"How about we just leave it at that? I'm not very good at this..."

"If you're not good at it, you learn," she replied. "You take the hair, split it into two parts, and then twist them around each other..."

After a full half-hour of hands-on teaching, Ren Suo shook out his hands to relax his nerves. While observing Gu Yueyan admiring herself in the mirror, he couldn't help but feel depressed, saying, "Braiding your hair is even more tiring than giving a massage..."

Following an intense game of Flying Chess, Ren Suo had been reduced to learning how to braid hair—though he thought he'd probably never need this skill in the future.

"Childhood Sweethearts should definitely learn to braid each other's hair," Gu Yueyan said, securing her hair with a clip. "Didn't you ever braid your sister's hair before?"

"Nope, my mom always took care of that. When I was a kid, I wanted to try, but I was stopped before I could even start. My mom would pull my ear and forbid me from messing with my sister's hair, afraid that I would make her ugly. If she became ugly, the other kids might look down on her..."

"I only cut my dad's hair once when I was a kid. He had to wear a hat to his classes for a month because of it, but my mom was just being overly cautious," Ren Suo shook his head and sighed.

Gu Yueyan found herself subconsciously stroking her hair, but then she put her hand down and said, "You picked it up pretty quickly, though."

"Maybe it's because I'm a Third-turn Cultivator, so my manual skills have improved?" said Ren Suo, looking at Gu Yueyan's braid. "But the braid I made isn't as nice as the one you do yourself."

"So, are you suggesting you try again?"

"I'm saying you should do it yourself..." Before Ren Suo could finish his sentence, Gu Yueyan had already undone her braid. Her jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her eyes curving into crescents as she handed him the hair tie.

Ren Suo had no choice but to braid Gu Yueyan's hair again. Deep down, he wasn't really resistant to the idea; it felt like going back to the days when he used to take care of his sister. Besides, braiding hair also bestowed Cultivation rewards.

Whether Ren Suo was playing Flying Chess with Gu Yueyan, helping her brush her teeth, or wiping her little face clean with a towel, he would receive Cultivation rewards. Indeed, every move he made was a form of Cultivation.

However, he found that interactive activities like chess granted fewer Experience Points, so he suggested they go outside to play. When it comes to Childhood Sweethearts, activities like playing hide-and-seek, wandering the streets, adventuring, or seeing who could pee farther are the norm...

Then Gu Yueyan made her own request: she wanted Ren Suo to braid her hair.

This was their current mode of grinding Experience Points: you make a demand, and I make a demand. It was very fair.

Gu Yueyan gladly enjoyed Ren Suo's service, finding her scalp ticklish as he touched it. "Am I the first person you've ever braided hair for?" she asked.

"No."

Gu Yueyan looked surprised. "Whom have you braided for before?"

"A friend from my childhood, my neighbor's son... I braided a spiky braid for him once."

"A spiky braid... I remember that's quite difficult. And do kids even have hair that long?" asked Gu Yueyan, curious.

"You don't need much hair. As long as the only hair on his head was for the spiky braid, you can make one even with short hair. It's all about the aesthetic."

"Was your friend bald?"

"Not before the braiding."

Gu Yueyan couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying, "No wonder your mom didn't dare let you touch your sister's hair... You're not going to mess with mine, are you?"

Without answering, Ren Suo carefully combed Gu Yueyan's hair and meticulously divided it into two equal parts, using a DNA double helix structure to tie them. "The biggest difference between adults and children is that adults know nobody owes anyone else in this world. No one is obliged to do your laundry, cook for you, clean for you, or look after your house... and no one is obliged to put up with your pranks either."

Gu Yueyan blinked and cautiously watched Ren Suo in the mirror, her courage dwindling. Is Ren Suo hinting at a deeper message?

But that's not right, she thought. Given Ren Suo's nature and how he thinks, he would never beat around the bush like that.

"...So, I am going to play with your hair!"

Ren Suo released his hands. Looking at the hilariously askew spiky braid atop Gu Yueyan's head and feeling the Cultivation reward from the character label, he wagged his finger and said, "Teasing each other is also an important part of being Childhood Sweethearts... WHOA!"

Enraged and embarrassed, Gu Yueyan immediately jumped up to chase Ren Suo, who effortlessly dodged with his Ghostly Rapid Step, running circles around the house, chuckling mischievously with his hand over his mouth—he had completely immersed himself in the character label, playing the part with ease.

Gu Yueyan had never once thought she would be teased by Ren Suo—Lin Xianyu would laugh her head off if she found out! On impulse, she flung out a Moonlight Binding Rope that wrapped directly around Ren Suo!

"Wow, using Miracles like that is too shameless!" Ren Suo struggled a bit, only to realize not only was he tied up, but even his Qi Cyclone was Imprisoned. He became instantly furious. "That's not how you play ghost catcher!"

"Who's playing ghost catcher with you? And you're blaming me after using Spells!" Gu Yueyan leaped over the couch, determined to turn the tables. She didn't want to bully Ren Suo, but she wouldn't allow him to get the upper hand when they were together—Teacher Dong and Sister Qiao always had him pinned down in a fight!

But she forgot that all Miracles come at a price.

Your Miracle can bind others.

But the price is your own body stiffens when you move.

As Gu Yueyan jumped, she crashed stiffly toward Ren Suo, and then—

THUMP! Ren Suo dodged Gu Yueyan's pounce, watching as she fell stiffly onto the floor with a loud sound.

When something came hurtling toward him, Ren Suo's first reaction was naturally to dodge. Those brave souls who would meet such an object head-on probably got reincarnated at a crossroads when they were kids.

The binding Miracle affecting Ren Suo also ended because Gu Yueyan couldn't maintain her concentration. He then crouched down to help her up and asked, "Are you okay?... You don't look okay."

Gu Yueyan pursed her lips, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes brimming with tears. Looking pitifully at Ren Suo, still dressed in her bunny pajamas, she looked just like a little rabbit that had its carrots stolen.

Ren Suo was unabashed. "Sorry. As an apology, you can make one request. How about that?"

This was his fault for getting too into character, truly treating Gu Yueyan like one of his old playmates, which led him to bully her without restraint.

And he was several years older than Gu Yueyan. In their childhood, this could have meant a visit to the parents.

Not to mention, his character label was related to Gu Yueyan. If she didn't cooperate, he would just watch as he lost a lot of Cultivation.

The road to the fourth transformation was so distant, and it would be a waste to give up on a shortcut.

Gu Yueyan still pursed her lips, looking at Ren Suo. Her nose twitched, and the tears in her eyes finally spilled over.

Seeing her silent with tears in her eyes, Ren Suo thought he must have done something atrocious enough to deserve Heavenly Punishment. He lifted his sleeve to wipe her tears, truly at a loss on how to handle the situation. "You can ask for anything. Unless it's asking me to give up the internet and games for life, otherwise I'll definitely..."

"Really?" Gu Yueyan sniffed and asked.

"Really!" Ren Suo nodded earnestly. "What's your request?"

Wiping the tears from her face, Gu Yueyan looked at Ren Suo and said, "My request is... that I can make three more requests."

Ren Suo: "..."

He had never imagined such a sitcom-like plot would happen to him, and he wasn't even the one who got to make the requests...

Gu Yueyan held up a finger. "And my first request is that you'll have to do as I say today."

"...Alright. What about the other two requests?"

"The other two I'll save for later, and you better not try to welch on them..." Gu Yueyan gave Ren Suo a look and shook her head. "I won't let you welch."

Ren Suo gave a wry smile and reluctantly agreed. He thought, She'll probably forget about this in a few days. Besides, I don't really have anything she might covet, and Gu Yueyan definitely won't make any outrageous requests. Apart from selling myself, I only have my Healing Magic to offer...

"Help me up," Gu Yueyan said, extending her hand with a smile that was both happy and proud. "Then help me braid my hair. This time I want a slightly more complex diagonal fishtail braid to the right."

Watching Ren Suo dutifully braid her hair in the mirror, Gu Yueyan pursed her lips, barely containing her smile.

It's simply too fun to bully Ren Suo while holding the moral high ground.

She respected rules, so she was also skilled at finding loopholes—though she seldom did this.

Of course, promises only mean something when both parties maintain them, and Gu Yueyan wouldn't deliberately push Ren Suo's limits.

But she knew Ren Suo was indifferent to many things, so she would slowly, step by step, get him to lower his boundaries and get used to living with her.

There's a term that encapsulates this approach—training.

Of course, Gu Yueyan didn't see it that way; she was only imitating scenes from movies, shaping Ren Suo to better suit her. It's just that she chose a particularly narrow genre of movies—today it was a Childhood Sweetheart romance, tomorrow a romance, the day after tomorrow a romance, and the day after that, yet another romance...

Gu Yueyan suddenly realized, it was a good thing Teacher Dong was around. Otherwise, with Ren Suo's personality, Sister Qiao would have devoured him completely long ago.

Speaking of which, Sister Qiao must have developed feelings for Ren Suo during their eight-day business trip, right?

It's unbelievable that she didn't complete the "Reproduction of Ren Suo" within those eight days... Gu Yueyan didn't think Sister Qiao gave up just to compete fairly with Teacher Dong. Even she herself was vaguely ready to abandon her principles, and Sister Qiao was far from being that pedantic. Besides, considering Ren Suo's personality and martial prowess, it was impossible for him to resist Sister Qiao. She probably resorted to such a tactic due to "force majeure."

Past events serve as a lesson for future conduct.

Gu Yueyan glanced at the moon outside. Six days left.

Within six days, no one will hinder her.

So, she'll finish everything that needs to be done within these six days.

Once Ren Suo had painstakingly finished braiding, Gu Yueyan also started cooking. The second Silver Moon Crystal she obtained from Luna granted her an ability that enhanced her cooking. All the food she made had Strengthening effects, and eating a lot of it might even permanently strengthen the body.

Inside The Dark Side of the Moon, Ren Suo really did feel hunger, and after eating, he truly felt satiated, but... there was no need for excretion.

Fortunately, there was no need for excretion. After all, Ren Suo knew he was dreaming. Who knew what would happen in reality if one were to excrete in a dream...

Moreover, because Gu Yueyan chose their character labels wisely, just by dining together, they would increase their Cultivation. If the next few days were like this as well, Ren Suo speculated that he might even reach the threshold of the fourth transformation when he left.

After dinner, it was Gu Yueyan's turn to accompany Ren Suo in gaining Experience Points as Childhood Sweethearts.

After changing clothes, Gu Yueyan naturally reached out her hand to Ren Suo, who blinked and put the kumquat sweet orange tea in her hand. "Thanks. But if you're holding two cups, can you tell them apart?"

Gu Yueyan had prepared two cups of kumquat sweet orange tea with Strengthening effects, convenient for them to drink on the road. Ren Suo increasingly felt that saving Luna twice had been incredibly worthwhile. The two Silver Moon Crystals he obtained from her were too useful for them.

"Hold it yourself!"

Agitated, Gu Yueyan pushed the cup back to him, glanced at Ren Suo in a sulky manner, and left the house without a word, following him.

Downstairs, Ren Suo looked at the waning moon in the night sky and had a sudden realization. "Oh, right, Yueyan, may I hold your hand?"

Gu Yueyan was stunned for a moment. What? I haven't even made a move, and Ren Suo is surrendering already?

Just now, she could naturally extend her hand to Ren Suo, but when Ren Suo earnestly asked her in return, Gu Yueyan suddenly became coy and turned her head, saying, "If you really must..."

"Then let's go." Ren Suo took her hand, and as they walked, he said, "Don't let go. Hold on to me tight."

"Mmh..."

"After all, The Dark Side of the Moon is so vast. If I lost you, I'd really not know how to find you. The phones here can only play games and listen to music; they just don't have a calling feature..." Ren Suo muttered like an elementary school teacher.

So he's just afraid I'll get lost.

Slightly disappointed, Gu Yueyan petulantly scratched the palm of Ren Suo's hand, causing Ren Suo, who had been incessantly complaining about the lack of internet on The Dark Side of the Moon, to abruptly fall silent.

Noticing Ren Suo had stopped talking, Gu Yueyan glanced at him. She saw he was staring straight ahead with a tense expression, pulling her along as he strode forward eagerly.

Gu Yueyan quickly realized what was up with Ren Suo: He could naturally hold her hand for a legitimate reason, but her little scratch a moment ago awakened his long-dormant hormones, and he immediately became nervous.

However, the atmosphere had become so ambiguously intimate that Gu Yueyan didn't dare press her attack. Hearts pounding in a silent, tacit understanding, they reached the bustling street, the silence finally broken by the noise of the crowd.

Am I dreaming... Ren Suo murmured as he looked at a video game store in the distance. In addition to home consoles like the Hell 4PRO and arcade machines, it even had the virtual reality device 'Pandora's Magic Box' made by Liaoyuan Entertainment Company using Extraordinary Materials—something he had long awaited.

He instantly wanted to go play, but Gu Yueyan held him back. He turned and saw her pointing at another shop across the street: a large toy store selling plushies of famous anime and game characters. These plushies came not only in their original versions but also in Wizard, Samurai, and Iron Man versions, all incredibly cute.

If shops like this existed in real life, Ren Suo thought, they would surely be sued until they were bankrupt.

"I want to go to that game store," Ren Suo said, pointing. He rarely had the chance to play with Pandora's Magic Box in reality; the last time was when he and Dong Chengling went to see a movie downtown and stumbled upon a Pandora's Magic Box promotion.

"I want to go there. You promised me you'd listen to me all day today," Gu Yueyan insisted, pointing to the toy store.

Ren Suo blinked, glanced reluctantly at the game store, and then shrugged. "Alright then."

Gu Yueyan couldn't help but snicker, covering her mouth as she laughed. "Once we're done exploring in there, I'll go with you to the game store. We have plenty of time; I'll stay with you however long you want to play."

"But, I'm thinking of going to the amusement park later."

"Then let's hurry!" Ren Suo pulled Gu Yueyan and dashed into the toy store.

As a dreamland, The Dark Side of the Moon's shopping district was an eye-opener for Ren Suo and Gu Yueyan. Since everyone in the dream acted according to their true desires, nobody would think about things they disliked while dreaming. Therefore, those who still conducted business on the streets were merchants who were extremely proud and satisfied with their work.

For example, there was a video game store selling all kinds of consoles and games; a computer store offering various computer cases and components, along with on-site PC assembly services; a toy store with a wide range of large plush toys; a model store selling all sorts of Gundam robots; and an Anime Fans' store selling various figures and cosplay outfits...

It was unclear whether they existed in reality or only because of the dream, but there were even 1:1 scale anime girl figures. Ren Suo recognized several of Zhao Huo's 'wives,' and he thought if Zhao Huo also entered this dream, he'd probably cast himself as an 'Anime Fans' store owner'...

However, as good as the merchandise was, it had little to do with them—apart from the food stores, almost all other stores allowed you to play, touch, and use the products, but not to purchase them. One could say they were quite the Swindlers.

In that sense, calling them merchants was less accurate than saying they were showing off their beloved collections...

Ren Suo and Gu Yueyan only had 132 Wealth Points combined, so they didn't dare to spend them carelessly. That was all the Wealth Points they could use for the next few days, and who knew when they might need them.

Gu Yueyan followed Ren Suo around to look, play, eat, and drink, occasionally glancing at the foolish kid next to her and suddenly feeling that going out wasn't so bad. After all, we won't meet anyone we know, so there isn't much difference between staying at home and going out...

"Hey, Luna!"

When Gu Yueyan turned her head, she saw Ren Suo waving and calling out to someone. The blue-haired girl holding an empty milk tea cup immediately turned around. The blue-haired girl was slightly startled and, upon seeing Ren Suo, a strange light appeared in her eyes.

"What a coincidence, you're shopping here too?" Ren Suo went to greet her, looking around and wondering if the next Silver Moon Crystal might appear nearby.

At that moment, Luna sniffed and pointed at the kumquat sweet orange tea in Ren Suo's hand. Ren Suo immediately took a sip, smacked his lips, and said, "Mmm, this is really tasty... Oh, you want to buy it, huh? Well, that's 8 Wealth Points."

Luna immediately pointed a finger at Ren Suo's hand. Feeling the Wealth Points being transferred to his account, Ren Suo blinked and reluctantly handed over his tea cup—

Gu Yueyan stepped in first, stuffing her tea cup into Luna's hand and scratching Ren Suo's palm. A streak of Moonlight silently slipped into Ren Suo's clothes, and Gu Yueyan's voice whispered in his ear, "I want to go to the amusement park. Let's go, let's go."

This Spell sure is convenient for whispering, Ren Suo thought. If I teamed up with Gu Yueyan to play mahjong, wouldn't we be unbeatable?

But then he reconsidered. We certainly couldn't be considered unbeatable. Perhaps Dong Chengling can now perform spatial transfers on objects, starting with a Thirteen Orphans. And Qiao Muyi might use Spells to see through cards, frustrating anyone they play against... At most, we could cheat Zhao Huo and Yu Kuangtu out of their marriage funds.

Ren Suo said to Luna, "Well... we're heading to the amusement park. See you next time."

Luna tilted her head to look at them, quickly finished the kumquat sweet orange tea in her hand, reluctantly glanced at the tea in Ren Suo's hand, and then left without a word, leaping onto a roof and slipping away.

Gu Yueyan pulled Ren Suo, walking briskly towards a place in the distance with amusement park rides. Ren Suo, curious, asked, "Do you really like the amusement park that much?"

"Yeah, I do," Gu Yueyan replied nonchalantly, glancing in the direction Luna had left, feeling vigilant.

She really hadn't expected to encounter Luna just by going out.

She always felt there was a special relationship between Ren Suo and Luna, not merely Ren Suo's one-sided infatuation—but Ren Suo had indeed only met Luna after entering The Dark Side of the Moon; he wouldn't deceive her about such a matter.

So, Luna must have some kind of agenda towards Ren Suo...

Although she didn't know what Luna might do, Gu Yueyan had the perfect solution: stay away from her.

If I can't handle her, can't I just avoid her?

Gu Yueyan knew that this blue-haired girl, who had deep ties with them, was the biggest variable in her plans. But Luna was different from them; she was an Angel Envoy fighting for the Silver Moon Crystal, so she couldn't afford to spend her days as leisurely as they did.

Looking at the distant roller coaster and Ferris wheel, Gu Yueyan let out a sigh of relief, feeling a bit more relaxed as she slowed her pace and her breathing.

An Apostle of the Moon God competing for the Silver Moon Crystal certainly wouldn't have the time or interest to visit the amusement park.

"Want some water?"

"Mmm."

"Here."

It was only after Gu Yueyan took a sip that she realized something was amiss.