Who says those who retire at the speed of light are not heroes?

"When is next time?"

"That's your business, don't ask me."

"OK, got it."

"Next time" is a very subtle word. It can be five seconds later or many, many years later. Lin Cheng looked at Ji Zhezhi who lowered his head and said softly, "Okay, then you should go to bed early. As for the matter of marriage, we can talk about it in detail when you have thought it through."

Lin Cheng gently closed the door for her.

When Ji Zhezhi raised her head, the door was closed tightly. She suddenly felt inexplicably uneasy in her heart. She thought Lin Cheng would approach her again, maybe right now, but he just told her to go to bed early.

....................................

The next day, early morning.

Lin Cheng turned over dazedly and opened his eyes. He saw Ji Zhezhi sitting beside his bed. He was stunned for a moment, then sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"At nine o'clock, get up and have breakfast."

"Oh, okay." Lin Cheng put on his clothes and went to his room to wash up. After washing up, he followed Ji Zhezhi to the living room. They had already had breakfast. Ji Zhezhi went to the kitchen and brought back two baskets of still hot dumplings and some soy milk.

While eating, Lin Cheng asked vaguely, "So have you thought it through? Are we still going to get married?"

"It's up to you."

"I thought about it carefully. I don't care too much. It's fake anyway, and it's just a formality in the paradise."

Ji Zhezhi's hand under the table suddenly pinched her snow-white thigh.

When he left last night and stopped him to say those two words, all the initiative was completely gone from her hands. Lin Cheng took a sip of soy milk and looked at Ji Zhezhi, "What do you think?"

Ji Zhezhi suddenly didn't know how to answer.

It was clearly she who brought it up herself, but she was also the one who was at a loss at the moment.

Ji Zhezhi turned his face away, avoiding Lin Cheng's gaze, "If it's okay with you, then that's it."

"Okay." Lin Cheng nodded slightly.

Confused and unclear.

Obviously the goal has been achieved, but why do I always feel so awkward? Ji Zhezhi himself couldn't figure out what went wrong. Lin Cheng quickly finished the two baskets of buns and took out a tissue to wipe his lips.

The martial arts competition to win a bride will be held tomorrow.

"If you're free, can I take you somewhere?"

"Okay." Lin Cheng stood up and followed Ji Zhezhi.

..........................................

Ji Zhezhi brought Lin Cheng to the Silverfish Lake in the paradise.

She and Lin Cheng sat on the soft grass. Ji Zhezhi took off one of her shoes and soaked her white and tender calves in the slightly cold lake water. A slight shake would cause shallow ripples on the surface of the lake.

There were not many people around here, and it was especially quiet. There was still some snow on the surrounding trees. The world was completely silent. Ji Zhezhi looked at the lake in front of him and suddenly whispered, "Did you discover it a long time ago?"

"What did you find?"

"Don't... act stupid anymore." Ji Zhezhi's voice was no longer so cold, but instead sounded a little aggrieved.

Lin Cheng scratched his head.

"No, actually I always thought it was my illusion, so when I was on the train that day, I wanted to ask you if you liked me. In fact, the answer is not important, what is important is how you answer."

"So you guessed the answer?"

"My guess is that you feel awkward inside too. If you say you like me three years ago, I have changed a lot. I am no longer the person you remember, and there are so many ambiguous girls around me. So even you feel confused and tangled. Of course, the information I can read from you is also confusing. It was not until the night before yesterday when you asked me if we wanted to have a fake marriage that I suddenly understood."

"So you're angry."

"No, there's nothing to be angry about." Lin Cheng replied helplessly, "I've always been a person who doesn't care about anything. The first time I rejected your proposal of fake marriage, it was also to remind you that I still have many ambiguous girls, so... In fact, I don't recommend spending too much time on me. If you get sad because of this one day, there's nothing I can do."

Lin Cheng turned his head and looked at Ji Zhezhi's cheek. Her cheek had drooped slightly again, so this time Lin Cheng gently supported her chin and lifted her cheek a little, and their eyes met.

"In fact, it's okay as long as you talk it out. There's nothing wrong with a fake marriage. You won't have to worry about being forced into marriage again. It will be much easier. You didn't lie that day, right? Maybe you like me a little, but when you think about the ambiguous relationship between me and another woman, you feel uncomfortable and you become conflicted."

"You really know everything." Ji Zhezhi looked at him dimly.

"So, have you really thought about it?"

"Let's get married first, and we'll talk about the rest later. If I still feel uncomfortable in the future, then we can get divorced, okay?" Ji Zhezhi said softly.

"Okay." Lin Cheng chuckled.

"Can I kiss you now?" Lin Cheng winked at her.

"Do you want to bet whether I will bite you this time?" Ji Zhezhi's eyes returned to their previous indifference.

"Haha, not betting is the way to win!" Lin Cheng decisively gave up the idea.

There seemed to be a hint of resentment in Ji Zhezhi's eyes. She lifted up her white and tender feet that were soaking in the lake water and handed the snow-white handkerchief to Lin Cheng, "Help me clean it."

Lin Cheng picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the water stains on her legs, picked up the shoes beside her, put on the white socks covering her ankles, put on the shoes and stood up. The two walked forward a few steps side by side, and Ji Zhezhi suddenly muttered something in a low voice.

"coward."

"Don't try to seduce me, Hehe. If you try to lure the enemy deep into your territory and then take the opportunity to bite me, I won't give you the chance."

Ji Zhezhi stretched out his hand expressionlessly and gently twisted Lin Cheng's waist.

..........................................

Tonight's family dinner is for four.

Tonight, Lin Cheng accompanied Ji Qingpu to drink a cup of osmanthus wine. Ji Qingpu looked straight at him, "I'm asking you now, have you made up your mind?"

"Well, it's decided." Lin Cheng said softly, "I want to marry Zhezhi."

Ji Qingpu looked at Ji Zhezhi, "This time... is there anything else that Zhezhi is dissatisfied with?"

"I want to marry him." Ji Zhezhi said softly.

Ji Qingpu smiled and looked at Ji Zhezhi, "Have you thought about it?"

"Yeah, I've thought about it."

"Well, your wedding will be held in three days, on an auspicious day."

The martial arts competition for a bride will be held tomorrow and will be completed within one day. Ji Qingpu has already competed with Lin Cheng last time, and he knows very well that he will be the final winner. To put it bluntly, even if Lin Cheng loses, as long as Ji Zhezhi wants, he will still go against everyone's opinion and let Lin Cheng marry her.

"The Ji family does not marry outsiders. If you marry Zhezhi, it can be considered as marrying into the family. Have you thought about it?"

"Ah, it's okay. I'm fine."

Lin Cheng has been alone for so many years, so of course he doesn't care. Ji Qingpu in front of him looks very happy and raises his glass. "Come on, after this glass tonight, you have to change your mind in two days."

Lin Cheng lowered the glass respectfully and drank it all in one gulp.

....................................

midnight.

Lin Cheng sat on the bed, holding his cell phone and worrying.

The Ji family relies on the intranet for communication, and his cell phone has no signal to contact the outside world. Ji Zhezhi reminded him of this in advance. He also told Lu Xiaoxiao that he would not be able to report on the latest situation in the next few days. So when he leaves the paradise, the first thing he should report to Lu Xiaoxiao is... I got married.

…I always feel like if I don’t prepare to explain in advance, I’ll die.

271 Martial Arts Competition

Lin Cheng couldn't sleep most of the night.

He went over in his head how to coax Lu Xiaoxiao and explain things to Lu Xiaoxiao, then went over in his head how to coax Jiang Lingxue, how to coax Lizhi, and how to tell Xu Wanyue. Just thinking about it, his brain began to tremble.

He had a dream in a half-asleep state. The first half of the dream was extremely strange. Jiang Lingxue and Lu Xiaoxiao were lying together, one sitting on his chest and the other riding on him. He was like a small boat in a storm, swaying, but suddenly the scene changed. He dreamed that Jiang Lingxue was squeezing tighter and tighter, until he felt something was wrong, then he discovered that Jiang Lingxue was holding a vise in her hand with a morbid smile on her face.

Then he woke up with a fright.

Today is the day of the martial arts competition to select a bride. Lin Cheng woke up very early. The arena for the competition had been set up long ago. It would be held in the courtyard of the Ji family's ancestral home. The elders of the Ji and Qin families would be present, and there would be a total of seven people participating this time.

Although in the paradise, except Qin Wulin, the rest of the seven people knew that they were just there to make up the numbers and try the jackpot. They knew they could not defeat Qin Wulin, and they also knew it was impossible to gain Ji Zhezhi's favor. They all knew it.

Lin Cheng and Ji Zhezhi set out together and arrived at the Ji family's ancestral home early to wait. The arena was very spacious, with big red lanterns hanging high, which looked quite festive. Ji Qingpu and Ji Qinglan both sat in their seats, waiting for everyone to arrive.

Qin Wulin also arrived very early. He saw Ji Zhezhi and Lin Cheng at a glance. The two were chatting quietly. He walked towards them and looked at Ji Zhezhi, "Zhezhi came so early."

Ji Zhezhi was wearing a long tasseled dress today, and she also put on some makeup, which made her look dreamy and like a banished immortal who had fallen into the mortal world. She turned around, looked at Qin Wulin in front of her, and said softly, "Qin Wulin."

"Ok?"

"Whether you win or lose today, we won't get married. Do you understand?"

"I understand. If you don't want to get married, I won't force you..."

"No." Ji Zhezhi shook his head, "I'm getting married in two days."

Qin Wulin was stunned for a moment, but Ji Zhezhi suddenly turned around, stretched out her hand and put one hand on Lin Cheng's shoulder, and the other hand gently around his neck. She suddenly leaned closer and lightly touched Lin Cheng's lips with her pink lips.

After the kiss, her expression remained calm, except for a hint of pink on her cheeks.

Qin Wulin's eyes widened as he looked at the two people in front of him.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

He got it.

Qin Wulin slowly lowered his head, his voice trembling, "So this is the reason why you don't want to get married?"

"Yeah." Ji Zhezhi nodded slightly.

Although something in his heart seemed to be broken quietly, Qin Wulin still tried to force a smile, "Why didn't you say so earlier!"

"I told you a long time ago not to like me. It's just wishful thinking on your part." Ji Zhezhi's expression was so cold.

The smile on Qin Wulin's lips turned bitter. "That's right... okay, okay... okay, okay, then can I still participate in today's martial arts competition? Nothing else, I just want to compete with him."

"can."

"Okay." Qin Wulin nodded gently. He finally raised his head slowly and looked at Lin Cheng. There was no anger in his eyes, just bitterness and loss. "Then buddy, you better be careful later. I won't let you marry Zhezhi so easily."

"Okay." Lin Cheng nodded slightly.

"Then you have to invite me to your wedding, right?" Qin Wulin looked at Ji Zhezhi, the smile on his lips almost unable to hold back.

"I will treat you." Ji Zhezhi replied in a low voice.

"That's good." Qin Wulin turned around and walked hurriedly.

....................................

The martial arts competition for a bride had not officially begun yet, so the opening ceremony was naturally hosted by Ji Qingpu himself. He stood on the stage and said a lot calmly, eventually leading the topic to Lin Cheng.

His words were straightforward.

Lin Cheng was the husband he chose for Ji Zhezhi. Today's martial arts competition was just a formality. Their wedding date was set for two days later.

This news was like a bombshell, causing an uproar in the audience. However, Ji Qingpu only glanced at the audience coldly. As the patriarch of the Ji family, no one dared to go against his will. Ji Qingpu had already informed several elders of the Ji family, so naturally they had no objections. Lin Cheng also saw Ji Chongshan in the audience. It seemed that he had just returned to his paradise this morning.

"Since no one objects, let's start today's martial arts competition to win a bride."

The audience was naturally silent.

Lin Cheng stood up from his seat and leaped onto the stage. The eyes of all the elders and juniors from the Ji and Qin families were on him at this moment. Under the spotlight, he could only habitually put on his gentle mask.

Actually, I was a little panicked. This kind of lively scene... I felt a little socially anxious.

"Can you introduce yourself to everyone?" Ji Qingpu said softly.

"My name is Lin Cheng, and I come from the outside world." Lin Cheng spoke softly, "I met Zhezhi in the outside world three years ago. Now I come back here to marry Zhezhi. From now on, I will also be a member of the Ji family."

Lin Cheng stood straight.

There was a moment of silence in the audience. Ji Qingpu said something again and then walked off the stage. The first person to step onto the stage was not Qin Wulin, but a junior from the Ji family.

"If you want to join our Ji family and marry our Ji family's eldest daughter, you have to first see if the sword in my hand agrees." The young man was dressed in a green shirt and looked full of vigor and vitality.

Lin Cheng silently drew out the sword Ji Zhezhi had given him, put the scabbard away, and nodded gently, "Please teach me."

After one stick of incense.

Lin Cheng stood still, and the young man from the Ji family opposite him had his clothes torn in many places. If the wounds were deeper, they would be fatal, and the winner would naturally be decided.

Everyone in the audience knew that he was using the Ji family sword technique, and they all looked at Ji Qingpu, wanting to know where he learned the Ji family sword technique from, but Ji Qingpu had a serious expression and said nothing, and no one dared to object.