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Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Stunning
Before they knew it, it was already the thirty-first.
After lunch, Han Jiaojiao began rummaging through her large wardrobe.
Dresses, oh, dresses—she had many beautiful ones bought by her mom, her dad, her brother; everyone treated her like a little princess and dressed her up accordingly, she never lacked for dresses of any kind.
But after trying several, she was not satisfied; either the dress was too short, or the back was too exposed. Wearing such to a banquet, her brother would probably kill her.
While Han Jiaojiao was still struggling to choose, Han Yi was already dressed neatly. The classic pairing of a white shirt and black suit made the lines of his suit look sharp and his figure tall and graceful, his handsome face with slightly pursed lips, exuded a calm, restrained artistic flair, yet his movements were decisive and powerful, showing a stern and aloof demeanor.
Han Jiaojiao felt as if a surging wave crashed hard against her heart, making a loud bang, and the big splash continued to resonate within her.
For a moment, she was stupefied, and it took her quite a while to regain her senses, smiling and saying, "Brother, you look really handsome."
Han Yi smiled as he walked over, one arm around her waist and the other hand clasping the back of her head, and bent down to kiss her intensely. After the kiss ended, both of their breathings had become heated. Han Jiaojiao stopped him, "Brother, help me choose a dress."
Han Yi picked a black chiffon dress for Han Jiaojiao, with an elegant off-the-shoulder design and a tightly cinched waist. The skirt, slightly flared and layered, trailed off mistily, creating a beautiful, flowing curve that exposed her pair of clean, delicate legs.
Black was a safe color at parties, yet it could also seem dull, typically chosen by older women. But Han Jiaojiao brought out a fresh, playful taste in that dress, her fair, delicate skin glimmering like jade against the black chiffon.
Han Yi’s eyes darkened, feeling a tightness in his lower abdomen, but there was no time for him to "perform" now, so he had to let it go...
He took out a set of pearl jewelry from his space, carefully adorning Han Jiaojiao with it, making only slight embellishments, which immediately added a more lively and adorable quality to her aura.
Such a well-behaved darling.
Han Yi couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her tender, jelly-like lips, their love deep and lingering.
When the two went downstairs, as Han Yi led Han Jiaojiao down the staircase, everyone below paused for a moment, and after a few seconds of silence, a cheeky whistle sounded, and Yan Xiao joked, "Nice battle gear, couple’s outfits?"
Han Jiaojiao, taken aback for a moment, quickly realized, she and her brother were both in black dresses. With a hint of pride, she said, "My brother helped me pick this outfit."
Yan Xiao gave them a thumbs up in appreciation.
Lu Changyuan, with a seemingly obscure smile, said, "I think, the one who might be tipping over the vinegar jar tonight might not necessarily be Jiaojiao."
Hearing this, the others began to imagine... then laughed in unison, very in sync.
Xiao Jian had already driven the car to the doorstep. The car, just washed, shone like new. He led a young man into the house, saying, "Brother Han, this is Xiaoliang. He and I will drive you all today."
The man known as Xiaoliang, with a shy smile on his face, called out, "Brother Han, ah... Miss, hello."
Yan Xiao slaps his head playfully and laughs, "You should call her sister-in-law!"
Han Jiaojiao’s face turned completely red!
Embarrassed, Xiaoliang chuckled and, following Yan Xiao’s lead, called out, "Hello, sister-in-law."
Han Jiaojiao felt her face burning hot, oh god... she really wanted to find a hole to crawl into...
Han Yi, with his usual expression, nodded slightly, then holding Han Jiaojiao’s hand, they walked leisurely out of the house and into the car.
The drive took only a few minutes to reach the destination. The dinner was held within the military district, where soldiers guarded the entrance and exit. Xiao Jian handed out the invitations from the car window, and the metallic retractable gate slowly drew back, allowing unobstructed passage.
Although it was called a dinner, it actually started at five o’clock. Han Yi and Han Jiaojiao intentionally arrived early, planning to make a brief appearance and then leave. This trip was made merely to avoid too stiff a confrontation with Ji Huajun’s side; it wasn’t worth it, as there was no need for them to clash head-on with the military base at this time.
Even though it was not yet night, many people had already arrived at the dinner.
Perhaps it was because, in the apocalyptic world, everyone was panicked and desperate, and appreciating a grand dinner was something people looked forward to. Sometimes, the more devastated and sorrowful the times, the more people needed endless nights of revelry to numb themselves, sinking into the false prosperity they had created, unwilling to wake up.
Almost as soon as Han Yi and Han Jiaojiao entered, they immediately attracted everyone’s attention. The man was strikingly handsome, and the woman was charmingly petite; together they were a pleasing sight to behold.
Zhan Rong walked over with a smile, "Han Yi! I almost thought you weren’t coming today. It’s not easy to have you here."
Han Yi slightly nodded, "General Ji personally invited me; how could I refuse? However, today happens to be my sister’s birthday, so I can’t stay long. I hope for your understanding."
Zhan Rong turned to Han Jiaojiao and congratulated, "I was remiss, happy birthday to Miss Han."
"Thank you," Han Jiaojiao smiled and nodded slightly.
"The old general is just behind there. Since you can’t stay long, why not meet him now?" Zhan Rong looked at Han Yi, suggesting tentatively.
Han Yi smiled faintly, "I shall obey."
Zhan Rong led Han Yi and Han Jiaojiao toward the inside of the venue, when suddenly someone cut in front, sneering, "Yo! — isn’t that Han Yi? Aren’t you the guy who can’t be seen even with three or four invitations? How come you have the time to show up today?"
Han Jiaojiao looked up and saw it was Han Rui. However, his presence here was normal; even if Han Chenfeng was not outstanding, the Han Family still had some reputation.
Han Yi frowned disapprovingly.
Fearing that Han Rui might cause trouble, Zhan Rong blocked in front, "...I was just about to take Han Yi to see Old Ji," hoping that mentioning Old Ji’s name might make Han Rui restrain himself.
Han Rui showed no intention of stepping down gracefully. He scoffed sarcastically, "Han Yi? Isn’t Lieutenant Colonel Zhan missing a word? You should call him Han, Yi, Junior! Otherwise, if you call me Han Yi and him Han Yi, it would be confusing, wouldn’t it?"
Zhan Rong choked up for a moment, then turned with an ugly expression to Han Yi, "He’s drunk. Let’s go see the old general first."
Han Yi, with a cold face, glanced at Han Rui. He did not want to entangle himself with such a person and simply chose to ignore him, saying to Zhan Rong, "Let’s go."
A fierce look flashed across Han Rui’s face as he stepped diagonally to block their path, almost gritting his teeth, "What? Just because you have MAX Ability, you don’t consider me worth noticing? Han Yi, don’t be so proud! You’re not the only MAX in this world, did you not know that Old Ji has invited someone from Yunan? Ha... You must have known, and you’re worried Old Ji might favor him, so you specifically came to suck up, right? What’s the matter? Did you put on too grand a show before, and now you can’t handle it?..."
Han Rui hadn’t finished speaking when his face suddenly stiffened, and then he was inexplicably lifted into the air! Not too high or too low, merely half a palm above the ground, yet no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t reach the ground.
Shortly after, Han Rui’s face had already turned red from suffocation, veins bulging, his throat tightly clenched by spiritual power, only allowing him to make difficult groaning sounds.
Zhan Rong was horrified; he had not expected Han Yi to act so swiftly or that his spiritual power had reached such an accomplished level. Seeing Han Rui’s increasingly severe lack of oxygen, he hastily spoke up, "...Han Yi, with people coming and going, you see..."
Han Yi’s face showed a faint smile as he withdrew his spiritual power. Han Rui stumbled and collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily.
"I really dislike hearing dogs bark." Han Yi cast a cold glance at Han Rui and nonchalantly continued walking forward with Han Jiaojiao.
Zhan Rong signaled to both sides, and immediately a few men in military uniforms rushed over and swiftly carried Han Rui off the ground.
