"Thank you for your kindness," Gao Yang smiled politely, "but I must decline."
"Alright," Liu Qingying was not surprised. She stepped back and sat down once more. "If you ever change your mind, feel free to let me know."
The woman smiled faintly, "After all, I have great confidence in my gift. A beautiful dream, combined with charm, can bring unrestrained pleasure without any tangible risks."
"Indeed," Gao Yang replied.
"You may not believe this, but there was once someone willing to pay fifty Wujin to share a dream with me, and I turned him down."
"I believe it. You are very captivating."
Gao Yang wasn't flattering her; it was the truth. But he was a man of principles and caution. As an orphan who had crossed into this world, Gao Yang had come to realize something after experiencing "family": oftentimes, emotions are far more dangerous than sheer force.
Even in a cooperative relationship, even in a dream, who could guarantee that intimacy wouldn’t evolve into deeper feelings, eventually leading one to become a slave to love?
As someone with no romantic experience, facing a worldly beauty like Liu Qingying—who had seen it all and possessed deep cunning, not to mention the ability to wield a power of enchantment—he feared he might be devoured, leaving not even bones behind.
"Honestly, thinking of me this way hurts a little," Liu Qingying began reading his thoughts again.
But Gao Yang didn't mind. He wanted to make his stance clear, forcing her to give up on tempting him.
"So, is our deal settled?" Liu Qingying asked.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"It is. But don't hold out too much hope," Gao Yang said. "By the end, I might not sell you a single piece of information."
"No problem. Business is business, but we can still be friends," she smiled. "However, sitting face to face like this doesn't really work in your favor. The moment you get distracted and think of something, I might pick up on it, even if it's not precise."
"Thank you for the warning, but I have my own methods."
Gao Yang closed his eyes and entered the system.
[Beep——]
[Entering system]
—Relax, don't exit, just stay idle.
[Yes]
...
Liu Qingying was stunned. What had he done? Suddenly, his mind was a complete void! How was this possible? Even a meditation master couldn't wipe out all traces of thought, yet he had entered a state akin to Zen in just a second. This young man was unfathomable.
Meanwhile, inside the system, Gao Yang was fuming.
—Damn! Damn! Damn! This woman is too cunning, I almost fell for her trap!
—And she even saw my nightmare earlier! How embarrassing! How mortifying!
[Your emotions are too agitated.]
—Wait, isn't this a dream? The system exists even in dreams?
[The system's existence is not bound by time, space, or any state of energy.]
—Ah, I see. So in that nightmare, when you told me the luck point reward was increased by 3000 times, that was real too?
[The time spent in the dream runs parallel to reality and is valid.]
—Check my luck points.
[You currently have 160 luck points.]
—That many!
—Makes sense. Fighting with my dream-sister took at least three minutes, which is 0.05 hours. With the 3000x multiplier, that's 150 points. Plus, more than 10 hours had passed in real-time, making it a total of 160 points.
—A blessing in disguise, huh. Can I exploit this loophole and keep farming luck points?
[No. The bonus effect of dangerous environments created by mental talents like dreams and illusions only applies the first time.]
—You are as strict as ever.
[It is my duty.]
—160 luck points... I'll save them for now. Better to accumulate more and use them to comprehend a new ability.
...
Liu Qingying, a seasoned veteran, did not lose her composure. She quietly waited, hoping Gao Yang would reveal something—anything. But he gave away no clues, not even stray thoughts.
She suddenly regretted her earlier openness. If she had known he was this formidable, she wouldn't have told him about her mind-reading abilities in the dream. But with his intellect, he would have figured it out soon enough. And once he realized she was hiding something, he would surely end their cooperation. Upon reflection, being honest had been the right choice.