"How much longer are you gonna pretend to be asleep, huh?" Kai asked gently, his voice laced with concern, as he held the young girl in his arms.
Mae Ling slowly opened her eyes, the cheerfulness that had once brightened her face now absent. She had witnessed the frustration in her brother's eyes, and it pained her to see him in such distress. But what could a mere little girl like her do?
However, a deep longing to help her brother and mother surged within her, a burning desire to prevent her brother from suffering any longer. She realized that there would come a time when they would have to confront their troubled past with their father, and she knew that she needed strength, not just from relying on Kai.
"Senior Brother," she pleaded, her voice choked with emotion, "Could you please teach me how to fight? I don't want to be a burden to my brother."
Kai's heart ached at the sight of her tears, knowing the hardships that awaited her. This young girl should be enjoying her high school life, not resorting to violence to protect herself and her loved ones. He wanted to refuse her request, but he also knew that as he took it upon himself to confront the delinquents and gangs, the safety of those he cared for would be jeopardized. There were relentless people out there who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
He had experienced it firsthand when his supposed 'big brother' and best friend betrayed him, laying a hand on his childhood sweetheart in the process. Teaching Mae Ling and Rei how to defend themselves was also a way to protect them.
Kai hugged Mae Ling tightly and said, "I don't want to teach you... Though, that's what I wanted to say. But if you want it, I'll teach you."
Mae Ling's eyes brightened hearing Kai and exclaimed "Really?"
Kai nodded in confirmation.
"Then why did you tell my brother that you don't know how to teach someone?" Mae Ling asked curiously.
"Well, I'd rather be with Rei or you rather than teaching someone," Kai said.
"Really? You want to be with me?" Mae Ling said as she looked at Kai expectantly.
Kai chuckled, his heart melting at her innocent expression. "Of course! You're part of my family now. I want to spend more time with you."
Mae Ling's face lit up, with a wide grin spreading across it. This should always be on her face, not that sadness that lingers in her heart. Kai couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility towards her, as if taking care of her were his duty.
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.
Kai hugged her back, a mixture of warmth and protectiveness filling his heart. He would do anything to keep her safe and help lift the burden off her shoulders. In this chaotic world, he wanted her to hold on to her innocence for as long as she could.
"Don't worry, Mae Ling," he reassured her. "I'll teach you everything I know. We'll make sure you're strong enough to protect yourself and your brother."
She nodded, determination shining in her eyes. "I won't let anyone hurt my family anymore. You'll see, Senior Brother. I'll be strong!"
Kai nodded and replied, "Let's all become strong together."
"Yes!"
After her declaration, she beamed at Kai, her smile radiant and genuine. It is as if her smile alone could brighten up the whole room. Kai couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat as he found himself captivated by her blinding smile. Without thinking, he slowly reached out and gently cupped her face, feeling the softness of her cheek beneath his fingertips.
Taking in every detail of her smile, he made sure to etch it into his memory. He wanted to cherish this moment forever. As the warmth of their connection intensified, Kai couldn't resist any longer and leaned in for a kiss, gently pressing his lips against Mae Ling's thin kissable lips.
Lost in each other's embrace, time seemed to stand still. They held each other close, Mae Ling finding solace in the shelter of Kai's chest as her eyes closed, basking in the comfort of his love. Kai used this chance to open the system.
'The quest to save Mae Ling's brother should be cleared by now.'
Kai checked his profile and saw that the menu had red dots, indicating a new feature or reward.
[Profile Information]
Name: Yuan Kai
Title: Little Conqueror
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Age: 17
Status: Normal
Cultivation: Bodybuilding Stage
Physical Strength: 100
Stamina: 50
Conquered Woman: Sakazuki Reika
Cocombine: Xia Mae Ling [New]
Conquered Domain: 0
Crew: Xia Chen [New]
It appears that 2 features were added: cocombine and crew.
'So if I get a girl without the assistance of the system, they will become my cocombine? What if I want them to be the main wife? What about their conquered points?'
He clicked on Mae Ling's name and her information appeared.
Name: Xia Mae Ling
Age: 16
Conquered: 100/100
Romance: ???/100 (Obsessed)
Status: Virgin
Cultivation: None.
Kai let out a loud exclamation, causing Mae Ling to startle awake.
"What's wrong, Senior Brother?" she asked, looking at Kai's dumbfounded face.
"It's... nothing," Kai stuttered, hugging Mae Ling tightly as she settled back into sleep.
In his mind, Kai couldn't help but wonder about Mae Ling's mysterious Romance points. "What the hell does 'obsessed' mean? And why is there a question mark? Does that mean her Romance points exceed 100? But we just met earlier, how does any of this make sense?" Kai thought to himself.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Kai blurted out, "Mae Ling, do you... like me?"
Mae Ling casually replied, "Why do you ask?"
Kai scratched the back of his head nervously before answering, "I'm just curious, that's all."
With a contented smile, Mae Ling responded, "Senior Brother, if you're asking whether I love you, then maybe? I can't really tell since this is my first time experiencing these feelings. But your face keeps appearing in my mind during class, and I couldn't shake it off. I even got scolded by my teacher for staring blankly with drool dripping from the corner of my mouth."
"Drool? Because of me?" Kai was taken aback.
Mae Ling chuckled mischievously. "Look in the mirror, Senior Brother. If you were a bad person, I'd be doomed because I fell for your handsomeness. But it seems like that's not the case."
Confused, Kai questioned, "What do you mean? I am a bad person, you know? I already have Rei, and now I'm getting involved with you."
Mae Ling rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, right, my bad. You're definitely a bad person. Taking advantage of your cute little junior when she's distressed... even baring your fangs just to get me. Lucky for you, I'm obsessed with your handsomeness. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me, or maybe I'm just feeling horny, I don't know."
Mae Ling tilted her head, deep in thought. "But hey, if my friend Lu Fang Er finds out, she'll definitely scold me!"
Kai was taken aback as he didn't know how to react. He was really unaware of the drastic change in his life. He was already handsome to begin with but because of him achieving the bodybuilding stage and the mysterious aura that was leaking because of the Little Conqueror, it enhanced his charm even more and it became fatal to those virgin young girls. He doesn't know that he could seduce any young girl who doesn't have any experience just by using his face. Kai was also unaware that what he did earlier to Mae Ling was enough to make her surrender. That's why there's not much resistance in Mae Ling, who was the victim of his charm.
"But seriously, I can't believe you took advantage of your cute junior in her time of need. I expected you to save me, the distressed heroine, first before any romantic feelings develop. Then, as the oblivious protagonist, you would act like you don't know I'm falling for you, and we would continue being friends. Only after facing various trials and tribulations would you finally confess your feelings for me. But you skipped all those events," Mae Ling said, shaking her head.
"Well, those things happen in novels like that, but I'm not them... And aren't you deviating from the script too? You should act more like a typical heroine, not a side character going wild for the protagonist," Kai responded with a mischievous smirk.
"Senior Brother, what do you know? I'm a woman with big dreams. If I have a chance to have a prince-like boyfriend like you, I'll gladly take it. Imagine yourself in my shoes, if a beautiful woman offered you the same thing, wouldn't you take it?" Mae Ling questioned.
"Well, it depends. I'd probably think she had some ulterior motives. Why would she want to be with an ordinary student like me?" Kai pondered.
"You really make it hard for people to please you, don't you? Forget it, Senior Brother. I've already chosen you as my prince charming. Isn't that enough? Don't question it again. You might realize I'm not good enough for you and dump me," Mae Ling expressed her concerns.
"I already told you I wouldn't do that," Kai replied, his brow furrowing.
"I know," Mae Ling responded, sticking out her tongue playfully.
She buried her face in Kai's chest, slipping into dreamland once again, feeling content in his presence.