Zhou Yuanyuan had a round face and a pair of large, expressive eyes. She stood about 1.82 meters tall, with a slightly plump figure—curves in all the right places, none where they shouldn't be. Overall, she weighed around 130 to 140 pounds and was easily embarrassed.
Yin Zhang met her gaze for a brief second, then nodded with a gentle smile.
Zhou Yuanyuan's face instantly flushed. She nodded back and quickly lowered her head.
"Zhou Wu, the two of us should go together," Yin Zhang said to Zhou Wu. "Let's end this match quickly and show them the true strength of the Spirit Hall Academy Team."
Hearing this, Zhou Wu's eyes lit up.
He hadn't played in the first round and had been planning to make his debut in the second, only to end up benched again due to a bye. He was even thinking of asking Qiangu Yuan for advice when this opportunity suddenly fell into his lap.
He immediately stood up and laughed heartily.
"Alright! Then the two of us brothers will take care of this battle!"
He then glanced at Zhou Yuanyuan, puzzled.
"Yuanyuan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhou Yuanyuan quickly looked up and forced a smile.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little sleepy."
"Sleepy?" Zhou Wu nodded. "Then take a short nap. There's still some time before our Spirit Hall Academy Team goes on stage to face Thunder Academy."
With that, Zhou Wu stepped outside to get some fresh air.
Seeing that Zhou Yuanyuan didn't actually seem inclined to sleep, Qiangu Yunying walked over and sat beside her, leaning in to whisper softly.
Yin Zhang, meanwhile, approached Qiangu Yuan. He glanced at the lively spectator stands and the ongoing battle on the Spirit Dueling Platform, then asked casually,
"Uncle Qian Gu, what are you thinking about?"
Qiangu Yuan glanced at him and replied,
"I was thinking about Yun Ying's brother."
Yin Zhang's interest was instantly piqued.
He had only heard Qiangu Yuan mention Qiangu Yunying's brother once, right at the beginning—before Yin Zhang had even met her. As far as he knew, after breaking through to Spirit Ancestor, the man had been sent to the Star Luo Empire to train as a steward.
Curious, Yin Zhang asked,
"Uncle Qian Gu, is Sister Yunying's brother not doing well in Star Luo?"
Qiangu Yuan shook his head.
"Not exactly. His name is Qiangu Lifan. He's currently serving as a steward at the Spirit Hall branch in Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire. Before leaving, he wrote to me saying he had already cultivated to the Spirit Emperor realm and should be returning to Spirit City soon."
"I'm just thinking about what position to arrange for him once he's back. He's always been too impulsive in his work. I don't know whether he's managed to fix that bad habit over the past few years."
Yin Zhang smiled faintly to himself.
So this is my future brother-in-law, huh? I wonder what kind of person he is.
He said aloud,
"Since my brother-in-law is coming back, what he wants to do should be up to him. As elders, we can't decide his path for him. How old is he now?"
Qiangu Yuan replied,
"Thirty-two."
Yin Zhang nodded.
"At that age, he's a mature adult. He'll make his own judgments. It's better not to interfere too much. Uncle Qian Gu, you can rest easy."
Qiangu Yuan nodded and let out a breath.
"That's true. I've been worrying too much. But there's something else—has he found someone he likes? Our Qiangu family needs him to carry on the family line!"
Yin Zhang fell silent for a moment. That concern was understandable.
On the Douluo Continent, large clans relied heavily on bloodline inheritance. For families like the Qiangu family, with few members, offspring were especially important.
—
At the same time, in Star Luo City, capital of the Star Luo Empire.
Inside the Spirit Hall branch, Qiangu Lifan sat in his office. Beside him was a beautiful woman whose abdomen showed a slight swell.
Qiangu Lifan carefully lifted the fabric around her waist and pressed his ear gently against her snow-white belly, listening intently.
The woman couldn't help laughing and scolding him.
"Lifan, what are you listening for? It's only been two and a half months. The child hasn't fully formed yet—how could there be any movement?"
Qiangu Lifan chuckled, pulled her clothes back down, and sat properly beside her.
"I'm just worried about you and the baby. If anything happened to you, my dad would skin me alive."
The woman rolled her eyes.
"I know exactly what you're thinking. Besides, your father doesn't even know about us yet."
"What do you mean my father?" Qiangu Lifan corrected her seriously. "It's our father."
Then, more cautiously, he asked,
"Sister Min… there's a big age gap between us. I'm afraid my dad won't approve if he finds out."
The woman's name was Wei Min. She was the daughter of the Hall Master of the Star Luo City Spirit Hall branch.
Her Spirit was the top-tier Thunder Tiger. She was forty-one years old this year and a Level 76 attack-type Spirit Saint.
Ever since Qiangu Lifan had been transferred to Star Luo City, Wei Min had taken notice of this young Spirit Emperor.
After some… deliberate interactions—no, rather, after getting to know him through her position and her father's influence—she gradually came to understand Qiangu Lifan's temperament.
Finally, on a dark and quiet night, the two became a "young" couple.
Wei Min's mature charm, fiery figure, and strength—combined with their long period of close contact—completely captivated Qiangu Lifan.
Wei Min chuckled softly.
"That's exactly why we wanted this child, isn't it? Afraid that… your dad wouldn't agree."
"You said before that your father wants a grandson more than anything. So this time, I'll give him one. Even if he doesn't approve, he'll have no choice but to accept it."
"Besides, my father received a letter a few days ago from one of his old subordinates in Spirit City. He mentioned your sister, Qiangu Yunying."
Qiangu Lifan froze.
He had almost forgotten about his little sister, whom he hadn't seen in nearly ten years.
He quickly asked,
"What happened to Yun Ying?"
Wei Min smiled, cupped the back of his head, and gave him a deep kiss. Seeing Qiangu Lifan's slightly flushed face, she found it amusing.
"Your sister found herself a boyfriend—nine years younger than her. And your father didn't object."
"Huh? My sister… cough—she found a boyfriend nine years younger than her?"
Qiangu Lifan was completely stunned. He never imagined that the tomboy he remembered would end up like this.
Wei Min nodded calmly.
"I'm starting to wonder if your Qiangu family has some kind of strange fate. Both siblings falling for people nine years younger than themselves—it's quite something."
Qiangu Lifan laughed softly.
"That's perfect. Since Yun Ying set the precedent, my dad won't have anything to say about me anymore."
"Hehe…"