Nalan Yanran's Different Side

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Didn't they say making the Top Ten was enough?" Yun Yun's delicate hand gently caressed Chen Mo's face. She clearly attributed his determination to herself—he only wanted to stand up for her and prove to everyone that she had good judgment in choosing people.

Yun Yun removed her clothes. With the groundwork laid the night before, she was already much more familiar with it now. Though there was still a blush on her face, it was no longer as vivid as it had been the previous night.

Chen Mo had a very sweet dream, one whose contents could not be shared with outsiders.

The next day.

Chen Mo slowly woke up and stretched lazily with sleepy eyes.

Then he suddenly realized that his waist no longer hurt, his legs were no longer sore, and he felt rather energized. Even his cultivation had improved somewhat, leaving him in roughly the same state as when he had awakened the day before yesterday.

Chen Mo took a sharp sniff.

Sure enough, one or two lingering fragrances remained on the bedding.

One of them was the same fragrance as before, but who did the other one belong to?

"Junior Brother, you're awake."

Suddenly, the doors to the Side Hall were pushed open, and Nalan Yanran walked in with a jade bowl in hand, her steps light and graceful.

As her lovely figure drew near, a fragrant breeze even stronger than Yun Yun's scent washed over him.

It was precisely the other lingering fragrance on the bedding.

"Junior Brother, this is the All-Nourishing Soup I personally prepared for you. Drink it while it's hot."

Under Chen Mo's astonished gaze, Nalan Yanran sat beside the bed. She scooped up a spoonful with a jade spoon, gently blew on it by her lips, and only brought it to Chen Mo's mouth once she felt the temperature was right.

It looked like she intended to feed him herself.

Chen Mo stared in shock. What was this supposed to mean? Since when had they become this close?

Besides, as far as Chen Mo could remember, no one had fed him since he was three years old. The sort of thing he saw online, where a girlfriend personally fed her boyfriend medicine or meals, had never happened to him either.

Thus, this sudden scene left Chen Mo at a loss.

What was wrong with this girl?

When Chen Mo said nothing, Nalan Yanran assumed he had agreed. She directly put the spoon into his mouth and poured the soup in.

"Cough!" She had been so gentle just moments ago, but now she was so rough. Chen Mo choked and spat the mouthful out, splashing soup all over Nalan Yanran's robe.

"Sorry, sorry. I've never fed anyone before. Are you alright?"

Nalan Yanran did not care in the slightest about the soup staining her robe. Instead, she took out a Handkerchief from her Storage Ring and nervously wiped Chen Mo's mouth.

Chen Mo was completely stunned.

Was this really the Nalan Yanran he knew?

Or had she always been like this, and he simply had not spent enough time with her to notice?

Her snow-white jade hand extended before him, holding the Handkerchief as she wiped at his lips, giving Chen Mo an impulse to bite it.

"Do you still want to drink the soup?" Nalan Yanran asked softly.

"I'll do it myself." Chen Mo took the jade bowl from Nalan Yanran's hand. Looking at her soup-stained robe, he immediately said, "Senior Sister, sorry for getting your clothes dirty. Go change first."

"Ah?" Nalan Yanran's face reddened. Only then did she remember her stained robe, and she hurriedly left the Side Hall.

Not long afterward, Nalan Yanran returned in a light azure long dress. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and her lovely face was free of makeup, yet exquisitely beautiful and unworldly.

Her expression was no longer as cold as before, carrying instead a trace of shy sweetness.

As Chen Mo drank his soup, he found himself staring at her in a daze.

If Yun Yun was the girl-next-door older sister type,

then Nalan Yanran was the pure and innocent maiden type.

If Chen Mo had to choose—

Pah.

Only children chose.

If he had the chance, Chen Mo wanted them all.

Seeing Chen Mo's slightly dazed gaze, Nalan Yanran secretly rejoiced and sat down some distance away from him.

While changing clothes earlier, Nalan Yanran had thought carefully about it. She seemed to have been too proactive just now, without even a hint of a girl's reservedness.

To keep Chen Mo from misunderstanding, Nalan Yanran felt it would be better to take things step by step.

After a while, seeing Chen Mo finish the soup in the bowl, Nalan Yanran quickly asked, "How does it taste?"

"Very good." Chen Mo spoke truthfully. He set the jade bowl aside and was about to ask why the bedding smelled like her. After thinking it over, however, he felt the topic was too frivolous and instead asked, "Where's Teacher?"

"Teacher is discussing something with Elder Gu He," Nalan Yanran said. "Oh, right."

Suddenly, Nalan Yanran took out a large stack of Name Cards from her Storage Ring, stood up, and walked over.

"These are the Name Cards various factions have sent you."

"This one is from the Mite'er Family. Their family's trading association is spread across nearly the entire Jia Ma Empire."

"This one is from the Royal Family."

"This one is from Elder Gu He. It also comes with an Alchemy Manual for Fifth-Grade Pills. You can choose one Fifth-Grade Pill from it, then personally go see Elder Gu He once you've made your choice..."

Nalan Yanran introduced each Name Card to Chen Mo one by one, explaining clearly who had sent them, which ones he could accept, what benefits accepting them would bring, and what he would have to give in return.

Chen Mo understood perfectly. This was the benefit brought by strength. When one was powerful enough, major forces would naturally come to recruit them.

Even if they could not recruit him, forming a good relationship would not hurt.

"Also, this Storage Ring was given to you personally by the Great Elder. It contains your reward for taking first place in this competition, along with additional cultivation resources from the Great Elder."

Nalan Yanran handed Chen Mo an ancient-looking Black Ring.

After Chen Mo bound it to himself, a thought flashed through his mind.

Holy shit, this is incredible. It's full of high-grade fire- and lightning-attributed herbs and pills. The Great Elder is damn generous.

His consciousness returned to the outside world. Seeing that Nalan Yanran still held a black Gilded Name Card, Chen Mo asked, "Whose is that?"

"Th-this is from my father. He wants to know when you'll have time. He'd like to invite you to our home as a guest."

Nalan Yanran knew what her father was thinking, so when Chen Mo asked, she felt somewhat flustered.

"As a guest?" Chen Mo replied, "I'm free anytime."

The Nalan Family seemed to be in the Imperial Capital of the Jia Ma Empire. Chen Mo had been meaning to go have a look around anyway.

And show off a little while he was at it.

He must have gained some fame in the Jia Ma Empire by now. If he did not show off, wouldn't that be a waste?

Hearing Chen Mo's answer, Nalan Yanran said excitedly, "Really? Then I'll go send a reply."

With that, she left the Side Hall.

"Hey, your Handkerchief."

Watching Nalan Yanran hurry away so quickly that she even forgot her Handkerchief, Chen Mo smiled helplessly. "This girl is quite impatient."

He put the Handkerchief into the Storage Ring Yun Leng had given him, then opened the system.

Name: Chen Mo

Race: Human

Cultivation: Two-star Dou Master

Fortune Points: 2040

Cultivation Method: Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force

Dou Technique: Underworld God's Spear

Items: Two Healing Talismans, Aura Concealment Technique

Functions: Treasure Chest Draw, Store, Plunder

This humble author asks for some recommendations. Of course, rewards would be even better. Thanks.