Chapter 13 I don't know, teach me
Tan Zheng's expression wasn't usually one of much emotion, but recently he had frequently shown a look of helplessness. Song Ni understood the reason very well. She couldn't rush things; she had to take it slow. They had plenty of time. With this thought, Song Ni decided not to test him further and began to seriously study the club's projects. Upon seeing some world-famous firearms, she excitedly told the manager, "I want to try this."
The manager glanced at it with some difficulty. Playing with live ammunition required certain permits, but that wasn't the main issue. The real problem was that for a novice, this activity was tantamount to self-harm. He looked towards Tan Zheng with a pleading gaze. In the manager's mind, Song Ni and Tan Zheng were already a couple. He wasn't sure of Song Ni's temperament and preferences yet, and to avoid unintentionally displeasing her, he could only look to Tan Zheng.
Tan Zheng lazily lifted his eyes, took the brochure from Song Ni's hand, and stood up. "Follow me."
Tan Zheng led Song Ni to a regular archery range. Song Ni wasn't surprised. She merely stood there, raising her eyebrows at Tan Zheng, asking for his reasons. The man had only smoked half a cigarette and clearly hadn't had enough, constantly fiddling with the antique silver lighter in his hand. "You want to cripple your hand?" Playing with real guns was difficult enough for someone with delicate skin, let alone with wounds on her palms.
Song Ni wasn't one to be fussy and valued her health. Moreover, ordinary archery was also a novel experience for her. Thus, under the manager's guidance, she put on the protective gear. Once she was fully equipped, the waiting coach stepped forward. But before he could even say a word to Song Ni, she called out to Tan Zheng, who was preparing to go out for a smoke, "You brought me here to play and then just left me alone?"
Tan Zheng paused, turned to look at Song Ni, his brows furrowed. His eyes, filled with the irritation of not having finished his smoke, turned somewhat cold as he looked at Song Ni. "What do you want?"
Song Ni didn't quite understand what it felt like for a smoker to have a craving, but Tan Zheng's change surprised her. She wasn't surprised by his sudden coldness; she was surprised that he had stopped and asked her. This notoriously rebellious Tan family race car driver hadn't, after all, just abandoned her without a word. This realization began to excite Song Ni. "I don't know how, teach me."
As Song Ni spoke, her lips pressed together slightly, and her gaze at Tan Zheng held a hint of innocence. But with just those eyes, that little bit of innocence was enough. They were dark and bright, and to outsiders, they always seemed a bit pitiful. This was where Song Ni was exceptionally clever; she was adept at leveraging her outward appearance and knew exactly when to do so. She had just stopped Tan Zheng from going out to smoke, and he was currently agitated. However, looking into Song Ni's eyes, he found it impossible to ignore her. He knew very well it was likely an act.
Tan Zheng suppressed the impatience in his chest, raised his right hand, and unconsciously began to knead his left wrist. Then, he let out a deep breath and walked over to Song Ni. "You want me to teach you?" His tone wasn't pleasant, and combined with his height, standing before Song Ni, he exuded a pressure like a mountain. Close up, Song Ni caught a scent from Tan Zheng. While not yet distinct, it confirmed something for her. She didn't like the smell of the cigarettes Tan Zheng smoked; she liked the smell of him.
Song Ni looked up, blinked, and tilted her head. "Can I?"
The man lowered his head and looked at Song Ni. Having seen her in other moods, he knew she was putting on an act to some extent. His hand, resting by his side, rubbed a few times. His eyes, as deep and dark as the night sea, seemed lost in thought. Finally, he took the protective gear the manager had discreetly handed him. Song Ni had won this round.
Tan Zheng hadn't played archery in a long time, but as soon as he put on the gear and held the bow, the familiar feeling naturally returned. He ignored Song Ni, picked up an arrow, raised his arm, and without even blinking, shot towards the bullseye without hesitation. A total of ten arrows. Except for the first one, which hit an eight, the remaining nine struck the bullseye. Several of them had directly pierced the previous arrow.
Seeing such results, the manager and coach applauded, while Song Ni watched, dumbfounded. She hadn't expected Tan Zheng to be so skilled at archery. She looked up at the man beside her. He had taken off his jacket, revealing his muscular arms in a black vest. When shooting, his eyes were cold and sharp, blending with his all-black attire, like a wild leopard. However, the man frowned, seemingly displeased with the slight deviation of the first shot.
Song Ni's throat felt a little dry, and she unconsciously licked her lips. Tan Zheng's charisma was terrifying. Just standing there shooting arrows, without saying a word, possessed a magical power that could make women submit.
Tan Zheng lowered the bow and looked at the woman staring at him blankly. He raised an eyebrow. "Did you understand?"
Song Ni snapped back to reality, swallowed to conceal her wandering thoughts, and spread her hands. "I'm not that smart."
Tan Zheng's brow furrowed. He wasn't a good teacher and didn't know how to begin. In his opinion, archery was an incredibly simple sport. The manager, watching anxiously, couldn't help but remind her, "Miss Song can start by learning the posture of holding the bow."
Upon hearing this, Song Ni glanced at the manager, a smile playing on her lips, thinking the manager here was quite perceptive. Song Ni picked up the bow, recalled Tan Zheng's shooting stance from earlier, struck a pose, and then looked up at Tan Zheng. "Is this it?"
Tan Zheng glanced at her and confirmed that Song Ni truly knew nothing. He walked behind her and began to adjust her stance. The man stepped between Song Ni's legs, gently touching her. "Spread your legs, shoulder-width apart." He nudged Song Ni's waist with the back of his hand. "Straighten your back, engage your core, and slightly tuck your chest." He reached out to lift Song Ni's arm, turning it slightly. "Rotate your arm, the direction of the veins in your arm should point downwards as much as possible." He took the bow from Song Ni's hand, adjusted her grip, and then placed the bow back into her hand. "Push the bow with your tiger's mouth, lightly resting your thumb, and don't touch with any other part."
Tan Zheng's teaching movements were simple and direct, devoid of any romantic intentions towards a woman. Yet, after this, Song Ni's face turned red. The man's intense heat, the rough texture of his palms, made every spot he touched feel as though it were on fire. Most importantly, he stood directly behind her, as if holding her in his embrace. Song Ni's nose twitched. The man's scent was exceptionally clear. It was the smell of smoke mixed with his natural body odor. It wasn't like milk or medicine anymore, but rich, complex, with a stimulating and sharp clarity. She couldn't describe it, but she liked it immensely.
"Understand?" Tan Zheng had already withdrawn his hands and stepped back a few paces. Song Ni looked up at him, her eyes glistening, her cheeks flushed, and a faint smile on her lips. "Not yet."
Song Ni: *Sniffle, sniffle, Uncle Tan, I haven't learned yet, please keep teaching me~*
Tan Zheng: *Behave yourself!*
(End of this chapter)