How was he supposed to answer that?
"I just want you to be happy."
Faced with Luke's smooth reply, Taylor just smiled and lifted her glass again.
But this time she sipped slowly, savoring each taste.
Suddenly, the hotel's background music changed.
Taylor's eyes widened in surprise—the song playing was one of her own.
"We're driving down the road."
We're moving slowly along the road.
"I wonder if you know."
I wonder if you realize.
"I'm trying so hard not to get caught up now."
I'm trying my hardest not to fall for you.
"But you're just so cool."
But your charm is overwhelming.
"Absentmindedly making me want you."
Without even trying, you've got me falling head over heels.
The lyrics fit the mood of the night so perfectly that, with a little wine in her system, Taylor found herself even more emotional.
"This is Fearless?" she asked softly.
"Mm. Don't worry, the owner here's one of us. Nothing will leak," Luke reassured her.
It was the title track from Taylor's second album, Fearless. Luke had gotten an early demo copy. Of course, after tonight, he'd take it back with him—no way it could stay at the hotel.
Still, hearing it together on a night like this, the memory would last forever.
"And I don't know how it gets better than this…"
Nothing in the world could be better than this.
"You take my hand and drag me head first, fearless."
You grab my hand, and together we dive in without fear.
"And I don't know why, but with you I'd dance…"
I don't know why, but right now all I want is to dance with you.
"In a storm, in my best dress, fearless."
Wearing my best dress, running through a storm without fear.
As those lines filled the room, the two of them instinctively turned toward the window—where a raging storm was pouring outside.
"I must be crazy, but I'm wearing my best dress right now, and I want to dance with you," Taylor whispered.
"Fearless!" Luke laughed and held out his hand.
The next second, under the stunned gaze of the hotel owner, the two of them dashed hand in hand into the curtain of rain.
The rain fell like countless silver threads, shimmering like pearls under the gray-white streetlights.
Luke and Taylor danced wildly in the storm, water dripping down their hair and clothes, their bodies moving as if wrapped in a mist of passion.
Each step splashed puddles into tiny bursts of water, as if the droplets were their own drumbeat.
They spun with reckless joy, caught in the rhapsody of youth.
Taylor clung tightly to his waist, moving in sync step by step, her soaked hair flying as she twirled.
"You're really good at this!" Taylor laughed.
"How do you know?"
"Oh, I caught that one!"
"…Huh?"
Luke stopped talking and focused only on leading the dance.
The world around them seemed drained of color—only the fire of their passion glowed brighter.
He guided her with abandon, her white dress flaring with each spin, a picture of breathtaking beauty.
In the downpour, her skirt spun like an umbrella, scattering arcs of water into the night.
The soaked fabric clung to her figure, highlighting every curve—no longer a girl, but a young woman in full bloom.
Tall and radiant, Taylor looked especially delicate in the storm. Droplets ran down her beautiful face, sparkling like crystal.
When the dance ended, she threw her arms around his neck.
"I'll never forget tonight. Thank you."
"We'll have countless more memories like this. This is only the beginning."
"I think I should practice my kissing scenes a little more."
This time, Luke kissed her first.
Her lips were soft and sweet, like melting pudding, impossible to resist.
At some point, the tavern door had opened, and Fearless drifted out into the rain with them:
"Well, you stood there with me in the doorway…"
And now, here you are, standing right in front of me.
"My hands shake. I'm not usually this way, but you pull me in and I'm a little more brave."
My hands are trembling. I'm never like this. But you draw me in, and I feel braver.
"It's a first kiss, it's flawless, really something, it's fearless."
Our first kiss—perfect, unforgettable. This is fearless love.
Taylor's song captured the night perfectly, like the final note of a symphony.
And then, the familiar golden system text appeared:
[Host has completed a perfect date. Not even a storm could extinguish the fire kindled in her heart.]
[Reward earned: Massage Technique (Master-Level)]
Luke: ???
…
Back in his room, Luke sat speechless at the so-called reward.
A master-level massage?
Was this seriously the lamest skill the system had ever given him?
He'd been racking up core skills lately—was the system running out of steam and padding things with filler?
As the usual flood of memories poured into his mind, Luke couldn't help but rant:
A genius spends decades honing his craft, only for it to be massage? Seriously? Well, I guess every trade can produce a master…
But this time, the memory transfer was different.
Instead of practicing alone, Luke was forced to massage actual bodies in the memory: pounding backs, kneading legs, pressing feet, massaging heads…
Thankfully, all the "practice subjects" were soft, graceful young women.
Suddenly, Luke understood why that massage genius could train for decades without giving up.
If it had been sweaty old men instead… just the thought made his skin crawl.
Even after absorbing all that knowledge, Luke wasn't happy at all.
Thai massage? No thanks!
Pressing, kneading, rubbing, pinching, rolling, squeezing… what was he supposed to do with all that?
Wait—scraping?
…Wasn't that even stronger than Kato-sensei's "golden finger"?
The ultimate secret weapon for living off rich women? Their favorite guilty pleasure?
The jokes were endless, but Luke was too overwhelmed to even complain anymore.
Still, if he was honest, the skill wasn't entirely useless.
Bone alignment, spinal adjustments, muscle relaxation—these were genuinely valuable for him.
As an action star, his body went through punishing routines. Being able to treat himself meant faster recovery.
And on set, if an accident happened, knowing how to give immediate treatment could make a world of difference.
Even more, mastering massage gave him deeper insight into the body's muscles, ligaments, and bones—knowledge that would sharpen his martial arts and fighting skills.
Of course, Luke doubted the system's true intention was for him to use it that way.
This system's "kindness" is about as obvious as Sima Zhao's heart.
Well, skills never go to waste. As possibly the most multi-talented person in history, Luke decided to just let it be.
Tomorrow at midnight, Hero would premiere.
After Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he hoped Hero would set a new benchmark, once again proving Asian cinema could captivate audiences worldwide.
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