Tian Yi was not being humble. There were many competitors for this urban construction project, and he hadn't taken the others seriously.
Only the Xie family was a formidable rival. It was still uncertain who would win between him and the Xie Group, so neither he nor An Jing dared to relax.
"That depends on who the opponent is. Anyway, An Jing and I will do our best this time. If we don't win this project, there's nothing we can do. Then I'll have time to accompany you on vacation." Tian Yi had become more philosophical about business matters.
Money could always be made; besides business success, he valued his family even more.
"Your attitude is very good, doing your best and leaving the rest to fate." Susu also agreed with his current outlook.
After dinner, Tian Yi took her to a newly opened boxing club.
Susu saw many people practicing boxing inside, both men and women.
She watched with great interest as a well-built woman sparred with a man on a boxing ring.
In the exchange of punches and kicks, the woman held her own and eventually won the match with a decisive blow. Susu couldn't help but cheer for her.
The victorious woman glanced at Susu in the audience, smiled at her, removed her protective gear, and went to rest.
Tian Yi put his arm around Susu's shoulder and asked, "Want to give it a try?"
Susu was tempted. For the first time, she found women who boxed seriously to be both cool and handsome.
"But I've never done it before. Maybe I'll just watch you play."
"It's okay, I'll be with you and teach you. Once you learn, you can vent your emotions and also exercise," Tian Yi encouraged her.
Susu nodded and said, "Alright, but if I don't learn it well, you're not allowed to laugh at me."
"No one will laugh at you. People here play for relaxation, not to compete," he reassured her.
"But that female boxer just now was so amazing. Are you sure the people here aren't professionals?"
Tian Yi smiled and said, "Of course she's amazing. She's the club's professional coach and has won medals in international competitions before."
Susu said, "Oh."
Tian Yi first led her aside and helped her put on the protective gear.
Then he took her to an empty ring and, hand-in-hand, taught her a few punching techniques.
Susu learned the punching movements quite quickly and soon looked the part after only a short practice.
Tian Yi strapped protective pads onto his arms, telling her to hit them to practice her punches.
Susu was drenched in sweat after just a short while. She had to admit it was indeed a sport that could both vent emotions and exercise the body.
Feeling a bit tired, she said, "I can't anymore, I need a break too."
Tian Yi removed the pads from his arms, handed her a towel, and sat with her. "How is it, do you like boxing?"
Susu nodded and said, "I used to watch your boxing matches abroad. When was that?" Tian Yi interrupted her.
Susu immediately realized she had said the wrong thing. It was Yang Sijie who had threatened her with footage of Tian Yi's boxing matches, which forced her to submit to Yang Sijie and break up with Tian Yi completely.
She vaguely replied, "I don't remember, I think I saw it once."
Tian Yi guessed what had happened, and his expression gradually turned cold. "Did Yang Sijie take you to watch my matches?"
"No, he, he just showed me a video of you fighting. I really wasn't there in person." The mere thought of that time gave Susu an unspeakable feeling of suffocation.
Tian Yi's heart ached. Without needing to ask further, he knew why Susu had voluntarily returned to Yang Sijie's side back then.
Yang Sijie had threatened Susu with the gruesome scenes of his boxing matches. Not wanting Susu to suffer from that past experience any longer, he said gently, "Let's not talk about the past. Proper boxing is different from those underground casino matches. While you're exercising, you can also strengthen yourself and defend yourself with your fists if absolutely necessary."
Seeing that Tian Yi wasn't going to press her further about her past ordeal, Susu finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again. "Okay, I've rested enough. Let's go again."
"How about we spar a bit?" Tian Yi raised his eyebrows at her.
Susu said unconfidently, "I just learned for a while, can we spar?"
Tian Yi smiled and said, "It's not a real fight, just for fun."
"Alright." Having just witnessed the graceful demeanor of the female boxing coach, she was also eager to try.
Although she knew she was nowhere near that level, she wanted to imitate her.
They put on their gear again and started sparring in the ring. Tian Yi used only ten percent of his strength, and after a few exchanges, he easily threw her to the ground.
Susu lay on the ground, unwilling to get up. As Tian Yi reached out to help her, she suddenly used her legs to clamp around him, trying to pull him down too, just as she had learned.
Tian Yi calmly countered, pinning her down and laughing, "I didn't expect you to know that move already. Not bad."
"Thank you for the compliment." Susu, not willing to admit defeat, tried to break free.
But he easily pulled her up from the ground, then twisted her hands behind her back and efficiently pressed her against the ropes.
Susu struggled for a moment and then pouted, "Annoying, you're not going easy on me at all. Let go, there are other people watching."
"What are you afraid of? Anyone can see our intimate relationship." Tian Yi didn't let go of her, and even used his hand to wipe the sweat from her neck.
His fingers deliberately brushed against her skin, sending a jolt through her, making her shrink back and protest, "You're crazy, this is a gym."
"There's no rule against showing affection." Tian Yi not only didn't release her but also moved closer and kissed her hair.
Susu shook her head, startled, "Hey, you're doing it again! This is a public place, stop it!"
Tian Yi finally released her, facing her. He put an arm around her waist, looked down at her, and smiled, "Your spirit of not admitting defeat is very suitable for learning boxing. How about we have another round?"
Susu lightly punched him and said, "I'm not fighting you anymore. It's boring, you only look for opportunities to bully people."
With that, she nimbly slipped through the ropes and prepared to leave the ring. Tian Yi stopped her and asked, "Are you angry?"
"No," Susu pouted, refusing to admit it.
Tian Yi smiled and said, "Don't you admire that female coach? I'll introduce you to her, and she can teach you, right?"
"You know them?" Susu certainly wanted to meet her. If she could learn from the female coach, she wouldn't need bodyguards and could defend herself.
Tian Yi nodded and said, "I'm a top VIP at the club. I know all the coaches here."
"You don't usually come home late. When did you become a VIP here?"
Tian Yi said with a hint of grievance, "When my wife ignored me or when we had a cold war, I would come here to unwind, spar with people, or hit the sandbag to feel exhilarated."