loads of time on Taoist training materials lately, he liked to summarize his attitude changing, emotion precipitating, and determination firming since he had become a married man as an achievement of their paired practice.
Yan Zheke pursed her lips and turned her head away, her eyes narrowed. She suddenly turned back to gaze at Lou Cheng with a suspicious look.
âI feel there is another meaning in your compliment... Hmm... You didnât care about the fake pot. You sneakily set up a trap for me.â
âNot at all. I didnât want to bother the military at the beginning, though they are also looking for the Nine Words Formula. When I received this fake pot, I found it amusing and wanted to share with you. Then I realized that we would have quite some free time and that we could do something...â Lou Cheng explained with a smile. âWe havenât gotten intimate for days.â
âWhat if... What if I didnât feel like it today?â Yan Zheke fixed her hair as she threw a glare at him.
Lou Cheng laughed with his both palms facing up. âWe could browse some forums and Weibo together, talk, and go shopping around four or five. We have plenty things to do together.â
âBelated effort!â Yan Zheke raised her chin, the corners of her eyes curved upward.
She stood up and walked to the door, glancing at Lou Cheng, amused and annoyed.
âWhy did you lock the door... As if you were a bad guy!â
âJust in case... What if my mom didnât stay with my aunt tonight or my dad came back early and opened my door to check if I was home? That would be super awkward... When we are busy, my Absolute Reaction to our lovemaking... I canât pay much attention to anything else, like footsteps or the sound of the key...â answered Lou Cheng with a grin.
âBut it would be just as awkward if they found out your door was locked from inside...â Yan Zheke tilted her head, puzzled.
âNo. Look. We are in a relationship that has been approved by our parents. It is perfectly normal for us to lock the door and make out once in a while. It would be odd if we didnât get intimate at all. No one knows how far we have gone anyway.â Lou Cheng reached out his hand to tidy up her hair.
âYou sound so experienced...â Yan Zheke rolled her eyes and checked Lou Cheng up and down.
âHahah... I read a lot online. Itâs important to learn from othersâ mistakes!â Lou Cheng chuckled.
âHmm... Mingâs Awkward Moments!â
...
Two days later, the military still couldnât locate the wine potâs origin. Lou Cheng changed into a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and collocated clothes and went to Yan familyâs villa by Back Water Lake with bags of presents.
It was so open and aboveboard compared to his first visit last summer.
âIf my grandparents ask you questions, give straight answers and donât circle about. They used to be teachers and donât like those showy, deceptive guys.â Yan Zheke reminded Lou Cheng right before their arrival.
Lou Cheng didnât feel much pressure from visiting the grandparents. He pointed at himself with a grin.
âI got in Songcheng University by myself. Your grandparents will love me for sure.
âI was always one of the top five in high school. I even made it to the top three several times. I was a really good student, one of the top 20, if not top 10, of the grade. I did very well in the university entry exams.â
âYesterdayâs sun canât dry todayâs clothes.â Yan Zheke hit him gently with a laugh as she pushed the door open.
In the bright, spacious living room, Yan Kai on his day off was chatting with his parents, Yan Jihua and Gao Fen. When he heard the door-opening music, he rose to welcome his daughter and future son-in-law.
Ji Mingyu was at a very important business meeting. She would be back around dinner time.
âLou, welcome.â Yan Kai managed to calmly and warmly greet the bad boy who had stolen his smart, beautiful, and perfect daughter.
âHello, Uncle.â Lou Cheng changed into slippers.
âDad, what are you doing? Cheng is not a guest...â Yan Zheke tried to loosen things up. She grabbed her husbandâs hand and led him towards the couch. She called in her sweetest voice, âGrandpa, Grandma, Lou Cheng has brought you something.â
âHello, Grandpa, Grandma...â Lou Cheng handed over the tea and original-proof spirits.
âHeheh... You shouldnât have. Lou, come and sit.â Yan Jihua accepted the bags after a few seconds of looking him up and down.
As they each took a seat, he asked with a smile,
âLou, you also studied in Xiushan No.1 Middle School?â
âAll parents are into these kinds of questions...â Lou Cheng thought before answering, âYes, I was just next door from Keâs class. Every time they brought out our grade rankings, I always heard her name.â
âCheng was always in the top 20, sometimes even top 10. I knew his name back then.â Yan Zheke showed off his good results.
âI heard his name but didnât remember. When he introduced himself outside the Martial Arts Club, I didnât feel familiar at all...â
âThatâs good.â Yan Jihua and Gao Fen exchanged a glance with a nod.
âLou got in Songcheng University and they became schoolmates again,â added Yan Kai.
Yan Zheke had told them this in the past, but they wanted to begin from this topic to avoid any potential awkwardness.
The well-read Yan Jihua asked, puzzled and curious,
âLou, how did you pick martial arts for your future?â
âIt was by chance. I saw Ke in the Martial Arts Club and I had this impulse to join her... After a few sessions, I realized I have some talent in this and thought that it shouldnât be wasted...â Lou Cheng answered honestly how he signed up for the Martial Arts Club in hopes of pursuing their granddaughter.
He didnât want to bring it up in front of his parents, but he hoped to show his affection and appreciation for Ke before her family.
âI didnât know that...â Yan Kai laughed with mixed feelings.
Yan Jihua smiled genuinely and poked fun at him. âLou, you nurtured schemes...â
They chatted along about their past and Yan Zheke flushed a few times.
âLou, Ke is going to study abroad. She told me you planned to visit her often and practice martial arts there?â Gao Fen was most concerned about this practical problem.
âYeah, I aim to fly over once per month and stay one to two weeks every time.â Lou Cheng took a stand.
Yan Jihua nodded thoughtfully. âI better hire you a chef. These days, the youths donât know how to cook. Foreign dishes are boring...â
âI can cook some simple food.â Lou Cheng couldnât resist showing off. Yan Zheke nodded like a chick picking grains.
âOh? What can you make? What are you good at?â asked Yan Jihua out of curiosity.
âActually, just two dishes. One is noodle soup and the other is fried rice with eggs. Iâm pretty good at those.â Lou Cheng made fun of himself.
The air around them suddenly froze as if some danger was brewing.
Yan Kai leaned back and muttered to himself,
âGood at fried rice with eggs...â
âDamn it! Itâs exposed!â A past event came to his head and he came to a sudden realization. He turned around to Yan Zheke, who had the same shock in her eyes.
He had snuck into the Yan villa last summer and made out with Ke. They prepared breakfast very romantically but almost got caught by his father-in-law, who mistook the bowl of fried rice with eggs that was cooked by Ke for him and didnât notice Lou Chengâs visit.
He... It seemed he had just realized something...
...
âYouâre bad. Why did you show off?â In her room after lunch, Yan Zheke complained to Lou Cheng with a smile. âI was so worried my dad would jump up and wield his scalpel...â
âI completely forgot about it.â Lou Cheng wiped off his imaginary cold sweat.
âWe should never go beyond ourselves!â
A loud knock came, followed by Yan Kaiâs clear voice. âKe, Lou, I have brought some fruits to you.â
âThank you, Uncle.â Lou Cheng walked over and opened the door, seeing his father-in-law standing there with a plate of delicately cut fruits.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Delicately cut...
...
After the meeting with Yan Zhekeâs grandparents, the young couple continued with their normal lives. Once in a while, Lou Cheng would have a meal with the Yan family and Yan Zheke would visit the Lou family. Now and then, they would have a date and get intimate. Soon, it was July 14th. The military claimed to have some progress regarding the origin of the wine pot.
Lou Cheng packed his bag and stepped out of his room around noon.
âMy boy, good job. Youâre taking Ke on a trip!â Qi Fang nodded out of satisfaction, with no intention to urge him to stay.
âMom, donât look down upon your son.â Lou Cheng shook his head while walking towards the door.
Destination: Huacheng!
The fight between the Dragon King and the Warrior Sage!