Confirming the Relationship, but Her Favorability Was Stuck

"Okay... huh?"

The romantic atmosphere came to an abrupt halt. The affection in Lin Yan's eyes suddenly cleared away.

A side piece?

Had Ning Rongrong just said "side piece"?

He furrowed his brow, looking confused and bewildered.

"Why don't you repeat that confession? I don't think I heard it clearly!"

Ning Rongrong felt incredibly guilty at his words. Her eyes darted everywhere as she stammered out an explanation.

"Well..."

"It's just..."

"Can you be my side piece?"

The moment those words came out, the air fell silent.

Lin Yan had not misheard. Ning Rongrong really wanted him to be her side piece?

What was going on? At this point in time, Ning Rongrong had only just left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and had not even met Oscar yet, so how had he become a side piece?

Could there be some secret in the original story that he did not know about?

Lin Yan wore an utterly strange expression, his face looking terrible.

But Ning Rongrong quickly gave him the answer herself.

"Lin Yan, listen to my explanation!"

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has a sect rule. The spouse of any Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda Soul Master must be a powerful Combat Soul Master, and as the future successor, I..."

"So my other half can only be a Combat Soul Master."

"But I really like you, I swear!"

"I really, really like you. From childhood until now, you're the boy I've liked the most. I believe I'll never meet anyone I like more in the future."

Lin Yan finally understood.

So that was it. The problem lay with that stupid sect rule. He had thought Ning Fengzhi had arranged some kind of childhood betrothal for Ning Rongrong.

After sorting through his thoughts, Lin Yan tilted his head and questioned her.

"So you want me to be your side piece? Isn't that a little too presumptuous?"

Ning Rongrong hurriedly made a promise.

"Don't worry. Even if I marry another Combat Soul Master in the future, I won't sleep with him. My body belongs only to you."

"Only the two of us are truly in love in this world!"

"Really, I swear!"

Lin Yan was speechless and muttered quietly.

"..."

"Are you sure you can find a sucker like that?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

On the tree trunk, Lin Yan took a deep breath, as though he had accepted an unbelievably absurd reality.

But Ning Rongrong could not tell what he was thinking. She simply stared intensely at his fair face, waiting hopefully for an answer.

The air was quiet as a cool breeze brushed past.

Beneath the high-hanging moon, their expressions were illuminated with perfect clarity.

Who knew how long passed before Ning Rongrong saw that Lin Yan still had not spoken. Growing anxious, she finally asked in a small voice.

"So... is it okay? Will you be my side piece?"

As she spoke, she seemed to suddenly remember something. She took a glittering golden card directly from her Storage Ring and handed it to Lin Yan.

"This has one million Gold Soul Coins!"

"I don't really have anything else to give you. These one million Gold Soul Coins are all my current savings, so... so take them first."

"Consider it our relationship fund."

A cool touch brushed Lin Yan's fingertips. He looked at the gold card in his hand, then at Ning Rongrong before him.

"You... are you sure you're not keeping me?"

"Of course not!"

Ning Rongrong spoke with righteous indignation.

"Keeping someone is driven by lust and comes without sincerity, but my feelings for you are genuine."

"..."

"Damn, you sure know a lot."

Seeing that Lin Yan had not directly rejected her, Ning Rongrong immediately resorted to the tactic she was best at: acting cute!

"Please, just agree to it."

The girl once again leaned against Lin Yan of her own accord. She hugged his arm to her chest and rubbed her cheek against it.

With her exquisite little face and pitifully adorable expression, anyone who saw her would feel their heart soften.

It was just a pity her chest was so small. Otherwise, the impact of the sight before him would have been even more obvious.

Watching the girl wriggle and rub against him like a little beast, Lin Yan could not help but sigh inwardly.

The little witch really is amazing at acting cute. No wonder Sword and Bone Douluo spoil her so much.

At the same time, he opened the System Panel.

[Ning Rongrong's Favorability: 99%]

"Huh? Why is it still 99%?"

Lin Yan was somewhat confused.

Logically speaking, Ning Rongrong had already confessed to him. No matter what, the progress bar should not have been stuck at 99%.

Did they have to confirm their relationship before her favorability could be maxed out?

With that thought, he pulled himself back to the present.

Under the moonlight, Lin Yan took his arm from the girl's embrace. Then he revealed a warm smile and spoke with a serious expression.

"Sure! We can try getting to know each other first!"

"Really? That's wonderful!"

Having received a positive answer, Ning Rongrong immediately let out a cry of delight.

The next second, overwhelmed by excitement, she threw herself into Lin Yan's arms. Tilting back her neck, she pressed her lips to his.

"Mmm~"

The night and silvery radiance intertwined. Against the pitch-black backdrop, two figures enveloped in sacred moonlight became entwined.

Lin Yan was not some ascetic free of worldly desires. On the contrary, he was quite lustful.

As they kissed, his well-defined hands unconsciously began to wander.

His fingertips brushed across the texture of her pale green nightgown. Although a thin layer of gauze separated them, he could still clearly feel the peaks and valleys beneath.

Faint moans continuously slipped from the girl's lips, intertwining with the insects' chirping in the forest to compose an alluring melody.

After a long while, their lips parted.

A pool of spring water rippled in the girl's eyes, and even the tips of her ears had turned crimson.

"This... this was Miss Ning's first kiss."

"Why is it still 99%?"

The next day.

The sunlight was gentle, and the breeze was just right.

The streets of Suotuo City were bustling, filled with hawkers and pedestrians everywhere.

Lin Yan and Ning Rongrong had come here from Shrek Academy early in the morning. They now strolled down the street, each holding a pile of grilled skewers as they ate and wandered around.

"Good thing you have that healing Spirit Skill, or I really would've caught a cold."

With food in her mouth, Ning Rongrong mumbled contentedly, her eyes and brows brimming with comfort and satisfaction.

Just last night, she had started dating her very first boyfriend.

The two had sat knee to knee, watching the stars and moon as they chatted through the entire night. It had fulfilled nearly every fantasy she had ever had about love over the years. She was so happy that she could hardly contain herself.

Yes, they had chatted all night.

Lin Yan's mind had nearly started smoking from all that thinking. He had constantly found new ways to coax Ning Rongrong, sweet-talking her until she was overjoyed and completely swept away. He was absolutely certain that Ning Rongrong was now utterly devoted to him.

But... the favorability mission in the System Panel had remained stuck at 99%, without moving at all!

So Lin Yan was beginning to suspect that this system was just a "display model" and would not provide any additional rewards or those Twelve Talismans.

Otherwise, why would this happen?

"Let's go buy clothes! Let's buy clothes!"

As thoughts raced through Lin Yan's mind, Ning Rongrong excitedly shouted while pointing at the shop ahead.

Lin Yan looked up and only then realized that they had somehow arrived in front of a clothing store.

At the same time, a familiar yet sneaky figure appeared in the corner of his eye, even discreetly waving at Lin Yan.

"You go in and browse first. I'm a little thirsty, so I'll get us something to drink."