I made a mistake.

Qiao Muyi originally thought Ren Suo was a neutered kitten, and she was preparing to work hard to awaken his beastly nature. She hadn't expected that not only was he unneutered, but the intensity of his arousal was as fierce as if it had accumulated for over a decade, transforming him from a small cat into a big tiger in an instant.

But she liked this Ren Suo all the same. She liked every side of him.

After they were affectionate for a while, Qiao Muyi noticed that Ren Suo's hands started to wander, but she did not stop his movements. Instead, she adjusted her position to lie more comfortably in Ren Suo's embrace, letting him take as he pleased.

Letting him take as he pleased...

Thinking about this, Qiao Muyi suddenly chuckled. Ren Suo blinked and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"I suddenly feel that your name is really naughty and aggressive," Qiao Muyi said with a laugh.

Ren Suo had a puzzled look on his face, but the Demon King shouldn't be indulged. If not disciplined, the Demon King would wreak havoc. So, he fiercely teased the Demon King again. Then, the two clung to each other like putty, with only their scorching breaths remaining in the cave.

After a while, Qiao Muyi suddenly asked, "What's the matter, are you done?"

Upon hearing this, Ren Suo was startled. He looked down and saw Qiao Muyi gazing at him with a fiery, bold, seductive look. The smile on her lips—a mix of temptation and mockery—was enough to make one lose their sanity and transform into the beast that is man.

—If it weren't for the "Listening Headphones."

He sighed softly and said, "You, didn't we agree to tell the truth? You clearly don't like it."

Qiao Muyi froze for a moment, pouted, and said, "Is it that damned intuition of yours again?"

"Yes."

"But you're wrong this time," Qiao Muyi said, leaning on his chest and drawing circles with her finger. "If it's with you, I'm willing."

"I'm not saying you're not willing; I'm saying you don't like it," Ren Suo said. "The cold outdoors, the chilly cave, a few scented candles, and a bundle of withered grass... I know you're someone who seeks perfection."

"To be honest, I also wouldn't want my first time to be in this kind of setting..."

Qiao Muyi suddenly fixed her gaze on Ren Suo, twirled a strand of hair beside her ear, lightly licked her lips, and blinked, asking seductively, "Can you resist?"

"We will have countless times in the future," Ren Suo said softly. "You definitely won't like remembering such a rushed and simple night in the future."

"That's right, I don't like it, but as long as you want to, I'm willing."

Qiao Muyi looked at Ren Suo and suddenly said with a laugh, "That's fine too. If something happens to me, I'll at least have only stolen your first kiss and not your virginity, so you can still boast about being a virgin when you look for a wife in the future."

There were so many things wrong with that statement that Ren Suo couldn't manage a reply right away, so he only repeated the point he found most bizarre: "A man's first time?"

"Yes, a woman's first time is important, so naturally a man's first time is equally important," Qiao Muyi stated matter-of-factly. "If a girl appears in the future who loves you more than I do, you can tell her you haven't lost your first time, to prove your purity..."

Ren Suo scratched his head. "Well... Actually, being a virgin isn't really a plus point for male attractiveness..."

Qiao Muyi laughed. "Really? But there will definitely be girls who care about this—for example, a certain very stubborn and self-disciplined..."

"Besides, do you think there will be someone who loves me more than you do?"

"Yes," Qiao Muyi said, closing her eyes. "If I were gone, there certainly would be."

Ren Suo knew she still harbored great insecurity in her heart, but this time he did not comfort her. Instead, he simply held her quietly, trying to use his body heat to melt the Cold Ice inside her heart...

Suddenly, Qiao Muyi chuckled. "I feel like you can't hold back."

Ren Suo's mouth twitched into a wry smile. "Just pretend nothing happened... or, you could help me out... hmm?"

Ren Suo blinked and secretly brushed his left thumb against the ring finger of his left hand. Then he turned to look at the entrance of the cave and gently patted Qiao Muyi's bottom, saying, "We have a visitor."

Qiao Muyi sprang up like a coiled spring, her flexibility on full display. She watched the entrance warily, her Spell Meridians in a semi-activated state. Is it an enemy?

"There's no need to be so tense. He's an acquaintance of mine..." Ren Suo trailed off, suddenly faltering. Wait, what exactly was their relationship?

"An old friend without regard for age."

A young man wearing traditional attire walked into the cave, stepping over the large stones placed in the passage. His hair was styled in a square bun unique to ancient people, his left hand bore an archaic round Wooden Shield, and at his waist hung a short-handled hammer-axe that looked like both a hammer and an axe.

Qiao Muyi's eyes widened instantly—as the Deputy Director of the Tactical Bureau, she naturally recognized the person before her: the Sixth Generation Family Head of the Eastern Han Ren Family, the wanderer of the Fairy Palace, Ren Han!

While he appeared to be in his twenties, if his age were calculated directly using the Gregorian Calendar, that wouldn't be an issue!

"Ren, Ren Suo, are you and him..."

"Yes, an old friend without regard for age, you could think of it that way," Ren Suo said. "Due to some serendipitous circumstances, he owes me a small favor... I sent him a message earlier, and it turned out he was just descending to the mortal world, so he helped me out with a little something..."

"I have to go back in 56 seconds," Ren Han reminded him, signaling that if Ren Suo wasted any more time, they would run out of it.

Given Ren Han's age, his friendship with Ren Suo could indeed be considered one that transcended their age difference...

But wait, that's not the point at all!

Qiao Muyi reevaluated Ren Suo once more, as if she had never known him. Ren Suo noticed her gaze and smiled. "You have to keep this a secret."

He sighed softly. "It's a pity. If not for the significant Bindings placed on the people of the Fairy Palace when they descend to the mortal world, I would have had him protect us while we searched for the final clue. Or I could have just asked him to protect you..."

Qiao Muyi shook her head with a smile, saying very considerately, "It's okay, I'm already very happy to see Lord Ren Han so closely... And besides, the Fairy Palace isn't suitable."

Qiao Muyi also understood that her biggest dilemma wasn't the mastermind behind the scenes but the public opinion influenced by that mastermind. Even with the Shelter of the Fairy Palace, it wouldn't help and might even backfire.

Besides, Ren Suo knowing Ren Han was surprising enough; Qiao Muyi didn't think Ren Suo could truly command Ren Han, so she didn't hold much expectation.

Tonight, in fact, was Ren Suo's last attempt—because now Qiao Muyi already knew where the final clue was. And after Ren Han had killed the Source of Disaster, the Star-level promotion wouldn't be instant; according to Ren Suo's estimate, there would be about a 10-minute delay.

If Ren Han had enough "Rippling Spring Sounds" time left tonight, Ren Suo could summon him once more within those 10 minutes. Then he could have Ren Han lead them both, crushing any obstacles, to find the final clue, capture the mastermind behind the scenes, and then allow Qiao Muyi to kill the mastermind.

Moreover, these three steps had to be accomplished simultaneously: without clues, there was no way to prove Qiao Muyi's innocence; if Qiao Muyi didn't kill the mastermind, she couldn't seize their ability and bring her Awakening Ability to complete fruition.

The other party had made thorough preparations and could launch a public opinion offensive to slander Qiao Muyi at any moment, driving her insane with filth and resentment. Even the Fairy Palace's Shelter would be insufficient—public sentiment was a fearsome thing; nations worldwide might even believe Qiao Muyi to be the 'Reaper' dispatched by the Fairy Palace.

But now there wasn't enough time, so the risky maneuvers Ren Suo envisioned naturally couldn't be done.

If they waited a few more minutes for Ren Han to advance to 4-star, they wouldn't be able to summon him, making "Rippling Spring Sounds" effectively useless. In a boss fight, if you can't block the boss's final attack, summoning a character with weak combat power that can only last mere seconds is pointless; it might even scare off the boss. Better to use the summon now.

The Mini-World Game Console had already arranged the perfect script for him, and what he needed to do was to perform this play until the curtain fell.

Now, he just wanted to sneak in a little... flourish of his own while the Mini-World Game Console wasn't paying attention.

Ren Suo stretched out his hand. Ren Han shrugged and said, "I don't know which one is the Bible, and there's not enough time... So I just grabbed two at random from the bookstore for you."

When Ren Suo took the two books, he discovered they were *Evolutionary Psychology* and *The Selfish Gene,* respectively.

He shook his head and pondered for a moment. These will do, I suppose.

At that moment, Qiao Muyi seemed to remember something and asked, "Lord Ren Han, did you descend this time to kill the Source of Disaster?"

"Yes."

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for humanity; your good deeds are of great assistance to me," Qiao Muyi immediately bowed deeply, pulling Ren Suo with her. Ren Suo also bowed to Ren Han, his gesture silently conveying his own thanks for the recent favor.

Ren Han accepted their gratitude with composure, then said, "Ren Suo, you hoped for me to broadcast your voice across the globe, which I cannot do. However, I have left a Taoist Magic Mark in the Federation and, coupled with this place, I can make your voice heard above the clouds in these two locations, though not many may hear it."

Flourishing Sakura and the Federation... that's enough.

Looking puzzled, Qiao Muyi glanced at Ren Suo and asked, "Xiao Suo, what exactly do you want to do...? And you even incurred such a huge cost for Lord Ren Han to help you…?"

"Qiao Muyi," Ren Suo suddenly called out her real name, saying earnestly, "I still owe you an answer."

Qiao Muyi froze.

"You've always been saying you love me but never asked if I love you," Ren Suo said, removing his Listening Headphones. "You might fear it's not the answer you want, or you might be afraid... that you have no tomorrow.

"You think it's enough that you alone love me. You believe that because I have a way out, a future, while you... you might only have tonight. You're giving all your love to me, hoping I'll remember your beauty in this moment, and then continue living.

"You also believe that if danger comes, I might follow human nature and the instincts expressed by my genes to survive by leaving you, or maybe I'm a fickle playboy who will stop loving you because I fall in love with someone else.

"I don't know how to convince you. Whatever needed to be said, I've already said over the past few days.

"I think I need to change my approach. Since you live every day as if it's your last, I'll also act as if I have only 24 hours left to live, and live it without any reservations."

Qiao Muyi watched as Ren Suo held the two books to his chest, hearing him say, "I admire your courage. If it were me, I really might not dare to be the first to tell the person I like 'I love you'… I'm actually quite cowardly.

"Fortunately, you took the first step, and that's why we have the story that follows.

"Since you're so brave, I don't want to let your courage down. But I also don't know how to make you understand my sincerity. However, I think this idea might be good." Ren Suo looked toward Ren Han and said, "Start. Let the whole world hear my voice. I, Ren Suo—"

"You can't," Qiao Muyi shook her head.

"No, I can."

"You can't."

"I only have 24 hours left to live, what can't I do? There's no time, Ren Han—"

"At least," Qiao Muyi pressed her hands together in front of her mouth, as if praying, and said tearfully, "at least don't say your name."

Seeing the almost tearful Qiao Muyi, Ren Suo hesitated for a moment and nodded. He wanted to express his feelings, not to make Qiao Muyi feel guilty.

At that moment, Ren Han belched faintly, gestured with his hand, and said, "There are 7 seconds left."

A veil of pale blue Spiritual Energy Cloak fell upon Ren Suo. As his lips moved slightly, it felt as though he could hear countless echoes resonating in the distance.

He blinked, his mind flipping through the pages of *Xiao Suo's Secret Diary.*

'Xiao Suo and Young Master Mu went to Sensoji Temple, and thankfully, with Xiao Suo's help, Young Master Mu drew great fortune.'

'Xiao Suo and Young Master Mu went to Shibuya. Young Master Mu put on makeup for the first time and looked pretty.'

'Xiao Suo and Young Master Mu went to the Starry Sky Museum. Young Master Mu wore makeup and looked very beautiful.'

'...'

'Xiao Suo and Young Master Mu imagined their future happy marital bliss.'

In the blink of an eye, Ren Suo had finished reading the dozen or so pages. Because the diary had been updated to memories with accompanying video information, it was as if he had relived the seven days in Flourishing Sakura with Qiao Muyi.

After reading, Ren Suo was absolutely certain of his feelings: he had fallen for this girl.

That being the case, he decided to follow his heart and express his feelings openly, honorably, and in the most magnificent way possible.

With one hand resting on *Evolutionary Psychology* and *The Selfish Gene*, witnessed by Ren Han, Ren Suo looked at Qiao Muyi and solemnly vowed to the entire world:

"Whether in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in life's ups and downs, I will go against my nature, defy my genes, to love you forever, with undying loyalty, for my entire life, never leaving nor forsaking you.

"From now on, we shall only be parted by death, and not by life.

"I love you, Qiao Muyi."

Ren Han belched again, shook his head, and dissipated like a wisp of smoke. Lingering echoes trailed from the cave entrance, and the wind whistled, as if the entire forest had been awakened.

Ren Suo embraced Qiao Muyi, who flew into his arms. The two books fell to the ground, making two clunking sounds, silently witnessing everything under the candlelight.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.