Morning sunlight dripped across the academy courtyard like honey, the golden glow softening the sharp edges of glass and steel buildings.
Students hurried along the paved walkways, chattering, laughing — yet every whisper carried a single name.
Li Cheng.
The boy who had humiliated the academy's elites, face-slapped the bullies, and somehow — impossibly — awakened a forbidden Spirit Core.
But right now, that same boy was staring nervously at his reflection in the café window.
"Okay… hair, fine. Shirt, clean. Confidence—uh, working on it," he muttered, fixing his red curls.
Inside his head, Lian yawned dramatically.
"You're acting like a lovesick mortal. It's just coffee, not a soul-binding ritual."
"It might as well be," Li Cheng grumbled. "This is Yue we're talking about."
Lian smirked, her holographic form flickering into view beside his reflection.
"You mean the mysterious sword prodigy who threatened to 'cut your arrogance' last week? Oh yes, definitely date material."
"Not helping."
"You're welcome."
The Coffee Shop Encounter
The door chimed as he stepped in. The café smelled of roasted beans, caramel syrup, and trouble.
And there she was — Yue, sitting by the window, silver-black hair cascading over her shoulder, sipping coffee like she owned the universe.
Her eyes flicked up and immediately found his.
"Late," she said simply.
Li Cheng scratched his neck. "Fashionably."
A small smile touched her lips — there and gone. "Sit."
He obeyed, sliding into the seat opposite her. The sunlight hit her face just right, outlining the sharp grace of her features. She was beautiful, yes — but also dangerous. Like a blade hidden inside silk.
"So," he began carefully, "why did you invite me here? Surely not for my charming company."
Yue set down her cup. "You're sharper than I thought. Good."
[System Notification: New Subquest Activated – "Contract of the Sword Maiden."]
Objective: Discover Yue's true motive.
Reward: +1 Hidden Skill / Penalty: Loss of 10 Affection Points if failed.
Lian whistled in his head. "Oof. High stakes coffee date. Try not to mess up."
The Contract Proposal
"I'll be direct," Yue said. "I want to form a temporary cultivation partnership for the upcoming Inter-Academy Tournament."
Li Cheng raised a brow. "Partnership? You mean like… teammates?"
"Not quite." She leaned forward, voice lowering. "It's a spiritual contract. Our cores synchronize for the duration of the tournament. I provide my Sword Intent. You, your… unusual energy signature."
Lian gasped internally. "A synchronization contract?! That's basically cultivation marriage light edition!"
Li Cheng nearly choked on air. "Wait—you're asking me to—connect cores—with you?"
Her lips twitched. "Why? Scared you'll fall for me?"
He met her gaze evenly. "Already did. That's not the problem."
Her eyes widened slightly, just for a heartbeat. Then she smirked. "Bold words."
[Affection +2]
[Embarrassment Resistance +1]
"Let's just say," he continued, "I don't sign anything without reading the fine print."
She waved a hand. A faint golden scroll appeared between them — floating, glowing with runic light.
Lian leaned closer, inspecting it from his spiritual form. "This thing's legit. But… weird. It has a second layer. Something hidden underneath the normal terms."
Li Cheng's eyes narrowed. "What's the second layer?"
Yue paused, her composure flickering just slightly. "You can see that?"
He smiled faintly. "I told you — I don't miss details."
The Truth Beneath the Contract
With a thought, he activated his Spirit Vision. The scroll's surface shimmered, revealing a shadowy signature — a faint, blood-red mark pulsing beneath Yue's name.
[Warning: Contract imbued with divine energy residue. Entity unknown.]
Li Cheng's jaw tightened. "You're being watched, aren't you?"
Her expression froze.
"You didn't make this contract," he pressed softly. "Someone higher did. Someone powerful."
For the first time, Yue looked uncertain. "You shouldn't… know that."
"Maybe not," he said, "but I do."
Lian whispered, "She's scared. Whoever bound her is strong — maybe from the same realm as your sword's legacy."
"Then this partnership," Li Cheng murmured, "isn't just for a tournament."
Her silence confirmed it.
Finally, Yue whispered, "If you sign this, you'll be targeted too. I thought… maybe you were reckless enough to accept that."
He leaned back, folding his arms. "You're right. I am reckless."
Her eyes flicked up, startled.
"But," he continued, "I don't sign deals that chain me down. So here's my counteroffer — we rewrite the contract together. Equal terms."
Yue blinked, then slowly smiled — the first real smile he'd seen from her.
"Arrogant… and brilliant."
[Affection +5]
[Hidden Subquest Progress: 65%]
Light Humor Break
Just then, Zhang Wei barged into the café, holding two takeaway cups and completely missing the tension in the air.
"Yo, Cheng! Didn't expect to see you here!" he grinned, spotting Yue. "Ohhh, you're on a date! I knew it! My boy finally upgraded from face-slapping to heart-slapping!"
Li Cheng's soul left his body for three seconds.
Yue coughed, cheeks faintly pink. "Date? Hardly."
Lian cackled inside his head. "Oh, she's blushing. Noted."
Zhang Wei leaned over, whispering loudly enough for half the café to hear, "Bro, she's way outta your league. Like, celestial-level. Blink twice if you need a rescue."
Li Cheng sighed. "Zhang Wei, go away before your mouth earns a real face slap."
"Fine, fine!" His friend backed off dramatically, winking at Yue. "If he hurts you, text me. I charge by the hour."
The Flare of Power
As Zhang Wei left, Yue exhaled slowly, tension returning.
"The divine mark," she said quietly, "comes from the Heavenly Shadow Sect. They want my sword technique. I joined the academy to hide from them."
Li Cheng frowned. "And now they're trying to reach you through contracts."
"Exactly. The last student who signed one… vanished."
[New Quest: Shadow Sect's Hand]
Objective: Protect Yue from divine interference during synchronization trials.
Reward: Hidden Sword Fragment (Celestial Devouring Lineage).
Lian whispered, awed, "This isn't just romance now, Host. This is fate-level connection."
Li Cheng looked at Yue, voice calm but firm. "Then let them come. I've had enough of people taking what's mine."
Her eyes widened — surprise, then something warmer. Respect.
"Then we fight together," she said softly.
And for a heartbeat, their cores resonated — faint golden light pulsing between their chests. A preview of the connection yet to come.
Suddenly—
The café windows shattered.
Wind howled as a shadowy figure appeared outside, cloaked in black smoke. Power radiated from it like a storm — oppressive, cold, divine.
[Warning: Divine energy signature detected — "Shadow Sect Envoy."]
Lian shouted, "Host! That's a mid-tier god projection!"
Yue stood, unsheathing her blade in one motion. "They found me."
Li Cheng rose beside her, red hair catching the wind, eyes blazing crimson. "Good. Saves me the trouble of hunting them down."
The envoy's voice echoed, low and mocking.
"Hand over the girl, mortal. You are not part of this."
Li Cheng cracked his knuckles, smirking.
"Correction — she's under my protection."
Lian's voice cut sharp in his head. "You're about to fight a divine envoy in a coffee shop. Are you insane?"
Li Cheng smiled. "Probably."
And with a flash of light, his Spirit Core flared open, crimson energy wrapping his fists.
Outside, thunder cracked across the sky.