The air quieted slightly. Although Matt's rough and rapid breathing was still audible, this time, he managed to hold on.
Everything was eerily quiet, and the faint sounds from the street outside were so clear that one could easily mistake the room for being empty.
"…Did they already leave?"
"Probably. It's not the first time, after all. Every time, they come over all excited, but they can't last even five minutes before they start cursing and leave, tarnishing the dojo's reputation."
"But this time was different. That handsome guy stuck around for two months. That's not easy."
"Handsome? Which one? How come I didn't know there was a handsome guy in the dojo?"
Their chatter echoed through the hallway, not bothering to lower their voices. The still air made them mistakenly think they were alone.
But Matt, completely confused, looked at Anson and, hesitating for a moment, finally mouthed in a low voice, "What language are they speaking?"
In New York's Chinatown, the first wave of immigrants primarily came from the Pearl River Delta, so Cantonese became widely spoken here. Later, immigrants from Fujian and Zhejiang joined, and soon Hakka and Minnan dialects filled the streets. But Cantonese remained dominant.
For a long time, Americans believed that "Cantonese" was synonymous with "Chinese." You could see this misconception in movies and TV shows, and it wasn't until the internet opened up the world, spreading information more rapidly and widely, that this error was slowly corrected.
However, the conversation they were overhearing wasn't in Cantonese but in Mandarin, with a slight accent.
This meant very few people could understand it, which is why Chen Sheng and Wu Xi felt so uninhibited.
This had been going on for the past two months. They even gossiped in front of Anson, thinking their smiles could hide everything, believing they had fooled everyone.
"Hah, no way! That guy's definitely handsome—anyone with eyes could see that. I'm a guy, but that doesn't mean I'm blind."
"Cut it out. What's so handsome about him? Two eyes, a nose, a mouth, just like anyone else. I don't see anything special. You must be the one who's blind from playing too many video games."
"Hahaha, someone's jealous."
"Get lost! Who's jealous? He's not handsome at all."
"Senior brother, in the last three weeks, there's been a noticeable increase in women visiting our dojo with random excuses—borrowing needles, asking for thread—just to sneak a peek at that handsome guy. Even just standing there, he's a sight to behold. You don't think they're coming here for you, do you?"
"…If you can't say anything nice, just shut up."
"Admit it, you're jealous. There's no shame in that. Honestly, looking like that, he's definitely worth being jealous of."
"You're the jealous one, your whole family's jealous! He's just a pretty face, not even fit to carry my shoes. A guy like that, with nothing but looks, has no depth. He doesn't know the first thing about real charm. A handsome guy should be like me, someone with character and substance. Got it? Substance!"
"I get it, I get it—like a simple, down-to-earth charm, right?"
"…Damn it."
And with that, the conversation was abruptly cut off.
Uncertain whether he had heard correctly, Matt thought he detected the sound of fists hitting flesh, followed by some scuffling and grunts. Then, two figures tumbled into view, wrestling with each other.
Suddenly, everything stopped.
Wu Xi froze at the doorway, wide-eyed, staring in shock at Anson and Matt, then, a beat later, noticed Nick standing in the corner.
Everyone was there, not a single one missing.
Wu Xi felt like his jaw might have just dislocated.
**A Step Behind, Chen Sheng Also Appeared**
Chen Sheng appeared a moment later, his fist raised high, ready to teach that guy a lesson. But in the next second, he saw the surprised faces in the room.
He stopped, controlled himself, and lowered his fist.
It was clear that Chen Sheng was more experienced. He quickly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened, and put on a polite smile.
At the same time, he smoothly switched from Mandarin to English, speaking as warmly as a monk seeking alms.
"Basic training has already started, huh?"
Wu Xi also realized a moment too late that they had been speaking in Mandarin, a language these foreigners didn't understand. There was no need to scare themselves.
His heart, which had been in his throat, slowly settled back in his chest as he regained his composure. He walked into the classroom, maintaining a serious demeanor, though his eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement.
Chen Sheng, walking with a steady pace, approached Matt.
Although he was smiling, his focused gaze as he scrutinized Matt made the air tense without anyone realizing it.
Matt was in a horse stance and wasn't sure if he should greet him. Continuing without acknowledging him seemed rude, but he had just learned his lesson that speaking while in a horse stance could lead to a fall. So what should he do now?
Matt looked at Anson, asking with his eyes.
Anson gave him a slight nod, indicating he should keep holding his stance.
Matt breathed a small sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, a force hit the spot on his lower back, right at his spine. Reflexively, Matt straightened his upper body, tightening his abs as he heard Chen Sheng's voice in his ear, "Tighten your abs! Straighten your back!"
With each word, Chen Sheng delivered a solid hit to the corresponding part of Matt's body, and each one stung like fire.
His back, waist, shoulders, thighs, and even his buttocks.
Matt felt like a marionette, completely at Chen Sheng's mercy. After adjusting his posture, it took only five seconds before he felt a burning sensation in his muscles, as if tiny mice were burrowing through them.
"Don't relax!" Matt tried to take a breath, only to receive another hit on his back.
Chen Sheng spoke in a deep voice, "Try to keep your breathing steady. Don't exhale too much, and don't inhale too much. Keep it steady! Otherwise, you won't last thirty seconds before you're eating dirt."
Watching Matt's cheeks puff up as if he were practicing some sort of frog technique was truly amusing.
What had been steady breathing turned into a struggle, and Matt didn't know what to do anymore. His confused and helpless expression was genuinely laughable.
Matt shot a pleading look at Anson.
But before Anson could respond, Chen Sheng noticed Matt's gaze. He quickly stepped over to Anson and gave his calf a light kick.
"Focus!"
Anson held his ground.
Chen Sheng was a bit surprised. If Anson's basics weren't solid, that sudden move would have likely knocked him over, but Anson stood firm.
Anson glanced at Chen Sheng, immediately recognizing that Chen Sheng was trying to assert his authority, masking the guilt he felt after their conversation outside was overheard.
Even though Chen Sheng and Wu Xi believed the foreigners couldn't understand Mandarin, the embarrassment of being caught speaking ill of others behind their backs still left them uneasy.
Anson was a kind person, a good kid, and he felt it was his responsibility to comfort Chen Sheng, to help ease his troubled mind.
So Anson looked at Chen Sheng, and before Chen could continue nitpicking, he offered a sincere smile and said in perfect Mandarin, "I don't think I'm handsome. Neither does Matt. Honestly."
Chen Sheng: …
Silence filled the air.
Then.
*Hiccup.*
The sound of Wu Xi's startled hiccup broke the stillness, but the ripple quickly settled, and the room fell back into dead silence.