And the time limit is so tight?
Galgames aren't supposed to be like this!
There should be more dialogue, more care, and more warmth given to the girl! It's not like I'm playing an erogame.
Jiang Xun's eye twitched; he almost couldn't maintain his expression.
This damn System... it really doesn't act human!
The first two options were just adding fuel to the fire, and the third was vague and harbored ill intentions.
And "three minutes"?
He glanced at Jiang Wanxing, who was still sobbing with her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly. Though her cries were muffled, the grievance and fear practically overflowed from her thin frame.
[Time: 3... 2...]
Time was almost up.
Jiang Xun made a mental note against this bastard System, then quickly, almost with a sense of reckless abandonment, locked in Option 3.
He stood up, walked around the rickety square table, and moved in front of Jiang Wanxing.
The young girl was still immersed in her sorrow until a shadow loomed over her, causing her to look up with teary, dazed eyes.
Jiang Xun didn't speak; he simply reached out. His movement wasn't gentle; it was even a bit domineering.
His palm directly covered Jiang Wanxing's wet lips, which were still slightly parted as she gasped for air.
The warm, dry palm instantly pressed against the cold, soft lips, blocking all the unuttered sobs.
Jiang Wanxing froze completely, her eyes widening into circles. Tear droplets hung precariously from her long eyelashes.
She looked at Jiang Xun's face so close to hers. His expression was blank, his eyes calm, and even a bit... helpless?
An unfamiliar yet firm sensation came from her lips, carrying her brother's familiar scent—a mix of dust and a very faint, cold fragrance.
It was too close, close enough to see her own stunned reflection in his eyes.
Time seemed to stretch.
Only the sound of their intertwined, gradually clearing breaths remained in the room.
Jiang Xun's hand pressed steadily there, without any extra movement, just quietly covering her mouth.
The System only said to block Jiang Wanxing's mouth; it didn't say how.
Looking into Jiang Wanxing's startled eyes, he didn't know how to explain for a moment.
So, he said nothing at all.
Since it was so sudden, let her just think he'd gone crazy!
After Jiang Wanxing's initial shock passed, her heart began to hammer against her chest uncontrollably, so fast it made her dizzy.
Heat rose to her face. She forgot to cry, forgot her sorrow; her mind held nothing but the burning temperature on her lips and the calm eyes of the person before her.
It seemed... like this... was okay?
Three minutes passed slowly amidst the silent standoff and accelerating heartbeats.
Jiang Xun felt the breathing beneath his palm gradually steady and the sobbing stop completely before he slowly withdrew his hand.
The movement was as natural as brushing away a fallen leaf.
[...]
[Ding! Assessment complete. Behavior meets requirements. Successfully halted the target's sorrowful emotions.]
[Reward: Proficiency +50.]
The System was silent for a moment before giving the reward, as if it was also judging whether this "mouth-covering" counted as compliant.
But the reward was too little!
Jiang Xun complained inwardly.
Jiang Wanxing remained frozen in place, her hand still holding the bowl, the blush on her face spreading from her cheeks to her neck.
She slowly lowered her head, looking at the cloudy porridge in the bowl, her mind a mess.
The atmosphere was so awkward it could practically be wrung out like water.
Jiang Xun cleared his throat, attempting to explain his recent behavior.
"Little Crybaby." His voice wasn't loud, carrying the casualness of distant memories.
"There shouldn't be any other scents on me now, right?"
Jiang Wanxing's body trembled slightly.
Little Crybaby... that was what her brother called her when they were kids.
Back then, she had no friends and was very weak. She was often bullied by other children and would always hide and cry. Her brother would find her, clumsily wiping her tears while frowning and saying, "Little Crybaby."
"...I will always be by your side."
It had been a long, long time since she had heard that name.
She didn't smile; she just buried her head even lower, almost into the bowl, and gave a muffled "Mm," her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz.
And did what her brother said about "having no other scents" mean that he now only had her scent on him?
But the thick shroud of sorrow and fear that had enveloped her indeed dissipated for the most part, replaced by a more complex, chaotic emotion.
Seeing that the atmosphere was still stagnant, Jiang Xun lost interest in speaking further. He quickly finished the rest of the food in his bowl and stood up. "I'm going back to my room. You should rest early too.
Tomorrow... I might be out for a few days."
Without waiting for Jiang Wanxing's response, he walked quickly into the smaller, simpler side room and closed the creaking wooden door.
Once the door was closed, cutting off the faint light and the inexplicable atmosphere outside, Jiang Xun leaned against the rough earthen wall and slowly exhaled a long breath.
The System had just shown that Jiang Wanxing's favorability had reached 89.
This was a very high value.
If it increased a bit more to 90, they could become Dao Companions in the game.
He was already feeling a bit lost.
He was used to setting goals for himself.
Used to rationally planning his future and the things around him.
In his previous life, his goals were clear and mundane: graduate, find a good job, make money, buy a house, get married, have children... Now that he had transmigrated, he didn't know what his goal was.
To survive in this world? To find a way back? To achieve Ascension like in the game? Or just to stay alive?
All wrong. Deep down, he had always craved a relationship free from deception, concealment, and betrayal.
But that didn't exist in reality.
That was why he liked playing games.
And Jiang Wanxing... this sister he had "inherited," he was a bit confused about her.
The memories and emotions of two lifetimes intertwined and collided in his mind.
The young girl's warm tears, the feel of her slender neck, her eyes full of dependence yet hidden obsession... it was all a jumbled mess, impossible to untangle.
He shook his head, temporarily suppressing these chaotic thoughts.
From his robe, he took out the bottle of Body Tempering Liquid rewarded by the System.
A crude ceramic bottle. He pulled out the wooden cork to reveal a thick, dark green liquid that emitted a pungent herbal smell.
Without hesitation, Jiang Xun tilted his head back and gulped it down.
The liquid went down his throat like a line of fire.
At first, it was burning heat, followed by an intense numbness and itching like ten thousand ants gnawing at him, boring from the surface of his skin deep into his muscles.
He clenched his teeth and made no sound, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He could feel his skin tightening and toughening, the muscle fibers beneath being pulled and reshaped by invisible hands, bringing a sore, tearing sensation.
The process lasted for about fifteen minutes before the itching and burning sensation receded like a tide.
Jiang Xun pulled open his collar and looked down.
Originally, this body was somewhat thin and weak because the Original Owner neglected exercise. Now, the outlines of muscles were faintly visible on his chest and abdomen.
Although not particularly exaggerated, the lines were clear, containing a solid sense of power.
His skin also seemed tougher; pressing it firmly revealed plenty of elasticity.
He moved his limbs; his strength had increased by at least thirty percent, and his physical coordination and reaction speed had also improved slightly.
Not bad. Although it was basic stuff, the results were immediate.
Jiang Xun sat cross-legged on the hard wooden bed, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, letting the newly gained strength and skills settle and adapt within his body.
The Spiritual Qi in his body was also mobilized, circulating more actively.
When the sky began to turn pale, he opened his eyes on time, the light in them restrained and calm.
He changed into his most practical set of old clothes and carefully wrapped his wood-cutting knife with cloth strips before strapping it to his back.
Pushing the door open, he saw that Jiang Wanxing, who probably hadn't slept well all night, was already up and silently boiling water at the stove.
Seeing him come out, she shot him a quick glance, then lowered her head and said softly, "Brother... the porridge is warming in the pot."
Jiang Wanxing always seemed to wake up earlier than Jiang Xun, always carefully looking after this home.
"Mm." Jiang Xun nodded.
The two of them ate breakfast at the small square table, just like every other day.
After finishing the meal, Jiang Xun gave Jiang Wanxing a few instructions to take care of herself, then pulled open the door and walked into the cool morning mist.
The town hadn't fully woken up yet, and there were few pedestrians on the streets. With steady steps, Jiang Xun soon arrived at the Deacons Office in the center of town.
It was a three-story building with green tiles, considered the most grand building in Yunshan Town. At this moment, it looked somewhat solemn and desolate in the morning mist.
Under the old locust tree nearby, someone was already there.
It was Sang Linger.
Today she had changed into a set of martial attire that was more suitable for movement.
She still wore that green jade hairpin, her arms crossed as she tapped her toe impatiently on the ground.
Beside her stood two youths of similar age, about eighteen or nineteen. Both were dressed neatly and had a capable aura. Their eyes were observant as they stood quietly to the side.
What made Jiang Xun's eyes narrow slightly was the man facing Sang Linger. He was bowing slightly, his face full of respectful smiles as he nodded and spoke. He was a lean middle-aged man with a three-strand beard, wearing a black robe with silver trim.
From the Original Owner's fragmented memories, Jiang Xun quickly identified this face.
The Immortal of Yunshan Town.