Lin Wei didn't sleep well.
Every time he closed his eyes, he felt the ghost of Mei's palm against his. The way their Qi had spiraled together, the look in her eyes when she'd smiled at him.
"This is a problem," he muttered to the ceiling.
[What's the problem? You found a compatible cultivation partner! That's EXCELLENT for your development!]
"The problem is I'm starting to actually like her."
[And? That's how partnerships are SUPPOSED to work! Emotional connection strengthens Qi resonance. It's basic cultivation science!]
"It's also a distraction, I need to focus on fixing my meridians, not on—"
[On having feelings? Host, you're young. Having feelings is NORMAL. Embrace it! Use it! Emotional vulnerability makes for GREAT content!]
Lin Wei shook and rolled out of bed.
His communication jade had been buzzing all night with notifications. He'd turned it off eventually but now he had to face the damage.
He activated the jade.
[487 new messages]
"Oh no."
Most were comments on the synchronization video, It had gone extremely viral overnight—over three thousand views now. The comment section was chaos:
[@OuterSectGossip: "I KNEW Mei Ling had fire Qi! She's been hiding her talent for YEARS!"]
[@SwordDisciple: "The way they looked at each other though. THAT'S NOT JUST CULTIVATION."]
[@RandomFan: "New favorite couple. Don't care if it's real or not."]
[@HuoLiang: "Trash Wei is corrupting another disciple now? Disgusting."]
[@DefenderOfJustice: "@HuoLiang You're just mad because you've never made anyone look at you like that."]
[@InnerSectJade: "Technical question: Is the hand contact method replicable? Asking for research."]
And then, buried in the mess, a message from Mei:
[@QuietObserver: "People are talking, A LOT. My roommates asked if we're dating, I said no.... Was that correct?"]
Lin Wei stared at that message for a Very long time.
Were they dating?
They'd held hands once, for cultivation purposes.
Their Qi had synchronized in a way that felt more intimate than it probably should have.
She'd smiled at him like he was someone worth knowing.
But that didn't mean...
[HOST, stop overthinking and ANSWER HER. She's probably panicking right now.]
Lin Wei typed carefully:
[@TrashPhoenix: "We're cultivation partners, If people want to assume more, that's their problem but we should probably talk about... expectations. Same time tonight?"]
He sent it before he could second guess himself.
The response came almost immediately:
[@QuietObserver: "Yes. Tonight, we should definitely talk."]
[She responded in thirty seconds, she's probably been staring at her jade waiting for your reply. CHEMISTRY CONFIRMED.]
"Or she's just anxious about the rumors."
[Keep lying to yourself, Host. It's adorable. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]
"Whatever.."
Lin Wei spent the morning trying to act normal.
This proved impossible.
Everyone in the outer sect had apparently seen the video, he couldn't walk ten steps without someone staring or whispering.
"That's him."
"With Mei Ling?"
"I heard they're secretly engaged."
"I heard they've been dual cultivating for months."
"I heard she's actually a phoenix spirit in disguise."
The rumors got progressively more insane.
By the time he reached the dining hall, he'd apparently become: a secret inner sect member, a demonic cultivator, Mei Ling's arranged marriage partner, and somehow—the illegitimate son of the Sect Master.
[Your fame is growing! This is EXCELLENT for cultivation! Your Lust Qi accumulation rate has increased by 30%!]
"My reputation is being destroyed."
[Your OLD reputation was 'trash who exploded out of his pants.' Your NEW reputation is 'mysterious cultivator with romantic partner.' That's an UPGRADE.]
Lin Wei got his food and found a table.
Immediately, three disciples he'd never spoken to sat down across from him.
"So," one of them said. "You and Mei Ling."
"We're cultivation partners."
"Right. 'Cultivation partners.'" The disciple made air quotes. "Is that what you're calling it?"
"That's what it IS.."
"The hand holding looked pretty intense for just cultivation."
"We were synchronizing Qi, It's a technical requirement."
All three disciples exchanged knowing looks.
"Sure, technical requirement. Got it."
They wandered off, clearly not believing him.
[You realize you sound EXACTLY like someone in denial, right?]
"I'm not in denial."
[You held her hand for five minutes and your heart rate increased by 40%. Your pupils dilated, you smiled more in that video than in the previous eighteen years of your life combined. DENIAL.]
"It was a physiological response to Qi synchronization—"
[Keep telling yourself that.]
And the day dragged on..
Lin Wei tried to focus on cultivation but his mind kept drifting.
What were they going to talk about tonight?
What were the "expectations"?
What did HE want the expectations to be?
[You want to kiss her. Admit it.]
"I barely know her."
[You know she's brilliant, brave, kind and your Qi signatures are 87% compatible. That's more than most people know about their partners after YEARS.]
"This is moving too fast."
[Host. You have a system that converts attention into power, you're on an accelerated cultivation path. EVERYTHING in your life is moving fast now. Embrace it or get left behind.]
Lin Wei didn't have a good counter argument for that.
By evening, he was a full on nervous wreck.
He arrived at the cave early and spent twenty minutes arranging and rearranging the lanterns.
[You're stress decorating, Cute.]
"Shut up."
[She's going to like it regardless, so relax.]
But Lin Wei couldn't relax.
What if she wanted to end the partnership?
What if the rumors had scared her off?
What if she'd realized partnering with "Trash Wei" was social suicide?
Footsteps.
Lin Wei turned.
Mei stood in the cave entrance, clutching a book to her chest like a shield.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi."
They stood there awkwardly.
"So," Mei said. "People are talking."
"Yeah."
"My roommates think we're secretly married."
"Mine think I'm using demonic cultivation to seduce you."
Mei let out a surprised laugh. "Really?"
"Apparently holding hands is demonic now."
"To be fair, that WAS some very intense hand holding."
They both smiled.
The tension eased slightly.
Mei walked further into the cave and sat on one of the stone benches. "I brought research about dual cultivation, historical texts from the library."
She opened the book, and Lin Wei sat beside her.
"Most of what's written about dual cultivation is either vague or actively misleading," Mei said, flipping through pages. "The orthodox sects suppressed detailed records centuries ago, but I found references in some older texts that suggest it was once a legitimate practice."
"My father mentioned it in his notes," Lin Wei said. "He thought dual cultivation could amplify non standard Qi types, maybe make up for damaged meridians or volatile elements."
"That matches what I found, Look—" She pointed to a diagram. "This text describes 'harmonic resonance between compatible practitioners.' When two cultivators with complementary Qi signatures practice together, their combined output exceeds the sum of individual capabilities."
"We felt that yesterday."
"We did." Mei looked at him. "Which is why I think we should continue.. Officially, as cultivation partners."
"Even with the rumors?"
"Especially with the rumors. Lin Wei, I've been invisible for years, hiding my fire Qi because I was afraid of losing control, Suppressing myself because that's what orthodox cultivation taught me but working with you—I felt ALIVE. Powerful. For the first time since I started cultivating, my Qi didn't feel like a burden, It felt like a gift."
Her eyes were bright with determination.
"I don't care what people say, I want to keep practicing with you. If that means dealing with gossip, fine, If it means appearing in your content, I'm fine with that also but I'm just tired of hiding."
Lin Wei felt something warm in his chest.
"Okay," he said. "PARTNER."
Mei smiled.
[PARTNERSHIP SOLIDIFIED!]
[New mission unlocked! But first, let's talk about the ELEPHANT IN THE CAVE.]