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墨書 Inktalez
Bai Yujing woke up early and went to the park for a run. After warming up, he began practicing his martial arts. For Wing Chun, using the wooden dummy is the best way to practice.
The air in the park was very fresh, with morning dew still hanging on the treetops, glistening with a vibrant green. Bai Yujing exercised under the trees. Wing Chun is considered one of the more practical martial arts among traditional Chinese martial arts. However, in terms of actual offensive capability, there is still a gap between traditional martial arts and Muay Thai, as well as other combat techniques developed specifically for lethality. Of course, when practiced to the highest level, any martial art can become equally effective.
However, many traditional martial arts cannot be mastered in just a year or two; some require starting from a young age. It might take ten or eight years of practice to match someone who has trained in mixed martial arts for just two years. Therefore, there is still considerable skepticism and criticism surrounding traditional martial arts. Nevertheless, Bai Yujing chose to learn them because he observed that most practitioners of lethal martial arts often do not live long; once they reach forty, they are usually plagued by various ailments.
In contrast, those who practice traditional martial arts often have backgrounds as part-time healers in ancient times. Their training methods incorporate principles of health and medicine, which is why practitioners tend to have longer lifespans and maintain good physical condition well into their sixties or seventies. They are not obsessed with martial arts nor do they rely on it for a living; there is no need to exhaust their physical potential for lethality. Moreover, the offensive power of traditional martial arts is not as lacking as some claim. Thus, Bai Yujing believes that traditional martial arts are indeed the most suitable form of exercise for most people.
After completing his workout and returning, he saw Li Hao just waking up, groggy as he walked down the stairs. "Did you stay up late again last night?"
"I played games last night and lost ten times in a row; it was so frustrating! I only managed to win one game before going to bed!" Li Hao yawned and replied to Bai Yujing.
Bai Yujing immediately said, "Living an irregular lifestyle is not a good habit; you need to change that. Go to bed early and wake up early, and get some exercise every day. Breathe in some fresh air in the morning."
Li Hao brushed it off: "I know, I know. By the way, aren't we supposed to go to Lin Ruoqiao's house today?"
Bai Yujing nodded: "Aren't we waiting for you? Hurry up and get ready; let's go eat breakfast at the restaurant downstairs before driving over."
"Okay, wait for me; I'll be quick!"
On the way to Lin Ruoqiao's house, Bai Yujing felt that visiting them without notice might not be appropriate. Asking about someone's family information could also be seen as intrusive; without a valid reason, they might even be kicked out. After thinking it over, Bai Yujing decided to come up with a reason.
After some contemplation, he instructed Li Hao: "When we get to her house, say that you think Lin Ruoqiao's mother might be your mother's cousin whom she hasn't seen in years. I heard Lin Ruoqiao mention that her mother's name is Bai Ni. You're looking for clues about your mother's hometown."
Li Hao immediately responded: "Why don't you say she's your relative? You both share the surname Bai!"
Bai Yujing quickly replied: "We're not from the same province, and your mother is from this area too. Think about your family background; you might actually have some connection with Lin Ruoqiao! Your mothers probably came from the same village; it's not uncommon."
Li Hao nodded: "Alright, repeat what you just said; I forgot some of it."
"Got it!"
Lin Ruoqiao's home was just as Bai Yujing imagined—about 120 square meters with a spacious living room that was meticulously maintained. What surprised Bai Yujing was seeing a photo of Lin Ruoqiao's father in his youth on the wall opposite him; he had been part of the police force. Since it was Sunday, Lin Ruoqiao's whole family was at home.
"Why didn't you tell me your dad is a police officer?" Bai Yujing whispered to Lin Ruoqiao.
Lin Ruoqiao retorted: "Is that special? My dad is just the head of the district police station. You haven't done anything wrong; why worry? Are you two hiding something?"
"How is that possible? I just feel that your dad has a strong presence, which is a bit intimidating!" Bai Yujing certainly wouldn't tell Lin Ruoqiao that he had discussed with Li Hao on the way here about how to fool her dad.
"Strong presence? I don't see it," Lin Ruoqiao glanced at her father, feeling that he seemed quite ordinary, not at all like what Bai Yujing described.
Lin Ruoqiao's father, Lin Hai, was a man with a square face in his forties, looking very dignified and upright. After Bai Yujing and Li Hao entered, he nodded but didn't say much. On the other hand, Lin Ruoqiao's stepmother was busy attending to them and was very polite to both Bai Yujing and Li Hao.
Lin Ruoqiao's stepmother was a beautiful woman in her early thirties. It had to be said that Old Lin was quite inconsistent; he was enjoying the company of such a young woman. No wonder Lin Ruoqiao felt uneasy about having to call this young woman "Mom." When Lin Hai remarried, Lin Ruoqiao's stepmother was probably around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.
Lin Hai put down the newspaper in his hands and looked at the two of them, saying, "Lin Ruoqiao mentioned that you are her friends and that you wanted to ask me something."
Bai Yujing immediately replied, "It's Li Hao who has some personal matters he wants to ask you about. Would it be convenient for you?"
Lin Hai looked at Li Hao, who quickly said, "Hello, Uncle. I came mainly to visit my mother's hometown. However, my mother didn't leave behind a detailed address before she passed away. I heard Lin Ruoqiao mention her mother and felt she might be a cousin my mother once talked about, so I wanted to ask you about it."
Lin Hai's expression changed slightly: "Come with me to the study."
Bai Yujing also stood up, but Lin Hai said, "You don't need to come."
This made Bai Yujing feel a bit awkward as he slowly sat back down. He watched as Li Hao followed Lin Hai into the study while Lin Ruoqiao looked at Bai Yujing curiously: "I didn't hear you mention anything about what Li Hao just said."
Bai Yujing calmly smiled: "Haven't you ever wondered why there are such marks on your ankles?"
Lin Ruoqiao frowned and pondered for a moment while poking her mouth with her finger: "I find it strange too. But why does his mark always show while mine only appears occasionally?"
Bai Yujing had also thought about this issue before: "It might be an age thing; Li Hao only discovered this mark on him not long ago."
Lin Ruoqiao's stepmother walked to the door: "I'm going out to buy groceries; you don't need to be too formal."
"Okay, thank you, Auntie. But we won't be having lunch here, so you don't need to prepare food for us!" Bai Yujing stood up.
"That won't do! Since you've come over, you must stay for a meal. Don't be so polite."
"Really, it's unnecessary. We have some urgent matters to attend to later, so we can't stay long. I'm really sorry this time; maybe next time!"
Watching Lin Ruoqiao's stepmother leave while Li Hao and Lin Hai talked in the study, Bai Yujing began wandering around Lin Ruoqiao's house. He immediately noticed a room painted entirely pink at the back. Upon entering, he saw many stars hanging from the ceiling, and even the lights were star-shaped.
There was a wooden bed paired with cartoon cups beside a bookshelf and study desk, all neatly organized as if no one had lived there for a long time. When Bai Yujing entered, he hadn't seen her speak with her father; however, her stepmother had been bringing her food but seemed to have ignored her completely.
The bookshelf was filled with a dazzling array of books. Bai Yujing glanced at it and was momentarily stunned. Aside from the textbooks and some old comics at the bottom, most of the books on the top were titles like "Automobile Modification Techniques," "The Secret of One Hundred Locks," "DIY a Radio," and "Electronic Design from Scratch," which all seemed incredibly impressive.
Looking down, Bai Yujing noticed something pressed under the books. After pulling it out, he discovered it was an album. Upon picking it up, he saw a woman who was excessively beautiful. She wore a long white dress, her long hair tied back in a ponytail, and her skin was so fair that it seemed to overshadow her white dress. Her face resembled a bright moon, with a typical oval shape, long eyelashes, and eyes that were gentle as if they could flow with water. Yet within that gentleness lay a hint of helplessness and indifference.
The woman was holding a baby while standing in an ancient courtyard. The old walls and stone floor surrounded her, and there was a withered tree in the yard. Bai Yujing found himself captivated, feeling as though this woman's beauty was suffocating; her eyes seemed to be staring directly at him as if she wanted to speak.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't just wander into a girl's room!" Lin Ruoqiao entered from the living room where she had been watching TV, looking somewhat annoyed.
Bai Yujing set the album down. "I felt a bit bored, so I wandered around. This is your room, after all!"
"Don't play dumb. What were you just looking at?"
"I wasn't looking at anything!"
When he returned to the living room, he saw that the study door was also open. Li Hao walked out with Lin Hai, who said to Li Hao, "I've told you everything I can tell you; the rest, I don't know."
"Thank you, Uncle Lin. Sorry for bothering you this time. Old Bai, don't you have something to do later? Let's go together!" Li Hao expressed his gratitude to Lin Hai before turning to Bai Yujing.
Bai Yujing stood up and immediately grabbed the bags for both himself and Li Hao. "Uncle Lin, Lin Ruoqiao, we're leaving now! If there's another opportunity, we'll come visit again."
Lin Hai nodded while Lin Ruoqiao made a playful fist behind him.
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