Chapter 17
In the front row, near the podium, a girl with a ponytail rested her chin on her hand, absorbed in her book. The morning light streamed through the front door, casting a warm glow on her profile and fingers, highlighting her youthful elegance.
Tang Lingwu, the top student in the class, had held the first position for three consecutive years and was a strong contender for the school's top spot. She was the beloved of their homeroom teacher, Old Chen, and the unacknowledged queen of the class, despite not holding any official titles.
Though her looks could easily attract attention, very few boys dared to act recklessly in her presence. It had been proven that while you might get away with insulting Old Chen's baldness, harboring any improper thoughts about Tang Lingwu would lead to swift consequences.
“Early romance is normal, but look at the swan soaring gracefully while the toad flops around on the ground,” Old Chen had said, nearly bringing a boy to tears.
From that moment on, the atmosphere around Tang Lingwu became quiet and studious.
However, being treated specially by Old Chen made her stand out in class, and she seemed to have few friends.
Zheng Fa picked up his drawings and walked toward Tang Lingwu.
“Dude, you’re really brave!” Wang Chen exclaimed, blocking Zheng Fa’s path. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Just going to ask Tang Lingwu something.”
Zheng Fa brushed Wang Chen’s arm aside and approached Tang Lingwu’s desk.
“Tang Lingwu, can I bother you for a moment?”
Not just Wang Chen, but other classmates also glanced over, some with curiosity, others with concern.
Ever since a boy had been harshly punished for expressing his feelings for Tang Lingwu, no one—especially the boys—had dared to approach her without reason.
Tang Lingwu set her book down and turned to Zheng Fa, her expression clearly stating: You’ve already interrupted.
“I wanted to ask if you’re preparing for the math competition?”
Tang Lingwu nodded.
“Then… are these drawings related to the competition?”
Zheng Fa placed several drawings in front of her.
Tang Lingwu frowned as she examined the patterns, then shook her head slightly.
“Not really?”
“You might have a misunderstanding about the math competition,” she said, noticing his disappointment. “For example, these geometric shapes could be part of the exam, but there has to be a question or a problem; it won’t just be a bunch of shapes.”
Zheng Fa suddenly understood. Just like the college entrance exam, it wouldn’t just present a picture.
What could you even deduce from that?
“However, these geometric shapes should have some underlying patterns,” Tang Lingwu continued, scrutinizing them further. “Maybe the person who drew them had their own ideas, but I can’t see them.”
“Got it…”
Zheng Fa, despite his own intelligence, found himself trusting the academic prowess of Tang Lingwu more.
“Maybe the teacher who’s coaching me for the competition will understand them better.”
Zheng Fa felt a surge of hope and, with a bit of boldness, asked, “Could you ask your teacher for me?”
He and Tang Lingwu weren’t really close, but at that moment, he couldn’t help but feel a bit presumptuous.
After all, he knew that Gao Yuan wanted to understand those drawings to secure his position as the bookworm.
In reality, Zheng Fa needed that position even more.
Gao Yuan had a father who was a steward at home.
If Zheng Fa were sent back, the slight improvement in his family’s situation could take a nosedive.
If there was even a glimmer of hope, Zheng Fa was willing to swallow his pride.
Tang Lingwu looked at him quietly for a moment before slowly nodding. “Actually, the teacher who coaches me lives at Qingshui High School. I go to his house for tutoring every weekend. I can take you to ask him.”
“Take me?”
“I don’t know what you want to ask. Wouldn’t it be better for you to go on your own?”
When Zheng Fa returned to his seat, he felt that Tang Lingwu wasn’t as cold as she appeared.
“Dude, what did you talk about with her?” Wang Chen asked.
“Didn’t you know? I just asked about those drawings.”
“You’re really… just for those drawings?” Wang Chen’s expression suddenly turned sly.
“What else?”
“You just randomly picked a few drawings and went to talk to her, right?”
Wang Chen became increasingly serious, convincing even himself.
Zheng Fa shook his head. “You’re misunderstanding.”
“It’s not just you who’s misunderstanding; everyone else probably thinks the same.”
Wang Chen pouted, and sure enough, several classmates nearby were looking at him with ambiguous smiles, tinged with a hint of respect.
Zheng Fa felt a bit helpless. For high school students, seeing classmates of different genders talking together often led to wild speculation. Whether it was true or not didn’t matter; they just enjoyed the drama.
Especially when it came to Tang Lingwu.
“Forget what they think; I can’t control that. But really, it’s not like that.”
Compared to his classmates, Zheng Fa had much more on his mind—there was no room for romantic notions.
“They might not care, but…” Wang Chen pointed toward the door. “Old Chen seems to have misunderstood too.”
Zheng Fa looked up to see Old Chen standing at the entrance, his face stern, his gaze fixed on Zheng Fa like a spotlight.
…
In the following days, Zheng Fa tried to focus on his classes, appearing as if he was completely absorbed.
At the same time, he woke up an hour early every morning to practice Songhe Zhuang (Pine Crane Posture).
He didn’t dare go to the park, so he found a spot behind the staff building of Qingshui High School.
This place was tucked away in a corner of the school’s wall, partially hidden by a few old trees. Zheng Fa practiced inside, making it hard for anyone to spot him unless they were looking closely.
Plus, since he got up so early, he finished his practice by six o’clock, a time when most people were still asleep.
So for several days, no one noticed him practicing.
On Friday morning, Zheng Fa was still immersed in the warmth flowing through his body.
Since Master Xu had taught him Songhe Zhuang, he had been practicing for nearly a week, blending ancient techniques with modern understanding.
At first, the warmth inside him was faint and uncontrollable.
But now, with each breath, he could feel that warmth.
By today, it had become a continuous flow during his practice.
“I’ve truly entered the realm!”
Master Xu had once told them that when the warmth inside felt like a line circling around the waist and abdomen, that was when one had truly mastered Songhe Zhuang.
At that moment, he felt exactly that!
After finishing his stance, Zheng Fa immediately sensed the difference.
Besides the usual hunger that came with daily practice, his waist and abdomen felt warm, giving him the illusion that his legs were bursting with energy, eager to be unleashed.
Zheng Fa glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then crouched down.
With all his might… he jumped!
“Whoosh!”
“Ow!”
Zheng Fa felt as if his thighs were springs, propelling him straight into the air!
Branches and leaves above him rustled against his face.
His head even broke through the canopy of trees over three meters high!
When Zheng Fa landed back on the ground, still in shock, he patted his chest and exclaimed, “What the hell!”
Wait, that wasn’t his voice.
He looked up to see the curly-haired old man from the park staring at him, wide-eyed.
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Chapter 20: The Teacher (Seeking Recommendations)
The old man’s expression as he looked at Zheng Fa was hard to describe:
It was a mix of surprise, curiosity, and awkwardness.
Clearly, he recognized Zheng Fa.
He glanced at the tree branch above Zheng Fa’s head, raised his hand to indicate the height, and cautiously said, “Little… hero? Is that your kung fu?”
“No! I was practicing high jump!”
“Don’t lie to me, little hero… I’ve practiced high jump!” The old man said proudly. “When I was young, I even won first place in the city’s athletics competition! Your move doesn’t look like high jump at all!”
“...I was just messing around.”
“I get it! Little hero, a secret technique from a hidden sect!” The old man said with an understanding expression. “But look at me; when I was young, I practiced qigong too!”
“You have quite a range of interests…”
“Who says not? My master thought highly of me back then, but then something happened. Otherwise, I would have made a name for myself in the martial world by now.”
“Something happened?”
“Oh, he got arrested for fraud.”
Zheng Fa: “…”
The old man looked at Zheng Fa, his wrinkled face twisting into a flattering smile. “Little hero, I don’t think my master was lying when he said I had talent. How about it? Can I learn your skills? I can be your disciple!”
Zheng Fa felt a bit overwhelmed.
“Old man, there’s no such thing as kung fu in this world! We need to believe in science!”
“Nonsense! Science is not such a shallow thing! Seeking truth from facts is science. If kung fu exists in this world, then science should study kung fu!” The old man said with a serious face. “Aren’t I doing scientific research right now?”
Zheng Fa had to admit, the old man had a point.
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