Yes, this was Ye Lingling's plan.
Retreat in order to advance!
She had started liking Yu Tianjiao a long time ago, and he had always treated her well. Even before today, her relationship with him had been much closer than Dugu Yan's!
Of course she knew Yu Tianjiao couldn't possibly be thinking about Dugu Yan. But she'd noticed him zoning out, so she'd seized the opportunity to make a fuss, get him to comfort her, and then throw herself into his arms and reward him, bringing them closer.
Of course, throwing herself into his arms might have been more of a reward for herself.
But that wasn't important!
What mattered was that Dugu Yan had already gotten a taste, and she couldn't just stand by and watch!
But she wasn't a shameless woman like Dugu Yan, so she naturally wouldn't offer him a kiss outright. She would, of course, have to make Yu Tianjiao kiss her of his own accord!
Only by making a man feel like he was overcoming a challenge, by not letting him have her too easily, could she hold more importance in his heart.
Of course, Ye Lingling had read all of this in books. Whether it actually worked...
She had no idea!
But she was about to find out.
Yu Tianjiao, who had been thinking of his grandmother, was struck right in the heart by the girl's pitiful words. Almost instinctively, he reached out and grabbed Ye Lingling's slender wrist. Then, with a slight tug, he pulled her into his arms.
"Let go of me!"
Ye Lingling talked a big game, but in reality she hadn't used a bit of Soul Power to break free.
Without Soul Power, given her physical strength, her struggle against Yu Tianjiao's terrifying strength was purely symbolic.
In short, her performance as an angry little girlfriend had been a huge success. Yu Tianjiao liked this sort of thing, and gently began to comfort her:
"Lingling, you know me. How could I be thinking about Yanzi while I'm with you? I was mainly remembering our past just now. To be honest, I'll remember how good you were to me back then for the rest of my life.
"Look, I happen to have a minor injury. Could I ask you to treat me again, like you used to?"
At Yu Tianjiao's words, Ye Lingling stopped struggling, and a tender look appeared in her eyes.
She, too, remembered how she had endured the gossip behind her back from some of the students, coming to Yu Tianjiao's dorm every day without fail to treat his injuries, hoping to cure the ailment that kept him from cultivating Soul Power.
In truth, she hadn't cared about the gossip.
Her conscience was clear.
Besides, even if something really had happened between her and Yu Tianjiao, so what?
Even with only three levels of Soul Power, Yu Tianjiao could still easily beat those students, who had been around level twenty at the time, into swollen, pigheaded messes with his fists.
That was what a prodigy was: even after falling to the bottom of the valley, he still stood on a peak compared to the mediocre!
"I can never win with you. You always know just what to say to make me happy!"
Ye Lingling let Yu Tianjiao hold her. The two shuffled step by step over to the bed, and only then did Yu Tianjiao release her slender waist.
They took off their shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed, clasping hands. Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul appeared, and its gentle healing power flowed from her small hands into Yu Tianjiao's body.
Yu Tianjiao closed his eyes, his breathing becoming even and steady as he enjoyed the cleansing effect of the Nine Heart Begonia's healing power.
It really felt good.
It wasn't quite as good as shooting his load, but that soothing, soul-nourishing Soul Power was certainly a rare pleasure in this world.
As for the wound on Yu Tianjiao's neck...
To be honest, even without Ye Lingling's treatment, it would have healed completely in another two or three minutes.
It was only an excuse.
He knew it, and Ye Lingling knew it too.
As always, Ye Lingling ended up drenched in sweat, breathing hard.
Yu Tianjiao didn't say anything to spoil the mood. He simply used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead and neck, his eyes—so full of tenderness that they could make even a dog fall in love—brimming with warmth.
He didn't need to say a word. His every movement, every glance, every expression showed how much he cherished and adored Ye Lingling.
Ye Lingling had read plenty of books about the art of romance, but this was her first time falling in love, and she had no experience. From the moment she'd first felt the stirrings of love, Yu Tianjiao had had her wrapped around his finger.
Now he had his arms around her again, treating her with such tenderness. The love in her eyes nearly spilled over.
Her lovestruck heart had taken the high ground. Her cheeks, tinted a faint pink, were like ripe peaches, and her slowly closing eyes and slightly parted red lips made her look as if she were waiting to be plucked. Yu Tianjiao stared at her, completely transfixed.
Fortunately, when he'd cleaned the tea set earlier, he'd wiped away the rouge Dugu Yan had left on his lips. Then he'd drunk tea and rinsed his mouth. So, faced with the girl's demure, kiss-ready expression, he didn't need to panic. He only had to follow her wishes and kiss her.
And so he did.
Of course, there was another crucial point: after that exhausting treatment, it was already past midnight. In other words, it was a new day!
His first kiss had reset!
It was still an inexperienced, love-filled kiss.
Whether he was really inexperienced or not didn't matter. He just had to act the part!
Ye Lingling had already used up a great deal of Soul Power, and Yu Tianjiao took advantage of his powerful physique to kiss her until her breathing turned ragged and her whole body went limp, so weak she couldn't even wrap her arms around his neck.
After a long while, the girl's mind had grown hazy. When she instinctively tapped his chest with her little hand to signal him, Yu Tianjiao finally let her go.
Ye Lingling's cheeks were bright red. Her innocent first-love face now carried a hint of alluring charm.
"Tianjiao, I really like you so much."
She took several deep breaths before she could catch her breath. Seizing the moment, she expressed her feelings plainly for the first time.
"Lingling, I like you a lot too," Yu Tianjiao said with heartfelt sincerity.
A first-love face, his little admirer, a gentle personality, the strongest healing Martial Soul on the continent, and special treatment reserved for him alone—who wouldn't like a girl like that?
Long live this continent of hopeless romantics!
"Tianjiao..."
Hearing Yu Tianjiao say the same, Ye Lingling couldn't help smiling with satisfaction, even though she'd already been sure he felt the same.
She liked him, and he liked her too. That was enough!
"Then... are we a couple now?"
She asked softly.
"Mm. You're the first," Yu Tianjiao said with a smile and a nod.
"Hmph. What about Yanzi?"
At that, Ye Lingling gave a little huff. But the fact that she called Dugu Yan Yanzi instead of using her full name showed she was clearly quite pleased.
"She wanted my body. She never brought it up," Yu Tianjiao said with a smile.
"That won't do. You can't refuse to take responsibility. Let her join us too. I'm not like her, only thinking about keeping you all to myself!"
Ye Lingling rubbed against Yu Tianjiao in his arms. She still cared about her friendship and gave her best friend a hand, though she couldn't resist taking a little jab at her.
"Fine, we'll do as you say. But there's something I have to tell you."
Yu Tianjiao agreed with a smile, then suddenly tapped Ye Lingling lightly on the tip of her nose.
"Huh? What is it?"
Ye Lingling tilted her head, blinking her clear eyes as she asked in a soft, puzzled voice.
"I know you've always been good to me, even to the point of wearing yourself out. But remember this: if you're too good to me, I'll have to punish you!"
With that, Yu Tianjiao carried the girl down onto the bed.
"Tianjiao, don't..."
Yu Tianjiao's bold move startled Ye Lingling. She crossed her hands over her chest and bit her red lip, speaking softly.
"Thwack!"
Yu Tianjiao flicked her forehead, though not as hard as he had flicked Dugu Yan's. It only stung a little.
"What were you thinking? I'm punishing you by forbidding you to go back tonight. You're staying here and getting a good night's rest. I still have to cultivate tonight, so you'll sleep by yourself."
Yu Tianjiao spoke with a stern expression.
"C-cultivate?"
Ye Lingling blinked, dumbfounded. She clearly hadn't expected Yu Tianjiao to use punishment as an excuse to make her stay and rest instead of planning to do something naughty with her.
"Of course. I'm going to win the Soul Master Tournament in two years. Time is tight. How could I waste it sleeping?"
Yu Tianjiao got out of bed, tucked Ye Lingling in, and gently ruffled the crown of her head.
"All right, go to sleep. If you don't, I really will bully you!"
At that, Ye Lingling gazed at Yu Tianjiao for a long while. At last, the corners of her eyes curved, and she answered obediently:
"Okay, my boyfriend."
Then the girl closed her eyes. Her breathing gradually slowed and evened out, and she drifted off to sleep.
Before you continue