The Greatest Showman #700 - Martial Arts Partner

Li Xin arrived quickly, walking into the classroom with steady, confident steps. His pompous demeanor exuded the air of a seasoned master, despite his apparent age—around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He radiated elegance and integrity, his tall, straight posture adding to the impression. His dignified appearance seemed at odds with the playful tone he had used in the stairwell moments earlier, as though they were two entirely different people.

Behind him was Lin Xue, who appeared much younger—perhaps twenty-one or twenty-two. Despite her youthful face, her expression carried the poise of someone more mature. In contrast to Li Xin, Lin Xue appeared almost childlike.

Li Xin walked directly past Renly, ignoring him without a word of greeting, and approached Andrew. He sized Andrew up with a casual glance, who was in the middle of a jog. Unsure whether to acknowledge Li Xin, Andrew hesitated, torn between the need to greet him and the awkwardness of stopping mid-jog.

Seeking guidance, Andrew cast a glance at Renly for help. Renly, with a subtle wink, signaled him to continue squatting. Understanding the hint, Andrew remained in his position. Suddenly, he felt a heavy pressure against his lower back. Li Xin's voice came from behind him: "Tighten your stomach and straighten your waist."

With each command, Li Xin adjusted a different part of Andrew's posture—back, abdomen, shoulders, thighs, even his buttocks. It felt like Andrew was a marionette, completely under his control. Within five seconds, Andrew could feel his muscles protesting, soreness creeping in.

"Don't relax!" Li Xin's voice was firm. Andrew tried to breathe but was struck again, a reminder to keep his posture perfect. "Breathe steadily—don't exhale too much, don't inhale too deeply. Keep your breathing controlled, or you'll be sitting on the floor in less than thirty seconds."

Andrew's face was an odd mixture of frustration and confusion, like a frog holding its breath, with his mouth sealed tightly shut. Breathing, which had always been so natural, was now an unbearable task. Renly's eyes twinkled with a barely contained smile at Andrew's predicament.

Li Xin, noticing Renly's grin, shot him a stern look. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded, trying to assert his authority. But Renly couldn't take him seriously after their conversation in the stairwell. Instead, he chuckled lightly, though he quickly restrained himself to maintain appearances.

Li Xin waved a hand dismissively at Renly. "Come with me. If you want to learn martial arts, you first need to learn how to take a beating. Don't you want to start today? First lesson begins now."

Without waiting for a response, Li Xin turned and strode toward the door, his hands behind his back. Renly glanced at Andrew and whispered, "Good luck." He then turned to Lin Xue, who was lazily leaning against a wall, her body language relaxed and unbothered.

Renly, knowing Lin Xue's appearance was deceptive, lowered his voice to thank her. "Thanks for the compliment earlier."

Lin Xue's eyes widened in shock. Her face froze, and her body stiffened as she realized what Renly had just said: he had spoken perfect Mandarin, not the halting version she expected from someone not fluent in the language.

Her mind scrambled, and she wanted to retreat into the floor, but she held herself together. She forced a smile, her demeanor shifting to one of mischief. Turning away from Renly, she raised her voice. "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up, I don't have all day!"

Renly remained silent, simply nodding and trotting after Li Xin, leaving Lin Xue to watch with keen interest.

As Renly and Li Xin left the room, Andrew was left alone, feeling a wave of loneliness. Glancing at the empty space, he muttered to himself, "Then… what about me?" He looked helplessly toward Lin Xue, but the distance between them was too great to bridge.

Soon, strange noises filled the air. Andrew couldn't understand the language—likely Chinese—and soon lost interest, as he struggled with the basic training he was given. He realized the stance he was practicing, the Zamabu, was harder than he had imagined. Thirty minutes later, after five repetitions, he was sprawled on the ground, exhausted and defeated.

Time passed unnoticed until he heard voices approaching. Renly and Li Xin appeared in the doorway. Renly's appearance was disheveled: his white T-shirt stained, his short curly hair a mess, and his face glistening with sweat.

Andrew blinked in surprise. This was a side of Renly he had never seen, certainly not the polished image the media usually captured. However, his gaze shifted to Li Xin, and his jaw nearly dropped. Li Xin's eyes and mouth were slightly swollen, and his sportswear was covered in dirt, as though he had been in a rough match. The image of the master he had just seen was completely shattered.

Wait, was that a panda eye on his right side?

A low chuckle echoed from across the room. It wasn't Renly or Li Xin, but rather Lin Xue, who had been watching the whole scene from the window. She quickly excused herself with a fake excuse about forgetting her morning run, and dashed away, leaving Li Xin and Renly behind.

Li Xin, now sporting a rare hint of embarrassment, looked at Renly, then at Andrew. "You'll have to figure it out for yourself. This concludes today's lesson. If you want to come back tomorrow, same time, same place." With that, he quickly exited the room, leaving Renly and Andrew alone.

Andrew turned to Renly with a raised brow. "Can someone explain to me what language that was?"

Renly laughed, "Welcome to Chinatown." He smirked, then added, "Li Xin said if you're willing to come tomorrow, we'll start at 8:30 AM with basic training. It's not easy, but it's necessary."

Andrew groaned and attempted to get up but stumbled, falling back to the ground in an awkward pose. Renly, maintaining his composure, offered his help but didn't laugh. Instead, he patiently waited as Andrew tried to regain his footing.

"I'm sorry, can you help me? I think I've got a cramp and can't get up." Andrew said with a wry smile.

Renly grinned, shaking his head. "It's alright. I guess the training wasn't quite what you expected."

"Five months of training, and this is what I get…" Andrew muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.

Renly couldn't hold back a chuckle. "That's because you didn't target your legs," he teased.

After helping Andrew to his feet, Renly advised him, "Stretch those muscles out. A hot bath might help. Once you get used to it, you'll be fine. Just remember—Spider-Man uses his hands, not his legs."

Andrew froze for a moment, then broke into a genuine smile. "Thanks."

With Renly's assistance, Andrew made his way downstairs, leaning on him for support. Once they reached the bottom, Renly called a taxi and helped Andrew into the backseat before closing the door behind him.

Andrew rolled down the window, still looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry for being rude earlier. I really appreciate everything today." He paused, then added with a smile, "By the way, I don't think we've officially introduced ourselves. I'm Andrew Garfield."

Renly smiled back. "Renly Hall."