Chapter 41: Living for Oneself

"Is there any more?"

Ouyang Lin stared at Shen Xing and asked.

"I can't say."

Shen Xing did not evade her gaze and gently shook his head.

A long silence fell between the two of them.

"No matter how hard I try to stay calm, I still find this unbelievable... Now I'm starting to understand what Yang Qing did back then."

After a long while, Ouyang Lin let out a breath and spoke.

Shen Xing remained noncommittal and stayed silent.

"You must remember, you must never let anyone else know about this secret from now on. Otherwise, not only you, but even Yang Qing and I will face immense danger. This is a power capable of changing the entire world!"

Ouyang Lin continued to warn him, her expression solemn as never before.

"What... are your plans for the future?"

Shen Xing finally asked.

"To team up with you, of course. No one would pass up an opportunity like this."

"I mean... how we should cooperate."

"You make the call. As long as it's not a request I truly cannot bear, I can agree to it. This is my sincerity. Of course, while gaining the benefits, I will also do my utmost to give you the feedback you need."

"Including marriage?"

"Although I don't know why you're so fixated on this question, if you're serious, I can agree."

Shen Xing nodded, looking somewhat surprised:

"Now I believe you're being serious. Even though you don't have any particular affection for me, you're willing to go to such lengths just to become stronger. I acknowledge your determination."

Ouyang Lin smiled faintly and sighed with a complex look in her eyes:

"Once you've truly come into contact with those monsters emerging from the gates, you'll understand. As long as one can grow stronger, people are willing to pay any price. On the surface, this world still maintains the order of civilization, but in essence, it has reverted to a jungle era where the strong prey upon the weak."

Shen Xing had no real sense of these matters, nor did he care particularly about them at the moment. He simply said softly:

"Let's... forge that kind of relationship. Although bringing it up now feels a bit despicable, I have no better option. I know your family background is extraordinary. Having this insurance will at least give me a sense of security in the short term."

Ouyang Lin paused for a moment, then sighed and nodded:

"Once you've taken my first time, you'll feel at ease? Should we record a video as well? Something that could completely ruin my reputation."

Shen Xing chuckled awkwardly:

"That won't be necessary. I'm hoping we can get along well afterwards. If we went that far, our relationship would be destined to shatter before it even began, wouldn't it?"

"Since you know there's a risk of it shattering, why did you make that demand?"

"Must you hear the truth?"

"Of course."

"Fine. From a long-term perspective, if I don't win you over, your heart might waver without restriction. Perhaps you wouldn't lean toward anyone in the short term, but over time, who knows? After all, heroes in this world are as numerous as crossing fish in a river; who's to say you won't one day meet someone who completely captivates you? If I make my move first, the probability of losing you to an outsider decreases. From a selfish standpoint, it's simpler—just pure male instinct. I might have a slight tendency toward being a submissive masochist. At first, I didn't feel much for you, but after being put through the wringer by you, my heart actually got stirred."

Hearing this, Ouyang Lin was stunned, and to her own surprise, she blushed.

She couldn't help but spit out, "Who asked you to be so detailed? Wouldn't 'my heart was stirred' have covered it? I have a habit of taking sneak peeks, and you like being bullied by me—what does that make us? Mutual attraction between perverts? No, you've pissed me off to the point of confusion, I still don't like you."

Ignoring her muttering, Shen Xing stepped forward and placed both hands on her shoulders.

Ouyang Lin's body trembled, and she almost instinctively flicked Shen Xing away.

"A-Are we starting... right now?"

"Is it inconvenient?"

"Not really... It's just that I haven't mentally prepared myself yet."

Though she agreed with her words, her voice carried a tone of entreaty.

Shen Xing went along with it for a moment before suddenly stopping his movements:

"Forget it. It's indeed too hasty. You're sitting there like a piece of wood without any reaction, and I've lost the mood. Let's do this: we'll call it a day, and how about tomorrow? I'll give you a full day to build up your mental defenses. That should be fine, right?"

Ouyang Lin instantly regained her vitality. After wiping away the saliva left on her, she nodded earnestly:

"I'll keep my word!"

Once an agreement was reached, an obvious awkwardness followed.

With no reason to continue monopolizing her room, Shen Xing grabbed his clothes and headed for the living room.

Lying on the sofa, Shen Xing felt that his decision had been a bit too risky.

Conversely, however, there were benefits to it.

Now he no longer needed to hide everything around Ouyang Lin, which instantly relieved a huge amount of pressure from his shoulders.

After lying there for a little while, he quickly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Ouyang Lin predictably suffered from insomnia.

With her level of strength, her biological clock was already out of sync with ordinary people.

Not to mention staying up for just one night, she wouldn't show signs of fatigue even if she went without rest for three or four consecutive days.

The reason she maintained a normal routine was largely to remind herself that she was still human, rather than some strange, unknown species like those monsters.

Therefore, feeling no trace of sleepiness amidst a tangled web of thoughts, Ouyang Lin lay motionlessly on her bed until dawn broke.

She had never imagined that such a massive opportunity would appear in her life.

Yet opportunity came with a price, and there was much she would need to forsake.

In fact, after her recent breakup with Song Yuanqing, her family had immediately arranged for other promising young elites to meet her.

The other party even surpassed Song Yuanqing in every aspect; given her family background, it would technically have been marrying up.

However, that genius new star had shown clear affection and enthusiasm after meeting Ouyang Lin.

Her parents had been overjoyed about this.

For the past two days, Ouyang Lin had been thinking that perhaps she should just settle for him.

He was excellent, after all, and while she didn't feel any special spark, he at least wasn't the type of person she disliked.

Most importantly, if she joined with him, her family would undoubtedly ascend to another tier, entering a higher social circle and allowing them to freely gaze upon the magnificent scenery they could never reach before.

It was a martyrdom-like mentality, but Ouyang Lin could only comfort herself into acceptance through such thoughts.

For she already realized that her own strength would likely stop right here.

Without special fortuitous encounters in the future, her room for advancement would be extremely limited.

Have I repaid my family enough?

Ouyang Lin often pondered this question.

Unfortunately, no one could give her a definitive answer.

She wasn't even certain herself.

Yet she knew that if she could marry that man, she would never have to trouble herself with this question again.

And now...

The decision she had struggled so hard to make was discarded once more.

She saw the rekindled flame of her dreams and heard freedom calling out to her loudly.

"I must fight for myself this time! Even if I lose everything, I will not regret it!"