A few days had passed since the incident, and Sebastian’s life had fallen into a productive rhythm.
His relationship with Isabelle had continued to blossom. They texted constantly, ate lunch together, and she found excuses to brush against him or touch his arm during conversations. Her eyes lit up whenever he entered a room.
At 80 affection, Sebastian could tell she was on the verge of confessing. The way she looked at him, the slight nervousness when they were alone, the careful attention she paid to her appearance around him—all the signs were there.
But Sebastian was holding back, letting the tension build. The longer she waited, the more emotionally invested she’d beco, until she would reach the 100 mark.
His cultivation had also progressed significantly.
After several nights of dedicated practice with the remaining Spirit Gathering Incense, he’d finally broken through to Spirit Apprentice Level 2.
[Congratulations! You have reached Spirit Apprentice Level 2!]
[Your Combat Power has increased by 50!]
[Current Combat Power: 237]
[Cultivation Realm: Spirit Apprentice Level 2]
[Experience: 10/400]
The breakthrough had been intense—his ridians had expanded further, allowing more spiritual energy to flow through his body. His senses had sharpened even more, and his physical capabilities had jumped noticeably.
237 combat power put him well above elite human athletes now. He was approaching the level of professional fighters.
Unfortunately, he’d burned through most of his Spirit Gathering Incense. Only one stick remained in his inventory.
’I’ll need to buy more from the Exchange Mall,’ Sebastian noted ntally. ’Or find other cultivation resources.’
But cultivation could wait.
Today was Tuesday—his first tutoring session with Alia Sloane.
Sebastian had been anticipating this all week, carefully planning his approach. The Teacher’s Appreciation Gift Set sat in his bag, waiting for the perfect mont to be presented.
He’d done his research on the gift set the system had provided:
Teacher’s Appreciation Gift Set: A collection of three rare first-edition books—"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen (1813), "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë (1847), and "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë (1847). Each book is in pristine condition with original bindings. Combined value: approximately $75,000.
Sebastian had nearly choked when he’d seen the value. These weren’t just nice gifts—they were museum-quality artifacts.
Perfect for a literature teacher like Alia.
The school day passed slowly, each class feeling longer than usual as Sebastian waited for the final bell.
Finally, at 3:15 PM, the last period ended.
Students flooded out of classrooms, eager to go ho or to after-school activities.
Sebastian gathered his things, placing the carefully wrapped Teacher’s Appreciation Gift Set into his bag.
As he stepped into the hallway, Isabelle appeared beside him almost imdiately, her eyes bright.
"Sebastian!" She smiled, falling into step with him naturally. "Do you want to go ho together today?"
Sebastian gave her an apologetic smile and gently rubbed her hair, a casual, affectionate gesture that made her breath catch slightly.
"Sorry, I have to et up with soone today."
"Oh." Isabelle’s face fell slightly, but she tried to hide her disappointnt. "I see. Enjoy your ti then."
Sebastian stopped walking and turned to face her fully. "Actually, go to my driver. I already told him to take you ho."
"What?" Isabelle shook her head quickly. "No, it’s fine. I can take the bus like usual—"
Sebastian stepped closer, close enough that she had to tilt her head up to et his eyes.
Then he leaned in, his lips near her ear, his hot breath brushing against her skin as he whispered.
"I need you to be safe. Imagine a diamond walking around in public? Everyone would want a piece." He paused, his voice dropping even lower. "And nobody can take my diamond away from ."
Isabelle’s ears turned bright red imdiately. The heat spread across her face, her cheeks flushing a deep pink.
"I—" Her voice ca out barely above a whisper, completely flustered. "I—okay."
Sebastian pulled back slightly, giving her a satisfied smile. "The driver is waiting at the front gate. Text when you get ho safely."
"I will," Isabelle managed to say, her heart pounding so hard she was certain he could hear it.
Sebastian touched her cheek briefly then turned and walked toward the literature wing.
Isabelle stood there for a mont, frozen, her hand coming up to touch her still-burning ear.
’My diamond...’ The words echoed in her mind, making her heart race all over again.
She took a shaky breath and headed toward the front gate, her legs feeling slightly unsteady.
[Ding! Affection Increase!]
[Isabelle Tian’s Affection: 80 → 85/100]
[Status: Borderline Confession → Deeply in Love]
Sebastian smiled to himself as he walked, sensing the notification without needing to check.
Isabelle was his. It was only a matter of ti before he made it official.
But right now, he had another heroine to charm.
He arrived at Alia’s classroom and knocked lightly on the open door.
"Sebastian! Right on ti." Alia looked up from her desk with a warm smile, gesturing to a desk near hers. "Co, sit. How are you feeling? How’s the cut healing?"
Sebastian touched the small bandage on his face. "Much better. Should be completely gone in a day or two."
He was lying, his cut had already healed because of his stronger constitution due to his cultivation. But he was simply keeping it on to make everything appear normal.
"That’s good to hear." Alia pulled out so books and papers. "So, you ntioned wanting to improve your literature analysis skills. What specifically would you like to work on?"
Sebastian set his bag down carefully, the gift inside waiting for the perfect mont.
"Honestly? Everything," he said. "I can understand plots and characters well enough, but when it cos to deeper analysis like thes, symbolism, authorial intent, I feel like I’m missing sothing."
"That’s very self-aware," Alia said approvingly. "Most students don’t even realize there are deeper layers to examine."
Sebastian nodded, "I want to learn from the very best."
Before the tutoring started, the door was knocked.
Knock-Knock.
Alia turned towards the door. "Sorry, Sebastian, give a mont. Co in!"
The door opened, revealing Ethan.
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