"You are truly blessed; there is no other man like him in the entire world. That settles it then. When I get bored in the future, I’m calling on you for company, and you are not allowed to make excuses."

"Excuses? I was hoping to find an excuse to come see you myself."

Hua Qingqing looked up, hesitating. "Zhao Qian, when we were in the water that day, it didn't feel entirely real. Do you... understand what I mean?"

I understood what Hua Qingqing meant, so I gently pulled her into my embrace. Hua Qingqing closed her eyes and remained silent. I lightly kissed her soft lips. She responded stiffly at first, but as we held each other tighter, the embrace deepened.

After a long kiss, Hua Qingqing pushed me away first. "Zhao Qian, don't forget me, okay? You have my first kiss. You must keep me firmly in your heart."

"I will, Qingqing. It must be lonely for you living at home by yourself. Come stay with Xiao Rou; you two are good friends. Living together will make you happy, and we can see each other more often."

Hua Qingqing pouted. "I won't live with your wife. She always teases me, which makes me..."

Hua Qingqing blushed and couldn't finish her sentence. I lightly kissed her cheek again. "Do you want me to tease you too? You’re a doctor; you know those are normal reactions. There’s nothing to be shy about."

Hua Qingqing nestled delicately against my arm. "I know, but I just don't want to make it easy for you. Don't you dare mention what happened here to Xiao Rou or the others when you go back, or I swear I'll slice your little thing off the next time I perform a circumcision."

I suddenly remembered something. "Oh, that won't work. Didn't you forget? My skin is impervious to blades and bullets. Circumcision seems impossible. Let it just keep growing. Besides, it’s not actually a foreskin issue; it’s just a bit large."

Hua Qingqing froze too. She hadn't considered that these past few days. She thought one swift cut would solve everything, never imagining that a Class B Superman’s skin was immune to blades!

"Fine, no circumcision. But you have to come see me frequently to check on the situation. In case of any bacteria, syphilis, or gonorrhea, I need to detect it early."

I reached out, trying to sneak a touch of Hua Qingqing’s breasts, but she instantly grabbed my hand. She didn't speak, just stayed resting in my arms, but I felt too embarrassed to press my attack any further.

"Alright, a small check-up every three days, a major one every week. I’ll rely on Dr. Hua’s diligence then."

"How will you thank me?"

"I'll give you all the Serpent Pearls later; I probably have about a hundred left."

Hua Qingqing covered her mouth with a gasp. "One hundred?! That many! Giving them to me? Are you serious? Those are priceless treasures. Can you really part with them? We agreed I would owe you first—my family is very poor."

"It’s not for money; they are a gift. No matter how precious the Serpent Pearls are, you are more precious to me. Besides, they are of little use to me. It's better to entrust them to you for greater purpose. We don't lack money. I can summon as much as you need. But don’t sell the B-substance injections to outsiders unless it’s an absolute last resort, as the Super Soldier Modification Program still relies on them. We need to keep more options open for ourselves."

Hua Qingqing kissed my cheek heavily. "Zhao Qian, I finally understand why those women are so devoted to you. You are too good at charming girls. You... how am I ever going to find a boyfriend now? Is there any man in this world better than you?"

"If that's the case, then you don't need to look for a boyfriend. Be my girlfriend. I will take care of you for a lifetime."

Hua Qingqing kicked her legs playfully. "No, no, no! I absolutely refuse! I’ll annoy you to death!"

I chuckled, pulling Hua Qingqing closer without speaking. We both stared blankly into the campfire for a long moment. Finally, Hua Qingqing whispered, "Actually, I haven't sold even half of those ten Serpent Pearls. I was saving them for a crucial moment. From now on, you decide who I sell them to and for how much. I’ll listen to everything you say."

I asked Hua Qingqing, "You keep talking about lacking money; has the Hua Corporation’s business been doing poorly these past few years?"

Hua Qingqing sighed. "Yes. I don't need to hide it from you anymore. My father has slowly withdrawn from company management over the last two years, and I’ve been immersed in medical research, paying little attention to the business. Recently, many operations have been losing money, and our overseas expansion hasn't been very successful. Significant investment hasn't yielded much return. Out of necessity, I had to borrow the money I owed you just to plug the holes."

I chided her gently. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Every time I asked if you were having trouble, you always brushed me off."

Hua Qingqing kicked her legs again. "Don't you criticize me! I just like telling you now, so what if I do? If you criticize me again, I'll cry."

I was utterly defeated by Hua Qingqing. How could she be even more coquettish than Fang Yanmeng? "Alright, I won't criticize you. But since you're not good at managing the company, I’ll have Susu, Chuchu, Mengmeng, and Jingjing come over to help you. We don't lack funds; we have as much as you need. We can turn the situation around in a few months."

Hua Qingqing obediently nestled on my lap. "Mmm, but don't mention this to them. I’ll ask Xiao Rou to tell everyone, okay?"

"Why?"

Hua Qingqing pouted. "If you tell everyone, they’ll immediately suspect the nature of your relationship with me. I don't want them to misunderstand."

"Heh, fine then. You tell Xiao Rou yourself. After all, our relationship is perfectly innocent. It wouldn't be good if others got the wrong idea."

"Where are your hands going? You’re claiming innocence while trying to grope my chest. Aren't you ashamed?"

Although I hadn't managed to touch anything, I didn't mind. "Not ashamed. I have thick skin. Qingqing, the jasmine scent on you is wonderful."

"It smells good, right? Your wife says the same thing. Too bad you aren't my boyfriend, or I might let you smell it more intimately."

"What would a more intimate smell involve? Taking off all my clothes?"

"Even without taking off clothes, I can get closer, hee hee. Your wife loves smelling me right here," Hua Qingqing said, pointing to her chest.

I negotiated gently. "Can I try too? Just a light sniff."

Hua Qingqing closed her eyes and pondered. "Mmm—okay, just once."

Hua Qingqing was wearing a storm jacket over a sleeveless, tight-fitting undershirt, underneath which was an ultra-thin bra—a necessity considering the high heat and humidity of the rainforest environment for ventilation. I lowered my head and burrowed into the front of Hua Qingqing's clothes. I first rubbed my nose through the fabric in the valley between her breasts, then took a deep breath. Indeed, the jasmine scent here was much stronger.

Without lifting my head, I extended my tongue to lick her slightly protruding nipples. Stimulated by the contact, Hua Qingqing let out a soft cry. She gripped my hair tightly. "Zhao Qian, stop! I’m scared. Let’s talk about this when we get back to the country, okay?"

I released her and whispered softly in her ear, "Qingqing, I love you."

Hua Qingqing suddenly started crying and hitting me. "I forbid you to love me! I forbid you to love me! You’re a philandering scoundrel! I can't like you."

Hua Qingqing had been resisting her feelings for me because, for a long time, she believed I was a man who loved promiscuously. In her view of love, her future husband had to be a devoted and faithful man. Now, admitting she liked a man with multiple partners—she wouldn't accept it even if beaten.

I could only try to soothe her. "Stop crying. It’s fine, I don’t love you. It won't look good if you wake everyone up."

Hua Qingqing looked stunned. "You don't love me? Then what about me? What’s the point of me living?"

I nearly fainted. "Qingqing, you just can't let go of your feelings. Don't think about these things for now. Go to sleep. I'll take the first watch."

Hua Qingqing truly stopped dwelling on it; after such an emotional day, she was exhausted. "Okay, I’m sleeping now. But you have to hold me, and you absolutely must not get hard, or I’ll be angry."

Treating her like a child, I gently patted her back. "Sleep, I swear on heaven I won’t get hard."

Just as Hua Qingqing drifted off to sleep, I heard a buzzing sound drifting from the distant night sky. Looking closely, I saw a dark mass flying toward the camp—it sounded like a helicopter, but the individual units seemed only the size of a person. I immediately shook Hua Qingqing awake.