Parting ways with Yuanjing, Lu Zheng returned to Tonglin County alone.
He had expected to be entangled with Guangyue for a while, but to his surprise, Guangyue stayed only one night at the inn before being tied up with matters at Jiming Temple, turning their meetings into once a month.
Thinking about it, it had only been a few days since meeting Huangfu Xu. In that short time, they had chased a wolf demon, met Guangyue, slain a flood dragon on the way, and gone to Jiming Temple. In just five or six days, it felt like they had fought a year’s worth of battles.
Of course, the rewards were substantial, and Lu Zheng was very satisfied.
…
Arranging flowers, polishing teapots, with several hundred strands of fortune’s light in hand, Lu Zheng slipped back into his leisurely routine.
He had taken on a new task: playing the zither to liven things up when Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan played chess. Naturally, the two women would offer tips, though the nature of those tips was not for outsiders to know.
Meanwhile, in the modern world, under Lu Zheng’s diligent guidance, Lin Wan had reached the twelfth form of the *Eighteen Styles of Mountain Bearing*. Her progress was much faster than anticipated, bolstered by lingzhi wine. Though she hadn’t yet cultivated blood energy, her strength had undergone a qualitative transformation.
“Even the martial police instructors can’t beat me now,” Lin Wan said with a sly smile, clearly in high spirits.
“Of course. This is genuine martial arts, national arts, very powerful,” Lu Zheng said matter-of-factly.
“They train in martial arts too, hard qigong, Xingyi Fist,” Lin Wan replied. “I heard they even won awards in military competitions before.”
“What are you getting at?”
“I’m saying you’re amazing!”
“Of course I am!”
“Hey, slow down, don’t be so rough. I’m talking to you,” Lin Wan said, playfully swatting Lu Zheng as her body swayed. She changed the topic. “The results for the calligraphy and painting competition came in.”
“How’d you do?” Lu Zheng asked.
“Merit award.”
Lu Zheng blinked. “What level is a merit award?”
“It’s basically a participation award,” Lin Wan said, laughing. “The comment was that it showed a lot of entertainment spirit.”
“What?” Lu Zheng feigned shock. “They dared to judge my masterpiece like that? Did you give them a piece of your mind?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Lin Wan said, shaking her head with a grin. “It was our deputy chief’s comment.”
“Well, fair enough,” Lu Zheng nodded, backing off. “To be honest, my intention was just to have fun. Your deputy chief, being an experienced detective, saw right through my intentions.”
“Enough already. How did I not notice how cheeky you are before?” Lin Wan laughed, trembling with amusement.
“When I’m in a good mood and relaxed, I naturally get witty,” Lu Zheng said, raising an eyebrow, speaking truthfully.
…
After some exercise, Lin Wan went to the kitchen to cook, while Lu Zheng turned on the TV, idly flipping through channels.
“Do you get a holiday for May Day?” Lu Zheng asked.
“Why?”
“To go out and have fun, obviously!” Lu Zheng teased. “We haven’t gone on a trip together yet, unless you count that one night at Disneyland.”
Lin Wan’s face flushed. That two-day, one-night Disneyland package had been thoroughly enjoyed by her and Lu Zheng.
“Of course we get a holiday. It’s just that someone has to be on duty,” Lin Wan said.
Lu Zheng nodded. “Alright, tell your Captain Li that if he dares put you on duty, I’ll go spar with him.”
“You’re bold, not afraid Captain Li will charge you with assaulting an officer?” Lin Wan said, laughing.
“Not afraid! I won’t leave a mark!” Lu Zheng clapped his hands with a grin. “That’s a good idea, actually. If I want to see you on a weekend and he doesn’t let you off, I’ll camp out at the city bureau’s entrance!”
“Tch, acting like you’re so free,” Lin Wan said, bringing out two plates of food. “You’re always busy, practicing boxing one moment, calligraphy the next, or mysteriously disappearing. And you talk about weekends? Go get the rice.”
“On it!” Lu Zheng replied, hopping up and darting into the kitchen.
Lin Wan called after him, both envious and admiring. “Think you’re all that just because you know martial arts?”
“Exactly! Knowing martial arts *is* all that!”
Lu Zheng returned with two bowls of rice and two pairs of chopsticks, smirking at Lin Wan. “Once you master the *Eighteen Styles of Mountain Bearing*, you might catch thieves on the street even more dramatically than in the movies. Even Jackie Chan wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Lin Wan rolled her eyes. “Then I’d really be famous.”
“I still see that video of you popping up online sometimes,” Lu Zheng said, gesturing to his phone on the sofa.
“I know why you don’t show off your martial arts,” Lin Wan said, taking the rice and nodding. “It’s too flashy to use, and too troublesome to explain. Better to keep it quiet. So even if I master the *Eighteen Styles*, I definitely won’t show it off like that.”
“Talking like you’re guaranteed to master it,” Lu Zheng said, only to wince as Lin Wan kicked his shin.
With a quick grab, Lu Zheng caught Lin Wan’s ankle, lifted it slightly, and pulled it closer. Lin Wan glared at him, quickly retracting her foot.
“Why only two simple dishes today?” Lu Zheng asked, popping a piece of meat into his mouth. “Is there a big dinner tonight?”
“Smart!” Lin Wan said, tapping Lu Zheng with a smile. “We just cracked a big case a few days ago, and the higher-ups gave us a bonus. Let’s go celebrate tonight.”
“Where to?” Lu Zheng asked.
“KASAMUVA,” Lin Wan replied.
Lu Zheng blinked. “That Italian restaurant again?”
“We didn’t get our fill last time, so let’s go again,” Lin Wan said, her eyes sparkling. “And don’t forget to play me a tune.”
Lu Zheng shook his head.
“What?”
“One tune? Not enough. I’ll play at least three,” Lu Zheng said seriously.
“That’s more like it.”
…
Lunch was finished quickly. Lu Zheng washed the dishes, and the two tidied up before heading out.
“What’s the plan for the afternoon?” Lu Zheng asked.
“No plans. You decide,” Lin Wan replied.
“How about a movie?”
“Let’s watch a movie!”
…
After a cozy afternoon, they took a taxi to Inner River Park, to the Italian restaurant.
“Welcome! Do you have a reservation?” the hostess greeted them with a smile, bowing slightly without showing her teeth.
“Yes.”
Lin Wan gave her phone number, and they were led to a window-side table. The waiter brought two glasses of lemon water and placed two menus on the table. “Please order.”
Having checked reviews online beforehand, they quickly ordered and handed back the menus.
“Good thing we made a reservation, or we might not have gotten a table,” Lu Zheng said, looking around.
It was past six, and the restaurant was already seventy percent full. Most empty tables had small reservation cards on them.
“No wonder it’s so highly rated,” Lin Wan said as the waiter brought the appetizers. “It’s in the top three in all of Haicheng.”
Lu Zheng dipped a piece of dry bread into the seafood soup and took a bite. “Not bad.”
