Yan Zhen quickly took a shower and returned to his room. He lay on the bed, idly flipping through the “Special Trump Card: Stick Pilgrim” he’d earned from completing the task, while brooding over life’s uncertainties.
In the script, he and Mentor Yu Xuan had no such interactions. This was a forced ad-lib, and he had no idea if it would cause problems.
Sure, Mentor Yu Xuan wouldn’t suddenly fall for him over this, but wouldn’t things feel awkward between them from now on?
And if it got exposed, wouldn’t it ruin her reputation?
Emmm…
“System-chan, got any constructive advice?”
【Reading database now.】
“Oh, go ahead. I’ll wait.”
【Ding! Reading complete. Organizing relevant data.】
“Take your time.”
【Ding! Organization complete. Analyzing relevant data.】
“Analysis done yet?”
【Ding! Analysis complete. Generating conclusion.】
“…”
—This damn system was worse than a basic hello-world program. It dragged everything out step by step like an old flip phone. Couldn’t it just cut to the chase and spit out the conclusion?
【Host is mistaken. Only strict step-by-step computation yields the correct answer.】
“Then hurry it up! Stop dawdling. Do I need to brew you a cappuccino or what?”
【Ding! System’s warm response: For off-script scenes, the host may freely improvise as long as it doesn’t violate the protagonist persona or contradict the script’s plot.】
Yan Zhen was at a loss for words:
“…System, you really think that drivel is constructive?”
【Ding! System’s warm correction: It’s not drivel—it’s constructive advice.】
—Warm my ass!
Yan Zhen rolled his eyes like a dead fish, then decided to hit the hay.
He slept soundly and woke up refreshed the next morning. After washing up, he headed to the dining hall, where his chair had somehow been returned to its usual spot.
Yan Meng’er emerged from the kitchen just then, wearing an apron and carrying a stack of flatbreads.
“Cousin, have a seat~ Breakfast is ready.”
She set the plate down as she spoke and patted the chair back with her dainty hands.
Yan Zhen walked over and sat down.
Yan Meng’er immediately untied her apron and sidled up to him, pulling out her little notebook and placing it in front of him.
“Cousin, look~”
Yan Zhen stuffed a flatbread into his mouth and glanced over. It was a small calendar, with hearts marked on the past three days.
“What’s this?”
“The day before yesterday, yesterday, and today—Cousin hasn’t let Meng’er give him a kiss yet, so I marked them down~”
“!”
Yan Zhen nearly choked on his flatbread and hurriedly took a sip of tea.
Lately, he’d been so deep into cultivating the Ancestral Symbol Scripture that his Divine Soul was pulsating, and he’d completely forgotten about their deal.
Good thing he remembered it was just cheek kisses. He could endure that.
“I never said it was off the table. So, Meng’er, you want your kiss now? If so, make it quick before they come out. If Mentor Yu Xuan sees, we’ll both be in hot water.”
Yan Meng’er had planned to sneak one during lunch break in some quiet corner of the academy. But hearing Yan Zhen’s words made her suddenly get all fidgety with excitement.
Before Cousin Ruyu and the others come out… That sounded thrilling~
She bit her lip and cooed,
“Then close your eyes, Cousin~”
Yan Zhen eyed her suspiciously:
“Why close my eyes for a cheek kiss? Don’t try any tricks.”
“Oh, Cousin, you’re overthinking it. Meng’er is just shy~”
Yan Meng’er cupped her pretty little face, putting on a bashful act—no telling if it was genuine or not.
“Fine, I’ll trust you once.”
Yan Zhen swallowed his flatbread and shut his eyes. He felt his cousin’s arms wrap around his neck, her face drawing near, carrying the faint scent of peach blossoms. Then she said,
“Cousin, can Meng’er trade three little cheek kisses for one big smooch?”
—What, like collecting shards to redeem the full form? Where’d she pick that up?
Yan Zhen didn’t hesitate: “No.”
“We agreed on cheeks only.”
“But the mouth is part of the face too, Cousin. You have to keep your word~”
“What nonsense. No word games, you cheeky girl.”
“It’s not a word game—it’s lateral thinking~”
“No arguing either.”
“Mmm! But, but… If you kiss the cheek, it leaves marks. People might see. Meng’er put on lip tint this morning.”
“I can wipe it off… Are you kissing or not? If not, forget it.”
“I am, I am! Stingy Cousin.”
Even with his eyes closed, Yan Zhen could picture Yan Meng’er pouting in dissatisfaction. He felt a bit helpless.
Soon, her soft lips pressed against his cheek, the sensation so exquisite it reminded him of strawberry jelly.
Just as Yan Zhen thought she’d pull away, she sucked lightly on his cheek, then teasingly flicked her tongue tip across it, leaving a trail of saliva.
Yan Zhen said flatly,
“Done yet?”
“Not yet~”
Her voice sounded odd because her pink lips were still planted on his face, even sliding around as if she planned to cover his entire cheek with that “one big smooch.”
A vein throbbed on Yan Zhen’s forehead. He should’ve known this girl wouldn’t settle for a quick peck and done. Now she was playing dirty.
“You said one smooch. How long do you plan to drag it out?”
“It’s one until I let go~”
Yan Zhen’s mouth twitched at the corners.
She was the city lord’s precious daughter, the earl’s granddaughter, yet right now she showed not a shred of ladylike poise. Pure fangirl.
“Finish up quick! If they see us, the deal’s off!”
The threat worked. Yan Meng’er immediately released him, pulled back, and gazed at Yan Zhen resentfully.
“Bad Cousin, don’t scare me when I’m having fun~”
With that, she planted quick kisses on his other cheek and forehead, then sat back in her seat, thoroughly satisfied. She even pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face, flashing a sweet smile.
A bit manipulative, a bit cute.
Yan Zhen was powerless against her. Just months ago, this little cousin had been putty in his hands, but after enrolling, the tables had turned completely.
Maybe it was all the women in the house suppressing his masculine aura.
Things would change once he rose up in the Monthly Assessment.
Soon, Yan Ruyu, Mi Xue’er, and Mentor Yu Xuan joined them.
Mentor Yu Xuan’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Yan Zhen, but she kept her expression perfectly composed.
After breakfast, Mentor Yu Xuan left first. The other four followed behind, heading together to Mystic Academy.
It was time for theory class now. Yan Zhen didn’t need to keep drawing talismans, so he actually paid attention instead of zoning out.
At lunch break, Yan Zhen didn’t go looking for Yan Meng’er. With the daily kiss fulfilled, that deal was settled.
“Little Brother Yan Zhen, not coming to the cafeteria with us?”
“Nah, I’ve got something to do.”
He needed to find Mentor Yu Xuan and fulfill their agreement, then extricate himself. Otherwise, it felt like a sword hanging over his head, ready to wreck his role and the plot at any moment.
