The tears of a maiden speak louder than a thousand words.
Su Nian’s tears, however, were premeditated.
She had pondered what words would most move Chu Tian at this moment…
Then, after putting herself in his shoes, she realized.
No words were needed.
Just cry!
Crying would do the trick.
She understood men.
Moreover, with her current looks, Chu Tian, being the pure and inexperienced guy he was, couldn’t even hold her gaze for 10 seconds, let alone handle her tears.
“What happened, Su Nian? What’s wrong?” Chu Tian’s voice grew anxious.
“Nothing… nothing happened.” Su Nian shook her head deliberately.
It wasn’t the right time to speak directly; she needed to draw it out a bit.
“Tell me, you’re already crying. How can nothing be wrong? I can help you!” Chu Tian insisted.
That’s exactly what I was waiting for!
But wait a little longer.
“Don’t worry, I can handle it myself. I cried… because I couldn’t suppress my emotions in front of you. I’m sorry if it affected your mood.” Su Nian wiped her tears with the back of her hand and spoke these words.
The underlying message was that she could control her emotions in front of others, but not in front of him, implying that he was special.
“What exactly is it? I’ve already considered you a… friend these past few days. It’s okay to share if something’s wrong.” Chu Tian was getting impatient.
What could have made the girl in front of him cry?
“Just… friends?” Su Nian hesitated, then put on a slightly disappointed expression.
Of course, it was all an act!
Those few words struck Chu Tian’s heart once again.
The girl in front of him seemed unsatisfied with their current relationship as just friends…
In other words, she wanted something more!
In an instant, Chu Tian’s affection soared.
The idea that the person he liked also liked him was incredibly intoxicating.
Before Chu Tian could react, Su Nian continued.
“I’m sorry… Chu Tian.” Su Nian felt the timing was right and prepared for the crucial part.
“What is it? You never have to apologize to me.”
Chu Tian showed his true “simp” colors.
“I received a letter from home. My parents’ shop is having some trouble, and I need to leave Flash Town and return to Red Maple for a while.”
Su Nian put on a look of apology toward Chu Tian.
“I’ll go with you.” Chu Tian blurted out without thinking.
Su Nian smiled and shook her head.
“Once I resolve the issue there, I’ll return to Flash Town. I like the glowing stones here, the scenery, and… the people.”
When Su Nian said “people,” she intentionally locked eyes with Chu Tian for a moment.
In that instant.
Chu Tian’s heart raced again.
“Alright then, but let me help you, okay?”
“If the shop is in trouble, it’s probably a money issue. Here are 25 gold coins, & silver coins, and 13 copper coins.” Chu Tian said, pulling out all the money from his pouch.
However, Chu Tian still added, “This is just part of my savings. I have a dozen more gold coins in my room, so don’t worry about me.”
Su Nian looked at Chu Tian…
The system displayed a 100% task completion rate, the words floating beside him.
Su Nian sighed inwardly, “Ah, buddy, don’t blame me.”
She was only doing it for the mission and to become stronger.
The task of defeating the Horned Demon allowed no room for error.
Once she completed the mission and turned back into a man, she would return to Flash Town, find this guy, explain the situation, and return the money to him.
The money was practically in her hands now.
But taking it directly would seem too abrupt.
“How can this be? How can I take your money?” Su Nian feigned refusal, though her eyes were already drawn to the gold coins on the table.
“It’s fine. With more money, you can solve the problem faster and return to Flash Town sooner,” Chu Tian said without hesitation.
Most of this money was his spoils from the past few days.
Spending it on this beautiful and gentle girl didn’t bother him in the slightest.
“I… I still can’t quite accept it, but the shop’s issues do require money…”
“How about this? I’ll write an IOU. Consider this money as a loan from you.”
If she didn’t say this, she was afraid the guy might realize what was happening and ask for the money back.
Su Nian took out paper and a pen from her pocket, quickly wrote an IOU, and handed it to Chu Tian.
Her movements were smooth and natural, without the slightest hesitation, as if she had rehearsed this act countless times in her mind.
Chu Tian took the IOU, gave it a quick glance, and tucked it into his pocket.
He didn’t care about the money, nor did he care whether Su Nian would repay him.
All he cared about was her safety and her swift return to his side.
“Su Nian, you must be careful. If you encounter any difficulties, you can always come to me,” Chu Tian said, his eyes filled with concern.
Su Nian nodded.
Ah.
She almost felt bad for deceiving this naive guy.
Hopefully, this lesson would teach him not to trust women, especially those who were exceptionally beautiful.
Su Nian stood up, gently smoothed her skirt, and waved at Chu Tian.
“Chu Tian, thank you~. Well then, goodbye. I’ll probably return to Flash Town in about a month.”
Su Nian breathed a sigh of relief.
The mission was perfectly completed.
Next up, the Horned Demon!
Meanwhile.
Chu Tian’s expression was hesitant, as if he was struggling with something.
A moment later.
Chu Tian took out something from behind him.
Money and such were naturally of no concern to him, but this item was something he had purchased using “2000 Annoyance Points”—a longsword.
[Sword of Malice] B-grade
Sharpness: 90
Hardness: 85
Toughness: 85
[Deepening Malice]
Host-exclusive skill: When using this weapon in combat, the negative emotions gained during battle increase by 30%.
[Bound to Master]
A sword with a spirit will not harm its master (can be gifted to others, but the master remains unchanged).
[Soul Resonance]
The sword’s master can locate the weapon’s current position.
This weapon was something he had spent half of his Annoyance Points on.
Following the principle of focusing on early development, he had chosen this Sword of Malice.
As long as he wielded it, he could gain a 30% boost when “harvesting malice.”
As for the other two traits, they were rather ordinary, and he hadn’t known what use they had before.
Now, however, he could use the [Soul Resonance] effect to track when the girl in front of him would return from Red Maple.
2000 Annoyance Points that was just a matter of a few days.
It was fine…
What mattered most was the safety of the girl before him.
“This sword, take it. The road to Red Maple is long, use it to protect yourself.”
Chu Tian handed the longsword to Su Nian without leaving room for refusal.
Su Nian was slightly taken aback.
She had already gotten the money, and now she was taking a sword too?
Wasn’t that a bit too much?
Taking both food and the plate!
But…
Considering she currently had no weapon, and seeking revenge against the horned demon without one was out of the question.
Thinking this, Su Nian tucked the longsword into her pocket.
This longsword clearly wasn’t ordinary, at least far superior to her previous sword.
A sharp longsword, a B-grade martial skill, and her system-enhanced strength.
Everything was ready!
Hahaha, success and fame start today.
From now on, the history of this continent will be rewritten, and the wheels of history will accelerate.
Su Nian was already smiling.
With this longsword and her B-grade martial skill, how could that lowly horned demon possibly stand a chance against her?
That’s convenient… X’D
I’m… Curious as to how Chu Tian would handle this