Ning Rongrong's Unusual Hobby

Huh?

Even Gao Yang was stunned when he saw the three options.

The first two made sense, but wasn't the last one a bit of a stretch?

You’re a Battle Soul Master, and not even a control-type. Why would you practice Distraction Control?

Even if he mastered the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Heart, what use would it be?

Yet Gao Yang had a faint feeling that the third option was the right answer.

The first two options looked much the same. Both simply created another chance for him to be alone with her.

But whether they went to the seaside or Star Dou, there was one risk.

Oscar would come along!

Once the three of them were together, the advantage Gao Yang had worked so hard to build would vanish without a trace.

With the two wrong answers ruled out, the seemingly absurd third option became his only choice.

Besides, Distraction Control was a core secret of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If Ning Rongrong agreed to teach him, the lessons would have to take place somewhere private.

What sparks might fly then would be beyond the young woman's control...

[After weighing the pros and cons, you chose the third option. That day, you found Ning Rongrong and told her what you wanted. She was surprised. She said she could teach you, since your loyalty to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was beyond doubt, but she was curious: why learn a skill that was so difficult and of so little use to a Battle Soul Master? Without a word, you revealed your Second Martial Soul. Four Soul Rings—black, black, black, black—circled the Golden Staff, leaving her so astonished that her little mouth hung open.]

[Only then did she remember that, like Tang San, you possessed Twin Martial Souls, and that your Second Martial Soul was also a support-type. But she could not understand how you had dared to absorb Soul Rings for it! Even Tang San, who dared to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring beyond his level, did not dare do that. She was desperate to know how you had managed it!]

[You merely smiled mysteriously and told her you had come across a small opportunity. She wanted to know what it was, but you kept your lips sealed. Rather than getting angry, she understood why you wanted to learn Distraction Control. As a support Martial Soul second only to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the Golden Staff consumed a terrifying amount of Soul Power when used to boost others at full strength. With Distraction Control, you could respond to the battlefield's needs more efficiently. And so she agreed to your request.]

Gao Yang: ???

What the hell did I miss?

What opportunity?

I'm the protagonist, and even I don't know about it!

That makes no sense!

In the Divine Realm, inside a vast, empty palace, the God of Evil—one of the five supreme gods—wore an ashen expression!

Beside him, the Second-Level God known as the God of Love looked positively delighted at his misfortune!

"Hahaha! Serves you right! You stole my successor, and now that one has his hands on yours. How does it feel?"

"You useless husb—oh, no. You useless supreme god!"

"Hey, hey! What are you doing, Evil God? Don't take it out on me just because you can't beat that one! I'm no lump of clay you can push around!"

"Fine, fine! Try bullying me, then. Looks like you've kicked a wad of cotton, Evil God!"

"..."

At Shrek Academy, Gao Yang continued the simulation.

[From the day Ning Rongrong agreed to teach you Distraction Control, you casually added quite a bit to Oscar's training. You even told him, with great consideration, not to push himself too hard, to take care of his health, and to spend more time with Ning Rongrong when he could. But Oscar seemed to be growing obsessed with Swordsmanship. Somewhere, he had heard the saying, "With no woman in your heart, your sword draws itself like a god's." Now, whenever he had time, he went to practice at the Back Mountain Waterfall. He would stay there all day, and the look he gave his sword was gentler than the one he gave Ning Rongrong.]

[After Oscar brushed off Ning Rongrong's concern several times, she stopped worrying about him out of spite. From the day their quarrel began, you arrived at Ning Rongrong's private room on time every evening.

She taught you Distraction Control, and you taught her how to survive on the battlefield.

When you were hungry, you had the servants bring food. When you were tired, you lay down on Ning Rongrong's bed for a short rest, then resumed training when you woke. Before you knew it, you were both improving by leaps and bounds, and Ning Rongrong had grown ever more accustomed to your presence.]

[You decided the time was right. Several nights later, after finishing training as usual, you were about to leave when you suddenly asked Ning Rongrong why she had such an unusual hobby: writing a diary in which she portrayed herself in such an indecent way.]

[Ning Rongrong immediately blushed, but under your intent gaze, she finally told you what was in her heart.]

[First-person perspective.]

Gao Yang's vision blurred, and he found himself inside Ning Rongrong's room.

The room was decorated in a cute, girlish style. Ning Rongrong had just finished training and was sprawled lazily on the bed.

A newly bought Storybook lay before her. She seemed to have reached a part she liked; her fair little feet swung back and forth through the air in a steady rhythm.

Gao Yang sat beside her on the bed and gently patted her shoulder.

"Rongrong, there's something I'm curious about. Can you tell me?"

"Ask away, Brother Gao Yang. Rongrong won't keep anything from you." Ning Rongrong's eyes remained on the Storybook. She had long since grown used to Gao Yang's closeness.

"Why did you write those unsightly scenes in your diary? And why did you make yourself the main character...?"

Whoosh!

A puff of white steam seemed to rise from above her head. The flush on her face spread instantly to her neck and the tips of her ears.

"Ahem... Brother Gao Yang, why... why are you suddenly asking me that?"

"I'm just curious."

"Um... Well... I suppose I can tell you, Brother Gao Yang. Keeping it bottled up has been hard..."

"Mm-hmm. Go on. I'm listening."

She slowly explained that everyone in the sect had doted on her since she was little, and she had come to take it for granted.

Then, the first time she met Gao Yang, he had shoved her away roughly.

On the surface, she had been furious. In truth, she had been so excited she could hardly contain herself!

Never in her life had anyone treated her that way. The strange feeling had kept her too excited to sleep, even late into the night!

But as Gao Yang treated her better and better, she could no longer experience that feeling of being handled roughly.

After she happened upon a street-market storybook, certain scenes excited her in particular. But for the noble little princess of the sect, getting more of those bawdy books was simply too difficult.

She had no choice but to write her own!

Only after hearing her out did Gao Yang realize that the masked stranger in her diary was him!!

"Brother Gao Yang, you... you're not angry, are you...?" Ning Rongrong took his long silence for anger and instinctively wrapped her arms around him.

She hoped her soft body would help soothe his temper.

"I'm not angry. I'm just curious." Gao Yang stroked her hair. "Can writing like that really ease the desires in your heart?"

"Of course! If I hadn't been writing in my diary, I might have gone mad by now," she replied shyly.

"Is that so..." Gao Yang considered it for a moment. "Then, Rongrong, could you teach me to write a diary?"

"Huh? Wh-why...?"

"Because the desires in my heart are no weaker than yours. I want a way to let them out, too."

"I'm sorry, Brother Gao Yang..."

"What, you don't want to teach me?"

"No, no! I do! I do! It's all Rongrong's fault you've ended up like this, Brother Gao Yang. Rongrong... feels so guilty..."

"Then please, you must teach me. That way, even if you marry someone else one day, I won't be so jealous I could burst! I want to create a Ning Rongrong who belongs only to me!"

Those words gripped the softest part of her heart once more.

"Brother Gao Yang... I understand. Rongrong will teach you everything she can!"