Side Story Six (Part 1)

‘One, two, one, two…’ master said.

Zhen Lang watched Gu Jing trained from a distance. He saw her flushed face and her short hair fluttered in the wind.

Suddenly Gu Jing stood still. She looked at her surroundings for Zhen Lang, she didn’t see him but she thought she sniffed his scent.

‘Gu Jing, pay attention,’ master said.

Gu Jing doubted she was mistaken but she resumed training.

Zhen Lang saw Gu Jing’s confused look from under a peach tree and he smiled.

‘Zhen Lang!’ Chen Wei said.

Zhen Lang politely nodded his head. ‘h.e.l.lo.’

‘I’m in the same year as you but in a different cla.s.s,’ Chen Wei said.

‘I know,’ Zhen Lang said and he walked away from the girl.

‘You know?’ Chen Wei asked and she followed Zhen Lang.

‘Um. On the exam results bulletin your name is under mine,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘Oh,’ Chen Wei said.

Zhen Lang saw the look of disappointment on the girl’s face, but he only wanted to keep his distance from her.

‘Zhen Lang, can I ask you a favour?’ Chen Wei asked and she brisk walked to catch up to Zhen Lang.

Zhen Lang waved the books in his hand. ‘Sorry, a teacher is waiting for me. You can ask me another day.’

Chen Wei swallowed her words. She nodded her head and she watched Zhen Lang walked away from her.

Zhen Lang walked to the nurse’s office. He sat on a bed, thought about Gu Jing and he smiled.

‘Today I heard you’re with the school’s beauty. Why didn’t you tell me about her? Scared I’ll steal her away from you?’ Lin Tu Shen said.

Zhen Lang laughed. ‘I only b.u.mped into her on the way here and said a few words to her. Where did you hear this rumour from?’

‘Really?’ Lin Tu Shen asked. He laughed skeptically. ‘Do you think I care about rumours? If the female lead didn’t admit it then why would I come here and ask you?’

Zhen Lang wrinkled his forehead. ‘She said that?’

Lin Tu Shen sat next to Zhen Lang. ‘You’re good at keeping secrets. If Chen Wei didn’t announce you’re her boyfriend in front of everyone then I wouldn’t know you kept me out of the loop.’

Zhen Lang frowned. ‘In front of everyone?’

‘Of course…’ Lin Tu Shen said.

A gentle wind blew into the room through an opened door.

‘Can I speak with Zhen Lang?’ Chen Wei asked.

Lin Tu Shen pretended he didn’t know anything. ‘I’m going to go eat something. I’ll be back in two hours.’

Lin Tu Shen left Zhen Lang alone with Chen Wei who blushed.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose. Recently someone is pursuing me and I didn’t know how to reject him. Coincidently he saw me while I was walking with you. He asked me if you were my boyfriend, I didn’t want him to linger so I said you were my boyfriend,’ Chen Wei said.

‘Oh,’ Zhen Lang said.

Chen Wei’s heart relaxed and her eyes shone with hope. ‘If you care about it then I’ll explain clearly, but…’

Chen Wei took a step closer toward Zhen Lang. But he silently drank a gla.s.s of iced tea like there was nothing to discuss.

Chatter and laughter were heard outside the quiet room.

‘Don’t you have anything to say?’ Chen Wei asked. The silence in the room made her anxious. ‘Can you say something?’

Zhen Lang put the gla.s.s of iced tea on a table. ‘Didn’t you say you’ll explain clearly? What else is there for me to say?’

Zhen Lang’s words shocked Chen Wei and she became speechless.

‘Are you saying you coincidently b.u.mped into me today? I stood under that tree for fifteen minutes before you ran to me to say h.e.l.lo. I think you’re capable of gently rejecting an unwanted pursuer. If you want a buffer then I think there are others around you who are willing to be your buffer,’ Zhen Lang said. His eyes saw straight through Chen Wei. ‘You didn’t need to lie in front of everyone I was your boyfriend.’

‘Then can you be my boyfriend?’ Chen Wei asked.

Chen Wei took a deep breath. It took a lot of courage for her to ask Zhen Lang to be her boyfriend. She always took pride in being the smartest student in her old high school. But since she moved to the same high school as Zhen Lang in her senior year, his name was always first on the exam results bulletin and also in her heart.

Chen Wei was secretly infatuated with Zhen Lang for months. She took the opportunity to speak to Zhen Lang but only after speaking a few words with him, he saw straight through her. It left her no choice but to be upfront about her intentions.

Zhen Lang smiled politely. His smile always dazzled others except for Gu Jing.

‘No,’ Zhen Lang said.

Zhen Lang’s one word destroyed Chen Wei’s hope. ‘You…’

Chen Wei saw the cold look in Zhen Lang’s eyes and she felt the distance between them was vast.

‘You should explain clearly in front of everyone. You’re a good girl, you shouldn’t toy with your reputation,’ Zhen Lang said.

Chen Wei didn’t want to hear Zhen Lang say anything else. She turned around and she ran outside.

Zhen Lang didn’t chase after Chen Wei. He picked up the gla.s.s of iced tea and he stood in front of the window that gave a good view of the Taekwondo pupils training. He drank iced tea, watched Gu Jing trained and he smiled.

A few of months later Chen Wei thought Zhen Lang wasn’t in a rush to clear the rumour caused by her that they were dating. So the rumour of them dating spread like a kite that met wind throughout the high school. It gave her a glimmer of hope that perhaps that day Zhen Lang was only angry at her for lying and he didn’t want to treat her heartlessly.

Chen Wei let go of her pride and she took another opportunity to confess to Zhen Lang.

‘Chen Wei, stop wasting your time on me. Go home,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘Do you not like me even a little?’ Chen Wei asked.

‘Chen Wei, last time I told you clearly. I still hope you can explain clearly in front of everyone,’ Zhen Lang said.

Chen Wei’s eyes became teary. ‘Am I not good enough?’

‘You’re good,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘Then why-’ Chen Wei said.

‘In this world there are many good things. I can’t want everything that is good. It can’t be forced, right?’ Zhen Lang said.

‘I don’t want to break up,’ Chen Wei said in her state of delusion.

‘Have we held hands?’ Zhen Lang asked. He shook his head, sighed helplessly and he walked away from Chen Wei. ‘I’m sorry, I think in the future you shouldn’t come and look for me.’

‘You have someone in your heart, right?’ Chen Wei asked.

Zhen Lang didn’t hesitate to nod his head. ‘Yes.’

‘Then I’m going to say you cheated on me. The last few months everyone thinks we’re lovers. I won’t explain anything. If you say anything then you’ll become someone who plays with a girl’s heart. The girl you like will become someone who broke up a couple’s relations.h.i.+p,’ Chen Wei said.

Zhen Lang stood still but he didn’t turn his head around. ‘It’s up to you what you say or don’t say. I’ll only give you one advice, a girl’s reputation is precious and it’s not something you should carelessly destroy.’

Chen Wei bit her lips and she silently cried as she watched Zhen Lang walked away from her.

During a semester break Gu Jing trained at school for a tournament so Zhen Lang studied at their school too.

‘Gu Jing, hurry up and run a few more rounds,’ master said.

The school’s taekwondo club put all their hopes of winning the tournament on Gu Jing’s shoulders.

Lin Tu Shen went to school to look for Zhen Lang. He found Zhen Lang in the nurse’s office and he threw a beer can at Zhen Lang. ‘It’s this hot and you can still drink tea. You suffer from a calmness ocd.’

Zhen Lang laughed and he opened a beer can. Lin Tu Shen sat next to Zhen Lang and he took a sip of beer.

‘You’re too muddled. You had a girlfriend who wouldn’t care about the heat and willing to wash your clothes for you. Even if you don’t love her you didn’t need to dump her too soon. You had the school beauty as your girlfriend, many boys dream about being her boyfriend but it’s impossible for them,’ Lin Tu Shen said.

Zhen Lang smiled but his eyes were icy cold. ‘Is that so?’

The days Zhen Lang stayed at school to study, Chen Wei also stayed at school and she became more of a nuisance for Zhen Lang.

Li Tu Shen shrugged his shoulders and he lost interest in discussing about Chen Wei. ‘Zhen Lang, do you know a girl in your cla.s.s named Gu Jing? I heard you and her also went to the same elementary school.’

Zhen Lang gripped the beer can in his hand, but he kept a poker face. ‘What is it?’

‘I want to pursue her,’ Lin Tu Shen said.

‘You and her spent time together?’ Zhen Lang asked and the shock in his eyes was obvious.

Lin Tu Shen nodded his head. ‘Once. I think a girl like her is rare. She doesn’t have many expectations toward boys, she’s not materialistic or value money and she’s independent. You know I hate clingy girls. Tell me, can you give me a hand and help me?’

‘Help?’ Zhen Lang asked. He smiled brightly and he quickly nodded his head. ‘How do you want me to help you?’

Lin Tu Shen winked. ‘Use your status as a long time cla.s.smate to ask her out to meet me and I’ll take care of everything else.’

‘Next month is her birthday,’ Zhen Lang said.

Lin Tu Shen’s eyes lit up. ‘What birthday gifts will she like?’

Zhen Lang thought the little girl loved to hit people and Lin Tu Shen didn’t own enough nerves. Zhen Lang drank a sip of beer. ‘She’s especially responsive to sweets.’

‘What are you thinking about?’ Lin Tu Shen asked.

Lin Tu Shen’s voice broke Zhen Lang reminiscing about the past.

‘You look more dazed than me. Are you bankrupt and you can’t find enough money to buy milk and nappies after your child is born?’ Lin Tu Shen asked.

‘If I’m bankrupt I can always rely on you. You make enough to support me, after all we’re old lovers,’ Zhen Lang said.

‘Enough. Don’t think I don’t know what happened that year. You’re not someone who can be drunk after two beers. You used me as your buffer for many years but you didn’t compensate me for breaking my heart. Those years were too cruel, my reputation was destroyed,’ Lin Tu Shen said.

‘I hate it when someone is a nuisance and bothers me. I didn’t want my wife’s reputation destroyed by being falsely accused as breaking up a non-existent relations.h.i.+p that year,’ Zhen Lang said. He patted Lin Tu Shen’s shoulder. ‘We both needed to be each other’s buffer, besides you’re not completely innocent. Don’t talk about compensation for breaking your heart, be careful I don’t expose you.’

Zhen Lang and Lin Tu Shen looked at each other and they laughed.

Two boys ran pa.s.sed Zhen Lang and Lin Tu Shen.

‘Hurry up, it’s rare big sister visits our school to teach us. It’s no time to dillydally!’ the first boy said.

Another student rubbed their sleepy eyes. ‘Who’s big sister?’

‘What other big sister is there? It’s the big sister that won many tournaments in the past. Our princ.i.p.al asked big sister to train us before our tournament. Hurry up, we need to get there early,’ the first boy said.

Zhen Lang and Lin Tu Shen looked at each other in disbelief.

Lin Tu Shen smiled. ‘The big sister the two boys were talking about, is it…’

Zhen Lang took a deep breath. ‘Yes, it’s her!’

Zhen Lang thought apart from his wife who else dares to run around wild behind his back.

Lin Tu Shen put his hand on his forehead. ‘If I remember correctly, isn’t she…’

Zhen Lang’s complexion darkened. ‘You remembered correctly.’

Lin Tu Shen shook his head. ‘I got to hand it to you, you give her too much freedom.’

‘Do you think I want to? What am I supposed to do? Tie her up and beat her? Don’t forget, if I make any sudden moves then she’ll laugh until she’s unconscious. In the end whose bones do you think she’ll take out her anger on?’ Zhen Lang said.

Zhen Lang’s strides toward the training venue betrayed his calm voice.

Lin Tu Shen looked at his wrist watch. He shook his head and he empathised with Zhen Lang. ‘It appears this time I’ll be the only guest speaker.

Inside the training venue the pupils sat in a circle around Gu Jing.

‘You turned too slow. It’ll create an opportunity for your opponent to attack one of your vulnerable spots,’ Gu Jing said.

‘Master said it’s the right move to affect the opponent’s mentality,’ the first pupil said.

Gu Jing waved a hand at the first pupil. ‘Attack me and see if you’re right.’

‘Big sister, you’re a girl,’ the first pupil said.

‘Come here!’ Gu Jing ordered.

The first pupil saw Gu Jing’s sharp dagger eyes and he felt nervous.

‘If you don’t dare to look at me, aren’t you scared I’ll ambush you? Use the same kick as before!’ Gu Jing said.

The first pupil kicked, Gu Jing took one side step and she kicked his vulnerable left side. He stumbled back two steps.

‘If you don’t turn faster than your opponent will easily kick you off balance. This time use the same kick but turn faster,’ Gu Jing said.

The first pupil kicked in the direction of Gu Jing’s waist and she side stepped to avoid his kick. She kicked his waist and he fell onto the floor.

‘Wow!’ a chorus of pupils praised.

‘This isn’t an action movie. You need to turn faster so it doesn’t give your opponent time to antic.i.p.ate your next move,’ Gu Jing said.

‘Big sister, can’t you use less force? Your kick hurts to death,’ the first pupil said and he rubbed his waist.

Gu Jing smiled. ‘Inside the tournament arena there are no close friends or relatives, there are only opponents. I use even more force to hit my husband. Who’s next? I want to see each of your fighting skills.’

A second pupil attacked Gu Jing and she effortlessly defeated him.

The other pupils who watched Gu Jing fight their cla.s.smates all thought it was a rumour that the skilful fighter Gu Jing had a gentle heart and cared about her little martial arts siblings. Because if they continued to be defeated by Gu Jing then they would be at home recovering from their injuries and miss the tournament.

‘Big sister, how can our fighting skills compare to yours?’ a third pupil asked.

‘Just because your opponent has a little more experience than you makes you scared. Then there is no point training and competing in tournaments, because you have no tenacity. Who’s next?’ Gu Jing said.

A fourth pupil bravely stood and he kicked Gu Jing. She kicked at his vulnerable chest, but in a blink of an eye her body tensed when she saw her husband inside the training venue.

Gu Jing s.h.i.+vered, she was dead because Zhen Lang caught her and she forgot about the fourth pupil.

The fourth pupil kicked in the direction of Gu Jing’s stomach, but Zhen Lang was faster. Zhen Lang hugged Gu Jing, he kicked the fourth pupil and the fourth student fell on the floor.

Zhen Lang caressed his wife’s cheek and he smiled coldly.

Gu Jing avoided her husband’s intense eyes.

‘Didn’t you say if you don’t dare to look at your opponent then you’ll be the first to lose? Look at me,’ Zhen Lang said.

Gu Jing looked at her husband’s shoes. ‘You didn’t take off your shoes. You can’t attack with shoes on.’

Zhen Lang saw his stubborn wife still avoided eye contact with him and he smiled. ‘In the morning you promised you would stay at home and not run around. You said you wouldn’t even go to the studio and promised you wouldn’t leave the front door.’

‘Today didn’t you say you needed to go make an oral presentation?’ Gu Jing said softly.

‘An oral presentation at the school,’ Zhen Lang said. He gently rubbed his wife’s little baby b.u.mp. ‘If I didn’t come here then I wouldn’t catch you secretly running around. Since you did something wrong, what’s your punishment?’

‘I’ll wash dishes, wash clothes, clean the floors and anything my loving husband requests,’ Gu Jing said.

Zhen Lang sighed helplessly. ‘Yesterday you made a racket and said you wanted to eat seafood rice combination. Today I wanted to take you to a seafood restaurant after work. But I’m not going to take you anymore.’

Gu Jing wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck. ‘I want to eat.’

‘Then do you want to go now?’ Zhen Lang asked and he put out a hand in front of his wife.

‘Yes,’ Gu Jing said and she obediently held her husband’s hand.

The moment Gu Jing’s husband held her hand she forgot about her little martial arts sibling. She watched her husband put on her sneakers and he carefully tied her shoelaces.

‘Big sister, what about us?’ a chorus of pupils asked.

‘Oh!’ Gu Jing said. She pulled her husband’s jacket sleeve. ‘I promised I would train them before their tournament.’

‘You still want to train them?’ Zhen Lang asked.

Gu Jing smiled sweetly at her husband’s stern face. ‘I won’t train them anymore.’

Gu Jing looked regretfully at her little martial arts siblings.

‘Big brother Zhen Lang,’ a fifth pupil said. He finally remembered the ident.i.ty of big sister Gu Jing’s husband and he stood in front of big brother Zhen Lang. ‘Big brother, you’re also a brilliant fighter and master’s pupil. Do you want to see your little martial arts siblings lose? I hope you’ll let big sister Gu Jing teach us a few moves for a little while and it won’t interfere with big brother and big sister’s plans.’

Zhen Lang looked coldly at the fifth pupil. ‘It’s not a problem if your big sister train you, but you need to wait another five months.’

‘Why another five months? The tournament will end within five months,’ the fifth pupil said.

‘Because…’ Zhen Lang said. He looked at his wife who avoided eye contact with him and she didn’t dare to say a word. ‘In another five months my wife will give birth to our child. After our child is born, she can hit anyone she wants. But right now she needs to be good.’

‘Oh…’ a chorus of pupils said and they stared in disbelief at their big sister Gu Jing’s stomach.

The pupils didn’t know their big sister Gu Jing was pregnant, because her baggy taekwondo uniform concealed her stomach.

Zhen Lang looked at his daring wife who earlier didn’t pay attention to the fourth pupil who almost kicked her stomach. He wondered how a normal person could control his wife.

‘Then can big sister Gu Jing instruct us verbally? Before we didn’t know big sister was pregnant. But we promise we won’t let big sister fight anymore,’ a sixth pupil pleaded.

Zhen Lang laughed. ‘Do you understand my wife more than me? My wife sees a fight like a dog sees a bone.’

Gu Jing stood next to her husband. She frowned and she glared at her husband.

The sixth pupil brushed his short hair and he smiled. He knew big brother Zhen Lang’s unflattering comparison was precise.

‘I promised them I would train them. If it wasn’t for you then I can fight and I wouldn’t be frustrated at home. It’s all your fault. In the future you’re not allowed to touch me anymore,’ Gu Jing said.

‘You want to stay here that much?’ Zhen Lang asked. He pinched his wife’s cheek. He recognised the look on his wife’s face meant she regretted she couldn’t bite him and he sighed. ‘Then how about you sit nearby and watch me train them?’

Gu Jing smiled sweetly and she nodded her head. ‘But I’m hungry.’

Zhen Lang pointed at the bag of food he put on the floor. ‘It’s a meat roll from the school’s canteen, it used to be one of your favourites in the past. I bought it for you as a midnight meal, but you can eat it now.’

Gu Jing happily ate the meat roll like a hungry little puppy.

Zhen Lang took off his shoes and he put his jacket on the floor. ‘Come here, let me see each of your fighting skills.’

Gu Jing ate and she watched her husband defeat their little martial arts siblings. ‘Thank you little martial arts siblings. Today is the first time I can sit and watch my husband make moves against someone else.’

The pupils heard their big sister Gu Jing praise, but on the inside they were crying pitifully.

The first pupil that Gu Jing defeated suddenly sighed. ‘I finally understand why big sister use all of your real physical strength to hit your husband.’

End of Side Story Six