Chapter 172 - 171: Kang Manor

Chapter 172: Chapter 171: Kang Manor

Having to wipe it away and redraw it wasted a bit of time. The moment the entire Array Pattern was complete, the bright red lines glowed with a golden light and seeped into Kangkang’s back like a tattoo.

Kangkang walked into the bathroom, bare-chested, and looked in the mirror. The Array Pattern wasn’t overly complex, but it exuded an ineffable mystique. It looked completely natural, as if he had been born with a birthmark just like it.

Kangkang couldn’t help but marvel, "Today really opened the door to a new world for me."

Back in the living room, everyone else had left. Only Huo Xingchen remained.

"My mom’s on the case, so you can rest easy," Huo Xingchen said, patting his shoulder. "She definitely won’t let anything happen to you."

Kangkang nodded, his expression complicated. "I’ve seen you secretly drawing talismans before. I just figured it was some niche hobby... I never expected it to be a family tradition."

Surprised he had been seen, Huo Xingchen rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. "Don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s easy for people to get the wrong idea."

After all, in modern society, most people are materialists. Those who don’t understand would easily mistake a Heavenly Master for some relic of old-world superstition. They wouldn’t say anything to his face, but they would definitely gossip behind his back, and he didn’t like being the topic of conversation.

Kangkang, of course, knew not to say anything. "I need to go home tomorrow. I’ll be back the day before the finals."

Huo Xingchen nodded in understanding. "Go ahead. I’ll talk to the coach for you."

Kangkang’s lips quirked into a smile. "Thanks."

Huo Xingchen clapped him on the shoulder nonchalantly. "Don’t mention it. I’m off. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Kangkang saw Huo Xingchen out, then went back to his room, changed his clothes, and left the hotel. He wandered the streets aimlessly for a while before suddenly saying, "Come on out. Take me back to the Kang residence."

The person following him in the shadows wasn’t surprised. He immediately took out his phone and made a call. Soon, a low-key black luxury car pulled up. A European man in a suit and white gloves emerged from the front passenger seat and respectfully opened the rear door.

Kangkang got into the car, his face expressionless.

The car started moving slowly, leaving the city center and driving toward the suburbs, eventually entering the sprawling Kang Manor.

The next day was a rest day, so Gu Qingyin took her three strikingly handsome sons out sightseeing. They garnered countless envious gazes from men and women alike.

Her sons were both handsome and thoughtful. Gu Qingyin didn’t have to worry about a thing; Huo Xingye had arranged everything, Huo Xinghai patiently explained all sorts of cultural and historical details, and Huo Xingchen was in charge of buying snacks and carrying the bags.

And trailing alongside them was Huo Yunjing, invisible to everyone else, providing his own brand of moral support.

’This is what it means to be a winner in life.’

After a full day of fun, Huo Xingchen threw himself into the final phase of his training.

Gu Qingyin spent her days out sightseeing from morning till night, and by the time the finals approached, she’d had her fill.

Kangkang returned on the morning of the finals. He didn’t seem to have changed at all.

Time was tight, so Huo Xingchen didn’t dare ask too many questions, fearing it would affect Kangkang’s performance.

The stadium for the finals was even larger, and the crowd was bigger. The noise was overwhelming. Not long after she entered, Gu Qingyin felt like she was going deaf and had to temporarily block out the surrounding sounds.

Once the match started, Gu Qingyin’s emotions rose and fell with every turn of the game. It was a rocky process, but in the end, Huo Xingchen and his team secured the victory they had hoped for.

Standing on the winners’ podium, at the very moment he received the championship trophy, Kangkang’s body gave an imperceptible shudder, and his expression turned unnatural for a split second.

But just as quickly, he acted as if nothing had happened, smiling as he accepted the trophy and posed for photos with everyone.

Down in the audience, Gu Qingyin touched her nose guiltily. ’I think I forgot to tell him about the side effects when the Array Pattern activates.’

After everything ended and they were back in the team’s lounge.

Kangkang looked at Gu Qingyin, his expression complicated. "Auntie, for a second there, I thought I was toast."

Gu Qingyin assumed the air of a profound master and nodded. "That’s normal. The first wave of the fate-swapping attack was blocked and reflected. The person on the other end is probably very confused right now." She paused, then asked, "Did you find out what was going on when you went home?"

Kangkang nodded, a flicker of shame in his eyes. "My dad brought some people back to our old residence. While he was in the shower, that woman went rummaging through the study. She was originally looking for company secrets to sell, but by some twist of fate, she found my birth chart and came up with the idea to swap our destinies."

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow. "That much of a coincidence?"

Kangkang gave a slight smile. "I thought it was quite a coincidence, too." He fell silent for two seconds. "Let’s just leave it at that."

Gu Qingyin shrugged. "Where are the mother and son now?" ’It’s best to solve problems at the root, once and for all.’

Kangkang replied, "The woman is at a manor in the suburbs. Po Ben is being escorted back tomorrow. I’ll have to trouble you to go there with me."

They had originally thought they would be heading home in seven days, but because of Kangkang’s situation, their return had to be postponed. However, both Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai had work commitments, so they had to go back first.

The next day, only Gu Qingyin and Huo Xingchen went to the Kang Manor.

On the way there, Huo Xingchen and his team jointly released the announcement of his retirement. The internet immediately blew up.

They had just won the championship, when their commercial value was at its absolute peak. No one ever imagined Huo Xingchen would retire at a time like this.

But Huo Xingchen didn’t pay it any mind. His life wasn’t just about esports. He had loved it with his whole heart and had successfully reached the pinnacle. It was time for that journey to come to an end. As for the financial benefits that came with it, he couldn’t care less.

To put it bluntly, it wasn’t like he needed the money.

As they entered the manor grounds, Gu Qingyin turned to admire the scenery outside the car. "The environment here is really nice," she remarked.

Huo Xingchen mulled it over for a couple of seconds. "The Huo Family has a manor in Europe too, but unfortunately it’s not in Paris. If you like it here, we could buy one."

"Let’s not. I’ll probably only go abroad a few times in my entire life. I still prefer it back home," Gu Qingyin said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "But the fact that you’d offer makes your mother very happy."

"Alright," Huo Xingchen said. "It actually wouldn’t cost that much. Property abroad is a lot cheaper than back home."

Gu Qingyin gave him a light slap. "Don’t go spending money recklessly."

Kangkang watched their interaction in silence, his gaze dimming. Never mind now—even when he was a child, he had never shared such a close, easy conversation with his own mother.

After another twenty-plus minutes of driving, the car stopped in front of a castle.

Standing at the castle entrance was a very distinguished-looking couple. The man was clearly of mixed heritage, while the woman was Asian.

After getting out of the car, Gu Qingyin sized them up. She had to admit, Kangkang had certainly inherited well, taking the best features from both of his parents.

"Hello," the woman said with an elegant smile. "Thank you for saving my son." She extended her hand. "My name is Qin Peilan."

Gu Qingyin took her hand and smiled slightly. "Gu Qingyin."

Then the man beside her also extended his hand. "I’m Brandt Kang."

Gu Qingyin politely shook his hand as well.

Once inside, Gu Qingyin got straight to the point. "Where are they? Let’s go see them now."

Qin Peilan seemed taken aback, as if she hadn’t met such a direct person in a long time. After a momentary stun, she nodded and said, "Of course. Business first." She looked at a nearby bodyguard and gave a quiet command, "Go and bring Miss Jeanne and Mr. Po Ben out."