Chapter 95

As spiritual forms awakened, ability users gained strong powers, and their attributes affected their bodies in various ways.

For instance, fire ability users had higher body temperatures, ice users had lower body temperatures. Wood ability users rarely got sick, and like water users, had excellent skin and generally attractive appearances, exuding a natural charm. Earth and metal users had stronger physical constitutions and could endure longer in combat even when mentally exhausted.

Lotus’s spiritual form granted Xu Qiao dual water and wood abilities. The combined effects on her body were aesthetically pleasing but not very practical in combat terms.

It’s certainly enviable that wood-type ability users rarely get sick, but in terms of skin, looks, and overall aura, in the context of the New Era, it can’t compare to the practical benefits of the enhanced constitution provided by earth and metal types.

Previously, Xu Qiao didn’t pay much attention to these things because they were beyond her control. Besides, even if superficial, good skin, attractive looks, and a pleasant demeanor were still advantages, and she had no reason to resent her own abilities for this.

However, that evening, as Qin Chi tightly held her hand, Xu Qiao realized for the first time a downside to her constitution.

Good skin condition meant fine texture, making Qin Chi’s touch even more sensitive. Additionally, her body temperature was low, making Qin Chi’s palm feel even hotter.

Qin Chi was right in front of her, kneeling on one knee, with only a cushion between them.

His gaze, warm with emotion, was even harder for Xu Qiao to withstand than the heat of his palm.

If this continued, Xu Qiao felt she might get scorched by him.

With little strength, Xu Qiao tried to pull her hand away, feeling parched.

Qin Chi cooperatively released his cool grip, looking at her and asking, “Do you not like this, or does my body temperature make you uncomfortable?”

Xu Qiao shook her head, softly saying, “Too fast.”

His confession had come so suddenly, like a wave crashing over her. She needed time to process that he really liked her.

Qin Chi said, “Got it. So, shall we first establish our relationship? We can take our time developing our feelings. I’m not in a hurry for anything else; it’s all about how you feel.”

This time, Xu Qiao nodded.

Qin Chi smiled, “Thank you, I’m very happy.”

Xu Qiao glanced at him, recalling his behavior that night, and said, “Really? I thought you had already been happy for a while.”

Would he have cornered her so assertively if he wasn’t sure she had feelings for him too?

Qin Chi replied, “I only knew you had a good impression of me, but it could have just been simple friendliness towards a teammate or an older neighbor. I wasn’t sure.”

Xu Qiao said, “Weren’t sure but still dared to confess? Aren’t you afraid I’d reject you and we couldn’t even be teammates anymore?”

Qin Chi answered, “If we couldn’t be teammates, I could still be your healer and you my patient. With your personality, you wouldn’t push a patient like me away.”

Xu Qiao said, “… So you already had a backup plan.”

Qin Chi said, “So thank you for letting me avoid using that backup plan.”

Xu Qiao’s face felt hot, but her heart couldn’t deny the sweetness.

“Alright, you should go back now,” Xu Qiao said, checking her wristband to remind him. What if the fire dragon fell asleep early and the lotus returned home ahead of time?

Qin Chi stood up.

Xu Qiao had just let out a sigh of relief when she heard him say, “Aren’t you going to see me off?”

Xu Qiao said, “… Walk yourself out.”

Qin Chi asked, “Why does a partner get worse treatment than a teammate or neighbor?”

Xu Qiao said, “Really? Then let’s go back to being teammates.”

Just as she finished speaking, a large hand suddenly landed on her head, ruffling her hair before letting go, leaving a parting comment, “Goodnight, partner Xu Qiao.”

Xu Qiao laughed.

Listening to him close the door as he returned to room 102 across the hall, Xu Qiao finally lay down on the sofa with the cushion in her arms.

It wasn’t long before Qin Chi sent a message: [My mental entity has long regarded you as a partner. When do you plan to tell the lotus?]

Xu Qiao thought for a moment and replied: [It should accept you. The fire dragon might be a bit more difficult.]

When the lotus upgraded to ninety-nine petals, it could have shown her first, but it insisted on waiting until Qin Chi was there, showing that Qin Chi was also very important to it.

This was normal, considering Qin Chi’s kindness to her was something the lotus felt along with her. If Xu Qiao hadn’t worried about misunderstanding Qin Chi’s intentions and intentionally summoned the lotus several times while analyzing Qin Chi’s behavior, the lotus would have long realized that her feelings for Qin Chi were more than just simple friendship.

However, the fire and water resistance manifested more prominently in mental entities, making the lotus fear the fire dragon like it feared an S-class phoenix.

Qin Chi replied: [It’s alright, as long as you two accept me.]

Mental entities are manifestations of an ability user’s mental strength, having emotions but not desires and needs of that nature. Once two ability users have feelings for each other, their mental entities naturally get close and consider the other a partner, though the expression of this closeness can vary and not all mental entities cling to each other.

Xu Qiao said: [No wonder the fire dragon keeps spraying fire at you.]

Qin Chi replied: [You should worry that it might want to cling to you next.]

Ability users might still treat their mental entities as pets, but to mental entities, the other ability user and their mental entity are both partners.

Xu Qiao was stunned.

She could accept a small fire dragon coiling around her arm, but if a meter-long fire dragon wrapped around her like it did with Qin Chi, with its serpentine body…

Qin Chi said: [Of course, it’s just a way for it to show closeness. It looks special but has a simple mind like the lotus.]

Xu Qiao said: [You need to make it clear; I can’t accept that right now.]

Qin Chi replied: [I will, but you know it doesn’t listen to me well. It might think I’m slandering it. Your direct refusal might work better.]

Xu Qiao said: [Wouldn’t that make it feel rejected? It might be worse than being slandered by you.]

Qin Chi said: [Or let the lotus handle it. It likes being scolded by the lotus.]

Xu Qiao checked the time; it was almost ten o’clock and decided to end the chat with Qin Chi.

Lying in bed, Xu Qiao silently waited, her mind filled with uncontrollable thoughts.

The lotus calmly hypnotized the fire dragon for an hour, and it too was in a very calm state, ready to sleep at any moment. But once it returned to Xu Qiao, it synced with her thoughts, alternating between images of the phoenix and the fire dragon, and mostly Qin Chi—Qin Chi calling her in the living room, Qin Chi kneeling on one knee, blocking her on the sofa.

Xu Qiao’s heart was pounding rapidly, causing the lotus flower to follow suit in its agitation.

As sweet feelings surged within Xu Qiao, the lotus flower mirrored her sweetness.

The lotus flower jumped out in surprise, turned on the light, and saw Xu Qiao’s current state: her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were moist and sparkling.

Lotus: [Is this what it feels like to like someone?]

Since she couldn’t hide it, Xu Qiao didn’t conceal it from her mental entity. She leaned against the headboard, holding the small green vase from the bedside table in her arms, and said to the lotus flower’s bloom, “Yes, he is great, isn’t he?”

Lotus: [Yes, he is great. I like him too, but he’s too hot for you to handle.]

Xu Qiao’s face turned even redder as she grabbed a leaf to absorb its coolness. “We’re not at that stage yet, no need to think that far.”

Lotus: [Alright, when that time comes, I’ll go outside.]

The phoenix would bully the black scorpion back into Meng Qiuyan’s body, and if the fire dragon dared to disturb it, it would swat the fire dragon away with its leaves.

Lotus: [If only it were a water dragon, we would be more suitable for a water-type partner.]

Xu Qiao said, “You can tell me that, but don’t say it in front of Qin Chi and the fire dragon. They would be hurt.”

Lotus: [I understand, don’t worry.]

With the lotus flower’s help, Xu Qiao slept well that night. However, the next morning, when she received Qin Chi’s message inviting her to breakfast, her heart started to race again.

She stood in front of the wardrobe, unsure of what to wear.

Maybe Qin Chi was right; sometimes being a partner was more troublesome than being a teammate. As a teammate, she didn’t have to worry about what to wear.

The lotus flower pointed to a green dress.

Xu Qiao said, “It’s so cool in the morning, wearing a dress would seem too intentional.”

One person alone has trouble choosing, and with a mental entity, it becomes doubly difficult. In the end, Xu Qiao picked an ordinary everyday outfit like before, splashed some cold water on her face that was heating up even before seeing Qin Chi, took a deep breath, and went out.

The door to 102 was half-open. Xu Qiao pushed it open, and the living room was quiet except for some noise from the kitchen.

She greeted, closed the door, and as she bent down to change into slippers, a gold-red shadow flew over, and Xu Qiao suddenly felt her body tighten. When she came to her senses, she found herself tightly wrapped by a gold-red dragon from her calf to her waist, with the end of the dragon’s body pressing against her heart and draped over her left shoulder.

The warm, hard touch of dragon scales on the back of her neck made Xu Qiao freeze, not daring to look at the dragon head peeking over her right shoulder.

Just as the fire dragon was about to nuzzle her fair cheek, the lotus flower angrily emerged, its four leaves fiercely swatting at the gold-red dragon body constricting Xu Qiao: [Get down! You can’t touch her!]

The fire dragon, though bewildered, complied and slithered away, leaving Xu Qiao with a heavy, sliding sensation from its scales all over her body.

When Qin Chi rushed over, he saw Xu Qiao shuddering violently, her clothes a bit disheveled.

His face changed, and he forcibly pulled back the fire dragon that was still trying to circle the lotus flower. “Sorry, I warned it,” he said.

Since the fire dragon returned at five in the morning and discovered Xu Qiao had agreed, it had been in an extremely excited state, making it hard for Qin Chi to suppress. He had to repeatedly stress the boundaries, and after holding back the fire dragon’s urgent desire to see Xu Qiao for over two hours, he had no reason to stop it once Xu Qiao walked in.

Xu Qiao, though startled, remained rational, knowing the fire dragon’s embrace was without malice.

She shook her head at Qin Chi, casually tidying her clothes.

The lotus flower was furious: [Even if you two are partners, it can’t do that without Xu Qiao’s consent!]

Qin Chi said, “You’re right. As punishment, I’ll suppress it for a while. How long do you think is appropriate?”

The lotus flower returned to Xu Qiao’s body, letting her decide.

Xu Qiao said, “… Until before the captain and others return this evening?”

Punishment was necessary to ensure the fire dragon understood boundaries, but she worried that too long a suppression would increase the black mist in its mental world, worsening Qin Chi’s beastification.

Qin Chi said, “… You’re too kind to it.”

Xu Qiao couldn’t help but glare at him.

If it were a stranger’s mental entity, she might be angry enough to disperse it. But the fire dragon was his mental entity, after all.