Star Power Upgrade

Jiangbin City, Central Avenue.

Two tall, beautiful girls strolled leisurely down the street, their feet stepping over the uneven stone-paved road. As they walked, they became a dazzling sight, drawing everyone's attention. The number of people turning to look was astonishing.

The girl in the beige trench coat, with her short hair slightly tousled, seemed to be in the dominant position. She said indifferently, "It's fine. What could happen? He eats and sleeps well at my place, trains very hard, and has been performing quite well."

Beside her, the girl in the flowing white dress tidied her long black hair, which had been disheveled by the wind. Her expression was somewhat hesitant. "He..."

"Oh, come on. You can't go three sentences without mentioning him. Did you ask me out to go shopping or not?" Xia Yan tilted her head and looked at Han Jiangxue in displeasure.

"Mm." Han Jiangxue gave a soft hum and closed her mouth.

"Here." Xia Yan slipped one hand into her trench coat pocket and slightly raised her arm, gesturing at Han Jiangxue.

Han Jiangxue rolled her eyes helplessly at Xia Yan, then reached out and linked arms with her.

Beneath Xia Yan's calm exterior was a heart jumping for joy.

Usually, I'm the one shamelessly clinging to your arm. Finally, I've turned the tables!

The corners of Xia Yan's glistening lips curled upward as she sang a song in her heart: We common folk are truly, truly happy.

"I think his condition has been off lately. His training intensity is so high, yet he still has time to play on his phone." The two had walked less than ten steps in silence when Han Jiangxue spoke again.

Xia Yan panicked inside and said, "Oh? Really? I'll check on him when I get back and confiscate his phone so he won't play games. Looks like this kid still isn't tired enough. We need to increase his training intensity a little."

"Mm, that's a pretty good idea." Han Jiangxue nodded in deep agreement.

At the same time, half an hour after Xia Yan had been called out shopping, a black sedan slowly stopped in front of Xia Yan's house.

After the doorbell rang, Zhou Yi came over, looked through the peephole, and hurriedly opened the door.

"Mr. Xia," Zhou Yi said amicably.

"Ah, Little Zhou, is Yan Yan home?" asked the middle-aged man standing outside, whose face had a square shape.

Although Zhou Yi was older than Xia Shanhai, this was simply how the two addressed each other.

"The young lady left half an hour ago. She went shopping with a friend," Zhou Yi replied.

"Mm, I see. How has she been lately?" Xia Shanhai stepped inside, looking quite concerned. "You know, children at this age don't communicate enough with us parents."

"Mr. Xia, the young lady has been in a very good mood lately, and she trains very hard every day. According to her, she's going to train in the Snowfield tomorrow." Zhou Yi praised Xia Yan as she brought Xia Shanhai a pair of slippers.

"Mm, that's good. It's nice that the child has become more sensible." Xia Shanhai walked farther inside and asked, "Has anything changed at home recently?"

"Well..." Zhou Yi hesitated, but still spoke. "A child moved into the house. Miss Xia brought him back seven days ago, but she sent him straight to the basement. He hasn't come out since."

Xia Shanhai was startled. What is going on? Xia Yan threw Jiang Xiaopi into the basement?

He hasn't come out for seven days?

His precious daughter had imprisoned someone else's son?

He had thought his daughter was merely being playful and was planning to "keep a lover hidden away," but he never expected Xia Yan to commit unlawful detention.

Although the Xia couple would absolutely never agree to this marriage—they knew Jiang Xiaopi was no good—he was still the son of a close friend. They couldn't let the child be harmed.

"What happened?" Xia Shanhai asked urgently.

"That child is truly a good one." Zhou Yi was in her fifties and enjoyed gossiping a little. At the thought of Jiang Xiao, her face filled with affection, along with a hint of pity. "He trains in the basement every day. A week ago, Miss even hired that child a private coach. The two of them eat and sleep together down there. I bring them water and food every day. You have no idea—every time I see him, he's drenched in sweat as if he's just taken a bath. That child often has a battered and bruised face, and it breaks my heart."

Xia Shanhai was slightly stunned. Everything happening here seemed completely different from what he had imagined. "Jiang Xiaopi trains in the basement?"

"Yes, Mr. Xia. Would you like to go take a look?" Zhou Yi suggested. "It's almost dinnertime anyway. We can go call them. Sir, you should stay here for dinner too. The sun hasn't set yet. Let the child come out and get some sunlight."

"Let the child come out and get some sunlight."

"Come out and get some sunlight."

"Get some sunlight."

Those words left Xia Shanhai completely bewildered.

"Mm." Xia Shanhai nodded, but he was extremely dissatisfied with the person keeping watch. This informant is useless. He only saw Jiang Xiaopi and Xia Yan come home, but didn't see the private coach enter the house?

How is this person keeping watch? As the basement door lock clicked open, Xia Shanhai stepped inside.

As he walked down the stairs, besides the whooshing sound of the ventilation ducts, Xia Shanhai also heard a series of bangs.

In the distance, the sturdy Lei Jin wore striking pads on both hands and moved forward and back with measured steps, constantly urging Jiang Xiao on while allowing him to strike the pads with his fists and feet.

From time to time, Lei Jin would also counterattack with a few moves.

Wearing protective gear, Jiang Xiao was sweating profusely. His eyes remained fixed on the target before him, filled with determination and fighting spirit.

To see such a gaze on such a youthful face truly made people admire him inwardly.

Zhou Yi, who wanted to let the child see some sunlight, hurriedly interrupted their training. If they waited any longer, the sun really would be going down.

"Xiaopi, stop for a moment," Zhou Yi called out. She gestured toward the person beside her and said, "This is Mr. Xia, Xia Yan's father."

"Huh?" Jiang Xiao froze for a moment as he looked at the tall, stern-faced middle-aged man in the distance. No wonder Xia Yan is so tall. Her father must be nearly one meter ninety, right?

After thinking carefully, Jiang Xiao finally recognized that face from his hazy memories.

The former Jiang Xiaopi had seemingly only met Xia Shanhai a few times. He had seen him once at a gathering between the two families during elementary school. Later, before his parents went out on missions, Jiang Xiaopi would occasionally see Xia Shanhai waiting at the entrance.

However, all of that had happened during elementary school, and it hadn't occurred very often.

"Uncle Xia?" Jiang Xiao hesitated, then called out tentatively.

For a twenty-five-year-old adult, calling a man in his mid-forties "Uncle" was not difficult.

What was more, this was Xia Yan's father. Since Xia Yan treated Jiang Xiao so well, he ought to show some courtesy.

"Hehe, Xiaopi has grown up. It makes me very happy to see you working so hard." Xia Shanhai's stern face softened, and he revealed a gratified smile. "Come on, go upstairs and rest for a while. Uncle really hasn't shown you enough concern over the years. I've been negligent."

Jiang Xiao scratched his head and looked toward Lei Jin.

Unexpectedly, Lei Jin had already removed the striking pads and was striding toward the doorway.

This coach must have been suffocating down here too. When Jiang Xiao walked out of the basement, he happened to see an open window in the corridor. Outside, Lei Jin faced the setting sun with his head raised and arms spread wide, as if embracing nature.

Sunlight really was better than dim yellow light bulbs.

Jiang Xiao walked to the window and followed Lei Jin's figure to gaze toward the distant horizon. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the clouds, dyeing the originally white clouds a beautiful deep red.

As he breathed in the fresh air from outside, a message entered Jiang Xiao's mind.

**Star Power Upgrade! Star Power: Star Dust Stage Lv.3!**