"Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Didn't you say making it into the top ten would be enough?" Yun Yun gently caressed Chen Mo's face, clearly attributing his relentless efforts to her. She thought he was trying to prove himself to her and to everyone else, showing that her judgment of him was not mistaken.
Yun Yun removed her robe. After the previous night's experience, she was now more accustomed to it. Though a faint blush still lingered on her cheeks, it wasn't as vivid as the night before.
Chen Mo had a sweet dream, one that he couldn't share with anyone.
...
The next day.
Chen Mo woke up groggily, stretching lazily as he rubbed his eyes.
Suddenly, he noticed that his back no longer ached, his legs didn't feel sore, and his energy was surprisingly replenished. Even his cultivation seemed to have improved slightly, similar to how he felt when he woke up the day before.
Chen Mo sniffed the air.
Sure enough, there were one or two lingering fragrances on the bedding.
One of them was the same as the one from the day before, but whose was the other?
"Junior Brother, you're awake."
Suddenly, the side hall's door was pushed open, and Nalan Yanran walked in gracefully, holding a jade bowl in her hands.
As her figure approached, a more intense fragrance than Yun Yun's wafted over.
It was the other lingering scent on the bedding.
"Junior Brother, this is the Perfect Nourishment Soup I personally prepared for you. Drink it while it's still warm."
Under Chen Mo's astonished gaze, Nalan Yanran sat down by the bed, scooped a spoonful of the soup with a jade spoon, gently blew on it to cool it down, and then brought it to Chen Mo's lips.
It seemed she intended to feed him herself.
Chen Mo was dumbfounded. What was going on? Since when had their relationship become so intimate?
Moreover, in Chen Mo's memory, he hadn't been fed by anyone since he was three years old. The kind of scenes you see online, where a girlfriend feeds her boyfriend medicine or food, had never happened to him.
Thus, this sudden turn of events left him at a loss.
What's up with this girl?
Seeing that Chen Mo didn't say anything, Nalan Yanran took it as his consent and directly shoved the spoon into his mouth, pouring the soup down.
"Pfft." One moment she was so gentle, and the next she was being so rough. Chen Mo choked, and the soup sprayed all over Nalan Yanran's robe.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I've never fed anyone before. Are you okay?"
Nalan Yanran didn't seem to mind her stained robe at all. Instead, she took out a handkerchief from her Storage Ring and nervously wiped Chen Mo's mouth.
Chen Mo was utterly shocked.
Was this the Nalan Yanran he knew?
Or was this her true nature, and he just hadn't spent enough time with her to notice it before?
Her snow-white hand reached out in front of him, holding the handkerchief as she wiped his mouth, making Chen Mo feel an urge to bite it.
"Will you still drink the soup?" Nalan Yanran asked softly.
"I'll do it myself." Chen Mo took the jade bowl from Nalan Yanran's hands. Seeing her stained robe, he quickly added, "Senior Sister, I'm sorry for dirtying your robe. You should go change first."
"Ah?" Nalan Yanran's face turned red as she finally remembered her stained robe. She hurriedly left the side hall.
After just a short while, Nalan Yanran re-entered, now dressed in a light green long dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Her beautiful face was free of makeup, yet it was exquisitely refined and otherworldly.
Her expression was no longer as aloof as before, but instead carried a hint of shyness.
Chen Mo, who was in the middle of drinking soup, was momentarily captivated.
If Yun Yun was the girl-next-door type, then Nalan Yanran was the pure maiden type.
If Chen Mo had to choose...
Pfft.
Only children make choices.
If given the chance, Chen Mo would take them all.
Seeing Chen Mo's somewhat dazed gaze, Nalan Yanran felt a secret delight in her heart and sat down at a spot far from him.
While changing earlier, Nalan Yanran had carefully considered her actions. She realized she had been too forward, lacking the reserve expected of a young lady.
To avoid giving Chen Mo the wrong impression, she decided it would be better to take things slowly.
After a while, seeing that Chen Mo had finished the soup in his bowl, Nalan Yanran quickly asked, "How does it taste?"
"It's very good," Chen Mo answered honestly, placing the jade bowl aside. He was about to ask why the bedding carried her scent, but upon second thought, the topic seemed too frivolous, so he instead asked, "Where is our teacher?"
"Teacher is discussing something with Elder Gu He," Nalan Yanran replied. "Oh, right."
Suddenly, Nalan Yanran pulled out a stack of name cards from her Storage Ring, stood up, and walked over.
"These are name cards from various factions for you."
"This one is from the Miteer Family. Their merchant guild spans almost the entire Jia Ma Empire."
"This one is from the royal family."
"This one is from Elder Gu He, and it comes with a manual for refining a Fifth-Grade Elixir. You can choose one Fifth-Grade Elixir from it, and once you've decided, you should personally go to Elder Gu He..."
Nalan Yanran explained each name card clearly, detailing who sent them, which ones could be accepted, the benefits of accepting them, and what would be expected in return.
Chen Mo understood perfectly. This was the advantage that came with strength. When you were powerful enough, major factions would naturally seek to win you over.
Even if they couldn't win you over, forming a good relationship wouldn't hurt.
"Also, this Storage Ring is a personal gift from the Grand Elder. Inside are the rewards for placing first in the recent competition, as well as additional cultivation resources provided by the Grand Elder."
Nalan Yanran handed a simple black ring to Chen Mo.
After Chen Mo claimed ownership, he focused his thoughts.
"Wow, this is incredible! It's filled with high-grade fire and thunder attribute medicinal herbs and elixirs. The Grand Elder is really generous."
Returning his consciousness to the outside world, Chen Mo noticed Nalan Yanran still holding a black gilded name card and asked, "Whose is this?"
"This... this is from my father. He's asking when you might have time to visit our home."
Nalan Yanran knew what her father was thinking, so when Chen Mo asked, she felt a bit flustered.
"Visit?" Chen Mo replied, "I'm free anytime."
The Nalan family was located in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire, and Chen Mo had been wanting to visit.
It would also be a good opportunity to show off.
Given that he had gained some fame in the Jia Ma Empire, it would be a waste not to flaunt it a bit.
Hearing Chen Mo's response, Nalan Yanran excitedly said, "Really? Then I'll send a reply."
With that, she left the side hall.
"Hey, your handkerchief."
Watching Nalan Yanran leave in such a hurry, even forgetting her handkerchief, Chen Mo couldn't help but smile wryly. "This girl, she's quite impatient."
He stored the handkerchief in the storage ring Yun Leng had given him and then opened the system.
Name: Chen Mo
Race: Human
Cultivation Level: Two-Star Dou Master
Luck Points: 2040
Cultivation Method: Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength
Dou Skill: Nethergod Spear
Items: Two Healin
g Charms, Aura Concealment Technique
Functions: Treasure Chest Lottery, Shop, Plunder
The humble author humbly requests some recommendations, and of course, any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.*
(End of Chapter)