When Zhu Zhuqing saw Ye Yin at her door, she immediately thought of the loose clothes she was wearing. She subconsciously tugged at the fabric, an action that only served to make her figure more prominent. A faint blush rose on her cheeks.
"Yin Ge, is something wrong?"
Ye Yin held out a piece of black garlic. "This is a gift for you. Think of it as an apology for making you eat that surströmming earlier today. If you eat it, all of your attributes will increase by fifty percent for one hour."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up for a moment before she seemed to realize something. She shook her head quickly. "No, no. Yin Ge, this is too valuable. I can't accept it."
Ye Yin gently pushed the black garlic into her hand. "It's not that big of a deal, really. It has side effects, and besides, everyone else got one. Compared to me helping you increase your spirit ring's age limit, this is nothing."
Hearing him mention that, Zhu Zhuqing finally relented and put the black garlic away. "Yin Ge," she began, her voice hesitant, "about what you said before… about increasing my spirit ring's age limit. How exactly do you do that?"
Ye Yin coughed lightly. "We should probably talk about that inside. It's a complicated matter, and it's related to my Spirit."
Zhu Zhuqing immediately stepped aside and invited him in.
Once inside, Ye Yin began to explain. "My Spirit has a special ability that allows it to store a unique kind of power. I can use this power to increase the age limit of spirit rings." He attributed the ability to the uniqueness of his Spirit, confident that no one could disprove it since his Spirit was one of a kind. "Even so," he continued, "it isn't easy. After each time I do it, my body is left weak for a while."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, finally understanding the cost involved. "Yin Ge, I know it won't be easy for you to help me. But right now, the most valuable thing I have to offer… is myself."
Before Ye Yin could react, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body close to his. He could feel the warmth radiating from her as her alluring, delicate frame swayed against him. His hand instinctively came to rest on her waist. The skin was smooth, but it felt different from the last time he had held her. A primitive instinct stirred within him. Their eyes met, and in the next moment, their lips followed.
They kissed greedily, a silent understanding passing between them. Ye Yin's hand roamed over her back, feeling the tender smoothness of her skin. The loose clothing she wore was a trivial obstacle. The temperature in the room seemed to keep rising, and a rosy flush deepened on Zhu Zhuqing's face.
Finally, she fell back onto the bed.
"Yin Ge… be gentler."
"Zhuqing, long pain isn't as good as short pain."
She gritted her teeth, and then her eyes suddenly widened as she bit down hard on Ye Yin's shoulder.
...
Meanwhile, Dai Mubai had received his black garlic just before Zhu Zhuqing. Still feeling some lingering fear from the surströmming incident, he decided to find Ye Yin and ask him exactly what the side effects were. He was worried it might cause some kind of lifelong harm.
As he walked past Zhu Zhuqing's dormitory, an intense and all-too-familiar sound reached his ears. Dai Mubai's body went rigid. He turned his head stiffly toward the door, and his face immediately darkened.
[Resentment from Dai Mubai +50!]
[Resentment from Dai Mubai +51!]
"This pair of scoundrels!" he growled, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "They're trying to anger me to death!"
Before, his status as a 'cuckold' had just been a hypothetical fear. He had never seen anything with his own eyes. But this time was different; he could hear it clearly. The sounds were more intense than anything he had ever experienced himself.
In a fit of rage, Dai Mubai threw the black garlic in his hand to the ground and turned to leave. But after taking only half a step, he stopped, walked back, and quickly picked it up again.
"The black garlic is not at fault," he muttered to himself.
...
When night finally fell, Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Yin lay on the bed, looking utterly exhausted. Zhu Zhuqing's body still trembled slightly, her long, slender legs occasionally twitching. She had no idea how she had managed to get through the entire afternoon.
Ye Yin took out a marrow cleansing fruit. "Zhuqing, this is a marrow cleansing fruit. It can cleanse your bones and marrow, which will enhance your talent and cultivation speed. You should eat it in a bit."
Zhu Zhuqing tilted her head. The clear, sweet fragrance of the fruit drifted into her nose, an inexplicable temptation.
"No, Yin Ge," she refused again. "This is far too valuable. I can't accept it."
Ye Yin placed the fruit directly into her hand, his tone allowing no room for refusal. "You're my woman now. I'm not going to treat you poorly. Whatever the others have, you will have too."
With that, he sat up, quickly put on his clothes, and walked to the door. "Hurry and absorb it, then get some rest. We still have to go to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow." He gave her one last look before closing the door and leaving.
Zhu Zhuqing stared at the precious fruit in her hand and then thought of Dai Mubai. The difference between the two men was starkly clear. Gritting her teeth, she sat up and consumed the marrow cleansing fruit. After refining its energy, she could feel that her cultivation speed had improved significantly. Although Ye Yin hadn't increased her spirit ring's age limit yet, he had helped her improve in another crucial way by enhancing her innate talent. Her feelings for Ye Yin deepened; he was an exceptional man in every single way.
The next morning, the eight students of Shrek Academy, led by Zhao Wuji, set off for the Star Dou Great Forest. After traveling over four hundred kilometers on the first day, they arrived at the town closest to the forest's entrance.
Zhao Wuji pointed to a hotel. "We'll stay here for the night and leave tomorrow morning. You'll cover your own costs for lodging and meals." After saying his piece, he checked into a single room and went upstairs to rest.
"Let's eat first, then rest!" Ma Hongjun announced, voicing everyone's thoughts. "I'm so tired of eating Oscar's sausages, I'm about to throw up."
Ye Yin silently took out a can of surströmming. "Actually, you could always eat this to change the flavor."
Ma Hongjun's body shuddered. "It's fine, it's fine!" he said hurriedly. "There's no need to rush. Yin Ge, we're already at a restaurant, why would we eat canned food?"
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