In the eastern part of the Imperial Capital, Chu Ruoyan kept silently cheering herself on.
She had spent the entire night preparing for today's date, even planning out their route.
After those two nuisances had ruined things yesterday, she had deliberately chosen somewhere her acquaintances would not show up: Marriage Mountain, the Imperial Capital's famous haven for dates.
Marriage Mountain was famous not only for its Marriage Tree, which stood over a hundred meters tall, but also for its many touching love stories.
But none of that was the point. What mattered was that the mountain offered plenty of activities to bring couples closer together.
Li Chen had spent a long time holed up in the palace. He had heard of this place ages ago, but this was his first visit.
Marriage Mountain's beautiful scenery resembled a flowing painted scroll, with mountain flowers in full bloom and colorful butterflies dancing through air suffused with a faint floral fragrance.
Fallen leaves carpeted the paths in gold, rustling beneath people's feet.
Quite a few couples came and went, though many people also climbed the mountain alone to pray for a romantic match.
Marriage Mountain was not only rugged but also very high. The farther they climbed, the fewer people they saw.
Li Chen and Chu Ruoyan were both cultivators, so even the rugged mountain paths posed no difficulty for either of them.
When they were well past the halfway point, Chu Ruoyan secretly took out her little notebook and stole a glance. On the stretch ahead, she had planned a little incident in which she would twist her ankle.
She had chosen a spot farther along because she was worried Li Chen might find it too tiring.
To make her performance more convincing, she had even come to Marriage Mountain last night to walk through it once.
Clearly, Chu Ruoyan had put a great deal of thought into this date.
She had done her homework even more diligently than she cultivated.
As they approached a difficult stretch of steps, Chu Ruoyan grew nervous, and her thoughts began running wild.
She worried that Li Chen might see through her act. What if he thought she was scheming?
Why didn't I think of that yesterday? Should I pick a better spot?
Lost in thought, she failed to watch the steps beneath her feet and actually twisted her ankle.
Her instinctive sharp intake of breath and slightly pained expression certainly did not look like an act.
At that moment, Chu Ruoyan's stubborn streak surfaced. Who knew what she was thinking, but she seemed determined to reach her planned spot.
Naturally, Li Chen knew exactly what to do. He picked her up, set her down on the grass beside the path, and massaged her twisted ankle.
As someone in the Saint Realm, he could indeed use his abilities to reduce the swelling in Chu Ruoyan's leg.
But was that necessary? Of course not.
This was a rare chance to enjoy a little perk, and he naturally had to treasure it.
The delicate, smooth feel of her calf beneath his hands made him reluctant to let go.
In fact, when they first met, Li Chen had noticed how tall and slender Chu Ruoyan was. Her legs really were long.
How thrilling would it be to have them over my shoulders?
But there were still passersby here. Anywhere else, Li Chen would not have let her off.
After massaging her for a while, Li Chen hoisted Chu Ruoyan onto his back, enjoying the softness pressed against him along the way.
One could say they had worked together in perfect harmony this time, each getting exactly what they wanted.
They probably both understood what the other meant, so there was no need to be coy.
It was not that Chu Ruoyan lacked reserve. As a woman, she naturally felt a little shy.
But she understood even better what sort of man Li Chen was. Once she passed this village, there would be no more shops like this!
Hadn't she seen how Liu Hao and Wu Qi looked as though they wished they were women?
Yesterday, her lack of initiative had allowed those two to slip in through the opening.
Today, she finally had a rare chance to be alone with Li Chen, and she had to make the most of it.
Before long, they reached the summit of Marriage Mountain. Before them stood the legendary Marriage Tree, the symbol of love.
As she shook the divination-stick cylinder, Chu Ruoyan kept silently praying for a good fortune, preferably the very best.
Li Chen, meanwhile, activated his cultivation technique and directly made Chu Ruoyan "shake out" a stick bearing the very best fortune.
One hoped for heaven's blessing, while the other could choose for himself. The result was exactly what they both wanted.
Next came some of the mountain's little activities, such as crossing a bridge blindfolded while carrying someone on one's back. One person wore a blindfold while the other directed the way. A wrong step would send them into the pool, testing how well they worked together.
As long as they paid, the staff would also explain the activity's romantic significance.
Put plainly, these little games gave shy couples more opportunities for physical contact, bringing them closer together.
There were also some simpler activities, but both participants had plans of their own.
The most absurd part was how inexplicably well they meshed. Even when Chu Ruoyan occasionally slipped up, Li Chen always seemed to know her plans, helping her carry them out while sneaking in a little advantage for himself.
There were actually quite a few minor troubles along the way.
For instance, a full-figured woman in a hooded cloak accidentally stumbled toward him.
Even that fleeting glimpse revealed her stunningly beautiful face.
If Li Chen caught her, he could certainly get his hands on those ample perks.
But he merely stirred the energy within his body and steadied the woman.
His response earned Chu Ruoyan's admiration and the cloaked woman's gratitude.
During the little games, they also saw two poor fools start fighting over a woman, disrupting everyone else's activities.
Li Chen could not even be bothered to speak. He merely flicked a finger and pointed through the air, and both men spat blood and collapsed.
Realizing they had angered a powerful cultivator, the two immediately got up, apologized, and left.
In the presence of someone truly powerful, neither dared lose his head over a woman.
That last move had only been a warning. If they still failed to behave, coughing up blood would be the least of their worries.
But the people nearby saw it differently. They believed the God of Marriage had manifested and punished those causing trouble here.
And so, quite a few more people ran beneath the Marriage Tree to pray for blessings.
This place had gained yet another legend.
But Chu Ruoyan, standing beside him, had seen everything clearly. This was no manifestation of the God of Marriage. A true god was standing right before them!
Their pleasant day came to an end, and dusk had already fallen by the time they descended the mountain.
Chu Ruoyan was deeply moved. Three days! At last, they had enjoyed a proper date!
Everything about Marriage Mountain was wonderful. Li Chen's only complaint was that no one nearby had opened a five-star inn or anything of the sort. Even a room rented by the hour would have done. They really had no idea how to do business.
Still, he had achieved today's goal. Winning Chu Ruoyan over was only a matter of time.
When it came to dating, the most important thing was the response.
If a woman truly liked someone, she would naturally take the initiative.
In Li Chen's view, the final outcome mattered, but the process along the way was indispensable too.
With his strength and status, obtaining beautiful women would be far too easy if that was all he wanted.
Of course, he did not rule out doing exactly that in the future.
But with a woman like Chu Ruoyan, he enjoyed the process of winning her over more.
After all, he could clearly distinguish between someone to share his life with and someone to enjoy a little pleasure with.
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