0096: Gym Sparring (Part 2)

"By the way, Xu Lin, are you an office worker?"

"Sort of—I sit for long hours." Writing and teaching both involved sitting, so he wasn't lying.

"Then you should get some exercise. This place, don't let the size fool you—the prices are actually pretty reasonable." "Monthly cards, yearly cards, even punch cards—all much cheaper than your typical gym. Personal trainers aren't expensive either, though when I'm around, I can just teach you myself."

"Then I'll thank Sister Qin in advance, but I'm usually pretty busy. Sundays are about the only time I have free."

"That's fine. Then just get a half punch card—I've got an unregistered one here with about ten sessions left. Use it for now."

"No, no, I can't. You're doing me a favor, and now I'd be taking a gift? That's not right."

"Don't make a fuss about it. You're Wanwan's boyfriend, which makes you my friend too. Besides, the owner here gave this to me—I already have a yearly card, so I don't need it."

Qin Yunhe shoved it into his hands, and he had no choice but to accept it. He usually trained with Chu Fengyi so he wouldn't need this, but she was out of town lately. If he wanted to work out on his own, he could come here sometime.

"But about what I just mentioned—I hope you can notify the other officers first. Don't you dare go off on your own."

"Oh, don't you worry. I'm a professional at this, sister knows what she's doing. Speaking of which, you keep calling me Sister Qin—how old are you anyway?"

"I'm twenty this year."

"Only twenty? I wouldn't have guessed, I wouldn't have guessed. Why aren't you in university? Logically speaking, Su Qingwan—who's been a top student since childhood and is now a teacher—would probably prefer someone who's also good at academics, right?"

Xu Lin didn't know how to respond. He was a fake, after all. And by her logic, Teacher Su did like that he was capable—since his grades were actually pretty good.

Qin Yunhe saw the expression on Xu Lin's face and suddenly realized what she'd said. Her expression shifted instantly.

"Sorry—I didn't mean to imply that having a lower education is a bad thing. In relationships, what matters most is how two people get along. Money and all that, as long as you both work hard—"

"Let's head out first."

"Okay..."

As Xu Lin walked out of the room, Qin Yunhe abruptly covered her face with both hands. What had she just been saying?!

She'd just said it casually, but for someone who hadn't gotten into university, it must have been hurtful. And it involved Wanwan too. Should she treat him to lunch and apologize? Maybe he hadn't taken it to heart? But she definitely had to tell Wanwan about this—she couldn't let her best friend's boyfriend think she was mocking him in front of his girlfriend.

Xu Lin couldn't have guessed how much was running through her head. When he walked out, many eyes turned to him again—all of them glancing down toward his lower body.

Hey! Bro, when you guys look at me like that, I get nervous. I know what you're thinking, but being stared at by men just makes my ass hurt!

Qin Yunhe came out with her face in her hands, and everyone immediately sensed something was off—could something actually have happened between those two?

"Is your face feeling unwell?" Xu Lin came out with a clueless, straight-guy remark, and everyone around relaxed—he was clearly just an honest kid.

"No, I'm fine. I'm going to keep training for a bit. Do you want to play around some? In a while, I'll treat you and Qingwan to lunch."

"No, no—if anyone's treating, it should be me."

"Qin Yunhe, are you still sparring? It's my turn to exchange moves with you!"

Not far away, a skinny young man who didn't look any more substantial than Xu Lin shouted over. The people around him laughed.

"Wang Wengang, you bastard, you're always trying to take advantage of her!"

"Yeah, yeah—spar with me instead!"

"You're the one who ends up getting beaten every time. Have you ever landed a single hit on her?"

"Hey, little bro, want to practice with me?" At that moment, the one called Wang Wengang walked over and waved at him.

Xu Lin was caught off guard and pointed at himself, but inside, he was a little eager. He'd been training for quite a while, but he'd never actually fought anyone besides Chu Fengyi. Still, he was just an ordinary person physically—relying purely on light-footwork to run and dodge wouldn't cut it. In a direct confrontation, would he embarrass himself?

"Little brother, this place isn't some professional martial arts dojo—it's just a place to have fun. The ground won't hurt you if you fall. Give it a try."

From the side, Hong Lei—the one who'd led him upstairs earlier—patted him on the shoulder. Xu Lin took off his shoes and stepped onto the mats.

"Oh, here he comes! Don't be nervous, kid—everyone starts out swinging wild. But remember, this is just sparring, so avoid the dangerous spots." A middle-aged man at the edge called out. Xu Lin nodded, though Chu Fengyi always loved targeting his weak points.

"Come on! Don't hold back your strength—just hit me."

Wang Wengang smiled and settled into a stance. Xu Lin gave him a quick once-over and noticed that despite being skinny, the man's exposed arms and legs were muscled, and his stance was solid. Maybe he had real skill. But Xu Lin had been a great hero in his day—he couldn't just cave that easily.

"Hah... Brother Wang, please go easy on me."

"Let's go."

"Wang Wengang, take it easy on him, you wily old fox."

"Got it, got it!"

"Little bro, beat his ass!"

Qin Yunhe sipped her water and watched the two of them with a smile. Just as long as they didn't get too heated in the middle of a match. But if Xu Lin got hurt, Qingwan wouldn't blame her, would she?

Many people were watching out of curiosity, but they all figured Xu Lin had no chance of winning. Wang Wengang might look skinny, but he was strong, light on his feet, and quick. Among the hundred or so regulars who loved combat sports here, he could rank in the top twenty—he just never showed off.

Then, someone shouted "Go!" and in an instant, Wang Wengang threw a punch, startlingly fast, leaving a blur in the air. The onlookers were taken aback—this guy had no shame! They'd said the other man had no fighting experience, and he went straight at full power!

Qin Yunhe was stunned too, thinking she'd definitely have to apologize to Qingwan now.

But the next second, Wang Wengang felt his punch hit nothing—the other man had dodged it. Before his surprise could settle, he felt his wrist seized!

Bang! Wang Wengang was flung away, crashing onto the ground not far off. He sprang up instantly with a kip, facing Xu Lin, but his mind was completely blank. The people around were just as confused. It had all happened so fast that many hadn't seen it clearly—just the young man dodging once, and then Wang Wengang was flying through the air.

A few, however, had caught it: Wang Wengang had been thrown. Xu Lin had grabbed his arm and used the momentum to fling him, though the dodge was the only part visible at full speed.

"So the little brother's been hiding his strength, playing the fool?"

Wang Wengang stood up, unbothered—he was the type who loved playing the fool himself.

"I only learned a bit of self-defense passed down in my family. As for actual fighting technique, I really don't know any."

"How modest! Then I'll get serious too!"

With that, his lazy eyes sharpened, and he lunged forward! Xu Lin abandoned his defensive stance and met him with pure fighting instinct. He took several punches and grappled for a few exchanges before they both pulled back.

Wang Wengang laughed. "Why aren't you using your family's self-defense moves anymore?"

"No need. If it's a real fight, then fight like it!"

Xu Lin was grinning through his teeth now, eyes gleaming with excitement! Fighting Chu Fengyi had never felt like this—the gap in skill was too large.

"Good! Fighting is forged by taking hits. Let's keep going!"

But as they continued sparring, the crowd grew increasingly uneasy. This kid named Xu Lin was something else—a freak!

At first, after abandoning his strange self-defense style, he'd shown completely inexperienced fighting—wild, unskillful punches. He rarely threw kicks, and whenever he did, Wang Wengang would hook his leg and drag him to the ground. Basically, every one of Wang Wengang's attacks landed, and almost none of his own connected.

But now—just a few dozen exchanges, three to five minutes later—the kid was already dodging a good number of Wang Wengang's strikes and even grazing him several times.

"Ha!" Xu Lin let out a low growl and charged straight in. The other man hurriedly raised his guard, but Xu Lin suddenly snapped a low leg kick! Caught off guard, Wang Wengang was tripped and sent tumbling to the ground. Xu Lin leaped!

The onlookers' eyes all lit up—that familiar move. Wang Wengang was done for!

Xu Lin locked in a fast, precise scissor leg, trapping the man's arm and neck, pinning him to the floor!

"Damn! Learning on the spot—that's impressive!"

"Wang Wengang, look at you—losing to a rookie. How embarrassing!"

"Haha, he lost to the exact same move Qin Yunhe used on him earlier. This guy's brains are fried!"

"Shut your mouth, He Posui! Who's brains are fried?! Get up here and say that!"

"Hey hey, Qin Yunhe, where'd you find this kid? That talent is genuinely enviable!"

Hu Ke, who had just been defeated by Qin Yunhe with that same move, shot her a glance.

"I don't know him either. He's a friend of a friend."

"He's not your boyfriend? Good, now I can relax!" a few of the guys joked.

"Give it a few days—he might become my boyfriend."

Qin Yunhe shot back casually, silently thinking: Sorry, Wanwan, I just said that to shut them up.

Still, watching Xu Lin step off the mats, surrounded by people, drenched in sweat, she felt like she was looking at her own past self.