1 Kicked!

The person had to be an angel, she gasped, taking a few deep breaths. Never had she seen eyes so beautiful.

"You should look where you are going the next time," a voice uttered crossly. She was then aware that the person speaking was the 'angel' she had collided into!

"I'm sorry, but I didn't mean it," she tried to explain, but she was suddenly aware that the man's eyes were filled with rage.

"I was close to hacking into the students' database to perfect my attendance," the man continued. Another look at the person revealed he was wearing a sweatshirt with the name of the winning basketball team of her university. Black lettering in caps spelling the word 'MARS' and two digits printed on his sweatshirt flashed back at her. Was he none other than Mars Ming Junyang, the notorious basketball player who didn't take a second look at women, yet had everything he wanted because of his charm?

Since entering university three weeks ago, she never had the chance to have a look at him close enough, and neither did she manage to spectate the respective matches between his team, the Beeswax and the Lollipops. They were better players since they always won.

So, Mars was a hacker? She had no idea that he had a lousy attendance, or if he was terrible with his lessons. Furthermore, he was a final-year student, after all. It was not like she, who was already struggling with her classes, could be of any help.

"What are you staring at? Never seen a hacker before?"

She had never came across someone so arrogant before. Mars Ming had always managed a cold demeanour, but now he was acting proud and bold that she thought that a kick in his shin would shine some light on his actions and give him some self-awareness. But instead, she swallowed hard and tried to play nice. Anyway, she was at fault for bumping into him first.

"Why are you so honest with me that you're hacking into the student database? Aren't you afraid that I might tell on you?" she condemned him with a smart look on her face.

He just laughed.

"You don't have any proof, do you? Do you even know who I am?"

She pointed to the name on his sweatshirt.

"You're Mars Ming, that's who you are!"

He just laughed again.

"Little girl, you're right. I'm Mars Ming, but that's not what I meant. I meant to say, who Mars Ming is."

He was staring at her with a menacing grin, and their faces were in such proximity that their cheeks were almost touching. Her heart was beating tremendously.

What was this bully going to do to her? Her mind thought quickly, and she remembered the training she had received since childhood.

She could not let her master down! And without thinking, she gave him a firm kick in the shin.

Junyang gritted his teeth from the sudden pain and gazed into the eyes of the clumsy girl.

Under the lustre of the sunlight ahead, he realised her uncommon beauty. Her apricot eyes stared back at him, exhibiting the naivety and innocence of her young age. She was wearing a thin summer dress that exposed her pale white thighs. Had he been a 'colour wolf' (horny man), he would have drooled. But he was Mars Ming Junyang, a 'thug' and one of the hottest men in Zhi Yuan University!

She's hot but super annoying, he thought furiously, rubbing his painful region.

"What did you kick me for?" he raged.

"Sorry, instinct" was all she managed to say. All of a sudden, she was now so timid that he felt sorry for her. He encountered many difficulties in containing his anger, and sometimes, his eyes would even flash a deep red, like a warning sign.

There was just no point in getting mad with a kid like her, he thought.

"Just think of it as my bad luck to meet you," he complained and walked off. She followed after him, earnestly trying to apologise. Surprisingly, his injured area still throbbed from the pain. That was one hell of a tough kick! She should join the football team instead!

"Let me at least make it up to you," she said, and he looked at her in astonishment.

"Are you not going to leave me alone?" he queried her.

"Uh…" she stammered. "I…"

"Stay away from me." He said the words so solemnly that it appalled her. Then he was walking away again, boarding the next bus that arrived at the platform. Xuan Qing observed the bus take off, feeling an unsettled emotion in her bones.

She was really sorry for kicking him out of the blue, but there was no possible way she could explain to him that it was a sacred martial art that didn't exist in the world nowadays, and the injury site had to be properly treated, or he would walk with a limp.

Heaving a loud sigh, she boarded the next bus and went to university.

Junyang alighted from the bus after fifteen minutes, stopping just outside the security gate of the condominium he lived in. When he had asked the unsuspecting girl if she knew who he was, he wasn't provoking her to start a fight, but wanting her to stay out of trouble by not getting involved with him.

Apparently, she didn't know that Mars Ming was the only child of a wealthy magnate, Ming Jiacheng. Ming Jiacheng's wealth was of dubious origin, traced to connections with a mafia gang. However, Ming Jiacheng had already retired from such dealings long ago!

Junyang did not care in the least about his academic education or his father's illegal past. His father's cheating tendencies had created a rift between father and son, which was also another factor for his coldness towards others. The girl at the bus stop was an exception. He didn't even have the energy to rage at anyone until he met the unknown girl. Who was she, and why did she dare kick him?

He lifted his thick sports socks and peered at his injury as the elevator ascended to the hundredth floor. So, it was starting to swell now. 'Easily taken care of,' he muttered under his breath.