89: Chapter 89 Brother-in-law, come earlier next time! I still have so many questions to ask!

Zhou Shaochen waved his hand, ignoring that, and continued looking at Hu Tian. "Brother Hu Tian, show me a move, would you? Just do a few random actions; I want to see what style it is. Wing Chun? Muay Thai? Or Sanda?"

Hu Tian picked up his cup, eyes lowered. "Drink your tea."

Zhou Shaochen choked slightly, but didn't give up. He changed his angle. "Then teach me a couple of moves, won't you? I've been learning self-defense lately, but what the instructor teaches is too slow. I don't think it's very useful, and you must be better than him."

"Learn properly from your instructor."

"How could the instructor be as good as you!"

Zhou Shaochen was getting a bit anxious. He pressed both hands onto the stone table and leaned in. "Brother Hu Tian, just do me a favor. Just one move, two at most. I promise it won't be a bother. Can you?"

Elder Zhou Bo sat nearby, head lowered as he drank tea, a smile in his eyes, not stopping him.

Zhou Jianguo was standing by the edge of the garden. Hearing the commotion, he turned his head to glance over but didn't say anything.

Hu Tian put down his teacup and looked up, sizing up Zhou Shaochen. The boy was standing there, not short, his arms and legs still possessing the lean thinness of youth, but his eyes were bright—that kind of stubborn, unyielding spirit that made one think of something from their own youth.

Hu Tian was silent for two seconds, then stood up.

Zhou Shaochen immediately perked up, stepping back two paces and setting his stance. "Here it comes, here it comes! Brother Hu Tian, make your move, I'm ready."

He clenched his fists, moved his left foot slightly forward, and sank his waist in a decent manner. It was a defensive stance; it was clear the instructor hadn't taught him in vain—he had the basics.

Hu Tian stood opposite him, hands not raised, just standing there, his expression indifferent. "In this stance, your left foot is too far forward."

Zhou Shaochen didn't move. "What's wrong with it?"

"Your center of gravity is entirely on your left; your right side is wide open."

Hu Tian spoke, his tone as if he were discussing something very mundane. "If an opponent comes at you, you won't have time to adjust."

Zhou Shaochen subconsciously pulled back his left foot, shifting his center of gravity back a bit. "Like this?"

"Close enough."

Zhou Shaochen had just let out a sigh of relief when Hu Tian moved.

He didn't use much force, just stepped forward, lightly hooking Zhou Shaochen's wrist with his right hand, and with a smooth pull, utilizing the boy's own center of gravity, Zhou Shaochen stumbled forward, unable to even stand steady. It took him a long moment to react. "Hey, hey! I wasn't ready—"

"An opponent won't wait for you to be ready."

Hu Tian had already stepped back, standing in place with his hands in his pockets, his expression unchanged. "That's one move. Go back and think about it."

Zhou Shaochen stood up straight, clutching his wrist, his expression indescribable. "Just like that? You just brought me over with that one move? I didn't even get to use a bit of strength in my wrist."

"That's why I said it was a problem with your center of gravity."

Hu Tian sat back down and picked up his tea. "Fighting isn't just about having great strength. Force must be applied where it counts. Wherever the opponent's opening is, that's where you direct your energy. If you direct it correctly, you don't need much strength."

Zhou Shaochen stood in place, ruminating for a moment, thoughtfully replaying the move in his mind. He frowned. "Brother Hu Tian, how did you judge that my left side was open just now? Just by looking at the position of my feet?"

"The feet are one part of it."

Hu Tian put down his teacup. "Shoulders, waist, eyes—they're all talking."

"Ah? You can tell from my eyes too?"

"You wanted to dodge to the right just now."

Zhou Shaochen was stunned. "I... I hadn't even moved yet."

"Your eyes moved first."

Zhou Shaochen was silent for three seconds, then plopped down onto the stone bench, covering his face with both hands and letting out a muffled wail. "It's over. When I sparred with people before, could they guess which way I was going just by looking at my eyes?"

Elder Zhou Bo, sitting nearby, couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Shaochen, this eye issue of yours hasn't been a problem for just a day or two. When you were little and stole things from my bookshelf, I never saw your hands, but just by looking at your eyes, I knew which book you intended to take."

Zhou Shaochen peeked out from between his palms. "Grandpa, why are you bringing this up now!"

"Just giving you a reminder."

Elder Zhou Bo drank his tea unhurriedly. "A person's eyes cannot hide their thoughts. This is an old habit of yours. It's not just in fighting; you need to change it in everything you do."

Zhou Shaochen pursed his lips and didn't argue. He turned his head to look at Hu Tian again. "Brother Hu Tian, who did you learn this from? Did you study it systematically, or did you figure it out on your own?"

Hu Tian thought about it. "Both."

"What does 'both' mean?"

"I studied some, and later, after experiencing many things, it just naturally developed."

Upon hearing the word 'experienced', Zhou Shaochen immediately perked up, his eyes shining. "What kind of things? Was it something really cool? Sister Zhou Waner said you went out treasure hunting. Did you ever encounter those kinds of bad guys who use knives, and in large numbers, like in the movie Wing Chun?"

Zhou Waner raised her eyes and turned to look at Hu Tian.

Zhou Jianguo stood by the edge of the garden, his hands behind his back, but his body had turned slightly, and his eyes were also fixed on Hu Tian.

Hu Tian scanned the area, taking in Zhou Shaochen's glowing eyes, then lowered his gaze. He didn't answer immediately, tapping his fingers gently on the stone table. "I have."

Just two words, very calm, but when Zhou Shaochen heard them, his breathing hitched. "Really?! Then how did you handle it? Did you fight back? Or run?"

"Depends on the situation."

"And most of the time?"

"Most of the time, I fight."

Zhou Shaochen slammed his hand on the stone table, nearly knocking over the teacup. "I knew it! Brother Hu Tian, you must be the type who can fight! Sister, did you hear that? Brother-in-law said he fights."

Zhou Waner steadied the teacup that was about to tip over and shot her brother a look. "Can you not be so excited?"

"I'm just asking."

The garden was silent for a moment. The wind made the bamboo leaves rustle softly, and a few koi fish lazily flicked their tails in the water.

Elder Zhou Bo placed his teacup on the stone table, making a soft clinking sound of porcelain against stone, and looked at Hu Tian. "Dangerous things—do less of them in the future."

The tone was not heavy, but carried a certainty that only an elder possesses. It wasn't an instruction, but rather a concern wrapped in a single sentence—not much, but sincere.

Hu Tian paused, then nodded. "I understand."

Zhou Shaochen was listening, his blood boiling with excitement, unable to come down from the thrill. "Grandpa, just let Brother Hu Tian say a bit more. I just want to hear it and broaden my horizons!"

"Your horizons are broad enough."

Elder Zhou Bo glanced at him sideways. "Play fewer fighting games and read more serious books. Your mock exam is next month—have you reviewed?"

Zhou Shaochen shrank his neck. "I reviewed... I reviewed a little..."

"How much is 'a little'?"

"Just... just a little more than nothing."

Elder Zhou Bo picked up his teacup and didn't press further, but that silence was more pressurized than any question. Zhou Shaochen sat there, his back straightening involuntarily, and the bamboo stick in his hand was quietly set aside.

Hu Tian watched the grandfather and grandson from the side, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, though he didn't smile, and he picked up his tea to take a sip.

The sunlight in the garden slanted down, and the scent of tea drifted in the warm breeze. The few people by the stone table chatted about this and that, wandering off-topic and then circling back. The atmosphere was lazy, yet it was a rare moment of peace.

Zhou Jianguo finally walked over from the edge of the garden and pulled out a stone stool to sit down. Lin Xiulan came out from the house and poured him a cup of tea. The two didn't say anything, just sat there like that.

Zhou Waner held her teacup, her fingers turning it, and turned her head to steal a glance at Hu Tian.

Hu Tian was looking down, his fingers unconsciously turning the teacup, lost in thought. His expression was calm, like a pool of water without a ripple.

She watched him for a moment, then slowly withdrew her gaze, looking up at the clusters of lush bamboo in the garden. The wind blew, the bamboo leaves rustling softly, and the shadows in the sunlight swayed, covering the ground.

The sunlight in the garden slowly shifted westward, and the tea was refreshed twice. The shadows of the bamboo leaves moved from one end of the stone table to the other. Zhou Shaochen ran back into the house halfway through to get a tin of cookies, munching on them loudly, earning several eye-rolls from his mother.

Just like that, unknowingly, it was the afternoon.

Lin Xiulan came out from the house, stood at the garden entrance, checked the time, and called out to Zhou Waner. "Waner, what time do you need to go back to Jinling today?"

Zhou Waner thought for a moment and looked up. "I have things to do at school tonight, so I should leave early. Getting there by four is fine."

Lin Xiulan nodded and turned to look at Hu Tian. "Little Hu, what about you?"

"I'll take Waner to school."

"Then you take Waner back. Drive slowly on the road; there's no rush."

Hu Tian acknowledged, put down his teacup, and stood up. When Zhou Shaochen heard this, he immediately stood up too. "I'll go too! I can help sister carry her luggage!"

"What are you going for?"

Zhou Jianguo sat there without even lifting his eyelids. "Have you finished your homework today?"

Zhou Shaochen sheepishly lowered his butt back onto the stone stool. "...I still have a little left to do."

"Go back and do it."

Zhou Shaochen pursed his lips and made a helpless expression at Zhou Waner. Zhou Waner smiled at him, stood up, walked over to Elder Zhou Bo, and bent down. "Grandpa, I'm leaving. Take care of your health, and when I have time, I'll come back to see you again."

Elder Zhou Bo waved his hand. "Go on. Focus on your schoolwork, and don't keep running home; the road is long."

"I know."

Zhou Waner turned her head again, said goodbye to Zhou Jianguo and Lin Xiulan, picked up the bag placed next to the stone stool, and followed Hu Tian outside.

Zhou Shaochen leaned on the garden's stone railing and called out to their retreating backs. "Brother-in-law, come earlier next time! I still have so many questions left to ask!"

Hu Tian turned his head to look at him, didn't speak, but lifted his chin at him as an acknowledgement.

The door closed, and it was quiet outside.

The car drove out of the street where the Zhou family lived and turned onto the main road. Sunlight slanted in through the car window, bathing the passenger seat in a warm yellow glow.

Zhou Waner placed her bag on her lap, her fingers resting on the strap, and turned her head to look out the window. The leaves of the phoenix trees by the roadside had mostly turned yellow, and as the wind blew, they slowly drifted down.

She was quiet for a moment, then spoke. "My brother really gets along well with you."

"Mhm."

Hu Tian had his hands on the steering wheel, eyes looking ahead. "Talkative, but not annoying."

Zhou Waner chuckled. "If he heard you say that, there's no telling how happy he'd be."

She paused after saying this, then continued. "He's obsessed with fighting right now, and everyone in the family has a headache over it. My dad and mom disagree in every way, but my grandpa says to let him be, that practicing is fine and good for building strength and health. My dad just thinks, what's the use of practicing that? It's better to get his grades up early so he can do business in the future; what's the use of being able to fight?"

Hu Tian listened without commenting, only asking one question. "How long has he been practicing?"