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Quan Shaoqing’s eyes deepened as he pondered.

The International Alliance was indeed no small feat, and anyone who could mix into it was a top-notch expert or talent.

It was said that even a waiter serving tea and water in the International Alliance was no ordinary person, let alone someone holding an important position.

"Show off, keep showing off, but she’s just your aunt," Quan Shaoqing couldn’t help but throw cold water on the moment.

However, he had to admit, having an aunt who had made it into the International Alliance really was like adding wings to a tiger for the Jing family.

No wonder Jing Mingcheng seemed more spirited recently, acting more decisively and ruthlessly.

"Just be jealous! At least I have an aunt, you don’t even have one!" Jing Yuan said unceremoniously.

Over the years of close friendship, they had grown accustomed to talking to each other in this way.

Quan Shaoqing scoffed in disdain, "Tsk tsk, just wait until my wife and I enter the International Alliance too, I will make sure to torture you."

"I say, you two really think too highly of yourselves. Thinking of entering the International Alliance together—do you think that place is a play park that you can enter with just money..."

Standing on the balcony of his own home, Jing Mingcheng heard the voices from the garden and couldn’t help but smile, "Youth is really good after all! The friendship between friends is still very pure."

At that moment, the woman behind him brought over a coat to put on him and couldn’t help but join in the conversation, "It’s because you scheme too much!

I think it’s nice to see the kids like this.

Shaoqing is straightforward, and Jing Yuan is very graceful.

Haoran is naturally simple-hearted, and I really hope you don’t train them to be like you in the future. What’s the point of such a life?"

"You’re right," Jing Mingcheng sighed. If he hadn’t schemed so much, this position wouldn’t have been easy to maintain.

The great affairs of the world are like a game of chess. Without some scheming, how could one control the bigger picture?

Invited by Jing Mingcheng with great fanfare, Gu Xiaoxi visited their home the next day.

The two families were already close, and after deepening their friendship, she found Jing Yuan to indeed be a decent person. Plus, Quan Shaoqing and Jing Yuan had always been friends. Gu Xiaoxi quickly became familiar with them.

Although she always felt that Jing Mingcheng’s eyes held too much scheming, this did not affect her impression of the Jing family.

Qiu Ci, the wife of Jing Mingcheng, was a gentle and kind woman, very affable, and everyone liked her very much.

...

During her three days in the Imperial Capital, Gu Xiaoxi had a lot of fun.

The holiday also passed in her leisurely exploration over three days.

Upon returning to City A, Gu Xiaoxi also took Yun Xiao back home.

Quan Shaoqing returned to Department Z ahead of time due to his busy work schedule.

In the picturesque Jinhua Garden, Yun Xiao followed Gu Xiaoxi around the house playing for two days, becoming more familiar with the place.

It had to be admitted that Quan Shaoqing’s home was very luxurious, a sort of opulence that others couldn’t even envy.

His family, his status—jealousy was futile. A natural-born king, it was rare that he had the heart to love the country and the people.

"Yun Xiao, you play at home today. I’m going to see my master.

If you’re bored, ask the butler uncle to take you out," Gu Xiaoxi felt that she should visit her master now that she had the time, and also to inform him that she had trained her Inner Strength to the second layer of the Great Accomplishment Realm and would soon complete the Three Volumes of Techniques.

She also needed to start looking for the techniques for the following two layers.

"You take me to the main street, it just so happens I have something to do," Yun Xiao said with a smile.

Gu Xiaoxi drove Yun Xiao to the main street. Seeing the faint blush on her face, she became curious and asked, "Yun Xiao, are you in love too? You’re smiling so sweetly, there must be something good happening."

Yun Xiao was taken aback, not expecting Gu Xiaoxi to be so sensitive. She could sense such things?

"Nothing of that sort. I just have some things to do. Even though I’m an orphan, I also have someone to whom I’m grateful. I want to go see him," Yun Xiao said. To tell the truth, when it came to liking someone, she didn’t know whether to count Ai Xiang.

But the world competition had ended. They might never see each other again.

Yun Xiao got out of the car, looked up at the bustling street, and waved goodbye to Gu Xiaoxi.

Gu Xiaoxi didn’t think too much about her previous question; she just asked it casually.

However, seeing Yun Xiao’s radiant appearance, she guessed that there must be some good news.

Standing on the main street, Yun Xiao looked at the passing crowd and thought of Ai Xiang, feeling a sense of melancholy in her heart.

In the past in the military, even when they had a chance to meet, she hardly ever spoke a few words to him.

Now, she had even less reason to seek him out, and the cherished joy in her heart was but unrequited.

Passing by a flower shop on the street corner, Yun Xiao bought a bunch of white chrysanthemums and took a cab to the cemetery on the outskirts.

There lay her adoptive father, the man she was most grateful to in this life. Without him, where would Yun Xiao be today? Perhaps still living in that deserted forest, unable to read, speak, or even handle the most basic aspects of life.

Standing in front of the tombstone, looking at the blinding light of the afternoon sun, her nose suddenly felt incredibly sore.

The man she liked was destined to be so far away from her. Now, the only one left for her was Gu Xiaoxi.

Thankfully, she was willing to take her along, the drag that she was. Sharing successes and joys, the good and the bad, with her.

"Dad! Thank you for everything you have given me. Now, I can finally integrate into society and live well. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.

I will come to see you often when I have time," Yun Xiao stood in front of the tombstone, with the warm sunlight on her shoulders.

She wore a goose-yellow dress, her shoulder-length hair cascading down her back, and a breeze lifted the hem of her dress, making it flutter in the wind.

The girl standing before the tombstone seemed inexplicably sad!

Ai Xiang did not recognize her at first glance. After a long while, he approached her with some uncertainty and asked, "Hey, are you Yun Xiao?"

Yun Xiao was still immersed in her own world, confused by the sudden familiar voice. She thought she must be hallucinating, hallucinating in such a place... it was truly terrifying!

"Hey!" Seeing that she remained motionless, Ai Xiang walked up to her and called out in her ear.

Startled by the sudden figure, Yun Xiao took a step back in panic but ended up bumping her back directly into the man’s chest. As she hurriedly turned around and saw that it was him, her cheeks flushed rapidly: "Why are you here?"

"It is you, you silly thing! Of course, I’m here to pay respects to the deceased," Ai Xiang said as he lifted up the chrysanthemums in his hand, then walked in front of Yun Xiao’s tombstone.

Looking at the flowers laid on top, he turned back curiously and asked Yun Xiao, "What is your relationship with the owner of this tombstone? "

"I should be the one asking you that!" Yun Xiao quickly clenched her fists, steadying her heart and retorted.

Ai Xiang looked up at the photo on the tombstone, portraying a man past his fifties. In reality, he was much older than he appeared in the photo.

"He was an uncle of mine who left the family due to his love for adventure and never married in his lifetime. But it’s quite strange seeing you here." Ai Xiang placed one of the chrysanthemums on the tombstone.

Yun Xiao stared at him in surprise, "He really is your uncle? Then why haven’t I ever seen you before?"

"You before?" Ai Xiang turned back, staring at her with surprise.

Yun Xiao’s heartbeat quickened, and she immediately explained, "I am his adopted daughter, for over a decade now. But I’ve never seen you before."

Even at his funeral, she had not seen any relatives of her father.

After looking at Yun Xiao several times, Ai Xiang stood up, looked at her, and took a few more glances involuntarily, "You’re saying you’re the daughter he adopted?"

"It’s normal for you not to know because Dad never talked about having family. If it weren’t for your appearance, I would have thought he had no relatives," Yun Xiao replied immediately.

Ai Xiang sighed, his hand in his pocket, looking into the distance with a leisurely tone, "Actually, I didn’t know before either.

It was my father who told me on his deathbed, to find my uncle and to look after him from then on.

But by the time I found him, there was only this grave.

Since you’re his adopted daughter, that makes you our family too. "

"Family!" Yun Xiao looked at Ai Xiang, puzzled. Could they truly be considered family?

Even if her benefactor was his uncle, now that his father was gone, and her father was gone too, even if they were family, there was no reason for them to remain close.

Yun Xiao clenched her fists tightly, forcing her nerves to stay calm and avoid wild thoughts.

"Now that we’ve met again, I’ll reluctantly acknowledge you as my sister. Do you have a place to stay? Or have you been living in the military? Seems like the uncle left nothing behind!" Ai Xiang asked, these were also the facts he had investigated.

Yun Xiao looked up at him. Her beautiful eyes soon turned a light blue, influenced by his light blue suit that was still so immaculate, like the sky itself, giving people a profound feeling. Even his friendly smile towards her maintained a polite distance.

His friendliness towards her was perhaps just that little bit! But what more could she ask for?

Does she still want to be with him, just like Quan Shaoqing and Gu Xiaoxi?

Don’t be foolish!

Yun Xiao clenched her fingers, then suddenly revealed a smile, "Right, he left me nothing. And I do live in the military because that’s my home.

I was an orphan before I met Dad, and I became an orphan again when he died.

But I’m happy that the military has taken me in now. I have friends like Gu Xiaoxi."

As she said this, her face showed a touch of pride and confidence, instantly making her whole being shine brightly.