Chapter 171: A Family Reunion
Chapter 171: A Family Reunion
Ji Xinghuo, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm, joking, "Why should I avoid her? It's not like you're a hermit."
"Hmph," Zhao Manying retorted, lifting her chin slightly.
At that moment, Liang Qiu Feiyan and the other three pushed open the door and entered. They spotted Ji Xinghuo sitting on the hospital bed but noticed two other individuals in the room, both women. One was seated by the bed with her back to the door, while the other was quietly reading on the adjacent sofa.
"Big brother..."
Liang Qiu Feiyan had barely uttered those words when the woman sitting by the bed stood up and turned around.
"She's so tall!"
That was the first impression of the four, but as they took in her appearance, they were struck as if by lightning. Their eyes widened, and their faces froze.
"Y-you...are you...?" Liang Qiu Feiyan stuttered, unable to finish her sentence as she stared at Zhao Manying.
Ye Dongyun, Zhong Ming, and Wang Zizheng were equally astonished.
They were all young adults in their early 20s, and they were very familiar with Zhao Manying, who was of a similar age yet already renowned worldwide. They often chatted about her with their family, friends, and classmates.
However, now that Zhao Manying was standing right in front of them, they felt a bit flustered.
Their brains froze, and they felt like they were sleepwalking.
"You must be Feiyan, right?" Zhao Manying took a step forward with a smile. "Xinghuo has mentioned you several times. He said he has a beautiful younger sister, and indeed, you are very pretty."
Liang Qiu Feiyan stared at the tall woman before her, her beautiful face both familiar and unfamiliar, making her feel like she was in a dream.
Hearing Zhao Manying's words, she finally snapped out of her daze and exclaimed in delight, "Sword Immortal, you know me?"
"I've only seen your photos. This is our first time meeting," Zhao Manying replied.
Zhao Manying then nodded to the other three and greeted them by name, introducing herself, "Nice to meet you. I'm Zhao Manying."
"Oh my God..." Liang Qiu Feiyan let out a squeal.
As the oldest sibling and the head of the family, Ye Dongyun maintained her composure and politely said, "Nice to meet you, too."
Zhong Ming and Wang Zizheng exchanged glances, seeing the shock and bewilderment in each other's eyes.
Liang Qiu Feiyan was the most excited, her words tumbling out incoherently.
"Am I dreaming?"
"You're even more beautiful in person than in your videos! How can you be so gorgeous?"
She nearly lunged forward to ask for a photo with Zhao Manying but stopped short when she heard Ji Xinghuo clear his throat, reminding her that they were in a hospital room and that she had come for a reason.
Wait a minute, why is Zhao Manying in Big Brother's hospital room?
"Goddess!" Liang Qiu Feiyan blurted out, using the nickname commonly used for Zhao Manying on the internet. "What are you doing here?" Her eyes darted between Zhao Manying and Ji Xinghuo, and she couldn't help but form a guess, although it seemed too far-fetched to be true.
This was the question that the siblings wanted to ask the most.
Ji Xinghuo answered for her, his tone calm, "Manying is my girlfriend. What's so strange about her visiting me?"
"Girlfriend?"
Liang Qiu Feiyan's voice rose in pitch, and she exclaimed in disbelief, "Really? Big Brother, you'd better not be joking!"
"It's true," Zhao Manying nodded with a smile.
"Holy crap!"
That exclamation came from both Zhong Ming and Wang Zizheng simultaneously. The two brothers could no longer contain their excitement, and the look they gave Ji Xinghuo was filled with admiration.
However, Ye Dongyun reprimanded him, "Younger brother, you're in a relationship, and you didn't even tell us?"
"I haven't figured out how to break the news yet," Ji Xinghuo explained.
Liang Qiu Feiyan, feeling left out, finally realized, "So, when the Goddess announced her relationship, the mysterious boyfriend was you, Big Brother? You've kept this from us for so long!"
The whole family felt incredulous.
They had discussed this topic numerous times in their group chat, and Ji Xinghuo had never participated, leading them to assume he was too busy cultivating to pay attention. But now it turned out that he was the male lead in this romance.
Zhong Ming walked up to the bed and playfully punched Ji Xinghuo's shoulder, a knowing look in his eyes. "You sly dog!"
Wang Zizheng wore an envious expression.
"I'm injured now. Couldn't you go easy on me?" Ji Xinghuo pretended to wince in pain, his face contorting.
"Are you okay?"
Zhong Ming was startled. He had only tapped Ji Xinghuo lightly and hadn't used any force.
The siblings quickly gathered around the bed.
"Hahaha, I'm fine," Ji Xinghuo laughed, his smile returning. "Take a seat, everyone." He then introduced the other person in the room, "This is Aunt Yao, our senior at the bureau. She's responsible for protecting me."
The group then remembered the other person in the room and greeted her warmly.
Anyone capable of protecting Ji Xinghuo was surely an extraordinary individual. However, aside from Zhong Ming, none of them could discern Aunt Yao's prowess. Even Zhong Ming could only make an educated guess—anyone capable of protecting Ji Xinghuo from legendary beings must be a formidable legend themselves.
Although Aunt Yao appeared to be a well-maintained middle-aged woman, Zhong Ming dared not observe her further.
The focus of everyone's attention remained on Zhao Manying.
"Big Brother, how did you meet the Sword Immortal? When did this happen?" Liang Qiu Feiyan was straightforward and unguarded in her curiosity. She couldn't help but feel like she was dreaming.
"Just call me Manying," Zhao Manying said gently.
Ji Xinghuo replied, "We met on the Martial Arts Platform in January and got to know each other through frequent sparring sessions."
"No way!"
Zhong Ming slapped his thigh, and everyone turned to look at him. He wore an expression of realization, "When we returned from our New Year trip, you sparred and guided me on the Martial Arts Platform every day. But after less than half a month, you gradually stopped coming, and you didn't say much in the group chat either. So, you were actually falling in love!"
The usually quiet Wang Zizheng suddenly spoke up, "When the Sword Immortal first released that photo announcing her relationship, I felt like the hand in the photo looked familiar, but I didn't think much of it."
Ji Xinghuo glanced at Wang Zizheng, the youngest of the five siblings, who had a keen eye for detail. "Zizheng, how's your training going lately?"
"It's tiring, but the results are good." Wang Zizheng nodded slightly, choosing to remain brief, but his determination was evident.
Ji Xinghuo asked, "What about our eldest sister and Feifei?"
He had given each of his siblings 10 million yuan, and the three who were not yet Transcended had all started their training plans, aiming for their first evolution.
"I signed up for a coaching class at a top training company. The rehabilitation process is painful, and it will probably take a year before I can pass the test and prepare for another fusion with a foreign species." Ye Dongyun's condition and complexion had improved significantly. She had attempted a fusion once before but failed, yet her strong will and prior training experience kept her motivated.
Only Liang Qiu Feiyan looked glum, sighing, "Training is so exhausting..."
"Feiyan, you're not thinking of giving up, are you?" Ji Xinghuo asked with a smile.
"No, no," Liang Qiu Feiyan shook her head repeatedly, stealing a glance at Zhao Manying. Not wanting to lose face in front of her idol, she said loudly, "I can keep going, big brother. Don't underestimate me."
"That's good," Ji Xinghuo nodded, deliberately goading her.
"Oh, Sister Manying!" Liang Qiu Feiyan snuggled up to Zhao Manying, calling out to her affectionately and coquettishly asking, "You're the number one on the Tower, and your strength is incredible. If you have time, can you teach me how to train properly?"
Zhao Manying readily agreed, "Sure, whatever you want to learn, I can teach you."
"Really?" Liang Qiu Feiyan was overjoyed. "If I have your guidance, Sister Manying, I'll definitely keep going, and I'll become a Transcended sooner or later!"
Ji Xinghuo shook his head inwardly at her words.
With Zhao Manying's strength and status, it would be an understatement to say that she was overqualified to teach someone as basic as a normal human doing physical training.
However, if Zhao Manying was willing, he wouldn't stand in the way.
It might even be a good thing if it motivated Liang Qiu Feiyan to strive for improvement.
Ye Dongyun voiced her concern, "Third brother, what's the deal with that Omnidirectional Combat Police officer who attacked you? How's your body holding up now? Are you really alright?"
"It's related to a bureau mission," Ji Xinghuo explained briefly, unable to divulge too much, even though he had previously told his family that he was a Swordmaster of the Sword Bureau. "Actually, I've mostly recovered. I'm just a bit physically drained, so I'll rest and observe for a day, and I should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow."
"That's good!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
They had all seen the battle video, and the severity of Ji Xinghuo's injuries had been terrifying.
Yet today, aside from his slightly pale complexion, he showed no signs of injury at all. They were secretly amazed by his recovery ability and realized that his current strength was far beyond that of an ordinary person. To be able to withstand a direct clash with a legendary Transcended and survive was a testament to his growing power.
And it was because of this strength that he could be in a relationship with the number one on the Tower, Zhao Manying.
For a while, the siblings' emotions were mixed.
They were happy for Ji Xinghuo, but they also worried about the dangerous enemies he faced, and deep down, they wondered if he would drift further and further away from the family.
However, they didn't let these thoughts show on their faces.
The group chatted and laughed in the hospital room, the atmosphere warm and friendly.
Zhao Manying quickly blended in, and although the siblings had been a little reserved at first, they soon discovered that her private demeanor was completely different from the cold, aloof persona she presented in public. She didn't carry herself with the air of being the number one on the Tower, and they gradually relaxed around her.
"In a few days, the season opener match will be held, and I'd like to invite you all to watch it live," Zhao Manying offered. "I'll reserve front-row seats for you."
Liang Qiu Feiyan cheered excitedly.
Ye Dongyun, however, hesitated, "Won't that be too expensive?"
The front-row seats at the season opener allowed for close interactions with the competing Transcended. A ticket cost hundreds of thousands of yuan, and the best seats even went for millions.
"I have insider tickets, so I can get a discount," Zhao Manying smiled and assured them. "Just come, and don't worry about the cost."
"Are you going too, Xinghuo?"
The four siblings turned to Ji Xinghuo, their faces eager.
Ji Xinghuo considered for a moment. His original plan had been to minimize contact with his family in the near future to keep them out of harm's way.
However, on the day of the season opener, there would be hundreds of thousands of spectators, comprehensive surveillance, and tight security. Both competing clubs had legendary Transcended overseeing them, and the competing Transcended were all super-Transcended from the Tower, experts in their own right. The probability of the enemy daring to make a move in such a situation was extremely low.
If they did dare to act, it would be akin to seeking death!
In the end, Ji Xinghuo nodded in agreement, "This is Manying's welcoming gift. Let's all go."
(End of Chapter)
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