'I just wanted to see a lingerie show, just a lingerie show! Why did it have to turn out like this…'

'That kid really is a walking disaster!'

·

·

「July 26th, Year 174 of the New Calendar.」

The renowned Artist Lin Yun's concert was scheduled to start at four o'clock in the afternoon.

In Li Xiye's room, she hesitated for a long time before finally dialing her best friend's number.

"Hello, hello? Moshi moshi~ What's up?"

Guan Yao's voice came from the other end of the line. "Why the sudden call?"

"I... I wanted to ask you something..." Li Xiye was usually bold, but now she was being uncharacteristically shy, unable to get the words out for the longest time.

"I'm in a game. If you have something to say, just say it... Oh, you're playing so well, big brother~ You're so strong, big brother~ You're amazing, big brother~" Guan Yao suddenly switched to a sickeningly sweet, cutesy voice, giving Li Xiye goosebumps.

After breaking up with her last boyfriend, Guan Yao had become obsessed with gaming. A few days ago, she met a guy in the Game World and they'd been hitting it off. She was undoubtedly partied up with him right now.

"If you're busy, then never mind..." Li Xiye inexplicably lost her nerve, not knowing how to bring it up.

"Something's up with you!"

Guan Yao seemed to have sniffed out a clue. Her brain worked at lightning speed as she landed on a certain possibility. "Is this about that handsome guy living with you?"

"I... guess so..."

"AAAAAH! Spill it, spill it!" Guan Yao shrieked, looking extremely interested in the gossip. Then, she turned on her mic and said in that sweet, cutesy voice again, "Big bro~ Something came up on my end. Can we finish this up quick~?

Xiao Ye, just give me a few minutes. I'm almost done!"

Three minutes later, Guan Yao exited the game and asked excitedly, "What is it, what is it, what is it? Hurry up and tell me!"

"Well, you know Lin Yun's concert is today, right? I asked him to go with me..."

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! And then?!"

Just from her voice, Li Xiye could picture the excited glint in Guan Yao's eyes.

"And then we'll grab a bite to eat..."

"And then?!"

"And then we'll go home and play games..."

"You... Ugh, what do you mean go home? Get a hotel room!" Guan Yao said, exasperated with her friend. "Just say you're tired, and it's too far to go home, so you might as well get a hotel. Of course, you can't say it outright. You have to subtly hint that you're tired and let him be the one to suggest it..."

"Is your mind always in the gutter? Isn't the normal process to go on a few more dates, make the relationship official, and *then* get a room...?"

"Uhh... that's a super old-fashioned process. Nowadays, if you two click, you're basically at a hotel that same night. At the very least, within a month. Anything over three months is rare. You know the belle of Class Seven, right? I heard she got a boyfriend right at the start of summer break and they went to a hotel three times in one week..." Guan Yao sighed, speaking with the world-weariness of an old woman. "You may be the top dog of Number One High, but you still don't understand the Darkness of society."

"You only heard that through gossip, too... Stop talking nonsense. I wanted to ask you..." Li Xiye's face was slightly red. The words were hard to say, but she finally mustered the courage. "How should I dress for a date?"

"You... Never mind. I'm coming over. Wait for me!"

「Twenty minutes later.」

Li Xiye peeked from upstairs to make sure Zhou Chen was napping in the back Garden, then went down to let Guan Yao in.

In the bedroom, Guan Yao opened Li Xiye's closet and rummaged through it. Her expression grew more and more puzzled, as if three question marks had appeared above her head.

"You don't own a single dress?"

"Uh, I guess not."

After glancing around, Li Xiye threw up her hands helplessly. "It's hard to ride a bike in a dress."

Guan Yao couldn't help but sigh, a headache coming on. She didn't know what to say.

'A girl in the prime of her vibrant, youthful life doesn't even have a single dress in her closet... Truly befitting the big boss who dominates Number One High and intimidates the masses.'

"No dress... Oh well. When you're pretty, you look good in anything. Besides, your vibe doesn't really suit dresses anyway." Guan Yao studied Li Xiye, then suddenly froze. Her eyes grew suspicious. She moved closer for a better look, then reached out and pinched her cheek.

"How did your skin get this good???"

Shock, astonishment, disbelief.

"So smooth, so soft, so fair... What kind of skincare are you using?" Guan Yao demanded, her eyes wide.

Li Xiye couldn't exactly say she had become an Ascender, so she just laughed it off. "I don't use any. I just go to bed early, wake up early, exercise consistently, drink lots of hot water, and eat more vegetables... Stop talking about useless stuff. Hurry up, we don't have much time."

"With skin like this, you don't even need makeup..." Guan Yao couldn't hide her envy, saying wistfully, "You're the definition of a natural beauty."

"Really?"

"Then just put on a little lipstick."

"...I don't think I have any."

"I figured as much, so I brought mine." Guan Yao patted her purse, rummaged inside for a while, and pulled out several expensive, name-brand lipsticks.

"Try them all and see which color suits you best. I think this 'man-slayer' shade is good... You take your time and try them. I'll pick out your clothes."

Guan Yao ran to the closet to pick out an outfit, humming a little tune. She looked incredibly happy. "My little piglet is finally learning how to root for cabbage... Speaking of which, will you need me to provide remote support?"

"Remote support?"

"Yeah. Wear an earpiece, and I'll be your remote strategist. After all, you don't know anything about this... It'll be like a military operation. Operation: Date!"

"That won't be necessary."

'Zhou Chen is an Ascender. A sound from that close would never escape his ears.'

·

「At two-thirty in the afternoon, the sunlight was languid, as if everything was drowsy. Even the chirping of the summer cicadas hiding in the green trees had grown lazy.」

In the back Garden, Zhou Chen was woken by his alarm. He stretched comfortably as he sat up from his nap, feeling full of energy.

'This place is great. It really nurtures you.'

Taking a long nap here every afternoon not only provided him with psychological comfort, but his Spiritual Power was also steadily increasing. Being in a comfortable environment allowed his spirit to relax, which was conducive to improving his Spiritual Power.

Over the past few days, Zhou Chen's strength had gradually improved. His Control Power over the Sea of Silver had risen a notch, allowing him to develop new Derivative Abilities—a Spirit Burst that extended from his "Burst" Skill.

Previously, "Burst" had been limited to the physical level. This was because the Skill was obtained from a Magma Giant via an Advancement ritual, and Magma Giants were known for their formidable bodies and scorching flames, not for their proficiency in the Spiritual Realm. Thus, the Skill had no effect on the Spiritual Realm.

But with Zhou Chen's continuous control and development during this time, the "Burst" Ability had undergone further Advancement. It could now affect the spiritual plane. As long as an opponent's spiritual body was invaded by his Cyan Flame, he could remotely detonate it.

Taking an explosion on the spiritual level would, he believed, inflict an unbearable amount of damage on many Ascenders and Extraordinary Creatures.

In addition, his Flame Dancing Ability had also improved, its movement range increasing to sixty meters—a considerable boost.

'The concert is at four. I should get ready to go. We'll need to get there early to grab a parking spot…' Zhou Chen sat up from the lounge chair, stretched again, and then stood up and headed inside.

When the appointed time came, Li Xiye also came downstairs. Upon seeing her outfit, Zhou Chen's eyes lit up slightly.

Li Xiye wore a white t-shirt, light-wash jeans, and white sneakers. Her overall style was full of youthful energy which, combined with her unique, cool and dashing air, made her aura quite striking. She had a touch of lipstick on, making her lips look tender and luscious. She no longer looked so much like a tomboy, but had a touch of feminine softness.

"Very pretty," Zhou Chen praised openly, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Let's go. We need to get there early to find parking." Li Xiye forced her expression to remain neutral, acting as if it were nothing unusual. Inwardly, however, she was delighted. 'Looks like Guan Yao knows a thing or two after all.' 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Is the doggy coming?"

"Of course not. Pets aren't allowed at concerts. He's perfectly happy playing games at home."

·