I rely on unlimited life extension

Seeing this, Mark continued, "You were the best man when Tianye and I got married! It was such a lively and joyous occasion. Later, when Mali was born, the first person I thought of was you to be her godfather. That's how close we are."

Even after my divorce from Tianye, a major event, I didn't hide anything from you; I told you everything. In our family, we share everything, big or small, with you. Isn't that what brotherly love is like?

As Zhao Ling listened to Mark's words, images of the group's journey over the years involuntarily surfaced in his mind—laughter, tears, arguments, and embraces intertwined, playing out before his eyes like a movie.

A wave of emotion washed over him, a sigh for the passage of time and for the complex and profound bond between them. At the same time, a pang of guilt welled up within him, a sense that his unrequited love for Tianye was somewhat unfair to his brother.

Mark continued his incessant chatter, his mouth like a faucet that couldn't be turned off: "What a pity, Old Zhao, all these years, you've really been a strange person. You've never asked me for anything, not even once. But today, hehe, things are different!"

Zhao Ling frowned slightly, looking puzzled, his eyes filled with curiosity. He then asked, "What's different? Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me."

Upon hearing this, Mark, without saying a word, tilted his head back, gulped down the wine in his glass, wiped his mouth, and said with a hint of smugness, "Your golden body isn't stable anymore!"

Zhao Ling looked completely bewildered, clearly not understanding what Mark meant.

Seeing this, Mark continued excitedly, "Your invincible spirit, which never wavers when it comes to women, has a flaw now! You have a woman you like, haha."

This is the biggest joke I've heard since my divorce, it's hilarious! I have to call Tianye right now and tell her the news.

As he spoke, he reached for the table next to him, grabbed his phone, and swiped his fingers across the screen as if to make a call.

This startled Zhao Ling greatly. His expression changed, and he hurriedly reached out to press Mark's hand down, his voice trembling: "Mark, no! Don't hit him! This is still far from settled, so please don't tell Tian Ye!"

Mark laughed even harder, his smile blooming like a flower: "No way, something this funny has to be shared with her. I can already picture her laughing at you on the other end of the phone, it'll be hilarious."

Zhao Ling blushed with anxiety and quickly reached out to grab Mark's phone.

Mark was prepared. He dodged and switched the phone to his other hand, waving it at Zhao Ling and raising his eyebrows, saying, "Look at you, still saying it's not even close to happening."

Judging from your current anxious, panicked state, I bet you've been eyeing that girl for ages. Stop hiding it and just tell the truth.

Zhao Ling plopped down in a chair, his face as dark as the sky before a storm. He said irritably, "You're forty years old, why are you still acting like a kid? Can't you be more mature?"

Mark, however, seemed oblivious. Slightly drunk, he grinned and chuckled incessantly, the sound echoing in the room and sounding rather jarring.

Seeing this, Zhao Ling sighed helplessly and waved his hand: "Alright, alright, stop laughing. Just say what you want to say. What exactly do you want?"

Mark let out a loud burp, the smell of alcohol filling the air.

He straightened his body, which had been slumped in the chair, with a strange light in his eyes, and said slowly, "For so many years, I've always been the one begging you for favors. Today, hehe, it's your turn to beg me."

Zhao Ling was stunned. His eyes widened as he stared in astonishment at Mark's drunken state, his mind filled with doubt: "What do you mean by that? I don't have anything to ask of you."

Mark held up his index finger and waved it in front of Zhao Ling, the finger swaying like a branch in the wind. He said with a hint of smugness, "Stop pretending, buddy. Let me tell you, Zhao, today I'm keeping an eye on you."

"Let me ask you this: do you know how to pursue women? Hey, don't use those overused, tired tricks, or I'll really laugh at you."

Mark paused, cleared his throat, and continued, "Eating out, shopping, watching movies—these are all old tricks used to lure naive young girls. They're so outdated."

Not to mention things like sending 999 roses or a huge diamond ring. These things might be useful to ordinary young girls, but for women who have truly weathered life's storms and experienced countless trials, they mean absolutely nothing.

Mark became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, leaning slightly forward and staring intently at Zhao Ling: "I bet you, the woman you've set your sights on isn't just any ordinary woman; she must be the kind of woman with whom you have a profound spiritual connection. Do you know what methods you would use to make such a woman completely accept you?"

Zhao Ling was speechless. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively asked, "You know?"

Mark snorted heavily, a hint of drunken arrogance in his eyes, and glanced sideways at Zhao Ling, saying, "Do you know where I'm better than you?"

Zhao Ling snorted defiantly, his face full of disdain: "Stronger than me? I really didn't see that coming."

Mark adopted a roguish air, shaking his head as he said, "I have 16 years of experience fighting wits and courage with the fields, and the emotional experiences I've accumulated are invaluable."

He paused, leaned back slightly, and continued, "Of course, if I were facing those short-sighted, romantic, and materialistic young girls these days, I probably wouldn't be that great."

As Mark spoke, his eyes suddenly turned to Zhao Ling, his gaze sharpening: "But Zhao Ling, do you think I don't know you? You have very high standards. How could these little girls possibly catch your eye?"

Zhao Ling snorted again without saying a word, but the slight look of satisfaction on his face clearly told others that Mark was right.

Seeing this, Mark chuckled, revealing two slightly yellowed teeth: "So, the only woman you can choose must be at Tianye's level."

Zhao Ling suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He frowned and said in a serious tone, "Can you stop using Tian Ye as an example? She's your ex-wife, after all."

Mark glanced at him dismissively, his eyes full of contempt: "Nonsense, if I don't use her as an example, who else would I use? In my heart, in my life, she is the best woman."

"Otherwise, would I choose her to have two children for me and be their mother?" Mark became more and more agitated as he spoke, leaning forward and tapping his fingers hard on the table.

"Besides, did I wrong you by using Tian Ye as an example? Put your hand on your heart and tell me, a woman like Tian Ye is highly educated, has a high level of knowledge and a high level of thinking, and doesn't look down on men who are poor. She doesn't blindly pursue money. Using a woman like that as an example is an insult to you?"

Zhao Ling reluctantly begged for mercy, saying in agreement with Mark, "Yes, yes, I'm not wronged, I really am not wronged, okay? Tian Ye is the best woman in the world, is that alright?"

After saying that, he seemed to suddenly remember something and changed the subject, "Then why did you still divorce her?"

Mark seemed to have been struck hard, his whole body stunned, his eyes becoming empty, and he remained silent for a long time. The wine glass he had been playing with in his hand was slowly put down, as if he were lost in deep memories.

Seeing this, Zhao Ling felt a pang of regret and guilt, and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Lao Ma, I was really out of my mind and said the wrong thing. I'll punish myself with a drink."

As he spoke, he picked up the wine jug and poured himself a full glass of wine, which swirled in the glass, shimmering in the lamplight. He tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp, the liquid dripping down his chin without him bothering to wipe it away.

Mark sighed deeply, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and slowly said, "Even now, in my heart, she is still the best daughter-in-law and the best mother. She is like the brightest star, illuminating my life."

Mark paused, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "But I can't imprison her like a bird because of marriage, family, and children. I love her, so the only thing I can do now is to give her her freedom. As for what happens next, only time will tell."

Zhao Ling quietly watched Mark's pained and helpless expression, his heart filled with mixed feelings and contradictions.

He felt a surge of power coursing through his body, and he longed to stand up immediately and tell Mark, without hesitation, that he had always deeply loved Tianye, and that this love burned like a fire in his heart.

But the words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back. He was afraid that if he spoke, he would lose Mark, his brother like a limb; this fear gripped his heart like a giant hand.

Zhao Ling's lips moved several times, as if a thousand words were lingering on his lips, but in the end he didn't say anything.

Just then, Mark seemed to snap out of his thoughts, slapped his forehead, and said, "Hey, wait a minute, how did we end up talking about me? We were talking about you! Let me tell you, don't try to change the subject."

Mark swayed, his eyes filled with a stubbornness tinged with drunkenness: "You'd better beg me right now. I'm telling you, if you don't beg me, I absolutely won't help you. I'll just watch you grow old alone, hmph!"

Looking at Mark's drunken state, Zhao Ling couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Are you so sure that I can't catch up with him without your help?"

Mark's lips curled into a confident smile: "Old Zhao, I'll just ask you one question: what's your plan for pursuing the woman you like?"

Zhao Ling was stunned for a moment, then retorted defiantly, "What? You have it?"

Mark squinted and smiled smugly, a smile that conveyed a sense of certainty: "Hehe, to be honest, I really do have one."

Zhao Ling looked on in astonishment, his eyes wide: "You don't even know who the woman in my heart is, you don't even know what she looks like, yet you dare to say you have a way to pursue her? Don't brag."

Mark looked at Zhao Ling with a chuckle, his gaze like that of someone looking at an ignorant child: "I don't need to know those things. You should know that women at this level are essentially the same."

"If I know how to pursue Tianye, I can apply that same logic to pursue women like them. That's called seeing the big picture from a small detail, or getting a glimpse of the whole picture from a small part. Do you understand?"

After listening to Mark's words and thinking about them carefully, Zhao Ling felt that they actually made some sense. He was slightly tempted and tentatively said, "Then why don't you tell me first?"

Mark grinned, a hint of slyness in his eyes: "You expect me to help you without even asking? Dream on! I'm going home."

As he spoke, he staggered to his feet and walked unsteadily toward the corner of the wall, looking just like a drunken cat staggering about.

Seeing his state, Zhao Ling was really worried and quickly grabbed him, saying, "Alright, let's go, I'll take you."

The two sat in the car, the small space filled with a somber atmosphere.

Mark mumbled groggily, "Zhao Ling, I'm divorced."

Zhao Ling glanced at him sideways and casually replied, "You already said that."

Mark mumbled through his mouth, "I feel terrible."

Zhao Ling didn't reply, but a hint of reluctance appeared on his gloomy face. He drove silently, his thoughts drifting away.

After a while, Mark's voice rang out, tinged with a hint of melancholy: "Zhao Ling, my wish cannot be fulfilled."

Zhao Ling was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Your wish? How come I don't know? What is your wish?"

Mark mumbled incoherently, "I just hope that one day, I'll bring my wife and kids, and you'll bring yours, and our two families will go to the grasslands, to the seaside..."

As he spoke, his voice gradually lowered, as if he were immersed in beautiful dreams.

Suddenly, with his eyes closed, he abruptly straightened up, a movement so swift it startled Zhao Ling. Mark shouted, "Zhao Ling, what is your wish?"

Zhao Ling turned his head and saw that Mark had slumped back down again, and couldn't help but chuckle.

He sighed softly, looked into the distance, and said in a low voice, "My wish is to have both love and brotherhood."

The voice, though soft, carried boundless determination and longing.

System notification: Punisher, you have received a random mission: Balance loyalty and righteousness, help Zhao Ling fulfill his wish to marry Tian Ye with your blessing. You will receive a mysterious reward.

Holy crap, I did it! All that drinking and chatting all night was just to get a mission, right?

But why does this task feel like it's cheating on me?

Forget it, whatever, for the mission reward, I have to get green! There's an old saying, "To get through life, you have to wear a little green on your head."