Chapter Text
Nien is the new prospect of women’s MMA, the shining rookie.
The only thing she is seeming to miss is some notable sponsors. She trained with her dad who was a pretty good boxer and transitioned into MMA when the sport began gaining popularity, rising to be a top contender before he retired. She watched every match he was in and would think of every move he performed, every attack he dodged and deflected, and every grapple he escaped with ease.
Of course, he had his fair share of mistakes and losses, but that never took away from his style. He fought smart. Even outside the ring he was smart, gathering many sponsors and ensuring his family lived comfortably, even taking his beloved daughter to meet his associates.
So along with analyzing and understanding his every move, she noted the sponsors that shared space on his fight gear, understanding that along with show and prize money, that was why her and her mother were set for life.
Nien wanted more than to live comfortably though. She wanted to follow in his footsteps, seeking the fame in fortune he created for her to follow, and to perhaps even surpass. This meeting was just one of many steps in her path to becoming the most decorated MMA fighter of her time, all she had to do was shake hands and smile.
This was simple for the first hour or so, meeting many possible partners as well as those who she already worked with. Although she had such a rough and violent occupation, one of her many charms was her positive attitude and seemingly innocent smile, both adding to her overall charisma that she has been putting to use this whole event.
She saw this all as business until she witnessed a beauty that defied description. She stood at an impressive height and her long black hair framed her radiant face that overshadowed the crowd around her. The red blouse that adorned her torso fit as if it was made only for her with tailored slacks to match and she stood with a posture that suggested she was the president of some prestigious company. If Nien played her cards right, she hoped to not only gather her as a new sponsor but also gain her number.
Unbeknownst to her, she was wrong in one way. As she moved in the same way she had been staring, she was stopped right before she could talk to the woman by an older man who said he had been waiting to talk to her this whole event. Nien struggled to focus on his words as he had interrupted what she set her mind on so determinedly until he laid out a phrase that finally caught her attention.
“Ah, I don’t think you’ve met my daughter yet. Hsu Nientzu, meet my wonderful daughter, Zhou Xinyu.” The woman of her sights appeared behind the man, only a few inches shorter than her father, looking even more gorgeous up close. “She has her eyes set on taking over the company, so I thought I’d bring her to a more casual event.”
Nien stepped back into reality, remembering that whether she gained the daughter’s company or not this would be a great new opportunity for her. “Sorry, sir, what did you say your brand specializes in?”
He let out a boisterous laugh characteristic of a warm father. “No worries, we’re a luxury accessory brand looking to expand our appeal, and we think you would be a great candidate!” He smiled sincerely and the daughter’s lips curled up as well.
“I would love to work with you both.” She made sure to make eye contact with both the representative and Xinyu, lingering on the ladder, sounding the name out in her head to ensure she never forgot it. “Do you have a business card you could give me so we could discuss our terms?”
“Unfortunately we ran out a day or so ago but I’m sure Xinyu here could give you the information and perhaps an incentive to partner with us.” He grabbed a small box from the table he was sitting at and handed it to his daughter, speaking to her in a hushed tone that Nien couldn't decipher until he walked away, leaving Nien and Xinyu alone together.
There was a beat of deafening silence until Nien decided to speak up, shifting her weight slightly as she stood opposite to Xinyu, the height difference more noticeable now that they were face to face. “So, you want to take over your father’s company?”
Xinyu’s lips curved into a small, confident smile, maintaining her elegant posture. “Yes. He’s giving me the opportunity but is ensuring I work for it. That’s why I’m here talking to you.”
Nien looked with a glint of admiration in her eyes. “You know, I saw you from afar and thought you were already high ranking in a company.”
Xinyu’s brow arched slightly, intrigued. “And what made you think that?”
Nien’s gaze swept over Xinyu’s poised stance, taking in how effortlessly she commanded attention. “You exude confidence.” She commented, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
A soft laugh escaped Xinyu that Nien was convinced she wouldn't mind hearing for the rest of her days. “You’re too kind.”
“And you’re beautiful.” Nien added, her voice dropping slightly as she held Xinyu’s gaze.
Xinyu’s eyes widened just a fraction before a playful smirk formed. “Isn’t this conversation supposed to be directed towards business?”
“I can’t help myself.” Nien replied with a grin.
Xinyu shook her head lightly, amusement evident on her face. “Do you want the contact info or not?”
“Will I see you more if I agree to be your beneficiary?” Her tone was teasing yet hopeful.
Xinyu leaned in just a bit. “If you are my father’s beneficiary, maybe you will.”
“That’s enough for me.” Nien unlocked her phone and handed it over, and after waiting a few seconds she looked at the screen and saw two contacts, Zhou Hua and Zhou Xinyu. She couldn't suppress the smile that spread across her face, excitement bubbling up at the latter.
“Thank you,” Nien said sincerely.
“You’re welcome,” Xinyu replied with a smile, “Oh and one more thing…” She opened the box her father handed her which contained a beautiful and sleek silver watch with a venetian red face. “He’s been looking out for you this whole time, and wanted to give you a watch as an incentive to partner with us. I insisted on giving it to you since I took part in the design.”
Nien’s eyes lit up at the gift, even more so that it was specially made for her by Xinyu. “You made this for me?”
“You could say that I’m a fan. I don’t love it when you get hit in the face but I love watching people do what they’re good at.” Xinyu commented, her mind racing as she realized she really didn’t have to say that.
Nien fawned at how lucky she was to have someone like Xinyu be a fan of hers, but she couldn’t lose her momentum now. “Do you want an autograph?”
“I’m sure you can give me one in the future.” Xinyu stepped back. “I have to go follow around my father a little more, we can talk later.” She finished with a wink and walked into the distance, Nien’s eyes following her into the crowd until vanished.
The first thing Nien did after leaving the venue was call Xinyu.
Xinyu and Nien had been talking for months, their busy lives prevented them from having as much quality time as they would’ve wanted, but Xinyu was excited with the free time she just acquired. Pulling up to Nien’s training gym and stepping out of her favorite blue Porsche in her casual clothes (all designer), she entered and was surprised with the scene in front of her.
Nien had sent her the address and promised to tell Xinyu when she was training, but the heiress unfortunately had to turn down every request of her presence until now. The gym was silent except for rhythmic thumps that she couldn’t see the source of until she turned the corner.
A sweaty Nien, in her training gear which wasn't so different from her fight gear, a sports bra and athletic shorts. The sweat seemed to make her glow as her muscles flexed with each movement. Xinyu needs her badly. So bad that she forgot to announce herself and scared the fighter, making her jump and lose focus.
“Xinyu, you scared me!” Nien was jokingly holding her gloved fist to her chest. “You usually don’t have time for me.” She stated with a pout.
“Well I’m here now you big baby.” Xinyu giggled at how cute the other girl was while putting her bag down on a nearby chair.
Nien admitted, “I missed you, you know.”
“You remind me every day. Is one of the top contenders of MMA obsessed with me?”
“It’s hard not to be.” Nien pulled a rag from her pocket and patted her forehead, before throwing it over her shoulder and moving towards Xinyu with open arms.
“Nien no! You’re sweaty! My clothes are expensive, you know.”
Nien stopped a couple feet from Xinyu, her arms still an open invitation. “As if you couldn’t buy 20 new outfits right now. Hug me.”
Xinyu dramatically sighed. “Fine.” She stated sarcastically, stepping into the shorter girl’s embrace. Although she seemed to be training for a while, the smell of sweat wasn’t overwhelming but maybe because she was so focused on how comforting the fighter's embrace was. Due to their time constraints, they had very rare dates in which Xinyu would have to pick a low-key place to avoid scandals, so they could barely hold each other like this. But both of them would agree that it wouldn’t matter what place they would meet, what matters is the time they could spend together. This hug was relieving all of Xinyu’s stress she had gained from work, her expectations, public opinion, all of her pressure. With Nien she could simply be Xinyu.
Finally pulling back, the two sat down on a bench and calmly chatted for a bit until Xinyu pointed out something.
“You’re too confident with your punches, though, that’s probably why you get stuck in those ‘annoying’ situations you’re so done with. You should fix that before your upcoming fight. I hear that rookie is scary.” She mused matter-of-factly.
“How do you know, Ms. Heiress?”
“My dad has been interested in partnering with you for a while and told me about you. I was interested and I’ve been watching your fights for a while. So, Ms. Professional Fighter, I'm telling you that you need to hold back a little sometimes, especially if you want to win.”
“You sound like my dad.”
“Didn’t he win a title.”
“...yeah.”
“Exactly! Listen to me!!”
Nien was laughing at their exchange, but still took the advice seriously. “I have an idea and you can help me with my issue.”
“I’m listening.”
“Watch me shadow box and tell me if the punches are good.”
“Well it’s easy to tell when you go for a hit and get caught off guard and all of a sudden you’re on the ground.”
“Just try!”
“Okay okay I will!”
Nien stood up and faced a mirror that was attached to the wall as Xinyu focused on her form. One punch, two, three, Xinyu was focused on a different form. She snapped out as soon as Nien yelled “Hello?! You said you were gonna try??” and began actually focusing on the quality of her hits.
First punch “Too much.” Nien nodded.
Second punch “Too little. You’re holding back too much.” Nien grumbled.
Third punch “Pull back just a little bit, I know you can.” Nien felt a strange feeling in her chest at that last comment, and she didn’t understand why.
Fourth punch “Perfect. Keep going.” Nien simply didn’t understand what she was feeling at this point, all she knew was to obey.
Nien performed a few more good punches and took a rest, returning next to Xinyu and resting her head on her shoulder, panting from exhaustion. She could barely comprehend how tired she was during her training sessions until she sat down, and Xinyu being such a comfortable presence didn’t help in her body’s will seemingly giving out as soon as her head hit the other girl’s shoulder.
Xinyu had been resting her head on top of Nien’s until she opted to look her in the eye’s “You did well, I’m proud of you.” A smile crept onto Xinyu’s lips.
“You make great motivation.” Nien smiled brightly back.