Reward time

Tsugumi, the instigator behind everything that happened to the Gao family afterward, could not have cared less. She had just received the money from the internet company and excitedly ran downstairs to the living room.

"A-Xiao, we've got money now!"

She launched herself at Chen Xiao before he could say anything, leaving him no choice but to reach out and catch her.

Her outfit was called a sensor suit, but it was actually a full-body bodysuit even thinner than a wetsuit.

Not only did it perfectly trace Tsugumi's lovely curves, it also let Chen Xiao feel the softness unique to a young woman with unmistakable clarity as he caught her.

Wait... softness?!

"Tsugumi! You..."

Chen Xiao had just been about to remind her of something when Tsugumi cut him off.

"Wait! Let me show you something good!"

Completely unconcerned about their intimate contact, Tsugumi nestled in Chen Xiao's arms. Besides wriggling against him as though asking to be spoiled, she casually took his phone out of his pocket, deftly entered the password, and showed him the company's transfer record.

"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands... wait, you just patched a few tiny vulnerabilities in their servers, and they casually paid you over a hundred thousand?!"

The money had come so quickly that Chen Xiao briefly wondered whether he was dreaming.

Then he plopped down on the sofa.

Rather than settling into his arms, Tsugumi stood in front of the sofa with her hands on her hips and declared proudly:

"Hehe~ Well? A-Xiao, I told you hackers could earn legitimate money too~!"

"My bad, my bad."

Chen Xiao raised his hands in a French military salute.

He was not exactly computer-illiterate, but he really did lack knowledge in this area.

That did make Elf Yamada and Senju Harumasa's plans to earn money by writing novels a little awkward, though. He no longer needed them to provide that income.

But on second thought, even without a financial need, he would eventually let them come out and "show what they could do," so it made no difference whether they started those novels sooner or later.

Oh, the same went for drawing.

Keeping the figurine girls locked away forever...

He could not do something like that.

"By the way, how are you planning to spend this money, A-Xiao? Are you going to buy instruments for those two bands, like you promised Nina Isari?"

"Of cour... Tsugumi, what are you doing?"

Just as Chen Xiao was about to answer, he saw Tsugumi suddenly turn her back to him, then sit straight down in his lap. Her faintly fragrant hair brushed past his nose, stirring his heart as gently as a spring breeze.

"What am I doing...? A-Xiao, I worked so hard to help you earn money. Aren't you going to show a little appreciation?"

Nymph: Wasn't that all thanks to my AI system? What do you mean, your hard work?!

Unfortunately, Nymph could only keep watch over the computer room upstairs, and she did not have enough mana to materialize, so she had no way to come and spoil Tsugumi's fun.

"Appreciation?"

Chen Xiao swallowed.

"Or perhaps I should call it a reward..."

As she spoke, Tsugumi deliberately pressed her legs together and shifted backward in his lap, nearly making Chen Xiao lose control of his expression.

And just as he instinctively lowered his head, preparing to endure it, he caught sight of the slender, fair neck before him, peeking through her hair.

So close...

All I have to do is lean down a little farther, and I can touch it.

"Hah..."

He breathed out, parting the fine, willow-like strands of black hair and letting his breath fall on the warm, jade-smooth nape of her neck.

"Mmm~! A-Xiao, you're starting to get naughty..."

Tsugumi pursed her lips slightly and teased him, but a shy flush gradually spread from her neck all the way to her cheeks.

There was an invitation in her voice.

And that teasing provocation was like a sharp blade, severing the thread of reason in Chen Xiao's mind!

Though he was not a vampire and had not borrowed the power of a vampire figurine, Chen Xiao opened his mouth and bit Tsugumi's delicate neck as if overcome by a thirst for blood.

Of course, he could not actually suck her blood.

He had simply begun instinctively imitating Noriaki Kakyoin's signature move from JoJo.

Lero lero lero lero lero~~~~

Tsugumi: -!!!

Cold... trembling...

Ah, no, there was no cold. Just trembling.

As the "reward" went on, Chen Xiao's hands also began instinctively creeping upward, ready to lock Tsugumi entirely in his embrace.

Unfortunately...

Click-!

The door suddenly opened. Asuna walked out of the bedroom and saw Tsugumi and Chen Xiao sitting at opposite ends of the sofa. Puzzled, she asked:

"Hm? Miss Tsugumi, A-Xiao, what are you doing?"

Neither of them answered right away.

A closer look revealed that Chen Xiao had crossed his legs as if hiding something, while one hand covered the corner of his mouth.

Beside him, Tsugumi kept her legs pressed together and hunched over like a child caught misbehaving, with one hand covering her neck and the other braced against her knee.

They also had something else in common: sweat-drenched faces and disheveled hair.

"How suspicious...!"

Asuna's gaze instantly sharpened.

"What were you two doing?"

At that, Tsugumi trembled like a startled kitten, then pushed herself up against the edge of the sofa, frantically protesting:

"Nothing! Nothing! Anyway, I'm leaving! Bye!"

With that, Tsugumi fled toward the bedroom on unsteady feet.

"..."

Asuna could clearly see that her legs were weak, but did not point it out.

"Ahem, Asuna, I can explain..."

Now that Chen Xiao had come to his senses, he felt a wave of guilt.

It was just like those kinds of films the Japanese had made in his previous life,

"A-Xiao, don't play in the living room next time."

Hearing Asuna say that, Chen Xiao looked up in astonishment.

"Huh?"

Seeing that Chen Xiao had not understood her meaning, Asuna's pretty face flushed slightly.

Although she was rather looking forward to it herself, saying something like that aloud was still embarrassing!

"I mean, if you're going to do it! Please go to another room, at lea..."

Chen Xiao: ...

Now he understood.

"It wasn't what you're thinking, Asuna! Tsugumi and I haven't gone that far. We were just doing a little..."

Chen Xiao hurriedly stood up to explain, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he had no idea how to continue.

Because he really had started the foreplay just now. If Asuna had not appeared and interrupted them, what would have happened next was practically a foregone conclusion!

"Asuna?"

But while Chen Xiao was agonizing over it, he suddenly realized that something was a little off about Asuna.

"Ah..."

Looking slightly dazed, Asuna lowered her head and raised a hand to make a rough measurement, then compared it against her abdomen. Her whole face instantly turned lobster red.

"Waaaaah!!!!"

With a panicked cry that rang through the entire living room, Asuna covered her flushed face, turned, and fled.

"Uh..."

Watching Asuna flee in a panic, Chen Xiao did not know whether to feel proud or embarrassed.