Chapter Nineteen: My Sister Has Changed

“You can’t be serious—just two relationships and you’ve already lost the courage to get married? Was the last one really that painful for you?” Liu Qingshan’s surprise was genuine.

“It’s not that simple. In a way, yes, but I’ve long since realized that two people can’t afford to be too close, and it’s best not to get entangled financially. Once love changes into something else, you might have a brief sense of familial affection, but it never lasts, and it can never be as intimate as a real family,” Jin Xishan replied softly.

“To be honest, I don’t know how to respond to that.”

“That’s just who you are! Enough about me—let’s talk about us. If you’re interested in me, I’d be willing to care for you like a younger brother, and even offer you my whole self.”

“Uh—”

“Don’t say anything, just listen. I’m an only child. When I was young, I envied those with older brothers. As I grew up, I wished I could have a younger brother of my own. Your arrival fit the image I’d always imagined. But the more time we spent together, the more something else began to grow inside me. I didn’t know what it was until today, when you saved me.”

Seeing Jin Xishan’s eyes grow misty again, Liu Qingshan hurriedly took a tissue to gently wipe her tears.

She didn’t move away, and a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips. “I’m six years older than you, but giving up on marriage isn’t because of you—I don’t want you to feel pressured. It’s truly what I feel. I’m conflicted too. Let’s just agree not to mention this again in the future, and let things develop as they will. Step by step. Is that all right? I know you like me too.”

Even though he’d tried to prepare himself, Liu Qingshan was still stunned. He’d never encountered anything like this before.

Jin Xishan smiled, amused. “I just love how clueless you are. Don’t you know you should be holding me right now? Oh, both your arms are injured!”

Before she could embrace him, Liu Qingshan reached out and wrapped his arm around her. When she turned to him with surprise, he leaned in and whispered, “My body is a little different from most people’s. My wounds heal very quickly.”

Jin Xishan hurriedly rolled up his sleeve to check. Sure enough, the stitches that had been red and inflamed were already looking dry.

“What is going on?” She covered her mouth in astonishment.

In fact, Liu Qingshan had only recently noticed this himself. The tingling at each wound had made him realize that his constitution seemed to have changed, as if something had altered him beyond normal human limits.

“It’s probably due to my own cultivation,” he answered truthfully.

He wasn’t boasting. At the current rate of progress, just one set of the Gan Fengchi combat techniques—Thirty-six Flowery Fist Forms—would be enough to raise him to the level of a master.

Even without the other two styles, he was confident he could become a legend among martial artists.

Jin Xishan poked and prodded him all over, marveling, “You really are amazing. While you were unconscious, Brother Chen Long watched the video of your fight over and over. Everyone keeps saying your martial arts foundation is incredible. Brother Chen started training at age seven—he’s met countless fighters, and none have reached your level! By the way, what do they mean by ‘level’?”

“Level refers to the degree of mastery. It’s just a term Brother Chen uses to praise others—it shouldn’t be taken literally. I know my own abilities best; maybe I’ll reach that level one day, but I’m nowhere near it now.”

“But you’re stronger than Brother Chen and the rest, aren’t you?” Her eyes sparkled with admiration.

“Not necessarily. For example, the strongest member of the Chen Family troupe is Lu Huiguang. If I had a weapon, I could beat him easily. With pure hand-to-hand techniques, my advantage is in my unpredictability. But if he got used to my moves, the outcome would be uncertain.”

“That’s still amazing! Huiguang Oppa has been the Muay Thai champion for seven years running!”

“But he’s older now, in his forties. Facing a young and vigorous guy like me puts him at a disadvantage. Maybe I couldn’t have beaten him in his prime.”

“Doesn’t matter. To me, you’re the strongest!”

“Hush, all right. You can say that in private, but never in front of others—you’ll make people jealous.”

Liu Qingshan’s words made Jin Xishan beam with happiness. Perhaps only now did she truly grasp the playful affection that lovers share.

She instinctively hugged him. “Being with you makes me happiest. You gave me massages almost every day lately—what will I do when you go back home?”

“Isn’t a long-distance relationship just what you want—a little distance to keep things beautiful? Besides, with the martial arts I’ve taught you, even if you don’t become an expert, your health will improve a lot.”

“You’re such a dummy! That’s not what I meant—I was talking about—”

Liu Qingshan might lack experience, but he wasn’t a fool. He leaned in and silenced her with a kiss...

Later that night, Jin Xishan returned to her hospital room to rest. Liu Qingshan sent Lu Huiguang and the others away, then sat alone on the sofa, closing his eyes in contemplation.

His consciousness sank into his mind’s eye, intending to enter the skill training chamber to practice.

But as soon as his thoughts entered, he saw a change on the system interface. To his delight, the lottery section now displayed “1,” and a line of text explained the reason:

Because the host saved a life using his own skills, the system rewards one lottery draw. The prize will be related to the host’s current activities. The Super Star Maker is a high-tech product; the greater the host’s contribution to society, the higher the chance of developing new skills. Would you like to unlock the new feature: “Auxiliary Skill Bar”? Please select yes or no.

Suppressing his excitement, Liu Qingshan clicked confirm without hesitation.

A swirl of light flashed, and a new “Auxiliary Skill Bar” appeared on the interface, listing three major categories: Music, Directing, and Digital Illustration.

However, only Music was followed by a note: Vocal Condition (12/100); the other two were marked with large question marks.

The 12 points in Vocal Condition probably reflected his innate ability.

At this point, the entire interface displayed as follows:

Host Name: Liu Qingshan
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Height: 180 cm
Total Fans: 78
Reputation: 55 (Shop Points/100/1)
Title: c1 (81/100)
Physical Skills: Optional—Gan Fengchi Combat: Thirty-six Flowery Fist Forms (23/100), Seventy-two Divine Locks (0/100), Eighteen Falling Techniques (0/100)
Professional Skills: Beginner—Line Delivery (31/100); Staging and Body Language (26/100)
Intermediate Actor—Facial Expression Control (6/100)
Korean (36/100); English (21/100);
Auxiliary Skill Bar: Music (Vocal Condition 12/100), Directing (?), Digital Illustration (?)
Shop Points: 55
System Lottery: 1 (draw)

Every aspect had improved a little, but besides the lottery draw, the biggest gains were in shop points and fan count—likely due to his recent life-saving feat.