Chapter 28 He Is My Fiancé
Song Ni possessed another characteristic: when encountering someone stronger than herself, she wouldn't cower; instead, she'd seek opportunities to spar with them. She enjoyed fighting with all her might and also relished finding breakthroughs for improvement amidst the gap in strength. Pei Xuxu was several weight classes above her, and a master in his own tier. Such a sparring opportunity was rare. Against someone like him, she could only choose to attack proactively.
Initially, Pei Xuxu maintained a humble stance, but Song Ni's continuous onslaught forced him to retreat defensively, almost out of the ring. Only then did Pei Xuxu begin to counterattack. Song Ni’s skill was indeed top-tier among her peers, especially her signature move, the spinning roundhouse kick, which packed immense power and fierce technique. However, their weight classes were different, and Song Ni clearly sensed that Pei Xuxu was using at most six-tenths of his strength.
She raised her hand, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Xuxu Ge, just fight me with everything you've got."
Pei Xuxu forced a wry smile. He would never hold back or show any softness against Song Jing, but his opponent was Song Ni. Yet, he also understood that to constantly hold back would be disrespectful to Song Ni. After a brief moment, Pei Xuxu made his decision. He began to launch a continuous, proactive offense.
At first, Song Ni could still defend successfully and counterattack, but as time wore on, the physical disparity between men and women became evident. Song Ni was relegated to purely defensive maneuvers, and eventually, she couldn't hold on any longer. They stopped at the point of a touch.
Pei Xuxu took a deep breath, relaxing his body. He stepped forward to help Song Ni up, but before he could touch her, she had already gotten to her feet with remarkable agility. Although she had lost, she felt exhilarated by the fight.
Pei Xuxu seemed a bit flustered. He stepped forward and scrutinized her intently, afraid he had been too rough. "Nini, I..."
Song Ni let out a long sigh. "Xuxu Ge is truly amazing. I haven't had such a satisfying sparring match in a long time. It seems I still need to work hard."
Pei Xuxu looked at the sparkle in the girl's eyes, his heart softening. He couldn't help but raise his hand and tuck a stray strand of hair off Song Ni's face. Song Ni instinctively took a step back, Pei Xuxu's fingertips brushing her cheek.
Lu Haoting, who had been watching the fight with burning enthusiasm, was... speechless.
And Tan Zheng, who had just arrived and was standing at the doorway, saw this scene and raised an eyebrow.
Pei Xuxu reacted instantly, as if shocked by electricity, and retracted his hand, placing it behind his back. "Nini, you... you're sweating a lot."
Song Ni nodded and went to get a towel. For a moment, her mind was a blank. Perhaps the intense spar had made her brain sluggish. As she wiped her sweat, she recalled Pei Xuxu's actions, completely oblivious to the person who had suddenly appeared at the doorway.
Lu Haoting immediately sprang up from the floor. "Tan Ge, you're here! Sister-in-law was so cool and powerful during the spar just now, it's a real shame you missed it."
Hearing this, Song Ni suddenly looked up. Tan Zheng stood there at the doorway, leaning slightly against the wall, his hands tucked into his pockets. His eyes were dark and deep, a slight curve at the corner of his mouth. When Song Ni met his gaze, her heart skipped a beat.
Taking two steps at once, she practically jogged over to Tan Zheng. "Why are you here?" Her voice was filled with surprise.
Tan Zheng straightened up and looked down at the young woman before him. She was wearing a white karate gi, her hair tied in a high ponytail, her face flushed from exertion, her eyes exceptionally bright. From Tan Zheng's perspective, he could even see she was wearing only a sports bra beneath the slightly loose collar.
Tan Zheng frowned. Was she sparring with that man just like this? He glanced up and, unsurprised, saw the man appraising him with a somewhat heavy expression. At this moment, he finally understood the meaning of Lu Haoting's message.
Tan Zheng pulled out his hand and took the towel slung over Song Ni's shoulder, awkwardly and stiffly wiping her head a few times. "Haozi asked me to pick him up."
Song Ni's vision was suddenly obscured by the towel. Tan Zheng clearly had no experience taking care of others; he kept rubbing the skin on her forehead with no regard for gentleness, making it sting. She reached out and grabbed Tan Zheng. "Ouch— If you can't do it gently, then just stop."
Tan Zheng paused and withdrew his hand. What met his eyes was Song Ni's reddened forehead, which he had been rubbing. He frowned, his expression darkening.
Lu Haoting, standing nearby, doubled over with laughter. "Sister-in-law, Tan Ge hasn't really dated much, he doesn't know how to take care of people. You'll have to be understanding."
Song Ni: ??????
Tan Zheng was nearly thirty years old and had never been in a relationship? She looked up curiously at the man before her. It shouldn't be like this; a man overflowing with hormones like him, surely he wasn't unpopular with women? Especially since he used to be a race car driver – how cool would that be to young girls, surely he could charm them helplessly.
Seeing Song Ni's gaze, Tan Zheng felt a surge of irritation. He nudged his tongue against his cheek, then tossed the towel back onto Song Ni's head and glared at Lu Haoting. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lu Haoting finally realized he had offended Tan Zheng. He chuckled and explained, "In Tan Ge's past relationships, it was always the woman who doted on him, taking care of him like a mother. Tan Ge was the one being taken care of. How would a rough guy know how to take care of someone?" Moreover, Tan Zheng never really put his heart into it.
Tan Zheng: ...
Song Ni: ... Well said, it's gilding the lily.
Tan Zheng lifted his eyelids and stared coldly at Lu Haoting.
Lu Haoting: ... It's over, it's all over.
He slapped his own mouth several times and then made a zipping motion towards Tan Zheng.
Song Ni took the towel off her head and gave Tan Zheng a deep look. She didn't mind if he had a past. Besides, a man nearing thirty with no experience at all would be a blank slate – she wouldn't believe it.
Tan Zheng felt the irritation intensify as she gazed at him. Fortunately, Song Ni soon averted her eyes and turned to Lu Haoting. "Still want to learn?"
Lu Haoting nodded. "Sister-in-law, don't worry. Even though I'm weak, I have a heart that strives for progress."
Song Ni was amused by him, and her mood had lifted considerably since Tan Zheng's arrival. In just a short while, Pei Xuxu was practically forgotten. Finally, Pei Xuxu walked over and looked at Tan Zheng, asking, "Nini, who is this?"
Hearing this address, Tan Zheng's eyebrows rose. He looked casually, with a hint of laziness, at Song Ni, waiting for her reply.
Song Ni’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Xuxu Ge, this is my fiancé."
Song Ni didn't use the word "boyfriend." In her understanding, "boyfriend" was a title for someone you were seriously dating, and her situation with Tan Zheng clearly didn't fit that. Although they hadn't held an engagement banquet yet, and she didn't know if there would be one later, her marriage to Tan Zheng was a certainty. Therefore, using the word "fiancé" was not wrong.
Upon hearing Song Ni's reply, Pei Xuxu's heart tightened. Fiancé... he was her fiancé...???
Tan Zheng: If you can't say anything nice, shut up!
Lu Haoting: *Sniffles!* ??????
(End of Chapter)