Just One Step Away

"What are the club coaches even good for? Wasn't that head coach Liu Yu once a national-level coach? How did she train people who couldn't even handle Zhou En?"

"Do you know what the consequences will be if Zhou En defeats Li Hui in the official member selection match with this kind of strength?"

"Now, immediately, at once—have Coach Liu Yu give Li Hui individual training. He must defeat Zhou En in the selection match."

The principal was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, firing off a string of words like a machine gun.

Leng Yanxi could not help but give a bitter smile and said helplessly, "Father, today is the official member selection match."

The principal frowned tightly. To be honest, at his advanced age, handling all these trivial matters was becoming more than he could manage.

"Then find a way to stop Zhou En and Li Hui from fighting. Make up any excuse, such as Li Hui being unwell," the principal said slowly after pondering for a moment.

The bitter smile on Leng Yanxi's pretty face deepened, and she gently lifted her jade-like neck.

"Father, Zhou En and Li Hui's match has already ended. Zhou En defeated Li Hui and became one of the five official members." Afraid that the principal would misunderstand her again, Leng Yanxi made herself very clear this time.

"What?" The principal kicked the grand chair behind him over with so much force that it toppled to the floor.

His aged face was filled with shock and disbelief.

Seeing the principal's reaction, Leng Yanxi could not help but smile bitterly. When she had heard the news, she had also been stunned for a long time before recovering.

The last time she met Zhou E, she learned that Zhou En had been expelled from school, and Leng Yanxi had thought he could only silently endure that unwillingness. But today's reality had undoubtedly slapped Leng Yanxi hard across the face.

Even someone as proud as her had to admit that Zhou En truly was capable.

After the shock passed, the principal gradually calmed down as well. He knew that no matter what he did now, it was already too late. As a principal of many years, he quickly realized the problem that he—or rather, the school—needed to face.

The principal rubbed his temples painfully and said, "After the official members are selected this time, they are to be announced to the media in a week. Before the media interviews, Zhou En's student registration must be restored to the school."

The principal raised his chin at Leng Yanxi and said, "Yanxi, sorry for the trouble, but make a trip and bring Zhou En to my office."

Leng Yanxi's beautiful eyes widened. She pointed at herself with a slender, onion-like finger and asked in disbelief, "Me?"

The principal frowned, somewhat displeased. "This matter should be resolved as soon as possible. You wouldn't have your old father make the trip himself, would you?"

Leng Yanxi stomped her delicate foot in frustration and said unwillingly, "Got it."

She turned and stormed away, slamming the door with a bang loud enough to shake the room.

Seeing this, the principal's mouth twitched. That door had cost tens of thousands.

In the infirmary, when Zhou En slowly opened his eyes, he saw Chubby staring at him with an excited expression.

Zhou En rubbed his aching head and looked around.

"No need to look. This is the infirmary," Chubby explained.

"Not bad, Zhou En. You actually defeated Li Hui. You know, when the medical staff carried Li Hui away, they found that he was actually crying. A grown man crying like that—looks like he really holds a grudge against you."

Chubby spoke while wildly gesturing with his hands.

"He cried?" Zhou En muttered. He remembered it too. When Li Hui fell, there really had seemed to be a few tears at the corners of his eyes.

Zhou En shook his head and said, "Does Li Hui really value the position of official member that much? With the Iron Blood Gang backing him, he should do well even if he isn't an official member."

Chubby slapped Zhou En, making him grimace in pain.

"I'm telling you, Zhou En, is that how he treated you back then? And you're still speaking up for him?"

Zhou En immediately raised both hands in surrender and quickly changed the subject. "By the way, did Su Lin become an official member?"

At the mention of this, Chubby's expression became much more solemn. "Since Li Hui was defeated by you, Su Lin could only challenge Ling Tian, the second weakest one. What I didn't expect was that Su Lin actually won."

"He won? So Su Lin became an official member of the club too, just like me?"

Zhou En could not help recalling when he had first met Su Lin. Su Lin had clearly only just joined the club, yet he had been able to train Zhou En and Chubby, who knew nothing at all.

That obviously could not be explained by Su Lin simply saying that he had learned by watching others train. And when no one had been able to help Zhou En defeat Li Hui, Su Lin had actually come up with a solution.

It was clear that Su Lin possessed a deep foundation in martial arts. He was not the novice he claimed to be.

If Su Lin was a martial arts expert yet still joined the club as a bench trainee, that already explained plenty.

"Su Lin came for the club's official member positions too."

Zhou En and Chubby spoke in unison. At the same time, they were both somewhat puzzled. Why had Su Lin specifically chosen this school's club?

Just as Zhou En was racking his brains, the ward door was suddenly pushed open.

Zhou En and Chubby looked over.

Soft jade arms like snow lotus roots, graceful and well-rounded slender legs, smooth delicate calves, paired with skin as fine and supple as jade—it was a truly exquisite figure.

The campus belle, Leng Yanxi.

Chubby seemed to have been struck by a freezing spell, standing stupidly in place without the slightest reaction for a long time.

Zhou En's heart felt as though it had been struck by Cupid's arrow, pounding wildly. The blood stored in his kidneys rushed entirely toward the capillaries in his skin.

He gave a light cough and asked Leng Yanxi opposite him, "May I ask what this classmate needs from us?"

The moment he said it, regret surged through him. How could I use such an old-fashioned opening line? He secretly decided that he had to study up properly on Baidu, or he would not know what to do the next time he met her.

Leng Yanxi's willow brows furrowed slightly. She had come at the principal's request to bring him to the principal's office, but seeing Zhou En still lying in bed, she could not bring herself to say it.

"Classmate, is there something you need?" Zhou En could only make small talk.

After hesitating for a moment, Leng Yanxi asked, "Can you get out of bed now?"

Hearing the legendary campus belle actually speak to him, Zhou En's heartbeat sped up once more. Somewhat complacently, he said, "It's a minor issue. Of course I can get out of bed and walk."

Leng Yanxi nodded, then said to Zhou En, "Then come with me now." Zhou En could already feel Chubby's murderous glare beside him.

He gave a light cough and asked with feigned restraint, "May I ask where you're taking me, classmate?"

Leng Yanxi's willow brows furrowed, and she said with some displeasure, "Are you coming with me or not?" Leng Yanxi simply had no experience getting along with boys. Whenever she encountered someone trying to strike up a conversation before, she would just refuse them directly.

But this time, she was the one asking someone for something. Leng Yanxi was like a mute who had swallowed bitter herbs, suffering in silence.

"I should at least know who you are. After all, no one would follow a stranger," Zhou En said. Like an uncle trying to lure away a little girl, his mind was filled with wicked thoughts.

Just one step—only one step away from getting her phone number. A QQ number would do too.

"Leng Yanxi," Leng Yanxi said flatly.

"Oh, oh, oh." Zhou En feigned surprise. "So you're Classmate Leng Yanxi."

If it were Chubby, he would have asked what she had come to see him for, or whether she needed something.

Then, after the campus belle finished explaining her business, they would never see each other again, and his attempt to strike up a conversation would fail.