“How’s that?” Lu Zheng looked at Lin Wan with a smug grin.
They were in an old street shop selling calligraphy and paintings, having bought a blank framed scroll. Lu Zheng spread it out on the shop’s wide desk, picked up a brush, and wrote with flourish.
“Great handwriting, mate!” The shop owner, a young man, possibly inheriting the family business, exclaimed.
“Not bad, you’ve got an eye!” Lu Zheng gave a thumbs-up. “My running script surely surpasses Yan Zhenqing and rivals Wang Xizhi, right?”
The owner chuckled. “Absolutely, if you’d lived in ancient times, you’d be a calligraphy sage!”
From that comment, Lu Zheng knew the owner could write but couldn’t distinguish good from exceptional.
“Enough!” Lin Wan said helplessly. It wasn’t that Lu Zheng’s writing was poor; the issue was the content.
*Scourge of Evil!*
“Are you filming Stephen Chow’s *Kung Fu* or something? Scourge of Evil? How can I enter this in a competition?” Lin Wan said, exasperated. “This is a serious contest.”
“What? It’s no good?” Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. “I wrote it seriously. Are you sure you don’t want it? It’d liven things up. You’re not really aiming for first place, are you?”
“No way,” Lin Wan pouted. “But this would get me laughed at.”
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “Who’d laugh? Can they beat you in a fight?”
“Right! Anyone who laughs, I’ll drag them to the ring!” Lin Wan’s eyes lit up, clapping her hands. “It’s settled!”
Lu Zheng burst out laughing, feeling he’d corrupted Lin Wan, and it felt great.
They lingered in the shop until the ink dried. The owner rolled the scroll into a box, and the matter was settled.
“Where for lunch?” Lin Wan asked.
“How about crab roe buns at the City God Temple?” Lu Zheng suggested.
“No need to rush to pay an IQ tax, even if you’re loaded,” Lin Wan said helplessly. “Let’s grab something anywhere, then head home this afternoon.”
Lu Zheng blinked. “In such a hurry?”
Lin Wan froze, then smacked him hard. “What are you thinking? I’ve mastered the eighth form of the *Mountain-Bearing Eighteen Styles*. Come check if I’m doing it right this afternoon!”
Dodging her blows, Lu Zheng laughed. “That’s what I meant! We talked about it on the phone yesterday. What were you thinking?”
Lin Wan gritted her teeth, wanting to boast she’d drain him, but she was always the one begging for mercy. It made her blush thinking of the boasts she’d made to Huang Xiumin.
If her boasts were like the Bull Demon King, ordinary fields couldn’t withstand it.
This was one reason Lin Wan was so dedicated to martial arts, hoping to cultivate martial blood qi to match Lu Zheng.
“Talking about royal power and wealth—what’s there to fear from rules and regulations—” Lu Zheng’s phone rang.
“Why that ringtone? Didn’t you use *Dream Chaser* before?” Lin Wan asked.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “I caught my dream goddess, so naturally, I switched to *Daughter’s Love*.”
“Pfft!” Lin Wan poked his chest, feigning disdain, but her smile betrayed her.
“Hello?”
“Lu Bro, it’s me, He Feixiang!” The voice of street magician He Feixiang came through.
“Here’s the deal, Lu Bro. That livestream we did was a hit. Remember when we had dinner, and I got your okay to edit and upload the video overseas? It’s got over three million views abroad. You’re a bit of a star online now.”
He Feixiang was outgoing and had become friends with Lu Zheng after the amusement park incident. They’d dined together once, and this call was partly to share the good news.
But Lu Zheng knew He Feixiang had another motive, so he cut in. “Get to the point.”
“Right!” He Feixiang said quickly. “A Japanese magician saw the video and contacted me. He wants to meet you, make friends.”
“Not interested,” Lu Zheng replied instantly.
“I figured…” He Feixiang slapped his forehead. “Hear me out, Lu Bro. He’s a rising star in Japan’s magic scene, quite famous. He’s in Haicheng for an event and set aside a day to meet you. Just a meal, I’ll be there. You eat and leave. How about it?”
Lu Zheng shook his head. “Still not interested. If you want to grab a meal and chat, I’m game. But introducing some Japanese magician? I’m not in the magic scene, not keen on making Japanese friends, and I don’t need the meal. Just say I’m busy.”
“Alright… fine, I’ll turn him down,” He Feixiang said helplessly, knowing Lu Zheng’s resolve. If he agreed, one word was enough; if not, no amount of persuasion would work.
Hanging up, Lin Wan smiled. “Someone from the magic scene looking for you?”
“Nope, no Japanese magician is more important than you!” Lu Zheng said righteously.
Lin Wan blinked. “I hear Japan has plenty of pretty female magicians. Did you ask if it’s a guy or a girl?”
Lu Zheng waved it off. “Definitely a guy. If it was a woman, He Feixiang would’ve said so first thing.”
Lin Wan: Ծ‸Ծ
Lu Zheng: (=°ω°)ﾉ
“Ahem…” Lu Zheng coughed. “Let’s go, Fulong Plaza, to Akai for Japanese food.”
“Why eat that? It’s pricey and raw,” Lin Wan said, unimpressed. “Let’s find a Northwest restaurant for beef.”
At that, Lin Wan perked up, her eyes smiling. “You know, since I started martial arts, I eat what I want, and my figure’s only gotten better.”
Lu Zheng smiled faintly. “You think that’s just from martial arts?”
Lin Wan paused, then threw a punch.
Lu Zheng caught it, laughing. “Good thing it’s me. Anyone else couldn’t handle that punch!”
“Hmph!”
…
Taking a taxi to Fulong Plaza, Lu Zheng held Lin Wan’s hand while checking his phone. “Tayaer’s on the third floor. Let’s head up.”
They waited at the lift. With a *ding*, the doors opened.
“Lu Bro?” He Feixiang’s voice rang out in surprise.
“What the—” Lu Zheng’s jaw dropped.
The young man beside He Feixiang saw Lu Zheng, his right eyebrow twitching. “It’s you?”
Next to them stood a charming woman in casual clothes, scoring a nine out of ten, her lips curving into a smile at the scene.
Lin Wan, at Lu Zheng’s side, frowned. “What a coincidence?”
But this wasn’t the time for surprise. Lu Zheng and Lin Wan joined the crowd entering the lift.
