Minami Rika's residence.
The entrance hallway, the very spot where Sora-chan had fought before.
The battle between Su Yan and Minami Rika continued.
However, after Rika suddenly stole a kiss from Su Yan mid-combat, the nature of their clash began to shift.
Didn't Minami Rika want a man who could completely conquer her?
Su Yan had an epiphany.
He decided right then and there to satisfy her request!
He would take her down once and for all!
He didn't yield the initiative.
Instead, when Rika tried to seize control, he flipped her over and pinned her down.
No one knew how much time had passed, but the battle finally reached its conclusion.
Rika huddled in Su Yan's embrace, drenched in sweat, her wheat-toned skin glowing with a rosy hue.
The leopard-like wildness she usually carried had vanished, replaced by the alluring charm of a tamed kitten.
Rika felt as though every ounce of strength had been drained from her body.
Gazing at Su Yan from inches away, she exhaled softly. "I have to admit, you little rascal... you've completely conquered me."
"Little?"
Su Yan shot her a dissatisfied look and shifted his body.
"Don't! I'm sorry."
Rika immediately softened her tone. "You're a big rascal. A big one, okay?"
If anyone who knew Minami Rika saw this, their jaws would surely hit the floor.
The decisive, heroic, and untamable woman who never backed down from a man was actually speaking with such a soft voice.
And showing such a vulnerable, cute side?
"That's more like it."
Su Yan was quite satisfied with her submission.
It wasn't about anything deep; it was just like a fisherman refusing to admit he came home empty-handed at the end of the day.
But unlike them, Su Yan didn't need to lie.
He truly was big.
The kind of big that allowed him to comfortably rely on a woman.
Marikawa Shizuka could certainly vouch for that.
"What a childish guy," Rika muttered, pouting.
She had once believed that someone as competitive as her would never meet a man capable of truly subduing her.
She had even prepared herself to stay single for the rest of her life.
Never did she imagine she would eventually fall to a little rascal like Su Yan.
Yet, she felt no resentment; in fact, she was thoroughly satisfied with him.
Physically, mentally, and spiritually, she felt a profound sense of fulfillment.
It was a sensation she had never experienced before.
Watching the rascal before her, she suddenly asked, "Big rascal, you've been living in my house with Shizuka for over a year now, right?"
"Why? Are you planning to collect rent now?"
Su Yan glanced at her and countered.
He was living off Shizuka through his own hard work; why should he pay rent?
"Rent? No."
Rika shook her head and sighed. "I'm just feeling a bit of regret."
"Regret?" Su Yan was puzzled.
"Yeah. If I'd known you were this incredible, I would have come back sooner. What a waste."
Rika felt a momentary pang of loss before letting it go. She slapped Su Yan's chest and said fiercely, "But you did remind me—I really should collect rent from you."
"Living in my house and messing around with my best friend... I'm not happy about it. So, whatever you gave Shizuka before, you have to give me just as much from now on."
Su Yan was speechless.
'I guess that's just who you are,' he thought.
Before the battle began, Su Yan had intended to carry Rika to the bedroom to finish things.
But Rika had refused.
She insisted on having their showdown right there.
And so, Rika's first time was taken by Su Yan in the exact spot where Sora-chan had once fought.
Su Yan said to her, "It's almost dawn. It's not good to stay here. Let me take you to get cleaned up first. I also have something to tell you."
"You decide. After all, I don't even have the strength to stand. I couldn't resist even if I wanted to."
Rika didn't object, but as Su Yan lifted her up...
She raised her hand and pointed to the clothes spread across the floor, covered in the marks of their struggle. "Clean those clothes up first. They're proof of my first time."
Su Yan was a bit surprised.
To think a woman like Rika would care about such things.
However, he didn't refuse; in fact, he had planned on doing so anyway.
Invisible Nen emanated from him, gathering the clothes from the floor and storing them away, just as he had done with Shizuka and Saeko's things.
Once done, Su Yan asked, "Is that enough?"
"What was that? A superpower?"
Rika hadn't encountered Nen before, so to her, the clothes simply floated up and folded themselves right before her eyes.
"That's exactly what I'm about to tell you," Su Yan replied.
"Oh?"
Rika speculated for a moment, then gave him a meaningful look. "I suppose that's the secret behind your strength? But is it really okay?"
"What do you mean?" Su Yan asked.
"Sharing this secret with me... aren't you afraid that..."
Before Rika could finish, Su Yan replied with a firm gaze, "I trust you!"
"Trust me?"
Rika was stunned.
He trusted her, a woman he'd known for less than twelve hours?
It seemed almost laughable.
Yet, for some reason, Su Yan's answer moved her deeply.
"Because of Shizuka?" Rika tested.
"At first, yes. But after our battle, I've come to know everything about the woman named Minami Rika. So even without Shizuka, I would still choose to trust you," Su Yan answered.
Rika fell silent.
But Su Yan didn't stop.
He carried the exhausted Rika into the bathroom, explaining Nen to her while he helped her wash.
Finally, he gave her three choices.
First, like Marikawa Shizuka and Busujima Saeko, she could sign a contract with him directly and receive a Nen seed to learn the ability.
Second, like Takagi Yuriko, she could let him manually awaken her Nen, signing a contract afterward regardless of the outcome.
Third, the ultimate challenge: learn Nen independently under his and Shizuka's guidance without any external interference, and then sign the contract.
Su Yan offered these options because the ability he awakened through Saeko meant he no longer needed to rush through contracts with others to boost his strength.
Furthermore, he wanted to see if there was a difference between signing a contract after manual awakening or independent mastery versus signing one directly.
It was worth noting...
That although Takagi Yuriko had successfully awakened her Nen, Su Yan hadn't actually signed a contract with her yet.
His trust in her hadn't reached that level yet.
Su Yan looked at Rika. "So, which one do you choose?"
Rika blinked, her lips curling into a soft smile. "Shizuka must have told you—I've always loved challenging the impossible."
"Is that so?"
Su Yan caught her drift immediately. "Then you'll have to trouble Shizuka quite a bit from now on."
"Isn't that perfect? It's about time that lazy woman got some exercise. Besides, she basically sold me to you. As the seller, she owes me something, doesn't she?"
A meaningful, mischievous smirk appeared on Rika's face.
...
"Achoo!"
At the same time, Marikawa Shizuka rubbed her nose back in her room.
She couldn't help but think, 'Rika-chan must have realized how great Little Su Yan is. She's probably thanking me in her heart right now!'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]