Ying Huan didn’t know how to respond to that question because Xu Jingyu did indeed look good. She just spoke the truth…
She habitually comforted him, “You’re handsome too.”
Ying Chi snorted, “I’m more handsome than him.”
Ying Chi kept his eyes glued to the TV screen where the match was taking place. Xu Jingyu, a 75 kg boxer, stood tall, with a height of over 180 cm, excellent body proportions, and a significant advantage in reach. His physique was perfect for boxing. After being KO’d by Xu Jingyu in their previous match, Ying Chi was convinced that Xu Jingyu was a professional boxer. The next day, he searched for information about him on Baidu, but of course, he found nothing since he searched under the name “Zhou Baihao.”
At just 17 years old, the first time being KO’d made him angry every time he thought about it. He felt unsatisfied and wanted a rematch, which was typical of boys his age.
Ying Chi was young, fair-skinned, simple-minded, and completely outgoing, both in appearance and temperament. Xu Jingyu, on the other hand, was different. He appeared to be seasoned, and his boxing style reflected his calm and restrained nature, as well as his considerable strength, which was characteristic of a man rather than a teenager.
On the TV screen, Xu Jingyu had a calm face, fierce punches, a high hit rate, and smooth, agile, and elegant movements. Such a man was obviously more in line with Ying Huan’s aesthetic and preferences at her age.
She smiled and gently rubbed his fuzzy head as if petting a puppy, somewhat reluctantly saying, “Well, you’re better looking than him.”
As soon as she finished speaking, excited cheers came from the TV, “Wow! Jing Wang scored a KO!”
Boxing was a very passionate and exciting sport, easily stirring up the emotions and attention of the audience. Ying Huan was watching intently, completely focused on the screen as the man who won raised his fist in victory, smiling.
The next moment, she heard the sound of Ying Chi throwing the remote control. “Damn!”
Turning to look at him, she asked, “…What’s wrong?”
Was he recalling the scene of himself being KO’d?
Ying Chi stood up playfully, walked over, and turned off the TV, then turned to Ying Huan, somewhat annoyed, and ruffled his hair. “There’s nothing worth watching. You go study, I’m going for a run.”
Ying Chi had plenty of energy and wasn’t addicted to games. He went for a run every day and even trained at the boxing gym when he wasn’t at school.
Ying Huan nodded. “Okay.”
She looked at the blank screen of the TV and really wanted to finish watching the match.
Ying Chi went back to his room to change into a blue tracksuit. As he stretched and walked out of the room, Ying Huan went to pour a glass of water. Ying Chi waved at her as he left, “Sis, I’m heading out. I’ll bring you some hawthorn candies when I come back.”
“Okay.”
Watching him leave, Ying Huan immediately turned on the TV again, intending to finish watching the match.
Each round of a boxing match lasted only three minutes, and she didn’t know which round they were on.
When the TV turned back on, Xu Jingyu’s match had already ended, and now it was the 81 kg category bout. Since the previous match wasn’t as exciting, she lost interest after watching for a minute, turned off the TV, and went back to her room to study.
Preparing for the college entrance exam.
At the competition venue, Xu Jingyu was undergoing a post-match interview. The excited reporter exclaimed, “This is only the second KO in the university sports boxing competition. Both in the preliminary and semifinal matches, it was you who achieved it. It’s said that you started learning Sanda and Muay Thai at the age of six, and last year, you won the WSB championship. You’re pursuing an individual professional path, and your strength surpasses that of most university athletes. Some people think it’s unfair. What do you think?”
Xu Jingyu, draped in a red robe, had his belt loosely tied around his waist. Having just finished the match, he was at the peak of his charisma. He looked into the camera and smiled, “In sports, isn’t it always the strongest who reigns?”
The reporter was momentarily taken aback and said, “You’re right.”
He had said this when he won the championship last year.
So, fans gave him a nickname—
Jing Wang.
The strongest reigns.
After answering a few more questions as per the usual routine, Xu Jingyu returned to his coach’s side, waiting for the results of his teammates’ matches. His teammate, Shi Lei, was a 69 kg fighter. He raised his fist and jokingly imitated his female fan, saying, “Jing Wang is awesome.”
Xu Jingyu kicked him directly, jokingly scolding, “Get lost, stop grossing me out.”
But he still bumped fists with him, celebrating their victory.
This match wasn’t particularly challenging for him. It represented the school and the provincial university, and his main focus was on the matches of the China Dragon Team at the Tianbo Boxing Club. Whether it was individual matches, team matches, or Olympic qualification trials, this was just a necessary journey for him.
A few years later, entering the world of professional boxing was inevitable.
Time flew by, and in June, during those days when the temperature suddenly rose, it was time for Ying Huan’s college entrance exam.
Ying Chi was even more nervous than her, acting like her personal bodyguard, picking her up and dropping her off for the exams every day, even puffing out his chest and saying, “After your college entrance exam, I’ll give you a gift.”
Ying Huan’s birthday was on June 8th.
It happened to be the day of her college entrance exam.
Ying Huan didn’t know what he was going to give her, making it all mysterious, and he had this expression like he really wanted to say it but was holding back to keep it a surprise, making it seem like it was going to be an exceptionally good birthday present, which made her look forward to it too.
Amidst cheers and the wind of tearing textbooks, she walked out of the exam room feeling like she performed normally, with a calm mindset. When she reached downstairs, she waited for Zhong Weiwei.
Zhong Weiwei had been in the same class as her since junior high. In their sophomore year of high school, they both chose the science stream, but they weren’t placed in the same class. Nevertheless, their relationship had always been close. After waiting for two minutes, Zhong Weiwei came running from another exam room and stood in front of her, smiling, “How did it go?”
“No problems with the first choice.”
“Same here.”
The two girls smiled at each other.
Their first choice for university was A Medical College.
Ying Huan turned on her phone, and as soon as it powered up, a call from Ying Chi came in. He sounded a bit anxious, “Sis, why haven’t you come out yet after finishing the exam? Is there something wrong?”
Ying Huan chuckled, “Just waiting for Weiwei, I’ll be out soon.”
Ying Chi said, “Hurry up then.”
Zhong Weiwei leaned over and asked with a smile, “What’s up, Nai Chi?”
Ying Huan hung up the phone, wrinkling her nose in confusion, “I don’t know what that guy wants to give me as a gift, he’s being all mysterious about it and won’t say even if I ask.” She chuckled again, “Let’s go.”
“You’re content, having a little brother like him, who’s so sweet and good-looking, he’s like a little lover…” Zhong Weiwei said enviously, pulling out a small gift box from her backpack and handing it to Ying Huan, “Tonight, our class and yours are having a party at the same place. Let me give you this gift first. Happy birthday, Little Ying.”
Ying Huan happily accepted the gift, and the two parted ways at the school gate. Ying Chi rushed over and dragged her away, saying, “Let’s go, let’s go, I’ve booked an appointment.”
Ying Huan asked, “What appointment?”
Ying Chi replied, “You’ll see when we get there.”
Half an hour later, Ying Huan was dragged by Ying Chi to a well-known dental hospital. She was momentarily stunned, then taken to meet a beautiful middle-aged female dentist named Dr. Du. Dr. Du smiled at her and said, “You want to correct your teeth, right? Come, let me take a look.”
Ying Huan glanced at Ying Chi.
Ying Chi grinned, looking handsome and sunny. He excitedly said, “Sis, let’s get those little fangs of yours corrected. You shouldn’t keep poking them with your tongue, it’s not smooth. You’ll need braces. I wanted to bring you here when I got my first bonus, but then I thought braces wouldn’t look good and would affect your mood, and then what about the college entrance exam? So, I waited until after you finished your exam.”
Ying Huan’s teeth hadn’t grown properly. When she was in elementary school, a classmate who wore braces was teased by boys, and when Lu Mei found out she needed braces, she refused to go, fearing ridicule. In middle school, as she grew older, her desire to look beautiful grew, and middle school students were more mature than elementary school students and wouldn’t mock classmates wearing braces. She ran to Lu Mei to say she wanted braces, but at that time, Ying Hai was diagnosed with uremia and was laid off, and braces would cost about ten thousand yuan. Lu Mei didn’t say she would take her to get them corrected, so she didn’t bring it up again.
Over the years, she had grown accustomed to poking those two little fangs with her tongue, rarely thinking about correcting her teeth.
She hadn’t expected Ying Chi to still remember.
Looking at Ying Chi, her heart softened and warmed by him, she decided: she would listen to him more and spoil him more in the future.
Ying Huan smiled, “But wearing braces in college won’t look good either, it’s ugly.”
Ying Chi became anxious, “How can it not be good! It’s good! Even with braces, you’re still pretty! And wearing braces might not be very attractive, but at least it will keep all those messy boys from chasing after you…”
Dr. Du gently smiled, “You’re very beautiful, wearing braces won’t make you look bad. It won’t take too long, it’s not a big deal. You won’t need to wear them for too long, about a year and a half.”
Then, it was time for X-rays, models, and treatment planning.
She wouldn’t be able to wear braces until three days later.
Leaving the hospital, Ying Chi happily said, “Sis, wait here for me, I’ll go buy a bottle of water.”
Ying Huan thought of suggesting they go together, but Ying Chi dashed off like a gust of wind. She stood at the hospital entrance, kicking the tip of her shoe boredly, and instinctively poked her tongue against that little fang tooth, expressionless as she thought to herself: the birthday gift is a set of braces, huh?
She had thought it might be a new phone or a laptop…
Just as she was thinking, she saw a tall figure walking past from the side, clad in all-black sportswear, tall and handsome, and somehow familiar… Ying Huan couldn’t recall for a moment, feeling a sense of familiarity but couldn’t quite place it, so she couldn’t help but stare at him, searching her mind to confirm who he was.
Meanwhile, Xu Jingyu was on the phone, his voice low and melodious, “Help me send something to my mom from my dad’s place, go over right away.” He hung up the phone, tucked it into his pocket, and glanced up, noticing the little girl staring at him with wide eyes.
She seemed somewhat familiar.
Xu Jingyu hesitated for a moment, glancing at her before looking at the hospital reception desk.
Ying Huan stopped poking her tongue against her little fang tooth, lips slightly parted.
Then he noticed her little fang tooth, like a teasing kitten, and instantly remembered who she was.
The girlfriend of the boy he KO’d and who was always coaxing him.
No wonder he ran into that kid at the convenience store just now.
On the other side, Ying Chi came rushing over, Xu Jingyu glanced in his direction, hands in his pockets, and strode into the hospital.
Ying Huan hadn’t yet remembered who he was and turned to look.
Ying Chi ran up to her, poking his head inside and speaking urgently, “Ah! I just saw Zhou Baihao, he was standing in front of you, what did he say to you? Did he bother you?”
Ying Huan, reminded by him, had a moment of clarity and relaxed, finally unraveling the confusion, “Oh, I remember now, Zhou Baihao, that’s why he looked so familiar.”
Xu Jingyu paused in his steps, turning back to look at them, his expression somewhat hard to read. He had almost forgotten about the incident three months ago when he used Zhou Baihao’s name without thinking twice before stepping into the ring.
He clicked his tongue, then turned and walked away.
The author has something to say:
Xu Jingyu: Am I not worthy of having a name here?
Nai Chi: Nope!
He looked at his sister, crazily hinting at her to stand on his side.
Ying Xiaohuan, in order to coax her brother, nodded: Yeah.
