Following Lin Yu's train of thought, Mao Ruirui quickly pondered.
If holding hands wasn't enough to prove their couple status...
Perhaps they should...
Do something more intimate?
Sit down to rest and lean against each other.
Was this what Xiao Yu had in mind?
After hearing his story about that yandere girl,
Mao Ruirui had already made up her mind—she would help him to the very end.
Now was not the time to back down!
Mao Ruirui immediately responded:
"No problem, Xiao Yu... Whatever you need me to do, just tell me."
"As long as it helps you, as long as it pulls you out of this gloom, I'll do it!"
Her words carried a touch of brave determination.
This assurance struck a chord in Lin Yu's heart.
After sitting down on the steps to rest,
Lin Yu even pretended to look around several times.
Then,
he said nervously:
"I’m sure she’s nearby. My intuition is always right."
Mao Ruirui glanced at Lin Yu’s arm,
then boldly looped hers through it, adjusting her position to sit as close to him as possible.
"Xiao Yu, is this... okay?"
"Wait, sorry—hold on..."
She quickly withdrew her arm, took out a wet wipe from her bag,
and rubbed it over her arm, wiping it clean.
During their earlier run,
a faint sheen of sweat had formed on her skin.
In contrast, Lin Yu was completely dry, still fresh and cool.
Pressing against him like that would’ve been impolite.
Once her smooth arm was thoroughly wiped clean,
she looped it through his again and repeated her question:
"Xiao Yu, now it’s fine."
"Staying like this should make that yandere girl think we’re more like a real couple, right?"
This feeling was absolutely wonderful!
Without Lin Yu even asking, Ruirui-jie had already taken the initiative!
"Ruirui-jie, thank you."
"I hadn’t even figured out what to do yet."
"Honestly, if you weren’t helping me..."
"I wouldn’t know who else to turn to..."
Lin Yu’s voice was tinged with melancholy.
His sincere gaze made Mao Ruirui’s heart ache again.
Xiao Yu had helped her so many times in life.
Seeing him "tormented" like this,
how could she just stand by?
A bright guy like Xiao Yu must’ve been truly desperate to say something like that.
He...
was calling out to her for help!
Mao Ruirui touched her cheek, moved, and said:
"Xiao Yu, don’t say that. I’ll definitely find a way to make her back off."
"My face isn’t sweaty..."
"I think most couples at this point, the girl would lean on the guy’s shoulder or arm."
"Maybe we should..."
Lin Yu: "!!!"
You read my mind!
She was even a step ahead of him.
As the "boyfriend," how could he let the "girlfriend" keep making the first move?
What kind of man would that make him? What kind of man!
Lin Yu obliged her suggestion, pulling his arm free and wrapping it around her shoulders.
With a gentle tug, he drew her into his embrace.
"Is this how it’s usually done?"
he asked softly.
[Ding!]
[Masterful move! Your first embrace has left your dao companion’s heart racing!]
[Reward: 50 spirit stones.]
Mao Ruirui: "!!!"
Talking was one thing, but actually doing it was another.
Once Lin Yu really held her in his arms,
her restless heart couldn’t stop pounding.
Her hands fidgeted awkwardly, unsure where to place them.
Wrap them around Lin Yu’s waist in return?
Too deliberate.
Rest them on her lap to smooth her skirt?
Too stiff.
Press them against the steps?
Too rigid.
Just as she hesitated,
Lin Yu’s other hand reached over and took her freshly wiped hand,
then placed it...
against his own chest. (Of course, nothing further!)
At this point,
their intertwined figures looked every bit the couple—if not more.
Mao Ruirui had completely overestimated her composure.
Right now,
she couldn’t even hold a normal conversation.
Her nerves were so frayed she could barely speak.
Xiao Yu is so slim!
Just leaning against him, she could feel his lean, toned frame.
Being held by him was incredibly warm.
If not for knowing someone was watching,
the feeling would’ve been even better.
"Ruirui-jie, let’s talk about something else."
"What’s your ideal type for a boyfriend?"
Just as her thoughts were wandering,
Lin Yu suddenly caught her off guard with this question.
Her mind flooded with images of Lin Yu himself!
"I... I’ve never really thought about it carefully,"
Mao Ruirui quickly deflected, buying time.
Lin Yu wasn’t about to let her off that easily.
So he pressed on:
"That’s fine, it’s normal. There are plenty of things I haven’t thought through either."
"Now’s a good time to sit and reflect."
"If you had to choose someone to spend the rest of your life with, to entrust yourself to..."
"What kind of qualities would they need?"
Hearing this,
Mao Ruirui knew she couldn’t dodge the question.
So she really started thinking...
The more she pondered, the more her heart fluttered.
Wait, do I actually like Xiao Yu?
Why, even after calming down, do all his good traits keep coming to mind?
"Ruirui, have you thought about it?"
"Go ahead and tell me."
Lin Yu’s slightly commanding tone left her no room to resist.
She blurted out:
"I’d want my boyfriend to be..."
"Optimistic, active, sporty, and full of energy."
"Kind and patient, preferably without too much romantic baggage."
"If he’s from Pingchuan, close to where I work, so we can see each other often, even better."
"As for looks or money, I don’t have strict standards. If he meets the above, those don’t matter."
"I’m just an average earner from an ordinary family."
"As long as he’s driven, I believe we could build a future together and never go hungry."
After saying this,
Mao Ruirui nervously bit her lower lip.
Every single point she listed—Xiao Yu fit perfectly!
Would he think she was dropping hints on purpose?
She really wasn’t! It’s just...
That was genuinely what she wanted in a boyfriend.
Wait, no no no—that’s not right!
Just a few days ago, she hadn’t even been thinking about dating, wanting to focus on her career first.
Had spending so much time with Xiao Yu these past days...
put these ideas in her head?!
"Would a bachelor’s degree be enough?"
Lin Yu suddenly asked.
Mao Ruirui paused, then replied:
"Of course, that’s more than enough."
"I only have a bachelor’s too—I’m not looking for some ultra-educated genius."
Lin Yu followed up:
"What if he’s still in undergrad?"
Mao Ruirui: "!!!"
...
(First update of the day! Only 375 more "Power-Ups with Love" needed for the bonus chapter. If you're enjoying the story, please take a moment to watch a quick ad—your support means the world!)
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
