Side Story Two

‘What is this for?’ Zhen Lang asked.

Zhen Lang arrived home and he saw his wife jumped up and down on a new large rubber mat on the living room floor.

‘Come here and try it out. Is it soft and comfortable? Then it won’t be a problem to roll around on it,’ Gu Jing said.

‘I promised you can renovate our home any way you like. If you want to change the floor boards to carpet, it’s ok. Carpets are comfortable,’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing happily jumped up and down and she didn’t see the bright smile on Zhen Lang’s face. ‘Look at how s.p.a.cious our living room is and we don’t have visitors come over often. I thought about it for a long time, what do you think about renovating our home like the old man’s home? We can train here!’

‘Ok,’ Zhen Lang said. He watched his wife happily jump up and down like a little kitten. ‘We can roll around on a rubber carpet anytime, right?’

Gu Jing nodded her head. ‘Of course.’

The next day Gu Jing contracted a renovation company and the company installed an eighty square metre rubber carpet in the living room.

Gu Jing moved the sofa and coffee table to a corner of the living room.

Gu Jing sat on the new rubber carpet floor and she hugged a sofa pillow.

Gu Jing heard the front door opened and she saw Zhen Lang returned home from work.

‘Do you like it? I had professionals install the carpet. It’s the same carpet the national team use for training. It’s better than the one the old man has in his home,’ Gu Jing said.

‘That good? Did you try it out?’ Zhen Lang asked.

Gu Jing stood in front of Zhen Lang. She took off Zhen Lang’s jacket and she put his suitcase and the pillow on the sofa. ‘I think it’s good. You should try it out too.’

Zhen Lang rolled up his s.h.i.+rt sleeves and he unb.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt collar. ‘It’s more fun if two people try it out, right?’

Gu Jing’s heart blossomed. She loved watching Zhen Lang undress. ‘Um. Let’s try it out together.’

‘Ok,’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing felt excited, because Zhen Lang agreed easily. Usually he didn’t want to spar with her and it made her arms and legs itchy.

‘Really? You agree?’ Gu Jing asked.

Zhen Lang nodded his head and he smiled. ‘I agree.’

‘Then…’ Gu Jing said. She stood in front of Zhen Lang and she smiled sweetly. ‘Are you tired? Do you want to rest first? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat dinner first?’

‘No need,’ Zhen Lang said. He stood in a fighting stance and he waved a hand at his wife. ‘Come here.’

‘Ok,’ Gu Jing said.

Gu Jing took two steps away from Zhen Lang and she stood in a fighting stance. They both observed each other’s arms and legs for any sudden movements.

Gu Jing lifted her long leg and she kicked fast. Zhen Lang used his arm to block her kick.

Gu Jing did a roundhouse kick aimed at Zhen Lang’s waist.

Zhen Lang took two steps back and he avoided his wife’s kick. ‘Beautiful.’ He lifted his chin. ‘Continue.’

Gu Jing released a ki shout. She felt happy to fight with a strong opponent and she used her real physical strength to attack.

Gu Jing’s kicks and punches were fast. Zhen Lang blocked or avoided her attacks, but he didn’t attack her.

Gu Jing felt sweat on her forehead after she consecutively attacked Zhen Lang for a while. She stood still and she glared at him. ‘You’re looking down on me.’

‘I’m not,’ Zhen Lang said. He lifted his collar to show his sweaty neck to his wife. ‘You know you’re a highly skilled fighter, no one dares to look down on you.’

‘Then why aren’t you attacking me? If I attack you then you would take a step back. The living room isn’t s.p.a.cious enough for you to keep retreating,’ Gu Jing said.

Zhen Lang took off his s.h.i.+rt and exposed his bare chest. ‘Ok, I won’t retreat anymore. Come here.’

Gu Jing kicked in the direction of Zhen Lang’s chest. He took two steps back. Then he stood behind her back and he gripped her waist.

‘Ah!’ Gu Jing cried out. She turned her head around and she glared at Zhen Lang. ‘Hey, you broke a rule.’

‘Did I?’ Zhen Lang asked.

Zhen Lang lifted his wife effortlessly and he held her in his arms.

Gu Jing wanted to reason with Zhen Lang and she forgot to attack him. ‘Of course, you’re not allowed to lift your opponent.’

Zhen Lang kissed his wife’s lips. ‘I agreed to try out the carpet with you. I didn’t say I wanted to fight according to tournament rules with you.’

‘If we don’t fight, how do we know if the carpet can withstand our body pressures or whether it’ll cus.h.i.+on our falls?’ Gu Jing asked.

Gu Jing tried to bite Zhen Lang’s chest but he lifted her body closer to his neck.

Gu Jing couldn’t escape Zhen Lang’s tight hold. ‘You promised to try out the carpet with me, you can’t break your promise-’

Zhen Lang crouched and he dropped his wife on the soft floor.

Gu Jing didn’t feel any pain. The moment her back touched the soft floor she wanted to jump off the floor. But Zhen Lang’s sweaty body laid on top of her body and she felt his familiar hot breath on her face.

‘If you want to see if the carpet is good, it’s simple,’ Zhen Lang said. He unb.u.t.toned his wife’s s.h.i.+rt. ‘I promise you’ll be satisfied.’

‘You…’ Gu Jing said.

Zhen Lang took off her s.h.i.+rt and his hand moved to her pants.

‘You…’ Zhen Lang said.

Zhen Lang kissed Gu Jing and she felt the soft carpet pressed against her back. She moved her head to the side. ‘I’m sweaty. I want to shower-’

Zhen Lang bit his wife’s ear and his hands caressed her skin. ‘You’re going to be sweating more. Later we can shower together.’

‘Then…’ Gu Jing said. She couldn’t think of any good excuses to escape. ‘I’m hungry. Cook dinner for me.’

Zhen Lang licked his wife’s tongue. ‘Food taste better after exercise. Later I’ll take you out for dinner. Let me eat first.’

Gu Jing felt like a little kitten that fell into a wolf’s trap and she had no escape route.

Gu Jing felt a cold wind swept into the living room. ‘The window and curtains aren’t closed.’

‘It doesn’t matter if the window and curtains are left open. It’s not the first time. Do you remember out first night together? We didn’t close the window and it was a floor-to-ceiling window,’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing remembered her first night together with Zhen Lang was a beautiful night. But it was also her most embarra.s.sing night. He took her to a honeymoon suite in the city’s best hotel. He opened the curtains of the suite’s living room and he undressed her whilst her back pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window. She remembered car lights on the roads below the hotel and the loving words he whispered in her ear when their bodies joined.

Gu Jing blushed and she pushed Zhen Lang’s chest in vain. ‘Little demon, you deceived me. We don’t know who’s the winner and loser yet.’

Zhen Lang captured his wife’s hand that escaped from under his body. ‘We can determine who is the winner and loser from a different perspective.’ He rolled over, his back laid on the soft floor and his wife straddled his waist. ‘If my loving wife is this enthusiastic then as your husband I’m not going to refuse your request.’

Gu Jing couldn’t control her body reactions. She felt like a small boat guided by a helmsman. After she arrived breathless at the destination, her sweaty body collapsed on Zhen Lang’s body.

Zhen Lang kissed his wife’s forehead, between her eyebrows and her lips. ‘I lost. You won, do you feel proud?’

Gu Jing looked at Zhen Lang’s triumphant face. Then she looked at her weak arms and legs, she didn’t feel like a proud winner. She didn’t want to eat dinner, shower or closed the window and curtains. She only wanted to sleep.

‘Since I won you need to listen to me, right?’ Gu Jing asked.

‘But my loving wife…’ Zhen Lang said. He caressed his wife’s skin. ‘Since you won, shouldn’t we have a rematch to give me a chance to redeem myself?’

Gu Jing widened her eyes but she couldn’t move her body. She felt something between her legs grew and she understood what Zhen Lang meant. She wanted to shake her head, but he rolled her over on her back and he laid on top of her.

‘You can chose to win against me or you can choose to let me win,’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing looked defiantly at Zhen Lang. She didn’t think the two choices he gave her were different.

Zhen Lang smiled. ‘The difference is if I lose then I want another chance to redeem myself.’

Gu Jing silently swore she never wanted to try anything else together with the little demon again. Because last time Zhen Lang used the opportunities to try out their new bed, bathtub and sofa in the same way they tried out the new carpet.

‘My loving wife, our home still needs more furnis.h.i.+ngs. Remember to tell me if you want to buy anything else like a dining table, ok? I love big dining tables, understand?’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing whimpered softly, but it was hard to determine if her whimper meant a no or a yes.

End of Side Story Two