You Are Really No Match For Me [Fighting] - Chapter 19

Su Xi asked, “Why did that kid come here? Xiaoyu, did you bring her over?”

Jinyu shook her head. “Not me, she ran here herself.”

“Alright then. Take a look around—how’s the renovation? If everything’s fine, I’ll call the cleaners over.”

Jinyu walked a slow circle. The lounge mainly consisted of a locker room, showers, and a recreation-office space—the room they were in now. Once the lights were on, it actually looked quite spacious. The furniture was complete; the changing room and shower were side by side, simple and bright.

Kaneki said, “That’s my oversight. Most fighters in the arena are men, it really isn’t convenient for you.”

Su Xi nodded. “But now it’s sorted out. Not bad, right? Cabinets, shower, sink, sofa, table—all the furniture is from Maison. I noticed you usually wear white, beige, and black, so the overall design’s in beige and coffee tones.”

From inside the changing room, Jinyu poked her head out. “It’s gorgeous, I really love it! Su Xi, you’re amazing!”

Su Xi grinned. “Of course—who do you think I am?” She was about to go call the cleaners when she turned and saw Xiao Bai lying on the still-plastic-wrapped sofa. With a black VR headset covering half his face, he lazily worked a controller in his hands, one leg crossed over the other. The guy had the nerve to be gaming here of all places.

Disgusted, Su Xi kicked his leg. “Bai Hanqing, can you be serious for once? You think this is your house? Just lying around anywhere you like? This place hasn’t even been cleaned yet!”

Still absorbed in his game, Xiao Bai muttered dismissively, “Looks clean enough to me. No need to sweep.”

Su Xi realized—no need to look for a cleaner, there was already a ready-made one.

She grabbed his ear and yanked him up. “Go clean. And don’t you dare lie down again until you’ve swept the place three times over!”

Then her eyes drifted toward Kaneki, who was still leaning silently in the corner. Unlike Xiao Bai, she didn’t dare order him around. Yet he neither left nor offered to help, just stood there watching. Su Xi leaned toward Jinyu, who was peeling plastic off a cabinet, and whispered,

“Why hasn’t Kaneki left yet? You two still have business?”

Jinyu glanced at him—still motionless like some tool standing by—and at Xiao Bai playing with water in the shower. She bent close and lowered her voice. “Do you know what Kaneki does?”

Su Xi shook her head. “Nope. He’s pretty mysterious, none of us dare ask.”

Jinyu murmured, “He’s a bounty hunter.” Last time she’d gone to buy a knife, maybe he was on a mission then.

“What?!” Su Xi clapped a hand over her mouth, dropping her voice even lower. “No way—are you serious? How do you know?”

“I stumbled across it. Doesn’t look like it, right? Honestly, I thought he was some white-collar elite.”

“I thought…” Su Xi stifled a laugh, “I thought he was some crime boss! The type who tosses people into the sea for shark food.”

Jinyu smirked. “Your imagination really runs wild.”

Su Xi tied up her hair. “That’s how dramas always play it! And look at him—cold, silent, and whenever he does speak, someone’s in for trouble. He doesn’t look easy to mess with. Either a big boss or a villainous big bad.” She wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Ugh, it’s hot today. Once we’re done here, how about we grab ice cream?”

“Can’t,” Jinyu shook her head. “The competition starts tomorrow. I need extra training tonight.”

“You’re kidding. By the time we’re finished cleaning, it’ll be past one, the hottest time of day. You’re still gonna work out?”

“Kaneki made me a proper training plan. I’ve already gone too long without real training.”

“How long?”

“A week.”

Yes, it had been a week since Jinyu crossed over. Back in her old routine, she was practically glued to the training base—morning runs, drills, full workouts every day. Here, only the morning jogs had continued. For an athlete, that was barely warm-up. Now, with the right conditions and a new plan, it was time to return to training.

A week off could count as a little vacation, anyway.

Su Xi rolled her eyes. “A week’s nothing. Plenty of fighters disappear for half a month.”

Jinyu blinked her bright eyes, curving them into cat-like arcs, her expression soft and pitiful.

Su Xi’s cheeks reddened. She turned away with a huff. “Fine, I’ll buy you some.”

Jinyu clasped her hands, her voice sweet and coaxing. “Thank you, Sister Su Xi—”

Suddenly Kaneki’s ear twitched. He spoke up. “Su Xi, someone’s looking for you downstairs.”

“Got it. It’s a deal then—I’ll be back.” She waved and left.

As soon as the lounge door closed, Jinyu’s sweet smile vanished, replaced by her usual cool detachment.

Kaneki studied her, amusement flickering in his eyes.

—Interesting.

They said women were the most mercurial of creatures; her expressions shifted seamlessly. Just now she’d looked at him with rational, sharp, merciless eyes—as if he were her prey.

Yes, Kaneki thought, she was like a leopard, and he the gazelle or monkey under her gaze.

Elegant, agile, intelligent, born radiating strength. Sometimes spoiled and adorable, yet the instant prey appeared she became taut and deadly: calculating, striking, killing in one blow. Then mercifully devouring her prize piece by piece.

Her cuteness and arrogance were never aimed at him—but he didn’t mind.

After all, they were not the same kind.

He was no gazelle, no monkey, no animal of the wild. He was a man—the most ruthless, darkest kind of man: a bounty hunter.

The two of them, one an assassin lurking in shadows, the other a warrior chasing under the sun—destined never to be friends.

Jinyu cut straight to the point. “Have you killed before?”

Kaneki’s gaze turned sharp, dangerous. He leaned in until they were eye-level. “What do you think?”

Jinyu sneered. “I’m asking you.”

Behind his glasses, his eyes grew sharper still, but his lips curled in a faint smile, as if playing some grim counting game. “Oh, let me think… one, two, three, four… Seems like quite a few.”

“Truth or lies?” Her smile was thin and mocking.

Their breaths crossed. Their eyes clashed like invisible blades, the air between them boiling.

Just then, Xiao Bai emerged holding a damp cloth. From his angle, it looked like Kaneki was about to kiss Jinyu.

“Kaneki, you bastard! Don’t you dare kiss Xiaoyu! And don’t you dare like her!” he shouted.

The tense atmosphere shattered instantly. Jinyu turned her face aside, flustered. Kaneki shot Xiao Bai a cold glare. He shrank back but then puffed out his chest, righteous indignation giving him courage.

“What, am I wrong? You came here as her coach just so you could chase her, right? I’m telling you, forget it! A guy like you doesn’t deserve Xiaoyu!”

Kaneki arched a brow. “Oh? And why not?”

Xiao Bai cleared his throat. “When Jinyu becomes a champion, she’ll be rich and famous. What do you have? Oh, right, money and a Maserati. But so what? You look stingy as hell, the kind who’d never spend a dime on a woman. Why would Xiaoyu ever look at you?”

So that two-million-yuan car was a Maserati. No wonder Jinyu had suspected—it was the same as the vice president of their agency drove.

Kaneki suddenly laughed, then his face went cold. “Do you know who paid for your crashed drone, for this lounge renovation, and for tomorrow’s competition ring?”

Xiao Bai glanced nervously at Jinyu.

Their eyes met. A chilling realization struck them both.

“No way… it was you?” Xiao Bai laughed weakly.

“Smart boy,” Kaneki said with a snort.

Xiao Bai’s confidence faltered, but he kept up the front. “S-So what? You should pay! With Jinguang’s reputation, he’ll make plenty from the fights anyway!”

Kaneki’s smile was razor-thin. “The next two months will all be your matches. How many do you think he’ll win in this arena? Or better yet—how many people will even show up to watch?”

Xiao Bai shot Jinyu a pitiful look.

She finally said, “We thought the boss was paying. If that’s the case, then once we start earning, we’ll pay you back.”

“No need,” Kaneki said coolly. “Wouldn’t want anyone saying I’m stingy, unwilling to spend on you.”

The words slipped out before he realized their implication—that he wanted to spend on her. His expression hardened. “Enough chatter. Jinyu, are you training today? If not, I’ll leave.”

Jinyu gathered herself, told Xiao Bai, “The lounge is in your hands. Remember to air it out. I’m off to train.” She walked past Kaneki. “Let’s go, coach.”

The two left together. Xiao Bai cleaned at lightning speed, then flopped onto the sofa. The springs bounced him up. Patting the cushions, he muttered, “Damn, this sofa’s too comfy. After all this hard work, I’m gonna game hard to reward myself.”

Outside, the two walked side by side in silence until they reached the training room. Jinyu touched the doorknob when Kaneki finally spoke.

“Believe it or not, I’ve never done anything illegal.”

“Mm, I know,” she said, turning the handle.

He pressed her hand down. “Be serious.”

She shot him a sidelong glance, pushing his hand away. “Who started joking first?”

Kaneki adjusted his glasses awkwardly. “Fine. Just—keep this secret.”

Jinyu grinned slyly. “Too late. I already told Su Xi.” She shut the door in his face.

Caught off guard by her smile, he froze. By the time he reacted, the door was closing. He jammed a foot in the gap, forced his way inside, and fixed his gaze on the back of her head.

Her little trick failed, but she didn’t flinch—just moved calmly to an open space to stretch, refusing to look his way.

The surrounding fighters sensed their strange tension and glanced over curiously.

Kaneki chuckled low. What was with him today? Why was he going along with her antics? He strode forward, pulled out a tablet, and stated briskly,

“From three to five this afternoon: 8 sled pushes with 6kg over-and-back, 4 sets of 40kg front squats, 4 sets of 40kg hip thrusts, 4 sets of 3kg dumbbell box jumps, and 5 sets of resistance band wide-stance jumps. Focus on explosive power and core stability. Tonight, add 30 minutes of reaction drills.”

He tucked the tablet away. “These movements all simulate real fight bursts. Warm up now.”

“Yes, Coach,” Jinyu said.

In an even tone, Kaneki explained further: “The sled pushes build acceleration and braking—crucial for sudden attacks and quick retreats. Weighted squats strengthen your core under pressure, so you can keep stable in grappling. Hip thrusts train posterior chain explosiveness, key for standing back up on the ground. Box jumps sharpen vertical power, boosting your knee strikes and defensive height. Finally, the band jumps increase hip mobility, widening your sweep kick range by roughly fifteen percent.”

He paused. “The whole plan is based on your last fight’s technical analysis.”

Jinyu, in the middle of a high reach, froze at the last line. Her eyes curved into happy crescents, lips lifting in a wide smile. Her ponytail bounced with each nod. “Thanks a lot—Professional Coach Kaneki.”