Nie Qingkong was gone.
Her departure was sudden.
As sudden as her arrival.
When the teacher informed the class that Nie Qingkong had transferred back to her previous school due to her parents' reasons, everyone found it hard to believe.
Some of the girls even cried softly after class.
Xia Qingyu, however, breathed a sigh of relief, but the subsequent sense of emptiness surprised her.
It was an emotion she couldn't quite decipher.
Soon, this emotion was consumed and forgotten as the teacher brought up the next matter.
“If you are successfully selected in the Kyoto exam this time, you will represent country Z in Finland for the finals. Once the results are out, you'll need to apply for visas immediately. If you don't have a passport, remember to get one as soon as possible,” the teacher said to Xia Qingyu and Li Xiaozhong from the podium.
Xia Qingyu and Li Xiaozhong nodded, acknowledging the information.
After school that day, Xia Qingyu accepted Shi Xingwu's invitation and went to the Shi family martial arts school.
The bright and spacious martial arts school looked very professional, with many students. Shi Xingwu's father, dressed in martial arts attire, exuded a majestic aura, guiding the students with meticulous seriousness.
“Why do I have to come along too…” Li Xiaozhong raised his eyebrows helplessly, watching the men sweat profusely before him.
He had no interest in this kind of physical activity. Could he go home?
“It doesn’t matter, your goddess might be nervous if she comes alone, so just accompany her. I’ll ask my dad to waive the fee for you, alright?” Shi Xingwu said, putting his arm around Li Xiaozhong’s shoulders. “Want to wear my martial arts uniform? I have a spare!”
“An old uniform that smells of sweat? No thanks,” Li Xiaozhong’s mouth twitched. Was he lacking money? He lacked interest!
Compared to physical labor, he preferred mental work; that was more suited for him.
“No way! I wash them very clean!” Shi Xingwu protested with a blush, “I think you’re just afraid to change, scared I’ll see you’re a skinny chicken! Come on! I won’t laugh at you!”
“No! Go away!” Li Xiaozhong protested while dodging Shi Xingwu’s outstretched hand.
“Shi Xingwu,” Xia Qingyu interrupted Shi Xingwu and Li Xiaozhong’s antics, “can you show me around?”
“Sure~” Hearing Xia Qingyu’s request, Shi Xingwu immediately agreed and gave Xia Qingyu a thorough tour.
Occasionally, his close fellow disciples would tease him, but Shi Xingwu would just chuckle and brush it off.
Xia Qingyu’s appearance undoubtedly brought a different kind of light to the solemn and monotonous martial arts training, adding an undeniable fragrance to the sweat-filled environment.
Ignoring the scrutinizing glances, Xia Qingyu found the Shi family martial arts school to be quite professional, with good teaching progress and quality. Plus, it was not far from school, making it convenient to attend classes.
So, she paid the fees that day, intending to go through the normal process to join.
However, Shi Xingwu’s father had a very good impression of Xia Qingyu from a previous parent-teacher meeting and knew about her struggles with bullying.
Adhering to the principle of "supporting the weak and upholding justice," Shi Xingwu's father resolutely offered Xia Qingyu a considerable discount. “It’s already wonderful that you have the determination to change yourself. My teaching is very strict, and whether you can stick with it depends on you, hahaha.”
His hearty laughter echoed through the martial arts school like a grand bell.
Xia Qingyu could only offer a dry laugh and thank him, accepting Shi father's kindness.
After changing into a new martial arts uniform, Xia Qingyu began learning from the most basic horse stance. Shi Xingwu also became her primary assistant instructor.
After all, he had been practicing such basic fundamentals since he could remember, so guiding a complete novice was quite easy.
“There’s an old saying that you must stand for three years before entering, and master your stance before learning to strike, which shows how important mastering the horse stance is. It’s said that practicing martial arts without foundational training is futile, and without strengthening your core, your skills will never reach a high level.” With his hands behind his back, Shi Xingwu swayed his head as he explained the importance of standing meditation. “Our Shi family martial arts is an evolution of Bajiquan. It is highly practical and destructive, requiring extremely high physical fitness. If you learn diligently, you’ll be able to protect yourselves in the future, and your physical fitness will also improve dramatically.”
Hearing Shi Xingwu’s words, Xia Qingyu’s expression became even more serious.
If she had the ability to protect herself, the situation at the Yue family would not have happened again. She absolutely did not want to see Xia Qingtian get hurt because of her again!
Absolutely not!
She would not let anyone hurt her again either. Her sister would worry.
“Why do I have to train too…” Li Xiaozhong couldn’t help but ask the soul-searching question while practicing the horse stance.
He wanted to go home…
“Between heaven and earth, there are the Nine Provinces and Eight Extremes.” Shi Xingwu continued to explain, “It is said that while civil arts pacify the world with Tai Chi, martial arts establish order with Ba Ji. Bajiquan…”
Looking at Shi Xingwu, who seemed to transform into a different person when discussing martial arts, and then at the focused Xia Qingyu, Li Xiaozhong sighed silently.
It seemed he couldn't escape.
He had to accept his fate.
Alas…
He still wanted to go home.
Meanwhile, at the Li residence, Xia Qing Tian and Li Xiaoxiao sat side by side on the sofa, looking at Da Ya, who sat opposite them looking a bit uneasy.
“You… looking at me like this is so strange!” Da Ya said uncomfortably. “Even if you do this, I still won’t remember what I’m supposed to remember…”
“How did you remember that day?” Xia Qing Tian asked Li Xiaoxiao.
“I don’t know. Da Ya was scrolling through Douyin on the sofa, and I was in my room doing homework. Suddenly, I heard Da Ya say she had a headache, and when I came out, she had already changed,” Li Xiaoxiao recalled. “Perhaps something in a short video stimulated her.”
“Did you check those short videos later?” Xia Qing Tian asked.
“I checked. They were all about food vlogs and cheesy mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflict short dramas. Nothing significant,” Li Xiaoxiao replied. “I don’t know what happened.”
“What did the doctor say after the examination?” Xia Qing Tian pressed.
“They didn’t say much, just advised rest. Da Ya has been quite normal these past two days, eating well,” Li Xiaoxiao said.
“Sigh…” Xia Qing Tian sighed silently after hearing Li Xiaoxiao’s words. “Alright then.”
“Will I be okay?” Da Ya looked at Li Xiaoxiao and then at Xia Qing Tian.
“It’s okay, don’t be scared,” Xia Qing Tian reached out and gently stroked Da Ya’s head, saying tenderly, “I will continue to find a way.”
“Okay.” Da Ya nodded. For now, she could only trust Xia Qing Tian.
Leaving the Li residence, Xia Qing Tian did not return directly to the Xia family but went to Gu Shi Entertainment first.
At this time, Gu Shi Entertainment was holding a meeting regarding Yu Linwan’s plagiarized talent show.