A Kiss’s Unexpected Aftermath

The sudden turn of events caught him completely off guard. He had anticipated overnight riches, only to find himself starting from scratch.

Ultimately, it was all for naught.

Jiang Zhe was almost driven to laughter by the infuriating mechanical prompt.

After such extensive planning, he had believed he could fully charge it in one go. Yet, to his dismay, binding with this character didn’t provide “Heartbeat Value” immediately. He would require further intimate contact to generate the necessary value to extend his life.

In that instant, Jiang Zhe’s mind raced, though only a few seconds had truly passed.

Ning Ran’s cheeks were flushed crimson. Beyond her initial boldness, she became increasingly awkward, her gaze constantly darting away, like a cat caught stealing dried fish. Had Jiang Zhe not “sensibly” closed his eyes, she probably would have sprung up and fled in a fit of pique.

As the seconds ticked by, she had initially resigned herself to simply accepting the situation with a “Buddha-like” calm.

However, calm could go to hell. She only felt the incredibly real sensation of their lips. With their closeness, his warm breath fanned her face, accompanied by a faint, intoxicating fragrance that made her dizzy.

Even when Jiang Zhe’s closed eyes subtly fluttered, his long eyelashes brushing against her, the sensation intensified!

Jiang Zhe, you vexing little imp!!!

Each second was an exquisite torment. Ning Ran watched the clock, and the moment thirty seconds elapsed, she immediately pushed Jiang Zhe away.

[The channel for acquiring Heartbeat Value has officially opened. Heartbeat Value can now be obtained through intimate contact.]

Regaining fresh air, Ning Ran felt an unexpected sense of rebirth.

Her dark eyes were moist, and holding her breath with embarrassment, the corners of her eyes flushed red. She raised a hand to cover her mouth, guiltily trying to conceal what she imagined were extremely swollen lips.

Having no practical experience, Ning Ran, relying on impressions from TV dramas, believed her lips must be thoroughly kissed raw.

In reality, with just a light touch of the lips, how red could they truly get?

The thought of her bold act—pulling Jiang Zhe in and directly kissing him—reignited the heat on Ning Ran’s face, which had just begun to recede. It intensified, spreading across her fair skin with a delicate pink hue.

Her long eyelashes, which had been directly opposite Jiang Zhe’s, fluttered. They resembled playful butterflies alighting in a flower patch, their wings beating joyfully, making one’s heart itch just watching them.

Jiang Zhe had initially been frustrated by his inability to fully charge in one go, but upon seeing Ning Ran’s adorable demeanor, he let out a soft cough. His eyes, filled with amusement, gazed at her, finding the young woman truly innocent.

Never mind. At most, it’s a bit more troublesome. It’s still better than binding with Su Lianlian and having a head so green you could run horses on it.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Jiang Zhe lowered his gaze in contemplation, quickly formulating a plan.

“Ning Ran, I feel your sincerity. I understand your determination to be my friend, and I thank you for not disdaining me, a mere ordinary student.”

Jiang Zhe’s tone was earnest. He clasped Ning Ran’s hand, which she hadn’t yet managed to withdraw, holding it tightly in his palm.

Ning Ran was quite tall, with slender, delicate hands. While not as petite as Su Lianlian’s, Jiang Zhe, in his eyes, preferred Ning Ran’s elegant, mature style.

If not for his fear of Ning Ran noticing something amiss, Jiang Zhe would have already begun to gently squeeze her fingers.

Who would have thought? Dying and transmigrating into a game, only to meet a woman who perfectly aligns with my preferences…

However, with pressing matters at hand, other thoughts could wait. Jiang Zhe discreetly glanced at his wrist, noting the phone battery icon had changed, and the remaining “charge” was rapidly increasing.

It was much faster than normal charging—practically instantaneous.

According to the mechanical prompt, intimate contact with the bound character would yield Heartbeat Value, but the speed of “charging” depended on the degree of heart-fluttering caused by the intimate action.

Such rapid, instantaneous charging was abnormal. Jiang Zhe wasn’t blinded by this brief victory. After a calm analysis, he reached a conclusion.

Although the kiss with the bound character didn’t directly increase Heartbeat Value this time, the moment Ning Ran stopped kissing, he could directly gain value through intimate contact.

On the surface, he had lost out, but in reality, he hadn’t.

After all, Ning Ran’s heartbeat remained erratic and wouldn’t easily calm down after the kiss. With Jiang Zhe now holding her hand, the Heartbeat Value instantly surged, filling the “battery” on his wrist.

Unfortunately, this convenience would likely be a one-time occurrence. The next time he needed to replenish Heartbeat Value, it probably wouldn’t be instantaneous.

Unless he orchestrated another scenario, either having Ning Ran kiss him again, or him kissing Ning Ran.

However, one instance could be dismissed as an accident, but two or three times would not. Especially since Ning Ran was not foolish; repeated occurrences would plant seeds of suspicion, which, if not handled carefully, would sprout and create hidden dangers for future interactions.

Through two days of observation, Jiang Zhe knew his life was limited to three days. As long as he replenished Heartbeat Value within three days, he would survive; otherwise, he would simply kick the bucket.

This three-day limit was quite short.

If unexpected incidents occurred or he had to travel for work, there wouldn’t be enough time to replenish it. Currently, he and Ning Ran were merely friends, not intimately involved as a couple.

Of course, even in a romantic relationship, individuals needed their own space and couldn’t be constantly attached.

Everyone cherished freedom.

No matter how close people were, the right to freedom couldn’t be stripped away. However, if Ning Ran actively liked being close to him, that would be a different story. Once, a buddy of Jiang Zhe’s heard his views and couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up, saying he was truly “sober in this world.”

But women, those creatures of contradictory words and deeds, would never understand; instead, they would perceive it as “cheating.” Giving her freedom would be seen as proof of a lack of love.

Jiang Zhe merely smiled at such notions. Male-female relationships were nothing more than taming and being tamed; the victorious party held the power to speak, and freedom was relative, depending on how it was arranged and perceived.

He respected the person he liked, but he wouldn’t spoil them.

Therefore, other people’s troubles were insignificant to him, as he wouldn’t fall into the same predicament. Instead, he had various methods to solve them. It could be said that any woman Jiang Zhe set his sights on had no possibility of escaping.

However, he had little interest in women; those who proactively threw themselves at him were even more uninteresting.

Making money was far more engaging.

[Detecting the needs of the soul from another world, this is a special reminder: The capacity of the Heartbeat Value storage pool can be increased, changing with the ultimate heart-fluttering of the bound character.]

Jiang Zhe heard the prompt sound again, his expression unchanged, yet a hint of interest flickered in his eyes.

What exactly is this mechanical prompt? It doesn’t quite seem like a system from a novel, as there are no tasks, nor does it force me to do anything. It’s more like a beginner’s guide when first entering a game.

However, “soul from another world” sounds too unpleasant. “Player” would be much better.

[Hello, Player. Besides extending life, Heartbeat Value has other uses, but your player level is insufficient to view them at present. Please continue to strive and acquire more Heartbeat Value.]

Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected the mechanical voice to update so promptly, even accommodating his renaming request.

However, setting aside the other uses of Heartbeat Value, what exactly is the “ultimate heart-fluttering” of the bound character?