Critical Return System: I Am Pampering Beautiful Maidens

"Colleague Ning Xue, do you need anything?"

Li An asked, suppressing his strange thoughts. Ning Xue, on the other hand, kept pressing him against the door.

"Don't be like this, damn it! Fight me! Did you forget that you kissed me earlier? I need to settle this score, don't I?"

Ning Xue questioned, her eyes shining with an eerie light.

"Is that why you're angry and want to fight me?"

Li An remained calm, as serene as the waves. Then, a smile formed on his lips as he said,

"Go ahead! Even if I'm a coward, I take responsibility for what I do."

That scene left Ning Xue speechless. For a moment, Li An seemed so incredible, as if he had stepped right out of her teenage dreams.

'What am I thinking?'

Ning Xue bit her lips, unable to understand why this reminded her of the fairy tales she read as a child. The next moment, she shook her head.

'No! He's not a prince charming; he's the opposite! His personality is like a cute little kitten from some shoujo manga!'

She was certain of it. And to confirm, she looked at Li An.

"Will you still take responsibility, even if I beat you so badly you end up bedridden for a year?"

Saying this, she smiled menacingly, looking like a demon about to devour an innocent soul.

"It was just a kiss on the forehead! No need to go that far, right? How about making it even? You can kiss me too."

Li An regretted his words the moment he saw Ning Xue's devilish expression. His whole body shuddered.

'An angry woman is terrifying!'

He thought, and the next moment, he felt a hand land on his head. Then, Ning Xue leaned in and kissed him on the forehead for real.

That left him stunned.

"My God, this wasn't in the script!"

He had always imagined she would act like a tsundere, get flustered, hit him, and then run away—just like in a cliché storyline. But this boldness caught him completely off guard.

"It's good to be kind and careful, Li An, but the world is in chaos. This demon incident won't be the first or the last, so do your best to get stronger! The academy may seem like a good place… and that's true for the S-class students, but the rest are just cannon fodder!"

"They're merely pieces on a chessboard. And another interesting thing… the world is facing multiple collapses of secret portals, signaling the beginning of a new golden era."

Saying this, she turned with an angelic smile and walked toward the kitchen, leaving Li An alone.

His face was frozen in shock.

"What was that?"

For a moment, Ning Xue gave him a strange feeling.

Cough cough.

He cleared his throat and began reflecting on her words.

"I was right! A new era is coming!"

Li An wasn't surprised—he had already expected this. But what truly unsettled him was the mention of secret portals.

Unlike secret realms created by powerful beings, these portals emerge from the rupture of the Void itself. They can bring both great opportunities and devastating disasters.

The Void, according to the books, is the center of the universe, where myriad races from countless worlds gather for battle. However, for unknown reasons, it is always destroyed at the end of a great glorious era, only to reappear in the next as scattered fragments throughout the universe, marking the beginning of a new age.

"Why now, of all times?! Why does everything have to be so complicated? I'm still weak, damn it! I'm just an insect!"

He grumbled as he walked toward the kitchen. Ning Xue was sitting in a chair, looking relaxed as she stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.

That made Li An curious, but he said nothing. He simply walked over to the grill and took out the meat, which released a delicious aroma.

The next moment, he cut it into several equal-sized pieces.

After finishing, he smiled, grabbed a skewer, pierced a piece of meat, and walked toward Ning Xue. When he reached her, he gently placed his hands on her lips, parting them slightly.

Ning Xue, who had noticed Li An approaching from the start, did nothing but was curious about what he would do. Seeing him act this way, she didn't know whether to admire his courage in certain moments or get angry at his audacity.

"Here, don't worry too much about the future. Enjoy the present! Train as hard as possible and seize opportunities. Only then will we have a place in the future!"

After saying that, Li An placed the meat in her mouth.

[Your boldness is remarkable, daring to feed a delinquent directly with a piece of Great Iron Bull meat.]

[100x Return]

[A piece of Destruction Bull Emperor meat]

[Note: Before you think about a bug! Each item of the same species can only be given once.]

"..."

Li An, who had planned to stuff Ning Xue with meat, said nothing, but his face showed his resentment.

'Why didn't I cut a bigger piece?'

He cried internally, but it was too late now. Ning Xue, watching him, felt quite embarrassed to be fed like that, but she liked the gesture.

"Li An, keep going."

She was excited.

Li An, who hadn't expected that reaction, found this unexpected side of her quite charming. He had always thought of Ning Xue as a tough girl who hated everyone, but that changed as he got closer to her.

"You're such a spoiled little girl."

He placed his hand on her chin with a pleased expression.

Then he stepped back, returned to the grill, cut almost all the remaining meat, and picked up two skewers.

"Feed me too. I don't want to lose out or work for free without any reward."

Ning Xue said nothing, simply placed the meat in his mouth the very next second.

It was delicious. He didn't know why, but being fed like this gave him a different sensation. The meat tasted even better...

"I love this life!"

For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt that living here wasn't so bad. But at the same time, he knew it was temporary. The only way to truly enjoy life was by becoming stronger.

"This is the life I want! Free of restraints, enjoying my time without worrying about anything! But it's difficult… That's why I'll strive to become the strongest."

He whispered aloud. Whether intentionally or not, Ning Xue heard him. Her eyes locked onto his, and for a moment, she saw within them a vast ocean where an immeasurably large dragon roared, looking down on all beings.

"Li An...?"

At that moment, Ning Xue changed her opinion. She realized she had been mistaken. This guy wasn't some frightened kitten—he was a dangerous existence who, once unleashed, would be second to none.

'So cool! So strong!'

Ning Xue didn't feel fear, only excitement, eager to see how far this incredible guy would go.

'Until he reaches that point… can I still treat him like a cute little kitten?'