"I can carry them."
Anby thought Ye Qingfeng might be treating her like a pampered little girl. She frowned slightly, her tone earnest as she emphasized.
"I know!"
Of course, Ye Qingfeng knew Anby was strong. After all, which girl with such slender arms and legs could block a sudden attack from such a huge Ethereal like she did?
Not only did she block it, but she was only pushed back a few meters, skidding along the ground... That massive blade, if it had struck a person directly, would probably have cut them in half...
Anyway, he definitely couldn't have blocked it...
Ye Qingfeng noticed the stares from passersby had dissipated and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking a bit sheepish, he sincerely said, "I just wanted to help Anby carry one bag, okay?"
If he didn't act soon, some of those surrounding pedestrians throwing murderous glares might just produce a few self-righteous guys who would use the moral high ground to try and win the favor of the seemingly weak and helpless Anby...
It definitely wasn't because he would feel annoyed or anything... purely because it would be troublesome! Yeah!
A hint of a smile appeared on Anby's usually indifferent face — a smile so subtle it was hard to detect.
If you took out a ruler, you'd find the corners of her mouth were raised about 5 degrees compared to usual...
Such a tiny change was imperceptible even to Ye Qingfeng standing right beside her.
Now Anby's left hand was free, while Ye Qingfeng, being right-handed, had transferred the bag originally in his left hand to his right.
She immediately noticed Ye Qingfeng's empty left hand. Acting on a whim, she grabbed it. This time, it wasn't because of Nicole's instructions, but her own genuine impulse.
She simply wanted to hold Qingfeng's hand. Nothing more...
Ye Qingfeng felt his left hand suddenly grasped. The familiar warmth, the familiar touch, brought a knowing smile to his face. The emptiness that had always lingered in his heart was, in that instant, filled with something indescribable.
He gently turned his hand over, actively intertwining his fingers with Anby's. Their hands clasped tightly together.
[Ding! Anby affection +5%]
[Current affection: 60%, Reward: 5 draw chances]
[Ding! Reminder: Host has accumulated 17 draw chances, can draw anytime!]
In his excellent mood, Ye Qingfeng heard the announcement in his head. He was a bit surprised — when had he accumulated so many chances? Surprise aside, it immediately lifted his spirits even higher.
But right now was time for just him and Anby, so... 'Okay, okay~ Got it! Little System, withdraw!'
[...]
If his feelings for other women before could be described as infatuation, what he felt for Anby now was more like deep affection.
After this period of living together, among the several women he had come to know...
He paused, surprised to realize they were all women. Could it be... he was the type blessed with heavy romantic luck?
If the System could hear Ye Qingfeng's thoughts, it would definitely retort: ['No! You're overthinking it!]
Back on topic! The women he knew relatively well were all goddess-level by any standard from his previous life. And not the type to just play with feelings — they were the kind of people you could entrust your whole life to.
For example, the two from the Cunning Hares, and Zhu Yuan!
As for relationships — who hasn't fantasized about having it all? And from what he had come to understand, because of the existence of Hollow disasters, there was no guarantee when danger might strike.
Thus, the population had decreased drastically with each Hollow disaster. Not long ago, a new law had been enacted: polygamy legalized!
On one hand, polygamy was now legal! On the other hand, an affection system guaranteed a pure, devoted loving experience! It really put him in a difficult spot.
Pure love or harem? Wasn't this forcing him to decide?!
In that case — why not have both!
Ye Qingfeng ultimately chose to purely love each member of his harem!
Of course, he wouldn't just add any pretty girl he saw to his harem list. For instance, with Anby before, he had genuinely wanted to treat her like a little sister.
But everyone saw it — today, she made the first move!
"Qingfeng... Qingfeng? Qingfeng!!"
Ye Qingfeng was lost in thought, completely unaware that the corners of his mouth were curved in a rather pleasant arc. Hearing Anby's repeated calls finally snapped him out of it.
He hadn't fully come back to reality yet, secretly afraid that everything happening might actually be a dream. Although he had accepted the fact that he had transmigrated, it all still felt a bit unreal — because it was too wonderful.
Ye Qingfeng silently prayed that if it were a dream, he hoped he would never wake up...
That he could sleep just a little longer!
Because he really didn't want to return to that stagnant, dead life!
Ye Qingfeng's hand unconsciously tightened. As the pressure increased, his nails were already leaving marks on Anby's hand. If it continued, they would eventually draw blood.
Feeling her hand being squeezed, the stinging pain only made her frown slightly. She raised her voice: "Qingfeng, you're hurting me!"
"Huh?"
Hearing the voice beside him, Ye Qingfeng barely managed to snap out of it. He vaguely noticed the veins bulging on his left arm and the faint traces of blood under his nails.
That splash of vivid red instantly woke him completely. He immediately released his grip and instinctively stepped back, his eyes filled with terror and confusion.
Did I do this?
Was it because of what he had been thinking about that he had unconsciously tightened his grip?
Before Ye Qingfeng could think further, the moment the full picture before him registered, his pupils constricted sharply. His body trembled uncontrollably, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His right hand suddenly went slack, and the shopping bag fell.
With a thud.
Anby in her white dress had her arm hanging at her side. On her fair, jade-like palm were four deep finger marks. Crimson drops of blood slowly oozed from the wounds, trickling down between her fingers and dripping onto the ground.
Against the backdrop of her blood-flecked hand and white dress, it looked like clusters of vibrant yet ferocious red plum blossoms blooming against snow.
"I'm... sorry... I didn't mean to!"
Ye Qingfeng's body remained frozen, his voice trembling, full of remorse.
"It's okay, it's just a small injury."
Sensing Ye Qingfeng's heartfelt apology and worry, Anby managed a faint smile and said calmly.
For as long as she could remember, she had rarely smiled, so she didn't know if her expression looked strange right now. She just wanted Ye Qingfeng not to worry so much.
After all, this injury was truly insignificant to her — in her mind, this didn't even count as being hurt.
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