Chapter 243: The Whole Family Won’t Let You Off
Ning Qingzhi studied Ji Yanming’s expression carefully and noticed a proud, triumphant smile on his face. Combining this with the letter the second brother had written, his fists clenched tightly, creaking. The more he looked at Ji Yanming, the brighter the smile on Ji’s face became.
“All right, Ji Yanming! I treat you like a brother, and yet you secretly wrote a confession letter to my sister behind my back!”
Furious, Ning Qingzhi rushed forward, grabbed Ji Yanming by the collar, and raised his fist to strike him in the face.
Ji Yanming blocked it.
Gripping Ji Yanming’s collar tighter, Ning Qingzhi shouted, “You dare resist! Ji Yanming, you think you can still be my sister’s husband? Not on my watch! Come on, let’s have a fight!”
“Bro, listen to me. I have to take care of this face. You can hit anywhere else. Let’s move somewhere else—training ground? You can beat me all you want there.”
Ji Yanming spoke seriously, but secretly he slipped the letter into the quilt to hide it.
He deliberately blocked the strike to his face—it wasn’t resistance. After all, he had already stolen his brother’s precious little sister; getting hit was deserved. He didn’t mind taking hits to other parts of his body, but he had to protect his face.
That face was part of his “success formula.” He knew Yueyue liked good-looking people, and handsome people always got a few extra words. He needed to protect his advantage.
Ning Qingzhi, both furious and amused, said, “I’m not listening to your excuses! You used that pretty little face to win over my sister, so I’ll hit you! And I’ll hit you a few more times!”
Though he said that, his actions contradicted his words. His hands were honest, only striking Ji Yanming’s fleshy parts, avoiding the face entirely. He even controlled the strength. Because of his sister, he still had some restraint. Hitting him didn’t feel satisfying; the more he struck, the more irritated he became. And seeing the man on the receiving end smiling back while taking hits made it all the more frustrating.
“Stop laughing! Why aren’t you fighting back?” Ning Qingzhi paused, glaring.
Ji Yanming continued to smile but said nothing.
If he resisted, it would look bad; if he didn’t, it would also look bad. In his brother’s eyes, nothing he did was right. He understood his brother’s mood and didn’t fan the flames.
The more Ning Qingzhi looked at Ji Yanming’s smiling face, the angrier he became. Grabbing Ji by the collar, he dragged him toward the training ground.
Once there, Ning Qingzhi released him. “This time, you fight back—we’re going all out!”
The training ground was spacious, and fighting was allowed. They could go all out without restraint.
“All right, let’s have a good fight,” Ji Yanming agreed.
He would make sure his future brother-in-law had a satisfying fight.
As they clashed, nearby comrades gathered, watching with interest and occasionally commenting.
Peers:
“Why are they fighting? They usually get along perfectly.”
“They’re just letting the brothers spar.”
Junior cadets:
“Why is Ji Yanming always on the defensive? He’s getting hit everywhere!”
“You don’t get it, it’s strategy.”
“Ning Instructor is amazing.”
Informed insiders:
“They just picked up a package and started fighting.”
“Look, Ji blocked a strike to the face. I told you, it’s strategy. Ning threw another straight to the shoulder.”
Ji Yanming deliberately took hits. If he resisted or didn’t resist, he’d be criticized either way. He wanted his future brother-in-law to release his anger, so he had to fight strategically—appearing serious but subtly leaving openings.
He had to make it seem natural, letting Ning feel a sense of accomplishment while venting frustration. Protecting his face was tricky; if he overdid it, Ning’s anger would spike. He had to show slight facial marks but not severe ones.
It was a real test of his control over body and force.
For the sake of future happiness, he endured the blows and made sure his brother-in-law had a satisfying fight.
The crowd enjoyed watching immensely.
The more Ji Yanming thought about a happy future, the more content he felt enduring the hits.
Eventually, Ning Qingzhi’s anger dissipated, and he stopped, exhausted.
The two lay side by side on the ground, sweat soaking their hair, dripping down their faces. They panted heavily, quietly staring at the sky.
Ning Qingzhi’s anger had subsided, but he felt a bit dejected. His sister had ultimately been “snatched by a wild wolf,” leaving him sour inside. Seeing Ji lying there smiling despite the beating irritated him further.
Suddenly, Ning Qingzhi sprang up like a carp, towering over Ji, gritting his teeth. “Back to the dorm. Confess everything honestly.”
Without looking back, he strode off, hands behind his back, still furious.
Ji Yanming watched his friend’s fast stride and chuckled; clearly, Ning Qingzhi still couldn’t fully accept him. He had to figure out a way to handle it.
He pushed himself up and ran after him.
The onlookers whispered among themselves, puzzled by the two.
“Did they fight? What did Old Ji do to make Old Ning so angry? Worse than stealing his food!”
“I don’t know, they seemed fine when they picked up the package. Just a little while ago… but that fight was satisfying to watch.”
The topic shifted back to the fight, and everyone excitedly discussed and gestured to their teammates. All straight men—no one was thinking in any other direction.
Back in the dorm, the two faced off.
Ning Qingzhi questioned, and Ji Yanming answered honestly, avoiding unnecessary provocations to prevent escalating Ning’s anger.
But Ning Qingzhi didn’t follow a routine; he asked for every detail of how Ji “chose” his sister.
The more he listened, the angrier he became, purely torturing himself.
After hearing it all, Ning Qingzhi pounded his chest, face full of frustration, and shouted to the sky, breaking his voice: “It’s all my fault! I brought a wolf into the house!”
Ji Yanming said nothing, quietly poured a cup of water, and handed it over after Ning’s rant.
“Bro, drink some water first to soothe your throat.”
Ning Qingzhi glared fiercely, grabbed the cup, and snapped, “Don’t call me bro. I’m not your brother.”
“All right, future brother-in-law,” Ji Yanming said obediently, the words crisp.
Ning Qingzhi couldn’t hold back and spat out all the water in his mouth, drenching Ji Yanming.
Ji Yanming didn’t complain, wiping his face with a tissue, but his eyes looked pitifully at Ning Qingzhi, intentionally acting pathetic.
It worked.
Seeing Ji soaked and his face slightly red from earlier hits, Ning Qingzhi felt inexplicably relieved, though he also felt a little guilty.
He couldn’t show it, though—he couldn’t appear weak.
He turned his head proudly, saying, “It’s not my fault. You said it yourself; blame yourself.”
“Yes, it’s my fault. I handed you the water, so it’s all on me,” Ji Yanming said, taking the blame.
“Enough, I feel like I bullied you.”
Ning Qingzhi, annoyed, tugged his hair and raised a threatening fist:
“If you don’t treat my sister right, I’ll beat you. If she sheds even a single tear, my whole family, including Little Grey, won’t let you off.”
Ji Yanming bowed sincerely, looking him in the eye:
“Brother, I’ll make sure Yueyue is happy and can be herself for life. No need for more words—just watch my actions.”
“Hmph. I’ll remember what you said, and I hope you remember what I said today. You irritate me just by being here. I’m leaving.”
He was only temporarily accepting Ji. How he behaved in the future would depend entirely on his sister and Ji’s actions.
