novelraw Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Mixed Martial ArtsThe last month of Qin Qing’s junior high school life quietly passed under the complex and amazed gazes of her new classmates and teachers.
Having successfully passed the entrance exam set by Yishi High School, Qin Qing, with an undeniable 21-point lead over the second place, effortlessly claimed the top spot in the final major exam of the ninth grade.
Her reputation, already rising due to her sudden appearance at the top of the grade rankings, spread even more rapidly throughout the entire junior high school. The news even reached many students in the high school, where it was widely known that a “little genius” had emerged in the junior high division.
However, Qin Qing’s summer vacation did not become any easier due to her excellent grades and growing fame.
On the contrary, while most students were celebrating the temporary end of their studies, Qin Qing, under the careful planning of her mother, Li Jinghe, had already begun her advanced studies in the first-year high school curriculum.
In the last month of her ninth grade, Qin Qing had thoroughly reviewed and strengthened her understanding of the first-year math and physics courses.
The remaining subjects, which were more memory-intensive, were not particularly difficult but involved a significant amount of content. As a result, Qin Qing spent a month and a half of her two-month summer vacation completing all the first-year coursework.
With less than half a month left before the start of the new school year, Qin Qing, who had thought her hopes for a fun summer were completely dashed, finally saw a glimmer of hope with the arrival of her cousin, Qin Hao—
“Going out to have some fun?”
Li Jinghe frowned slightly, and after a moment’s thought, she shook her head. “No, I don’t agree.”
“…”
Qin Qing’s eyes dimmed as she stood behind Qin Hao.
But Qin Hao remained calm, still wearing his signature cheerful smile. “Auntie, I understand what you’re worried about—you’re concerned that Xiao Qing just finished the first-year curriculum and with the upcoming placement test, you’re afraid it might affect her focus.”
Li Jinghe glanced at him. “You understand, and yet you’re still trying to persuade your sister to go out? If she loses focus, then the past month of hard work will be wasted.”
“Come on, Auntie, this shows that you don’t have enough confidence in Xiao Qing!” Qin Hao grinned, giving Qin Qing a reassuring look before turning back to Li Jinghe. “You know how smart and capable Xiao Qing is. It’s just the basic first-year curriculum. After more than a month, there’s no way she’ll have any issues.”
Just as Li Jinghe was about to speak, Qin Hao quickly added with a smile, “Besides, this is exactly the time when Xiao Qing should be taking a break and relaxing a bit. Trust me, Auntie, while I may not be as academically gifted as Xiao Qing, I’m doing fine, right? As the old saying goes—’All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ It’s the same with studying! She’s just finished the rigorous review for the high school entrance exams and jumped straight into the first-year high school curriculum. Once she passes the test, she’ll have to continue with the second-year material. If she keeps going without any break, how can she possibly manage?”
“…”
Li Jinghe was silent for a moment before finally giving Qin Hao a helpless look. “So, you’re determined to take your sister out today, aren’t you?”
Qin Hao smiled and replied, “I’m only thinking about what’s best for Xiao Qing—better rest leads to better study!”
“With that smooth-talking mouth of yours, no wonder your dad is always worried about you.”
Li Jinghe finally allowed a slight smile to appear on her face. She waved her hand.
“All right, go ahead and take Xiao Qing out for a break. But remember—don’t go anywhere dangerous.”
“No problem!” Qin Hao thumped his chest confidently. “You can trust me, Auntie.”
As he said this, Qin Hao turned around and winked at Qin Qing with a smug expression.
Qin Qing, suppressing her excitement, cautiously looked at Li Jinghe.
“Mom, then I’ll…”
“Yes, go ahead. Once you’re out, stick close to your brother and don’t run off. If you need cash, just take some from the drawer.”
Qin Qing responded obediently, and Li Jinghe had already started walking back to her room.
Qin Hao chuckled softly. “See, what did I tell you? With me around, it’s no problem.”
“Thank you, Second Brother.”
Qin Qing, now visibly relaxed, smiled, her eyes curving gently, with sparkles of joy in her clear gaze.
“All right then, go change your clothes and pack your things—we’re heading out.”
………
Finally breaking free from over a month of “routine” life, Qin Qing found even the scorching sun outside to be unusually bright and cheerful.
However, the brother and sister quickly hit a snag when it came to the ultimate questions: “Where should we go?” and “What should we eat for lunch?”
“I know a good place,” Qin Hao hesitantly suggested after a long period of indecision. “But I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for you.”
Without that last sentence, Qin Qing wouldn’t have thought much of Qin Hao’s “good place.” But as soon as he added it, she felt a tickle of curiosity, like something was gently scratching at her.
“What kind of place is it?” she asked, her eyelids fluttering like butterfly wings, her tone tentative.
Qin Hao thought for a few seconds before clapping his hands. “It’s definitely the best place to relieve stress. I’ll take you to have a look—if you don’t like it, we can leave.”
The more she listened, the more curious—and a little worried—Qin Qing became.
However, knowing Qin Hao’s character, she was reassured—
although he often seemed carefree and playful, he wasn’t the type to engage in anything inappropriate.
With this thought, Qin Qing relaxed and obediently followed him to this “good place.”
——The Mixed Martial Arts Arena.
As soon as she saw the words on the hall door on the second floor, Qin Qing’s face froze.
At the same moment, a series of related words like “illegal fighting,” “gambling,” and “underground transactions” flashed through her mind. Instinctively, she took a step back, reaching out to grab Qin Hao’s sleeve, her voice tinged with unconscious tension, “Second Brother, this is illegal!”
Before Qin Hao could respond, someone passing by burst out laughing.
“Little girl, MMA is a legal sport; you shouldn’t say things like that!”
Qin Qing turned to see the person smiling as they walked into the hall. Her cheeks flushed red as she turned her head, looking at Qin Hao with doubt.
“Second Brother… is that true?”
Qin Hao couldn’t help but laugh, “Xiao Qing, do you think I would bring you to an illegal place?”
“…”
Qin Qing, realizing she was in the wrong, pouted slightly.
But as they approached the ticket check, Qin Qing hesitated again. “Second Brother, maybe we should go somewhere else?”
Qin Hao smiled at her. “We already bought the tickets; at least come inside and take a look. Besides, don’t you like writing novels? As a good writer, fieldwork should be a regular part of your routine—who knows, maybe you’ll use what you see here in your book one day.”
That last argument successfully convinced Qin Qing. She hesitated for just a second before nodding, clutching her pounding heart as she handed over her ticket and entered.
As they walked in, Qin Hao explained to Qin Qing.
“This MMA arena is modeled after the world’s largest mixed martial arts competition, the UFC, also known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The UFC matches take place inside an octagon cage, so it’s often referred to as ‘cage fighting.'”
Qin Hao led Qin Qing to the front row of the spectator area. After confirming their seats with the tickets, he pulled her into her seat.
“So, what do you think? This is close to the ring, with a great view, right?”
Qin Qing, both intrigued and a little worried, looked at the octagonal cage modeled after the UFC ring and said nervously, “It’s really close…”
Qin Hao, not catching her underlying tone, proudly added, “It’s not easy to get front-row tickets for these MMA matches. Fortunately, today’s event is a rookie match, so it’s not as popular as the matches featuring established fighters. That’s why we were able to get front-row seats. Also, since the World MMA Championship is starting soon, most of the famous fighters and their fans have gone to the host city.”
Qin Qing, however, wasn’t paying attention to Qin Hao’s explanations. She couldn’t help but turn to him with concern.
“Second Brother, no one dies during these matches, right?”
“…”
Qin Hao’s smile froze.
After a few seconds, he sighed helplessly, “Xiao Qing, this really isn’t an illegal fight—actually, in the over eighty-year history of MMA competitions, there’s only been one recorded death. That’s a much lower fatality rate than wrestling, Sanda, soccer, or even tug-of-war.”
Qin Qing finally felt somewhat reassured and turned her attention back to the large cage, joining the rest of the audience in waiting for the fighters to enter.
Meanwhile, Qin Hao was absorbed in studying the stats of the fighters provided with the tickets.
“This rookie in today’s match is interesting—just turned eighteen, so he’s my age; his record in previous matches… Five wins, no losses? And he’s a rookie?”
Just as Qin Qing was about to ask Qin Hao about it, the lights around her suddenly dimmed.
She paused, looking around in confusion.
“Don’t worry,” Qin Hao chuckled at her reaction, “they’re just about to introduce the fighters.”
Sure enough, as Qin Hao spoke, two beams of light lit up at opposite ends of the octagon cage. The figures of the shirtless fighters entered to the cheers and whistles of the crowd, adjusting and preparing as they walked into the ring.
Once both fighters were inside the cage, the lights came back on, and Qin Qing’s eyes finally adjusted to the brightness.
She opened her eyes and curiously looked into the cage.
As she focused on the fighter directly in front of her on the opposite side of the ring, her eyes widened in shock.
“—Ah!”
She sprang to her feet in an instant.
Qin Qing’s reaction was not subtle, and since it was right before the first round, the front rows were relatively quiet. Her sudden outburst startled everyone around her, including Qin Hao.
“What’s wrong?”
Qin Hao quickly turned to her, asking in concern.
“Bro-Brother…”
Qin Qing stammered, covering her eyes and curling up tightly in her seat, trying to make herself as small as possible.
Her voice, trembling slightly, came out muffled—
“Keep an eye on the fighter on the other side… If anything happens to him, you have to tell me…”
Qin Hao, puzzled, blinked.
Qin Qing said nothing more, her slender back tense with nerves.
Qin Hao thoughtfully lifted his gaze.
Peering through the cage’s mesh, he looked at the fighter Qin Qing had mentioned. To his surprise, their eyes met, locking onto the deep, intense gaze of the other fighter.
Following the direction of the fighter’s gaze, Qin Hao found it landing on the curled-up form of Qin Qing.
He froze.
Could it be… he was looking at Xiao Qing?
After a few seconds of shock, Qin Hao suddenly realized something, and his expression changed. With a look of hostility, he met the fighter’s gaze head-on.
I knew it—our Xiao Qing is so pretty and adorable; it was only a matter of time before some bad guy set his sights on her!