I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

After finishing her self-talk, Shen Xi raised her head, her pure, dark eyes reflecting the boy's composed face.

"Little cutie, are you done with your deduction? It's cute to see you muttering to yourself over there." The boy looked at her with a doting gaze, seemingly unconcerned.

"Cheng Fei, tell me the correct answer," the girl commanded, her small hand gripping his shoulder slowly tightening.

"It's a secret, I can't tell you." The boy made a shushing gesture.

The girl remained unmoved, her gaze sweeping over his face as if trying to find the answer herself. She quickly failed and looked away, noticing his shoulder. She gently stroked his marble-sculpted, cold white trapezius muscles, narrowed her eyes, and revealed a knowing expression. "Sure enough, the bite from yesterday morning has completely healed. You're not a normal human being at all."

The boy glanced at it, thought for a moment, and decided not to comment.

"In any case, you have knowledge that doesn't belong to this world. You must come from somewhere else. Why did you appear? Do you want to obtain the power of the Celestial Spirits from me?" The girl stared at him intently, once again voicing the question that had lingered in her mind for hundreds of days and nights since they met.

"I still prefer to have you, Shen Xi." The boy smiled at her, habitually reaching out to stroke her hair before pulling back.

"What do you mean by 'get me'? You want the authority of the Protoss Queen? Are you here for some Protoss relic? You might as well just tell me what you need me to do, and I'll cooperate if possible." The girl glanced at his actions, then suddenly took off the hair-drying cap on her head and ripped off the hair tie that held her hair in a bun.

Her thick, dark hair, reaching her waist, cascaded down like a stream, covering her forehead and cheeks, making her exquisitely beautiful face appear even more delicate and charming. Her long hair spread across the water behind her, the smooth, silky strands quickly becoming wet and sinking into the water, spreading out like ink drops into clear water, gently undulating in the hot spring.

The boy got his wish and ran his fingertips through her hair, laughing helplessly, "Little cutie, you're really overthinking it. There's no such thing as a Celestial Relic. If I had to say, you are the best Celestial Relic."

The girl frowned slightly, her eyes darting around. She took a deep breath and straightened up to face him.

She gripped the edge of the bath towel, her small hands trembling slightly, just like her pure, dark eyes, which throbbed with a kind of trembling longing.

The girl pressed closer, their foreheads touching, their eyes locked. Her icy voice trembled slightly, clear and melodious, "Trash, enough! Just tell me, and then..."

The sound of dripping water, seemingly from nowhere, rang out clearly, creating ripples in the calm pool.

The girl swallowed hard, still looking directly at him, her firm voice barely a whisper, "You're allowed to put me on top, however you like."

810. The two who chose to trust each other.

Cheng Fei's gaze swept over the aloof girl in front of him, passing over her cold yet captivating face, slender waist, and long, slender, snow-white legs that resembled works of art. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Shen Xi, you are truly beautiful."

"Then tell me the secret quickly." The girl's stubborn lips parted slightly, and she raised her chin to look at him, not avoiding his gaze at all.

The boy opened his mouth, about to speak, when text appeared before his eyes.

[Time-limited task triggered]

[Testing Sincerity]

[Requirement: Use the information exchange function of this system to promise to transfer the Empress's authority.]

[Time Limit: 10 minutes]

Difficulty: Hard

[Mission Rewards: 100,000 points, 10 Super Attribute Exchange Coupons, 10 Any Item Exchange Coupons]

The Empress's authority is inherent and cannot be transferred; this was merely a test of the girl's feelings, to prove she's willing to give everything for your secret.

After seeing all the details, Cheng Fei's pupils contracted.

For a fleeting moment, he began to devise a plan without hesitation on how to trick Shen Xi into handing over all his and the Empress's authority.

Now that the system was asking him to confess, he had no more worries.

Moreover, the Empress's authority is inherent and cannot be transferred, a point that Isena had mentioned before, so it couldn't possibly harm Shen Xi.

Although it's only a matter of time before he wins over Shen Xi after breaking up with Lin Xuanqi, there's nothing wrong with starting a little earlier. Anyway, he's already made up his mind to spend his life with this clever and stubborn girl.

In addition, the rewards for this mission are very generous. It's rare to see such a stingy system being so generous. It's like a windfall. Could it be because the mission target is special? Thinking about it carefully, this is the first time in a long time that the system has made Shen Xi the sole mission target. Even though the two of them have spent more time together than anyone else, it's not like when they met Nagasaki Asuna, the mission was immediately triggered upon meeting.

But... is it really impossible to transfer the Empress's authority?

And is it really reasonable to suddenly offer such a generous reward?

It's like a string of golden corn kernels suddenly appearing at the bottom of icy water in winter—so beautiful it's almost abrupt, making you wonder... if there's a sharp hook hidden inside.

Realizing a certain possibility, the boy felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but swallow. With only ten minutes left, he didn't have much time to think.

As if to urge the boy on, the countdown timer for the mission began to tick.

A total of ten random item exchange coupons, which means that those valuable items worth hundreds of thousands of points, or even the [Soul of Gransanx] worth one million points, can be obtained.

Are you kidding me...?

As time ticked by, Shen Xi stared at the silent boy in front of her, a hint of impatience creeping onto her face.

"Trash, if you really like it, hurry up." The girl lowered her eyes and looked around. Her clear, cold voice trembled slightly. Her small hands gripped the edge of her yukata tighter, as if she was just waiting for the boy to say something before she would take off her clothes.

"Shen Xi, let me ask you a question." Cheng Fei gently stroked the back of her head, guiding her to look up and meet his gaze.

"What?" The girl obediently looked up, expressionless, and responded to him with her pure, dark eyes.

"Is the Celestial Queen's authority truly innate and untransferable?" The young man gazed intently at her.

Isena may not be trustworthy, nor may the system. After much thought, perhaps among these strange beings, the one he could truly gamble something on to trust was still the harmless girl before him.

Shen Xi frowned slightly, her eyes flickering, as if she had been thinking for a moment, then shook her head softly, "I don't know."

She took a deep breath and stared at the boy, her brows furrowed in a thoughtful expression as if scrutinizing him. "So this is what you really want? You want me to transfer the Empress's authority to you? Then tell me your true identity first, and then..."

“No.” The boy interrupted her, shaking his head slowly but firmly. “I’m not interested in that. I just want to tell you that if anyone asks you to transfer your permissions, never agree, even to me. After all, you are the Celestial Queen, and your words might actually take effect.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Fei suddenly felt an invisible pressure disappear and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

If you trick Shen Xi into handing over the authority, and the authority is actually transferred to him, that would be fine. But what if... the system takes it away?

Although the girl in front of them can do almost nothing so far and is completely unworthy of the title of Celestial Queen, the true value of this authority is unknown and may even be above that of the system.

After all, the strange items the system presented to him were nothing to the Protoss. Let alone the soul of an ancient dragon, even a living dragon would be nothing more than a grunt that could be killed with a glance in front of the Protoss Queen at her peak.

Shen Xi looked at the boy in front of her, her gaze sweeping over his face, trying to catch any changes in his expression, and asked suspiciously, "Why are you suddenly talking about this?"

"I suddenly thought of Xiao Yi's matter. If she's lying, then the idea that the Empress's authority is inherently non-transferable might also be false. So, just to be on the safe side, I'm reminding you so you don't make a fool of yourself and sell yourself out someday." The boy patted her head affectionately.

The girl stared at the boy, her face still expressionless. After thinking for a moment, she said in a resolute tone, "Cheng Fei, you're lying to me."

"What would I lie to you about?" The boy looked genuinely surprised.

"That's not the reason you reminded me." The girl narrowed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned closer to him, their eyes meeting, as if this would force him to tell the truth.

The boy coughed lightly and shrugged nonchalantly, "What else could it be? Let's get back to the point. Shen Xi, although you're very cute and I love you very much, a secret is a secret..."

“Someone asked you to trick me into handing over authority, but you refused, just now.” The girl interrupted him coldly, her deep eyes casting an unprecedentedly sharp gaze, as if she could see right through him. “You weren’t staring at me; you were responding to those messages, which is why you weren’t speaking.”

"What information..." The boy choked up, feeling the girl's arms wrapped around the back of his neck, which were delicate yet slightly cool to the touch.

Shen Xi interrupted him again, "The vixen has confirmed countless times that there are things in your field of vision that others cannot see. Your gaze and attention are often shifting. You can fool ordinary people, but you can't fool her."

"Little cutie, you have such a vivid imagination. If I were to infiltrate your side just for your access, how could I possibly refuse at the last minute?" The boy said helplessly.

“Because you love me, you decided to betray your organization.” The girl took a deep breath, her eyes flashing.

There was a moment of silence between them.

"Teacher Shen, you're not imagining a spy falling in love with the enemy, are you? Although the narcissistic little cutie trope is adorable, don't go too far, thank you." The boy looked speechless.

“That’s just how I am.” The girl raised her chin defiantly.

"I'm impressed, the most narcissistic person in the multiverse." The boy rolled his eyes.

"Cheng Feiyu is just bluffing again. If that's the case, he might as well just say he doesn't love me." The girl scoffed.

“Actually…” the boy said without hesitation.

"Call my name!" the girl interrupted, raising her voice. Her gaze was intensely fixed on him, conveying a sense of confrontation.

The boy paused for a second, then sighed, "Little cutie, that's not how you use safe words."

"Cheng Feiyu, you've spun your own cocoon." The girl looked at his expression and smiled with the feeling of a victor.

"Sweetie, didn't you ever think that one day I would use a safe word to trick you, or that your current self-righteous thinking has already fallen into a trap? After all, you would definitely be suspicious if I suddenly asked you to transfer permissions this time. It's better to take a step back and lay the groundwork. Next time, I'll choose a special situation to trick you into agreeing obediently." The boy leaned against the pool and sighed comfortably.

The girl's smile vanished in an instant. She turned her face away from him, her brows furrowed, and her expression became serious, as if she had realized the possibility he was talking about.

The boy observed her expression and couldn't help but feel smug.

The girl gritted her teeth and glared at him, her face displeased. "Don't think I can't see through this. This is just Cheng Feiyu's way of hiding secrets and confusing the public."

"So you really think I could never lie to you? It seems the Celestial Queen has been completely fooled by me." The boy lowered his head as if in mourning.

Shen Xi was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, raised her chin with a cold expression, and spoke in a flat tone, "I can't rule out the possibility that Cheng Feiyu, who is full of lies, is waiting for the right moment to completely deceive me. After all, there is no such thing as true understanding between people. Sometimes people can even betray themselves yesterday, so of course they can betray anyone. In the end, everyone just chooses to believe the people they believe in. No one can guarantee the outcome until the final moment arrives."

“That makes sense, so Your Majesty should perhaps not be too overconfident.” Cheng Fei met her gaze and nodded with a smile.

"So I choose to believe you. In this world, I bet you won't lie to me, and I bet you're betting on me too, Cheng Fei." The girl stared straight at him without blinking, her tone casual as if she were talking about something trivial, yet also as if she were making a one-sided declaration.

After the words were spoken, the two people in the hot spring pool fell into a long, drawn-out stare and silence.

A night wind swept across the sky, causing the branches above their heads to sway violently, making a rustling sound as if struggling.

Looking at the aloof girl before him, Cheng Fei suddenly realized that beneath her frail appearance lay an extraordinary inner strength—a calm, wise, and resolute quality, innate and far exceeding her life experience. The true soul of the Star Spirit Queen lay hidden within her.

The boy stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and said softly, "Shen Xi."

"What?" The girl stared at him, as if waiting for something, her eyes filled with indescribable emotions.

"Since you trust me so much, why are you still being stubborn and refusing to be with me?" the boy asked, puzzled.

The girl blinked, her indescribable emotions dissipating like ice crystals in the sunlight. She took a deep breath, her face turning annoyed. She clenched her fist and punched the boy's shoulder, raising her voice to yell, "Hopeless trash... because we're not even talking about the same thing!"

"What level is that, and what's the difference?" The boy was completely confused.

"Find out that the reason I'm not with you is that this hypocritical Cheng Feiyu hasn't taken any action to prove himself yet, and he's fickle and has no loyalty whatsoever. I'm already tolerating you to the fullest extent possible, and you still have the nerve to question me at a time like this!" The girl was getting a little impatient, and she said through gritted teeth, her flat chest heaving violently.

"You clearly believe I won't betray you, but you still refuse to be with me. Isn't that strange? I think you're just being stubborn and tsundere." The boy looked at her with an absurd feeling.

The girl was even more annoyed and punched him again. "Shut up! I've told you countless times to stop being so self-righteous and putting those one-sided and disgusting labels on me. If you continue like this and don't repent, even if a trillion years pass, we'll always be in this kind of relationship and we'll never be together. You low-IQ aquatic mammal!"

"Your Celestial Queen's views on love are really strange. What do I have to do to satisfy you?" the boy asked in shock.

"This Cheng Feiyu with such poor memory." The girl felt a burning hatred. "I've said it before, first break up with that Lin guy, then we'll have a chance to get back together. Second, honestly tell me your secret, otherwise don't even think about kissing or doing those dirty things. Also, if you dare to be fickle again, except for the vixen and Ye Shuang, all of the above is null and void."

The boy gasped. "Teacher Shen, I'm fine with everything else, but can you please not be so strict about confessing secrets? I have my own reasons for not being able to talk about them, can you please be understanding?"

"Stop haggling. Since you've already betrayed your organization, the right thing to do is to figure out how to be honest with me." The girl glared at him fiercely.

The boy thought for a moment, "Teacher Shen, since you think that way, haven't you considered that I'm actually being monitored, and that confessing to you might bring about my demise?"

The girl was taken aback, then narrowed her eyes and stared at him. "Cheng Fei, are you serious?"

"I'm just making a assumption," the boy said, hesitating to finish his sentence.

"Then I will find a way to help you solve it. I don't believe there is any force in this world that the Protoss cannot fight against." The girl took a deep breath, her brows furrowed as she turned her face away, her expression resolute.

"The Protoss are all extinct, what are you talking about?" Cheng Fei barely managed to restrain himself from reminding her.

"I deeply admire Your Majesty's domineering attitude, but can't you spend some quality time with me before you defeat the dark forces hidden deep in the universe?" The young man had mixed feelings.

"Don't dream. Since you won't talk about it, let's just stay in a normal relationship. Anyway, I'll take responsibility and help you with your problems when needed." The girl said coldly.

"Teacher Shen, your little hands are cute, but I like you and don't want to spend my whole life with your little hands." The boy imagined that future and felt utterly heartbroken.

"If you really want to live like that for the rest of your life, it's your own fault. If you don't want to, then start thinking of a solution now instead of trying to escape the problem!" The girl spoke righteously and sternly, like a patient and responsible teacher advising a student who had given up on himself.

811. Shen Xi is very rebellious

"I understand. As expected, Teacher Shen will always be my teacher." Cheng Fei smacked his lips, sighed with a sense of giving up, relaxed his body and lay back, spreading his arms and resting his head on the edge of the pool, gazing at the night sky and closing his mouth.

"Hopeless trash." Shen Xi frowned slightly, stared at him for a moment, cursed, released his neck and returned to her original position, unceremoniously using his arm as a headrest, and looked up at the night sky with him.

The hot spring pool regained its tranquil Zen-like atmosphere. Amidst the swaying maple leaves, orange stone lanterns, and rising mist, the two unspoken understandings seemed to both seek some answer from the flowing starry sky above.

"Shen Xi," the boy called out without moving.

"What?" The girl remained motionless, her face expressionless.

"Can we skip the games today? I want to go back and cuddle with my little cutie after the hot springs." The boy said seriously.

The atmosphere in the courtyard quieted down for a moment.

"Don't dream." The girl frowned slightly and said coldly, "I'll give you a hug after I log off."