As for why Lin Zhengran knew Taekwondo, he could only attribute it to the overwhelmingly powerful level-10 talent bestowed by his system. Whenever Xiao Heqing's skills improved, Lin Zhengran's Taekwondo level would immediately double in strength, and advanced theoretical knowledge would naturally surface in his mind. Therefore, whenever Xiao Heqing hit a bottleneck, Lin Zhengran could always use both theory and practice to push her to the next level.
Today, for example, was Saturday. Lin Zhengran and Xiao Heqing were standing on his bed, practicing throwing techniques. Xiao Heqing dropped into a combat stance, let out a fierce "HIYAH," and attempted to throw Lin Zhengran with decent form. Instead, Lin Zhengran countered, flipping her flat onto the bed. She lay there on her back, knees bent, completely frozen in shock. Staring up at Lin Zhengran standing over her with wide, innocent eyes, she asked, "You're so amazing, Lin Zhengran. How did you do that?"
Lin Zhengran sat on the bed and broke down the key movements while Xiao Heqing listened intently. Halfway through his explanation, however, he noticed her sitting there like a little duck, her small hands clutching the quilt. Suddenly, she giggled. He looked at her sternly. "What are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?"
Xiao Heqing quickly shook her head, not daring to laugh anymore, her ponytails swaying. "No, nothing's wrong! It's just... how come you know everything, Lin Zhengran? You didn't even sign up for classes, but you're still way better than me..."
Lin Zhengran crossed his arms, puffing out his chest with the arrogant air of an adult. "Isn't it perfectly normal for me to be better than you?"
Xiao Heqing nodded eagerly. "It's normal!"
The two kids locked eyes. Lin Zhengran felt her gaze growing increasingly peculiar—an indescribable, intense focus. "What's with that look?"
Startled, Xiao Heqing shyly lowered her head and clutched the quilt tighter. "Nothing... I'm just very thankful to you. You're always teaching and training me. Lin Zhengran, do you want to sign up for Taekwondo too? That way, we can practice together every day!"
Lin Zhengran closed his eyes, lifted his chin, and flatly refused. "I'm not signing up for that. I have no interest in Taekwondo. I'm only helping you so you can get stronger and stop getting picked on."
Xiao Heqing blushed, unable to hold back her feelings. "You're so good to me..."
Lin Zhengran snapped his eyes open. "What did you say?!"
She hastily clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. "Nothing."
"If it's nothing, then keep practicing what I've taught you these past few days. Weren't you planning to place in the top three at the dojo tournament this year?"
"Yeah!"
No one could clearly explain what Xiao Heqing thought of Lin Zhengran at this moment. Or perhaps, she didn't have any complex thoughts at all; her little head was simply filled with the desire to stick by his side every day, even if it meant getting bullied by him. However, even if she was empty-headed, she knew she wasn't the only one who wanted to play with him. A lot of girls liked being around Lin Zhengran. She had noticed this a long time ago. Lin Zhengran was very good-looking and excelled at everything—no one could possibly dislike him.
During their two years in kindergarten, Lin Zhengran had been too aloof and the class sizes were small, so the other kids hadn't dared to approach him. But after entering elementary school, there were far more classmates, and things began to subtly change. Lin Zhengran and Xiao Heqing were both seven years old this year, having long since graduated from kindergarten to become elementary schoolers. Miraculously, they were still deskmates in the first grade. However, when the second grade began, the teachers shuffled the classes, and Xiao Heqing was no longer in the same class as Lin Zhengran.
Of course, this didn't stop them from playing together on weekends. After all, their relationship as neighbors would never change; they could see each other whenever they wanted.
It was Friday.
The small town had adopted a holiday from who-knew-where and decided to host a Beer Festival. Though it was called a Beer Festival, it was essentially just a market held under the guise of a holiday. There were actually more vendors selling liquor on the street than those selling beer. The mayor seemed to care a lot about the event, as there were quite a few police officers patrolling the area.
Lin Zhengran was out strolling through the festival with his parents today. After walking for an hour, his footsteps remained light and brisk, showing absolutely no signs of fatigue.
It had been two years since his system was activated. By teaching Xiao Heqing Taekwondo every week, combined with her own diligent practice, she had already become the strongest girl at her dojo under his guidance. Naturally, Lin Zhengran's own levels had skyrocketed in the process.
[Your current Spiritual Qi level is 18. You have achieved minor success.]
[Current attributes:]
[Strength: 5]
[Energy: 6]
[Physical Strength: 10]
[Charm: 4]
[Today you are strolling through the market. The bright, sunny weather naturally relaxes your mood. Perhaps you can scrounge up some ancient map fragments in the market—after all, every fantasy novel features this trope. However, just as you are browsing the streets for hidden gems, you actually hear the roar of a magical beast in the distance!]
[This puts you on high alert. A magical beast has actually invaded the Human Realm! If it is not stopped, the market will likely become a sea of blood! Do you plan to investigate, or flee immediately?]
He wondered, "A magical beast?"
Lin Zhengran looked around the bustling market. Although it was packed with people, the public security was exceptionally good. He couldn't fathom what this so-called magical beast could possibly be. A tiger couldn't have escaped from the zoo, right? Moreover, the system hadn't even specified where this magical beast was.
"Ranran's dad, is this hat cute? Should I buy one for me and one for Ranran?"
Lin Yingjun saw his wife squatting in front of a stall, holding up a cute cartoon hat, and chuckled. "Buy it if you like it. We came out here today to shop, after all."
"Let me see if there are any other nice ones." Lin Xiaoli bent down to check the other styles and asked Lin Zhengran if anything caught his eye. "Ranran, which hat do you think looks better? How about this kitten one?"
Lin Zhengran felt the hat was far too girly and didn't look good at all. "Mom, I want to go sit in the car for a bit. I'm a little tired."
"Huh? Tired so soon? We haven't even been walking for that long," she replied.
Lin Zhengran feigned a childish tone. "But I'm just a kid. I can't walk that far."
Lin Xiaoli shot him a look of sheer disdain—the exact same expression Lin Zhengran always used. They were truly two peas in a pod. "Nonsense. You practice Taekwondo with Qingqing in your bedroom all day long. You think Mom and Dad don't know about that? As if your Physical Strength would be poor."
Lin Yingjun looked at his son's exasperated face and knew exactly why the boy was "tired." His wife dawdled endlessly whenever they went shopping. Every time she found a stall she liked, she would linger there for ages, resulting in barely any ground being covered over the course of an hour. His son's exhaustion had absolutely nothing to do with Physical Strength; he simply couldn't stand the shopping anymore.
"It's fine. If Ranran is tired, let him rest in the car," Lin Yingjun said. "The Beer Festival is pretty well-organized anyway. There are a bunch of police officers patrolling around the parking lot, so he'll be perfectly safe by himself."
Lin Xiaoli pouted. "Alright, then Dad will take Ranran back. We'll go find him at the car after we finish browsing here."
Lin Zhengran voiced his agreement and was finally led back to the car by his dad.
After his dad left, Lin Zhengran was just wondering where on earth this magical beast could be when he noticed something on the street.
A little girl wearing a yellow dress with her hair in twin tails was clutching a puppy in one arm. Wielding a thin tree branch in her other hand, she squeezed her eyes shut and wildly swung her arm at a golden retriever in the distance.
"Don't come over! Stay back! If you come any closer, I'll call the police!"