Chapter 97 Subtle Changes
Chapter 97 Subtle Changes
"Sis, what's up so early in the morning?"
Taking the phone, Liu Yiru couldn't help but feel a bit strange. Although their sisterly bond was great, due to their busy careers, they didn't get to meet often throughout the year. Their phone calls were usually in the evenings, so it was unusual for her sister to call in the morning.
"Oh, up so early? Normally, you'd be at the office by now, right? What, addicted to sleeping with your son?" Liu Fengyi didn't respond to her words but teased and laughed instead.
Blushing, Liu Yiru playfully scolded, "Sis, I'm talking about serious matters here, why are you making jokes!"
Laughing, Liu Fengyi remarked, "Oh, now you're even learning to be coy? I remember you haven't been coy with anyone since you turned fifteen. Have you gotten used to being sweet with your son, and now you can't help but be the same with your sister?"
While playfully being coy with her sister was a natural reaction for Liu Yiru, being reminded of it made her pause. Indeed, she rarely acted this way, even in her childhood, and even less so as an adult. However, lately, things seemed to be changing. She realized she had been a bit playful with her son at the school gate recently and now unintentionally used a similar tone with her sister. Could something have changed in her mindset in his presence?
Thinking about this, Liu Yiru stole a glance at her son, still in bed. She noticed him looking at her intently, a hint of adoration in his eyes. Her face flushed again, heart beating faster, but she didn't forget that she was on the phone with her sister. Regaining composure, she asked in a normal tone, "Sis, what's the matter?"
Liu Fengyi's tone grew serious as she said, "Someone from the Wu family has arrived."
"The Wu family?" Liu Yiru was initially puzzled but quickly realized, asking in surprise, "You mean the Wu family of the Martial Alliance?"
"Yes, that's them." Liu Fengyi's tone turned somber. "A member of the Wu family approached me this morning, saying they have some business matters to discuss with our Liu family. The Wu family has been becoming more assertive; this visit may not be friendly. I've managed to stall them. Come over so we can discuss a plan."
"Okay, I'll be right there." Liu Yiru agreed and thought to inform Ye Fei, only to find him already up and dressed neatly.
Surprised, Liu Yiru, with her strong inner power and heightened senses, was astonished that she hadn't noticed her son getting up and dressed beside her. This level of stealth, she realized, might even surpass that of her youngest sister, the most powerful among the sisters.
Following their last experiment, she knew her son possessed immense power, but she hadn't expected him to move so gracefully. She suddenly felt a bit perplexed by the son she had raised for sixteen years, as if there was a mysterious aura around him, tempting her to explore and understand—not as a mother, but as a woman.
Seeing his mother staring at him, Ye Fei checked himself, finding nothing amiss, and asked, "Mom, is everything okay? Am I doing something wrong?"
"Nothing, Mom needs to go out for a bit. Stay home and play with your third sister." Liu Yiru shook her head, dismissing her wandering thoughts. The stronger her son became, the happier she was.
"Mom, I want to go with you." Ye Fei overheard what Liu Fengyi said on the phone. Although he didn't understand the significance of the Wu family or the Martial Alliance, he sensed that the visitors might not be good people.
He understood that with his mother's and aunt's martial skills, and with them being in Wanghai, nothing serious would happen. Yet, he couldn't shake off his worry. His current mindset resembled that of a husband concerned about his wife going out alone.
After a moment of thought, Liu Yiru agreed. Her son was grown now, and it was time for him to experience some of the world's affairs. Just like Ye Fei, she believed that nothing would happen in Wanghai, and even if it did, with his seemingly stronger abilities than her youngest sister, there was nothing to fear.
As it was Sunday and Miss Li didn't come over, Liu Yiru had to drive herself. Ye Fei sat in the passenger seat. He just wanted to be close to his mother. Even with the seats between them, it felt too far.
"Mom, what does the Wu family do exactly?" Walking on the road, Ye Fei wanted to keep gazing at the eternally mesmerizing beauty of his mother's face. Yet, he was also wary of being caught, so he casually asked, giving himself a reason to keep staring at her.
Focused on driving, Liu Yiru didn't notice anything unusual in her son's gaze but was surprised by his question. "How do you know about the Wu family?"
"Auntie mentioned it on the phone," Ye Fei nonchalantly replied.
Liu Yiru felt relieved in her heart. With her son possessing such powerful abilities, it was natural that he wouldn't fail to hear that she wasn't intentionally avoiding him. It seemed he was going along because he was worried about her.
Thinking about this, an unusual sweetness blossomed in Liu Yiru's heart. She felt a comforting joy from her son's concern for her, along with a hint of the exhilaration of being cared for like a little girl.
"The Wu family is one of the two guardian families of the Martial Alliance." Liu Yiru knew that with her son having such abilities, he would inevitably come into contact with martial artists in the future. So, she decided not to hide anything from him.
"Guardian families? That name sounds strange, like something from a martial arts movie," Ye Fei couldn't help but laugh. "And what exactly is the Martial Alliance?"
"Let me start from the beginning with you." Liu Yiru slowed down the car a bit and began to recount what she had heard from her father.
"It was forty years ago when the domestic situation was not very stable. Some martial artists took advantage of the chaos, while other righteous martial artists hesitated to intervene due to the unfavorable conditions at the time.
One day, an unbelievably strong person suddenly appeared. After swiftly dealing with over ten troublemaking martial artists, he sent out a message inviting all martial practitioners in the country to gather at Mount Tai.
Our Liu family was also among those invited, and at that time, your grandfather was in his prime and naturally didn't want to miss such an opportunity, so he went.
According to him, that day the man spoke arrogantly, saying he wanted to set rules for martial artists all over the world. Many martial artists naturally challenged him as they didn't agree, but none could withstand his three moves. However, he was merciful, and all those defeated by him were just knocked down without any injuries.
So, everyone was impressed by him, and later, under his leadership, a martial arts alliance was established, which is what I refer to as the Martial Alliance."
Mother and son spoke, one narrating and the other listening, seemingly no different from usual. However, neither of them noticed that between them, subtle changes were taking place.