ADTCP Ch77

UFC contracted fighters don’t compete at an especially high frequency. When Zhu Wensheng participated in a championship defense match, it was still summer in Nancheng. By the time he was preparing to go to Jiangzhou for the next match, Nancheng had already entered winter.

On the way to the hotel in the city center, Tao Zhen, bundled up like a fluffy little penguin beside him, held a tablet and carefully browsed through the introduction of Zhu Wensheng’s opponent. Gradually, a smile formed on his face as he put down the tablet:

“Hey, although the media can sometimes be really mean, they can also say some nice things.”

“Like this post, it’s quite flattering,” Tao Zhen’s beautiful face held a smile as he cleared his throat and adopted a musical pose. “‘Renowned MMA comprehensive martial arts champion S Zhu Wensheng is participating in another championship defense match! In previous defense matches, his astonishing control, physical fitness, and reflexes have amazed the audience. We are all looking forward to his performance in the upcoming match and expect him to successfully defend his title…'”

Zhu Wensheng reached out to touch the milk Tao Zhen had prepared, ensuring it was warm enough before unscrewing the cap and handing it to him, smiling gently, “Zhenbao.”

“What? Don’t you want to hear me continue?” Tao Zhen took the milk Zhu Wensheng handed him, his acting bug kicking in as he read with intonation. “You’re so amazing, and you don’t let people talk about it? What a big shot!”

Zhu Wensheng: “…”

Sensing that Zhu Wensheng seemed to be leaning in to kiss him, Tao Zhen immediately chickened out and seriously raised his milk cup, indicating he had important business to attend to.

He gulped down more than half the cup of milk, wiped his mouth with a grand gesture, and suddenly remembered something: “By the way, Ah-Sheng, I feel like you’ve been fighting in UFC championship defense matches all year. Before UFC, you were also the VCC champion… So, have you ever lost before?”

Zhu Wensheng’s body stiffened, and the hand beside him suddenly clenched, “Yes.”

The usually composed young man remained unfazed by compliments but reacted so strongly to being asked if he had ever lost.

Tao Zhen couldn’t help but pause, thinking of his own experience of failing the art exam, his heart suddenly sinking. He involuntarily softened his voice, “Then… when was that?”

Zhu Wensheng pressed his lips together, hesitated for a moment, and didn’t speak.

Just then, the chauffeur-driven car arrived at the hotel parking lot. Zhu Wensheng decisively changed the subject, “It was a long time ago. Let’s go…”

Tao Zhen obediently said, “Okay,” and jumped out of the car with him, but his heart couldn’t let go of the matter.

After checking into the hotel and discussing tomorrow’s arrangements with Li Min and others, they returned to their room to wash up. Before going to bed, Tao Zhen took a deep breath and approached Zhu Wensheng, gently poking his cheek and whispering, “A long time ago?”

In the night, Zhu Wensheng’s profile was extremely mature and handsome, with an imposing aura. Indeed, he was the undisputed king in the octagon.

But after being poked several times by Tao Zhen, he sighed softly and whispered, “When I was thirteen.”

He added, “I lost badly.”

Thirteen years old? Lost badly?

Why? What happened back then?

Tao Zhen was so curious he scratched his ears, but Zhu Wensheng stopped there and didn’t seem to want to continue. Tao Zhen was anxious but afraid of disturbing Zhu Wensheng, so he reluctantly suppressed his curiosity and forced himself to sleep.

He didn’t know how long it took before he finally drifted off to sleep.

***

The surroundings were extremely noisy, as if he had walked into a morning market.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a good hotel in Jiangzhou? Why was the soundproofing so poor?

Zhu Wensheng had a lot to do tomorrow and couldn’t afford to be disturbed…

Tao Zhen, half-asleep, forced his eyes open a crack and was instantly dazzled by the bright sunlight, causing him to close them again.

After a moment, he finally woke up and reached out to the bed, wanting to grab his phone to complain, but his hand fell empty.

Tao Zhen was fully awake.

He suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked around, not seeing the hotel ceiling but an unfamiliar place.

There was a large open space in the middle of this place, seemingly for competitions. Around it were rows of spectator seats, now with only a few scattered people, most of whom had left through the safety exits. The noisy market-like sounds from earlier had gradually subsided. On the ground lay some introductions to this match that they had dropped.

Tao Zhen slowly picked one up and saw the words on it, pinching his thigh hard.

The introduction indicated that this was the 16th Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Nancheng, nine years ago.

After waking up, had he returned to nine years ago? How was this possible? How was this reasonable? Tao Zhen felt like he was going crazy. He didn’t want to inexplicably travel back ten years! He anxiously looked around, hoping to find an unclosed time-space tunnel nearby to leave, but unexpectedly caught sight of a familiar face.

He paused slightly and suddenly realized it was a younger version of Jiang Long, Uncle Jiang—the master who had taught Zhu Wensheng since childhood. If Uncle Jiang was here, didn’t that mean Zhu Wensheng was nearby?

Tao Zhen’s eyes lit up. Not caring if he might be taken away as a strange stranger, he rushed towards Jiang Long like he had found a lifeline, “Wait!”

He ran all the way and caught up with Jiang Long and the other coaches before they left the venue, excitedly saying, “Coach Jiang, hello, I want to ask about Zhu Wensheng…”

Before he could finish, Tao Zhen stiffened on the spot, staring blankly ahead. He realized that Jiang Long and the coaches beside him seemed to not see him at all, walking straight past him. One person even casually reached out, passing through his body as if he were a wisp of air.

Could it be that these people couldn’t see him? Then what had he become? A lonely ghost from a few years in the future?

The terror of waking up in a strange world and the panic of having no physical form intertwined.

After a while, Tao Zhen couldn’t help but raise his hand to rub his eyes and wipe his face, slowly curling up into a ball, feeling a bit desperate, “I want to go home…”

The crowd around him completely dispersed. None of the people passing by the stage noticed his existence. Gradually, the venue fell into silence.

He didn’t know how long he cried, burying his head in his knees, pitiful like a small animal, involuntarily calling out, “Ah-Sheng… Zhu Wensheng…”

It seemed that since just now, a soft voice had been continuously calling his name.

Zhu Wensheng pursed his lips and walked out with his backpack, seeing a very sad, beautiful young man curled up in the corner. He was wearing a fluffy coat and looked like a pampered young master who had grown up in luxury.

He paused, and for some unknown reason, as if possessed, he walked over, “Do you… know me?”

“…”

Suddenly hearing someone speak to him, Tao Zhen thought it was his imagination. When he realized it, he abruptly raised his face, and the teardrops hanging on his lashes rolled down. He saw the person in front of him.

He looked about thirteen years old, with a handsome face still tinged with youth, but his height had already exceeded 1.75 meters. Even dressed in black, he was a tall and fresh young man.

Without needing to say more, Tao Zhen recognized him immediately. This was Zhu Wensheng from ten years ago.

“I, I, I…” Tao Zhen hastily wiped his face, wanting to say he knew him but not knowing where to start explaining. After holding it in for a long time, he looked at him pitifully, “You… you can see me?”

The thirteen-year-old Zhu Wensheng didn’t know what he had encountered. His young face was tightly drawn as he asked, “Shouldn’t I see you?”

“Who are you?” He paused and asked again, “Why… have you been calling my name? Do I know you?”

Tao Zhen was almost dizzy with joy at seeing the younger Zhu Wensheng and being seen by him. The joy of seeing Zhu Wensheng and being noticed by him instantly dispelled much of the earlier despair of being alone.

He gradually calmed down and explained his current situation in a few words. As expected, Zhu Wensheng seemed skeptical of his story.

However, after personally witnessing that no one else could see Tao Zhen’s existence, Zhu Wensheng’s expression seemed to change. He involuntarily pursed his lips, looking at Tao Zhen with a hint of bewilderment in his eyes, “If you really are from the future, what is our relationship?”

Seeing his expression, Tao Zhen knew he believed his words and was so overjoyed he almost cried. The words “I am your future wife” were about to slip out, but he braked at the last moment, “I am your future… master.”

The current Zhu Wensheng was only thirteen years old, still a minor. Tao Zhen didn’t dare to say “wife” to him; after all, he didn’t want to commit a crime.

“Yes, that’s right, I am your master.”

The young man’s beautiful, fair face was serious, but his entire body looked soft, without much muscle, not at all like someone who practiced martial arts.

“Master?” The young Zhu Wensheng repeated, unable to suppress his curiosity. “You… don’t seem like one.”

Tao Zhen felt as if he had been struck in the knee, but he tried to compose himself and put on a serious demeanor. “How do I not seem like one? Although I’m not the head coach, I’m part of your team. I know your habits, your moves, and your daily training schedule…”

As he spoke, he even straightened up and tentatively poked the young Zhu Wensheng. Finding that he could physically interact with him, he happily curled up, licked his lips, and swiftly performed a naked chokehold, a move the adult Zhu Wensheng had taught him.

The young Zhu Wensheng was slightly taken aback. By the time he reacted, he was already being held in Tao Zhen’s arms.

The arms around his neck were quite slender and not very strong, but the technique was very standard, as if truly trained by an expert.

He lowered his head, enduring the pain in his body, and after a few seconds, he finally managed to break free. “I understand, Master.”

Tao Zhen had just steadied himself when he heard the word “Master” and almost stumbled. He couldn’t imagine what the pro version of Zhu Wensheng would react if he heard this. He barely managed to control his expression and forced himself to say, “Yes. It’s probably about to close soon. Let’s go.”

The young Zhu Wensheng tightened his grip on the backpack in his hand and said, “Okay,” leading Tao Zhen out of the venue. If it were before, he would definitely think he was crazy for believing a person—or ghost—like this. But from the moment he saw the soft and bright young man in front of him, who seemed like a ray of sunshine, he involuntarily let down all his guard. No matter how far-fetched the young man’s words were, he didn’t feel any suspicion.

No one came to pick them up, and they didn’t take a taxi. Instead, they took the last bus of the evening and got off at a stop in an old residential area, walking all the way inside and opening the dark unit door to go upstairs.

Tao Zhen had never heard Zhu Wensheng mention living in such a place during his childhood. He was somewhat shocked and curious, looking at the flickering light bulb in the corridor and the old iron door covered in small advertisements. He hesitated before asking the young Zhu Wensheng, who was unlocking the door, “Do you live alone?”

“I live here during the winter vacation to participate in training. I applied for a dormitory with Uncle Jiang,” the young Zhu Wensheng lowered his head, his expression slightly indifferent. “During the school year… it’s about the same.”

Tao Zhen instantly regretted asking that question. Fortunately, Zhu Wensheng quickly opened the door and invited him in.

The thirteen-year-old Zhu Wensheng had a very mature demeanor. He bent down to get a pair of slippers for Tao Zhen, seemingly not taking the previous matter to heart.

“The bathroom is at the end of the hallway. The room on the left is where I live, and the one on the right is empty. You can sleep there until… we find a way for you to go back tomorrow.”

Tao Zhen quickly agreed and walked a few steps in his slippers, looking around at the environment. A thirteen-year-old boy should be messy, but Zhu Wensheng had kept this modest home tidy, with the living room, kitchen, and bathroom all very clean.

He inexplicably thought of Zhu Wensheng, who always kept the house in perfect order, and couldn’t help feeling a bit emotional, thinking that this trait was indeed innate.

The young man’s eyes sparkled, as if with some nostalgia.

The young Zhu Wensheng looked at him for a while longer, restrained himself, and turned his gaze away, saying to him, “I’m going back to my room. If you need anything, call me…”

“Okay… wait!” Tao Zhen came to his senses and had just said okay when he suddenly realized something was wrong. He immediately called out to him, “How can you go back to your room? You haven’t eaten after coming back from the competition, have you?”

Zhu Wensheng pursed his lips, probably not expecting him to bring this up. After a moment, he softly said, “I’m not eating.”

His stomach ached faintly, still retaining the sensation of being fiercely struck. His head was also a bit dizzy, with his temples throbbing one after another, as if closing his eyes would make the mocking face of his opponent appear before him.

“I don’t have an appetite.”

“Not eating?” Tao Zhen couldn’t help but frown, saying fiercely, “A man is made of iron, and food is his steel. You’ll get hungry if you skip a meal. You’re at the age of growing up; you can’t miss a single meal!”

Ignoring the slightly stunned expression of the young Zhu Wensheng, Tao Zhen rolled up his sleeves and marched straight into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and rummaged through it.

Since Zhu Wensheng or the aunt usually cooked at home, it had been a long time since Tao Zhen had cooked. He didn’t know how to make nutritious meals, but he could probably manage to cook some noodles. He cut tomatoes, cracked eggs, boiled water, and cooked noodles. In a quarter of an hour, a steaming bowl of tomato and egg noodles was ready.

The young Zhu Wensheng silently stared at the steaming noodles for a while before picking up his chopsticks at Tao Zhen’s urging, but still didn’t eat immediately. “What about yours?”

Tao Zhen wasn’t being hard on himself; he genuinely didn’t feel hungry. “In my current state, I probably don’t need to eat. You eat quickly, finish it all.”

Zhu Wensheng then softly said, “Okay.”

The slightly old light bulb above cast a yellowish glow, reflecting his solitary shadow.

He sat at the table and quietly finished the bowl of noodles.

Tao Zhen put his mind at ease, took the bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen to clean up, and urged him to rest early.

Zhu Wensheng’s silent gaze lingered on him for a while before softly saying, “Okay,” and returning to his room.

However, when Tao Zhen finished washing the dishes and came out, wondering whether he, as a ghost, should go to the bathroom to take a shower, he suddenly heard a “thud, thud” sound coming from Zhu Wensheng’s room.

Tao Zhen paused slightly. His years with Zhu Wensheng made him immediately realize that the young man inside was fiercely punching the sandbag, over and over again.

Hadn’t he told him to rest early? Why was he still training?

Tao Zhen frowned but ultimately followed his heart and opened the door to go inside.

But the moment he entered, he froze in place, his heart heavily sinking.

Under the light, the young man was intently pounding the sandbag. His half-naked body was covered in bruises, purple and blue, shocking to the eye.

Upon closer inspection, Tao Zhen noticed that his waist, abdomen, and shoulders were all trembling involuntarily, clearly exhausted to the extreme… but he wouldn’t let himself off.

“Zhu Wensheng,” Tao Zhen suddenly spoke, “what are you doing?”

The young man’s movements paused, instinctively realizing that Tao Zhen had come in.

He should have been angry at Tao Zhen for coming in uninvited, but at this moment, he inexplicably lowered his head and quickly grabbed a T-shirt from the side to put on.

Tao Zhen still stared at him, repeating, “Zhu Wensheng.”

“…”

The young man fell silent, and after a long while, he rolled his Adam’s apple and softly said, “I lost.”

“Lost badly.”

He had only recently switched from Sanda to Jiu-Jitsu and couldn’t compare with those who had been practicing basic skills since they were seven or eight years old.

Moreover, his opponent was older and heavier than him, so his failure seemed expected and not particularly surprising.

But he couldn’t accept it.

Because, apart from this, he had nothing else.

The slightly thin young man stood in place, and Tao Zhen took a deep breath, his heart aching as he instantly understood his thoughts.

He walked over and gently took Zhu Wensheng’s hand, softly saying, “It’s okay.”

The young Zhu Wensheng didn’t speak anymore and let Tao Zhen lead him to sit slowly on the edge of the bed.

Tao Zhen then went to get a medical kit, found some red flower oil and bruise ointment, and carefully applied it from the young man’s bruised arms to his bleeding knuckles.

After treating all the wounds on the young man’s body, Tao Zhen raised his head and earnestly looked at him. “I understand your efforts to succeed, your determination to pursue your dreams, and I know that nothing I say now can affect or change you.”

“But I still want to tell you that you are not left with no choice but victory, and you don’t have to punish yourself desperately once you fail.”

“Victory is good, but you are also human. You have the right to fail.”

The light above became brighter and brighter, and the young man’s face in front of him seemed to become more and more blurred. Tao Zhen tightly held Zhu Wensheng’s hand and said word by word:

“Zhu Wensheng, in this world, many people will love you, and many people will care for you.”

The young Zhu Wensheng slowly opened his eyes wide, looking at Tao Zhen as if in disbelief, his lips slightly parted.

The blinding white light completely filled his vision and blurred his eyes.

“Zhu Wensheng, I will care for you.”

***

The morning alarm rang, reminding the two to get up and prepare for the upcoming UFC middleweight championship match.

Tao Zhen opened his eyes blankly and instinctively reached out beside him.

The adult version of Zhu Wensheng took his restless hand and softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Tao Zhen came to his senses after a while, hooking his arm around Zhu Wensheng’s neck. “I suddenly feel like I should be even better to you.”

It must have been tough being alone all these years.

Zhu Wensheng was slightly taken aback and smiled. “That might not be possible.”

The morning light was faint.

Zhu Wensheng lowered his head and gently kissed Tao Zhen’s forehead, his voice tender. “Because you are already the best person in the world to me.”