You Are Really No Match For Me [Fighting] - Chapter 13

A long time ago, before Jinyu became a champion, her path had never been smooth sailing. She was a genius, yes—but there are many geniuses in the world. Why was it that, in the end, she was the one who stood victorious?

Thud!

The little girl was thrown onto the padded mat with a heavy over-the-shoulder toss, landing hard on her backside.

Opposite her, a nine-year-old boy with a round, mischievous face stuck out his tongue and pulled a funny face, pointing at the tearful little girl with pigtails.
“Hahaha, Little Yu is crying! Crybaby, crybaby!”

The girl, only seven, scrunched up her dumpling-like face, sniffled, and glared at him, her childish voice fierce:
“Li Chengxi, you just wait for me!”

“Fine, I’ll wait. But next time you lose to me, don’t cry again!”

Her answer was an upturned middle finger.

Every day, the little girl kept a rigid routine: up at 7, bed by 9. Morning training, horse stance, punching drills, then after lunch she’d spar with her fellow disciples.

Of course, the older disciples always held back when sparring with her. She refused to accept it. But when they tried going harder, they couldn’t bring themselves to truly fight a child. In the end, she was left with no choice but to fight herself—over and over, replaying and simulating battles in her head.

Like a tireless calf, she trained endlessly—practice, eat, sleep, practice, eat, sleep. Her small face grew flushed under the blazing sun, sweat soaking through her back, her legs and feet aching beyond measure. She was only at the age of growth, yet every day she drove herself to the limit.

Not long after, late one night, she had barely fallen asleep when her growing legs cramped violently. She screamed for her mother in pain.

Her mother hurried in, massaging her calf until the knot eased. Then, in a tender but exasperated tone, she showed her own hands, blistered from housework. She tapped her daughter’s forehead lightly, fetched a sewing kit from the cupboard, disinfected a needle, and pulled Jinyu’s little hand into hers.

In just a few days, the thin calluses on her palms had thickened, water blisters forming on her middle and ring fingers.
“You… always so stubborn, always competing with yourself. You’re still so young, yet you’re already so hard on your own body. Don’t you ever feel sorry for yourself?”

Her father came too, face stern.
“Girl, remember this—martial artists must not let obsession and pride control them.”

The little girl clung to her mother’s arm, resting her head on her shoulder and pouting.
“I’m not trying to win… I just want to get good at martial arts.”

Her father sat on the bed, lifting the blanket that covered her feet.
“Any blisters on your feet?”

Before she could hide them, he caught sight of her big toe, swollen with a blister. His brows furrowed with both anger and pity as he pinched her sole.
“Jinyu, look at your foot. Do you even understand what gradual training means?”

“Ow! I don’t, I don’t! How could I know it would get like this in just two days?” she yelped.

“Alright, alright,” her mother cut in, “don’t be so harsh. She’s a child, it’s natural for her to want to win.”

Jinyu froze. Wait—she hadn’t told them she lost. How did they know? She fiddled nervously with her hands.
“You already know I lost to Li Chengxi, don’t you?”

Her father snorted.
“Of course. You think we wouldn’t know? That boy’s a head taller than you, and you still challenged him. Serves you right for losing.” He reached out and pinched her tiny nose.

Jinyu swatted his hand away, whining like a spoiled child.
“Daddy, don’t touch my face with the same hand you pinched my foot with! I was wrong, okay? Teach me! Teach me how to beat him, please?”

Her mother, gently holding her blistered foot, pricked it with the sterilized needle and pressed out the fluid.
“No. Not until your blisters heal.”

Jinyu squirmed.
“But—but he’s leaving the dojo soon! If I wait until my foot heals, who knows when I’ll get to spar him again?”

Her father looked her in the eye.
“You want to win that badly?”

Her eyes lit up instantly.
“Yes! I dream of it every night!”

“…Fine. Tomorrow morning at 8, meet me at the back mountain.”

“Mua, mua!” She planted wet kisses all over his chin and neck. “Thank you, Daddy!” She even kissed her mother on the cheek. “Thank you, Mommy!”

Her mother sighed, half-complaining,
“See? You spoil her too much.”

Her father tried to put on a stern face, but the smile tugging at his lips betrayed him. A thought crossed his mind: This little rascal isn’t just acting all this up to trick me, is she?

Satisfied, Jinyu shooed them out of the room.
“Time to sleep! Don’t disturb me. I have to wake up early tomorrow for training!”

And so, under her father’s strict guidance, Jinyu’s fighting technique and awareness improved day by day. When Li Chengxi was about to leave the dojo, she challenged him again—not in private this time, but openly, in front of all the adults. Clearly, she had prepared for this moment.

The two children squared off seriously. Li Chengxi was steady and methodical; Jinyu was agile and inventive. After several exchanges, her bare foot landed squarely on his face with a loud smack, winning her the match.

The so-called “friendly” martial arts exchange ended amid Li Chengxi’s wails of “I’m never coming back!” and both sets of parents apologizing to each other—“Forgive my son’s rudeness” versus “Forgive my daughter’s impertinence.”

Later that night, Jinyu thought of her gentle mother and strict father. A bittersweet ache welled up in her chest.
I miss home. I miss Mom and Dad so much.

Riding ahead on the motorcycle, Su Xi overheard her murmur. Her body stiffened, and she whispered too,
“I miss home too… I miss my mom and dad.”

One had a home she could not return to. The other had a home long gone. On that empty street, the cold wind rushing past them, both girls sank into their own thoughts.

When they reached Jinyu’s building, the alcohol had mostly worn off and her wounds no longer hurt as badly. She got off the bike and hugged Su Xi tightly.
“Thank you today, Sister Su Xi. This is the happiest I’ve been since I came here. I really mean it.”

Su Xi, flustered by the warmth of her breath against her neck, stammered,
“N-no need… as long as you’re happy.”

Watching Jinyu wave from the window upstairs, Su Xi suddenly thought—maybe having a sibling wouldn’t be so bad. If she had a little sister like Jinyu, she wouldn’t even mind sharing her inheritance.

Meanwhile, on Jiangbei’s highest slope, the luxurious Yunlu villa district glittered with scattered lights. Italian-style mansions clung to the hillside like jewelry boxes, each window glowing with restrained opulence.

The most striking of all was a glass mansion, its three stories of floor-to-ceiling windows gleaming transparent—though thanks to special coatings, no one outside could glimpse within.

Inside, however, a housekeeper sobbed uncontrollably in front of a young girl.
“What a sin… Who could be so cruel to a child? Born without hands, abandoned by her own parents, left in my care for twelve years…”

“Zhang Ma!”

“…And just when she’s grown safely this far, she suffers again. Bullied at school, hurt every day… Oh, such misfortune, such misfortune!”

“Zhang Ma, have you cried enough? If you have, then call Dr. Wang to treat my injuries.”

“My little miss, forgive me. I was so distraught I lost myself. I’ll call him right away.” With trembling hands, the old woman fumbled with her outdated phone, repeatedly pressing the wrong buttons.

“You’re too slow. At this rate, I’ll bleed dry. Use the neural headset.”

“But little miss, these eyes are too old to read the tiny words on that thing. I can’t…”

“Ugh, give it here.”

The girl donned the headset, her mechanical hand tapping deftly.
“Dr. Wang, come here immediately. At once!”

The housekeeper leaned over nervously.
“Yes, yes, this is Zhang Ma. Sorry to bother you so late, Doctor, thank you, truly—”

The girl snapped the call off.
“Thank him for what? He eats at my house, he does his job.”

With that, she limped to the changing room, peeling off her bloodied clothes.

A large bruise darkened her ribs, speckled with crimson. She touched her side gingerly, and the pain made her hiss, nearly collapsing to her knees. From this angle, more purple welts marred her shoulders and back.

Furious, she struck the floor with her fist. She had dressed low-key today to scout the area, even left her neural headset behind to avoid detection by local base stations—yet she’d run into that group of idiots.
This grudge will be repaid! Ugh—hurts so damn much!

“Little miss, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Go see if Dr. Wang has arrived. Let him in when he comes.”

She put on a bathrobe, staggering toward the bathroom. But just as she reached the doorway, dizziness overwhelmed her. The tiled floor loomed larger and larger.

Through the haze, she caught glimpses of Dr. Wang in his mask, and Zhang Ma’s ceaseless muttering.

“Poor child… Why didn’t you call sooner? Out one night and already beaten so badly… Who could lay such cruel hands on her? And still no answer from her parents’ phones—what are we to do?”

The girl’s lips were pale, her voice hoarse.
“Zhang Ma… can you stop crying? Your crying gives me a headache.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll stop. I’ll just wait at the door. Call me if you need anything, hm?”

She managed a faint “Mm.” As she tried to sit up, Dr. Wang supported her carefully.
“Careful, miss. Don’t strain your wounds.”

“My injuries are treated, right?”

“Yes. The medicine works quickly—you’ll be fine tomorrow.”

“…Good.” She paused, then asked, “You can prepare an injury assessment report, right?”

“How severe would you like it to read?”

“As severe as possible. I want those bastards to know—I am not some pushover.”

“Yes, miss. I’ll have it ready in three days.”

“Fine. You may leave.”

Outside, she faintly overheard Dr. Wang and Zhang Ma whispering:

“What do we do? Her parents still won’t answer. She’s hurt this badly, and they don’t even care. How can parents be so heartless?”

“Shh. Don’t speak of the masters’ affairs. Someone might overhear.”

“But I’ve watched her grow up since she was little. Such a sweet child, yet they abandoned her… And now she’s hurt, with no adults to protect her. She doesn’t even confide in me. What am I supposed to do?”

“Trust her, Zhang Ma. She knows what she’s doing. She asked me for the injury report.”

“Yes, yes… She’s clever, and her grades are good… But still, how could her parents—ah…”

The painkillers began to take effect. Their voices, muffled through the door, drifted farther away—yet each word pierced the girl’s heart like a blade.

She buried her face in the pillow, her prosthetic hand clenching unconsciously, crushing the down filling into lumps.

Suddenly, she hurled the pillow at the door.
“Get out! I don’t need pity from a pair of servants!”

But her hoarse voice cracked, dissolving into a quiet, sorrowful sob.

Outside, Zhang Ma set a small stool by the door, keeping vigil. She dozed fitfully, ears tuned for movement inside. At last, after many stifled sobs, the girl drifted into sleep.