Out of courtesy for the lady present, Jin Shin-min bowed politely before adopting a fighting stance.
Xiang Ri, already brimming with disdain for the man's lecherous glances at Chu Xiaonü and his apprentice, provocatively curled a finger at him. His expression dripped with utter contempt.
With a roar, Jin Shin-min abandoned all semblance of gentlemanly decorum and hurled a furious punch forward. Enraged by the audacity of the clownish figure before him, he likened the affront to an ant challenging a mighty dragon—a grave insult he could not let pass. He would make this insolent fool suffer the consequences of provoking him.
Xiang Ri remained motionless, as if paralyzed by the sheer momentum of the oncoming blow. Beside him, Miss An's face lit up with vindictive glee. In her excitement, she failed to notice the fleeting glimmer of sharp resolve in the supposedly helpless cripple's eyes.
A muffled "thud" echoed through the air, resembling the sound of a blunt object striking flesh. Jin Shin-min, who had been charging forward moments earlier, was now propelled backward at a speed several times faster, landing and skidding over seven or eight meters on the polished floor. Were it not for the smoothness of the ground, his clothes might have been shredded during the slide.
Despite this, the pain immobilized him. The spot where he was struck radiated such agony that even his stomach spasmed violently, nearly rendering him unconscious.
Xiang Ri hadn't even used much force, but his precision was cruel. The strike landed two inches below the navel and an inch above the groin—a blow that left anyone incapacitated for a considerable time and potentially inflicted a far more dire consequence: permanent sexual dysfunction.
An Xin stood frozen, her mouth agape, the triumph on her face replaced by utter disbelief. "An illusion. This has to be an illusion," she muttered.
She refused to believe the formidable Jin Shin-min had failed to withstand even a single move from the cripple, much like her bodyguard yesterday. Yet there lay Jin Shin-min, groaning in pain. If not for the undeniable reality before her, she might have suspected the two were conspiring in an elaborate act.
Shi Qing's eyes sparkled with admiration. Her beastly teacher's strength seemed far greater than before. She couldn't imagine Jin Shin-min being so easily defeated. It became clear to her that the gap between her and her teacher was vast—one she would have to work doubly hard to close. When could she possibly surpass him?
Chu Chu, on the other hand, reacted with joyful simplicity. Relieved that Xiang Ri was unharmed, she skipped excitedly toward him.
When Jin Shin-min had charged at Xiang Ri moments earlier, her heart had leaped to her throat. Thankfully, not only was Xiang Ri unscathed, but he had also sent the aggressor flying. For someone untrained in martial arts, she could only marvel at the feat, thinking how incredible it was to kick someone so far.
"Xiang Kui, are you okay? Did your bones crack again?" Chu Chu examined his right hand with concern. Last night, she had seen him return with fresh bandages and learned he had accidentally "aggravated" an old fracture, requiring another trip to the hospital. Naturally, she worried it might have happened again.
"Don't worry; that's impossible. I didn't even use my right hand just now." Xiang Ri gently pulled her into his arms before turning to the stunned Miss An. "Miss An, does this mean our grudges are now settled?"
"What?" An Xin snapped out of her daze. Upon realizing what he meant and seeing the woman she once fancied leaning into his chest, she clenched her teeth and hissed, "Settled? You must be dreaming!"
"What's the meaning of this?" Xiang Ri protested indignantly. "Didn't you say that if I won, it would all be forgiven? Are you going back on your word?"
"That's right! I'm reneging—what of it?" Miss An spat furiously. Ignoring the groaning Jin Shin-min on the ground, she turned and strode toward the exit, her voice ringing with defiance. "Mark my words—this isn't over!"
"Wait a moment, An'an!" Shi Qing hurried after her. Though she might enjoy seeing someone trouble their beastly teacher, knowing Miss An's temperament, she feared the girl was capable of going to extremes. Should anything truly happen to their teacher, she and Chu Chu would have a hard time explaining it.
"Qingqing, what is it?" An Xin's initial delight upon seeing her quickly turned sour as if recalling something unpleasant. Her face darkened. "If you're here to plead for that man, save your breath. I won't let him off!"
"An'an, can't you at least consider our friendship?" Shi Qing tried to reason, but Miss An rudely cut her off.
"Unless you come back to me, both you and Chu Chu, I won't spare that crippled man!"
Her unfiltered words carried far enough for Xiang Ri, who was basking in the warmth of Chu Chu's embrace, to overhear. This woman with her peculiar inclinations had pushed him to his limit. He had been willing to hold his tongue earlier, even when she reneged on her promise, but now she dared to covet his woman and his apprentice so brazenly?
Enraged, Xiang Ri turned and snarled, "You degenerate freak! Let me make it clear—Chu Chu is my woman, and Shi Qing is my apprentice. If you so much as think about them, I'll make sure you regret it in ways you can't even imagine!"
"I'll kill you!" An Xin's eyes immediately turned crimson, and she rushed forward, ready to throw herself at the crippled man. Shi Qing caught her in her arms, preventing her from losing control, though her gaze toward Xiang Ri remained icy with murderous intent.
"Teacher, how could you say such things?" Shi Qing glared reproachfully at her beastly mentor.
Xiang Ri gave an awkward smile, scratching his head. "I got a little carried away..." The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. That little troublemaker who was always stirring up trouble was right beside him—what had he been thinking? He had practically sealed his fate.
Sure enough, no sooner had the words left his lips than the soft flesh at his waist tightened, and a small, sharp object pressed against him. Though it wasn't painful, the menacing intent was unmistakable.
"Could you be a little gentler?" Xiang Ri sighed, half amused, half resigned. It didn't hurt, but he could tell the little nuisance was savoring every moment of torment.
"Serves you right!" Chu Chu shot him a disapproving look. "What did you expect, after saying something so vile?" After pinching him a couple more times, she gave him a playful shove. "I'll be right back, so don't go anywhere. And no more harsh words, or I'll sleep with Qing Jie tonight!" With that, she flashed a sly smile, her eyes gleaming like a mischievous fox, and turned toward the door where the other women stood.
Xiang Ri, in deep frustration, rubbed his nose. He could bet that the last threat had definitely not come from Chu Chu's own mind. Given the change in her demeanor this morning, and eliminating all other possibilities, it was clear that Shi Qing had whispered that line into her ear. Realizing this, Xiang Ri's frustration only deepened. His apprentice was certainly someone not to be trifled with.
As Xiang Ri sighed in exasperation, outside the activity room, the three women began to chatter. Their initial solemn expressions soon turned into smiles and laughter. Particularly An Xin, who showed no restraint at all, playfully holding one of the women while teasingly sniffing their hair, enjoying the scent as though she were savoring a fine delicacy. Seeing this, Xiang Ri felt his blood pressure spike. His woman was being flirted with, and the one doing the flirting was a woman herself. The absurdity of it all was enough to make him wish he could just storm over and put an end to it.
An Xin, clearly enjoying Xiang Ri's jealousy, grew bolder, deliberately letting her hands linger inappropriately on the two women's sensitive spots, with a provocative gleam in her eyes.
Xiang Ri, feeling like he might explode from the absurdity of it all, was so enraged that he almost walked over to confront her. However, before he could take a step, An Xin—neither man nor woman—had already approached him and stopped a few paces away.
"Hey, kid, I've made up my mind. Tomorrow, I'm moving in with you!" An Xin announced casually, completely unaware of the utterly idiotic expression on the face of the man across from her.