Chapter 126: A Hero Saves a Beauty... Wait, a Man

"Lulu, didn't you say..."

Niu Tao’s expression was one of bewilderment; he seemed to want to argue, but before he could finish his sentence, Lulu cut him off with a righteous air.

"What do you mean, 'you'? Niu Tao... I’ve told you before! Don’t think that just because you have a bit of brute strength, you can go around bullying people!"

Meng Lu spoke with earnest gravity. As she lectured, she pushed the flustered Niu Tao back a few steps and, with a display of righteous indignation, pulled me away from the doorway where I stood frozen. She continued to scold him.

"I used to think you were a tough guy with a good heart, that you weren't a bad person. How could you be so overbearing today? Do you have no sense of reason?"

"I, I, I..." Niu Tao felt deeply aggrieved. This wasn't the attitude Lulu had taken before. She had complained about how 'weak' the kid inside was, and how he insisted on hogging the room for so long without coming out...

Moreover, Xinyi had chimed in, badmouthing this pretty boy.

That was what had sparked Niu Tao's desire to show off in front of the beauties. Especially after seeing Qi Lin’s mediocre training stats (his warm-up routine), he looked down on him from the bottom of his heart, which led to the provocation just moments ago. He never expected that in the blink of an eye, Lulu would act like a completely different person, turning her back on him without a second thought.

This sudden shift left him struggling to process what had happened; he couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong.

I was being led by Lulu’s small hand, walking out of the mechanical combat room, feeling a bit strange.

A damsel in distress rescuing a hero?

To think that such a rare, once-in-a-lifetime scene would actually happen to me?

I felt both amused and fortunate. I looked at the clearly wronged Niu Tao, then back at the incredibly righteous young girl, Lulu. "So, their relationship isn't that great after all."

As I pondered this, I found it even more amusing to notice that this "big, dumb ox" seemed quite afraid of the girl called Lulu; he was left stuttering under her rebuke, unable to make a sound.

I smiled to myself, happy to stay out of it and watch how things unfolded.

However, at that moment, I overlooked one person. Xinyi, the girl who had been with Lulu and had egged Niu Tao on, had quietly turned away and was biting her lip to suppress a giggle, completely ignoring the "innocent and pleading" looks Niu Tao kept sending her way.

Xinyi hadn't expected Lulu to be such a talented actress. A single hint had been enough to make Niu Tao, who had just appeared on the scene, play the role of the bully, only for her to swoop in and perform the female hero archetype straight out of a cliché drama.

And she played the part so convincingly, too...

"Amazing! She's so talented!"

Filled with admiration, Xinyi was now full of confidence in Lulu's plan. If things continued to develop according to her scheme, there wouldn't be any mishaps. Since Lulu had stepped in personally, and once she used "that move" she had mentioned...

How could Qi Lin possibly escape?

Hehe, well then... there was going to be a good show to watch!

The innocent Xinyi felt she was being led astray by Lulu...

***

After launching into a long-winded list of Niu Tao's "sins," Lulu looked at the big, dumb ox—who had completely lost his "bully persona" and was now staring at her with a blank, speechless expression. She realized she had overacted; if she didn't stop while she was ahead, the guy would likely blow her cover!

She immediately shifted her tone.

"Alright... I won't hold it against you today! But don't you dare bully people again... or I won't let you off so easily next time! Go on, get out of here!"

Niu Tao, having caught on to the peculiarity of the situation, rolled his eyes: *She calls this not holding it against me? She’s been berating me for nearly ten minutes; if she were really holding a grudge, what would happen then?*

But Niu Tao had no choice now. It was his own fault for being dense; he had fallen for her trap from the start... His brain had overheated at the sight of a beauty, and he had eagerly jumped in to stand up for her, only to provide her with the perfect opportunity to set a trap on the fly.

Even though he still didn't understand why this guy—who wasn't particularly handsome—would make the notoriously high-minded Lulu come up with such a cheesy plan to approach him... since he was off the hook, it was better to retreat quickly!

He would treat this as a lesson learned. After all, the influence Lulu and Xinyi held over the boxing club was unmatched. If he let something slip and ruined Lulu’s plans, who knew if he could even keep "hanging around" this place.

So, the moment Lulu gave the word, he felt as if he had received a pardon. He turned and bolted into the mechanical combat room, slamming the door shut!

***

"My name is Meng Lu. I'm a member of the boxing club in this district. It's nice to meet you."

Once Niu Tao was gone, the small hand that had been pulling me was extended toward me again, accompanied by Meng Lu’s fresh, captivating smile.

"My name is Qi Lin! Just now... thank you."

As I replied, I didn't refuse the hand offered to me. I felt its softness for a brief moment before letting go: *Hmm, it feels even lighter than the beautiful Qingyu's...*

"Hehe, actually, we should be thanking you. It’s a good thing you didn't fight him, or he’d be lying in a hospital bed right now... right, Xinyi? You silly girl, where are you going? Come over here!"

Lulu smiled gently and called back Xinyi, who had been trying to sneak away.

I wasn't overly surprised by Lulu’s revelation. They must have arrived shortly after I started my training! I was just curious as to why they would come here at this time.

Also, there was a boxing club in this district?

Just as I was wondering, Xinyi walked back, sticking out her playful tongue.

I had seen her and Lulu at the Milai Restaurant before, but this was the first time I had looked at them closely from such a short distance.

Both girls were very beautiful, but Lulu seemed to be the outgoing type, appearing very sophisticated and decisive in her interactions and handling of situations.

Xinyi, on the other hand, was growing into a graceful young woman, giving off a pure, girl-next-door vibe.

If I had to describe them with two flowers...

A clanging rose and a cold, clear lily.

As Xinyi approached, Lulu shot a quick glance at my expression, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"So, what do you think? Is my friend Xinyi pretty?"

As soon as she said it, Xinyi heard her and, seeing Lulu pushing her with such an ambiguous tone, she immediately pouted, refusing to be outdone. "Hmph, I was just trying to create an opportunity for you two, why did you have to call me, the big third wheel, back?" Her reluctant expression seemed so genuine that it made me break into a cold sweat: *Misjudgment, total misjudgment.*

***

Even Lulu turned a rare shade of red, scolding her with a feigned pout.

"You bad girl, what are you saying? See if I don't tear your mouth shut when we get back."

"Pfft, I'm not afraid. You have a date with a handsome guy today, will you even go back with me? Tee-hee... haha, Lulu, you're blushing! Was I right about what you were thinking?"

Xinyi’s performance made me sigh again at my own misjudgment. This wasn't a "cold, clear lily"—she was a little spitfire!

But...

What kind of day was this?

First, I made a fool of myself in front of three beautiful girls, and now two of them were teasing me with such provocative jokes...

It was all too strange!

As the two girls laughed and bickered, I suddenly felt a bit awkward. I wasn't familiar with them and couldn't find a topic of conversation... On second thought, I had been outside for nearly an hour, and I didn't know if Dr. Ye had successfully changed into his hidden class...

So, I bid the two girls farewell.

The moment the words left my mouth, the expressions on their faces became as strange as could be.

"You're leaving?" Lulu looked stunned, unable to believe that a man would willingly pass up the chance to get close to two beauties.

"Yeah."

Seeing that I answered without hesitation, Xinyi, who had been emboldened to joke around with Lulu, immediately stuck out her tongue and said cautiously, "Are you angry because I was teasing you?"

"Haha, don't misunderstand. I just have something urgent to attend to! I'll chat with you two beauties when I have time later..."

I quickly explained, and Xinyi’s expression softened.

However, Meng Lu still looked quite disappointed, nodding helplessly.

"I see... Alright then. By the way, do you come here at this time every day? I’ll come at this time from now on. Could you teach me boxing?"

To be honest, Meng Lu’s disappointment was quite potent; after all, since I turned sixteen, I had rarely met girls that caught my interest, let alone rejected a decent one.

However, hearing her request, I was taken aback.

"Boxing?"

Under Meng Lu’s expectant gaze, I smiled and agreed.

"If nothing comes up, I'll be here at this time every day. But... what I practice isn't boxing, it's combat arts! It's not impossible for you to learn, but I don't have much time... How about this: give me your phone number. If I'm coming out, I'll call you. You can come here, I'll give you some pointers, and then you can practice on your own."

Meng Lu was overjoyed. "That's great! Here is my number... remember it, okay?"