Qian Renxue: I Want to Marry Lin Jiang!

(Image of Qian Renxue)

Qian Renxue was laughing when she suddenly felt a chill on her body.

She looked down—

The smile on her face froze.

When the two newborn wings tore out from her back, they had shredded her clothes along with them.

Large patches of snow-white skin were exposed to the air; her shoulders, collarbones, and back... fair as jade and smooth as satin, they shimmered with a faint luster under the reflection of the golden light.

Lin Jiang sat to the side, dumbfounded.

What a stunning sight.

So smooth.

So divine.

It took Qian Renxue a long time to snap out of her daze.

Her cheeks turned crimson in an instant, the heat spreading from the roots of her ears all the way down to her neck.

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, shielding all the places that shouldn't be exposed.

Her long golden hair fell down, barely covering a portion, but the glimpses of skin underneath only made it more...

"You—!"

She glared at Lin Jiang, both shy and annoyed, her golden eyes shimmering with moisture.

"Stop looking!"

Lin Jiang silently turned around.

"I'm not looking."

His voice was muffled, carrying a hint of a guilty conscience.

Qian Renxue bit her lip, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Lin Jiang rummaged through his storage ring and pulled out a spare set of clothes.

Thankfully, he had the habit of carrying extra sets whenever he went out.

"Here." He handed the clothes over without looking back.

Qian Renxue snatched them away, her movements as fast as a robbery.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of fabric rubbing.

The sound of ribbons being tied.

And the sound of someone's desperately suppressed, rapid breathing.

Lin Jiang stared at the tree trunk in front of him, counting the patterns in the bark.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces...

"It's... it's done."

Her voice was as small as a mosquito's hum.

Only then did Lin Jiang turn around.

Qian Renxue was wearing his clothes, which were clearly a size too large for her.

The sleeves hung long, and the collar draped loosely off her shoulders, revealing a sliver of her fair collarbone.

She kept her head down, her ears burning red, her fingers twisting the oversized cuffs; she looked like a child who had stolen an adult's clothes.

There was no trace left of the dignity of the Heaven Dou Crown Prince.

"Thank you, Lin Jiang," she whispered. "For giving me such a precious immortal herb..."

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Lin Jiang waved his hand, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather.

He turned serious. "Xue'er, over the next few days, you need to solidify the power of this immortal herb, absorb it completely, and stabilize your increased soul power."

Qian Renxue looked up at him.

When Lin Jiang said these things, his tone was calm and his expression earnest, as if he were discussing something perfectly natural.

For some reason, a strange feeling welled up in Qian Renxue's heart.

During her years undercover in Heaven Dou, she had grown accustomed to carrying everything on her own, accustomed to wearing a mask in front of everyone, and accustomed to having no one to rely on.

But now—

Lin Jiang stood before her, telling her "what you need to do," telling her "don't be polite."

It was as if... she didn't have to be so tired anymore.

It was as if... there was someone she could lean on.

Qian Renxue lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

"Alright..."

The voice was soft, yet carried an unmistakable tenderness.

Lin Jiang glanced at the sky.

The setting sun had begun to dip, staining the clouds on the horizon a deep orange-red.

"It's getting late, let's head back, Xue'er."

Qian Renxue nodded.

"Alright..."

She paused, then added, "You must come to see me often."

Lin Jiang smiled. "I will."

He turned and walked along the path by the creek.

The bamboo basket still hung from his shoulder, his fishing rod remained propped against a tree branch, and the setting sun stretched his shadow long across the ground.

Qian Renxue stood before the stone pavilion, watching that retreating figure.

Her golden hair fluttered gently in the evening breeze, and she clutched the Dried Tangerine Peel Candy in her hand, the wrapper slightly crinkled from her grip.

"Lin Jiang..."

She murmured the name.

Images from the Simulator surfaced in her mind:

That back shielding her from harm, the candy fed to her lips, and those words—

"If there is a next life, I will surely marry you."

Qian Renxue clenched her fists, her golden eyes reflecting the afterglow of the sunset.

She took a deep breath, as if having made a firm resolution.

"Lin Jiang."

The voice was quiet, yet exceptionally resolute.

"This time,"

"I will marry you!"

When Lin Jiang returned to Dugu Manor, the sky had already turned dark.

As soon as he entered the main gate, he smelled the rich aroma of food wafting from the main hall.

Dugu Yan had already set a table full of dishes and was sitting there waiting for him.

Seeing Lin Jiang enter, her eyes lit up, and she stood up to greet him.

"You're back? Sit, sit quickly, the food is getting cold."

Lin Jiang washed his hands, sat at the table, and looked down.

Scrambled eggs with chives.

Oysters with minced garlic.

Braised ox whip.

Mutton stewed with goji berries.

And a dark, murky bowl of soup, brewed from unknown herbs, emitting a pungent medicinal scent.

Lin Jiang: "..."

He looked up at Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan was blushing, head lowered, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes.

"Eat." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum.

Lin Jiang's mouth twitched as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Ahem."

Dugu Yan snuck a glance at him, then quickly looked down again, her face turning even redder.

"Lin Jiang..." she whispered, "I am yours now, you have to take responsibility for me."

Lin Jiang picked up a piece of mutton and popped it into his mouth.

"That goes without saying."

Dugu Yan looked up abruptly, her eyes shining brilliantly.

"Hehe."

She smiled like a little fox that had successfully stolen a chicken, her chopsticks moving rapidly to pile food into Lin Jiang's bowl.

Chives, oysters, ox whip, mutton... piled up like a small mountain.

Lin Jiang looked at the food in the bowl, then at Dugu Yan's face, which was written full of expectation.

This little girl, did she not get enough to eat yesterday?

Fine.

Tonight, I will properly discipline her.

Night fell.

Lin Jiang had just lain down when the door was pushed open.

"Brother~"

Dugu Yan stood at the doorway, wearing a skin-tight bodysuit.

The fabric was pitifully sparse, barely covering the vital parts, leaving large swathes of snow-white skin exposed under the candlelight.

The tight material outlined her slender curves, and her long, emerald-green hair cascaded over her shoulders.

Her jade-green phoenix eyes were watery, carrying a hint of shyness and a touch of anticipation.

Lin Jiang's temper flared up instantly.

"Golden Dragon Body!"

Golden light instantly covered his entire body, and golden dragon scale patterns emerged upon his skin.

"Ancestor of Strength!"

His second soul ring lit up, and blood-gold light condensed upon his fist.

Dugu Yan was stunned for a moment.

And then—

"Wait, wait a moment—!"

It was too late.

This time, Dugu Yan didn't even last for a single hour.

Before long, she collapsed and fainted from exhaustion.

Lin Jiang lay beside her, staring at the ceiling.

Phew.

This should keep this little girl from recovering for several days.

Dugu Yan slept soundly beside him, her complexion rosy, her breathing steady, and a trace of a satisfied smile hanging at the corners of her mouth.

Lin Jiang silently withdrew his gaze and looked back at the ceiling.

It was time to continue researching the Simulator.

He opened the system panel, and a blue light screen appeared before his eyes.

[Current available distributions: 5]

[Current subversion points: 156]

Five chances.

Lin Jiang rubbed his chin and began to calculate.

Who should he choose?

Better stick with the protagonist group.

Among the protagonist group... aside from Tang San and Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong had the highest level in the Sea God trials.

The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the inheritor of the Nine-Colored Goddess—her luck value was definitely not low.

Lin Jiang's lips curled upward.

"System, distribution target—Ning Rongrong."