Ma Liang froze in place, his eyes wide, his body burning hot. His raised hand was clearly pressed against the woman's chest, soft and warm beneath his palm.
"Go on… feel it. Be the Ma Liang I know," the woman said.
Hearing her words snapped Ma Liang back to his senses. He pulled his hand away and stepped back from the bed.
The attitude and reaction he showed were completely different from what the woman was used to seeing.
She was briefly surprised, but her expression quickly changed. She lay back on the bed, propping her head up with one hand, her body left completely bare, openly letting Ma Liang take in the sight.
"Ma Liang is greedy, vengeful, hot-tempered, stupid, lazy, and lecherous!"
"He has every trait of a scumbag man," the woman explained.
She raised one finger. "There's only one thing he has never refused… sex."
She sat up on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs, resting her head on her hand.
"Tell me… who are you?"
Ma Liang was shocked. Only now did he fully understand what she meant by "making sure." She was testing whether he was truly Ma Liang or not.
She had definitely noticed the change in him.
"I… am Ma Liang. I'm just tired of all that. I… want to try something new," Ma Liang said, trying to dodge the question.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Ma Liang. Don't you believe me?"
The woman responded by shaking her head. Her gaze sharpened, piercing into Ma Liang with an intimidating pressure he had never felt before.
"Huff."
"Can you get my clothes for me?" she asked.
Ma Liang nodded and walked over to the pile of clothes scattered on the floor. He handed them to her, but was startled again when she suddenly grabbed his hand.
Without warning, the woman pressed her soft lips against his.
Ma Liang froze in shock, but slowly began to feel the movement of her lips and tongue—far more skilled and passionate than he had imagined.
"Thank you for rejecting me earlier, Young Master Ma," she said softly.
"Y-Yeah."
After getting dressed, the woman walked toward the door. With the door open, she turned her head and looked back at Ma Liang.
"I'll keep your secret from them. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"Alright."
Soon after, she left, leaving Ma Liang alone in his room. He touched his lips, the memory of his first kiss still vivid.
It was a moment he would never forget.
In the silence, Ma Liang suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. He reached for a nearby chair to sit down and rest.
Without warning, a mysterious panel appeared before him, displaying text, tasks, and numbers.
[Daily Growth System Activated]
[Do your chores. Complete tasks. Level up. Prosper.]
Doing… housework?
[1st Main Task]
[Task: Clean the room in under 1 hour]
[Reward: +100 Qi || +1 Physique || +1 AGI || Random Drops]
Qi? Something used for cultivation?
"I don't know what this really means, but I've seen task panels like this in other novels."
Ma Liang looked around, carefully examining his surroundings. There was a reason the system gave him cleaning as his first mission.
His room was a mess. Food scraps and dust were scattered across the floor, dirty clothes hung everywhere without care.
I can't live in a filthy place like this.
With no other choice, Ma Liang stood up and began cleaning. He swept the floor, shook out the blankets, cleared spider webs and dust from the corners, straightened the furniture, and placed the dirty clothes into a basket.
[Total room cleanliness: 69%]
Ma Liang glanced at the system panel. The percentage kept increasing as he cleaned more areas.
[Total room cleanliness: 77%]
He paused. Most of the room was already clean, yet it still wasn't at 100%.
That meant there were still places he had missed.
He moved behind the wardrobe, raising the cleanliness to 82%. His motivation grew as he cleaned spots that were usually ignored.
When he opened the book cabinet, a sharp smell rushed out. Dust-covered books filled the shelves, insects crawling everywhere.
So this is the reason.
Ma Liang took all the books out and cleaned the cabinet thoroughly. He was so focused that he didn't hear the knock on the door.
The maid entered and froze in shock when she saw Ma Liang cleaning his room. It was a rare event worthy of being recorded in Ma Clan history.
Ma Liang, known for his laziness, was actively picking up dust and trash and throwing it away.
He isn't Ma Liang.
But that's good. It saves me work. I should reward him.
The maid stepped inside just as Ma Liang finished with the book cabinet. The cleanliness percentage reached 99%, just a little more left.
"You're amazing. Everything is so neat."
Ma Liang, his handsome face glistening with sweat, turned around. He saw the maid again—but his attention snapped to the floor.
"Stop!" Ma Liang shouted, standing up.
The maid gasped and froze. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
Ma Liang walked behind her and saw dust on the footprints she had left. He sighed, finally understanding why the percentage wasn't complete.
"You dirtied my floor."
"Really? Then I'm sorry, I'll—"
"WOAAH!"
Without thinking, Ma Liang lifted the maid into his arms. She froze, her face flushing red as she stared at Ma Liang's sweat-soaked, attractive face.
This was the kindest thing Ma Liang had ever done to her.
"What are you—"
"If you take another step, you'll just make the floor dirtier."
"Carrying you like this keeps my room clean."
Once outside, Ma Liang set her down, closed the door, and locked it. The maid was still shocked, but her heart felt strangely warm from how he had treated her.
Inside the room, Ma Liang wiped the dirty floor one last time.
[Total room cleanliness: 100%]
[DING! Congratulations, you have completed the 1st Main Task]
[Reward: 100 Qi || +1 Physique || +1 AGI || Low-Grade Qi Gathering Incense]
The first three rewards didn't visibly appear, only causing Ma Liang's body to glow faintly. However, blue particles gathered in his hand, forming a blue-colored incense stick.
My reward… incense?
[Streak Bonus Activated]
[Description: Maintain your task streak for 7 days to receive a major reward]
[Task: Clean the room in under 1 hour (1/7)]
Another panel appeared, explaining the repeated daily mission.
According to the system, if Ma Liang maintained a seven-day cleaning streak, he would receive a major reward.
"This is interesting. This system is unique," Ma Liang said with approval.
[Prepare for the next task!]
[2nd Main Task:]
[Task: Go to the market and buy food. Ask Ma Xueyin for the shopping list]
[Reward: +2 Contribution Points || +2 Comprehension || +1 Luck || +1 Charm || Bargaining Skill]
[Starts at 10:00 AM]
"Ma Xueyin? Who's that?" Ma Liang asked.
A voice answered from outside, confirming the name. Ma Liang rushed out and saw the maid still standing there.
"You?"
"I'm Ma Xueyin."
"So it's you," Ma Liang said.
"Why are you looking for me, Young Master Ma?"
"Are you going to the market today?" Ma Liang asked.
Ma Xueyin lifted her head, thinking for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I guess so."
"Let me do it instead!"
Ma Xueyin froze, staring at Ma Liang. Her eyes carefully examined his expression and behavior.
Those words were enough to confuse her… and scare her.
"Your new personality is honestly frightening me, Ma Liang."