Chapter 8: One Skill to Rule Them All
Standing before Wen Nan was a girl from the sports academy, her waist slender, legs long, hips high and firm, and her skin a healthy bronze. Her nose was tall and straight, her brows deep-set, her eyelashes curled and thick, her features striking and sculpted, all complemented by her rich, dark complexion. She exuded an exotic charm, like a beauty of mixed heritage. With such a distinctive look, her appearance rivaled that of the school belle, Wu Yuwei. Yet at this moment, the girl’s irises had turned a savage crimson, and her entire aura radiated a violent energy that warned strangers away—a presence so fierce it made one uneasy.
So this must be the infamous fiery athlete.
Just as he was thinking this, the system’s introduction rang in his mind:
[Name: Lin Fengjiao (Little Pepper)]
[Identity: A hot-tempered, hot-bodied sports academy girl]
[Background: You met Little Pepper during a joint dinner between Seventh High and the sports academy. That evening, she was like a small sun, capturing the attention of every boy present. Many approached her, asking for her contact details, but she dismissed them all with blunt, rough refusals.
While everyone assumed she had no interest in men and retreated, Little Pepper stood up amid the jeers and strode straight toward you, boldly declaring her feelings. As a teenage boy, you admit you were drawn to her lush beauty and those long legs, but you believed love should not be mere lust or impulsive heat. The two of you had never met before, and it wasn’t time for such intimacy—so you politely and elegantly turned her down.
Little Pepper, undeterred by rejection, shouted before everyone, “Ye Jiu, I won’t give up! From now on, I’ll chase you until you change your mind!” Since then, she has come to Seventh High’s gate every holiday, steadfast for three years.]
[Difficulty: ★★★☆]
Judging from the difficulty alone, Little Pepper was on par with Qiqi, both rated three and a half stars—supposedly not hard to win over.
But Wen Nan could see things weren’t so simple. Clearly, something had happened to push Little Pepper into a rage, making her far harder to handle than usual.
Hearing her sharp question, Wen Nan took out his phone and saw that the chat window with Little Pepper showed over ninety-nine unread messages.
“Uh, sorry, something came up just now and I missed your messages.” Wen Nan offered an apologetic smile, trying to change the subject. “It’s not the weekend—why the sudden break?”
Little Pepper ignored his question, stepping closer and pressing, “What could be so important that you couldn’t even reply?”
Earlier, Wen Nan had gone on a date with Qiqi, then taken Xiao Wei to the hospital—none of which he could possibly mention to Little Pepper. He needed an excuse to calm her down.
He was trying to think when he saw the girl before him lose patience during his brief hesitation.
Retreating several steps, Little Pepper let out a furious roar. Her body swelled to twice its size, her skin darkening, carbonizing, splitting open with deep fissures. From those cracks, blinding orange flames erupted, bathing her in blazing fire—she was like a demon unleashed from the depths of hell.
...
...
[Is this really only three and a half stars?]
[This is looking close to five stars!]
[Is a berserk ghost girl really this terrifying?]
[Damn, I feel like if I get within five steps of her, I’ll be burned raw!]
[So hot, so hot]
[What should he do?]
[I feel even the pro is struggling this time—look at his expression, he seems genuinely troubled.]
...
...
Wen Nan truly felt a headache coming on.
He sighed softly. “It was just not replying to messages... Is that really worth this much anger?”
...
...
[???]
[Pro, are you sure this is only about missed messages?]
[Do you really think it's just a simple tantrum? She’s literally breathing fire!]
[Wait, the pro is moving forward! He’s about to make a move!]
[He really is a pro—he must have a way to handle berserk Little Pepper.]
[Sitting tight for the pro’s next move.]
...
...
Wen Nan, cautious and tentative, took two steps toward the flaming Little Pepper.
Thankfully, it wasn’t as scalding as he’d feared.
He raised both hands high, successfully catching Little Pepper’s attention. Her crimson eyes locked onto him, and Wen Nan’s throat bobbed as he hesitated to speak:
“Little Pepper, you... Let me explain.”
...
...
[(⊙_◎)]
[That’s it? That’s it? That’s it?]
[Is this the pro’s legendary move?]
[Isn’t this doomed?]
[I feel like the pro’s about to crash this time.]
[Praying]
[Praying]
...
...
The barrage wasn’t alone—even Wen Nan himself felt this move was a flop.
He regretted his words the instant they left his mouth, but it was too late.
As soon as he finished, the “Fire Demon” Little Pepper threw her head back and howled, flames bursting all around her with crackling snaps. The fire seared the nearby stands, charring the cold stone.
Wen Nan squinted from the scorch, feeling the situation was getting out of hand.
Clearly, he was not adept at comforting angry girls—“let me explain” was a powerless excuse, only fanning the flames.
Ever since Little Pepper appeared, the system had been active in Wen Nan’s mind. Now it chimed again.
9527: [Do you require assistance?]
Wen Nan: [Yes]
He wished he had a book like “The Art of Conversation” to guide him on what to say in such a scenario.
Instead, the system opened the [Shop] and presented a tool—
[Safety Bubble: Upon equipping, the user is immune to all attacks for thirty minutes (applicable only for targets rated four stars and below).]
9527: [Would you like to purchase now with coins?]
Wen Nan: ...
A girl’s anger, and he was supposed to hide away in a safety bubble, like a coward? That would only worsen their relationship.
Wen Nan: [Forget it]
He would resolve this in his own way.
The flames still roared before him. Wen Nan took a deep breath and charged straight into the fire. He braced his hands on either side of the burning girl’s head, pinning her in a classic “wall slam,” trapping her in the corner.
Little Pepper, in her berserk state, never expected such a move. She was stunned: ?
After a brief moment, she opened her abyssal maw, trying to spit fire, but Wen Nan kissed her fiercely, blocking her with his lips and tongue, extinguishing the flames.
Little Pepper grumbled in her throat, lightly pounding Wen Nan’s shoulder in protest, but the violent aura that surrounded her quickly dissipated, restoring her to her normal self.
Wen Nan chuckled inwardly.
Indeed, explanations were superfluous—a kiss was far more effective.
But before he could relax, a new crisis approached—
As he pinned Little Pepper and kissed her, his peripheral vision caught another figure drawing near.
It was his fourth target.
And that woman’s violent aura was no less intense than Little Pepper’s.
Wen Nan: ...
What was he supposed to do now? Surely he couldn’t use the same trick on everyone?
Besides, even if he wanted to, he didn’t have enough lips to go around...