Chapter 4: Challenge

Ye Lingjing furrowed her brows, turned around, and said: "Alright then, Jiaming, you can just compete with Sister Huaisha once. After all... I can secretly ask her to go easy on you."

Moments later, Ling Jing stepped down from the arena and whispered something to Liu Huai Sha. The girl in the red dress nodded, and when she ascended the arena, she softly said: "I dislike boys who need girls' help the most, just wait and see!"

The Huang family's New Year celebrations were quite elaborate. However, for a child like Jiaming, who was not particularly important, it was possible to avoid much of it; the necessary participation involved ancestor worship, the New Year's Eve dinner, and receiving red envelopes during the New Year visits the following day. When the group of children, including Huang Haobing, saw him, they looked as if they wanted to beat him up but were too afraid to do so, which was quite amusing. It was as if a husband who had been dumped by his wife now saw her remarried; every time they met, he wanted to hit her new husband, but unfortunately, her new husband was more formidable, so this thought could only be kept hidden in his heart, manifesting on his face, yet he dared not act on it.

The two individuals greeted each other, and Ye Han struck the small bell beside her to signal "Start." The girl in red then shouted loudly and swung a punch. Her punch was executed with great flair, accompanied by her loud shout, indeed exuding an extraordinary momentum. However, this punch landed in empty space, for at the very moment Ye's father called out to start, Jia Ming had already shouted "Help!" and turned to run away.

Do not let go!

On the arena, the little girl, who was pinned beneath the *picture* book, struggled desperately, clawing and screaming, even attempting to bite. However, no matter what, Jiaming only held her hands tightly, refusing to let go despite her incessant cries.

Let me go

Jiaming suddenly stepped back to avoid a kick, raising both hands to protect his head while simultaneously lowering his body. At this moment, cornered and in a rush, it was no longer so simple to escape nimbly. Xiaohuai's second punch struck Jiaming's arm fiercely, and she felt a surge of joy, following it up with another punch. This time, however, she missed again

"Well, you see, learning martial arts is for strengthening the body, not for fighting..." said Father Ye, stroking his beard. Glancing at Jiaming on the platform, he changed his tone and said, "Ahem, however, since this matter concerns the honor of our martial arts school, Jiaming, you should have a match with this young lady."

The world is not overly complicated; it is Jia Ming himself who is overly complicated.

It was not that Jiaming had escaped, but rather that he had already assumed a half-squatting position. As this punch missed its target, his body involuntarily lunged forward, just as Jiaming charged ahead and caught her by the waist, causing the little girl to suddenly soar into the air

Help...

It is also impossible to stay in the martial arts school all day. Occasionally, Father Ye takes the four children out to play. When they fly bamboo dragonflies and set off firecrackers, Jiaming has to put on a very interested and excited expression. Only at this time does he wish that the phoenix would take him to the age of eighteen or nineteen.

Ah, hello, you must be Lingjing's father, right? Liu Huaisha bowed slightly, took off her fire-red short boots covered in snow, and looked at the two people on the stage, her fingers playfully twirling in the air. "No, I am here to challenge the arena!"

All you know is to run

Look at me catching you

Ah

Do not run

You just... just run away with all your might

Help...

After a moment, she realized that the boy indeed escaped like a loach, running, jumping, rolling, and using the elasticity of the ring ropes to accelerate... No matter how hard she chased, he was able to awkwardly flee to the other side of the ring, often brushing past her. After chasing for about five minutes on the ring, she had not even managed to catch a corner of his clothing.

Oh. "Jiaming smiled helplessly in his heart. Running away is a good strategy; if we are going to play, let’s play well. Surely, I won’t be afraid of a little girl like you.

Uh... how should I hit it?

Ah? Jia Ming opened his mouth. This Ye Han clearly wanted to see his joke. He continued, "Well, winning or losing doesn't matter; what's important is that you have the courage. Our martial arts school cannot let others see us as a joke."

Breathless from the chase, Xiaohuai Sha finally couldn't help but shout for a stop. As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiaming's body came to an immediate halt, leaning against a nearby pillar as he gently gasped for breath: "Really?"

Do not run anymore

Ah? A challenge?" Ye's father's expression was clearly one of surprise. However, he soon saw Liu Huaisha pointing to the stage: "I want to compete with him!" But he was not referring to Ye Lingjing, rather to Gu Jiaming, who was standing there foolishly with a guard board in hand.

With a loud "bang," the little girl fell heavily to the ground, and Jiaming lunged onto her, ready to strike down with a punch. If he were a professional fighter, such a move would undoubtedly be regarded as an exceptional display of skill. However, at that moment, in Ye Han's eyes, it was merely a stroke of luck from Jiaming's accidental hit. Upon seeing the look in Jiaming's eyes at that moment, Xiaohuai Sha involuntarily let out a cry, turned her head away, and tightly shut her eyes. But in the next moment, she realized that Jiaming was simply holding her hands tightly.

This arena is slightly smaller than an ordinary boxing ring. Although it is still sufficiently large for a child, it should be quite easy to corner someone within its confines. Seeing that the boy was merely shouting "Help!" while running around the ring, Liu Huaisha felt a sense of disdain, for her father had said that a true man should face any challenge without fear. Let's see how far you can run! She thought to herself as she charged forward.

The girl in the red dress gasped loudly, casting a sidelong glance at Jiaming, who smiled and approached her. Suddenly, the little girl shouted, "I want to kill you!" as she lunged forward with outstretched arms.

Let go

Jiaming felt no love for this large family. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, after receiving a few red envelopes, he was called by Lingjing to the martial arts school, and thereafter spent most of his days there. The school was called Ye's Martial Arts School, with a training hall in the front, a courtyard in the middle, and living quarters at the back. During the New Year, there were not many students; apart from Lingjing, who occupied the entire small arena every day, there were also two children who followed her around. Father Ye often sat by the side of the hall, reading a book. Jiaming occasionally went to the bookshelf to take a book, only to be scolded by Lingjing for pretending.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the fiery red-clad Liu Huaisha came to pay a visit and seek apprenticeship.

I will not come!

You will hit me!

If you run again, I will kill you

So we are tied? I did not win against you, nor did you win against me

Help...

No, he is wearing your martial arts school's uniform, so he must be from your school and the library, right? When he was bullied yesterday, he even needed a girl to protect him. I came here to learn, but if after learning I can't even compete with a girl, then what is the point of learning?

Jiaming is occasionally called to the arena by Lingjing to serve as a target for practice. For Jiaming, witnessing those flawed martial arts without intervening is a painful experience. Therefore, whenever guests come to pay New Year’s greetings, he goes down to help serve tea and water. When guests ask Old Ye when he got an additional son, Papa Ye often replies that this is my son, while Lingjing is merely a child bride raised here. Then Lingjing would feel gloomy for half a day.

Moments later, the chase scene on stage appeared to others as a farce. The quiet shouts from the audience gradually transformed from "Jiaming, run fast..." to "Jiaming, run fast, Huai Sha, go for it!" Ye Han, on the other hand, was holding her stomach and laughing heartily, and this laughter made Liu Huai Sha feel increasingly embarrassed

Upon hearing this, several people were somewhat surprised. Ling Jing said, "He... he doesn't know how to fight." Jia Ming shook his head in agreement.

Ah—I'm going to kill you—

Help...

Liu Huaisha arrived here at around 9 a.m. On the small stage, Jiaming was using two cushions as sandbags for Lingjing. Upon seeing the children enter, he first waved to Lingjing. Ye's father thought they were Lingjing's friends and smiled as he approached: "Little friends, are you here to play with Lingjing?"