Chapter 9: Sweet!

Li Zhi Ran swallowed another bite of her burger, her gaze fixed on Xu Lin, now tinged with curiosity.

“How do you use it?”

She took another bite, chewing thoughtfully, her expression suggesting something was missing.

Her eyes drifted downward.

Soon, she realized she hadn’t yet grabbed the essential drink for demon clan food—cola!

Without hesitation, she reached for it.

“Wait, Minerva!”

Seeing her about to grab the cola, Xu Lin quickly called out.

“You noticed something wrong with this potion?”

Li Zhi Ran looked puzzled by his interruption.

Of course, she calls cola a potion here too…

“It’s like this. I want to show you my power. I need this… potion. Is that okay?”

“You mean, young hero, you can concoct potions too?”

“Not exactly, but something like that.”

“Alright.”

Li Zhi Ran nodded, her expression expectant.

“Good.”

With that, Xu Lin accessed the system and used Li Zhi Ran’s tag energy to create a <Sweet Tooth> tag.

“I’ll take the cola.”

He gestured to Li Zhi Ran, who readily handed it over.

Her eyes burned with intensity, watching his every move, her burger forgotten in her hand.

Xu Lin selected the <Sweet Tooth> tag to apply to the cola.

Synthesize?

Yes.

Synthesis complete.

Successfully obtained: Sweet Bliss Cola

Effect: Grants the blissful enjoyment of sweets, sharing in others’ happiness.

Details: Careful, it might be sweet enough to make your teeth fall out!

A success.

With a 0.99 success rate, failing would’ve been truly unlucky.

After synthesis, the cola’s appearance didn’t change. Only at the moment of completion did it seem to emit a faint glow.

“A potion!”

Before Xu Lin could explain, Li Zhi Ran exclaimed.

She eagerly snatched the cola from his hands.

Xu Lin thought about taking it back but realized it was hers to begin with.

Li Zhi Ran examined the cola cup closely, her eyes sparkling like a starry galaxy.

Then she opened the lid to inspect the contents.

After thoroughly checking it inside and out, she set the cola down and picked up Noxis.

“Noxis, take a look.”

She moved the black cat plushie’s head around the cola cup, then held it to her ear and nodded.

“It’s indeed a true potion!”

Li Zhi Ran’s gaze blazed as she grabbed Xu Lin’s shoulders.

Her sudden closeness caught him off guard.

A faint, mysterious fragrance from her filled his nose, making his heart race.

“Can I drink it?”

Before Xu Lin could react, Li Zhi Ran’s hands left his shoulders, her eyes fixed on the Sweet Bliss Cola.

He steadied himself but found himself at a loss for words.

He didn’t know how to answer.

“Can she drink it?”

He was puzzled.

He’d been so focused on showing his power that he hadn’t considered this.

A formula from her, a tag made with her energy, an item synthesized from that tag—could she drink it?

Would it cause some strange reaction?

“I don’t know…”

In the end, Xu Lin could only be honest. After all, she’d said to share his thoughts for her to analyze.

“It’s a potion made from your magic. I don’t know what would happen if you drank it.”

“Then let’s find out!”

Li Zhi Ran didn’t hesitate, her eyes resolute.

“If we don’t try, we’ll never know. I’m willing to sacrifice for the sake of saving the world. And I’m curious—what does a potion made by the young hero’s power taste like?”

With that, she grabbed the cup.

Xu Lin tried to stop her, but it was too late—her lips were already on the straw, sipping.

Xu Lin watched her lips move, holding his breath.

The translucent straw quickly turned dark brown as the first sip of cola entered her mouth.

Li Zhi Ran’s eyes widened, a flush spreading across her cheeks.

What’s happening?

Seeing her reaction, Xu Lin tensed, his heart pounding.

“Mmm, so sweet!”

Li Zhi Ran, still holding the straw, let out a muffled exclamation.

“Sweeter than any potion I’ve had!”

As she spoke, her lips loosened from the straw, and she let out a cheerful laugh.

After witnessing the witch’s smile for the first time, Xu Lin now heard her laugh.

If her voice was a clear spring, her laugh was like sweet nectar, less crisp but laced with sweetness.

As she laughed, bubbles seemed to pop above her head, dancing joyfully.

No, not seemed!

When she laughed, rainbow-colored bubbles genuinely appeared above her head.

Li Zhi Ran took a few more sips, giggling sweetly as she drank.

That sweetness spread to her cold face.

Her expression melted into a blissful smile.

In less than a minute, Xu Lin not only heard Li Zhi Ran’s laugh but repeatedly observed her sweet smiles.

This was a groundbreaking discovery, worthy of a top journal at a Witch Research Society.

If such a society existed.

“No way, this works? The cola didn’t even change, did it?”

Whispers arose around them.

Since Xu Lin and Li Zhi Ran sat down, they’d been the focal point of the restaurant.

Her appearance alone guaranteed a 100% head-turn rate, not to mention her outfit.

And then, they openly discussed magic in normal conversational tones, without a hint of embarrassment—especially Li Zhi Ran, who sparked everyone’s curiosity.

When Xu Lin claimed he could do magic, people thought he was about to perform a trick to impress her.

But he just held the cola, looked at it, and said it was done, with no visible change.

Yet she played along, acting surprised, calling it a potion, and drinking it gleefully.

Some guys took note, trying the same tactic with their companions.

Only to get an eye-roll as if they were idiots.

Xu Lin ignored the surrounding chatter.

“Just sweet? No other effects?”

“Hehe, young hero, you seem a bit disappointed.”

Li Zhi Ran chuckled without answering directly.

“This potion is so sweet. Young hero, don’t look so glum—try it!”

Before Xu Lin could say more, Li Zhi Ran pulled him closer.

A cold object was placed in his mouth.

This… it’s the straw she just used…

“Young hero, drink! Why aren’t you drinking?”

Li Zhi Ran looked at him, smiling brightly, like someone forcing a drink at a party.

The flush on her face deepened.

Xu Lin, held by the arm, couldn’t move.

It seemed she wouldn’t let go until he drank.

Since he’d already touched the straw she used, drinking from the same cola wasn’t a big deal.

Xu Lin took a strong sip, and the cup let out a slurping sound.

That was the last sip!

But that single sip made Xu Lin’s eyes widen.

“Sweet, right?”

Li Zhi Ran grinned at him.

“Sweet!”

KFC’s iced cola was usually diluted, less sweet than bottled cola.

But this sip surpassed the sweetness of any cola he’d ever had, like drinking pure cola syrup.

Yet, oddly, it wasn’t cloying—refreshingly sweet, it lifted his spirits.

Still, he didn’t break into a grin like Li Zhi Ran.

Maybe because I only had one sip?

But he quickly dismissed the question, another one rising in his mind.

Is it really just sweeter and happier?

He gave Li Zhi Ran a puzzled look, but she just kept smiling.

Hm? What’s that!

He noticed something new beside her head, on the other side of her tags.

It was a chibi 2D character, laughing gleefully.

An SD sprite from a galgame?

And it looked remarkably like Li Zhi Ran.