Chapter 25 Sparring

Chapter 25: Showdown

"Let go of me, you little bitch, if you dare! I'll kill you!" Liu He hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Su Mi.

She smiled faintly and promptly released his arm. Before he could scramble to his feet, she kicked him down again, then stepped forward to grab his short hair once more, her expression darkening. "You want to kill me? With that shit-talking mouth of yours? A useless piece of trash like you, all you can do is whine and mooch off your parents. I'm only giving you this money now out of consideration for our family ties. If I ever see you again, I'll break your legs!"

The pain in his chest was a sharp reminder of what had just happened, and now his scalp stung from being pulled. His eyes, full of fury, also held disbelief. How had this little bitch gotten so strong in such a short time? No, it couldn't be!

Glancing at her abdomen, he suddenly clenched his fist and swung at her. But before his punch could connect, he was kicked hard in the shoulder, sending him flying into the corner, where he lay unable to move for a long moment.

"A-He!!" Yu Zhen cried out in alarm, rushing over to help her son up.

She then pointed a trembling finger at Su Mi, gnashing her teeth. "You vicious little bitch! How dare you hit your own cousin! If you don't cough up eight to nine hundred thousand today, I'm having you arrested!"

Liu He lay there, gasping in pain, utterly unable to believe how fast this little bitch had reacted. Just a while ago, he had been the one pulling *her* hair.

"Everyone saw it. He was the one who tried to hit me first, and he was the one who started hurling insults. This is self-defense," Su Mi stated impassively.

The onlookers chimed in agreement. "That's right, I saw him clenching his fist, ready to throw a punch."

"Exactly! A grown man like him, shameless enough to hit a woman! Where's his face!"

"No kidding. Can't even win a fight, wonder what all that bulk is for."

They weren't fools. Liu Zhiyun and his wife were so honest; they must have been pushed to their limit to sue these people. And with this bunch being so unreasonable and aggressive, the couple was no match for them. They just remembered that Old Liu's daughter used to be quiet and gentle. It was surprising how much she had changed in such a short time. But then again, if the family didn't toughen up now, they'd probably be bled dry sooner or later.

Hearing the mocking voices, Liu He felt his face burn with humiliation. He wished he could kill this little bitch right now!

"You... just you wait! See how I'll sue you!" Yu Zhen took out her phone and immediately dialed 110.

"Illegal trespassing, deliberate provocation and disturbance of public order, punishable by fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, criminal detention, or public surveillance," the butler said calmly and unhurriedly.

At this, Yu Zhen's hand paused. Liu Hua, however, kept coughing pointedly, signaling for her to put the phone down.

"A-He, where does it hurt? Tell Mom quickly!" Yu Zhen could only turn back to her son with a worried face.

He lay there, gasping, unable to pinpoint exactly where the pain was, but feeling it all over whenever he moved.

"We're all family. Let's talk things out properly. What will people think, seeing us like this?" Liu Hua stepped forward with a stern expression.

Su Mi glanced at him. "Wasn't it Auntie who insisted on making a scene just now? What, feeling embarrassed now? Since you wanted others to judge, let everyone hear how you brazenly demanded three million. Now I've brought you the money. Why aren't Uncle and Auntie happy?"

"Three million? What kind of people are they? Might as well rob a bank!" The surrounding crowd's expressions changed instantly, their gazes toward Liu Zhenyi and the others now filled with contempt.

"No wonder Old Liu and his wife sued them. Even if they had money, why should they give it to them? What a bunch of scoundrels."

"Exactly! And they have the nerve to come here and make a fuss, just bullying Old Liu and his wife for being honest and decent. In my opinion, let the police handle it."

Aunt Wang from next door immediately walked over, taking Zhao Yun's hand earnestly. "Sister, don't pay any mind to these shameless old things. Let's let the police handle it. We all saw how they were making a huge racket just now. That's enough for the police to lock them up for ten days to half a month!"

Seeing this, Liu Zhenyi and the others couldn't help but change their expressions, turning their pleading eyes to Liu Zhiyun. "Big Brother, we're all family. Isn't it only natural for family to help each other? Now that you have money, you're in such a hurry to shake us off. Have you forgotten what Dad said before he passed? He told you to hold up this family. And look at you now, ready to take us to court over a bit of money. If Mom finds out, she might just choke on her anger and pass away."

"If she chokes, she chokes. I'll cover the cremation fees, make sure she gets a grand send-off," Su Mi said displeased, sweeping her gaze over the group. "Just because we have money, we have to give it to you? Even banks have fixed deposits. You shameless old things just want money for free. If I were the old lady and knew I'd given birth to such disgraceful old wretches, I'd probably kick the bucket from anger too."

"You... you..." Liu Zhenyi gnashed his teeth, looking at Liu Zhiyun. "Look at what she's saying! She's actually cursing us and Mom to die! Is that any way to speak to elders? I think all those years of schooling went to the dogs!"

Su Mi laughed. "Wasn't it you, Third Uncle, who said it was useless for girls to read so many books? Now you remember the importance of education?"

As she spoke, she took a few steps forward, sweeping a cold gaze over them. "I call you 'uncle' when I'm in a good mood. Don't actually think you're something special, you shameless old things who don't know when to quit."

"You—" Liu Zhenyi clutched his chest, his face flushed red with anger.

She suddenly pulled a can of pepper spray from her pocket and sprayed it directly into their faces. They immediately covered their faces, stumbling back, their eyes stinging so badly they could barely open them.

At that moment, several bodyguards stepped forward, forcibly dragging the group away. The stream of curses gradually faded down the stairwell.

"It's all Mom and Dad's fault for not being able to handle such a small matter properly," Zhao Yun said self-reproachfully, taking her daughter's hand.

Su Mi gave a faint smile. "Everyone has their own way of handling things. For the next few days, you two should move into the house Ruan Ruan bought. If they come looking for you, call me."

As long as Zhao Yun and her husband didn't foolishly compromise, that was already significant progress.

"Alright, your father and I will move tomorrow," Zhao Yun nodded immediately.

Mrs. Su had said it was best not to mention Ruan Ruan's name in front of their daughter. But she didn't see anything abnormal about her daughter's reaction; she seemed perfectly fine. Still, it was better not to mention it. Being cautious never hurt.

Knowing that Su Min had specifically waited at home to have dinner with her, Su Mi didn't linger. After a few more instructions, she left the residential area.

Sitting in the car, she closed her eyes and suddenly said, "My uncles all have quite stable jobs."

Hearing this, the butler immediately nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, Miss. I know what to do."

Making them lose their jobs was naturally very simple. No one would refuse to give the Chairman face. On the contrary, there were countless people eager to curry favor. Outsiders only saw the young lady's hot temper, but he felt she was simply a person of strong character. In reality, her mind was clearer than anyone's. Cutting off their financial resources before having them arrested meant that, in their desperation and rage, they would only commit more illegal acts. The more charges, the heavier the sentence, thus permanently eliminating the problem.

In contrast, the second young lady was too soft. It just so happened that the old master particularly favored the second young lady's innocent and cheerful nature. In the end, most of the shares would probably be left to the second young lady. When that happened, the other branches of the family would surely raise hell, leading to a heap of trouble later on.

When she returned to the villa, the food in the dining room hadn't been touched. Su Min and his wife were clearly still waiting for her. Su Mi changed her clothes and went to eat. Without the old man around, the air in the dining room felt fresher.

"There's something... I don't know if I should bring it up. If you don't want to hear it, Dad won't ask," Su Min said hesitantly, holding his chopsticks.

Mrs. Su shot him a glance, then looked at her daughter. "There's nothing wrong with asking. Your father just wants to know what's going on between you and that Lin Yue. If you're just ordinary friends, that's fine. But if there's potential for something more, tell Mom. You're still young. If he has any ulterior motives, Mom and Dad can help vet him for you."

Their daughter was usually very normal. As long as no harsh words were said, she wouldn't get angry. She was also puzzled about this matter. That President Lin, pretending to be a coach to get close to their daughter for no reason—it definitely seemed suspicious. He probably saw that their family only had a daughter and wanted to take advantage.

Of course, if he genuinely liked their daughter, she wouldn't oppose them being together. After all, Lin Yue's family background and looks were among the best of the younger generation, far surpassing that impolite brat Qi Xi.

But they weren't ordinary families. The business world was full of unpredictable schemes. What she feared most was those tactics being used against her daughter. If that were the case, it was better to warn their daughter early.

"There's nothing between us. What happened before is in the past. I won't fall out with him, to avoid affecting the normal business dealings between your companies," Su Mi said, lowering her head to focus on her meal.

She wasn't that petty. She'd already hit him. As long as he didn't act pretentious in the future, she could shake hands and make peace.

Hearing this, Su Min's face immediately broke into a smile. "Mimi really is sensible and knows what's important. But you should still keep your distance from him in the future. Later, Dad will find you a live-in son-in-law, so you won't have to marry into another family and put up with their attitudes."

Mainly, given their daughter's temper, it was better to find a live-in son-in-law. Otherwise, other wealthy families had strict rules; their daughter probably couldn't stand that kind of restraint. What if her condition worsened then?

"That works too," Su Mi said expressionlessly, taking a sip of water.

Marriage wasn't important. The key was to change the plot first. No one was scolding her anymore, and her luck points hadn't increased for almost two months. This couldn't go on.

Mrs. Su smiled and placed a lion's head meatball in her bowl. "You don't necessarily have to get married. Dating is fine too. Dating a few people can help you figure out what type suits you best."

Hearing this, Su Min immediately frowned. "What kind of talk is that? What if our daughter gets taken advantage of?"

Mrs. Su turned her head and gave him a cold look. "I regret not dating more people myself back then, letting you get the advantage. Put nicely, it was a marriage alliance. Put bluntly, it was just a business transaction."

"You... what are you talking about? How is that the same?" Su Min immediately frowned and put down his chopsticks.

Although his marriage to his wife was arranged for business reasons, they actually liked each other. Over the years, he had never fooled around. His assistants and secretaries were all chosen by his wife. Apart from the baby-switching incident, he had never betrayed his wife. He'd do anything for her.

"What did I say that was wrong? And what good are you? You agreed to send Ruan Ruan away, but then you caved to your father's pressure and let her stay. If it weren't for Ruan Ruan, would our daughter have ended up like this?"

The more Mrs. Su spoke, the angrier she got. "Think about it, if it weren't for Ruan Ruan, who knows if you, under your father's instigation and for the sake of the company, would have pushed Mimi into a marriage alliance? Maybe right now, the one marrying Qi Xi would be Mimi!"

Hearing this, Su Min stammered, unable to get a word out. In his memory, this was the first time his wife had lashed out at him like this. A marriage alliance was for the company's benefit. If their daughter didn't like Qi Xi, he definitely wouldn't have made her marry him. He wouldn't risk his daughter's happiness.

This outburst didn't come from nowhere. Su Mi didn't try to intervene. It was normal to vent pent-up resentment. Even the gentlest person has a temper. Bottling things up is bad for your health. Her mother should take good care of herself.

See, when a man stammers, it's because he has nothing to say; you've hit a nerve.

Without adding another word, she went upstairs immediately after finishing her meal. In the afternoon, the designer came over, and she shared her ideas with him. The clothes should be as loose-fitting as possible, otherwise they would restrict her movement.

Actually, she had already figured out how to trigger the mission. As long as she properly played the role of a malicious female supporting character, repeatedly making things difficult for the female lead, the male lead and Man Two would surely, in a heated moment, verbally attack her. Then the mission would come right away.

Although causing trouble at someone else's birthday banquet was bad form, between being a jerk and doing time, she'd rather be a jerk.

Right now, she was curious about one thing. In the original story, it was the original character who, under the villain's instigation, released the video of the male and female leads kissing. Now that she wasn't following the plot, how would the events of that day unfold?

The next two days passed without incident. However, on the day before the Qi family's birthday banquet, she had an unexpected visitor.

Entering through the villa's main hall, Li Yi was led by a servant to the second floor. Down the long hallway, they stopped outside a room door. He clearly saw the servant holding her breath as she carefully knocked on the door, as if afraid that knocking too hard would wake the person inside.

When the door finally opened automatically, the servant gave him a smile, then carefully walked away.

He had interacted with many ultra-wealthy people before, some with very strict households, but this was the first time he had seen servants so nervous.

Considering the purpose of his visit, he still cautiously entered the room. There was nothing terrifying, just a girl sitting on the sofa watching a movie, holding a large tub of ice cream, looking serene and lovely.

"Miss... Miss Su." He stepped forward, looking apologetic. "What happened last time was my fault. I shouldn't have violated the contract and gone along with President Lin to deceive you. I don't want to make excuses. As long as you forgive me, I will make it up to you."

Although he had already returned the money, in this business, reputation is everything. Offending this Miss Su would affect his reputation in the industry. Even though he had no choice—he had to offend one side or the other—and President Lin was, in a way, his boss too...

"Compensation? That is indeed deserved." Su Mi scooped a spoonful of ice cream. "Then compensate twenty million according to the contract."

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn't help but look troubled. But thinking of the compensation President Lin had given him, he gritted his teeth. "As long as you're satisfied, twenty million it is."

This time it's only twenty million, but if my reputation is ruined, the future losses would be far more than that.

Su Mi couldn't help but take another look at him. "It seems Lin Yue gave you quite a bit."

He agreed to pay twenty million, just like that? And to think that jerk could have any good intentions. What kind of decent person pretends to be a coach to trick someone? If she didn't have talent points, she might have been led astray.

"No, President Lin was an investor in our gym from the beginning. Back then, I had to retire from competing due to old injuries. It was with President Lin's help that I opened that gym. So, I owe him. After all... I couldn't exactly disobey my boss's orders, so... there was no other way." His whole face scrunched up.

Su Mi turned off the computer and took another spoonful of ice cream. "Forget it. I'm not that petty. Forget the twenty million. From now on, you can be my sparring partner. Let that cover the twenty million."

Working people have it tough. This was all that jerk's fault. She definitely shouldn't resort to implicating others. After all, everyone's just trying to make a living.

"By the way, do you offer in-home training?"

Then she paused. "I mean in-home sparring partner service."

Hearing this, Li Yi immediately smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I'm available 24/7. Just one call from you, any place, any time, I guarantee I'll be there."

Looking at his eager smile, Su Mi put down the ice cream and rubbed her neck. See, this is the normal reaction a personal trainer should have.

"Alright, let me see your skills first."

She tied her hair up casually and stood to walk out.

Li Yi immediately followed closely behind. He didn't know what kind of training President Lin gave Miss Su, but he had vaguely heard that Miss Su had struck President Qi in public. As it happens, that President Qi was also his client.

Normally, no ordinary person could get near President Qi. How did Miss Su manage to kick him in front of so many people, and with so many bodyguards protecting him? It was truly baffling.

Or perhaps, compared to himself, President Lin was more suited to be a coach?

Arriving at the second-floor gym, Su Mi picked up a pair of boxing gloves from the cabinet and tossed them over. "A friendly match. If you can knock me down today, I'll forget about the twenty million."

Hearing this, Li Yi was stunned. It wasn't that he looked down on Miss Su, but even though he had been retired for years, he shouldn't be unable to defeat a beginner. Otherwise, all those trophies would mean nothing.

Ordinary people training for two or three years might not even achieve practical combat effectiveness, let alone someone who had only trained for half a year.

But since she said so, he didn't want to crush her confidence. He quickly put on the gloves and walked to the center of an open area, his eyes locked on her.

Su Mi also patted her gloves, then stared intently at her opponent. Suddenly, she threw a heavy left punch towards his head. Immediately, he raised both arms to block.

As if she had anticipated it, Su Mi seized the opportunity to pull down and break his defense, instantly cranking her elbow toward his head. As he leaned back to dodge, she used the opening to lift her leg for a knee strike to his chest. Seeming surprised by her speed, Li Yi had to immediately block with his forearm. Right off the bat, he was almost kicked hard in the chest.

Amateurs watch the action, pros watch the technique. Just from this simple combo, Li Yi instantly realized this Miss Su was dead serious. He also suddenly understood why President Qi got kicked in public, because this Miss Su was clearly no novice. She was more like someone who had practiced many martial arts styles.

He didn't believe she could reach this level in just half a year. To put it bluntly, even President Lin couldn't teach someone to this level.

She noticed his quick reactions. Even while defending, he steadily avoided her attacks. He was definitely much better than that jerk Lin Yue. Su Mi immediately went all in. She followed up with a right hook to the abdomen. As he bent his arm to block, she launched powerful left and right straight punches, but they were all blocked.

His solid muscles had clearly been tempered through rigorous training. Ordinary attacks probably couldn't hurt him. Su Mi instantly snapped her left leg up in a high roundhouse kick aimed at his head. As he ducked and weaved, she immediately connected with a flying kick. As he dodged, he staggered back several steps.

Realizing he was holding back, Su Mi could only stop. "Forget it, that's enough for today."

A five-time consecutive world champion in free fighting was indeed different. This defense was definitely not something ordinary bodyguards could match. But that's fine, at least she wouldn't be short on sparring partners in the future.

"Did Miss Su train before?" Li Yi raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

He could see traces of Wing Chun in her movements.

"Just daily training on my own, following the teaching program your President Lin gave me." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

Li Yi guiltily took off his gloves. "Actually... President Lin is quite good. It's just that it's different from what we do in competitions, and actual combat is different again. In our line of work, President Lin could be a coach, but right now he definitely can't teach Miss Su anymore."

He felt that sparring with Miss Su was a challenge for him. President Lin was even more out of his depth. He didn't know how he taught her, but to actually train someone to this level...

"I heard that Qi Yun used to be your client too. So, how many moves do you think it would take for me to knock him down?" Su Mi asked curiously.

Hearing this, Li Yi thought for a moment, unsure how to answer. President Qi was also his client. If a client got beaten by another client's student, wouldn't that mean he, the coach, was useless?

"In a fair fight, you would only need three minutes." He still seriously assessed the gap between them.

Hearing this, Su Mi couldn't help but frown. Three minutes? By then, she would have long been dragged away by bodyguards like a crazy person.

"Why did your boss suddenly send you over?" She pulled a towel from the cabinet to wipe her sweat.

Li Yi forced a stiff smile. "President Lin said you probably wanted to hit someone, but he no longer had the ability to teach you."

At first, he thought President Lin was referring to their relationship. Now he realized he meant it literally.

Su Mi looked at him. "Go back and tell him I'm not that petty. What's past is past. As long as he learns to be respectful to people from now on, that's fine."

After saying that, she walked straight out of the gym.

As long as he stopped being arrogant in the future, of course she wouldn't hold too much of a grudge. After all, that's just a common flaw of domineering CEOs.

But for the male lead, who had a terminal case of arrogance, there was probably no cure. The male lead probably thought the whole world should revolve around him. He actually said he would make her regret coming into this world. Does he really think he's God? What an idiot. She'd like to see who regrets coming into this world first.