Chapter 221 - 171: The Golden House Conceals the Han

Words : 2110 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

Chapter 221: Chapter 171: The Golden House Conceals the HanJi Xinghuo stayed in the hospital for two full days. During that time, personnel from the Security Department had come to take several statements at the hospital, and under the direction of the Sword Bureau, the online public opinion storm had gradually subsided, with very few people discussing it soon after. "Finally discharged." Ji Xinghuo felt that his condition had almost completely recovered. These two days in the hospital ward were truly boring. Luckily, his brothers and sisters took turns to keep him company, and Zhao Manying was almost always there, now leaving the hospital with him. "Thank you, Aunt Yao, for taking care of me these past two days," Ji Xinghuo bid farewell to Yao Xian. According to the plan, after his discharge, she would leave. The Sword Team quietly deployed around would continue to follow for a few days, then gradually withdraw. Yao Xian nodded gently, "Be extra careful." "I will." As Ji Xinghuo watched the legendary figure leave, he too got into the back seat of the car, where Zhao Manying was already waiting for him, and said to her, "You really want to take me home?" "Is there a problem?" "No." Ji Xinghuo smiled and shook his head, signaling the car to start moving. They smoothly made it back to the apartment building’s garage in Qishan District, and Zhao Manying, before getting out of the car, put on sunglasses and followed Ji Xinghuo into the elevator to go upstairs. There happened to be someone else in the elevator, a neighbor Ji Xinghuo recognized. "Xinghuo?" The neighbor was a man in his thirties who smiled and said, "I haven’t seen you for a long time, I thought you’d already moved out." "I’ve been quite busy lately," Ji Xinghuo casually dismissed the question with a couple of words, as he was merely an acquaintance who nodded in passing, not too familiar. However, this neighbor was somewhat overly familiar. He glanced at Zhao Manying, who was intimately holding arms with Ji Xinghuo. Even though he could only see half her face, her tall figure and demeanor still stunned him, and he couldn’t help feeling envious. Curiously, he asked, "Is this your girlfriend?" "Mhm," Ji Xinghuo nodded. The neighbor sincerely said, "Congratulations, your girlfriend is very beautiful." Before Ji Xinghuo could respond, Zhao Manying was very pleased and said softly, "Thank you." Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When the floor arrived, Ji Xinghuo said goodbye and left with Zhao Manying, leaving the neighbor in the elevator, watching their backs with a puzzled look, muttering to himself, "Her voice sounds somewhat familiar. I think I’ve heard it somewhere before..." Ji Xinghuo opened the door to the apartment and walked in. The house was very quiet. Zhao Manying took off her sunglasses and looked around the rather small apartment that could be surveyed at a glance. She asked with a smile, "This is where you live?" "Yeah, I told you there’s nothing special about it, just a normal apartment. You are the most high-profile guest I’ve had," Ji Xinghuo said as he got her a drink from the fridge. "The conditions are indeed a bit basic." Zhao Manying took a sip of the drink, walked into the adjacent training room, her hand sliding over the strength training equipment as if she could see Ji Xinghuo sweating here in the past. She then sat on the bed, taking in the familiar scent, curious about everything here. "I’m not as wealthy as you are, living in this apartment is already pretty good," Ji Xinghuo said indifferently, as he had never been particularly concerned about material conditions. Everyone in the country had more than enough to eat and wear, Zhao Manying laughed, "It’s very ordinary now, but in the future, it will be the residence of a celebrity." "Don’t jinx me," Ji Xinghuo said wryly. ’Residence’ often referred to a place where someone had lived but was generally used only for those who had passed away. "Just kidding..." Zhao Manying stood up, "I’m just curious about your life." Ji Xinghuo put his arm around her waist, looking at the mesmerizing face close at hand, and earnestly said, "Now you know? Besides being strong and quite handsome, I’m pretty ordinary in other aspects, nothing much worth talking about." "Conceited!" Zhao Manying laughed at his tease. Looking into each other’s eyes, they couldn’t resist snuggling together. "Mmm..." Zhao Manying’s gaze was dreamy. In the comfort of his own home, Ji Xinghuo was much bolder than outside, his hands becoming less restrained, pushing her slightly towards the bed. But in an instant, Zhao Manying used Flash Step to put some distance between them. "No..." Her face flushed with a touch of shyness, though she regained composure, "I’m not ready yet, sorry." "It’s okay." Ji Xinghuo always respected her and didn’t insist. Zhao Manying breathed a sigh of relief, opened the window to look at the streetscape outside, and changed the subject by asking, "When do you plan to move? Living closer to me means you won’t have to commute every day, and if someone attacks, I can help you too." "I’ve been looking at houses on the way back the other day and have already chosen one." Ji Xinghuo took out his phone to show her. The apartment he chose was 280 square meters, located on the 137th floor of the building. While not the top floor, it had a great view and scenery, along with complete living and training facilities. The monthly rent was 100,000 Ya Yuan, which was just within the price range he was willing to pay. "Chang’an’s Tianwu Center." Zhao Manying reviewed the information about the apartment and said, "This building is quite a high-end apartment in Chang’an, very nice." Most importantly, it was just over a thousand meters away from her Weiyang Mansion, both on Zhuyu Avenue. Ji Xinghuo nodded, "Although it’s a bit expensive, it suits me well." "Then rent it," Zhao Manying urged, "Don’t let someone else snatch it up." "I’d like you to help me rent this apartment in your name; I’ll still pay for it myself," Ji Xinghuo said. "Why do you want me to rent it?" Zhao Manying didn’t understand; it surely had nothing to do with money. The monthly rent of 100,000 Ya Yuan was small change for both her and Ji Xinghuo. Ji Xinghuo spoke in a low voice, "The attack on me this time originated from a mole in the Sword Bureau who used the surveillance system to leak my whereabouts. If I rent this apartment, it would be easy to trace to my address, and the enemy could still likely find me." "There’s an undercover agent in the Sword Bureau?" Zhao Manying was shocked; this was definitely big news. Moreover, a piece of information leaked from Ji Xinghuo’s words: There might be more than one mole, some still hidden. Ji Xinghuo nodded. "I understand." Without any hesitation, Zhao Manying immediately took out her phone and went through the process to lease the apartment at Tiandu Tianwu Center. It was an anonymous lease, as long as the contract was performed, there was no need to interact with the landlord. Furthermore, the apartment’s ownership was not an individual’s but a company that specialized in the rental market, and the leasing process and laws were very well established. "How long did you rent it for?" Ji Xinghuo asked. "Ten years," Zhao Manying said with a relaxed face. "That’s the longest term for a lease contract; I’ve paid the rent in full. For the next ten years, its right of use belongs to me. I’m granting you the authorization now; you can move in anytime." "That seems a bit long," Ji Xinghuo said helplessly. This was the style of a billionaire, spending 12 million on a rental without blinking an eye. He asked, "What’s your bank account number? I’ll transfer the money to you." "No need," Zhao Manying said smilingly, "That amount of money is not much; consider it a little gift from me. Please don’t be too courteous with me." Ji Xinghuo was stunned, "Doesn’t this mean you’re keeping me?" Others hide their mistresses in luxurious houses, but why does it feel like I’m becoming the kept man? "What, you don’t want to?" Zhao Manying teased, "So many people dream of being kept by me and can’t even ask for it. Don’t be ungrateful." "I do, very much so!" Ji Xinghuo had no choice but to reluctantly accept. Of course, being kept was just a joke. Twelve million wasn’t that hard for him to earn either. The two of them played around in the apartment for a while before going downstairs to dine out. Zhao Manying rarely visited Qishan District and wasn’t familiar with the area. As a local, Ji Xinghuo took her to a nearby place for lunch and then together, they went to Fengming Language University. He showed her around his alma mater where he spent several years studying and living. At the university, Ji Xinghuo also ran into a few classmates, all of whom were working at the university after graduation or were still pursuing further studies. Fortunately, these classmates weren’t very close to him, so after a brief chat, they parted ways. None of them recognized Zhao Manying. Ji Xinghuo wanted to call Lu Yunhai, but after thinking about it, he felt the time wasn’t right, so he let it be. It wasn’t until evening that Zhao Manying left. Ji Xinghuo saw her off to her car and watched as the magnetic levitation car disappeared into the magnetic field. His gaze swept the surrounding hidden corners. Not far away, in another car, two Sword Teams had been following them secretly all day, one led by Min Chongwu. However, they didn’t know Zhao Manying’s identity either. In the following days. Ji Xinghuo returned to his usual life, practicing during the day in his reserved gym and dating Zhao Manying in the evening without encountering any attacks. The Sword Bureau’s Sword Teams provided covert protection for two days, then began to gradually withdraw. But they didn’t withdraw completely. Even though Ji Xinghuo did not detect any Swordsman’s traces, he guessed that within five kilometers outside his magnetic field, there were at least two or three Xuanyuan Swordsmen on standby, ready to rush to his aid as soon as he was attacked. March 10th. Today was the opening day of the Asia-Pacific Community Super League. There was only one game for the opening match held at the current champions, Emperor Star Team’s home ground, "Tianqin National Stadium," against the Skywalker Team. Eight years ago, the gambling scandal of the Skywalker Team came to light, resulting in lifetime bans for the involved members, the firing of the management team, and even the club owner was changed. The new owner spared no expense and spent three years building a luxurious team, bringing the veteran team back to its peak. Last season, the Skywalker’s league performance was second only to Emperor Star. The two teams faced off in the championship, and in the end, Zhao Manying, leading the Emperor Star Team, prevailed with superior skills and took the victory. The Skywalker Team settled for the runner-up position, but thanks to past glories, they had several generations of loyal fans, and their popularity was second only to Emperor Star. During the off-season, the Skywalker Team once again invested tens of billions in purchasing star competitive Mutants, enhancing their strength even further. Many spectators had high hopes for their prospects in the new season. The opening match was between the previous champions and the runners-up, also the champions’ biggest challenger. The day the schedule was announced, the tickets sold out instantly. Online discussions about the match had been heating since last month, remaining exceedingly hot. Over a billion viewers worldwide were focused on tonight’s game! In the evening, Ji Xinghuo arrived at Tianqin Stadium an hour early. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw seas of people, nearly everyone wearing the Emperor Star Team’s jersey, gathering in groups. Many held flashing signs, chanting uniform slogans. They were either fans of the whole team or personal fans of Zhao Manying, with her picture printed on their clothing, creating a lively atmosphere with a cacophony of voices. Passing through the crowded crowd, Ji Xinghuo found his brothers and sisters outside the stadium. Zhong Ming looked at him and exclaimed in surprise, "Xinghuo, you came to watch the match and you’re still carrying your weapon?"

Chapter 221 - 171: The Golden House Conceals the Han

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