Throughout this entire exchange, Huang Shi remained frozen in place, unable to move. He was unsure whether the reason for this was because he was stunned by her sudden, intimate gestures or because he was petrified with fear from her possible retaliation.
This woman is like a storm. One minute she can be smiling like a gentle housewife, speaking sweet nothings in your ear, and the next moment you are just inches away from death.
After finishing her job of straightening out his collars, Bai Xinyue stepped away from him, putting a bit of distance between them. However, Huang Shi was sure that something subtle had changed between them, although he couldn't quite put into words what it was.
I can probably just use the system to check her affection level, but for some reason, using the system to find out how she feels about me makes me feel like such a fucking loser.
Huang Shi struggled internally. His emotions were in turmoil, and for the first time today, he purposefully looked away from her eyes. He was unsure if it was because of shame for his previous words or some other budding emotion that he couldn't quite put a name to yet.
Once again, it was Bai Xinyue who spoke up first, breaking the silence for the two of them.
"Alright, I know you're not yet finished with your breakthrough. Let's go find some place safe, and I'll continue to guard you until you reach the Nascent Profound Realm."
Huang Shi looked back towards Bai Xinyue and nodded his head, trying to force himself to calm his turbulent emotions as he gave a smile back.
"Thank you, truly. Without your help, it probably would have taken a lot longer for me to cultivate my body cultivation method."
Bai Xinyue gave a smile as she nodded her head before replying in a casual tone.
"Of course. This is a favor, is it not? I'm only doing my part of the deal."
The moment she spoke those words, something shifted inside of him—something that previously wasn't there. It was a slight throbbing pain in his chest that made him feel uncomfortable.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Did I truly start falling for this girl? Aren't I a fucking player? Am I actually being played with by a woman who hasn't even touched the damn internet yet!
Huang Shi forced himself to calm down. His eyes regained their spark of mischief and charm as he spoke a few words that made it seem like her words actually did hurt him.
"Of course, of course! It's obviously better for the both of us if all of my favors get used up as quickly as possible. There's no need for a woman of your stature to continue dealing with a person like me!"
This time, it was Bai Xinyue who had a slight change in expression. It was subtle—so subtle that even a player like Huang Shi wasn't able to sense it. But for her, it was like a stone had been dropped into the middle of a calm lake. As ripples spread from its core, her heart, which had been eternally frozen in her constant pursuit of personal strength, had a tiny, very tiny shift, as her heart ached a bit.
The pain wasn't enough for her to have any unnecessary thoughts about how she felt toward the person named Huang Shi, but it was a start. It was a very, very small start, but it was a start that would one day lead to the creation of a love and companionship that would one day topple the order of this world.
For this day was the moment the Nine Suns Sovereign and the Origin Grand Dao Sovereign had their emotions entwined with each other for the very first time in their eternal lives.
After this exchange, Huang Shi and Bai Xinyue started to walk around the area, exploring the Azure Lightning Valley together for the first time.
Huang Shi wasn't dragged out by Bai Xinyue as quickly as possible like the last time. This time, it seemed they both subconsciously decided to take their time and see what this place was all about.
The trees and plant life in the Azure Lightning Valley weren't like the rest of the Greenwood Forest. Instead of having brown trunks and green leaves, the trees had dark gray trunks and black leaves. The grass on the ground was the same color and had the strange scent of burnt organic matter.
Hmm... I guess the trees and plants here were affected by the abundant lightning-type spiritual energy in the area, causing some sort of mutation. That's probably why all the greenery here looks like that.
Huang Shi tried his best to observe his surroundings, marveling at the world around him. Obviously, this was his first time coming out into the world and exploring it outside of the Azure Dragon Sect. As a person from Earth, he had never seen this kind of plant life outside of manga and anime.
Shit... this world is so badass... why does it have to be so damn bloody all the time, though?
Huang Shi grimaced as he mumbled a few complaints to himself. Bai Xinyue, who seemed to notice him speaking to himself, suddenly grinned as she spoke.
"Oh? It seems you're even learning how to talk to yourself now. It must be nice having mental problems."
Huang Shi's expression suddenly twitched. He quickly looked back at her and grinned before speaking in a sarcastic tone.
"Of course, Her Royal Highness wouldn't understand the struggles of us lowly beings! Even ants like us have problems, you know!"
This time, it was Bai Xinyue's turn to have her face twitch. She looked away from him and spoke a few words in reply.
"It seems your impression of me is quite awful, Young Master Huang Shi."
Huang Shi quickly smiled as he waved his hand in front of her before puffing up his chest and speaking with mock confidence.
"Of course not, Young Lady Bai! I am not such an ungrateful person!"
Huang Shi and Bai Xinyue stared at each other for a few moments before they both suddenly started to laugh. It was a laugh of joy, of being unrestrained.
It was a feeling that Bai Xinyue had thought she had long forgotten. She slightly clutched at her sleeves as she felt her heart thump.
What is wrong with me? Do I have some sort of illness?