[Two charms identical have been detected! They will now merge into a superior rank.]
[Merging...]
A pulse of energy surged through Nie Yong's body again. This time, it wasn't subtle.
His skin grew smoother, his facial symmetry correcting itself in real time. His jaw became sharper, his cheekbones more defined, and his eyes gained a mesmerizing gleam. Even his hair seemed to fall into place perfectly, like he'd just stepped out of a heavenly barber's.
Hu Mei'er's pupils shrank. She blinked several times in disbelief.
[Your charm has been enhanced to Handsome!]
Hu Mei'er stared. She'd seen many pretty boys in her life, but this was something else. Nie Yong had just become more handsome in front of her with no warning. What the hell had she just witnessed?
"...What?" she muttered under her breath, almost hypnotized.
Nie Yong turned to her and said casually, "Like my face?"
Hu Mei'er froze.
"You know, using an illusion to hide my face all the time eats up quite a bit of Qi," he continued with a sigh. "I'm too handsome. If I don't hide it, girls won't even let me breathe in peace… sigh..."
Hu Mei'er's eyebrow twitched violently. "This guy… he's so egocentric…"
Nie Yong began walking toward her, his playful tone gone, replaced with cold eyes and a serious face again.
He was rizzing seriously now—channeling his inner Sung Jinwoo. The cold alpha stare. No emotions. Pure mystery.
"Hey, little girl," Nie Yong said, his voice low. "What's your name?"
Hu Mei'er raised a brow, irritated. "And why should I tell you it?"
Nie Yong blinked. "…Huh?"
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Jinwoo would've had her swooning by now.
"…She's not falling for it?" he thought in disbelief.
"Sigh… fine," Nie Yong gave up and scratched the back of his head. "I'll just be myself like my mom always told me..."
He smiled at her genuinely, a soft, easy smile.
"Are you sure you don't want to tell me your name?"
"Yeah." Hu Mei'er crossed her arms, still looking annoyed. 'Does he really think he can make me fall for him like this?'
Nie Yong tried again, putting a hand on his chest dramatically. "Well, it's truly unfortunate. It would've been fabulous to know the name of such an angelic creature like you—"
"Who are you calling a creature, you dip-shit?!" Hu Mei'er yelled, her face burning red with rage.
Nie Yong's eye twitched. "Hey! I'm trying my best, okay?!"
His thoughts screamed, Dammit! Why are girls always so hard to pull?!
"Then try better!" Hu Mei'er screamed, stepping forward until her face was inches from Nie Yong's, eyes blazing with fury. "Do you really think you could pull me with those fucking pitiful lines?!"
"Yeah!" Nie Yong shouted back without missing a beat, leaning in just as aggressively. "Any problem with that?!"
Their foreheads nearly touched now, both fuming, their auras clashing for dominance like two cultivators locked in a deadly bout—not with fists, but with raw, chaotic emotion.
They were yelling, for what? Even they weren't sure anymore.
And wasn't this guy supposed to be calm and mature thanks to his past life full of bitter hard work and solitude?
Somewhere deeper in the forest, a Spirit Monkey stirred from its nap in its tree, ears twitching. It blinked groggily, its annoyance mounting as the shouting continued to echo through the woods.
The monkey's eye twitched.
"Eek!"
Grabbing the nearest rock with its furry little hand, it hurled it with impressive speed toward the source of the noise.
Thunk!
"Ugh!" Nie Yong's head jolted forward from the impact, and his balance slipped in the worst possible direction—toward Hu Mei'er.
And in the next moment…
Their lips collided.
Nie Yong's face crashed right into hers, and the angry screams turned into wide-eyed silence as their mouths sealed together, both frozen in shock.
Hu Mei'er blinked. Nie Yong blinked.
The forest went quiet again.
Even the Spirit Monkey paused. "...Huh?"
Then—
"Mmmmmph?!" Hu Mei'er's muffled shriek exploded from behind their lips as she shoved Nie Yong away with all her strength, her face turning redder than a fire-attributed core.
Nie Yong stumbled back, dazed from the rock and the accidental kiss, lips slightly parted.
"...Ow," he muttered, rubbing the spot where the rock hit, but still more stunned by what just happened.
"You—you—you pervert!" Hu Mei'er screamed, her whole body shaking with embarrassment and rage.
"It was the monkey!" Nie Yong shouted back defensively, having seen the spirit monkey just now laugh in amusement. "Blame the damn monkey!"
The monkey, now halfway back up its tree, chattered and clapped in triumph. That'll teach them to scream near its nap spot.
Hu Mei'er touched her lips with her hand, her anger suddenly disappearing. She thought in her head 'His lips were so sweet…'
Nie Yong thought the same. He looked at her in passion. Nie Yong seized the occasion since he saw Hu Mei'er like that as well, just getting his face closer to hers once again.
Hu Mei'er got closer as well and sealed his lips with hers.
The kiss deepened, Nie Yong's tongue brushing against Hu Mei'er's lower lip, which she allowed without a second thought, her whole being alight with a strange, thrilling warmth she'd never felt before. His tongue explored her mouth, and she gasped into him, the sensation overwhelming yet intoxicating.
Nie Yong felt like he was falling into an endless abyss, his senses consumed entirely by the taste of her, the softness of her lips, the way her breath hitched as he pulled her closer, one hand tangling in her hair and the other sliding down her waist.
Time seemed to stop. The forest around them melted away until it was just the two of them, locked in this electric, breathless moment that neither wanted to end.
When they finally pulled apart, both panting slightly, Nie Yong opened his eyes to find Hu Mei'er staring back at him with wide, confused eyes. Her face was flushed, a deep crimson that made her even more breathtaking.
"So... it was a monkey?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Nie Yong blinked, coming back to his senses. He glanced around, suddenly remembering where they were and how this had all started.
"Yeah... a monkey," he said, almost dazed, pointing at the retreating spirit monkey. "That spirit monkey right there threw a rock."
Hu Mei'er followed his gaze, spotting the monkey now chattering in a tree nearby. "Oh," she said softly, her hand still touching her lips.
They both stood there for a moment, the air thick with unspoken words. Nie Yong could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and from the look on Hu Mei'er's face, she was just as affected.
"Um…" Nie Yong cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward. "So, about your name…?"
Hu Mei'er looked up at him, her expression shifting between embarrassment and something softer. "Hu Mei'er," she said finally, her voice quiet.
She was saying, but then she realized that she didn't know his name. "Nice to meet you too—"
"Nie Yong…" he said.
To be continued...
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Guys, I am trying to return to my full of irony style, am I doing a good job?
Also, in the previous fanfic I rushed their relationship too much, so I tried to fix it up like this, did I cook or not?