After what felt like an eternity, Li Yuan finally withdrew his hand from the roaring inferno. His skin remained as pristine and white as before, without a single trace of a burn. This was entirely thanks to the protection of his Aura. This power was remarkably versatile; it could coat his body like an impenetrable shield or be condensed into a sphere to blast a target into oblivion.
At this moment, he had completely shattered the "Genetic Lock" within Blaziken. Her Blaze potential was now fully unleashed. This meant her flames were far more volatile than those of a standard Blaziken—their raw heat and destructive power had reached a terrifying new level.
"Why are you staring? Have you finally fallen for me?" Li Yuan finished his work and walked over to Sapphire with a playful smirk.
Seeing her still lost in a daze, he couldn't help but revert to his usual teasing self.
"In your dreams! I was clearly staring at my Zhizhi," Sapphire said, her face flushing. She realized that when faced with his teasing now, she could no longer muster her old look of disgust. Instead, her heart fluttered with a mysterious, rhythmic thumping.
Clearly, his incredible feat of reaching into the fire unscathed had left a staggering impression on her, almost entirely overwriting his previous image as a cynical, lazy delinquent.
"And here I was wondering why you didn't have a boyfriend. Turns out you're into chickens," Li Yuan said with a mock-horrified expression.
"You're the one who's into chickens! And when did I ever say I didn't have a boyfriend?" Sapphire snapped, her temper flaring.
"Zhizhi, who is Yaoyao's boyfriend?" Li Yuan turned directly to the Blaziken.
"Charmo? (How should I know?)" Blaziken, who was still busy feeling the newfound power of Blaze coursing through her veins, replied casually. She had no intention of covering for her trainer.
"May, this is where you're wrong. A Pokémon and a Trainer are one. If you get married, your Pokémon essentially marries into the family too. How can you sneak around with a man behind Zhizhi's back?" Li Yuan laughed.
"I..."
I really want to punch him!
Sapphire was fuming. Whose side was Zhizhi on anyway? Just because this demon gave you a cheat code, you're already turning on me? This Pokémon is broken—maybe I should just give her away!
"Alright, Zhizhi probably needs some time to get used to the power. Let's wait over there," Li Yuan stopped teasing her for a moment. He reached out and boldly grabbed her hand, leading her toward the rest area.
In truth, Li Yuan didn't need Blaziken's answer to know May was single. His Aura allowed him to detect the slightest fluctuation in her spirit; he knew exactly when she was lying. Furthermore, his "God's Eye" perspective was far more invasive than she could imagine. If he wished, everyone within a hundred-meter radius was essentially naked before him.
His gaze had already swept over her, confirming through the subtle biological markers and the tightness of her spiritual essence that she was still a pure, untouched virgin. With the help of his Aura, he could see right through her current emotional state: the vibrations she emitted were those of a young maiden in the throes of a first crush. She was undeniably attracted to him.
That was why he dared to hold her hand so confidently. He knew she wouldn't truly be angry.
And he was right. The moment Sapphire felt her small, soft hand enveloped by his, her breath hitched. Her face turned an even deeper shade of crimson, but she pretended to notice nothing. She allowed him to lead her, making no effort to pull her hand away. In fact, her fingers instinctively curled back, seeking the warmth of his palm.
"So... does Zhizhi count as having learned it now?" Sapphire asked, desperately searching for a topic to distract herself from the overwhelming sensation of his skin against hers.
"We've barely started. I just forced that energy out of her. We have to see if she can trigger it herself once this surge fades. If not, we'll have to keep training," Li Yuan explained. As he spoke, his movements became even more daring.
Not only did he continue to caress her hand, but he eventually interlocked his fingers with hers, locking them together in a tight, intimate grip.
"Then... how long do we have to wait?" Sapphire felt the sheer dominance in his touch. It was shameful, yet intoxicating.
She kept her face turned away, pretending she hadn't noticed his fingers weaving through hers. Yet, her own slender fingers tightened around his in return, a silent admission of her consent.
"That depends on Zhizhi's talent. If she's a natural, ten minutes. If she's slow, it could take days. How long would you like it to take?" Li Yuan leaned in close, whispering into her ear with a wicked grin.
With their fingers still locked, his question was a blatant inquiry into how long she wanted to stay in this private, charged atmosphere with him.
"As long as it takes," Sapphire muttered, trying to act like she didn't care. But the way she shyly bit her lip and looked away betrayed her secret delight.
"Fair enough. But just sitting here is boring. How about I sing a song for you?" Li Yuan didn't care for her feigned indifference. He had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
"Sing if you want..." Sapphire continued her shy, pouting act.
"In that case, here is 'The Girl Who Sat Beside Me,' for the girl who sat beside me." Li Yuan smiled. He let go of her hand—leaving her feeling a sudden, cold sense of loss—and pulled a beautiful acoustic guitar from behind the sofa.
As an Aura User, his understanding of rhythm and vibration made him a natural musician. Combined with the massive song library from his previous life, he could have easily dominated the entertainment industry if he wanted to.
Sapphire watched in shock as he tuned the guitar. She thought he was just going to hum a few lines, but he had professional equipment. How many talents did this guy have? He was far too versatile—was he really the same pervert she knew for three years in high school?
Twang—!
As Li Yuan began to pluck the strings, a melancholic melody filled the room, acting like the hand of time, pulling at her memories. As his voice rose, her mind was transported back to those green, youthful years.
♪ Will you remember tomorrow ♪ ♪ The diary you wrote yesterday? ♪ ... ♪ I only happened across a photo ♪ ♪ And remembered you, the one who sat beside me. ♪ ... ♪ You always said graduation was a distant dream ♪ ♪ But in a blink, we went our separate ways. ♪ ♪ Who met the sentimental you? ♪ ♪ Who comforted the girl who used to cry? ♪ ... ♪ The days of the past are far away ♪ ♪ I will have a wife of my own one day. ♪ ♪ I'll show her the photographs ♪ ♪ And tell her about you, the girl who sat beside me. ♪
When the last note faded, whether influenced by the Aura or genuinely moved by the song, Sapphire was lost in a sea of nostalgia. It was strange; she didn't remember those days being so heartbreaking, so why did she feel such a crushing sense of sadness?
Was it his lyrics? Or the scene they painted? Especially that line: "I will have a wife of my own one day... I'll tell her about you."
That line made Sapphire's heart tighten painfully. It was as if he were declaring that she wasn't going to be that wife. She found herself unable to accept that image. She didn't want him to have another wife. She didn't want him to tell someone else about her as if she were just a footnote in his history.
When she snapped out of it, she realized her eyes were brimming with tears. She had actually been sung to tears.
Not wanting Li Yuan to see her crying, Sapphire finally dropped all her pretenses. she lunged into his arms, burying her damp face deep into his chest.
Li Yuan set the guitar aside and gently stroked her hair to comfort her. However, a small, triumphant smile played on his lips. While singing, he hadn't forgotten to tune his Aura to resonate with her emotions, specifically steering her toward sadness and longing.
Hook, line, and sinker. He thought. Did you really think you could escape my grasp after graduation? You thought too much.
After a long while, Sapphire, still clinging to him, spoke up with a voice full of resentment. "Do you do this to every beautiful girl who comes here for training?"
If not, why would he have a guitar hidden right behind the sofa? This felt entirely too calculated.
"How could I? You can rest easy on that. I only do this for you," Li Yuan denied immediately.
"Really?" Sapphire still sounded suspicious.
"Duh. I've been open for a while now, and everyone else who comes here pays up properly. You're the only one who didn't pay a cent. I had to find some other way to get my investment back, didn't I?" Li Yuan rolled his eyes, "proving" he wasn't just some player hitting on everyone.
"Screw you!" Sapphire pushed him away, looking utterly dumbfounded.
Are you actually mentally ill?!
The atmosphere was perfect! She was practically ready to surrender her virginity to him right there, and he says that? Was he serious? Did he really just do all this just to "break even" on the 500,000 fee?
If that were the case, he should have just pushed further! Once she was his woman, he'd have "broken even" and then some! Why did he have to ruin the moment with his big mouth?
Sapphire was furious, mostly because the romantic first kiss she was expecting had been unceremoniously derailed.