Second Disciple

The two of them left the clinic—it was already seven o’clock. Morning self-study had begun half an hour ago, and they handed in their first late slip. Fortunately, Xu Lin had borrowed the clinic doctor’s phone to call their homeroom teacher and explain the situation; otherwise, they’d surely have been docked points and scolded.

“Do you want to go home and rest for the day?” Ji Yun recalled how the doctor had applied medicine to Xu Lin’s back just moments before.

The bruises across his back weighed heavily on her heart. If she hadn’t thrown a tantrum earlier, he wouldn’t have fallen and gotten hurt.

“It’s fine. Didn’t the doctor say so? With the ointment and two packets of medicine a day, it’ll be gone in a week.”

“Let’s take a taxi then.”

“Do you have any money?”

“No, I didn’t bring any.”

“I didn’t either. I only brought forty, and just spent it at the clinic. Let’s walk—it’s late anyway, no rush.”

So, the two set off toward the school, strolling as if window-shopping. According to Xu Lin’s calculations, they’d arrive around the start of the first class.

But they’d barely walked a few steps when the blare of a car horn broke the morning calm, honking repeatedly. Xu Lin frowned and turned around.

A fiery red Maserati—he didn’t know the exact model—pulled up beside the curb, its horn blaring incessantly. Two men walking nearby muttered contemptuously, “So what if you’re rich? Honking like that, disgusting!”

“Damn, I really hate this kind of thing.”

The car lurched forward a few meters, then stopped right next to them. The window slowly rolled down.

A blonde girl poked her head out, smiling at them. “Sorry, guys, but yes—being rich is a big deal.”

The two fell silent for a few seconds, then turned away and quickened their pace.

“Isn’t that Chu Qingchan’s little sister?”

“She’s called Chu Fengyi.”

“You two, get in! I’ve been honking for ages,” she yelled when they didn’t come over.

Xu Lin walked over reluctantly; she squinted at him, smiling, but Xu Lin felt his hair stand on end.

“What do you want?”

“I’m giving you a ride to school. Why aren’t you there yet—skipping class for a date?”

“Smell me, and tell me if that’s possible.” Xu Lin leaned closer; Chu Fengyi quickly pushed him away.

“Don’t get so close! Seriously… don’t even think about hitting on your sister-in-law.”

“I’m not! Chu Fengyi, we were heading to school together—some car nearly hit her, I pulled her back, and we both ended up injured.”

“Oh? But you can still fall? Where was that agility yesterday when you dodged my attacks? Get in, I’ll drive you both.”

“Do you have anything else to do? Don’t let us hold you up.”

“Stop dithering, will you! Get in already!”

Xu Lin looked at the tightly shut window and sighed. This girl had pretended to be well-behaved, but after their fight yesterday, she’d dropped the act. Still, compared to her smiling, unreadable face, this fiery, straightforward persona was actually preferable.

Xu Lin and Ji Yun got in. As soon as they sat down, they felt the luxury—this seat was unbelievably comfortable!

Xu Lin suddenly felt he should work harder to make money, instead of just coasting through life. Experiences like this were subtle but persuasive.

He glanced at the driver—a man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in a suit. Technically, he should be addressed as ‘uncle,’ yet he exuded remarkable vitality.

It wasn’t about looks or attire; Xu Lin sensed a powerful energy from him—ten of Xu Lin wouldn’t be enough to match him in a fight.

It seemed all wealthy families had formidable drivers. Xu Lin grew even more curious about the identities of Chu Qingchan and Chu Fengyi’s father.

He’d searched online the day before, but found nothing—not even a clue. The bearded man who’d visited his house could be located, but there was no trace of their family.

“By the way, Miss Chu Two, you said you were looking for me today. I’m going to school; I don’t have time to practice martial arts with you.”

“No, I do have time—which is why I’m coming to school to find you.”

“And don’t call me Miss Chu Two! Makes me sound like a second grader! Ugh!”

“Alright, alright. So, little master, how old are you?”

“I’m twenty this year, older than you. You’re the little one—my little brother!”

“….”

Her words struck like a knife; Xu Lin dared not retort, for fear of getting beaten up. But—she was twenty? She looked fourteen or fifteen. Weren’t foreigners supposed to age faster?

Or perhaps, despite her blonde hair and beauty, she’d inherited the Eastern anti-aging gene?

“What’s with that look? Think I’m not an adult? I just look young. I graduated college last year.”

“So you graduated at nineteen.”

“Yep. And what you just said—wasn’t that the classic foreign beauty transfer student plot from novels?”

“Xu Lin, what kind of books have you been reading? But if you like that, I can talk to your principal. My current identity is a teacher, though.”

“Teacher?!” Xu Lin’s eyes widened; Ji Yun, usually reserved, also looked up in surprise.

“Yep, no back door for me. I applied, passed the assessment, and was officially hired.”

Only now did Xu Lin and Ji Yun notice she wasn’t wearing her usual Lolita outfit; she’d changed into smart, adult clothing—though it looked like a child in grown-up attire.

“What subject did you apply for?”

“I’m teaching martial arts, so naturally, I’m the PE teacher.”

“There’s no PE class—none for the rest of the year.”

“There is now. I persuaded the principal: young people need more exercise. If they only sit and study, they may excel academically but fail physically—how can they get into a good university?”

“So you used Batman’s superpowers?”

“Exactly. From now on, the last class every Saturday will be PE. But for you, you need daily lessons.”

“No way! I’m not built for it—running’s all I can manage. Consider your disciple as having defected from the sect.”

“No can do. You’re my first disciple—my senior disciple. I can’t neglect you!”

Ji Yun listened, bemused. Were they master and disciple? Studying PE? Neither seemed especially athletic.

Chu Fengyi caught her puzzled gaze and switched to a friendly smile.

“Class president Ji Yun, right? Want to learn with me? It’s free.”

“Uh… I’m not good at sports…”

“Ji Yun, don’t be fooled. We’re not talking about PE—we mean martial arts.”

“Martial arts? Xu Lin, you know martial arts?!”

“No, just running.”

“He knows martial arts, even lightness skills. That’s settled—you’re my second disciple.”

Ji Yun wanted to refuse, but remembering yesterday, she clenched her fist.

“Second disciple, learning martial arts—I’m actually interested.”

“Ji Yun, this isn’t a joke. It’s real. You could get hurt,” Xu Lin warned sincerely.

“No, I think I want to learn!”

“Great! I’m so happy as your master!”

Chu Fengyi glanced at Ji Yun’s tightly clenched fist, as if recalling something herself, and finally offered a genuine, unaffected smile.