Chapter Ten: The Signature

After spending half the morning training in the small grove, Zhao Rui returned home.

Both Zhao Jincheng and his wife worked jobs without weekends, so they had already left for work by then.

Only Zhao Ke, his younger brother, was sprawled on the sofa watching TV.

Zhao Ke was just a high school sophomore, with relatively light academic pressure, and he wasn’t a martial arts student, so he was quite at ease.

“Have you eaten?” Zhao Rui glanced at his brother and asked casually.

“Yeah,” Zhao Ke replied coldly, his tone still indifferent.

Zhao Rui hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat beside him.

Seeing this, Zhao Ke shifted his body away slightly.

Zhao Rui shook his head, speechless. “We’re brothers. Is there anything we can’t talk about? What did I do to upset you?”

“You didn’t,” Zhao Ke said, then grabbed the remote and turned off the TV before heading to his room.

Zhao Rui was momentarily stunned, somewhat amused and exasperated, but too lazy to bother with his younger brother any further.

After all, his mindset was already that of an adult; he simply didn’t have the time or patience to coax a moody teenager.

The responsibility of raising children was better left to their parents.

After a quick shower in the bathroom and changing clothes, Zhao Rui grabbed a small backpack, hopped on his geared bicycle, and left home.

Inside the room, Zhao Ke drew the curtains and watched Zhao Rui’s departing figure, his gaze growing colder.

He pulled out an old, battered phone and dialed a number.

“Can you make the medicine any cheaper?”

“Five thousand. That’s the most I can go down to.”

“Alright, I’ll find a way to gather it as soon as possible!”

After hanging up, Zhao Ke panted heavily, clenching his fists tightly. His eyes narrowed slightly as he whispered, “I can practice martial arts too. Why is it only you who can make it?”

…

At Wutongli Street, the largest commercial building in Lin City, the crowd was already bustling and noisy.

Outside the entrance, a dense mass of people held up various signs, some printed with photos, others with names.

Among the dazzling colors, one name was unified and repeated: Sun Boran.

This rising superstar, a remarkable amphibious talent, excelled both in singing and acting.

Especially notable was his extraordinary skill as a newly minted martial artist—a level of mastery far beyond those effeminate male internet celebrities who relied on good looks alone.

“Sun Boran! Sun Boran!”

Even before noon, the mall entrance was packed.

Zhao Rui looked at the swarming crowd with a hint of envy.

Look at them—both martial artists.

The difference in earning power was truly worlds apart.

He didn’t believe that having a secret edge guaranteed reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, and even if he did, he knew he still couldn’t escape the bindings of fame and fortune.

Greedy and lustful—he never shied away from that.

Practicing martial arts to strengthen the body was not a contradiction; it was both his nature and pursuit.

Just as he was admiring the array of youthful girls in short skirts within the crowd, his phone rang.

“Hey, where are you?” It was Bai Xuening calling.

“I’m at the building entrance,” Zhao Rui replied.

“Come back, head over to the nearby Star River City…” Bai Xuening instructed.

Hearing this, Zhao Rui turned his bike around and headed toward the destination she mentioned.

Five or six minutes later, Zhao Rui spotted Bai Xuening fiddling with her phone under an apartment building in Star River City.

“Let’s go, he’s upstairs!” Bai Xuening smiled brightly upon seeing him.

“Upstairs?”

“Where else? You think he’s in a hotel?”

“Alright!” Zhao Rui didn’t know much about celebrities and didn’t ask further. He followed her inside.

After navigating a few turns, they stopped in front of a residential door.

Bai Xuening knocked.

Moments later, the door opened to reveal a fierce-looking man with a scruffy beard.

“I’m Bai Xuening. I have an appointment with Sun Boran,” she said with a warm smile, her youthful expression like a blossoming spring flower, full of warmth and gentleness.

The man glanced behind her before opening the door wider. “Come in.”

Bai Xuening made a playful face at Zhao Rui and stepped inside.

He followed closely.

“Xuening, you’re here! Long time no see, you’ve grown even more beautiful!” a cheerful young man’s voice greeted as Zhao Rui entered.

“Senior Brother Ran, it really has been a while! You’ve become a big star!” Bai Xuening grinned, trying to reconcile this handsome young man with her memory of Senior Brother Ran.

“What star? If I could continue training with the sect, I wouldn’t be a star,” Sun Boran replied modestly.

“Hehe, you’re too humble. By the way, Senior Brother, this is a good friend of mine I told you about—he’s Zhao Rui!” Bai Xuening introduced without forgetting.

They had arranged this beforehand; otherwise, Sun Boran wouldn’t have let him in.

“Hello, handsome!” Sun Boran greeted Zhao Rui warmly and kindly.

“Hello, Brother Sun,” Zhao Rui smiled in return.

“Have a seat. We can talk for about half an hour,” Sun Boran said, glancing at his watch.

“All right, all right!” Bai Xuening took five notebooks from her bag and handed them over.

“No time to waste, let’s get down to business!”

Sun Boran: …

Zhao Rui: …

“You really go straight for the freebies!” Sun Boran laughed quietly as he signed his name on the first page of each notebook.

“Brother Sun, I brought some too!” Zhao Rui shamelessly pulled out two photos of Sun Boran from his filmography and handed them over.

“Ha! Sure!” Sun Boran was remarkably approachable, showing no trace of celebrity airs.

“How’s our master uncle lately?” After signing, Sun Boran chatted casually with Bai Xuening.

Since Zhao Rui was present, their conversation remained simple and ordinary.

Occasionally, Zhao Rui was mentioned briefly, to which he responded casually.

After about twenty minutes, Bai Xuening stood up to leave.

“Come visit me in the capital sometime!”

“Okay, Senior Brother Ran!”

Bai Xuening smiled and agreed, then led Zhao Rui out of the apartment building.

Outside, Zhao Rui unlocked his bike and patted the seat. “Want a ride?”

Bai Xuening shook her head. “No, I still have to see my master.”

“All right. Thanks for the invite. It was great to see a big star up close!”

Zhao Rui shook his backpack, now containing two rare autographs.

“You’re welcome!” Bai Xuening smiled softly, waved goodbye, and walked toward the east side of the building.

Zhao Rui shrugged, hopped on his bike, and left.

Shortly after he left, a red sedan slowly pulled out.

In the driver’s seat was none other than Bai Xuening herself, who had just turned and walked away.