Chapter 101: Practical Training? (A third update coming soon! Please vote~)

The soft, fragrant lips brushed lightly against his cheek. In that instant, Chen Xiao felt as if he could sense the girl's gentle, warm breath, and that smooth, fragrant sensation…

He was momentarily dazed, and then his heart began to race wildly!

Is this… real?

This girl, whom he often thought of, who had wandered into his dreams so many times, was now standing right before him. She had listened to his clumsy confession, and then…

Then she kissed him?

Is it, truly, real?!

It must be said that although Chen Xiao had a vast number of female fans at Kidd Academy and the fast-food restaurant where he worked—earning him titles like "The Fallen Prince" and "The Bicycle Prince"—deep down, he was still a pure, shy boy. When it came to love, he was essentially a blank slate with absolutely no experience.

Faced with such a situation, if it had been the casanova Xu the Second, his first reaction would surely have been to press the advantage and boldly pull her in for a return kiss.

But Chen Xiao…

The damn fool simply covered his cheek with one hand, stared blankly at Phoenix, and asked an incredibly idiotic question: "You… is this real? Does this, um, count as you accepting me?"

Fortunately, Phoenix was no ordinary girl. Otherwise, had she seen such stupidity from a boy, the relationship might have withered before it even began.

Phoenix took a half-step back, spread her hands, and sighed deliberately: "What else can I do?"

"Uh?"

Phoenix thought for a moment, a smile playing on her lips: "Actually, I feel quite wronged! I never planned on finding myself a man—well, that sort of thing. I never even dreamed of it. It’s just… it’s so unfair."

She simply sat down on the sofa in front of him, hugging her knees and curling into a ball. This posture made her look remarkably innocent.

"Who could have known? That day, I just happened to drop by the coffee shop. I was in a foul mood anyway, and with time to kill, I thought I’d go give that old man Edward a hard time. I never expected to run into you there."

Phoenix raised her eyes to look at Chen Xiao, suppressing a laugh. "You’re actually quite an interesting guy, and your looks… well, they’re easy on the eyes. Most importantly, the way you talk really suits my taste. But, heaven as my witness, at the time, I only thought of you as a stranger I didn't mind looking at. I hadn't thought of anything else—but then, after I left the coffee shop that day, I just happened to stop by to visit an old friend... and that visit is where the trouble started."

Chen Xiao blinked. "Trouble?"

"Yes." Phoenix stretched, her frown looking quite adorable. She said softly, "My old friend is… well, a fortune teller. Yes, just a fortune teller. Being a fortune teller is one thing, but the problem is, her predictions are always spot on. Whenever she speaks, she has never once been wrong. The moment I saw her that day, she took one look at me and said: 'You just met the man destined for you, didn't you?'"

At this point, Phoenix giggled, then pulled a serious face. "Heaven knows I was stunned. The problem is, that woman is always ridiculously accurate! If she says it's so, then it must be so, whether I like it or not. It’s all fated. Tell me, am I not unlucky? I meet someone by chance, and then a fortune teller tells me that person is my future…"

Chen Xiao began to catch on and couldn't help but frown. "A fortune teller? Very accurate? Could it be…"

"Exactly! It was that old hag, Yanhua!" Phoenix suddenly exclaimed in annoyance.

Old hag??

Calling Yanhua, who was revered as a god in the realm of special abilities—that elegant woman—an old hag?!

Chen Xiao couldn't bring himself to dwell on Phoenix's choice of words. His heart sank: "Is it… just because Yanhua said so… that you… you don't actually have feelings for me?"

Phoenix looked at Chen Xiao’s complex expression, giggled, and then flushed a deep red. She said softly, "Actually, it's not like that. When I first saw you that day, how could I have fallen for someone so easily? It’s just that after Yanhua told me, I was startled. Later, I couldn't help but think back on it constantly, and as I thought about it, I felt that you weren't such a bad guy after all… Sigh, in any case, I’ve accepted my fate."

She gazed at Chen Xiao: "Actually, after interacting with you more, I did some digging of my own. You really are a good person, although… don't overthink it, I was just caught off guard by the suddenness of it all, it’s not that I don't have any…"

Phoenix’s usually relaxed expression became somewhat vexed. She scratched her hair: "Sigh, I don't even know how to say it. You… can you understand?"

Chen Xiao did understand.

It wasn't hard to grasp: a girl in the bloom of youth accidentally meets a boy. The boy is handsome, their conversation is pleasant, and though their time together is brief, the impression is good—just good. Originally, to the girl, he was nothing more than a stranger who made a decent impression. But then, a "god" appears and tells the girl that this boy is her future husband.

The girl would naturally be shocked, but if a divine prophecy is never false, then it must be a fact… After thinking it over carefully and having a few more encounters, she realizes the boy is actually quite decent and finds herself drawn to him.

If he is destined to be the one, then, upon reflection, this destiny isn't so bad; it’s acceptable.

And so, the girl goes from initial confusion to sudden shock, and finally, after resigning herself to the fate, she finds that through their few meetings, she has grown a little fond of him…

That was likely the state of Phoenix’s mind right now.

"Since it’s fated by heaven, we might as well accept it."

Phoenix smiled and quoted a classic line from *A Chinese Odyssey*: "Let’s start this relationship right now! It’s fated by heaven—isn't that cool enough for us?"

While Chen Xiao and Phoenix were preparing to "start this fated relationship"…

Down at the coffee shop on Rotten Tail Street, the three unscrupulous bosses were gathered together, along with their number one lackey, the Fat Student, and the new waitress, Miss Champagne.

"It’s been over ten hours!" Zhurong paced anxiously. "Have you come up with a plan yet? That kid Chen Xiao was snatched from right under our noses! What are we going to do? How do we find him? Where do we look?!"

Old Tian thought for a moment, his expression far more composed. He chuckled, "Actually… though I was very worried at the time, thinking about it now, the situation might not be as dire as we fear. I, for one, don’t think Chen Xiao is in any real danger."

"Why?" Zhurong frowned, unsatisfied.

"It’s simple, let’s analyze it!" Old Tian suddenly seemed invigorated. He straightened up, his expression one part mysterious and seven parts sneaky: "Think about it! First, to be able to snatch someone from right under our noses and evade our senses! Anyone with that kind of ability must be a top-tier powerhouse! And since they are a top-tier powerhouse, they would likely hold themselves to a certain standard and wouldn't bother bullying a young kid."

Zhurong sighed: "That makes sense, what else?"

"Second, the other party might not have malicious intent," Old Tian smiled. "We were fighting against Yasha at the time. If this mysterious expert had malicious intent, wouldn't it have been better to intervene and help Yasha while we were locked in combat? But they didn't. So, I suspect they don't hold any malice toward us."

"Third, we can be certain that the other party is not with Yasha. Because if they were, they would have stepped out to help Yasha, but they didn't. That alone is telling."

Old Tian smiled. "A master, with no malicious intent, and not allied with Yasha. They just took Chen Xiao. I think perhaps they were targeting Chen Xiao specifically, and perhaps, they even have some connection to him."

Zhurong listened, suppressing her anxiety. She thought about it and felt it made some sense, so she frowned and said: "Fine, let's say you're right! But are we just going to sit here and wait?"

"What else can we do?" Old Tian countered. "When they took him from us, we couldn't even detect it! We don't know where they went. If they were intent on escaping, ten hours is enough time to reach the United States! We have no clues, where can we look? The only way is to stay here and go about our business. If the other party has an agenda, or if this was a kidnapping, they will naturally contact us."

With that, Old Tian stood up, brushed off his clothes, and prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" Zhurong asked, frowning.

"To open the shop for business," Old Tian said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Don't forget, I have a repair shop! My business on Rotten Tail Street is the best among the three of us!"

Open for business?

Zhurong rolled her eyes so hard she nearly set Old Tian’s hair on fire!

What kind of business was there to be done on Rotten Tail Street?

But Old Tian walked away with a leisurely, swaggering gait. Zhurong’s eyes widened, and just as she was about to explode, Gonggong tugged at her sleeve.

"Why are you pulling me! Speak up if you have something to say!" Zhurong glared. Gonggong, being a henpecked husband, didn't dare speak loudly to his wife. He chuckled, "I actually think Old Tian is acting strange. It’s as if he knows…"

"Knows what!" Zhurong snapped, full of anxiety.

"Aunt Zhurong," Champagne, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. She smiled slightly: "I actually think the situation isn't as complicated as it seems."

"Hmm?"

"Usually, Uncle Tian is the one who spends the most time with Chen Xiao, right? In terms of personal friendship, he’s the closest to Chen Xiao. Am I right?" Champagne, having once been an innkeeper herself, spoke with a calm, steady demeanor. "We all know Uncle Tian’s character. Since he isn't worried in the slightest, perhaps he has already guessed who took Chen Xiao, and he is certain that person won't harm him."

With that, Champagne also walked out.

Zhurong finally sighed and spat, "Fine! I'll trust you lot for now!"

She shot her husband a glare: "What are you still doing here!"

"I… I’m keeping you company," Gonggong replied meekly.

"Do I need you to keep me company? Get out there and open the shop for business!"

Gonggong grumbled internally… Business? Old Tian just said… and you were…

But when the fierce wife spoke, Gonggong never dared to defy her. He could only run off, feeling helpless.

Left alone with the anxious Zhurong, the Fat Student felt his heart trembling. He knew that every time this "Grandma" was in a bad mood, it was his turn to suffer…

And sure enough!

"You, Fatso! Come here!"

"Uh… Grandma." The Fat Student squeezed out a fawning smile: "Look, shouldn't I go back to the kitchen… the coffee shop still needs to open for business today…"

"Nonsense!" Zhurong scolded: "There isn't a damn bit of business in this coffee shop! You, the cook, we’re just paying to keep you around! You do nothing but cook three meals a day, and that’s it!"

The Fat Student felt deeply aggrieved, thinking: *It’s not like I wanted to stay here and be your cook…*

Zhurong stared at the Fat Student, her eyes rolling as she suddenly slammed the table:

"I’ve got it! Perfect… since I’m bored, I might as well! Your performance last night was absolutely pathetic! As your 'Grandma,' I’ve trained you so hard lately, and yet you’re still such a coward! The moment you encountered an enemy, you panicked! Where did all those skills I taught you go? When it mattered most, all you knew how to do was curl up on the ground like a turtle! Do you think you’re an ostrich? If you cover your head, the enemy won't kick your ass?"

The Fat Student smiled sheepishly: "I… I was just a bit nervous."

Looking at the Fat Student’s pathetic expression, Zhurong felt a surge of anger. She roared: "To think I taught you so much! You practice those two sets of combat techniques well enough, so why do you go soft the moment you have to use them? Can you even call yourself a man!!"

The Fat Student chuckled dryly: "I didn't want to be like that…"

"Didn't want to? Bah! I don't think you’re a man at all!! It seems my training hasn't been enough! I need to increase your practical combat training! Only through real combat will you improve rapidly!"

Zhurong declared with an air of righteousness.

Upon hearing this, the Fat Student’s knees went weak; if he hadn't been holding onto the table, he would have collapsed on the spot.

Practical combat training?

Is this wicked woman just finding an excuse to torture me? *Sigh, she really hits hard, is this what she calls "practical combat"?*

"Um, Grandma…" The fat on the Fat Student’s face trembled: "You were busy all night last night, why don't you rest today? You haven't slept, how can I bear to have you personally spar with me… I really can't bring myself to do it…"

Zhurong smiled lightly: "Don't worry, I won't be the one sparring with you."

*As long as you don't do it yourself!*

The Fat Student finally felt a sense of relief.

But Zhurong’s next sentence made him roll his eyes!

"…I won't be the one sparring with you… didn't we capture that Tyrannosaurus Rex? He’s locked in the secret room next door right now. And since his abilities are suppressed by drugs—that guy, as it turns out, is the perfect sparring partner! I’ll let you spar with him!"

The Fat Student shivered, his legs giving out.

Tyrannosaurus Rex?!!!

Spar with the Tyrannosaurus Rex?

Although he hadn't fought the monster himself, he had seen that beast shatter a wall with a single punch! He had seen with his own eyes how badly Chen Xiao had been beaten by him!

If I "spar" with him, will I even survive? Buddha protect me! It looks like I’m going to meet my maker today!

*Waaaah, it’s a pity, I’m still a virgin… My goddess, Miss Yaya, I didn't even get to see you one last time…*