A Wonderful Season, Shopping with Auntie

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host, for completing the emergency mission "Mentoring the Newcomer"!]

[Rewards: 200 Sect Contribution Points, 400 Spirit Stones, 1 free draw in the System Mall.]

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host, for completing the emergency mission "Teaching in the Mortal World"!]

[Rewards: 200 Sect Contribution Points, 400 Spirit Stones, 1 free draw in the System Mall.]

Back in his bedroom, the system's notifications came one after another.

Lin Yu sprawled comfortably on his bed, savoring his limited-time "no-germaphobe" relaxation period.

From the afternoon until Auntie's shift ended, Lin Yu had nothing else planned.

A tranquil afternoon, a room cooled to just the right temperature.

The tightly shut windows blocked out the sweltering summer breeze—and all his worries along with it.

Not a single care lingered in his heart, not even a trace of melancholy.

Today was just an ordinary day.

But for Lin Yu, who had been reborn, this quiet moment was something he cherished deeply.

He knew all too well that in the years to come,

as he hustled to make a living, he would never again have an afternoon like this.

"If your heart is free of troubles, every season is a good one."

Lin Yu wanted to pick up a random novel and lose himself in an unfamiliar story.

If he grew drowsy while reading, he could simply drift off to sleep.

After all, when he woke up, the peaceful bliss would still be there.

And so...

He pulled out Senior Tang Yimian's novel and began reading it word by word.

The result?

The more he read, the more awake he became!

Senior's writing style was elegant, and the content was utterly captivating.

The key lay in the story itself.

It had truly drawn him in.

The core of the story wasn’t complicated—it followed a common trope in female-oriented fiction: a domineering CEO and a contract marriage that turned into real love.

Even a decade later, this kind of plot would still have a massive audience.

If this was Tang Yimian's debut work,

she definitely had some innate talent.

It might not be a blockbuster, but it was at least publishable, with readers willing to follow along.

With his buff-enhanced reading speed, Lin Yu finished the entire story in under half an hour.

The first thing he did after finishing?

He silently took a cold shower.

Damn, women really know how to write!

Do female-oriented novels even have editors?

The way those ahem scenes were described—so vivid, so lifelike!

How was he supposed to give feedback on this?

At this point, who was mentoring whom?

[Ding!]

[Absolute pro move—your suggestive words left your Dao Companion lost in thought!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]

[Ding!]

[Absolute pro move...]

For the rest of the afternoon, aside from lounging in a drowsy haze,

Lin Yu didn’t neglect his little girlfriend either.

Simmering a pot of sweet nothings!

A bit of daily teasing—ahem—relationship-building was quite entertaining.

Especially seeing how she played along with his risqué banter.

And imagining Big Chi’s reaction if he ever found out...

Damn, that cold shower earlier was wasted—he was heating up again!

Later in the afternoon,

Lin Yu checked the time and headed to the flower shop to pick up Chen Qimeng.

"Auntie Qimeng, I'm here."

Chen Qimeng stood up from her seat and replied softly,

"Xiao Yu, it's... it's still a bit early for my shift to end."

At this point, there were still about thirty minutes left before her usual closing time.

Lin Yu glanced around and noticed several interesting details.

Tasks usually saved for after closing—like sweeping up petals, misting unsold flowers, or tidying scraps—

had all been done ahead of time today!

Every little sign pointed to one thing:

Auntie was taking today’s shopping trip very seriously.

Lin Yu wasn’t the type to let a woman make the first move.

If he wanted to complete the challenging "Soul Bonding" mission, he’d have to put in the effort himself.

"Auntie, it seems like there aren’t many customers in the shop today?"

"The foot traffic outside looks lighter than usual too."

Chen Qimeng’s eyes brightened as she seized the opening to justify an early exit:

"Yes, there are only about half as many customers as usual."

"I’ve been waiting all day... and you’re the only one who showed up."

No need to hesitate now.

Lin Yu took the opportunity to nudge things along:

"Auntie, I doubt there’ll be any more customers if we keep waiting."

"Plus, we’ve got a lot of shopping to do later, right?"

"How about we play hooky just this once? Close up early and head out now?"

Chen Qimeng had been waiting for exactly this kind of excuse.

Now that Xiao Yu had handed her the perfect out, how could she refuse?

"Xiao Yu, you’re absolutely right."

"Let’s close up a little early and get going!"

In all the time Lin Yu had known this flower shop,

Chen Qimeng had rarely ever closed early.

Rain or shine, she was always there, open without fail.

Today’s early closure sent a clear signal—something special was happening.

The two exchanged a glance, then wordlessly began shutting things down.

Most of the work was already done.

All that remained was bagging the trash to take out on their way.

As they brushed past each other,

Lin Yu quietly wondered...

Was today the perfect opportunity to complete [Breaking the Touch Barrier]?

Judging by Auntie Qimeng’s demeanor, last night’s foot massage and shared dreams had sparked something.

With a mission that allowed no second chances, timing was everything...

But if he kept overthinking it,

the moment might never come at all!

Screw it—just go for it!

After locking up, they hailed a cab.

Sitting side by side in the backseat, Lin Yu couldn’t help but smile at Chen Qimeng’s uncharacteristic nervousness.

Normally so composed, she now fidgeted endlessly, her hands shifting restlessly in her lap, her gaze fixed out the window.

Letting this awkward tension linger wouldn’t help with what he had planned.

So Lin Yu broke the ice by recounting the "Monkey Mountain Misadventure" from earlier that morning.

Chen Qimeng was a great listener, her focus gradually easing her nerves.

When they arrived at QianDa Plaza,

they headed straight for the escalator to the second-floor clothing boutiques.

But near the escalator,

a young woman in a gray pencil skirt stopped them:

"Excuse me, sir, ma’am—just one minute of your time!"

"We’re from a new photography studio on Golden Street, running a joint promotion with several brands here at QianDa."

"With the Qixi Festival just two weeks away, we’re hosting a ‘Wall of Love’ event."

"If you’d be willing to take a couples’ photo with us, we’ll give you two 12%-off vouchers."

"Valid at any of our twelve partner stores!"

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Perfect timing!

Chen Qimeng’s first reaction was to wave her hands dismissively:

"Thank you, but we’re not—"

Lin Yu cut her off before she could finish:

"Sweetheart, 12% off is pretty good!"

"That’s a decent saving if we buy two outfits!"

Chen Qimeng’s eyes widened in shock: "!!!"