Seeing Lily Lin's flushed face, Leon Chen wanted to use his mind-reading ability to find out what she was thinking. However, the person who designed this ability must have been quite the pervert, as the price for using the 108 Mind Reading Skill was a passionate kiss. This wasn't a reasonable demand for an honest guy without a girlfriend.
Leon scratched his head, a habit when he was troubled. "I'm really sorry about last time. It must have caused you a lot of trouble."
Lily Lin shook her head vigorously, "Not at all, Senior Leon!"
Lily's reaction was far beyond Leon's expectations. He thought she would hate him and want to tear him apart, but instead, she seemed grateful.
Seeing Leon's astonishment, Lily nervously explained, "Actually, I've had a fear of the opposite sex since I was young. Whenever a man gets too close, I feel nauseous..." She hurriedly added, "I don't mean you're not a man, Senior. It's just that with you, that feeling isn't as strong... like last time when you..." Lily trailed off, her cheeks burning red.
Even now, sitting next to him, there was a half-meter gap between them. It explained why she had been so shy; she wasn't used to interacting closely.
"If you could be my...um, friend...they wouldn't come near me." Lily's adorable expression made Leon chuckle, reminding him of his cute little sister.
"No problem!" Leon agreed without hesitation. "As long as you don't mind me, of course."
Lily's bright eyes widened, "Senior Leon, you really agree?"
"Why not? Lily Lin, you're the top freshman beauty this year. Being my girlfriend, I'd worry about you being disappointed."
Lily felt misunderstood and tried to explain, but Leon waved her off, "I know what you're worried about. You want to use me as a shield to keep other guys away, right?"
Lily nodded silently, realizing that Leon understood perfectly.
"Don't worry. I won't make you do any boyfriend-girlfriend things."
Lily's face turned even redder, hotter than the September sun, as she realized Leon had guessed all her thoughts.
"But won't this be a hassle for you?" Lily shook her head, still concerned.
"It's fine. I wasn't planning on dating in college anyway," Leon said nonchalantly, a hint of nostalgia in his voice, as if waiting for someone. Lily suddenly felt a pang of jealousy for the girl who had a place in Leon's heart.
Thus, in their respective thoughts, Leon and Lily's "pretend couple" relationship was established.
After chatting for a few minutes and exchanging phone numbers, Lily prepared to return to her training. She stood up, still a bit shy but visibly more relaxed.
"Being with you is really comfortable, Senior. It doesn't feel hot at all," Lily smiled like a crescent moon.
"Let me know if you need anything!" Leon said.
Lily nodded, then suddenly Leon asked, "Lily, what's your student number?"
"It's 78," Lily replied softly. "Oh, and please keep this secret."
Leon nodded, watching her leave. What a cute girl, though it was surprising she had a fear of the opposite sex. Leon poured some water into his palm, and within seconds, a thin layer of ice formed, freezing the water into small chunks.
He chewed on the ice thoughtfully.
Seventy-eight!
Leon pressed a button on his watch.
"NO78SL data loading, ability code: 'Iron Will' successfully applied…"
Iron Will?
Another ability he hadn't heard of.
Leon called Lina for support.
"Hello, this is the Heavenly Realm customer service, Lina speaking. How can I help you?" Lina's sweet voice immediately lifted Leon's spirits.
"Dear Lina, I miss you."
"Mr. Leon, how can I assist you?" Lina filtered out the endearment.
"What does the Iron Will ability do? I don't feel any changes," Leon asked curiously.
"Iron Will is a mental active ability."
"Active ability?"
"Yes, an active ability means you can use it yourself and also let others use it."
"That's great!"
"Iron Will issues a command to the brain to complete a task forcefully. Simply put, when you lack patience, courage, perseverance, or determination to complete something, this ability enhances all your emotional factors to ensure you carry out the task to achieve your goal!"
Leon's jaw dropped. "This ability sounds amazing. What's the catch?"
"You'll have to experience that for yourself," Lina said with a smile.
After ending the call with Lina, Leon pondered how to make the best use of this ability. Just as he was about to leave the field, he noticed a small commotion in the center. The handsome guy from before was trying to pull Lily aside to talk, but Lily's fear of the opposite sex made her avoid him. Her dorm mates were trying to help, blocking the boy.
Feeling embarrassed, the boy pushed through, making Lily pale with fear.
Leon felt a surge of anger and rushed over to shield Lily.
"What do you think you're doing?" Leon said coldly.
"Senior, you're here. He wants to talk to Lily privately, even though she clearly dislikes it," Lily's dorm mate complained.
"I just wanted to discuss the newspaper article with her," the boy defended.
"Discuss what? If you have something to say, talk to her boyfriend," said the dorm mate with two braids righteously.
The other students paused, staring at Leon in surprise.
Seeing Lily, who usually avoided all boys, obediently hiding behind Leon, they understood. The looks of jealousy and envy were palpable.
"So you're the one who publicly kissed..." the boy's face turned blue with anger.
"I'm her boyfriend. If you have any issues, take it up with me," Leon said firmly, surveying the crowd. "I'm a bit possessive and don't like Lily being around other men. If you really care about her, come to me instead of bothering her." He decided to play the role of the protective boyfriend fully.
Damn, that's bold!!
Not only did he steal the most popular freshman girl, but he also issued such a provocative statement. The audacity was unbelievable.
"Senior Leon," Lily whispered, tugging at his sleeve, her eyes a bit wet.
"Let's settle this once and for all," Leon smiled indifferently.
The girls were stunned. Leon seemed very honest, but who knew he could be so domineering. If it were any other playboy, they would be torn apart by now. But Leon's trustworthy demeanor gave off a strong sense of security.
Could this be the legendary love?