Chapter 97: Extra Training

Xiong Daichuan didn’t ask too many questions and simply instructed them:

“Alright then, be careful on the road. I’ve got a meeting to rush to, so I’ll head out first.”

He did indeed look to be in a hurry, and with that, he led his people away with quick steps.

Only after watching Xiong Daichuan’s car drive off into the distance did Feng Miwan let out a long sigh of relief. She patted her chest. “That gave me a scare…”

Xiong Yibai took her hand once more. “What are you scared of? My dad doesn’t bite.”

“Aw, it was just a knee-jerk guilty reaction…” Feng Miwan scratched her head sheepishly.

Xiong Yibai led her toward the parking lot.

“By the way, Little Honey, when are you planning to come over to my parents’ place for a proper dinner?”

Feng Miwan’s face flushed visibly red at a speed the naked eye could track. “G-Go to your house for dinner? M-Meet the parents?”

“What else? You can’t keep pretending to just be ‘passing by’ to pick me up forever, right?”

Feng Miwan pondered for a few seconds, then seemed to steel her resolve. She gripped Xiong Yibai’s hand tightly in return.

“Okay! Wait for me! Once I snag this year’s overall championship, I’ll show up at your house in style! That way, I’ll have some real confidence when introducing myself to your uncle and auntie!”

Xiong Yibai’s voice was gentle.

“Alright. I’ll wait for you.”

The next day, Feng Miwan threw herself into her “Overall Championship and Meet-the-Parents Special Hell Training” with full throttle motivation.

Feng Yuxiao had originally been thrilled to approve three days off for both himself and his sister. He was mulling over whether to hole up at home gaming or head out for some fun, but those plans went straight down the drain.

“Bro! Quit lazing around! Get up and get to work!”

Feng Miwan burst into Feng Yuxiao’s room and yanked open the curtains.

Feng Yuxiao flopped over like a salted fish and pulled the blanket over his head. “…Vacation time… sacred and inviolable…”

Feng Miwan wasn’t giving up. She launched into physical persuasion.

She shook him vigorously. “Get up! The racing seat needs adjusting! The data needs analyzing! If you don’t get moving, the season’s gonna start without us!”

Feng Yuxiao didn’t budge an inch. He even let out a little snore.

Feng Miwan’s eyes darted around as she switched tactics to culinary temptation. “I’ll treat you to that super pricey new dim sum spot downstairs! Shrimp dumplings! Custard buns!”

A muffled voice drifted from under the blanket. “…Not hungry… got everything I need in my dreams…”

Running out of options, Feng Miwan planted her hands on her hips and stood by the bed for a moment, staring at the lump on it. Suddenly, inspiration struck.

She cleared her throat and adopted her most seductive tone.

“Bro—if you get up right now, I’ll tell you about this super steamy story I found. High-IQ merchants, outsider perspective, double male leads! Totally your vibe!”

The words had barely left her mouth when the blanket flew open. Feng Yuxiao poked his head out, hair a wild mess and eyes bleary with sleep.

“…Spill the details? What’s the premise? How’s the writing?”

Feng Miwan cackled inwardly but kept a straight face.

“The writing? Top-tier, obviously. Get up, wash up first. I’ll narrate it over breakfast. Guaranteed to hook you!”

Ten minutes later, Feng Yuxiao was seated at the dining table, cradling a cup of coffee, his eyes brimming with eager anticipation as he stared at Feng Miwan.

“Hit me with it! Quick!”

Feng Miwan took a bite of bread and launched into her performance with mock seriousness. “Ahem. Listen up.”

“On the night of the twelfth day of the tenth month in the sixth year of Yuanfeng, I was about to undress for bed…”

Feng Yuxiao visibly stiffened at that.

Undeterred, Feng Miwan continued with dramatic flair:

“Moonlight streamed into the room, so I rose joyfully. With no one to share the delight, I headed to Chengtian Temple to seek out Zhang Huaimin.”

“Huaimin was still awake too. Together, we strolled through the courtyard.”

“The courtyard below was like a pool of clear, empty water, with intertwining algae and weeds in the water—or rather, the shadows of bamboo and cypress.”

“What night lacks a moon? What place lacks bamboo and cypress? It’s simply that idle souls like the two of us are rare.”

She finished reciting, and Feng Yuxiao stared at her in a daze. It took him a moment before he murmured:

“…Su Shi’s Record of a Night Visit to Chengtian Temple? Hold up—you’re calling this a high-IQ merchant outsider double male leads story?!!!”

Feng Miwan finally cracked, bursting into laughter.

“How’s that not count? Doesn’t it take brains to even get it?”

“And moonlight floods in, he cheerfully heads out to find his bro Zhang Huaimin! Huaimin’s up too! That sync! That mood! Staying up late into the night, wandering the courtyard, moon-gazing and pondering life—isn’t that outdoor vibes? Soulmate central? C’mon, isn’t this the perfect ship? Hahaha!”

Feng Yuxiao laughed despite himself, shaking his head in exasperation. “You… you’re a total genius. Tricking me out of bed with a timeless classic?! ‘High-IQ merchant outsider double MLs’? Su Dongpo’s coffin lid is gonna pop right off!”

In the end, Feng Yuxiao succumbed to his sister’s utterly bizarre brainwaves and the allure of Su Shi. Grumbling all the while, he followed her to the garage, kissing his lie-in goodbye for good.

That afternoon, Xiong Yibai wrapped up her shift at the hospital and returned home.

The living room was peacefully quiet. Little Honeybee trotted over and rubbed against her legs.

She changed out of her clothes, washed her hands, and was just about to tie on her apron to start prepping dinner—waiting for that little training pup to return for feeding—when her phone rang. It was Ren Queyue.

“Hey, Yibai.”

“Got time tonight? Let’s grab a bite. Me and Shutong—you bring Little Wan. The four of us, hotpot sound good?”

Xiong Yibai untied the apron she’d half-put on. “She hasn’t gotten back yet.”

Zhao Shutong’s voice came through from the other end:

“Huh? Why? Isn’t she on vacation? Where’d she run off to play this time?”

Xiong Yibai replied, “Yeah, it’s vacation. But for some special reason, she went off for extra training on her own.”

“Extra training?!”

Zhao Shutong’s voice was thick with disbelief.

“The sun rise in the west or what? What kinda magic reason convinced her?”

Xiong Yibai paused, her mind flashing to Feng Miwan’s bold declaration from the day before about showing up grandly to meet the parents. The corner of her mouth curved up slightly, but she didn’t elaborate.

“…Guess she found some new motivation.”

“Fair enough…”

Zhao Shutong pressed on. “So when’s she wrapping up? We can wait for her!”

Xiong Yibai glanced at the wall clock. “She usually finishes around six. Whether we go or not, you’ll have to ask her yourself.”

Zhao Shutong: “I tried!”

“I sent her a bunch of WeChats—no reply. Calls go unanswered! She got silent mode on again, hasn’t she?”

“Most likely.”

Xiong Yibai was used to it.

“She barely checks her phone during training. Going by habit, it’ll be another half hour or so before she surfaces. Once she’s back, I’ll check what she wants to do.”

Zhao Shutong gave in.

“Fine, fine…”

“We’ll book a spot for now and wait for your update! You have to drag her along—otherwise, the fun’s cut in half!”

“Mm, I’ll do my best,” Xiong Yibai promised before hanging up.

It was nearly six-thirty by the time Feng Miwan finally wrapped up the day’s training.

She fished her long-silenced phone out of her racing suit pocket. The moment she unlocked it, a barrage of unread WeChat messages from Zhao Shutong popped up—one after another.