You Are Really No Match For Me [Fighting] - Chapter 20

By the time Jin Yu finished all her training routines, two hours had already passed. Sweat beaded on her forehead, a sheen glistening across her neck and collarbones.

Jin Mu handed her an electrolyte drink. She took a couple of sips, but her peripheral vision caught Su Xi running over with an ice cream cone in hand. She immediately turned her head and whispered to Jin Mu, “Stop her, quick.”

—Su Xi was off work unusually early today. They had agreed to eat together, yes, but not now!

Jin Mu turned around, his face darkening as he saw Su Xi waving the ice cream. “Athletes can’t have ice cream within two hours of training. Please leave,” he said coldly.

Su Xi’s radiant smile froze instantly. “How was I supposed to know? No one told me!”

“This is common sense,” Jin Mu replied, his voice like ice.

“So what? I’m not an athlete!” Su Xi tightened her grip on the wrapper.

Sensing the tension rising, Jin Yu hurried to smooth things over. “It’s fine. Just put it in the fridge—I’ll eat it later.”

Su Xi turned her face away. “But you promised to eat it with me… I even had the server pack it with extra ice to keep it cold.”

Jin Yu took the cone and set it on the fridge shelf. “I didn’t expect you to come so early. Usually you’re not off work until nine, and it’s only five now.”

Su Xi muttered, “Xiao Bai’s busy setting up the venue at the gym, so they closed early. I got to leave sooner than usual.”

“That’s my oversight. As compensation, would you like to watch me train?” Jin Yu asked with a smile.

Su Xi answered stiffly, “What’s so interesting about training? It’s always the same.”

“I could perform a set of sword techniques for you,” Jin Yu offered.

Su Xi stared at the glistening sweat in Jin Yu’s hair. Without another word, she pulled a packet of tissues from her bag and handed it over with a blank face. “Here.”

Jin Yu knew that was her way of agreeing. She spun around and shouted to Jin Mu, “Throw me the sword!”

Jin Mu flicked his hand, sending the long blade flying. Jin Yu leapt up, caught it midair, and with a flick of her wrist, the sword traced a bright arc of silver light before she settled it firmly at her left hip. The scabbard rasped against the blade with a clear metallic ring as she drew it free and flung the sheath behind her.

Both hands gripping the hilt, she swept the blade from her rear right to her upper left in a crescent arc. The back of the sword brushed her nape, then her hips snapped, driving the edge down in a fierce diagonal slash! Before the strike even finished, she spun left, body like a whirlwind, the tip darting forward like a viper striking at the void.

Her feet didn’t stop. She stepped forward, crossing her legs, the edge lifting in an upward rake before she chopped down hard from above. The blade tore the air, a sharp whistle splitting the silence.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Su Xi staring wide-eyed, mouth agape. Jin Yu’s lips curved faintly. With a sudden twist of her wrist, the blade bloomed into a silver wheel of light. She drove it forward in a slanted cut, dropped her right knee to anchor herself, and locked the blade across her chest, eyes gleaming like lightning.

Without pause, she drew the blade up in a sharp lift, cleaving down again, then thrust forward into the air. A nimble flip carried her around—another stab, then a driving chop. She retreated several steps, spun sharply on her left foot, hips snapping around in a full 180-degree spin. The sword carved a cold arc, then darted backward from under her arm!

Her final slash ripped the air, and she ended with the blade sheathed behind her with a resounding clang.

Su Xi’s piercing squeal split the training hall. “Holy crap, that was so cool! So damn cool!”

“So this is how the sword is meant to be used? You’re amazing, Xiao Yu…”

But Jin Mu was lost in thought.

After Jin Yu had once wielded the miao dao in combat, he had deliberately searched the databases for information on it. The miao dao was an antiquated weapon—he had combed through countless archives before finding an old manual called Ji Xiao Xin Shu, which described the fusion of the “Thirteen Postures” and the “Xin You Sword Method.”

His glasses tracked Jin Yu’s movements, marking her power sources and attack trajectories. The system identified her sequence: Opening stance 【Wrapping Head and Enveloping Neck】 → 【Reverse Thrust】 → 【Knee Guard】 → 【Upward Draw】 → 【Diagonal Slash】 → 【Underarm Thrust】, closing form.

But this knowledge wasn’t something one could casually find—he himself had pieced it together from obscure records. How could a girl from a small county like Puling, with no martial arts background, possibly know and master this discipline?

While digging, he’d also checked Jin Yu’s personal records. Her parents ran a small grocery store, their family was modestly well-off. She’d gone through school normally, her files and photos were all intact. Her teachers’ evaluations even described her as introverted, needing to socialize more.

Yet the girl before him brimmed with confidence and resolve, her blade mastery razor-sharp, her eyes burning with ambition. How could she be the same shy, downcast child in those photos?

Was it truly the same person?

Or had something happened to transform her so drastically? What had pushed her, after graduating college, to travel so far to Jiangbei and work under Boss Mo as a janitor despite her degree?

The mystery surrounding her only deepened.

Jin Mu clapped his hands. “That’s enough. Eat something, then we’ll start reaction training.”

Jin Yu nodded, wiping sweat from her face and neck. “I’ll grab a bite with Su Xi. Want to join us?” she asked politely.

To her surprise, Jin Mu agreed.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, the three of them stepped out of the training hall—only to bump into Xiao Bai carrying takeout.

“Hey! We’ve never eaten together before!” Xiao Bai yelled excitedly. “Come on, let’s go for skewers!”

“I have a match tomorrow, I can’t eat that today,” Jin Yu refused.

Xiao Bai drooped, but perked up again instantly. “Then how about—”

“Western food,” Jin Mu interrupted. “There’s a good place nearby. My treat.”

Xiao Bai muttered under his breath, “Western food, huh? Pretentious much. He’ll get struck by lightning.”

Su Xi jabbed him with her elbow. “Shut up. He’s treating, so he gets to choose.”

“Pfft.” Xiao Bai rolled his eyes.

Ahead, the atmosphere was equally tense. Jin Yu noticed Jin Mu’s frequent distraction and realized he must already suspect something. But she herself had no answers—she had to crack the passwords on those two USB drives soon to uncover the truth.

Jin Mu, on the other hand, considered another possibility: Did Jin Yu perhaps have a twin sister? Dinner would be a good chance to test her.

Though both harbored secrets, they maintained a veneer of harmony. Their looks and presence were striking; walking side by side, they exuded an inexplicable sense of compatibility. Even without any intimate gestures, the faint CP-like aura drew stares from passersby.

Xiao Bai narrowed his eyes and whispered to Su Xi, “You know why he’s paying?”

Su Xi played along. “Why?”

“Because I saw him kiss Xiao Yu today,” Xiao Bai confided, voice low and conspiratorial. “I think that idiot’s into her. Buying dinner’s just to butter her up. Just watch—he’s bound to make a scene in the restaurant.”

Su Xi was about to retort that Jin Yu would never go for someone like him, when a sudden voice cut in.

“Pretty lady!”

A fortune teller popped out of an alley, blocking their way. He looked to be about sixty, with kind eyes and dressed in a navy Tang suit—fine material, Su Xi noted, despite its plain look. On his feet, though, were ridiculously expensive sneakers.

Most eye-catching of all was his goat-like beard, gray streaked with white, tied at the end with a red thread. It bobbed with his words like a goat chewing cud.

“Want me to read your fortune? I’m very accurate!”

“No thanks,” Su Xi waved him off instantly, pegging him as a scammer. “I’m not interested in romance.”

The old man wasn’t discouraged. He turned to Xiao Bai. “Young man, how about your career? From your face, you’re destined for greatness!”

“Really?” Xiao Bai’s eyes lit up, instantly forgetting his grudge against Jin Mu. “Tell me when I’ll become a super-famous agent!”

The old man stroked his beard, chuckling. “Of course. But… treat me to some skewers and a beer, and I’ll give you the full reading.”

Xiao Bai had already had enough of the Western food idea. He grabbed Su Xi’s arm. “Let’s go! Skewers it is!”

Su Xi glanced between Jin Yu and Jin Mu, then at the suspicious old man and the wafting scent of grilled meat from afar. The choice was obvious.

“Can’t get used to Western food anyway. We’re going for skewers!” she called, waving at Jin Yu before she and Xiao Bai whisked the old man off.

As they left, the fortune teller exclaimed, “There’s a place called Yi Jie Skewers! Absolutely delicious, prices fair too—”

Su Xi twitched her lips. Was this guy just scamming meals all along?

At the restaurant, Jin Mu held the door for Jin Yu, and she stepped inside first. The moment she passed, a wave of fragrance hit him—rose and pomegranate shampoo, the kind the training center provided. Usually, it barely masked the sweat of the male athletes, but on her it was unexpectedly heady.

Inside, Jin Mu immediately spotted Ding Shu at another table. Across from him sat a woman in a suit—clearly Ding Shu’s jacket on her shoulders.

Ding Shu noticed them too. He stiffened, then forced a smile. “Are you two here for a date?”

“In unison, Jin Mu and Jin Yu answered, “No.”

Jin Mu chuckled softly, glancing at the woman. “And you two?”

She turned, long lashes framing bright eyes, lips curving into a charming smile. “Are you friends of Ding Shu’s? Nice to meet you. I’m his fiancée.”

Jin Mu raised an eyebrow. “Known you this long and never knew you had a fiancée.”

Ding Shu sneaked a look at Jin Yu. Her face betrayed no reaction, as if uninterested, which pricked at his heart. “I only found out a few days ago—it’s an arranged engagement from childhood.”

The woman beamed warmly. “Since we’re all friends, why not sit and chat while we eat?”

Jin Yu politely declined. “Thanks, but we still have things to do. Another time, perhaps?”

“Of course. I’m Lu Mingyue. Nice to meet you, Jin Yu.”

Jin Yu blinked, then quickly returned the smile. “Nice to meet you, Mingyue.”

The two of them found another table.

When it came time to order, Jin Yu smoothly requested a tomahawk steak and cream of mushroom soup. Jin Mu watched her flipping through the menu with practiced ease, and chuckled. “So, does Puling County have that many Western restaurants for you to practice in, Miss Jin?”

To be this familiar with Western dining—so much for a modest upbringing.

Jin Yu lowered her hand and replied evenly, “I’ve had it a few times before.”

Jin Mu nodded lightly, tone casual but edged. “I’ve had it a few times myself, but you seem far more adept. Perhaps you really are exceptionally gifted.”

Jin Yu twitched her lips but played along. “Yes, I am that brilliant—everything I learn, I master at once.”

The server arrived with their dishes. “Here’s your steak. Enjoy.”

Jin Mu eyed his plate with mock distress. “Ah, what a pity. I can never quite manage cutting steak properly. Could our prodigy, Miss Jin, help me out?”

Jin Yu finally rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you eaten Western food a few times already? Still can’t manage?”

Jin Mu nodded sincerely. “Perhaps I just lack the talent you have.”

“…”

With an exasperated huff, Jin Yu reached for his plate.

Men were supposed to cut steak for women, not the other way around. The surrounding diners shot Jin Mu reproachful looks for his utter lack of gentlemanly manners.

Jin Mu, who had meant to tease her, found himself embarrassed instead, his face flushing red. “No need. I suddenly remembered how after all.”

Idiot. Jin Yu bit into her steak with vigor, cursing him silently in her heart.