Private Topic: Sister Ruirui's Soul Cultivation Trial

"Ruirui-jie is right, it seems we've never really had a chance to chat alone before."

"I'm usually pretty quiet and don't know what topics to bring up."

"Does Ruirui-jie have anything she'd like to talk about?"

The topic of [Food] had been pretty much exhausted.

[Clothing] was relatively easy to understand.

But as for [Desire]—what exactly did that refer to? That required more careful consideration.

He couldn't just bluntly ask Ruirui-jie right off the bat:

"How long has it been since you last did it?"

That would be crossing every line in Pingchuan at once!

Judging by Ruirui-jie's demeanor and speech, she definitely didn't seem like someone with that kind of vibe.

"Little Yu, don't think like that. I actually find you very cheerful and bright."

"As for conversation topics... what we just discussed about favorite outfits was great."

"You probably haven't had a girlfriend yet, right? We could also talk about what kind of girls you like."

Mao Ruirui voiced her inner thoughts honestly.

If Lin Yu had asked someone else what they wanted to talk about,

most people would probably say "anything is fine."

Only a very few would suggest a broad but reasonable topic,

giving both sides enough room to explore.

But for some reason, this question became a "strong command-type" question in Mao Ruirui's mind.

Without thinking, she gave the most precise answer possible.

Outfits represented [Clothing].

Preferences in girls represented [Desire].

It made perfect sense.

Actually, chatting like this wasn't bad at all.

No need to worry about hidden meanings in each other's words or overanalyzing things.

Lin Yu glanced at Mao Ruirui's zebra-striped pajamas.

Then, tilting his head at a 45-degree angle toward the ceiling, he pretended to ponder:

"When it comes to outfits... I'm pretty simple."

"My favorite colors are black and white."

"And I really like mixing them together..."

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! Collected information about the Saint's preferred clothing style, which happens to match exactly what the Beast Garden Elder wore today, bringing her immense joy!]

[Reward: 20 Spirit Stones]

Noticing Mao Ruirui looking down at her own clothes,

Lin Yu followed her gaze:

"Hey!"

"That zebra-striped pajama set Ruirui-jie is wearing looks really nice."

"Haha, I can't see the back—does it come with a zebra tail?"

The next moment,

Mao Ruirui abruptly stood up from her chair.

She turned around, presenting her back to Lin Yu, and smoothed down the snug zebra-patterned dress.

The form-fitting cotton fabric perfectly outlined her curves,

even revealing the faint outline of her final line of defense through the dress's pattern.

"It's just a regular dress... no tail..."

After saying this,

Mao Ruirui "whooshed" back into her seat.

Her mind screamed: "!!!"

Oh my god... what am I doing?!

Little Yu was obviously just joking.

All she had to do was casually reply with something like "Haha, no tail," and that would've been the end of it.

But now... it's over, isn't it?

Little Yu is even looking down too embarrassed to meet my eyes.

What's wrong with me?!

Am I... that eager to show off in front of Little Yu?

Mao Ruirui naturally didn't know

that at this very moment,

Lin Yu had already conjured a virtual button in his mind.

Beside it materialized a little black devil and a little white angel.

The little angel kept saying:

Don't press it. If you do, you're done for—you'll lose your last shred of restraint.

The little devil kept chanting:

Woo-hoo~ feels good~ woo-hoo-hoo~ sooo comfy~

What started as a simple joke

had now allowed Lin Yu to fully appreciate the athletic girl's perfect figure.

How many more rounds of this test of human nature could Lin Yu endure?

He honestly had no idea.

So remember...

Never casually test human nature by posing questions within someone's comfort zone!

Lin Yu: "..."

Mao Ruirui: "..."

For a moment,

silence hung heavily between them.

Mao Ruirui deeply regretted her earlier actions.

Now, aside from nervously popping grapes into her mouth to ease the awkwardness, she had no idea what to say.

In her mind,

she must have looked like a stray cat prowling the alleyways at night.

She must have terrified Little Yu!

Unexpectedly,

Lin Yu spoke up:

"Sorry, Ruirui-jie, this might be a bit forward."

"But I still want to say..."

"Your figure is amazing—the best I've ever seen!"

"You can tell it's not that unhealthy kind of slim from starving yourself."

"Earlier, you asked me what kind of girls I like..."

Lin Yu paused deliberately, scratching his head with feigned shyness.

Such a small gesture, yet so devastatingly effective.

Mao Ruirui was practically on edge.

She wanted to hear it!

How could he stop at such a critical moment?

Don't stop now!

Everything Lin Yu had said up to this point

was just ordinary praise.

But coming from his lips and entering Mao Ruirui's ears,

it felt like a spring breeze caressing willow branches,

like morning dew tenderly kissing flower petals.

Her heart fluttered uncontrollably.

Under her eager gaze,

Lin Yu finally continued:

"I like girls who are optimistic, live healthily, and preferably... enjoy sports."

"As for looks, I don't dare hope for too much—average is fine. I'm not exactly a looker myself."

Mao Ruirui's cheeks burned: "!!!"

Every single trait... wasn't that exactly what she embodied?

Could it be...

Little Yu was hinting at her?

Seeing how he couldn't even look at her...

Did Little Yu secretly see her the same way she saw him—as...

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! Collected the Saint's romantic preferences, sending the Beast Garden Elder's heart aflutter!]

[Reward: 20 Spirit Stones]

[Ding!]

[The Beast Garden Elder and host's intimacy level has reached the threshold for "Soul Cultivation Union"!]

[Upon entering the sixth realm, "Crimson Love Awakening," they may become soul cultivation partners!]

[Initiating "Soul Cultivation Union" trial...]

[Shared Interests (Trial Task): Select a shared interest and, without outside interference, deepen your spiritual connection with the Beast Garden Elder!]

Hearing the system's trial task,

Lin Yu wasn't particularly shocked.

Their current pace was actually quite slow.

If he wanted to, he could floor the accelerator!

This trial—shared interests, no interruptions?

If we're talking about Lin Yu's interests...

Does "doing it passionately" count?

......

(Second update today! Only 112 more "Love-powered" supports needed for a tier upgrade. If just one in five readers watches an ad, it'll be enough! I'll keep writing—hope for your continued support!)