14: Just one step away

Seeing Liu Xinyao return alone, Shen Qian feigned curiosity and asked where Wu Gao had gone.

"He ran around too much today and wasn't feeling well, so I told him to head back first."

Shen Qian understood; the lady had given an order, and the simp had been banished.

After mourning for the honest kid for a second in his heart, he began chatting with Liu Xinyao again. The girl was wearing light makeup tonight; her eyes were bright, and her features appeared more delicate.

As the wine in their glasses slowly disappeared, the distance between the two gradually closed.

The girl discovered that this boy was exceptionally interesting; he always knew how to say funny things to make her happy, and his life experiences seemed much richer than hers.

By the time they finished their second drinks, they continued chatting for a long while, as if the concept of time didn't exist. The girl's face was flushed, looking a bit tipsy, but she was still far from drunk.

"Let's go for a walk."

"Okay."

Walking out of the Lounge, the two strolled along the Huangpu River. It was nearly 11 o'clock, but there were still people passing by them in small groups.

At the first traffic light, Shen Qian took the girl's hand, and she didn't refuse.

So, the two of them just walked along like that, holding hands.

With no destination in mind, they just kept walking.

Suddenly, Shen Qian stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" The girl asked curiously. She followed Shen Qian's gaze and saw a young couple kissing at the entrance of an alley.

For a moment, both of them fell silent.

The girl lowered her head slightly, and when she looked up again, she was met with Shen Qian's sharp-featured face.

Her breathing was a bit hurried, but she wasn't panicking; there was even a faint trace of anticipation in her heart.

"What are you waiting for? Waiting for me to kiss you?"

The girl had already closed her eyes, but the boy in front of her said such a thing. Instantly, she opened her eyes, feeling a bit downcast and flustered.

"No, I..."

"I do want to kiss you."

In the next moment, his palm supported the back of her head, and her soft lips met his. Because of her momentary panic, her hands brushed against his abdomen and chest, feeling firm muscles there.

Shen Qian had been a scumbag for over a month, but he was still a novice when it came to kissing skills. Today was his first time practicing, and he didn't even quite know how to catch his breath.

After the kiss, both of them were panting as if they had just done some strenuous exercise.

The girl's eyes were misty; she wasn't sure if it was because of the alcohol she just drank or because of that kiss.

Even she herself felt a bit dazed. The progress was too fast; in less than two days, her first kiss was gone.

"This was my first kiss too."

He always seemed to know what she was thinking. From just now, the girl's emotions had been constantly swayed, and when Shen Qian said this was also his first kiss, she felt that this was love—she had fallen for him.

"There's a small bar in my hotel room. Do you want to go have another drink?"

"Okay."

A lingering trace of rationality told her she should refuse, but it was only a trace, and it couldn't stop her instinct to pursue love.

The world's fastest elevator takes just over a minute to reach the 100th floor. The boy led the girl out of the elevator, moving unhurriedly, yet every step seemed to tread upon the girl's heart.

Opening the door, entering.

Shen Qian was in no hurry. Instead, he led the girl by the hand to the massive glass curtain wall. The Huangpu River they had just walked along was now right before their eyes; the pedestrians on the road were tiny, so small they were practically invisible.

"Do you like this beautiful view?"

He embraced the girl from behind, his voice echoing softly in her ear like heavenly music, yet also like a demon's whisper.

"It's so beautiful."

"So are you."

Waking up the next day, Shen Qian looked at the girl sleeping soundly beside him and fell into deep thought.

Just one step away, just that one step! The girl had frantically cried out in pain, and he actually didn't go through with it!

Despite all the materials he had studied and all the mental preparation he had done, the result was that after breaking through, it just ended like that.

"I still lack real combat experience! I need practice! Next time, I absolutely cannot stop!"

When the girl woke up, Shen Qian had just returned from the swimming pool.

To be honest, if Shen Qian had really continued last night, she might still love him, but it would definitely be diminished. After all, in the end, it would have been for that kind of thing.

Girls are always more mature than boys, and in a girl's eyes, boys are either still children or humanoid creatures in heat.

But last night, even though they had reached the final step, Shen Qian stopped because she was in too much pain. She felt that there couldn't possibly be another boy in this world like Shen Qian.

"I have to continue accompanying my parents today. How about I call a taxi for you?"

The girl shook her head gently.

"No need, I'll just call a taxi back myself."

This man was simply perfect to a fault. She even felt that she didn't deserve such a perfect man; the self-confidence she had built up over the years took a hit at this moment.

"Shen Qian, are we... considered to be dating?"

"What do you mean by that? Do you kiss people without dating them?"

Turning the tables—scumbags fear being asked 'what is our relationship' the most, but Shen Qian solved this difficult problem perfectly.

As long as he didn't confirm the relationship himself, he just had to let the other party confirm it.

"Sigh, I grasped the theoretical knowledge so thoroughly, yet when it came to real combat, I actually!!!"

The more he thought about it, the more Shen Qian wanted to give himself two slaps.

[You spent a beautiful night with a girl you just met two days ago. Behavior consistent with scumbag standards. Reward being issued...]

[You successfully used a counter-accusation to resolve the fatal question posed by the other party. Behavior consistent with scumbag standards. Reward being issued...]

"No, that's not what I meant."

Shen Qian smiled, walked over, and took the girl into his arms.

"Of course I know that's not what you meant. The reason I didn't touch you last night was actually because I was afraid.

University hasn't even started yet, and there are too many temptations there. I'm afraid that if I have you too early now, and you meet someone better in the future, you'll regret today's decision.

So there's no rush. Let's let our relationship grow steadily over time."

[You successfully delivered a scumbag speech and moved the girl. Behavior consistent with scumbag standards. Reward being issued...]

The two kissed again, only separating after a long while.

"Not bad, my technique is much more proficient than yesterday. I'll have to practice more in the future."

After seeing Liu Xinyao off, Shen Qian continued taking his parents around to sightsee and eat. The old couple, dressed in their new clothes, looked completely refreshed.

"Dad, let's head a bit further today to eat some Soup Dumplings."

Shen Qian glanced at his phone. The system rewards had been issued: 50,000 for spending the night with the girl, and 40,000 for turning the tables.

"Damn! If I had succeeded yesterday, how much money would that have been!"

But since things had already turned out this way, Shen Qian, being one with a good mindset, figured something was better than nothing.