Now That's Bold!

Interesting.

By now, Gao Yang was starting to get a feel for the game.

Drawing his sword and killing someone was pure brainless behavior, and proposing in public wasn't much better.

So he chose the third option.

[You suppressed your impulses and showed Oscar your friendly side. Your warmth gave the newly arrived Oscar a little comfort, and the two of you soon became friends.]

[During Oscar's first two months at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he worked hard every day to prove himself. To complete his tasks and raise his cultivation level, he never let up. Ning Rongrong occasionally complained that he was neglecting her, but more often, she worried about him. So when you knocked on her door that night, you saw the hope in her eyes turn to disappointment. Still, you had always been a caring older brother to her. She obediently stepped aside and let you into her room.]

[You knew who she had hoped to see. Unfortunately for her, you were the one who had taken advantage of Oscar's eagerness to prove himself, quietly assigning him a host of simple, tedious tasks. You had done it all to spend some time alone with Ning Rongrong.]

Well, well, well...

For a sword cultivator with such an honest face, you schemed like the neighbor sneaking in through the back door!

[You entered the room, took out the gift you had prepared, and wished Ning Rongrong a happy birthday. She gave a rueful smile. Aside from her parents and her two Douluo grandfathers, she said, you were the only person in the entire sect who still remembered. You knew she had wanted Oscar to remember her birthday and celebrate it with her. Seeing her forlorn expression stirred feelings you could hardly put into words.]

[You turned your head, unwilling to let Ning Rongrong see the emotions slipping out of your control. Instead, you caught sight of the underclothes on her bed. Pink, just like when she was little. Ning Rongrong followed your gaze and instantly blushed. She threw herself onto the bed, crying, "Gao Yang, don't look!" as she gathered up her underwear.]

[To ease the awkwardness, Ning Rongrong got up to pour you some tea. Perhaps she had already been distracted lately, because her foot slipped and she lost her balance. Luckily, your eyes and hands were quick. You caught her around her slender waist.]

[Holding the girl of your dreams so close, you felt your reason crumble bit by bit. You couldn't tear your eyes from her delicate features. Her softness and faint fragrance sent the feelings you had suppressed for so long surging free. You decided to...]

[1. Kiss her on the lips.]

[2. Kiss her on the cheek.]

[3. Drink tea.]

Wait, drink tea at a time like this?

That was pure clueless-virgin behavior!

A real man would make his move right now!

And if he was going to make a move, he was damn well going to kiss her on the lips!

[You gazed at the bewildered girl and ultimately chose to follow your heart, brushing her rosy lips with yours as lightly as a dragonfly touching water.]

[Ning Rongrong lay in your arms without resisting—or perhaps she had forgotten how. Even after you let her go, she still hadn't reacted.]

[You pursed your lips. Kissing hadn't felt quite as satisfying as you had imagined. Sure enough, greedy as you were, you wanted more.]

[The girl finally came to her senses and shoved you away. Covering her mouth, she backed up again and again. She pointed at you, trying to speak, but she was too agitated to get the words out.]

[Her adorable reaction almost made you laugh, but you knew what you said next would determine your future relationship with her. So you decided to...]

[1. Turn and leave.]

[2. Take things all the way.]

[3. Demand to know what was so great about Oscar!]

Holy shit. Gao Yang hadn't expected an option that bold.

Nothing to think about. Pick three!

["What's so great about Oscar?" The girl froze at your words. She was the one who had been wronged, so why did you look so hurt? But you didn't wait for her answer. "To you, I was never an older brother. Just a follower, a servant you could summon and dismiss whenever you pleased. Right?"]

[Memories of the past surfaced, and guilt filled the girl's eyes. She instinctively shook her head, but you pressed your advantage. "Then why didn't you tell me you liked drawing storybooks?" Ning Rongrong's eyes widened at once. "That Oscar! Does he tell you everything?" She regretted the words before she had even finished speaking. Hadn't she just admitted it? She hadn't told even Xiao Wu or Zhu Zhuqing about such a niche hobby. Only the observant Oscar had discovered it by chance.]

["How long have you known him? How long have you known me? Heh." With that, you turned and left, giving Ning Rongrong nothing but the sight of your lonely, dejected back. Your words transformed her anger over the kiss you had forced on her into guilt. Yes, you were the boy who had been by her side the longest. Only now did she realize how you felt about her.]

I'm amazing!

What a clutch move!

Gao Yang couldn't help applauding. That retreat to advance was so slick that even Bai Zhantang would have to bow and take notes!

And why did Ning Rongrong seem so gullible? This really was a continent of romance, where everyone's brain turned to mush over love!

[From that day on, you began keeping your distance from Ning Rongrong, and she told no one what had happened. That kiss became a secret between the two of you.]

[Now and then, Xiao Tian told you what it had seen while keeping watch: the girl holding the gift you had given her, staring into space alone for a long time, with an inexplicable smile occasionally crossing her face.]

[You knew Ning Rongrong might have a nasty temper, but her kindness ran deep. Rather than rely solely on her childhood diary to threaten her, you began laying a more meticulous plan. After all, the two of you were the real childhood friends!]

[One day, you took some sect disciples out on a mission and returned covered in wounds. Ning Rongrong grew anxious the moment she saw you. When she learned that you had fought a fifty-thousand-year soul beast to protect Oscar and suffered such serious injuries, tears fell from her eyes. To her, Oscar was clearly your rival in love, yet you had protected him... Your generous heart made her truly see, for the first time, the older brother who had cared for her since childhood.]

[That night, with Xiao Tian growling softly, Ning Rongrong entered your bedroom...]

[Notice: Host, you may choose to experience the scene firsthand!]

Huh?

There was a first-person view?

Gao Yang sat bolt upright in bed.

"What do you mean, firsthand?"

[Simply put, all of the host's senses, including physical sensations, will be fully immersed in the story. You can enjoy the experience from every angle, without a single blind spot!]

[Of course, you cannot directly control your actions. The Simulation will still guide the story. You can only make choices at key moments.]

"What if I get hurt or die in the Simulation?"

[You may adjust your sensitivity to reduce or heighten what you feel. Death in the Simulation will not affect reality.]

"Oh, that's pretty considerate. What are we waiting for? Put me in!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, everything before Gao Yang changed.

In a single second, the Shrek Academy dormitory gave way to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Gao Yang looked around at the scene, both familiar and strange, then moved his body a little. He had to admit—

It was lifelike!

Of course, none of that mattered.

Standing before him was a graceful girl with a noble, innocent air...

Ning Rongrong!

In the simulated world.

"What are you doing here?" Gao Yang frowned at the girl before him.

His cold manner made her heart ache.

"Gao Yang, I..." Ning Rongrong lowered her head, her voice faintly pleading. "I brought you medicine..."

"Since when did the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect fall so low that its young miss has to do a servant's work?" Gao Yang said flatly. "Leave it there. I'll ask someone else to apply it later."

"No... There's no need to trouble anyone else! Gao Yang, let me put the medicine on you, okay...?"

"..."

"Gao Yang, please... say something..."