Facing the infuriated Christine, Li Yundong simply smiled. "China has an old tradition of only passing down skills to men, never women. Sometimes that carries a hint of sexism, but other times it’s because the martial art just isn't suitable for women. My skill is not suitable for you to learn."

Christine blanched; Li Yundong’s excuse was too solid, offering her no counter-argument whatsoever!

She had been raised in silk and luxury, practically born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Beautiful and statuesque with a figure that turned heads, she was used to being surrounded and fawned over by boys wherever she went. To be so thoroughly embarrassed and backed into a corner here was simply intolerable!

Christine could barely swallow her rage. After grinding her teeth fiercely in place for a moment, she stamped her foot, spun around, and stormed out of the backstage area.

By this time, the school administrators backstage knew that the potential disaster had been averted. What could have become a catastrophe had turned into a resounding success—a happy outcome for everyone involved.

Principal Ke, pleased that the evening's gala had been such a triumph, turned kindly to Li Yundong. "When the time comes, the mayor will receive you. Don't disgrace our university!"

Though Li Yundong inwardly scoffed, he nodded politely on the surface.

The school leaders filed out one by one, satisfied, leaving only the hulking figure of John still clinging to Li Yundong.

John had no idea what had just transpired between Christine and Li Yundong. He kept shouting at Li Yundong, "Teach me, teach me!" followed by a string of garbled English.

Even though Li Yundong’s English was poor, he knew with absolute certainty that the foreigner was begging to be accepted as his disciple.

Feng Na, who spoke good English, leaned in and whispered to Li Yundong with a smile, "This foreigner is begging you to teach him Chinese. He says if he learns Chinese from you, he'll formally request apprenticeship to learn martial arts."

Li Yundong chuckled. "This foreigner certainly has a tenacious spirit! Tell him he's only here for too short a time; I can't teach him more than a few phrases of Chinese."

Feng Na smiled and translated the message to John. Seeing a translator right there, John was ecstatic. He grabbed Feng Na's hand and spoke rapidly, gesturing wildly.

Feng Na couldn't handle the foreigner's enthusiasm and quickly pulled her hand away, subtly stepping back half a pace. She then translated his words back to Li Yundong: "He says even a little is better than nothing, and he will study hard!"

Li Yundong laughed. "How can that work? You can’t learn Chinese like that! Besides, he’s returning to America in a couple of days. Once he’s back, he’ll forget about the apprenticeship. Learning my martial arts takes a long time—at least several years—if he only studies for a few days, it will be useless!"

As soon as Feng Na finished translating, John's eyes widened, and he shouted back in a loud, unintelligible torrent.

Li Yundong could only look helplessly at Feng Na. She smiled and relayed: "He says he will apply to be an international exchange student here at Tiannan University, as long as you agree to take him as a disciple!"

After translating, Feng Na clapped Li Yundong on the shoulder and grinned. "Not bad, you've got a devoted foreign fan! See, choosing you as my idol was a wise decision! From now on, I'm the senior disciple in your fan club!"

Cheng Cheng, standing nearby, immediately chimed in, "A handsome and dashing sect leader, paired with a peerlessly lovely senior sister—you two are quite the match!"

Feng Na’s face instantly flushed crimson. Embarrassed and annoyed, she shot Cheng Cheng a glare. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Li Yundong caught the subtle, ambiguous spark of attraction and glanced at Feng Na. Though she had a round face, her features were charming and sweet; in her flustered state, she possessed a distinct youthful allure.

But Li Yundong's entire focus was currently on Su Chan. He held the glance only for a moment before his gaze naturally shifted away, revealing not a hint of stirring emotion.

Though blushing, Feng Na had been closely observing Li Yundong's expression and gaze. Seeing his eyes clear and devoid of any romantic intent, a wave of disappointment washed over her.

As if oblivious to Feng Na’s shift, Li Yundong smiled. "Tell John that if he masters Chinese, I will consider it."

Li Yundong figured the foreigner was just caught up in a moment of fancy and wouldn't possibly transfer from a top-tier institution like the University of Pennsylvania to a third-rate school like Tiannan University to be an exchange student.

However, upon hearing Feng Na’s translation, John’s eyes lit up. He became insistent, pestering Li Yundong to teach him at least one Chinese phrase right then.

Li Yundong grew impatient and vexed by the persistence. An idea struck him, laced with a bit of mischievous malice. He smiled slightly and said, "Very well, I’ll teach you one phrase first. This is something Chinese people say when greeting one another. Listen closely..."

The surrounding students watched Li Yundong and John with curiosity, most guessing Li Yundong would teach him something simple like "Ni hao" (Hello) or "Have you eaten?"

Li Yundong, poised and calm, pronounced: "Pay attention, the phrase is spoken like this: Nǐ hǎo..."

The surrounding students immediately let out a collective jeer. "It is that phrase! So unoriginal!"

"Honestly, couldn't he have at least added some flair!"

Li Yundong seemed not to hear the murmurs. With unwavering composure, he delivered the next three characters: "...Dà shǎbī!"

"Whoa!"

The backstage area instantly erupted!

"Nǐ hǎo, dà shǎbī?" The students gasped, a mixture of shock and laughter spilling out. "Who greets someone like that? It’ll start a fight instantly!"

Though John vaguely sensed the laughter around him was strange, his eagerness to become a disciple was absolute. He never imagined Li Yundong was deliberately tricking him by teaching him an insult.

Seeing Li Yundong deliver the phrase with solemn sincerity, John meticulously and seriously mimicked him: "Nee how, dah shah bee!"

"Pfft!" Su Chan was the first to break, turning to hide in a corner, pounding her chest and erupting in loud laughter.

The others, including Feng Na, couldn't hold it in much longer. They soon followed Su Chan's lead, fleeing to small corners and laughing hysterically.

As the originator of the prank, Li Yundong almost burst out laughing hearing John deliver the line so earnestly. But possessing a natural inclination toward practical jokes, he managed to suppress his mirth. Instead, he maintained a serious expression, pointing out John’s pronunciation errors.

John repeated the phrase several times, growing more fluent, more excited, and louder with each attempt: "Nee how, dah shah bee!"

The louder he shouted it, the more painfully the students backstage laughed—doubled over, nearly beside themselves with mirth.

John was clearly an attention-seeker. Seeing everyone looking so delighted, he became delighted too, repeatedly shouting at Li Yundong, "Nee how, dah shah bee!"

At first, Li Yundong didn't notice, but after a while, something felt off: Wait, isn't he insulting me?

He immediately stopped being polite, nodding along while smiling back at John, "Mm-hmm, Nǐ hǎo, dà shǎbī!"

As the two were exchanging these bizarre greetings, a teacher suddenly burst backstage, shouting at Li Yundong and the students rolling on the floor laughing: "What are you doing back here? Get on stage! The city leaders are waiting to meet you!"

The teacher was in a rush and completely missed the accidental awkwardness of his own words.

Once the teacher left, Li Yundong waved his arm expansively. "Alright everyone, let's go! Time to meet the city leaders!"

This statement sent the entire backstage area into another roar of laughter.

Feng Na watched Li Yundong lead the performing students out onto the stage in a grand procession, momentarily lost in thought staring at his retreating back. Cheng Cheng couldn't help but poke her with a finger. "Hey, if you like someone, be more forward!"

Feng Na’s cheeks reddened, and she glared at Cheng Cheng crossly. "Who likes him! He’s younger than me. I only like older, mature men!"

Cheng Cheng lightly scraped her own cheek with her finger. "Shameless! The look in your eyes just now suggested you wanted to devour him! You see him as Tang Monk’s flesh, don't you? Hehe, I bet quite a few people back here wanted a bite of that flesh just now! Are you going to be the Spider Demon or the White Bone Demon? Pick one and make your move!"

Feng Na laughed and slapped her lightly. "Bah, you sure can spin a yarn!"

But as soon as she said that, she sighed wistfully. "Still, no matter what kind of demon, how many ever managed to eat the Tang Monk’s flesh?"

Saying this, Feng Na glanced over at Su Chan, who was hiding behind the curtain, secretly watching the stage. She gave a low, bitter smile. "She already has someone so beautiful right there beside her, with such easy access. How could it ever be my turn?"

Cheng Cheng’s enthusiasm also waned at this remark. "Alas, someone like you doesn't even have the courage to engage in battle, let alone someone of my humble appearance. It's not that our troops are incompetent; it's just that the enemy forces are too formidable!"

Feng Na looked at Cheng Cheng with curiosity. "You like him too?"

Cheng Cheng shrugged casually. "Duh. Boys like that are rare nowadays. How could I not like him? But, Nana, honestly, when he was performing on stage earlier, I didn't think he was that handsome. But when he stopped John’s heart with his bare hands and then immediately revived him—that look of calm, effortless command was utterly breathtaking! If he weren't taken, I’d be the first one to snatch him up!"

Feng Na jumped up. "Aha, you little—you’re encouraging me when you clearly have designs on him yourself!"

Cheng Cheng resisted playfully. "Aren't you the same? You clearly like him but say you don't. Keep pretending, keep up the act!"

After a moment of laughing and bickering, Feng Na suddenly spotted Zhuang Hui backstage, having just finished reapplying her makeup and heading toward the stage. Her mood immediately soured. "Forget it, let's stop messing around. Even if Li Yundong were single, the competition is too fierce. Zhuang Hui is probably eyeing that same piece of Tang Monk flesh! And I think Zhou Qin might have feelings for him too."

Cheng Cheng nodded in agreement, letting out a long moan. "Heavens, why is finding a man so difficult? Oh Lord, grant me a man! I'll bury him in the ground in spring, and by autumn..."

Feng Na poked her crossly. "By autumn you'll have a pile of white bones, you idiot! Stop being silly, let's get on stage!"

The students participating in the gala crowded the stage. Standing right at the front was John, beaming broadly. The foreign friend had volunteered to go on stage, having nearly been killed by Li Yundong’s bare hands, but thankfully, the mishap had turned into good fortune, making him the most high-profile person there, second only to Li Yundong.

Foreigners admire individual heroism and are naturally drawn to the limelight; most of them are energized by crowds. John stood on stage, flushed with excitement, eager to perform. If the stage hadn't been so crowded, he likely would have immediately put on a display of his martial arts.

When the city leaders approached him, they spoke a few words of welcome and concern in Chinese. After hearing the translation, John’s mind seemed to work quickly, and he said something in English to the translator beside him.

The translator looked at John with a hint of surprise before turning to the leader beside him. "Mayor Luo, Mr. John says he learned a Chinese greeting just now and would like to recite it for you."

Mayor Luo was thoroughly pleased, his official airs thickening. "Excellent! Let him speak. Seeing more and more foreigners learning our Chinese language truly shows that our international image and status are continuously improving!"

While he was pontificating in officialese, John, naturally, didn't understand a word. Seeing the translator nod at him, he brightened instantly and then very seriously, carefully, and forcefully shouted out the phrase Li Yundong had taught him: "Nee how, dah shah bee!"

Instantly, the officials standing next to the Mayor felt their vision go dark!

The entire stage fell into absolute silence...