Popcorn and Cola Were the Perfect Pair

We'll gloss over this little incident in life; it wasn't something Jiang Xueming cared about.

Like Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction—you're in the movie theater eating popcorn and drinking Coke, listening to line after line that seems like nonsense, but isn't necessarily nonsense, and the passage of time is always accompanied by various montage shots.

If you recall, just twenty hours ago, our camera was focused on Bu Mei Ayumi's pajamas.

Her breasts were half-exposed, her eyes were alluring, and the scent of lilies from her shower gel wafted from her pink dress. She had just taken a shower, and her skin was fair with a rosy glow.

The thoughts in this wicked older sister's mind are simple yet profound.

She thought to herself that her son really had good taste; not only could he bring back a shrewd and cunning con artist who was quick to make money, but he also had a knack for luring people back from outside.

They can even win back a dull young man who looks like a movie star.

To be honest, in order to connect with her son, she did some research on what anime and manga really meant, and just caught up with the latest episode of One Piece.

This young man named Xue Ming seems unaware of just how powerful his [Face Fruit] superpower truly is.

Aunt Mei thought about it carefully for a short while, just a short while.

Her own child has never had much ambition since Dadu, and being able to grow up happily and live freely is what makes her most gratified.

Now that I finally have a goal and an older brother, and I want to open a shop, this is great news.

There are plenty of good-looking people in the world, I don't need just one more, right?

--According to this logic, this despicable act constitutes stealing someone else's love. My son will probably be heartbroken for a very, very long time, and will resent me as his mother for the rest of his life.

Thinking this through, Aunt Mei abandoned her aggressive stance.

She regained her composure and simply pressed the music play button on the smart home multimedia panel.

"I have a favor to ask, young man."

"If I can help, I will try my best. But..." Jiang Xueming felt very embarrassed; he didn't know what Aunt Mei was thinking.

--These wealthy and powerful families are mostly people who enjoy themselves; ordinary people simply can't understand their lives.

They have plenty of material resources, which they can exchange for all sorts of bizarre and wonderful life experiences.

Xue Ming only hoped that Aunt Mei's request wouldn't be too outrageous.

Aunt Mei stood up and spun around.

"Will you dance with me?"

A light and lively piano melody drifted from the sound system in the lobby.

The music is very retro.

<You Never Can Tell> -- Pulp Fiction film score.

Xue Ming was expressionless as she swayed her hips on the mini stage.

Aunt Mei was graceful and ethereal, wearing sunglasses and swaying her head to the rhythm.

They made peace signs, like a pair of swans courting, swaying their arms and hips to the music.

A Xing and Bailu sat in the audience, munching on popcorn and drinking cola.

The two children were chatting idly, and I couldn't understand a word they were saying.

"Does my mommy want to turn Ming Ge into her little lover?"

"No, people say sons resemble their mothers, but there's no such thing as mothers resembling their sons, right?"

What does this sentence mean?

"Intellectual disability is not hereditary."

I suspect you're insulting me.

"Be bold, remove the words 'I suspect' from your statement."

"Waaaaah, why did you hurt me?"

"Because I'm close to your aunt, I know she's a very kind and warm-hearted person. Do you know how hard it is to be a good person? You can't be a good person if you're not very bright! Don't worry, your aunt won't force my brother to do anything weird!"

"That's true. It's been so long, and Mommy still hasn't shown any intention of getting married or having a second child. She's protecting me and herself."

"Perhaps this is the trouble of the rich."

A Xing tossed popcorn up, and it landed in Bailu's mouth.

Bailu tossed popcorn into the air, and it landed in A Xing's mouth.

The perfect pair clinked glasses and downed a mouthful of their favorite sugary drink.

The children in the audience were talking about everyday life.

The adults on stage were chatting about having fun.

Halfway through their energetic twist dance, Bu Mei and Xue Ming started chatting about trivial things.

Does my son care about you a lot?

"Auntie, I don't know what he's thinking, but I care about him a lot."

"Are you interested in helping me take care of him? He's a real handful."

"Speaking of taking care of each other, A Xing and I have always had a relationship of mutual care, Auntie."

"Call me 'sister,' you sound too old."

"I have a partner, arranged by my elders, and I also consider you an elder."

"Oh! So that means I almost stole two loves?"

"I hope Auntie can understand, you shouldn't lack for fun, right?"

"Hey, what's up? Let's talk after we dance."

Is this dance important?

"It seems like you've never been in a relationship with a girl?"

"Uh, indeed."

"Do you want your older sister to teach you how to be a grown-up?"

Is this dance important?

"It doesn't matter to you, but I feel really happy! I enjoy dancing with good-looking young boys."

"Just dancing?"

"What else can I do? Marry these handsome boys and have children? Have even more little babies?"

"This is an area where I'm not familiar with the subject, Aunt Mei, you can't ask me! I don't know!"

"Stories always love to talk about the romance between men and women, but they never tell you what happens to the princess and prince after they've had their fun and lived happily ever after, right?"

That's how it's said.

"Sometimes even when the kids are out picking up takeout, they're counting the drinks that come with the main meal."

"To you, A Xing shouldn't count, right?"

"Yes, when I saw this baby fall out of me, handed to me by the doctor in the delivery room, I was on tenterhooks every day, thinking about how to write my will."

At this point, Aunt Mei's mood became low.

"After writing my will, I'll grow old. Once I'm old, I'll have one foot in the coffin. When I do, I'll see my little baby crying sadly. I don't want him to be sad—if you want to have fun, you have to know your limits. I'm already too busy taking care of just one baby."

Aunt Mei perked up again, and when she smiled, she had that lively and cheerful quality of A Xing, but with a gentle strength.

"This son is a gift from God. He teaches this silly fifteen-year-old girl to grow up quickly, to live an upright life, and never to be troubled by love again. How could I bear to hurt him?"

"That's a good thing, Auntie."

"Please, just during this dance, can you call me 'sister'? Only during this dance? I promise I'll be a good mother at all other times."

"Sister." Xue Ming pursed her lips, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Bu Mei seized the opportunity, and with their synchronized steps, she put her arm around Xue Ming's shoulder, made a peace sign, and took a photo together.

The way her lips curved in a smile and the way she squinted her eyes to charm him were exactly the same as A Xing's.

It's like saying...

[Ta-da! This is the little friend I just met!]

Xue Ming felt only warmth and familiarity.

--I can no longer feel that aggressive and oppressive feeling from the aunt.

But the next second, his smile vanished.

He clearly saw Aunt Mei send the photos to the "Rich Women's Club" WeChat group, where she boasted and swindled people. Then, a flood of new messages appeared: some asked for phone numbers, some needed their computers repaired, some needed their drains unclogged, and some were hiring gardeners to trim the flowers. The hourly rates offered were outrageous, making Xue Ming want to call the police immediately.

Aunt Mei merely gave him a flirtatious look, her eyes and brows like fiery red rosebuds about to bloom, and replied with a line that echoed the lyrics of the music.

"C'est la vie!"

[This is life!]

Just this one dance--

Bu Mei was already satisfied.

She has many, many dance partners, but very few who are truly compatible.

There were many unruly individuals who made unwanted advances, trying to extract more from the wealthy woman and her family.

The good brothers of the Hung Hom Police Department can often find these ungrateful Xiao Bai in Victoria Harbour, along with their life preservers.

Aunt Mei often dances with her son; this ritual makes her feel like she's fifteen again, eating high-calorie desserts, gulping down cola, and then experiencing stomach chills for days.

She felt that Jiang Xueming was a very compatible child. There were even a few times when she wanted to break the rules, but she could tell from the child's eyes that he was not an easy person to deal with.

From the beginning to the end of the music.

From the beginning to the end of the dance.

This person never looked away, focusing all their attention on the expressive eye contact, like a highly professional actor channeling all their passion into their performance, single-mindedly dedicating themselves to dancing, and looking nowhere else.

After the ball, Bu Mei returned to her room, opened her arms in front of the full-length mirror, and carefully examined her figure. For a moment, she even felt that Xue Ming's sexual orientation was problematic, and a sense of frustration arose in her heart.

Jiang Xueming squeezed between Bailu and Liuxing--

He rummaged through the snack box between the two of them, stuffed popcorn into his mouth, and maintained his expressionless demeanor.

A Xing muttered under his breath, "Ming Ge, don't be angry, my mommy is very rude, just like me. When she sees something pretty, she'll go up and smell it. It's like she's missing out if she doesn't lick it."

Jiang Xueming's hands were trembling as he held the popcorn. He admitted, "I'm not angry. I'm terrified."

Bailu: "What are you afraid of, brother?"

Jiang Xueming snatched the Coke cup from his sister's hand, took a big gulp, and described, "Just now on stage, Aunt Mei was like a tiger. She tried to hug me, and I couldn't possibly hit her. A Xing, I understand what you meant by playing cards. It's a very mentally taxing activity. I want to work out here, continue living in this villa, and let Bailu continue going to school. Aunt Mei hasn't mentioned the wine cellar, so I feel guilty towards her—so I have to make her happy without crossing that line. This is very, very difficult."

Bu Liuxing had a sudden inspiration. "This sounds like a good way to train mental strength."

Jiang Xueming felt conflicted. "Uh, do I have to dance with Auntie every day?"

Bu Liuxing: "Otherwise what?"

"Keep operating, bro." Bailu patted her brother's shoulder. "What else can you do? Besides your 'Face Fruit' superpower, what else do you have that makes people like you? What can you offer as a valuable commodity?"

We've had our fun.

--Time to get down to business.

But there's not much else to write about.

If we switch the playlist to Rocky's "Eye of the Tiger," we can easily imagine several montage-like story sequences.

Jiang Xueming does shooting and boxing in the morning and weightlifting in the afternoon.

From the thud of the target to the thud of the punching bag.

Step by step, step by step.

Never slacked off, never made a mistake.

The teachers kept changing.

--From the renowned Wing Chun martial arts school in Hung Hom to the young masters invited from Foshan, Guangdong.

--Going to military and police barracks to exchange mixed martial arts skills, before the sun had fully risen, we used a rope to pull tires.

Xue Ming and Liuxing were like two pieces of cast iron. At the shooting range, in the octagon, anywhere, whether they were adjusting their breathing or showing signs of pain from exhaustion, they were like the roar of a hammer striking steel.

Aunt Mei couldn't understand whether her son was really going to open a coffee shop, or if he was just pretending to open one and had found a Robin who looked a lot like a professional assassin to team up with, so he could become Batman.

After all, Hong Kong has always enjoyed the reputation of being the "Little Gotham of the East."

After returning home from her trip, the first thing she did was ask someone to investigate the two siblings' background, but she found nothing and eventually let it go.

As time went by, they grew more and more handsome, and their dancing became more and more amazing. Even through the cold screen of her phone, she could hear her best friends' agonizingly jealous cries in the photos they posted at the rich women's club. Who wouldn't like that?

One hundred and twenty days have passed--

Jiang Xueming welcomed his last teacher.

He was a heavyweight no-holds-barred fighter introduced by Li Zongzhu.

The teacher followed Mr. Zong Zhu into the Bu Family and saw several familiar colleagues enjoying flowers and tea at a stone table in the courtyard. They all looked like health enthusiasts.

The new teacher asked, "What's going on?"

"They were drained. They're recovering." Zong Zhu chuckled. "My two students are too fit. The old masters at those traditional martial arts schools can't handle their scientific training methods. Old Zhao, you can definitely do it, right?"

The new teacher, Mr. Zhao, seemed a bit nervous.

He looked toward the equipment area.

From afar, you can see two young people wielding ancient stone knives, doing strength training. Their gymnastic moves are quite impressive. According to traditional folk customs, this set of knife-wielding gymnastics is a product of the intense competition among military candidates during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Why is it called involution?

Because the weapon used for wielding a sword weighs 120 jin (approximately 60 kg), while the heaviest weapons in battle, such as chariot swords, spears, and halberds, weigh only about 30 jin (approximately 15 kg), the examination question of wielding a stone sword was completely unnecessary and was merely a performance for the examination officials at the time.

The newly arrived teacher, Mr. Zhao, witnessed this scene and felt somewhat disoriented. Was he being asked to teach him boxing? Or was he here for archaeological research?

Just a little while later-

Jiang Bailu struggled to hold her brother's Magic Wand and handed the sword-shaped club to Xue Ming.

Four months later.

Xue Ming was finally able to swing the stick naturally.

He could feel it—every tendon in his body, after countless trials and tribulations, was finally able to control the balance of the Magic Wand.

On the rubber mat in the equipment area, they began to wield this heavy, sturdy stick.

The swift and powerful two-handed sword movements, seemingly effortless yet deadly, captivated the new teacher, Mr. Zhao.

"Is this young man from Jiaodong? Has he been practicing two-handed sword for a long time? His movements are reminiscent of the old master Yu Chenghui, and he can even use a bit of German sword? That stepping stance to break through the door and stab the throat is a killing technique! This isn't gymnastics!"

Li Zongzhu smiled kindly, "You'll understand once you step into the boxing ring with him, exchange blows, and build a bond."

Six hours later--

Teacher Zhao rushed into the tea room and bumped into his two old friends, Lao Liu and Old Li.

The new teacher was pale, with several fist marks on his face. His mouth was dry, and he hurriedly sat down at the table and snatched Li Zongzhu's teapot.

Teacher Zhao looked tense, as if she had seen some extremely terrifying monster, and she was completely flustered.

"What kind of monster did you find for me to train?"

Li Zongzhu: "Mr. Zhao, is there anything we can help you with?"

"No! Weren't you scared when you sparred with them?" Teacher Zhao's hand holding the teacup was trembling. "I'm 1.88 meters tall, weigh 96 kilograms, and have a punching power of about 430 pounds. Who did you find for me? What were their physical test results?"

Li Zongzhu remained calm. "Don't worry, we're not afraid."

Teacher Zhao continued, "Just now! In the third round! I got knocked out with one punch!"

Teacher Liu became serious, as if she were angry, "Who hit you? How could he be so rude?"

Teacher Zhao waved her hand, looking somewhat exasperated.

"Not one of them! It was both of them, one time each. Both were in the third round, with the exact same rhythm. They were wearing full UFC protective gear."

Li Zongzhu poured tea for Teacher Zhao, wanting to know the details. "How did they do it?"

Teacher Zhao nervously explained, "My MMA training comes from Teacher Kimura, and my grandmaster is Bruce Lee. And they both know Jeet Kune Do? And you say you only know a little bit?"

Teacher Liu coughed twice. "Ahem, I don't know anything about fighting, so I won't interrupt. You guys talk."

"Liu Baoquan, look carefully! This isn't about fighting or not!" Teacher Zhao roared hysterically, "The shorter one has a punching speed of 18.7! The tall one weighs 551 kilograms (the three main weights he wears at the gym) combined, and his punching power is more than twice mine! Tell me honestly, are these two even human?"

Li Zongzhu nodded. "I understand, please continue."

"They relentlessly attacked me in the first round, using the same moves on the ring. The taller one used his height advantage to block me with alternating stepping, faster and fiercer than me. I was only focused on taking hits and not falling down. The shorter one even started dancing a samba within my reach." Teacher Zhao vividly described, "In the third round, I couldn't take this onslaught. I kept looking for an opportunity to kick and weaken my opponent's hip joints, to weaken their fighting ability. As soon as my shoes left the ground, I lost my balance, and then I lost consciousness, suddenly..."

Li Zongzhu covered his mouth.

Teacher Zhao: "What are you laughing at?"

Li Zongzhu: "I remembered something happy."

Liu Baoquan: "No, let's get back to this teaching contract. Are those two people you mentioned capable?"

"It's not a matter of whether they're good or bad!" Teacher Zhao didn't even consider these two students human. "They really are... the very rare kind—"

Teacher Zhao recalled the speed and power in the boxing ring, and the combat athletes created by those scientific fitness methods, and his expression became intoxicated and mesmerized.

"--The shorter one's punches were like bullets, the taller one's ground fighting was like a giant python hunting, the wind from their punches made my head buzz, the youngest girl was very cute, it's a pity I didn't get to fight her, I didn't get to see what she looked like."

Li Zongzhu: "Hahahahahahaha."

"You've gone too far! I've put up with you for too long!" Teacher Zhao slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

They finished their last dance.

Aunt Mei and the children packed their bags together.

She and Bailu planned to take advantage of the winter vacation to go to Mount Fuji to see the snow scenery and soak in hot springs.

Xue Ming and Liuxing are about to take a train to another place to soak in hot springs.

"It's time to go."

Jiang Xueming's hair has grown back, and there's quite a bit more of it now, making him look like Feng Shidi from the Hong Kong comic book "Storm Riders".

However, his senior brother Bu Liuxing is not quite Bu Jingyun, nor is he the "Cryless Death God"—he cried like a hysterical Death God when saying goodbye to his mother.

A Xing carried his luggage, waved goodbye to the bus that was heading into the distance.

"Mommy! Have a safe trip! Come back soon!"