Chapter 178 I Want...You!

"Something feels… off!"

Ning Xi was worried that Ye Fan might propose something overly unreasonable. At that time, whether she agreed or not, it would be awkward. So, she simply closed her eyes and said, "You're not allowed to do things that couples do. Besides that, anything else is fine."

Hearing this, Ye Fan couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

"You… what are you laughing at?"

Ning Xi opened her eyes, feeling quite annoyed. "Anyway, you're not allowed to take advantage of me. We're just good friends now, not… not…"

At this point, she simply couldn't say it.

Ye Fan asked knowingly, "Not what?"

"You…"

Ning Xi was speechless. From the smile on Ye Fan's face, she could clearly tell that he was deliberately teasing her. She stomped her foot. "Move aside! I want to go home."

"I haven't told you my condition yet."

"Then say it!"

"Hug me."

"…"

Ning Xi was stunned for a full few seconds, then repeatedly shook her head. "N-no way, that's not possible. Didn't I tell you not to take advantage of me? Why are you still…"

"Hug me."

Ye Fan's face was filled with a smile.

"It really isn't possible."

Ning Xi blushed, the embarrassment in her gaze as moving as a flowing river. "Ye Fan, w-we're just good friends right now, and we're still young. We can't do such intimate things. Can't you change to another condition?"

"Change it?"

Ye Fan ended his wall-pressing pose, scratched his head with a troubled expression, and seriously thought for over ten seconds. Then he blinked at Ning Xi and tentatively asked, "How about a kiss?"

"…"

Ning Xi's chest heaved violently, the curve of her figure startling. She gritted her teeth and glared at Ye Fan. "Change it again!"

"Still no?"

"What do you think?"

"Actually, I think it's pretty good."

"Good my foot! This one… is clearly even more excessive than the last!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Ye Fan sighed and said, "In that case, how about a hug and a kiss? That should work, right?"

"…"

Ning Xi was completely dumbfounded and shouted angrily, "You… do you believe I'll bite you?!"

Seeing Ning Xi baring her fangs and claws, Ye Fan secretly laughed inside but furrowed his brow as if it were a real dilemma. "Fine, I'll think of something else."

"Can't you think of something normal?"

Ning Xi was afraid Ye Fan would stray further down the wrong path and quickly suggested, "Like having a meal, going shopping, or me giving you a gift. Those are all fine. The things you just suggested are absolutely not allowed!"

"Alright, I've thought of one."

"What?"

Feeling the girl's curious gaze, Ye Fan smiled brightly, held her hand, and said, "You can give me a gift."

Ning Xi didn't struggle.

At this moment, she didn't have the time to care about such things. After hearing Ye Fan's condition, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sure!"

Ning Xi agreed very quickly and cleanly.

Ye Fan raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips, and his eyes lit up mischievously. "Aren't you going to ask me what gift I want?"

Ning Xi obediently asked, "What gift do you want?"

"I want… you!"

"…"

Meeting Ye Fan's gaze, Ning Xi leaned against the wall, completely stunned.

Just like that, the two of them stared at each other for nearly a minute. As Ning Xi let out a delicate yell, Ye Fan took off running, and he was fast—very fast!

"Stop right there! I'm going to bite you!"

"You'll have to catch me first."

"You… shameless!"

Under the setting sun, the chase between the boy and the girl became the most beautiful scene of this brief moment in time.

…

In the end, Ning Xi bit Ye Fan on the hand, finally venting her frustration.

Watching the departing car, Ye Fan rubbed the faint teeth marks on his left hand, his face full of warmth.

Once the car disappeared from view, he didn't head straight home but walked toward the nearby bookstore instead.

The "Fountain of Inspiration" skill hadn't been fully utilized yet. Ye Fan's experience points had already reached 1,378. Even if he didn't reach 2,000 points today, it wouldn't be far off.

Having experienced the power of the "Fountain of Inspiration" skill, Ye Fan was filled with motivation.

One word—grind!

In a corner of the bookstore, Ye Fan sat on the ground without any image concerns, a large pile of books next to him.

His page-turning movements were lightning-fast. Shua shua shua!

"Read for ten minutes, experience +1."

"Finished reading, experience +35."

"Finished reading, experience +40."

…

"Ding—"

"The 'Fountain of Inspiration' time limit has ended."

As the system prompt sounded in his mind, Ye Fan let out a breath.

An hour of intense reading was honestly quite taxing on his eyes.

But for the sake of experience points, it was worth it no matter how tiring it was.

Before Ye Fan could think more, the system's voice rang out in his mind again.

"Accumulated reading of one thousand books—reward: 1,000 experience points."

"Experience points have reached 2,000. You can upgrade any ability. Please choose."

Hearing this prompt, Ye Fan was stunned for a moment. Then a look of surprise flashed across his face, and he immediately pulled up his attribute panel.

[Host]: Ye Fan

[Knowledge]: Level 3 (0/2000)

[Intelligence]: Level 3 (0/2000)

[Stamina]: Level 3 (0/2000)

[Medical Skills]: Level 3 (0/2000)

[Merit Points]: 80

[Experience Points]: 2826

[Skill]: Fountain of Inspiration

"2,826 experience points? Not bad!"

Ye Fan hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise. He asked the system in his mind, "System, there's an accumulated reward for reading books?"

System: "Of course. Didn't you know?"

"…"

Ye Fan's eyelid twitched twice. He was speechless.

How was he supposed to know!!!

System: "Oh, my bad. I forgot."

"…"

This system—could it get any less reliable?

Ye Fan rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly. "Better late than never."

System: "Reading 1,000 books rewards 1,000 experience points. Reading 5,000 books rewards 10,000 experience points. Reading 10,000 books rewards 50,000 experience points. There are three stages of rewards. Host, you have already reached the first stage. Keep it up."

Ye Fan nodded slightly.

Not bad!

It was a pleasant surprise. Free experience points—who wouldn't want them?

Just as Ye Fan was about to upgrade his intelligence, a voice pulled him back to reality.

The bookstore owner, Han Chunli, squatted down and began to pick up the books from the floor, muttering as she did so, "Go home and eat already. It's almost dark, and I need to close up."

Ye Fan smiled sheepishly and quickly helped her clean up.

By the time he got home, it was already seven o'clock in the evening.

Ignoring his growling stomach, Ye Fan put down his backpack and flopped onto the sofa.

"System, I want to upgrade intelligence."

System: "Consuming 2,000 experience points, intelligence has successfully been upgraded to Level 4."

As soon as the words fell, Ye Fan's pupils dilated, and his vision turned pitch black. That familiar feeling washed over him again…