Chapter 114: A Meeting of Minds

“Old Bai, sis, I’m here!” Wang Bei pushed the door open, brimming with enthusiasm. “Let’s give it our all today!”

“Xiao Bei’s here?” Han Jiayi asked with a gentle smile. “Want some breakfast? Old Bai and I haven’t finished yet.”

“No need, I ate on the way here,” Wang Bei replied with a smile, then raised an eyebrow, keenly sensing something off between Han Jiayi and Bai Renzong.

“Old Bai, can you come early for lunch today? Around noon?” Han Jiayi reminded him.

“Hm?” Wang Bei watched Han Jiayi closely.

“Got it. Will you be busy then?” Bai Renzong asked as he ate his noodles.

“Hm?” Wang Bei gave Bai Renzong a suspicious look.

“Not too bad, the whole kitchen staff is helping,” Han Jiayi responded.

“All right then,” Bai Renzong nodded. “If you’re busy, just make the others’ dishes first. I can wait.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ve got this,” Han Jiayi said proudly. “When the restaurant first opened, there were only three or four chefs in the kitchen, and we did just fine.”

At that moment, Wang Bei interrupted, “Are you two dating?”

“No!” Han Jiayi brushed back her hair nervously. “W-why do you ask?”

“Just feels like you two…” Wang Bei hesitated, “are already a couple.”

“Same as usual, right?” Bai Renzong asked calmly, inwardly feeling a bit pleased.

“Exactly…” Han Jiayi quickened her hair-tucking, suppressing a smile.

Wang Bei glanced between them a few times, then shrugged.

After breakfast, Han Jiayi headed to the restaurant, and Bai Renzong set off for his martial arts training.

Since he promised Han Jiayi to come early for lunch, he started training earlier that morning.

“I notice you use your elbows and knees quite a bit,” Coach Ke Hong said, steadying the swinging punching bag with curiosity.

“Ah, well…” Bai Renzong blushed slightly. “Using elbows hurts less.”

After all, force is mutual—punching the bag with fists would hurt his own hands, so he instinctively increased elbow and knee strikes during practice.

“In that case, I’ll recommend a martial art for you,” Coach Ke Hong smiled, then took a stance, moving his elbows gracefully like Tai Chi. “Bangkassura, a Southeast Asian martial art similar to free fighting, featuring strikes, throws, locks, and grappling techniques, with heavy use of elbows and knees. If Muay Thai is about power, Bangkassura is about fluidity.”

Seeing Coach Ke’s movements, Bai Renzong found them especially pleasing and mimicked the gestures.

“Oh?” Coach Ke laughed with interest. “You can’t say you learn it instantly, but it suits you perfectly. Come, spar with me so I can teach you properly.”

Coach Ke then led Bai Renzong into the octagonal cage for slow sparring.

Elbows and knees here weren’t just for attacking—they were integral to throws, strikes, and locks. “See? Using your elbows to control your opponent’s joints forms locks, different from traditional joint locks.”

“This fighting style is so elegant…” Bai Renzong marveled.

“That’s because it originated from observing eagles and tigers,” Coach Ke explained. “It started as an art, then fused with modern martial arts to become Bangkassura. It’s excellent for fighting larger opponents because using elbows and knees requires closing the distance.”

“Big guys can’t throw punches as easily?” Bai Renzong asked curiously.

“Exactly! So this style excels in close, confined spaces,” Coach Ke smiled. “Learning fighting is like finding a girlfriend—it’s about compatibility, that instant connection.”

“Ah, haha…” Bai Renzong smiled sheepishly, thinking of Han Jiayi. “Her personality might not appeal to everyone, but I like it, and that’s enough.”

Just as Coach Ke said, Bai Renzong felt much more at ease practicing Bangkassura—it fit him like a glove.

“Zheng Zhi,” Coach Ke called to a fierce-looking, dark-skinned man with many scars nearby. “Come spar with him.”

The man entered the cage and smiled at Bai Renzong. “Newbie, huh? Don’t be scared—I’ll go easy.”

Coach Ke explained, “You’ve trained a month now and picked up quickly. Let’s try some live sparring today. If all goes well, next class you’ll spar other students. Don’t worry, you’ll have protective gear, but take it easy—we’re all brothers here.”

Bai Renzong nodded and bowed slightly to the intimidating man. “Please guide me.”

“Come on,” Zheng Zhi took his stance with a grin. “Just a light spar, I won’t bully you.”

But his stance looked far from light.

Bai Renzong mirrored the stance, and they circled in the cage.

“I’m going in! Keep your hands up, don’t drop your guard,” Zheng Zhi warned, then stepped forward in a flash, suddenly in front of Bai Renzong.

“So fast!” Bai Renzong thought, activating his lightning-fast reflexes. He tracked the attack and planned his counter.

As Zheng Zhi’s punch came in, Bai Renzong struck the man’s wrist with his left elbow, deflecting the blow, then swept Zheng Zhi’s chin with his raised right elbow.

“Ugh!” Zheng Zhi grunted, collapsing to the floor.

The room fell silent.

“Hey?!” Zheng Zhi quickly got up, rubbing his chin and glaring at Bai Renzong. “Not bad for a newbie—quick reaction!”

“Uh… sorry,” Bai Renzong said, embarrassed.

“It’s fine, I’m interested in you,” Zheng Zhi said, pointing at Bai Renzong. “We’ll spar again.”

Coach Ke chuckled outside the cage. “Real-time application, huh? So, want to learn Bangkassura?”

“Yes!” Bai Renzong nodded eagerly, suppressing his excitement.

His lightning reflexes were tailor-made for this style.

Because elbow strikes have a shorter range than punches, fighting with this style means staying very close, making reflexes and instant judgment crucial.

With this technique and his reflexes, Bai Renzong felt he could even take down a professional boxer now.

After training, Bai Renzong went home to shower and change, then headed to Yijiaxuan.

Seeing him, Han Jiayi felt a swelling warmth in her chest, an inexplicable joy: He’s here, he’s here!

She skipped over and asked with a bright smile, “What do you want to eat today?”

Seeing her happy expression, Bai Renzong regained some strength. “After intense exercise this morning, give me something filling…”

“Then steak it is,” Han Jiayi replied. “Filet steak set—you said last time you liked it.”

“Yeah, that one,” Bai Renzong nodded, putting down the menu and looking at Han Jiayi. “Can I have extra sides?”

“Of course,” Han Jiayi smiled sweetly. “Besides, I’m making it for you personally.”

Bai Renzong continued, “Also add a Hawaiian-style roasted chicken leg and a bowl of garlic mushroom soup.”

“Looks like you’re really hungry today…” Han Jiayi said, eyes wide in surprise.

“I worked out at the gym for an hour and a half,” Bai Renzong said weakly, propping his chin with his hand, then softly urged, “Hurry up, I’m starving…”

“Coming right up,” Han Jiayi said happily, hopping back to the kitchen.

Soon, she placed a large plate of steak before Bai Renzong.

Double portions of spaghetti, roasted potatoes, salt-grilled asparagus, butter-baked corn, and two fried eggs adorned the dish. The steak was topped with a rich caramelized onion layer, the aroma irresistible.

“Here’s the Hawaiian roasted chicken leg and garlic mushroom soup, plus some bread,” Han Jiayi said, setting the rest of the sides on the table before sitting beside him. “Everything’s ready.”

“I won’t be polite,” Bai Renzong said, grabbing his knife and fork to dig in.

He cut a big piece of steak and stuffed it in his mouth, twirled a large forkful of spaghetti, then dipped some toasted baguette into the garlic mushroom soup before gulping it down.

“Slow down, be careful not to choke,” Han Jiayi laughed. “No one’s stealing your food.”

“I’m too hungry to care,” Bai Renzong mumbled, stuffing roasted potatoes in his mouth at lightning speed. Then, suddenly worried, he asked, “Do you think I’m being a bit rude?”

“Nope!” Han Jiayi laughed joyfully. “You’re eating so deliciously, it makes me want to eat too.”

Any chef would feel happy seeing someone enjoy their cooking so much.

Bai Renzong relaxed and kept eating heartily, while Han Jiayi sat beside him, resting her cheeks in her hands, watching him with a smile that lit up her eyes, her beautiful legs gently swaying unconsciously.

Their affectionate scene made the kitchen staff nearby turn green with envy.

“Do you smell lemon?” “Yeah, I heard lemon goes great with dog food?” some employees whispered jokes while resting nearby, but were quickly interrupted by the head chef.

“Nothing better to do?” Su Hui asked coldly, arms crossed. “Why not use the time to improve your skills? Maybe one day you’ll earn the right to be critiqued by the boss’s boyfriend.”

“Y-yes, head chef!” the group snapped to attention and returned to the kitchen.

“Keep it up, Jiayi. Happiness is just ahead,” Su Hui whispered, sneaking a glance at Han Jiayi and Bai Renzong by the table, smiling softly.