"Is this 'personally' the kind of 'personally' I'm thinking of?"
With a hint of doubt, Chen Huaian chose to proceed.
"Ah, senior, you're going to personally help me with my cultivation?" He saw Li Qingran suddenly freeze, her delicate face immediately turning red. The girl quickly waved her hands. "Qingran is of lowly status, how could I possibly deserve such attention from the senior? I can handle it myself…"
Four dialogue options popped up:
Chen Huaian: "..."
He felt like the game developers were practically reaching into his bank account.
If he had to spend another 300¥ here, he'd truly be insane.
After some thought, Chen Huaian chose the first option.
It was the only one that seemed somewhat normal, even if it was a bit arrogant.
After selecting the dialogue, Chen Huaian didn't hear his own voice.
But Li Qingran acted as if she had indeed heard it. Her eyes first showed fear, then she took half a step back, lowering her head timidly, as if she'd been scolded. She pinched the hem of her clothes and whispered, "Alright… but Qingran is all dirty. Could the senior allow Qingran to clean up first before starting the cultivation session?"
As a cultivator, it was impossible for her to have any unpleasant odor.
But for the past half month, she had been disheveled, her life in shambles. She was inevitably covered in dust and mud, her clothes stained with dried blood. To ask the senior to help her with cultivation in this state was something even she, thick-skinned as she was, couldn't bring herself to do.
She pricked up her ears, waiting for the senior's response.
Hmm…
First, eliminate options one and four.
Chen Huaian hesitated between options two and three.
What would happen if he chose three?
Would Li Qingran really take off her clothes? It looked like she was only wearing one layer.
If he chose two, Li Qingran would definitely go take a bath. But… would he be able to see?
No wonder the game required players to be 18 or older. There might indeed be some VIP content that couldn't be spoken of.
But was Chen Huaian that kind of pervert?
He played the game and spent money because Li Qingran, this digital character, provided him with emotional value. She was the last ray of hope in his desperate life!
Besides, Li Qingran was already beautiful even with her face smudged.
She'd be even more beautiful after washing up.
It definitely wasn't because he wanted to explore the bathroom.
Choose two!
In the game, Li Qingran blushed and nodded softly, saying, "Then… Qingran will go now."
The bathroom was right next door, though it hadn't been there before.
When she had explored the house earlier, she noticed that all the necessary bathing supplies were there. As a girl who valued cleanliness, she had long wanted to wash up but hadn't had the chance to settle down.
Entering the bathroom, she looked at herself in the bronze mirror.
Just as she was about to undress, Li Qingran's fingers paused at her chest, her blush spreading to the tips of her ears.
She bit her red lip, her head bowed as she thought: The senior was all-powerful. He had foreseen the demon wolf's attack and sent spirit stones and pills when she was spitting blood. This meant that everything about her could be seen by the senior.
In other words, if she bathed here, she would undoubtedly be exposed to the senior's gaze.
This…
"No, that can't be! The senior isn't that kind of person!"
Li Qingran shook her head vigorously.
She even felt ashamed. How could she think such a thing?
If the senior wanted to take advantage of her, why would he wait until now?
Besides, the senior was likely a venerable elder hundreds of years old. His voice might sound young, but that didn't mean he was. Such an elder would surely have no interest in a young girl like her.
With this thought, her embarrassment and hesitation faded significantly.
Her clothes slipped off her shoulders, and as her undergarments loosened, a perfectly proportioned, alluring figure was revealed…
Meanwhile.
Chen Huaian stared at his phone, his eyes red.
His finger hovered over the bathroom, hesitating.
He had already tried earlier—he could switch rooms at will.
All it took was a light tap.
"Chen Huaian, don't become someone you despise!"
"But this is just a game! Food and lust are human nature!"
"Chen Huaian, you're a cancer patient. You don't need these desires!"
"What's wrong with patients? Can't patients have desires?"
…
"I'm just worried something might happen to her in the bathroom. What if she slips?
What if a giant shark demon or octopus demon suddenly appears in the bathroom?"
With his mind made up, his finger tapped on the bathroom.
[Insufficient affection, cannot peek.]
Chen Huaian breathed a sigh of relief, his suspended heart dying.
But it quickly revived.
So, it was possible to see, but only if the affection level was high enough?
"As if I really wanted to see."
Chen Huaian scoffed, casually opening a small website to browse.
Halfway through, a notification popped up in the game.
[Li Qingran has finished bathing.]
"So fast? Don't girls usually take over half an hour to bathe?"
Chen Huaian silently put the opened tissue back, focusing his attention on the bathroom door.
After a while, the door opened a crack, and a faint steam wafted out. Then it opened fully, and Li Qingran emerged, her fragrant shoulders bare, wrapped in a plain white towel. Chen Huaian's vision was instantly filled with her long, fair legs. Zooming in, he could even see water droplets rolling down them.
"Damn! The small studio is amazing! The hacker group is amazing!"
Chen Huaian couldn't stop praising the water droplets and steam.
"By the way, isn't she going to put on new clothes?"
He saw Li Qingran kneeling on the bed, her back to the camera.
Her flawless back made him wish he could place a couple of cupping jars on it.
"S-senior, Qingran is ready…"
In Li Qingran's mind, the senior was a kind yet stern old man, so her embarrassment and psychological burden weren't too severe. However, after taking the Great Restoration Pill and loosening her robe, the fabric slid down her waist, covering her legs and hips but revealing her entire back. Her ears turned crimson.
Cultivation and healing couldn't be done through clothes, especially around the back, abdomen, and chest.
The fire poison and impurities accumulated in her body would be expelled during the cultivation session.
Since the fire poison was extremely hot and could easily ignite clothing, it was most convenient to expose her entire back.
Exposing her back was still better than having all her clothes burned off, right?
Chen Huaian stared at Li Qingran's back, completely stunned.
The game's perspective had zoomed in on her back, showing the area from the nape of her neck down to her hips.
He could even see the faintly visible blood vessels beneath her fair skin.
"Seriously? Is this how you test an old veteran?"
Though he said that, he had to admit.
This back was truly beautiful.
The curves were perfect.
But what was he supposed to do next?
Before he could wonder for long, a golden acupuncture point diagram appeared on Li Qingran's back.
[Please press 'Mingmen' with your left hand and 'Qihaishu' with your right hand to begin the cultivation session.]