Chapter 177
Chapter 177 What Else Could Be Considered Love?
Ling Mo soon spotted Xia Xinyan in the crowd watching.
He waved at her and made his way over.
The sparring had ended, and there was no need to linger any longer.
Of course, if his cousins had any more tests for him, he was ready to accept them.
No matter what, he was determined to prove himself worthy of Xinyan.
At that moment, Xia Jincang also noticed Xia Xinyan, his expression changing slightly as he hurried over.
But Xia Xinyan completely ignored him and walked straight to Ling Mo. “Are you injured?”
“No,” Ling Mo appreciated her immediate concern and smiled a little brighter. “It was just a spar. Brother Jincang took good care of me.”
Hearing that, Xia Xinyan felt a little disgusted.
Alright, so now he called him brother.
Although she knew this was a way to get close, it still made her feel uncomfortable.
Anyway, she just didn’t like Xia Jincang.
She didn’t want Ling Mo getting too attached to him.
With a sigh, she feigned curiosity and asked, “Why did you two spar?”
Ling Mo paused slightly and then looked at Xia Jincang.
After all, it was him who suggested the duel; he should be the one explaining.
Xia Jincang’s face stiffened for a moment, but he still smiled to explain, “I heard Ling Mo is quite skilled, so I wanted to have a spar with him—just to test if he could protect you well. Otherwise, if none of us are around to protect you, I would be quite worried.”
Xia Xinyan raised an eyebrow. “Who told you he’s skilled?”
Xia Jincang: “…”
How would he know?
“Uh, I just heard someone mention it casually at the banquet today. I forgot who said it, but that person should know Ling Mo, considering you two are somewhat famous online,” Xia Jincang answered casually.
Fortunately, he had checked up on Ling Mo yesterday, or else his sister’s question would have been hard to deflect.
It should be mentioned that the rumor about Ling Mo and Xia Xinyan’s fame naturally spread from that fat guy’s account; he had specifically watched those videos the previous day. However, just watching the videos wouldn’t reveal whether the dungeon was in the Battle Zone or the Safe Zone. Many people claimed those clips were from Battle Zone dungeons, but based on his understanding of his sister, he leaned towards those being Safe Zone dungeons.
Of course, after sparring with Ling Mo, he began to waver in that thought.
If they could achieve such physical condition and fighting skills from Safe Zone dungeons, what reason did those who fought in Battle Zone dungeons have to keep going?
Xia Xinyan followed up with a dig. “And then you lost the spar? You’re really useless.”
After saying that, without caring about his reaction, she grabbed Ling Mo’s hand and left.
Xia Jincang: “…”
He suddenly felt an urge to cry.
His once-so-cute sister, who used to adore him, the one who would cling to him every day to take her out to play…
How had this meeting turned out like this?
It must be because of that Ling Mo; it had to be.
He cursed himself for underestimating that guy. He needed to investigate his background properly, and most importantly, find out how strong he was in the game.
But it seemed this guy indeed had value as an ally, and as long as he could bring him into the Summer Family, his sister, no matter how rebellious, wouldn’t leave the Summer Family to seek power elsewhere in the game.
Even for that reason alone, he had to recruit Ling Mo into the Summer Family.
After all, this game was not just a game, and the decisions made within it could ultimately affect more than just their in-game situations.
No matter what, he would first ensure his sister’s safety.
But… judging by his sister’s attitude, this was not something he could do himself.
After a few seconds of silence, he took out his phone.
Meanwhile, Xia Xinyan was strolling with Ling Mo.
The banquet didn’t really concern them; being absent for a while wouldn’t make much difference, and she didn’t like the superficial atmosphere of such events. A walk outside felt better than wasting time at a meaningless feast.
It was only during times like this that she could somewhat reminisce about the world after the Cataclysm; after that, there wouldn’t be so many peaceful days left to hold such pointless banquets.
However, even though the Cataclysm hadn’t arrived yet, there were things she needed to clarify with Ling Mo now.
“Mo Mo, don’t worry too much about what others think of you. You are absolutely the strongest, even capable of standing at the top of the leaderboard. As long as you have confidence in yourself, no one’s doubts can affect you.” She held Ling Mo’s hand and whispered, “Your strength in the game is already your greatest asset—haven’t you noticed? Your physical abilities are slowly being enhanced by the game.”
“Yeah.” Ling Mo nodded, smiling. “I know.”
He had noticed the changes in his body after learning that martial art.
He couldn’t predict what future impacts the game would have on reality, but given the Summer Family’s attitude towards this game, he could foresee a few things.
He had always been confident in himself; otherwise, he wouldn’t still have the courage to stand beside Xinyan.
The only thing troubling him was that he hadn’t yet showcased his own strength.
If only he had a little more time…
“So it’s really no big deal.” Xia Xinyan’s voice interrupted his thoughts as she tilted her head to look at him and smiled. “I will always be with you, no matter what you’re like, so there’s no need to worry about anyone else’s opinions, even if they are my cousins—after all, if you want, the ones who will walk through life together in the future won’t be anyone else but us.”
She was concerned that Ling Mo might overthink with all the hostility around him or might feel like retreating, because these environments were something she hadn’t experienced until she had grown up in her past life. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how she would feel in such a situation, so she thought it was okay to consider Ling Mo like an ordinary person.
Though she had thought about finding him a suitable girl to be his partner, it was probably better to stabilize things first.
During this return to the Summer Family, she realized many things were far more complex than she had imagined.
Moreover, she wasn’t in a rush with this matter.
Being his girlfriend a little longer was perfectly fine.
And hearing her say those words, Ling Mo felt a twinge in his heart once again.
She had always been concerned about him.
No matter before they came here or after, she had continually worried he might be looked down upon, overthink things, and had been comforting and warming him in her own way.
Even if she approached him initially with a purpose, could it be that she had already developed feelings for him now?
If being so considerate of him wasn’t love, then what on earth could love be?
He just couldn’t imagine it.
