Chapter 8: Insufficient Affection, No Peeking
“Does this personally mean what I think it means?”
Curious but apprehensive, Chen Huai’an chose to use the option.
“Ah, Senior is going to personally heal me?”
He saw Li Qingran freeze, her delicate face turning beet red. The young woman quickly waved her hands.
“Li Qingran is unworthy of such attention! I can handle it myself…”
Four dialogue options popped up:
＜Hurry it up; I’m busy!＞
＜You dare defy me, girl? Tired of living? Mwahaha!＞
＜Spend ¥300 to purchase a Transmission Talisman for custom dialogue.＞
He felt like the game developers were practically reaching into his bank account at this point.
Spending ¥300 here would truly be insanity. After weighing his choices, he selected the first option. It was the only one that seemed halfway normal, even if a bit domineering.
After making his selection, he didn’t hear his voice, but Li Qingran seemed to react. Her eyes showed fear before she took a half-step back, lowering her head like a scolded child. She nervously fiddled with her clothes and mumbled softly:
“Very well… but my body is filthy. May I wash up first before Senior bestows this healing upon me?”
Although cultivators normally wouldn’t have bodily odors, Li Qingran had been through a rough half-month. Her disheveled hair and mud-streaked clothes bore dried bloodstains. Letting her benefactor heal her in such a state was beyond her tolerance.
She perked up her ears, awaiting his response.
Four new options appeared:
Options one and four were immediately off the table.
Chen Huai’an hesitated between the second and third options. If he chose the third, would Li Qingran actually take her top off? It looked like she was only wearing one layer.
If he chose the second, she would go to bathe. Would he be able to watch?
No wonder this game required players to be 18 or older. There might actually be unspeakable VIP content.
But was Chen Huai’an the kind of person who would exploit this? He played this game and spent money on it because Li Qingran, despite being a mere collection of data, gave him emotional solace. She was the last ray of light in his despair-ridden life.
Besides, Li Qingran already looked beautiful as she was.
Washing up would only enhance her beauty.
He definitely wasn’t interested in sneaking a peek at the bathroom.
The in-game Li Qingran blushed and nodded.
“Th-Then I’ll go now…”
The bathroom, previously absent, appeared nearby. She had already checked it out during her earlier exploration of the house and found it fully equipped with washing supplies. As someone who valued cleanliness, she had long wished to freshen up but had never felt at ease until now.
Standing in front of the bronze mirror, she stared at her reflection.
As she began to untie her clothes, her fingers froze at her chest, and a deep blush spread from her cheeks to her ears.
She bit her lip and lowered her gaze, thinking:
Senior possesses divine abilities. He foresaw the demonic wolf’s attack, sent spirit stones and elixirs when I was bleeding. This proves that he can see everything about me.
So… if I bathe here, won’t it also be under his watchful gaze?
“No, no way! Senior wouldn’t do such a thing!”
She shook her head vigorously.
Her cheeks burned with shame at the mere thought. If Senior wanted to take advantage of her, he wouldn’t have waited until now. Besides, Senior was likely a revered elder, possibly hundreds of years old.
Just because his voice sounded youthful didn’t mean he was young in age. An elder like him wouldn’t be interested in someone like her.
With that reasoning, her embarrassment and hesitation eased considerably.
Her clothes slid from her shoulders, and as her inner garments loosened, a perfectly proportioned, alluring figure was revealed...
Chen Huai’an’s bloodshot eyes remained glued to his phone screen, his finger hovering over the bathroom interface, unsure of what to do.
He had already tested earlier—he could freely switch between rooms with a simple tap.
“Chen Huai’an, don’t become someone even you despise!”
“But it’s just a game! Food and lust are human nature!”
“You’re a cancer patient. You shouldn’t even have these urges!”
“Why not? Can’t a patient have desires?”
“I’m just worried about her safety. What if she slips in the bathroom?
What if a demonic shark or octopus suddenly appears?”
With his moral dilemma resolved, he tapped the bathroom interface.
[Insufficient affection level. Peeking unavailable.]
Chen Huai’an breathed a sigh of relief, his anxiety dissipating.
But it sparked a new thought.
“So you’re saying I could peek if the affection level was high enough?”
“Hah, as if I even want to look!”
Scoffing, he opened a random website to distract himself.
Halfway through browsing, an in-game notification popped up.
[Li Qingran has finished bathing.]
“So fast? Don’t girls usually take over half an hour?”
Chen Huai’an silently put away the tissues he had pulled out and refocused on the screen.
After a brief pause, the bathroom door opened slightly, releasing a faint mist. Then, it fully opened, and Li Qingran emerged with bare shoulders wrapped in a simple white towel.
Chen Huai’an’s attention was immediately drawn to her long, fair legs. Zooming in, he could even see water droplets sliding down her skin.
“Wow… Small dev teams and their insane skills! Hats off to the hackers!”
“Wait, is she not going to put on clean clothes?”
The scene shifted to Li Qingran kneeling on the bed, her flawless back facing the camera.
In Li Qingran’s mind, Senior was a kind but stern elderly figure, so her embarrassment wasn’t overwhelming. After consuming the Great Restoration Pill, she loosened her robe, letting it fall along her waistline.
The moment her back was exposed, her ears turned crimson.
For the Transmission and Recovery, direct contact was necessary, especially on the back, abdomen, and chest. Her body was riddled with fire poison and impurities, which would be expelled during the process.
The heat from the fire poison could easily ignite her clothes, so exposing her back was the safest choice.
Better to reveal her back than risk being completely burned, right?
Chen Huai’an stared at her bare back, utterly dumbfounded.
The game’s perspective zoomed in, showcasing her back from the nape of her neck to just above her hips. He could even make out faint blood vessels under her fair skin.
“Really? They’re testing old cadres with this?”
He grumbled, but he had to admit—the view was breathtaking.
The curves were impeccable.
But what was he supposed to do next?
Before he could dwell on it, golden acupuncture points appeared on Li Qingran’s back.
[Place your left hand on the ‘Mingmen’ point and your right hand on the ‘Qihai Shu’ point to begin the healing process.]