60: Chapter 60 A Feet-to-Feet Battle (Thanks to all the brothers for their support)

The dishes were all home-cooked, but Sister-in-law's culinary skills were extraordinary. Every dish was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, and the flavors were perfectly suited to Zhao Xiaoshuai's taste buds.

"Xinyi, after eating your cooking, everything from restaurants outside tastes bland to me now."

Receiving the compliment, Chu Xinyi smiled shyly, "Then I'll be your personal chef from now on and cook for you every day."

"You're such a good student; wouldn't it be a waste of talent to be a chef? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being a chef, I just think you should do what you really want to do."

"I don't really have anything I specifically want to do."

"You should start thinking about it now so you have a direction when it comes time to fill out your college applications. Have you decided which school you want to aim for? Tsinghua, Peking University, or have you set your sights on some overseas institution?"

Chu Xinyi's grades were excellent. Zhao Xiaoshuai had also been in the top dozen or so in his high school back in the day, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get into Provincial University, but compared to her, he was far behind.

Only the top scorer of his year would be a worthy comparison.

"I think Provincial University is pretty good."

"Although our Provincial University is a first-class 985+211 institution, only a few of its specialized majors are top-tier. It still falls short compared to those elite schools. Haven't you thought about going out to see the world?"

"I just like Provincial University."

The two of them bantered back and forth over the dining table. At first glance, they looked like an ordinary brother-in-law and Sister-in-law, or perhaps an older brother lecturing his younger sister.

However, things were slightly different under the table.

Zhao Xiaoshuai was so engrossed in the conversation that he stretched his legs and accidentally bumped into Sister-in-law's foot.

Just as he was about to pretend it was unintentional and pull his foot back, Sister-in-law didn't let him off the hook. She furrowed her little brows, lifted her foot, and kicked him back.

"Why are you kicking me? Bored because your legs are too long?"

She didn't use any force; it was just the strength of playful banter. The kick didn't hurt at all; in fact, it felt quite pleasant.

"You little girl, I only bumped you by accident and you dare to kick me? How bold!"

Zhao Xiaoshuai felt a flutter in his heart and, refusing to be outdone, kicked back.

Just like that, you kick me, I stomp on you—it felt less like playful fighting and more like… flirting?

The two went back and forth, even kicking their slippers off. The table rattled and banged, but they were having the time of their lives, neither willing to let the other get the last kick in.

Sometimes their toes would intertwine and twist together for a moment.

Sometimes Zhao Xiaoshuai would clamp his legs together, trying to trap one of Sister-in-law's feet, but she would twist and slip away as nimbly as a fish.

Sometimes Zhao Xiaoshuai would launch an offensive, cornering Sister-in-law's little foot, but when he went for a kick, she would suddenly dodge, causing him to kick the chair instead.

His face twisted in pain, which only made Sister-in-law giggle.

'This little girl is as sharp as a tack, and her little feet are really nimble.'

After acting crazy for a while, Zhao Xiaoshuai's legs were getting sore, and his toes were almost cramping. But seeing Sister-in-law looking so full of energy, he had to quickly beg for mercy.

"I admit defeat for today. Let's do battle another day."

"Hmph, next time I'll let you use one foot!"

As usual, he helped wash the dishes, while Sister-in-law tidied up the table and chairs. The two had a clear division of labor and quite a bit of chemistry.

When he was about to leave, Zhao Xiaoshuai was suddenly called back by Sister-in-law, "Wait a second, stand still."

She walked over in a few steps, closing the distance to a dangerous proximity.

He could even see the fine fuzz on her face and smell her natural fragrance.

Finally, she had to stop because a certain pair of assets were almost touching him.

Looking down from above, the scenery was particularly spectacular—probably only a little smaller than Meng Yawen's.

Sister-in-law raised her hand, extending it horizontally from the top of her own head to Zhao Xiaoshuai's.

"I knew I wasn't seeing things. How did you grow taller? I've never heard of a thirty-year-old uncle still having growth spurts!"

Zhao Xiaoshuai was surprised by Sister-in-law's keen perception. Even though they saw each other every day, the few centimeters he had carefully tried to grow in secret were still discovered.

"This is what you call a second spring; you're not a guy, you wouldn't understand."

This wasn't easy to explain, so he just brushed it off with a casual excuse.

Watching the direction her brother-in-law left, Chu Xinyi furrowed her little brows again.

"He has more and more secrets."

...

As usual, he went to find Xu Yuyan to blow off some steam. After swiping a few copper cards, a refreshed Zhao Xiaoshuai opened the game group to see what fun was happening.

Recently in the game, Zhao Xiaoshuai had been occupying an entire mine by himself, while the Brotherhood seemed to have ceased hostilities, appearing to have resigned themselves to their fate.

But having already infiltrated the enemy's ranks, he knew they were just brewing something big.

Taowu (Xing Tianjie): "Why is it not Spring Festival yet? I can barely hold back. Watching that kid show off in the server every day, I really want to go up there and kill him!"

Qiongqi (Lin Yongbo): "I'm still not familiar with this game, but that guy's combat power is really high. I've prepared sixty or seventy thousand for the next event; can I beat him?"

Heavenly Emperor (Zhao Xiaoshuai): "Don't worry, I'm here."

As he said this, he sent an avatar frame symbolizing his VIP level. That avatar frame could only be obtained at VIP15, which meant he had spent at least 200,000 in the game.

Xing Tianjie hadn't expected another tycoon to suddenly pop up in his guild. It wasn't strange to have a few tycoons in these kinds of small games, but the odds of so many gathering in one server were really not high.

Moreover, this tycoon was usually very stingy and had never sent a single red envelope, so he couldn't help but wonder if this person was even a normal player.

But as long as they were on his side, he naturally wouldn't pry too deeply.

Qiongqi: "Where do you make your fortune, Boss Di?"

Heavenly Emperor: "I'm an unemployed vagrant in Chuncheng."

Zhao Xiaoshuai prided himself on being sincere; every word was true.

Qiongqi: "What a coincidence, Taowu and I are also from Chuncheng. After this big battle, shall we meet up in person when we have time?"

Lin Yongbo wasn't an idiot, after all; if he really encountered someone he could expand his network with, he would proactively try.

Xing Tianjie chimed in as well. He also wanted to see if this person was a normal player. If he refused to meet, there was a high probability that there was something wrong.

Heavenly Emperor: "Sure, let's set something up when we have time."

Zhao Xiaoshuai's pockets were quite full of cash now, and combined with the multiplier silver card, he naturally didn't feel inferior to the average rich kid. Expanding his connections was also something he urgently needed.

Renyi Wushuang (Jiang Qin): "To think that you bosses are all from Chuncheng! I never would have guessed that such a small place as Chuncheng would be full of hidden talents. I went there a while ago, and the girls there are indeed stunning."

Through the group chat, Zhao Xiaoshuai had already learned that this Brother Renyi was doing business in Dongguan and had some wealth, but he never topped up much money each time, so he probably didn't have control over his family's finances.

Heavenly Emperor: "If you have time, Renyi, you can come again. When that happens, we might as well hold an offline gathering. All brothers who can come should come."

He really wanted to see what this "old rival" who led him to his first microtransaction looked like. Perhaps he could fleece some more wool off him.

Moreover, those who remained in this group were basically players who had spent several thousand to over ten thousand. Getting to know a few more wouldn't be a loss; they could all be considered high-quality connections.

Song Jiang: "You certainly can't leave me out. I remember there's a high-speed train directly to Chuncheng, it's quite fast. Brothers who want to go, private message me to sign up, and I'll compile the list."

It was said that Song Jiang ran his own company, so he had a knack for corporate management. The entire guild's system was designed just like clocking in for work.

In the end, the Brotherhood's offline gathering was set for the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.