Knock. Knock.
The soft tapping on the door stirred me from the depths of sleep.
"Zhen Huan," came Meng Ruo's gentle voice. "Can I come in?"
I blinked the drowsiness from my eyes. "Oh—yeah, come in."
The door creaked open, and Meng Ruo stepped in, dressed in a flowing nightrobe of pale blue. She moved quietly, almost hesitantly, before sitting beside me on the edge of the bed.
I sat up slightly. "Ahm… what brings you here?"
Her eyes lowered. "Are you going to leave tomorrow?"
"Yeah," I said with a slow nod. "I have my own path to follow… my own goal."
She was quiet for a moment. Then, with a soft voice tinged with emotion, she asked, "About what my mother said… about us being a couple—can we pretend, just for a while?"
My brow rose. "Wh-what? Why?"
She bit her lip, her gaze troubled. "My grandfather… he wants to marry me off to the Lin Family. I don't want that. If you help me… if we pretend to be together, maybe I can escape this."
I frowned. "But why can't your mother stop it?"
"She doesn't agree with it either. But my grandfather… he controls the clan. She can't go against him directly."
I sighed, then reached out and gently patted her head. "Alright. I'll help. But how exactly?"
"I'll tell him I'm in love with you, that we're already a couple," she said. "And you… you'll say that you'll return to marry me officially. That way, he'll back off—for now."
I raised an eyebrow. "And if he tries to kill me for that lie?"
Meng Ruo smiled faintly. "He won't. Not if he thinks you're serious."
I hesitated, then gave a reluctant smile. "Alright. It sounds risky… but I'll do it."
"Thank you, Zhen Huan," she whispered. "One more thing…"
She looked away shyly. "Can I stay here tonight? If someone sees us, it will make the story more convincing."
My face flushed, but I nodded. "If you're okay with it."
She nodded silently, then slipped under the covers beside me. We both turned away slightly, the air between us thick with quiet uncertainty.
But eventually, the stillness settled into something peaceful.
---
The Next Morning
"Zhen Huan, wake up."
I stirred to the sound of Meng Ruo's voice and her hand gently shaking my shoulder.
"Mmm… is it morning already?"
She giggled softly. "Yes. Come on, we have a scene to play."
I got ready quickly, then we stepped out into the warm light of morning—hand in hand.
As we entered the Meng Clan's Main Hall, dozens of family members turned their heads. Their eyes widened at the sight of us walking together. I felt my face flush, but I held Meng Ruo's hand firmly.
At the head of the hall sat Meng Ruo's grandfather, flanked by clan elders and Meng Yuelan. His face was unreadable, like chiseled stone.
Meng Ruo stepped forward. "Grandfather, I don't want to marry into the Lin Family."
The elder's brows rose. "And why is that?"
"Because…" She took a breath, squeezed my hand. "Because I love Zhen Huan."
The hall erupted in murmurs.
Her grandfather's expression hardened. "Love him? But he holds no status… no qualification. His cultivation is even beneath yours."
Meng Ruo was about to protest, but I gently stepped forward.
"Why do I have no qualifications?" I asked.
Then, inwardly, I called upon the system: How many breakthroughs can I make?
Ding!
Host, you can make five breakthroughs.
Do four, I ordered.
Ding!
Deducted 10,000 XP… breakthroughs in progress…
A surge of spiritual energy exploded within me. My meridians expanded like rushing rivers, my senses sharpened, and my spirit power doubled… quadrupled.
Ding!
You have broken through to Qi Refining – 9th Layer.
+280 Strength
+200 Agility
+120 Spiritual Energy
+45 HP Regen/minute
Current XP: 4,870
I exhaled slowly and looked the elder in the eyes. "Now, tell me—do I still lack the qualifications?"
Gasps echoed through the hall. Even Meng Ruo's mother looked stunned.
The elder stared at me with narrowed eyes. "You advanced… four levels? Instantly?"
"It's just a little trick," I said calmly.
Inside, the old man thought, Who is this boy…? No one normal can do that.
"I respect the Meng Clan," I continued. "But I have my own journey to complete. I will return for Meng Ruo… and until then, I ask for your understanding."
With that, I turned and began to walk away.
But just as I reached the threshold of the hall—
"Wait."