Chapter 151: A Hundred Days of Love

Chapter 151: A Hundred Days of Love

As soon as Ji Xinghuo spoke, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Especially since Zhao Manying's leather jacket had mostly disintegrated, leaving only a few strips of leather hanging on her body, barely covering her. Fortunately, her lingerie was made of some unknown resilient material that withstood the sword qi, preventing a full exposure.

Even so, her alluring figure still caused Ji Xinghuo's heart to race.

His training outfit was also badly damaged, and he was currently sitting on Zhao Manying's abdomen, in an intimate and ambiguous position, feeling the softness beneath him.

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Er..."

Just as Ji Xinghuo was about to speak, Zhao Manying said at the same time, "Let me up first."

"Okay!"

He quickly moved the sword away from her neck and stood up, stepping to the side. "Sorry, I was too focused on the battle and lost track of my movements."

"It's fine, that's unavoidable." Zhao Manying slowly got up, the electricity around her body fading as she quickly regained her composure. Her stamina and stellar energy were barely depleted, but her leather outfit was completely ruined, so she tore it off entirely.

Her tall and proud figure was now on full display, her bare feet and long, slender legs especially drawing Ji Xinghuo's gaze.

He admired her boldly, silently praising her for her wealth and generosity!

Zhao Manying noticed his gaze and maintained a calm expression, but the faint blush on her ears betrayed her true emotions.

She reached out and caught the returning Jinghong Sword, sheathing it.

Then, she quickly ran down the mountain.

"I have some clothes in my car. Wait here for me," Zhao Manying's voice called out from the darkness, and then she was gone.

Ji Xinghuo retrieved his Invisible Sting and quiver, and Qinghong crawled back into his pocket.

Magnetic Field Sensing, however, remained focused on Zhao Manying. She had returned to the light-wheel motorcycle by the roadside and was putting on a new leather outfit, her movements quick and her face slightly flushed. She seemed embarrassed and shy, unlike the composure she had shown before him earlier.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"So you're not that generous after all..."

Soon, Zhao Manying reappeared at the top of the mountain, dressed in the same black leather outfit as before, her expression as calm as ever, as if nothing had happened.

She made a gesture, and the hovering camera in mid-air descended into her hand, which she then turned off.

Only then did she look at Ji Xinghuo.

Even now, Zhao Manying's mind was in a daze. She couldn't understand how, when she had the upper hand, she had suddenly lost.

I actually lost!

A sense of bewilderment filled her, and she thought of the bet she had made earlier, feeling at a complete loss.

"You..."

Zhao Manying opened her mouth, not knowing what to say, finding it hard to voice her thoughts.

But she quickly shook off the shadow of her defeat, her expression resolute as she nodded seriously. "I admit that I underestimated you before. I was too arrogant. Later, I will inform ADC of the outcome of this battle. Congratulations on becoming the new top-ranked player on the ladder!"

According to the rules set by the Stellar Defense Council, directly defeating an opponent would result in taking their place on the ladder.

The loser's ranking would be pushed back.

Of course, there had to be sufficient evidence to show that both parties had fought with their full strength and that there was no match-fixing involved. ADC would make the appropriate assessment.

As long as the recording of this battle was sent out, Ji Xinghuo would immediately replace Zhao Manying as the top-ranked player, while Zhao Manying would drop to second place.

However, Ji Xinghuo shook his head. "Don't spread the word about tonight's battle."

"Why?"

Zhao Manying was puzzled. She couldn't understand why someone would refuse the lure of being ranked first on the ladder. In a way, the title of being the top-ranked player was more eye-catching than most of the strong individuals on the Legendary List, and even more so than most of the Heavenly Kings. It held tremendous commercial value.

In the less than three months since she had become the top-ranked player, her worth had skyrocketed by several billion!

"It's not the right time yet," Ji Xinghuo replied.

The title of being the top-ranked player was too attention-grabbing and too hot to handle.

Moreover, he believed that today's victory would be hard to replicate. The reason he had won was due to the heaven-defying function of Myriad Phenomenon, which perfectly countered opponents like Zhao Manying, who relied heavily on martial arts and combat techniques. His familiarity with Zhao Manying and his understanding of her also played a significant role in his victory.

If they were to fight again, Ji Xinghuo wasn't confident that he would win a second time.

Among the top-ranked players on the ladder, there were many who didn't rely on martial arts or combat techniques, but instead, crushed their opponents with pure exotic powers and robust physical attributes.

Even with Myriad Phenomenon's advance predictions, it would be challenging to defeat these super-exotics who relied on brute strength or had formidable defenses.

Being the top-ranked player made one the target of countless challenges.

Ji Xinghuo didn't want to face endless battles that would affect his cultivation and life.

"It's not the right time..." Zhao Manying's eyes were filled with curiosity, and she asked once more, "What's your name?"

His silence was her only response.

"You still don't want to tell me?" She stepped closer, and Ji Xinghuo caught a whiff of her fragrance. With her exquisite face close to his, she said with a charming smile, "I will keep my promise. As your girlfriend, shouldn't I have the right to know your name?"

Ji Xinghuo shook his head. "That was just a joke you made on a whim. There's no need to take it seriously."

Who wouldn't want to have a girlfriend who was not only beautiful and powerful but also famous worldwide? It would greatly satisfy a man's vanity.

However, he remained calm at this moment.

There was no emotional foundation between them. Zhao Manying had made that statement when she was absolutely confident and wasn't truly moved by him.

She had only been forcing herself to break through her mental barriers and leave herself no way out.

"But I took it seriously," Zhao Manying said, her expression serious as she paused for a moment. "I always keep my word and never go back on my promises."

"I didn't agree to it at the time," Ji Xinghuo said firmly.

Zhao Manying looked him up and down, a puzzled expression on her face. "I'm starting to doubt if you're even a man. It's just dating, not marriage. Why are you refusing?"

In this era, marriage was a very cautious matter and the most important decision in life.

Marriage brought about many inconveniences, especially in legal matters.

At the same time, not being married did not affect the establishment of a family or the birth of children in any way. All the welfare benefits provided by the country could still be enjoyed, and both parties could maintain relatively independent personal space and economic autonomy. Even if the relationship fell apart, there were no additional responsibilities to bear.

The social norm was to date without marrying, and most people would be scared off or run for the hills if someone suddenly proposed marriage.

When Ji Xinghuo heard the word 'marriage,' his eyelids twitched involuntarily before he replied, "Dating also requires an emotional foundation."

"Let's date first and develop those emotions," Zhao Manying suggested, sounding quite enamored. She was getting a little annoyed that he still wasn't agreeing, especially since this was the first time she had ever taken the initiative with a man, and now she felt like he didn't want her, causing her to doubt her own charm.

"Don't you not have a girlfriend?" She asked, thinking that he might already be attached.

"No," Ji Xinghuo denied, but the image of Ren Mian immediately popped into his mind.

He was conflicted and well aware of why he kept refusing Zhao Manying. The biggest factor was Ren Jie's presence in his life. When he was with her, he could sense that she had feelings for him, and he felt that they just needed the right opportunity to progress further.

If he agreed to Zhao Manying now and Ren Jie found out later, things would become complicated, and a relationship with Ren Jie would be almost impossible.

His relationship with Zhao Manying had progressed too quickly, and due to her fame and status, they would be under intense public scrutiny, which could lead to many variables and potential challenges for their relationship's longevity.

In the end, he felt that he would likely end up losing both women.

It was like choosing between his left and right hand—he couldn't bear to let go of either, leaving him in a difficult dilemma.

"It would be great if I could have both..."

"Or if there were two of me."

"One could team up with Ren Jie in the Stellar Realm, and the other could develop a relationship with Zhao Manying, taking things slowly." Ji Xinghuo secretly wished for this, knowing that it was just a fantasy, something that even his dreams might not grant.

"If you don't have a girlfriend, why are you still refusing?" Zhao Manying asked with a self-deprecating laugh. "You don't dislike me because I'm ugly, do you?"

Ji Xinghuo could tell that she was getting upset.

After all, she was a woman he had admired when he was eighteen, and it would be a lie to say that he wasn't attracted to her now. He quickly replied, "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

And then he silently added the word 'one' to the end of that sentence in his mind.

"Really?"

Zhao Manying stared at Ji Xinghuo, suddenly breaking into a sweet smile as she proposed, "Then let's make a deal. Let's date for a hundred days, and if we're not compatible, we'll break up. That way, I'll have kept my promise, and you won't have to worry anymore. If you don't like me after that, you can just walk away."

Ji Xinghuo was dazzled by her smile and found himself a little intoxicated.

To be honest, he couldn't refuse.

Not a single man on Earth could deny Zhao Manying anything, and he had already done remarkably well to hold out this long.

"Okay," Ji Xinghuo nodded gently.

"This is my first love, and you should feel honored," Zhao Manying said happily, moving closer to link her arm with his. "Dear, what's your name?"

Knowing that she was doing this on purpose and that there was an element of playacting involved, Ji Xinghuo still felt a little overwhelmed.

He finally answered, "Ji Xinghuo."

"I think I've heard that name before," Zhao Manying paused, her face suddenly showing realization and shock. "You're the last-ranked player on the Stellar Ladder, the Ranger who participated in killing the legendary Great Gungun?"

Ji Xinghuo smiled and confirmed, "That's me."

Zhao Manying was left speechless.

"You, the last-ranked player, actually defeated me, the top-ranked player!" She still couldn't believe it and exclaimed, "ADC's information gathering is terrible! How could they rank you last? And they said you're a Ranger..."

She glanced at Ji Xinghuo's compound bow and then at his sword, asking, "You're not really a Ranger, are you?"

"Of course not," Ji Xinghuo laughed. "I'm a Magnetic Field Maniac."

"That's more like it."

Zhao Manying breathed a sigh of relief. Based on their previous battle, it was clear that Ji Xinghuo wasn't a pure Ranger; otherwise, it would be too far-fetched. She then smiled and said, "The top-ranked player and the last-ranked player dating, this is a huge headline!"

"Aren't you worried about your fans' reactions?" Ji Xinghuo thought about the potential fallout from her announcing their relationship and felt a bit anxious on her behalf.

"I'm not an actress," Zhao Manying replied casually, not seeming too concerned.

"My main job is competing. In professional sports, being bad is the original sin. As long as I keep winning on the field, what others say won't affect me. Dating is my freedom, and the most it will do is reduce some of my endorsements, but I don't need that money anyway."

"Impressive!"

Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but admire her attitude.

While this was true, not many people could truly ignore fan loss, and those who could were always in the minority.

However, Zhao Manying clearly didn't care.

"You don't need to flatter me. One day, you'll be more famous than me, and you'll have to bear even greater public pressure," Zhao Manying said nonchalantly.

Ji Xinghuo shrugged, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Let's go, we're leaving," Zhao Manying said, patting her stomach. "I haven't had dinner yet. How about we grab a late-night snack together?"

"Does this count as a date?" Ji Xinghuo asked with a smile.

"Yes," Zhao Manying confirmed.

As they chatted and laughed, they made their way back to the light-wheel motorcycle. Zhao Manying straddled the bike and started the engine, then turned her head and said, "You're my boyfriend now, so you don't have to deliberately keep your distance. Come closer and hold me tight, or you might fall off."

Ji Xinghuo didn't hesitate and moved forward, pressing his chest against her back and wrapping his arms around her waist like a true couple.

Zhao Manying's body trembled slightly, her back muscles tensing up, but she soon relaxed.

Ji Xinghuo noticed the redness on the back of her neck and smiled to himself.

"Let's go," Zhao Manying said, revving the motorcycle and speeding down the winding mountain road. In no time, they were back in the city of Chang'an, cruising on the superconducting highway towards the city center.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end