"Brother Fu Qin, you're too damn generous! You just give away a thousand-year soul bone like that? Now that's what I call a real man!"
Ma Hongjun rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining.
"My god, you even killed a Man Faced Demon Spider! Big Brother Fu Qin, you're incredible! If I had a set of Flying Swords like that, wouldn't I be able to walk all over everyone in a fight?"
Only Oscar kept his head lowered, his fingers digging into the ground.
Under the effect of the Intelligence-Reducing Halo, the little bit of hatred he'd originally felt toward Fu Qin had long since warped into blazing jealousy.
Why? Why did Fu Qin get a thousand-year soul bone? Why could he forge such powerful magical artifacts? Why did everyone praise him to the skies?
A wave of sourness spread from Oscar's heart to every inch of his body. His jealousy skyrocketed by 51 points, instantly breaking through the 150-point mark. A shadow of malice flickered in his eyes, almost too subtle to notice.
The night was as dark as ink, with only a waning moon hanging in the sky.
With her heart pounding, Ning Rongrong tiptoed across the quiet courtyard. The hem of her goose-yellow skirt brushed the grass, making a faint rustling sound.
Her favorability, already over 300, had long since broken through the defenses of her heart. In her eyes, Fu Qin was not only powerful, gentle, and considerate, but also the man who had crafted magical artifacts for her.
In this life, she would marry no one but Fu Qin!
Rather than wait, she decided to take the initiative and make the raw rice cooked, so Fu Qin could never turn her down again.
When she reached Fu Qin's window, Ning Rongrong took a deep breath. A faint wisp of Soul Power gathered at her fingertips as she gently pushed the window open.
She moved as lightly as a cat, tiptoeing into the room. Moonlight streamed through the crack in the window, outlining her graceful figure.
The room was filled with Fu Qin's distinctive, cool, clean scent, and Ning Rongrong's cheeks immediately flushed bright red.
She bit her lower lip. A hint of shyness flickered in her eyes, but determination shone through even more strongly.
She slowly slipped off her clothes. Her fair skin glimmered beneath the moonlight, like the finest white jade.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ning Rongrong lifted Fu Qin's covers and slipped inside.
The bedding held Fu Qin's warmth, comforting and reassuring. It eased her nerves a little.
She curled up and pressed herself close against Fu Qin's back, feeling his steady, powerful heartbeat.
Fu Qin was fast asleep. In a daze, he felt someone slip beneath his covers, carrying a different kind of sweet fragrance.
He instinctively thought it was Xiao Wu, craving his embrace again and sneaking into his bed as she often did to seek comfort. A doting smile tugged at his lips. He reached behind himself, pulled the person into his arms, and covered her mouth.
"Mm... don't be naughty..." Fu Qin's voice was hoarse with sleep, his tone full of indulgence.
He didn't open his eyes. Instead, as if by habit, he lowered his head and kissed the person in his arms, his movements urgent and possessive.
Fu Qin's sudden actions made Ning Rongrong's whole body stiffen. Her cheeks turned crimson, and her breathing grew rapid.
She tried to speak, but Fu Qin had covered her mouth, leaving her able to make only the faintest whimper.
Feeling Fu Qin's domineering kiss and his burning palms, her body gradually went soft. She closed her eyes and silently accepted this sudden intimacy.
Fu Qin's movements were somewhat rough. Perhaps he thought the person was the familiar Xiao Wu; perhaps the desire of the late-night hour had been kindled. He showed little tenderness, simply taking what he wanted on instinct.
Within minutes, a muffled, restrained whimper came from beneath him, and crystalline tears welled in the corners of her eyes.
There was a fragile unfamiliarity to the whimper, nothing like Xiao Wu's usual coquettish softness. Fu Qin's heart stirred. He abruptly opened his eyes and, in the moonlight from outside, saw the face of the person in his arms.
It wasn't Xiao Wu's smiling face that met his eyes, but Ning Rongrong's tear-streaked one.
Her eyes were red, her cheeks wet with tears. Pain showed in her gaze, along with a hint of stubbornness. Her lips were pressed tightly together as she tried to keep from making a sound.
Fu Qin froze, shock crashing through him like a raging sea. How could it be Ning Rongrong?!
He hurriedly took his hand away from her mouth, his eyes full of shock and panic. "Rongrong? How did you end up...?"
Ning Rongrong bit her lip. Tears rolled down like broken pearls, and her voice caught in her throat.
"Brother Fu Qin... I... I love you... I want to marry you..."
Looking at Ning Rongrong's tearful yet stubborn face, feeling her soft body in his arms and the lingering fragrance on her skin, Fu Qin's heart was in turmoil.
Now that things had gone this far, the rice was already cooked. No amount of explaining would change anything.
He knew Ning Rongrong truly loved him. Otherwise, she never would have dared to do something so bold.
Guilt and tenderness welled up inside him. Fu Qin gently wiped the tears from Ning Rongrong's face, his voice turning incredibly soft.
"Silly girl, why would you do something so foolish?" He became impossibly gentle, afraid of hurting the little support-type Soul Master in his arms again.
Feeling Fu Qin's tenderness, Ning Rongrong's hurt and pain gradually faded, replaced by a deep sweetness and sense of security.
She wrapped both arms around Fu Qin's neck and held him tightly, burying her face against his chest and feeling his steady heartbeat. Tears still streamed down her cheeks, but this time, they were tears of happiness.
o(╥﹏╥)o
Fu Qin held Ning Rongrong, moving gently and slowly. He could clearly feel the girl's innocence and vulnerability in his arms, and the desire in his heart gradually gave way to tenderness.
(*￣︶￣)
Moonlight streamed through the window, falling over the two of them and outlining their intimate, tender silhouettes.
The room held only the sound of their breathing and heartbeats, intertwined.
Their intimacy continued until the latter half of the night. Ning Rongrong was exhausted by then, and she fell fast asleep in Fu Qin's arms.
Dried tear tracks still marked her face, but a sweet smile tugged at her lips. She was clearly having a beautiful dream. Fu Qin gently stroked her hair, his face revealing a trace of helplessness.
Well, damn.
He'd somehow ended up sleeping with Ning Rongrong. If Xiao Wu found out, she'd be one hundred percent jealous.
But this was something she'd have to accept sooner or later. After all, he couldn't really spend his entire life devoted to just one married woman.
[Ning Rongrong's favorability +200, current favorability: 557 points]
[Ning Rongrong's thoughts: Brother Fu Qin, I'm yours for life! No matter what happens, I'll never leave you!]
Fu Qin lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to Ning Rongrong's forehead. Then he held her close and closed his eyes.
He could feel the warmth of the girl in his arms and smell the faint fragrance on her skin. His heart was at peace.
Yet beneath that peace lurked a hint of worry.
Ning Rongrong was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If Ning Fengzhi, that old fox, learned what she had done, Fu Qin would be in for it.