The Twin Pacts' Path Mission, Rain Sounds in the Night

Chi Qingshui: "..."

The anxiety of potentially losing her was written all over Lin Yu's face.

After all,

from their online chats until now,

Chi Qingshui had always been reluctant to meet in person.

It was understandable that he now felt this unease of "possibly losing her at any moment."

Her previous attitude was entirely to blame for Lin Yu's current thoughts.

If there was any way to ease the turmoil in his heart,

perhaps only... complete honesty and a deep embrace would suffice.

Gradually,

the clear boundaries between them began to blur.

Chi Qingshui inched slightly closer to Lin Yu's side, taking the initiative this time.

"I guess I can't do anything about you... just a quick hug, okay?"

She had meant to say "one minute,"

but remembering how their previous time-bound attempts had failed,

she opted for a vague duration instead.

The next moment,

her petite frame was entirely enveloped in Lin Yu's arms.

This embrace

was entirely different from all the ones before.

In an instant,

it sent a dizzying sensation of freefall through Chi Qingshui.

"Don't look! Don't look! Close your eyes!" she urged, noticing Lin Yu's gaze.

Lin Yu grinned. "Wasn't it clearer just now than it is now?"

Flustered, Chi Qingshui hurriedly covered his mouth with her hand: "..."

"Just hugging, okay? Let's take a nap," she insisted.

Lin Yu nodded. "Yeah, just hugging. No moving. Rainy days are perfect for burrowing under the covers."

Chi Qingshui: "..."

She suspected his words carried a double meaning,

but had no proof.

...

There’s an old saying:

"Patience is a virtue"—

or more aptly, "Haste makes waste."

This applied to most girls in the apartment.

Except for Chi Qingshui, who stood before Lin Yu now.

Hesitant, cautious, and overthinking every step,

if he let her go today, once she regained her rational composure,

who knew how long it would take for another opportunity like this to arise?

For her, a different set of proverbs applied:

"Opportunity knocks but once."

"In for a penny, in for a pound."

"See it through to the end!"

That said...

For girls, this sort of thing really depended on natural aptitude.

It reminded Lin Yu of that classic line from the movie Those Green Years,

spoken by Chen Xun’s legendary roommate:

"Girls born between August and September are the most exhausting!"

Turns out,

it was absolutely true.

Lin Yu felt like he was maneuvering two rigid telephone poles.

No matter how he shifted, they remained stiffly in place.

Ying'er never had this issue—

maybe because she was used to squatting on chairs,

training her body to stay flexible even under tension.

He used to think the trope of teenage couples failing their first time

was just an exaggerated trope in romantic fiction.

But now he realized—

when neither party had any experience, it really was a struggle.

"Qingshui, relax... try to loosen up a little?" Lin Yu ventured.

Chi Qingshui covered her face, too embarrassed to look.

All she could do was shake her head and whimper:

"Mmm... I can’t..."

"Lin Yu, can we... can we try another day?"

Asking for a rain check now?

How naive.

"It’s okay, let me tell you a story..."

As he spoke,

Lin Yu began adjusting slowly, narrating all the while:

"Once, a troubled man told a wise monk, 'I can’t let go of certain things.'

The monk handed him a teacup and poured hot water into it.

When the water overflowed and scalded his hand, the man instantly dropped it.

The moral of the story is..."

"...when it hurts, you’ll let go."

Seizing the moment her attention wavered—

Chi Qingshui finally understood the parable’s lesson.

...

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the "Twin Vows of Cultivation" trial, successfully binding a Dao Companion!]

[Rewards: 200 Sect Contribution Points, 300 Spirit Stones.]

[Dao Companion’s Sect Identity: Librarian Elder!]

[Note: New reward categories have been added to the lottery pool as Dao Companion count increases.]

[...]

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! You have completed your first Dual Cultivation with Librarian Elder Chi Qingshui!]

[Dao Companion: Chi Qingshui (Librarian Elder)!]

[Bound by fate, harmonized in union—the Joyous Dual Cultivation Art has advanced to the second layer!]

[Rewards: 500 Sect Contribution Points, 2000 Spirit Stones, 1 free system store lottery draw.]

[Bonus Attributes: "Mortal Reflection," "Scholarly Dao Physique," "Speed Reading."]

Outside, the rain continued its gentle patter.

The bright gray of dusk gradually deepened into the black of night.

Blossoms bloomed and wilted, again and again.

His online girlfriend, once hidden in the digital world, had finally been captured by Lin Yu in reality.

The awkwardness of the "telephone poles" became a thing of the past after the second round.

Chi Qingshui, who had initially insisted on hurrying so she could go home,

never brought up leaving again after that.

In fact, she secretly wished the day would never end.

That the night would never fall.

They were so absorbed that they skipped meals entirely.

Lin Yu’s body, tempered by elixirs and bolstered by his sect’s buffs,

though not as ferocious as when he’d taken the Crimson Dragon-Tiger Pill after drinking,

was still overwhelmingly powerful—reducing Chi Qingshui from silence to speechlessness.

Had he not worried about exhausting her to the point of illness,

they might still be at it.

"Qingshui, food’s here. I ordered from the hotel."

"How about some congee? Let me help you up."

As he spoke, Lin Yu gently lifted Chi Qingshui from the bed.

"Hu—"

She nearly called him "hubby" out of habit.

During those hours,

Lin Yu, that big bad wolf, had deliberately made her say it over and over.

Now that the battle was over,

it felt too embarrassing to continue.

What worried her more was—

if it became second nature, she might slip up in front of their roommates!

One thing that reassured her was

Lin Yu’s promise:

Until she was ready, their relationship would remain private.

Her family was strict, forbidding her from dating in college.

Worried about the liberal arts school’s reputation,

they’d even arranged for her to live in an all-girls shared apartment.

Little did they know,

Lin Yu was the lone exception.

If possible,

Chi Qingshui wanted Lin Yu to wait a year.

At graduation, she’d reveal their relationship to everyone—family included.

"Lin Yu, about the sheets..."

She glanced at the towel-covered spot, her face burning with embarrassment.

...

(Second update today—more coming soon!)