His first Breakthrough attempt failed.
He had fully expected it.
After taking the Essence-Returning Pill provided by the Spirit Sect and sleeping beside Qingqing for a night, he was nearly back to full strength.
This time, aside from passing out, there were no major side effects. But when he woke, his cheeks felt strange, as though someone had pinched and tugged them over and over. His hair, which had grown a little long, had been tied into a tiny tuft sticking straight up, and someone had put lipstick on him.
Who knew how long that woman had played with him while he was unconscious?
She really had nothing better to do.
Chen Shu set his second attempt for July Seventeenth.
He spent the week getting himself ready, continuing his routine, tentative attempts against the Spirit Lock and steadily wearing it down. He also took stock of what he had learned from his failure. By his own judgment, his chances next time were high. He understood his condition well enough, just as he had known the last attempt would fail.
Failure was the mother of success; it laid the groundwork for it.
July Seventeenth arrived in the blink of an eye.
Chen Shu brought the second vial to Qingqing's home.
Qingqing wore loose clothes around the house, her long legs gleaming like jade beneath a pair of soft, roomy shorts. For once, she was not reading. She held her phone and seemed to be watching a short video, its sound echoing through the living room.
Chen Shu leaned over.
"Bzz, bzz..."
A buzzing sound came from the phone.
A tattooed hairstylist was cutting a handsome young man's hair, explaining what he was doing as he went.
Qingqing watched with intense concentration.
"..."
Chen Shu suddenly had a bad feeling. He reached