Put on the sticker, and you're mine

Lin Yu’s study looked quite impressive.

It had the vibe of a diligent student’s little sanctuary.

Too bad.

Ye Mengfu had no mind to appreciate any of it.

Her head was spinning, her vision blurry, and she was so tense she felt like she might faint.

Her thoughts were still racing…

If Lin Yu made a move, should she protect her top half first or her bottom half?

But then…

"Xiao Fu, this is for you."

A pack of pristine white material was handed to Ye Mengfu.

Her blurred vision gradually sharpened.

Ye Mengfu stared blankly at what Lin Yu had given her, murmuring in confusion:

"Drawing… paper?"

Lin Yu scratched his head and grinned sheepishly:

"There was a misunderstanding between us earlier today. I want to apologize for my recklessness."

"Before I left at noon, I noticed you were running low on drawing paper in your room."

"So I bought some, matching the size of the two sketches I took."

The sudden shift in atmosphere caught Ye Mengfu completely off guard.

One foot in hell, the other in heaven—even a deity would be stunned for a moment.

Ye Mengfu hesitated, eyeing the paper: "I…"

Lin Yu added firmly: "If you refuse, it means you don’t accept my apology."

With that,

Ye Mengfu didn’t dare decline.

She quickly took the paper, murmuring weakly, "Thank you."

Looking at the drawing paper in her hands—

The familiar brand, the familiar size.

Her feelings shifted once again…

So Lin Yu had taken her two casual sketches to use as reference when buying the paper.

Had she really misunderstood his intentions?

Was Lin Yu just trying to apologize?

Thinking back,

her fear of Lin Yu stemmed entirely from what had happened in her room earlier that day.

If Lin Yu had only acted out because he was angry about her eavesdropping… well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?

People do irrational things when they’re upset.

Afterward, they often feel remorse.

Maybe that was just Lin Yu’s personality.

Him giving her drawing paper as an apology—wasn’t that proof of his regret?

And tonight, that hug—Lin Yu hadn’t initiated it. She had been the one to embrace him.

Sure, he’d touched her, but he hadn’t taken things further.

The more she thought about it,

the more Ye Mengfu convinced herself!

In fact, now that she’d accepted his gift, she even felt guilty for being so wary of him.

She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out her phone:

"Let me pay you back…"

Lin Yu put on a troubled expression again:

"Pay me back? So you still haven’t forgiven me?"

"If you pay for it, how is it a gift of apology?"

"And it’s not just one pack—I bought a lot."

With that, Lin Yu brought over a bag containing nine more packs and showed them to her.

After displaying them, he bundled them together with the first pack and handed them all back to Ye Mengfu.

Ye Mengfu was flustered, nervously picking at her fingers.

Lin Yu had a point—paying him would change the meaning.

Maybe she could find another way to repay him later.

With that in mind,

she nodded slightly and spoke a little louder:

"Thank you, Lin Yu."

Lin Yu silently counted in his head:

"Thank you, Lin Yu"—five words.

Progress.

Before, she’d act like speaking more than three words would kill her.

At the same time,

a system notification chimed.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! Your relationship with the Joyous Sect’s Talisman Master has deepened, advancing to the second stage: "Casual Acquaintances"!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones]

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully completed the daily quest "Procure Talisman Paper (Buy Drawing Paper)," earning 50 Sect Contribution Points and 20 Spirit Stones!]

[Current Data:]

[Sect Contribution: 280]

[Spirit Stones: 180]

Lin Yu: "!!!"

The daily quest reward was expected—nothing surprising there.

What shocked him was the growth in intimacy with Ye Mengfu.

He checked her information panel.

Her intimacy level had skyrocketed from 1% to 12%!

A whole major stage leap!

Was she really this unguarded?

Lin Yu had barely made a move, and the results were this promising.

At this rate, Ye Mengfu might be easier to win over than some of the family members at the third or fourth foundational stages.

It was clear—

Ye Mengfu’s family had sheltered her well.

To reach this age without being tricked by some smooth-talker was nothing short of a miracle.

Even easier to fool than Aunt Qimeng!

Since gifts worked so well, Lin Yu decided to strike while the iron was hot.

He grabbed a sheet of rabbit stickers from his desk:

"Xiao Fu, I saw these at the art supply store before leaving today."

"It’s a character from a Chinese anime—a rabbit."

The moment the stickers came into view, Ye Mengfu’s eyes locked onto them.

Hearing Lin Yu’s explanation, she—who rarely interrupted—cut in:

"That Year, That Rabbit."

Lin Yu nodded enthusiastically:

"Yeah! You’ve seen it too?"

"When I saw them, they reminded me of the rabbits you draw, so I couldn’t resist buying them."

Of course.

A professional artist would definitely know about popular comics.

A spur-of-the-moment gift had hit the bullseye.

Why must it be this way?

When the drawing paper was brought out, Ye Mengfu at least showed some hesitation and excuses.

But when she saw those bunny stickers, her expression was nothing but a fixed gaze and an unmistakable "I want it" look—no resistance whatsoever.

When the advantage is on your side, that’s the perfect moment to push your luck.

"Let me pick the cutest one for you. I think it should be worn like this..."

Lin Yu opened the sticker pack, peeled off a smiling bunny, and then—

Politely reached toward Ye Mengfu’s shoulder to stick it on.

Of course, the sticker would’ve looked even better on her chest, but the circumstances didn’t allow for that.

The trust they’d built couldn’t be shattered so quickly.

Better to test her compliance with just the shoulder first.

Everything went exactly as Lin Yu expected.

When an innocent, unguarded girl encounters something she loves, all resistance melts away instantly.

Not only did Ye Mengfu not pull back, she even tilted her head slightly to the opposite side, fully exposing her shoulder to make it easier for Lin Yu.

Lin Yu didn’t betray that trust.

He didn’t take advantage of the moment to cop a feel.

After gently pressing the sticker in place, he just tapped it twice with his fingers to make sure it stuck properly.

"All done. It suits your style perfectly."

"Next time we meet, keep it on, okay? You can even add your own favorite designs."

Lin Yu carefully repackaged the remaining stickers and placed them back into the drawing paper’s carrying bag.

Using little trinkets like this to create connections between them—

So that even when Ye Mengfu couldn’t see Lin Yu, she’d still think of him.

It was like saying: Wear my sticker, and you’re mine!

This kind of trick didn’t work on just anyone—most girls weren’t like Ye Mengfu.

Try talking about anime with a worldly, materialistic girl or giving her cheap little gifts worth a few bucks, and she’d just think you were a pathetic loser.

With those types, forget stickers—even if you unlocked her with a key, she’d still belong to everyone.

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! The extra gift has delighted the Joyous Sect’s Talisman Mistress, further deepening your bond with her!]

[Reward: 40 Spirit Stones.]

See?

Gift-giving is all about choosing the right person.

Pick the right one, and even the system rewards you with double the Spirit Stones.

Ye Mengfu touched the sticker on her shoulder, craning her neck to get a better look.

For the first time, she gave Lin Yu a faint, soft smile:

"Thank you, Lin Yu... it’s really pretty."

Well, well.

Who would’ve thought?

The little artist was even cuter when she smiled.

Now that the warm atmosphere was properly set—

It was time to bring up the real agenda... getting her to willingly take off that damn tracksuit!

What’s the point of a long night without a pair of long legs?