CHAPTER 849: CHAPTER 513: PUTTING OUT FIRES IN THE BACKYARD

Zhao Manying spoke softly, but to Ji Xinghuo, it was like a bolt from the blue. Yet, he controlled himself in an instant, showing no signs of panic, merely slowing his movements and maintaining a composed expression.

"Sister Ren?" Ji Xinghuo asked in surprise, "Man Ying, why would you ask that?"

Damn it!

Who the hell leaked the information?

Ji Xinghuo first suspected Chi Zhonglin. Among his family and friends, only he had contact with Man Ying’s circle, and the guy wasn’t known for keeping secrets.

But how would Chi Zhonglin know about his affair with Sister Ren?

Could it be Jiangnan Caiyi who told him?

Keeping his face calm, Ji Xinghuo’s mind raced like lightning. Sister Ren had mentioned that Jiangnan Caiyi had been to Peach Blossom Valley, where she saw Sister Ren pregnant and could guess the child was his without asking.

Jiangnan Caiyi was also in his second brother’s Hunting Team, likely to disclose this to Chi Zhonglin, who then shared it with Zhao Cangming!

Afterward, Zhao Cangming told his own sister.

A chain of information delivery had formed.

Damn!

Ji Xinghuo cursed silently, fearing today might be the day he loses everything. His mind raced, desperately trying to find a cover-up.

Zhao Manying’s smile remained, no more probing, leaving Ji Xinghuo perplexed.

"I’ve told you about Sister Ren before." Ji Xinghuo explained with a straight face: "She was my team leader when I first arrived in the Star Realm and took good care of me. Later, the team disbanded, and I didn’t go hunting with her again."

Zhao Manying asked, "Really?"

"Really!"

Ji Xinghuo nodded earnestly; indeed, he hadn’t gone hunting with Sister Ren again since he got her pregnant.

"Did you meet up with her afterward?" Zhao Manying asked calmly.

"I did."

Ji Xinghuo admitted frankly, "But only twice." The first time lasted several months, during which she got pregnant, but it could only count as once; the second time was a few days ago, where nothing happened except for a kiss.

"Sister Ren is a teammate, seeing each other is normal, right?" he added with a smile.

"Alas..."

Zhao Manying sighed suddenly.

"What’s the matter?" Ji Xinghuo felt a sense of foreboding.

"After we confirmed our relationship and you returned to Earth from the Star Realm, I knew you had another woman, and guessed it was Sister Ren." Zhao Manying said in a soft voice, her face showing no emotion.

Ji Xinghuo felt as if he had been turned to stone.

He wanted to respond but couldn’t grasp her current mood, fearing he might say the wrong thing and make it impossible to reconcile.

"Never underestimate a Solar Eclipse Ability."

Zhao Manying pointed to her head, "Quantum Mind enables me not to miss any detail nor forget anything. Every experience in my life forms a memory palace in my mind, allowing me to recall the scenes at any moment."

"You’ve mentioned Sister Ren to me seven times, evidently too few."

"And each time, you glossed over most of the incidents she was involved in, intentionally downplaying her presence."

"This is a case of making it obvious that something is being hidden."

"Whenever Sister Ren is mentioned, your expression, pupils, and heartbeat undergo subtle changes, which can’t escape my notice."

She chuckled mysteriously.

"You happened to gift me the True Eye. After merging, I became more confident in my deductions."

Hearing this, Ji Xinghuo fell speechless.

He never underestimated Quantum Mind, knowing Zhao Manying could detect extensive information from subtle cues while interacting with her.

The True Eye significantly enhanced her ability to gather information, though she seldom revealed these observations, instead silently watching without comment.

Damn!

So it wasn’t Jiangnan Caiyi and Chi Zhonglin who let the news slip.

It was myself!

Ji Xinghuo finally understood what it meant to be caught in one’s own trap, hoisted by one’s own petard, having given the True Eye to Man Ying himself.

Then, suspicion crept into his mind.

If Man Ying had known about his other woman all along, why did she endure silently without acting? Even after merging with the True Eye, she volunteered herself and had their first intimate moment at Huashan?

Logically, after confirming with the True Eye, she should have immediately broken up with him.

Yet, she did the opposite, pretending nothing happened.

Could it be?

Ji Xinghuo’s heart ignited with a thread of hope, immediately embodying the role, his face filled with guilt: "Man Ying, it’s me who wronged you."

"You are really bad at acting." Zhao Manying’s eyes seemed amused yet carried a hint of coldness: "If you truly feel sorry for me, just move your hand away."

"No way."

Ji Xinghuo instead hugged her tighter, knowing if he truly let go now, it would be over.

Zhao Manying struggled briefly.

But Ji Xinghuo’s arm didn’t move an inch, like an ant trying to shake a tree, the disparity in strength between them was too great.

Zhao Manying, annoyed, said: "You rogue!"

Upon hearing her scold him, Ji Xinghuo was secretly pleased.

Because she hadn’t used her full strength to break free, otherwise, the sofa beneath them would have been destroyed in the struggle, but it remained intact, indicating she didn’t truly want him to let go.

Women are always saying one thing and meaning another!

She has known about his affair with Sister Ren for almost three years, yet refrained from acting or mentioning a breakup, probably having made up her mind long ago.

Otherwise, she would have kicked him out of bed a few hours ago.

The recent passion brought by a brief separation and the genuine emotions in between were not a facade.

Women are better at acting.

However, his Microscopic Perception wasn’t to be underestimated either; though it couldn’t match Quantum Mind in the speed and volume of information processing, it was equally precise, detailed, and capable of discerning Zhao Manying’s authenticity.