Chapter 38: Something's Wrong with This Sister.

Tuesday.

Cheng Jinyang and Xing Yuanzhi woke up again from their long-lasting nightmare of battle.

Last night's cooperation went fairly well. By cleverly coordinating a few times and seizing the opportunity just right, they managed to clear three "creature" level checkpoints with the iron slide car, and indeed encountered the subsequent "ghost" level monsters.

Two of them were still the Water Goblin, directly possessing Xing Yuanzhi.

In close combat, Cheng Jinyang was no match for her at all. Xing Yuanzhi's martial arts skills, combined with her manipulation of quality, were too powerful; at long range... Xing Yuanzhi had this thing called the Light Body Technique, which greatly increased her speed, making it impossible for the iron slide car to hit her.

In other words, if they couldn't solve the possession problem, this Water Goblin (Yuanzhi) was basically unbeatable.

There was also one time when the randomly generated monster didn't even show up. They somehow tricked each other into thinking they were monsters, leading to mutual destruction.

How tragic.

Today, Cheng Jinyang took a leave of absence from school and planned to meet with sister Xinnan to discuss things, scheduled to meet at Dr. Wu Quemei's clinic.

"I'm leaving!"

As usual, he bid farewell to Xing Yuanzhi in the bathroom before leaving.

Xing Yuanzhi was comfortably soaking in the bath, and upon hearing his voice, she responded, saying:

"Remember to tell me the outcome of the conversation!"

Cheng Jinyang went to meet that cousin alone, and Xing Yuanzhi was actually very worried.

She always felt that the woman had some strange intentions towards him, like flirtation, but not quite...

However, the internal secrets of the Cheng family still had to be investigated by Cheng Jingyang himself.

If she accompanied him, that woman would definitely not confess openly.

Annoying.

Xing Yuanzhi leaned her head back on the soft cushion of the bathtub, continuing to silently enjoy the clean feeling of the bubbles in the water.

In the clinic, Cheng Jingyang received his regular treatment while Cheng Xinnan lay beside him drinking.

Today, his elder sister wore a short top that exposed her smooth and flat waist, paired with hot pants and sandals, with fabric that couldn't be any less... it would only be a bikini if it were any less.

She was practically a creator of seductive images, impressive, but I won't look.

Cheng Jingyang closed his eyes, refusing to be tempted by those useless distractions, and focused on his perception adjustments.

"Hmm, you've recovered very well," Dr. Wu Qiumei said as she withdrew her fingers, reaching under the table.

Hmm, out of wine?

"The wine's finished, I'll go buy some more," she said confidently, declaring her intention to skip work.

"You two hurry up and leave, my clinic is closing early."

Cheng Jingyang: ???

Cheng Xinnan: ???

Cheng Xinnan embarrassedly coughed, saying, "Come on, let sister take you out to play!"

"Where to?" Cheng Jinyang knew she was looking for a place to discuss something.

"How about Xuanwu Lake?" Cheng Xinnan suggested with a smile.

Xuanwu Lake, located in the northern part of the Tai City within Jiankang City, originally belonged to the royal garden lake.

Later, when the court moved south, Emperor Sima Rui opened Xuanwu Lake to the outside world, transforming it from a royal exclusive to a public municipal park where any citizen could enter and enjoy.

Cheng Xinnan parked the car in a nearby parking lot, then walked with Cheng Jinyang to the park on the eastern shore of the lake.

Here, greenery was everywhere, flowers were in full bloom, and birds sang, making it an excellent place for walking and outing.

Hmm, just a bit more couples than usual.

From the entrance to here, just a hundred meters away, there were seven couples and three newlywed couples taking wedding photos. It's really exaggerated.

Is it trendy to have a puppy love scene by the lakeside now?

Cheng Jinyang secretly criticized himself, while Cheng Xinnan seemed oblivious to them, and directly found a secluded place to sit down.

"Speak up." She smiled and patted beside her, "What do you want to ask your sister?"

"Um." Cheng Jinyang sat down beside her, "Sister Xinnan, I want to ask, is Cheng Qinghe... my biological father?"

"Biological?" Cheng Jinxiang's smile hadn't faded yet, but her whole demeanor suddenly became fierce and terrifying, "Which Cheng family member is trying to show off his tongue in front of you, huh?"

"Uh..." Cheng Jinyang hesitated for a moment, "So, is it true?"

"No." Cheng Jinxiang immediately denied, "Back then, it was Aunt Xie Guyan who took you, still in swaddling clothes, to the Cheng family to seek refuge with Uncle Cheng Qinghe, so the Cheng family has always been suspicious about this."

Her voice paused for a moment, and then she said:

"You should have mastered the ability of gravitational manipulation by now, right? So the Cheng family's suspicion of you should be self-evident."

'I may grasp the universal gravitation, but that only proves I have the Cheng family's bloodline, not necessarily that I am Cheng Qinghe's son...'

Cheng Jinyang thought to himself, then asked, "But, couldn't our blood relation with my father be confirmed simply with a paternity test?"

"Your parents refused to do a paternity test," Cheng Xinnan said, gazing at the lake.

"Why?" Cheng Jinyang asked cautiously.

"It's hard to say," Cheng Xinnan replied.

"Sister Xinnan... Are you unaware, or can't you say?" Cheng Jinyang asked carefully.

"I don't fully know, and it's not appropriate to say now," Cheng Xinnan sighed. "Once you reach the seventh grade, I'll tell you everything I know."

Cheng Jinyang: ???

Is this what they call "you're not yet ready to know the truth"?

"So, I do have a blood relation with my father?" he asked again.

"Yes," Cheng Xinnan affirmed. "I can assure you of that. As for those who spread rumors..."

She gave a chilling smile. "Can you tell me who they are?"

Cheng Jinyang immediately became cautious. "Sister Xinnan, if I tell you, are you going to eliminate them?"

"Of course not," Cheng Xinnan laughed heartily. "I'm not someone who kills for no reason."

Cheng Jinyang relaxed a bit, intending to mention someone named "Cheng Yizhou," but then he heard her say softly:

"At most, I'll just cut off his tongue."

Cheng Jinyang: .....

"I'm not sure. If I return to the Cheng family of Shendu and use my gravitational manipulation ability, will the family accept me?" he asked uncertainly.

This time, Cheng Xinnan remained silent for a slightly longer time.

"The Cheng family of Shendu... has a rather complex attitude towards you. It's not just because they can't determine your bloodline, but also because of your mother's background," she said.

"Your mother, Aunt Xie Guyan, came from a commoner background. Before meeting your father, she was a specially appointed lifelong professor at the Imperial Research Institute. I worked as a research assistant under her for a while."

"At that time, Uncle Cheng Qinghe was not yet thirty years old and was already a Seventh grade ability user. According to the genealogy confirmation, his peak limit was at least Sixth grade, and he could even strive for Fifth grade. Therefore, the Cheng family of Shendu had high expectations for him. Even without your existence, they wouldn't easily allow a senior member of the royal faction to be with your father."

"But..." Cheng Jinyang said slowly, "My father ultimately... chose my mother over the family, didn't he?"

"Your father was the bravest man I've ever known," Cheng Xinan said softly, tucking her hair, which had been tousled by the lake breeze, behind her ear.

After a moment, she suddenly smiled and said, "Let's not dwell on that. Anyway, even if the Cheng family of Shendu doesn't accept you, sister, I have a way to make them agree."

"What method?" Cheng Jinyang immediately felt a bit apprehensive.

He couldn't shake the feeling that this method wasn't going to be gentle.

"This is... a se...cret, hmm." Cheng Xinnan deliberately elongated her voice, while raising her slender index finger to her lips, winking mischievously at him.

Cheng Jinyang silently covered his face and turned away.

So flirtatious, she's just like a fox spirit... There's something off about this woman, really off.