"No!"
Chu He practically shouted the words, his voice firm and decisive.
What kind of international joke was this?!
He still had to go back and turn in his homework to Xia Yao, and let her help him wash up. Who knew what kind of trouble this wolfish little pervert might cause next?
If he went back completely drained, Xia Yao would take one look at him and see right through everything. Then he'd really be done for!
The sound of rushing water echoed through the silent, starry bedroom.
With his back to Kachi, Chu He held his entire body as taut as a drawn bowstring, his movements stiff as a puppet on strings.
He could feel the gaze behind him, seemingly burning with heat as it roamed across his back. It made him feel as though thorns were pricking him, and even the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
Meanwhile, Kachi lay comfortably on the bed, propping her delicate chin on both hands as her pale little legs swung cheerfully in the air.
Her galaxy-like eyes curved into two crescent moons as she unabashedly admired the "handsome man fresh from his bath" before her.
He was embarrassed and furious, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He couldn't beat her or escape, and his newly acquired spatial ability was nothing but showing off in front of its grandmaster.
Chu He could only curse the strange little pervert's entire family tree from top to bottom in his mind.
Fortunately, the whole process went unusually "smoothly." Kachi didn't suddenly pounce on him, as he'd feared.
Under Kachi's scorching gaze, Chu He got dressed at the fastest speed of his life. He took a deep breath, turned around, and did his best to keep his voice calm. "Can I leave now?"
"Sure!" Kachi floated lightly up from the bed and pointed at the little door with a smile. "Go on. Just turn the handle and you'll be outside."
Half-skeptical, Chu He walked to the door. The moment his hand closed around the handle, his heart leaped into his throat.
Click.
The door opened.
Beyond it was the familiar information desk in the library.
Chu He was delighted and started to step through, but his body suddenly stiffened.
A distinct sensation came from his backside. A warm little hand gave it a firm, gentle squeeze, and it even felt a little springy.
He whipped around, but there was no one behind him!
Looking toward the bed, he saw Kachi standing there, her little hand making a squeezing gesture in the air. She wore a mischievous smile, pleased with her prank. "Why aren't you leaving? Can't bear to part with me? You've got a nice feel to you, Little He He."
Chu He followed the motion of her hand and looked at himself. In an instant, he understood!
That crazy girl had used her spatial ability to grope him!
"Goodbye!"
Chu He's face turned bright red. He forgot all about keeping up appearances and practically tumbled out the door, vanishing in a flash.
Behind him, Kachi's bright, bell-like laughter rang out, loud and unrestrained.
The moment Chu He rushed out of the room, he looked at the antique clock on the wall.
3:41.
He remembered that it had been around the same time when Kachi pulled him into the room.
Sure enough, time in that room flowed completely differently from the outside.
That put him somewhat at ease. At least he didn't have to worry about being gone too long and having no way to explain himself to Xia Yao.
At the very moment he walked out of the library, the Dragon Country livestream, which had been black for over half an hour, finally lit up again!
"Holy crap! It's back! I've been waiting so long, my eyes are practically going blind!"
"He's back! My beloved God Chu is finally back! What happened in there? The screen's been black ever since God Chu went through that door!"
"The stream's been black for over half an hour! Could the officials explain? Was there content that even us esteemed VIP users weren't allowed to see?"
"Don't get worked up, guys. Look at Chu He's lips—they're a little swollen! He must have been through an intense battle!"
"What kind of battle leaves someone's lips swollen? Sounds like a war of words to me! That silver-haired loli said things felt very real in dreams. I get it. I totally get it!"
Chu He let out a long breath as he left the library, feeling as if he'd just escaped from a bizarre nightmare.
And yet, a faint sweet-and-sour taste seemed to linger in his mouth, though he himself hadn't even noticed it.
"Damn you, you dirty groper!"
Chu He instinctively touched his backside, his face instantly darkening like the bottom of a pot.
He'd remember this grudge!
He collected himself, pushed aside his distracting thoughts, and looked toward the sports field in the distance.
He had to test out his new ability!
He concentrated, fixing his mind on the direction of the sports field and channeling the unfamiliar power.
Space Manipulation, Teleportation!
Buzz!
Chu He vanished from where he stood.
The next moment, he appeared a hundred meters away, much closer to the sports field.
Before he could even get excited, a crushing wave of exhaustion swept over him, draining the little strength he had left. His legs gave way, and he dropped to one knee.
"So... so tired..."
Chu He gasped for breath, his face pale.
That crazy girl Kachi had worn him out in that room for so long. He'd already used up most of his stamina, and forcing himself to activate such a costly ability made his body protest at once.
That earth-shattering display sent the Dragon Country livestream into another frenzy!
"Am I seeing things?! What just happened? God Chu was a hundred meters away in an instant!"
"Teleportation! It's teleportation! This is a spatial ability!"
"It's confirmed! During the blackout, God Chu must've kissed that silver-haired loli!"
"Otherwise, how could he suddenly get such an unbelievable ability out of nowhere? My god, God Chu, you're the real anomaly!"
"One SSS-Class a day! Yesterday it was School Belle Xia Yao, today it's the library loli! God Chu, do you need a sidekick? I can cheer you on!"
Chu He rested with his hands on his knees for quite a while before he finally managed to recover.
Figuring it was about time, he forced his exhausted body to return to the Principal's Office.
He pushed open the door, and a beautiful figure immediately rushed toward him like a gust of wind, enveloping him in a tight embrace and a familiar, cool fragrance.
It was Xia Yao.
Chu He's heart warmed, but guilt quickly overtook it. He could even feel his arms growing weak as he held her.
He gently patted her back, drew her into his arms, and sat down on the sofa.
"I'm fine. I'm back."
He cleared his throat and began explaining what had happened, leaving out the beginning and the end and only sharing a trimmed-down version of the important parts.
"Your best friend really did use an illusion as the test."
Chu He described the thirty years in the dream in vivid detail. He played up the warmth of their family life, telling her about their life after marriage and their little daughter, who was as pretty as a porcelain doll but just as domineering as her.
"She kept fighting you for me. She clung to me all day, saying I was hers and telling you to go away."
Xia Yao was delighted to hear this, even seeming to look forward to it.
She appeared quite satisfied with this "future."
Seeing her reaction, Chu He felt a little more at ease and was just about to bluff his way through.
Suddenly, Xia Yao seemed to remember something. The smile on her face froze, replaced by intense embarrassment and outrage.
"Kachi's ability... lets her see everything that happens in dreams."
"Oh no. She must've seen it all. With you there, she definitely wouldn't have even blinked!"
"She may even have recorded it."
"Didn't she stop you to ask... some questions she was interested in?"
Chu He's heart sank at her words, and the smile on his face froze completely.
Oh no!
Before you continue