Volume One, Chapter 54: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—Astonishing Her Ex-Husband

When Li Mo arrived at the jiu-jitsu gym, Ye Sheng had already finished her match. She was grappling with the coach on the mat; though she appeared to be at a disadvantage, pinned beneath the tall and strong coach, she suddenly locked his neck in a scissor hold and instantly reversed the situation.

Only when the two of them stood up did Li Mo realize that the opponent sparring with Ye Sheng was Ma Yang, his favorite jiu-jitsu coach. Coach Ma wore a purple belt, while a brown belt was tied conspicuously around Ye Sheng’s white uniform.

She was indeed a brown belt expert!

Seeing it with his own eyes, Li Mo’s eyes widened and he stood rooted to the spot. Ye Sheng chatted for a moment with Coach Ma, then they both stepped off the mat. Coach Ma recognized Li Mo, and the two exchanged a fist bump.

“You want to spar with Ye Sheng?” Coach Ma gave Li Mo a light punch on the shoulder. “How do you even dare?”

Li Mo scratched his head. “I didn’t know she was really a brown belt, I thought she was just bragging.”

For Brazilian jiu-jitsu, adult belts for those sixteen and older are, from lowest to highest: white, blue, purple, brown, black, red-and-black, red-and-white, and dark red. Purple represents an intermediate-high level, qualified to be a coach. Coach Ma was a purple belt, currently working toward his brown belt.

Ye Sheng had earned her brown belt last year in City N, signifying she had reached an elite level; next up would be the black belt. Each advancement is difficult, requiring extensive practice, competitive experience, and technical improvement. Achieving a brown belt is no small feat.

Li Mo himself was still at the blue belt level. Thinking of how he’d boasted about his “talent” to Ye Sheng in the hospital made him blush.

“Let’s do it.”

Li Mo changed into his uniform, warmed up under Coach Ma’s guidance, and just as his body was getting loose, Ye Sheng called him onto the mat.

—

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a form of martial art and a fundamental element of mixed martial arts, with an emphasis on grappling.

When Mr. Huo and the Li couple arrived at the gym, they saw Li Mo and Ye Sheng wrestling on the mat, limbs flailing in the air, the two of them practically tangled together.

Oh dear… The Li couple could hardly bear to watch their son, all skinny arms and legs, practice such a thing; their hearts trembled just to see it. But on the surface, they maintained their composure, not betraying a hint of concern. They did, however, glance sideways at Mr. Huo—why did his expression look even darker than theirs?

Mr. Huo’s eyes turned cold as he watched Li Mo tightly clutching Ye Sheng.

What was that supposed to look like!

—

“Smack!” The match didn’t last long before Ye Sheng executed a perfect bridge throw, slamming Li Mo onto the mat.

The Li couple couldn’t stand any longer and hurried to find seats together with Mr. Huo to watch. They’d come quietly without telling their son beforehand, mostly out of concern…

“Smack!” Another over-the-shoulder throw. The Li couple covered their faces in unison, unable to bear watching any longer.

But Mr. Huo kept his eyes fixed on Ye Sheng. The way she threw Li Mo reminded him of how, back at the hotel, she’d effortlessly tossed him against the wall like a noodle. Clearly, she had held back a great deal of her strength then—perhaps she was afraid of hurting him.

With this realization, the stern expression on Mr. Huo’s face softened a little. Still… why had he never noticed Ye Sheng’s strength before?

In the past, Ye Sheng had always seemed weak to him, but hers was a different kind of weakness than Qin Minshu’s—a quiet, passive kind, as if she bore everything without complaint, like a puppet. Minshu, meanwhile, was frail in a feminine, delicate way, always knowing when to show vulnerability.

Ye Sheng had once said he never truly understood her.

Now, suddenly, Mr. Huo recalled when Huo Cong was very little, Ye Sheng would carry him on one arm while working with the other; the rest of them tired quickly, but she could hold the child all night when he cried after being weaned. Once, when their car got stuck in sand, he stepped on the gas while she pushed from behind as if she had superhuman strength—at the time, he’d attributed it to his own driving skills.

So it seemed there had always been signs.

Li Mo was thrown around quite miserably. But, to their surprise, Mr. and Mrs. Li gradually found themselves entertained and fascinated.

Ye Sheng’s throws were sharp and dashing; Li Mo, a young man of over six feet, was tossed about by this young woman as if he were a clay figurine, again and again, with crisp slaps as he hit the mat.

“This silly boy! Get up there! Turn the tables!” Mr. Li got excited as he watched.

“Nonsense,” said Mrs. Li. “Just now he did try, and Ye Director caught him by the neck and flipped him right over—hopelessly clumsy!”

The corners of Mr. Huo’s mouth turned up in spite of himself.

Ye Sheng’s moves were indeed impressive.

“Want to go again?” Ye Sheng stood on the mat, looking down at Li Mo, who was sprawled out.

Li Mo waved a hand in defeat. “No, I’m no match for you.”

Ye Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Giving up so quickly? No fighting spirit?”

“…Don’t try to goad me.” Li Mo snorted. “I call it self-awareness. I believe you’re a brown belt now.”

Ye Sheng laughed, retied her belt. “It’s just a color. Don’t let it intimidate you. Sooner or later, you’ll wear one just like this.”

Li Mo rolled over and sat up. “You really think I could?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Ye Sheng replied. “What matters is what you think.”

She glanced toward Coach Ma. “Coach Ma was diagnosed with leukemia when he was fifteen.”

Li Mo started in shock, springing up. “Coach Ma too…”

“Back then, many people knew. Now, hardly anyone mentions it, because you’d never be able to tell.” Ye Sheng’s smile was warm. “He’s just like you—loves Brazilian jiu-jitsu. But for health reasons, he can’t train as intensively, so he’s still a purple belt. But it’s fine—he’s happy, and that’s what matters.”

This revelation struck Li Mo deeply. Coach Ma looked their way, as if guessing their conversation, and winked at Li Mo.

The message was clear: “Kid, what are you afraid of? Just play if you want to play!”

Li Mo’s eyes turned a little red.

Ye Sheng patted his shoulder, saying nothing more.

“Your parents are here. I’ll go say hello.”

Ye Sheng shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Li, then, out of formality, reached out to shake Mr. Huo’s hand as well, addressing him as “Mr. Huo.”

Mr. Huo looked at her.

“No need for the formalities. Mr. Li and Mrs. Li already know about our relationship.”

After a two-second silence, two voices spoke at once—

Ye Sheng: “What relationship?”

Li Mo: “What relationship?”