"Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Didn't they say getting into the top ten would be enough?" Yun Yun gently stroked Chen Mo's face with her delicate hand, attributing Chen Mo's efforts to impressing her, trying to prove to everyone that her judgment of him was correct.
Yun Yun removed her clothes, and after the groundwork laid the previous night, she was now more at ease with the situation. Although there was still a blush on her face, it wasn't as vivid as the night before.
Chen Mo had a pleasant dream, though the details were too private to share.
...
The next day.
Chen Mo slowly woke up, stretching lazily.
Suddenly, he realized that his waist no longer hurt, his legs weren't sore, and he felt more energetic. Even his cultivation had improved, putting him in a similar state to how he felt the day before.
Chen Mo sniffed the air sharply.
Sure enough, the bedding retained a faint fragrance.
One scent was the same as the day before, but whose was the other scent?
"Junior Brother, you're awake."
Suddenly, the side chamber door was pushed open, and Nalan Yanran walked in gracefully, carrying a jade bowl.
As her figure approached, a scent even stronger than Yun Yun's enveloped him. It was the same scent lingering on the bedding.
"Junior Brother, I personally made this tonic soup for you. Drink it while it's hot."
To Chen Mo's surprise, Nalan Yanran sat down at the bedside, scooped a spoonful with a jade spoon, blew on it gently to cool it down, and then brought it to Chen Mo's lips.
It looked like she intended to feed him personally.
Chen Mo was dumbfounded. Since when had their relationship become so close?
Moreover, in Chen Mo's memory, he hadn't been fed by anyone since he was three years old. Those scenes online of girlfriends feeding their boyfriends medicine or food had never happened to him.
This sudden event left Chen Mo a bit at a loss.
What's going on with this girl?
Seeing that Chen Mo didn't say anything, Nalan Yanran assumed he was fine with it and directly fed him a spoonful.
"Ugh!" She had been so gentle a moment ago, but now she was so rough that Chen Mo choked on the soup, spilling it all over Nalan Yanran's robe.
"Sorry, sorry! I've never fed anyone before. Are you okay?"
Nalan Yanran didn't seem to care at all about her stained robe. Instead, she quickly took out a handkerchief from her storage ring and nervously wiped Chen Mo's mouth.
Chen Mo was completely stunned.
Was this really the Nalan Yanran he knew?
Or had she always been like this, and he just hadn't spent enough time with her to notice?
As her snow-white hand reached out with the handkerchief to wipe his mouth, Chen Mo had a sudden impulse to bite it.
"Do you still want to drink this soup?" Nalan Yanran asked softly.
"I'll do it myself." Chen Mo took the jade bowl from Nalan Yanran, and noticing her stained robe, he said, "Senior Sister, I'm sorry I dirtied your clothes. You should go change."
"Huh?" Nalan Yanran blushed and suddenly realized her robe was dirty. She quickly left the side chamber.
After just a short while, Nalan Yanran returned, now dressed in a light green long skirt. Her hair was draped over her shoulders, and her beautiful face, unadorned with makeup, looked both exquisite and pure.
Her expression was no longer as cold as before, but rather carried a hint of shyness.
Chen Mo, still drinking the soup, couldn't help but stare.
If Yun Yun was the girl-next-door type...
Then Nalan Yanran was the pure and innocent type.
If Chen Mo had to choose...
Pfft.
Why should he choose?
If given the chance, Chen Mo would want them all.
Seeing the somewhat stunned look in Chen Mo's eyes, Nalan Yanran felt secretly pleased and sat down at a distance from him.
When she had changed her clothes, Nalan Yanran had realized she might have been too forward earlier, losing some of her ladylike reserve.
Not wanting Chen Mo to misunderstand, Nalan Yanran decided it would be better to take things slowly.
After a while, when Chen Mo finished the soup, Nalan Yanran quickly asked, "How did it taste?"
"Very good," Chen Mo replied honestly, putting the jade bowl aside. He was about to ask why the bedding smelled like her, but after thinking about it, he realized it might sound too forward, so he asked instead, "Where is the teacher?"
"Teacher is discussing something with Elder Gu He," Nalan Yanran replied, "Oh, by the way..."
Suddenly, Nalan Yanran took out a large stack of invitation cards from her storage ring, stood up, and walked over.
"These are invitations from various factions for you."
"This one is from the Mittel family. Their trading company has branches all over the Jia Ma Empire."
"This one is from the royal family."
"This one is from Elder Gu He, and it includes a manual for refining a fifth-grade pill. You can choose one and then personally visit Elder Gu He..."
Nalan Yanran carefully explained who each invitation was from, what benefits they offered, and what Chen Mo would need to give in return.
Chen Mo understood clearly. This was the advantage of strength. When you are strong enough, powerful factions will naturally seek to align with you.
Even if they can't recruit you, forming a good relationship is still beneficial.
"And this storage ring is a personal gift from the Grand Elder. It contains your reward for winning the competition and additional cultivation resources from the Grand Elder."
Nalan Yanran handed Chen Mo an ancient black ring.
After binding it to himself, Chen Mo activated it with a thought.
"Wow, what a treasure trove! It's filled with high-level fire and lightning attribute materials and pills. The Grand Elder is really generous."
Returning his consciousness to the present, Chen Mo noticed that Nalan Yanran was still holding a black gilded invitation. He asked, "Whose is that?"
"This...this is from my father. He wants to know when you're available and would like to invite you to our home."
Nalan Yanran knew what her father's intentions were, so she felt a bit nervous when Chen Mo asked.
"An invitation?" Chen Mo replied, "I'm available anytime."
The Nalan family seemed to be in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire, and Chen Mo had been wanting to visit.
It would also be a chance to show off a bit.
After all, he had gained some fame in the Jia Ma Empire, so it would be a waste not to take the opportunity.
Hearing Chen Mo's response, Nalan Yanran excitedly said, "Really? Then I'll send a reply."
She then quickly left the side chamber.
"Hey, your handkerchief..."
Watching Nalan Yanran rush out, forgetting her handkerchief, Chen Mo couldn't help but smile wryly. "This girl is in such a hurry."
He placed the handkerchief in the storage ring given to him by Yun Leng and then opened his system.
[Name: Chen Mo
Race: Human
Cultivation: Two-Star Dou Shi
Luck Points: 2040
Techniques: Divine Elephant Suppression Technique
Skills: Underworld God's Spear
Items: Two Healing Talismans, Concealment Technique
Functions: Treasure Chest Draw, Shop, Steal]
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 31 at patreon.com/Betek.