Morning reached Lin Tian's room slowly.
It crept across the wooden floor first, thin and warm, then climbed the edge of the bed as if it was careful not to wake anyone too abruptly. Lin Tian's breathing steadied as he surfaced from sleep, awareness returning in layers instead of all at once.
His body felt… different.
The soreness in his limbs was there, but it was the honest kind, the kind that came after effort rather than damage. His meridians felt warm and quiet, no longer churning or overdrawn. For the first time since the system awakened, there was no pressure in his chest, no unstable pulse demanding attention.
He opened his eyes.
Bai Xueya lay beside him.
She was turned slightly toward him, her back curved in a soft line that caught the morning light. The blanket had slipped low during the night, resting across her hips and leaving her bare shoulders and back exposed. Her white hair spilled over the pillow and down her arm, strands clinging faintly to her skin.
She was sleeping deeply.
Her breathing was slow, even, her lips parted just slightly as she exhaled. There was a faint flush at her neck and shoulders, a lingering warmth from the night that made her look almost fragile in the quiet light.
Lin Tian froze.
His heart thumped once, hard enough that he was sure she could hear it.
Carefully, he shifted his hand toward the blanket, intending to pull it higher. He barely touched the fabric before Xueya stirred. Her fingers brushed his wrist, then settled there, loose and instinctive, as if she had reached for him without waking.
He stopped moving immediately.
The weight of that simple touch pressed deeper than any lust rising in his body. Heat did gather low in his stomach, slow and unavoidable, but it was drowned out by something heavier.
Trust.
She had given him everything last night. Her body, her cultivation, her fear, her resolve. She had clung to him when pain threatened to overwhelm her and believed—without proof—that he would not let her fall.
Lin Tian swallowed.
'I don't have the right to disturb her.'
Xueya shifted again, hair sliding off her shoulder. The blanket slipped a little more, and the morning light caught her fully now—bare skin glowing softly, breath steady, unaware.
Then her eyelashes trembled.
Her eyes opened slowly.
For a heartbeat, she only saw him.
Then she felt the air on her skin.
Her gaze dropped.
Her face froze.
Color rushed up her cheeks in a single breath.
"…Tian…" she whispered, voice thin and hoarse from the night. "…don't look…"
Lin Tian snapped his head away so fast he nearly lost his balance. "I—I wasn't—I mean—I tried—You were already—" He cut himself off, mortified.
Behind him, the blanket rustled.
Xueya grabbed it and dragged it up to her collarbone, curling slightly as if she could hide inside the fabric. Her ears were red all the way to the tips.
"I didn't mean to sleep like this…" she muttered. "I was too tired to… fix my robe…"
Her voice trembled, but not with pain. Just embarrassment.
"It's fine," Lin Tian said quickly, keeping his eyes firmly on the far wall. "You were exhausted. Anyone would be."
There was a pause.
Her grip on the blanket loosened.
"…thank you," she whispered.
He heard her shift off the bed, footsteps light as she crossed the room. He didn't turn until the sound of fabric settling told him she had finished dressing.
Only then did he breathe again.
She stood near the window now, wrapped in a fresh robe, hair loose around her shoulders. The blush in her cheeks hadn't faded. Even dressed, the memory of her body against his lingered far too vividly.
"Tian?" she asked softly. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Before he could answer, a familiar chime echoed inside his mind.
He stiffened.
Light pressed behind his eyes, expanding outward until a translucent screen unfolded across his vision.
[ Harem Link Cultivation System — Awkening Complete ]
Lin Tian inhaled slowly and steadied himself.
"I'm fine," he said, then added, more honestly, "Just… give me a moment."
She nodded and turned slightly away, giving him space without being asked.
The interface sharpened.
[ Status ]
Host: Lin Tian
Realm: Elementary Spirit Realm — Fifth Level
Talent: High Grade
Spirit Roots: High Grade
Physique: Pending
Bloodline: Locked
Linked Partner: Bai Xueya (1)
[ Dual Cultivation Session: Fully Processed ]
[ Shared Cultivation: Converted & Stored ]
[ Partner Synchronization: Stable ]
[ Breakthrough Contribution: Confirmed ]
Lin Tian exhaled quietly.
Then another line appeared, smaller, almost like an afterthought.
[ Harem Points Gains ]
[ Total HP Gained: 505 ]
The number lingered for a second before fading.
Lin Tian didn't feel pride.
He didn't feel hunger.
He felt… weight.
Those points weren't rewards. They were proof. Evidence of the moment she chose him, trusted him, stayed with him even when it would have been easier to pull away.
The screen dissolved.
"Tian?" Xueya asked again, closer now.
He blinked and looked up.
She stood a few steps away, concern softening her features. "Did you… breakthrough?"
"Yes," he said, nodding once. "My body feels stronger. More stable."
Relief crossed her face so quickly she didn't hide it. Her shoulders loosened.
"That means last night didn't harm you," she said quietly. "I was afraid my physique would overwhelm you."
"You didn't," he said without hesitation. "I'm fine. Better than fine."
She studied him for a long moment.
Not as a prodigy. Not as someone fragile.
As her fiancé.
Something in his chest steadied under her gaze.
"Do you regret it?" she asked suddenly.
The question was soft, but it carried weight.
"No," Lin Tian answered immediately. "I don't."
She let out a breath she might not have realized she was holding.
"I was scared," she admitted. "Not of you but of myself. Of losing control and hurting you."
"You didn't," he said again, gentler this time. "And even if it had been difficult… I wouldn't have pushed you away."
Her fingers tightened briefly at her side.
"…Thank you."
They stood in silence for a moment, the room filled with quiet understanding instead of tension.
"About us," Lin Tian said finally. "Last night changed things."
"Yes," Xueya said. "It did."
"I don't want to pretend it didn't," he continued. "But I also don't want to rush you into something you're not ready for."
She met his eyes. "I chose this, Tian. I'm not confused about that. I just… want us to move forward carefully."
He nodded. "Together."
Her lips curved into a small, genuine smile.
Outside, the sounds of the Lin Clan waking filtered faintly through the window. Footsteps. Voices. The world moving on, unaware that something fundamental had shifted inside this room.
"I should prepare to return to the guest courtyard," Xueya said. "If the elders notice too much silence, they'll start guessing."
Lin Tian almost smiled at that.
"I'll walk you out," he said.
They moved side by side toward the door. As she passed him, their arms brushed lightly. The warmth that spread through his chest this time was calm.
As they stepped into the morning air, Lin Tian felt it again—a faint response from deep within his cultivation, a quiet echo answering something beyond himself.
A promise.
He glanced at Xueya walking beside him and understood it clearly.
This engagement was no longer a formality.
It was becoming real.
And from this point forward—
They would move ahead together.
End of Chapter 21