A group of people landed below Dormitory No. 2. Dong Chengling, Qiao Muyi, and Bai Ji, who were at the forefront, exchanged glances.

After three seconds of silence, Qiao Muyi suddenly said, "The Tactical Bureau has a spell called 'Marking Runes.' Once touched by another living being, the Cultivator will know. My ability can maintain it for 12 hours."

Dong Chengling and Bai Ji's expressions changed, and they remained silent. Then, the three said their goodbyes. Qiao Muyi left alone, Dong Chengling took Little Jiu home, and Bai Ji escorted the three female students back to their dormitory.

As soon as Dong Chengling entered the dormitory building, she immediately teleported home with Little Jiu. Then, she urged Little Jiu to do her homework and quickly returned to her own room. She kicked off her shoes, flopped onto the bed barefoot, and picked up her phone to make a call.

If it weren't for Qiao Muyi using that 'Marking Runes' spell on Ren Suo, Dong Chengling had planned to teleport directly there.

She didn't know whether it was because tonight's meal was too delicious or because Ren Suo had prepared it, but Dong Chengling eventually felt...

She couldn't help herself anymore.

But with a large group of people at dinner, Dong Chengling had to hold back, planning to make her move after they left. Unexpectedly, Qiao Muyi still had an ace up her sleeve...

I need to accelerate my research on hiding Spirit Energy Coordinates inside living beings, Dong Chengling thought. Xiao Qiao doesn't seem like someone who would accept defeat easily...

The call connected, and the sound of running water came through. Ren Suo seemed to be holding the phone between his shoulder and head while washing dishes. "Cheng Ling, what's up? If it's urgent, why don't you just teleport over?"

Hearing his voice, Dong Chengling felt her entire body relax.

She lay languidly on the bed, her eyes half-closed. Her delicate, jade-like feet involuntarily rubbed together, revealing a captivating, girlish charm. She spoke softly, "I have something I want to ask you."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Golden rapeseed fields, under the sunlight, creating golden waves... do you think it's beautiful?"

"It sounds very beautiful."

"My hometown is covered with vast rapeseed fields. In February or March, they should start blooming; it's very pretty... Would you like to go back with me to see them?"

"Sure, but your hometown has 4G, right...?"

Dong Chengling suddenly chuckled, "Are you planning to hide under a tree shade, look at the rapeseed field, and play with your phone?"

"Eh? I was planning to do that. You actually figured it out!"

Of course, I could figure it out.

Dong Chengling recalled the visions she had while eating earlier. Some were of her finally reaching the Transcendent peak, others of her reuniting with her grandfather in Peach Blossom Spring...

In all those visions, Ren Suo was with her.

But her favorite vision was at the blooming rapeseed fields back home, where she sat under a tree in a white dress, Ren Suo resting on her lap, with dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves onto them as they watched the spring breeze sweep golden waves across the fields.

"Then it's a deal," Dong Chengling said, but she had also become smarter now. The blooming of the flowers was months away; she needed to tie down Ren Suo first. "By the way, do you have plans for Christmas Eve?"

"Not yet... but I plan to gather everyone at the academy on Christmas Eve."

"I have no classes on Christmas night, and I've never celebrated Christmas before... but this year, I want to try. Can you take me out on Christmas night?"

"Take you out?" Ren Suo sounded slightly surprised.

"Yes, to go out, eat, watch a movie, sing, or anything else, I'm not sure... but just the two of us, is that okay?"

"No problem!" Ren Suo agreed decisively. "It's rare for Cheng Ling to want to go out. I'll definitely keep you company, especially since I'm free that evening."

"Good."

Dong Chengling hung up the phone, pressing it against her chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken and her body warm up.

She began to look forward to it eagerly. Whether it was next March or Christmas in three days, Dong Chengling sincerely wished time would pass more quickly.

Suddenly, Dong Chengling sat up from the bed, walked over to the wardrobe, and started contemplating what clothes to wear that night, whether she should choose a cuter hairband...

She turned her head and saw her reflection in the mirror, her face brimming with a happy smile, knowing well that she couldn't hold back anymore.

She couldn't help wanting to monopolize all of Ren Suo.

She wanted Ren Suo to accompany her to the summit; she didn't want to be alone, nor see Ren Suo with someone else... she just wanted Ren Suo.

To achieve this goal, she would start from Christmas.

「... ...」

After the information such as 'Bai Ji is very idle' and 'Bai Ji has nothing to do on Christmas' was publicly shared in the Female Cultivators group, Qiao Muyi, sitting in the car, began making a call.

"The user you are calling is currently on another call; please try again later..."

Qiao Muyi slightly raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, then made a call to Dong Chengling, only to hear the same notification.

Tsk, that little minx is fast.

Qiao Muyi sighed, helplessly put down her phone, and slowly drove away from Heavenly Lotus Academy.

Watching the scenery fly past her, Qiao Muyi's excitement cooled off slightly, and she suddenly felt somewhat ridiculous. Is this worth it?

Ren Suo no longer remembers those eight days; only she does.

Ren Suo did not develop the feelings from those eight days; only she still held on to them.

Qiao Muyi, who had been depending on others since childhood, had never bowed her head. Why should she humiliate herself for this fool? Why should she stoop so low as to fight with other women for a man?

Did she love him, or was she simply repaying him for everything he had done?

Was it worth it for her to act this way?

Her phone rang. Qiao Muyi connected her Bluetooth headset, and a familiar voice passed through her eardrum, reaching her mind, "Young Master Mu, what's wrong?"

Qiao Muyi was stunned, her lips twitching slightly.

Hearing this familiar nickname, all the emotions she had been suppressing surged up like a tidal wave. She couldn't help but bite her lip and slapped the steering wheel hard, exclaiming, "AH!"

Ren Suo was clearly startled, "What's wrong, what's wrong, Young Master Mu, are you driving? Is there a car problem? Are you far from the academy? If not, I'll have Dong Chengling teleport over to find you..."

"No need, I'm fine!"

"You should probably pull over first..."

"I said I'm fine!"

"My intuition tells me your tone doesn't sound like you're fine."

So annoying.

Qiao Muyi bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the road, not letting a single sound escape.

My bane.

Qiao Muyi took a deep breath and said, "I suddenly feel that working all year without a single vacation is really too miserable."

"Then take a vacation. The Tactical Bureau can't force you to stay, can they?"

"But a vacation needs a goal; you can't just stay home doing nothing and sleep till noon, right?... Do you like snowy landscapes?"

"I do. I've never seen snow before; I really want to roll around in it. But I think doing nothing and sleeping till noon isn't bad either..."

Qiao Muyi felt a pang in her heart and forced herself to speak calmly, "I want to go skiing in Hokkaido in February; how about you come with me?"

"Hmm? February, but over here..."

"Don't worry about the Tactical Bureau. The Spring Festival holiday won't be over by then, so the academy definitely won't have started classes."

"Well... okay. But I don't know the language there, so I'll be relying on you for communication."

Qiao Muyi's lips slightly curved up, "I'll teach you; you'll definitely learn it fast."

"Is it similar to the local dialect of Lianjiang...?"

"Let's just leave it at that; we can also enjoy the snowy landscapes while soaking in the hot springs... What do you think?"

"Wow, you really know how to sell it. I'm already excited."

Of course, your heart is moved.

Qiao Muyi recalled the images that had come to her mind during dinner, all of them about her and Ren Suo traveling and playing everywhere, including their photos from various types of weddings.

The most memorable image was of them sitting back-to-back in a hot spring, chatting while admiring the snow-covered mountains, watching snowflakes melt as they fell into the misty hot water—a beautiful and natural scene.

The last time Ren Suo soaked in a hot spring, he was disappointed because only a little light snow fell, and the mountains weren't blanketed in snow, which wasn't enough to satisfy him.

"By the way, do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"I should be busy on Christmas Eve," Ren Suo was very honest.

Qiao Muyi knew without asking who had taken Ren Suo's Christmas Eve. She didn't mind and asked, "Then you're free during the day, right?"

"I'm free."

"Then come out with me during the day. We'll go out in the morning. You can't possibly sleep till noon on Christmas Day too, can you?"

"I could... Ah, forget it. Anyway, I'm free during the day, so whatever you say."

Qiao Muyi chuckled silently. Her efforts over these many days hadn't been in vain; she had finally tamed Ren Suo to the point where he no longer resisted going out with her.

"Then it's settled. If you dare stand me up, I'll lock you in the Bureau to write eight or ten papers before I let you out."

"That's an abuse of power!"

"Yes, it is. What about it? You got the guts to report me?"

"Young Master Mu, I was just joking. I promise to arrive on time; I won't keep you waiting..."

"Humph, remember to dress up... never mind, I'll accompany you to buy a set then. Your sense of fashion can be compared to that of Yu Kuangtu."

"Hey hey hey, how can you slander me like that..."

After hanging up, Qiao Muyi thought to herself that Dong Chengling, you miscalculated this time. Ren Suo is in my hands during the day; how could I possibly let him go find you?

Day and night, all-in-one Ren Suo is mine; I also want the night version!

Looking at the fading night scenery in front of her, Qiao Muyi suddenly laughed out loud, all her hesitations vanished.

The me from just now, thinking about those boring questions, was really stupid.

If Ren Suo has forgotten, then I'll just create more memories with him.

Ren Suo had sacrificed too much in the past, so in the future, I'll give more. Will a lifetime be enough?

If Ren Suo no longer liked her, then she would make him fall for her again, and this time, she would have him confess first.

Christmas in three days, the trip to Hokkaido in February—she wanted them all.

Was it worth it? Was it demeaning?

Damn right it was worth it, not demeaning at all.

Nothing else was worth it except for him; everything else was a compromise.

Qiao Muyi loved Ren Suo who would turn the world upside down for her, and she loved this Ren Suo who suddenly became great at cooking... it was just love, hopelessly so.

She wanted Ren Suo by her side, to eat, drink, and be merry together in this crazily reviving world of Spiritual Energy.

Having finally found a lover to whom she could entrust her life, she was determined to make him entrust his life to her too.

For that goal, she would start with Christmas.

「... ...」

"Bro, do you have plans for Christmas?"

"Yeah."

Ren Xingmei asked from her bed, "Is it Sister Qiao or Sister Ling?"

"Eh? How did you know?"

Ren Xingmei keenly deduced the truth from Ren Suo's response, "...Both? Separately?"

"Yeah, feels like I'll be out all day, totally no time for video games anymore. Ah, why do people these days want to celebrate Christmas? Mysterious Country doesn't even give a day off for it. Seriously..."

Ren Xingmei thought for a while, then asked, "What about Yueyan?"

"What about Yueyan?"

Oh, never mind... Ren Xingmei thought. Gu Yueyan is still a bit timid.

But she didn't really have the right to say that; she was even more timid.

"Bro, do you remember staying up all night playing games when we were kids?"

"I remember. I used to have you pretend to go to the bathroom and use the sound of running water to cover up the sound of turning on the machine. We usually played stuff like FIFA, or I watched you play ARPGs... What's up?"

"I want to relive that. Let's stay up all night playing games from Christmas Eve into Christmas morning!"

"I don't mind, but don't you have classes during the day?"

"I'll skip them. They're just cultural classes; I can self-study by reading the books."

"Alright, the guest room at my place is empty anyway. If you get sleepy, just crash there."

"I want to sleep in your bed."

"No way. I'm very particular about my bed. If it's not mine, it takes me dozens of minutes longer to fall asleep."

"Then…"

Ren Xingmei was about to playfully tease her big brother, but suddenly changed tack, "Well then, it's a plan. From Christmas Eve night until dawn, you have to play games with me."

After hanging up the phone, Ren Xingmei sat up, hugged her knees, and contemplated life.

Actually, she didn't really know what to do, but she definitely didn't like Dong Chengling, Qiao Muyi, Gu Yueyan, or Bai Ji getting close to her brother.

Having grown up with Ren Suo, she always considered her brother her own personal territory. Especially feeling as if he had become a bit dumb after going to college, which naturally made her take on the future responsibility of looking after him—just like taking care of a huge pet.

Unfortunately, contrary to her desires, reality showed Ren Xingmei that intelligence was not the key determinant of Destiny...

During dinner earlier, images from the past kept flashing before her eyes.

Her brother protecting her, her brother playing games with her in the hospital room, her brother with red eyes insisting on another round after losing a game... Thinking about these, a smile couldn't help but spread across Ren Xingmei's face.

Suddenly remembering something, Ren Xingmei lowered her head; her gaze could see directly down to her legs, unobstructed, and she couldn't help feeling a bit deflated.

Right, she needed time to properly cultivate, to properly grow.

I'm still young, there's plenty of time. I'll just be a good little sister for now.

For that goal, she would start with Christmas.

「... ...」

"So delicious, so delicious..." Back in the dormitory and still smacking her lips, Lin Xianyu muttered, "Tsk, if I were stronger than Big Brother Ren, I'd lock him in an underground cellar, a dark room, and have him cook for me every day..."

THUMP!

After a hard smack on the back of her head, Lin Xianyu tearfully looked up at her class president, her lips pouted as she said, "I was just saying... At most, besides cooking, you can have Big Brother Ren for yourself, just don't break him."

After some chaotic moments, Lin Xianyu, clinging to Gu Yueyan's legs, pleaded for mercy, "I'm sorry, Class President, I shouldn't have coveted your future husband. I failed to recognize Mount Tai; a beauty only deserves a strong man. I shouldn't have been so bold..."

Gu Yueyan's face, nearly dripping blood from blushing, couldn't be bothered to bicker with Lin Xianyu and turned to walk to the balcony to bask in the Moonlight and practice her awakened spells.

At that moment, Lin Xianyu, addicted to courting disaster, ran over to ask, "Are you pondering something in your heart?"

"What am I pondering?"

"Pondering Ren Suo. Get it? Pondering Suo..." Lin Xianyu said, wiggling and giggling.

Gu Yueyan looked at Lin Xianyu with shocked eyes and said, "If you have the leisure to ponder such trivial matters, you'd be better off reading more books."

"That's not right, Class President. I thought after what happened these past two days, you'd take the initiative, go on a full offensive, unafraid of strong enemies, and overcome the strong as the weak... Aren't you going to call him for a long chat? Just use the excuse of writing a thesis."

"Not calling."

"Christmas Eve and Christmas are just a couple of days away. Aren't you going to ask him out?"

"Not asking him out."

"So, are you giving up?"

"No."

"Then what do you intend to do?"

Gu Yueyan very comfortably rested her head on her arms, closed her eyes to Feign Sleep, and said, "Slowly does it."

"Any slower and Big Brother Ren won't even have a whole corpse left," Lin Xianyu scoffed. "You might still snatch a Golden Thigh if you go now, keep it as a memento for life."

"Useless. I'm neither Sister Qiao nor Sister Ling. I can't match them in experience, strength, not even in looks. If I take the initiative, at most it'll just make them wary of me... If I'm not mistaken, they've probably already sorted out this Christmas."

"Moreover, Ren Suo probably sees me as a sister... likely even less than Little Star."

"So, you are giving up?" Lin Xianyu said expectantly. Logically, her feelings about the Class President's crush were mixed. She supported it because it was the Class President's first love and Ren Suo was a good person. But she also opposed it because Ren Suo was a pit of hell—best avoided if possible...

"Nope," Gu Yueyan laughed. "On Christmas Day, they'll probably go out. Then we seize the opportunity to join them, at least turning the romantic date into a casual get-together... This way, I can also have more chances to get close to him and then slowly progress from there."

"We?" Lin Xianyu felt something was off.

"Of course, we'll go together. I'll say you brought me out, and then we'll 'coincidentally' bump into them... Don't worry, I'm very good at tailing people."

Lin Xianyu looked at Gu Yueyan in shock, "Class President, stalking is bad! Dragging me into it is even worse!"

"There's nothing wrong with it; it's not illegal, and it doesn't hurt anyone. Plus, we won't get caught..." Gu Yueyan said with her eyes closed. "Failing a subject, now that's bad, Xianyu."

Lin Xianyu tilted her head, looking bewilderingly at Gu Yueyan, "Class President, you weren't this... actively malicious before. Weren't you the innocent Xiao Yueyue who blushed even at my risqué jokes? How did you turn into such a femme fatale?"

Gu Yueyan shot Lin Xianyu an annoyed glare. The range of emotions that flickered in her beautiful eyes left Lin Xianyu marveling. "Class President, if you were always this cute, you'd definitely have a whole football team of suitors."

"Hmph." Gu Yueyan, looking at the Full Moon tonight, said, "I just want to try a bit harder and buy some time. After all, I'm still young, there's plenty of time, and I have many opportunities..."

Lin Xianyu asked, "What if Big Brother Ren gets snatched up by someone else beforehand?"

Gu Yueyan blinked and repeated, "I'm still young, there's plenty of time, and I have many opportunities..."

The stunned Lin Xianyu first touched Gu Yueyan's forehead to check if the latter had a fever, and then pinched Gu Yueyan's face and asked, "Class President, are you possessed by some crappy system, or did you travel back in time, or has someone else's soul swapped with yours? How did you become so odd—"

"Read fewer web novels." Gu Yueyan brushed her hand away and laughed. "Maybe I'll stop liking him later. I'm just saying."

"And if..."

"Then I also believe in our fate," Gu Yueyan said. "I never give up halfway. I believe all my efforts will not be in vain. Plus, I...have a lot of things I want to do with him."

Gu Yueyan closed her eyes, bathed in the Moonlight, and recalled the scenes that had emerged while they were eating.

They were scenes from movies, all love movies, and she was always the leading lady, and he was always the leading man... Sometimes they were Childhood Sweethearts, sometimes a doctor and a nurse, sometimes a rich girl and a poor boy, sometimes newlyweds...

She liked them all.

Although the odds of winning were slim, Gu Yueyan was not discouraged; she was used to striving hard against long odds.

Those immersed in Jealousy are often best at toiling quietly.

Moreover, if she shrank back at the slightest difficulty, she wouldn't be Gu Yueyan.

Intellectually contend with Qiao Muyi, physically compete with Dong Chengling! That was Gu Yueyan's goal!

Gu Yueyan, charge!

For this goal, she would start with Christmas.

「... ...」

After summoning a clone to do the chores, Ren Suo walked out onto the balcony. He cast 'Wax and Wane' to add a Moonlight Robe to himself, as the Moonlight was quite good tonight. He planned to make a single pull to see how his luck was.

Just then, Black Bell jumped down from above, landing on the outdoor unit of his balcony's air conditioner.

Ren Suo's eyes lit up. He motioned for Black Bell to come over and then gently stroked its fluffy head. Since Black Bell was being so affectionate tonight, Ren Suo set aside any thoughts of teasing it.

"Speaking of which..."

Ren Suo suddenly remembered something. "The deadline to upload 'Night of the Hunt' game records is 23:59 on the 24th. This means the game's effects manifesting in reality will definitely be after Christmas, possibly starting right at midnight on Christmas Day..."

Ren Suo bravely hugged Black Bell in his arms, gently stroking it. Black Bell comfortably squinted its eyes, emitting soft purrs like a baby's gurgle.

He gazed at the Full Moon, thinking that on Christmas Day, he was booked solid from midnight to midnight. He wondered if he would have any chance to join in the excitement of the 'Night of the Hunt'...