(A beautiful picture of Qian Renxue)
Qian Renxue had been smiling when she suddenly felt a chill.
She looked down—
Her smile froze.
When two newly grown wings burst out of her back, they tore her clothes along with them.
Expanses of snowy-white skin were exposed to the air—her shoulders, collarbones, and back... Fair as jade and smooth as satin, they glimmered faintly in the golden light.
Lin Jiang sat nearby, staring in a daze.
What lovely, fair skin.
So smooth.
So sacred.
It took Qian Renxue a moment to realize what had happened.
Her cheeks turned scarlet, the blush burning from her ears all the way down to her neck.
She wrapped both arms around herself, covering every part that shouldn't be exposed.
Her long golden hair fell over her, barely concealing some of her skin—but the glimpses it offered only made it more...
"You—!"
She glared at Lin Jiang, mortified and annoyed, her golden eyes shimmering with tears.
"You're still looking!"
Lin Jiang quietly turned around.
"I'm not looking."
His voice was muffled, with a hint of guilt.
Qian Renxue bit her lip, wishing she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
Lin Jiang rummaged through his storage ring and took out a spare set of clothes.
Good thing he was used to bringing a few extra sets when he went out.
"Here." Without turning around, he held out the clothes.
Qian Renxue snatched them from him, quick as a thief.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of fabric brushing against skin.
The sound of ties being fastened.
And someone's hurried breathing as she desperately tried to keep it under control.
Lin Jiang stared at the tree trunk before him, counting the lines in its bark.
One, two, three...
"D-done..."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Only then did Lin Jiang turn around.
Qian Renxue was wearing his clothes, which were clearly a size too large.
The sleeves hung past her hands, and the loose neckline slouched off her shoulder, revealing a stretch of fair collarbone.
She lowered her head, her ears bright red, and twisted the overly long sleeves in her fingers. She looked like a child who'd snuck into an adult's clothes.
She didn't look like the Heaven Dou Crown Prince at all.
"Thank you, Lin Jiang," she said softly. "For giving me such a precious Immortal Herb..."
"What's there to thank me for?" Lin Jiang waved it off as casually as if he were commenting on the weather.
Then he grew serious. "Xue'er, over the next few days, you need to strengthen the herb's effects, absorb it completely, and stabilize your increased Soul Power."
Qian Renxue looked up at him.
As Lin Jiang said this, his tone was calm and his expression earnest, as though he were simply reminding her of something perfectly natural.
For some reason, a strange feeling welled up in Qian Renxue's heart.
For all these years undercover in Heaven Dou, she had grown used to shouldering everything alone, pretending in front of everyone, and having no one to rely on.
But now—
Lin Jiang stood before her, telling her what she needed to do and saying she didn't have to be polite.
It was as if... she didn't have to be so tired anymore.
As if... there was someone she could lean on.
Qian Renxue lowered her head, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
"All right..."
Her voice was soft, with a tenderness she couldn't hide.
Lin Jiang glanced at the sky.
The sun was already sinking, and the clouds on the horizon had turned orange-red.
"It's getting late. Let's head back, Xue'er."
Qian Renxue nodded.
"Okay..."
She paused, then added, "You have to come see me often."
Lin Jiang smiled. "I will."
He turned and walked along the path beside the stream.
His bamboo basket still hung from his shoulder, and his fishing rod was still propped against a tree branch. The setting sun stretched his shadow long across the ground.
Qian Renxue stood before the stone pavilion, gazing at his retreating figure.
Her golden hair fluttered gently in the evening breeze. She still clutched the Dried Tangerine Peel Candy in her hand, its wrapper slightly crumpled.
"Lin Jiang..."
She murmured his name.
Images from the Simulator surfaced in her mind—
The figure who had stood in front of her, the candy he had fed her, and those words—
"If there is a next life, I will marry you."
Qian Renxue clenched her fist, the golden light of the setting sun reflected in her eyes.
She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.
"Lin Jiang."
Her voice was quiet, yet unusually firm.
"This time,"
"I'll marry you!"
By the time Lin Jiang returned to Dugu Manor, dusk had fallen.
As soon as he stepped through the gate, the rich aroma of food wafted from the main hall.
Dugu Yan had already set a table full of dishes and was waiting for him.
When she saw Lin Jiang come in, her eyes lit up, and she rose to greet him.
"You're back? Come sit, come sit. The food's getting cold."
Lin Jiang washed his hands and sat down at the table. He glanced at the dishes.
Chives stir-fried with eggs.
Oysters with garlic.
Red-braised bull penis.
Goji berry and lamb soup.
And a bowl of pitch-black soup, its strong medicinal smell suggesting it had been stewed with who knew what herbs.
Lin Jiang: "..."
He looked up at Dugu Yan.
Her face was red, her head lowered, and her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes.
"Go on, eat," she said, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Lin Jiang's mouth twitched as he picked up his chopsticks.
"Ahem."
Dugu Yan sneaked a glance at him, then quickly lowered her head again, her face growing even redder.
"Lin Jiang..." she said softly. "I'm yours now, so you have to take responsibility for me, okay?"
Lin Jiang picked up a piece of lamb and popped it into his mouth.
"Of course."
Dugu Yan jerked her head up, her eyes shining.
"Hehe."
She grinned like a little fox that had stolen a chicken, then hurriedly piled food into Lin Jiang's bowl.
Chives, oysters, bull penis, lamb... It soon formed a small mountain.
Lin Jiang looked at the food in his bowl, then at Dugu Yan's face, practically brimming with anticipation.
This little minx—hadn't she had enough yesterday?
Fine.
Tonight, he'd give her a proper lesson.
Night fell.
Lin Jiang had just lain down when the door swung open.
"Big brother~"
Dugu Yan stood in the doorway, wearing a skin-tight bodysuit.
There was barely enough fabric to cover the essentials, leaving broad expanses of snowy-white skin exposed in the candlelight.
The tight fabric outlined her graceful figure, while her long, blue-green hair spilled over her shoulders.
Her emerald-green phoenix eyes were watery, and her expression held both shyness and anticipation.
Lin Jiang's blood immediately began to boil.
"Golden Dragon Body!"
Golden light instantly covered him, golden dragon-scale patterns appearing across his skin.
"Ancestor of Strength!"
His Second Soul Ring lit up, and blood-gold light gathered around his fist.
Dugu Yan froze.
Then—
"W-wait—!"
Too late.
This time, Dugu Yan didn't even last an hour.
Before long, she fainted from exhaustion.
Lin Jiang lay beside her, staring at the ceiling.
Phew.
That should keep the little minx from recovering for several days.
Dugu Yan slept soundly beside him, her face rosy, her breathing even, and a satisfied smile on her lips.
Lin Jiang quietly looked away and returned his gaze to the ceiling.
He should get back to studying the Simulator.
He opened the system panel, and a blue screen appeared before him.
[Current number of times available to distribute: 5] [Current Subversion Points: 156]
Five chances.
Lin Jiang rubbed his chin, considering his options.
Who should he choose?
Perhaps someone from the protagonist's group after all.
Among the protagonist's group, aside from Tang San and Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong had the highest level in the Sea God Trial.
The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, successor to the Nine-Colored Goddess's legacy—her fate value was bound to be high.
Lin Jiang's lips curled into a smile.
"System, distribute to target—Ning Rongrong."
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