Animal-eared Girl Era: Start by Forming a Contract with an SSS-Class School Belle

Mu Qingxue took out a Great Venerable High-Grade Crystal Core and said, "Considering the pressure you'll have to bear, I'll pay you one Great Venerable High-Grade Crystal Core a month as your compensation."

"Of course, if you have any special requests, just let me know. Whether it's money or power, I'll make sure you get what you want."

The Great Venerable High-Grade Crystal Core was the highest level reward she could offer.

Above the Great Venerable High-Grade Crystal Core was the Supreme Low-Grade Crystal Core. Right now, Supreme was the highest combat power publicly known in the world, and Demon Beast Crystal Cores were incredibly rare—each one was a treasured heirloom of a major force, and no one would show them off lightly.

Xiao Ye put down the absurdly long list, thought for a moment, and said,

"I come from a low-level base city, Wilderness Base City. Didn't Shanghai Base City have a few priority support slots every year? So, could you help me secure one?"

Mu Qingxue nodded, "Right, Shanghai Base City, as the top base city in Dragon Country, does have priority support spots—three each year, but..."

Priority support was different from regular support—it came with a ton of extra resources and technical backing, even human resources.

Mu Qingxue frowned and said, "But I usually don't get involved with that stuff. My dad makes those decisions. Still, since you need it, I'll do everything I can to get you a priority support spot."

Xiao Ye said, "Thanks."

Great Venerable High-Grade Crystal Cores—Xiao Ye's father-in-law Liu Huo had stashed a hundred of them in his storage card. Right now, he didn't really need more crystal cores.

Instead of taking crystal cores, he might as well invest resources in those around him.

The City Lord of Wilderness Base City was Nangong Siyao's father. The real reason Xiao Ye wanted this spot was to give Nangong Siyao a surprise.

If Nangong Siyao was happy, she wouldn't keep plotting to put him on trial all the time.

*If both of them started judging me together, I'd barely be able to cope. And if they dragged the prettiest teaching assistant, Liu Ya, into it too—three of them judging me? I'd be doomed. How the hell would my body handle all that?*

Mu Qingxue put away the Great Venerable High-Grade Crystal Core, "So this month's payment, I'll get you that priority support slot. I'll pay you the crystal core next month."

At the staircase.

Cheng Bingxi poked Nangong Siyao's tummy—her "skin drum"—with her fair finger, looking adorably clueless, "Si Yao, I think they're talking about Wilderness Base City."

Nangong Siyao pulled her teasing hand away and grinned, "Aha, I heard it too."

"Looks like they're discussing something serious. Let's go practice our cultivation."

Cheng Bingxi eyed her, "Si Yao, he gave you a candy and you're all soft now?"

"No way! We gotta keep eavesdropping."

Nangong Siyao looked helpless, "Alright, fine, I'll listen to you. But I really don't think they're up to anything bad."

Living room. With the payment issue settled, the two moved on to the next task—completing the list!

1. Wear couple's outfits.

2. Take intimate photos

3. Build some temporary chemistry—princess carry, hand-holding, etc.

4. Wear swimsuits in a hot spring, get spotted as a couple

5. Find out each other's strengths and flaws, likes and dislikes V!i^si%t. My V&ir$t$u@a*l@ Lib!r!ar%y* Emp$ire (&M$_VLE&MPY.R) for [email protected].

6. Visit the City Lord's Mansion and act like a couple, make my parents believe us

7. Sleep on the same bed at the City Lord's Mansion tonight

Mu Qingxue warned in advance, "Xiao Ye, let's get this straight. We're just pretending. You are absolutely not allowed to fall for me or develop feelings. From start to finish, we're just fake boyfriend and girlfriend."

*She was super confident about her looks and figure, but she worried Xiao Ye might catch genuine feelings for her over time. That's why she kept watching his reactions, testing if he was the type to fall for someone easily.*

Xiao Ye, still in sage mode, looked at her stunning face and felt nothing at all. He curled his lips and said, totally deadpan, "You're overthinking this!"

"And let me warn you—if you end up discovering how awesome I am, don't cling to me!" he shot back.

Mu Qingxue declared proudly, "Hmph, who am I? I'm Mu Qingxue! What guy could possibly be good enough for me!"

Xiao Ye: "…"

Then the two of them got up and headed into the busy shopping district to buy what they needed to play their fake couple roles.

Just as they stepped outside, Nangong Siyao and Cheng Bingxi, quick as cats, followed at a distance, tailing them.

The biggest shopping street in Devil City was swarming with people and bustling with traffic.

Shops lined every section of the street.

Xiao Ye and Mu Qingxue arrived at Clothes Street—a whole kilometer full of stores exclusively selling all kinds of clothes, from battle gear to everyday wear.

Walking down the street, the two of them—both ridiculously good-looking—looked like a match made in heaven. Every passerby stared at them.

Behind them, Cheng Bingxi pouted and grumbled, feeling jealous, "Damn it! I've never got to go crazy shopping in Devil City with Xiao Ye."

Even Cheng Bingxi turned green with envy, "Me too! He'd better make it up to me double next time!"

*What a joke—a fake couple strolling down the street, while the real girlfriend had to sneak around behind them, stewing in jealousy.*

Far up ahead—

Mu Qingxue glanced at Xiao Ye's strong hand, then reached out and grabbed it.

Xiao Ye felt the soft, delicate hand, but his face stayed calm, "What are you doing? Aren't we here to buy couple's outfits?"

Mu Qingxue was quite pleased with Xiao Ye's reaction. He wasn't some pathetic loser, and the odds of him falling for her seemed pretty low. Still, she figured she needed to test him a few more times to be sure he wasn't easily swayed.

"Let's knock out two or three things from the list at once—the faster, the better. No need to do them one by one," she explained.

Holding the soft hand, Xiao Ye, deep in his sage moment, felt nothing at all inside.*

The two went into a store together.

With the shopkeeper's recommendations, they each went into the dressing rooms to change.

Their new style was super youthful, full of college vibes.

After a while, they stood before the floor-length mirror in casual couple's outfits. Mu Qingxue took out a tiny camera and said, "Pick me up, I want a picture."

"Sure." Xiao Ye immediately did a princess carry, scooping her perfectly proportioned body into his arms.

Mu Qingxue sneaked a glance at his expression and eyes—face neutral, gaze calm, as if none of this mattered at all.

Hmm, nice!

Mu Qingxue's cheeks turned a little pink as she pointed the camera at the mirror, "Smile for me."

Xiao Ye tugged at the corner of his mouth and gave a totally ordinary smile.

Mu Qingxue frowned, "Smile sweeter! Right now you look totally fake—like you're forcing it, okay?"

Sweet?

*Xiao Ye thought for a second and stretched his mouth into an even wider grin.*

Mu Qingxue's face darkened, "What is this, Dragon Country crooked-mouth king style? You look so creepy! Smile sweet—not weird!"

Xiao Ye retorted, "You want me to show a sweet smile at you? That's asking too much! Don't make it harder than it is, OK? We're just a fake couple."

Mu Qingxue's mouth twitched. She just snapped a quick, half-assed intimate photo and called it done.

*At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of doubt about her looks and figure. Was she really that unimpressive? The guy had her in his arms and didn't even flinch.*

Next, the two headed to the ultimate fun spot and stopped at a private club.

"Give us a presidential hot spring suite—this is a Supreme Black Card." Mu Qingxue tossed out a card like a boss, then dragged Xiao Ye into the huge, luxury suite.

"How about this place? Go put on your swimsuit, and later we'll take some intimate hot spring pics for our Stories."

Watching the steamy hot springs, Xiao Ye didn't even blush or skip a beat as he spoke, "Looks pretty nice. First time I've ever been here."