Chapter 195 - 150: One Hundred Days of Love

Chapter 195: Chapter 150: One Hundred Days of LoveAs soon as Ji Xinghuo spoke, the atmosphere immediately became somewhat eerie. Especially since most of Zhao Manying’s leather jacket had burst open, leaving only a few straps of leather hanging on her body, barely covering anything, revealing a set of sexy underwear. Fortunately, whatever material her underwear was made of, it was extremely tough and had not been sliced by the sword qi, avoiding a complete exposure. Even so, her provocative figure still made Ji Xinghuo’s heartbeat accelerate. His practice outfit was also heavily damaged, and now he was still sitting on Zhao Manying’s abdomen, in close contact, and the position was particularly ambiguous, with a soft sensation coming from beneath him. The two looked at each other for a few seconds. "Uh..." Ji Xinghuo was just about to speak when Zhao Manying also said at the same time, "Let me get up first." "Okay!" He hastily shifted the sword from his neck, got up, and moved to the side, "Sorry, I was so focused on the fight that I didn’t measure properly." "No worries, it’s inevitable," Zhao Manying slowly got up, the currents on her body subsided, and she quickly recovered her state, her physical fitness and star power had not depleted much, but her leather jacket had completely lost its covering function, so she simply tore it off. Her tall and proud figure was revealed, standing barefoot, her long shapely legs especially catching Ji Xinghuo’s gaze. He openly admired her, silently praising her wealth and generosity! Zhao Manying noticed his gaze, her expression was very calm, but a small blush that crept up to her ears betrayed her true feelings. She reached out to catch the Jinghong Sword flying towards her and picked up the scabbard to sheathe it. Then she quickly ran down from the mountaintop. "I have clothes in my car, wait for me here," Zhao Manying’s voice came from the darkness, and after she spoke, she disappeared. Ji Xinghuo went to retrieve his Invisible Stab and quiver, and Qing Hong also climbed back into his pocket. The magnetic field sensor, however, focused on Zhao Manying, who had already returned to the roadside Light Wheel Motorbike, took out a new set of leather clothes, put them on quickly, with slightly reddened cheeks, completely different from the calm demeanor she had in front of him, a mix of embarrassment and shyness. He chuckled to himself. "It seems you’re not so generous after all..." Soon Zhao Manying returned to the mountaintop, dressed in a new set of the same black leather jacket, looking as usual as if nothing had happened. She made a gesture, and the hovering camera in mid-air landed in her hand, and she turned it off. Then she looked towards Ji Xinghuo. Even now, Zhao Manying’s mind was a bit muddled; she couldn’t understand how she suddenly lost when she’d been in the dominant position. I actually lost! A sense of confusion sprang up, and thinking of the bet she had made earlier, she felt at a loss. "You..." Zhao Manying opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say, finding it hard to speak. But she quickly emerged from the shadow of her defeat, her expression resolute, seriously nodding, "I admit I underestimated you before; I was too arrogant. I will report the result of this fight to the ADC, congratulations on becoming the new number one on the heavenly ladder!" According to the rules of the Star Realm Defense Council, defeating an opponent directly allows one to replace their ranking on the heavenly ladder. The losing party falls back in the rankings. Of course, there must be sufficient evidence that both parties were fighting in earnest and not holding back for the ADC to make an assessment. As soon as the video is released, Ji Xinghuo will immediately replace Zhao Manying, leaping to the top of the heavenly ladder. And Zhao Manying will fall to second place. However, Ji Xinghuo immediately shook his head, "Don’t spread the word about tonight’s fight." "Why?" Zhao Manying didn’t quite understand, surprised that someone would refuse the allure of being the top of the heavenly ladder. From a certain perspective, the reputation of being the top of the heavenly ladder is much more prestigious than most of the fighters on the legendary board, and even more than most Heavenly Kings, holding huge commercial value. She had been the top of the heavenly ladder for less than three months, and her worth had skyrocketed by billions! "It’s not the right time," Ji Xinghuo replied. The title of being the top of the heavenly ladder was too prominent and too hot to handle. Moreover, he thought today’s victory was hard to replicate; he could win because of the exceptional capabilities of Myriad Phenomena, which perfectly countered her kind of mutant relying heavily on martial arts and combat skills, and he was also very familiar with Zhao Manying, which was somewhat tricky. If they fought again, Ji Xinghuo wasn’t confident he could certainly win. The top ranked mutants on the heavenly ladder, many of whom don’t rely on martial arts or combat skills, overpower their opponents with sheer abilities and formidable physical fitness. Even with Myriad Phenomena’s foresight, it would be difficult to defeat those who use raw power to break through cunning or have strong defenses as super mutants. The top of the heavenly ladder is truly the target of many. Ji Xinghuo didn’t want to face endless challenges, affecting his cultivation and life. "Not the right time..." Zhao Manying’s eyes filled with curiosity, she finally asked once again, "What is your name?" The response she received was only silence. "You don’t want to say?" She came closer, and Ji Xinghuo could smell her fragrance, as her beautiful face moved close to his, she teasingly said, "I’ll keep my word. As your girlfriend, I surely have the right to know your name, right?" Ji Xinghuo shook his head, "That was just a playful remark you made in the heat of the moment, don’t take it seriously." Who wouldn’t want to have a girlfriend who is both beautiful and strong, as well as famous worldwide? It would greatly satisfy a man’s vanity. However, he was very calm at the moment. The two had no emotional foundation, and the words said by Zhao Manying when utterly confident, were not truly heartfelt. She was just forcing herself to break through her heart demon, leaving no way out. "But I took it seriously," Zhao Manying paused, her expression very serious, "I always mean what I say, I never go back on my word." "I didn’t agree at the time," Ji Xinghuo was very firm. Zhao Manying couldn’t help but size him up, her face showing confusion, "I even wonder if you’re really a man. It’s just a relationship, not like getting married, and you still refuse?" In this era, marriage is a very serious matter and one of the most important decisions in life. Marriage can bring many inconveniences, especially legally. At the same time, not getting married did not affect starting a family or having children in the slightest, all state benefits were still accessible, and both parties could maintain relatively independent personal space and financial autonomy—even if the relationship failed, they wouldn’t have to take on any extra responsibilities. The marriage rate in the Asia-Pacific Community was very low, not exceeding 20% nationwide; it was the marriages that had withstood the test of true love. Of course, the divorce rate was also very low. Only dating, not marrying, had become the social norm in the Asia-Pacific Community. If someone suddenly said they wanted to marry you, the first reaction of most people was to be scared, and the second was to turn and run. When Ji Xinghuo heard the word "marriage," his eyelids involuntarily twitched before he spoke, "Dating should also have an emotional foundation." "Let’s start dating, and the emotions will follow." Zhao Manying seemed quite yearning, and when Ji Xinghuo still disagreed, she suddenly became a bit angry. It was the first time in her life she had been so proactive toward a man, only to be rejected, making it seem like she was undesirable. She even started doubting her own charm. "Aren’t you the one who said you don’t have a girlfriend?" She thought Ji Xinghuo was already spoken for. "No." Ji Xinghuo denied it, but the image of Ren Mian’s face emerged in his mind. He was troubled internally and very aware of why he kept rejecting Zhao Manying; the biggest reason was Ren Mian’s presence. When he was with Ren Mian, he could feel that she had ideas about him; it was just missing an opportunity. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If he agreed to Zhao Manying now and Ren Mian found out later, chances with her would essentially be over. His relationship with Zhao Manying was developing too fast, and due to her fame and status, they would face significant public scrutiny; with too many variables, it might not last. There was a high probability that he would end up losing out on both ends. It was like choosing between the left hand and the right hand, difficult to sever ties with the other, leaving him in a tough spot. "If only I could have both..." "Or if there were two of me." "One to team up with Ren Mian in the Star Realm for adventures, where everything goes smooth; one to cultivate a relationship with Zhao Manying, gradually and in order." Ji Xinghuo secretly entertained this thought, yet he knew it was just a pipe dream, even impossible to achieve in dreams. "You said you don’t have a girlfriend, so why do you disagree?" Zhao Manying gave a self-mocking smile, "It’s not because you find me ugly, is it?" Ji Xinghuo saw that she was somewhat angry. After all, she was the woman he had been infatuated with at eighteen. It was not true that he was unmoved; he quickly said, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Then he silently added "one of" in his mind. "Really?" Zhao Manying stared at Ji Xinghuo, then suddenly showed a sweet smile, suggesting, "Then let’s make a deal, let’s date for a hundred days. If it’s not suitable, we can break up. That fulfills my promise. You don’t need to feel torn, you can leave if you stop liking it." Ji Xinghuo was dazzled by her smile, somewhat intoxicated. Honestly, he couldn’t refuse. No man on Earth could refuse Zhao Manying’s request; he had already done quite well even resisting this far. "Okay." Ji Xinghuo gently nodded. "This is my first love, you should feel honored." Zhao Manying was very happy, she moved forward and hooked Ji Xinghuo’s arm, "Dear, what’s your name?" Knowing she was doing it on purpose, with an element of showmanship, Ji Xinghuo was still somewhat overwhelmed. He finally replied, "Ji Xinghuo." "I think I’ve heard that name before." Zhao Manying paused, her face suddenly showing realization and shock, "You are the last ranked Ranger on the ladder, the one who participated in killing the legendary Dagon people?" Ji Xinghuo smiled and said, "That’s me." Zhao Manying was dumbfounded. "You, the last on the ladder, actually beat me, the first on the ladder!" She was still in disbelief, then cursed, "The ADC’s intelligence gathering is so poor, putting you in last place. They even said you were a Ranger..." She glanced at Ji Xinghuo’s Composite Bow, then at his sword, and couldn’t help asking, "You’re not really a Ranger, are you?" "Of course not." Ji Xinghuo laughed heartily, "I’m the Magnetic Field Madman." "That makes more sense." Zhao Manying breathed a sigh of relief. From the recent battle, it was clear that Ji Xinghuo was not just any ordinary Ranger, otherwise that would be too outrageous. Then she laughed again, "A relationship between the first and last on the ladder, that’s a big story to hype up!" "Aren’t you afraid your fans will freak out?" Ji Xinghuo thought of the possible outcome after announcing a relationship and couldn’t help but worry for her. "I’m not a female celebrity." Zhao Manying was very relaxed, nonchalant about it. "My actual job is competing, professional sports; being bad is the original sin. As long as I keep winning on the field, whatever others say won’t affect me. Dating is my freedom, it might just reduce some endorsements, and I’m not short on money." "Impressive!" Ji Xinghuo felt some admiration. While many could understand this view, those who genuinely can ignore the loss of fans will always be in the minority. But clearly, Zhao Manying genuinely didn’t care. "You don’t need to flatter me, one day, you’ll be more famous than me and face even greater public pressure." Zhao Manying spoke indifferently. Ji Xinghuo shrugged, "We’ll see when that day comes." "Let’s go, let’s come down from the mountain." Zhao Manying touched her stomach, "I haven’t had dinner yet, shall we go grab some late-night food?" "Does this count as a date?" Ji Xinghuo smiled. "Yes." As they chatted and laughed, they left the mountaintop and returned to the Light Wheel Motorbike; Zhao Manying climbed on and started the engine, suddenly turning back and saying, "You’re my boyfriend now, no need to keep a distance, snuggle up, be careful not to fall off." Without being awkward, Ji Xinghuo scooted forward, pressing his chest tightly against her back, wrapping his arms around her waist, just like a real couple. Zhao Manying’s body trembled slightly, her back muscles tensed, but relaxed again soon after. Ji Xinghuo saw her neck redden slightly and chuckled to himself. "Let’s go." Zhao Manying drove the Light Wheel Motorbike along the winding mountain road, speeding towards the foot of the mountain. In no time, they were back in Chang’an City, taking the Superconductive Highway back to the city center.