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Chapter 9: You Tried So Hard For Me, I Am Very Happy

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During the days of the competition finals, Xiao Tu felt extremely nervous. She had never even dreamed that she would be able to slaughter her way out of a siege, and push her way into the finals. Since she was young and inexperienced, she was unable to determine what she needed to do with this abrupt rise in success. It didn’t even feel real to her.

However, it wasn’t important that what she had gone through didn’t feel real to her. The competition still needed to continue. It was on an afternoon during the third day of the competition that Xiao Tu was finally called into the arena.

Xiao Tu’s opponent in the finals turned out to be Ouyang Mei, who was number one on the Jia Team. Ou Yang Mei was a second year student from a middle school that was in the northern city area. It became known that Ouyang Mei started to practice martial arts when she was five years old. When she turned eight, she already started to become the champion at many martial arts competitions. At the age of twelve, she became famous for being an expert in martial arts.

At this point, it didn’t matter whether Xiao Tu were to live or die. It became apparent that she would not be able to win this match. 

Before she got onto the stage, Ling Chao who was usually on the viewing platform suddenly sent her a short text message, “If you can’t win the competition then just surrender. Don’t force yourself.”

It was this short text message that enraged Xiao Tu. How could he text her that when she hadn’t even fought yet? How would Ling Chao know whether she would win or not?? Even if she couldn’t win, she couldn’t just surrender like that! r! She still had some self-respect inside her!

As a result, Xiao Tu dashed onto the stage with a renewed sense of vigor.

Once she got to the stage, she was shocked still by Ouyang Mei’s appearance.

Xiao Tu originally thought that someone as legendary as Ouyang Mei would look like another version of Ultraman. She didn’t expect that the closer she got to Ouyang Mei, Ouyang Mei turned out to be a delicate, and pretty little girl. Ouyang Mei’s skin was white like the color of jade. She also had her hair up in a ponytail. Her large eyes were full of life. She was basically the reproduction of Sailor Moon!

The change of Ouyang Mei’s appearance from Ultraman to Sailor Moon in Xiao Tu’s mind baffled Xiao Tu for a long while.

Was it possible for this gentle and beautiful version of Sailor Moon to represent the moon and annihilate her??

It was proved that Sailor Moon would still be Sailor Moon. Whatever she represented would still be whatever she represented. Whatever should be defeated would still be defeated. Xiao Tu found herself effortlessly thrown down on top the stage.

It was in that instant Xiao Tu understood why Ling Chao had been angry at her. The feeling of being thrown down was really just too horrible!

She struggled to get up from the ground. Even though there were kneepads on her knees, her knees still felt somewhat numb. She slightly adjusted her posture before raising her head to look at Ouyang Mei. Ouyang Mei’s appearance earlier had been a weak one, but now her eyes looked powerful enough to the point that they could eat someone.

The cruel reality proved that even if Ouyang Mei wore the skin of Sailor Moon, she could transform herself as Ultraman and defeat monsters!

This was the first time Xiao Tu was defeated so badly in her entire life. Even though she tried to persevere throughout the whole match, she couldn’t escape the fate of being defeated in the end. It was until the bell echoed, signaling the end of the match, that she realized that everything that happened earlier was not a dream. She felt faint, and she dizzily bowed down to the spectators. She then absentmindedly walked down the stairs of the stage. However, she had barely taken a few steps before she fell down from not standing firm enough.

A figure suddenly rushed forward and firmly held her in their arms. There was a familiar scent that wafted towards her nose. She weakly lifted her head, and met Ling Chao’s anxious gaze.

Xiao Tu didn’t really feel faint from being beaten. It was more because of the fact that her mind still didn’t feel that this match was real. Her mind was in a disassociated state for the whole match. Now that it was the end, she hadn’t really returned to her senses yet.

In the eyes of the spectators, what was perceived was different.

Within the spectators, one person said, “Look how this young girl has been beaten yet she still continues to fight till the point of fainting. She has a strong spirit for sports!”

Another person within the spectators said, “The strengths of these two have such a large disparity that anyone can see. However, this young girl not only had the courage to get up and fight, she even persevered for such a long time! She is truly worthy of the greatest admiration!”

The third person within the spectators said, “I also feel that this brave young girl should be at least awarded the ‘Best Spirit Award’ or something like that!”

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The eyes of the audience were indeed the most discerning ones. The day the competition ended, Xiao Tu received both second place and an award for the ‘Best Martial Artist’s Spirit’ from the organizers.

Xiao Tu became dense, and held the trophy cup in her hands distractedly. When have I ever been so spirited for martial arts?

While Xiao Tu was confused by her thoughts, Ouyang Mei who had completely beaten her on stage walked over to her with a smile. She was holding the trophy cup for first place in her hands.

She extended her hand toward Xiao Tu before she said “Congratulations to you.”

Xiao Tu had never been super polite with other people before. She was distracted for a little before she realized her manners. She extended her hand and weakly said, “Thank you.”

“You are the bravest opponent I have ever met. If we get another chance to see each other one day, I would love to have another match with you.” Ouyang Mei revealed a smile as she said that. Her smile was like the spring wind, If it weren’t for the fact that Xiao Tu was beaten by her during the match, Xiao Tu would have still believed that she was a just a weak version of Sailor Moon.

Xiao Tu smiled, feeling a little bit underconfident. “I also wish that….” I wish that the next time I meet you, I will be able to run faster.

After the two exchanged greetings with each other, Ouyang Mei walked away. As she was leaving, she seemed to have remembered something. She turned back around, and blinked at Xiao Tu, “I forgot to tell you something. I think that your boyfriend is really good to you!”

After Ouyang Mei finished saying what she wanted to, she then left Xiao Tu stared blankly.

Boyfriend? What boyfriend? She wasn’t talking about….

Xiao Tu quickly shook her head. How could that be? A rabbit doesn’t eat grass that’s near their nest!

Xiao Tu was once again strangled the thought that rose with great difficulty in her mind. She relaxed before she turned around, and almost collided with Ling Chao who was behind her.

In that moment, Xiao Tu felt that her ears were burning. “You…. How long have you been standing here?”

Ling Chao raised an eyebrow at her. “I came just now.”

By ‘just now’, did he mean when Ouyang Mei came to talk to her?

“You…. What are you doing standing here?”

There was a trace of mockery on Ling Chao’s face. “Why are you stuttering? Have you been beaten silly?”

“You’re the one who’s stuttering!” After being seen through by Ling Chao, Xiao Tu felt angered. “What are you doing here? I need to organize my things before going back home!”

“I am very happy today.” He suddenly told her without much thought.

Xiao Tu became a little dense. “What?”

When she looked at Ling Chao, there was a strange look on his face as he looked at her. She felt a little frightened by the look in his eyes.

“You tried so hard for me. I am very happy.” Ling Chao finished his sentences, and he turned around to leave. It was in the moment he was turning around that the ends of his mouth curved into a nice arc.

“Huh?”

By the time Xiao Tu realized what he had meant by the words he had just said, Ling Chao was already humming with both hands in his pockets as he walked away.

As she looked at the back of that narcissistic figure, she made a fist with her hand, and gnashed her teeth, “Who said that I did my best for you? I just made a fool of myself back there, and I didn’t have any time to react to it. I originally could had surrendered….” T_____T

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Even though Xiao Tu did not become the Champion of the martial arts competition, she still obtained the position of second place, and she also received an additional certificate for the ‘Best Martial Artist’s Spirit.’ That was already enough for Teacher Wu Dalang to be excited for a long time. It was also enough for Xiao Tu, that even though she was a nobody at her school, she could flaunt around her achievements for a long time.

From then on, it didn’t matter how small or large any of the martial arts competitions were they made sure Xiao Tu was a part of every single one. By the time she graduated junior high, there were all sorts of trophy cups and certificates from the martial arts competitions filling her house. There were enough of them to fill a suitcase.

In the year that Ling Chao went to A High, Xiao Tu spent her days practicing martial arts and completing her studies. She never had the time to go out and have fun. Naturally, she also didn’t have time for dating.

Xiao Tu really had spent her years in junior high miserably.

In the first two years of junior high, she was known as the girlfriend of the most handsome boy at school. None of the other boys at school dared to make a move on her. After Ling Chao had left, she spent her days participating in many martial arts competitions. She was working on becoming an expert in martial arts at her school. However, now there were even less boys that dared to hit on her.

She was befuddled throughout the last three years. At her age, the other girls had long found their first love, However, Xiao Tu’s emotional intelligence was still at the stage where the fertilized ovum was still underdeveloped.

The bud that should have sprouted never sprouted. Xiao Tu was about to enter high school.

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