I will just focus on spending the next few years harvesting lottery tickets with the Empress, and I can live out a peaceful retirement.
Speaking of which... I just pointed out another mistake in Lu Qingyue's cultivation, but she only gave me a brief thank you without granting any lottery tickets.
That wasn't a sincere thank you. No, I have to find a way to get them back.
Besides, we'll be switching guard shifts soon.
If I go to rest after my shift ends, I won't have another chance today.
Should I try again?
How can I increase her favorability?
Could it be because I've already given her too many tickets today?
I have to try.
"Qingyue, you look very beautiful when you're cultivating seriously."
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, Lottery Ticket +100]
"Huh!"
The sudden compliment startled Qingyue.
She lost control over the water ball in her hand, causing it to burst and soak her pants until they were drenching wet.
"What are you talking about!" Qingyue shouted before realizing her voice was too loud.
She lightly tapped Shen Xiao's shoulder in protest.
"In all honesty, Lu Qingyue, you really are beautiful."
Silence followed.
There was no system notification sound for a long time.
Shen Xiao felt a bit resigned.
As expected, a system bug cannot be exploited continuously.
Getting it once was already a win, it wouldn't happen a second time in an instant.
It's fine, I'll try again in a few days.
Just a few words of praise, it's an absolute victory, isn't it?
I can please the Empress's heart and get lottery tickets at the same time.
[Lottery Tickets: 4355.78]
[Lottery Wheel: Purple Quality]
These are all opportunities!
I'm almost breaking the 5,000 mark.
With a little more effort, 10,000 consecutive draws won't be a problem.
"I..."
Qingyue lowered her head, feeling her face burning.
This was the third man besides her father and her younger brother to tell her she was beautiful.
Oh no! Did she just hit Shen Xiao? Will he be angry?
What was wrong with her?
Shen Xiao complimented her, and she hit him for no reason.
Feeling that she had made a mistake, she was flustered, wanting to apologize but not knowing where to start.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally whispered softly, "I'm sorry."
"What is it?"
"I went a little crazy just now and accidentally hit you."
"Oh." Shen Xiao wondered if that light touch could even be called a hit.
He reached out his hand and lightly patted Qingyue's head.
"We're even."
Qingyue said nothing more.
She raised her hand to re-absorb the remaining water seeping into her pants.
Although she wanted to practice a bit more before the shift change, she decided to give up.
Her spiritual energy was starting to run low, if she pushed it, she wouldn't be able to attack if an emergency occurred.
Suddenly, a blanket was draped over her shoulders, and she was stunned as she found herself pulled into Shen Xiao's embrace.
She wanted to sit up straight, but perhaps because she was too exhausted, she couldn't muster the strength.
"Rest if you're tired."
"Mmm... mmm."
Leaning against Shen Xiao's chest, she remembered Su Qiao's words.
"Shen Xiao, I..."
After stuttering for a moment, she still didn't dare say it, then changed the subject.
"We'll be switching shifts soon, it won't be good if they see us."
"What are you afraid of? Just look at those two."
Shen Xiao pointed toward Su Qiao, who was clinging to Lu Zihao like a koala.
Seeing that, Qingyue realized that leaning in Shen Xiao's arms wasn't actually as strange as she had thought.
...
While resting against Shen Xiao, something was suddenly pushed into her hand.
Its hard texture made Qingyue feel a bit awkward.
"Shen Xiao, this is..."
"You don't like it? It's okay, just use it. Don't be shy. Absorb these Spirit Stones to recover, it's good for your cultivation. Your strength is too weak right now, you need to speed up your training."
As he said that, Shen Xiao stuffed two more Spirit Stones into Qingyue's hand.
"Use them, don't be formal with me."
"This is too much!"
Too much?
'But in the future, you give me tens of thousands of spirit stones, I'm only giving you a few now, how can that be called too much?'
Seeing Qingyue trying to return them, Shen Xiao refused and gripped the girl's hand, preventing her from giving the stones back.
"Shen Xiao, this is excessive. Lending me this much will interfere with your own cultivation," Qingyue protested.
Even though Shen Xiao spoke casually, she felt too embarrassed to use them.
She did need Spirit Stones, but she knew how expensive they were.
Over these past four months, her strength hadn't even reached Rank 1 primarily due to a lack of resources.
The school only gave her one stone per semester, and she had been forced to sell it for hospital bills.
She knew a single stone was worth ten thousand yuan at the time.
Without strength, completing missions would be incredibly difficult.
It was for that reason she hadn't rejected the three stones Shen Xiao lent her earlier, intending to pay him back twofold later.
But now Shen Xiao was giving her more.
"It's fine, I got these from a mission. I have extra savings, otherwise, I wouldn't lend them. This isn't a gift, it's a debt, you have to pay it back later when you've reached Rank 1 or 2 and can take on Grade C or B missions."
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, +100 Lottery Tickets]
Good, you've paid back more than enough.
'This time, if you refuse, I, Shen Xiao, will be the one who's displeased!'
With free tickets every day, are these stones even worth being called valuables?
I wouldn't even pick them up if they fell on the street.
Giving Qingyue 10,000 stones all at once might arouse suspicion.
It was better to give them to her bit by bit according to her needs, while continuing to harvest lottery tickets with a high yield.
Why not?
Hearing that it was a loan to be repaid, Qingyue felt more at ease.
"But won't this hold you back? I heard that high-level practitioners' need for Spirit Stones increases drastically as well."
Shen Xiao waved his hand, and a pile of Spirit Stones, several thousand in number, appeared in front of the sofa before he put them away again a few seconds later.
"See now? I have plenty in my storage bracelet. Just use them without worry. Do you need a magic storage tool too? I can lend you one."
"Can you... let me go for a moment?"
Seeing Qingyue run to the side to grab paper and a pen, Shen Xiao shook his head without trying to stop her. Let her write it so she can feel at peace.
As for that IOU, he could keep it as a memento.
...
Qingyue quickly wrote out an IOU.
The term was three years, and she didn't care what interest rate Shen Xiao wanted to write.
Although she had only known this man for a few days, she trusted Shen Xiao's character deeply.
"No need for a thumbprint."
"No, it must be formal," Qingyue insisted. Since there was no ink pad, she pricked her finger slightly and pressed a bloody fingerprint onto the paper.
Once finished, she handed it to Shen Xiao.
Shen Xiao glanced at the paper.
He didn't care much about the amount, but he was stunned to see the final line handwritten by Qingyue.
'Tell me if you need anything, and I will definitely help you!'
"Does this mean something?" Shen Xiao asked.
"Yes!" Qingyue answered firmly.
Shen Xiao had helped her so much; writing this was the smallest way for her to return the favor.
Shen Xiao gently pinched Qingyue's cheek, making her feel a bit dazed.
"How about you pay the interest first?"
Qingyue thought Shen Xiao wanted to pinch her cheek again.
Since everything was clearly written on white paper and signed in blood, taking it back would mean breaking a promise.
That was the only way she could put her own heart at rest.
"Y-yes, alright."
Ding!
[Gained Lu Qingyue's favorability, +100 Lottery Tickets]