My Xiuxian painting style is not right

Chen Yu hid by the window, listening with great interest to the gossip of the ghosts downstairs. The Black Mountain Ghost King married the daughter of the Ghost King City Lord? This news is quite explosive! He rubbed his hands, feeling itchy in his heart, and wanted to rush down to join the discussion immediately. However, he changed his mind and thought that he was unfamiliar with the place and it would be better to keep a low profile. Besides, he hadn't studied the Handbook of Picking Up Girls yet! Thinking of this, Chen Yu immediately lost interest in eating melons, turned back to the table, and picked up the Handbook of Picking Up Girls that he had exchanged from Tangdou Loli.

The cover felt rough, the pages yellowed, and it smelled musty. It didn't look like an ancient artifact at all. However, Chen Yu couldn't care less now. He couldn't wait to open the book to see what shocking techniques for picking up girls it contained. The first page of the book showed a little girl wearing a bellyband and pigtails, holding a lollipop. It was the lolita vendor who had sold him the book. Below it was a line of small words: "The first way to pick up girls: sugar-coated bullets."

Chen Yu couldn't help but curl his lips when he saw this. What kind of a flirting technique is this? Isn't it just giving gifts? Too childish! He continued to flip through the pages. The second page read: "The second way to flirt with a girl: sweet talk." Below it were some corny love phrases, like "You are my heart, you are my liver, you are three-quarters of my life." Chen Yu shook his head. This was too corny! Who would still use these old-fashioned love phrases now?

He continued flipping through the pages, unconvinced, and the content was even more shocking. "Hero saves the beauty," "creating a chance encounter," "showing concern for others' well-being," and so on—all the same old clichés. Chen Yu yawned as he read. This wasn't some ancient artifact; it was clearly a crappy book meant to trick children! He was about to throw the book into his bag when he saw the last page, inscribed with large characters: "The Ultimate Secret to Picking Up Girls: Force Yourself!"

Chen Yu's eyes lit up when he saw this. This... this is the real way to pick up girls! However, he changed his mind and thought, this method is too... too violent! What if the girl is scared away? He hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to give up this ultimate secret. After all, he still wanted to get along well with Lin Qingxue and Liu Ruyan!

He closed the book and prepared to wash his face first to wake himself up. He walked to the washbasin rack in the corner of the room, picked up a wooden basin, and poured some water into it. The conditions in this inn were simple, there was not even hot water, so he could only wash his face with cold water. Chen Yu scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face. The cold touch made him instantly sober up. He wiped his face, looked at his slightly pale face in the mirror, and sighed. This body is too weak, he must quickly improve his strength!

At that moment, the door opened, and Lin Qingxue and Liu Ruyan walked in. Lin Qingxue, dressed in a white dress, looked elegant and refined, while Liu Ruyan, in a red dress, looked charming and attractive. The two beauties, each with their own distinct styles, formed a beautiful scene together.

"Chen Yu, what are you doing?" Lin Qingxue asked when she saw Chen Yu staring at the mirror in a daze.

"Nothing... nothing," Chen Yu reacted subconsciously and quickly changed his words, "I just looked in the mirror to see if I was handsome."

"Handsome?" Lin Qingxue raised her eyebrows slightly, a smile appearing on the corner of her mouth. "What's so handsome about you?"

"I...I..." Chen Yu was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to answer.

Liu Ruyan walked over to Chen Yu, propped her chin up in her hand, looked him up and down, and said, "Little brother, you are indeed not handsome, but you have a special temperament that is very attractive."

"Special aura?" Chen Yu was stunned. What did this mean? Could it be that he had some hidden charm?

Liu Ruyan leaned close to Chen Yu's ear and said in a sweet voice, "This kind of temperament is called...silly."

Chen Yu was choked by Liu Ruyan's words and was speechless. Silly? What kind of temperament is that! He was about to refute, but Lin Qingxue spoke up: "Okay, Ruyan, stop teasing him."

Lin Qingxue walked to the table, picked up the "Handbook of Picking Up Girls", flipped through a few pages, and said, "Chen Yu, where did you get this strange book?"

"I bought it at the ghost market," Chen Yu replied. "The stall owner said it's an ancient artifact that can make me a master at picking up girls."

"A master at picking up girls?" Lin Qingxue put down the book and looked at Chen Yu with a half-smile. "So what skills have you learned to pick up girls?"

Chen Yu perked up when he heard this. He cleared his throat and said, "I've learned a lot, such as... sugar-coated bullets, sweet talk, and being a hero saving a beautiful woman..."

"Oh? Really? Then show it to us." Liu Ruyan said with interest.

Chen Yu rubbed his hands, walked up to Lin Qingxue, and said affectionately, imitating what he had read in the book: "Qingxue, you are like a fairy from heaven, so beautiful that I... I fell in love with you at first sight..."

Lin Qingxue looked at Chen Yu expressionlessly without saying a word.

Seeing that Lin Qingxue didn't respond, Chen Yu continued, "Qingxue, you are the goddess in my heart. For you, I am willing to give everything..."

Lin Qingxue still didn't say anything, just watched Chen Yu perform quietly.

Chen Yu touched his nose awkwardly. How come this is different from what's written in the book? The book says that as long as you say these sweet words, the girl will be moved to tears and throw herself into your arms!

He turned to look at Liu Ruyan and said, "Ruyan, you are like a blooming red rose, passionate as fire. I... I love you..."

"What did you say to me?" Liu Ruyan looked at Chen Yu with a smile, waiting for his next words.

Chen Yu held it in for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word. He felt his face getting hotter and hotter, and he wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into. This guide to picking up girls is totally useless!

Liu Ruyan walked up to Chen Yu, patted his shoulder gently, and said, "Little brother, you are still too naive. It's not that easy to pick up girls."

Lin Qingxue also came over and said, "Chen Yu, you'd better not bother with it. These techniques are useless to us."

Chen Yu sat down dejectedly on the chair, threw the "Handbook of Picking Up Girls" on the table, and said, "This crappy book is useless!"

At this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out in the room: "Big Brother, this book is an ancient artifact. You must comprehend it carefully."

Chen Yu looked up and saw that the girl who had sold him the book had appeared in the room. She was still wearing the red bellyband, holding a huge lollipop in her hand, and looking at him with a smile.

"How...how did you get in?" Chen Yu asked in surprise.

Sugar Bean Loli licked her lollipop and said, "It doesn't matter how I got here. What matters is that you make good use of this book."

"But the techniques in this book don't work at all!" said Chen Yu.

"That's because you haven't put your heart into it," said Sugar Bean Loli. "The key to picking up girls is sincerity. You have to be genuinely nice to them to win their hearts."

"Sincerity?" Chen Yu repeated the word and nodded as if he understood it.

After Tangdou Loli finished speaking, she disappeared, leaving only Chen Yu, Lin Qingxue and Liu Ruyan in the room.

Lin Qingxue and Liu Ruyan felt a little unbelievable when they saw Tangdou Loli suddenly appear and disappear.

"Who is this little girl?" Lin Qingxue asked.

Chen Yu shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but she doesn't look simple."

Liu Ruyan walked to the table, picked up the "Handbook of Picking Up Girls", flipped through a few pages, and said, "This book is indeed a bit strange."

Lin Qingxue also came over and said, "Perhaps, we should study this book carefully."

Chen Yu looked at Lin Qingxue and Liu Ruyan, and suddenly an idea struck him. He said, "Why don't we study it together? Maybe we can discover some secrets."

Lin Qingxue and Liu Ruyan looked at each other and nodded.

The three of them sat around the table and began to study the "Handbook of Picking Up Girls" in earnest. The room fell silent, with only the sound of flipping pages.

Outside the window, the night deepens, but the ghost market is still brightly lit and bustling.