Chapter 3: The Family in the Real World
After about 20 minutes in the bathroom, they emerged naked and went to the adjacent room.
The room was a walk-in closet with three sets of clothes: one male and two female.
Liu Anwei went to one of the female sections and started picking out clothes to wear. Meanwhile, Xu Qianghua quickly dressed in a white T-shirt and black denim pants.
Once dressed, he looked at himself in a full-length mirror. He was handsome, with thick, lustrous black hair falling in natural waves, styled neatly to frame his face. His eyes were deep and pure black, seeming to draw one into an abyss or starlit sky. With fair complexion and a youthful glow, standing at 6'1" tall, Xu Qianghua possessed a perfect, well-proportioned figure that exemplified health and attractiveness without excessive muscle mass. He had a toned physique from his dedication to fitness and his involvement in the college martial arts club.
'Still as handsome as always, but it will improve as my cultivation level increases,' Xu Qianghua thought to himself.
Narcissistically, Xu Qianghua kept looking at the mirror, rubbing his chin. Slowly, a smile appeared on his face.
"Why are you taking so long to finish, Brother Qiang?" Liu Anwei's voice brought him back.
COUGH
Xu Qianghua looked at Liu Anwei, who stood 5'7" tall, wearing a white T-shirt that highlighted her amazing figure, blue denim jeans, and matching blue earrings. Her long hair was tied up in a high ponytail, giving her a heroic look.
"Huh, sorry, I was just thinking about something, An'an," Xu Qianghua said with a cough, finding an excuse.
"Okay, let's go down," said Xu Qianghua, walking out before Liu Anwei could react.
"Ah, oh," she replied, surprised by the sudden change. She took a moment to react and then followed him.
Both of them left the main bedroom, which was on the second floor, and went downstairs to the dining room.
When they arrived, they saw a beautiful woman with long, flowing black hair, left loose without any styling, warm, gentle brown eyes that radiate compassion, smooth skin with a natural glow reflecting her inner warmth, 5'10" tall, and possessing a curvy figure with long legs and a comforting presence.
She wore a sharp black pantsuit that made her look both powerful and sexy, the fitted jacket and trousers highlighting her commanding presence and at the same time made people not want to look away.
"Ara, are you guys finally up? I thought I would have to come up there to check on you," the lady said in a seductive yet motherly tone.
"Hey, Sister Meiying, good morning," greeted Xu Qianghua as he sat down at the table.
"Good morning, Mom," followed Liu Anwei.
"Good morning to you too," responded the lady as she set the last of the dishes she had prepared for the three of them and then joined them.
"Sister Meiying, why can't you leave this kind of work to the maids?" questioned Xu Qianghua, seeing the dishes she had made.
"Yeah, Mom, you have to work after this, but you still make us breakfast early in the morning," echoed Liu Anwei.
"Ara, but I love to make you guys food. It makes me feel fulfilled," responded the lady.
Suddenly, she covered her face with both hands and started to shake.
In a choked and aggrieved voice, she said, "Why, do you not like my cooking?"
"NO, no, it's not like that, (Mom) Sister Meiying," said Xu Qianghua and Liu Anwei at the same time when they saw her reaction.
"Hahahaha, I was joking with you guys," said the lady, smiling triumphantly at her successful mischief.
"That was not funny, Sister Meiying," said Xu Qianghua, realizing she had duped them.
"Ara, Qiangqiang, but I'm not lying," said the lady. "Other than this, there is only one thing I like more," she continued.
"Isn't that right, Qiangqiang?" she asked, looking at Xu Qianghua with a predatory gaze. Licking her lips, she continued, "But I don't get a lot of time for that because I'm either busy with work or you're not here."
"But that was the past. Now that you have graduated and are going to be living with us full-time, I can enjoy what I love more than cooking," she explained, moving closer to Xu Qianghua.
Xu Qianghua shivered under her gaze, not with fear but with excitement, as he knew what kind of enjoyment she was talking about.
Cough Cough
"Mom, that's enough. You can do that after you get back from work," interrupted Liu Anwei, not wanting to continue with this topic.
"Ara, Weiwei, are you perhaps jealous?" asked the lady, emphasizing the last word.
"N-no, of course not, Mother," stuttered Liu Anwei, avoiding eye contact.
"Okay, An'an and Sister Meiying, you don't have much time, so eat up," interrupted Xu Qianghua, urging them to hurry.
"Qiangqiang is right, we have to hurry," echoed the lady, looking at the ancient clock near the entrance to the dining room.
Then everyone started eating the food on the table.
As Xu Qianghua was eating, he looked up at the lady and started recalling events from his past life.
'She is Liu Meiying, Liu Anwei's adopted mother and the President of Xu Group. She entered our lives shortly after my parents went public. Starting as my mother's secretary when she was the Vice President, my mother quickly recognized her talent for managing the company. Taking a gamble, my mother handed her position over to Sister Meiying.
Initially, the board and employees opposed this decision, but Sister Meiying's skills soon silenced them. She became a close family friend, frequently visiting our home.
After my parents' death, she took over the company until I was able to, as specified in their will to ensure the company stayed within the family. In my past life, she didn't play the game before it merged with the real world because she was busy managing the company and fending off shareholders who wanted to take over and push us out.
Xu Group was the company Xu Qianghua's parents spent their entire lives building before they died when he was 19. It was reported as a plane crash, but everyone who knew the reason for the trip knew it wasn't an accident.
Anyway, the past is the past. What matters now is that I came back to help Sister Meiying fight against the shareholders. But Immortal Odyssey: Paths of Destiny is about to merge with the real world.
Now that I'm back, even if I didn't want to, I will make sure these two people who mean everything to me play the game that's going online in about a month.'
Just as Xu Qianghua was planning for the future, he heard Sister Meiying's terminal device beep with a notification. At first, she was going to ignore it, but when she saw the recipient, she opened it and read the contents.
After reading it, she sighed and rubbed her temples in slight frustration.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone