Chapter 104: Preparations and Encounters

Lin Zheng Ran casually suggested:

“Anyway, my bedroom has a double bed. Tonight, we can each take half, or if you’re uncomfortable, we can use a blanket as a divider.”

With that, he headed to his room to drop his backpack and change clothes.

Heqing blinked her eyes in confusion, her mind short-circuiting.

Her heart pounded wildly, nerves overwhelming her.

Lin Ying Jun watched from the side, blinking as well. He trusted his son’s upright nature—after all, they’d grown up together, often playing and napping in the same room—but still…

He stepped into his son’s room and asked, “Zheng Ran, about this…”

Before he could finish, Lin Zheng Ran explained to his father, “I was just kidding. I’ll sleep in the study tonight.”

His father laughed in relief. He knew it.

So, he stepped out and smiled at Heqing:

“Little Qingqing, since you’re staying over, I’ll get you an extra blanket for tonight.”

Heqing, unaware of the truth, blushed and looked at her uncle, feeling terribly embarrassed: “Thank you so much, Uncle.”

When Lin Zheng Ran finished changing and freshening up, ready to head out, he saw Heqing curled up on the couch, face flushed, lost in thoughts of some scenario for tonight.

“Heqing, let’s go.”

His call startled her, and she jumped up: “Okay!”

They said goodbye to Lin Ying Jun and left the residential area, heading straight for the small town’s Taekwondo dojo.

On the way, Heqing bit her lip, unable to shake off thoughts of tonight’s unexpected sleepover.

Seeing her distracted state, Lin Zheng Ran tapped her head: “The competition’s today—why are you daydreaming?”

Heqing yelped, clutching her head: “Nothing… nothing at all… just…”

She kept her head down, staring at the ground: “It’s just that this is my first time staying over at your place.”

“That’s true, but didn’t you used to sleep on my bed all the time when you were little? And isn’t this not our first night together?”

Heqing thought about it and realized he was right—it wasn’t the first time they’d spent nights alone together.

But on the bed… it felt different from before.

Lin Zheng Ran advised, “Stop dwelling on that. Focus on the Taekwondo competition. We’ve prepared for so long, and today’s the day—don’t let your guard down.”

Heqing nodded: “Don’t worry, you’ve trained me well these past few years. I won’t lose.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled: “I hope so, but if there’s a tough opponent, I’ll teach you a few quick moves on the spot.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Though still in the small town, Heqing’s Taekwondo training had become serious now, unlike the kindergarten or elementary days.

The moves were diverse but not always proper.

Thinking about it, the full name of that old dojo was the Children’s Taekwondo Martial Arts Experience Center.

It meant they taught a bit of everything, like Taekwondo and martial arts, but since starting junior high, Heqing had learned proper Taekwondo skills.

She couldn’t use those irregular moves or other martial methods anymore.

They arrived at the Taekwondo dojo, and the coach welcomed Heqing warmly:

“Heqing’s here! In an hour, we’ll take the bus to the town’s competition hall. You can use this time to warm up and meet the other dojos’ participants. The actual matches start in the afternoon.”

“Got it, Coach.”

The coach, dressed in a crisp white Taekwondo uniform, let out a breath:

“Though you’ve been registered here since junior high, I haven’t really taught you much. It’s mostly Lin Zheng Ran who’s guided you— this place is just your training spot.”

Heqing smiled awkwardly.

It was true; everything she knew came from Lin Zheng Ran. She’d only learned basics from the coach as a kid, and after switching schools, it was all him.

And not just her—even the coach sometimes picked up tips from Lin Zheng Ran.

During the hour of training, Lin Zheng Ran helped Heqing with a simple warm-up.

Watching her in her Taekwondo uniform, bare feet slamming into the punching bag with fierce power, Lin Zheng Ran marveled at how much she’d grown.

An hour later, all the students boarded the bus to the town’s Taekwondo competition center.

The venue was impressive, and Lin Zheng Ran, Heqing, and the group felt excited as they entered the vast space.

There were five or six professional mats, surrounded by spectator areas, making it spacious and grand.

The coach reminded everyone: “Soon, students from other dojos will arrive. As fellow Taekwondo enthusiasts, you can make friends and exchange contacts, but remember, today’s focus is the competition.”

Though it was a small-town event, it was more about building friendships—after all, finding a top athlete in hundreds of towns was rare.

As coaches and students from other dojos trickled in, Lin Zheng Ran suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

She had shoulder-length wavy hair, a slim waist leading to perfectly proportioned legs, and she wore high heels with a soft gaze.

Many coaches seemed to know her, with some greeting her: “Boss Jiang, didn’t expect you to come watch in person.”

That person was Jiang Jingshi.

Jiang Jingshi surveyed the venue: “Well, I heard there’s a talented young Taekwondo girl nearby who’s better than your seasoned students, so I thought I’d check it out. Which dojo is she from?”

The coach pointed toward Lin Zheng Ran’s group: “Right over there.”

Jiang Jingshi followed the direction and suddenly locked eyes with the familiar young man.

They stared at each other from afar.

Jiang Jingshi’s expression turned from surprise to a spontaneous smile as she murmured to herself, “What a coincidence.”

She waved at Lin Zheng Ran.

Lin Zheng Ran nodded back in greeting.

Heqing noticed Lin Zheng Ran nodding at someone and glanced at the pretty woman in the distance, surprised: “Who’s that? Do you know her?”

Lin Zheng Ran: “We met once before.”

The coach walked over, astonished: “Lin Zheng Ran, you know Boss Jiang?”

Heqing asked curiously: “Boss Jiang?”

The coach explained: “That’s Boss Jiang. She’s only a few years older than you two, but look at this huge venue. It wasn’t this big before—she invested the money to expand it. Last year’s hiatus was for a major renovation thanks to her funding.”

Seeing her approach, the coach straightened up: “I have no idea why she does this—maybe rich people have their reasons.”

He went over to greet her: “Hello, Boss Jiang!”

Jiang Jingshi nodded at the coach, and other coaches introduced: “The talented one from this dojo is Heqing.”

Lin Zheng Ran’s coach nodded: “Our school’s star is Heqing.” He pointed her out: “That’s her— she’s got real potential and could even compete at the provincial level with proper training.”

Jiang Jingshi glanced at Heqing, then at Lin Zheng Ran.

Since Heqing stood close to Lin Zheng Ran, clearly relying on him,

Jiang Jingshi asked the coach: “I heard Heqing is your student, but you didn’t teach her?”

The coach nodded, a bit sheepish: “That’s right, Boss Jiang. It’s mostly this young man here—Lin Zheng Ran. He’s a natural talent, even though he’s not officially registered. I often learn from him myself.”

Jiang Jingshi looked at Lin Zheng Ran in surprise, thinking he was strong in every way—probably even his sister didn’t know about his Taekwondo skills.

She stepped closer in her high heels, her tone gentle: “We meet again, Zheng Ran. What a surprise to run into you here.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here either, Jiang Jie.”

Heqing watched the pretty woman and Lin Zheng Ran, sensing something subtle but unable to pinpoint it—that special sixth sense girls sometimes have.”

“That special sixth sense girls sometimes have.”