"Are you leaving again after just one night this time?"
On the sofa, Wen Ruan lifted her snow-white neck, her eyes filled with both disappointment and reluctance.
Clearly, their brief reunion had brought her not only joy and excitement, but also the sadness of knowing they would soon have to part.
"What? You can't bear to see me go?"
Lin Yan smiled at the girl's slightly aggrieved expression.
"I won't be leaving for a while."
"Really?"
At his words, Wen Ruan looked up, and her eyes instantly lit up.
"Of course."
"The Crown Prince doesn't need me for the time being, so I've been given a long vacation."
"That's wonderful~"
"You have no idea. I was even planning to go to Heaven Dou City to find you."
"Waaah~ We can finally spend a good, long while together."
After getting a definite answer, Wen Ruan excitedly threw her arms around Lin Yan. Tears even glimmered at the corners of her eyes.
For the past six years,
Lin Yan had returned to visit Wen Ruan every so often, but each time he could only stay for one or two nights before heading back.
There was no helping it. Time was too tight.
Just traveling between Suotuo City and Heaven Dou City took nearly a week. A round trip took half a month.
For that long, Qian Renxue had worried about Lin Yan's safety on the one hand, and on the other, she truly didn't want him spending too much time with Wen Ruan.
Over time, Wen Ruan had developed a habit of feeling anxious and insecure.
Now, Lin Yan had suddenly told her that he could stay by her side for a long time.
How could she not be excited?
"What do you want to eat? Let's go have some fun in Suotuo City for a couple of days."
Seeing the girl so happy, Lin Yan found himself smiling.
And once Wen Ruan learned that Lin Yan could be with her for a long, long time, the gloom in her heart lifted completely.
She said excitedly,
"I want hot pot, barbecue, and also..."
Halfway through, the girl suddenly stopped.
"Hmph~ Didn't you just say I was getting fat?"
Wen Ruan feigned annoyance as she looked at Lin Yan, her slightly chubby cheeks making her look utterly adorable.
The sight stirred Lin Yan's heart.
"You really hold a grudge."
Lin Yan cupped the girl's cheeks and kissed her on the lips.
"Mmm~"
The girl was caught off guard and let out a muffled moan.
By the time she came to her senses, she realized his hands were already roaming over her body.
Wen Ruan didn't resist. On the contrary, she responded eagerly.
After all, they had been together for six years, so this sort of thing had long since become familiar to them.
Besides, all the waiting, day and night, had left Wen Ruan with plenty of pent-up desire...
In the room, their breathing gradually grew heavier. Lin Yan slipped his hand beneath her white dress and deftly unfastened her shoulder straps.
The soft flesh of her chest lost its support and hung down naturally.
Wen Ruan was also fumbling to help Lin Yan take off his jacket.
But just as things were falling into place and they were about to take the next step, an urgent shout suddenly came from outside.
"Lin Yan! Lin Yan!"
Startled by the voice, Wen Ruan quickly pulled away and broke off from Lin Yan.
Lin Yan frowned.
"Tsk~"
"That's Ma Hongjun, isn't it?"
A trace of impatience showed in his eyes.
Judging by the voice, the person outside was almost certainly Ma Hongjun.
He hadn't expected the guy to show up out of nowhere and start shouting at the top of his lungs outside.
Wen Ruan, blushing with embarrassment, hurried from the sofa back into the bedroom. She said to Lin Yan,
"Go see what he wants. Don't let him keep yelling outside."
Lin Yan quickly understood the girl's hint. He straightened his clothes and headed for the door.
When he opened it, a fat man in a red jacket immediately appeared before him.
"Damn, you really are back."
"I thought Boss Dai was messing with me."
Before Lin Yan could speak, Ma Hongjun greeted him enthusiastically. He looked just like someone reuniting with an old friend after many years.
Lin Yan's words caught in his throat.
After all, you didn't slap a smiling face.
But soon, he thought of another way to send Ma Hongjun off.
Lin Yan put on a smile and spoke slowly.
"Long time no see. What level are you now?"
"..."
Sure enough, as soon as he heard the question, Ma Hongjun's expression stiffened.
He looked like a child happily playing during the New Year holiday when a relative suddenly asked, "What did you get on your final exams?"
Ma Hongjun looked awkward.
"Could you not ask me that the moment we meet?"
Lin Yan knitted his brows slightly.
"Still not at level 30?"
"Almost there! Hehe~"
After getting a definite answer, Lin Yan's brow furrowed even tighter.
As for Ma Hongjun, Lin Yan had given him plenty of help over the years, seeing as they came from the same village.
Although he hadn't directly helped Ma Hongjun solve his Evil Fire problem, there were some high-quality herbs in Dugu Bo's medicinal garden that could also purify Soul Power.
In other words, judging by the resources Lin Yan had given him,
Ma Hongjun should have had no trouble reaching Soul Elder, or even the early ranks of Soul Ancestor.
Yet he still hadn't even reached level 30...
"Then how's your Evil Fire?"
"Don't even ask. It's still the same."
Ma Hongjun looked utterly dejected.
"Damn Evil Fire. If I don't vent it, my whole body aches. And even when I do, it doesn't last long."
"By the way, how many days are you staying this time? How about we go out for a meal tonight?"
The fox's tail had finally shown!
Ma Hongjun's eyes had lit up at the mention of a meal, and all his earlier awkwardness and lack of confidence had vanished.
Lin Yan quickly understood. The other man had once again started treating him as a source of easy pickings that replenished itself every so often.
His tightly furrowed brow relaxed, and Lin Yan nodded.
"Sure."
"Some new students have just enrolled. Go tell Dean Flender now. I'll treat everyone to dinner in Suotuo City tonight."
"Great!"
After getting the message, Ma Hongjun didn't even bother to exchange pleasantries with Lin Yan. Grinning with satisfaction, he ran off at once.
Lin Yan watched him go and sighed to himself.
"Some mud just can't be molded into a wall!"
"Ah~"
Just like in the original story, Ma Hongjun's character hadn't changed in the slightest because of Lin Yan.
Even after Lin Yan had given him so many resources, he was still that "stray chicken" hanging around brothels.
Thinking back to his memories of his previous life, everyone had said things like, "In the end, the phoenix ascended to godhood, while the swallow lost her soul."
Everyone had privately lamented how tragic it was for Ma Hongjun and Bai Chenxiang, the couple.
Little did they know that Ma Hongjun had never taken cultivation seriously in the first place.
Without the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower and the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent's inner core, he might not even have made it to Second-Level God.
At first, Lin Yan had thought that because he possessed the Evil Fire Demon Dragon Martial Soul, he would take Ma Hongjun's opportunities from the original story and leave him to mediocrity. He had even felt a little guilty.
Now it seemed he had been worrying for nothing...
With Ma Hongjun's current character, even the best treasures would be wasted on him.
As Ma Hongjun's figure disappeared into the distance, the last trace of sympathy in Lin Yan's eyes vanished completely. He then closed the door.
"Life and death are fated; wealth and honor lie with Heaven!"
He would no longer help Ma Hongjun.
These past two days, the author spent some time sorting out the story's direction, so there was only one update per day for three days in a row.
The story's direction is all sorted out now. Starting next, there will be two updates a day as usual.
If you like this book, please tap the follow button and cast your free recommendation tickets.