When the crowd arrived at the garden, they saw two children hitting some kind of ball with strange rackets in the open space, while several other children were divided into two teams cheering from opposite sides.
“Go, go!”
“Go, go!”
Liang Qianyi, the Liang Family’s Daughter, had been watching the excitement. Seeing Old Madam Liang and her mother leading numerous guests over, she walked forward with a beaming smile and bowed to the elders.
Madam Liang shot her a reproachful glare. “I was wondering where you’d disappeared to after the banquet started. So you were here fooling around.” Then she asked, “The maids said your two nephews were fighting with Young Master Huo. What happened?”
“The maids were making a fuss over nothing,” Liang Qianyi chuckled. “Ah Xun and Ah Mo are playing a ball game with the Young Master of the Huo Family. Grandmother, Mother, look—this ball game they’re playing is quite fun.”
Seeing this, Old Madam Liang smiled and said to Old Madam Huo, “Sister, since we weren’t having much fun sitting in the hall anyway, why don’t we join the excitement here?”
Old Madam Huo nodded with a smile.
Little Huo An, who had been enthusiastically clapping and cheering for his brother, was also brought to the old madam’s side by his nursemaid.
So Madam Liang had servants bring chairs and settled the guests.
Luo Chaoyan watched the badminton the children were playing on the field, then glanced at Huo Rui shouting exuberantly on the sidelines. She understood perfectly—the little demon must have been upset after losing to her the other day and had clearly been practicing in private, while also leading the other children astray. A wicked thought crossed her mind: she hoped the little demon would lose miserably in this match.
“Five to four, Liang Chuxun wins!” the scorekeeping servant announced.
“Well done!”
“Chuxun, you’re amazing!”
The children from the Liang Family’s team cheered.
Liang Chuxun beamed, raising his chin at Huo Rui. “Huo Rui, your Huo Family lost the first round.”
“Don’t get cocky—it’s only the first round!” Huo Rui glared at him.
“Hmph! Besides you, everyone else in your team is a bookworm. How could they possibly beat our Liang Family members?” Liang Chuxun taunted.
His words made Huo Rui grit his teeth. The Liang Family had always revered martial arts—whether branch families or students in the Liang Family school, they all learned some martial skills from childhood. Meanwhile, most people in the Huo Family school only knew how to recite sage texts, with few besides him enjoying weapons practice.
Liang Chuxun had always looked down on Huo Family school students, considering them weaklings. If they couldn’t win today, they’d likely be laughed at forever. No—they absolutely had to find a way to win this match.
Liang Chumo, one of the Liang brothers, also laughed. “Huo Rui, it’s not too late to admit defeat. Just give us your precious toys, and we’ll stop here. How about that?” He had been coveting those novel toys for a long time, especially the one called the Rubik’s Cube.
Huo Rui shot him a “don’t even think about it” look, then quickly racked his brains. How could they secure victory? His gaze fell on Luo Chaoyan, and seeing her leisurely enjoying the show made his teeth itch with irritation.
This woman was always full of tricks—she might have a method. Besides, she was the one who introduced him to this ball game, so she probably knew some secrets. Having made up his mind, he leaned close to Bai Mu’s ear and whispered instructions.
Bai Mu understood and quietly approached Luo Chaoyan, whispering to her the full story of Huo Rui’s bet with the young master of the Liang family and the seriousness of the matter concerning the Huo Family’s reputation. However, he saw that the Young Madam remained unmoved, appearing indifferent and unwilling to engage.
Bai Mu grew anxious at once. He looked up at his young master and noticed his gaze directed toward Old Madam Huo, which made him inwardly delighted. Heh heh, it had to be said that adversaries truly understood each other best.
“If Young Madam refuses to help, the young master will have me seek assistance from the Old Madam.”
Luo Chaoyan raised her hand, signaling for him to do as he pleased. In any case, there was no chance she would help come up with a plan. Otherwise, if the little devil won the competition, he would surely flaunt it in front of her. She would have to be utterly bored and idle to do such a foolish thing!
Left with no other choice, Bai Mu resorted to his trump card. “Young Madam, the young master said that if you don’t help, he will tell the Old Madam to have you escort him to the clan school every day.”
What? Escort Huo Rui to the clan school? That would mean having to wake up early every day! Indeed, the little devil’s malicious tendencies knew no bounds.
“Hmph! Threatening me? Fine, let’s see if he has what it takes.” Luo Chaoyan retorted irritably. She would never compromise—once you give in once, it becomes a pattern. What if that rascal got a taste of success and used it to threaten her repeatedly? Absolutely not!
Bai Mu pleaded earnestly, “Young Madam, if you help the young master win the competition, he will surely get along well with you from now on and respect you as an elder.”
“Bai Mu, you really are your young master’s lackey. Your ability to spout nonsense with a straight face astounds me. With his temperament, for him to respect me, his stepmother, it would have to rain red from the sky.” Luo Chaoyan left no room for negotiation.
“Young Madam, what if the young master can persuade the Old Madam to reduce the frequency of your morning and evening greetings?”
Luo Chaoyan raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“The young master said he could convince the Old Madam to let you pay respects at her courtyard only once every five days.” Seeing that threats didn’t work on the Young Madam, Bai Mu dangled an enticing offer.
Luo Chaoyan was half-convinced and half-doubtful. “Does he really have that ability?” She had to admit, the offer was truly appealing to her. The Huo Manor had strict rules, requiring greetings to elders every other day, which was a chore for someone as lazy as her.
However, if the little devil could really secure her a once-in-five-days arrangement, it would be a worthwhile trade.
Bai Mu nodded. “Young Madam, you know how much the Old Madam dotes on the young master. She rarely refuses any of his requests.”
Luo Chaoyan pondered for a moment. “What if I help him, and he goes back on his word afterward?” She remembered that the little devil had a track record of such behavior.
Seeing her expression soften slightly, Bai Mu quickly added, “Young Madam, the young master swore that if you help him this once, he will keep his promise without fail.”
“Young Madam, for the dignity of the Huo Family’s clan school and for the young master’s sake, please be gracious and help think of a solution.”
“Fine! I’ll trust him one more time.” For the sake of sleeping in later in the future, she would reluctantly trust him once more.
Luo Chaoyan asked Bai Mu to elaborate on the martial skills of the two teams of children. It was clear that the Huo Family’s children were no match for the Liang Family’s. She raised her hand to stroke her chin, lowered her gaze in thought, and suddenly recalled an anecdote from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period. Smiling, she said, “Tell him about Tian Ji’s horse racing!”
Bai Mu looked utterly confused. “Young Madam, what does that mean?”
Luo Chaoyan shot him a glare and said irritably, “Tell him that if he can’t figure it out, he might as well just admit defeat.”
Bai Mu sheepishly rubbed his nose, then quietly walked over to Huo Jin again, whispering the Young Madam’s words into his ear.
Tian Ji’s horse racing? Huo Jin looked at the members of the Liang family’s team and fell into deep thought. The competition was divided into five rounds, and they had already lost one. To win, they needed to secure three of the remaining rounds; otherwise, they would lose. However, if they went head-to-head against Liang family’s trained martial artists, they stood no chance.
He had heard the story of Tian Ji’s horse racing just two days ago in the academy from the old master. He had been dozing off at first, but perked up when he heard the tale.
After returning home, he had even caused a scene, demanding that the horses in the stable be ranked by grade so he could watch a horse race. In the end, he didn’t get to see it because the old master came to his house to complain, and with that woman adding fuel to the fire, he was punished by being made to copy books.
Now, in their own team, aside from himself, Huo Yu was the strongest. If they pitted their weakest player against Liang Chumo, the strongest from the Liang family, and he and Huo Yu faced Liang family’s two mid-level players, then even their worst player should be able to beat Liang family’s weakest, the short guy. This strategy was quite similar to Tian Ji’s horse racing.
Thinking of this, the corner of his lips lifted. Tsk, that woman was as cunning as ever.
However, Huo Yu, that bookworm, wouldn’t put in any real effort unless there was something to motivate him. He would likely just go through the motions, not caring about winning or losing. So, the Liang brothers didn’t know Huo Yu’s true strength. And that was their secret weapon to turn the tables.
Huo Rui looked at Huo Yu and said, “Huo Yu, if you win this time, I’ll give you my Rubik’s Cube. How about that?”
“Really?” Huo Yu, who had been lazily leaning against the side with his arms crossed, brightened up at Huo Rui’s words.
He had been coveting that Rubik’s Cube for a long time, but Huo Rui treasured it dearly and usually wouldn’t even let anyone touch it.
Seeing Huo Rui nod, and fearing he might change his mind, Huo Yu quickly said, “Then it’s settled! A gentleman’s word is as good as his bond!”
On the other side, Liang Chumo had long grown impatient watching Huo Rui and the others whispering among themselves. He shouted, “Huo Rui, have you finished discussing? If not, just admit defeat already.”
“Haha!”
“That’s right!”
The children from the Liang family academy jeered in agreement.
Huo Rui said, “Liang Chumo, most of your academy’s students have some martial arts foundation. Going up against our Huo Family’s bookworms does seem a bit unfair.” To win the competition, he reluctantly accepted the nickname “bookworm.”
“How about this? To make it fair and to let us lose with conviction, let us choose our opponents for each match. What do you say?”
The Liang brothers exchanged a glance, then sneered, “Fine! The result will be the same anyway. Go ahead and pick your opponents.”
“Then for the second round, I’ll go. Who from your team will face me?” Liang Chumo said.
“I… I… I’ll do it!”
Huo Ze stepped forward, trembling slightly. He was the worst player on the Huo Family team. He had no idea what his leader was thinking, sending him against someone as formidable as Liang Chumo.
Seeing him stutter and appear as timid as a mouse, the Liang family disciples couldn’t help but burst into another round of laughter.
“I say, Huo Rui, are you so afraid of losing to me that you’d send such a weakling to play against me?” Liang Chumo taunted.
Huo Ze pursed his lips. The boss had said that even if they lost, they couldn’t lose their presence—they had to project an aura of confidence. He straightened his small frame and mustered the courage to shout at him, “You… I may not have been as good as you before, but that doesn’t mean I’ll never be. Don’t look down on me! If you underestimate me like this, you might just lose to me. Don’t come crying when that happens.”
Liang Chumo replied, “Hah! Quite the bold talk. Fine, I’ll make sure you’re beaten so badly you’ll be picking your teeth off the ground. Then you’ll know how formidable I am.”
After both sides took their positions on the court, the scorekeeper announced the start of the match.
Perhaps due to nerves, Huo Ze’s hands trembled uncontrollably during his serve. He failed to get the ball over to Liang Chumo’s side twice in a row, drawing another round of laughter.
He eventually managed to send the ball over, but the shot lacked power. With a forceful smash, Liang Chumo easily scored the point.
“One to zero!” the scorekeeper called out.
When it was Liang Chumo’s turn to serve, Huo Ze lost the point without even touching the ball.
From then on, Liang Chumo toyed with Huo Ze like a cat playing with a mouse. If Huo Ze moved close to the net, Liang Chumo would send the ball to the back; if Huo Ze stayed at the back, he’d drop it short.
The children from the Huo Family team grew red-faced with anger! Liang Chumo was truly bullying him! He could have ended the match quickly but chose to drag it out, exhausting Huo Ze.
Seeing Huo Ze drenched in sweat yet refusing to give up as he ran back and forth, his teammates were deeply moved. They cheered for him enthusiastically.
“Go, Huo Ze!”
“Knock him down, Huo Ze!”
“Huo Ze…”
Not only the children, but even the women in the audience were moved by his unyielding perseverance. They nodded in approval, praising the child’s promising spirit and remarking that the Huo Family’s school truly lived up to its reputation.
Old Madam Huo, who had initially worried that the Huo children’s loss would be embarrassing, now beamed with pride.
She smiled and said to Old Madam Liang, “These children do love to compete and show their mettle.”
“Exactly!” Old Madam Liang laughed in agreement.
On the court, Huo Ze focused intently on the ball coming from the opposite side. He knew his opponent was toying with him, and he was aware that his smashes were no match for Liang Chumo’s power. Losing was inevitable, but no matter what, he wanted to win at least one point—he refused to let this guy look down on him.
Liang Chumo barely moved from his spot, clearly confident that Huo Ze’s returns would land in the same area. If Huo Ze could muster all his strength and aim for the back, given Liang Chumo’s overconfidence, he would never see it coming.
“Huo Ze, I didn’t expect you to have such stamina, keeping up this back-and-forth for so long,” Liang Chumo teased as he effortlessly returned the ball.
The ball came—a high lob!
Huo Ze sprinted to the back, leaped with all his might, and sent the ball flying to Liang Chumo’s rear.
Liang Chumo truly hadn’t anticipated this move. By the time he tried to retreat, it was too late—the ball lay quietly on the ground.
“Four to one!”
“Well done!”
“Great job, Huo Ze!”
His teammates erupted in cheers.
Liang Chuxun, seeing that his cousin had actually lost a point to the Huo Family’s weakling, fumed, “A-Mo, what are you doing?”
“I…” Liang Chumo pressed his lips together. He had indeed underestimated his opponent.
Exhausted from the effort, Huo Ze collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. But he smiled, his eyes shining as brightly as the morning sun. He had finally won a point against Liang Chumo.
The match ended with a score of five to one, with Liang Chumo as the victor.
Even so, the Huo children gathered around Huo Ze, showering him with praise and admiration.
Huo Rui smiled at him and said, “Huo Ze, though defeated, you’ve brought honor to our name—truly a member of the Huo Family!”
“Hehe! You flatter me, boss!” Huo Ze replied somewhat shyly.
Seeing them still basking in pride despite losing the match, Liang Chumo said impatiently, “For the third round, we’re sending Li Ke. Who will you send?”
“Naturally, it will be me,” Huo Rui stepped forward.