Slight Misunderstanding

Three weeks passed by in a flash.

The system notified him that he was Level 2. To that, Han Ganxing was uninterested.

He stared at the affection bar in front of him.

Affection: 99%

For the first two weeks, the pair had gone on endless dates, ones which were more carefully planned than the first. They had infinitely more fun, and Han Ganxing felt that her heart grew closer to him each day. At last, her affection percentage reached 99%.

Han Ganxing had endless anticipation over what would happen.

Yet, for the last week, the affection bar didn't move an inch. Even though they had gone on more dates than before, the bar just wouldn't budge.

Shi Wenyang enjoyed the dates, for sure. Han Ganxing saw her happy expression each time he proposed they go, and the satisfied expression when they were done.

"...Maybe she doesn't enjoy them as much as she did before. Maybe, she doesn't even enjoy them at all anymore. Is she pretending...?"

.....

Shi Wenyang contemplated hard on her own bed.

Earlier this morning, she went out on a stroll with Han Ganxing again. However, the whole day, a troubled expression was on his face. No matter how much she asked, he would answer, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"What's troubling him so much? Is he... fed up of hanging out with me? No, no, that can't be right. He's the one initiating them anyway, if he's fed up, he can simply stop. Well, I wouldn't like that though..."

Rolling around her bed, Shi Wenyang attempted to shake her brain up so that it could generate more ideas.

"Oh! Is he... troubled about the upcoming Pre Winter Competition then?"

The more Shi Wenyang thought about it, the more it made sense.

The Pre Winter Competition, a week long event held every year before winter. Only cultivators that had a 5th Stage Cultivation, the Red Centera, had the right to enter.

"His father probably urged him to join since he already meets the requirements.

Ah, that Ganxing, if he was so scared, he should just told me!"

Shi Wenyang was a 6th Stage cultivator, a level that no one among her peers have reached yet. As such, she took part in the Pre Winter Competition the previous year, being the only one under the age of 20 to do so.

Of course, she was kind of nervous. Everyone else was already an adult. As the only teen in the competition, how could it not have been nerve-wracking for her?

However, Han Ganxing's words of encouragement to her at that time motivated her sufficiently, helping her clinch the 3rd place out of a hundred participants, even only as a Red Centera cultivator.

And now, she had the opportunity to do the same to him.

...Well, they were also competitors now, so it would be kind of awkward, but Shi Wenyang didn't care about such things.

She resolved herself to motivate him first thing in the morning!

.....

Knock, knock.

"Young Master, the Young Mistress of the Shi clan has come to visit-"

Before the maid could finish her words, Shi Wenyang barged into the room. It could be said that the Han residence was her second home, owing to how many times she visited since she was a child.

A loud snoring sound startled Shi Wenyang. Only then did she realize that Han Ganxing was still fast asleep.

His body was curled up neatly in the bed, his blanket creaseless as it covered his body.

"...He's a really behaved sleeper."

Hearing her voice, Han Ganxing opened his eyes immediately. "W, Wenwen?"

Shi Wenyang shot a questioning look at the recently woken up Han Ganxing. "Were you pretending?"

"H, huh?" He stuttered as his eyes struggled to remain open. His hands hid a yawn that came out without his control.

"Nevermind that." Shi Wenyang shook her head. "Let's talk after you actually wake up."

She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Han Ganxing carefully waited a few seconds, after which he let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't easy to fool her.

She couldn't find out that he stayed up all night thinking of her! She could never find out!

Han Ganxing got off from his bed, as energetic as ever.

.....

"...and so and such, you can do it!"

Sparkles glimmered in Shi Wenyang's eyes as she gave her motivational speech to Han Ganxing.

On the other hand, he was dumbfounded.

Had she noticed that I was acting a bit off lately, and assumed it had some sort of connection to the Pre Winter Competition? Well, it is true that my father suggested that I join, and I agreed.

However, silly girl, my sleepless nights are not because of some competition... it's because of you.

Also...

"Aren't you just reciting what I said to you last year, verbatim?"

"Ah..." Shi Wenyang didn't expect Han Ganxing to catch her red-handed. After all, a year already passed, him not remembering what he said should be normal, right?

Meanwhile, Han Ganxing was flattered. She actually memorized what I said to her... It means she really took it to heart!

Looking at Shi Wenyang's embarrassed face, Han Ganxing realized something.

Ah, even if the affection bar isn't moving, that doesn't mean she isn't enjoying the dates! If that was the case, it would be going down instead of staying still.

Besides, who said I had to finish this immediately? I should savor every second... I don't need to rush.

And thus, Han Ganxing's worries had been resolved, for now.

.....

In the mountains not far from Corner Town, an old hermit lived in a cabin.

He observed the sky from his porch, sitting on his wooden rocking chair.

Stroking his beard, his eyebrows furrowed. The longer he watched the sky, the more he felt something was wrong.

The clouds were tumultuous, exuding a subtle fury. They were darker than the usual shade of gray they would have. A spiraling figure was prominent, it moved with too much speed.

A sudden breeze swept by the old hermit; he shivered uncontrollably.

"...Seems like an early winter."