Fortune from Misfortune (2)

No! That won't do!

Pei Shao hurried over. Just as he was about to offer Dongfang Yinyin a most sincere apology, the stunning beauty, whose looks and figure were in no way inferior to Lin Meijing's, beat him to it. Pretending nothing had happened, she said, "Sorry! I was rude yesterday. Please don't take it to heart!" Though her tone remained calm toward the end, Pei Shao clearly saw her gaze darting everywhere. Evidently, she too had guilty thoughts about him taking advantage of her yesterday. Whenever their eyes met, they both awkwardly looked away, pretending nothing had happened. Yet deep down, they had already reached an unspoken preliminary agreement: in front of Lin Meijing, neither of them would mention that intimate, awkward encounter from yesterday.

Dongfang Yinyin's apology greatly surprised Pei Shao—and left Lin Meijing, standing beside them, dumbfounded.

Before Pei Shao could react, Lin Meijing fired off a string of questions. "What happened? Yinyin, why are you apologizing to him? What exactly happened yesterday? Was there some sort of accident?"

At her question, Pei Shao secretly cried, Thank heavens! Looks like Dongfang Yinyin didn't complain to Lin Meijing! Though he had no idea why Dongfang Yinyin was letting him off for the moment, Pei Shao felt that, at this point, the only thing he could do was confess leniently.

So he recounted everything that had happened yesterday, leaving out the part where he had taken advantage of her. He only said that he had been luckier, and that Dongfang Yinyin, out of consideration for the fact that he was Lin Meijing's colleague, had settled for a draw with him. While Lin Meijing listened with half-belief and half-doubt, Dongfang Yinyin quietly glanced at Pei Shao, a flash of gratitude passing through her eyes.

But then she shook her head with absolute firmness. "A loss is a loss. My father taught me from childhood that losing a match is nothing; what matters most is that one must not lose one's martial virtue! Jingjing, in yesterday's match, it was actually this..." She took a deep breath, pointed at Pei Shao, then quickly looked away. "It was this classmate Pei who won!" After Dongfang Yinyin said this, Pei Shao noticed the unwillingness in her voice.

But Lin Meijing could no longer suppress the turmoil in her heart. Slightly losing her voice, she said, "What? Yinyin, you're saying you lost to him? How... how is that possible? I've known you for so long, and I've never once heard you personally say the words 'I admit defeat.'"

Yet, when she thought of Pei Shao's performance at the job fair and how he had angered Su Yating into leaving in humiliation, Pei Shao did indeed have what it took to create such a miracle.

But wasn't he... a little too strong?

Lin Meijing shook her head with a wry smile, walked over, and squeezed Pei Shao's not particularly sturdy arm. "You... really beat Yinyin?"

Pei Shao had initially wanted to deny it, but when he met Dongfang Yinyin's stern, earnest gaze, he forcibly swallowed the words he had been about to say and nodded somewhat guiltily.

Lin Meijing stood there in a daze for a while, the look in her eyes growing increasingly complicated as she looked at Pei Shao. Just as Pei Shao began to feel uneasy under the gazes of the two great beauties before him, Dongfang Yinyin said something that shocked both him and Lin Meijing.

"Then, according to our previous agreement, Pei Shao! I want to take you as my master!"

"Huh?" Pei Shao blanked out, but quickly understood what she meant and waved his hands. "No, no! That won't do. Yesterday, I only..."

"What, do you think I, Dongfang Yinyin, am someone who goes back on her word?" Dongfang Yinyin immediately cut him off, then added with slight displeasure, "Or do you think that I, Dongfang Yinyin, lack the aptitude to be worthy of becoming your disciple?" Pei Shao hurriedly explained, "No, of course not! Miss Dongfang, you know I absolutely didn't mean that. I..."

Seeing Pei Shao so flustered that his face and neck had turned red, Dongfang Yinyin let out a soft laugh. But she quickly composed herself again and said, word by word, "Then it's settled. However, I've never taken a master before, so as for the formalities of joining the school..."

Hearing this, Pei Shao immediately interrupted, "What formalities? I think we should forget about them!"

Dongfang Yinyin had not truly intended to learn anything from Pei Shao anyway. She was simply someone who took promises very seriously. Besides, she did not particularly approve of Pei Shao's fighting techniques. Now that Pei Shao had said this, it suited her wishes even better.

Only then did Lin Meijing remember to ask why Pei Shao had slept here last night. Pei Shao briefly explained the reason, naturally saying only that burglars had broken into his home and smashed many things, and that he had been driven out by the landlord with no other choice. Dongfang Yinyin, meanwhile, felt that these matters had nothing to do with her, so she walked aside and casually flipped through some magazines Lin Meijing had published before.

Lin Meijing frowned after hearing this. "This place is so small, and there's neither a bed nor bedding. It's fine to make do for a night or two, but if you stay here long-term, that's hardly a good solution!"

After saying that, she propped her chin on her delicate hand and fell into thought. Pei Shao felt that he had only just started working, yet had already become homeless and even had to make do with sleeping at the company. It was truly rather embarrassing. He cursed Motor again in his heart. Of all the places to lie in wait, why did he have to choose my doorstep? Now I'm done for. It looks like Sister Meijing won't agree to let me keep staying here.

After a while, Lin Meijing's eyes suddenly lit up. She snapped her fingers and turned to Dongfang Yinyin. "Yinyin, doesn't your martial arts academy still have spare rooms? Do you think you could let him... well, stay there for a while? After all, he just became your master. You wouldn't just stand by and watch your master end up homeless, would you?" That unconsciously revealing, thoroughly mature-woman gesture made Pei Shao's heart stir. At the same time, he turned his gaze toward Dongfang Yinyin.

"Oh!" Dongfang Yinyin stopped flipping through the magazine and thought for a moment. "If that's the case, then of course there's no problem! But let me make this clear beforehand: I hope you'll still abide by some of the other rules at the martial arts academy. So what should I call you from now on...?"

"You can call me Little Pei or Shao!" Pei Shao had no desire to have someone calling him Master at such a young age. Besides, he knew Dongfang Yinyin would not truly do so. Thus, he answered modestly.

Dongfang Yinyin nodded. "All right! Don't worry, I'll definitely arrange a room that will make you very satisfied!"

Rubbing his hands together, Pei Shao said, "Heh, that doesn't really matter. As long as I have somewhere to stay. Thank you!"

"All right, then it's settled!" Lin Meijing suddenly cut in. "Pei Shao, I'll take a look later. If there's nothing important, I'll give you half the day off. Go with Yinyin and familiarize yourself with the place!"

"Oh, then thank you, Sister Meijing!" Pei Shao said sincerely.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me instead?" Dongfang Yinyin smiled.

Pei Shao had no reply. He thanked her again, not quite daring to meet her beautiful eyes. After giving two dry laughs, he found an excuse and went off to work.