Chapter 20

“No, it’s fine. The clinic is pretty close to my home, and it’s convenient for me to ride my bike back and forth. I also don’t want my colleagues or neighbors to misunderstand,” Xu Qiao said with a smile as she politely declined the soldier’s offer.

The appointment cost points, and taking her there would consume time and effort. Even though Jiang Rui was willing to pay, it still put pressure on Xu Qiao.

Jiang Rui understood, nodded, and stepped out of the consultation room, closing the door behind him, leaving Xu Qiao with a tall side profile.

Xu Qiao stared at the door for a few seconds.

Including today, Jiang Rui had only seen her twice. He must really like her looks.

Xu Qiao knew she was attractive, but given Jiang Rui’s family background, he probably had no shortage of beautiful options for arranged marriage. Since they had already discussed this, Jiang Rui probably wouldn’t come to find her again?

On Friday, it was Xu Qiao’s turn for the night shift again. After Lu Yang went to school, she changed into her workout clothes and prepared to go for a morning run.

As she was closing the door, the door of room 102 was pushed open from the inside. Xu Qiao turned around while putting her keys away, smiling as she greeted Qin Chi, who was wearing a gray shirt. “Are you heading to school?”

Qin Chi nodded, walking outside with her. “It’s Xiao Yang’s birthday this weekend. I want to give him a gift. Do you have any suggestions?”

Xu Qiao thought for a moment and smiled. “How about a set of mock college entrance exam questions?”

It was a very cliché joke, but when Xu Qiao looked up at Qin Chi, she noticed the military school teacher had stopped walking, wearing a serious expression as if he were genuinely considering giving exam questions as a gift.

Xu Qiao: “… I was joking. He probably wouldn’t like a gift like that.”

The landlord felt a bit awkward, and Qin Chi looked down at her with gentle brows: “I figured as much; I was just going along with you.”

Xu Qiao: “…”

She walked ahead, and the moment she stepped out of the building, the bright, dazzling sunlight flooded over her, causing Xu Qiao to instinctively close her eyes.
—-
The next second, the sunlight was replaced by a shadow; Qin Chi stood beside her.

“It’s only seven o’clock, and it’s already this sunny here,” Qin Chi remarked casually, mentioning the differences in sunlight between the two bases.

Xu Qiao: “Enjoy it while you can. In a month, the rainy season will come, and we might not see the sun for over twenty days.”

Lotuses are aquatic plants but thrive in abundant sunlight. Xu Qiao also enjoyed the morning sun during the summer.

After saying this, she took a deep breath of the fresh air from the little courtyard and ran down the cement street, turning to wave at Qin Chi. “I’ll be off now. See you later.”

Qin Chi smiled and nodded, waiting until the energetic landlord rounded the corner before he drove off.
—-
After running twenty kilometers around the neighborhood, Xu Qiao suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to give her polite neighbor a gift suggestion.

What does Lu Yang like?

Xu Qiao wasn’t very sure. She remembered that Lu Yang liked to eat strawberries and other tasty snacks when he was around five or six years old, but ever since she started middle school, she had been leaving early and coming home late, focusing on her studies. After getting into military school, she only came home once a week to take care of the little courtyard. As a result, the time she spent with the increasingly taller boy next door had been reduced.

Lu Yang’s personality was also relatively steady and independent; he had long stopped openly showing what he liked or disliked. Xu Qiao even suspected that if she made a super awful dinner, Lu Yang would pretend nothing was wrong and clean his plate.

Leaning back in a rattan chair on the balcony to dry her hair, Xu Qiao sent a message to Qin Chi: 【He’s gotten taller again. I’m planning to give him a new set of clothes. What about you? Are you going to keep giving him shoes?】

Qin Chi was in class, with the gruesome body of an A-level beast standing nearby. The military school students in the classroom held their breath, fearful that the beast might not be completely dead and could break free at any moment.

Glancing at the illuminated communication wristband, Qin Chi chose to continue teaching. It was only during the break that he walked over to the southeast corner near the podium, leaning against the window, lowering his eyes to send a message: 【Sorry, I was in class just now and only saw your message now.】

【Giving him clothes is very appropriate. I want to add something new. I heard that Lu Yang’s spiritual entity is a sword?】

Xu Qiao had once caught Qin Chi chatting happily with the elderly neighbors on the same floor, so she wasn’t surprised that he knew this: 【Yeah, are you planning to give him a sword? 】

Qin Chi: 【I have an idea for now, but please let me keep the specific gift a secret for the time being. 】

On Saturday night, Xu Qiao spent the day resting during her night shift. In the evening, she pushed Lu Yang down on the sofa as he prepared to enter the kitchen, ready to make the little birthday boy a longevity noodle dish.

Lu Yang couldn’t sit still, leaning against the sliding door of the kitchen, watching Xu Qiao as she washed vegetables and cut meat with her delicate back turned to him.
—-
A few years ago, it was his mother who was busy in the kitchen like this. After she passed, it was his father, and now…

He was an orphan, and so was Xu Qiao. In the entire Southeast Base, they were each other’s only… non-blood relatives.

With the college entrance examination approaching, Lu Yang wasn’t worried about the liberal arts exam; he was only anxious about the awakening of his spiritual entity after the exam.

He hoped he could inherit his father’s spiritual entity so that he would have the ability to protect Xu Qiao.

Xu Qiao inadvertently turned around and met the complex expression of a middle school student deep in thought.

Xu Qiao curiously asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Lu Yang: “I was thinking, what if my spirit form is cotton…”

Xu Qiao: “Cotton is good too! If you really have planting-type abilities, the two small courtyards outside will be enough for our food supply all year round.”

Planting-type abilities may have low combat power, but they are economically valuable; planting specialists at the same level earn just as much as healers.

Her smile was so beautiful that Lu Yang silently swallowed back the other words he had intended to say.

The next morning, Xu Qiao took out her gift early—a black-and-white casual outfit and a pair of white sneakers.
—-
After more than two months of nurturing, Lu Yang, while still skinny, no longer looked pitifully thin. He had long limbs and strong muscles, and standing next to Xu Qiao at a height of 1.8 meters gave a strong sense of security.

“It’s washed, just put it on. We’re going out to have fun today.”

Lu Yang awkwardly went to change clothes. When he came out, he found Xu Qiao already in the kitchen. Just as he was about to go over and help, Qin Chi sent a message: “Happy birthday! Are you up yet?”

Lu Yang: “Thanks, I’m up.”

Qin Chi: “I’m outside, I’ve prepared a birthday gift for you.”

Lu Yang felt that this person was being overly polite. He found it troublesome but also knew that coldly refusing would seem very rude.

He opened the door by himself.

Outside the door, Qin Chi was wearing a white shirt and held out a delicate gift box over a meter long, saying, “A sword. You might not need it next month, but you can use it to practice close combat later.”

Lu Yang’s heart skipped a beat.

Qin Chi handed the gift to him and went home to make breakfast.

Feeling complicated, Lu Yang hugged the gift and returned to the living room.

Xu Qiao had been curious for two days, urging Lu Yang to open the gift box and take a look.

Inside the paper packaging was a dark wooden sword box, with a vividly carved antique relief that looked very expensive, perfectly matching Qin Chi’s style.

Inside the sword box was a long sword, glimmering coldly, with a dark golden hilt and a thin, sharp blade.

Neither sibling had much experience, and they couldn’t tell the metal material of the long sword just by looking at it. Xu Qiao pulled out the product certificate, which clearly stated that this was a long sword made of A-grade alloy, produced by the Mercenary Association, with a three-year warranty against damage!

In addition to the long sword, Qin Chi also included a storage device. When plugged into a tablet, it revealed a series of swordsmanship instructional videos.

Xu Qiao was stunned, and Lu Yang was also in shock.

After a long time, Xu Qiao looked Lu Yang up and down and asked suspiciously, “Could he be a friend of Uncle’s, who knows something happened to him and is using this method to take care of you?”

Not to mention the sword capable of breaking through A-grade beast defenses, just the collection of swordsmanship instructional videos was something an average person couldn’t organize so thoroughly.

Using both points and effort, Qin Chi was genuinely kind to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang: “Impossible. Our whole family has never left the Southeast Base, and my dad has never gone to another base for a mission. I think he’s just too wealthy and used to spending lavishly, not considering the point costs when giving gifts to others.”

The space crystal core from before was even more expensive than this sword and was hard to find!
—-

Xu Qiao was just casually saying this. She had more information than Lu Yang, such as the fact that Qin Chi had connections with the principal of the Second Military Academy.

“I’ll go return it to him.”

Lu Yang acted on his words, quickly tidied up the gift box, and went directly to knock on door 102.

Xu Qiao hid in the living room, eavesdropping.

Lu Yang: “We’re not related by blood, so I feel guilty accepting such an expensive gift.”

Qin Chi: “First, the living environment you provided me exceeded my expectations. I’m giving you this gift out of courtesy and gratitude. Next month, you’re very likely to awaken a B-grade spirit form. If I give you a B-grade sword, it will hold little significance for you, and I don’t give meaningless gifts.”

“Also, please don’t mind the points; my balance is enough to last me for several lifetimes. Rather than waste it sitting in my account, I’d prefer to use it to give gifts to friends I’m fated to meet, which brings me joy.”

Lu Yang was only slightly shorter than Qin Chi, and he could see the gentle and happy light in Qin Chi’s eyes, realizing that he genuinely felt this way.

At that moment, Lu Yang was suddenly overwhelmed by the neighbor’s lavish aura, and after a moment of being stunned, he found another reason to refuse: “But I might not awaken a B-grade spirit form…”

Qin Chi: “Then you need this sword even more. Abilities are indeed the best way to deal with beasts, but close combat with cold weapons can also kill beasts. I hope my little landlord can protect himself, no matter what level he awakens, and protect the people he wants to protect.”
—-
The last sentence was spoken in a low voice, as if a wise elder had already seen through the complicated thoughts of a middle school student, combined with the fact that he was keeping this secret.

Lu Yang’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, and various emotions surged in his heart. Finally, he lowered his arms, hugged the gift, and said, “Thank you.”

Qin Chi: “Go inside. I hope you have fun today.”

When Lu Yang closed the door and returned to the living room, Xu Qiao finally dared to relax her breath.

Lu Yang: “I don’t have that many points, but if he ever needs my help in the future, I’ll definitely do my best.”

Qin Chi had given him a gift he couldn’t refuse, and he noted this kindness.

Xu Qiao: “Let’s not think too far ahead. Since he has given us a gift, should we invite him to watch a movie together tonight?”

It was common to encounter lone ability users; Meng Li was an example, with an air that clearly said, “Don’t disturb me unless it’s necessary.”

However, their new neighbor had actively teamed up with her and given Lu Yang a gift, suggesting he wanted to integrate into the community.

So, as the landlords and closest neighbors, she and Lu Yang should be a bit more welcoming.