Lan Meiling's lips trembled as she glared at Ren. Her usually poised, refined demeanor had shattered. As always, the calm and calculating young mistress of the Lan family wasn't composed in front of Ren — she was outright trembling with anger.

"Ren…" her voice was low, quivering with both fury and frustration. "Why… why did you refuse the Lan family's offer? Do you even realize how much you've thrown away? That's the most stupid thing someone could do!"

Her tone cracked, rising louder. She wasn't yelling, but it was sharp enough to sting.

"You keep making these big claims… that you love me, that you want to be with me… yet when I pave better paths for you, like joining Guild Sirius, you just—" her teeth clenched, her fists shaking at her sides, "—you just refuse! And not only do you refuse, you make more enemies in the process! Tell me, Ren, are you dumb!?"

Her anger was raw, unfiltered, spilling past the walls of composure she always wore.

Ren tilted his head slightly, watching her unravel. Inwardly, he almost smirked at the sight. So the calm and untouchable Lan Meiling can look this disturbed, huh? Interesting…

But outwardly, his expression softened. Without warning, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly against him.

Meiling stiffened, her eyes widening. "R-Ren, what are you—"

"Shh," he whispered, his voice a low, soothing current. His hands slid gently across her back, down her arms, caressing her like he was trying to wipe away the tremors running through her body. From behind, he held her firmly, not letting her struggle free.

"Are you scared of your family, Meiling?" Ren asked softly, his lips close to her ear. "Is it fear of respect and love that keeps you there? Or just fear and control itself?"

The words sank into her like needles. Meiling's body tensed, then gradually went still. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. For the first time, she was silent.

Ren pressed his cheek against her hair, his tone still calm, almost gentle. "In my case… it's pure respect and love that keep me tied to my family. Not fear. That's why I will never leave them to join another family… especially one that only demands fear from its members."

Meiling's lips quivered. Her eyes flickered, conflicted.

Ren's arms tightened just a little more. "And I know this for a fact, Meiling. If I join Guild Sirius under the Lan family… I won't be anything more than a communal breeding tool. A toy to pass around for Lan girls. But I don't love the Lans. I don't love your family. I love…" he tilted her chin slightly, forcing her eyes to meet his. "…Lan Meiling."

Her entire face melted at those words. The fury and frustration drained away, leaving her staring at him, caught between disbelief and yearning.

Ren, of course, didn't let that moment go to waste.

Affection Tracker really is a damn cheat.

In his vision, the glowing numbers hovered faintly above her like a secret HUD only he could see:

[Affection Tracker]

Lan Meiling – 15% → 20% → 30%(Congrats! Host finally stopped being an just another man in her eyes… for now.)

The quirky description almost made him laugh inside. Hah, even the tracker sounds like Luxy. But still… efficient. Real-time progress. Perfect.

Before Meiling could even collect herself, Ren acted. He turned her head sharply toward him and captured her lips in a sudden, deep kiss.

"Mmm—!" Meiling's eyes widened. Her hands twitched, caught between pushing him away and holding on. For a moment, she seemed hesitant, her breath shaky against him.

But Ren didn't relent. His lips pressed firmer, his hand sliding to the back of her neck, guiding her deeper into it. Slowly, hesitation gave way to something else. Meiling's trembling shifted into surrender, and then into passion. Her eyes fluttered shut, her lips moving back against his, growing more eager with every second.

The kiss deepened, stealing the very breath from her lungs.

When he finally pulled back, their foreheads touched. Meiling's face was flushed crimson, her breathing heavy, her body nearly melting in his arms.

Ren whispered, his tone dripping with sincerity, "I love you, Meiling. Even if they kill me, I won't be a tool. I would proudly die knowing I only loved you."

Her eyes shimmered at those words. For the first time a smile decorated her face — though whether it was from relief, fear, or overwhelming emotion, even she didn't know.

Ren, meanwhile, smiled faintly inside. Hah. My acting really is flawless. Even I'd fall for it if I didn't know better.

But his thoughts didn't end there.

This world's women… most of the time they only see men as a resource. One man for many women, used for breeding purposes. That's the norm. But love… love changes the rules. Even the ones who aren't that yandere don't like to share their men and there have been many such cases.

They won't give their man to other women. There are even cases where they refuse to let him donate sperm. That's why strict rules exist. Because love, in this twisted world, is still something valuable for most people when they experience it… still jealous… still normal for the most part.

His hand stroked her cheek softly as he mused to himself.

Meiling's lips parted, as though she wanted to speak, but the words never came. She looked intoxicated, lost in the haze of emotions and the lingering taste of his kiss.

Ren's eyes flickered downward — and then he noticed something. A faint wetness on the tip of his shoe. His gaze sharpened, and he knew exactly where it came from.

A sly smile tugged at his lips. He looked back into her eyes, which were clouded and hazy.

"Meiling…" his voice was low, intimate. "Do you want to do it?"

Her entire body jolted. "W-what…? Do what?" Her face went pale, then instantly flushed red. Panic and confusion swirled in her eyes.

Ren didn't hesitate. His tone was blunt, merciless. "What else? Sex."

The room fell into suffocating silence.

Meiling's lips trembled, her breath catching in her throat. She stared at him, torn between outrage, shame, and something else she couldn't put into words.

Ren only watched her calmly, his hand still caressing her back, his presence overwhelming and inescapable.

The air grew hotter, heavier… and then—

Meiling looked at Ren straight in the eyes and muttered. "Let's do it!"

Ren was happy with the outcome, but this time he was determined. I won't get blue-balled again. If I'm doing it, I'm doing it no matter what—even if Misa catches me, he thought to himself.

"..." Even with her bold claim, Meiling looked at Ren for a few seconds in a daze, then looks down at Ren's erect penis and nods hesitantly "Well..."

"Why so reluctant? Do you not want to do it?"

"I've never done this before… do I have to kneel in front of you?" Meiling asked with an uncomfortable smile. She hadn't been given the best sex education, nor did she have much experience. Unlike some of her sisters who indulged in debauchery, Meiling wasn't very knowledgeable about these things.

Besides, it wasn't really the norm for females to give fellatio to males in this world. After all, most men only lasted a minute or two, so it usually had to be done inside—unless they didn't want to get pregnant which is something most women in this world wanted.

Ren also had his own doubts—could he even last during sex if Meiling started giving him fellatio? But more than that, he wondered why he hadn't leveled up or copied any skill yet, despite having one woman he barely knew already at 100%. That meant it wasn't the percentage that gave him points to level up—it had to be something else. He had a slight guess as to what it was, and this was the best chance for him to prove his theory.

Ren quickly sat on a chair and fixed his sharp gaze on Meiling. "Meiling, remove your clothes and come to me. You can undress me afterward," he said softly.

There was also something Ren had to be careful with women in this world. Most of them didn't like to be ordered by a man, after all they were the strong sex here. He had to understand what were the limits if he wanted to seduce all these women and what they liked and what they didn't.

Meiling hesitated for a moment, her fingers nervously brushing against the fabric of her cheongsam. But under Ren's piercing eyes, she nodded. Slowly, she slipped the silky garment from her shoulders, letting it slide down her body until it pooled at her feet revealling her pefect chest and round ass.

Beneath, her curves were wrapped in delicate, lacy underwear that clung to her form, the soft fabric highlighting every line of her figure. The sight made Ren's breath hitch—she was a walking piece of eye candy, and every movement of hers only added to the allure.

"Do you have a lot of experience, Ren? Why aren't you shy? Most men are shy!" Meiling asked, a little bothered by how forward and natural Ren acted.

Ren only smiled. "I grew up in an all-woman household… so of course I'm comfortable around women, Meiling. And the question you asked—if I have experience…"

He paused for a moment before speaking the magic words that lit a fire inside Meiling's heart.

"I'm a virgin!"