「The fourth moon phase.」

Ren Suo woke up from his bed and, looking at the Full Moon outside, fell into deep thought.

It wasn't that he woke up voluntarily; rather, his body had suddenly shaken—his character tag for today even came with an alarm effect.

This was because he needed to get up, brush his teeth, wash his face, and start a brand-new, bright, cheerful, and considerate day.

The character tag was not entirely without its tricks. For example, when Ren Suo played a doctor during the first Moon Phase, the sight of injured patients evoked in him the thought of Healing them. It wasn't out of desire, but rather a sense of duty, a feeling of 'it's time to work.' This was similar to having homework due the next day; playing games casually tonight wasn't an option, only playing under tense conditions was permissible. However, Ren Suo was very clear about what he had to do and how to fulfill the character tag.

To adhere to the character tag, his first step was to wake up earlier than everyone else.

Brush teeth, wash face, shower, wash hair, and then dry and comb his hair into a nice style. Since he didn't grow a beard in his dreams, Ren Suo was saved from having to shave.

Then he returned to his room, opened the wardrobe, and indeed saw many clothes. Following his instincts, he picked out a set of home clothes and put them on, looking refreshed and spirited.

Sitting in front of the dressing table, Ren Suo naturally wasn't about to do makeup for himself, since makeup is a Skill and not something a character tag could easily give.

Yet even at Ren Suo's skill level, he could still make minor adjustments to himself: like tidying his eyelashes, applying some facial cream, and trimming his eyebrows.

This whole routine took him almost an hour, during which the Full Moon outside had turned into the Third Quarter Moon, and he had heard Luna leave the house to contest for the Silver Moon Crystal.

Suddenly, Ren Suo could understand why people say girls take a lot of time to get ready before going out. Even a hardcore, low-maintenance guy like him, who might cut his hair into a buzz cut for convenience, could spend so much time grooming himself if he wished. And that didn't even account for girls who would apply primer, draw their eyebrows, apply eyeshadow, and lipstick.

Looking at himself in the Mirror, there hadn't been a qualitative change in appearance; he didn't even really do makeup—changing one's appearance drastically would be like disguising oneself. However, Ren Suo thought that if he walked into a university, he might receive quite a few appreciative 'wows.'

It certainly wasn't vanity that made him get up an hour early to get ready. He was Ren Suo, who during school could wear slippers to the cafeteria, and who even developed a miraculous method of brushing his teeth while washing his face—just to sleep in a bit longer. Getting up early for gaming was a bit more probable, like when he snuck out as a child in the dead of night to play on the computer while his parents were asleep.

Without doubt, it was the character tag's demand; Ren Suo had to prepare himself before he could continue playing the role.

But this character tag... I have absolutely no experience in this area! I'm not Zhao Huo! I didn't know there would be situations requiring this experience!

Just as Ren Suo was in great turmoil inside, the doorbell rang. Ren Suo went to open the door and, as expected, it was an out-of-breath Luna with flushed cheeks, who had obviously run back.

Today, Luna wore only a tank top and jeans, which, while very convenient for fighting, were also quite light and airy. Her eyes, full of expectancy and vibrancy, looked at Ren Suo, head tilted, with an eager air about her.

At that moment, Ren Suo heard a door opening inside the house. He turned his head to see Gu Yueyan, dressed very casually, rubbing her eyes as she walked out. He closed the door, gesturing for Luna to sit, and then guided Gu Yueyan towards the bathroom.

Gu Yueyan was initially startled by Ren Suo's initiative, but she soon remembered something, sighed in relief, and happily enjoyed Ren Suo helping her brush her teeth, wash her face, comb her hair, and braid it. Gu Yueyan hadn't expected that the training from the day before yesterday could be put to use so soon.

When it was time to prepare breakfast, Ren Suo volunteered to help, and Gu Yueyan let him help with chopping. But cooking, as a skill, wasn't something one automatically learned just by being a Third-turn Cultivator. Ren Suo ended up cutting the food into all sorts of jagged, angular pieces. This made Gu Yueyan laugh and ask, "You can't cook? Then how did you make us meals during the Winter Solstice?"

"That's because I prepared for a whole day, from morning till evening." Ren Suo wasn't making it up; he had gone shopping for ingredients that morning.

"Let me do it; you go wash the vegetables."

"Oh."

Whether Ren Suo was genuinely able to speed up cooking, or if Gu Yueyan's efficiency had increased because she was in a good mood, breakfast was prepared very quickly.

"Luna, come and eat."

Gu Yueyan was no longer surprised by Luna's presence. Luna was clearly there to gain experience with Ren Suo, as interacting with character tags made it extremely convenient to do so.

Moreover, she had noticed that after completing the character tags over the past three days, she could choose from an increasing variety of them, offering more diverse ways to play. For instance, today's Ren Suo was a result of her spending a significant amount of divine authority.

So far, Ren Suo's performance had been good.

However, Gu Yueyan still didn't know what character tag Luna had today. As she ate her breakfast and sneakily glanced at Luna, she noticed that Luna, having finished her breakfast, was openly observing them both with a curious, baby-like demeanor, looking very well-behaved.

While Gu Yueyan was sneakily looking at Luna, she suddenly felt someone graze her mouth corner. Turning her head, she saw Ren Suo with his finger in his mouth.

Ren Suo blinked and said, "You had some cake crumbs here…"

Gu Yueyan blinked, pursed her lips tightly, and lowered her head, continuing to eat her breakfast in silence.

Although she had anticipated it, when Ren Suo actually made such an intimate gesture in line with his character tag, it still left her flustered!

After breakfast, Luna continued to sit obediently on the living room sofa on standby, while Ren Suo followed Gu Yueyan to the study, curiously asking, "Does your character tag have something to do with reading?"

"Yes," Gu Yueyan nodded. She also wanted to take this opportunity to use her character tag to boost her Cultivation. Last night, she found out she could add a 'Reader' job to herself for a small amount of divine authority.

She was naturally an avid reader, so this job suited her personality perfectly, and it also did not interfere with her interaction with Ren Suo, so she gave herself a little advantage.

Gu Yueyan sat down to read. The study was almost entirely filled with books she had read or that were on her reading list. With nothing else to do, Ren Suo massaged her shoulders. She enjoyed this sweet time. While reading, she asked, "What identity did Luna arrange for you today?"

The hands massaging her shoulders paused slightly before Ren Suo's voice responded, "A friend."

"Just a friend, that simple?"

"Yes… a friend who can eat and drink for free."

Gu Yueyan thought that seemed about right. She turned to look at Ren Suo, who looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, yet clearly still longed to speak. Realizing what Ren Suo wanted to do, she said, "I'm currently reading to gain experience. Why don't you go and gain some experience with Luna?"

As much as she liked it, reading was a very private activity for Gu Yueyan. Having Ren Suo there would distract her, potentially resulting in neither good interaction with Ren Suo nor satisfactory reading experience. It was better to let Ren Suo get some fresh air. Moreover, there were a few books that Gu Yueyan had been wanting to read for a long time, and she wanted to read them in peace.

Ren Suo blinked, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "…Is that okay?"

"Go ahead," Gu Yueyan said. Luna hadn't done anything special to Ren Suo today, being even more conservative than when she was a pet last night. Gu Yueyan trusted Luna completely. Luna had a child-like nature, making Ren Suo a perfect match for her in terms of mental age.

Plus, Gu Yueyan, seeing how hard Ren Suo was trying to please her, suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

The character tag she had arranged for Ren Suo was very complex, requiring him to be: clean, sunny, and cheerful; considerate and meticulous; captivatingly handsome one never tired of looking at; and excessively affectionate with his girlfriend, like a clingy little kitten.

Gu Yueyan had just wanted to try it out. After all, Luna's 'Pet Girl' yesterday had been quite a shock to her, so she was curious to see to what extent divine authority could manipulate a person.

Neither The Dark Side of the Moon nor Ren Suo had disappointed her!

Praise the Moon God!

However, when Ren Suo became the person she hoped for, Gu Yueyan also felt a bit pained—she had never deliberately tried to please anyone before, and neither had Ren Suo. Now, she told herself it was for Ren Suo to earn Cultivation more effectively. In reality, however, she was using divine authority to mold Ren Suo into her ideal image. Was Ren Suo really enjoying this intimacy?

Of course, as pained as she felt, this opportunity wouldn't come again. Even though Gu Yueyan knew that Ren Suo would return to his usual self tomorrow, she thought... let's first enjoy today.

Besides, even a dog needs to be walked. She didn't want Ren Suo to grow weary of playing his role, so she let him take a break.

After triple-checking, Ren Suo seriously asked, "So, should I go find Luna?"

"Mhm."

"I might play with her in her room."

"Play what?"

"It might be Flying Chess, but it might also be..."

"Alright, alright, go on."

Ren Suo left the study and saw Luna sitting idly on the sofa. She immediately looked over at the sound, her butt wiggling as she curiously watched him.

Ren Suo pointed towards her room, "Luna, to your room?"

Luna immediately darted into the room, stood there beckoning to Ren Suo, looking very eager.

Ren Suo took a deep breath and walked into the room as if bracing for his demise. The room was dark, and as soon as he entered, the door shut behind him. Then Luna pounced, pressing him down and kissing him with fierce intensity.

Having already collected 20 Wealth Points from Luna and kissed her four times, Ren Suo had gotten quite accustomed to it.

However, in the dim room, with the heat between the two and her in his arms, the reason Ren Suo could remain as Immovable as a Mountain was... Luna was looking at him.

While kissing, they looked into each other's eyes.

Her eyes were beautiful and clear, the color of dark green, shimmering like gemstones.

However, what Ren Suo saw in these eyes was only curiosity, a smile, and excitement, like a child who had found an anthill.

Ren Suo remembered he had designated Luna's role for today as 'Daughter of Asura who splits up couples.' However, Luna clearly had her own thoughts, so he wasn't sure what her intentions were in seducing him.

Now he kind of understood—Luna might be treating him like a toy! Realizing this, Ren Suo became serious: when it came to playing, he would go all out! Just like learning from Zhao Huo, right? Ren Suo, accept the challenge!

After kissing for a while, Luna wasn't satisfied. She pressed him down on the bed and licked his entire face with her little tongue. Ren Suo could not resist at all; it was like being attacked by a large feline animal.

Seemingly having had her fill, Luna lay on top of him, wiggled her butt back and forth, and stared at Ren Suo, asking, "Do you like me?"

"Yes, yes." Ren Suo nodded.

"Would you do anything for me?" Luna asked again.

"Yes, yes." Ren Suo nodded.

Luna was very pleased. She leaned in, rubbed her cute face against Ren Suo's cheek, and said, "Then from now on, stay with me and don't go near anyone else."

Yes, that was the plan Luna had come up with last night! Humans go into heat for only one partner at a time. Now that the new pet had been monopolized by that female, Luna also wanted to try humans' way of affection with this new pet. But she didn't want to fight with the female who had been nice to her. There was only one answer—make the new pet give up that female, and then go into heat with her! Hehe, once the new pet agrees, I'll have him help me groom! But, oh, I have so little fur...

Before Luna could fantasize about future grooming activities, she heard the new pet's emphatic voice:

"That's not possible."

MEOW?

Luna looked up, her hands grabbing Ren Suo's neck, and said discontentedly, "Why? Don't you love me? Are you lying to me?"

"No, no!" Ren Suo shook his head rapidly.

Luna asked, "Then why can't you leave her?"

"Why does loving you mean I have to leave someone else?" Ren Suo countered.

MEOW MEOW?

Luna pondered for several seconds and said, "Because of love... because you all say that's the right way!"

"Wrong, wrong, that's actually not right." Ren Suo shook his head. "If I chose you and left others today because of love, then one day in the future, I would inevitably abandon you for love as well."

MEOW MEOW MEOW?

Seeing Luna was baffled by his convoluted logic, Ren Suo breathed a sigh of relief—thank goodness in addition to being an alarm, his character tag included speaking prompts! It wasn't exactly speaking prompts, but the character tag helped him understand which points to seize when replying to such emotional demands from other women to bluff his way through.

"The most ridiculous thing in this world is to be blinded by love, and then to get together, break up, break up and get back together, in an endless cycle with no peace," Ren Suo earnestly said. "And I don't just like you. If I abandoned others, I could also abandon you."

Ren Suo's twisted logic left the naive Luna utterly confused. She looked at him and asked, "So what are you going to do?"

In that instant, Ren Suo was not fighting alone. He remembered that man! Who was it that filled him with confidence in others? Who was it that filled him with Hope for the future? Who was it that made him no longer Fear marriage? It was Zhao Huo! Bloody wedding banquet! Body parts divided five ways! Endless pursuit! If it were Zhao Huo, how would he answer?

Ren Suo focused his gaze on Luna, wrapped his arms around Luna's waist, and earnestly said:

"Well, just like this, the three of us will happily live together."

「The fourth Moon Phase.」

Ren Suo's real character tag was: clean, sunny, and cheerful; considerate and meticulous; captivatingly handsome one never tired of looking at; and excessively doting on both his 'girlfriend' and 'lover'... A jerk.