Leave such an innocent girl to me to tease.

The warmth transmitted through his fingertips seemed to carry some kind of magic.

That was the [Causality Physiotherapy (Master Level)] taking effect.

In this LOFT apartment—which wasn't considered top-tier luxury, but was already a mansion in Li Xingya's eyes—Su Bai's techniques were more professional and gentle than those of top-tier masseurs who charged thousands of yuan an hour.

Li Xingya lay on her stomach on the soft bed. Her whole body felt as if it had been dismantled and reassembled. The tingling sensation rising from the depths of her marrow left her without even the strength to move a finger.

"Mmh..."

She bit her lip, trying to suppress the blush-inducing sounds in her throat, but her eyes were already as hazy and alluring as a pool of spring water.

Is this... what it feels like to be pampered?

In her daze, a somewhat audacious thought suddenly popped into Li Xingya's mind:

Wasn't this wonderful feeling something that only Mentor Yusheng was supposed to enjoy?

That aloof, outstanding Chen Yusheng, who was omnipotent in the world of code—when she was alone with Su Bai in private, did she also turn into a puddle of mush like this, letting him do as he pleased?

The thrill of this transgression, mixed with her attachment to Su Bai, surprisingly made her body even more sensitive.

If this massage was the exact same treatment her mentor received...

Then would the next step also be the same as Teacher Chen's?

At this thought, Li Xingya felt all the blood rush to her face. The intertwined emotions of anticipation and nervousness, under a strange psychological suggestion, actually caused her tense body to completely drop its defenses.

After all, Chen Yusheng was the kind of idol she deeply admired, and Su Bai was simply the template for Li Xingya's dream lover. Combining the two...

It was simply too dreamy.

"What are you thinking about? Your face is so red."

Su Bai's voice sounded by her ear, carrying a hint of teasing laughter.

He had obviously noticed the changes in the body beneath his hands.

The muscles that were originally a bit stiff from tension had completely relaxed now, becoming as soft as if they had no bones, even carrying a faint hint of submission.

"N-nothing..."

Li Xingya buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled, but unable to hide her profound shyness.

Su Bai smiled and didn't expose her little thoughts.

He stopped his movements, leaned forward slightly, gently lifted the loose hair scattered by her pillow with his fingers, and fixed his gentle and focused gaze on her profile.

"Xingya, look at me."

Li Xingya's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly turned her head.

In those eyes, as deep as the starry sky, she saw her own reflection.

It wasn't that invisible girl wearing a faded hoodie, penny-pinching over a few cents for meals in the cafeteria, nor was it that clumsy, submissive girl in the lab who felt inferior in every way.

It was a beautiful girl who was cherished, appreciated, and even desired.

"You know? You have actually always been beautiful."

Su Bai's fingers gently stroked her cheek, his tone as serious as if he were stating a universal truth. "Your beauty isn't just because of this great figure that makes everyone jealous, but even more so because of the sincerity and resilience in your bones."

"You don't need to envy others, and you don't need to feel that you are plain."

"In my eyes, the way you are right now is the absolute best."

These words were like a warm current, instantly shattering the solid ice of inferiority in Li Xingya's heart.

From childhood to adulthood, because of her poor family background, because she couldn't afford nice clothes, and because she couldn't keep up with the trends of city kids, there was always a missing piece deep in her heart.

She was used to walking with her head down, used to being a supporting character, and used to self-denial.

But now, with his validation, Su Bai had personally filled in that missing piece of her personality.

"Boss..."

Li Xingya's eyes grew moist with tears of happiness.

[Ding! Detected that S-level target Li Xingya's affection has broken through the critical threshold. Current status: Great opportunity! Now is the time!]

What the hell kind of 'great opportunity'... I can intuitively feel it without your reminder, Bro System!

Listening to the system's prompt in his mind, Su Bai knew the time was right.

At this moment, Li Xingya was like a fully ripe peach, exuding a tantalizing fragrance, waiting to be picked.

"Still calling me boss?"

Su Bai lowered his head and kissed away the teardrops at the corners of her eyes.

"Su... Brother Su Bai..."

Li Xingya tremblingly changed her form of address, then took the initiative to wrap her arms around Su Bai's neck.

This was a silent invitation.

The night outside the window was gentle, and the lights in the LOFT were dim and ambiguous.

In this apartment that carried her simple wishes, Li Xingya welcomed the most important transformation of her life.

There was none of the pain and fear she had imagined, only endless tenderness and wave-like tremors.

The colorful peach blossom fish caught in the reservoir seemed to swim into her heart in the dreams of this night, blooming with the most brilliant colors.

...

The next day, early morning.

Winter sunlight was always exceptionally precious, pouring unreservedly through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows onto the messy large bed.

Li Xingya was awakened by the sunlight.

She groggily opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the man still sleeping soundly beside her.

Su Bai's sleeping face was very quiet, lacking a bit of his usual teasing and dominance, and showing a bit more of a young man's clean innocence.

Li Xingya watched him quietly, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curling into a sweet smile.

Everything from last night replayed in her mind like a movie.

She subconsciously shifted her body. Although she felt a bit sore and weak, the sense of fulfillment overflowing from the bottom of her heart was unprecedented.

She felt she had changed.

She was no longer that invisible girl drifting aimlessly in the big city, constantly worried about being blown away by the wind.

She had someone to rely on, a sense of belonging, and her own little secret.

This psychological transformation miraculously reflected in her aura.

Her original slightly timid and petty demeanor disappeared, replaced by the gentleness and charm of a newly awakened woman.

Even now, without makeup and with messy hair, she exuded a heart-fluttering charm.

This was a woman nourished by love.

Just as she was zoning out, Su Bai's arm suddenly moved, habitually pulling her closer into his embrace.

"You're awake?"

His freshly-awoken voice carried a hint of huskiness, making Li Xingya's ears tingle.

"Mmh... good morning." She obediently nuzzled against Su Bai's chest.

Su Bai opened his eyes and looked at the girl in his arms, who had clearly become even more captivating, feeling in a great mood.

At the same time, the long-absent system prompt box popped up before his eyes.

[Congratulations to the host! Successfully captured S-level goddess Li Xingya. Reward cash: 1,000,000 yuan.]

[Acquired special skill: Aquascaping (Perfect Level)!]

[Acquired free attribute points: +10!]

Whoa, a huge harvest.

The cash reward was standard procedure; these days, a million yuan was just pocket money for Su Bai, but that "Aquascaping" skill was somewhat interesting.

Su Bai recalled the peach blossom fish he had caught last night.

It seemed the System was also a stickler for details. Knowing he was planning to set up a home for that fish, it immediately delivered a matching skill.

Perfect-grade Aquascaping. If he were to play around with planted tanks or biotope aquariums, this was definitely master-class level. Just casually arranging a few rocks and pieces of driftwood would result in a landscape painting.

Not bad. Later, he would set up a massive one in the lab and enshrine that token of love.

As for those 10 free attribute points...

Su Bai called up his personal interface.

With the accumulation of various tasks and rewards over this period, his attributes were actually already quite luxurious.

Host: Su Bai

Physique: 140 (Has broken through human limits)

Mind: 100 (Human peak)

Appearance: 94 (Breathtakingly handsome)

Special: 96 (Extraordinarily endowed)

Looking at this panel, Su Bai's OCD instantly flared up.

Physique at 140 was the result of using strengthening fluids and adding points previously. It was an irreversible, beyond-the-limits attribute, which felt pretty good to look at.

Mind at 100 was also nice and neat.

But this Appearance at 94 and Special at 96 were just uncomfortable to look at.

It was like having a phone battery at 98%; for someone with OCD, it was simply pure torture.

Even though an Appearance of 94 was already at the level of causing traffic jams wherever he went, and a Special attribute of 96 was enough to make any female confidante beg for mercy on her knees...

But, it wasn't perfect enough!

It had to be maxed out!

Without hesitation, Su Bai willed it and began allocating the points.

Consumed 2 free attribute points. Appearance upgraded to 100!

Consumed 4 free attribute points. Special upgraded to 100!

As the point allocation finished, Su Bai only felt a slight warmth on his face. It was as if his skin had become tighter and smoother, and the contours of his facial features seemed to have undergone some sort of micro-adjustment, becoming even more flawless.

The feeling was like turning on a max-level beauty filter, yet completely devoid of any traces of editing, looking utterly natural.

Meanwhile, a warm current surged through a certain part of his body; that was another upgrade to his core competitiveness.

The familiar, refreshing sensation brought Su Bai an immense sense of satisfaction.

This bit-by-bit progress, the improvement of pure biological attributes, seemed even more addictive than wealth.

Taking another look at the current panel:

Host: Su Bai

Physique: 140

Mind: 100

Appearance: 100

Special: 100

Ah, that's better.

Aside from the superhuman Physique attribute, the other three items were completely maxed out to the theoretical peak values for a human.

Now this was the prestige a divine tycoon ought to have.

"Boss, what are you smiling at?"

Li Xingya asked out of curiosity, watching Su Bai grinning foolishly at thin air.

"Nothing."

Su Bai snapped back to reality. Looking at the delicate and gorgeous beauty in his arms, a wicked smirk curled the corners of his lips. "I was just wondering... if I should let you experience the joy of a morning workout?"

"Ah? No more... I'm still sore..."

Li Xingya shrank her neck in fright, like a startled little rabbit.

"Just teasing you."

Su Bai pinched her cheek. "Hungry? Let's order some takeout. After we eat, we'll head back to campus. We need to set up a home for that peach blossom fish."

"Mhm! I miss it too!"

Hearing about the fish, Li Xingya's eyes instantly lit up.

Seeing her pure and adorable appearance, Su Bai sighed with emotion in his heart.

Sure enough, a girl like this was better left for him to bully. Otherwise, wouldn't she be too easily taken advantage of by bad guys?