Chapter 89

Li Xunzhe cried, really cried.

Today, he had lost face in a big way. He was originally a pride of heaven, from a wealthy family, with a superior background, who had immigrated to the United States and, at a young age, had achieved a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, a martial arts prodigy, and was always admired and revered wherever he went.

The Kim family, in his eyes, was just a small rural clan, so he always felt that he was a step above the Kims. He thought that just by coming to their house, he was giving them face. When he returned home with Kim Boyan for the New Year, he had come with the intention of exploring the countryside, where there were still quite a few beautiful girls.

Indeed, he did encounter a girl who was his favorite type. However, that girl didn't care about his family background or status at all, and didn't even have the interest to look at him. Her entire heart and mind were focused on her young boyfriend, which made Li Xunzhe very resentful. Why should he be outshone by a Chinese boy? He was an American.

In terms of family background, wealth, status, and position, Li Xunzhe believed he was far superior to Xia Hou Zhongying. With this mindset, he found it even more unbearable that Kim Tae-yeon ignored him. From birth, he had always had a smooth life, growing up with the praise and care of his family, and had rarely experienced setbacks, which had fostered a high and proud personality.

Today, Kim Tae-yeon's ignoring him, Xia Hou Zhongying's teasing, and the Kim family's contemptuous attitude toward him could be considered the greatest humiliation he had ever experienced.

Xia Hou Zhongying, as the one who made him lose face, was naturally the first person Li Xunzhe wanted to kill.

However, today was at the Kim family's house, so Li Xunzhe could only fantasize about it. He couldn't really kill Xia Hou Zhongying, but he could beat him up under the guise of a Taekwondo performance and find a chance to settle the score later.

In Li Xunzhe's view, Xia Hou Zhongying was just a little boy, and he could do whatever he wanted with him. He never expected that this kid would turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing and play him again.

In their match, Li Xunzhe didn't even touch Xia Hou Zhongying's clothes before being thrown to the ground twice, which was extremely embarrassing. Li Xunzhe couldn't hold back his tears, and they flowed down his face as he cried into the snow.

"Hey, are you okay?" Xia Hou Zhongying, seeing that Li Xunzhe had been lying in the snow for a long time without moving, became worried. He couldn't have been killed, right? He couldn't help but walk over to check on him. Seeing that Li Xunzhe was just lying there, still breathing, Xia Hou Zhongying sighed in relief and said in a complaining tone, "I told you I was an expert and to be careful, but you didn't believe me."

Li Xunzhe wiped his face on the snow, letting the cold snow absorb his tears, and slowly got up, looking at Xia Hou Zhongying with hatred and asking, "Who are you really?"

"Are you sick? I'm Xia Hou Zhongying. Don't you recognize me? Did you lose your memory again? That's impossible, you only fell a couple of times." Xia Hou Zhongying looked at Li Xunzhe with confusion, extended two fingers in front of his face, and asked, "How many is this?"

"You're the one who lost your memory. I know you're Xia Hou Zhongying. I'm not asking your name, but what kind of person you are." Li Xunzhe shouted at Xia Hou Zhongying in anger.

"You're having a mental spasm." Xia Hou Zhongying shook his head, turned around, and walked away, not bothering to deal with Li Xunzhe anymore.

What Li Xunzhe wanted to ask was Xia Hou Zhongying's identity, but in his current state of anger, his words were unclear, making him look like he was having a mental spasm.

Seeing that Xia Hou Zhongying was ignoring him, Li Xunzhe followed him for a few steps and asked, "Hey, what martial arts do you practice? Can you tell me?"

Li Xunzhe had lost in a mysterious way. Although he felt uncomfortable, he was convinced. Xia Hou Zhongying had defeated him without any tricks, and he couldn't help but admire him. However, he still didn't know what martial arts had defeated him, which left him feeling frustrated.

Before the match, Li Xunzhe had always believed that Taekwondo was the strongest martial art in the world, and the most widely practiced. The only martial art that could match Taekwondo in power was Muay Thai. However, Xia Hou Zhongying had clearly used neither of these, yet easily defeated him. Xia Hou Zhongying's martial arts became his obsession, and until he figured it out, it felt like a fish bone stuck in his throat.

"Flying Sword Technique." Xia Hou Zhongying laughed and said, "I've already told you."

"Go to hell," Li Xunzhe almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Alright, it's fine." Xia Hou Zhongying walked up to Kim Tae-yeon with a playful smile and said, "I told you I practice martial arts."

Kim Tae-yeon looked at Xia Hou Zhongying quietly and smiled, but her smile was somewhat bitter.

When they first met, Kim Tae-yeon thought that she and Xia Hou Zhongying had only met by chance, and their encounter was not pleasant. Xia Hou Zhongying had bought her clothes and bags to compensate for her losses, which slightly changed her view of him, but she still thought he was just a passing figure in her life, and they would never meet again.

However, fate seemed to play a trick on Kim Tae-yeon. Xia Hou Zhongying turned out to be the older brother of her company senior, Jung Soo-yeon, and their connection did not end there but became even stronger.

After that, camping, preparing for a short film, founding a studio, holding a report meeting, and securing sponsorships, Xia Hou Zhongying worked tirelessly for the girls. Although he wasn't deliberately helping her, and she was just along for the ride with Jung Soo-yeon, it still felt like winning a lottery.

During their long-term interaction, Kim Tae-yeon began to unconsciously pay attention to Xia Hou Zhongying's every move and was gradually attracted by his charm. Seeing Xia Hou Zhongying return to the studio exhausted after running around for sponsorships, putting on a forced smile, and encouraging the girls to work hard on their acting, Kim Tae-yeon felt a pang of sadness.

"Don't worry, everything is on me." This was the most common phrase Xia Hou Zhongying said to the girls when they were depressed because they couldn't help him. He took everything on himself, and Kim Tae-yeon's heart ached so much that it almost broke. From then on, Xia Hou Zhongying began to enter her heart, and she started to pay attention to him and like him, but she didn't dare to let him know, only silently supporting him.

When the sponsorship was finally secured, there were more twists. For the girls, Xia Hou Zhongying started to fight with the DSP company again. His appearance became haggard and thin, and he matured from a young man. Kim Tae-yeon saw all these changes in Xia Hou Zhongying. The more outstanding he became, the more he attracted her, and the more she liked him.

Kim Tae-yeon thought she wouldn't be jealous, but when she saw Jung Soo-yeon and her sister always around Xia Hou Zhongying, playing, laughing, eating, and going home together, she finally tasted the bitterness of jealousy. She envied Jung Soo-yeon, envied her for having a brother who went all out to help her, envied her for being able to spend all day with Xia Hou Zhongying, and envied his tolerance and care for her, to the point of being driven mad with jealousy.

When Kim Tae-yeon invited Xia Hou Zhongying to visit Jeonju, she didn't have any expectations, but she never thought he would actually agree, and even come home with her for the New Year, which made her overjoyed.

When the two of them performed the New Year's bow to the elders like a married couple, it made Kim Tae-yeon feel like the happiest person in the world. Although she didn't know how much she meant to Xia Hou Zhongying, she felt very satisfied, at least for this moment, he belonged to her.

Kim Tae-yeon always thought she was the girl who understood Xia Hou Zhongying the most, knowing what snacks he liked, what street foods he enjoyed, that he liked to read "Playboy," that he liked to explore various corners, and that he drooled in his sleep.

She thought she knew everything about Xia Hou Zhongying, but seeing his performance just now, she suddenly realized that she didn't know him as well as she thought. Perhaps Jung Soo-yeon knew him even better.

The more outstanding Xia Hou Zhongying became, the more anxious Kim Tae-yeon felt. Could she really hold onto such a person? Thinking about this, Kim Tae-yeon felt a bitter taste in her heart.

"Brother Zhongying, let's go back inside, it's cold outside." Kim Tae-yeon smiled and helped Xia Hou Zhongying tidy up his clothes, which had become a bit messy from the match with Li Xunzhe. She made up her mind, "I like him, no matter what happens in the future, I like him."

"Brother-in-law..."

"Uncle..."

"..." Before Xia Hou Zhongying could answer, the young people of the Kim family immediately surrounded him, pushing Kim Tae-yeon to the outer edge of the crowd, making the elders of the Kim family cry and laugh at the same time.

The young people warmly greeted Xia Hou Zhongying, showering him with admiration and adoration like a flood, almost drowning him, making his face turn pale.

Kim Tae-yeon's female friends also surrounded her, asking her all sorts of questions, filled with envy and jealousy.

The scene became chaotic, and the entrance to the Kim family's ancestral hall was like a market, making the elders of the Kim family frown. Today was New Year's Day, and this was not a proper way to behave.

In contrast to Xia Hou Zhongying's popularity, Li Xunzhe stood there in a daze, looking at Xia Hou Zhongying's figure, appearing so desolate and lonely.

"Let's break up." Kim Boyan walked to Li Xunzhe's side and said sadly. She had put in so much effort, but ended up with this result. Li Xunzhe's performance today made him look like a clown, with a grand entrance, arrogant behavior, and a bleak ending.

For such a person, had she lost her dignity? Was it worth it? Kim Boyan didn't have the heart to think about it now; she just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, go home, and have a good sleep to forget everything that happened today.

Li Xunzhe watched Kim Boyan turn and leave, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He quietly picked up his suit from the snow, put it on casually, and turned to leave.