It feels as if even my nose has been unblocked, allowing me to smell the sweet air.

No! No!

That’s not the point!

Liu Yuan snapped herself out of her "flashback mode."

Right now, there seemed to be something far more important at hand.

If ‘big bro’ = her actual brother, then a lot of things suddenly became much simpler.

Suppressing the embarrassment burning inside her, Liu Yuan stared at him, her cheeks flushed pink. "Big bro, you know how to craft cards, right?"

Su Qi clearly couldn’t follow the sudden shift in topic. "Of course I do. I’ve got nimble hands and great skills."

Then, he eyed her suspiciously. "But don’t even think about freeloading. My skills are top-tier—if you want me to work, you gotta pay up."

A moment later, Su Qi frowned, sensing something off. "Wait, how’d you even know I can craft cards?"

"I saw you carrying a bunch of card-making materials home one day."

Simple enough logic, and it held up. Su Qi didn’t question it further. "Oh, right."

He still hadn’t connected the dots that "Little Iris" was Liu Yuan.

Maybe it was a case of being too close to see clearly.

Like someone frantically searching for their phone while holding it in their hand.

People sometimes fall into these mental blind spots, trapped by stereotypes or subconsciously ignoring obvious clues.

For example, if Li Hu’s kid saw someone online named ‘Tiger Roaring with Power,’ would they rush to call them ‘Dad’?

Oh, wait—sorry, forgot old Li doesn’t even have kids at his age.

So just because their names both have "Yuan" in them, they must be connected?

They met on the Jiangxia Cardholder Forum—she’s from Jiangxia, a cardholder, and from a struggling family, right?

On the other hand, what if he’d randomly picked some cute girl online to vent to, only to find out he’d been pouring his heart out to his own sister?

What were the odds of that?

"Why are you asking about this?"

Liu Yuan bit her lip, the blush on her face deepening.

Luckily, the dim nightlight hid it from Su Qi’s notice.

"I… have a card here. Could you check it for me, big bro?"

In the past, Su Qi would’ve brushed her off with a "Buzz off, kid, don’t waste my time."

But today, Liu Yuan seemed… different.

Weirdly well-behaved?

Like she actually understood how hard he had it. Sure, slapping a band-aid on him was pointless—the medicinal effect was so weak it couldn’t even keep up with his natural healing.

She might as well have kept it for herself—maybe it’d have worked better on her.

But still, it was the thought that counted.

Fine, he’d humor her. "Alright, hand it over. Let me take a look."

"Mm…" Liu Yuan nodded softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

After a long hesitation, she still didn’t reveal her identity…

Her reputation in Su Qi’s eyes was just too terrible…

If he found out now, he’d probably reevaluate their entire relationship.

Or, if she’d known Su Qi was ‘big bro’ before tonight, she might’ve felt the same crushing disillusionment.

So, she had to drastically improve his impression of her first!

Only then could she proudly tell him the truth.

His reaction would be priceless.

"Thank you, big bro!"

Her sudden politeness threw Su Qi off. He didn’t even notice the subtle shift in how she addressed him.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Su Qi had already rolled out of his hammock, but Liu Yuan still hadn’t handed over the card.

"Uh, where’s the card?"

Liu Yuan wanted to give it to him! But why was this happening…?

Because she’d already violated the "three-strikes rule" of her daily dare, she had no choice but to destroy the card before the penalty kicked in.

She’d already resigned herself to losing an auto-cultivation card.

But now, the card’s creator was standing right in front of her.

Not trying felt like a waste.

Yet…

She’d hit a snag.

Or rather, she hadn’t thought this through.

This was…

A personalized card.

Remember what was said earlier?

Generic cards could be bought for 50K, then resold for the same price once they became obsolete—making cardholders the thriftiest professionals, though their combat power was… questionable.

Personalized cards were the opposite.

Think public transit vs. a private car.

The latter was undeniably more comfortable, but also way more expensive.

So…

Once activated, a personalized card couldn’t be transferred to anyone else.

And unless the user severed the connection, it wouldn’t revert to card form.

Others could touch it, but they couldn’t see its stats or benefit from its effects.

Like how Liu Yuan had borrowed Xu Kun’s weapon during that fight.

Now, she had to hand this freshly deactivated, non-card-form equipment… directly to Su Qi?

Liu Yuan felt her body temperature spike, her brain overheating.

But… if it was her brother…

"Big bro, can you close your eyes?"

What kind of weird request was this?

Something was off. Very off!

The way this brat was looking at him was all wrong!

Still, Su Qi complied. "Just call me Su Qi. ‘Big bro’ sounds so awkward."

The tent swayed slightly as Liu Yuan climbed down from her hammock and approached him.

"No, I’m calling you big bro."

Yes, yes—this was more like it.

Su Qi took a deep breath.

Ah, perfect.

That familiar, lingering scent—light, milky, and oddly nostalgic.

Wait.

Since when did he associate Liu Yuan with a "light milky scent"?

Su Qi felt the residual warmth and delicate texture in his hands.

His eyes flew open.

Now he was overheating too.

Some people talk a big game online, flexing their wild in-game exploits.

But in real life? They might freeze up when it’s time to act.

Su Qi’s arm stiffened.

Damn it—must be leftover adrenaline from that intense fight earlier. The side effects were kicking in now.

"This is… your card?"

"Seriously, what kind of pervert would even make a card like this?"

The moment he said it, his nose tingled.

"Hah—CHOO!"

He sneezed out of nowhere.

As everyone knows, polite people cover their mouths when sneezing to avoid bothering others.

So, Su Qi did just that.

He raised his hands to shield his face—purely reflex.

That sneeze felt oddly satisfying, like it had cleared his sinuses wide open.

Now the air smelled… sweet?

Wait.

Sweet air?

Su Qi looked down at the "equipment card" in his hands, then at Liu Yuan, now glowing redder than a steamed lobster.

A chill crawled up his spine.

"Uh… your boyfriend won’t get mad, will he?"

[Delight +666]