"Mm, mmm…"
Although Li Chang'an hadn't kissed many people in this life—and the last time with Hu Liena, he'd been on the receiving end—it didn't really matter. After all, in his past life, Li Chang'an had been quite the seasoned player. He was more than familiar with them.
As soon as he slipped his tongue into Qian Renxue's soft, cherry-like lips, the kiss deepened, his hand wrapping naturally around her slender waist.
Qian Renxue was completely stunned. She had thought a quick peck on the cheek would settle the matter, but who would've guessed this man would go straight for her lips? That was her first kiss!
By the time Qian Renxue snapped out of it, Li Chang'an's lips were already dancing across hers. Strangely enough, her body felt limp, as if all her strength had drained away—she wanted to push him away, but she couldn't.
Qian Renxue forced her eyes open wide and stared directly into Li Chang'an's gaze, letting out muffled protests through their kiss, her small fists weakly pounding against his shoulders.
"Heh, see? I told you, just one kiss," Li Chang'an finally let go, licking his lips with a satisfied look.
"You bastard!" Qian Renxue's soul power surged, and she raised her hand as if to strike.
But Li Chang'an stood there confidently, unmoving, simply looking at her with calm eyes.
He was betting—betting a silver coin—that Qian Renxue wouldn't hit him.
Sure enough, her hand froze mid-air. "Why didn't you dodge?"
"I figured you wouldn't hit me…" Li Chang'an replied, pulling Qian Renxue into his embrace again, patting her gently on the back. "I noticed you from the first time we walked into the classroom. You were so alone… and so cute."
"I always believed that behind every cold-hearted girl, there's a story. I don't know yours yet, but… I want to stay by your side, always…"
"Waaah—you jerk! Why did you get close to me… why did you force your way into my life…" Qian Renxue sobbed, her fists hitting Li Chang'an's back repeatedly, but she never pulled away from his arms.
She thought of the first time he teased her, of how annoyingly mischievous he could be, and that ever-smirking, roguish smile of his...
"Qian Renxue… will you be my girlfriend?" Li Chang'an asked gently, seizing the moment.
"Pfft, you're still three or four years younger than me! As if I'd be your girlfriend," Qian Renxue murmured, resting her head against his chest with her eyes closed.
If it were any ordinary man, he might panic at her answer. But not Li Chang'an. After all, he was an experienced player.
He sighed dramatically, pretending to be disappointed. "Alright then… lately, the teacher's been trying to match me with our senior sister. If you're not interested, I guess I'll…"
"You dare!" Qian Renxue instantly lifted her head and glared at him, puffing her cheeks in mock anger.
Li Chang'an grabbed her hand. "Then… I'll wait for you, alright? After you finish your undercover mission, you'll be my girlfriend."
Qian Renxue shyly lowered her head, then gently nodded, her voice barely audible as she whispered, "…Okay."
Li Chang'an took the opportunity to steal another kiss—this time, though, Qian Renxue tentatively responded with her tongue, so naturally… Li Chang'an let his hands wander a bit further...
---
"I should go now," Qian Renxue said softly, reluctant to let go of Li Chang'an's hand as she adjusted her slightly disheveled clothes and hair.
"Alright. I swear, there's only you in my heart now. The moment I get a chance, I'll come visit you. You better miss me too," Li Chang'an said, looking into her eyes with burning sincerity.
In that moment, his heart truly belonged to Qian Renxue. That much… wasn't a lie.
---
Li Chang'an didn't escort Qian Renxue back to her carriage—he was afraid the two Title Douluo accompanying her would sense something was off and beat him to death on the spot. Instead, he stood by the roadside, watching her glance back every few steps as she boarded the carriage. Only then did he smirk and turn to leave.
He had more than completed his task this time. The goal had been to get Qian Renxue to like him a little, but instead, he had completely won her over. Now that she was gone, he could focus on handling the other three girls in his life—things would be a bit easier now.
Still, Li Chang'an wasn't without new responsibilities. He had recently accepted a new task:
[Ding! New mission issued: show off your strength in front of Bibi Dong. Reward: One storage wristband, with 10,000 cubic meters of space and absolute time stasis inside.]
This mission had come three days ago, and it had given him a serious headache. Showing off in front of Bibi Dong? Not an easy task. But he wasn't without a plan.
Before today's trip, he had used his points to exchange for a batch of soul power-enhancing fruits. After consuming them, his soul power had skyrocketed to Rank 20!
Two days ago, he had already signed up to join a school expedition for hunting soul beasts. Today was the day the team was scheduled to set out.
His plan was simple: reaching Rank 20 in just over a month would be the perfect way to impress Bibi Dong. And after obtaining his second spirit ring, he'd be even stronger than that.
He didn't ask Bibi Dong to accompany him this time. She had been busy consolidating power over the last month, and he didn't want to disturb her.
Besides, the system had calculated that his second spirit ring could be a maximum of 9,000 years old. The Heaven Dou Forest had no suitable soul beasts for him. Going elsewhere would waste too much time—and Bibi Dong wouldn't be free either.
But going with the academy was a different story. The school would naturally consider the needs of each student. This time, several students needed 2,000- to 4,000-year soul beasts, so the chosen destination was the Star Dou Great Forest!
When Li Chang'an submitted his name, it caused a bit of a stir. However, the teacher in charge helped keep the news under wraps—after all, advancing to spirit Grandmaster in just over a month was a bit too unbelievable.
After a quick breakfast at home and packing a few things into his storage space, Li Chang'an headed straight to the Spirit Hall Academy. Since the Star Dou Great Forest was a distance away from Spirit City, they had to leave earlier than usual.
Upon arriving at the academy gates, he saw the assembled team—not many people, only six or seven students. Accompanying them was a teacher and the vice dean himself, Duolong.
Truth be told, Duolong was likely here largely because of Li Chang'an's identity.
____
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