Chapter Eighteen

Raindrop could feel Elsie drawing closer and, taking advantage of the momentum, swung her leg up and aimed a kick at Elsie’s head. Certain of victory, Raindrop saw that Elsie made no move to defend herself and assumed the win was hers. Yet, even after Raindrop’s foot connected solidly with Elsie’s head, Elsie did not fall. The surprise was all Raindrop’s—how could she still be standing? Raindrop, lacking in strength, simply didn’t have the power to knock Elsie out.

Elsie’s expression was strange after taking the blow. Raindrop realized she had struck Elsie in her most protected spot—her head, which Elsie guarded with exceptional care. Now, being kicked there, Elsie was furious.

“I’ll kill you!” Elsie spat out in her awkward accent, cursing in anger. She could lose the match, but her hairstyle must not be ruined.

Raindrop’s heart thundered with anxiety, her nerves stretched to the breaking point. She had no idea what Elsie would do next and dared not make a reckless move.

Elsie attacked at once, kicking Raindrop to the ground. But Raindrop, quick as a flash, sprang back up with a nimble kip-up and retaliated, landing two kicks on Elsie. Elsie was shaken—this little girl was even tougher than she had imagined. She could no longer afford to conceal her own abilities.

Raindrop stood perfectly still, sensing that Elsie was preparing to unleash her ultimate move and not daring to relax for a second.

Offstage, Rain Xingyue watched the two contestants with tense anticipation.

No wonder she’s the captain of the Breaking Force team, Rain Xingyue thought. After all this time, she can still hold out against Raindrop. If, in the end, Elsie goes all out against her, Raindrop should be fine if she follows my advice. That’s what I believe.

Elsie checked the match timer—a minute remained. She realized that their cautious probing had cost too much time; not only had she failed to land a kick on Raindrop, but had instead been struck three times herself.

“Aaah!” Elsie cried out in frustration.

“Nice! Elsie’s losing her cool,” said Xiao Jian. During the break, Rain Xingyue had shared the Breaking Force team’s profiles. Of Elsie Terman, Rain Xingyue had remarked that her biggest flaw was her arrogance—just a hint of setback and she’d crack. Rain Xingyue had advised Raindrop to make the opponent feel threatened and pressured, using her overconfidence as the key to victory in the third match.

Raindrop was elated—Rain Xingyue had been right. Elsie was feeling the pressure; no matter how she attacked, Raindrop dodged with ease. The more desperate Elsie became, the less she managed to land a single blow.

With only thirty seconds left, Elsie grew even more frantic. Sensing her desperation, Raindrop launched a fierce offensive, each kick brimming with power. Elsie did her best to defend, but couldn’t withstand the force of Raindrop’s strikes and her guard was broken.

To be fair, Rain Xingyue thought, Elsie’s a promising talent, but her overconfidence is her undoing. If she had a touch more humility, she might be exceptional.

When time was called, Raindrop was declared the winner. Elsie Terman sat on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. It was her first defeat, and at the hands of Raindrop from China.

“The third match—victory goes to the Sky Source team!” the referee announced.

Cheers erupted from the Sky Source contingent. They’d taken an early lead over the Breaking Force team; as long as they didn’t slip up in the next two matches, the championship was theirs.

The Breaking Force team dragged a fainted, weeping Elsie Terman from the platform. Her loss, and her tears, brought shame to her teammates—the captain, crying in front of everyone. Spectators muttered that the Breaking Force captain was a sore loser.

Rain Xingyue didn’t stay to watch the subsequent matches—he left the arena at once. Seeing this, Lin Ling instructed Xiao Jian to get ready while she discreetly followed after Rain Xingyue.

With Rain Xingyue’s departure, the judging panel was one short, but the organizers quickly found a professional substitute.

Just outside the arena, Lin Ling hid behind a wall and saw Rain Xingyue standing with a man she recognized as Rain Xingyue’s father. She wondered how he had found his way here.

Rain Xingyue stood with his hands in his pockets, only a few meters from Rain Chun. Whenever his father tried to approach, he stepped back. Rain Xingyue had made it clear that, after what had happened, he no longer considered any connection between them. Now that his father had come again, Rain Xingyue’s temper flared.

“Didn’t I say I never wanted to see you again? What the hell are you doing here?” he snapped.

“I… just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Whatever it is, don’t come looking for me. You really are like a ghost I can’t shake off.”

“Do you really not want to see me that badly?”

“I mean it—I’d rather die than be tied to you!” Rain Xingyue yelled from the heart. He’d said not to come, and yet here he was, just to spite him.

Rain Xingyue pulled something from his pocket and threw it at Rain Chun. “This is the last of Mom’s money. Don’t come again.”

“I’m not here for money. I just hope you both can forgive my mistakes.”

“Hmph! It’s too late for that. I won’t waste my breath. Before long, Mom and I will move far away. As long as you’re around, you’ll never see us again. I don’t care if we have to live deep in the mountains—I’ll show you we mean it.”

Rain Xingyue’s merciless words left Rain Chun feeling helpless. Rain Xingyue still remembered all too well how Rain Chun had treated him and his mother. A father addicted to gambling was his lifelong nightmare, one that would haunt him forever.

“Oh, and by the way, Mom’s getting married soon. I hope you’ll wish her well before you disappear forever.” Without looking back, Rain Xingyue walked away. Rain Chun’s legs felt like lead—he wanted to chase after his son but it was too late. The wounds of the past, no matter how many apologies, would always remain.

Not long after Rain Chun left, Lin Ling stepped out from behind the wall. “I heard everything. Do you really think this is fair to your father?”

Rain Xingyue sneered, “Father? That word’s long gone from my mind. I’ll never forget what he did to us, and I’ll never call him father again.”

“What you said about moving away—was that real?”

Rain Xingyue shrugged. “Just offhand words, you actually believed it? But Mom really is getting married.”

A month ago, Yang Shuting had told Rain Xingyue she had a boyfriend and even introduced him. Rain Xingyue found him honest and loving towards Yang Shuting. Still just a child himself, he’d always worried about his mom. She said she wanted to marry soon—she simply couldn’t wait any longer.

The man’s surname was also Rain, Rain Wen, a language teacher. Rain Xingyue believed he’d treat his mother right, and besides, though he shared the same surname, he wasn’t Rain Chun, the gambler.

“So, will you invite me to your mother’s wedding?” Lin Ling asked.

“Of course. You’re most welcome.”

Not long after, Lin Ling returned to the arena. Rain Xingyue, uninterested in what came next, headed to Brokenheart Café for his shift. The remaining matches were a mere formality.

In the end, the last two matches were forfeited by the opponents. The Sky Source team thus won the championship by default, but none of them were happy. Their opponents hadn’t wanted to fight—they’d simply conceded. A mere trophy meant little to them.

The event soon dispersed.

While Rain Xingyue was serving customers, Lin Ling sent him a message. Winning the championship by default left Rain Xingyue feeling empty—victory without effort felt hollow and meaningless, especially since their opponents had conceded of their own accord.

Lin Zimo, injured and unable to come to work, had Rain Xingyue request leave on her behalf. Afterward, he returned to the front desk and found Lin Ling seated there.

He greeted her cheerfully, “What can I get for you?”

“The same coffee as last time,” Lin Ling replied wearily.

“All right, please wait a moment.”

A few minutes later, the coffee was ready. Rain Xingyue handed it to her. “Your mocha is ready.”

“Thank you.”

“Senior, you seem down. Is it because of the championship?” Rain Xingyue asked.

Lin Ling sighed, “That’s part of it. I just can’t understand why they forfeited.”

“What’s done is done. Thinking about it won’t change our hollow victory.”

“You’re right,” Lin Ling said, taking a sip.

After finishing her coffee, Lin Ling wanted a refill. Rain Xingyue prepared another cup—so long as she paid, it was no problem.

“By the way, Xingyue, you and Raindrop have gotten pretty close lately.”

“It’s not just recently. Raindrop and I have always gotten along.”

“She’s so rebellious with the team, yet the moment she sees you, she behaves herself. If only Raindrop were my little sister.”

Rain Xingyue laughed, “What, want to adopt her? Maybe she’ll let you be her godmother.”

“Get out of here.”

After finishing her coffee, Lin Ling left money on the table. Rain Xingyue noticed she’d paid extra, but Lin Ling explained it was for the coffee she’d had last time. Rain Xingyue accepted the payment—no need to waste it.

His phone buzzed. Rain Xingyue opened QQ and found a message from Wu Siying, plus a glaring red “99+” notification.

Rain Xingyue was stunned—why had Wu Siying sent so many messages? On opening them, he saw they were all spam. He immediately logged out. “Must’ve been hacked.”

His attention shifted to Lin Zimo, who had stayed in her room ever since Rain Xingyue helped her request leave. Her parents tried coaxing her out, but she remained shut away, overcome by a strange emptiness.

Just thinking of Rain Xingyue made Lin Zimo blush furiously. She tried to convince herself she and Rain Xingyue were just ordinary friends—there was no way they could be a couple, especially since he probably wouldn’t like someone as rough as her.

Burying her face under the pillow, Lin Zimo found she simply couldn’t forget Rain Xingyue. “Ah! Letting him see me like this today was so embarrassing. Rain Guo must be so disappointed in me.”

But really, it was all in Lin Zimo’s imagination. If she took the initiative, Rain Xingyue might not turn her down. Who knew—maybe Rain Xingyue liked that sort of thing.

With a sigh, Lin Zimo pulled out her phone and messaged Chen Siyu privately.

“Siyu, I’m really upset right now.”

“What’s wrong? If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll do my best.”

“Well, I have this friend who keeps trying to distance herself from a male friend.”

“And then? [curious]”

After a while, Lin Zimo replied, “But she can’t stop thinking about him. What does that mean?”

Soon, Chen Siyu wrote back, “Do you really need to ask? Your friend is obviously in love with him.”