So, I took action

“Our teacher even said I’m a hidden reserve energy!”

“Is that a compliment…? It sounds kind of weird.”

On the way home from work, Bai Zhu and Li Yu’an flanked Yang Yuan on either side, sandwiching him as they walked down the twilight-lit street.

The entire time, Bai Zhu was the only one talking, constantly bringing up new topics.

Li Yu’an, on the other hand, had been silent ever since they left the training grounds. Her expression grew darker and darker, radiating a chilling aura that screamed keep away.

“Uh…”

Unable to bear the eerie atmosphere any longer, Yang Yuan stopped walking.

“You two… just how much longer are you planning to follow me?”

“I’m just taking the same route,” Li Yu’an said first, her voice cold and detached.

“Same route? I’m pretty sure your place is in the opposite direction…”

“You must’ve remembered wrong.”

With that, Li Yu’an turned her head forward again, her eyes empty and emotionless—yet sending a cold shiver down Yang Yuan’s spine. He wisely shut up, no longer daring to argue.

“What about you, Bai Zhu? Are you also on the same route?”

“Hehe~” Bai Zhu flashed a bright, carefree smile.

“I’m not on the same route. I just want to spend more time with you, Lord Yang Yuan!”

Her blunt honesty made it impossible for Yang Yuan to object. He sighed and resigned himself to being flanked by the two girls as they continued walking.

After a while, Yang Yuan tried to lighten the mood by bringing up a topic. He was genuinely curious about Bai Zhu’s ability.

“Can your ability actually shorten the charging time?”

“Huh?”

Bai Zhu’s eyes lit up instantly. She stopped and stepped right in front of Yang Yuan, tilting her face up to look at him with pure admiration.

“Lord Yang Yuan! How… how did you know that?!”

Their faces were now dangerously close. Embarrassed, Yang Yuan took half a step back.

“I just guessed.”

“Guessed? How could you possibly guess that?!”

Bai Zhu refused to believe him, convinced he was just being modest.

“When I first awakened my [Invisible Blade], every activation required a full five minutes of charging! Not even my grandmother knows that secret!”

She stepped closer again, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Lord Yang Yuan, why don’t you try guessing how I managed to reduce it to three minutes?”

Yang Yuan recalled the line he’d seen on the [Insight] panel and hesitated before answering cautiously.

“Maybe… through belief?”

“Exactly! It’s belief!”

Bai Zhu clapped her hands in excitement, her admiration for Yang Yuan growing even deeper.

“No wonder you’re the man I’ve chosen, Lord Yang Yuan!”

Hearing that near-confession, Li Yu’an—who had been silently trailing behind, her face dark as a storm cloud—finally snapped.

A violent surge of jealousy and rage exploded in her mind. She clenched her teeth so hard she accidentally bit the inside of her tongue. The metallic taste of blood spread across her mouth.

“Alright!” Bai Zhu, satisfied with the answer, bowed deeply to Yang Yuan.

“Lord Yang Yuan, congratulations on passing my first trial! I’ll continue observing you—don’t let your guard down!”

With that, she pushed off the wall with her legs, leaping with such grace that she looked weightless—like a swallow skimming rooftops—vanishing into the alleyway in just a few bounds.

“Whoa… does Bai Zhu actually know martial arts?”

“Ah…”

A sharp, pained gasp came from beside him.

Yang Yuan turned and saw that Li Yu’an’s face had turned pale, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

“Are you okay?”

Li Yu’an didn’t speak. She just looked at him with wounded eyes, then slowly extended her pink tongue.

“It hurts…”

On the side of her tongue was a fresh, bleeding bite mark.

“Wait here. Don’t lick it.”

Yang Yuan turned and dashed into a nearby convenience store. Moments later, he returned with an ice pop. He tore off the wrapper and held the frosty treat to her lips.

“Suck on this. It’ll help.”

Li Yu’an looked into Yang Yuan’s worried face and obediently opened her mouth, letting the ice pop cool her wound.

The chill numbed not just her tongue, but also the searing magma of jealousy burning in her heart.

As they parted, Li Yu’an suddenly spoke.

“Yang Yuan, I’ve been thinking… I want to improve my cooking skills, so I’ll probably make a lot of food every day.”

“Can I… bring you lunch from now on?”

“Sure,” Yang Yuan agreed without hesitation. As an orphan, he’d always been used to saving every penny.

“Alright… you’re almost home, right? I’ll head back now.”

Li Yu’an’s mood brightened slightly as she walked away, her steps a little lighter.

After watching her go, Yang Yuan felt a twinge of confusion. How did she know he was almost home?

He didn’t think much of it—probably something he’d mentioned by accident before.

Back at home, Su Xiaoyou greeted him with a sweet smile and the warm aroma of a home-cooked meal.

“Ah Yuan, you’re back! Come eat!”

“You came home so early today?”

“Hehe… I got off work early so I could come cook for you.”

Yang Yuan changed into slippers and stepped into the living room. The rich scent of meat made his stomach growl.

And at that moment, the otherwise unnoticeable shadow behind him twitched.

Luo Qingyin popped out again.

Yang Yuan realized he’d completely forgotten about her—and hadn’t expected her to stay in his shadow all the way home.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Luo Qingyin pulled out her phone and quickly typed a message.

“I’m sorry… I accidentally fell asleep in your shadow (˵¯͒〰¯͒˵)”

Meanwhile, Su Xiaoyou, standing by the dining table, had stopped smiling.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her voice flat and emotionless.

“Ah Yuan… who is this woman?”

****

At Li Yu’an’s apartment far away, she sat in front of her computer.

On the screen was a black, encrypted chat window.

[Gardener]: “Hello, [Silkworm]. I’ve seen your request.”

“Targeted emotional bias enhancer. No physical side effects. Irreversible. Strong unidirectional focus…”

“Heh. Such a professional description. In simple terms, you just want a man to fall madly in love with you—only you, right?”

Li Yu’an’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. Her face remained cold, expressionless.

[Silkworm]: “I need a precise description of the product’s effects. Not speculation about my motives.”

[Gardener]: “Don’t be so impatient. I never ask why. I just deliver.”

“Luckily for you, I happen to have the highest-grade ability-attuned item in stock.”

[Gardener]: “Simple. Colorless, odorless. Just one drop into any food or drink.”

“It won’t harm the body in any way. It just… quietly rewrites a tiny part of the soul.”

[Gardener]: “But it’s extremely rare. Earliest delivery is thirty days.”

[Silkworm]: “I’ll consider it. I’ll get back to you.”

After typing that, Li Yu’an slowly looked away from the screen, her gaze settling on the insulated lunchbox still sitting on her desk.

Careful cooking. Gentle care. Was this normal way of pursuing someone even effective?

Today, just one delusional girl like Bai Zhu had ruined her entire day’s worth of planning.

What if next time, someone smarter, prettier, better at winning Yang Yuan’s heart appeared?

“Tch… so annoying.”