Chapter 369: Secure!

Chapter 369: Secure!

“Qingran, this Venerable One really likes the underwear—but what’s the meaning behind this… green turtle-shell pattern?” Chen Huaian had just sent Hakyryu off and logged into the game, only to fall straight into an academic dilemma.

“Master, that’s a turtle...” Li Qingran lowered her head, her blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.

“Uh, turtle…”

Chen Huaian stared at it for a while and finally picked out a few subtle turtle-like features among the mess of details.

He nodded solemnly. “Mm, your Master’s eyesight must be failing. It is indeed a turtle. But what about this thing on the turtle’s head… hmm… is that a dried chili? Does it mean the turtle likes spicy food?”

“Master… that’s… a peach blossom...”

Li Qingran bit her lower lip, eyes darting to the side. Her fingers, twined together tightly, looked like they were about to tangle into a knot.

“Oh, peach blossom… yeah, I guess.”

Chen Huaian flipped the underwear inside out and looked at it upside down. This way, it did resemble a peach blossom a little.

She must’ve embroidered it upside down.

“And this green rag under the turtle…”

Chen Huaian stopped mid-sentence. He saw Li Qingran’s flushed eyes and her pouting, sulky little face, and tactfully swallowed the rest of his words.

Who cares what that green blob is?

He said sincerely, “This Venerable One really loves these underwear. I plan to wear them twelve hours a day, every day—for a thousand years without washing them!”

【Li Qingran's Affection +32, Current ♡♡♥7】

The affection boost notification popped up.

But Li Qingran still pouted, teary-eyed, refusing to even glance at him.

Chen Huaian looked at her Oscar-worthy performance and couldn’t help but admire her.

See?

If it weren’t for the affection system, even he would’ve thought she was still mad.

He had the system, but regular guys didn’t.

How would they even tell if their girlfriend was really mad or just faking it? Guess wrong, and you’re just f**ked.

Sometimes, even if you guess right, it doesn’t help—because she might double down and act harder, making the obvious answer feel suspicious again.

“Master, skip the thousand years. I’ll make a bunch more for you. You can rotate them.”

She couldn’t stay mad at her favorite Master for more than ten seconds.

Still, with her cheeks puffed out, she said indignantly, “But! No matter what I embroider next time, you’re not allowed to ask. I’ll tell you if I feel like it. If you think it doesn’t look right… just hold it in! Or I’ll ignore you forever!”

“Alright. This Master promises—not a single question!”

Chen Huaian nodded with the utmost seriousness. He was just too curious by nature—not a bad guy.

Besides, the fact that his disciple was making him underwear was already heartwarming enough. What did it matter what the embroidery looked like?

Just… don’t embroider the word ‘gay’ in English.

“If your disciple made you underwear, doesn’t Master owe her something in return?”

Li Qingran narrowed her eyes mischievously, her lashes casting playful shadows as she rubbed her thumb and forefinger together in a mock-merchant gesture.

Who knows where she picked that up from.

She barely pulled off the look—but that only made her seem cuter.

She’d never asked anything from her Master before.

But things were different now—all thanks to Strategist Mo Shumei’s coaching.

Always giving and never asking just makes your affection seem cheap.

Asking for something once in a while actually brings people closer.

At first, Li Qingran thought Mo Shumei was wrong.

If you love someone, shouldn’t you just give everything with no expectation of return?

Until Mo Shumei told her to really think back on everything she experienced at Qingyun Sect.

That shut her up.

“Say the word. If it’s a star in the sky, this Master will try to pluck it down for you!”

Chen Huaian smiled and instinctively reached out to pat her head.

He thought his hand would phase through her like usual—but it landed, solid and real, right on her soft little head.

Silky strands slid through his fingers like sea breeze over the heart. He stood frozen, stunned by the sudden wave of emotion.

So was Li Qingran.

She stared up at him for a long time, dazed.

Then slowly raised her hand and held his, feeling the warmth of his palm herself.

【Player Affection with Li Qingran has reached ♡♡♥ — Full Body Contact Unlocked!】

【Please continue raising Affection with your virtual girlfriend Li Qingran to deepen fate and unlock more features!】

Two game notifications popped up just in time, solving the mystery that had just stunned Chen Huaian.

He pretended to stay calm, but his hand slipped down from her head to her cheek, and he pinched her soft, squishy face between two fingers. The bouncy flesh morphed into different shapes under his touch—he couldn’t get enough of it.

As Chen kept playing with her cheeks, Li Qingran finally reacted. Her pink lips pouted slightly, and a bright blush bloomed across her cheeks, all the way to her ears—like the very peach blossom she embroidered, only blooming brighter.

“Master, is my face really that fun to play with?”

“Uh? Yeah, it is,” Chen Huaian blurted without thinking.

“Then keep me by your side. Twelve hours a day. You can play with it anytime you want.”

Li Qingran closed her eyes, leaning closer toward him. Her trembling lashes looked like little fans, fluttering with silent consent.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a line of light and shadow across her face.

Chen Huaian’s fingers passed through that line of light—and he snapped back to reality with a cough, quickly pulling his hand away.

“This Master was just joking… Uh, you still haven’t told me what you want.”

Li Qingran had planned to ask for a gift.

But the moment she realized she could actually touch her Master’s hand—her thoughts shifted.

“I’ve been stuck on a problem in alchemy lately… I want to learn the Taihua Pill Technique from Master.”

“And… and I’m just a step away from late-stage Golden Core. I feel like I need a battle to break through, but there are no monsters in this little world. Even sparring with Senior Brother doesn’t give me pressure. So I want to go out and train with Master.”

Just now, her life-bound artifact had trembled.

That meant “Spirit Roam Beyond the Void” was usable again.

Add in her current bottleneck in cultivation—and the fact she could now touch her Master…

Everything just felt perfectly timed.

“Oh? You’re saying you need combat to stabilize your realm, gain enlightenment, and then break through?”

Chen Huaian could see her status and knew she was telling the truth.

She wanted to study alchemy with him, and also join him in real-world training…

These little requests sounded simple, but they were really demanding!

Right now, only one condition could be fulfilled.

He opened the Affection System.

Tapped the filled red heart.

Two game prompts popped up:

【Heart Sync Value Maxed – Eligible to Summon Virtual Girlfriend】

【Current Maximum Summon Duration: 72 hours】

Chen Huaian grinned.

“Locked in!”

…

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