《Quick Transmigration: Irresistible Beauty》


 Chapter 1 - 1: White Rich Beauty (1)

    "Did we successfully escape?" Yue Ran looked up at the ball of light beside her, and her brows knitted for a second. Her eyes were cold.


    Before she could receive an answer, the space behind her cracked, and she was quickly sucked into it. That was when the world whirled around her in a flurry of colors and everything went black. For a moment, she swore that she saw a pair of eyes¡ªblood-red ones, cold and inhuman¡ªstaring at her within the abyssal void.


    "Can''t¡­ leave." The voice was low and ghostly, almost inaudible, constantly echoing inside her head.


    ?? ? ??


    Warm sunlight poured in through a floor-to-ceiling window and shone down on the form of a sleeping girl, creating a halo around her. An unearthly beauty with black hair, snow-white skin, and bright red lips, it was too bad that no one was here to admire her features.


    The girl is Yue Ran.


    When she opened her eyes, her sight was greeted with pink. There was pink all around her. Pale pink curtains, darker pink bedsheets, and a wallpaper with swirls of both.


    When she heard a knock on the door, she jerked her head.


    "Come in," she answered.


    An old woman, around her late fifties, who looked like a domestic servant, came in. "Young miss, the master and madam are already waiting for you to eat in the dining room." She spoke to Pinqing sternly and with little respect. "Stop acting petty and come down with me." She was stern, but there was no malice.


    Yue Ran didn''t answer the old woman; she was only focused on gazing at her face in the oversized vanity mirror in the original body''s room. A stunning beauty stared right back at her. She touched her face lightly with satisfaction and relief.


    Thankfully, she still had her original features, only looking younger than she originally did in her own body. That''s good; even if the Lord God of her system despised her, he couldn''t change her lovely appearance as he pleased.


    As for Yue Ran''s name, it would always stay the same in every world she went to, so it would be of no concern to her.


    Then her eyes swiveled back to the old woman. Since the Lord God detested her for her rebellion, it would seem that he delayed the memories of the original body from being sent to her. So even if she doesn''t like the old woman, she still had to find out about this original body''s situation, mostly for herself.


    When she stood up, the pink Lolita dress that she was wearing ended just above her knees and danced in an arc with her movements. She lightly ran her fingers through her slightly unkempt hair to straighten it and placed a pink flower headband on her head that matched her dress. Overall, she looked cute, lovely, and sweet.


    System No. 3153 popped up when he sensed Yue Ran''s thoughts and quickly said, "Master, Master, there''s a slight delay in the memory transference! But it won''t take long; Ruan Ruan will guarantee it!"


    "That''s okay." Yue Ran twirled a strand of her silky hair in her finger as she followed the old woman out of her room.


    "Ruan Ruan will analyze the plot of this world and send it to Master as soon as possible!" He chirped. "Even without the original body''s memory, Ruan Ruan can gather enough information so that Master will be just fine!"


    System No. 3153 is the system that was bound to her during her untimely death in her original world, created by the Lord God. During their first meeting, he was stubborn, stern, and so faithfully serving his Lord God that he always spoke with so much passion. But now look at how much he changed after traveling with her through dozens of worlds together. He could now even rebel against his noble Lord God.


    And seeing just how cute he was getting as time passed, Yue Ran named him Ruan Ruan, just because of how cute his form was as a little ball of golden light and how soft his form felt when touched with her finger. His voice is also especially cute, like a child''s.


    "Is Ruan Ruan very good, Master?" He asked. She could just imagine a ball of light flying around her like a happy, chirping bird.


    Yue Ran''s eyes narrowed into crescents. "Yes, very good."


    Just as Yue Ran answered the system''s words in her mind, she raised her eyes and saw three people at the dining table. The two elders who looked like a couple should be the original body''s parents, but who is the attractive boy on the side who looked about the original body''s age?


    "Ran Ran, you''re here!" The older woman exclaimed happily at the sight of Yue Ran. "Come, sit by Mom''s side."


    "You finally came down," the older man commented.


    "Mom, dad," Yue Ran pulled out a chair beside the woman, and with graceful and smooth movements, she sat down, turned her head over to the two, propped her chin with one hand, and smiled sweetly at them.


    As for whoever the boy is, Yue Ran couldn''t care less since he had shot her with such an obvious and horrible disgust in his eyes that couldn''t be concealed even if he tried his very best to hide it. And she had no interest in learning whatever the original body''s feud with him was that resulted in his having such a bad attitude towards her.


    "Here, Ran Ran." Yue Ran''s mother pushed a small plate of desert in front of her. "Your favorite red velvet cheesecake."


    "Mom, you always know me best," Yue Ran said with a slight hint of coquettishness, sounding so cute and lovely. She leaned her head on her mother''s shoulder and circled her arm.


    "You." Her mother poked her head dotingly. "You''ve already grown so big, but you are still so childish." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran poked her tongue out at her mother and proceeded to eat the slice of cake that was just in her line of sight. But just as she was about to eat it, her movements paused for the briefest of seconds before resuming, as if that was just a momentary slip of the eyes.


    No one noticed this slight blunder.

 Chapter 2 - 2: White Rich Beauty (2)

    Yue Ran only felt her head suddenly turn heavy for a moment, then countless pictures floated before her eyes. She was used to this rather oppressive feeling in every new world she went to, so her adaptation to this abnormality was extremely quick.


    The memory she received, however, in this world was a tragic one¡ªmost likely because her system''s Lord God disliked every fiber of her being but couldn''t actually do anything to do real damage to her, thus wanting her to suffer in every world she was transferred into.


    The original body in this world is a really silly girl, arrogant and self-willed, but she would never actually mean to hurt anyone. Yet she still received a bad ending in the plot.


    The original body was originally born into a warm and wealthy family. Her parents loved her very much and raised her like a princess. She was the best at everything, whether in her studies or in her social life. Furthermore, the beautiful features she inherited from her parents made it so that she would always be surrounded by people and would always be placed in the center of the spotlight.


    Until one day, while she was attending a private noble high school, the male protagonist, a poor student on a scholarship at the time, caught her attention. He was poor but very handsome, and he didn''t really put the original body, the noble young lady of the Yue family, in his eyes. He really was the literal definition of a snow-white lotus that came out of the mud unstained, and he doesn''t bow down to the rich and powerful at all.


    The original body gradually became interested in the male protagonist, Jiang Yi, and the more she paid attention to him, the more she discovered his excellence. So she started a typical routine of a villainous female supporting character who hopelessly fell in love with the male protagonist and then shamelessly chased him around, a love that would remain unchanged for thousands of years and for all of eternity.


    She had never actually suffered any setbacks since she was a child, thinking that the person she liked should like herself as well. So she went to the male lead to boldly confess her love for him. And she was rejected, as should be expected, but she still had an indomitable spirit within her to continue chasing him.


    She secretly helped the male lead in private, as any villainous female supporting character who stood in the way of the main protagonists'' love would. She had long known that the male lead was very passionate about fashion design, so she used her parents'' connections to send him to the best fashion design company in the city.


    And that was how the male protagonist and the female protagonist, two separate parallel lines that never met, intersected into a single line.


    The female protagonist, Rui Qin, in the plot is the female president of a fashion design company. Because the male protagonist entered the company by using the connections from the original body''s Yue family, the female president paid special attention to him.


    The male protagonist is the type of person who would shock anyone who paid special attention to him. If the female protagonist hadn''t taken the initiative, then her life would''ve just gone on as usual. But thankfully, she did because she had just found an exceptionally talented designer!


    The female protagonist specially transferred the male protagonist to her side and discussed ideas with him in person. They discovered how many similar points of view they held after a heated debate. It was akin to the joy of finding a confidant in the vast, wide world, and the two quickly hit it off and became great friends.


    Friends that would eventually become lovers in a relationship.


    And what about the original body? She discovered she had a fianc¨¦e as soon as the male protagonist was sent to the company. She cried, made trouble, and tried to threaten suicide. But no matter how much trouble she caused, her parents, who loved her very much, still refused to break their engagement. And off she went to get married.


    The original body and Yang Chi, the second male protagonist and now apparently her husband, hated each other immensely and jointly agreed to turn a blind eye to each other''s affairs.


    Because of her marital status, the original character no longer dared to pursue the male protagonist boldly. But, by chance, she saw the male protagonist and the female protagonist chatting very intimately together. For a moment, she lost her mind and immediately stepped forward to question the male protagonist: "Who is she?!"


    Naturally, the male protagonist stepped in front of the female protagonist with a protective stance and very reluctantly took the trouble to ask, "What''s wrong with you?"


    The original body''s eyes were red with anger, and she attempted to slap the female protagonist. However, her wrist was firmly grabbed and restrained by someone. When she turned her head, she saw that it was actually her husband, Yang Chi, who stopped her and was asking the female protagonist if she was okay with such a tender look in his eyes.


    Yang Chi''s obedient, puppy-like image in front of the female protagonist, Rui Qin, and his fierce and unreasonable image in front of her were such a big contrast that she was greatly stimulated by him.


    The original body ran away with red eyes and hired a private detective to investigate the whereabouts of the female protagonist, then sent someone to kidnap her. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The original body had never actually done anything bad since she was a child, so this time she naturally felt panicked for her own actions. Her suspicious behavior, needless to say, was easily discovered by her parents. And when being questioned, she confessed all the things she had done, which she immediately regretted.


    Her parents naturally called the kidnappers back to call off the operation. But after making a call, an unknown stranger answered the phone, and he only cursed loudly at their words.


    The unknown stranger who answered the phone turned out to be the female protagonist''s childhood sweetheart, Jin Yao, who had braved through fire and water to save her from the kidnappers. Afterwards, he used his superb hacking skills to leak some confidential documents from Yue Corporation. The company suffered a huge blow because of this.


    As if it wasn''t enough, the female protagonist''s childhood sweetheart also told Yang Chi about this and asked him to take "good care" of his wife.


    Yang Chi had no feelings for the original body. Once he learned that she had dared to hurt someone he loved, he immediately ignored his family objections and asked her for divorce. On top of that, he ordered his men to disrupt her legs, causing her to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.


    When the male protagonist learned about this incident, he, who has always been upright, couldn''t help but get really angry. He hired someone to render her hand useless for the rest of her life. The original body changed from a spoiled princess to a useless person in a matter of days.


    In this humiliating condition, she would rather die than live any longer. Naturally, she didn''t want the female protagonist to feel better.


    So she begged her mother to help her. The original body''s mother also hated the female protagonist for turning her daughter into such a state, so she used a leftover favor from her father, the original body''s grandfather, who had connections to the underworld.


    The original body wanted to use the boss of the underworld''s power, who is the villain in this small world, to kidnap the female protagonist and teach her an unforgettable lesson.


    It''s a pity that the female protagonist''s tenacity impressed the villain, and he let the male protagonist save her without making an effort to stop the deed. And like any other brain-dead plot, the villain, Mu Chen, gradually fell in love with the female protagonist.


    When the female protagonist''s childhood sweetheart, Jin Yao, learned that the original body was acting like a demon again by finding trouble with the female protagonist, Rui Qin, he directly sent the original body to the mountains with his own hands to a village that took women as a birthing tool for men.


    Without much surprise, the original body committed suicide. Her father was also jailed for leaking the company''s confidential documents, with the evidence forged by Jin Yao.


    Seeing how tragically the Yue family had ended, the original body''s mother, who couldn''t bear such a huge stimulus, also committed suicide, not long after her husband was sent to jail.


    In the end, the female protagonist, Rui Qin, and the male protagonist, Jiang Yi, lived happily ever after together. Of course, in the company of three other men¡ªYang Chi, the second male protagonist; Jin Yao, the female protagonist''s childhood sweetheart; and Mu Chen, the villain¡ªwho stuck by Rui Qin like glue.

 Chapter 3 - 3: White Rich Beauty (3)

    When Yue Ran took the first bite of her dessert, she let out a small little moan of delight, ignoring the coughing noise made by Yang Chi.


    "Yang Chi''s data is loading," her system, Ruan Ruan, informed her.


    This may have been a normal dessert, but it was perfection. This red velvet cheesecake is creamy, moist, and flavorful, with each ingredient complementing the other perfectly, especially with the white chocolate shavings on the top layer of icing. The taste is so rich and flavorful, but not quite enough to be too heavy and decadent.


    This red velvet cheesecake definitely hits the perfect ratio of cake to cheesecake. She still wants another slice.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +5"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is -5"


    Yue Ran swept her eyes across the dining table and flashed her father a smile. Her eyes brushed over Yang Chi so naturally that he was unsure if she had even seen him or not.


    "How much favorability does he have towards the female protagonist?" Yue Ran questioned her system in her mind.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability toward the female protagonist, Rui Qin, is 68."


    "Hmm," she hummed lightly in response to Ruan Ruan.


    Putting down the fork in her hand and dabbing her lips lightly with a napkin, she turned back towards her mother, who was also enjoying her own desert.


    "Mom, why did you call me down so early?"


    Instead of her mother responding, it was her father who spoke first, in a gentle voice with a hint of pampering.


    "We just want to ask you when do you want to get engaged with Chi''er?"


    "Engaged?" Yue Ran asked, then let the words sink in. "I''m engaged?" She asked again, not very sure if she actually heard the words right the first time.


    "Yes, with Chi''er," Father Yue answered with a smile. At least his daughter wasn''t running away from the conversation, unlike before, right? That''s a huge improvement.


    But reality has to shatter his dream into irreparable pieces for Yue Ran hugged her stomach with both hands and pretended to be uncomfortable; her beautiful features were decorated with a frown.


    "Mom, Dad, you guys eat first. I have a stomachache, so I''ll head up first!"


    The corners of Mother Yue''s mouth twitched slightly, and she complained to Father Yue. "Look, look, your daughter is behaving this way again because you spoil her so much!"


    Father Yue did not refute and only smiled lightly.


    Hence, Mother Yue had no choice but to turn her head to Yang Chi and say politely, "Our daughter was spoiled senseless by us, so please understand."


    Yang Chi only hated Yue Ran, a noble young lady who is full of princess disease. He harbored no ill will toward the well-bred couple in front of him, so he always performed admirably in their presence.


    At this moment, Yang Chi smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "It''s nothing; Ran''er is really down to earth." It was almost as if he were not the one who had shouted at Yue Ran before. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the meal, Mother Yue brought a glass of warm milk to Father Yue, who was working in the study, and then sat by his side.


    Father Yue asked with mirth in his eyes, "There''s no need to contemplate so much; just ask me anything you want to."


    Mother Yue sighed with knitted brows. "Our daughter and Yang Chi dislike each other so much, so can the engagement really not be dissolved?"


    Hearing this, Father Yue took off the glasses he wore and placed them on the table. Pinching the bridge of his nose with his hands, he said, "You also know that this is a marriage contract between my father and the old man of the Yang family." He removed his hand and stared into Mother Yue''s eyes. "And before Father died, his last wish was also for Ran''er and Yang Chi to get married," he said. "Moreover, Mr. Yang will definitely refuse to break their engagement."


    Mother Yue was frowning. She knew very well that she was putting Father Yue in a difficult spot, so she could only say, "Remember to drink the milk; I''ll head out first."


    Father Yue only watched Mother Yue walk out of his study, and he put on his glasses again. There are still many papers from the company that he has to deal with.


    ?? ? ??


    Now the timeline of the plot has come to the point where the male protagonist has joined the female protagonist''s company. If she does not take the initiative to attack the male protagonist, the male protagonist and female protagonist will develop feelings for each other and get together, though she will be able to break them up if they ever get to that point.


    Besides, in the original plot, the male protagonist never knew that the original body had helped him enter the company through the Yue family''s connections. All he thought was that some kind-hearted person had finally discovered his talent and recommended him to the fashion design company.


    Yue Ran would not be as stupid as the original body. It was never her style to do good deeds without leaving a name.


    ?? ? ??


    The next day.


    It was Monday, the first day of a new week in school.


    Yue Ran was dressed in gothic Lolita attire. She started her day at school dressed in a sassy and sweet way.


    Presently, the male protagonist, Jiang Yi, is a senior who will have his final year in university. But today will be the last time he will ever step foot in the university, for he will complete all formalities for early graduation on this very day.


    So how could Yue Ran miss such a good opportunity to provoke the male protagonist?


    After all, all she had to do was mess up the Lord God''s plan by gaining the love of all the male protagonists and thus disrupting the plot set in this world.


    The Lord God would most definitely be pissed, but that had nothing to do with her. She was caged by him, not given the choice to leave his clutches, and she had to avoid the snowballing tragedies coming her way.


    Going from world to world, she had finally understood that the Lord God of her system was just a more powerful being who gained power through the "hosts" of each system he created. Each host recruited would need to follow the same set of plots, going through tragic endings and the inhumane torture of villainous female supporting characters.


    In this way, these hosts would become weaker and weaker through each world plot they went through until they dissipated into nothingness, for the Lord God had completely absorbed their souls for his own growing power.


    And Yue Ran had never once planned to become food for such a power-hungry Lord God.


    To regain her free will, she had to find a way to escape, or better yet, a way to bring him down.


    Both methods were just asking for a death wish. But what else could she do? Just crawl around in despair? As if.

 Chapter 4 - 4: White Rich Beauty (4)

    At the northern gate of the university, a red Maserati was parked prominently. Many students buzzed and crowded around it for a long time but did not see the owner of the car coming down from it.


    The person in the car is obviously Yue Ran.


    "How long does it take until the male protagonist arrives at the scene?"


    "23 seconds!" Ruan Ruan replied readily.


    "Hmm, then it''s time for me to shine on the scene." The ends of Yue Ran''s lips were raised.


    The door of the red Maserati opened with a dull sound, and white and slender legs first appeared out of the car door, looking like a beautiful piece of porcelain white jade under the bright sunlight of the early Monday morning.


    Everyone had their eyes focused on the white, jade-like calf, and Jiang Yi was no exception. That was until the owner of the legs entered the picture.


    "Yue Ran, why are you looking for me again?" A deep furrow immediately appeared between Jiang Yi''s eyebrows as soon as he saw that familiar face. "I already told you that I don''t like you!"


    An instant after he finished his words, bursts of conversation among the crowded student body who entered the school gate erupted then and there.


    "No way, Yue Ran really likes that poor boy; I thought it was just some made-up nonsense written in the school forum!"


    "Yes, yes, I don''t know why Yue Ran likes that person; doesn''t that person only have a good face?"


    "What do you know? Girls nowadays just like those with good faces."


    The girl smiled sweetly, and a deep meaning flashed between her brows that no one could see. She had originally wanted to maintain the original body''s character and continue to pursue the male protagonist. But seeing just how much disparity there was between the memory she received from the original body and reality, she changed her mind.


    The male protagonist''s unreasonably aggressive character is really unlikeable. The only good thing he had was his face. But even a good face couldn''t wash away the shame he''d caused her. That was unforgivable. After all, someone like Yue Ran hold her grudges to her grave.


    The sweet smile on Yue Ran''s face instantly turned to one of sarcasm. "Hey, Jiang Yi, do you really think highly of yourself now just because of my slight admiration for you?" She held her chin up and stared down at him with a condescending sneer. "This lady only had a little sand stuck on her eyes for a while, so do you think this lady will stay blind forever?"


    Jiang Yi was stunned and speechless. "You¡­"


    Yue Ran has always been cautious about her attitude towards himself, so what went wrong now? Why was she acting like this? Why was she acting so differently?


    Seeming as if Yue Ran had heard the thoughts in his heart, she raised a brow. "Me?" She asked. "What''s wrong with me?" Her lips curled in disdain. "It''s just that my eyes are cleared of dirt, and I no longer have any interest in you anymore." She tilted her head slightly. "What?" She folded her hands on her chest. "Surprised?"


    Jiang Yi quickly calmed down from his earlier surprise. "No, it''s just that you have changed a little," he said. "I''m sorry for taking it the wrong way."


    Yue Ran blinked. The male protagonist calmed down quicker than she would''ve thought. But that''s the male protagonist for you.


    Jiang Yi has an icy-cold yet delicate appearance, just like that of a snow lotus. His unsmiling and calm appearance were what actually attracted the opposite sexes to him. The original body was no exception.


    The original body had always wanted to know what he looks like when he smiles and what he looks like when all the rules in him break down. It would be just a monk breaking his precepts, right?


    Time was ticking, and the time for her first class was soon approaching. Thinking of the hard-working original body who strives to make sure that she always excels in her studies and makes progress every day, Yue Ran didn''t have much time to waste with the male protagonist before her and decided to just quickly get to the point with him.


    "Although I don''t like you anymore, I hope you will still have a bright future in the Tian Qin fashion design company." She raised her hand. "Farewell."


    Yue Ran only left that sentence before she trotted away with her black leather backpack on her back.


    Jiang Yi was left in doubt. "Wait, how did she know that I was hired by Tian Qin?" He muttered to himself. So far, he hadn''t had the time to tell anyone of the good news; hence, there was only one possibility: "Yue Ran is the one who recommended me!"


    Jiang Yi turned his head sharply to Yue Ran''s previous position, but her figure was nowhere to be found. It seems like she had long since disappeared with the circling crowd.


    Moreover, the time he had agreed to meet with the chancellor of the university was fast approaching. He''ll need to come and confirm this information he just discovered another time.


    ?? ? ??


    On the other hand, Yue Ran settled herself into her usual position in class.


    At this time, her system''s notification also came out.


    "Jiang Yi''s data is loading..."


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +10"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 5"


    Yue Ran laid her cheek on the palm of her hand, only feeling bored at the lecture and the monotone voice of her professor in class. But at least, the system''s notification of the male protagonist could always keep her entertained.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +1"


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +2"


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +1" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +1"


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +3"


    ¡­


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 25"


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability toward the female protagonist, Rui Qin, is 0."


    Yue Ran was not surprised by the latter notification. After all, the male and female protagonists have not yet met one another at this point in time.


    "Master, this male protagonist is really strange," Ruan Ruan communicated in Yue Ran''s mind. "Master doesn''t even do anything, so why does he keep increasing his favorability towards the Master?"


    Yue Ran only smiled. "The male protagonist has always believed that the original body may look soft and delicate but is actually savage," she said lightly. "This judgmental man was thinking that this noble young lady of the Yue family would not condescend so low as to help others or give them even a little of her day." She twirled a strand of her hair slowly around a finger. "How ironic, considering that the original body had always given someone as penniless as him not only the major time of her day but also connections in society without taking credit for it."


    "He sounds very bad!"


    "Indeed, very bad." She nodded. "But most of all, it was because of my infinite charm." She glanced at herself through her reflection on the window. "Don''t you see it, Ruan Ruan?" She asked playfully.


    One person and one system chatted animatedly to one another. The class quickly ended in a blink of an eye, and two students, one man and one woman, both rushed in front of Yue Ran.

 Chapter 5 - 5: White Rich Beauty (5)

    The lively female student clinked her big, round eyes at Yue Ran. "Xiao Ran Ran, don''t feel too sad." She started. "It isn''t like there are no more good-looking people in the world, so we don''t need to care about Jiang Yi, that pig!"


    Yue Ran was amused.


    "He doesn''t like our Ran Ran only because he clearly has no vision!" She shouted with fire in her eyes.


    A group of people came over to the circle, echoing along with the girl''s words.


    "That''s right, Ran Ran." One nodded. "Jiang Yi is not worth your time if he couldn''t even see how smart and beautiful you are."


    "That''s right." Another nodded. "Ran Ran is so beautiful and cute, so it''s definitely his loss if he doesn''t like you!"


    "Hmm." Yue Ran hummed, as if contemplating their words. "Well, I don''t like him anymore." She pouted angrily. "He''s gone too far this time!" The frowned. "He didn''t even agree to my confession and even rejected me, hmph!"


    In Yue Ran''s memory, the original body was doted upon by this group of people in her class.


    A bunch of people in front of her originally wanted to establish a good relationship with the original body because of her noble identity, but they found out that the original body was a naturally cute and beautiful little spoiled princess, which made a group of teenagers, especially the girls'' maternity splendor, explode and caused a bunch of boys who didn''t have a sister but wanted to burst out with brotherhood responsibility.


    Anyway, there was only one sentence about their attitude towards the original body: they petted her a lot! S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So the original body also trusts them and enjoys acting childish and coquettish in front of them, just like she did in front of her parents.


    Of course, there are many people in this class who are not used to the original body, such as...


    "Tsk-tsk, here we go again." A girl stood up from her seat and glanced at them with disgust. "Who would even believe your words?" She propped up the glasses on her face. "Every time you announce that you won''t like Jiang Yi anymore, what will happen?" She sneered. "Aren''t you shameless enough to chase after Jiang Yi every time?" She folded her hands. "Moreover, you are already an adult woman, yet you still act like a child towards others every day; aren''t you ashamed of yourself?"


    "It''s none of your business what happens to Ran Ran, isn''t it? We just love to see her act like this. What''s wrong with you nosing around our business like a dog? One lives on the sea, and the other one lives on land. You dare to act so brazenly just because we''re not bothering you?"


    Before Yue Ran could speak, the lively, round-eyed girl who spoke to her first had already fought fire with fire.


    The girl in glasses twitched her lips. "Heh, you guys spoil her like a fool!" After leaving this sentence, she immediately left the classroom in quick strides.


    "You!" The lively girl named Lin Li, short for Li Li, wanted to chase her out, but Yue Ran grabbed her wrist.


    "Li Li, we don''t need to care about this kind of person," Yue Ran said. "But I''m really serious about my words before." She stared at the group solemnly. "I''m very, very serious this time," she stated. "Therefore, today, I am announcing that I, Yue Ran, am no longer interested in Jiang Yi anymore!"


    "I know, I know." Even if she said so, Li Li''s expression obviously said the opposite. She was wondering when Yue Ran would announce that she would like Jiang Yi again, as usual.


    "It''s okay, Ran Ran. You can like whoever you want. No matter who you like, we will support you and help you!" A sunny boy remarked and made a cheering gesture with his hands.


    Oh, if the boy hadn''t said this, Yue Ran would''ve forgotten one thing.


    There was actually a reason why Jiang Yi hated Yue Ran, even if they only met a few times. So, why does Jiang Yi have such a strong dislike for the original body, and why does it fester in his heart?


    Naturally, this group of "good-hearted" students in front of Yue Ran were the ones provoking Jiang Yi over and over again, indirectly, with their words around him.


    "It''s Jiang Yi''s loss if he doesn''t like Ran Ran."


    "Ran Ran is so good, how could anyone not like her?"


    "Jiang Yi is way out of Ran Ran''s league."


    "Jiang Yi is not worthy of Ran Ran."


    ...And so on. The more Jiang Yi listened to their words, the more annoyed he felt. Yes, and naturally he would hate the original body more and more.


    So how would Yue Ran solve this problem?


    Yue Ran rolled her eyes. "I''m serious, I like Jin Yao now!" She puffed her cheeks out. "If you spread the word that I like Jiang Yi again, then I won''t have a chance to chase Jin Yao!"


    Jin Yao, the female protagonist''s childhood sweetheart, is the one who grew up with the female protagonist, Rui Qin, and also the most difficult to attack of the four male protagonists¡ªincluding the villain¡ªin the plot.


    He was, after all, the most loyal one to the female protagonist, and Yue Ran needs to eliminate those feelings.


    "What?!"


    "How could Ran Ran fall in love with that nerd?"


    "What''s so good about that nerd?"


    "That nerd looks like a piece of wood when he wears those thick black glasses of his, so why does Ran Ran like him!?"


    Indeed, Jin Yao''s identity as a high-scorer in his tests is undeniable; he always takes first place in rankings in all of his courses without anyone being able to throw him off his pedestal. But what no one except the female protagonist knows is that the bookworm, Jin Yao, hides his attractive face behind his thick, ugly glasses.


    "Actually¡­" Yue Ran pretended to hesitate when speaking, which aroused the group''s curiosity.


    "Actually what?" Li Li spoke first, not being able to hold back his curiosity any longer. "Just tell us, Ran Ran; we promise not to tell anyone!" She swears by holding up two fingers in one hand and gently tugging on Yue Ran''s dress sleeve with the other.


    "Okay, okay." Yue Ran was compromised. "But what I''ll tell you guys can''t be spread out!" Receiving their nods, she continued. "Actually, Jin Yao is a very good-looking person!" Seeing their skeptical looks, Yue Ran pouted. "He usually wears his ugly glasses just to reduce the number of people harassing him!"


    A puzzled expression appeared on Li Li''s face, and the others held similar expressions to hers.


    "What?" Yue Ran asked. "You guys asked me why, and I also kindly explained my reasons, yet you guys don''t even believe me, hmph!"


    "No, we didn''t mean it that way, Ran Ran."


    "Yeah, although Jin Yao that nerd is good at studying, everyone in his class who saw him taking off his glasses said that he only has an ordinary face, not a good-looking one, might I add?"


    "You should know that he purposely took off his glasses at that time to keep people away from him!" Yue Ran said it haughtily. "He had already put on makeup beforehand, and no one had seen him take off his glasses ever since." She tipped her head a little to the side with a finger on her chin. "If you don''t believe me, just ask someone in his class to take his glasses off, and you guys will know it then."


    Now the group believed in Yue Ran''s words a little more than before. And if her words are true, then the school will probably become lively for a while...


    Li Li, who had always been fearless, hurried back to her seat and switched her mobile phone on to send a message to her cousin, who was in Jin Yao''s class, to ask her cousin to try and take Jin Yao''s glasses off and to remember to record it for her throughout the whole process.


    Li Li''s cousin quickly accepted, saying that she''d take off Jin Yao''s glasses and get things done by today. Besides, she herself is very curious about the outcome.

 Chapter 6 - 6: White Rich Beauty (6)

    Lin Li''s cousin, Lin Er, who had read Lin Li''s text message, felt as if a cat had scratched her heart, and now she was itching to take action. She kept looking over at Jin Yao, but she noticed nothing unusual about him.


    But she has to wait for her friend''s performance to start before she can start hers since they had agreed to cooperate in this important mission.


    "Jin Yao, Jin Yao!" A boy''s voice rang out. This was Lin Er''s friend. Despite his reservations after speaking with Lin Er, he agreed to help her right away.


    Jin Yao, who heard the voice, raised his head slightly. There was not a trace of emotion in his robotic voice. "What''s wrong?"


    When Jin Yao met eyes with him, the boy attacked Jin Yao with lightning speed and threw off the glasses on his face to reveal his "true" appearance. Lin Er had long since quietly set up her mobile phone in a blind spot to record the whole action


    Jin Yao didn''t expect that there were still people in the class who wanted to see the "plain" face he once showed in front of everyone. Even though he was very skilled in martial arts, it was still too late for him to react and stop the boy''s sudden movements.


    The boy who attacked Jin Yao had a pair of black-rimmed glasses in his hands. He swiftly jumped back, and Jin Yao also stood up from his seat.


    There was too much commotion on their side to be ignored, so many students in the class turned their heads to watch the excitement. But they had never expected to see an extremely attractive face.


    Jin Yao''s skin is very white, looking morbidly cold, but his hair and eyebrows are extremely black, almost pitch black. His slightly frowning appearance only makes people feel concerned, and his eyes seemed to shine brightly.


    There was a momentary silence in the hall, then it was followed by a huge commotion.


    "This is Jin Yao?"


    "Oh my gosh!"


    "Ahh, so handsome, so handsome!"


    "Who spread the rumor that Jin Yao is not good-looking?"


    "How could anyone ever say that Jin Yao looks ugly with this kind of face?"


    "I''ll beat anyone who says that Jin Yao doesn''t look good!"


    "Am I even seeing the right person?"


    "Ahh!"


    Jin Yao''s appearance had given the student body too much impact, and none could maintain their previous calmness at all.


    Lin Er is the most ecstatic member of the audience.She quickly took back her phone, which she had placed in a blind spot but could still capture everything clearly, and kept it with her closely, not forgetting to send it to her cousin, Lin Li.


    Lin Er''s friend also came back to his senses at last and gave Jin Yao''s glasses back to him before returning to his seat beside Lin Er.


    "Lin Er, what should I do? The appearance that Jin Yao has hidden for so long was exposed by me; will he hate me because of it?"


    Lin Er waved her hand lightly and didn''t take his words seriously at all, only patting his shoulder for good fortune.


    "Jin Yao won''t be so narrow-minded, so there''s no need to think too much about it. He''s so good-looking that he''s naturally full of luck."


    But at this moment, Jin Yao, who Lin Er just said was not narrow-minded, looked straight at Lin Er''s friend, and the corners of his mouth curled up strangely. "Fellow student, can you tell me who asked you to take off my glasses?"


    As if feeling a sudden great oppression, the boy turned his eyes to Lin Er for help, and Lin Er knew that she was now in trouble as soon as she met her friend''s eyes. Sure enough, Jin Yao''s eyes also shifted to Lin Er, and the curvature of the corner of his mouth remained the same.


    "So this fellow student, do you have anything to say to me?"


    Lin Er swallowed hard. It was impossible for her to confess that her cousin Lin Li was the one who called her to do so. Therefore, she lied.


    "It was Yue Ran. It was Yue Ran who told me that you were good-looking."


    "Oh, and was that why you came to take my glasses off?"


    "I''m-I''m sorry¡­" Lin Er felt discouraged. Jin Yao''s aura was just too strong!


    Jin Yao didn''t speak and just turned around to leave his class. Even though Jin Yao didn''t blame Yue Ran for everything that happened...


    "Yue Ran," Jin Yao muttered silently, and then chuckled. "You are still somewhat responsible."


    ?? ? ??


    "Did the plan work? I wonder." Yue Ran muttered to herself. "Well, I''ll just have to wait and see."


    Before she could think any further, her class gradually became noisy, and she could vaguely hear a few words.


    "Is this video real?"


    "Jin Yao is so handsome!"


    "Wow, from today, I''ll announce that Jin Yao is my idol!" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So handsome, who is this person on the post?"


    "I admire his beauty!"


    "Is this handsome guy from our uni?"


    Yue Ran rested her cheek on her fist, smiling lightly. It seems that it did work. "Ruan Ruan," she called out to her system in her mind.


    "Master, I''ve checked everything," her system said. "Lin Er first sent the video she recorded to Lin Li, but Lin Li directly uploaded the video she received into the forum, and now, the video has been seen by 4508 people, has been played 6132 times, and the number of downloads has reached 3121 times."


    "Oh," Yue Ran replied lightly.Well, her plan was working swimmingly, and Jin Yao would probably find her soon.


    As if by magic, a pleasant yet indifferent voice sounded at the door of her class, and the room descended into a deafening silence, as if water were boiling silently in a pot, as if the silence before a storm.


    "Yue Ran." Everyone turned their attention to the door in unison before turning their heads towards Yue Ran, back and forth.


    Yue Ran also looked at the owner of the voice. After seeing who she expected to see, she stood up from her seat and leisurely walked her way out of her class under the penetrating gaze of everyone.


    Yue Ran slowly followed behind Jiang Yi, the male protagonist, who had now stepped out of the building her lecture was taking place in and led herself into an isolated area with trees and a bench.


    However, Jiang Yi stopped his steps before they could reach the bench for a seat. Yue Ran also halted and stayed a little distance away from him.


    "I haven''t eaten lunch yet." Jiang Yi started and stared at Yue Ran with expectation that he himself did not realize. "Do you want to eat together?" He asked. "And what would you like to eat?" It wasn''t like him to talk so much, but he still continued. "It''s my treat."


    Yue Ran stared at him and responded with an indifferent voice, devoid of any sort of interest, unlike before. "Anything''s fine; I''m not a picky person."


    Jiang Yi didn''t expect that Yue Ran''s attitude towards him would change so much suddenly. He wasn''t used to something like this. But he only froze for a moment before replying, "Okay, then I''ll pick for us."

 Chapter 7 - 7: White Rich Beauty (7)

    Jiang Yi didn''t treat Yue Ran to a western or Japanese restaurant but to a private classic Chinese restaurant that was rated five stars by food experts. This is something that Yue Ran didn''t really expect. She thought that Jiang Yi would just treat her to something of average taste.


    It looks like the male protagonist has good taste buds.


    After the two were settled in a private room, a waiter handed over the menu, and it was Jiang Yi who spoke first. "The food here is really delicious, so I''ll bring you here to try it." He held up his menu and gestured to hers. "What would you like to eat?"


    Yue Ran didn''t refuse and looked down at the list of foods on the menu. The original body had never eaten here before, so she had Ruan Ruan search the net to seek fine dining.


    Looking at the pretty good decoration of the restaurant and its five-star rating of the food, Yue Ran expects that the food must really taste good, hence she selected a few dishes at random.


    The dishes here taste really good, but Yue Ran and Jiang Yi finished eating after a while while maintaining their elegant postures from start to finish.


    After the two of them wiped their mouths with tissues, it was Jiang Yi who broke the silence first. "Thank you." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran smiled knowingly but still wanted to play a little trick on the male protagonist for fun because, well, why not?


    "What are you thanking me for?" She raised her eyebrows in question. "I don''t remember doing anything for you to thank me."


    Jiang Yi hesitated for a while. Was his guess wrong? He shook off those unnecessary thoughts before saying, "Well, I already know that you helped me enter Tian Qin."


    Yue Ran ran her hands over the soft material of her dress. "Hmm, I did, so what if you know?" She glanced out the glass window of the private room. "Do you plan to repay me?"


    Unexpectedly, Jiang Yi really thought about her words and opened his lips. "I currently don''t have the ability to repay you, so can I do you a favor in exchange? This job is very important to me, so I do have to repay you."


    Of course, Yue Ran knows that this job is not only related to Jiang Yi''s dream but also related to the food and clothing of his family. Jiang Yi''s adoptive father died many years ago, and her adoptive mother has been hospitalized all year due to premature labor.


    After adopting Jiang Yi, his adoptive mother gave birth to another boy, who is ten years younger than him and is still in elementary school. Thus, the burden of the family is on Jiang Yi, but he does not care about how much of a burden his adoptive mother and younger brother are. He wasn''t afraid that they would drag him down. There were no complaints at all, as he silently paid off his debts for them.


    Thinking about it, Yue Ran still did not change her opinion on the male protagonist. Jiang Yi was not a bad person, but he was cruel to the original body. She had to pay an eye for an eye. Moreover, there are still tasks she needs to do.


    The corner of Yue Ran''s mouth curled up into a wicked smile, and an evil glint flashed in her eyes. "It''s so troublesome to owe me a favor; why not just promise me your body instead?" She propped up her chin with a hand. "It''s simple and easy, isn''t it?"


    Jiang Yi was immediately angered, and Yue Ran''s smirk was reflected in his eyes. "Yue Ran!" His voice was raised. "I''m talking to you seriously here!"


    Yue Ran couldn''t help but burst out in laughter; her phoenix eyes were bent into beautiful crescents. She had such a beautiful smile.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +5"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 30"


    "Okay, okay, I''m just joking with you." She blinked playfully. "You''re just like a lump of ice that has no expression on its face; you''re really boring!"


    Jiang Yi was at a loss for words; his face was flushed with anger. He couldn''t be as thick-skinned as Yue Ran, so he just left a sentence behind before speed-walking out of the room in obvious panic. "Then I''ll go first."


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +5"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 35"


    ?? ? ??


    Regardless of her reluctance, Yue Ran still had to go back to school for her last class in the afternoon. When it was over, Jin Yao actually managed to find Yue Ran when her class was over, faster than she had originally thought, and they were sitting across from each other at opposite ends of a long table.


    Jin Yao looked at Yue Ran in front of him and found out that she was not as domineering and unreasonable as the rumors said her to be. She doesn''t look down her nose at people, nor does she act superiorly and treat everyone with disrespect. She was just sitting there calmly and quietly.


    At this time, Yue Ran curved her brows and eyes. When her gleaming orbs caught Jin Yao''s, two red clouds floated over her white and tender cheeks. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again in hesitation.


    Jin Yao originally wanted to ask Yue Ran how to solve the matter of his face exposure video, but after thinking about it, it might be useless by now since everyone would sooner or later know his real appearance from the university forum.


    He had already given up on solving it, but it was uncomfortable to be stared at by Yue Ran for so long. When Jin Yao finally couldn''t bear it anymore, he said, "Fellow student Yue, do you have anything to say?"


    Yue Ran blinked her big, bright eyes, smiled softly, and tucked a strand of glossy jet-black hair behind her ear. "Jin Yao¡ªI mean, fellow student Jin, actually, I uh, um, actually I... I actually have nothing to say."


    Yue Ran''s performance was twitchy, like a young girl in love; her voice was as sweet as honey, and just listening to it seemed like the listeners had received a great gift from heaven.


    Jin Yao just wanted to ask: Do you think I want to receive this kind of blessing?


    Yue Ran internally cringed at her acting, which she just copied from how the original body talked to Jiang Yi when she was in love with him. She herself felt stupid and even a little disgusted, but to even receive Ruan Ruan''s teasing and buzzing inside her mind was just too much!


    The shy expression on Yue Ran''s face was almost uncontrollable because of it. "Ruan Ruan, please keep your mouth shut while I''m performing, okay?"


    No matter how dull Jin Yao was, he could tell that this fellow student Yue was interested in him. But he just wasn''t sure if she was just putting on an act or if it was really for real.


    Jin Yao''s expressionless face seemed to twitch slightly. "Fellow student Yue, I have long heard of your original deeds, but you don''t have to act like this just because you''re afraid to anger me."


    After a little thought, Yue Ran knew what he was talking about¡ªwasn''t it the original body''s previous pursuit of Jiang Yi?


    Yue Ran restrained herself a little; the blush on her face did not dissipate, but her voice did return to normal. "Fellow student Jin, no matter what I did before, I have now finally come to my senses, and I''ll solemnly say that I, Yue Ran, will pursue you starting from today!"


    Jin Yao: ??


    He didn''t know what went wrong. He was clearly here to find fault with Yue Ran, so why did this noble young lady end up becoming interested in him instead?


    Then again, what if Yue Ran really did like him? What does it have to do with him? Why should it matter to him at all?


    Thinking of this, Jin Yao composed himself and returned to his usual attitude of not having strangers get close to him. "Fellow student Yue, I''m not interested in you at all, nor am I interested in the idea of dating."


    Yue Ran pouted unhappily. "Hmph, whatever you say." She huffed. "Liking you is my business, so I''m going to chase you until you accept to date me. Just you wait!"


    Since then, the students at the university have discovered one thing, and that is: Yue Ran is pursuing Jin Yao!


    Their discussions were especially heated in the school forum.


    "Wait, what''s going on?"


    "Doesn''t Yue Ran like Jiang Yi before?!"


    "What else can happen, isn''t it that Jiang Yi had left and so the noble young lady was forced to change her target of pursuit!"


    "Doesn''t this mean that Yue Ran is just a half-hearted person?"


    "Of course, Yue Ran is simply a half-hearted, flirtatious person!"


    "Don''t say that; maybe she just got rejected by Senior Jiang Yi and decided to give up and then wants to start a new relationship, hehehe!"


    "And it''s normal since Jin Yao is so handsome! Yue Ran just has to move on from her old love."


    "Upstairs, who are you to say that? Jin Yao''s face is only so-so; it''s clearly Senior Jiang Yi who is more handsome, okay?!"


    "Senior Jin Yao is more handsome than Senior Jiang Yi!"


    ?? ? ??


    And what was Yue Ran currently doing at this time?


    Well, she was placing the breakfast she brought for Jin Yao on his desk and also cleaning out the large stack of love letters on his usual desk in one go. She''s a naturally possessive person, and her targets aren''t allowed to be distracted by another person when with her unless it''s included in her plans.


    However, while throwing the love letters in the trash, Yue Ran was indignant and couldn''t help complaining to Ruan Ruan. "Seriously, why did Jin Yao receive more love letters than I did?"


    Ruan Ruan:...


    What else can he say?


    "Um, Master, it''s just that people''s eyes were blinded for a while."


    He could only support his master.

 Chapter 8 - 8: White Rich Beauty (8)

    Jin Yao''s friend An Xiu, who came early to the class, saw Yue Ran''s figure and asked, "Miss Yue, why do you keep bringing Jin Yao breakfast? I''ve already told you before that the breakfast you gave him has never been touched by him before."


    An Xiu: And I am also the one eating them all. Well, more like I asked for it before Jin Yao could throw the delicious food away in the trash.


    Yue Ran raised her eyes to look at An Xiu when she heard his words. An Xiu only felt blinded by her beauty: slender eyelashes, black pupils, a small button nose, bright red lips, and a stunning white Lolita gown, making him suspect that this is a real-life living doll!


    Anyway, there''s definitely nothing wrong with Yue Ran''s exquisite appearance!


    However, Yue Ran''s sweet and clear voice pulled An Xiu back from his thoughts. "Senior An Xiu, no matter whether Senior Jin Yao eats the breakfast I sent or not, that is up to him," she said. "I only did this because I like him, and I will not change my decision!" Yue Ran''s eyes were firm as she spoke out those words.


    "Okay, okay." Anyway, it was he who ate it, not to mention it was brought by a beautiful woman, so it tasted heavenly! He would not be disadvantaged in any way!


    "Yue Ran." Jin Yao''s voice sounded behind her, and Yue Ran turned around slowly. She inwardly sighed at her blunder. She should''ve gotten out quickly after leaving the breakfast package on Jin Yao''s desk. But now she had to come face-to-face with him.


    Yue Ran turned around with a big smile on her lips. "Senior Jin Yao, you are still so handsome today!" Her eyes were full of admiration for him. "I can''t help but look at you again and again." She bowed her head a little and smiled embarrassedly. It was just like the most dazzling warm sun in spring: the upward arc was just right; the eyebrows were curved; and the affection in her eyes was enough to make people drown in it. "I like you even more today than yesterday!"


    Jin Yao looked at Yue Ran and was slightly stunned, dazed for just a moment. Gathering his thoughts, he said, "Didn''t I already say that I don''t like you, and I don''t plan on dating anyone?"


    Yue Ran curled his lips aggrievedly. "I just wanted to see you before the start of my class, and I want to hand you the breakfast I made." She looked down at her clenched fists, which crumpled her dress. "Humph, you big fool who doesn''t understand girls!" She huffed and quickly ran away, leaving behind a slightly bewildered Jin Yao.


    Jin Yao was baffled at what just occurred. He didn''t say anything too excessive, did he?


    After thinking about it, Jin Yao only sat down in his usual seat and studied with peace of mind. But before he does, he stares at the breakfast given by Yue Ran on the top of his desk, hesitating for a moment but still pushing it over to An Xiu.


    An Xiu gladly took over the breakfast. "Thanks bro!"


    ?? ? ??


    Yue Ran was humming a catchy tune while walking towards her class in the next building.


    "Ruan Ruan, our next goal is the villain, Mu Chen." Yue Ran waved to a few acquaintances she knew while chatting with her system in her head.


    "Yes, Master!" Ruan Ruan cheered. It''s the last strategy target that they have yet to meet.


    "Search him up for me."


    "Got it!" Ruan Ruan replied before saying, "The villain, Mu Chen, is making a big transaction in the underworld with his rival recently, and, oh!"


    "What else?"


    Ruan Ruan feels very excited. "I just checked the villain''s news and discovered a hidden setting that Lord God has kept so well concealed!"


    "Oh, tell me." Yue Ran inwardly raised a brow, feeling curious.


    "During this transaction, the villain will be betrayed by his subordinates, suffer serious injuries, and then be saved by the female protagonist!" Ruan Ruan said, then adding, "Lord God really wants Master to fail."


    "To think that he had planted such a cunning trick up his sleeve." Yue Ran opened the door to her class and settled down in her usual seat. "He is no Lord God if he doesn''t do it now, huh?"


    "Yeah, Lord God is so cunning!" Ruan Ruan echoed cutely.


    "So it was no wonder that the villain easily fell in love with the female protagonist." Yue Ran leaned back in her seat. "That was also why the original body felt that the villain''s attraction towards the female protagonist was simply baffling." She smiled at Lin Li, who waved to her as soon as she came through the door. "So there was such a reason." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Uh-huh."


    "The female protagonist deserves to be the female protagonist." Yue Ran sighed. "She can save a big boss who has such great influence in the underworld with just a casual walk around her block." She yawned a little. "I guess I''ll need to speed up my process."


    ?? ? ??


    Infinity Capital Nightclub


    Mu Chen was drinking red wine from his goblet, leaning his back against a black leather sofa, with his long legs crossed in a dignified way. His fox-like eyes were hidden under the shadows of thick and curled eyelashes, and the only downside to his appearance was the frown sitting on his face that distorted his mesmerizing features.


    "Do you not want to confess?"


    Originally, this small matter could be handled by others, but there was a traitor in this so-called "small matter," and he hated traitors the most. To survive on the cold, dirty streets of a dog-eat-dog world, he had long learned the hard way that loyalty is the most important thing and betrayal is the most intolerable.


    The face of the man who was being pressed to the ground was bruised and purple. When he opened his mouth, one could see that one of his front teeth was missing. The words he uttered were a little unclear, seemingly breathless.


    "Master Mu, Lord Mu." He breathed in heavily, then proceeded to kowtow and beg for mercy. "Please forgive me. The location of the transaction was given to me by Boss Hu; it was Boss Hu who gave it to me! I really, really don''t know anything else! Please! Please forgive me! Please forgive me!"


    Mu Chen squinted his eyes slightly; his pitch-black eyes reflected the ugly and pathetic appearance of the person on the ground. Not a single person in the room could guess Mu Chen''s mind. They didn''t know just what he was thinking while he drank the red wine in his goblet. "Forget it; take him away and heal him well."


    It''s not that Mu Chen sympathizes with the man, but he knows fully well that the man groveling on the ground is not lying. Although he is not a good person, he will not kill others at will. He isn''t mad, nor is he a tyrant.


    And about Boss Hu, he is definitely the person he least wants to suspect¡ªand does not want to suspect.


    Boss Hu has always acted as his right-hand man. Since he was thrown out by his father into the bottom tier of the gang, he and Boss Hu have always supported each other, fought side by side in many fights together, and rose up the ranks together.


    From the lowest of the low, Mu Chen slowly fought his way up and became the head of his own team, making his own party in the underworld.


    After his father died, he inherited everything. And the first thing he did when he became king of the underworld was to promote Boss Hu to be his most capable subordinate, his right-hand man, whom he thought he could forever trust.


    He just didn''t understand why, and he didn''t know the reason why Boss Hu would ever betray him. Is that even possible?


    Mu Chen sighed and made a hard decision. He decided to give Boss Hu another chance.

 Chapter 9 - 9: White Rich Beauty (9)

    Yuhua Road, in a damp and dark alley.


    A man was blocking the bloody hole in his torso that was shot by a gun with one hand, and the other was pressed against the wall as he gasped for air and tried to keep moving.


    He didn''t expect it! No, rather, he already expected Boss Hu to betray him, but he still gave him another chance anyway and hoped for him to change his mind. But what he didn''t expect was that it wasn''t just Boss Hu who betrayed him!


    If Boss Hu was promoted by himself, then Wu Sha was the right-hand man left by his father, and he, Mu Chen, obviously trusted these two people from the start of his reign!


    Knowing that Boss Hu might betray him that night, he had already ordered Wu Sha to send someone to protect him. But during the transaction, his protector never showed up! And Boss Hu couldn''t possibly mobilize so many people, so there was only one possibility: that Wu Sha and Boss Hu worked together to rebel against him.


    Mu Chen cursed under his breath as he felt that he could hardly hold on anymore. At that moment, he suddenly heard an extremely clear and sweet female voice that was gradually growing closer.


    "Why is this alley so dark?" The voice complained. "Wasn''t there a particularly famous desert shop here?" Mu Chen heard the clacking of heels with every step the girl took. "Why can''t I find a single person?" The girl stopped in her steps and huffed, "Hmph, I''m so angry!"


    Although the voice sounded angry, it still sounded soft and sweet, with a bit of kittenish coquettishness. To Mu Chen, it was comparable to cotton candy, with a hint of sweetness, not at all nauseating, and leaving one with a lot of aftertastes.


    That''s right, it was Yue Ran who came to the scene. She decided to come half an hour earlier to take away the female protagonist''s savior role and to save the villain''s life instead of Rui Qin!


    "Ah!" Yue Ran gasped when she saw the tall, lean, yet muscular body of the villain, looking all weak and bloody. "Who are you...?"


    Before Yue Ran finished speaking, Mu Chen couldn''t hold his consciousness any longer and fell to the damp ground of the dark alley with a loud thud.


    During the last moment before his consciousness fully dissipated, he heard the lovely little girl complaining softly. "Ah, was it that you came here to find the famous desert shop to eat sweet, delicious cake, but you unluckily got mugged and attacked instead?"


    After confirming that Mu Chen had truly passed out, Yue Ran proceeded to call her driver to come over and move him inside the car.


    She rolled her eyes inwardly, as if she were willing to do any thankless labor herself. Why would she drag the villain away like the female protagonist did because the female protagonist was afraid of being discovered by someone?


    Yue Ran''s beautiful and delicate body can''t handle such rough work. She might break a nail too. What dangerous work!


    Half an hour later, the female protagonist, Rui Qin, walked through this very same dark alley that was close to her block. She stared at a spot in the alley for a while, feeling that she had missed something important.


    ?? ? ??


    As the daughter of a wealthy family, owning several mansions under one''s own name is a normal thing.


    Yue Ran sent Mu Chen to one of the mansions she owned under her name, called the family doctor, and watched as the doctor took out the bullet for Mu Chen, patched up the wound, and left some medicine before he left.


    When the family doctor was just about to step out of her mansion with a heart full of gossip, Yue Ran''s sweet and smiling voice suddenly sounded in his ears, chilling him to the bones.


    "Doctor Wen, if I hear any rumors about my affairs outside, you don''t have to come here again in the future, understand?"


    Dr. Wen was stunned for a moment and realized that the position of his employment would only need a word from this noble young lady of the Yue family. He quickly nodded and replied readily, "I understand, I understand!" and left in a hurry.


    At this time, Yue Ran admired Mu Chen''s gorgeous face and expressed two words straightforwardly and plainly to Mu Chen''s unconscious self: "Very handsome."


    ?? ? ??


    It was already the second night when Mu Chen regained his consciousness. Looking at the empty room, he stepped out of the quarters and into the hallway cautiously.


    But to his surprise, after making a quick search in the entire vicinity, the whole mansion was indeed empty. There was only a cold dish that had long since cooled down on the table and a pink teddy bear post-it note beside it:


    I don''t need you to owe me the favor of saving your life. I''ve already asked someone to check on your wounds. Once it is cured, there is also medicine in the drawer of the bedside table in the room where you sleep, and you can take it with you when you leave. Also, never come back after you leave; don''t blackmail me! I''m still just a beautiful, lovely teenager! PS: I have enough money for a lifetime for me not to cheat you! And don''t come back! I''m serious!


    "Hahaha¡­" Mu Chen laughed out loud, amused by what he read. He thought in his heart that the little girl was really adorable before she managed to find him in the alley.


    Mu Chen looked around. This is her own private mansion, and she could even hire a private doctor to check up on him. None of the two indicated that she was born without money.


    Currently, however, the most important thing for him to do is to safely return to the headquarters to punish those two traitors!


    This life-saving grace can only be repaid in the future.


    ?? ? ??


    On a path in the shade of the woods, southeast of the university.


    "Senior Jin Yao, I like you!" A girl held out a cute, pink letter with both hands stretched out. "Please accept my confession!"


    Jin Yao looked at the pink love letter handed over by the girl in front of him and straightly and expressionlessly uttered the words he thought in his heart.


    "I''m not interested in dating," he said robotically. "If you have time to write such a thing, it''s better for you to write a 3,000-word self-criticism essay for your own self-improvement."


    The girl with two cute ponytails on her head obviously didn''t expect for Jin Yao to be this unkind, and her eyes instantly turned red.


    "I... I see." The girl answered with a trembling voice and then quickly ran away. Faint crying could still be heard even after she was some distance away from her scene of shame.


    Behind a big tree, Yue Ran watched the confession scene with interest. This was just like a scene out of a drama: the girl held out for love, but the boy had no intentions of doing so, and the girl could only run away in tears.


    Yue Ran smiled. This is so interesting. This Jin Yao had never once asked her to write a "3000 word self-criticism essay" for "self-improvement." She would''ve thought that he was interested in her if not for his current favorability score for her; otherwise, why would he treat her so differently from others?


    Well, so far, Yue Ran knew that Jin Yao wanted to stop the bees and butterflies attracted by his appearance, so he has to be decisive with others; otherwise, how could he treat girls like this? Or was this what he was usually like?


    Yue Ran poked her head from behind the tree; seeing that there was no one in the vicinity, she walked out to reveal herself to Jin Yao. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Jin Yao Yao, I saw it!" Yue Ran blatantly gave him a made-up nickname.


    Jin Yao, who was about to leave, froze for a moment when he heard the familiar voice. He didn''t want to talk to her, but he was afraid that if he didn''t answer her, she would endlessly entangle herself with him.


    Jin Yao''s face still remained expressionless as he faced Yue Ran. "What did you see exactly?"


    Yue Ran seemed to look very proud, as if she had won the lottery through sheer luck. "I saw someone confessing to you, so what does this mean?" She pointed to Jin Yao, then at herself. "It means that the Jin Yao Yao I have a crush on is really excellent!" She raised her chin to the sky. "But, Yao Yao, when are you going to accept my confession?" She looked back at Jin Yao and pouted. "If this continues, I''m afraid that you will be snatched away by others." Yue Ran''s expression sank into a depressed state.


    Jin Yao: ...What the hell is Yao Yao? However, the frowning look on this noble young lady''s face is quite ugly to look at.


    And so he said just that.


    "Don''t make that kind of expression; you look so ugly."

 Chapter 10 - 10: White Rich Beauty (10)

    "Don''t make that expression; you look so ugly."


    You look so ugly.


    So ugly. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ugly.


    Yue Ran: !


    Ruan Ruan: !


    Yue Ran was sure that the word "ugly" was the furthest thing from her look. Her look, no matter what expression she had on, was anything but ugly! And what was with the extra "so" in his sentence? Does he want to anger her to death?


    Others may call her useless, pretentious, narcissistic, irresponsible, selfish, incompetent, pathetic, and many other horrible names, but no one¡ªshe repeats¡ªno one¡ªcan ever call her ugly!


    "I''m¡­ ugly?" Yue Ran looked down at the ground, her voice low. "You actually called me ugly?" She looked back up and glared sharply at Jin Yao.


    Yue Ran simply can''t understand this type of straight man like Jin Yao. Although she knew that Jin Yao doesn''t actually mean it in a bad way since he should have a good impression of her from the looks of his favorability score and just doesn''t want to see her sad, as long as one is a girl, none would like to be called ugly!


    Being called "ugly" itself is an unforgivable sin!


    So she will still bear this grudge to her grave!


    "It''s no wonder that Jin Yao is only the third male protagonist." Yue Ran complained angrily to Ruan Ruan in her mind. "If a straight guy like him could catch up with the female protagonist, then I might as well just hand over my soul to Lord God on a silver platter!"


    Ruan Ruan: !!!


    Ruan Ruan, the cute little system, was horrified by his master''s words.


    "Master, don''t say such a thing or you''ll jinx it!"


    "Hah, as if." Yue Ran scoffed inwardly. "Jin Yao will only succeed when pigs fly."


    On the other hand, Jin Yao was stunned. He didn''t expect Yue Ran''s reaction to his words to be so strong. But before he had time to say anything to correct himself, Yue Ran had already snorted and stomped off.


    "Ruan Ruan, give me Jin Yao''s current favorability score."


    "Okay, Master!"


    "Jin Yao''s current favorability is 30"


    "Jin Yao''s favorability toward the female protagonist, Rui Qin, is 65."


    "Oh, and Master, Ruan Ruan just found out that this Jin Yao is slightly fearful of women, except for the female protagonist!"


    "Fearful of women?" Yue Ran raised a brow while walking into the food court of the university. "Something like that is hidden in the plot, too, huh."


    "Ruan Ruan has confirmed that Jin Yao is the illegitimate child of Father Jin, meaning that Jin Yao''s mother is Father Jin''s mistress, tucked away somewhere but dead." Ruan Ruan twirled around Yue Ran''s mind. "This caused Jin Yao to move into his father''s home." Ruan Ruan continued, "This was the start of his bad childhood, always getting beaten continuously by Mother Jin, who was officially Jin Yao''s "mother" but of different blood, and Jin Yao had to apologize to her after every beating he received from her."


    Yue Ran took a sip of the honeydew lime smoothie she just brought and took a seat at an empty table while holding onto her lunch tray, effortlessly balancing everything even in her tall heels.


    "Oh, that''s it?" She just shrugged at Ruan Ruan''s words. "Then why does Jin Yao have such a high affection for the female protagonist?"


    "Ah, that''s because the female protagonist used to deliver food to the starving Jin Yao when Mother Jin was not around during his childhood, and the female protagonist also took time and effort to comfort him!"


    "Oh, so this must mean that Jin Yao must be dependent on the female protagonist." Yue Ran took a bite of her lunch. "So that was why Jin Yao calls the female protagonist "big sister," right?"


    "Yes, Master!"


    "In other words, Jin Yao actually regards the female protagonist as a family member."


    "What?" Ruan Ruan asked in confusion. "Really?"


    "Of course not." Yue Ran laughed.


    "Master lied to me!" Ruan Ruan grumbled cutely.


    "I didn''t lie to you." Yue Ran narrowed her eyes. "The answer to your question is yes and no."


    "Huh?" Ruan Ruan asked. "Ruan Ruan is so confused."


    "Well, to put it simply, the present Jin Yao actually thought that his feelings toward the female protagonist were only ones of family affection, but eventually he would realize that he actually held romantic affection for her instead of a platonic one."


    "Oh, now Ruan Ruan gets it."


    "Uh-huh, so I have to keep appearing in front of Jin Yao to get him used to my existence until he gets sick of me being there yet feels lost when I''m really not there."


    Yue Ran hooked her lips and smiled charmingly. It seemed as if thousands of stars had fallen into her eyes, and her lips were painted scarlet.


    ?? ? ??


    The results of the end-of-term exam are out, and Yue Ran was checking her scores from the email sent by her university.


    "Wow, Master is amazing!" Ruan Ruan spoke to Yue Ran in an adoring tone.


    Satisfied with the numbers beside her courses, she hummed to herself while now checking out the school forum, where only the top ten students of each year with the highest total scores from all their exams would be posted for everyone to see.


    Yue Ran scrolled down to the comments section after spotting her name in the first-year list.


    "The end of term exam scores are out!"


    "Senior Jin Yao is indeed number one again in his year!"


    "Senior Jin Yao is really worthy of being a god of learning!"


    "Wow!"


    "Wait, the results of the first year of university are also posted!"


    "What''s so good about freshmen''s grades?"


    "Oh my gosh! Can you believe that the noble young lady of the Yue family actually took first place?"


    "Real or fake?"


    "Really! You can check it out yourself!"


    Although the original body did have a good score in high school, she had only been hovering around the top ten, never getting the first place in every exam.


    And now that Yue Ran took first place in her university exam...


    ?? ? ??


    An Xiu was also surprised by Yue Ran''s rocketing grades. "Jin Yao!" He called out to his friend. "Did you know the little junior girl chasing you took first place in the first year exams?"


    Jin Yao stared at An Xiu for a while. "¡­Yue Ran?"


    An Xiu nodded admiringly. "That''s right, I really didn''t expect that this little Junior Yue Ran is really hidden!"


    Jin Yao also never expected for Yue Ran to take first place in the exams. He thought that her study level was only so-so; therefore, he did not see this coming. Apparently, Yue Ran was the same type of person as himself: a straight-A student.


    That was when the door to his classroom opened up with a bang and Yue Ran entered with her very own spotlight.


    "Yao Yao, I''m here again!" She flashed her ever-so-familiar smile at Jin Yao. "Miss me?"


    Yue Ran didn''t wear her distinctive Lolita dress today but rather wore a cute white cotton dress, looking particularly pure, lovely, and playful. It was especially so the way she was skipping when walking towards Jin Yao; it was as if a ray of bright light had penetrated through his dark, gloomy world.


    "No, I don''t miss you at all." Jin Yao''s words were as icy as his expression, and he looked completely unfazed. However¡­


    "Jin Yao''s favorability +5"


    "Jin Yao''s current favorability is 35"


    Yue Ran''s head drooped to the ground; her lips arched up where none could see. Everyone else only thought that she was just too sad to speak. But when she looked back up, all Jin Yao could see was her dim expression.


    However, that didn''t last long, for it was quickly put away, and she was up and smiling again.


    "That''s okay; as long as I miss you, everything is fine," Yue Ran said. "But if you have time to spare, think about me too, okay?" She stuck out her tongue playfully.


    Jin Yao didn''t know how to answer this. If he refused, he was afraid that Yue Ran would be sad, but it was impossible not to refuse, so Jin Yao chose to shut up and keep silent.


    Yue Ran stared at him for a while, and when Jin Yao felt almost unbearable discomfort from her look, she pretended to be disappointed and said, "Well, I will try my best to appear in front of you every day; even if you don''t think of me, I will still let you see me every day!" She declared. "You will definitely become my boyfriend sooner or later!"


    Jin Yao''s heart seemed to beat faster at that moment.

 Chapter 11 - 11: White Rich Beauty (11)

    Although Jiang Yi doesn''t study at Yue Ran''s university anymore, he still has a good friend there. When chatting through text today, his friend wrote to Jiang Yi that Jiang Yi''s preconceived beliefs about Yue Ran''s character and personality were far from the truth.


    First! Yue Ran actually took first place, having the highest total scores among the first-year students!


    This was quite different from the Yue Ran he had in mind. Jiang Yi had to remind himself that it was indeed himself who had deteriorated Yue Ran''s image in his mind all along. Yue Ran was never bad in the first place.


    In particular, Jiang Yi''s good friend also sent him several photos of Yue Ran at the university, in each of which she looked extremely beautiful. He also secretly checked the university forum and found that many people had actually taken photos of Yue Ran and posted them in the forum, all of which had received many likes and praises from the whole student body.


    The current Yue Ran is really likeable and amazing.


    Jiang Yi secretly saved the photos as well. In his defense, Yue Ran looked really good in them. Yue Ran just had to be in the image, and each of the pictures will turn out amazing.


    Jiang Yi swiped to one of the pictures he had saved in his album. There, Yue Ran was in an open area¡ªthe quad of the university, to be exact. In the picture, she was walking and stretching out a hand under the sun. Her chin was raised, and her delicate and small features were in the backlight, as if, at this moment, she were the focus of the world.


    The blue sky and the bright green field constitute the background; the white beauty was standing in the light, cold and glamorous, fascinating.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +10"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 45"


    ?? ? ??


    "Wow, Master, the male lead has increased his favorability score for Master, and Master doesn''t even have to meet him!" Ruan Ruan bounced about.


    Yue Ran tilted her head lightly.


    "You should understand this, Ruan Ruan," Yue Ran started. "People in this world give great tolerance to two kinds of people: the first is an attractive person, and the next are those who study well."


    "Oh, now Ruan Ruan understands!"


    When Yue Ran graduated from the top university in one of the worlds she went to, even if it was known to everyone that she liked to flirt with many men, she was only called a beautiful woman with an eccentric personality.


    There were many men who heard of her beauty and even took the initiative to send themselves to her door. Heh. And Yue Ran didn''t even have to do a thing other than enjoy being pampered by them.


    ?? ? ??


    The holiday finally came.


    Yue Ran nestled in her quilt and didn''t feel like getting up. She had stayed up late last night to watch dramas, so she slept until noon and was still in a daze.


    "Ah, staying up late is not good." Yue Ran communicated with Ruan Ruan in her mind. "It could ruin my beauty, and in a more serious case, my hair will fall out."


    "Master still looks as beautiful as ever!" Ruan Ruan did not hold back with his compliments. He honestly couldn''t find anything wrong with his master''s appearance!


    "Mm-hmm." Yue Ran lightly patted her face while she rubbed beauty cream on her skin. "I still need to prevent this appearance from getting ruined due to my own carelessness." She needs to keep herself as youthful and beautiful as always.


    While she was chatting with her system, the sound of knocking came from the door of her bedroom.


    "Young miss, Madam is asking for you to join her downstairs for lunch." The voice of Mrs. Li, the old woman she had first met when she came to the world and also a servant working for the Yue family, came faintly from outside the door.


    "I understand," Yue Ran answered Mrs. Li while still gazing at her face in the mirror. "I''ll go downstairs right away."


    Yue Ran took a last glance at her appearance before heading out of her bedroom. But when she was about to step out, Ruan Ruan gave her a friendly reminder. "Yang Chi is downstairs right now!"


    "When did he come?" Yue Ran paused in her steps. "And why?"


    "Not long ago." Ruan Ruan spoke up. "Yang Chi was actually forced by his parents to come over to the Yue family mansion for lunch while also calling for Yang Chi to spend time with Master so that Master and he could form a close, preferably romantic, relationship with one another."


    "Hmm, I see."


    Yue Ran walked to her dressing table and started to put on light makeup. Within ten minutes, her already beautiful face looked even more beautiful than before, if that was possible. The slight puffiness on her face has also disappeared. The last touch of beauty was the lip gloss lightly swiped over her lips¡ªred and pouty. Just perfect.


    "Wow!" Ruan Ruan was amazed. He sure did see this process many times, but he was still just as amazed. "Master is really beautiful!"


    "Hmm." Yue Ran now heads out of her room, for real this time.


    ?? ? ??


    At the dining table, Yang Chi was getting a little impatient with the waiting. If he didn''t meet Yue Ran, then it meant that he couldn''t eat his food, and so he couldn''t leave.


    Although he has only been here for twenty minutes, he is still not happy to wait for this noble young lady of the Yue family.


    "Xiao Chi, I''m really sorry." Mother Yue spoke in a low voice. "Ran Ran studied late last night, so she woke up a little late today."


    Yang Chi put a smile on his face. "It''s okay, Auntie; it''s the right thing for men to wait for women." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Chi was scoffing hard in his mind, despite the words that came out of his mouth.


    Study? Although he did hear that Yue Ran had won the first place in her year, when Mother Yue mentioned that Yue Ran was studying, he still couldn''t find it in himself to believe it in any way. Taking first place must have been a fluke.


    "Mom!" Yue Ran''s soft and lovely voice came from the stairs. "I''m here!" Yang Chi raised his eyes and felt that he had been hit by a blinding beauty. Yue Ran was wearing a white cotton lace dress, looking demure and especially lovely.


    He fixed his gaze on the face, which smiled as if spring flowers were blooming in the warm morning spring and slightly condensed in the winter snow. His eyes flickered.


    "Hmph, so what if Yue Ran looks good?" Yang Chi ridiculed Yue Ran in his heart. "She''s still a woman with a bad personality!" Even if he thought so, he still gave Yue Ran a once-over before calmly withdrawing his eyes.


    "Yang Chi''s favourability +5"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 5"


    Yue Ran ignored Yang Chi''s existence, as usual, and only focused her eyes on Mother Yue, who gave Yue Ran her usual doting smile. Yue Ran didn''t even react after hearing the system prompts about Yang Chi''s increasing favorability score.


    "Ah, are there any guests?" Yue Ran pretended to be blind and didn''t know who it was. "I apologize for my tardiness."


    Yang Chi dared not speak out; he believed that Yue Ran definitely knew he was here and was now planning to embarrass him!


    Mother Yue was also taken aback by her reply, but immediately put a smile on her face. "Ran Ran, this is your elder brother, Yang Chi." She motioned with her hand to Yang Chi, who was sitting across from her, as she spoke to Yue Ran, then returned her attention to Yang Chi. "Xiao Chi, don''t mind Ran Ran; she was still a little sleepy after studying so hard so late last night."


    Then Yue Ran''s sweet and soft voice rang out, sounding surprised. "Ah, so it''s Brother Yang Chi." Her voice then turned apologetic. "I''m sorry for not recognizing you sooner."


    Yang Chi was caught off guard. "No, it''s okay." He replied a little awkwardly.


    What''s wrong with Yue Ran? Was she bewitched or something? Why did she speak to him so softly and kindly? Didn''t she usually start baring her teeth and swearing at him, always wanting to start a fight whenever she met him?

 Chapter 12 - 12: White Rich Beauty (12)

    "Yang Chi''s favorability +2"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 7"


    Sure enough, most boys would stay docile when treated gently.


    After dinner, in order to promote the relationship between Yue Ran and Yang Chi, both of their parents urged them to spend the afternoon together outside.


    Unable to fight against the urging of their parents, Yue Ran, who pretended to be reluctant, and Yang Chi, who was really reluctant, came to the amusement park together like this.


    On a roller coaster ride¡­


    "Ahhh!"


    Yang Chi sat beside Yue Ran in a roller coaster carriage with an unsightly face. The wind was beating against his face, and his ears hurt, especially when Yue Ran was still screaming directly into it. The tight turns and steep slopes did not help him feel any better.


    When he finally got off the roller coaster, he speed-walked to the nearest trash can and vomited all his lunch while rubbing a hand on his chest.


    Yue Ran came to him, looking as if she wanted to help but was hesitant to do so. In the end, she only stared at him with a look of worry on her face. "Are you okay?" Her brows were knitted. "Do you want me to buy you water?"


    Yang Chi looked at Yue Ran when he heard the words; his face was pale and his voice was weak, but he pretended that he was still fine and was bursting with energy.


    "Yue Ran, what are you trying to do by pretending to be such a good girl for?" Yang Chi raised his voice. "Where did the person who treated me so badly go, huh? Did she suddenly evaporate into nothingness? Do you really expect me to forget the aggressive lady you used to be?!"


    Yang Chi could say a lot of hurtful things to Yue Ran, but his affection for her could not be denied.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +5"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 12"


    Yue Ran seemed to be frightened by his sudden roar. Her eyes turned red, and she stood there helplessly, not knowing what to do. "I''m sorry¡­"


    Neither of the two realized that their conversation had attracted the attention of others in the amusement park. And thus, a crowd formed around them.


    "This boy is so bad, he actually yells at such a cute girl!"


    "The boy looks good, but it''s a pity that he''s just too fierce for the girl!"


    "If my girlfriend was this cute, I would definitely be reluctant to yell at her."


    "The young man doesn''t know how to cherish his girlfriend now, and he will definitely regret it in the future!"


    Yang Chi is a thin-skinned young man. When listening to everyone''s comments about them, mostly about his bad behavior, his face turned red.


    He had no choice but to stare at Yue Ran bitterly and conclude that this woman was playing a trick to ruin his image. Afterwards, Yang Chi no longer wanted to care about Yue Ran and went to the nearest shop to buy water in big strides.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability -5"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 7"


    Yue Ran: Wow, this is also my fault? S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister Yue Ran!" Just as Yue Ran was about to catch up with Yang Chi, she heard a child''s voice, which seemed to be calling her.


    "Master, it was detected that the male protagonist, Jiang Yi, is fifty steps away from Master''s position." Ruan Ruan''s notification sounded in her mind.


    Yue Ran looked in the direction of the call and saw a boy about eight or nine years old running towards her. Behind the little boy was Jiang Yi.


    Jiang Yi was actually still in shock, frozen, when he heard the boy call out "Sister Yue Ran." This was something that he would never have expected in his entire life.


    "Hao Hao?" Yue Ran quickly entered her role and spoke to the little boy with surprise on her face. "Why are you here?"


    The little boy running towards her is Jiang Yi''s younger brother, Jiang Hao.


    The little boy ran up to Yue Ran, hugged her thigh, raised his head, and showed her a big smile. "Sister Yue Ran, you haven''t found me for a long time." His expression sank. "Did you forget me?"


    "No, how could I forget such a cute Hao Hao?" Yue Ran patted Jiang Hao''s head.


    "Yeah!" Jiang Hao nodded. "Sister Yue Ran is the best!"


    Yue Ran: How could such a cutie be related to the male protagonist in any way?


    Jiang Yi quickly walked over and lifted his younger brother away from Yue Ran, then placed him back on the floor. "Stand up properly!" He then turned to Yue Ran with a puzzled expression. "Yue Ran, do you know my younger brother?"


    Of course she does¡ªor rather, the original body does. The original body actually ran to get to know Jiang Hao, all because she wanted to get closer to Jiang Yi. But Yue Ran would never say that.


    "I know," Yue Ran answered flatly.


    "Then did you..." get to know him because of me?


    His words trailed off. That question seemed a little too inappropriate to ask directly, but he still couldn''t help but feel curious in his heart. Or maybe he thought that it was just a little too coincidental and convenient.


    Jiang Yi paused for a moment before rewording his question. "How did you get to know each other?"


    Yue Ran smiled lightly. "There was one time when your younger brother was bullied by his classmate, and I happened to pass by when it happened." She explained blandly. "I helped Hao Hao with his problem and promised that I would visit him often; after all, Hao Hao is just too cute."


    In other words: I did not do this to get closer to you through your younger brother, so don''t get so full of yourself and misinterpret my intentions.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +5"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 50"


    As expected, Jiang Yi was choked by Yue Ran''s words. He had no choice but to stiffly turn his head to look at his younger brother, and he sighed. "Why did you not tell me that you are being bullied?"


    Jiang Hao lowered his head and muttered softly, "It''s because you are too busy with work to earn money every day, so I don''t want to worry you."


    At this time, Yue Ran said, "Hao Hao, do you want to go play with your sister?"


    Jiang Hao''s eyes lit up when he heard this. "Want!" He then turned to Jiang Yi expectantly.


    Jiang Yi: ¡­


    He rubbed his temples and sighed in defeat. "Go." He finally relented.


    Originally, whenever they came to the amusement park to play, Jiang Yi would never allow Jiang Hao to play exciting games since he was not interested in them. And when Jiang Hao was playing, he would only watch him from the side. Therefore, having Yue Ran here to play with Jiang Hao was the perfect scenario.


    Jiang Hao was all smiles as he pulled Yue Ran with him to the pirate ship ride, only leaving Jiang Yi with a happy "yeah."


    Looking at them, Jiang Yi somehow felt that the smile on Yue Ran''s face was extremely bright and dazzling.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +5"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 55"


    Meanwhile, when Yang Chi had finally bought the water he needed to drink and returned to the original position in which he left Yue Ran, he only found out that Yue Ran was gone. He was pacing here and there, irritably in place, wanting to leave directly but afraid of being nagged by his mother when he returned home, so he called Yue Ran.


    Within a few beeps, Yue Ran''s phone was connected.


    "Yue Ran!" Yang Chi shouted through his phone. "Where are you?!"


    "Yang Chi?" Yue Ran asked. "I''m here on the pirate ship." Yang Chi could hear shouts and noises from the other end. "It''s my turn soon, so I''ll hang up first. Bye!" The call was over with a click.


    Yue Ran didn''t give Yang Chi a chance to speak and hung up the phone directly.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability -7"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 0"


    Yue Ran inwardly rolled her eyes when she received the system notifications. Yang Chi has a more serious case of mood swings than a woman on her period.


    Anyway, let''s have fun first.

 Chapter 13 - 13: White Rich Beauty (13)

    "Curse you, woman, you actually left me to have fun alone by yourself!" Yang Chi clenched the phone tightly in his hand, itching to leave at this very moment. In spite of that, he was also afraid that Yue Ran would speak ill of him in front of his mother, so he could only grit his teeth and say to himself, "Calm down, Yang Chi; you need to keep your gentlemanly demeanor!"


    After a few minutes of breathing in and out and composing himself, he went to the area where the pirate ship ride was located on the map.


    "Jiang Yi?"


    Jiang Yi was originally sitting on a bench while watching Yue Ran and Jiang Hao have fun. It wasn''t long when an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out his name, so he swiveled his head to look at whoever it was.


    "¡­You are?" Jiang Yi inquired, his brow furrowing. He has never seen this man before, nor could he even recognize him. "Do I recognize you?"


    It was Yang Chi who called out to Jiang Yi. At first, he wasn''t sure if the figure was actually Jiang Yi, but when he walked up closer, it really was him! Why is he here?


    "I am Yang Chi." Yang Chi naturally knew who Jiang Yi was. When he first learned that Yue Ran was going to become his fianc¨¦e, he had already looked up everything about her. He also knew that this fianc¨¦e of his was pursuing Jiang Yi like a madman. "And no, you don''t recognize me."


    However, according to the information, Jiang Yi would always avoid Yue Ran whenever she was close by, so why did he appear here at this time?


    Yang Chi was already very angry, but now that he knew that Jiang Yi was here, he became even angrier.


    "Yue Ran, you really don''t change your nature at all." Yang Chi grumbled under his breath. "Even while going on a date with me, you even called out someone you like!" His aura turned gloomier with every complaint he uttered. "What do you mean by this?" He gritted his teeth. "Do you want to sit back and enjoy everyone''s blessings?"


    Yang Chi decided to wait for Yue Ran to come down from the ride before questioning her face-to-face.


    ?? ? ??


    The people who got off the now-stopped pirate ship ride were laughing and having fun; among them, Yue Ran was the most conspicuous.


    Yue Ran walked out while holding Jiang Hao with her left hand.


    She seemed to have talked about something funny with Jiang Hao since there was a deep smile on her delicate face and the dimples that formed at her cheek as her lips were raised were vaguely visible. She was wearing the same white cotton lace dress she had been wearing since the meeting with Yang Chi.


    The two boys waiting for her outside the gate were dumbfounded.


    Jiang Yi took the lead and said to Yue Ran, who was coming closer, "Yue Ran, this... someone is here to find you." He spoke as if he didn''t know how to address Yang Chi. Jiang Yi had thoroughly ignored the fact that Yang Chi had already told him his name and raised his head to gesture to Yang Chi''s presence.


    "Ah, let me introduce you to my fianc¨¦e, Yang Chi, the heir of the Yang Group." Yue Ran only took a glance at Yang Chi''s unpleasant profile before replying to Jiang Yi.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +10"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 10"


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +2"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 57"


    Yang Chi''s complexion has improved a lot after Yue Ran''s words. Although he doesn''t understand why Yue Ran has to admit that she has a fiance in front of the person she likes, this behavior of giving him face feels very good. His ego is definitely boosted because of it.


    Even the sight of Yue Ran is not so displeasing anymore. Even the hot weather feels cool.


    On the other hand, Jiang Yi was surprised, holding a little bit of regret in his heart. Yet he didn''t know why he even felt such regret.


    After Yue Ran introduced Yang Chi, she immediately did the same for Jiang Yi.


    "This is a senior from my university who had an early graduation, Jiang Yi," Yue Ran said. "He is a diligent person, independent, and also very capable, especially in doing what he is most passionate about."


    While there was a sense of discomfort that sprouted out of Yang Chi''s heart after listening to Yue Ran''s praise of another man, he was still not dissatisfied with her due to her early introduction of himself before Jiang Yi''s. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Conversely, Jiang Yi was quite happy listening to Yue Ran''s compliments about his abilities.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +3"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 60"


    So the two men started the day by following Yue Ran and Jiang Hao around the amusement park. It was too bad that neither of the two could play these extremely fun rides. One is unfortunately afraid of heights, and the other would get dizzy after playing them.


    Yue Ran: Both are not recommended boyfriend material.


    Ruan Ruan: Weak men.


    Even so, Yue Ran and Jiang Hao still had a great time playing together. There was no need for extra superficial company.


    "Sister Yue Ran!" Jiang Hao shook Yue Ran''s hand that was holding onto his. "We''ve been playing for so long, let''s go play in the haunted house too!"


    Yue Ran''s eyes lit up when she heard this. She rubbed Jiang Hao''s head gently, thinking that this little guy was really providing a good assist.


    She turned her head and asked the two people following behind. "Do you guys want to come and play inside the haunted house together?"


    Yang Chi didn''t want to lose the opportunity to speak before Jiang Yi, so he said, "What''s so interesting about a haunted house? Everything is fake inside, but if you''re scared, then I can reluctantly go in to accompany you."


    Yue Ran ignored Yang Chi''s childish response; instead, she blinked at him with her big misty eyes like a doe''s and responded to him seriously. "Yes, I''m afraid, so why don''t you come in and play together with me?"


    Yang Chi:... Why is she acting so cute all of a sudden? My heart!


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +5"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 15"


    Jiang Yi, who was on the sidelines just a few steps away from the three, was made uneasy by Yue Ran''s coquettish behavior toward Yang Chi. Nevertheless, he didn''t think too much about it and just nodded at Yue Ran''s suggestion. "I''ll go too."


    With Jiang Yi''s assent, the group of four entered the haunted house.


    Jiang Hao followed closely behind his big brother, holding onto Jiang Yi''s clothes with both hands. And Yue Ran followed behind Yang Chi, keeping a certain distance from him.


    Yue Ran has been looking at the surrounding facilities since she stepped in. She nodded inwardly at the atmosphere. She has to say that the view inside looked pretty genuine, like a scene straight out of a horror movie.


    When she was still thinking about whose arms she was going to jump into when she pretended to be scared later on, she suddenly caught a glimpse of Yang Chi''s slightly trembling figure from the corner of her eye.


    Yue Ran:... Is Yang Chi afraid of ghosts?


    For this reason, Yue Ran took a couple of steps forward and tugged at the corner of Yang Chi''s clothes.


    "What''s wrong?" Yang Chi turned around and asked. At first glance, there was nothing wrong with him, but after listening carefully to his words, Yue Ran could slightly hear his quivering voice.


    Yue Ran sighed inwardly but raised her head and smiled. With her arching lips, one could see flowers blooming right before their eyes.


    "I want to go ahead, but I can''t go through with you blocking my way." She huffed. "It''s not fun at all when it''s not scary!"


    Yang Chi paused in his steps. Did she see it? Is she helping him right now?


    "Okay." Yang Chi obediently changed positions with Yue Ran.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +10"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 25"


    In fact, this was Yang Chi''s first visit to an amusement park and a haunted house since he was a child, so this was also his first time knowing of his fear of ghosts.


    Yue Ran''s figure was so small and dainty, looking extremely weak. But this small and dainty figure was standing right in front of him, blocking out those fake ghosts and spectres, protecting him from scares.


    There was only one word that could describe his feeling at this present moment: safe.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +10"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 35"


    Yue Ran, who was walking in front, had a faint smile on her face, looking eerily sweet in the dark. It was beautiful, but deadly.


    At this time, gloomy background music was playing from the speakers, making those inside feel chills running down their spines.


    Without warning, someone pushed Yue Ran from behind, pushing her from the dim haunted house and into a small, dark room devoid of any sound or light.


    Only their breaths could be heard.


    One shallow. One regular.


    Who could it be?

 Chapter 14 - 14: White Rich Beauty (14)

    Yue Ran turned on her mobile phone.


    The dim glow of the phone screen lights up the small room, illuminating the surrounding layout and a stiff figure huddled up under a table.


    It was an unexpectedly familiar figure.


    "Jin Yao? Why are you here?!" Yue Ran''s voice was loud, especially in such a small enclosed space, but it didn''t alarm Jin Yao. That was when Yue Ran found that something was wrong, so she walked forward slowly. "Jin Yao? What''s wrong with you? I''m Yue Ran."


    Yue Ran raised a hand to pat Jin Yao''s shoulder but got no response. Instead, she felt vibrations in her hand.


    Jin Yao was shaking.


    At this time, Ruan Ruan''s voice popped up. "Master, Jin Yao has claustrophobia!"


    "Oh, I see." She smiled faintly, then her lips spat out ruthless words. "This is a good opportunity to take advantage of his weakness."


    These words were said out loud as Yue Ran looked into Jin Yao''s eyes. Anyway, Jin Yao wouldn''t be able to remember these words. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, this is indeed a good opportunity!" Ruan Ruan chirped in with the same joy.


    Yue Ran grabbed Jin Yao''s shoulders and shook him. "Jin Yao!"


    His face was flushed red, beads of sweat ran down his face and neck, his body trembled, and his breaths were shallow.


    But when he raised his head and met Yue Ran''s eyes, his whole demeanor completely changed. It was almost as if he were another whole person if not for Yue Ran, who witnessed everything.


    Jin Yao''s eyes looked particularly ignorant. It was a strange and unfamiliar sight.


    "Sister Qin?" he asked.


    "Ahh, Master!" Ruan Ruan was alarmed. "He changed his personality!"


    "Yes." Yue Ran nodded at his words. "He did, and¡­" Her words trailed off. The smile on her face was sweet, but her words were cold when she spoke to Ruan Ruan in her mind. "Sister Qin?" She tilted her head with a finger pressed to her chin. "He''s talking about Rui Qin, the female protagonist, isn''t he?"


    "Yes, Master, Ruan Ruan thinks so!"


    Yue Ran reached out to touch Jin Yao''s cold cheeks and chuckled. It sounded sweet and melodious.


    "Hmm, Jin Yao actually recognized me as the female protagonist?" Her fingers made a beeline down to Jin Yao''s neck and pressed hard. "I have always hated being a substitute."


    The expression on Yue Ran''s face was still very calm, but her actions differed so much as if they were the repelling force of two different magnets with the same end.


    "Master, calm down!" Ruan Ruan shouted in Yue Ran''s mind. "You can''t kill the male protagonist!" Then he added, "At least not directly, or the Lord God would be able to punish you immediately after."


    "I am very calm, Ruan Ruan," Yue Ran replied nonchalantly. "You should relax; I am not that reckless."


    She slowly released her hold on Jin Yao''s neck, and he coughed and quickly took several deep breaths. After breathing right again, he sniffed, and his eyes turned beet red, looking at Yue Ran aggrievedly.


    However, the expression on Yue Ran''s face was even more distressing. The corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose are red, and her eyes glimmered with unshed tears.


    "I''m Yue Ran, the Yue Ran who likes you¡­ the Yue Ran who is chasing you!" Her hands were shaking, and her voice was cracking. "How could you recognize me as someone else?!" As she said that, the unshed tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Jin Yao, do you have someone you like?" She whimpered. "Why are you so cruel to me?"


    After being yelled at for a while, Jin Yao''s mind was still muddled, and he repeatedly muttered out, "Sister Qin, I''m afraid, I''m afraid, Sister Qin, Sister Qin..."


    "Jin Yao, what''s wrong with you?!" Yue Ran blinked away the tears that blurred her vision, and her voice turned anxious. "Don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid; I''ll take you out now!"


    Yue Ran reluctantly pulled Jin Yao out from under the table and intentionally or unintentionally made him knock on the corners of the very same table and many other obstacles in his way as her revenge. If Jin Yao remembers this, he won''t be suspicious of Yue Ran because her acting was too convincing for him to tell the difference between the truth and lies.


    It wasn''t that difficult to "help" Jin Yao out since he himself could still stand and walk, albeit weakly. She just had to drag him from wall to wall, from collision to collision.


    And why help out Jin Yao but not Mu Chen? It''s simply because Jin Yao is still semi-conscious while Mu Chen is fully unconscious. Helping out Mu Chen when he was knocked out cold was a thankless job.


    Ruan Ruan, who felt saddened by his master''s troubled appearance, suggested, "How about Master just give a call to the police? Jin Yao being trapped here is obviously a man-made arrangement. Someone must be trying to harm him. If that''s the case, then Master doesn''t have to carry him at all. Master could just wait for rescue!"


    Yue Ran chuckled. "Don''t you already know me, Ruan Ruan? When am I ever eager to save people?"


    Ruan Ruan rushed to answer. "Oh, oh, is it to increase Jin Yao''s favorability score?"


    Yue Ran smiled, and the two dimples on her cheeks were faintly visible. "Ruan Ruan is so smart." In the darkness, her phoenix eyes were shockingly bright. "Moreover, I am just too anxious when I see something wrong with Jin Yao, the person I like, and am not clearheaded for a while due to my panic," she said. "Therefore, all I could think of at first was to help him myself and not call the police."


    "Wow, Master is awesome!"


    Yue Ran only smiled. But when she turned to face Jin Yao, her big, midnight-black eyes watered, becoming hypnotic and heartbreaking.


    "Jin Yao, Jin Yao, don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid, I''m taking you out now, it''s not scary, don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid..."


    Yue Ran didn''t forget to continuously murmur to Jin Yao while "walking" their way out, earnestly painting a vivid image of a girl who likes Jin Yao from the bottom of her heart.

 Chapter 15 - 15: White Rich Beauty (15)

    "Sister Yue Ran! Sister Yue Ran!"


    While Yue Ran was supporting Jin Yao step by step, Jiang Hao''s voice came faintly from the corridor in front of her.


    She narrowed her eyes and quickly messed up her clothes and hair a little before responding.


    Yue Ran''s eyes burst with joy. "Hao Hao! Hao Hao! I''m here!"


    Jiang Hao rushed over when he heard the sound. "Sister Yue Ran!" He jumped on Yue Ran and hugged her thigh. "Where have you been? I''m so worried about you!"


    The two men following Jiang Hao looked at her with varying degrees of worry in their eyes.


    Yue Ran smiled as she placed a hand on Jiang Hao''s head and said in a low voice, "I''m fine, Hao Hao."


    "Who is this man next to you?" Yang Chi interrupted the warm scene with accusing eyes.


    He was the first one to discover Jin Yao''s existence. Why did Yue Ran find another man again? Yang Chi only felt that a lush green field was growing atop his head.


    "Now is not the time to ask; it''s more important to save him first!"


    After Yue Ran''s words, Jiang Yi immediately noticed that something was wrong with the man Yue Ran was supporting. He quickly took out his phone and called the ambulance and then the police.


    ?? ? ??


    Central Hospital.


    Jiang Yi and Jiang Hao had returned home, while Yang Chi went with a few policemen to recount the situation and also pay the hospitalization fee in passing, leaving Yue Ran alone.


    In Jin Yao''s ward, a nurse was treating Jin Yao''s small scratches. A two-centimeter knife wound on his thigh had already been stitched up by the doctor, and the rest were trivial wounds left for the nurse.


    Yue Ran originally just stood aside and watched indifferently at the nurse''s robotic actions, but when she saw Jin Yao''s eyelids moving slightly, she immediately reacted.


    She asked the nurse in a sad and worried voice, "Miss Nurse, when will Jin Yao be able to wake up? When will these injuries heal? Is he very seriously injured? How long will he be in the hospital? Will he be in pain when he wakes up?"


    Her eyes were foggy, and there was even a little hint of a whimper in her voice.


    The middle-aged nurse smiled when she heard Yue Ran''s words. "Are you worried about your boyfriend?" She asked. "Don''t worry; children of this age are very resilient, and they can be discharged from the hospital in about a week!"


    Yue Ran was taken aback by her words. "No, he''s not my boyfriend, and¡ªand¡ªI''m not his girlfriend." Her words ended on a sad note.


    Jin Yao was completely conscious, and he also regained clarity. However, he didn''t choose to open his eyes.


    His heart fluctuated as images of Yue Ran''s face and expressions played out in his head.


    The Yue Ran when she was worrying about him.


    The Yue Ran when she was comforting him.


    The Yue Ran when she was flattering him.


    The Yue Ran when she was confessing her love to him.


    The Yue Ran who would never stop bothering him.


    This very same Yue Ran, whose face became more and more distinctive, clear, and bright in his mind.


    "Jin Yao''s favorability +5"


    "Jin Yao''s favorability +5"


    "Jin Yao''s favorability +5"


    "Jin Yao''s favorability +5"


    "Jin Yao''s favorability +5"


    "Jin Yao''s current favorability is 60"


    Yue Ran pursed her lips, and coldness flashed in her eyes. It was obvious that she was not satisfied.


    The shields of the Lord God must have been strengthened once more. If it wasn''t so, how could the favorability score of all strategy targets move up so slowly? She''ll definitely have her revenge!


    Meanwhile, Jin Yao''s mood was very complicated. He recalled the process of his rescue. How could she have rescued him at such a coincidental time? But why did he not feel averse to it?


    Jin Yao opened his eyes, ignoring the nurse who was still treating his wound, and looked directly at Yue Ran.


    She looked a little messy, and there were even dirt stains that weren''t cleaned up on her face. And at the same time, she looked especially beautiful¡ªa down-to-earth type of beauty¡ªa face with no make-up, pure and tender.


    "Yue Ran, you saved me; what do you want?" Jin Yao finally found his voice and asked. "As long as it is within my scope of ability, I can give anything to you."


    "I want to be your girlfriend!" Yue Ran said it bluntly.


    "Okay." His answer was fast, and there was no hesitation on his face.


    Yue Ran: ?


    Ruan Ruan: ?


    She was confused. What happened? Why did he agree so readily? And does this mean that they''re dating now? That he''s her boyfriend and she''s his girlfriend?


    Just the thought of it left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    Looking at Yue Ran''s bewildered expression on her face, Jin Yao couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. "Are you so happy you turned into a fool?" His voice sounded teasing. "Come here."


    Jin Yao smiled.


    Ruan Ruan: ??


    "Master, has this Jin Yao been possessed by an evil spirit?"


    Yue Ran inwardly let out a sigh. "No, it''s just that he really did think that he liked me romantically."


    This was the first time that Jin Yao ever smiled in front of Yue Ran. The frozen ice finally melted. The winter snow was washed away, leaving a blooming spring. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No matter how attractive Jin Yao may look, Yue Ran would never be moved, especially knowing how cruelly he treated the original body in the plot.


    Still, Yue Ran walked towards Jin Yao and leaned close to him. She was then patted on the head in front of his unconditionally adoring eyes.


    Jin Yao''s smile did not falter as he uttered a few words that really didn''t fit his image: "You are so cute."


    Yue Ran: ???


    It was almost as if she had met a fake Jin Yao.


    "What are you doing?!" At some point in time, Yang Chi had appeared at the doorway of the ward.


    Yue Ran was startled by the roar and reflexively took a few steps back, and then she saw Jin Yao stare at her dangerously.


    Yue Ran:...


    Jin Yao turned his head to look at Yang Chi, the person who had disturbed them. Before he could speak, the impatient Yang Chi said, "Aren''t you Rui Qin''s boyfriend? Why are you messing around with my fianc¨¦e here!?"


    Yang Chi knew who Jin Yao was. He would often hear this very name from Rui Qin''s mouth and even meet him outside by chance, so he always thought that Jin Yao was Rui Qin''s boyfriend!


    When Yue Ran helped Jin Yao out of the haunted house before, Jin Yao had always kept his head down, so Yang Chi had no time to identify his face clearly. But now he knows that the person Yue Ran saved was Jin Yao!


    Even if he doesn''t like Yue Ran, he won''t allow her to cuckold him!


    However, no one cares about Yang Chi''s feelings at this moment. Jin Yao and Yue Ran were glaring at one another.


    "Who is Rui Qin?!"


    "Fianc¨¦e?!"


    Yue Ran''s exclamation was joined by Jin Yao''s dark and dangerous voice.

 Chapter 16 - 16: White Rich Beauty (16)

    Jin Yao''s eyes darkened. Although he is angry, he still plans to answer Yue Ran''s question first because he recalled recognizing Yue Ran as Rui Qin when he was in a semi-conscious state.


    "Sister Qin is¡­Rui Qin. She is a neighbor I grew up with. I only regard her as my sister, and she and I are not in a romantic relationship, nor are we each other''s boyfriend or girlfriend."


    "Oh, childhood sweethearts?" Yue Ran sneered in Jin Yao''s face; her voice contained obvious sarcasm. "Both of your relationships are very deep, right? After all, you called her name when I was the one who rescued you!"


    Yue Ran exploded.


    In fact, Yue Ran wasn''t at all angry. Sure, she was angry at first for being treated as a substitute, but her rage faded as time passed.


    It was unquestionable that Yue Ran still held a grudge for it, but she never sincerely cared about Jin Yao''s wellbeing or feelings in general.


    Right now, her show of anger was more about the fact that she wanted to go on an all-out offensive strategy. It was akin to riding a tiger.


    If she didn''t force herself to tame the tiger, then the tiger would jump her.


    If she didn''t go and accuse Jin Yao, then Jin Yao would be the one to accuse her.


    Offense is the best defense.


    As expected, Jin Yao was speechless.


    Yue Ran turned away with a "Hmph" when she saw this. Her steps were quick, but she was still blocked by Yang Chi, who had driven his car to stop in front of her at the entrance of the hospital.


    "Get in the car." Yang Chi looked straight ahead, his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, and said those words in a cold tone without turning his head.


    Yue Ran got into the sports car without protest. She was just in need of a ride.


    "Aren''t you going to explain anything?" Yang Chi''s eyes behind his sunglasses were shadowed and dark; his tone was flat; and his expression was unflinching, almost as if nothing was bothering him.


    "Is there anything more to explain?" Yue Ran replied casually. "Haven''t you seen it all yourself?"


    Yue Ran didn''t fear his anger, but she still had to be tough when the time came. As long as she didn''t feel guilty, she wasn''t the one who was wrong.


    Her logic is flawed, but it''s her logic nonetheless.


    "I have seen it all?" Yang Chi repeated her words with gritted teeth and ripped his sunglasses off to shoot a quick glare at Yue Ran before focusing on the road. "Are you admitting it?"


    Admitting that she is cuckolding him!


    "What did I admit?" Yue Ran raised a brow. "Admit that I like you?"


    Yang Chi''s breath was caught.


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +5"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 40"


    "Don''t change the subject!" Yang Chi''s face turned red in anger. Or was it embarrassment? "Do you like that Jin Yao?" He asked and then added. "Or that Jiang Yi from before?"


    "Are those any of your business?" Yue Ran spoke flatly as she admired her flawless nails.


    "Master, watch out at ten o''clock!" Ruan Ruan suddenly shouted in Yue Ran''s mind.


    Yue Ran raised her head. Her expression was calm, with no trace of panic.


    The opportunity arrived just in time.


    A light flashed in Yue Ran''s eyes, and her mouth hooked up slightly.


    Yang Chi still wanted to counter Yue Ran''s words, but he caught sight of a truck driving through the red light at the intersection ahead. He hurriedly stepped on the brakes, but it was too late.


    He could only watch helplessly as the truck approached them at high speed.


    Bang¡ª


    It hit the front bumper of his car, then the engine, shattering the front window glass into smithereens.


    Everything went by so fast, and then there was red.


    "Yue Ran!!!"


    Yang Chi''s pupils dilated. For a while, everything slowed down to a minimum; he could even see the glass debris flying past his eyes. But everything was ignored when he focused on Yue Ran.


    Those eyes could only contain Yue Ran¡ªher face and the bright red blood slowly oozing from her head.


    Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran!


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +30"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 70"


    Time sped up again, then¡ªCrash!


    His ears were ringing, and his vision went in and out. He coughed; even the air he breathed in felt oppressive.


    Yang Chi spotted Yue Ran from the corner of his eyes and crawled to her.


    "Yue Ran¡­" His voice was only a little louder than a whisper.


    When he reached her, he could do nothing but watch as her eyes slowly closed.


    Even if everything he felt was pain, he held desperately on to his consciousness. Regaining a little clarity, he took out his mobile phone from his pocket and was full of anxiety as he pressed on the emergency call.


    The waiting time felt like a century.


    Before he knew it, he had blacked out.


    ?? ? ??


    Central Hospital


    Father Yue was making a phone call, asking his men to find the perpetrator as soon as possible.


    His daughter, whom he had spoiled with care all his life, had suffered such a serious injury all of a sudden! How could he not be angry?


    On the other hand, Mother Yue was sitting by Yue Ran''s bed, staring at Yue Ran''s pale, unconscious self with tears streaming down her face.


    "My Ran Ran has never been hurt since she was a child; this must be very painful for her..." she choked out. "My Ran Ran must be in a lot of pain."


    ?? ? ??


    In a private ward, Yang Chi slowly but surely regained his consciousness.


    He blinked his eyes and kept calling in a hoarse voice, "Yue¡ªYue Ran... Yue Ran..."


    Mother Yang, who was sitting by the hospital bed to accompany Yang Chi, grabbed his hand. "Chi''er, you finally woke up; you scared mother to death; how did you and Ran Ran get into a car accident? Ran Ran was struck by¡ª"


    Before Mother Yang finished speaking, Yang Chi had already raised his head anxiously, turned over his body, and wanted to get out of bed, but he was immediately forced back down.


    He groaned but still tried to get back up. "No, Yue Ran¡ª"


    "Stop with your antics; you are still injured; don''t get up!" Mother Yang scolded and pushed her son back into his resting position.


    "However, Yue Ran she... How is she?"


    "I have just come back from the next ward to see her." Mother Yang patted her son''s shoulder to appease him. "Ran Ran is still in a coma, but fortunately, she is now out of danger."


    Yang Chi let out a sigh of relief.


    Mother Yang brought a glass of water to Yang Chi and gestured for him to drink it up. He nodded and took it gladly.


    "Even if you go now, she''s still..." Her words trailed off. "Wait, don''t tell me... have you fallen for Ran Ran?" She raised a brow. "Otherwise, why are you in such a hurry to see her?" Mother Yang''s voice was one of curiosity and teasing.


    "I... It''s Yue Ran, Mom, who saved me from danger," Yang Chi said. "She blocked the danger in front of me. I seem to have misunderstood her all along¡­"


    Mother Yang looked surprised, happy, and relieved at the same time.


    "What? Really? Didn''t I say long ago that Ran Ran is a very good girl, and I kept asking myself how my son could not like such a cute and kind little girl?" Mother Yang said. "I will talk to you later; I have to go and see Ran Ran again, but she was hit so badly because of you. My Ran Ran is just too pitiful; you can''t let her down; otherwise, I''ll break your leg!"


    Mother Yang narrowed her eyes at Yang Chi and walked away from his ward.


    Yang Chi: Who exactly is your real child? Am I adopted?


    However, the behavior of Yue Ran, who sacrificed her life to save his, completely overturned his previous preconceptions of her.


    Yue Ran¡­


    It turns out that she is, as his mother has repeatedly said, a good girl...


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +2"


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +2"


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +2"


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +1"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 77" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 17 - 17: White Rich Beauty (17)

    In system numbers, a favorability score of 71 to 90 is considered "like," and a score of 91 and above is "love."


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 77"


    "Master, Yang Chi sincerely likes you!" Ruan Ruan twirled happily in Yue Ran''s mind. "He has a crush on you!"


    "Like," Yue Ran smiled as she repeated Ruan Ruan''s words, but the smile never reached her eyes.


    She was currently sitting in the system''s dimensional space, watching the outside world with Ruan Ruan.


    Yue Ran teased the small light cluster with her fingers.


    "Master, it tickles!" Ruan Ruan said so, but he didn''t even move an inch.


    "So cute." She cooed and laughed.


    It was a lingering laughter, like a seductive siren.


    ?? ? ??


    Central Hospital.


    Jiang Yi was standing in front of the front desk, asking about Yue Ran''s ward number.


    He had heard of Yue Ran''s car accident and wanted to see if she was okay. No matter what, Yue Ran had helped him, and it was just right to see her.


    Nothing more, nothing less.


    Jiang Yi held a basket of fruits in his hand and was knocking on the door of Yue Ran''s ward.


    The door quickly slid open. It was Mother Yue''s figure who greeted him.


    "Hello, is Yue Ran in this ward?"


    Hearing this, Mother Yue instantly focused her eyes on the young man in front of her.


    He looked handsome, upright, intelligent, and had a pair of sharp eyes. Overall, a nice and honest-looking person. Unfortunately, their family''s Yue Ran was about to get engaged to the boy from the Yang family.


    "Yes, are you a friend of Ran Ran?" Mother Yue welcomed Jiang Yi into the ward.


    "Yes, I am Jiang Yi, Yue Ran''s senior in the university, and I just want to come to visit her and see how she is doing." Jiang Yi introduced himself a little embarrassedly.


    Is he and Yue Ran even friends? It doesn''t seem like they are...


    Speaking of Yue Ran, Mother Yue''s smile quickly faltered, and she sat herself down beside the hospital bed, gazing at the figure on the bed at a loss.


    Sighing, she turned her head back to Jiang Yi and said, "Ran Ran is not in a good condition... She just came out of the ICU and is currently out of danger for the time being, but she has been in a coma for so long and hasn''t woken up yet¡­"


    A sudden groan interrupted Mother Yue''s next words. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran was stirring herself awake.


    Her voice was hoarse as she muttered, "Water¡­ Water¡­"


    "Ran Ran!" Mother Yue exclaimed in surprise, and she immediately took action. "Mom will get water for you now." She turned her head toward Jiang Yi and shot him an apologetic look. "If you wouldn''t mind, could you help me take care of Ran Ran here for a while?"


    "I wouldn''t mind, Auntie," Jiang Yi hurriedly replied. "Leave Yue Ran to me for the time being; I''ll take care of her."


    After receiving Yue Ran''s nod, Mother Yue stepped out of the ward to get water for her.


    Yue Ran''s face was still pale, looking soft and fragile.


    "Jiang Yi?" She rasped out, "Why are you here?" She tried to sit up by propping her body up.


    Jiang Yi quickly stepped forward to help Yue Ran adjust the height of the hospital bed so that she could lean her back more comfortably while sitting. "I''m just here to take a look; don''t think too much about it."


    "I see. Still, thank you for your concern." Yue Ran spoke slowly and carefully, with a sweet smile on her face and eyes that curved like radiant twin crescent moons.


    "No, it''s nothing." Jiang Yi abruptly avoided her eyes.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +5"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 65"


    And as so often happens, the moment was interrupted by a loud bang and Yang Chi''s exclamation as he swiftly entered Yue Ran''s private ward, which was just next to his.


    Yang Chi asked, "Yue Ran, how do you feel?"


    It turned out that Yang Chi had come over in a wheelchair.


    Yue Ran turned her head in surprise. "Yang Chi?" The smile on her face froze slightly before warming back up. "I''m fine; how about you?" Her tone was weak but full of worry. "Are you okay?"


    Yang Chi was in a bad mood when he saw Jiang Yi inside the ward, but Yue Ran''s words immediately doused the fire in his heart and made him feel better both physically and mentally.


    "I''m fine," Yang Chi said. "But how can you stand in front of a man during times of danger like before? I''m grateful for it this time, but let me be the one to protect you in the future!"


    Yang Chi intends to show off his and Yue Ran''s close relationship in front of Jiang Yi.


    So what if Jiang Yi was the one Yue Ran liked before? He, Yang Chi, will be the one to marry Yue Ran and become her husband in the future! He was the clear winner from the start.


    Yue Ran: There was never a start.


    Yang Chi: Ouch.


    "Yue Ran doesn''t need your protection; she is my girlfriend!"


    Just when Yang Chi was complacent about his fianc¨¦e''s identity, Jin Yao suddenly appeared in a neat suit, still with a pale face from his last incident.


    Ruan Ruan: Wow, an exciting Shura field!


    Yue Ran watched the play from the sidelines, inwardly admiring her work and being happy about the outcome.


    The more chaotic the world is, the happier she''ll be. That is, as long as she remains a spectator and isn''t thrown into the fray.


    Yang Chi''s face turned black when he heard Jin Yao''s words.


    "You''d better make it clear, who exactly is your girlfriend?" He shouted. "Yue Ran is my fiancee and my future wife!" He slammed his fist on the wheelchair arm rest. "When she graduates, we will get married immediately!"


    "Yang Chi''s favorability +10"


    "Yang Chi''s current favorability is 87"


    Yue Ran: This is a perfect example of a self-strategizing male protagonist.


    Ruan Ruan: Wow, free favorability points!


    Jin Yao ignored Yang Chi, who had an ugly face, and walked directly to Yue Ran, clutching her hand and pulling her into the play. "Ran Ran, you answer; are you my girlfriend or his fiancee?"


    Yue Ran:¡­


    Technically, she''s both. But could she really say that?


    "I¡­" Yue Ran opened her mouth.


    Before she could answer this fatal question, Mother Yue came back just in time with a beauty in tow.


    This beauty is dressed in an elegant black suit for women, with black stiletto heels, a delicate face under her long, wavy hair, and flaming red lips.


    "Sister Qin?!" Jin Yao removed his hand from holding Yue Ran''s and took a few steps towards the door of the ward.


    "Boss Rui?" Ji Ruoxi''s eyes widened slightly.


    "Rui Qin?!" Jiang Yao called out in surprise.


    This beauty is the female protagonist, Rui Qin.

 Chapter 18 - 18: White Rich Beauty (18)

    "Ran Ran, your Sister Rui came to see you... Why are there so many people in the ward?" Mother Yue walked into the ward and stared at the three men inside with hesitation.


    Mother Yang also followed behind Mother Yue. She had been eavesdropping on the four people''s conversation before meeting Mother Yue in front of the doorway of Yue Ran''s ward. She secretly resented the fact that her son was not strong enough to stand out among Yue Ran''s many suitors.


    But now that she saw Yang Chi''s eyes, which had been glued to Rui Qin''s body since she entered the ward, how could she not understand the rest? The reason why her son has been resisting his engagement, which would turn into a marriage with Yue Ran, is all because he''s interested in another person!


    Mother Yang hurriedly pushed Yang Chi''s wheelchair to leave the scene.


    "Sister Yue, we just came here to see how Ran Ran''s injury is doing, and now that we''ve seen that she''s fine, then we''ll leave first, and we''ll talk again the next time we meet!"


    "Hey, mom, what are you doing?" Yang Chi wanted to protest, but Mother Yang slapped her hand over his mouth with a loud clap and pushed his wheelchair out of the door with her free hand.


    All of her actions were done so quickly that no one could do anything to interrupt her. The next thing everyone knew, Mother Yang and Yang Chi were already out of the room, and the door to the ward had been slid shut with a soft click.


    This is the first time that Yue Ran confronted the heroine head-on after coming into this world.


    And she hated her already. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Anyone in the Lord God''s good graces, such as this female protagonist, is not a good person.


    Her plastic skin hurt Yue Ran''s eyes. Or it may just be the (fake) saintly halo bestowed by the Lord God on the female protagonist to keep the male protagonists in check.


    Her fakeness was akin to a radioactive substance that causes mutations wherever it goes. It may not hurt herself, but it sure does hurt others, whether intentionally or unintentionally.


    Has her skin started mutating? Has she finally turned into an alien? Will her beauty still be preserved?


    Yue Ran inwardly rolled her eyes at her own thoughts.


    But seriously, just looking at the female protagonist''s face sickens her.


    The same could be said for Rui Qin''s feelings toward Yue Ran. When she looked at Yue Ran, she also felt an unexplainable and extreme disgust in her heart for no reason.


    However, Yue Ran is the only child of the rich and noble Yue family; therefore, she had to suppress the indescribable disgust in her heart and make a show of their good relationship, at least on the surface and in front of Mother Yue.


    Rui Qin clenched her fists but placed a smile on her face. "So this is little sister Yue Ran." She started. "You look even more beautiful than what I have heard of you before," she said. "Are you feeling okay after experiencing such a deadly accident?"


    "Master, this female protagonist is really shameless!" Ruan Ruan expressed his displeasure. "Does she expect any average person to feel okay after almost dying once?"


    Yue Ran also felt disgusted.


    Disgusted to death.


    "My mother only gave birth to one daughter, and that is me." Yue Ran emphasized the word "me" in the sentence. "Do I have any long-lost sisters that I myself had not realized?" She raised a brow and let out a gasp of surprise. "No, I don''t think so." Then she rolled her eyes. "Don''t mess up the Yue family''s genealogy just because you don''t care to think before you speak."


    She drank the glass of warm water that Mother Yue offered before continuing.


    "This young lady has no other siblings that she is aware of, nor would she recognize them. Get it through your thick skull, Auntie; your fake-ness is radiating miles."


    When Yue Ran first received the memory of the original body, she remembered that all of the sufferings endured by the original body stemmed from the female protagonist herself.


    Although it may not have any direct relationship with the female protagonist, the fact that the original body was hurt because of her is undeniable.


    It may be the subconscious part of the female protagonist''s brain¡ªthe part written in their DNA and engraved in their bones¡ªthat inflicts harm on the villainous female supporting roles, causing their army of boy toys to launch a war against these villainous female supporting roles.


    Auntie? Auntie!


    Rui Qin breathed in deeply to try and calm herself down. She still had to maintain her good impression in front of everyone. She cannot break out of her saintly character.


    "I''m sorry, Ms. Yue; maybe I feel that the relationship with the Yue family is close enough that I may have overstepped my bounds." Rui Qin lowered her head.


    "No kidding," Yue Ran said, rolling her eyes. "Oh, and keeping your head forever down suits your look." A sweet smile crept up her lips. "It''s a compliment."


    The original body has always been a straightforward person, and Yue Ran only followed the original body''s character. Since she dislikes the female protagonist, why not let it be known?


    None of it would even jeopardize her favorability scores. The only annoying thing would be...


    "Yue Ran, how can you talk to Sister Qin like that?" Jin Yao frowned. "Sister Qin also cares about you!"


    He felt that Rui Qin was truly wronged by Yue Ran.


    "Yue Ran, Boss Rui only has good intentions for you." Jiang Yi spoke as if he were an adjudicator who was acting impartially.


    The Lord God sure placed a heavy filter on this female protagonist. Every male protagonist Yue Ran met was always blinded by the female protagonists'' halo, so their IQ turned to the negatives.


    Only when the female protagonist had gone too far would they return to sanity. They reminded Yue Ran of string puppets in a puppet show.


    Mother Yue originally stood aside, looking at Yue Ran accusingly for not showing a good demeanor to outsiders. But now, seeing how these outsiders were accusing her dearest daughter, that just stepped on her bottom line. This was not something she could or would ever tolerate!


    Mother Yue took two steps forward angrily and even raised her usual gentle voice. "I''m sorry, my daughter has had such a temper since she was a child." Her eyes were cold. "She was raised spoiled by my family, so all of you can just leave if you can''t stand such a temper." She pointed to the door, indicating that all of them can exit Yue Ran''s ward now. "No one in the world is qualified to criticize my daughter!"


    The three¡ªRui Qin, Jin Yao, and Jiang Yi¡ªno longer had the cheek to continue staying inside Yue Ran''s private ward, so they filed out of the room and into the hallway.


    The private room was instantly filled with the crowd''s whistles and loud applause.


    This noise came from Yue Ran''s phone and was played as soon as the door to her ward was almost closed.


    After all, she needed to celebrate her win and let everyone know about it.


    Yue Ran smiled in her heart and showed her approval of her mother''s actions by clapping out loud.


    "My dearest mother, you are awesome; I love you so much!"


    Mother Yue originally thought that she had gone too far, but after hearing her precious daughter''s heartwarming words, she felt that what she did was nothing. After all, who wouldn''t love such a daughter?


    "You have such a sweet mouth!" Mother Yue blushed and smiled softly.


    "My mother is the best in this world!" Yue Ran blew kisses to Mother Yue.


    Mother Yue smiled and shook her head in laughter. "Mom is not the only one who is good to you in this world; your father is also very kind to you!"


    Yue Ran laughed. "Yes, I love you guys so much!"

 Chapter 19 - 19: White Rich Beauty (19)

    After the three came out of Yue Ran''s ward, they immediately heard laughter and clamors that only indicated joy.


    Jiang Yi stiffly separated from both Rui Qin and Jin Yao after hearing such noises and watched as the two disappeared from his sight.


    Rui Qin was following Jin Yao into his ward in the same hospital.


    As soon as the two entered, the coldness on Rui Qin''s face disappeared and instead changed into one of worry.


    "Xiao Yao, are you unwell? When did it happen? Is it serious?"


    Jin Yao sat on the hospital bed with a slight smile on his pale face, but he chose not to tell Rui Qin the truth. He didn''t want to make Rui Qin any more worried than she already was.


    "It''s not a serious illness; I''m just a little shocked; it''s nothing serious, Sister Qin; don''t worry."


    "How can I not worry? I heard that..." Rui Qin went on for a long time.


    The smile on Jin Yao''s face froze the more he listened to her words.


    "Sister Qin, I really can''t do anything about it." He shrugged his shoulders. "She is just really close to being mad."


    Rui Qin''s face also turned solemn. "Yes, I realized the state of Auntie early in the morning; I''m sorry, Xiao Yao, I''m just too worried about you."


    Jin Yao''s face warmed up. "It''s okay, Sister Qin. I know that you always worry for me, but my mother... please pay more attention to her movements."


    "I will. I will immediately inform you once Auntie has made any major moves. You don''t have to worry."


    "Okay, thank you, Sister Qin."


    ?? ? ??


    "Why did you come back?"


    Yue Ran didn''t bother to get up from her bed.


    She had just sent Mother Yue away and was a little exhausted now. She was just about to take a nap when she saw Jiang Yi through the glass window of the door.


    "I... I just want to ask if you can continue to accompany Hao Hao; he has never had many friends, and, uh, I mean, he likes you very much." Jiang Yi suddenly felt very embarrassed for no particular reason.


    "I see." Yue Ran let out a small yawn. Her eyes were blurred with mist as they met Jiang Yi''s, appearing soft and gentle.


    She was sleepy and now wanted this male protagonist out of her room. Thus, she just went straight to the point.


    "You don''t have to worry about it." She blinked slowly. "I''m just friends with Yang Chi and Jin Yao, and they don''t have any control over my relationship with your brother."


    "Well, I''m actually not asking about the relationship between you and the two men... I-I was just worried that Hao Hao had no friends, and..."


    Jiang Yi''s words trailed off, and he was at a loss for words. He felt that he was getting more and more wrong.


    Yes, something was definitely wrong with him.


    But what? He doesn''t even know it himself.


    "Uh-huh, I understand." Yue Ran hummed. She was rubbing her eyes from exhaustion.


    Jiang Yi stared at her sleepy figure. The warm yellow light that came through the glass windows in the room was giving her black hair a golden luster.


    Yue Ran''s black twilight eyes, like the glare of city lights, stared straight at Jiang Yi in beautiful crescents. For a moment, he felt as if his whole heart, his whole being, had been seen.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +5"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 70"


    But he didn''t feel bad about it.


    After a while, Yue Ran fell asleep. Jiang Yi''s feet unconsciously walked forward until he was close to her slumbering face.


    Reaching out, he touched her soft cheek with the back of his fingers.


    "Jiang Yi¡­"


    The sleeping person unconsciously called out his name. It was soft and intimate; even the corners of her mouth held a tiny smile.


    His eyes widened, his heart sped up, his fingers curled, and then he ran.


    "Jiang Yi''s favorability +5"


    "Jiang Yi''s current favorability is 75"


    Yue Ran opened her eyes when Jiang Yi left and smiled sweetly as she snuggled back into the sheets.


    ?? ? ??


    Yue Ran stayed in the hospital for a month to completely heal her wounds.


    Thanks to the female protagonist, Yang Chi and Jin Yao hardly came to the ward during this period. Instead, Yue Ran was free from answering the "Are you my girlfriend or his fiancee?" question.


    Jiang Yi brought Jiang Hao to come and visit her a few times. In fact, Jiang Yi visits Yue Ran more frequently than Jiang Hao. And when Jiang Hao came, Jiang Yi would also stay inside the room to watch them play together.


    But the most surprising thing was Mu Chen''s sudden visit in the middle of the night.


    When the nurse Mother Yue hired for Yue Ran was knocked out and dragged away from the door outside Yue Ran''s ward, Ruan Ruan suddenly exclaimed, "Master, Mu Chen is coming!"


    Yue Ran stirred and opened her eyes with a soft yawn.


    "Mu Chen?" She inwardly frowned at Ruan Ruan''s words.


    "Yes!"


    "Oh."


    Yue Ran yawned again, and a stray tear slipped down her cheek. She covered herself with a blanket and slipped out of bed.


    The moment Mu Chen slid the door open, Yue Ran was already standing in the middle of the room in question.


    Her clear, pure-water eyes couldn''t help but look a little confused at the strange man in the doorway.


    "Who are you?"


    Looking at Yue Ran''s lost expression, Mu Chen couldn''t help but laugh. But his eyes dimmed slightly when he spotted the tear line on her face.


    Sure Mu Chen was surprised to see that Yue Ran was still awake, but he was more surprised that she did not recognize him. Was he no longer charming? Did he lose all his charm to be this unmemorable?


    Mu Chen slid the door closed behind him, and the room descended back into darkness. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness because he had lived in a gloomy environment all year, and he could clearly see Yue Ran''s expression.


    She was still confused, but calm nonetheless.


    And her small figure with a large blanket trailing behind her was just plain adorable.


    She looked just as innocent as a newborn kitten¡ªso innocent that she looked even more suspicious.


    He had just been betrayed by two people he had trusted; what''s to say that a little girl like her has no ulterior motives when approaching him?


    "Don''t you know who I am?" Mu Chen''s voice was hoarse, like the hoarse voice of a traveler who hadn''t drunk water for a long time¡ªbut not an unpleasant one; it was inexplicably provocative and inviting. "Don''t you know that I am coming?" He closed in on Yue Ran''s figure. "And aren''t you afraid of me?"


    "Am I supposed to¡ª"


    But before Yue Ran could finish her sentence, to her surprise, Mu Chen''s hands suddenly enclasped over her throat, pushing her body against his and leaning back so he could gaze upon her face.


    "Are you the person sent by Boss Hu?"


    S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 20 - 20: White Rich Beauty (20)

    Mu Chen grinned at Yue Ran with such an innocent smile as she struggled to breathe. Pain erupted in her larynx, the bone feeling as if it were being crushed.


    Yue Ran hissed, raised her head, and complained pitifully. "It¡­ hurts."


    These two words were forcefully squeezed out of her throat.


    Blots of darkness blinded her vision, and barely audible wheezes left her lips. The corner of her eyes throbbed, glazing over with tears that began to cascade down her face.


    Mu Chen looked at Yue Ran''s charming and teary face, and a strange feeling slipped into his heart. He quickly let go of his hand as if it were being stung.


    She coughed. Both of her hands subconsciously reached toward her throat, but she immediately pulled back when she only felt pain.


    The skin around her neck was warm and tender.


    Needless to say, there was definitely a red mark on her neck, and there was most likely a bruise displayed across it when she woke up tomorrow morning. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran is a delicate, petite crystal doll, so how could her weak and small body withstand the ravages of steel hands?


    Her eyes were chillingly cold as they were lowered to the ground.


    When Mu Chen let go of his hand, he suddenly realized that there was no way Boss Hu would send someone to rescue him while he was chasing him to kill him. So, as much as he wanted to deny this, he might have attacked the wrong target.


    "Ah, I only want to scare you a little, but your reaction is not funny at all." Mu Chen smiled softly, as if nothing had happened. "After all, Boss Hu would never find some bird in a dish."


    When Yue Ran raised her head, Mu Chen could see her forlorn expression and the tears welling up in her eyes.


    Ruan Ruan was confused. "Bird in a dish?" He asked in Yue Ran''s mind.


    "It means a newbie, someone who is green, someone who has not yet developed any skills," she explained. "Like an inexperienced little bird that can''t catch worms yet, it has to settle for grain and seeds, then gets caught and ends up on the table to be devoured by others."


    "Oh¡­"


    "Now, let me play my part, Ruan Ruan."


    "Yes, Master!"


    Seeing this scene, Mu Chen felt guilty for a moment until Yue Ran suddenly jumped on him and bit his neck.


    Mu Chen:¡­


    In fact, with Yue Ran''s meager strength, Mu Chen didn''t feel any pain from the bite at all. Instead, it was a little soothing and a little cool, akin to a little feather tickling his heart.


    Like a gurgling spring that flowed by, Mu Chen felt that something was emerging from his heart.


    Swallowing, his throat bobbing up and down, he clasped Yue Ran''s waist, pushed her, and pressed her against the wall.


    "You hurt me," she complained, her eyes full of accusation and sadness. Her voice was full of complaint and resentment, but it held more of a pitiful grievance.


    Mu Chen, who watched it head-on, felt his heart twitching. Her sorry sight was unprecedented. This depressed appearance reminded him of a newborn kitten, which he once saw in the streets when he was a child, looking like it had been abandoned by the whole world.


    After seeing those foggy eyes that were now filled with recognition, he stretched out a free hand to caress her delicate neck. But she flinched away¡ªperhaps from pain, he thought.


    When she shivered against his touch, he said lowly, "I won''t hurt you anymore, so don''t be scared." Seeing her still speechless, he patted her head lightly. "How do you want me to compensate you, hm?" He asked. "You saved my life, but I still treated you so badly..." There was a pause. "How about I promise you with my body?"


    "I''m not interested in men prone to violence," Yue Ran uttered after a stretching silence. "I''m also not interested in men who choke my neck at every turn."


    That being said, Yue Ran started struggling to get out of his hold, but it was to no avail because he had pulled her into a hug.


    Mu Chen couldn''t refute her words after all¡ªwho made him the one who had strangled Yue Ran''s neck a moment ago?


    "Anyway, I''ll make it up to you."


    Finishing this sentence, Mu Chen left as quietly as when he came.


    ?? ? ??


    The spring festival at the university is fast approaching.


    At such an important time, the female protagonist would naturally find a way to show up and surprise all the male protagonists and supporting characters in this event.


    The female protagonist already had her own fashion design company, so of course she is a naturally good designer with hidden modeling skills.


    This upcoming festival was obviously a university-only celebration, but for some reason, there was an extra part that the female protagonist had to fill in. And that was the position of a model in the fashion show section of the celebration.


    This was all because the female protagonist is just not eye-catching enough to stay as a fashion designer and CEO for Lord God, so she just had to stand out even more from the rest.


    Therefore, the female protagonist was "forced" to go on stage to take the place of a supermodel who couldn''t come for unknown reasons.


    The show in which the female protagonist participated unsurprisingly became popular¡ªa total hit in the national news. The female protagonist was titled "goddess of a fashion show" just like that.


    And it was all because of her dazzling appearance that came out as a blast that surprised everyone present at the end of the event.


    Yue Ran was sure that most credit went to the Lord God''s blessing of the female protagonist''s saintly halo, which blinded just about anyone who saw her. However, it was also undeniable that the female protagonist must have some skills in her body.


    Thus, Yue Ran was now thinking about just what kind of event should be shown in order to suppress the female protagonist''s spotlight in the finale.


    Yue Ran was put in charge of the program of events for this festival, so she had that much right to change things up.


    Should Yue Ran simply replace the model who was unable to come due to unknown reasons with another one?


    Sure, she could prepare several more substitute models for the finale of the show, but the saintly halo of the female protagonist might create various reasons to prevent all those substitute models from coming.


    After all, the dazzling catwalk delivered by the female protagonist in the fashion show is a great opportunity for the female protagonist herself to show off her hidden skill, and the "rules" of the world made by Lord God would not give up this part so easily for anyone else.


    In this way, many things and many plans could fail.


    It''s better to do things the old-fashioned way.

 Chapter 21 - 21: White Rich Beauty (21)

    There was a dance on the night of the spring festival, just before the festival came to an end.


    This event is not only attended by current students but also by those who have graduated from the university. Everyone from all kinds of backgrounds, rich or poor, successful or not, could attend this celebration.


    Yang Chi, who just graduated from here, and Jiang Yi, who started working soon after leaving, were two examples.


    Everyone wore their best clothes, and the inside and outside of the hall were soon filled with chatter.


    At this moment in time, Yue Ran was busy staring at a beautifully crafted dress sitting on her bed from a package that was left on her dressing table.


    It was from Mu Chen.


    At least, that was what the white card, with little pink flowers, containing his name written on it said. This was to compensate her for the injury she received from him that one night in the hospital.


    Although she had to like Jin Yao with her current disposition, this still doesn''t mean that she won''t wear a dress given to her by someone else, especially when this dress is so beautiful that she just had to wear it.


    Yue Ran''s parents did buy her dresses for tonight, but compared to her usual Lolita dresses she always wears, she personally prefers the dress gifted to her by Mu Chen.


    It''s already past eight and the grand hall is mostly filled with students, who are all chatting and laughing with soft classical music filling the background.


    Clang¡ªCrash!


    A wine glass in a man''s hand fell to the ground. He stared blankly at the door as he watched someone walk inside the hall. The astonishment on his face could not be restrained.


    Sweet classical tunes. A blinding chandelier. And below it¡­


    "Is-is that... Yue Ran?!"


    There was an uproar, and only the sound of breathing, the sound of a classical tune, and the sound of wine glasses falling to the ground remained in the field. More and more people looked at the doorway and had the same thought in their hearts.


    When Yue Ran arrived, everyone, that is, all of the important protagonists except the female protagonist, had already arrived. The once-lively atmosphere turned silent as people couldn''t help but look at her.


    Yue Ran has been known for her notoriety for many years, but most people have only heard her name and seen her pictures; they have never seen her in reality. And now, she has finally appeared in front of everyone.


    Yue Ran calmly walked into the large hall. She was wearing a backless dress, the color of which transitioned from light to dark blue from the top to the bottom. The dress was also dotted with bits and pieces of diamonds, similar to the stars in the sky.


    The layers of the skirt swayed and rippled like the sea with every step she took, shining and glittering under the lights of the chandelier above her.


    Yue Ran''s temperament and appearance were not suppressed by the elaborate dress on her body at all. It was almost as if she completed the dress rather than the dress completing her look.


    She stood there with glinting eyes, as if she were looking at everyone but also at no one in general. There are lots of emotions poured into those eyes, not targeting anyone or anything, yet it gives anyone who sees it an illusion.


    An illusion that even if one knew that she held no special feelings for them, one would still think that they were special to her.


    She looked like the light blue sky during the day and the dark blue sky at night.


    Calm, but tender.


    Indifferent, but bright.


    Affectionate, but ruthless.


    But the more so, the more charming she is.


    For a moment, everyone held their breath.


    Shocked by such beauty.


    That''s right, it was rumored that the only daughter of the Yue family has a pretty face but an ugly personality, so that everyone in the circle subconsciously ignored such a "beauty!"


    Mu Chen sighed at the reactions of everyone present.


    He took a confident stride towards Yue Ran, sweeping his gaze over the slim figure. "You look very beautiful today."


    Her long, straight black hair, which is often loosely curled, is now tidied up into a lazy bun, leaving only two strands of slightly curled hair adorning the sides of her face.


    She looked like an enchanting and alluring siren with the blue fabric wrapped perfectly around her, showing a large expanse of snow-white skin. Everyone present was reluctant to look away.


    Yue Ran was a little surprised to see Mu Chen tonight. It was never mentioned in the plot that Mu Chen was present for this event.


    While she had anticipated his arrival, seeing it with her own eyes was a completely different story.


    Understanding the scrutiny in Yue Ran''s eyes, Mu Chen took the initiative to clear her pretty head of confusion. "I am a shareholder of this university."


    "I see, Mr. Mu is really young and promising," she said with a little tilt of her head.


    "Let me formally introduce myself."


    Mu Chen extended his hand, clearly intending for Yue Ran to place her hand over his. And she did. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My name is Mu Chen."


    He then gave it a gentle squeeze and carefully brought the back of her hand to his lips. She slightly tilted her head indifferently at the feeling of his warm breath passing over her knuckles.


    "I apologize for my blunder the other day."


    He raised his dark, smoldering eyes, meeting hers.


    "Will you give me another chance to start all over again?"


    Yue Ran simply stared at him thoughtfully. From the corners of her eyes, she could see Yang Chi, Jiang Yi, and Jin Yao''s gazes trained on her.


    A light flashed in her eyes.


    "Sure, Mr. Mu." Her lips curled up, revealing a charming smile. "Let''s start all over again."


    When their entwined hands parted, the sparkling lights above their heads gradually dimmed, and a slow, elegant melody started playing.


    "Then, may I start by having a dance with you?" Mu Chen spoke his words, which sounded raspy, tender, and deep, ones that would entice anyone who heard them.


    Mu Chen has always adhered to the life principle of grabbing what he wants as soon as possible.


    So he bowed forward and stretched his hand outward in Yue Ran''s direction.


    Yue Ran slides into his outstretched palm, and for the first time, she notices a joyful smile stretching across Mu Chen''s features, one that would set a girl''s heart racing¡ªbut not hers.


    "Yes, you may." She slowly whispered for only him to hear.


    There was another ripple in his heart. This time, it also skipped a beat as he led Yue Ran to the dance floor.

 Chapter 22 - 22: White Rich Beauty (22)

    Yue Ran and Mu Chen''s slow waltz was undoubtedly the most dazzling performance from the couples. The pair turned rhythmically round and round as they progressed around the dance floor.


    The two contrasting auras of these two protagonists¡ªone cold and distant like ice, the other sweet and charming like fire¡ªunexpectedly matched when placed together.


    Everyone was amazed.


    "Yue Ran is worthy of being the noble young lady of Yue''s family; her temperament and appearance are all first-class!"


    "If you marry Yue Ran, you will not only get a beautiful wife but also the whole Yue family as a dowry!"


    Both Yue Ran and Mu Chen subconsciously ignored the chatter from the crowd and only focused on one another. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dancing in sync, the moment Yue Ran turned her head to the side, she smelled the familiar fragrance on him.


    It was cold and elegant, with a woody scent and a hint of mint.


    "Let us enjoy a wonderful night together," Yue Ran murmured; her words and warm breath were brushed by Mu Chen''s ears, melting into the rhythm of the melody. "Mu Chen."


    The sound of his name on her lips makes him shiver.


    Mu Chen chuckled.


    Yue Ran twisted her body and left his embrace, with only their fingers touching. The ends of her gown fluttered with her movements. Mu Chen''s eyes gleamed as she looked at him with a smile.


    Though they are a distance apart, she can still feel the burning passion in his eyes.


    It was fiery hot¡ªa contradiction to his temperament.


    "This dress matches you very well, Yue Ran."


    With those words, he pulled her forcefully back into his arms, as if catching an escaping bird.


    Yue Ran''s skirt flourished around her like a blooming blue rose as she returned into his embrace. Her gaze returned to his as smooth fabric brushed her ankles in silky waves.


    "You cleaned up yourself very well too, Mu Chen."


    Through his tuxedo, Yue Ran could feel the warmth of his body as well as his pounding heart.


    Only now can Mu Chen really feel the charm of this dance for the first time.


    "I wonder if I could have the honor of being Ms. Yue''s boyfriend." Mu Chen had a smile on his face, but his thundering heart against his chest said otherwise.


    Yue Ran looked up into his expectant eyes, her eyes reflecting the shining crystals overhead.


    "That depends on Mr. Mu''s performance in the future." A teasing smile escaped her lips, and the heels on her feet tapped against the marble floors as she danced. "I''m not such an easy woman to get."


    "Then I need to put in more effort to wait for the blue rose to bloom."


    Mu Chen compared Yue Ran to an enchanting and mysterious blue rose. But he should also know that wanting a blue rose is to attain the impossible.


    "Then I will wait and see." Yue Ran smiled.


    Mu Chen shared the same smile as he dipped her, the symphony ending with a flourish.


    The music came to an end, and all bowed to their partners. As the music changed, Yue Ran slipped out of Mu Chen''s grasp like sand and soon joined another person on the dance floor.


    He loses sight of her elaborate blue gown in the dancing crowd as he stands smiling to himself.


    Mu Chen''s heart beat quickly in his chest, warmth clawing up against it as he laughed quietly to himself. Yue Ran certainly had him on his knees for her as he now stood alone in the middle, with people soon starting to chatter again.


    ?? ? ??


    Yang Chi was Yue Ran''s next partner.


    He had thoroughly convinced himself that Yue Ran''s first dance didn''t have any special meaning to it before inviting her to the next one with a smile on his face.


    One thing that he cannot deny is that Yue Ran''s beauty dazzlingly shone today. It was a beauty that he had never seen before.


    She was charming, mature, and not at all cute like she usually was.


    Despite lying to himself that he was fine and didn''t feel anything when Yue Ran didn''t dance with him in their first dance but instead with that savage Mu Chen, there was still an endless bitterness in his heart.


    It was a lie to say that he was relieved and not jealous at all.


    Looking at the intimacy between the two while dancing, the uncomfortable feeling in Yang Chi''s heart seemed to grow stronger.


    Some men are just that cheap. When no one is fighting for a girl, she is tossed aside like worthless trash. However, if someone swooped in and snatched her up, she would instantly become attractive and appealing in their eyes.


    For now, Yue Ran is weaving a love web for each of the male protagonists and the only villain in the plot. Until their favorability scores reached a hundred, she would not refuse any request from them within the scope of her acceptance. But sometimes, these also depend on her mood.


    The moment the music began, Yang Chi led Yue Ran into another waltz¡ªnow the sunrise waltz.


    Familiar words came into Yue Ran''s ears again as she effortlessly kept up with the energetic movements of the dance.


    "You look very beautiful today." Yang Chi praised Yue Ran a little awkwardly.


    "Thank you; you look great too." Yue Ran laughed happily, and there seemed to be stars in her eyes. "Just the sight of you makes my night better."


    Yang Chi also laughed, feeling joy bouncing in his heart. The awkwardness that he previously felt disappeared just like that.


    Following the rhythm of the song, he dipped Yue Ran quickly before pulling her back up.


    While chatting with Yang Chi, she was also locking eyes with both Jin Yao and Jiang Yi so that none of the male protagonists would feel left out.


    "I like the beach too." Yang Chi grinned at Yue Ran as the music began to slow down. "Shall we go to one together?"


    "Sure, let''s go to one together someday." Yue Ran smiled.


    And with that, the music ended with a flourish.

 Chapter 23 - 23: White Rich Beauty (23)

    Jiang Yi and Jin Yao didn''t have the time to ask Yue Ran for a dance since the next event was coming up, which was the female protagonist''s fashion show, the place where the female protagonist made her debut.


    Except for those who wanted to stay behind and enjoy the food and drinks served on the tables on two sides of the grand hall''s walls, everyone filed out of the grand hall and into another auditorium.


    Yue Ran followed behind the crowd, choosing not to squeeze in with the others as they moved from one place to the next.


    When she arrived, she noticed that the seats inside the auditorium were messed up, so she simply sat at an empty seat beside one of the male protagonists, who happened to be Jiang Yi.


    Mu Chen, who had been following beside Yue Ran from the hall to the auditorium, shamelessly took the seat next to hers.


    As a matter of fact, Mu Chen had glared at a student that had occupied the seat next to Yue Ran with his cold, threatening, and deadly pair of eyes. This made a certain student shiver in his seat and start to bolt away to find another one that would guarantee his safety, before Mu Chen comfortably took the poor student''s seat.


    Yang Chi politely asked the student behind Yue Ran to move a seat away from his position so that he could take the seat behind her.


    Jin Yao had long sat himself down in the middle of the first row, automatically seating himself in the best position for the show, so he had no idea of what had just transpired between the three other men and Yue Ran herself.


    Yue Ran only inwardly rolled her eyes at the three men''s antics.


    It was fifteen minutes into the show, and the female protagonist, Rui Qin, had finally walked down the runway, wearing an evening dress she had designed on her own.


    In that moment, Yue Ran felt as if she had heard the exclamation from the world itself. Time itself seemed to slow down, and the whole world dimmed until the female protagonist herself could shine on stage.


    She sneered. She really hates the world''s favoritism toward the female protagonist. She despises the Lord God Himself.


    Ruan Ruan showed Jin Yao''s live broadcast in Yue Ran''s mind.


    Jin Yao and the audiences'' expressions were all synchronized. They all had the same obsessed, amazed, and full of admiration expressions written on their faces. It was as if they had seen an immortal.


    Yue Ran curled her lips, a mirthless smile occupying her features.


    And it was also exactly this same sneer that woke Mu Chen up from the illusion he saw. The bubble of filter that clouded his eyes was easily popped, just like that.


    Mu Chen blinked, not understanding what had happened to him just moments ago.


    Sure, the woman on stage was good-looking, but she was not as good-looking as Yue Ran. Yue Ran''s beauty was just on another level that the woman on stage could never achieve in several lifetimes, or ever.


    That was just how beautiful Yue Ran was in his eyes, and also in reality.


    Moreover, Mu Chen was never half-hearted about doing things. Since he had confirmed that he likes Yue Ran and wants to spend his future with her by his side, he would never turn his attention to another woman.


    Hence the many doubts in his heart, since he could not comprehend what had just happened to him.


    Jiang Yi is the main male protagonist in this world, so he wasn''t as greatly affected as the rest. His mind gradually became sober, even without Yue Ran''s sneer.


    "What, is Rui Qin so good-looking that you don''t even blink anymore?"


    Yang Chi was immediately snapped out of his absentmindedness.


    None knew who the "you" in Yue Ran''s sentence was referring to, but everyone thought that she was talking to themselves.


    Jiang Yi: Is she¡­ jealous? Does she still have feelings for me?


    Yang Chi: Sure enough, I am still so attractive that my own fiancee is made jealous by me.


    Mu Chen: Is she showing that she is also interested in me in the same way that I am interested in her?


    Without waiting for anyone''s response to her question, Yue Ran had already stood up and coldly asked Mu Chen to clear the way for her to leave.


    Mu Chen obeyed her words in a daze.


    Before anyone knew it, she had disappeared from sight.


    Just when the three were wondering where Yue Ran had gone, everyone was given another unexpected surprise. The fashion show that was supposed to be the finale of this event was changed.


    There was actually another show after it!


    When the audience heard who would perform the final program, everyone lost their composure in an instant.


    It was a dance performance by the Yue family''s noble young lady, Yue Ran.


    Everyone present knew that although Yue Ran may have taken them by surprise with her beauty today, she still has no talent, no morals, and only an infamously spoiled temper.


    It was as if everyone in the world had forgotten all of Yue Ran''s accomplishments all this time.


    There were cutting remarks, disbelief, mocking smiles, etc.


    The fact that Yue Ran''s academic performance had improved had been pushed out of their minds, and all they could think about was the upcoming bad dance that was to be performed by her.


    Dancing has to be done from an early age to actually be done well. And none have heard of Yue Ran''s achievements in dancing.


    All in all, no one is optimistic about Yue Ran, thinking that she just wanted to show off but can''t truly read the occasion clearly.


    Only the three men that have snapped out of the cloud of illusion¡ªJiang Yi, Yang Chi, and Mu Chen¡ªwere actually worried about her. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The female protagonist, Rui Qin, who was supposed to be as kind and pure as a saint, now hopes with all her heart that Yue Ran, who had just stolen her limelight, could make a fool of herself on stage and make herself a laughingstock in front of the entire world!

 Chapter 24 - 24: White Rich Beauty (24)

    She was supposed to be the best of the best! She could step down on anyone, but no one can step down on her!


    No matter what the audience thought at the moment, the lights turned black, and when they brightened back up, Yue Ran had already appeared on stage in a charming dancing posture.


    Fog slowly rose under the stage as the music began playing.


    When Yue Ran opened her eyes, she started moving.


    A beauty.


    It is a beauty like an immortal, a beauty beyond all the hues in the world, and it has long been impossible for people to use words to describe and outline it.


    The music had long been lost somewhere in the background, and all eyes stuck to her figure on stage, clad in fiery red, flamboyant, and gorgeous.


    Her slim figure traveled from one end of the stage to another; her waterfall-like black hair fluttered in an arc, as if a huge ink curtain had opened in the air; and the ends of her red dress flitted and danced with her movements, as if in a dreamy rhythm.


    Her fair skin was almost transparent under the white light, and her beautifully exposed collarbone drew a graceful curve with her every motion.


    A pair of soul-stirring eyes swept across the audience, looking so clear and free that even the stars in the sky would be eclipsed by them.


    Once in a while, with her dancing, her white jade feet would be inadvertently exposed.


    Yue Ran was as beautiful as an illusory dream but also so fragile-looking.


    Countless people once again showed obsession, but this time it was not because of the interference of world consciousness but because of the amazement and exclamation from the bottom of their hearts.


    At this time, Yue Ran was lost in music, intoxicated by its sound, and feeling its rhythm through her very bones.


    The chatter disappeared as she basked in the aura of the sounds that surrounded her until suddenly it was just her, the music, and the stage.


    If one wants to impress everyone, one must first be intoxicated and passionate about something in order to amaze the audience and take their breath away.


    Move with the wind. Dancing like soaring. Be free.


    A string of golden bells dangled from Yue Ran''s white ankles, tinkling with her every step. The clear ringing was hypnotic; as if by magic, everyone''s heart tightened as they followed her steps.


    Sitting in front with the best view of the stage, Jin Yao was unquestionably the most surprised. This was something he had never seen before and could never imagine. He had never known that Yue Ran had such an amazing talent for dancing.


    Yue Ran was like a peerless treasure at this moment, capturing everyone''s attention and causing their heartbeats to thunder.


    No one would not want to hold her in the palms of their hands.


    At the end of the song, the fog gradually disappeared, as did the beauty on stage following the curtain call.


    Yue Ran didn''t give anyone special attention. She just bowed before walking towards the darkness behind the curtains with gentle steps.


    All of a sudden, the three male protagonists and the villain somehow, inexplicably, felt heavy heart palpitations. It was the kind of palpitations that gave them a bad feeling, as if something bad would happen soon.


    Why did they feel like they were about to lose something important?


    They only felt at ease when Yue Ran appeared back inside the auditorium in front of everyone in casual clothes not long after.


    Mu Chen, being Mu Chen, was not stingy with his words of praise as Yue Ran once again took her seat beside him, complimenting her to the skies and glorifying her as the only one unique in both heaven and earth.


    In the end, he came to the conclusion of his speech. "I always knew that you would be an existence that would amaze everyone."


    Yue Ran kept a permanent smile on her lips as she listened to Mu Chen''s compliments. After all, who doesn''t like it when someone keeps praising themselves?


    The two other male protagonists¡ªJiang Yi and Yang Chi¡ªchipped in from time to time in between Mu Chen''s words.


    Although these people were captured by the saintly halo of the female protagonist''s catwalk show for a moment, Yue Ran will reluctantly forgive them, at least for now.


    ?? ? ??


    The game is almost over, and the fun is just beginning.


    Yue Ran looked at Jin Yao, who was standing in front of her with a very sweet smile on her face. Her eyes still held the same adoration that one could easily drown the other in, but something was missing in them that Jin Yao couldn''t quite place.


    "Senior Jin Yao, is there a problem?"


    Yue Ran was currently at her university when she bumped into Jin Yao, and so here she was, talking to him.


    Jin Yao''s face darkened with anger. It was an inexplicable anger that he did not fully understand himself, but all he could see was red.


    A problem?


    How could Yue Ran say this to him?


    How could Yue Ran do this to him?


    Give up halfway, she said?


    Isn''t this the same thing that happened when she was pursuing Jiang Yi?


    She had no patience anymore, she said?


    Countless thoughts flashed through Jin Yao''s mind, and the expression on his face became more and more gloomy.


    Jin Yao gritted his teeth and tried his best to swallow back his anger. "Shouldn''t you at least give me an explanation?" He asked in the calmest tone that he could muster in his current condition.


    He didn''t want Yue Ran to think that he was someone who could not control his own emotions.


    Now it was time for Yue Ran''s true personality to shine. She was, after all, a rogue, someone who did whatever she wanted with no regard for ethics or scruples.


    With a few steps, she arrived only inches away from Jin Yao''s face as if to kiss him, but she only stopped when their lips were about to be pressed against each other.


    "What explanation do I need to give you?"


    She blatantly spouted out harsh words with a teasing smile on her lips and an affectionate pair of soul-stirring eyes that stared straight at his.


    "Yue Ran, you are the one who provokes me first!" Jin Yao''s expression was stiff and not good-looking at all, not that he could help it himself. "I just want to ask you one question: were you sincere when you said that you like me?"


    Yue Ran seemed to have heard something funny, and so her eyes were glittering as if all the stars in the night sky were plucked out of the heavens and placed into the very same eyes.


    There was a smile on the corner of her lips. Even at this point in time, her smile still looked so beautiful¡ªso beautiful that it eclipsed the beauty of all the flowers in their surroundings.


    "How could I not be sincere, Senior Jin Yao?" She lowered her eyes a little. "I liked you very much before, but it''s a pity."


    "...What''s a pity?"


    The corners of Jin Yao''s eyes were flushed red. How could Yue Ran still look so uncaring after tweaking his own heartstrings?


    "Senior Jin Yao, I am only human, and I can also get tired. I''ve been chasing you for so long, but you didn''t respond to me at all, and you often spoke harsh words to me. It''s tiring to like someone like you, so I decided to give up."


    The smile on Yue Ran''s face disappeared as she slowly stabbed Jin Yao''s heart with her calm words.


    "No, it''s not like that!"


    Don''t!


    Don''t give up!


    Don''t give up on liking me! S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Following Yue Ran''s words, Jin Yao thought of all the harsh words he had said to Yue Ran in the past and regretted them very much.


    Yue Ran is so good, why would he turn a blind eye to her?


    Jin Yao was conflicted and didn''t know how to deal with the problem in front of him.


    Yue Ran didn''t care about what he was thinking, so she just left him behind.


    Things would be almost resolved by the time Jin Yao had figured things out on his own.


    For now, she still had to solve the next one.

 Chapter 25 - 25: White Rich Beauty (25)

    Yang Family''s Residence.


    Yue Ran took a small sip of her glass of tea as she and Mother Yang were chatting face-to-face.


    "Auntie, I''m here to break off the engagement."


    Mother Yang was shocked by her words.


    "What''s the matter, Ran Ran?" She asked. "Did Yang Chi make you angry? Auntie will teach him a lesson for you, so you don''t have to worry."


    Mother Yang comforted Yue Ran as if trying to cool down her anger, and at the same time she gave the housekeeper a wink as if to gesture for her to give a call to Yang Chi to ask him to come back.


    Yue Ran naturally noticed Mother Yang''s small gestures, but to her it didn''t matter. This engagement will be resolved either way. Moreover, only this way would be conducive to the further development of Yang Chi''s favorability score.


    What you can get is worthless. What you can''t get is what you pine for. However, what you already have but then lose is what is most memorable, what is most unforgettable.


    After all, Yue Ran was currently only one step away from becoming Yang Chi''s wife.


    "Auntie, I believe you also know that Yang Chi doesn''t like me at all." Yue Ran is still very polite in terms of talking to the elders. "In fact, I know that he already has someone he likes, and now I also have someone I like," she said slowly. "So it may not be a good idea to follow the previous arrangement between us two people."


    "But... this is your grandfather''s dying wish!"


    Mother Yang also knew that her son had many objections to this union, but she genuinely liked Yue Ran, her future daughter-in-law.


    Mother Yang and Yue Ran''s mother have been close friends since childhood, and she has always treated Yue Ran as her own daughter; thus, she was extremely happy when she knew that Yue Ran would marry her son.


    But reality was harsh!


    Things would not always go as expected.


    "I know, but my grandfather is just too worried about my future."


    Yue Ran explained.


    "Auntie also knows that I am not very sensible, and I''m also very much a spoiled and domineering person, which made my grandfather worry too much."


    Her fingers fidgeted on the table, and she pursed her lips. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But now I understand some things."


    She let out a small sigh.


    "A twisted melon is not sweet, not to mention that both Yang Chi and I don''t like each other at the same time. Even right now, we could barely be called friends. I''m afraid that we will only be a pair of resentful couples if our union goes on as planned."


    Yue Ran donned a serious expression.


    "Besides, I can now take care of myself. There is no need to rely on Yang Chi and be a housewife."


    Although Mother Yang felt sad about the present outcome, it wasn''t like she could force two children to be together when they didn''t want it themselves. She also understood what Yue Ran meant by not wanting to rely on a man.


    Everyone has their own choices in terms of doing things.


    "I see, don''t worry; I will talk to your Uncle Yang about this. I thought that you and Xiao Chi could make a cute couple, but in the end, that boy, Yang Chi, was not lucky enough to have you as his wife. But, Ran Ran, you can still come and talk to Auntie as often as you like since you are now like my own daughter."


    "Of course, Auntie. I would never reject the idea of coming to talk to you," Yue Ran replied with a smile.


    After convincing Mother Yang to break her engagement with Yang Chi, Yue Ran planned to leave the Yang family''s residence.


    In the process of breaking this engagement, the only hard part was convincing Father Yue to agree since this was her grandfather''s dying wish and also her father''s heart knot.


    "Are you really not going to stay for dinner?" Mother Yang asked when she had sent Yue Ran to the gate of the Yang family''s residence.


    "No, I''ll go home and eat. Thank you for your kindness, Auntie." Yue Ran replied politely.


    It''s a pity.


    Mother Yang felt more and more pity as she kept staring at Yue Ran''s beautiful profile.


    Why does Yang Chi look down on such a good and beautiful girl like Yue Ran? Why is her son just so blind?


    Just when Yue Ran and Mother Yang were waving goodbye to one another, Yang Chi arrived in his roaring sports car.


    "Yue Ran?" Yang Chi got out of his car before asking the question. "Why did you come to my house?"


    The moment Yang Chi saw Yue Ran, he felt an inexplicable joy in his heart that he did not notice himself.


    "Xiao Chi, what do you mean by that?" Mother Yang stared sternly at her disappointing son. "Do you mean that Ran Ran can''t even come to our house whenever she wants now?" There was a little resentment and bitterness in her voice. "Hmph, Ran Ran is here to discuss your engagement."


    "Ah, are we setting the marriage date now?"


    There was a not-so-obvious expectation in Yang Chi''s voice, and his eyes couldn''t help but glance at Yue Ran, looking tensed and anxious.


    But from Mother Yang''s point of view, all she could see and hear was Yang Chi''s panic and avoidance of his engagement.


    She massaged her temples as if only such movements could heal her mental headache.


    It seemed that there was really no hope of saving this engagement anymore.


    "No, Xiao Chi." Mother Yang sighed regretfully. "Ran Ran is here to break off the engagement with you."


    "What?"


    It took a second for Yang Chi to understand his mother''s words.


    "The engagement is going to be called off?"


    Yang Chi was no less shocked than Mother Yang.


    Their marriage contract was broken by Yue Ran on her own initiative!


    He could hardly believe what he was hearing.


    In such a state of bafflement, he could only reply in a way that would save himself the most face.


    "That couldn''t be a better move! I would never want to marry someone I don''t like and bring her home as a decoration! She''s useless, aggressive, domineering, and definitely not my type!"


    Mother Yang felt her head throb when she heard her son''s words.


    On the contrary, Yue Ran didn''t feel much after hearing this. The more Yang Chi scolds her now, the more he will hate himself in the future.


    She just hopes that Yang Chi will not regret it too much by then.


    "Okay, then let''s call for the dissolution of the engagement."


    Yue Ran only left these words before hurrying away.


    "Master, they all like you now; why are you breaking them all off at once?" Ruan Ruan inquired in Yue Ran''s mind.


    "Just watch the show obediently, Ruan Ruan, and you will soon understand why."


    "Okay, Master!"


    When Yue Ran was hospitalized, she had called Ruan Ruan to turn off the notification sounds because they were too loud then.


    Presently, the favorability scores of the four men are hovering around the eighties now that she has finally checked the settings.

 Chapter 26 - 26: White Rich Beauty (26)

    That is to say, they all like Yue Ran right now, and some are even close to loving her, though they may not realize it themselves. But this is a crude fact.


    ...


    "Yue Ran, I''ve thought about it. I like you, so can we start dating?"


    Fool.


    Yue Ran smiled in her heart.


    In front of her was Jin Yao. He asked for a moment to talk to her, and so here she was, talking to him after her last class of the day¡ªtheir first conversation since their last encounter.


    Yue Ran actually didn''t expect him to find her this quickly. But everyone has their own miscalculations.


    "Jin Yao, have you fallen in love with me? Or are you trying to kid me?"


    Yue Ran looked indifferent as she uttered those words. She had not given Jin Yao a straight look all throughout, for she was busy admiring her fuchsia-colored nails of perfectly streamlined shape.


    Jin Yao was the second person to recognize his feelings for Yue Ran. The first one was still waiting for her at the northern gate of the university.


    "Yue Ran, can you be serious about this?" His voice was raised.


    Jin Yao was somewhat powerless in the face of Yue Ran''s response.


    How did things turn out like this?


    Now, there was no longer Rui Qin in his dreams; only Yue Ran, of whom he at first only had a vague impression, appeared more and more frequently in his dreams.


    At first, he was only vaguely aware that he liked Yue Ran, unlike now.


    He was sure that he liked her. Very much.


    He could clearly recall the face of Yue Ran from the past, relentlessly chasing after him time and time again.


    A loving breakfast would always be delivered to him in the morning; her presence would always greet him at noon; and her text messages would fill up his evening.


    And her most vivid image would be the time when she rescued him in his most vulnerable moment.


    Was it at that point in time that he was moved but didn''t realize it himself?


    He never knew that someone could fill up his life with so much love and liveliness that he would feel empty without them.


    He never knew that it would taste so sweet and yet so bitter at the same time.


    He never knew her weight in his heart until he lost her.


    How could she so casually declare that she no longer likes him and thus had truly lost interest in him?


    He didn''t believe it.


    He didn''t want to believe it!


    But what saddens him the most is Yue Ran''s attitude.


    Why was she so indifferent all throughout their conversation?


    "I''m very serious about our conversation." Yue Ran curved her lips slightly; it was a smile that wasn''t quite a smile, making it difficult for Jin Yao to understand her true emotions. "Since you like me, I can try dating you."


    Jin Yao''s heart skipped a beat at her latter sentence but plummeted when he heard her tone change again.


    "Oh, I forgot, Senior Jin Yao is not a person who is interested in dating or interested in me in any way, so how could you willingly want to date someone like me?"


    What Yue Ran said was no exaggeration. She was only returning his words.


    Even a cold-hearted person like Jin Yao felt extremely embarrassed at this moment.


    Moisture filled her eyes as she said the next sentences.


    "And did you not think that I would realize that you had never touched any of the food that I''ve given you before? How many of them have you discarded into the trash? Do you know that I have spent the entire dawn every weekday just learning to make them so that you could have the best one of all?" S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She blinked, and a solitary, salt-laced tear slid down her cheek, which she rudely wiped away, leaving a red mark on her tender skin.


    "I¡­" Jin Yao opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.


    Silence meant acknowledgement.


    What she said was all true.


    There were just no words to refute those statements.


    Jin Yao was just like a kite drifting with the wind, flying high or low with the clouds, depending on how Yue Ran manipulated his string.


    His heart was rising and falling with her very words.


    He no longer had any say in it when he handed over the reins to her himself.


    Silence descended upon them. It lasted until Jin Yao started speaking.


    "Do... do you truly like me when you started pursuing me?"


    Jin Yao has his head lowered, his expression is unclear under the shadows, and his voice is hoarse as he speaks.


    The look of utter shock and disbelief on Yue Ran''s face was blatant.


    "Jin Yao, just who do you think I am?"


    Her eyes hardened, and so did her words.


    "Do you think that I''m someone who plays with other people''s feelings so casually?"


    Her beautiful face turned into a cold sneer.


    "Have I never been sincere when I''m pursuing you?"


    "Yue Ran¡­" Jin Yao''s heart tightened as he stepped closer to the frail figure trembling like a leaf on a tree.


    "Have you never felt me being sincere to you before?"


    Yue Ran forced a smile as she wiped a tear that trickled down her cheek.


    Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. There was a lump in her throat, and she was blinking away the tears.


    It was painful to see her like this.


    When he reached out a hand to her, she instantly slapped it away.


    "Don''t touch me!"


    Jin Yao could see her clench her fists, not knowing whether to be mad or to give up hope all together.


    He could hear her suffocating with each breath she took, holding onto her pride.


    "Yue Ran¡­" Jin Yao''s voice went in and out of her ears.


    Yue Ran swallowed back her sob, wiped away her tears, slid the sunglasses over her eyes, and left without speaking.


    A perfect smile took over her features as soon as she turned her back to him.


    With several clicks of her heels, she was gone from Jin Yao''s sight, leaving Jin Yao himself in infinite reverie.


    If Yue Ran was sincere, then why was she acting like this?


    Did something happen that he wasn''t aware of himself?


    He staggered for a few steps, as if pondering something, before sprinting back home. There was something he needed to do.


    Meanwhile, as soon as Yue Ran came out of the northern gate of the university, she saw a familiar sports car that belonged to Mu Chen.


    "Is the little princess done with her classes?"


    Mu Chen got up from lying on his back in the car, slid his phone into his pocket, and wore a pair of sunglasses and a smile on his face.


    Yue Ran admired him in the brilliance of the sunlight as he slipped his sunglasses into the pocket of his coat, revealing a pair of foxy eyes that set off a joint commotion amongst the ladies around.


    Mu Chen plucked the pink leather backpack out of Yue Ran''s arms and slung it over his shoulder before opening the door as a gesture for her to get in.

 Chapter 27 - 27: White Rich Beauty (27)

    "Mr. Mu, are you always so idle every day?" She raised a brow teasingly.


    "I am only idle for you."


    It was one quick reply that made her laugh.


    "Charming."


    Mu Chen very quickly sent Yue Ran back to her home before leaving. He was actually very busy, and there were still many things that needed to be done, but he would always find time to accompany Yue Ran.


    If there are none, then he will simply make one.


    ...


    "Mom, I''m back!" When Yue Ran arrived home, she gave Mother Yue a big hug before asking, "Where''s Dad?"


    "Your dad is in the study. There''s something wrong with the company these days. Your dad hasn''t had a good night''s sleep because of it."


    There was worry in Mother Yue''s eyes, and she hoped that Yue Ran could help her father, but she also knew that she could do nothing, at least not right now. Moreover, she knew that her daughter had no interest in the family''s company. Regardless, the Yue family would be in the hands of Yue Ran in the future.


    To her surprise, Yue Ran smiled. "I''ll go to the study to see if there''s anything I can do for Dad."


    Wasn''t her daughter the most impatient with the company''s affairs? Why did she suddenly change her mind?


    In fact, Yue Ran knew that Rui Qin had finally made her move. Apart from the male protagonists and a few supporting actors, this female protagonist receives a lot of foreign aid; otherwise, how could she be called the female protagonist?


    The current situation faced by the Yue family is that the female protagonists knew that Yue Ran was close to the three male protagonists and thus was burning with jealousy.


    After all, Yue Ran did steal the attention of the men that Rui Qin was interested in. How could she not take action against her?


    This kind of female protagonist with a dark mindset is extremely possessive and doesn''t allow any woman to have any kind of contact with men she likes.


    If God blocks, then kill God; if Buddha blocks, then kill Buddha.


    Yue Ran and the female protagonists have quite a similar motto.


    While thinking about this, she stepped inside Father Yue''s study. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why did you come in again?"


    Father Yue thought it was Mother Yue, thus he said this casually. But when he raised his eyes, all he saw was his daughter.


    This is a rare thing. In the past, Yue Ran would never come to his study if nothing urgent was going on.


    "Dad, I know who is the mastermind behind the company''s issues."


    Father Yue was taken aback.


    "Ran Ran, do you know who it is? Have you finally taken an interest in your old man''s company? But why the change of heart, though?"


    "Well, I may or may not have something to do with it." Yue Ran blinked and pouted her lips, looking a little guilty. "Is this a bad thing?"


    Father Yue just laughed and joked. "It''s very bad indeed."


    Yue Ran rolled her eyes and then circled her hands on her father''s arms, lying her head on his shoulder.


    These two parents really did love the original body so much that even if she always brought trouble back into the family or ruined the family''s company, they wouldn''t get mad at her at all.


    "Then tell me, who did our little princess offend to let people suppress our company like this?"


    Father Yue was still smiling as he lightly pinched Yue Ran''s nose.


    "It''s Rui Qin." Yue Ran replied blatantly. There was no longer a need to shy away from the truth. It''s time to cut off the female protagonist''s wings.


    He was caught unprepared by her answer.


    Father Yue was a little hesitant when answering, one of his rare moments.


    "Rui Qin? As far as I know, she doesn''t have this huge ability."


    The female protagonist''s company is vulnerable when coming face-to-face with the Yue family''s company, so Father Yue felt doubtful about Yue Ran''s words.


    "It''s really her, Dad; you can check it out yourself." Yue Ran tilted her head and smiled at her father.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll check it out myself."


    Even though Father Yue still didn''t fully believe Yue Ran''s words, he still called his subordinates to investigate Rui Qin regardless. After all, if he doesn''t believe in his own daughter, who else would he believe in?


    Father Yue is the original body''s father, the father of the villainous supporting character in this plot, who adores his daughter and would not look up to or appreciate Rui Qin''s talents.


    He was not like the other leaders in this world, who are certain that Rui Qin will achieve great things in the future and would not mind if Rui Qin used them as a stepping stone for her to ascend to her position of power.


    Fortunately, the plot hadn''t yet progressed to the point where all the bigwigs in the business circle turned against each other, and the female protagonist would, of course, find a way to benefit herself in this chaos.


    In any case, there is no doubt that the Yue family''s company is still a giant in the business world.


    Now that the Yue family''s first crisis is resolved, the rest can easily be breezed over, and Yue Ran can happily continue her task: to make Lord God''s life harder and to one day enact her revenge.


    ?? ? ??


    Jin Yao stared at the computers in front of him and sighed. He looks tired¡ªhe has dark circles under his eyes, and his short hair sticks out a little at random, like he''s been pulling an all-nighter, which he did.


    After looking through CCTV recordings around Yue Ran for the last week with his super hacking skills, he managed to find only one suspicious point that could only be the explanation for Yue Ran''s sudden change in attitude towards him: Rui Qin.


    The night before Yue Ran''s sudden change of heart, she met Rui Qin.


    Was this the reason why Yue Ran doesn''t like him anymore?


    The surveillance video only showed the two of them talking for about twenty minutes.


    Since they were quite far away from the cameras around, even if Jin Yao zoomed into their faces, he could still hardly read their lips to be able to tell what they were talking about.


    Everything was just a blur of colors.


    This recording had long left him restless¡ªhe couldn''t sleep all night.


    Many thoughts were hovering in his head; he didn''t really know what to think.


    On one hand was Rui Qin, his Sister Qin, who had been very important to him since childhood. On the other hand, there is Yue Ran, with whom he just found out that he has romantic feelings.


    Currently, he only wanted to know what exactly the two were talking about.


    It was still not clear whether Yue Ran''s sudden change in attitude was actually because of this or not.


    He didn''t want to jump into any occlusions so quickly, especially when Rui Qin was involved in them.


    After freshening himself up, Jin Yao went out of his house and took a taxi to find Yue Ran.


    But he never would''ve thought that he would see Jiang Yi and Yue Ran embracing at the gate of the Yue family''s residence.

 Chapter 28 - 28: White Rich Beauty (28)

    "Jiang Yi?" Yue Ran opened the gate of the Yue family villa with one hand and a phone in the other. "Why did you come¡ª"


    Her words were stuck in her throat when Jiang Yi suddenly pulled her into a hug.


    "¡ªHere."


    "Yue Ran." Jiang Yi slowly whispered her name in her ears, his warm breath tickling her cheek.


    Jin Yao came down from the taxi and unexpectedly saw this affectionate scene unfolding before his eyes¡ªthe person he likes in the arms of another.


    He seemed to be stunned in place.


    From a distance, the two looked like a pair of lovers.


    And then the old, dormant anger flared.


    He didn''t know why things turned out like this¡ªhow things turned out like this.


    When being compared to others, he was still confident that Yue Ran would choose him; after all, she had been pursuing him so passionately that no one would doubt her feelings for him.


    Yet, there was a nagging feeling in his heart that she didn''t like him as much as she had shown.


    Could this be because of Jiang Yi?


    Jin Yao suddenly felt like a joke.


    The first person that Yue Ran has ever liked in her life is undoubtedly Jiang Yi¡ªnot him, Jin Yao!


    Yue Ran had previously pursued Jiang Yi with the same zeal as she did with him.


    Jiang Yi wasn''t sure if he could ever compare to Yue Ran''s first love, Jin Yao.


    In terms of appearance, grades, and education, Jiang Yi was not inferior to him at all. Now Jiang Yi was even working for a famous company. Jiang Yi is admirable, accomplished, and impressive.


    How could he, Jin Yao, ever compare to him?


    Jin Yao laughed a little deprecatingly.


    He never thought that one day he would feel so insecure about himself. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran lowered her head, and a light flashed in her eyes.


    All the actors are almost here. Therefore, the stage can be set.


    "Jiang Yi," she said.


    Yue Ran lightly pushed the man away, her hands on his chest as if trying to get out of his hold, but her strength was just too weak. Her brows were furrowed, but her voice sounded soft and kittenish, as if she were just shy.


    Only Jiang Yi could hear her voice, and the hold on her tightened with his pounding heart.


    He didn''t need to see Yue Ran''s face to know her affection for him through her voice.


    "Yue Ran." He whispered again.


    Does this mean that she really does have lingering feelings for him?


    Does this mean that he''s still not out of the game?


    He finally realized that, after all this time, he had fallen for her.


    Could he have had feelings for her when he realized that she was the one who had helped him?


    Or was it the time when he saw her in the amusement park?


    Or was it during their meeting in the hospital, when he was worried for her safety and well-being?


    Or was it her kindness to Jiang Hao that caught his heart?


    Or was it when he saw her slowly fall asleep¡ªa figure who looked exactly like an angel under the golden light of the sunset?


    Or was it the time when she had softly called out his name in her sleep with such deep affection that he himself was drowned in it?


    Or was it the moment she stepped into the hall like a mermaid out of the sea and walked onto the land during the night of the spring festival?


    Or was it during the time she had danced with both Mu Chen and Yang Chi but not with him? The green-eyed monster in his heart rioted then.


    Or was it her alluring dance on stage that had captivated him?


    Whichever it was, Jiang Yi had realized that Yue Ran indeed had his heart in her hands.


    He had long fallen for her without knowing it himself.


    She was etched in his mind, every memory of her so vivid.


    He should''ve known... He''d fallen for her a long time ago. But he just didn''t want to admit it then. His pride had gotten in the way.


    If he had acted a little faster, would they have already started dating?


    If so, then there would not be so many suitors chasing her now.


    In the distance, Jin Yao only saw Yue Ran trying hard to push Jiang Yi away, but to no avail.


    She was clearly uncomfortable. It was practically written all over her face.


    His eyes lit up.


    He still had a chance, didn''t he?


    Jiang Yi is only the person in the past, and he, Jin Yao, is Yue Ran''s future!


    Jin Yao gallantly took action to separate the two and pulled Yue Ran to his side.


    "What business does Senior Jiang have with my girlfriend?" Jin Yao looked at Jiang Yi with undisguised hostility.


    "Your girlfriend?" Jiang Yi narrowed his eyes, and his lips turned up into a mocking sneer. "As far as I know, Junior Jin had already rejected Yue Ran''s pursuit, so what does Junior Jin mean by stating that you are her boyfriend?"


    Jiang Yi''s tone was tinged with obvious jealousy.


    He shouldn''t have given other men a chance to steal Yue Ran''s heart in the first place! He was the one who Yue Ran liked first!


    Jin Yao pursed his lips tightly and looked at Yue Ran. Nervousness and anxiety flooded his heart.


    Yue Ran remained silent.


    "I¡­"


    Just when Jin Yao wanted to explain, a loud voice cut off his next words.


    "Heh, you''re really good at attracting bees and butterflies, Yue Ran!"


    It was Yang Chi.


    Jin Yao''s emotions were conflicted. While he was happy that he was no longer put on the spot to explain himself, he also felt bitter that another rival of his had arrived.


    Yang Chi didn''t expect to see such an exciting scene when he decided to come to Yue Ran''s home¡ªtwo men were fighting for one woman.

 Chapter 29 - 29: White Rich Beauty (29)

    And that woman was also someone in whom he was interested, kind of.


    But back to the point: Yue Ran is really powerful.


    Yang Chi gritted his teeth in hatred. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is being beautiful a mistake?" Yue Ran''s charming red lips spread open in a laugh.


    Her eyes were smiling, and her long, crow-black hair was fluttering gently in the wind. Sunlight made her skin glow white, and her pink dress slowly swayed with the breeze and her light movements.


    She looked unbelievably beautiful.


    Yang Chi yanked his gaze away from such a stunning sight and coughed to distract himself from his minor blunder.


    He shouldn''t have started an argument with Yue Ran when there were clearly two enemies he had to chase away first.


    "I am Yue Ran''s legitimate fiancee and her husband-to-be!" He glared at the two men in front of him. "You two are at most just entertainment to fill her time with!"


    No matter what, he, Yang Chi, is the one who will become Yue Ran''s future husband, not either of these two men in front of him!


    Yue Ran will have no choice but to stick by his side as long as he does not agree with the termination of their engagement! Furthermore, these were clearly their grandfathers'' intentions¡ªher grandfather''s dying wish!


    Right! As long as he doesn''t intend to call off their engagement, even if Yue Ran keeps rejecting their union, she can only be his wife in the end!


    When the time comes, he doesn''t believe that Yue Ran will not fall in love with him after living together for a long time!


    Yue Ran raised a brow at Yang Chi''s words.


    Does this mean that Yang Chi actually approved of her cheating? After all, she could spend her spare time with this so-called "entertainment."


    Sadly, there was not much time to spare.


    Yue Ran was not afraid of the current Shura field. She even wished for the fight between the three men to escalate.


    It''s best if they wreck havoc all around, causing chaos wherever they go.


    It''s even more exciting if Mu Chen gets involved in it.


    Unfortunately, the man was hiding in the shadows of trees across the Yue family villa, spying on the current situation she had found herself in.


    How did she know this? Ruan Ruan had sent Mu Chen''s coordinates to her as soon as he was close by, which happened to be during the time when Jiang Yi had arrived in front of her house.


    This meant that Mu Chen had witnessed everything from start to finish.


    Speaking of Mu Chen, Yue Ran was taken to the underground boxing ring by him not too long ago.


    The fight was pretty exciting, but Mu Chen had to demand her attention every single time she was enraptured in the climax of the fight, causing her to get angry at the man every now and then.


    Who knew that such a dangerous man could also become such a clingy person in private?


    He was like a wild stray cat, fierce toward everyone except Yue Ran, turning over his underbelly and demanding her undivided attention.


    Mu Chen was not what Yue Ran had expected him to be at first.


    It was such a contrast to what she had previously thought.


    And it would be a lie to say that it isn''t cute.


    Meanwhile, Mu Chen, who was hiding in the dark, had his expression shadowed as he looked at Yue Ran, who was surrounded by three men who were caught in a heated argument.


    This Shura field was finally resolved by Mother Yue, who came out of the villa to pull Yue Ran away from the scene.


    Yue Ran was a little disappointed when Mother Yue took her away from the fun, engaging outside into the quiet hall of the vila.


    "Ran Ran, tell Mom what''s going on."


    Mother Yue was looking through fashion catalogs to decide which one to buy when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her dearest daughter surrounded by three men outside the window.


    Her first thought was that her daughter was being threatened. But she immediately washed the thought away.


    The area they lived in is a safe, bright, and wealthy one. Being threatened and blackmailed in the open was an impossible thing.


    Therefore, there could be only one reason for the three men to be here: they are all Yue Ran''s suitors.


    However, when had her daughter become so attractive to others? And why had she not known of any of this?


    From Yue Ran''s early years to the present, few boys have liked her because of her spoiled, domineering, and aggressive personality.


    In any case, the small figure of Yue Ran right now, who was surrounded by three adult men, still looked very pitiful. It looked as if a little girl was being bullied by three adults from afar.


    "Mom, it''s just that your dearest daughter is so beautiful and charming that many men would flock to her," Yue Ran fluttered her eyelashes at Mother Yue and said jokingly, causing Mother Yue to laugh at her amusing behavior.


    Mother Yue lightly poked her daughter''s head before speaking with a solemn expression on her face.


    "I know that our Ran Ran is the most beautiful fairy in our family; no one would not like you once they got to know you. But can the beautiful little fairy promise Mom that she will never play with other people''s feelings?"


    "Can!" Yue Ran readily agreed. "I promise."


    Now it was Mother Yue who was anxious and troubled.


    Her daughter didn''t seem to be a person who was able to play with people''s feelings. She was too silly to even attempt such a thing.


    "Okay, then you have to promise Mom that you won''t let others play with your feelings easily!" Mother Yue said, "This is the most important thing!"


    "Okay!" Yue Ran nodded happily. "Mom, then I will wash up first!"


    After speaking, Yue Ran quickly slipped away from the conversation and up to her room, where she slowly moved out onto the balcony.


    Sure enough, none of the four men downstairs had left yet, just like she had predicted.


    Yue Ran''s hair fluttered lightly on her cheeks, and she carelessly waved the three male protagonists goodbye as she tucked the loose hairs behind her ear. Then her eyes swept into the distance, and a smile appeared on the corner of her lips before she pulled the curtains shut.


    Yang Chi: ?


    Jiang Yi: ?


    Jin Yao: ?


    "Is she really going to ignore us just like this?"


    Yang Chi is the most restless one among the three.


    The other two turned around and left as if in tacit agreement, leaving only the fuming Yang Chi behind.


    In the shadows, Mu Chen touched his chin with a curious smile on his lips.


    "Interesting."


    He was sure that Yue Ran met eyes with him for a short moment.


    His gut instinct told him that it was not a coincidence and that Yue Ran was truly aware of his presence.


    With that said, those three unsightly men looked really disturbing. They were just such redundant existences.


    He''ll need to find a way to get rid of the competition.

 Chapter 30 - 30: White Rich Beauty (30)

    "So is that why you all came here to see me?"


    Yue Ran supported her chin with one hand and raised her eyes. There was an unfathomable sense of leisure in her expression that made Rui Qin''s teeth itch with hatred.


    "Do you guys really think that I would ask someone to kidnap Rui Qin?"


    Yue Ran pursed her lips; her shoulders trembled.


    She couldn''t keep it in anymore.


    Tilting her head back, her face contorted into one full of joy, and the sound of laughter echoed inside the silent private room.


    "This is so funny!" Yue Ran laughed again and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.


    The female protagonist''s kidnapping incident happened even without Yue Ran''s intervention. Naturally, this drama was a self-acted and self-directed play by the female protagonist, Rui Qin, herself.


    The three male protagonists were a little panicked when they heard of the female protagonist''s unfortunate circumstance. The three then braved fire and water to save Rui Qin from these kidnappers.


    When Rui Qin was rescued by the three men, the kidnappers were also arrested on the spot.


    Under severe "torture"¡ªquestioning¡ªthe kidnappers all confessed that it was all Yue Ran''s fault and confessed that it was Yue Ran herself who hired them to do the dirty deed.


    No matter how they asked or pressed for more answers, no one changed their words.


    They were all being so consistent and firm at this point that it was bordering on suspicious.


    Jin Yao personally did not believe Yue Ran would or could do such a thing; however, the police had already intervened in this kidnapping case, and all evidence pointed to Yue Ran as the perpetrator!


    So how could Yue Ran still be laughing after listening to their explanations? It was as if she had heard the greatest joke of her life.


    When looking at Yue Ran''s reaction, the female protagonist, Rui Qin, could hardly maintain her saddened expression anymore.


    "Do you guys actually believe that I caused this farce?"


    Yue Ran grinned, her eyes forming shallow crescents.


    This time, it was Jin Yao, unsurprisingly, who had called Yue Ran out to a five-star hotel bar''s private room. Rui Qin came with obvious reasons¡ªto persecute Yue Ran and get rid of her competition. Jiang Yi and Yang Chi only tagged along since they were also involved in the case and were worried about the situation that Yue Ran found herself in.


    The five sat around a round table, and Yue Ran, who was stared at by four pairs of eyes, didn''t look flustered at all; she looked rather relaxed and comfortable. It was as if she were just enjoying a leisurely outing on a bright and beautiful day.


    Yue Ran cast a playful glance at Rui Qin.


    "Rui Qin, you do believe me, right?"


    The ridicule in her eyes was obvious.


    Yue Ran only planned to piss the female protagonist off for fun because, why not? S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rui Qin secretly scolded Yue Ran in her heart, but she still put on a worried look on her face.


    "Of course I believe you, but the police are only looking at the evidence they found."


    "Evidence?" Tilting her head, Yue Ran chuckled. "Are you talking about the barks of crazy dogs?"


    Her eyes were focused straight on Rui Qin. It was obvious to whom one of the "crazy dogs" in her words referred.


    Rui Qin gritted her teeth with hatred.


    The three male protagonists were not aware of the unfriendly exchange between the two women.


    "Yue Ran, we are only doing this for your own good now," Yang Chi said. "As long as you apologize to Rui Qin, this matter will be over."


    Yang Chi''s thought was simple.


    As long as the victim, Rui Qin, does not pursue the case any longer, then there would be no need for Yue Ran to go to jail.


    An apology would be able to solve everything.


    But Yue Ran''s attitude toward his suggestion was not what Yang Chi had expected.


    "Apologize?"


    Yue Ran sneered at the suggestion.


    So naive!


    As if the female protagonist would ever let her go after taking a bite of her so aggressively!


    Her sharp eyes swept over to Yang Chi, making him feel inexplicably guilty in his heart.


    She then glanced around, but Jiang Yi and Jin Yao had the same reaction as Yang Chi: they dared not meet her eyes.


    Now the problem was not that Yue Ran actually did the crime or not, but that the group of barking kidnappers had continuously insisted that it was Yue Ran who had hired them. And thus, the three male protagonists had no choice but to call on Yue Ran to apologize to Rui Qin so that the case would be closed.


    Letting Yue Ran ask for Rui Qin''s forgiveness is the quickest and most effective way to solve the current problem.


    "Yue Ran, if it is really you, you can just admit it, and I won''t blame you," Rui Qin said gently, looking like a kind and gentle big sister who would readily forgive her little sister''s mistake, even if that mistake had caused her great harm.


    Ruan Ruan: Shameless!


    Yue Ran inwardly rolled her eyes; disgust was overflowing in her heart.


    Although Rui Qin uttered this sentence, her heart was not at all at peace at this time.


    What was with these three men? Why are they so blatantly helping Yue Ran in and out after even knowing that Yue Ran had "harmed" her?


    Just thinking about these pisses her off!


    Yue Ran! She will never let her go!


    These three men should''ve been her own! How could she let Yue Ran sink her claws into them and take their attention away?


    Even if Yue Ran apologizes to her, she will almost certainly make her vanish from the face of the earth!


    Rui Qin''s eyes flashed fiercely.


    "Ruan Ruan, is everything prepared?" Yue Ran leisurely asked her system in her mind.


    "Ready, Master!" Ruan Ruan chirped. "The recording could be sent anywhere at any time!"


    "Very good, Ruan Ruan."


    Ruan Ruan twirled around in the system space, feeling a little bashful at his master''s compliment.


    What Yue Ran was looking for was not a recording from a surveillance video but a clear recording, which was Ruan Ruan''s life broadcast, with a clear quality video with little to no blur and the highest quality audio enhancement.


    "Since you all want me to apologize so badly, how about switching the antagonists, hmm?" Yue Ran smiled and took the TV remote in her hand.


    None of the people present could understand what kind of show Yue Ran was playing at the moment.


    With a click, Rui Qin immediately changed her face.


    Rui Qin: !!!


    Jiang Yi: !


    Jin Yao: !


    Yang Chi: !

 Chapter 31 - 31: White Rich Beauty (31)

    Yue Ran took the TV remote in her hand.


    Rui Qin immediately felt uneasy in her heart.


    When she had performed the crime, she had made sure to be very cautious with her deeds. She had first asked someone to check the whole area of the trading and made sure to get rid of any monitoring equipment that was there during the transaction¡ªan illegal transaction, to be exact.


    So why does Yue Ran look so confident? It was as if she had already won the game from the start. What other cards could a spoiled and naive little girl have against her?


    Rui Qin''s thoughts inevitably calmed her down.


    Right, there was no way this spoiled little girl would have evidence against her.


    Yue Ran watched Rui Qin from the corners of her eyes.


    Sure enough, the female protagonist looked blank and panicked. There was no doubt that there was a ghost in her heart.


    This female protagonist''s expression management was not so good. She''ll need to practice for a few more lifetimes to be able to catch up to Yue Ran herself. But by then, Yue Ran''s acting skills would''ve increased by leaps and bounds.


    For Yue Ran, Rui Qin was fated to never catch up to her.


    With a click, the TV was turned on, and a video began playing.


    What greeted the five was Rui Qin''s own figure in the video, or rather, recording. There were even time and date details down below. The time in the lower-right corner of the screen was increasing with every second.


    Rui Qin: !!!


    "Isn''t that Rui Qin?!"


    None of the four knew who among them spoke, but their eyes were unmistakably glued to the screen.


    All of them had their own thoughts in their hearts.


    The most entertaining one would no doubt be Rui Qin''s.


    Yue Ran had the urge to crack open the female protagonist''s head just to see if she could read her mind.


    What a joy it must be to read Rui Qin''s mind right now!


    "Five million and not a single cent less!" A big and burly man stood opposite Rui Qin in the video and spoke in a rough voice.


    Behind him were several other threatening-looking men.


    "But we agreed that it would only cost three million!"


    Rui Qin''s gnashed her teeth in anger; her voice sounded unpleasant and grating to the ears, very unlike how she was when she was speaking to the three male protagonists.


    The Rui Qin in the video and the Rui Qin next to them were like two completely different people.


    "I checked the target you want us to frame; isn''t it Yue Ran, the Yue family''s only daughter? If the Yue family decided to pursue us, is money more important or is life more important then? If the Yue family is unhappy, even if we brothers sit in jail, our lives would not get any better!"


    Everyone could see from the video that Rui Qin still felt that the price was too high. But just as she was about to counter the man''s words, the burly man started speaking again.


    "Ms. Rui, don''t think that this money is too expensive; after all, this is a business that also gambles on your reputation and wealth."


    "What do you mean gambling on my reputation and wealth?" Rui Qin replied sharply, a little confused at the man''s words. "Speak quickly!"


    "Well, what do you think would happen if we sold this news of you, Ms. Rui, doing an illegal transaction that you currently have to the news reporters? I''m sure we can get a hefty sum of money from it, not to mention that the Yue family would greatly reward us for preventing such a disaster from happening in the first place. So, five million isn''t all that much now, huh?"


    Rui Qin''s face was ugly, but she still had to agree.


    Then the screen went black.


    Yue Ran played soft background music in the palpable silence and tension in the room that filled the air. She was rather dissatisfied to see how no one was reacting to the video.


    "Do you guys have nothing to say?" She rested her hand on her chin and sneered. "How about you, Rui Qin?" She turned her attention to the female protagonist. "Nothing from you too?"


    As much as Rui Qin doesn''t want to answer Yue Ran''s question, she still has to maintain her image, no matter how much it may crumble at this moment, and try to defend herself.


    Maybe, just maybe, she could somehow recover her reputation and image in the three men''s minds.


    "This is impossible! The video must be fake! I''ve never seen the abandoned building in the video! Someone must have intentionally harmed me!" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rui Qin''s response was a little too emotional. Even a blind man doesn''t need to see her to feel the lies radiating off her.


    "Uh-huh." Yue Ran rolled her eyes. "I don''t think anyone mentioned anything about an abandoned building."


    Rui Qin clenched her fists in panic.


    She had said the wrong words!


    Her plan was obviously foolproof! How could Yue Ran even obtain such a high-quality video that clearly showed everyone''s faces and the transaction she agreed upon?


    Her men obviously told her that all cameras and monitoring were cleared on scene, so why? Why does this still happen?


    How could she have this recording in her hands?


    Who else knew about it?


    Yue Ran!!!


    She will never, never let her go!


    She will never forgive Yue Ran for putting her in this situation!


    She will definitely let Yue Ran pay the price!


    Yue Ran took a sip of her glass of juice, feeling bored at the current situation. Why can''t anything get more exciting?


    She would''ve thought that a mature female CEO protagonist would be tougher and smarter than this.


    If Yue Ran was in this same situation, she could''ve gotten out in a hundred different ways safely, even without sullying her reputation; even increasing the male protagonists'' affection for her was simple.

 Chapter 32 - 32: White Rich Beauty (32)

    Rui Qin shot Yue Ran with a vicious look, as if her stare could burn Yue Ran on the spot and wipe her off the face of the earth.


    "Oh, Rui Qin, your stare is so scary, it''s giving me the chills!"


    Yue Ran cowered in fear and unhesitatingly inched her chair closer to the closest male protagonist by her side, which happened to be Jiang Yi, leaning her body close to him. She then laid her head lazily on Jiang Yi''s shoulder.


    Everyone could clearly see how fake Yue Ran was acting, but Jiang Yi still felt extremely happy that she would rely on himself at times like these.


    Yang Chi frowned at Yue Ran''s actions, but he was even more disgusted and displeased with Rui Qin for what she had done.


    "Rui Qin, are you trying to give my fiancee nightmares with your stare?!"


    Yang Chi''s words were still as poisonous as ever.


    When hearing Yang Chi''s vicious questioning, Rui Qin accidentally choked on her saliva.


    She felt attacked. When had Yang Chi ever treated her as badly as this before? When was she ever treated this badly before?


    Jiang Yi only stared down at Rui Qin with a displeased expression. He was not at all impressed.


    It was obvious to him that Rui Qin was clearly lying to everyone''s faces. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking about it now, maybe the kind and gentle Rui Qin he knew was never real.


    Yue Ran smiled in her heart when all the male protagonists'' favorability scores for Rui Qin plummeted.


    "Don''t be scared, Ran Ran," Jiang Yi said softly to the girl. He then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and covered her eyes. "Don''t look if it''s scary."


    He could feel Yue Ran''s long eyelashes tickling the palm of his hand. His heart was beating fast. It was almost as if her eyelashes were tickling his heart, keeping it pumping.


    "Okay, I''ll listen to you."


    Her voice was soft and compelling, and her red lips that curled upward were breathtaking.


    Yue Ran looked even more irresistible at this moment.


    Jiang Yi''s eyes darkened.


    "Jiang Yi, take your hands off my fiancee!" Yang Chi was finally fed up with Jiang Yi''s unrestrained actions. "Keep your hands to yourself!"


    Not being able to handle the tense and uncomfortable atmosphere inside the private room anymore, Rui Qin stood up from her seat and said, "Yue Ran, you don''t want to make me angry."


    Rui Qin admitted that she had underestimated this spoiled young lady of the Yue family. She may have lost this game, but that does not preclude her from winning the next!


    "I''m not going to pursue this matter any further, and you don''t need to apologize to me anymore," Rui Qin said, as if she were doing Yue Ran a huge favor. "Then I''ll leave first."


    After speaking, she grabbed her bag, clearly planning to flee from the current predicament.


    Yue Ran quickly removed the hand that had been covering her eyes and threw Rui Qin''s wine glass against the closed door. The wine flew out of the glass, splashing onto Rui Qin''s face and dress, and the glass shattered upon contact with the door.


    ¡ªCrash!


    Everything happened so fast that no one could react.


    Rui Qin yelled in shock and fear.


    With the spattering of glass debris, Jiang Yi instinctively pulled Yue Ran away from danger, his body blocking Yue Ran''s view of the good show.


    Yue Ran inwardly frowned at his actions. She impatiently pushed the man away and settled him down on his seat before turning her attention back to the embarrassingly disheveled appearance of the female protagonist.


    "Who allowed you to leave, huh?" Yue Ran folded her hands, her smile so dangerously alluring."I haven''t finished speaking yet; why are you in such a hurry?"


    She looked so irresistibly attractive at this moment.


    As if she would let the female protagonist go so easily!


    Jiang Yi was moved by Yue Ran''s actions.


    Was Yue Ran trying to protect him from harm just as he was protecting her a few moments ago?


    His heart was beating out of proportion.


    Yang Chi and Jin Yao were not any better.


    If Yue Ran knew what he was thinking, she would just smile and say, "Yes, you''re right, I am such a kind little angel, and you should most definitely be moved by my heroic actions."


    "Yue Ran!" Rui Qin yelled. Her gentle mask cracked and darkened with her gloomy appearance.


    "You still don''t want to confess your evil deeds, Rui Qin?"


    The smile deepened in Yue Ran''s eyes.


    "This self-directed and self-acted show is really wonderful; do you want me to give you a round of applause?"


    Fighting with people was a lot of fun.


    "But if I wasn''t pulled into the game, this script would have been a masterpiece."


    She beamed.


    "Sadly, you just have chosen the wrong target."


    She shook her head sadly with a soft sigh.


    "Don''t you think so, Rui Qin?"


    She asked meaningfully, and her eyes flashed with a wicked gleam.


    This female protagonist was no angel. The original body was not the only person who was harmed by Rui Qin; there were many other women with whom she had dealt secretly without the male protagonists'' knowledge.


    Those women all have one thing in common: they all had close contact with one of the three male protagonists.


    Rui Qin''s possessiveness for these men was just that strong.


    It was about time for someone¡ªYue Ran¡ªto break Rui Qin''s prestige so that she would be nothing but dirt under Yue Ran''s feet.


    Yue Ran''s excessive smiling was getting on Rui Qin''s nerves, but Rui Qin still stayed silent.


    "It was you who wanted me to apologize before," Yue Ran said slowly. "Now that the truth has come out, shouldn''t you apologize to me?" She smiled as if she were watching a good show. "It''s not good to favor one over the other, don''t you think so?"


    Yue Ran''s eyes were shining.

 Chapter 33 - 33: White Rich Beauty (33)

    Yue Ran''s eyes were shining. She was truly appreciating the embarrassed state of the female protagonist in front of everyone.


    This was a masterpiece.


    "Yes, Ms. Rui, why don''t you apologize?" Jiang Yi said aloud.


    Although he thought that just apologizing was such a light sentence for Rui Qin, he would still choose to back up Yue Ran''s words.


    "Yeah, why don''t you apologize?" Yang Chi raised a brow at Rui Qin with a poisonous glare.


    His thoughts were consistent with Jiang Yi''s.


    "No!" Jin Yao shouted.


    "No?" Yue Ran repeated the man''s words and turned her indifferent eyes toward him.


    Jin Yao swallowed nervously and dodged Yue Ran''s gaze, his heart drowning in guilt.


    His exclamation was more of an unconditioned reflex.


    He couldn''t imagine how a proud person like Rui Qin could bear bowing her head and apologizing to someone else. Moreover, he didn''t understand why his Sister Qin would want to frame Yue Ran.


    And he just couldn''t understand why Rui Qin would want to risk her own personal safety to deal with Yue Ran at all.


    There was just no logic in this!


    It has to be said that Jin Yao thoroughly underestimated Rui Qin''s jealousy and possessiveness. Furthermore, Yue Ran had quickly blackened this female protagonist.


    Furthermore, Rui Qin has the intuition that if she doesn''t act against Yue Ran, then Yue Ran will take everything that rightfully belongs to her away from herself!


    And Rui Qin would not allow that to happen!


    Speaking of Rui Qin, this female protagonist was such a great help in completing the plot nodes that Yue Ran needed to check out to maintain the general direction of the plot. To be considered a mission completion, the plot deviation should be less than 50% out of a hundred.


    If not, then the Lord God would have a good excuse to get rid of Yue Ran. And thus, Yue Ran still needed to maintain her mission''s success.


    But how long will she be able to find an opportunity to escape the Lord God''s control and run free in the future worlds she visits?


    Everything would be perfect if she could just get enough power to wring Lord God alive.


    "You''re taking her side over mine?" Yue Ran asked, her face expressionless.


    Not a single person could read her thoughts at this moment.


    Yang Chi immediately jumped in and took action when he heard Yue Ran''s words.


    "Yeah, Jin Yao, are you taking Rui Qin''s side?" Yang Chi smirked at the man mentioned.


    He was adding oil to the fire.


    Yang Chi did not expect that Rui Qin, whom he had long regarded as generous and gentle, could be so vicious on the inside. Not to mention that he had never heard of Yue Ran offending Rui Qin at all, so it was strange for this to happen.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t know of the hospital scene that Yue Ran had embarrassed Rui Qin in since he was pushed out of the room by his own mother at the beginning.


    Even if he did stay, he would still find it strange. Would such a few words offend Rui Qin so badly that she wanted to get rid of Yue Ran by framing her?


    "Ms. Rui, you should apologize," Jiang Yi said again, repeating his point.


    Rui Qin gritted her teeth.


    Jiang Yi had kept on repeating "Ms. Rui" over and over again after knowing truth from falsehood. His attitude toward her had shifted dramatically since the beginning!


    If it were as usual, he would''ve called her "A Qin" instead of "Ms. Rui."


    Rui Qin''s mood became even more gloomy.


    She lowered her head to hide the cruelty in her eyes.


    If her eyes could kill, Yue Ran would''ve already been six feet under.


    She''ll definitely repay the shame she endured today a thousand times!


    When Rui Qin looked up again, a smile slowly appeared on her face.


    "It''s my fault," she started. "I was humiliated when I was talking with little sister Yue Ran before, so I got so angry that I wanted little sister Yue Ran to apologize to me." She looked embarrassed. "I was wrong about this; I''m sorry!" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She bowed deeply and spoke with all the sincerity she could muster.


    Ruan Ruan: Shameless! Really shameless!


    "Master, please help Ruan Ruan slap this female protagonist to death!" Ruan Ruan exclaimed in Yue Ran''s mind.


    Yue Ran also thought the same.


    Yue Ran: If I don''t slap you to death with one paw, I won''t be called Yue Ran!


    "What are you talking about?"


    Yue Ran walked away from the round table, her heels clacking on the floor as she stepped closer to the female protagonist.


    "The evidence is solid, and you have successfully tainted my reputation."


    Yue Ran stared into Rui Qin''s eyes. Her eyes were so cold, it sent shivers down Rui Qin''s spine.


    "Tell me, how did I humiliate you?"


    She slowly grabbed Rui Qin''s face with her outstretched hand.


    "You should clearly explain the reason why to clear up all the misunderstandings, don''t you think so, Rui Qin?"


    Her cold hands slowly traced Rui Qin''s jawbone. Her fingers felt like ice against Rui Qin''s skin, like death itself sinking her claws into her face.


    Rui Qin gulped. She had never felt this much fear before.


    "And should I remind you, Rui Qin, again that you should not call me little sister, for you would only sully the Yue family''s name by so desperately attaching yourself to my family?"


    She lightly patted her hand on Rui Qin''s cheek.


    Rui Qin gritted her teeth in hatred. She felt as if she was being slapped. Several times. With just those few taps on her face.


    "Calling me little sister would not make your level any higher, you know."


    Yue Ran''s smile was particularly sweet.


    "After all, someone like you only looks good with their head down."


    She then patted the female protagonist''s head, as if patting a dog''s head.


    Rui Qin felt humiliated.


    "So keep it up; you look better this way."


    Yue Ran chuckled.


    "Like I said before, it''s a compliment."


    Rui Qin clenched her teeth and pinched her thigh, forcing herself to squeeze out a few drops of crocodile tears after Yue Ran finished speaking.


    "You said that I wasn''t born well and that even if my company struggles for hundreds of years, it will still be worth less than your Yue family''s company."


    A memory flashed in Yue Ran''s mind.


    Now she understood Rui Qin''s words. This was an old account from the past. The original body had said these words in a gathering long before Yue Ran came into the picture. And for some reason, these words had somehow reached Rui Qin''s ears.


    However, in Jin Yao''s ears, these words turned into the ones that had bullied and humiliated his Sister Qin, and so he suddenly gained the confidence to go against Yue Ran.


    "Yue Ran, otherwise, for my sake, there is no need for you to pursue this matter any more," Jin Yao said. "You used to be sorry for Sister Qin, and now the debt has been paid."


    Yue Ran was silent. She only stared at Jin Yao.

 Chapter 34 - 34: White Rich Beauty (34)

    Yue Ran stared at Jin Yao.


    In the past, she liked those twinkling peach blossom eyes very much. But now those same eyes were looking at her, pleading for someone she despises.


    Now those eyes could only arouse her disgust.


    What has been done cannot be undone.


    Jin Yao was suddenly filled with dread.


    "You say that for your sake, I should not pursue this matter any further?"


    Yue Ran spoke slowly, her voice calm.


    "What face do you have to ask me to do things for your sake?"


    Her rose-tinted lips curled into a charming crescent moon.


    "Jin Yao, Jin Yao, do you think that since I have chased you for a few months that you thought that you now have so much face that I couldn''t help but be at your beck and call?"


    She narrowed her eyes dangerously, and a sneer appeared on the corners of her lips.


    "Did you forget that I am the noble young lady of the Yue family?"


    Her smile was full of malice, like a seductive and dangerous poppy.


    "You are just an illegitimate child of the Jin family."


    Her words so casually stabbed Jin Yao''s heart.


    "Normally, you are not even good enough to polish my shoes, so what right do you have to demand things in my face?"


    "I¡­" Jin Yao started, and his voice was hoarse.


    Clap¡ª


    A crisp sound interrupted the rest of his words.


    Jin Yao turned his head away, his face burning.


    He stretched out his hand to cover the place where he had been slapped and looked at Yue Ran in disbelief.


    Yue Ran elegantly retracted her hand. She still had a gentle and beautiful smile on her face.


    Jin Yao was reflected in her eyes; he could see himself looking immeasurably shocked.


    "I asked Rui Qin to apologise to me, but that doesn''t mean that you can point fingers at me."


    Yue Ran''s voice was very soft, with a hint of coolness.


    "Don''t order me; otherwise, next time, it won''t be as simple as a slap."


    Jin Yao turned his face away. He was now completely despondent and had shut down. He was too weary and heartsick to say anything else.


    He¡­


    He may have lost Yue Ran.


    There is no longer a possibility to be with Yue Ran once he has chosen to defend Rui Qin, is there?


    What has been done cannot be undone.


    He had lost...


    He... regretted it.


    He regretted defending Rui Qin.


    Because of this, he had lost Yue Ran forever¡­


    "Jin Yao''s favorability +2"


    "Jin Yao''s current favorability is 100"


    "Congratulations, Master!" Ruan Ruan cheered. "Jin Yao''s favorability score has reached 100; does Master want to lock it?"


    Yue Ran couldn''t help laughing; her eyes bent into a beautiful crescent shape.


    "Do you even need to ask, Ruan Ruan?"


    "Right, Master!" Ruan Ruan exclaimed joyfully. "Jin Yao''s favorability score is now locked!"


    "Good job, Ruan Ruan."


    Rui Qin secretly rejoiced.


    How could Yue Ran be so stupid? Isn''t she directly pushing Jin Yao toward herself?


    But then again, why was she still laughing so happily?


    Never mind that. What she needed to do now was comfort Jin Yao''s obviously broken heart!


    "Yue Ran! You are too much! How can you say that about Jin Yao and even slap him? Jin Yao didn''t choose his background by choice!" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After saying this, Rui Qin looked at Jin Yao distressingly.


    "Don''t be sad, Jin Yao; just pretend that everything she says is a fart!"


    "No, what Yue Ran said is the truth." A fragile smile appeared on Jin Yao''s face. "I am indeed the illegitimate child of the Jin family."


    Yue Ran shifted his gaze away from Jin Yao and toward the female protagonist.


    Now that Jin Yao''s favorability score has reached 100, there is no longer a need to pay attention to him; after all, his use is already over.


    She raised a hand and delivered another loud clap, even louder than the one she had struck Jin Yao with before.


    Ah, that was satisfying.


    The room descended into silence after her action.


    Jin Yao was too depressed to react.


    Yang Chi was shocked.


    Jiang Yi was also shocked.


    But both Yang Chi and Jiang Yi were also happy at the same time.


    They were more focused on the fact that Jin Yao was now out of the picture, and so they surely have more chances to stay by Yue Ran''s side!


    Jiang Yi''s heart was warm whenever he thought of Yue Ran''s kind deeds toward him. She had helped his younger brother; she had accompanied his mother, a patient in the hospital, and even secretly settled his mother''s operation fee without his knowledge. If it had not been for his mother''s words, he would''ve been kept in the dark forever.


    Yue Ran was a really kindhearted person who would do good deeds without leaving a name behind.


    As for why Yue Ran had slapped Rui Qin, it was because Rui Qin did something unforgivable that would''ve ruined Yue Ran''s whole life and tarnished her reputation if she did not happen to have the evidence against Rui Qin.


    Rui Qin was clearly asking for a slap. Therefore, Yue Ran was not in the wrong at all.


    "Aren''t you going to apologize properly, Rui Qin?"


    Yue Ran slapped Rui Qin on the other side of her face with another loud clap.


    "Don''t look at me like that; I was clearly doing you a favor by laying out the slaps on your face in perfect symmetry."


    "Yue Ran!" Rui Qin shouted hysterically, her composure all but gone.


    "I can hear you; there''s no need for you to shout so loudly, ugh." Yue Ran looked at Rui Qin in disgust and lightly rubbed her ears. "Are you some kind of banshee?"


    "You¡ª!" Rui Qin breathed in and out, taking in heavy breaths. "Since I''ve said my apology, I''ll leave first."


    Rui Qin, seeming to have prepared for a long time, had dashed out of the room. The last look she gave Yue Ran was flooded with maliciousness.


    "Hey, I''m not done yet!" Yue Ran yelled behind her, trying to catch up.

 Chapter 35 - 35: White Rich Beauty (35)

    But unfortunately, she was stopped and pulled back, her body crashing into a hard one.


    "Ouch!" Yue Ran exclaimed.


    Yue Ran looked up to meet Yang Chi''s eyes.


    "Yang Chi!" She said this angrily and struggled against his hold. "Let me go!" She delivered a punch to his chest. Her power was so light and ineffectual that Yang Chi didn''t even budge. "Are you also trying to defend Rui Qin by letting her get away?"


    She narrowed her eyes accusingly at the man.


    "What? No!" Yang Chi quickly defended himself. "Why would I do that?"


    "Then why are you stopping me from chasing her out?" Yue Ran spoke so furiously. "It''s because of you that I can''t even have my revenge!" She then huffed and looked at him with open dislike. "Anyway, why aren''t you letting me go just yet?"


    "Well, I--"


    "Enough of this." Jiang Yi intervened in between the two and held Yang Chi''s wrist tightly in his hold. "Let her go."


    He didn''t like how close they were.


    "Who are you to order me?" Yang Chi sneered, not at all fazed by Jiang Yi''s show of anger.


    Jiang Yi is just a paper tiger in his eyes.


    But just before the confrontation could escalate into a possible physical one, much to Yue Ran''s disappointment, Mu Chen appeared, putting the conflict to a halt.


    He entered through the open door of the private room with a smile¡ªthat was not a smile¡ªon his face.


    "Good evening, everyone."


    The heated situation inside the room froze for a moment, then became tense in an instant.


    Yue Ran only raised a brow at Mu Chen''s sudden appearance.


    "Why are you here?" she asked.


    "If I don''t come any faster, my future wife may have been abducted." Mu Chen chuckled darkly.


    It was a laugh that promised danger.


    Mu Chen took the handkerchief handed over by his subordinate and wiped his hands slowly. He had just dealt with a traitor himself before coming here, and his hand was still stained with some blood.


    After making sure that his hands were spotlessly clean, he approached Yue Ran.


    God knows how angry he was when he heard from his subordinate that Yue Ran was staying alone with three adult men in one of the private rooms in the bar of his hotel.


    When he was informed of this news, he came as fast as he could to declare his sovereignty over his beloved. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This trio of redundant men...


    So what if they like Yue Ran? Yue Ran will still be his and his alone in the future!


    "What are you talking about?" Yang Chi retorted angrily. "Yue Ran is my fiancee and my future wife!"


    Yang Chi couldn''t understand why Yue Ran suddenly became so popular that so many people came rushing to court her here and there!


    And what should he do?


    Naturally, he would also declare his sovereignty over his beloved.


    Mu Chen easily pulled Yue Ran to his side before responding with a smile to Yang Chi''s words, "Oh, but I don''t think that you are Yue Ran''s fiancee anymore."


    "What do you mean?"


    Yang Chi was angered by Mu Chen''s words.


    He knew that the Yang family could compete with Mu Chen, who was titled the King of the Underworld, in terms of financial strength. But in terms of the number of connections and manpower, Yang Chi could only reluctantly admit that his family definitely falls short in comparison to Mu Chen.


    If Mu Chen decided to threaten the Yang family, Yang Chi was not sure if his father would still stick to the marriage contract agreed upon by the two families. He clearly knew that his father only agreed to this because of the benefits that the Yue family could bring to the Yang family.


    "What do you mean?" Yang Chi repeated when Mu Chen did not answer.


    Mu Chen slowly seated Yue Ran before occupying the chair beside her. With a clap of his hand, his subordinates placed a glass of red wine in front of Mu Chen and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran slowly took a sip and instantly felt refreshed.


    Traveling around with Mu Chen is always this relaxing. It was something that she could truly get used to.


    She then rested a hand on her face and resumed watching the war of words between Mu Chen and her other strategy targets.


    "Your father had so easily agreed to break off this ridiculous engagement," Mu Chen said.


    There seem to be so many threats hidden behind his words and tone. But Mu Chen''s deed did indeed free Yue Ran from this shackle¡ªYang Chi¡ªin a sense.


    "I disagree!" Yang Chi roared angrily.


    He only wanted to vent out his anger since he knew that he and Yue Ran no longer had any sort of connection that could bind them together.


    He now clearly understood just how incompetent he was compared to others and was thus furious!


    He dared not look into Yue Ran''s eyes.


    He was looking anywhere but her eyes.


    His heart was suffocated.


    Seeing Yang Chi''s current state, Yue Ran tilted her head in confusion.


    "You don''t like me, so why are you so angry?"


    There was only pure doubt in her voice.


    These simple words were like dumping a bucket of ice-cold water on Yang Chi''s face, freezing him to the bones. The angry expression on his face stiffened.


    He suddenly felt ridiculous.


    Yeah, why was he even angry at Mu Chen''s words other than having his dignity trampled all over by the man?


    It wasn''t like he really liked Yue Ran, right?


    ¡­Right?


    He laughed at himself.


    "Yeah, I don''t like you." Yang Chi said this through gritted teeth. "I''m not angry at all; on the contrary, I''m actually very happy!"


    After he finished his last sentence, he stormed out of the room and left.


    Mu Chen caressed Yue Ran''s head with satisfaction and delight, feeling that the confused expression on her face was really adorable.

 Chapter 36 - 36: White Rich Beauty (36)

    Whether Yue Ran said those words intentionally or unintentionally, she had helped him get rid of one of her suitors without much effort on her part.


    Yue Ran was also happy to get rid of one of the three persistent male protagonists. Mu Chen was a really good partner in helping her do this deed!


    She wanted to relax before the next part of the plot started, and having the three male protagonists hovering around her just wouldn''t do the trick, especially when they clearly had no more will to fight.


    Boring.


    Sure enough, Mu Chen did not disappoint Yue Ran''s expectations that were set for him. She only flashed an apologetic smile at Jiang Yi as he reluctantly left the room with a dejected back.


    As for Jin Yao, Yue Ran doesn''t even bother to give him a look.


    There was an unspeakable pain in Jin Yao''s heart, and he forced out a smile on his face before he stepped out of the room.


    "Yue Ran, I am sorry¡­" There were so many words he wanted to say, but only a question escaped his lips. "Do I still have a chance?"


    Does he still have a chance, even if just a little bit?


    Would you still look at me?


    Unexpectedly, Yue Ran answered him back with a laugh; her head tilted back and her smiling eyes sparkled with joy, as if she had heard the greatest joke of a lifetime.


    Even at this moment, her heartless self still looked so beautiful.


    Wiping a nonexistent tear from her face, she leaned her head on Mu Chen''s shoulder and said with a soft sigh, "Why don''t you be of use to me, then maybe I''ll like you back again?"


    Jin Yao felt a throbbing pain in his heart...


    Then nothing.


    "¡­Will you really like me back again by then?"


    "I''ll think about it," she said a little too carelessly, and she gave Jin Yao a perfunctory nod.


    Jin Yao lowered his eyes. "That''s enough."


    His heart was sour and unbearable, and his eyes were a little red.


    The past is really the past.


    What has been done cannot be undone.


    For now¡­


    As long as he can still take up a little space in Yue Ran''s heart, it''s enough.


    As long as she still thinks of him occasionally, it''s enough. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As long as that is the case, he will do his very best to be of use to her.


    It''s enough.


    He smiled depreciatingly at himself.


    He wanted to give up, but he couldn''t bear to part with that trace of sweetness.


    He''s really cheap.


    "Then, I''ll leave first."


    Yue Ran only gave a small hum in response.


    With a wave of Mu Chen''s hand, his subordinates also leave the room. And now, there were only Yue Ran and Mu Chen left.


    "Will you really like him again?" Mu Chen pinched Yue Ran''s cheek and stared at her dangerously.


    Although his look and his words sounded threatening, his actions were contrary to what he had shown outside.


    The hold on her cheek felt so light and gentle.


    "What do you think?" Yue Ran raised her small chin delicately. Although she looked proud, she didn''t look annoying. Instead, it made people want to touch her head.


    And so he did.


    "You are so naughty." Mu Chen pulled Yue Ran close and patted her head. "Why are you provoking so many men?"


    Yue Ran rolled her eyes.


    "I didn''t provoke them, but they are the ones attaching themselves to me; what can I do?"


    After saying this, she stared pointedly at Mu Chen. Her eyes were saying: And aren''t you one of them as well?


    Mu Chen responded with a non-committal grunt and went silent.


    "Is it possible to blame my beautiful face and charming personality?"


    Yue Ran turned on the front camera of her phone and looked at the beautiful woman on the screen.


    "Very beautiful indeed." She nodded to herself.


    The corners of Mu Chen''s mouth twitched, but he couldn''t refute her words. After all, apart from Yue Ran''s unpredictable temper, there was really nothing to say about her beautiful face and charming personality.


    On her phone screen, he could see her beautiful features¡ªvermillion lips slightly raised and long, curled eyelashes casting shadows on her sparkling eyes.


    As if sensing his gaze, she gave him a wink through the screen.


    Mu Chen''s heart skipped a beat. He immediately pulled Yue Ran into his arms and said, "You look so attractive. If you plan to date a man, how about you consider me?"


    "Just you?"


    Yue Ran lifted her head to look at him with a raised brow, staring at his features in contemplation.


    "What advantages do you have to ask me to settle down for you?"


    She pressed a finger to his forehead and lightly pushed him away.


    "Why should I give up the whole forest for you, a tree?"


    Mu Chen smiled wickedly, but he was not angry at her words. He pulled her close to him again, their foreheads touching.


    "Firstly, you saved my life," he said. "And second, I owe your mother a favor." He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Isn''t this a destined marriage?"


    "You owe my mother a favor?" Yue Ran pulled her head back and looked at him curiously. "I know nothing about this."


    "That''s a story for another time, darling."


    Yue Ran narrowed her eyes. "Right¡­"


    "Besides, I''m handsome, rich, and powerful." Mu Chen began showing himself off as if he were a product for sale in an advertisement. "If you want the stars, I''ll pick the stars for you; if you want the moon, I''ll pick the moon for you; so why isn''t this worth settling down for you?"


    "What if I want the sun?" Yue Ran asked.


    "Then I''ll give you the sun."


    "The rain?"


    "The rain too."


    "Mountains, rivers, and seas?"


    "I will give you the world, all that you ask for, and even more." Mu Chen answered solemnly, as if he were stating an oath, a pledge, and a promise. "I will make you happy."


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed in thought.


    She tilted her head and looked at the man with a thoughtful expression, waiting for him to grow nervous.


    Mu Chen''s breath caught in his throat. His stomach unknowingly twisted into knots as he waited with bated breath for a reply to his offer.


    Then she burst out laughing.


    "You may be rich, handsome, and powerful, but do you really plan to be with me when you''re already this old?"


    The man was stunned for a moment before an ecstatic expression blossomed on his face.


    "So, you''ve promised to be with me? I didn''t hear a no!" His smile couldn''t conceal his happiness. "Moreover, seven years is not too big of an age gap, darling; your husband is not old."


    Yue Ran pinched the man''s cheek with a look of disgust on her face.


    "Husband?" She raised a brow. "Dream on!" She rolled her eyes.


    "Not a dream."


    "You''re so clingy." She complained when she found herself once again brought into his embrace.


    "You''ve promised me." Mu Chen hugged Yue Ran tightly and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead.

 Chapter 37 - 37: White Rich Beauty (37)

    "Just so you know, this product has no refund and no return policy; you''re stuck with me for life, darling."


    Yue Ran rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."


    The smile in her eyes deepened when she stared straight into his eyes. She cupped his face with both hands and kissed him on the lips in return.


    "I like you," she suddenly said.


    Mu Chen was startled.


    He opened his eyes wide, his breath catching in his throat.


    Yue Ran had never once voiced her feelings for him before. Even after she had accepted to date him just a few moments ago, he was still not sure if she would ever tell him that she liked him.


    He never expected any of this, so he was surprised.


    Very much so.


    "Mu Chen''s favorability +1"


    "Mu Chen''s current favorability is 98"


    "What did you say?" Only a question slipped out of his lips.


    The disbelief on his face was obvious.


    "I said, I like you," she repeated slowly. "I like you, Mu Chen." She smiled softly. "Do you like me, too?"


    "Like," he replied hoarsely. "I like you so much."


    "Really?" she asked.


    "Hmm," he hummed. "Really."


    Yue Ran couldn''t help laughing; her eyes were curved into a beautiful crescent shape. "Then can you like me a little bit more?"


    "I can," he answered readily.


    "Mu Chen''s favorability +1"


    "Mu Chen''s current favorability is 99"


    The system notifications sounded, but Yue Ran was still not satisfied.


    "A little bit more." She pinched his face.


    It''s just one more point away from a hundred.


    "I did." Mu Chen said it a little aggrievedly.


    Yue Ran raised her chin arrogantly and snorted, "Still not enough."


    Mu Chen wrapped his hands around her waist tightly. "How about I show you how much I like you?"


    He inched his face close to hers, but Yue Ran immediately held up a hand and stuck it to his lower face to stop him from continuing his actions.


    "No," she said.


    He blinked, meaning: Do you really not want to kiss me?


    "No," she said again.


    He blinked again, meaning: Are you sure?


    "Yes, I am sure."


    Then he licked her hand.


    Yue Ran immediately pulled away the hand that was licked with a disgusted expression, then repeatedly rubbed the palm that was licked on Mu Chen''s coat.


    Mu Chen chuckled. He caught the hand on his coat and said, "Don''t hate my saliva, darling."


    "I don''t hate it."


    His eyes brightened with her response.


    "Oh right, I saw a girl running away from inside the room before; what happened?"


    "What, are you interested in her?" Yue Ran narrowed her eyes dangerously at the man.


    "No, of course not." Mu Chen raised both of his hands in surrender. "I would never, when I have you."


    To be honest, he couldn''t even remember the woman''s face.


    "Hmm," she hummed suspiciously. "I''ll let you go for now."


    He sighed in relief.


    "But if I catch you with her, you will wish that you were not alive."


    "I understand, wife."


    "Who''s your wife?" Yue Ran pushed the man''s face away from hers. "And stop getting so close to me."


    "Never, but do you not like her?" He asked a little curiously.


    There are many people that his girlfriend doesn''t like, but this one seemed a little different.


    "Close, but not completely right."


    Mu Chen: ?


    "I hate her, I despise her, and I wish she would live a life worse than death," Yue Ran said slowly, her red lips arched into a breathtaking smile.


    She was not an innocent little girl. Mu Chen already knew that from the start.


    But her wickedness only drew him in.


    So beautiful.


    When her gaze shifted to him, he noticed the deep affection in her eyes.


    "You shouldn''t do anything to hurt me, you know," she said. "You shouldn''t break my heart."


    His heart was beating wildly, and a huge smile spread across his face.


    "Never," he said.


    "Then I''ll trust you."


    "I will never break your trust."


    "Okay."


    Then she''ll just break his.


    A dark light flickered past her eyes.


    The man in front of her was not so innocent after all.


    When the original body was oppressed by the three male protagonists'' power here and there, Mu Chen, the villain in the plot, actually added to her pain and suffering!


    The original body had no choice but to die by suicide to escape all the harm done to her because she was suffering a living hell on earth.


    When Jin Yao sold her original body to a village in the mountains that used women as birthing tools for men, she considered fleeing.


    Many, many times, in fact.


    And she did actually successfully escape the village.


    But why did she commit suicide? S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was all because every time she had successfully escaped this inhumane village, despite the handicapped situation created by both Yang Chi and Jiang Yi, she was always found out by Mu Chen''s subordinates.


    Every escape was difficult for her. She was either discovered by the villagers and beaten for not being obedient to them, or she was discovered by one of Mu Chen''s men, who then returned her to the village for more beatings.


    She was always left with only a few breaths left in her.


    But the fire in her heart kept her breathing and kept her surviving.


    Unfortunately, even fire could be extinguished by the continuous waves and waves of icy cold water hurled at her.


    One day, she just gave up and committed suicide herself.


    There was no longer any spark of hope in her to keep her going.


    Mu Chen was the last straw that broke the original owner.


    She was devastated.


    She was alone.


    She was broken.


    And no one was there to help her pick up the pieces.


    The already cracked inner pieces of the original owner finally shattered into nothingness.


    The Yue family ended up badly, and only the female protagonist and her men had their happy ending.


    The smile on her face turned more and more sweet, following her darker thoughts.

 Chapter 38 - 38: White Rich Beauty (38)

    When Yue Ran found herself stunned, blindfolded, and trussed up with ropes inside a suspicious-looking van, she knew that the task was finally coming to an end.


    It has been a few weeks since the incident involving the meeting of all protagonists in the private room, and Yue Ran has had to deal with three male protagonists who have come to her university to find her every day since.


    The female student body was so full of envy and jealousy towards Yue Ran that she could feel it even from a mile away.


    Yue Ran gave an inward sigh.


    It was hard to be beautiful.


    The female student body would always lament the loss and turn green with envy whenever they saw three young, handsome, and promising men humbly chasing after Yue Ran''s tail wherever she went.


    They turned even more depressed when they saw Yue Ran''s reaction. Whether she gave the three a look or response depended only on her present mood. But they would mostly witness her lack of enthusiasm.


    Is that why people say that what goes around comes around?


    Yue Ran used to chase after Jiang Yi and Jin Yao so enthusiastically and be so high-profile about it. But now those two men could only try their best to catch even a passing glance from her.


    No wonder people used to say that what is not available is always the best.


    The favorability scores of three men¡ªJiang Yi, Yang Chi, and Mu Chen¡ªwere now in the 98 to 99 range. The numbers have almost reached 100, nearly to completion.


    That was why Yue Ran had been relaxing while passing the days, not planning to make any move. She was waiting for the plot shift, waiting for the moment when the female protagonist would take her action.


    As long as the female protagonist does, Yue Ran would be able to take her revenge on her and make the other three men''s favorability reach a hundred!


    When the blindfold around Yue Ran''s head was ripped off, glaring rays of white light rushed into her eyes. With eyes unused to light, she squinted until her eyes had adjusted before looking at her surroundings.


    It looks like she''s in an abandoned warehouse at night.


    Sticking to the original body''s character, she said with an angry and frowning face, "Where is this? How dare you kidnap me; don''t you know who I am? As long as I get out of here, I''ll make sure that every one of you will never live in peace!"


    Guttural laughter rang out inside the abandoned warehouse.


    The kidnappers were not angry at her words, seeming as if they had heard these phrases many times before.


    "Hey, this noble miss is really different from us rough men." One man folded his hands.


    "Such white and tender skin, how exciting!" Another one licked his lips and stared at her with a lecherous gaze.


    In their eyes, Yue Ran was just a little girl, and her threats were not even remotely threatening.


    Once she was plunged into the abyss, she would always be called upon every single day to work without rest. Nobody could ever escape, whether she was a noble and wealthy daughter or an ordinary woman.


    Now that they have caught the right target, it is time to contact Ms. Rui for the other half of the settlement.


    The kidnapper with the phone put their conversation on speaker so that his other partners could hear Rui Qin''s answer.


    "Don''t worry, the money will be sent to you after I get the videos." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You can just play with Yue Ran, but make sure not to break her body; I want her to feel hopeless¡ªso very hopeless once her virginity is robbed by the vulgar peasants in the mountain village!"


    "You should now have fun teaching her a lesson, and don''t forget to send me those videos!"


    Rui Qin felt very refreshed at the moment.


    She still did not forget the two slaps delivered by Yue Ran.


    Now that she has her revenge, how could she possibly not feel the least bit happy? She was ecstatic¡ªso ecstatic that nothing could break her current mood!


    All she had to do was just find a few unscrupulous desperados, who had just come out of prison and had no moral or ethical issues, and hire them to catch Yue Ran and do her bidding.


    The men around Yue Ran slowly walked towards her with evil smiles on their faces.


    Their faces were so hideous that Yue Ran couldn''t help but cringe away from such a sight. Where were the handsome guys when she needed them so that she could wash her eyes with those attractive faces?


    "This is so troublesome." Yue Ran complained to Ruan Ruan in her mind.


    She had assumed that she would be sold off immediately to the villagers in the mountain village, where she would wait for the protagonists to see her miserable state and then commit suicide on the spot.


    But, of course, things didn''t go as planned. The female protagonist just had to make her life harder than it already is. And these ignorant people just had to insist on messing with her!


    She should''ve known that those two slaps would bite her back in the end!


    So annoying!


    Yue Ran lowered her head so that no one could see her expression clearly.


    "Are you sure you want to provoke me?" She asked.


    In the large warehouse, her voice was very soft, gradually dissipating in the air.


    Are you sure you can afford the consequences after doing so?


    She raised her head, and everyone could see the big smile on her face.


    She was waiting for an answer.


    "Provoke you?" One of the men gave a chortle. "Of course we want to provoke you!"


    "Aren''t you happy to have fun with us, little girl?"


    "We will bring you up to the heavens in the end!"


    "You should feel honored!"


    "You people are really scum of the earth!" Yue Ran shot them a disgusted look, then her eyes glimmered with a strange glow.

 Chapter 39 - 39: White Rich Beauty (39)

    Yue Ran shot them a disgusted look, then her eyes glimmered with a strange glow. "It''s really interesting to see if you can still say the same later."


    All the men shared a wild laugh. None of them believed her words; after all, what else could a weak and delicate woman do?


    However, it was always interesting to see how a woman would act so aggressively at first, then watch her sink into the dust before their very eyes!


    Yue Ran turned her hands several times. The ropes that bound her hands came easily undone with several light movements.


    She then stood up, patting the dust off her dress, and smiled brightly at the men that were inching closer to her with every step they took.


    "Since you''ve made me unhappy, don''t blame me for entertaining you people instead." Yue Ran ran her hands through her long, black hair, which was a little untidy. "I hope you guys will be as happy when you find yourselves in my place."


    Those kidnappers all thought that Yue Ran only had the ability to untie knots but was still weak and couldn''t beat them off anyway. They were confident that she could not fight off all six grown men with that small and delicate body of hers.


    But the next moment made them instantly change their minds.


    The surroundings suddenly turned cold and dead.


    The air was thick and oppressive. It smelled of smoke and burned meat.


    There was a palpable sense of despair.


    Everything was bathed in a red glow.


    The ground they stepped on darkened, and streams of blood came seeping from the walls and ceiling and down to the ground.


    The smell was strong; it was fresh.


    "Are you a human or a monster?"


    The six men panicked at the sudden change in environment. They trembled and huddled together in fear. The air of death was seeping into their very skins.


    They have never believed in supernatural powers or events¡ªthings that go beyond scientific understanding and the laws of nature.


    But who could explain how Yue Ran could change their terrain with just a snap of her fingers? No illusion could do such a realistic thing!


    They were certain that none of them had consumed or injected drugs prior to Yue Ran''s kidnapping, so hallucinations were ruled out.


    Nothing about this was realistic!


    Everything around them felt terrible!


    Yue Ran rolled her eyes at their similar reactions.


    If they were so easily scared now, what would happen to them later, when more surprises were waiting to greet them?


    Thankfully, Yue Ran''s soul was tempered in the cultivation world while she played as an immortal cultivator. Even if her body was that of a mortal, her soul was still that of a cultivator''s. And thus, utilizing spiritual power was not much of a hassle, especially in the lower worlds.


    But it was still such a waste to squander such power on insignificant beings.


    If Ruan Ruan had not told her that the four men would arrive late, Yue Ran would not have wasted her powers on teaching these six kidnappers a lesson.


    She would never let herself be touched by any of them!


    What goes around eventually comes around.


    What the kidnappers did in the past will be paid back at this moment in time and forever more, haunting them even in death.


    "I hate them!"


    "I''m so sad¡­"


    "I want revenge!"


    "I resent¡­"


    Dark and gloomy shadows appeared all around Yue Ran like a black sea. Chatter filled her surroundings, bringing despair, dread, and death along with their presences.


    For a moment, it felt as if all the negativity and evil in the world filled the area.


    Pandora''s box has been opened.


    "Do you want revenge?" Yue Ran asked.


    She couldn''t help but sigh inwardly at how much she was sacrificing for this task. Her beautiful dress would get dirty again after this.


    Yue Ran is a person who loves cleanliness. If it weren''t for the Lord God, who so suddenly threw her into this world, she would have never allowed herself to stay in such a messy environment!


    Silence descended on the area. But it was only a moment before the shadows'' roars and shrieks reached a crescendo.


    "Want!"


    "I want my revenge!"


    "Let them suffer!" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We resent!"


    "We hate!"


    "We want our revenge!"


    Even with all the pent-up anger that these souls carry, they still dared not get close to Yue Ran for fear of offending her.


    "You can haunt them from now on."


    With a wave of her hand, the shadows attached themselves to the six men. Words of gratitude flowed into her ears as she let out a soft yawn.


    Those wronged souls finally had a chance to get their revenge.


    They were satisfied, feeling so pleased when they saw the horror in these six men''s eyes.


    "You¡ªyou, aren''t you all dead?!"


    Those wronged souls were the innocent lives killed by the kidnappers. They would rather give up the opportunity of being reincarnated to get one chance at taking their rightful revenge on the six.


    "Help!"


    "Forgive me, forgive me!"


    "I''m sorry!"


    But those six men''s cries fell on deaf ears.


    The six men had never experienced such aggrievedness in their entire lives, and they were helpless about it. There was nothing they could do to prevent the horrors that they were currently facing.


    Yue Ran let out another yawn, feeling a little bored while she waited for the ghosts to have their fill before she''d drag one of the six men away to do her bidding.


    Shrieks of laughter and screams of horror filled the building in the moonless night. Cries and howls echoed in every crevice of the building.


    Half an hour had passed, and Yue Ran casually dragged a man, who was bawling his eyes out, out of the infinite darkness.


    Her eyes were only filled with disgust as she stared at the man that she had tugged along.


    He should''ve thought twice before doing evil. What these men did to those innocent mortals was way worse than what they were currently experiencing right now.


    Yue Ran searched his pocket and found a pocket knife in it. She took the man''s hand and slashed across his palm.


    Fresh blood immediately gushed out from the open wound.


    Yue Ran ignored the exclamation coming from the man and splashed the blood on her dress, her skin, and her face. She also ripped the ends of her dress with her own hands and used the pocket knife to slash out a few parts of her baby pink dress before staining it with more blood.


    The man dared not let out a word of protest all throughout. He was afraid that Yue Ran would once again push him into the pitch-black hellhole full of ghosts.


    At least the girl in front of him still looked human, and he didn''t have to go through the mental torture inflicted on those innocent lives he killed.


    And whether Yue Ran is a human or not, he didn''t even know it himself, nor did he want to know more.


    He only wished to get out of here alive!


    But he didn''t know that even if Yue Ran had let them go, those ghosts wouldn''t.


    Sure, these men could go out alive after this experience, but they will forever be haunted by the ghosts of the pasts for the rest of their lives.

 Chapter 40 - 40: White Rich Beauty (40)

    "Phone." Yue Ran held out a hand to the man.


    "Phone... phone?" The man stared at her blankly before his eyes lit up with understanding. "Right, phone."


    He searched through his pockets before handing it over to Yue Ran with both hands, followed by a respectful bow.


    Yue Ran ignored the man''s actions, only focusing on her appearance on the phone screen.


    The girl on the screen looked poor and pitiful. Her eyes were wide from crying, her dress was ragged and in tatters, her hair was untidy, her white porcelain skin was tainted with dust, and her slim figure was also covered in blood.


    Even with all this, she still looked incredibly beautiful, as if an innocent angel had fallen from the heavens and been stained with mortal dust.


    It was heartbreaking to see such a tragic sight, yet such a feast for the eyes.


    She nodded to herself, satisfied with what she had seen.


    "Come and take pictures." Yue Ran handed the phone back to the man.


    After directing the man to take pictures of her, albeit with much effort since the man kept on trembling so pathetically all throughout, Yue Ran herself quickly sent those photos to Rui Qin.


    Seeing the extraordinary beauty in the picture, Rui Qin pulled on her hair and screamed dissatisfiedly.


    "How could Yue Ran still look so¡­ so¡­ pretty after all this?"


    She gritted her teeth at the word "pretty," which she had forcefully uttered out of her mouth.


    After another round of shouting, Rui Qin felt better, but she was still dissatisfied, so she made another request to those kidnappers.


    She sent: "Destroy her face for me, and I''ll add another million to the total payment!"


    Yue Ran''s eyes sharpened at the text message she received.


    Among all things, she values her appearance the most. And if someone dares to harm her beautiful face...


    Just say that no one could get a good ending after attempting so.


    Yue Ran threw the phone back to the man and ignored Rui Qin''s last message. She didn''t plan to pay attention to the female protagonist any longer.


    Those chat records and pictures on Rui Qin''s phone would be discovered by Jin Yao in the end.


    There was no longer a need for her to make a move; she just had to wait for her rescue.


    The rescue of a villainous female supporting character is always late, if they have one at all. Damage will always be done long before such rescues.


    How unfair.


    Female protagonists will always have the world consciousness'' preference. No irreversible damage would be done to them. Even if there were, all of it could be fixed with help from outside.


    Hope would always be present for them, unlike the rest.


    Yue Ran dragged the man to the van outside the abandoned warehouse and circled herself to sit beside the driver''s seat.


    The man got the hint and quickly sat himself in the driver''s seat, ready to follow through on Yue Ran''s every command.


    "Drive and sell me."


    The man''s already trembling figure began to quake even more.


    "U-u-understood."


    Although he had no idea just what Yue Ran was thinking, he also did not dare to ask. Therefore, all he could do was follow the orders given to a T.


    Nothing could go wrong with this.


    But he didn''t know that the shadows were following behind him, ready to pounce when Yue Ran didn''t need him any longer.


    ?? ? ??


    "Why don''t you speak?" Jin Yao shouted. "Where did you take her?"


    Jin Yao had used his superb hacking skills to find out about Yue Ran''s urgent news.


    Some might call it stalking, but he couldn''t care less as long as he could see her and be aware of her every move, both from a distance and up close.


    Hence, he had found out that Rui Qin was the perpetrator of Yue Ran''s kidnapping, but his current and utmost priority was to find Yue Ran and ensure her safety.


    With much time wasted, he was only painstakingly able to find one of the six kidnappers. But the man''s spirit was already very abnormal when Jin Yao found him, and the man kept on muttering, "It''s not me, it''s not me, please don''t look for me, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, it''s not me..."


    "Who¡­ who are you talking about?"


    "Yue Ran, where did you take Yue Ran to?"


    Yue Ran?


    Hearing this name, the man felt the urge to cry out, then kneel down to apologize to her and beg for mercy.


    He did kneel down, but he couldn''t utter Yue Ran''s name out loud at all! S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was as if something was restricting him from doing so!


    The man widened his eyes in astonishment. His not-so-intelligent brain suddenly, by some miracle, figured things out!


    His current phenomenon was most likely caused by Yue Ran, who didn''t want him to tell just what kinds of powers she had used on them, so he can''t actually speak anything out now. Moreover, he truly had no idea just where Yue Ran could be at the present moment.


    During that night, he had luckily escaped from the swarming ghosts, leaving behind his partners in crime. But his condition didn''t change as those wronged souls stuck to him like glue and kept haunting his days from morning to night, 24/7.


    It was already a good thing that he hasn''t yet gone completely crazy.


    The current situation doesn''t allow the man to talk about Yue Ran at all, and Jin Yao wouldn''t let such a kidnapper go, for this man had already harmed Yue Ran!


    But the man suddenly remembered that he and the other five men were originally going to sell Yue Ran to the Fei Jia village in the mountains¡ªso Yue Ran must be there now, right?


    He wasn''t exactly sure, but that was his best bet and the only thing he could confess at the moment.


    "I-I''ll confess! I know where Ms. Yue is!" The man shouted.


    "Well, why don''t you speak?" Jin Yao said impatiently, his brows furrowed in frustration.


    "Ms. Yue is in B City, Fei Jia Village!" The man said, "Please let me go; I really don''t know anything else!"

 Chapter 41 - 41: White Rich Beauty (41)

    After saying these few normal words, the man suddenly went crazy again with his mutterings, as if he had gone stupid in a split second.


    The group of ghosts haunting the man could not be seen by Jin Yao. They only ceased their mental attacks on the man for a moment so that the man could leave behind a clue for Jin Yao as per instructions from Yue Ran.


    Jin Yao didn''t know whether the man''s action was a pretense or not, but the location spouted by the man was his best bet.


    It was the only option available to him.


    Jin Yao and Mu Chen looked at one another and left the scene. Only a few of Mu Chen''s men were left to deal with the now-crazy man.


    They were working together when they found out that Yue Ran suddenly went missing. Jin Yao''s extraordinary hacking skills combined with Mu Chen''s manpower were the most efficient combo.


    Their only lead came from Rui Qin''s phone, which contained text messages and photos of Yue Ran''s deteriorating condition. Those did not make them feel any better, for they panicked after seeing them.


    Although they had never heard of this Fei Jia Village, both knew that it was not a good place! Moreover, this B City was located in the most barren place in the whole country!


    Fei Jia village was not even located in the GPS! There was no way to find it even with Jin Yao''s hacking skills, but he could only continue trying.


    Mu Chen gritted his teeth.


    Yue Ran was abducted right under his nose, even when he had explicitly told his men to keep an eye on her every movement!


    He could only blame himself for this, and there was no place to vent this pent-up anger that was boiling inside him.


    Now that they had a clue as to where Yue Ran was, there was no longer a need for the two to cooperate. It''s still better to act independently since they were, after all, still rivals in love.


    Mu Chen was the first to drive away, leaving Jin Yao behind with black clouds of exhaust.


    Jin Yao coughed uncomfortably and quickly rented a car to drive to B City.


    They don''t know what would happen to Yue Ran if they arrived any later, and they dare not imagine what has happened to her at present!


    When Jin Yao was passing by a block of flats, his road was suddenly hindered by two suspiciously familiar cars. When the owners of the cars both got out, Jin Yao finally realized who they were¡ªJiang Yi and Yang Chi.


    Jin Yao begrudgingly got out of his rented car with a frustrated sigh. Those two would not move out of the way until he gave them a somewhat satisfying explanation as quickly as he could.


    The faster he could get this over with, the faster his search for Yue Ran''s whereabouts would be.


    "We know that Yue Ran is missing," Jiang Yi said with a rare look of anxiety on his face. "Is that why you took off so suddenly?"


    It was obvious who the "we" in his sentence were referring to¡ªJiang Yi himself and Yang Chi.


    Jin Yao''s face darkened with Jiang Yi''s words.


    "If you know, then get out of the way and just follow behind."


    Jin Yao didn''t have time to argue with them, so he would be better off explaining things briefly before riding off with those two tails behind him. Let''s just treat this as having more manpower and thus more strength.


    But before he could, Yang Chi had already shouted first.


    "You should at least explain things!" He roared.


    "Yue Ran was kidnapped by the six men that Rui Qin had hired." Jin Yao ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He hadn''t had the time to take care of his appearance ever since he found out about Yue Ran''s sudden disappearance until now.


    "WHAT?!" Yang Chi shouted disbelievingly. "Rui Qin?!"


    Jin Yao flashed Yang Chi a rather strange glance.


    Was Yang Chi really that surprised to hear of this? It wasn''t like it was the first time that Rui Qin had wanted to harm Yue Ran before.


    "Let''s go; the more we delay things, the..." Jiang Yi, the still somewhat level-headed male protagonist, spoke with his words trailing off in the end.


    The implications of his words need not be said.


    All three men had a tacit understanding of this.


    With a nod, all three went inside their respective cars. Both Yang Chi and Jiang Yi made way for Jin Yao and followed behind his car to Yue Ran''s destination.


    They all fear that worse will happen.


    ?? ? ??


    Fei Jia Village


    A middle-aged man with a ferocious face was holding his own belt and lashing the air with great vigor.


    Fei Niu was just called a waste by his father a few moments ago, all because he didn''t want to go out to work!


    Since his parents decided to give birth to him, then his parents should raise him to the end, just as they did when he was a child! Why should he look for work when his family¡ªhis parents¡ªare prosperous?


    Just the day before, his mother said that she had spent half of the family''s savings just to buy him a wife called Yue something. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue¡­


    Yue Lan?


    Yue Yan?


    Yue Ran?


    Right, Yue Ran!


    His wife should be honored that he even remembered her name.


    Fei Niu smiled grimly.


    It''s good to have a wife¡ªsomeone to finally vent his anger on!


    Every time he sees how his father is beating his mother, he gets excited and envious at the same time! Now, he finally has a wife who he could beat anytime and anywhere!


    Fei Niu roared with laughter.


    What a refreshing feeling!


    He cackled with glee while he continued whipping the air with renewed vigor.


    "Master, this man definitely has a few screws loose," Ruan Ruan said in Yue Ran''s mind.


    "Definitely, Ruan Ruan," Yue Ran answered back. "Most definitely."

 Chapter 42 - 42: White Rich Beauty (42)

    In the present, Yue Ran was sitting by the side, eating a bag of potato chips she had taken out of the system space, while watching Fei Niu energetically whipping and yelling curses into the air.


    If Yue Ran had to rate this performance, she''d give it a score of -9/10.


    It was all because the man was just too ugly for her liking. There were just no aesthetically pleasing features from head to toe.


    His appearance is, no doubt, rated a -10/10.


    Fei Niu''s face was looking particularly vicious; he doesn''t look like a human being at all, more like a malignant beast.


    Because Yue Ran was afraid that this middle-aged, portly man would take a liking to her, which was something much more disgusting than hating her, she had cast an illusion on the whole Fei family.


    What Fei Niu sees whenever he looks at Yue Ran is just a woman with a pockmarked face and sallow, pitted skin. She would look extremely unattractive in the Fei family''s eyes. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to afford her even with all the assets they have!


    They were only getting what they paid for.


    It was a fair trade.


    Yue Ran lightly touched her face.


    Um, she''s so beautiful.


    This poor village will never be able to afford her beauty!


    In Fei Niu''s eyes, he was currently hitting his "wife," who was writhing and begging for mercy with her pitiful screams.


    Such scum should not even be allowed to live in the first place.


    Yue Ran gave out a soft yawn, feeling bored out of her mind.


    Just when were those four men going to come?


    Just when would she be "saved"?


    When Yue Ran was about to fall asleep, Ruan Ruan suddenly exclaimed in her mind.


    "Master, they are coming soon!"


    Yue Ran was immediately wide awake.


    "When?"


    She let out another yawn as she stood up to stretch her body and legs.


    "Very soon, Master."


    "Um," Yue Ran hummed.


    There was a scene she needed to play, and she needed to get ready for it.


    Yue Ran walked out the open door and dabbed a lump of mud on her face, making sure that it was smudged naturally.


    "Doesn''t Master usually take the best care of Master''s face, so why do this?"


    "Hmm, I do." Yue Ran nodded. "Isn''t this just like applying a mud mask in beauty spas?"


    "Oh, it looks exactly the same!"


    "Uh-huh."


    She just had to tell herself that it was an "au naturel" product.


    There was no need to worry.


    Her face will not be ruined.


    She will not turn ugly.


    She will still look as beautiful as ever.


    There was no need to worry.


    Nodding, Yue Ran continued her work.


    ?? ? ??


    Mu Chen had barged into a number of homes in the village but had yet to find his beloved.


    His brows wrinkled as he scoped the dark surroundings of an empty house.


    While running to the next one, his sharp eyes discovered blood just outside it. He wiped the trace with his finger and found it was still fresh; it hadn''t yet cooled.


    His heart turned even more uneasy.


    He kicked open the door of the house almost immediately. A man''s cursing gradually turned from faint mumbles to a deafening roar as soon as the door fell to the ground with a loud crash.


    At a glance, he saw the curled-up figure of his beloved, who was looking at the fat, middle-aged man with obvious hatred in her eyes. And this fat man was cursing and whipping Yue Ran with his belt; his fatty body jiggled from the force.


    What made Mu Chen''s eyes redden was Yue Ran''s bruised and bloody figure!


    How vulnerable and helpless she was when she was treated this harshly by this inhuman beast!


    The monster in his heart stirred.


    Mu Chen shot forward and punched Fei Niu to the ground.


    The fat man tumbled over like a rolling rock. Muttering curses, Fei Niu hadn''t even had the chance to get up before Mu Chen once again kicked him from behind.


    "Who are you?" Fei Niu roared. "Why did you suddenly hit me as soon as you entered my house?" He got up from the ground with a look of anger. "Are people nowadays so unreasonable?!" Saliva sprayed out of his mouth like a spittle shower. "Don''t think about leaving if you don''t pay up today!"


    Mu Chen''s red eyes looked blank as he stared at Fei Niu. It was as if he was looking at a dead person.


    Fei Niu wanted to continue shouting at Mu Chen again but was unfortunately dragged down by Mu Chen''s men, who poured into the house.


    Mu Chen flashed Fei Niu a bloody smile that promised cruelty.


    He would make this man who dared to hurt Yue Ran live a life worse than death! Even if he wanted to die, he wouldn''t be allowed to die because death itself is a luxury!


    Looking away, Mu Chen slowly and carefully walked towards Yue Ran''s small and trembling figure.


    He could tell she was... different.


    Yue Ran was currently looking at him warily without saying a word.


    "Yue Ran," Mu Chen muttered out softly, as if afraid that Yue Ran would bolt as soon as he stepped close.


    There was no reply.


    "Yue Ran." Mu Chen bent down and gently caressed her cheek.


    "Ah!" Yue Ran suddenly reacted. "Don''t touch me!" It was as if she had suddenly gone mad. "Get away! Don''t touch me! You scum!"


    She was scratching and kicking anyone and anything around her, trying to protect her fragile shell from the harm of the outside world.


    Mu Chen had to hold her head firmly against his chest and shout, "I''m Mu Chen. Yue Ran, don''t be afraid. I came for you; don''t be afraid." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He kept repeating the words like a guarantee.


    The expression on Yue Ran''s face was heartbreakingly fragile, but when she heard Mu Chen say his name, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope in her eyes, and her movements paused.


    Raising her head, she looked at him almost unbelievably and said, "Mu Chen?"


    Her face was covered in dirt and blood, and those normally glimmering star-like eyes were now coated with deep fear.


    "Mu Chen, is that you?"


    Mu Chen felt a burst of pain in his heart. How he wanted to rush out and dismember that man into a thousand pieces.


    But it would be too light of a punishment for him.


    "It''s me, Ran Ran. I''m here; Mu Chen is here. Don''t worry, I''ll protect you."


    He gently stroked her hair, hoping to calm her mind and ease her panic.


    Yue Ran finally smiled reassuringly as the three male protagonists entered the house out of breath, just behind Mu Chen on the doorway.


    The broken beauty in that smile made Mu Chen and the other men''s hearts tremble.


    With tears in her eyes, she said with relief, "You guys finally came to save me."


    After she finished speaking this one sentence, her spirits seemed to be too exhausted, and she immediately fell unconscious as soon as she closed her eyes.


    "Yue Ran!"


    The four shouted in astonishment.

 Chapter 43 - 43: White Rich Beauty (43)

    "Yue Ran!"


    The four shouted in astonishment.


    As soon as Jiang Yi, Jin Yao, and Yang Chi arrived in Fei Jia Village, they followed Mu Chen''s man, who seemed to be crowded in a house.


    The three ran forward without stopping and were immediately struck by Yue Ran''s miserable state.


    They could hardly believe that such a proud and lively person like Yue Ran would one day look so lost, so lifeless!


    Their eyes reddened and their hearts tightened at such a heartbreaking sight.


    Her beautiful eyes were now stained with tears and deep fear¡ªa broken beauty.


    No one''s heart would not be moved by such a picture.


    Fortunately, Yue Ran was already in Mu Chen''s arms when she fainted, saving her from falling to the ground.


    Mu Chen couldn''t help but grit his teeth.


    It has only been a few days, and yet he can already feel Yue Ran''s bones!


    It''s all his fault!


    He failed to protect Yue Ran well, and he also failed to find her earlier!


    Mu Chen blamed himself, and when he caught sight of the three men behind him out of the corner of his eye, a roguish smile instantly curled up his lips as he said, "I''ll take my wife to the hospital first; you guys take care of yourselves."


    He picked Yue Ran up and strode past them in a few strides.


    When Mu Chen passed by the doorway, his expression immediately turned gloomy.


    Those three men are just like haunting ghosts around Yue Ran!


    Jiang Yi and Jin Yao were silent. They didn''t bother to argue with Mu Chen when Yue Ran''s life was on the line.


    Yang Chi was uncharacteristically silent. He would''ve shouted and refuted Mu Chen''s words if it was usual. But again, Yue Ran was more important.


    All four men''s current priority was to move Yue Ran to the nearest hospital for treatment. None of them had the heart to argue, and the three¡ªJiang Yi, Jin Yao, and Yang Chi¡ªjust followed behind Mu Chen silently.


    No matter what, no one would be relieved until they could see and confirm that Yue Ran was physically and mentally fine.


    It was only after they sent Yue Ran to the hospital for an examination that it was found out that she had multiple bruises and fractures all over her body, and the worst part was that her lower body was severely torn...


    They didn''t know how Yue Ran had persisted until they came to rescue her!


    The four men''s eyes reddened.


    When they saw the numerous wounds on Yue Ran''s body, they had the urge to cry.


    At this moment, Mother Yue''s face was covered in tears.


    "My miserable daughter!"


    Her eyes were swollen from crying these days, which made Father Yue feel more stressed than ever.


    After the four men had fully explained the circumstances, Father Yue, with the four men''s assistance, started the attack on Rui Qin and her company.


    But Rui Qin''s company had miraculously survived to this day with little to no harm. And with the additional female protagonist''s aura and luck, she was still living safe and sound at the moment.


    This also had Yue Ran''s handwriting in it.


    How could Rui Qin be allowed to fall before her death? Wouldn''t the plot have strayed too far by then, and she''d have failed her mission?


    She would not want to know what the Lord God has in store for Yue Ran when she fails, which she does not plan to do anytime soon.


    As a result, Yue Ran had directed Ruan Ruan to monitor the data network and ensure that the female protagonist was still safe and sound until Yue Ran''s departure.


    ?? ? ??


    When all four men came to visit the next time, Yue Ran was already awake.


    "Are you okay? How do you feel? Does the injury still hurt?"


    Yang Chi approached Yue Ran and asked cautiously.


    Mu Chen stared dangerously at his back, with veins popping on his head.


    Did Yang Chi think that he did not exist?


    ¡­Forget it.


    Mu Chen let out a light sigh.


    He wouldn''t cause any disturbance when his girlfriend had recently woken up.


    But even if there was, there was no reaction from her.


    After Yue Ran had woken up, she just stared at the white hospital ceiling all day and ignored everyone and everything around her.


    For this unusual case, the doctor explained that it was the result of a traumatic incident and that no one should stimulate her or her condition would worsen.


    The four men came to see Yue Ran almost every day, but on one occasion, Yue Ran suddenly disappeared from her hospital room!


    Mu Chen hurriedly called the three other men to ask if any one of them had taken Yue Ran away without telling the others, but their united answer was a "no."


    None of them took Yue Ran away.


    The other three immediately rushed their way to the hospital once they heard of Yue Ran''s news!


    Clicking his phone shut, Mu Chen felt as if he had fallen into a lake and was sinking slowly.


    Everything felt so cold that even breathing gradually became difficult.


    Yue Ran¡­


    Where has his Ran Ran gone...?


    ?? ? ??


    When the three arrived at the hospital, they hurriedly ran upstairs but heard the crowd''s discussions on their way.


    "She''s still very young, but for some reason, she just can''t think properly."


    "That''s right, young people nowadays don''t even know how to respect life."


    "It seems to be a very beautiful girl!"


    "It''s a pity that she doesn''t want to live anymore."


    "Too many people are committing suicide these days."


    "That''s right."


    Jin Yao''s heart thumped when he heard those comments.


    Were they talking about Yue Ran? S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He roughly grabbed the shoulder of the person he passed.


    A middle-aged woman let out a sharp exclamation but was immediately cut off when faced with Jin Yao''s ominous expression, which frightened her.


    "Where is the girl who you just said is about to commit suicide?"


    "You, you have to let go of me first¡­"


    "Where?!" Jin Yao shouted. He didn''t have time to spare if the person they are talking about is Yue Ran.


    "She... is on the highest floor of the hospital!"


    After receiving an answer, Jin Yao swiftly dashed to the top floor.


    As if regaining her courage, the middle-aged woman called out after him, "Hurry up and persuade your young friend not to commit suicide!"


    The woman beside her sighed. "She''s so young, but she didn''t even think clearly."

 Chapter 44 - 44: White Rich Beauty (44)

    Yue Ran was in a hospital that wasn''t very tall. Mu Chen had placed her in the nearest hospital due to her critical condition, which was only five stories high.


    Yue Ran was standing at the highest point of the roof, listening to the crowd downstairs that had formed a half circle at the bottom of the hospital building, all looking towards where she was.


    "She hadn''t jumped down yet."


    "Has someone already called the police?"


    "I heard that someone did."


    "Why doesn''t she jump?"


    "Could it be that she dared not jump?"


    "There are a lot of people that want to commit suicide by jumping off buildings these days, but few actually dare to jump!"


    "That''s right, maybe this is also one of them."


    "Maybe she''s just trying to catch attention by doing so."


    "But whose attention?"


    "Jump down, why don''t you jump?"


    "Maybe she had second thoughts?"


    When Yang Chi heard these words as he stepped downstairs, his eyes watered and veins popped out on his neck. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.


    "You people are sick! If you guys like to watch others commit suicide so much, why don''t you all just commit suicide yourselves?!"


    After saying his piece, he raised his head upwards, and his pupils dilated when he saw an ever-so-familiar figure on top of the building.


    Yue Ran!


    It was Yue Ran!


    Her appearance had been deeply imprinted in his mind, and Yang Chi could recognize her anywhere, even from so far away.


    "Yue Ran, you dare to commit suicide?! You are not allowed to jump! I will not allow you to jump! I will not allow you to die! You hear me? You are not allowed to jump, Yue Ran!"


    Yang Chi kept repeating his shouts; his pleading voice sounded like he was about to cry anytime soon.


    But his words fell on deaf ears as he watched her climb over the railing. He immediately felt that the blood in his whole body was about to coagulate.


    He didn''t know why she had suddenly decided to come this far.


    Why did things suddenly become like this?


    How did things suddenly become like this?


    He felt that he had just fallen in love with her and was already imagining their happy future together.


    So why does fate have to be so tricky?


    And why does fate have to be so cruel towards Yue Ran?!


    Yang Chi''s eyes were bloodshot, and his vision gradually blurred. When he blinked, his vision cleared up, but something warm dropped down his cheeks.


    He touched his face.


    Were they tears?


    Was he crying?


    "Stand there! Don''t move! Don''t jump! Don''t jump!" He roared hoarsely.


    Yang Chi trembled uncontrollably. He had never been so scared before.


    ?? ? ??


    Mu Chen was already on the rooftop when Jin Yao and Jiang Yi appeared.


    "Yue Ran, don''t be too hard on yourself."


    "You can tell us anything if there''s a problem."


    "We don''t mind what happened before; I don''t mind whatever happened before."


    "If there''s a problem, you can discuss it with us."


    "Please get down from there, Yue Ran."


    "Yue Ran, please listen to us."


    The three persuaded her in turns, trying their best to prevent her from jumping.


    They knew that Yue Ran was concerned about her innocence, which was gone, and she was also so seriously injured because of it!


    They wished that they could peel off Fei Niu''s skin and cut him alive into thousands of pieces, but the three male protagonists¡ªYang Chi, Jin Yao, and Jiang Yi¡ªhave no idea where Mu Chen has asked his men to take Fei Niu!


    Rui Qin was, of course, not let off!


    She was the one who had started all of this, and for such a petty reason!


    They had no idea how Rui Qin had avoided all "accidents" and how her company had thrived despite the four men''s joint efforts to bring it down.


    There must be other cards that they are not aware of.


    Rui Qin seemed to be much more of a dangerous person than they had first thought.


    At this time, Yue Ran had climbed over the railing, and the wind on the roof slightly lifted the corners of her white hospital gown.


    "No, it''s dangerous!"


    "Don''t move, it''s dangerous!"


    "Stand there; don''t move!"


    The three were still trying to convince Yue Ran to get down, but she had already fallen like a fluttering leaf and hit the ground heavily.


    ¡ªBoom!


    The people around Yang Chi screamed and ran to the outer circle in a panic to watch from a distance.


    But Yang Chi stood in the same place and didn''t move. He was just looking at the girl lying in a pool of her own blood.


    He could touch her, but she was no longer breathing.


    Yang Chi''s white suit and trousers were splashed with scarlet liquid, and the air was filled with the smell of blood. He could even taste the iron on his tongue as he breathed in.


    He wanted to cry, shout, and vomit, but his nerves seemed to have lost their response, and he could only stand silently, as if his soul had been drained.


    Yue Ran fell to the ground; her eyes were closed and could not be opened again, and there were still tears in the corners of her red-rimmed eyes.


    Yang Chi had once seen this expression on her face not long ago, but to see it reappear again...


    He never thought that one day she would die in front of him in such a tragic way. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His legs felt limp, and he bent down and knelt beside her with a loud bang when his knees came in contact with the ground.


    He was growling and whimpering in a low voice, muttering, "Yue Ran, Yue Ran, Yue Ran..."


    Yue Ran''s name was the only thing that Yang Chi could utter from his lips.


    How could she jump?


    How could she die?


    How could she?!


    Yang Chi crawled to Yue Ran''s cold body and cradled her head against his chest with trembling hands.


    "Yue Ran¡­"

 Chapter 45 - 45: White Rich Beauty (45)

    Even in her death, she still looked so beautiful.


    Except for the gradually spreading blood on her white dress and ground, who wouldn''t praise her as a stunning beauty?


    ...


    Mu Chen, Jiang Yi, and Jin Yao stared at their empty hands, which held nothing, and went silent.


    None were able to catch Yue Ran''s falling body in their hands.


    Mu Chen''s mind went blank for a moment before he walked down from the top floor and to the ground floor, leaving only Jiang Yi and Jin Yao''s figures behind.


    Both men''s eyes on the roof slowly blurred with tears.


    Jin Yao seemed to be able to see a vivid image of Yue Ran greeting him under the morning sky.


    Today was a good day; even the sun was shining warmly upon his face. However, his world turned gloomy in just a split second.


    "Yue Ran¡­"


    "Does she think we despise her?" Jiang Yi''s voice suddenly sounded from beside Jin Yao.


    Jin Yao blinked vigorously, blinking away the tears from his eyes, then turned his head and asked hoarsely, "What do you mean?" He swallowed to clear his throat. "What exactly do you want to say?"


    "Ever since we found out that Yue Ran was... violated, we have always avoided this topic in front of her, so how could a smart person like Yue Ran not realize it?"


    Jiang Yi could feel his hand trembling as he ran it through his hair; his voice was also shaky as he spoke out.


    "She must think that we despise her, so she doesn''t want to see us anymore¡­"


    He was smiling, but anyone could see his sadness.


    ?? ? ??


    The rain in a thunderstorm always looked especially cold.


    Under the gray weather, the four men went to Yue Ran''s funeral and watched as her body, in a coffin, was being buried.


    The atmosphere not only looked gloomy but felt gloomy. Everywhere they looked, there were no smiles.


    Good, no one was supposed to be happy. Everyone should be depressed.


    Jin Yao''s lips were shaking; his body had lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time. When he saw the coffin about to be buried in the earth, he rushed over and stopped the procession.


    The roses, red in color, on top of the casket flew to the ground with his actions.


    The crowd exclaimed, but they couldn''t stop the man in front of him because his eyes were too desperate, so desperate that they couldn''t help but feel pity for him.


    "Yue Ran, Yue Ran, Yue Ran..."


    Jin Yao muttered as he hugged the casket tightly in his arms, as if this were his only form of redemption.


    Rain was beating harshly against his face, but he couldn''t care when Yue Ran was no more.


    "Jin Yao, what are you doing?" Yang Chi shouted and forcefully dragged the man away. "Have you gone crazy?!"


    "Yue Ran, Yue Ran!"


    Jin Yao roared with tears streaming down his face like a madman, still wanting to get close to Yue Ran''s body.


    With a gesture from Mu Chen, his men easily restrained Jin Yao and hauled him away. This would be enough to prevent him from further wrecking the funeral procession.


    Mu Chen originally thought that he could withstand the pain of losing Yue Ran.


    After she died, he seemed to feel no pain at all, and he even helped her parents arrange everything for her funeral.


    But once he checked her smartphone and even went through it, he suddenly felt extremely empty and cold. For the first time, Mu Chen felt that it was a pain to live.


    ?? ? ??


    When the casket was fully buried, Jiang Yi felt unprecedented remorse and pain. It was like termites were slowly biting his heart into tatters.


    "I like you, Jiang Yi. Can you be my boyfriend?"


    He remembered her asking him this sentence many times before, but he just shrugged it off like dirt on his shoulders, not even bothering to give her a second glance.


    Even when faced with so many rejections, she still uttered this sentence determinedly, word for word, with a smile on her face.


    So when Jiang Yi heard this sentence again from one of her recordings on her phone, he felt that the whole world was quiet and submerged in darkness.


    "No," he heard him say. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then... then I''ll ask you again another time!"


    He heard footsteps running away; it was hers.


    Just before the recording ended, he heard her say, "It''s okay, Jiang Yi was not in a good mood; I''ll ask him again another time."


    There was a short pause.


    "I really, really like you, Jiang Yi."


    Then there was pain, and he felt like his whole being was torn apart.


    Piece by piece.


    "Will you say yes to me one day?"


    The tears in his eyes finally fell, drop by drop, line by line, gushing out.


    He didn''t even know when his umbrella had fallen to the ground.


    In this bad weather, no one could really distinguish his tears from rain.


    "I love you."


    Remorse, pain, and despair intertwined into unbearable agony¡ªand he completely broke.


    "Yue Ran, Yue Ran, Yue Ran¡­"


    "I like you¡­"


    "I love you¡­"


    ?? ? ??


    Yang Chi felt that he only had an empty body left, and he was in a daze every day, like a walking corpse.


    With the funeral procession in progress, his thoughts were clouded by the harsh words he said to Yue Ran.


    They were hovering in his mind, haunting him.


    Sentence by sentence.


    Word by word.


    "Yue Ran, what are you trying to do by pretending to be such a good girl for?"


    He said this when he was impatient, especially when looking at her figure.


    "Where did the person who treated me so badly go, huh? Did she suddenly evaporate into nothingness? Do you really expect me to forget the aggressive lady you used to be?!"


    He said this when he hated her mere existence.


    "That couldn''t be a better move! I would never want to marry someone I don''t like and bring her home as a decoration!"


    He said this when he regarded his image as being worth more than Yue Ran alone.


    "She''s useless, aggressive, domineering, and definitely not my type!"


    He said this when he let his pride cloud his judgment.


    "Heh, you''re really good at attracting bees and butterflies, Yue Ran!"


    He said this when he was jealous.


    "Yue Ran, we are only doing this for your own good now. As long as you apologize to Rui Qin, this matter will be over."


    He said this when he had unintentionally hurt her heart. He saw it flash past her eyes.


    "Yeah, I don''t like you. I''m not angry at all; on the contrary, I''m actually very happy!"


    He said this when he didn''t want to admit that he was attracted to her.


    All that was left for Yang Chi was endless regret and torture.


    Like a helpless, trapped beast, he suddenly burst into tears.


    If only he could take everything back...


    ?? ? ??


    The same night of the funeral, black figures dug up the grave and fixed it back to normal.


    If someone were to see its current condition, no one would even realize that something was amiss.


    The grave had returned to its original state.


    And the only thing missing was the body in the casket.

 Chapter 46 - 46: White Rich Beauty (46) (End)

    "Yue Ran, I take back my words," Mu Chen said softly as he entered his bedroom.


    The air conditioning in the room was lowered to the lowest possible temperature, and the person on the bed looked pale, covered with quilts as if sleeping.


    "You once asked me how long forever would be between us, and I answered until death."


    Mu Chen muttered to the corpse, holding her cold hand to his cheek.


    "I thought I could forget you, but I thought wrong."


    He placed a gentle kiss on her palm.


    "Death?"


    He chuckled.


    "Not even death could tear us apart."


    His warm hand caressed her ice-cold face gently in comfort.


    "We belong to each other, dead or alive."


    A soft kiss fell on her lips, carrying a touch of tenderness as well as a touch of unspeakable madness.


    "I love you, Ran Ran."


    It turned out that it was Mu Chen and his men who had secretly stolen Yue Ran''s buried body in the dead of the night.


    Mu Chen soaked Yue Ran''s body in formalin, taking good care of every inch and every part of her body.


    His beautiful eyes were full of irreversible darkness, tinged with a sense of paranoia and possession. Anyone looking at him right now would feel cold all over, even in the hottest summer sun of the year.


    "My Ran Ran is so beautiful."


    He looked at the quiet corpse in his arms almost greedily.


    "And all mine."


    Mu Chen printed his lips on Yue Ran''s cold lips, with a gentle smile on the corners of his mouth.


    "Sleep well, my princess."


    He gently placed her body in an ice-crystal coffin. She would be forever frozen in the cold, to accompany him in the days that were to come.


    Mu Chen''s face eventually grew pale and exhausted as he faced Yue Ran''s encased body. He continued to pour himself glasses upon glasses of wine, as if only in this way could he dull the pain, even if just a little bit.


    In such a drunken state, Yue Ran''s dancing figure appeared in his mind.


    It was as if he had traveled back into the past as he watched her dance on stage.


    She has a beauty like an immortal.


    It was a beauty beyond all the hues in the world.


    It has long been impossible for people to use words to describe or outline it.


    Her waterfall-like black hair fluttered in an arc, as if a huge ink curtain had opened in the air, and the ends of her red dress flitted and danced with her movements, as if in a dreamy rhythm.


    Her fair skin looked porcelain white under the light, and her beautifully exposed collarbone drew a graceful curve with her every motion.


    A pair of soul-stirring eyes swept across the audience and then at him, looking so clear and free that even the stars in the sky would be eclipsed by them.


    Yue Ran was as beautiful as an illusory dream.


    And she was smiling at him.


    Mu Chen fell asleep in this trance-like state.


    ?? ? ??


    On the first week of Yue Ran''s death, the four men who had suffered from insomnia ever since her accident were actually able to sleep. Every day after that, they all dreamed of her.


    In that dream, they were just like ghosts, floating, completely unable to interfere with what the others were doing.


    What they saw made them question everything.


    They saw how they doted on and cared for Rui Qin¡ªthat vicious and hypocritical woman who ruined their beloved¡ªin every possible way.


    And instead of caring for and spoiling their beloved, Yue Ran, they were cruel to her to the point of being murderous. They suppressed Yue Ran''s family, then destroyed it; they made sure that Yue Ran herself was forever ruined and destroyed by their own hands!


    They destroyed her!


    They broke her!


    They shattered her!


    They made sure she died!


    "No! No! No!"


    Yang Chi saw that it wasn''t enough for him to send his men to disrupt her legs, causing her to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair; he also had to go forward and humiliate her himself!


    Why?


    How could this be?


    It''s not true!


    Impossible!


    How could he ever treat Yue Ran like that?!


    "Stop it! Stop it!"


    Jiang Yi saw himself hiring someone to render her hand useless for the rest of her life. Yue Ran had changed from a spoiled princess to a useless person in a matter of days.


    No, no, how could he do this?


    This is impossible!


    "Don''t!"


    "Stop it!"


    "Ahhh!"


    Watching Yue Ran die with hatred, Jin Yao instantly woke up with a start. He was drenched in cold sweat.


    "No¡­"


    This thought was cut short by the sound of blood coughing. His heart felt so painful, but he still spoke it word for word.


    "No, Yue Ran¡­"


    He could hardly believe everything he dreamed about last night!


    "How could this be?"


    However, Yang Chi and Jiang Yi''s mad behavior said otherwise.


    Perhaps¡­


    This dream really did happen for real!


    If that''s the case...


    Jin Yao clutched his heart.


    It was aching.


    It felt like his whole person was torn apart.


    "Ran Ran¡­"


    Mu Chen stared at the crystal coffin located in his basement, where he had made his room.


    A puff of cloud was created every time he breathed out.


    It was cold, just like his whole being, just like his heart.


    Mu Chen spent his days dealing with his business matters and spent his nights sleeping with Yue Ran''s dead body.


    In the years to come, Jiang Yi was found by his original family and changed his name to Lin Yi. He went back to the Lin family and became the oldest son of the Lin family. He was still unmarried and treated everyone with a cold heart.


    The only days of the year that he would ever let loose and show his vulnerable sight were Yue Ran''s birthday and the day of her death. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During those two days of the year, he would get very drunk in front of her grave and may have spent them sleeping on the dirt with Yang Chi for company.


    Yang Chi had married, but only in a political marriage that would benefit his family company. He spent every day sleeping in his office, where he had worked until his death.


    He had never touched his "wife." This was exactly the same treatment he had with the original body in the past.


    Jin Yao was never seen or heard from again after Yue Ran''s funeral a year later. It was as if he had vanished off the face of the earth and was never to be found again.


    But one thing that indicated that Jin Yao was still alive was the four men''s joint cooperation to take care of the Yue family, Yue Ran''s family.


    Other than that, no one was able to contact him for anything.


    As for Rui Qin, her life had only gotten worse after Yue Ran''s death.


    Everything seemed to go downhill, and she had lost everything in a matter of days: her wealth, her reputation, her beauty, and her body.


    Every day felt like a year.


    The four men had thrown Rui Qin into Fei Jia Village to go through what Yue Ran had been forced to go through.


    Mu Chen''s men had made sure that Rui Qin would never escape such a hellhole for the rest of her life!


    Every time she wanted to attempt suicide, she always had second thoughts about it.


    What if she was saved one day? Wouldn''t her life just end like this?


    What if she could run away?


    What if she could one day get her revenge?


    What if she was able to...


    With so many of the what-ifs in her mind, she had never dared to kill herself, even after receiving so many abuses from her "husband."


    With little courage, Rui Qin died at the age of eighty, having spent more than half her life living with three sons who didn''t treat their mother like a human being after watching what their father did to her.


    It was quite a miracle to even have a child after receiving so many beatings like the original body did.


    It was good revenge.


    .


    .


    .


    For story extra, please head to my account: ko-fi.com/xanaclarke


    Thank you for reading!

 Chapter 47 - 47: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (1)

    "Well, wasn''t that interesting, Ruan Ruan?" Yue Ran asked as she took a sip of her cold glass of lemonade in the system space.


    "Right, Master!" Ruan Ruan circled around Yue Ran happily.


    Jiang Yi''s favorability reached a hundred when he found out that Yue Ran had gone missing.


    Mu Chen''s favorability reached a hundred when he finally found Yue Ran in Fei Niu''s house.


    Yang Chi''s favorability reached a hundred when Yue Ran took that jump from the roof of the hospital and ended up dead.


    To be honest, Yue Ran never expected Yang Chi''s favorability to be filled out at the last minute. She had thought that Jin Yao would, but Jin Yao''s favorability score would reach completion first.


    Anyway, it was fun watching the ending, as she always did, especially the part about Rui Qin''s life during her fall.


    How exciting it was to watch one of the Lord God''s female protagonists suffer!


    At the same time, five clusters of light appeared, shining like fireflies in front of Yue Ran.


    She stretched out her hand, feeling the extremely gentle temperature from the four haloes and the ice-cold one from the last.


    The ice-cold orb was black in color. Yue Ran didn''t exactly know how it glowed, but it just did, like a pitch-black light full of darkness.


    This came from the female protagonist.


    It was the manifestation of her hate and despair. As long as the female protagonist suffers, it means that the Lord God will fail to get the power from her as His medium, and thus the female protagonist''s power will be transferred to Yue Ran as a result.


    Manipulating the glowing black orb, it slowly entered Yue Ran''s mouth.


    The freezing coldness melted instantly when it touched her tongue. It was like eating bitter dark chocolate ice cream with a silky, smooth texture.


    Power instantly rushed into her soul.


    This was what Yue Ran was aiming for.


    Power.


    She needed enough power to enact her revenge and set herself free.


    One of the four clusters of warm light was of a golden color, which represents the protection of heaven. Unlike ordinary people, who are favored by the world consciousness, the main male protagonist would undoubtedly possess the strongest luck.


    With that said, the golden light came from Jiang Yi''s love for Yue Ran.


    The other three orbs of light were naturally easy to guess; they came from the three other men''s love for her¡ªMu Chen, Yang Chi, and Jin Yao.


    Yue Ran devoured the three light clusters in turn. The smooth and rich texture and sweet flavor were melting in her mouth.


    The last one was the dazzling golden light that belonged to Jiang Yi. It easily entered Yue Ran''s slightly parted lips.


    It was soft and lingering.


    It was difficult to describe how it tasted.


    It just had that indescribable feeling.


    It was different from the feeling of fullness when eating other clusters of light. It was more like enjoying a supremely gluttonous feast.


    It was an incomparable kind of spirituality, as if her soul had been sublimated.


    Yue Ran would always save the best for last.


    "So tasty." Yue Ran licked her red lips.


    They were so tasty that she wanted more.


    "Let''s go to the next world, Ruan Ruan."


    "Yes, Master!"


    A familiar sense of dizziness came, and when Yue Ran opened her eyes, she was already sitting on a soft wooden bed decorated with exquisite carvings.


    A faint fragrance of sandalwood filled the air, and there was a woman in her forties standing in front of her.


    When Yue Ran turns her head, an ancient woman''s boudoir comes into view. The Guqin stands in the corner, and the bronze mirror is placed on the wooden dressing table. The overall look of the whole room is simple.


    Before Yue Ran could inspect her surroundings any further, the old woman in ancient Chinese servant clothes had already spoken, capturing her attention.


    "Young Lady, you just lost your temper three days ago," she chided lightly. "Now you should suppress your temper a little bit, and you shouldn''t think about going out to play all day long."


    Yue Ran instantly assumed her role, even with the absence of memories.


    Seeing how much care was in the old woman''s eyes as she looked towards her, Yue Ran could conclude that this old woman must be quite close to the original body.


    "Okay, then I won''t go out these few days," Yue Ran replied a little vaguely.


    She still had no idea what the problem was that had caused the original body to have a temper tantrum.


    "It''s great that the Young Lady could finally listen to this old servant''s advice." The old woman smiled graciously. "The Madam must also be pleased by this." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had long watched her Young Lady grow up with her own eyes, and her greatest wish was to see Yue Ran get married. She only hoped that Yue Ran would tone down her temper a little and be more calm, since her explosive temper was not something that her future in-laws would like.


    When the old woman finished her words, she immediately bowed and retreated from her position, leaving Yue Ran alone in her room.


    Madam¡­


    She must mean the mother of the original body, right?


    But without the original body''s memory, Yue Ran couldn''t really know.


    Yue Ran frowned and asked Ruan Ruan in her mind.


    "Ruan Ruan, where''s the original body''s memory?"


    "Master, it''s delayed by the Lord God again!" Ruan Ruan pouted. "Ruan Ruan will fasten the process!"


    "Alright, you did great, Ruan Ruan." A strange smile appeared on Yue Ran''s face. "Lord God must be furious that I have taken his share of power."


    "Very furious indeed." Ruan Ruan nodded along.


    Ruan Ruan has a line of connection with the Lord God since he is the product of the Lord God''s creation.


    Ruan Ruan could vaguely feel the Lord God''s emotions when they were strong because they were linked; however, only the intense ones could be felt; Ruan Ruan was unable to feel the normal nor the slight ones.


    Extreme anger is one of the things that he could clearly feel.


    The worst part was that this was not a one-sided connection.


    This meant that the Lord God could also feel Ruan Ruan''s emotions just as Ruan Ruan could to the Lord God, but more than what Ruan Ruan could feel for his creator.


    Thus, spying on Yue Ran''s progress on her missions was not a hard thing at all. Only that the Lord God was unable to intervene because it was not within His jurisdiction.


    The most the Lord God could do was transfer Yue Ran to harder worlds and hope that she would fail her mission. And once she does, He will be able to reap her soul, ending her leech-like rebellion against Him once and for all.


    At this time, the sky was slowly getting dark, and the sunset in the distance was about to dissipate.


    Just when Yue Ran thought that the original body''s memories and the plot information were never going to come, information suddenly rushed into her brain during her dinner.

 Chapter 48 - 48: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (2)

    Why does the Lord God always give her the memories while she is eating? Couldn''t he choose a better time out of all the times to give it to her? Why must he always bother her during the most important time of the day?


    Right, He would not be the Lord God if He did not.


    He would only find fun in bothering her.


    Yue Ran only felt her head suddenly turn heavy for a moment, then countless pictures floated before her eyes.


    The memory she received was, of course, not a good one.


    If there was ever a good one, Yue Ran would obviously doubt the authenticity of the information she received.


    Oh no.


    Was she already used to the bad treatment she received from the Lord God?


    It would be a lie to say no.


    But what could she do? It is what it is.


    The original body in this world is another silly girl, another villainous female supporting character.


    No surprise there.


    But contrary to the world before, where the last original body was living in a warm and loving family, this one was living in a cold and uncaring family.


    The original body is the only legitimate and blood-related daughter of the Yue family. She is also the prime minister''s only daughter.


    However, one day, her father adopted a son and named him Yue Yu, when the original body was eight years old.


    All the original body''s father''s love, from then on, was transferred and devoted only to Yue Yu.


    The original body couldn''t help but wonder if her father had a concubine outside the Yue mansion, so saying Yue Yu was just an adopted son was only to make his status sound nice and to cement this "adopted son''s" position in the house!


    However, after looking through the original body''s memories, Yue Ran couldn''t see any love between the "father" and "son." In Yue Ran''s point of view, Father Yue''s devotion to Yue Yu was not out of paternal love but out of heavy expectations and respect in anticipation!


    This was surely not an attitude that a father would have towards his own son, but rather like that of a subject to his superior!


    Just from the original body''s memories, Yue Ran''s intuition has told her that Yue Yu''s identity was not so simple. And besides, he looks completely different from Father Yue and Mother Yue''s features.


    Sure enough, after Yue Ran watched through the entire plot in her mind, she discovered that Yue Yu was really not the son of the prime minister of the Yue Mansion but rather the crown prince of the previous imperial dynasty, Rong Yu!


    As the only surviving trace of the last imperial family, Yue Yu, or Rong Yu, is set as the main male protagonist in the plot.


    The plot''s female protagonist is Xue Lu, the daughter of the Grand Tutor of the Emperor, the Emperor''s teacher in charge of civil affairs, considered one of the three highest official positions in court but with little real power.


    As the female protagonist, Xue Lu was pampered by the Xue family and has a really good reputation, which has spread throughout the capital ever since she was a child.


    Not only did she have a charming face, but she also had talent, which made her very well known.


    The original body has a point of view that is not inferior to that of a man, which is very different from those noble ladies who were strictly educated in their boudoirs.


    This unusual character is highlighted among these noble young ladies. This distinguishing feature makes her desirable and notable, particularly among the young noblemen, married or unmarried.


    It was said that simply looking at Xue Lu would leave anyone amazed for days. Her personality was also like that of a snow lotus perched on the top of a mountain, noble and unstained by mortal dust.


    Since the age of ten, suitors have been lining up at the gates of Xue Mansion.


    Xue Lu was then officially known as the most sought-after candidate among noble young ladies for her hand in marriage.


    "Everyone loves this "perfect" female protagonist in this plot." Yue Ran chewed on her food while communicating with Ruan Ruan in her mind. "Many people like this type of female protagonist, right?"


    "Yes, but Ruan Ruan likes Master even more!" Ruan Ruan immediately replied in a heartbeat.


    The ends of Yue Ran''s lips hooked up in amusement.


    "I like you too, Ruan Ruan," she said.


    Ruan Ruan is just too cute! sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After saying her piece, Yue Ran searched deeper into the plot in her mind to continue sorting the information she received in chronological order.


    If Xue Lu from the Grand Tutor''s Xue family is the snow lotus on top of the mountain, then the original body from the Prime Minister''s Yue family is the flamboyant red peony.


    Well, the original body used to be, anyway.


    These two women often occupy the headlines in this ancient capital.


    But unlike Xue Lu''s likability, the original body was hated by everyone.


    Although the original body''s beauty is undeniable, she has a bad personality that keeps everyone from wanting to get close to her. Thus, the original body is rejected by the young noble ladies'' circle in the capital.


    Her beauty was instantly overshadowed by her personality.


    Even though the folk customs in the South are open, these noble young ladies have never seen a woman with such a special temperament as bold and reckless as the original body.


    The original body was arrogant, free, fearless, and valiant. She dares to hate; she dares to love.


    Naturally, such a girl with a very straightforward personality like Yue Ran seemed out of place in this ancient dynasty where people were still very self-restrained, unadventurous, and elegant even if the folk customs were somewhat open.


    At the very least, because of the original body''s outstanding appearance, she still has a hopeless romantic on her tail.

 Chapter 49 - 49: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (3)

    This hopeless romantic is Ming Ze, the youngest prince of the current imperial family.


    Since the first time he saw the original body, he has kept on chasing her non-stop, day after day, even after facing a lot of rejections. He was also never put off by her rude and straightforward attitude.


    This man kind of reminds Yue Ran of the past original body in terms of chasing love.


    Once Ming Ze saw the original body for the first time, he immediately swore that he would not marry anyone else other than the original body herself in this lifetime.


    Yue Ran inwardly approved of his attitude. She likes this kind of obedient man who obeys her every order.


    It''s a pity that even this hopeless romantic, who has loved the original body since he was a child, eventually hated the original body and fell in love with the female protagonist, Xue Lu.


    In the end, Ming Ze also fell under Xue Lu''s pomegranate skirt. He was wrapped all around her fingers.


    This part of the plot was actually used to show just how charming the female protagonist is.


    Snatching all the men who are devoted to other women portrays that the female protagonist''s charm was unstoppable, unshakeable, indomitable, and invincible.


    Nothing could stop her saintly halo.


    Anyway, the one thing that was special about this plot was that the original body held no affection for the male protagonist, Yue Yu, or Rong Yu, at all. The original body only felt hatred for him because of how easily this "adopted son" stole her dear father''s attention from her.


    Although the original body doesn''t like the male protagonist, she was completely taken by the second male protagonist, Ming Chen, who is also the current crown prince of the imperial family of the present dynasty.


    However, Ming Chen''s love for Xue Lu, the female protagonist, is well known in the whole capital. This created an absolutely embarrassing situation for the original body.


    But just what kind of temperament does the original body have? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more someone dislikes the original body, the more she will make that someone like her, but only those she likes.


    Could a female supporting character actually win against a female protagonist in terms of getting a man''s affection? Unlikely.


    The good thing was that this original body''s fate was not as miserable as the last one. This original body shaved her hair and became a nun in a temple on a mountain far from the capital, vowing never to marry and to only devote her life to Buddhism.


    But would the Lord God really let her off this time so easily?


    Maybe losing her hair was the hard part.


    Indeed.


    It would be a big tragedy to lose her beautiful hair!


    "Master, Ruan Ruan found a part hidden by the Lord God!" Ruan Ruan exclaimed in her mind.


    "Oh?" Yue Ran raised a brow in interest. "Show me, Ruan Ruan."


    "Yes, Master!"


    Yue Ran couldn''t help but smile as she watched the continuation of the original body''s fate.


    As she had guessed, how could the Lord God really let her off so easily? It turns out that the original body was not able to escape the clutches of evil in the end!


    Not only has the original body, the daughter of the Prime Minister''s Mansion, been ridiculed by the whole capital after shaving her head to become a nun, but she was also not left off after having faced all this!


    Some people just didn''t want to let her go!


    The second male protagonist, Ming Chen, was the one who placed pressure on Prime Minister Yue to force the original body to be a nun. The original body had no choice but to be sent away in an old wooden carriage.


    After shaving her head, the original body was taken away to the north by General Xia, Xia Zhan, the female protagonist''s admirer.


    This was all because the original body humiliated the female protagonist at the palace banquet. Xia Zhan got so angry that he took his revenge the first time he had the chance.


    The original body was immediately appointed as a military prostitute as soon as she arrived in the north.


    She was being played alive by countless men, played with such wantonness that she was only left hanging with a breath to prevent her from dying.


    The delicate skin and tender flesh of the original body could not withstand such inhumane, long-term torture and thus died at the young age of 25.


    How painful it must have been when she died!


    She did not die in peace; she died with hatred growing in her very bones and despair filling her breath!


    It was unfortunate that the original body''s end result of opposing the female protagonist was to die unloved by anyone in the world. Not one person missed her after her death.


    She was simply so insignificant, even in her parents'' eyes.


    None of the four male protagonists was either blameless or innocent in this; the four played at least part of a role throughout the course of the original body''s tragic life.


    The main male protagonist, Yue Yu, or Rong Yu, knew of Ming Chen and Xia Zhan''s moves, but he only watched the process with cold eyes, as if nothing of it was even worth his time.


    Ming Chen, the current crown prince of the imperial family, was the one who ignited everything and also the one who fanned the flames of the original body''s fire of tragedy.


    Xia Zhan, the general of this dynasty, was the one who personally sent the original body, a sheep, into the tiger''s mouth.


    Ming Ze, the former hopeless romantic who had always followed the original body, became the final straw that crushed the original body''s last trace of spirit.


    When Xia Zhan sent the original body away from the capital, she saw Ming Ze from the old carriage she was in and was immediately splashed by a bucket of ice-cold water, which would leave her chilled to the bones for the torturous years to come.


    His gaze was just so strange.


    So unfamiliar.


    It broke her.

 Chapter 50 - 50: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (4)

    Ming Ze''s gaze on her was completely unfamiliar to the original body.


    It took the original body several seconds before she realized that she had not recognized the wrong person at all!


    When does Ming Ze not ever look at her with affection and caution in his eyes?


    The answer is never.


    But those eyes¡ªthose eyes that were originally filled with so much adoration¡ªwere now filled with disgust and loathing, which made the original body''s heart fill with endless shame.


    His gaze was just so strange.


    So unfamiliar.


    It broke her.


    Everyone just loves Xue Lu!


    And no one loves her!


    Not a single person in the whole world!


    Not one!


    The original body had wept blood just before her death and wished to get her revenge on everyone in her last moment.


    "I hear you." Yue Ran uttered those three words quietly.


    Everyone will pay the price.


    It was like a light wave rippling over still water¡ªthe voice of a desperate soul crying out for justice.


    A gray light appeared and melded into her skin.


    Yue Ran smiled as she felt a ripple of power in her soul.


    She likes this original body''s character.


    In the last world, the original body only wished for the love of the main male protagonist, Jiang Yi. But in this world, the original body wished for blood; she wished for revenge.


    Isn''t this simply a more wonderful wish than the last one?


    Yue Ran looked out the open window.


    It was already night¡ªthe stars were shining brightly, and the moon was sailing high in the sky.


    Yue Ran gestured for the maidservants to clear things up and retire, leaving her alone inside her boudoir. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Although the original body is not taken seriously, the living conditions are still okay." Yue Ran looked around and commented in her mind to Ruan Ruan.


    "It''s too simple for a prime minister''s daughter!" Ruan Ruan spoke up.


    "True." Yue Ran shrugged. "But things will soon turn around."


    Ruan Ruan cheered in Yue Ran''s mind.


    She changed into her pajamas and dismissed the mission task from her mind.


    She''ll just leave everything else for tomorrow. For now, she only plans to relax after having her meal.


    ?? ? ??


    Early the next morning, the maidservants dressed and groomed Yue Ran. She was very calm and collected throughout the process of putting on the complicated ancient clothes.


    "Young lady, didn''t you say that you wouldn''t be leaving the house these past few days?" A close maidservant of the original body asked.


    Her name is Cai Hong.


    "I''m not going out," Yue Ran answered calmly. "I just planned to walk around the mansion."


    She wants to meet her cheap brother, Yue Yu, the male protagonist, first.


    The Yue Mansion is worthy of being the Prime Minister''s Mansion of a century-old noble family. Every plant, tree, piece of furniture, and decoration in the mansion were made with such detail and ingenuity that they make people feel refreshed and happy when they look at them.


    Yue Ran was dressed in a light blue ancient dress. They were just like rippling blue waves following her every light movement and step, looking exceptionally beautiful.


    She looked just like a dreamy beauty, an out-of-this-world immortal like those described in the classical poems.


    Yue Ran stopped in her tracks and folded her hands.


    "Where is the eldest son now?"


    "Young Lady, the Young Master is probably discussing court affairs with the Master in the Master''s study at this moment," Cai Hong said from the side.


    Yue Ran looked up into the sky to see the sun perched up high in the endlessly clear blue.


    It''s almost time for lunch; there''s no need to be anxious.


    "Then let''s go to the garden for a walk." Yue Ran turned around and walked in another direction. "Didn''t the Gao family send some pots of rare flowers just a few days ago? I''ll go and take a look at them."


    "But, young lady, you are about to reach your marriageable age and will have your engagement soon, so it''s better not to provoke Young Lady Ning anymore," Cai Hong said in panic. "Going to the garden will only bring the young lady more trouble."


    Cai Hong was sincerely worried.


    When the young lady argues with her cousin, she is always the one who gets the short end of the stick.


    Yue Ran didn''t even bother to glance at her maidservant.


    This Cai Hong was also not that good for the original body. She couldn''t be called a loyal maidservant at all.


    But this could not really be blamed on her, for the original body was more of a reckless master to serve than a smart one.


    Additionally, the original body''s cousin, Ning Ying, who is also the original body''s mother''s niece, has a somewhat special personality.


    She''s a scheming white lotus.


    This meant that she''s someone who appears innocent, naive, impossibly perfect, and pure on the surface but uses this reputation to backstab, blame, or sling mud on others¡ªothers meaning the original body.


    Ning Ying, because she received the love of Mother Yue, lived a better life than the original body did in the Prime Minister''s Mansion.


    Yue Ran: Ning Ying is just an annoying fly.


    Since her birth, the original body has been hated and despised by her own mother and, since the appearance of Yue Yu, by her own father.


    In the original body''s whole lifetime, all she had known was that she had always grown up in the shadows of both Ning Ying and Yue Yu. So it was not difficult to understand why the original body''s character became so forward and reckless, like now.


    All she had always wanted was her parents'' attention, her parents'' love.


    But even those things were impossible.


    The original body was fated to never receive any permanent love in her lifetime.


    Ning Ying''s favorite activity in her pastime was to take care of flowers in the garden, and the original body''s favorite pastime activity was to destroy those beautiful flowers taken care of by Ning Ying!

 Chapter 51 - 51: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (5)

    "So what?" Yue Ran didn''t even pause in her steps. "She''s just an orphan, my mother''s niece, who''s living on charity under my family''s roof; should I still be afraid of this kind of person?!"


    Cai Hong followed behind Yue Ran anxiously.


    There was no way to stop the young lady once she had already made up her mind!


    ...


    "Cousin is here, huh?" Yue Ran smirked, twirling the ends of her hair with her finger. "What a coincidence!"


    Ning Ying was watering the flowers in the garden with her back to Yue Ran.


    When she heard the familiar voice and Yue Ran''s words, she froze.


    Why did Yue Ran come to the garden again?


    Didn''t Yue Ran usually hide from herself after suffering so many losses from her? S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shouldn''t Yue Ran have learned her lesson not to provoke her ever again?


    Turning around, Ning Ying flashed her usual gentle smile at Yue Ran.


    Ning Ying should be said to be quite blessed in the looks department. She looked gentle and virtuous¡ªthe exact type of woman that the elders would like at first glance.


    As for Yue Ran, her looks were too enchanting and bewitching. Her beauty exudes aggression while remaining enthralling to the eyes. She was also effortlessly elegant and seductive in her every motion, a natural allure that could not easily be broken.


    Her beauty and charm simply radiate from her bones; it seems as if she was born to be a peerless enchantress who will bring disaster to the country, the people, and the world.


    Few women would like this kind of demonic beauty, not to mention the elders of ancient times. None would like her to be their daughter-in-law.


    When the original body was younger, she loved to wear bright, flowing red dresses. But whenever she did, she was immediately reprimanded by her mother, who blatantly called her a shameless woman who was more provocative and vulgar than those prostitutes working in the red light district!


    Those words were not what a mother should say to her daughter, but she just did.


    Since then, the original body has stopped wearing red. She changed her wardrobe to one of lighter and paler colors with simple designs for fear of offending her mother with her attire.


    But now that Yue Ran is here, she wouldn''t care much about those taboos.


    So what if Mother Yue hated her?


    What does that have to do with her?


    Mother Yue''s life and death were of no importance to Yue Ran.


    Mother Yue was just an insignificant character not worthy of her attention other than to remind Yue Ran to make the Yue family suffer in the future.


    All this was part of the revenge scheme.


    When Yue Ran gets back, she will need to ask her maidservants to order more attire in red. She has to remind them to embroider those red dresses with flamboyant designs, the more eye-catching, the better it is.


    It is even better if her red dresses might anger Mother Yue to death. It would be one less problem in her life.


    After all, she loves the color red, so why stop wearing it only because of an insignificant person''s words?


    "Why is Cousin suddenly interested in coming to the garden today to look at the flowers?" Ning Ying asked.


    "What do you mean by asking me this question?"


    Yue Ran sneered, and her charming eyes turned sharp.


    "This is my family''s garden, my family''s land; do you mean that only you can step into my family''s garden but I''m not allowed to?"


    She looked at Ning Ying with a slight tilt of her head and obvious disdain in her eyes.


    "I want to know if this prime minister''s mansion is surnamed Yue or surnamed Ning? Do I still need to report to you whenever I, the prime minister''s daughter, am going around my family mansion?"


    The cruel light in Yue Ran''s eyes deepened.


    "Cousin, don''t forget your status as an orphan living under my family''s roof. Without my family''s support, you are absolutely nothing at all."


    Ning Ying clenched her fist and took several deep breaths, trying her best not to break out of her gentle and virtuous character.


    What was going on with Yue Ran today?


    Why does Yue Ran keep reminding her that she is not the daughter of the prime minister again and again?


    Why does Yue Ran keep reminding her that she is just an orphan again and again?!


    She is obviously the one who was treated more like the eldest daughter of the Yue Mansion than Yue Ran was!


    She has also been living here for sixteen years!


    Ning Ying tried her best to maintain a gentle smile on her face.


    "I know this, and I am very grateful to my cousin''s family for taking me in since I was a child; I will forever remember this kindness."


    "It''s best if you can remember it." The corner of Yue Ran''s lips hooked up at Ning Ying''s reply. "You''re just a dove occupying a magpie''s nest, so stop thinking that you could one day fly up a branch to become a phoenix; a chicken will forever stay as a chicken."


    The look in Yue Ran''s eyes towards Ning Ying¡ªthat look¡ªshowed just how much Yue Ran was looking down on her!


    Yue Ran!!!


    She will remember all the times she humiliated her!


    Just wait for her to marry into the prime minister''s mansion as the eldest son''s wife in the future, and she will finally take her revenge!


    She will definitely return this humiliation tenfold!


    Ning Ying harshly cursed Yue Ran in her heart, but her eyes were full of crocodile tears.


    "Cousin, how could I have such an idea? You have really misunderstood me!"


    Ning Ying gave her maidservant a look, and that maidservant slowly backed away and finally withdrew from Yue Ran''s sight.


    She immediately ran to Mother Yue''s courtyard to ask for help.


    Yue Ran naturally saw what Ning Ying had done, but she couldn''t care less about her little moves.


    Honestly, Yue Ran was just bored and felt like provoking people to a fight while waiting for the male protagonist, Yue Yu, to get out of Father Yue''s study.


    Cai Hong also noticed how Ning Ying''s maidservant had vanished from the scene, clearly intending to sue Yue Ran in front of Mother Yue.


    Cai Hong anxiously tugged on Yue Ran''s sleeves.


    This was obviously not the first time that this situation has ever happened. Mother Yue would soon appear, and she would undoubtedly favor Ning Ying instead of her own daughter.


    And in the worst case, Mother Yue would ground Yue Ran for a long time and also punish Yue Ran for going against Ning Ying''s will.


    Yue Ran pulled her sleeves back and shot Cai Hong a look to calm herself down.


    She only wants to witness what Mother Yue was like in reality rather than in the one seen in the original body''s memories. After all, the original body''s memories of Mother Yue could already have been filtered out by the original body into a good person in the original body''s mind rather than what was actually portrayed in reality.

 Chapter 52 - 52: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (6)

    Sure enough, not long after, Mother Yue came onto the scene with hurried footsteps. But the first words she said were--


    "Ying''er, are you alright?!"


    Mother Yue''s voice was anxious, and it was clear from her appearance that she had rushed out in a hurry and in a panic, not paying much attention to her own appearance.


    Yue Ran smiled with interest at the original body''s mother.


    What else could she do? Eat Ning Ying out in the open and in bright daylight?


    At the very least, she should take action against Ning Ying late at night so that no obvious evidence points to her.


    But then again, would Ning Ying be worth taking action herself?


    The answer is no. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s still best to kill someone with an invisible knife.


    And does Mother Yue actually see her own daughter as a terrifying beast?


    What does Mother Yue portray Ning Ying as¡ªa little white flower that was vulnerable to wind and rain?


    As Yue Ran had expected, Mother Yue in real life was worse than what was portrayed in the original body''s memories.


    Mother Yue actually came from a century-old scholarly family.


    And because Mother Yue was pampered since she was a child, she has never suffered through any hardships in her life.


    Her only experience with adversity occurred after her marriage, specifically during her labor. The pain she experienced during that time was enough for her to remember for a lifetime!


    How painful it was at the time!


    She was on the bridge of life and death!


    Looking at Yue Ran, Mother Yue seemed to be able to recall that torturous feeling, that painful feeling of being an inch away from death!


    This made Mother Yue dislike her daughter very much; she even hated Yue Ran with every fiber of her being!


    This daughter of hers has not lacked food and clothing since she was a child, so why does she have to always trouble her precious baby Ying''er?


    How could Yue Ran be such a selfish person?


    Why does she only think about herself without ever thinking about others?


    How much more embarrassment would she bring to the family until she was satisfied?


    Her precious baby Ying''er is very soft-tempered and easy to bully, so how could she stand against the rough, vulgar, and inconsiderate Yue Ran?


    What''s more, Ying''er''s parents were long gone, and now Ying''er was just a pitiful orphan with no family support!


    Why couldn''t Yue Ran just give way to her cousin as she should have?


    Like she just said, Yue Ran is such a selfish person! She doesn''t even know whose bad character Yue Ran inherited!


    It''s no surprise that her husband dislikes the daughter she gave birth to. She also never liked Yue Ran to begin with!


    How she regretted giving birth to such a useless and selfish daughter!


    "I''m fine, Auntie; it''s not my cousin''s fault," Ning Ying answered a little hesitatingly, her face full of sadness.


    "What kind of grievance have you suffered?"


    Seeing Ning Ying''s pitiful appearance, Mother Yue couldn''t help but feel distressed for Ning Ying and indignant at Yue Ran! Mother Yue wanted to uphold justice for her precious baby, Ying''er!


    "Ying''er, tell your aunt, you don''t have to bear anything in your heart; your aunt will always have your back!"


    "That... in fact, it''s nothing at all; it''s all my fault¡­"


    Ning Ying''s words trailed off in the end, and her eyes turned red.


    Seeing this, Mother Yue felt anger boiling inside her. She turned and faced her daughter with obvious hate and annoyance in her eyes, as if Yue Ran were just dirt under her feet.


    Even the blind don''t have to see Mother Yue''s expression to feel the disgust radiating off her that was aimed at Yue Ran.


    "Yue Ran, what are you trying to do by bullying your cousin?" Mother Yue spoke with a raised voice. "How dare you hurt my precious Ying''er?!" She pulled Ning Ying into her arms to comfort the saddened little girl. "Do you have no heart?"


    Mother Yue really did feel that Yue Ran really had no heart; otherwise, how could Yue Ran always attempt to hurt her precious Ying''er''s heart?


    Ying''er is so kindhearted; how could anyone even have the heart to hurt her, even a little bit?


    Yue Ran, who watched the two-person play, was indifferent. In fact, she felt that the situation was a little interesting.


    Is this how Mother Yue actually behaved toward her own daughter?


    As soon as Mother Yue arrived, she immediately came to question her own daughter without even trying to understand the whole situation.


    The memories of Mother Yue were indeed, as Yue Ran had guessed, heavily modified in the original body''s mind.


    The Mother Yue in the original body''s memory was not this¡­ evil.


    Okay, maybe "evil" is an understatement.


    Yue Ran glanced at Ning Ying in Mother Yue''s arms from the corner of her eye.


    Isn''t Ning Ying just pretending to be pitiful?


    It''s not like Yue Ran can''t do the same.


    Yue Ran''s crow-like eyelashes drooped down; her face was still beautiful and moving, but a cloud of sadness shrouded her slim figure.


    "I''m sorry, mother, I was wrong," Yue Ran said. "I know that my cousin likes this hibiscus flower very much, but I still wanted to ask her for one."


    Mother Yue was taken aback by Yue Ran''s answer.


    All Yue Ran wanted was a flower; this doesn''t seem like a big deal at all, right?


    Mother Yue removed her arms from Ning Ying and eyed the girl a little suspiciously.


    Ning Ying crumpled the handkerchief in her hand angrily.


    She still appeared sad on the outside, but she was thinking viciously in her heart: Why does this Yue Ran suddenly appear to be a different person, even learning how to fight back now?


    Yu Ran should have gone silent by now and let Mother Yue reprimand her harshly, unlike the present moment!


    Yue Ran should''ve stayed silent, as she usually does!


    The tears in Ning Ying''s eyes finally fell.


    "Auntie, it''s all my fault!"

 Chapter 53 - 53: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (7)

    The tears in Ning Ying''s eyes finally fell.


    "Auntie, it''s all my fault!"


    Ning Ying dabbed her eyes with the crumpled handkerchief in her hand.


    "It''s just that I really love those flowers, but my cousin only wanted to destroy them all, so I panicked and immediately sent Xiao Tao to find you."


    She sniffled in between her words.


    "Besides, my cousin also said that my heart was perched up so high and I wanted to steal the position of the eldest lady in Yue Mansion. But Auntie, I really have no such thoughts in my heart; please believe Ying''er!"


    After saying those words, Ning Ying knelt down weakly on the ground.


    "This is Ying''er''s first time to be selfish, and Ying''er didn''t want to give away something that Ying''er likes, so please forgive Ying''er this time!"


    Yue Ran was now completely overshadowed by her.


    Mother Yue was surprised by Ning Ying''s actions, and she immediately bent down to help Ning Ying up, patting the girl''s hands with irrepressible distress on her face.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. Auntie knows that my dear Ying''er is a good girl."


    Mother Yue gently held Ning Ying.


    "Auntie has long understood your temper, but no matter how gentle and peaceful you are, why would you suddenly have the idea of competing with Yue Ran?"


    She lightly tapped Ning Ying''s forehead teasingly.


    "That girl is just too stubborn and unreasonable, so you don''t have to worry so much!"


    In other words: Auntie will always take your side no matter what, and not that of her selfish and unreasonable daughter, so there was no need to worry so much.


    "Thank you, Auntie!" Ning Ying''s eyes turned red with gratitude. "I just hope that doesn''t blame me in the future too!"


    "I would never blame my precious Ying''er." Mother Yue laughed.


    What a sweet display of affection from a pair of aunt and niece!


    What do they perceive Yue Ran to be?


    Was it some insignificant pebble on the ground?


    Is the original body even Mother Yue''s biological daughter? S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was no wonder that the original body''s position and status as the eldest lady were not secure at all; it was no wonder that the original body could never compare to Ning Ying and Yue Yu, at least not with these kinds of uncaring parents around.


    Mother Yue was just about to reprimand Yue Ran but then saw Yue Ran''s dark eyes fog up with a thin mist. Although Yue Ran didn''t actually cry, her eyes were gradually turning red.


    Yue Ran was looking at her hands that held Ning Ying''s.


    That intent gaze was full of envy and jealousy.


    Those emotions could not be hidden from Yue Ran''s eyes. There was no way to cover them up at all.


    Mother Yue''s ugly cursing, which was originally full of anger, was suddenly stuck in her throat.


    What was Yue Ran envious of?


    Mother Yue suddenly felt a lot of discomfort in her heart.


    However, when she turned her head to face Ning Ying''s tearful gaze, Mother Yue still decided to be ruthless.


    "Yue Ran, as the daughter of the prime minister''s mansion, you have such unreasonable jealousy and hatred for your own cousin that you truly lack the calmness and generosity of a noble lady."


    Mother Yue stated this unequivocally.


    "I will not tolerate such disobedience from you."


    She tore her eyes away from Yue Ran''s figure.


    "From today onwards, you will be punished by copying the Precepts for Women three times to cultivate your feminine virtues."


    Mother Yue patted Ning Ying''s back reassuringly, then glared back at Yue Ran in anger.


    "You are not allowed to go out until I have seen those three copies done!"


    Yue Ran raised her head and looked at Mother Yue stubbornly. The tears in her eyes could no longer be held back and fell instantly.


    "Mother, why didn''t you ask me what had actually happened?"


    She wanted to scream; she wanted to shout out all the injustice she faced, she wanted to make a mess of everything! But she held back and blinked away the tears of frustration that were obscuring her vision.


    "Why don''t you go around and ask the maids what happened?"


    Her tone was full of grievance and loss.


    "Why do you only listen to Cousin Ning Ying''s one-sided words but not mine?"


    Her voice was hoarse.


    She couldn''t stop crying.


    Yue Ran: Mother Yue is so partial.


    Ruan Ruan: Mother Yue is so hateful!


    Yue Ran''s reaction took Mother Yue by surprise.


    This was how Mother Yue usually handled things. Yue Ran''s attitude in the past was usually arrogant and unrepentant. Sometimes, Mother Yue even needed to order strong maidservants to haul Yue Ran back into her courtyard to ground her.


    So what was wrong with Yue Ran''s attitude today?


    Now that her daughter looked so wronged by her words, Mother Yue was a little hesitant in her heart.


    Were the words she spouted out so wrong?


    She doesn''t think so.


    When Mother Yue made up her mind, she said, "Do you mean that your cousin Ning Ying is lying to me?"


    "I... I didn''t mean that." Yue Ran wiped her tears and said to Mother Yue, her voice was still hoarse after crying. "I just wished that mother could also listen to what I have to say; after all, everyone has their own subjective thoughts when they say things aloud..."


    Yue Ran''s voice trailed off, and each of her words was netted with hesitation, as if she were afraid that Mother Yue would get angry at her again if she said the wrong things.


    Her previous courage was all gone.


    If it were the Yue Ran of the past, she would never act like this. The Yue Ran of the past would always stay stubborn and proud, despite everything that happened.


    So why did Yue Ran suddenly act like this?


    Why the sudden change in temperament?


    Mother Yue couldn''t help but start to reflect on herself.


    "You, tell me what''s happened here before."


    Mother Yue randomly pointed to a maidservant standing by the side.

 Chapter 54 - 54: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (8)

    "You, tell me what has happened here before."


    Mother Yue randomly pointed to a maidservant standing by the side. But the servant''s words were very vague. This maidservant didn''t want to offend anyone at all.


    She pointed to a few other maidservants, and they all had the same vague answer.


    None of them wanted to offend Ning Ying, who was favorably viewed by Mother Yue, or the domineering Yue Ran, the legitimate eldest lady of the Yue Mansion.


    In the end, Mother Yue was not able to extract any confession and thus nothing happened.


    Yue Ran''s punishment was cancelled.


    This alone made Ning Ying secretly grit her teeth in hatred!


    This was the first time that Yue Ran had not suffered at her hands!


    How and why?


    This was not supposed to happen at all!


    After smiling provocatively at Ning Ying from an angle that no one could see, Yue Ran walked away with light steps.


    Yue Ran made no secret of her hostility and contempt for Ning Ying.


    She chuckled when she was already far away from the scene of the confrontation.


    "Cai Hong, did you see Ning Ying''s ugly face when we left?"


    Yue Ran smiled without a haze, and her voice was as clear as the chiming of silver bells. She felt happy that she had won a fight against her vicious cousin.


    Yue Ran could be said to get revenge on Ning Ying a little early for the original body.


    "The young lady is really great today," Cai Hong complimented sincerely.


    Yue Ran can now endure, act, and understand people''s hearts, which is a huge improvement compared to before.


    Yue Ran and her group of maidservants walked around with laughter and chatter.


    Just then, a handsome young man appeared from the turn behind the garden.


    Yue Ran suddenly halted in her steps; the corners of her lips were slightly pursed, and her eyes sparkled.


    Her target has appeared!


    Coincidentally, a gentle breeze lightly swept past Yue Ran''s hair, and the simple white hairpin fixed on her bun softly tinkled and her sea blue dress rippled following the wind.


    Yue Yu secretly observed this "little sister," as did Yue Ran with this "adopted brother."


    Yue Yu raised his brows in his heart as his eyes fell on Yue Ran''s figure.


    He had not seen Yue Ran for a few days, but how come he had never realized that Yue Ran was such a peerless beauty before? She was also not acting brainless anymore, as he had so secretly observed from the confrontation Yue Ran had with Ning Ying just a few moments ago.


    Yue Ran''s eyes swept over him faintly, not leaving any trace.


    Yue Yu was wearing an ink-colored robe, with black hair tied with a jaded crown. He has a graceful and elegant demeanor, looking as gentle as jade. This handsome and steady man had bottomless darkness in his smiling eyes and was focused on looking at the especially radiant and beautiful girl in front of him.


    This male protagonist is really handsome!


    "Sister Ran is really impressive today." Yue Yu smiled like the spring breeze.


    What his words were pointing at was obvious. He was talking about the confrontation between Yue Ran and Ning Ying in the garden.


    "What do you mean by that, Brother Yu?" Yue Ran narrowed her eyes. "Haven''t I always been like this?"


    There was a warning in Yue Ran''s words: Don''t meddle in my business! My problem is my problem alone; don''t stick your nose into it!


    Much to Yue Ran''s surprise, Yue Yu only laughed at her words, even with their threatening implications.


    He didn''t think that Yue Ran was acting unreasonable at all. On the contrary, he felt that she was inexplicably adorable, like a little harmless kitten with fangs and claws bared at him.


    The little kitten''s sleek fur stood up.


    She doesn''t look fierce at all.


    On the contrary, she only managed to look cute.


    "Isn''t it time for the kitchens to deliver the meals? How about we have a meal together?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Yu questioned Yue Ran, but he took one step ahead of her, not giving her any chance to refuse his suggestion.


    Yue Ran''s eyes flashed.


    Yue Yu was really making her mission much easier by taking the initiative rather than staying dormant like he usually did.


    Seeing Yue Yu and Yue Ran enter Yue Yu''s courtyard together, Ning Ying''s eyes sharpened as she hid behind a tree.


    Although Yue Yue''s temperament is gentle and elegant, his kind of gentleness always carries a sense of alienation that is unattainable, refusing everyone thousands of miles away.


    This was also why Yue Yu has never been close to anyone in the mansion.


    So why was he with Yue Ran right now?!


    A cruel light flashed in Ning Ying''s eyes.


    In her mind, the best candidate for her marriage is Yue Yu. After all, apart from Yue Ran, who is going to get married sooner or later, Yue Yu is the only person who has the closest relationship with the Prime Minister.


    So what about Yue Yu being the prime minister''s adopted son?


    From her point of view, Yue Yu will definitely succeed in the future. His past background meant nothing as long as he was to be the Yue Mansion''s successor in the future.


    Not to mention how talented he was; with the prime minister''s help, he would definitely go far in terms of his career.


    And who doesn''t know that Yue Yu was one of the four most sought-after and famous noblemen in the capital?


    Yue Yu is elegant with unparalleled looks. He''s talented, gentle, and polite, easily fascinating countless of the noble ladies in the capital with his mere presence alone.


    Speaking of the four most sought-after and famous noblemen in the capital, the first one would be the prime minister''s eldest son, Yue Yu; the second one would be the crown prince of the current imperial family, Ming Chen; the third one would be the general of the current dynasty, Xia Zhan; and the last one would be the youngest prince of the imperial family, Ming Ze.


    For Ning Ying, the crown prince, Ming Chen, is just too benevolent, and everyone knows how much he admires Xue Lu, the daughter of the Grand Tutor of the current Emperor.


    The general, Xia Zhan, is too rough and sharp, whether in looks or temperament, for Ning Ying.


    And the last one, the youngest prince, Ming Ze, had an aggressive temperament that Ning Ying really disliked.


    This left the prime minister''s eldest son, Yue Yu, as the last candidate. Such a gentle and elegant man really deserves to be called the perfect dream lover of Ning Ying and many others in the capital!


    "Cousin Yue Yu."


    Ning Ying smiled gently at Yue Yu while trying her best to suppress the jealousy burning inside her.


    She had also stepped into Yue Yu''s courtyard to join the two for lunch, but was angered when Yue Yu took the seat beside Yue Ran instead of her, Ning Ying!


    How could he do this?


    Yue Yu''s reaction to Ning Ying''s unwelcome presence was mild. Not cold, not hot, just moderate.

 Chapter 55 - 55: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (9)

    There was a light smile splayed across Yue Yu''s lips, and he only nodded his head a little too indifferently as a response to Ning Ying''s greeting.


    Ning Ying could only hide her resentment at Yue Yu''s disparate treatment of Yue Ran and herself!


    She was praised everywhere she went, so why couldn''t she get the same treatment when it came to Yue Yu?


    "You''re going to join us?" Yue Ran frowned.


    "Yes, if Cousin Yue Yu doesn''t mind," Ning Ying answered a little shyly.


    Without waiting for Yue Yu''s answer, Yue Ran spoke up again.


    "She''s going to join us?" Yue Ran pointed to Ning Ying as if pointing at a disgusting bug.


    Yue Yu hummed helplessly.


    It wasn''t like he could do anything about it.


    An "Oh" was Yue Ran''s reply.


    Ning Ying''s eyebrow twitched at Yue Ran''s answer.


    What does Yue Ran mean by an "oh" with such a look of repugnance crossing her features?


    "Let''s eat then," Yue Ran said.


    At Yue Ran''s words, Yue Yu nodded to the servant by the side before maidservants entered, bringing rich and flavorful dishes and placing three sets of utensils for the three occupants in the room.


    The meal was a silent one, other than the chattering Ning Ying, who filled the silent space with her particularly obnoxious voice.


    Yue Yu could only smile politely at her words, also trying to bring Yue Ran into the conversation, much to Yue Ran''s indignation.


    She could only hum and give one-word answers as a response.


    Every time this happened, Ning Ying could only grit her teeth while shooting fire with her eyes at Yue Ran. She was then forced to smile while reluctantly asking Yue Ran a few questions that Yue Ran had flat out ignored, making Ning Ying''s face turn red with anger.


    Come on, why would Yue Ran ever bother talking to unimportant people unless they were somewhat or somehow useful in her plans?


    Someone has to be worth something to actually catch her interest.


    The fight with Ning Ying before was only due to her boredom. And now, Yue Ran only planned to piss the girl off, much to her amusement.


    It was pretty fun looking at the steaming face of the original body''s cousin, who looked as if she would explode anytime soon. There was also this forced smile on her face, which only looked super twisted and ugly, much to Yue Ran''s delight.


    Yue Ran was pretty sure that Yue Yu knew exactly what she was doing since he had that twinkle of interest in his eyes.


    When everyone had finished their lunch, Ning Ying excused herself in a rather obvious and hesitant way.


    She was hoping that Yue Yu would stop her from leaving the room. But she didn''t hear a word even as she stepped out of the door, much to the girl''s disappointment.


    In Yue Ran''s point of view, Ning Ying was not at all subtle in trying to attract Yue Yu''s attention.


    Ning Ying was as subtle as a carriage that has gone wild with a maddened horse driving it.


    Yue Ran was very sure that Yue Yu knew that Ning Ying was interested in him.


    But if he knew, he didn''t show it at all.


    Now that Yue Ran and Yue Yu were alone, Yue Ran also excused herself.


    Her goal has now been achieved, so why stay any longer?


    "Then I''ll leave too."


    Yue Ran stood up from her seat only to be stopped by Yue Yu, who blocked her way.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Yue Ran stepped back to distance herself from the male protagonist. "Why did Brother Yu stop me from leaving?"


    She glared at the man in front of her.


    "Does Sister Ran hate me so much?" Yue Yu spoke softly, his lips arching upward as he spoke. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So what if I do hate you, and what if I don''t? Can''t I just be angry that you are blocking me from going out of the room?" Yue Ran frowned impatiently. "I have no time to play in Brother Yu''s games."


    Yue Yu only smiled in response.


    As if not hearing her hostility, he instantly changed the subject to one that Yue Ran was interested in.


    "Sister Ran likes Ming Chen, right?" After saying so, Yue Yu continued his words since it was a rhetorical question that did not require Yue Ran''s response. "Brother Yu has a way to help Sister Ran get his attention; does Sister Ran want to know about it?"


    Yue Ran looked suspiciously at Yue Yu before returning to her seat.


    Seeing that Yue Ran was now staying and no longer wanted to leave, Yue Yu also returned to his.


    "Would Brother Yu ever be so kind to help me?"


    Yue Yu chuckled. "Sister Ran is also my sister in name. So if you do like Ming Chen, as a big brother, how could I not help you with this?"


    Yue Ran ignored Yue Yu''s gaze on her and drank the cup of tea in front of her with a thoughtful expression on her face.


    Her every move is exquisite: the delicate white hand, the gentle and graceful movement of holding the teacup¡ªthe sight was reminiscent of a classical ink painting.


    She is extremely beautiful, especially those eyes, like a cage of mist hiding endless spring.


    Yue Ran really is a rare beauty.


    Yue Yu felt as if his heart was being tugged by something, but he tactfully ignored that strange, unknown feeling.


    He only stopped Yue Ran from leaving because he needed a pawn to get in touch with the current crown prince, Ming Chen, and know his every move. He had thought that Yue Ran was very suitable for this role, especially after her confrontation with Ning Ying.


    Although Ning Ying may seem to be the most suitable of the two for the job, the ambition in Ning Ying''s eyes was just too obvious. The crown prince would easily spot such a thing.


    Ming Chen is a good person, but he is not blind to the tricks and ambitions of others.


    Only Mother Yue would be blind to such an obvious thing.

 Chapter 56 - 56: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (10)

    Additionally, Ning Ying had very obviously shown her interest in Yue Yu and not Ming Chen.


    Yue Yu did not once plan to get involved in this kind of needless affection. Because once he does, there will only be endless troubles, especially Ning Ying''s enthusiastic and uncomfortable entanglements.


    Yue Ran lowered her eyes to hide a pair of beautiful dewy eyes that flashed a cold light and lifted the teacup to her mouth to conceal the smile at the corner of her lips without a trace.


    The male protagonist was much easier to attract than she had first thought.


    Yue Ran had believed that she needed a few more days to attract his attention and actually start to get close to him.


    But things went better than she had initially thought.


    She could revise her plans.


    Yue Yu''s actions were only making things much easier for Yue Ran, even if he was only using her at this point in time.


    She was his chosen pawn.


    She was excited to see what would happen in the future.


    Being moved by one''s own chess piece would be such a funny sight.


    After taking a sip, she placed the teacup down with a soft click.


    "Then tell me how you can help me with this. Everyone in the capital knows that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince admires the daughter of the Grand Tutor of the Emperor, Xue Lu. Can you really make His Royal Highness change his mind?"


    The look of disbelief on Yue Ran''s face was obvious, and so is the disbelief in her words.


    "Sister Ran, if you believe in me and do as I say, I can make sure that Ming Chen will give up on Xue Lu and fall in love with you."


    Yue Yu was full of confidence as he said this.


    His words were very resolute.


    As long as he was in control of everything, everything would also go according to his plans.


    "The Double Seventh Festival is coming soon; do you really want to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince show his affection to Xue Lu?"


    The Double Seventh Festival, also called the Qixi Festival, is a Chinese Valentine''s Day festival. This festival is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunisolar month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.


    It was also a day showing how girls compete and plead for skills.


    Yue Yu''s words had easily grasped Yue Ran''s weakness.


    "Shut up!"


    Yue Ran hissed.


    How dare he poke fun at her?


    Her and the person she likes! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was too much!


    Yue Yu''s inquiry had apparently provoked a defensive, almost hostile response from Yue Ran.


    This reminded Yue Yu of an adorable little kitten that bristled in annoyance, with all of its fur standing up.


    So cute.


    "You just need to tell me what to do; as long as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can change his mind, I can do anything!" Yue Ran stated this unequivocally.


    Yue Yu felt strangely bitter, and the smile on his face became a little forced. He took a deep look at Yue Ran; his eyes were as dark and deep as the pitch-black abyss.


    "Is Ming Chen really so good that he is worth your admiration and liking?"


    Yue Ran gave him a disdainful look.


    "What do you know? His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, is much more attractive than someone who wears endless masks like you. Do you think that I am not aware that your gentleness and tolerance are only your false faces? The refined disguise that you put on to hide your ice-cold heart is what I hate the most!"


    The smile on Yue Yu''s face froze before quickly warming back up again.


    He was still using his mask, but his heart could not help but fluctuate. Fortunately, he had great restraint and sat there with a calm expression so that no one could see anything unusual.


    "What do you mean by those words, Sister Ran?"


    "You don''t even understand such simple words now?" Yue Ran spoke with a face full of indifference. "Stop smiling when you don''t feel like it; that smile looks so fake and ugly."


    Yue Yu nearly choked on his saliva.


    The room fell silent for a moment, and Yue Yu found himself sitting as stiff as a board, his face set in an unreadable expression.


    He was shocked.


    No one had ever seen through his disguise for the past eighteen years that he had lived in the Yue Mansion, not even the Prime Minister himself.


    Yue Yu had so habitually put on his mask in front of everyone that it came to him so naturally now. But someone¡ªYue Ran¡ªcould actually see through his perfect disguise and tell him just how ugly and fake the false smile was on his face!


    This is impossible!


    This should have been an impossible feat!


    But apparently not anymore.


    He very quickly cleared up the complicated mood in his heart before saying, "Does Sister Ran still want to know how to make Ming Chen fall in love with you?"


    He was changing the subject again, but at the very least, he was not donning that fake smile anymore.


    Yue Ran could call this a huge improvement.


    "See, you look so much better if you don''t have that false smile on your face anymore!"


    Yue Ran nodded with her words, and her body language showed that she was now much more comfortable in Yue Yu''s presence than she had been previously.


    Yue Yu was once again taken aback by Yue Ran''s words and actions.


    She was always so direct with her words.


    His lips straightened into a straight line, not knowing how to react to her words.


    The present Yue Ran was just so full of surprises that he was caught off guard again and again.


    Right, what did the male protagonist ask again?


    Something about Ming Chen?


    Oh, she finally remembered!


    "Right, of course I want to know how to make His Royal Highness the Crown Prince fall in love with me; quick, tell me what to do!"

 Chapter 57 - 57: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (11)

    On days like the Double Seventh Festival, the common people would hang their festoons and lanterns in the hopes that their sons and daughters would find a good relationship during this festival.


    Xue Lu received so many invitations from noblemen, but she didn''t care to look at those boring letters that had piled up into a mountain on her desk.


    Those of whom had asked her out were nothing more than ordinary noblemen with no notable achievements.


    There was no need for her to pay any heed to them.


    "Young Lady, are you planning to stay in the mansion again during this year''s Double Seventh Festival?" Li Ya, Xue Lu''s close maidservant, asked, "Do you not want to go anywhere?"


    Li Ya sometimes felt that the young lady she was serving was just like a Goddess of the Nine Heavens, only drinking the sweetest morning dew of budding flowers, playing the zither in the courtyard, enjoying herself with a board game of chess, twirling away in a dance, and losing herself in story books.


    Xue Lu was just as elegant as a goddess, and her beauty was unparalleled. Li Ya doesn''t really know who would be so lucky to marry her young lady in the future.


    Whoever it would be, they must have accumulated all their luck over several lifetimes to be graced with the young lady''s accompaniment in this life!


    "Li Ya, send this letter to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince; I will accept his invitation."


    Xue Lu lightly placed a letter she had just finished on the desk and gestured for Li Ya to take it.


    "What?"


    Li Ya was startled by Xue Lu''s answer.


    She had only expected a "yes," like how her young lady had always answered.


    But why was it different this time?


    "Young Lady, are you really going to attend the appointment with His Highness, the Crown Prince?!"


    Xue Lu sighed softly.


    "Don''t ask what you shouldn''t."


    It was a light reprimand with no hint of deterrence.


    "Yes, young lady."


    Li Ya felt bitter about her young lady''s answer.


    Is her young lady still planning to marry His Highness the Crown Prince?


    Even if she clearly wasn''t attracted to him at all?


    Even if she clearly wasn''t interested in him at all?


    Why should the young lady be subjected to such cruelty?


    And then she herself¡­


    Xue Lu lowered her eyes.


    How could Xue Lu not know that her maid had impure thoughts about her?


    But does that really matter?


    All she wanted was her undying loyalty.


    Moreover, Xue Lu was now rudely splashed awake by her father''s straightforward words.


    His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, is the future Emperor of the dynasty and would therefore be able to get whatever he wanted with the power that comes with the Dragon Throne.


    Why bother risking her family''s lives because of her own reluctance?


    Her unwillingness would only endanger the continuation of her clan.


    His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen, although a royal, could barely catch Xue Lu''s eyes.


    He was not the person she liked.


    Nor will he ever be.


    ?? ? ??


    "Young lady, we have arrived!"


    Following Li Ya''s words was Xue Li, who slightly opened the curtain to look out the window.


    She has finally arrived at the appointment place with Ming Chen.


    The bright moonlight quickly illuminated Xue Li''s beautiful figure as she slowly got off the sedan chair.


    "Peace unto Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."


    Standing by a clear lake, Xue Lu bowed to the Crown Prince of the current dynasty, Ming Chen. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing her actions, Ming Chen immediately helped Xue Lu up.


    "You don''t have to treat me so distantly; we have known each other for a long time after all."


    "Your Royal Highness, etiquette is not something to be discarded."


    Xue Lu was firm in her reply.


    "Okay, I understand," Ming Chen replied helplessly.


    "Is this the Bright Moon Lake?"


    Xue Lu easily changed the subject and turned her eyes away from Ming Chen to the eye-catching scenery.


    The surface of the lake was sparkling, reflecting the moonlight and stars above. Occasionally, the black silhouettes of a bird or two could be seen flying across the lake.


    It was a rare and beautiful scene, and Xue Lu''s gloomy mood slowly dissipated.


    The view in front of her made her feel much better.


    "Yes, this place is a popular destination, so I wanted to invite you to come and enjoy the quiet moonlight and beautiful scenery by the lake with me."


    "Your Royal Highness is very kind to share such a view with me."


    "As long as you like it."


    Seeing how Xue Lu liked the location he chose, Ming Chen felt very happy.


    He had asked his men to clear the location just for this meeting.


    Xue Lu was well-known for her cold beauty. Normally, this would make the noblemen stay away, but because of her talent and beautiful appearance, she was easily liked by people, and many noble young masters would then flock to her.


    Just as the two¡ªXue Lu and Ming Chen¡ªwere admiring the view under the bright moon with their respective thoughts, a scream suddenly cut through the silent night.


    "Ahhh!"


    Then there was a splash.


    Xue Lu and Ming Chen''s faces changed. They froze at the same time.


    Someone had fallen into the lake!


    The two hurried to the location where they had heard the shout and tried their best to spot the drowning person with the little light the moonlight could provide.


    "It''s the young lady of the Minister of War, Shu Xi, who had fallen into the lake!"


    It was Xue Lu who had exclaimed.


    Ming Chen had now encountered a difficult situation.


    According to the benevolent temperament Ming Chen had shown to the public, it was impossible for him to refuse to save Shu Xi!


    And in order to be alone with Xue Lu, he had already ordered all his attendants to retreat. Now that everyone was gone, there were only Ming Chen and Xue Lu left on the scene.


    The only way to save the Young Lady of the Minister of War is for Xue Lu or Ming Chen to dive into the lake and save the drowning girl.

 Chapter 58 - 58: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (12)

    However, there was a difference between men and women.


    If he were to save Shu Xi, he may just as well have taken the girl''s innocence and been forced to marry her.


    Ming Chen was really placed in a difficult situation.


    He glanced at the female companion beside him in embarrassment, but only saw a grim face full of displeasure on Xue Lu''s face.


    "Your Royal Highness, you don''t need to look at me; I can''t swim!"


    Xue Lu''s voice was very cold.


    She could clearly assess the situation and know that there was no other way than to have Ming Chen go down there to save the drowning girl.


    Xue Lu would not want to get herself dirty and embarrassed just for the daughter of the Minister of War, who was pathetically drowning in the lake.


    If the chances of being with the Crown Prince were reduced to zero, they might as well be reduced to zero.


    She was never attracted to Ming Chen in the first place.


    She wouldn''t mind if he married other women as his Crown Princess or Empress.


    Right now, only she and the Crown Prince are present on the scene. Everyone in the capital knew that she couldn''t swim, so Shu Xi''s life automatically rested on Ming Chen''s shoulders.


    Once Ming Chen saves Shu Xi, he will have to marry Shu Xi for taking her innocence!


    Shu Xi was clearly slapping Xue Lu in the face with this scheme!


    Xue Lu''s face turned dark.


    This game sure was wonderful!


    This was a blatant humiliation on Xue Lu''s part!


    How dare anyone do this to her and make her look stupid!


    And how could she guess that it was Shu Xi who had planned this trap?


    Everyone in the capital knows that Shu Xi is one of the noble ladies who admires the Crown Prince.


    Xue Lu''s eyes turned cold.


    But when a slim figure in red showed up, Xue Lu immediately knew that her previous guess was wrong!


    It was Yue Ran''s scheme!


    Just as Ming Chen was stuck in an insoluble dilemma of choosing a person''s life or loyalty for his love for Xue Lu, Yue Ran''s sudden presence abruptly dispersed his cloud of thoughts, bringing him out of his daze.


    Yue Ran had already taken off her outer robe and was about to jump into the lake. But before she does, she leaves a sentence behind: "The Crown Prince is a man, and it is inconvenient to save the noble young lady, so let me save her instead!"


    Yue Ran resolutely jumped into the lake.


    Although it was still summer at this time, the water was still cold, especially in the middle of the night.


    "Yue Ran?!"


    Seeing that touch of red out of the blue took Ming Chen by surprise!


    It was Yue Ran!


    He was sure that he had not seen the wrong figure.


    How could Yue Ran suddenly take the initiative to save others?


    The disbelief on his face was obvious.


    ?? ? ??


    "Thank you, Sister Yue Ran; thank you!"


    The trembling figure of Shu Xi was repeatedly thanking Yue Ran for saving her life.


    If there was no Yue Ran, she was not sure if she could even survive!


    Yue Ran softly comforted the terrified girl in front of her.


    Although Yue Ran herself was soaked all over, she had so generously placed the others'' wellbeing over her own so selflessly. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this new side of Yue Ran¡ªso gentle and patient¡ªMing Chen doesn''t really know how to feel.


    Yue Ran''s eyes were filled with concern, and there was a gentle smile that was blooming on the corners of her lips as she talked softly to calm the quivering noble lady down.


    The peerless face and this elegant and gentle demeanor made Ming Chen feel a little dazed and even distressed for a moment.


    But the feeling was gone as soon as it came.


    "Yue Ran, it was thanks to you that the young lady of the Minister of War was saved tonight. You have made a great contribution by saving a life. What reward do you want? As long as you say it, this prince will give it to you as long as it is within my power."


    "Your Royal Highness is too serious. Yue Ran has only wanted to save someone and is not hoping for the sake of any repayment."


    "There are rewards and punishments for everything. For example, if you did something wrong, wouldn''t the Prime Minister punish you for it?"


    Seeing the change in Yue Ran''s expression, Ming Chen quickly changed his words.


    He had accidentally let his tongue slip.


    He let out a discreet cough.


    "I mean, I should reward you in this matter, and I don''t want to hear any objections about this."


    Yue Ran smiled lightly at his words; her shy posture was as beautiful as a blooming begonia.


    Silent seduction has always been the most lethal, and those who are unknowingly tempted find it even more difficult to resist.


    Looking at Yue Ran''s embarrassing appearance of being fully drenched from head to toe but still looking extremely charming, Ming Chen''s heart could not help but fluctuate.


    The bright red dress on her body adheres to every curve, highlighting her entire body, which Ming Chen found himself slowly appreciating as he traced her from head to toe with his eyes.


    Ming Chen unknowingly raised his leg and was about to walk toward the girl in front of him. He didn''t even know what he was going to do¡ªor say, for that matter¡ªbut he couldn''t help but want to get close to her.


    But the world didn''t give him this chance.


    "Yue Ran!"


    A slightly immature voice pierced the silent night.


    It was Ming Ze.


    Ming Chen was immediately snapped out of his trance.


    Right, he already has someone he likes.


    He shouldn''t provoke other women, at least not for the time being, and certainly not in front of the person he likes.


    He would have many chances to do so in the future, but not right now.


    After all, as a member of the imperial family, it was also an important task for him to spread leaves and branches for the imperial family.


    And doing that meant that he would most definitely have many concubines in the future.

 Chapter 59 - 59: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (13)

    "Yue Ran!"


    A slightly immature voice pierced the silent night.


    It was Ming Ze, the youngest prince of the current dynasty and also Ming Chen''s little brother.


    Ming Ze hurriedly ran to Yue Ran''s side like a little puppy in search of his master.


    Seeing that Yue Ran was wet all over, Ming Ze immediately felt distressed and couldn''t help but worry about her wellbeing.


    On this Double Seventh Night Festival, he had shamelessly followed Yue Ran everywhere she went, even after being driven away by her countless times.


    Ming Ze had made sure to follow the girl''s steps very closely, but...


    "Yue Ran, why did you suddenly disappear?! Do you know how worried I was? Your present clothing is neither neat nor tidy either."


    The words spouted out of Ming Ze''s mouth are full of reprimand and worry, but his actions were extremely gentle and careful.


    With a flushed face, Ming Ze quickly took off his outer robe and carefully covered the girl with it.


    "You should quickly change your clothes because your dress is now soaked all over! The night wind is so cold, and whose fault would it be if you did catch a cold? Do you know that catching a cold is not a wonderful thing?"


    Now that Ming Ze has spoken, Yue Ran did indeed feel very cold.


    The wet clothes that were sticking to her skin were sending chills to her very bones, not to mention that Yue Ran had been standing so long while speaking to Ming Chen.


    Ming Chen was certainly unkind to the fairer sex.


    At least Ming Ze''s warm outer robe really helped her with the cold.


    The Crown Prince, Ming Chen, was acting like a wooden log once Ming Ze appeared.


    There was a strange feeling in his heart as he observed their overly intimate interaction. But he felt joy the moment Yue Ran pushed Ming Ze away from her.


    Without support, Ming Ze''s outer robe fell to the ground, crumpled, and was covered in dirt.


    "No, how can I wear your robe when I have nothing to do with you?" Yue Ran stressed out her words.


    It was a stern refusal. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You¡ª!"


    If it were someone else, Ming Ze would have snorted and wouldn''t care about that person''s life or death¡ªor even his or her existence, for that matter. But in front of him was Yue Ran, so how could he not care?


    He really, really likes her a lot!


    Ming Ze let out a sigh. "You need to get warm or you''ll catch a cold."


    He held out a hand, and the servant behind him handed a brand new robe over.


    Ming Ze straightened the clean outer robe in the air and said, "Is this alright?"


    But he didn''t give Yue Ran a chance to speak before forcefully wrapping the robe directly around her body.


    Yue Ran lowered her eyes slightly at his actions, and her hands clutched onto the dry robe and fixed on her drenched figure, as if a little at a loss.


    She was taken aback and a little perplexed by his constant kindness.


    She sighed and softly thanked him after a long time, as if she appreciated his kind action.


    "Thank you, Ming Ze."


    Ming Ze felt extremely moved by the sudden appreciation for all his work throughout the years.


    He watched the girl standing in front of him, maintaining a respectful posture. Her slender eyelashes drooped tightly, casting a small shadow under her eyes, like the clouds covering the sky, flirtatiously touching people''s hearts.


    It seems to be close at hand but also seems to be far away.


    The breeze blew by, and the strand of hair that was gently raised seemed to hook people''s hearts.


    Seeing the girl reach out to brush away the scattered hair around her cheeks, Ming Ze felt soft in his heart.


    Was his love for her finally acknowledged?


    Ming Chen suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his heart when he saw their close and tacit interactions, but he didn''t think that it was because he had any special feelings for Yue Ran. It must be because his little brother, Ming Ze, was blatantly ignoring him, and all of Ming Ze''s eyes and attention were solely focused on Yue Ran.


    Yes, that must be it.


    And one thing he wanted to do now was break them apart.


    So Ming Chen said, "Prince An, since you are here, please help me send Young Lady Yue and Young Lady Shu back to their respective homes."


    Prince An is Ming Ze''s title.


    Ming Chen looked at Yue Ran''s drenched hair sticking to her jade-like face and quickly glanced away, almost as if in a panic, not wanting to be seduced by her alluring appearance any longer.


    Ming Ze felt immediately reluctant at his big brother''s suggestion and immediately voiced his complaint, "Why should I be the one to send Young Lady Shu home? I obviously have nothing to do with her!"


    His words literally implied that he was interested in Yue Ran and only wanted to be related to her and nobody else.


    Ming Ze was extremely happy to have the chance to be able to send Yue Ran back to the Yue Mansion, but was reluctant to send off other irrelevant women.


    Considering that his title of "domineering little overlord in the capital" is not for nothing, there was really no one that could order him to do something that he clearly doesn''t want to do.


    The crown prince felt an incoming headache.


    His father really adored this youngest brother¡ªMing Ze¡ªof his very much, so he really could not afford to offend this little overlord of the imperial family.


    As a result, he could only look apologetically at Xue Lu, who was standing aside and had remained silent throughout.


    He felt a little embarrassed at her rather cold yet intense stare.


    Xue Lu immediately understood the Crown Prince''s decision after looking into his eyes.


    There was no need for more words.


    "Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, does not need to look at me like this. Since you want to send another noble lady back to her home, I will also take my leave."

 Chapter 60 - 60: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (14)

    "Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, does not need to look at me like this. Since you want to send another noble lady back to her home, I will also take my leave."


    It was more important for Xue Lu to make the Crown Prince feel guilty for herself to gain his affection than to embarrass him and herself in front of everyone when the Crown Prince himself would put his actions into words.


    "Xue Lu, it''s my fault this time; I will definitely find a way to apologize to you the next time we meet again."


    Even if Ming Chen felt sorry for Xue Lu, there was really no other way for him to proceed this time around.


    When Ming Chen was about to step away to leave, he turned his head to focus on the two completely different figures left on the grounds¡ªone red and one white¡ªwhich complemented each other perfectly.


    But the touch of red is definitely more eye-catching than the one in white.


    If he had these two beauties in the bag and then sat on his dragon throne as he looked down on his people in the future, would he attain his greatest happiness then?


    Wait a second¡ªno!


    How could he have thought of such a ridiculous idea?!


    The Crown Prince shook his head off the muddled thoughts and politely helped Shu Xi to the carriage, while he made his way to ride on his horse to escort Young Lady Shu from the outside back to the mansion of the Minister of War.


    But just before he left, he saw Yue Ran leaving with his youngest brother, Ming Ze, and both of them settling inside a royal carriage.


    Ming Chen stared at the back of the red figure in a daze, feeling a sense of loss in his heart for a moment.


    Why are they sitting in the same carriage when Ming Ze could clearly ride on a horse?


    But he already had an answer to this question in his heart.


    Ming Chen pulled his gaze away and left in a daze, with a heavy heart and the plodding clop of his horse.


    ?? ? ??


    "Young Lady, His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, is really so rude! How could he abandon you just like this to send another noble lady back home? He is the one who has clearly said that he likes you!"


    Li Ya was filled with indignation.


    "Li Ya, speak carefully!"


    Xue Lu shot Li Ya a warning glance.


    "How His Royal Highness treats me is his own business. His Royal Highness is the current dynasty''s Crown Prince, and what he says stands, and I don''t have the right to argue about what was right and wrong for him!"


    Li Ya lowered her head.


    "Yes, young lady, I will remember your words."


    Li Ya was annoyed at her own slip of the tongue.


    Why does she have such a big mouth?


    What would she do if she got the young lady in trouble in the future?


    It''s better for her to pay more attention to her words in the future.


    Li Ya carefully reflected on her actions.


    She must never let the young lady be inconvenienced by her!


    "It''s good to know that you are wrong. You can now retire; I need to rest for a while." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Li Ya left Xue Lu''s room, Xue Lu rubbed her temples.


    She already knew that she had reached her marriageable age and was now finding the perfect candidate for her husband-to-be.


    But all those she knew in the capital were only ordinary noblemen with little to no achievements. Where can she find someone who will have a great future?


    ?? ? ??


    Yue Mansion.


    After implementing Yue Yu''s first plan at the Double Seventh festival in Bright Moon Lake, Yue Ran no longer bothers to think of a way to win Ming Chen''s affection.


    All she needed to do was follow through on Yue Yu''s arrangement for her to earn the Crown Prince''s heart that Yue Yu had set for Yue Ran.


    After all, as the leading male protagonist in this world, Yue Yu, or Rong Yu, must have a bright and cunning mind to actually be able to surpass all the other male protagonists.


    Or maybe it was just Yue Ran who felt really lazy and didn''t want to think of another strategy.


    "Oh, so you finally trust me, Sister Ran?"


    Seeing that Yue Ran returned to the Yue Mansion with a satisfied face, Yue Yu knew that his plan had succeeded.


    "Well, Brother Yu''s idea is pretty good."


    Yue Ran nodded, albeit a little reluctantly.


    Normally, His Highness, the Crown Prince, only has eyes for Xue Lu and never for Yue Ran. But today, even if His Highness, the Crown Prince, tried his best to conceal his feelings, Yue Ran still found his eyes drifting to herself, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.


    "You acted bravely in front of Ming Chen and helped him solve his dilemma." Yue Yu remarked, then joked. "You will most probably be the woman in his dreams tonight."


    He only said this as a joke, but how could he have known that his words were actually forecasting the future?


    ?? ? ??


    When Ming Chen woke up from that indescribable dream, his heart was greatly shaken.


    His heart felt mixed.


    How could Xue Lu, the one who was always dressed in white, be changed into a familiar, alluringly bright red figure?


    Does he actually have some unreasonable thoughts about Yue Ran?


    But how was this possible?


    Ming Chen would never admit it!


    This must be because he had glimpsed the porcelain white skin of Yue Ran under that drenched red dress of her last night, and that was why he had those¡ªthose charming thoughts about her!


    It was most emphatically not because he fell in love with the infamous Yue Ran!


    Then he blushed when he remembered her image in his mind.


    No, how could he have such shameless thoughts...?


    "I only like Xue Lu!"


    Ming Chen kept on repeating this sentence over and over again.


    Yes, thinking of Xue Lu, Ming Chen''s pounding heart finally calmed down.

 Chapter 61 - 61: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (15)

    "Yue Ran is just beautiful... So beautiful¡­"


    Ming Chen coughed at his words.


    Could he have¡ªno, there was no way!


    "Stop thinking about it!"


    He grumbled in obvious denial that he himself had not realized.


    "That''s right, how could Yue Ran''s talent be compared to Xue Lu''s, who was well-known for her great knowledge and talent in making poems, when all Yue Ran had was just beauty?"


    He nodded at her words.


    "Right, that''s it! The only one I like is clearly Xue Lu and not Yue Ran''s beautiful face!"


    Beautiful¡ªno, stop it!


    She is not!


    Ming Chen went silent as he tried to collect his thoughts.


    He needed to calm down.


    Ming Chen asked his servant to deliver a letter to the Xue mansion early in the morning to apologize for his actions last night and to deliver his words that he would be on his way to the Xue mansion for lunch to distract himself from his mind full of messy thoughts.


    Inside his carriage on his way to the Xue Mansion, Ming Chen unknowingly saw a flaming figure whom he seemed to recognize very well from outside the open window.


    The flamboyant appearance of Yue Ran stood at a distance from his carriage.


    Yue Ran was still dressed in red¡ªlike last night and like that in his dream¡ªfully showing her slim and graceful figure.


    She stood there against the wind, picturesque, smiling from within the crowd, her laughter as clear as silver bells.


    Suddenly, neither the colorful stalls nor the sunlight shone as brightly as her lovable smile.


    Several youths passing by foolishly bumped into a stall while looking at her in a daze. Peals of laughter followed their gaffe.


    There was an inexplicable emotion surging in Ming Chen''s heart.


    He could now somewhat understand his youngest brother''s obsession with Yue Ran.


    He was no longer able to deny it.


    Yue Ran is indeed a stunning beauty, just like Xue Lu, if not more so.


    When Ming Chen decided to make his presence known from the open window, he was startled. Ming Ze suddenly approached Yue Ran, covering his view of the beauty.


    And then he realized that the smile on Yue Ran''s face was used to show Ming Ze, and the laughter from Yue Ran was also because of Ming Ze.


    From afar, Yue Ran reappeared from behind Ming Ze and looked up at the same man in front of her, seemingly wanting to refuse his advances.


    Ming Chen could now see the two figures side by side.


    Ming Ze''s eyes were filled with a goofy smile¡ªone that no imperial family member had probably seen before, other than Ming Chen''s father, the Emperor himself¡ªand, despite the presence of others, he openly held the girl''s hand.


    Ming Chen''s pupils shrank, and his eyes unconsciously stared at the hands they held together.


    As he can see, the man is strong and handsome, and the woman is charming and lovely; they are indeed a pair made in heaven.


    If anyone ignores the vague unpleasantness in Ming Chen''s eyes, that is.


    At that moment, Ming Chen felt a sharp pain coming from his heart.


    This is the first time Ming Chen has tasted jealousy.


    All of this is something that he has never experienced before.


    Ming Chen looked at Ming Ze from afar with increasingly unkind eyes¡ªobsidian-like eyes were filled with frost and anger that could not be concealed.


    He clenched his fists silently.


    Apparently aware of the obscure gaze, Yue Ran''s fingertips trembled slightly, as if she were extra sensitive. She frowned and turned her head to look for the gaze, but to no avail.


    Her eyes swept in Ming Chen''s direction, and he held his breath, only to see her gaze scan past him.


    Ming Chen doesn''t know whether to be relieved or disappointed¡ªmaybe a little mix of both.


    He resumed watching the girl silently.


    Under the blue sky, Yue Ran had donned a self-doubting expression.


    The corners of Ming Chen''s lips twitched up.


    So cute! ¡ª Wait, no!


    Ming Chen was startled by his own thoughts and immediately slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead.


    He should forget everything about Yue Ran.


    ¡­He should.


    That''s right, he should.


    So what if Yue Ran likes him? Her deep feelings for him have nothing to do with him.


    It was better for someone else¡ªMing Ze¡ªto bother Yue Ran than for Yue Ran to bother him all day.


    Ming Chen felt a lot of discomfort in his heart even after convincing himself of his "true" feelings when he saw how bright Yue Ran''s smile was that bloomed on her face that she showed to Ming Ze.


    Ming Chen''s carriage, marked with the emblem of the Crown Prince''s Mansion, drove slowly through the market, passing by Yue Ran''s side.


    He inexplicably hoped that Yue Ran would find him.


    Somehow, he thought that it was also fine for Yue Ran to pester him all day long and for many days afterwards.


    But to Ming Chen''s disappointment, Yue Ran did not discover his presence even until his carriage disappeared completely from her sight.


    Ming Chen clenched his teeth in annoyance and other unidentified mixed emotions.


    Yue Ran didn''t notice him even after he made things very obvious!


    Did that show just how much she "liked" him?


    Was that how Yue Ran planned to like himself?


    Ming Chen actually felt somehow, inexplicably, wronged.


    ?? ? ??


    Ming Ze''s eye flickered with a cold light when Ming Chen''s carriage passed by the two.


    He made sure that his big brother''s carriage was completely out of his sight, making sure that Yue Ran would not be able to chase after Ming Chen''s carriage anymore from such a distance before stating what he saw.


    "Yue Ran, the carriage that had passed by both of us just now belongs to my big brother."


    Although Ming Ze had made sure that Yue Ran was not able to run after the Crown Prince''s carriage anymore, he still felt hesitant as he spoke those words. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Would Yue Ran once again leave him for his big brother?


    Would she chase after his big brother''s carriage even after it had traveled so far away?

 Chapter 62 - 62: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (16)

    Would Yue Ran once again leave him for his big brother?


    Would she chase after his big brother''s carriage even after it had traveled so far away?


    "I know," Yue Ran replied nonchalantly.


    Ming Ze blinks. Once. Twice. Thrice.


    It took a few long seconds for him to register her words.


    "You know?"


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed lightly in reply to Ming Ze''s words.


    She looked in the direction where Ming Chen''s carriage had left long ago.


    Ming Ze was a little dazed and confused, seemingly not understanding the current situation.


    Why was Yue Ran so different from the Yue Ran before, who was madly infatuated with Ming Chen?


    Still, Ming Ze felt pleasantly surprised.


    "Then, why did you not chase after my big brother?"


    Yue Ran stared at Ming Ze when she heard his words; both were following a stream of people who had crowded together to watch a street performance.


    Then she turned her attention lightly to the man beside her.


    "My elder brother advised me to win His Royal Highness'', the Crown Prince''s, heart by playing hard to get."


    She was playing a push-and-pull strategy.


    These words poked Ming Ze''s heart.


    He was sad that Yue Ran hadn''t yet given up on his big brother.


    Although it was painful, he was pleased that Yue Ran trusted him enough to reveal such a vital secret that would make or break her plans to win Ming Chen''s affection.


    Yue Ran smiled at his reaction.


    "If you ever want to give up on me, you can do it anytime."


    She looked perfectly content with either a "yes" or a "no" to his decision.


    It was as if... she had never expected anything from him, so anything less from him made no difference.


    Ming Ze was so angry he could breathe fire¡ªthose eyes of his were emitting flames of anger.


    "It''s absolutely impossible for me to give up on you; you have no way to get rid of me in this life!"


    The young man''s eyes grew darker.


    Was his affection for her so weak in her opinion?


    Yue Ran looked at Ming Ze with a haughty smirk and a meaningful gaze.


    "I hope you can do what you say."


    This is how the original body always acted in front of Ming Ze.


    She never once hid her selfish and arrogant nature in front of Ming Ze, and Ming Ze himself never seemed to be put off by her unruly and rude attitude.


    His feelings for her had not changed since he fell in love with her at such a young age.


    So why did he give the original body such a hard blow in the end?


    Yue Ran herself was also unsure.


    That part was really suspicious, and it did successfully tickle her curiosity.


    This must be another thing hidden by the Lord God.


    How annoying.


    ?? ? ??


    Xia Mansion. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Did Young Lady Yue bring such important news that she would spend her valuable time stopping in front of the General''s Mansion so early in the morning?"


    Yue Ran lightly patted her dress, which carried a layer of cold, dewy air.


    "I know that General Xia likes Xue Lu, the daughter of the Grand Tutor of the Emperor, and I am here to help you with your pursuit of her affection."


    Xia Zhan''s eyes sharpened.


    How did Yue Ran find out that he had feelings for Xue Lu?


    He narrowed his eyes and drew his sabre, placing it neatly on Yue Ran''s neck with one swift move.


    Just a slight step, and the blade would draw blood.


    He doesn''t believe that Yue Ran came to him with such kind intentions. He doesn''t believe that Yue Ran would ever come to help him!


    "Tell me the real reason why you came looking for me; don''t think that just because you are the prime minister''s daughter, I dare not hurt you!"


    Yue Ran scanned the man''s angry appearance with her star-like eyes.


    Xia Zhan had sword-like brows, a pair of sharp eyes, and sharp features, looking so imposing that an average person would not dare look at him directly in the eyes.


    His whole aura resembled that of a sharp, unsheathed sword pointing straight at her, wild and untamed.


    But those sharp edges will most probably be sheathed away in front of Xue Lu.


    Yue Ran, unlike the average person, was not at all intimidated by Xia Zhan.


    She lightly touched the blade of the sword with her hand. Those fingers were slender, and the fingertips were crystal-clear pink, as transparent as jade.


    Standing so quietly, she was like a piece of gorgeous porcelain; her temperament was clear and flexible, and she was clad in rich red; she was noble like a blooming peony.


    Xia Zhan was startled by her actions. Although he was not afraid of hurting Yue Ran, he still didn''t want to cause himself unnecessary trouble that would be troublesome to resolve.


    He was silent for a while, but finally couldn''t help pulling the blade away from Yue Ran''s neck.


    "¡ªYou!"


    "What''s wrong with me? I came here with good intentions to help you, but that''s how you treat me?"


    Yue Ran''s eyes fell on the sword in Xia Zhan''s hand that was still unsheathed.


    "You really came to help me?"


    Xia Zhan felt a little guilty, especially after looking at Yue Ran''s sincere eyes. But how could a dignified general admit that he was wrong in front of a woman?


    Yue Ran doesn''t really care about Xia Zhan''s rude actions; after all, she didn''t really come to help this general win Xue Lu''s heart.


    She was only here to cause more chaos.


    The bigger, the better.


    "Of course." Yue Ran folded her hands. "You also know that Xue Lu doesn''t have anyone she''s interested in." She slightly tilted her head. "In other words, since she still doesn''t like anyone in particular, you should be ready to take action to be able to win her affection."


    "It''s not that Xue Lu doesn''t like anyone; it''s just that few people can compete with her talent, so she''s a little cold and distant to everyone else."


    Yue Ran hummed at his words.

 Chapter 63 - 63: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (17)

    Yue Ran hummed at his words.


    "Sure, Xue Lu will always be good in your eyes, no matter what she does."


    Yue Ran was just teasing the man and never actually thought that Xia Zhan''s ears would turn red.


    She was quite surprised.


    Did Xia Zhan have such an innocent character?


    Ah, that''s right¡ªhe grew up in a rather violent and brutal military camp, in a dog-eat-dog world, and had never met anyone of the opposite sex. So it''s not surprising that he likes Xue Lu, a woman full of elegance and tenacity.


    "Well, to make Xue Lu fall in love with you, you can use a little detour and clever methods."


    Xia Zhan went instantly alert at Yue Ran''s words.


    "What do you want to do? I will never let you do anything to hurt Xue Lu!"


    "I know, I know, this method will definitely not hurt your beloved Xue Lu, alright?"


    "Oh... I see."


    Yue Ran was getting tired of dealing with Xia Zhan.


    This man''s obsession with the female protagonist sure runs deep. Annoyingly deep.


    Even if Yue Ran didn''t really want to deal with this straightforward and dignified general, he was still one of the main protagonists that would require her attention.


    At least the strategy to gain his affection is very simple and straightforward.


    "Then you should let me talk and listen closely to my words."


    Xia Zhan nodded.


    ?? ? ??


    "Sister Ran has gone out of the mansion today."


    Yue Yu had his schedule packed, and he was busy with his own matters.


    Outside the Yue Mansion''s gate, where he was about to enter his carriage, he unexpectedly saw Yue Ran getting off hers to walk back into the mansion with a sweet smile on her face.


    A little curious, he approached her.


    His words were a statement, not a question, but Yue Ran still replied anyway.


    "Yes, does Brother Yu have an appointment with someone else today?"


    Because of Yue Yu''s help and advice in terms of teaching her how to win Ming Chen''s heart, Yue Ran finally views this brother of her a little more favorably than before.


    Yue Ran looked at the male protagonist and then at the carriage parked outside the Yue Mansion gate.


    The male protagonist must be planning to subvert the current dynasty''s imperial family to sit on the Dragon Throne and become the Emperor.


    "Um," was Yue Yu''s curt reply.


    When he saw Yue Ran''s happy expression, he knew immediately that only Ming Chen could make her smile this way. Knowing how much his little sister cares about the Crown Prince made him feel strangely unhappy.


    Under the girl''s questioning gaze, Yue Yu quickly walked past her and into his carriage, not wanting to stay any longer beside the girl who was smiling like a flower because of another.


    Yue Yu''s goal for going out today was to discuss treason with selected ministers and subordinates who wanted a change.


    Hours of discussions went by quickly, and soon it was time to return to the Yue Mansion for a rest.


    Yue Yu quickly walked into his study room and summoned one of his men.


    Facing the man, Yue Yu immediately got to his point.


    "Where did the young lady go today?"


    "Which young lady does the Master mean?"


    The man facing the question was a little confused by the vague wording of his master. There are two young ladies in the Yue Mansion¡ªthe first one is the young lady of this Yue Mansion, Yue Ran, and the second one is the young lady''s cousin, Ning Ying.


    Yue Yu immediately frowned at his words.


    "What other young lady could I possibly refer to in Yue Mansion if it''s not Yue Ran?"


    Yue Yu did not expect that even the servants of the Yue Mansion did not see Yue Ran as the only young lady of the Yue family.


    It was extremely ridiculous.


    The dignified, legitimate young lady of Yue Mansion was actually put on an equal footing with an orphan from a distant extended family of no standing!


    "There is only one young lady in the Yue Mansion, Yue Ran; you better keep that in mind or else."


    Yue Yu''s voice was calm, but the sharp edge of his tone and the authoritative bearing he carries sent shivers down the man''s spine.


    The air was tense.


    "Yes, yes, the servant will remember this!" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was terrified.


    "In the future, I don''t want to hear any other person asking me who the Young Lady of the Yue Mansion is, understand?"


    Yue Yu turned his head to look at his entourage standing stiffly on his side.


    "Understood."


    He then stared at the man kneeling on the ground, smiling gently, and asked, "Do you want me to repeat my first question?"


    A bead of sweat dripped down the said man''s forehead, down his cheek, and fell from his chin to the wooden floor¡ªa light drop.


    "The young lady went to the general''s mansion!"


    Out of everything, that was an answer that Yue Yu did not expect.


    The General''s Mansion?


    He could see that the kneeling man was not lying to him, and the same kneeling man could never lie to his face.


    So Yue Ran actually did go to the General''s Mansion and not the Crown Prince''s Mansion?


    But then¡­


    "Which general?"


    "It''s General Xia, Xia Zhan."


    "Xia Zhan?"


    Yue Yu repeated, then narrowed his eyes in thought.


    He had never once heard of any relationship between Yue Ran and Xia Zhan.


    So what could Yue Ran want from Xia Zhan to actually go to the Xia Mansion to find Xia Zhan?


    What was she planning?


    What could she be planning?


    ?? ? ??


    "Brother Yu, what are you doing here? Why did you suddenly come to find me?"


    Yue Ran was startled by Yue Yu''s sudden appearance, and her eyes showed a little daze.


    It seems that the kitten was easily startled.


    So cute.


    Yue Ran was just learning embroidery in her yard and practicing it on a white plain handkerchief when she looked up and unexpectedly saw Yue Yu staring at her while leaning against the wall across her with folded hands.

 Chapter 64 - 64: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (18)

    Yue Ran was startled by Yue Yu''s sudden appearance, and her eyes showed a little daze.


    "What? Is there some shady secret in your yard so I can''t come in?"


    Yue Yu wore a gentle smile on his face, but a flicker of something obscure flashed past his eyes.


    "How could it be?" Yue Ran rolled her eyes and carelessly threw the embroidery that was half done on her bed. "Brother Yu is the only son of the prime minister, so who would dare to stop you from going anywhere?"


    There was a sarcastic sneer on her face.


    Although Yue Yu did give her ideas on how to catch Ming Chen''s attention, Yue Ran still hated the hypocritical smile on his face that did not hold any sincerity.


    So fake.


    Like a smiling fox.


    Yue Ran had completely thrown herself into the role and thought exactly like the original body; after all, an immersive experience is always fun.


    If one wants her to give them her sincerity, then one will need to show their sincerity first.


    "Sister Ran, what has made you so infuriated?" Yue Yu asked with a raised brow.


    You, Yue Ran wanted to answer.


    "Even if so, you better not spread your anger to your Brother Yu."


    A dangerous glint flashed through Yue Yu''s eyes.


    He wrapped his fingers around her delicate, jade-white neck. He lightly pulled her up, and Yue Ran followed his movements by standing.


    As long as Yue Yu presses harder and twists it, Yue Ran will disappear, leaving no one left to scorn him.


    Just a dull crack, and she was no more.


    Smiling, Yue Ran said to him, "Brother Yu, don''t you already know that my temper is never good?"


    There was an unfathomable sense of leisure in Yue Ran''s expression even then that made Yue Yu''s teeth itch, but he still didn''t take action.


    It''s definitely not a good thing that Yue Ran could so easily affect his mood with her every move.


    As smart as he is, how could he not have realized that he may have fallen in love with his nominal sister? But the existence of Yue Ran is too important, and he wants to use her to lower the vigilance of the now ignorant crown prince.


    How could he ruin his grand plan just for his own selfish desires?


    What''s more, Prime Minister Yue is now currently assisting him with his affairs, so he can''t kill the prime minister''s daughter over a trivial matter.


    Forget it; he would just bear her temper rather than face the troublesome consequences of her sudden death.


    Yue Yu didn''t believe that he wouldn''t be able to control his own heart.


    But how would he know that the word "love" is the most uncontrollable and unpredictable thing?


    After all, love recognizes no barriers; it knows not its own depth¡ªas deep as the abyss or as shallow as a puddle¡ªuntil the hour of separation; it is invisible yet so clear.


    Yue Ran deliberately took a step back and pretended to fall.


    Black hair swayed, and her body suddenly lurched back.


    With fast reflexes, the man immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, but instead of pulling her up, they both fell on Yue Ran''s bed. The handkerchief, with incomplete embroidery, was spread out and now lay uncovered by Yue Ran''s head.


    Blooming red peonies.


    Yue Yu was now on top of Yue Ran. On the bed.


    Yue Ran looked up at Yue Yu in fright, and her bright eyes seemed dazzling.


    Her soft black hair was scattered all around the white fabric underneath, and her skin was so white, it seemed to glow.


    An intoxicatingly sweet fragrance flushed his cheeks. It wasn''t certain whether it was from the scent of the bed or Yue Ran herself.


    "T-too close," Yue Ran murmured as she pushed Yue Yu away from her.


    Yue Yu felt his heart stop for a bit at the image of Yue Ran getting flustered.


    Oh, so she can get shy too?


    Yue Yu''s faint breaths were loud against the silence, and black eyes as deep as the abyss were fixated on Yue Ran.


    In Yue Yu''s point of view, he only knew that Yue Ran had stumbled, so he rushed to catch her.


    Before the process, though, Yue Ran might''ve accidentally hit her foot against the corner of the bed and might''ve accidentally tripped because of that and might''ve accidentally fallen onto the bed and brought a certain someone down with her.


    Everything had gone on so naturally that Yue Yue held little to no suspicion toward Yue Ran''s actions.


    "Brother Yu, get off." She seemed to cry out unconsciously, and her voice was reproaching. "You''re very heavy."


    There was a pause.


    Why did Yue Ran use such a... coquettish voice?


    This was a foul!


    "¡­Right."


    Yue Yu rushed to get off of her and almost fell off the bed. He then covered up his reddening face with a cough.


    Yue Ran sat up in bed, blinking at the man. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Yu proceeded to glance at the servants on the side.


    They have all lowered their heads with trembling bodies, wishing that they were blind, deaf, or dead at the moment. Blind and deaf so that they couldn''t see or hear anything at the same time, while dead solves everything.


    Thinking that it was enough warning, he turned his attention back to Yue Ran. With a wave of his hand, everyone filed out of the room, leaving only Yue Yu and Yue Ran in the deafening silence.


    With a cough, Yue Yu spoke: "I heard that you went to visit General Xia in his mansion today."


    Yue Ran tilted her head. "Ah, you mean Xia Zhan?" Then smiled. "Yes, I did go out to look for him today; what''s wrong?"


    "Why did you want to meet him?"


    Even if Yue Yu had thought long and hard about this issue, he still couldn''t think of any reason that would justify Yue Ran''s move.


    What was so important that Yue Ran had to find General Xia, someone who had never had anything to do with her, in his mansion?

 Chapter 65 - 65: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (19)

    What was so important that Yue Ran had to find General Xia, someone who had never had anything to do with her, in his mansion?


    Since Yue Yu himself can''t seem to pinpoint Yue Ran''s answer that satiates his curiosity, he decides to come to her boudoir this late at night to ask for her reason why.


    Yue Ran chuckled at his words.


    "Doesn''t Brother Yu know that General Xia likes Xue Lu?"


    At this time, Yue Yu suddenly felt that even his extremely clever mind was not enough to crack the too-cryptic puzzle pieces called Yue Ran.


    "So, what''s your point?" Yue Yu raised a brow. "What does General Xia''s admiration for Xue Lu have to do with you going to find him?"


    "Brother Yu doesn''t seem to be very smart at the moment," Yue Ran said. "Think about it this way: His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and General Xia both like Xue Lu. On one hand, I am chasing after His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and on the other hand, General Xia is chasing after Xue Lu."


    Yue Ran had broken everything down into small pieces for Yue Yu to understand her actions. Even a child could fully understand her words now, so hopefully the male protagonist does too.


    "Both of us are working together to increase our chances of catching up with the person we like. Isn''t this such a good idea?"


    The gentle smile on Yue Yu''s face suddenly turned a little deep with vague emotions.


    "Who knew that you would one day be goodhearted enough to help make another person''s wish come true?"


    There was a hint of an unknown emotion behind his words.


    All Yue Ran''s actions were only for His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen.


    Yue Yu questioned, "Doesn''t Sister Yu dislike Xue Lu, so why do you want to play matchmaker for her relationship?"


    "Not to mention, to put her and Xia Zhan together of all people, no matter how I think about it, Xia Zhan is a very good candidate for a husband-to-be, and not someone that you would want to put Xue Lu with."


    Yue Ran let out a soft sigh. "This is not something that I can choose."


    Hearing Yue Ran''s words, Yue Yu stared at the girl with a contemplative look as if he had never known her before.


    "If I want His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, to give up on his love for Xue Lu, I must make Xue Lu like another person," Yue Ran said with a self-satisfied smile on her face. "And that person that Xue Lu likes must not be ordinary; otherwise, Xue Lu would not even bother to look at that said person."


    Listening to her own words, Yue Ran really felt that she had done a good deed that could save the world.


    At that time, she and His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, will be a pair of Golden Boy and Jade Girl. Moreover, Xue Lu and General Xia will also be able to achieve their own happy ending together.


    "You really think a lot about the Crown Prince." Yue Yu couldn''t help himself and spoke in a sour tone dripping with passive aggression.


    At this moment in time, Yue Ran was too caught up in her own fantasy that she couldn''t hear Yue Yu''s bitter tone or silent jealousy. In her ears, Yue Yu''s words were a sincere compliment.


    "That''s natural; His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, is benevolent, kindhearted, rich, and handsome; if I don''t like him, then who else am I supposed to like?"


    Her eyes took on a dreamy expression; however, her indulgence in a daydream was broken by Yue Yu''s words that left her baffled.


    She could not believe he actually said it.


    "Am I not a good candidate for a husband-to-be? More than half of the noble young ladies in the capital are interested in me."


    Yet his words were not a lie.


    Yue Yu was indeed the most sought-after candidate out of the four famous noblemen in the capital.


    Then again, she was not interested in someone as fake as Yue Yu.


    "So what if Brother Yu is a good candidate for a husband-to-be?" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran folded her legs and leaned back with the firm support of both of her hands.


    "All those noble young ladies in the capital were just deceived by the mask you have currently donned."


    She looked straight into Yue Yu''s eyes.


    "If you did one day remove it in front of others, would there really be people who would stay interested in you?"


    Yue Ran''s lips rose in a shallow arc, and her eyes sparkled with laughter.


    "All I could think of was them running as far away from your presence as possible."


    Sure enough, Yue Yu went silent.


    He had never once removed his mask in front of others other than Yue Ran, so how would he actually know if others would be frightened and run away from him or not?


    But this little sister of his could so easily change from a little, adorable kitten into a ferocious tiger.


    Nonetheless, she''s adorable.


    He could only admit that he likes her just the way she is, with all her enthusiasm, fire, and unique character. He especially likes her one-minded focus and fervor towards the person she really likes.


    It would even be better if it was directed at him.


    Wait¡ªdid he just admit that he likes Yue Ran in his heart?


    No, impossible!


    He must suppress this uncontrollable feeling of his¡ªone that burns and spreads like fire on oil!


    Yue Yu took several steps back in panic, then turned around and walked out of Yue Ran''s boudoir and out into her courtyard with very quick steps, as if he were escaping something frightening.


    He was indeed escaping something frightening.


    He was escaping from those feelings he had harbored for Yue Ran¡ªones that he did not want to face.


    Those feelings should not have existed in the first place!


    Yue Ran raised a brow at Yue Yu''s fleeing back.

 Chapter 66 - 66: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (20)

    Yue Ran raised a brow at Yue Yu''s fleeing back.


    He had so surreptitiously slipped into her room without her knowledge but had been so open about his escape from her room. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And the thing is that she didn''t even do anything to warrant him running away as if he had a fire on his tail.


    Yue Ran stood up with her fists clenched by her sides.


    This male protagonist is really, really puzzling.


    Does he really think of her room as his own, so he could easily come and go as he pleased?


    She folded her hands angrily, a frown tugging at the corner of her lips.


    However, when Yue Yu was about to disappear from Yue Ran''s field of vision, he turned around.


    With that one glance, he saw not of the simple decorations of Yue Ran''s courtyard, he saw not of the servants, he saw not of the beautiful sky¡ªall he saw was only Yue Ran.


    All his sight was taken by the girl¡ªthe girl who was standing on the same spot, unmoving.


    The yellow light of the candlelight hit her side like a halo. Her pale skin was smooth like silk, making her angry features seem doll-like, and the extraordinary color seemed to hit Yue Yu''s eyes in an instant.


    Yue Ran''s current image was forever engraved in his mind; this was enough to amaze him for a long time.


    Another step, and Yue Yu was gone.


    When he had stepped out of the gate to Yue Ran''s courtyard, Yue Yu covered his beating heart, knowing fully well that he really had indeed fallen in love with Yue Ran.


    A sense of powerlessness gradually spread out from his heart.


    Yue Ran loves Ming Chen so much.


    Could he ever compare to the Crown Prince in her heart?


    Will she ever like him?


    Will she even look at him?


    Yue Yu covered his face weakly, his palms covering his face¡ªthen his eyes flashed a hint of cruelty in between his fingers.


    It''s okay; when the world is in his hands, there will not be something that he cannot have or obtain.


    "After that, Ming Chen will not be spared!"


    ?? ? ??


    "General Xia?"


    It was not often that Xue Lu would go out of her mansion for a walk around the capital.


    Today, her destination was the peach blossom forest.


    And she never would''ve thought that she would run into this cold-faced general, Xia Zhan, one of the four most sought-after noble young men in the capital, while strolling around to admire the beautiful scenery.


    "Young Lady Xue." Xia Zhan greets the girl back with a nod. "What a coincidence!"


    "Yes, what a coincidence," Xue Lu replied.


    With that, the conversation ended.


    Seeing that Xia Zhan still did not leave, Xue Lu also stood in her position, deciding to not leave her spot, as awkward as everything could get.


    Xia Zhan''s complexion was fair, but in fact, the base of his ears was completely red; after all, the woman he had been thinking of all day and night was now standing in front of him!


    If it weren''t for Yue Ran''s insistence, he would never have the courage to be alone with Xue Lu, let alone talk to her.


    This was much too thrilling for him, even exceeding the thrill of every battle he had ever fought before.


    Not only did he not know where to put his eyes, he also didn''t dare to say a word.


    There was only silence in between them, filling the area and making it almost palpable.


    Xia Zhan: ¡­


    Xue Lu: ¡­


    With the stretching silence, Xue Lu''s lips gradually trained into a straight line. She was a little embarrassed by the current situation.


    If Xia Zhan did not plan to talk to her, couldn''t he just walk away?


    Even if she did have a cold temper with an indifferent mask, she still wasn''t able to stand this very awkward atmosphere.


    Uncomfortable was an understatement.


    From afar, away from prying eyes, was Yue Ran, who was observing the current situation.


    She stared at the general with an apparent distaste that made its way to her face.


    Couldn''t Xia Zhan do something about that unsightly situation he had put himself in?


    How would he be able to catch Xue Lu''s heart with how awkward and nervous he was around the girl?


    The seamless plan that she had made was in shambles.


    Yue Ran slapped a hand to her forehead and let out a soft sigh.


    There was only one word to describe the current situation that both Xia Zhan and Xue Lu were caught in: awkward.


    As if it weren''t already spelled out on their faces.


    Xia Zhan wanted to break the silence but didn''t exactly know what to say, so he turned his head to Yue Ran, who was hiding not far away, for help.


    Xia Zhan: Help!


    Yue Ran: ¡­


    She was speechless.


    She had taught him all the skills she knew to seduce a girl for a few days now, and this was the result he got?


    Was he serious?


    But Yue Ran knew that Xia Zhan was serious when she looked at his face and into his eyes.


    Seriously?


    A few days ago, Yue Ran had repeatedly teased the man herself so that his face turned as red as a tomato and he couldn''t even speak out a word.


    She even had Xia Zhan practice it out on her so that he wouldn''t be so awkward when implementing it on Xue Lu, but was this the outcome of all his studies that she had tried to cram into his head?


    Yue Ran: This man cannot be taught; what a failure of a student!


    She could only walk out from behind the tree and try to salvage the current situation, at least making sure that Xia Zhan''s chances wouldn''t crumble to zero.


    "Young Lady Xue."


    Yue Ran''s presence was a much-needed help for both people placed in an awkward situation they both got themselves into. Nevertheless, Xue Lu was still a little suspicious at Yue Ran''s sudden arrival.

 Chapter 67 - 67: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (21)

    "Young Lady Xue."


    Yue Ran''s presence was a much-needed help for both people placed in an awkward situation they both got themselves into. Nevertheless, Xue Lu was still a little suspicious at Yue Ran''s sudden arrival.


    It was almost as if she had all this planned out.


    "Young Lady Yue?"


    What is Yue Ran here for?


    Looking at Yue Ran''s bright red flowing dress, which rippled under the sun like liquid ruby and was completely different from her own pure white dress, Xue Lu inexplicably felt a lot of disgust from just a look at her.


    The disgust was sprouting from her heart, becoming a bud and then a towering tree, and it was not planning to stop its growth anytime soon.


    What''s more, Xue Lu could never forget that one time Yue Ran had ever humiliated her at a banquet. Yue Ran practically slapped the rude words from her mouth onto Xue Lu''s face in front of many others just to gain her much-needed notorious fame and put on a show for everyone to talk about over dinner!


    She, Xue Lu, will never forget what Yue Ran has ever done to her!


    Ever!


    She will never forgive her!


    Just looking at Yue Ran''s face made her mood plummet to the ground, but her face stayed as stoic and cold as ever.


    "You must be wondering why I am here," Yue Ran started. "To tell you the truth." She gestured to the fidgeting Xia Zhan, who was too nervous to speak. "General Xia here is interested in getting to know you more."


    Xue Lu only blinked in confusion. And when Yue Ran''s words were finally registered in her mind, her eyes widened at the meaning of Yue Ran''s last sentence.


    General Xia is interested in getting to know her more?


    That''s good, Xue Lu thought.


    Don''t think that she didn''t notice how Yue Ran was always trying to get in touch with men who had relations with her in one way or another.


    But why did Yue Ran do this?


    What was she planning in that hollow head of hers?


    What could she even be planning in that hollow head of hers?


    Moreover, if Xia Zhan really did like her, why did he seek out Yue Ran''s help? Why Yue Ran of all people?


    That was when Xue Lu realized that Yue Ran had it out for her¡ªwell, the men who like her, to be exact.


    She had now clearly understood Yue Ran''s goal: Yue Ran wanted to snatch all the men around her so that she would not be left with any good husband-to-be candidates left!


    Heh, if Yue Ran removed that cheap, gaudy beauty of hers, what would be left of her? Excessive self-esteem? Overly aggressive arrogance?


    Yue Ran is just an empty shell with nothing but beauty, like a vase with nothing but rotten insides!


    Xue Lu sneered disdainfully in her heart.


    Yue Ran is shameless, utterly shameless.


    If those men were actually attracted to Yue Ran and were taken by her in the end, then Xue Lu could only say that those men were utterly blind!


    She, Xue Lu, is well known for her talent and beauty. Who would not be aware of this in the capital? The answer is none.


    If those men ceased to like her for Yue Ran...


    There was never an "if."


    Xue Lu was confident that that would never happen.


    She was very determined not to believe in that delusive scenario.


    Something like this was not supposed to happen and will never happen. She was sure of it.


    Xue Lu fully believes that those little tricks Yue Ran had implemented were nothing but useless efforts. Not even the most diligent person could ever take her spotlight and fame away, not to mention her admirers.


    "General Xia?"


    Xue Lu didn''t want to talk too much to Yue Ran; hence, she turned her doubtful eyes to Xia Zhan, who still looked nerve-wracking, to say the least.


    "Yes," Xia Zhan said before clearing his throat. "Yes, Xue Lu, I am interested in getting to know you more; I like you!"


    His voice was raised as he uttered the last three words; he could even feel himself blushing. Hard.


    He, Xia Zhan, is a majestic general of the dynasty with magnificent battle achievements known to everyone in the capital and undoubtedly also one of the four most sought-after noble young men in the capital.


    He, Xia Zhan, is always invincible on the battlefield.


    But he was also only a man.


    A man who was always helpless in the face of the person he liked.


    A man who was always helpless in the face of Xue Lu.


    In front of Xue Lu, he was shy and at a loss, a nervous wreck.


    However, what was Yue Ran actually doing? Didn''t she say that she would help him win Xue Lu''s heart? So why did she let him express his heart to Xue Lu so easily? S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that he has confided what is in his heart to the person of his dreams, will that person feel that he was too frivolous or silly?


    "Do you?" asked Xue Lu.


    Unexpectedly, the corners of her mouth were raised.


    She glanced at Yue Ran from the corner of her eye, and her deep eyes sparkled with pride.


    Like she had thought, there was no way that Yue Ran could attack her men''s attention, for all their eyes were only focused on herself.


    The sparkle went as quickly as it came, and Xue Lu''s lips straightened into a straight line; her ice turned cold.


    "General Xia, thank you for your liking, but if you really did like me, then why did you bring Yue Ran with you to the peach blossom forest?"


    Every word she uttered seemed to be layered with ice¡ªso icy cold.


    Xia Zhan was still blushing awkwardly a moment ago, but when he heard Xue Lu''s words, his complexion immediately turned pale and bloodless.


    "Could it be that General Xia has taken a fancy to not only me, Xue Lu, but also Young Lady Yue of Prime Minister Yue''s Mansion?"


    Xue Lu''s question was full of accusations.


    "Does the general intend to play both of us, to hug both beauties in your arms, and to sit back and enjoy blessings from everyone?"


    Those eyes turned to Yue Ran and stared down at her with mockery.


    "I most certainly don''t like your decision, and I am also sure that Young Lady Yue doesn''t like your decision either, right?"


    Xue Lu''s words held so much indirect aggressiveness, a passive-aggressive behavior, yet her tone was so flat and cold.


    The mirthless smile on Xue Lu''s face made Xia Zhan feel a wave of panic flooding his heart, as if he would completely lose her if he didn''t explain his actions.


    "No, I don''t like Yue Ran at all!" Xia Zhan hurriedly denied, "I only like you!"


    He was trying to cut off all his connections with Yue Ran at once. As long as Xue Lu could understand his intentions and the sincere affection he held for her, he could do anything!


    Moreover, he really had nothing to do with Yue Ran!


    "Young Lady Xue, since I returned from the north in March and passed by your figure by the window of the Light Paradise Tea House, I have never once forgotten you!"


    The more Xia Zhan saw how indifferent and cold Xue Lu was, the more anxious he felt, and the more his words turned bare and open, undisguised.


    "How can Yue Ran ever compare to you?"


    Xue Lu was still silent.


    "You are the most talented and most beautiful noble lady in the capital, and Yue Ran was naturally ranked the last; everyone knows that."


    Xia Zhan felt desperate, desperate for any sort of reaction from Xue Lu.


    "Young Lady Xue, you are well versed in four arts: mastery of the Qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and everyone knows that Yue Ran has neither academic nor artistic talent nor accomplishments; she is nothing compared to you! I have only ever liked you and nobody else! Trust me!"


    When Xue Lu heard Xia Zhan''s words, she grew more and more at ease from the bottom of her heart. There was even a hint of a smile and a little appreciation in her eyes as she stared at the general.


    Like she had previously guessed, Yue Ran was nothing compared to her. Those weren''t even her words, but Xia Zhan''s.


    Hilarious.

 Chapter 68 - 68: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (22)

    "Since that was the case, then I may have misunderstood General Xia''s intentions," Xue Lu said. "It''s just that this is my first time conversing with General Xia, and if you really like me, then we can meet a few more times, and everything will depend on your actions towards me in the future."


    Xue Lu left with an obscure smile on her face, leaving behind a cold fragrance that breezed past Xia Zhan. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Xue Lu''s figure disappeared from Xia Zhan and Yue Ran''s sights, Xia Zhan immediately felt uncomfortable and unsettled all over.


    Only he and Yue Ran were left in the clearing.


    Peach blossom petals fell from above Yue Ran''s head, slowly drifting with the wind and falling lightly on the girl''s shoulder.


    A pink tint on ruby red.


    Inexplicably beautiful.


    "So the few days that we have spent together meant nothing to you at all?" Asked Yue Ran. "In all those days that we were together, have you never once regarded me as your friend or ally? Have you never once seen me as your friend or ally?" She paused and swallowed. "At all?"


    Although Yue Ran was smiling, her eyes were red.


    "Am I really nothing compared to Xue Lu? Even if I am right there in front of you, you can still belittle me as easily as stepping on the dirt on the ground! Xia Zhan, you are really... really¡­"


    Yue Ran uncontrollably shed a tear, then turned around and raised her head to the sky, trying not to drop the rest of her tears down her cheeks.


    Xia Zhan pursued his lips tightly, feeling extremely uncomfortable. But when the image of Xue Lu appeared in his mind, he decided to be ruthless again.


    "You and I have never known each other before this; if it wasn''t because of your proposition to me for me to win Xue Lu''s heart, how could we ever be acquainted with one another in this life?"


    His lips straightened when he finished speaking.


    No matter how ruthless he was, he can''t go on talking so unfeelingly to Yue Ran anymore; after all, they did get quite close to one another these few days. Those few days of interaction with Yue Ran made him realize that those rumors flying in the capital were untrue, and most of them were pretty much nonsense.


    Rumors outside are just plain rumors.


    Yue Ran is only a straightforward little girl; she''s neither rude nor aggressive.


    Xia Zhan definitely doesn''t dislike her like this. He actually quite liked the time they spent together.


    However, the person he likes is Xue Lu, not Yue Ran.


    If he could only choose one of them, he would definitely choose Xue Lu over Yue Ran at any time, without fail.


    He swallowed, then said, "So let''s cut off all contact with one another."


    Because Yue Ran could not be in any part of his life in the future.


    There was no way for the two of them to be able to keep their friendly relationship when Xue Lu was so repulsed by it.


    Yes, this was the right thing to do¡­ right?


    Yue Ran seemed to have calmed down a little at this time.


    The tears in her eyes were no longer threatening to flow out of her eyes after dozens of blinks to try and dry them out.


    She turned her face back toward the dignified and mighty general of this dynasty.


    Except for the red and glassy eyes, it doesn''t seem as if she had just cried.


    "Xia Zhan, remember, it''s not you who wants to cut off any contact with me; it''s me who wants to cut off all contact with you." The woman''s beautiful face turned into a cold sneer. "It''s all of my own initiative!"


    After talking, Yue Ran quickly turned around and left the scene.


    Even wearing such a bright ruby-red dress could not hide the feeling of loneliness and sorrow that enveloped that petite body of hers, surrounding her and swallowing her up.


    Xia Zhan stared at Yue Ran''s back as she left the peach blossom forest, most likely to return to the Yue Mansion, and his eyes darkened following her figure.


    At this moment, no one could actually read the general''s expression, if there was one at all.


    No one would be able to guess his current thoughts.


    And what was Yue Ran thinking when she left?


    She felt immensely happy!


    Although it may seem as if she was severely suppressed and pathetically rubbed to the ground by the female protagonist, in actuality, everything was just going as Yue Ran had planned.


    On Yue Ran''s face appeared a charming smile.


    She can''t wait to see what comes next!


    ?? ? ??


    All the time that Yue Ran had spent with Xia Zhan in the Xia Mansion was, naturally, not to teach the man how to catch Xue Lu''s heart but for him to get used to her existence.


    Now that she was gone, could Xia Zhan bear it?


    Now that the joy and laughter were gone, could Xia Zhan bear it?


    Now that there was only emptiness, could Xia Zhan bear it?


    The smile on Yue Ran''s face was full of malice, like a seductive and dangerous poppy.


    Although everything was going as she had initially planned, she was still annoyed at being suppressed by the female protagonist''s halo in front of the female protagonist herself.


    Thinking of the indifferent and icy-cold temperament of Xue Lu, a sneer appeared on the corners of Yue Ran''s lips.


    She wonders if Xia Zhan could actually melt that frozen ice block with heat.


    Heh.


    Since the female protagonist had taken one of her men, Yue Ran just had to get comfort from another one!


    Naturally, it was the one man who was easily accessible and was close to her all the time¡ªYue Yu, or Rong Yu, her Brother Yu!


    Speaking of the main male protagonist, he has been treating Yue Ran extra carefully and gently these past few days.


    Yue Ran already knows that Yue Yu is very much attracted to herself, and his current actions are to make sure that she will not be disgusted with him in the future if Yue Yu takes Yue Ran as his significant other.


    Naturally, Yue Yu was trying his best to win her affection.


    "Brother Yu!"


    Yue Ran ran towards the familiar figure she was close to in the Yue Mansion.


    Her reaction greatly pleased the man.


    He felt joy knowing that Yue Ran was now closer to him, all thanks to his efforts.


    Yue Yu patted Yue Ran lightly on her head.


    "What''s the matter?" Asked Yue Yu. "Who had wronged you outside?"


    "It''s that Xia Zhan!" Yue Ran immediately put all the blame on others. "He actually dared to belittle me to nothing in front of Xue Lu!" She huffed angrily, her cheeks puffing out. "I''m so angry!"


    "Did you go out of the mansion to find Xia Zhan again?"


    There was jealousy in Yue Yu''s words, but he tried his best to control it. He lightly pinched the porcelain-white cheek of the girl with a hand, as if punishing her for running about.


    "Yeah, what''s the matter?" Yue Ran raised a brow and folded her hands. "Are you jealous?" She raised her head, slapped Yue Yu''s hand away from her face, and smirked. "Please, Brother Yu, you are my brother in name, so you are not allowed to have any unreasonable thoughts about me!"


    Yue Ran had so carefully grasped the sense of proportion in the latter sentence of hers to make it sound like a joke to make fun of Yue Yu, as if the words she said weren''t true in the slightest bit.


    And if it were true, she wouldn''t have minded then, would she?


    And if it weren''t, Yue Yu could always change things around.


    As long as he was no longer Yue Ran''s brother, he could date her and be open, couldn''t he?


    Yue Ran narrowed her eyes slightly.


    It was a very wise move of hers to win the male protagonist''s heart before he fell in love with the female protagonist, which also allowed her to live much more comfortably in the prime minister''s mansion than the original body ever did.


    After all, Yue Yu was regarded as the second head of the prime minister''s mansion. The first one would be Prime Minister Yue himself.


    Yue Yu''s eyes darkened.

 Chapter 69 - 69: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (23)

    "I just treat Sister Ran as my younger sister, so I of course won''t have any other extra thoughts about you," he said before continuing, not wanting to stay on this current topic anymore. "Right, didn''t you say that Xia Zhan had belittled you in front of Xue Lu? Brother Yu will help avenge you."


    He had to quickly change the subject first since he still couldn''t afford to expose his true intentions in front of this so-called little sister of his. Otherwise, what would happen if she directly decided to alienate him from then on?


    He could not afford this kind of risk.


    It''s better if Yue Ran gets used to his existence, and he could then make her like himself in one way or another.


    He just needed to find a better chance to be able to express his feelings for her¡ªa chance for her to run to him.


    And now was just not the time.


    It has to be said that Yue Yu was way too worried for his own good.


    Even if he were to confess his feelings to Yue Ran, there was no way for Yue Ran to really alienate him since he was still one of the male protagonists that she had to gain love from.


    "In Xia Zhan''s words, he said: Young Lady Xue, you are well versed in four arts: mastery of the Qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and everyone knows that Yue Ran has neither academic nor artistic talent nor accomplishments; she is nothing compared to you! I have only ever liked you and nobody else! Trust me!"


    Yue Ran complained about all the grievances she received to Yue Yu in anger. She was so angry that she wanted to hit someone.


    "Didn''t Xia Zhan basically called me ignorant and uneducated?!"


    Yue Yu: ¡­Is that not it?


    He can''t refute this.


    The claim that "Yue Ran was nothing compared to Xue Lu" was obviously false, though.


    Seeing that Yue Yu was speechless, Yue Ran turned red and glassy. She glared at Yue Yu with accusing eyes, like a poor wounded cub in need of love and care.


    Yue Ran was about to cry again.


    Discerning this, Yue Yu could only open his eyes and talk nonsense.


    It was all for the sake of love.


    "How could Xia Zhan say that about you?" Asked Yue Yu with accusation in his tone. "He is too much; he has no sense of tact or gentlemanliness at all. What''s more, Xue Lu is obviously the type of pretentious person who flaunts her nobleness wherever she goes with the shallow goal of attracting the eyes of ordinary people!"


    Seeing that Yue Ran still looked dissatisfied, Yue Yu continued to speak more compliments to grace her ears.


    "Not to mention that Xue Lu is definitely not your match in the looks department; even her cold and distant temperament makes it hard to match your cuteness and frank temperament," Yue Yu said. "Those who praise her and belittle you are just blinded by the dirt, preferring to choose fish eyes over pearls." He wracked his brains for more compliments. "Those people just don''t understand your innate beauty and talent."


    Yue Yu had already really tried his very best to praise Yue Ran to the skies.


    When he looked down at the happy expression of the girl, he felt gratified, only for his joy to plummet to the ground when he found that her eyes were not sticking to him but past his figure.


    Her eyes bypassed him.


    He could already guess who it was.


    He could already guess who she saw.


    There was only one person who could ever bring Yue Ran such joy.


    There was only one person who could always make her happy without putting in any effort at all.


    There could only be one person.


    He turned his head.


    And just as Yue Yu had guessed, it was a very familiar figure, which he hated a lot.


    Not only does that person steal his country, his people, his status, and his throne, but he also steals the heart of the person of his dreams, the heart of the person who made his heart move, the heart of the only person whom he would and could ever love in this lifetime.


    It was Ming Chen, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was standing straight and tall with a distinctive aristocratic aura that could only belong to that of the royal family.


    Yue Yu clenched his fists tightly.


    He most definitely doesn''t like him.


    ?? ? ??


    "Why did Your Royal Highness decide to come to our humble Prime Minister''s Mansion today?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although there was a smile on Yue Yu''s face and tone, there was a deep chill in his eyes that would freeze anyone to the bone.


    All of this was because Yue Ran''s attention was always so easily attracted by Ming Chen''s mere presence. There was no need for Ming Chen to do anything. He was just there, and Yue Ran would immediately get all excited.


    Right now, Yue Yu could see just how intently Yue Ran was staring at Ming Chen. Her face was flushed with excitement, and there was a starlight in her eyes, gleaming with a smile like that of a blooming spring.


    Yue Yu was now thankful that Yue Ran was so focused on teaching Xia Zhan how to pursue Xue Lu so that she didn''t pay too much attention to Ming Chen these past few days.


    If she were to find Ming Chen instead of Xia Zhan, then she would not have time to come find Yue Yu himself when she was free since all her free time was spent on following behind Ming Chen like his little tail.


    But now that Ming Chen himself had appeared, Yue Ran''s eyes were once again glued to his figure, not paying her little attention to anyone else.


    This upsets Yue Yu a lot.


    Can''t Yue Ran at least shoot him a glance or at anyone around her other than Ming Chen? Why did she have to focus only on Ming Chen with all her heart?


    "Seeing that the weather was about to enter autumn, the oldest princess decided to hold a banquet tomorrow and invite noble young men and ladies of all families for a flower viewing, since the blooming flowers will soon lose their glory in the coming summer, and also to share knowledge by exchanging poems," Ming Chen said to Yue Yu.


    "So Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, has come to the Prime Minister''s Mansion for this?" Yue Yu continued, "There was no need for Your Royal Highness to travel so far to deliver this news; Your Royal Highness can just ask the servants to send the invitations to get us notified."


    Yue Yu was presently trying to run against Ming Chen and currently has a high status in court, so he was not afraid of Ming Chen''s status and power as the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Dragon Throne of the current Ming Imperial Family originally belonged to him, Yue Yu!


    If only it were not for Ming Chen''s family to overthrow his¡­


    "It is indeed not necessary for me to come by myself, but I have an important matter to discuss with you today, hence my presence; I hope that I have not disturbed you or caused you any trouble by coming without notice."


    Before Yue Yu could answer Ming Chen, Yue Ran had already interjected. She was no longer able to keep her silence.


    "Brother Crown Prince, your being here does not disturb me, nor will you cause me any trouble!"


    Yue Ran was over the moon.


    To think that her Brother Crown Prince had voluntarily come to the Yue Mansion for a visit, even if it were just to discuss court matters with Yue Yu.


    The reason for Ming Chen''s presence doesn''t matter; as long as she could take a glance at him, it was enough.


    She showed a gorgeous smile to Ming Chen, her eyes lingering, clear, and affectionate.


    "That''s good," Ming Chen replied with a smile, feeling relieved.


    Recently, there has been no figure of Yue Ran behind him, which makes him inexplicably worried all day long. Many jumbled and confusing thoughts were swimming in his mind all day long. Now it seems that Yue Ran still likes him a lot, so there was no need for him to worry so much.


    As for what he was worried about...


    He was not going to think about them anymore.


    As long as Yue Ran is still chasing him, everything is fine, and everything is as it should be.


    "Oh."


    Yue Yu jumped in between Ming Chen and Yue Ran''s friendly conversation. He doesn''t want the two of them to interact with one another any longer, especially when it''s in front of him or, even worse, behind him without his knowledge.


    "Since you have something to discuss with me, then let''s proceed to my study."


    Yue Yu glanced at Yue Ran with a smile that was not a smile, which made Yue Ran dare not shamelessly follow behind the two men.


    It was threatening, promising danger and bad consequences.


    She could only sigh in defeat.


    Another time then.


    ?? ? ??


    "What is the matter that needs to be discussed with me, Your Royal Highness?"


    After entering the study, Yue Yu made a beeline for the host seat with indifference, while Ming Chen humbly took the guest seat himself.


    Because this was the Prime Minister''s Mansion, Ming Chen did not feel the least bit offended by Yue Yu''s actions, let alone put off by Yue Yu''s malice. Or rather, Ming Chen could not feel Yue Yu''s malice because Yue Yu was smiling gently at him all the time.

 Chapter 70 - 70: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (24)

    "What is the matter that needs to be discussed with me, Your Royal Highness?"


    After entering the study, Yue Yu made a beeline for the host seat with indifference, while Ming Chen humbly took the guest seat himself.


    Because this was the Prime Minister''s Mansion, Ming Chen did not feel the least bit offended by Yue Yu''s actions, let alone put off by Yue Yu''s malice. Or rather, Ming Chen could not feel Yue Yu''s malice because Yue Yu was smiling gently at him all the time.


    Yue Yu: How daft!


    "It''s about the flower viewing that was to be held tomorrow," Ming Chen started. "The oldest princess has heard that the young master of the Yue family has a brilliant literary talent with many achievements," he said and continued. "The oldest princess wants your help in coming up with topics for the poem exchange tomorrow in order for the competition to be fair for everyone."


    "Then I will obey Your Royal Highness'', the Crown Prince''s, order," Yue Yu said, smiling in his heart.


    With the advantage of making up topics for the poem exchange tomorrow, he could let Yue Ran know the theme for the poem exchange so that she could overwhelm the crowd with her beautiful poem at the flower viewing event.


    This could make Yue Ran happy for a long time and also get her revenge on Xue Lu at the same time. This would hit two birds with one stone.


    He could even help Yue Ran with the topic since she had not attended a party since the last one.


    It''s also a very good way to sweep away the rumors that she''s ignorant and uneducated.


    It''s cheating, but so what?


    Yue Yu has always done things fairly for outsiders, but the only person he holds dearly in his heart must be spoiled and pampered no matter what. So who could truly accuse him of doing wrong when it was what his heart told him to do all along?


    Yue Yu really took great pains to keep Yue Ran happy all the time.


    But this is what he wants to do, so no complaints there.


    Presently, his mindset had changed so much that if someone had told him a month ago that he would choose hugging a beauty over power, he would''ve sneered at their faces and called them delusional.


    But reality was ever-changing, and one could not stick to one plan.


    Yue Yu''s master plan had been revised, and now he wanted to hold both beauty and power in his hands.


    No one can stop him from getting them.


    ?? ? ??


    "Whose family''s daughter is that?"


    "How come I''ve never seen such a pretty, noble young lady before at banquets?"


    "Could she be the daughter of a hidden family?"


    The flower viewing banquet arrived very quickly¡ªin just one sunset and one sunrise.


    Yue Ran was wearing her now-trademark fiery red dress. It was a dress that contrasted with her usual dull style of plain and simple embellishments and pale colors.


    The thin layer upon thin layer of skirt on the dress deepened the red color on the dress, making Yue Ran look like a blooming blood-red peony, bright and striking. Her appearance effortlessly commands everyone''s attention.


    "Has there ever been such a noble young lady who looked so remarkable before in our capital?"


    "Could she come from another place perhaps?"


    As soon as those words were uttered, most of the noble young men''s minds were instantly moved.


    If she were the daughter of a small official from the local area, meaning that her family''s status was not of much importance, then that extremely beautiful appearance of hers could only be nothing but a disaster to herself and her family, especially when a rich old man of great status lusts for her beauty. If so, then her ending would not be a good one.


    So if these noblemen take her in as their partner, they could easily save her from facing such a predicament.


    The boiling-fire feeling of saving a damsel in distress surged from their hearts. All of them felt like princes who would soon be able to hold a remarkable beauty in their hands.


    Yue Ran doesn''t know what these men were thinking, but judging from their predatory-like eyes, they were very much coveting her beauty. That much was obvious.


    She also ignored those looks that showed envy and green jealousy so blatantly in those noble young ladies'' eyes.


    They can get jealous as much as they want. Her beauty will remain unparalleled anyway.


    In fact, it was normal for these people to not be able to recognize Yue Ran.


    The Yue Ran from the past was still beautiful, one of natural beauty like clear soup. But now, her beauty was radiating from the inside out, like a charmingly seductive peony that lures everyone with its sweet fragrance and stunning beauty.


    It was hard for these people to recognize Yue Ran for a while.


    But gradually, a young noble lady who was intently staring at Yue Ran''s figure jealously found that Yue Ran looked very familiar. She can''t seem to pin point out who the beauty looked like for a moment.


    As if a candlelight was lit in her head, Yue Ran''s past image and Yue Ran''s current image intersected in her mind.


    "It''s Yue Ran! It''s Yue Ran!" She exclaimed.


    "Yue Ran?"


    "Look, isn''t it Yue Ran?"


    "Um, she does look a little like Yue Ran."


    "It''s really Yue Ran!"


    "You''re right, it''s really Yue Ran!"


    "But how could it be..." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran was standing not far from the group of young ladies, listening in on their rather chaotic quarrel.


    In fact, it was not she who was eavesdropping on their conversation.


    Yue Ran was pretty sure that their voices had traveled far and wide in this rather silent banquet. The silence only started when Yue Ran entered the venue.


    However, whispers gradually broke the silence, and now there were loud shouts and conversations; an amalgamation of different sounds filled the air.


    Yue Ran was speechless.


    Why were these noble ladies so excited when talking about her?


    They really had nothing to do but gossip on her, don''t they?


    But the noble young men went even more silent after learning of the charming beauty''s true identity¡ªYue Ran.


    Their hearts sank into the sea, submerging so deeply that they touched the seabed.


    If such a bright and eye-catchingly breathtaking woman was really Yue Ran, then it would be extremely hard to hide such a beauty in a golden house.


    They would never be able to successfully cage such a vibrant and vivacious bird in a cage, especially with their family status in comparison.


    They can never compete with or tame such a pepperpot beauty.


    What''s more, if the beauty is really Yue Ran, their former fiery heart will be immediately extinguished. After all, most of them have been exposed to Yue Ran''s evil deeds during childhood and hence would not be able to like her at all.


    Such an assertive noble lady who always had such a strong opinion and was so aggressive in her ways, as well as ignorant and uneducated, was not what they were attracted to. A noble young lady with Yue Ran''s attitude was just too much for them to handle, especially when they expect a woman to be weak and acquiescent.


    While everyone was whispering, the oldest princess, who hosted the flower viewing banquet, finally revealed her presence.


    This oldest princess of the imperial family has a very high status due to her being the current emperor''s only blood sister.


    "Today, I have invited noble young men and ladies of all families to come to my princess'' mansion for a flower viewing, since the blooming flowers will soon lose their glory in the coming summer, and also to share knowledge by exchanging poems with one another," the oldest princess said. "Why don''t you all follow me to the garden to write a few poems while admiring the flowers in the surroundings, just so that the beauty of those delicate flowers would not be in vain?"


    Before anyone could answer the oldest princess, a high-pitched scream sounded, and a girl rushed straight to the oldest princess.


    "Mother!" the girl shouted.


    The girl is the eldest princess, Liu Zhi. She''s known for her liking for Yue Yu, the eldest son of the Prime Minister''s Mansion.

 Chapter 71 - 71: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (25)

    Liu Zhi was so eager to come today because she couldn''t wait to see Yue Yu appear in the Liu Mansion today for the flower viewing banquet!


    When she had run to the oldest princess'' side, she asked with much unrepressed eagerness, "Mother, didn''t you tell me before that the son of the Prime Minister is also here today, so where is he?!"


    The oldest princess sighed in her heart.


    She really could no longer see her daughter''s "free" and "lively" look.


    "Young Master Yue is currently resting in the guest room of the southern courtyard," the oldest princess replied. "You are not allowed to go there and disturb him," she warned. "He will come to the banquet sooner or later."


    The oldest princess shot Liu Zhi a warning glance, and Liu Zhi immediately shrank her neck in slight fear of the consequences she would face if she did not obey her mother''s order.


    "I understand, mother," she replied with a reluctant tone in her voice.


    Seeing that her daughter had finally obeyed her, the oldest princess proceeded to hold her daughter''s hand before turning to the audience with a slight look of embarrassment on her face.


    She said, "I must apologize for showing a standing joke to everyone today; now let the poem exchange activity begin!"


    Just when all the noble ladies were eager to start first, Xue Lu''s snow-white figure like that of a distant and cold snow lotus unexpectedly appeared, instantly stealing the spotlight. The sunlight seemed to brighten with her sudden appearance; the pale yellow glow melted that ice-cold aura of hers, giving her a slight golden halo.


    "What is with this banquet today?"


    "Yes, not only did Yue Ran, who hadn''t shown up for a long time, come today, but even Xue Lu, who dislikes wasting her time on entertainment banquets, also comes to show her face!"


    "You''re right!"


    "I heard that Young Lady Yue of the Prime Minister''s Mansion and Young Lady Xue of the Grand Tutor''s Mansion don''t seem to like each other that much; is it true?"


    "Of course it''s true; it''s even more than not liking each other."


    "Really?"


    "Don''t stop in suspense; we''re so curious about why that is so!"


    "Yes, why don''t you quickly explain things to us?"


    "Fine, fine, during the banquet held in a certain minister''s family that Yue Ran had last attended, she couldn''t bear to hear any more noble sons and daughters singing praises for Xue Lu."


    "And then?"


    "And then, Yue Ran bluntly said that Xue Lu was only a pretentious person who likes to put on a show."


    "Oh¡­"


    "And hence there was a deep feud between those two."


    "So that was it."


    In fact, many of the noble young ladies who were gossiping around didn''t like Xue Lu very much at all; after all, Xue Lu alone could so easily steal the limelight from all the noble young ladies attending just by standing in one place during any banquets or seasonal events.


    This meant that Xue Lu could easily cut off the chances of those noble young ladies in the capital getting a good partner for their future marriage.


    Every time Xue Lu was present, who among the noble young men''s eyes were not glued to her snow-white figure?


    There were apparently only two people in total. One is the eldest son and of the Prime Minister''s Mansion, Yue Yu; the second and last one is the youngest prince of the imperial family, Ming Ze.


    Both are two of the most sought-after noble young men in the capital. While the other two¡ªHis Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen, and the youngest general of the imperial dynasty, Xia Zhan¡ªwere very fond of Xue Lu.


    His Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen, is well known for his liking for Xue Lu. While the youngest general of the imperial dynasty, Xia Zhan, was recently known to like Xue Lu.


    For the latter, there were many rumors flying around in the capital, saying just how much Xia Zhan was fond of Young Lady Xue, how he fell in love with her at first sight, how they had several secret meetings to meet one another, etc.


    Those rumours were pretty much what Yue Ran had called others to spread around, making sure to keep her tracks clean in case anyone wanted to find out the source of those rumours.


    Hence, both candidates¡ªMing Chen and Xia Zhan¡ªwere crossed off the list by most of the noble young ladies in the capital.


    The youngest prince of the imperial dynasty, Ming Ze, was also crossed out of the list because of his well-known obsession with and admiration for Yue Ran. That was practically known to all, like how anyone knows that the sky during the day is blue, the grass is green, and the Emperor''s robes are gold in color.


    It was almost like a common fact, one that almost everyone took for granted, but that did not mean that those noble young ladies were not jealous of Ming Ze''s very apparent affection for Yue Ran.


    They were actually very jealous of her.


    That left the eldest son of the Prime Minister''s Mansion, Yue Yu, as the only remaining candidate for these noble young ladies. He was practically the dream man¡ªthe most suitable husband candidate for them.


    This was mostly because he is very talented, he has many great achievements, he already has a high position in court, he is looked up to by the ministers as a noble young man with a very high potential for achieving greater things in the future, and most of all, he is very, very attractive.


    Even if Xue Lu is present at this banquet, Yue Yu doesn''t even bother to look at her. He didn''t even bother to get to know her.


    Moreover, he was known not to engage with any noble young ladies. There was never even a rumor of him being attracted to one before.


    Like they said, a dream man!


    Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Young Master Yue is here!"


    A noble lady exclaimed in surprise. She then tried to suppress her shriek while excitedly tugging at the sleeve of her close friend.


    Yue Ran followed the astonishing eyes of the crowd and saw Yue Yu not far away, who was bathed in the illumination of the morning sunlight and donning a royal blue robe with blue and silver threads embroidered on it.


    He looked, in one word, regal.


    Those silver-threaded embroideries gleamed and shadowed under the sun. It gave the illusion that Yue Yu is an immortal who has descended from the heavens into the mortal world.


    Yue Ran could even hear gasps of surprise coming from the group of noble young ladies not far from her position.


    In this regard, Yue Ran could only say that Yue Yu''s appearance is just too showy and obtrusive to the eyes.


    That was just her jealousy talking since the male protagonist had stolen her spotlight.


    What Yue Yu was wearing is actually simple yet glamorous without being ostentatious. Then again, it was as expected of the male protagonist¡ªgood looks, a good figure, a strong commanding aura, and an appearance that brings his own background music and background effects into reality.


    It was no wonder that those noble young ladies with very high self-esteem were so easily fascinated by the male protagonist to the point of obsession.


    Obsession is a scary thing. A very scary thing.


    One can do many things for love, but one can do anything and everything for obsession; love has its limitations, while obsession has none.


    Speaking of Yue Yu, he bypassed everyone, treating them like air, and kept only Yue Ran in his sight. He walked straight to her.


    Their robes, scarlet red and navy blue, were two vibrantly colored clothes that were a perfect match, especially when they stood together. They were just a match made in heaven if one ignores the fact that they were siblings in name.


    Inexplicably beautiful.


    This was also what Yue Yu himself had planned.


    It was a silent proclamation or declaration saying that Yue Ran is his.


    "Sister Ran," he said with a smile.


    "Brother Yu," Yue Ran replied. "Why did you come to my side?" She blinked playfully. "Didn''t you see that those noble ladies were burning fire at me with their eyes as if swallowing me whole?"


    Yue Yu patted the girl''s head with amusement, his eyes twinkling brightly when he heard her words. He could see that Yue Ran was very happy that he had made this move. Satisfying her is one sure way to win her heart, right?


    "You are my sister; if I am not by your side, who am I supposed to stand with?"


    As soon as those words were uttered, Yue Ran couldn''t help but laugh out loud.


    She had always loved such partial words and affection that unconditionally favored her to the end and beyond, while reveling at the fact that all the noble young ladies were staring at her so jealously. They were green with envy.


    It''s really a refreshing and comfortable feeling that made her feel a lot of joy. One that made her eyebrows curve into crescents, one that made her eyes glitter with mirth, looking bright and radiant.


    Her laughter was so infectious that Yue Yu also chuckled along, sharing her joy.


    The female protagonist''s eyes flickered when Yue Yu entered. Her heart was not without fluctuations when seeing such a handsome and talented man.


    She knew that Yue Yu was the most sought-after of the four noble young men, the head of the four most popular young noblemen.

 Chapter 72 - 72: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (26)

    But in the past, Xue Lu was not like this. It could be said that she was never attracted to Yue Yu¡ªuntil now, that is.


    In the past, Yue Yu was also known to be gentle in mannerisms, impeccable in dealing with people, very talented with high potential and high status, and a handsome man with a first-class appearance. He is a rare, perfect dream man in the public eye, a well-known figure in the capital.


    However, Xue Lu did not believe those rumours, or rather, she personally did not want to believe that there was another person in the world who was as perfect as herself!


    And therefore, she has been avoiding Yue Yu on various occasions. She doesn''t want or plan to meet him at all.


    Today, she was somehow in a feverish mood.


    Hearing her maid say that Yue Ran had accepted the invitation for the flower viewing banquet held in the oldest princess'' mansion, she quickly followed, just to come and see how Yue Ran would make a fool of herself during the poem exchange event.


    With such a rare, excited mood, she inexplicably forgot that Yue Yu would also come to this flower viewing banquet with Yue Ran.


    But there was no reason for her to leave at this time.


    Forget it; if he came, then so be it.


    But she couldn''t help glancing at the man from the corners of her eyes again and again.


    He looks really good.


    She guessed that those rumors about Yue Yu being very handsome were at the very least true.


    Xue Lu''s heart fluttered a little.


    "Crape myrtle, trumpet vine, and rose," the oldest princess said. "I will use these three different flowering plants as the theme this time, and I would like to ask all the young masters and young ladies to compose poems with these three topics for today''s poem exchange event."


    Servants of the oldest princess'' mansion began to move about to lead the young noblemen and noble ladies to the venue, where the tables and chairs were neatly placed around the area.


    Yue Yu indisputably took the seat beside Yue Ran.


    He fixed a piece of rice paper in front of him before gracefully rolling up his sleeve to brush the seal scripts of the names of all three kinds of flowering plants on it, black ink on white paper.


    With the correct tension between the brush, wrist, and arm, the rice paper now had elegant writing that looked as if it were beautifully printed right in front of Yue Ran''s eyes. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How does the male protagonist do everything so perfectly?


    It was almost as if he weren''t human!


    Just when everyone was about to show off their skills, another unexpected person came.


    "Yue Ran!"


    Hearing such a voice, Yue Ran knew instantly who that person was.


    Only one person would ever greet her so excitedly.


    It''s Ming Ze.


    She had already expected his presence since he would only attend the party if only Yue Ran was there.


    But that cannot be said for the others.


    The crowd was confused.


    Why did Ming Ze, the domineering little lord, come here today?


    Didn''t he always dislike this kind of banquet?


    But now, this place is really lively. There are many well-known figures of the capital who have come¡ªYue Yu, Ming Ze, Yue Ran, and Xue Lu.


    Attending this flower viewing banquet is really not in vain!


    Naturally, there were more well-known figures that would come to attend this banquet hosted by the oldest princess. One was His Highness, the Crown Prince.


    He had come early, just like Yue Yu, and was resting in the guest room, just like Yue Yu did before.


    ?? ? ??


    When Xia Zhan, a general whose career has nothing to do with poetry and prose, heard that Yue Ran and Xue Lu were attending the flower viewing banquet, his first thought was that it was all because of him.


    Yue Ran and Xue Lu meeting face-to-face in the same place is rather rare, and with Xia Zhan''s own narcissism and added thoughts, he sincerely thought that the two noblewomen had a dispute because of him.


    And thus, he hurried his way to the oldest princess'' mansion.


    ?? ? ??


    Listening to Ruan Ruan''s broadcast of Xia Zhan''s moves, Yue Ran not only did not panic, she felt excited!


    She was so excited that she could finally face another Shura field again!


    Yue Ran: So happy!


    Ruan Ruan: Master, aren''t you worried that one day this dangerous Shura field may kill you?


    For that, Yue Ran can only say that she was no white lotus and no green tea, and therefore no one can find any fault with her. She just got in touch with a few more men and never tried to seduce them at all¡ªat least not openly.


    Therefore, if they do fall in love with her, she can''t help it.


    It''s not her problem.


    It was easy to gain these men''s attention, especially with her extremely beautiful face, charming appearance, and a slim figure clad in seductive red that could make any man think of thoughts that were full of spring, no matter how much they denied it in their hearts.


    This could be seen by those noblemen, who thought that they would never be attracted to Yue Ran, constantly sneaking glances at her, hoping to get her attention on them if possible.


    Not to mention her out-of-this-world temperament. When combined, it gave her a unique, unparalleled glamour that was most definitely sought after by everyone.


    Ming Ze didn''t care about what others thought of him, as he instantly made a beeline for Yue Ran as soon as he had arrived.


    "Yue Ran, don''t you hate poetry exchange events before? So why did you decide to come here today?"


    Ming Ze had absolutely no other meaning in his words other than pure curiosity.


    Yue Ran had confided¡ªmore like the original utter things in frustration to Ming Ze, a living portable sponge¡ªin him in many things. So he knew that she had never shown any interest in these kinds of events before, which also led to his own absence.


    "I can go wherever I want, hmph!" Yue Ran raised her chin and folded her hands with arrogance.


    Even if she was pouting, she still looked very beautiful.


    It''s just that the smile on Yue Yu''s face shattered for a moment with Ming Ze''s sudden invasion of his and Yue Ran''s two-person world.


    Yue Yu was very jealous that Ming Chen could get Yue Ran''s love and heart, and even more jealous that Ming Ze dared to tell everyone in the world that he likes Yue Ran.


    And he, Yue Yu, is not only Yue Ran''s elder brother in name but also a remnant prince of the former dynasty. If he fails to restore his dynasty in the future, he will not be able to escape death.


    ¡­Being with Yue Ran would then forever be a pipe dream.


    No, he will definitely be able to successfully restore his dynasty! He has been planning for more than ten years, and there is absolutely no possibility of failure!


    "You''re right; if you did write poems, then the poems you create must be the best!"


    Ming Ze''s ability to open his eyes and tell lies is already top-notch due to years of practice.


    When speaking to Yue Ran, Ming Ze would always look at her with a pair of very affectionate and sincere eyes. One that made all the noble young ladies around them barely prevent themselves from biting their own handkerchief in envy.


    Why is Yue Ran so lucky?


    Not only does she have a perfect elder brother like Yue Yu, she also has a handsome admirer with a prominent birth like the youngest prince of the imperial family, Ming Ze!


    "Naturally," Yue Ran replied without a pause and flicked her hair behind her shoulder for added dramatic effect.


    After all, she is the best and will always be the best.


    When Ming Ze wanted to continue talking to Yue Ran, someone exclaimed, "General Xia has arrived!"


    The servant''s announcement interrupted everyone and grabbed everyone''s attention, and the crowd began chattering again.


    "General Xia?"


    "Yes, don''t you even know the youngest general of the dynasty?"


    "General Xia Zhan!"


    "Why did he suddenly come?"


    "I have never seen him at small events like these before!"


    "That''s right, except for attending imperial banquets, General Xia was known to never attend another casual event like these!"


    "Could it be... because of Xue Lu?"

 Chapter 73 - 73: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (27)

    "Could it be... because of Xue Lu?"


    "Could be¡­"


    So those rumors circulating in the capital were true after all?


    So those rumors were not groundless after all?


    Everyone was shocked.


    "Right, I heard that General Xia fell in love with Young Lady Xue at first sight."


    "Me too; I even heard that they meet one another from time to time."


    "Do the both of them have a personal relationship that was not disclosed to outsiders?"


    While some people believe those rumors flying in the capital, there are some others, especially the noblemen, who don''t believe in those rumors.


    Or rather, they don''t want to believe that General Xia wanted to come because of Xue Lu.


    "Or perhaps the general only wanted to meet His Highness, the Crown Prince, today to discuss some important matters?"


    "Yes, maybe General Xia wanted to talk about some military affairs with His Highness, the Crown Prince."


    There are also some noble ladies who do not want to believe that General Xia wanted to come because of Xue Lu.


    "That''s right, why should everyone only like Young Lady Xue?"


    "You''re right!"


    "The world doesn''t revolve around one Xue Lu!"


    ?? ? ??


    "Crape myrtle garden¡­"


    Yue Ran''s ear was filled with Ming Ze''s whispers just as she was about to hear a noble young lady''s poetic talent.


    "Yue Ran, how about we go out together after this?" Yue Ran could feel Ming Ze''s breath in her right ear. "There is a new teahouse that recently opened in the capital, and from what I heard, it had gained a huge reputation in just a week of its opening¡­"


    Ming Ze droned on and on, and before Yue Ran knew it, she had already heard loud praises from the audience.


    "Good poem, good poem!" Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Worthy of being the young lady of the Yang Mansion."


    Everyone praised one after another.


    One of the favorite things of these noble young men and noble young ladies is to compose poems, so the atmosphere of the poetry meeting gradually became warmer.


    Then another noble young lady read her poem aloud, but before Yue Ran could hear it, Ming Ze once again buzzed in her ear. And before she knew it, her name was called aloud.


    "Since Young Lady Yue is here, why doesn''t she compose a poem for all of us?"


    Yue Ran raised her eyes indifferently to look at the speaker, whose voice was filled with hidden malice.


    There are many people who are against Yue Ran, but there are few who dare to stand out¡ªit was either a stupid person, a daring person, or a person with greater power and influence than her, which was honestly few to none.


    After all, Yue Ran is the legitimate young lady of the Prime Minister''s Mansion, and her father''s position is better than many others, so few would dare to stand against her and provoke her blatantly in public.


    Yue Ran had been told the topics for this poem exchange in advance by Yue Yu, and besides, she is not the original owner, who really cannot compose any poems at all.


    "Isn''t it just poetry?" With a slight smile, the corners of Yue Ran''s blood-red lips curled up, and she raised her head confidently. "Who doesn''t know how to do it?" She opened her lips, "At dawn, the sun rose overlooking the garden, and the land was bathed by dews and stones. The petals are glazed but dry on the bottom, and the crape myrtle stands out from the rest of the bloom."


    The surroundings fell still for a moment until Ming Ze took the lead to clap for her, and everyone broke out in a massive round of applause.


    "My Yue Ran is so good!" Ming Ze gushed like an adorably excited puppy, running around his owner.


    "A very good poem!" Someone commented.


    "Sister Ran is very good," Yue Yu praised Yue Ran in her ears and smiled.


    Although he did leak the topics of this poem exchange meeting to Yue Ran, this poem was not something that he had told her of. Therefore, such a great piece of literary poetry was indeed made by Yue Ran herself.


    Just as he thought, the girl he likes¡ªYue Ran¡ªwas indeed very dazzling. She should have been in the spotlight long ago!


    The noble young lady who wanted Yue Ran to make a fool of herself was not reconciled with the outcome. She did not believe that Yue Ran could ever write such amazing lines!


    That is impossible! Yue Ran must have cheated somehow without anyone''s knowledge! How hateful!


    There was an obvious malice on her face, but she did not have any more courage to question Yue Ran face-to-face, so she had to think of another way to try and embarrass Yue Ran!


    If someone else can just antagonize Yue Ran for her, then is that not just perfect?


    Speak of the devil, and she will arrive.


    "I didn''t expect that every sentence in your poem is so sublime," a noble young lady in the crowd spoke out. "I didn''t even know that Young Lady Yue had this talent a few hours ago, so can I ask Young Lady Yue to compose another poem? It also allows me to appreciate Young Lady Yue''s elegant demeanor."


    This other noble young lady''s suggestion was obviously filled with passive-aggressive antagonism toward Yue Ran. She was also not reconciled and could not believe that Yue Ran was able to compose such a good poem, so she decided to give Yue Ran a challenge so that Yue Ran could make a fool of herself.


    "If you want to hear it, then I will satisfy you," Yue Ran said leisurely, looking at the beautifully painted red nails on her fingers. "Crape myrtle invites you to rest, and red swaying petals welcome you."


    Seeing the noble young lady''s dark and hateful eyes shooting at her, Yue Ran felt extremely refreshed.


    "If you are still not satisfied, I can give you another one." Yue Ran smiled, her eyes glinting playfully under the light and looking extremely beautiful. "The crape myrtle cluster sways crystal clear, and the air in the vast sea waves every year."

 Chapter 74 - 74: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (28)

    "My Yue Ran is awesome!" Ming Ze said it aloud amidst the crowd''s applause. "Not only is my Yue Ran very beautiful, but my Yue Ran is also very talented!"


    "Sister Ran is really great at this," Yue Yu said gently.


    Yue Ran smiled at both men before glancing indifferently at the noble young lady, who had left with the excuse of feeling uncomfortable amidst the chatter of noble young masters and noble young ladies. The noble young lady''s tone as she said that excuse was curt, and her face was just like an unfriendly stormy sky: dark and thundering angrily.


    "Unexpectedly, Young Lady Yue has such a quick and clever mind!"


    "Yes, she has acted so ignorantly over the years... Was she just pretending all this time?"


    "Is this the so-called pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger*?"


    (*Pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger: pretending to be stupid to avoid injuring oneself when, in fact, one is smart enough to beat the enemy.)


    "She is a wolf in a sheep''s skin!"


    "I really underestimated her."


    "You are not the only one."


    Other than this, there were quite a lot of noble young ladies who hated that Yue Ran had gotten all the attention in this poem exchange meeting.


    "It''s all Young Lady Chen''s fault!"


    Young Lady Chen was the noble young lady who had challenged Yue Ran and just excused herself angrily a moment ago.


    "That''s right, to think that Young Lady Chen actually allowed Young Lady Yue to gain such a big spotlight!"


    "You are right; just look at all those noble young masters whose eyes can''t wait to stick on Yong Lady Yue''s body!"


    "So hateful!"


    None of these noble young ladies were reconciled with such a result! S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They cannot let Yue Ran be in the limelight like this! She had just become the undisputed champion, the uncrowned king, of this poem exchange meeting if there were no more competitors that could go against her.


    Yue Ran is already attractive enough to grab everyone''s attention, especially from those noble young masters, but now she is also very talented in making poems. So what are they here for? What did they come here for if all those noble young masters'' attention was all on Yue Ran instead of being distributed around them?


    Originally, the oldest princess'' banquet was held to help the younger generation get acquainted with one another and get engaged and married. Now that all the brilliance has been focused on one Yue Ran, which noble young master would still be able to see the noble young lady next to them?


    This is overkill!


    But how can they dampen Yue Ran''s prestige following her victory? That is the current problem.


    A rather high-ranking noble young lady with a quite well-known status in the capital scanned her surroundings. And when she saw Xue Lu on the side, who looked out of tune with the rest of the noble children, looking so pure and spotless, the noble young lady''s mind was instantly moved.


    She directly interrupted everyone''s discussion in a loud voice, "Young Lady Xue is famous for her wisdom in the capital, so why don''t you compare yourself with Young Lady Yue of the Prime Minister''s Mansion so that we can all bask in the wisdom of Young Lady Xue, who is the head of the noble young ladies in the capital?"


    She looked at both Xue Lu and Yue Ran with darkness in her eyes. Can they sit still after being provoked by her? Both their dignity and reputation were at stake because of her words.


    She secretly laughed in her heart at her quick thinking. Fortunately, she was smart enough to think of this and allow both Yue Ran and Xue Lu to fight themselves while she would just sit back down and watch the show.


    Watching a dog fight another dog is her favorite pastime.


    This noble young lady''s words can be said to be extremely excessive, forcing Xue Lu Ying to the point where she had to come out and compete with Yue Ran.


    At this time, Xue Lu''s face, which was usually expressionless and indifferent to everything in her surroundings, was slightly cracked.


    Xue Lu''s current expression only reminded Yue Ran of cracked ice¡ªimperfect and unsightly. The pure, unstained white was no more. There was a spot of black ink on pure white paper.


    Yue Ran really wanted to see the day that Xue Lu''s expression would look desperate or depraved. Honestly, an extreme expression of anything other than indifference would be a sight to see!


    She couldn''t wait for that exciting day to come!


    Xue Lu and Yue Ran stared at the noble young lady who had spoken. How dare she both challenge and threaten the two of them so boldly in public? Does she want to tear her face off with them?


    Not only was Yue Ran''s identity as the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister''s mansion higher than that of this noble young lady''s father in the current emperor''s heart, but even Xue Lu''s identity as the daughter of the Grand Tutor of the Emperor also cannot afford to offend.


    Just how foolishly has this noble young lady acted just because of the irrepressible jealousy in her heart?


    Ming Ze was about to retort back angrily to the noble young lady to defend Yue Ran, but Yue Ran stopped the man with a hand gripping his wrist.


    This move made Ming Ze stunned and frozen, followed by exploding fireworks in his head.


    Does Yue Ran like him, even just a little bit?


    Her light touch gave him hope. A flower bloomed from a bud and then into a blooming spring.


    Even just a bit of Yue Ran''s liking was enough to reinvigorate Ming Ze''s love for her.


    Ignoring the dazed and dreamy Ming Ze next to her, Yue Ran sneered sarcastically at the noble young lady who had just challenged her.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran raised a brow. "I thought who was it that had barked so loudly and so annoyingly," Yue Ran said. She has always been fearless when acting and speaking her thoughts aloud.

 Chapter 75 - 75: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (29)

    "Hm?" Yue Ran raised a brow. "I thought who was it that had barked so loudly and so annoyingly," Yue Ran said. "It turns out to be the illegitimate daughter of Marquis Hui''an." She has always been fearless when acting and speaking her thoughts aloud. "How can an illegitimate daughter have a high enough status to be able to participate in this kind of banquet?"


    Although the Marquis Hui''an has been in full swing in the court recently because of his success in gaining the Emperor''s trust, Yue Ran''s father''s position as Prime Minister is still strong and unshakable.


    Yue Ran does not have to fear anyone when she goes out of the mansion. What''s more, Young Lady Bai is just the illegitimate daughter of Marquis Hui''an. Even if Young Lady Bai is the only daughter of Marquis Hui''an and is also deeply loved and favorably received by everyone in her family, Yue Ran herself does not care.


    Going outside of the mansion, Young Lady Bai can never escape the words "illegitimate daughter," no matter what she does. She has been stamped as inferior from the very start of her birth!


    (Author''s note: This is not the author''s opinion, but just the settings in this ancient plane.)


    Young Lady Bai''s face turned red, feeling immensely ashamed and embarrassed.


    There was a clear distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in this society. And being called an "illegitimate daughter" was the last thing she wanted to hear!


    Because she was spoiled by Marquis Hui''an ever since she was born, she has always been reckless and fearless in whatever she does. And that was also the reason why no one dared expose her deepest scar!


    But she had thoroughly underestimated Yue Ran''s frank and reckless behavior!


    With that said, Yue Ran had once again successfully defeated another noble young lady with words.


    Yue Ran then shot a look at Yue Yu, as if telling him to help her get revenge on this noble young lady''s family for trying to make the beautiful and charming her look awful in public. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Yu blinked his gentle eyes at Yue Ran, meaning that he had assented to her request. The doting light in his eyes was glittering so clearly as he fixed his whole attention on Yue Ran.


    This was such a simple thing for Yue Yu, so, of course, he would easily accept his beloved''s request. Moreover, she has now been wronged. Making her happy would also make him happy.


    It seems that he will get busy these few days. He should deal with all those who dared to go against Yue Ran in this banquet, as well as those who dared to speak badly of Yue Ran behind her back.


    Those pests needed to disappear so that none would have the chance to dirty Yue Ran''s eyes.


    A cold light flashed past Yue Yu''s gentle eyes.


    Feeling satisfied with Yue Yu''s response, Yue Ran tilted her head to focus on Ming Ze, who was sitting on her other side.


    She closed her face into his and whispered, "Are you going to take revenge for me, A Ze?"


    Ming Ze''s heart trembled for a moment. It was mostly due to the excitement that gushed out of his heart from the fact that Yue Ran had voluntarily asked him for a favor.


    Naturally, he would unhesitatingly reply "yes" to the person he held at the tip of his heart.


    Receiving the answer she wanted to hear, Yue Ran''s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, full of contentment, like a captivating little fox.


    It looked indescribably charming and beautiful.


    It was as if everything she had taken Ming Ze''s assent for granted.


    But Ming Ze himself did not mind it.


    He could never refuse any of Yue Ran''s requests.


    A few days after the banquet, many noble children found themselves encountering accident after accident all over the capital, and none could find out the real perpetrator behind the scenes.


    It was almost as if they had encountered some ghosts that haunted their beings, or they may have accidentally touched some dirty things recently without their knowledge. Their superstitious hearts led them to visit the temple on the outskirts of the capital, with very beautiful scenery and silent surroundings, in hopes that they could go through this tribulation smoothly.


    Because of these incidents, there were rumors that the oldest princess'' mansion is haunted by ghosts, and the oldest princess'' family must have done something bad for this to happen, implicating the guests that had visited her mansion during the banquet she held.


    The Emperor had to appease the hearts of his citizens, and threatened those who dared to speak nonsense. Although the rumors in the capital were forcefully nipped in the bud, the oldest princess'' popularity still plummeted amongst the noble circle and also in the hearts of the people living in the capital.


    Moreover, just because no one could speak about it publicly doesn''t mean that they couldn''t speak about it secretly to others. And thus, everyone related to the oldest princess, except those from the imperial family, was scorned, and everyone made excuses to avoid them as if they were ferocious beasts carrying threatening diseases.


    Back to the present, on the other side of the banquet, the female protagonist, Xue Lu, who had never liked Yue Ran from the moment they first met, had to admit that Yue Ran''s approach in this matter was extremely relieving.


    To think that even illegitimate children dared to challenge her prestige...


    That feeling was naturally uncomfortable!


    If Xue Lu had followed her usual style of dealing with things, she would not have paid attention to such an unreasonable woman. She would only hide those uncomfortable and stuffy feelings in her heart.


    Unexpectedly, Young Lady Bai refused to give up even after being stabbed at her weak point by Yue Ran. She was relentless.


    "It is my fault for not being respectful to the two noble young ladies," Young Lady Bai said. "I would now like to apologize to the two sisters here; however, I am still curious about who among the two beautiful sisters is more talented than the other."

 Chapter 76 - 76: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (30)

    So annoyingly persistent, Yue Ran sighed in her heart.


    If she were in a world with spiritual power, Yue Ran would have killed this noble young lady with just a wave of her hand or perhaps with a swipe of a sword. It would be a quick and painless death¡ªthis was already Yue Ran''s greatest mercy. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There would then be no one yapping annoyingly in her ear. How peaceful would it be then? But it was all just a beautiful dream¡ªa bubble image that would pop with just a poke from her finger.


    Yue Ran let out another tired sigh in her heart.


    So troublesome.


    She hated getting involved in such trouble. But as a vicious female supporting role, she would always be plunged into such troubles.


    So annoying.


    ¡­


    ¡ªIn Yue Ran''s Sea of Consciousness¡ª


    Ruan Ruan knew instantly what his master had in mind.


    "Is Master not just remembering the old days when the male protagonist was Master''s junior brother and so enthusiastically followed behind Master every single day as if he were Master''s personal little tail?"


    "Maybe," Yue Ran replied, giving a careless shrug.


    "Ruan Ruan still remembers that he had blackened and had actually destroyed the world after Master''s untimely death because of the female protagonist."


    "It was a beautiful sight to see," Yue Ran replied dreamily.


    "The female protagonist was then tortured so severely by Master''s men that she did not even have a piece of good skin left in her, if there was even skin on her body," Ruan Ruan said shudderingly as the image of that said female protagonist''s end went through his mind.


    Let''s just say that the female protagonist lived a life worse than death and that she did not die a peaceful death after that.


    No one will ever have a good end after offending his master.


    No one will ever have a good end after making his master feel uncomfortable.


    ¡­


    No matter how reluctant Xue Lu was, she had to swallow all her complaints in her stomach. Her reputation in the capital had both advantages and disadvantages.


    Because of her reputation, people would always sing praises to her, respect her, and believe her words. And because of her reputation, she would also sink because of it, be tied around it, and be stuffed inside a cage. Her actions were limited because she had to act according to her reputation; she did not want her reputation to fall.


    She was so perfect, she naturally had to protect her face and reputation.


    Now, Young Lady Bai had blatantly given the idea of having her and Yue Ran, the rising star of today''s banquet, compete in their poetry talent. The other guests in the oldest princess'' mansion naturally watch and anticipate this with relish.


    For men, this was a kind of enjoyment to watch two beauties compete for the top spot, while for the ladies, this was a kind of enjoyment to watch two dogs fight, even more exciting than the Chinese opera they watch in a tea house.


    "Young Lady Yue, you used to be unobtrusive, but now that you let us know that you have such a talent, then you should discuss more with Young Lady Xue so that we can all open our eyes."


    Yue Ran blatantly rolled her eyes at Young Lady Bai''s words, not planning to give Young Lady Bai any face at all.


    Seeing this, Young Lady Bai clenched her fists and gritted her teeth behind the stiff smile on her face.


    "Yes, that is a good idea!"


    Someone echoed Young Lady Bai''s suggestion.


    Yue Ran honestly thought that this was such a pointless activity.


    Even if Yue Ran did beat Xue Lu in poetry, then what?


    Xue Lu is a well-known, talented woman in the capital. She is especially proficient in the four arts of piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting. When the time comes, they will let Yue Ran compare with Xue Lu first in poetry; then what next would they need to compare Yue Ran to Xue Lu? The other four arts? Will there be an end to this?


    Yue Ran had just wanted to refuse, but Xue Lu, the female protagonist, had spoken out loud. Xue Lu''s competitive spirit suddenly surged for no reason.


    "Okay, Young Lady Yue, let us compare you and me so that others will not talk about who is better between us in the future. How about it?"


    Yue Ran wanted to roll her eyes again. Why are there so many troublesome flies flying in her face? Can those flies not leave her alone? Why is everyone so persistent about fighting her today?


    How can Yue Ran have the ability to compete with her¡ªXue Lu¡ªin poetry? Today''s poem that Yue Ran wrote must definitely be a fluke, a short fortune of luck. She does not believe that Yue Ran really has the talent to compete with her.


    Xue Lu has never denied her excellence in front of others. As for Yue Ran? Hah! What is Yue Ran compared to her?


    There was derision and scorn in Xue Lu''s eyes when Yue Ran''s eyes met hers from afar.


    Yue Ran looked at Xue Lu with a funny look.


    Did Xue Lu really think that she would definitely win? Who does she think she is?


    Xue Lu: I am the female protagonist, while you are just a vicious female supporting role that will die a terrible death in the near future.


    Yue Ran: Dream on.


    Ruan Ruan: Dream on! My Master is the best!


    Yue Ran folded her arms and stared down at the female protagonist condescendingly.


    Since Xue Lu wanted to challenge her, let her teach her a lesson.


    "Since there is a competition, then I will come first," Yue Ran said. "The sun and the moon are pressing closely; the New Year has just passed, and the crab myrtle flowers are still warm and sweet."


    This poem is not just ordinarily poignant but also gentle and heart-pounding. However, such a poem is not enough.


    Yue Ran paused for a second before adding, "Years are fleeting; time is like an arrow; the people are at the bottom of the crab myrtle flower; they would dream under the spring."


    Yue Ran does not believe that Xue Lu''s poetry talent and learning can shine more than hers.


    Xue Lu started to think about the poems in her mind when Yue Ran recited hers, and now that Yue Ran had finished speaking, Xue Lu hurriedly continued, "The road and mountains are far away; the day burst into light and flew away; it was time for the crab myrtle flowers to bloom out of the forest."


    Xue Lu felt that her poem was incomparably wonderful.


    Xue Lu continued thinking for a while before saying, "The beard and hair shine white, and the crab myrtle flower should be red."


    As soon as Xue Lu finished reciting her poem, she waved her sleeves and walked away confidently.


    She had been busy thinking about the poem she wanted to recite just now, so she had actually forgotten to listen to what Yue Ran had said. She had no slightest inkling that Yue Ran''s poem sounded brilliant and unexpectedly clever.


    Hence, what Xue Lu heard next was completely beyond her expectations. There were many discussions in the crowd.


    "Such exquisite poems are evenly matched!"


    "How wonderful!"


    "The people are at the bottom of the crab myrtle flower; they would dream under the spring, brilliant!"


    "The beard and hair shine white, and the crab myrtle flower should be red; that sounds good too!"


    "Yes, yes, the two talented noble ladies are full of learning; they are really superior!"


    These few poems made the poetry-loving noble children here cannot help but think carefully and ponder them over and over again. It was really unexpected that Yue Ran really has such talent!


    Although the poems written by Xue Lu are also exquisite, Xue Lu has been long known as a talented woman, so she is not as amazing as Yue Ran, the rising star of today''s banquet.


    When a person who was long known to do good things does good, it is a normal thing that everyone takes for granted. And when that person does something wrong, everyone condemns him or her for that wrongdoing.


    On the contrary, when a person who was long known to do bad things does bad things, everyone sees this as a normal thing. They would condemn that person, but they had expected it from the beginning and thus would not hate such a person too much. When this bad person does something good, everyone will praise him or her and worship him or her to the skies.


    This was the same case with Yue Ran.


    Such a huge contrast between before and after made people feel more fond of her.


    ¡­


    ¡ªIn Yue Ran''s Sea of Consciousness¡ª


    "A human''s psychology is really complicated," Ruan Ruan said.


    "You do not have to do anything; just leave everything to me," Yue Ran replied lazily.


    Anyway, Yue Ran has always done most of the things herself and Ruan Ruan only provided support for her mission. Ruan Ruan''s use is naturally irreplaceable and significant in her plans.


    "Master is the best!"


    "Um," Yue Ran nodded, taking Ruan Ruan''s words for granted. "Naturally."


    She is and will always be the best.


    ¡­


    "Young Lady Yue, we will hold a poetry exchange banquet at the Cleansing Wave Tea House every month. Would you like to participate in such an activity with us?"


    Shang Dong, one of the noble sons of the Shang family, was the one who had just spoken.

 Chapter 77 - 77: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (31)

    When Shang Dong heard the first few lines of Yue Ran''s poems, he immediately had the urge to talk to her, but he could not bear to disturb her recitation. Hence, now was just the right time to offer an olive branch.


    He really did admire Yue Ran''s literary talent very much. In addition, he had also invited Xue Lu before, but unfortunately, Xue Lu did not like the literary thinking of him and the others at the poetry exchange banquet, so she never did agree to go after one meeting.


    Women''s ingenuity is often more delicate and stable than men''s, and it is the perfect complement to their group in the poetry exchange banquet. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that there are other talented noble young ladies like Yue Ran, he does not have to be obsessed with Xue Lu''s participation anymore.


    "Oh, tell me more information about the poetry exchange banquet," Yue Ran said, a little interested in the man''s suggestion.


    "This poetry exchange banquet is where we, the noble sons and daughters of important officials, gather together to recite new poems that we have made and discuss our ideas with one another. This will allow us to improve the exchange of words and sentences."


    "Is that so?" Yue Ran nodded understandingly. "If that were the case, then I would go and have a look."


    "Then that is a deal!"


    Shang Dong''s eyes lit up, and he could not feel happier than this.


    If Xue Lu did not come, then someone else would. Yue Ran is not bad; she could say she is more outstanding than her peers. If Yue Ran has no marriage candidates to marry in the future, he can also marry her!


    Shang Dong: I can reluctantly marry her.


    Ruan Ruan: Dream on! You are as unrealistic as the female protagonist!


    Shang Dong, deep in his dreams, which he had personally woven with imaginary clouds, has forgotten the fact that Yue Ran has a follower behind her whenever she goes, one that has a great status and ferocious reputation, one that was so infatuated with Yue Ran like that of a licking dog¡ªMing Ze!


    Yes, Yue Ran''s acceptance of his invitation has long sunk Shang Dong''s brain into the clouds.


    Xue Lu was a very proud person, while Yue Ran was not so much. Xue Lu loves poetry just as much as Yue Ran, and Yue Ran definitely has the talent to match her beautiful appearance. Therefore, it was not like he could not marry her!


    In the future, the wife must follow behind her husband. The wife must do all that her husband asks for.


    So, even though Yue Ran''s nature is a little more frank and spoiled, it is not impossible for him to smooth out such a temper in the future.


    Seeing Shang Dong, the son of the Shang Mansion, looking at her with brighter and brighter eyes, Yue Ran does not need to think with her head for her to guess what was in the man''s mind. It was not a hard thing to guess.


    Is it not just that he coveted her beauty, body, and, lastly, talent? Does he have the status to match her¡ªYue Ran?


    "Forget it," Yue Ran said with a polite yet charming smile. "I suddenly remembered that my own literary talent does not seem to be so outstanding; Young Master Shang might as well invite Young Lady Xue instead."


    Her politeness made it impossible for everyone to find any mistakes in her words. However, Shang Dong was not happy when he received such a rejection.


    "You!"


    Shang Dong was more than a little bit annoyed.


    Who among the nobles in the capital did not know that he had invited Xue Lu many, many times, but she had never responded in turn?


    Yue Ran''s rejection was just throwing his face to the ground, stepping on it under her shoes, and rubbing it with dirt in public!


    "Hey, hey, calm down, Brother Shang, calm down!"


    The noble young master beside Shang Dong hurriedly pulled Shang Dong, who had stood up from his seat, back down to his seat.


    If Shang Dong wanted to get angry, he had to first look at the two men beside Yue Ran¡ªYue Yu and Ming Ze. These two men beside her were not just pretty ornaments for a show!


    Ming Ze was always paying attention to everything related to Yue Ran. With him here, no one is allowed to get close to Yue Ran or to hurt a hair of Yue Ran in front of him! He is the mad dog belonging to Yue Ran. Therefore, anyone who dares to hurt and belittle her will need to weigh their weight first before daring to cross him! He will always take revenge!


    Yue Yu smiled with the same curvature of his lips. Although his smile looked gentle in the sunlight, it still made Shang Dong sweat all over his body. He was drenched with cold sweat, feeling all flustered as if he were being stared at by a gigantic, cold-blooded snake.


    Taking advantage of the crowd''s attention being attracted by Yue Ran, General Xia, Xia Zhan, secretly moved closer to Xue Lu and stood behind her.


    "Young Lady Xue..." he started.


    However, what Xia Zhan never expected was how gloomy Xue Lu''s mood was at the moment. It was the first time ever that she was robbed of all her spotlight at a poetry exchange banquet! This is impossible! How absurd!


    Yue Ran? Outstanding? Hah! As if!


    The anger, gloom, and disgust in her heart that had sprouted into a big tree because of Yue Ran made Xue Lu look even colder and much more evil than before.


    And now she had to be disturbed by an unimportant person!


    "What is the matter, General Xia?" Xue Lu asked with an unsmiling face. Not only was Xue Lu''s voice as cold as freezing ice, but the breath around her was just as cold. "I do not seem to be familiar with General Xia, so I will go ahead first. See you next time, General Xia."


    After saying so, Xue Lu moved away with cold steps, not wanting to talk too much with Xia Zhan to put more distance between them.


    "I¡­" Xia Zhan''s words trailed off into nothingness.


    He was still not able to talk to Xue Lu properly today.


    Xia Zhan never thought that Xue Lu would have such an attitude toward him. He now felt that everything was terrible!


    Not only did Xue Lu seem to have a bad impression of him, but even Yue Ran also did not care to give him any of her attention! Everything in his world went wrong!


    Xia Zhan subconsciously and uncontrollably shifted his eyes to Yue Ran. When his eyes touched the bright red dress that was as dazzling as flames and the charming and unforgettable figure, he swallowed and looked away awkwardly, only to meet Xue Lu, who was looking at him with an obvious sneer on her face.


    Xia Zhan''s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly had a realization. Reality had smashed him in the head.


    How could it be so?


    Could it be that he likes two women at the same time?


    How could he be so¡­ be so corrupt?


    With these thoughts in mind, Xia Zhan can only leave in a panic. He needs time to think about who he really has in his heart and who he really likes!


    Xia Zhan had left so sneakily and so quickly that almost everyone did not know of his disappearance. The crowd on the other side was still fervently discussing the poetry exchange activity.


    "Young Lady Xue''s poems are as brilliant and outstanding as those of Young Lady Yue!" A noble young lady said it out loud in the midst of the chatter.


    She did not like that Yue Ran had dominated the scene with a few lines and poems. She was used to Xue Lu being the center of the spotlight, but now with the addition of Yue Ran, she felt especially defeated! That was why she wanted to dilute Yue Ran''s newfound achievement and tried her best to change the focus of the crowd.


    "Yes, Young Lady Xue''s poems are just as brilliant and outstanding as Young Lady Yue''s," a deep voice spoke.


    The crowd was really neglecting Xue Lu too much. Does this mean that they do not take the crown prince''s face into account?


    Who among the nobles and commoners in the capital does not know that he¡ªthe current crown prince¡ªhas Xue Lu in his heart? Does embarrassing Xue Lu not mean that the crowd is embarrassing him?


    God knows how angry he was when he came out and saw Xue Lu''s frosty and gloomy face!


    Everyone was shocked and knelt down together.


    "Your Royal Highness!" someone in the crowd exclaimed in shock.


    After a united greeting, there was a pause and deafening silence.


    Yue Ran only raised a brow and bent her knees a little.


    "Hmph, you may rise!" The man waved his sleeves; his demeanor showed the majestic aura that only a member of the imperial family has.


    It turns out that the one who had just spoken was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Ming Chen.


    Ming Chen walked up to Xue Lu and stretched a hand out, wanting to touch Xue Lu''s shoulder, but he did not expect that Xue Lu would avoid his hand in public.


    There was another wordless silence.


    "Xue Lu, do you really not have any feelings for me at all?" Ming Chen asked with a lowered head.

 Chapter 78 - 78: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (32)

    Ming Chen''s eyes were dim and unclear.


    While he does like Xue Lu, he¡ªMing Chen¡ªwas still a crown prince and thus would naturally have the dignity that a crown prince should have. This meant that he expected respect and awe from others.


    Being treated so lowly and being disliked so blatantly by Xue Lu was really challenging his admiration and feelings for Xue Lu. She was blatantly trampling his dignity to the ground.


    "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince," Xue Lu started. "It is better to keep a distance between you and me in the public eye." After a short pause, she added, "It is always better to be careful." So as not to ruin her hard-earned reputation.


    Ming Chen''s eyes were dark and deep, like the murky waters of a deep lake.


    "Okay, I understand," he replied in a flat tone.


    Recently, he has been thinking a lot. He was thinking about whether he liked Xue Lu or Yue Ran more.


    But the answer was obvious; there was no need for him to think any further or harder. He has admired Xue Lu for so long that even if Yue Ran kept chasing after him, he still liked Xue Lu more.


    Naturally, Xue Lu, who is well-known in the capital, is the most suitable person to sit in the position of crown princess.


    But if he could have both Xue Lu and Yue Ran, he would like it even better. He would not mind giving this idea a try.


    This is also a great idea given to him by Yue Yu. And of course, he himself, as a crown prince, thought that this idea was also good.


    As for what would happen in the future, Ming Chen did not want to think too deeply about it for now. No matter what he does in the future, Yue Ran will always like him, would she not?


    Thinking of Xue Lu again, Ming Chen laughed at himself. His feelings were a little obscured and could not be understood.


    Ming Chen storied his sleeves lightly and turned around to look at the beautiful and charming girl that stood out brightly in the crowd.


    His heart beat a little faster, which he himself did not notice.


    "Yue Ran," he said.


    When His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was walking toward Xue Lu as soon as he arrived, Yue Ran had a look showing two points of loss, two points of loneliness, three points of helplessness, and three points of self-pity.


    Do not even try to mention just how stressed and jealous Ming Ze and Yue Yu were, especially Ming Ze, who was blatantly showing an ugly expression towards Ming Chen.


    Why are Yue Ran''s eyes always on his big brother? Is his big brother really that good?


    When Ming Chen called Yue Ran, she immediately raised her head in surprise, and her obsidian eyes lit up like stars.


    Yue Ran''s eyes were gleaming, and her voice was soft and charming, with the sweetness of caramel, as she called out, "Brother Crown Prince!"


    Ming Chen was very satisfied with Yue Ran''s attitude towards him in public.


    But what he did not know was that Yue Ran is extremely disgusted¡ªdisgusted to death¡ªbecause of Ming Chen. Why does she have to go through and bear such a disgusting play?


    It was really not her style to be a spare tire or a licking dog for a scumbag like Ming Chen. But she still had to bear it for now. Soon, very soon, she will be able to get rid of this revolting man.


    "I have not talked to you for a long time," Ming Chen said lightly. "Come to me; how about we reminisce about the past that we have missed before?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reminisce about the past that they have missed?


    What past do they even have?


    The past where Ming Chen would always ignore the original body?


    The past where Ming Chen would always choose Xue Lu over the original body?


    The past where Ming Chen would always be disgusted with the original body?


    The past where Ming Chen would always hang the original body as his spare tire for self-satisfaction?


    If that were so, then Yue Ran would rather not go! What a disgusting past!


    However, even if Yue Ran thought so, her eyes still sparkled and bent into beautiful crescents. Her red lips were bent into an arc as she let out a silvery laugh. It sounded gentle, clear, and melodious.


    She looked especially attractive then, with an aura that would amaze anyone who saw it.


    "Of course, Brother Crown Prince!"


    Without any hesitation, Yue Ran immediately ran to Ming Chen''s side, making both Yue Yu and Ming Ze''s faces, two men who were just beside the girl, darken at the same time.


    Yue Yu''s eyes were focused on Yue Ran''s back. Just looking at how excited she was to go to Ming Chen made him feel restless as if there was a fire burning in his heart. This feeling was akin to a person who had stayed for a long time, lost in the desert, longing to see a clear spring to soothe a parched throat. However, there was nothing but endless sand in front of the person''s eyes, and that person felt as if his or her body was being roasted in a raging fire.


    Ming Chen should do as Yue Yu has told him to do.


    Ming Chen has to do it, even if he does not want to.


    He, Yue Yu, will make sure of it.


    It was time for Yue Ran to give up on her long-standing admiration for that unworthy man!


    Yue Yu quietly pursed his lips, and his eyes gradually became darker. Fortunately, those pair of eyes were hidden under his dense and long eyelashes, so no one noticed anything unusual about him.


    Ming Ze, sitting not far away from Yue Yu, could not hide his expression. There was disappointment on his face, followed by disgust and anger for Ming Chen, and a little helplessness.


    He can''t do anything to someone who Yue Ran likes.


    When Ming Chen left with Yue Ran, Ming Chen could not help but look back at Xue Lu''s figure. Her face looked especially cold, and her eyes were dark. The maid beside her also looked as angry and impatient as her.


    Seeing this picture made Ming Chen feel a secret joy in his heart. The method given by Yue Yu to use Yue Ran to make Xue Lu jealous really worked!


    Xue Lu pursed her lips, feeling embarrassed inside her heart. Her feet were nailed to the ground, seemingly not wanting to leave her spot. She was not even able to move them.


    She obviously came to see Yue Ran''s joke today, so why was she the one who became the joke in the end?


    Anger burned like a storming fire in her heart. Fortunately, she could still control this building fire in one place so that it would not burn everything in its sight.


    Xue Lu gritted her teeth and stood in her place like an ice sculpture. Her face looked calm and a little dark, and her aura was simply menacing.


    She has always been a person who is not afraid and does not hesitate to speculate on anyone in this world with the greatest malice. Therefore, anyone who was looking at her now would make her feel like they were all judging her!


    They must be laughing at her in their hearts!


    They must look down on her!


    Unforgivable!


    Yue Ran cannot be forgiven!


    It was all Yue Ran''s fault!


    The malice and disgust churning in Xue Lu''s heart towards Yue Ran finally exploded at this moment; those feelings have finally reached their peak!


    She is Xue Lu! Xue Lu, who is well-known and the most talented noble young lady in the capital! She cannot leave in such a state of embarrassment!


    Hence, Xue Lu could only clench her hands into fists, her long and beautiful nails fully embedded in her palms. The pain she was feeling in her hands kept her sober as she pretended to stand in one position calmly as she watched Ming Chen and Yue Ran''s backs.


    Black and red.


    Those two colors surprisingly fit well against the background full of blooming flowers.


    As Yue Ran and Ming Chen walked away from penetrating eyes, Yue Ran immediately asked, her tone laced with uncontainable excitement and her eyes full of anticipation, "Brother Crown Prince, what do you want to tell me?"


    Just having all of Ming Chen''s attention on herself made her heart beat faster.


    Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Yue Ran could feel her heartbeat thundering in her ears.


    What could His Royal Highness the Crown Prince want to tell him? Will he finally want to accept her love? Does he like her as well? Will they finally be a couple for life? Will they get married soon?


    Yue Ran''s cheeks flushed brightly. She clearly knew that all the imaginations in her mind were false, but it did not make her feel any less nervous. Hope and anticipation were sprouting in her heart. She could only secretly hope that her Brother Crown Prince would not be too harsh on her.


    Ming Chen led Yue Ran into a small garden behind a rockery, away from all prying eyes. It was one of the secret places that not even passing servants would walk through unless they wanted to have a love affair with their partners.


    Ming Chen opened his mouth; the words had already run to the tip of his tongue.

 Chapter 79 - 79: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (33)

    However, when Ming Chen looked at the exquisite and delicate features on Yue Ran''s face, he suddenly could no longer say the words he initially wanted to say.


    He could no longer say harsh words to send Yue Ran away casually.


    Ming Chen coughed lightly.


    "It is nothing much," Ming Chen started. "It is just that there was a question that has been hovering in my heart for several days."


    Yue Ran blinked with a smile and said, "Brother Crown Prince can always tell me anything."


    Looking at the beautiful face in front of him, Ming Chen did not have the determination he had at the beginning. He was about to give up saying the next sentence, but his eyes suddenly brightened and gradually turned firmer.


    Yue Ran did not know what he was thinking about, nor was she curious about it. She only patiently waited for the man''s next words.


    "If I propose to marry Xue Lu in the end, what are you going to do?" Ming Chen finally asked.


    Yue Ran''s heart clenched painfully.


    Ah, what a scumbag!


    Is it possible that Ming Chen actually expected her to stick with him? What face did he have to ask such a question to her? What does he think she is? His spare tire? Does she look like someone who would impatiently rush to be someone else''s concubine?


    If Yue Ran were to get the position of the empress, then she could still think about it. However, she would not allow her man to find another woman, or else... She will resolutely break his third leg, and thus he will never have any more descendants from that day on.


    Ming Chen is an example of a man who eats in the bowl but looks in the pot.


    (*Eating in a bowl, looking in a pot: Being too greedy. What is in the pot, also what the eater cannot look away from, is something the bowl cannot and will not have.)


    What a selfish man who only thinks about himself!


    Yue Ran showed an embarrassed expression, and the light in her eyes dimmed, misty but firm.


    "If Brother Crown Prince chooses to marry another woman in the end, then Ran Ran would rather shave her hair and be a nun in a temple," she lowered her head and said determinedly.


    The sonorous and powerful words of Yue Ran made Ming Chen feel uncontrollably moved.


    A sneer curled up Yue Ran''s bright red lips.


    What was the use of being moved?


    Although Ming Chen actually expected Yue Ran to answer that she was willing to be his concubine, Yue Ran''s different answer also shook his heart. He could feel the thundering sound in his chest, and his eyes that stayed on the bright girl with a lowered head looked impossibly soft and gentle.


    Yue Ran was willing to be a nun for his own sake. It could be seen just what extravagant hope she had for him.


    How could Yue Ran not see what Ming Chen was thinking from that face of his?


    The only reason she insinuated that she would willingly guard her body and be a nun for him was because she did not want to be his concubine.


    To become a concubine for such an indecisive man, is he worthy?


    Ming Chen thought about the fact that Yue Ran was deeply in love with him in his mind and still could not help but ask what was in his heart.


    "Yue Ran," he said.


    "Yes, Brother Crown Prince?"


    "If there is a way," Ming Chen''s words trailed off, and he let out a light cough. "If I said that there is a way for you to always be with me in this life, but it may be the cause of discussion in the public eye, would you still like to be with me?"


    Ming Chen asked that question tentatively.


    He did not want to give up such a stunningly beautiful woman as Yue Ran. Since he would be the future emperor of this dynasty, the future Son of Heaven, he should have the right to embrace all the beauties of the world.


    As an emperor, he would be a ruler who has a mandate from heaven, is sacred and has power over everything under the sky.


    Darkness churned in Yue Ran''s heart when he heard Ming Chen''s shameless words.


    Does his question not blatantly imply that she, Yue Ran, should be his concubine? This question was even more straightforward than before.


    She is the legitimate and only daughter of the Prime Minister''s Mansion. Does Ming Chen think that she would want to be a lowly concubine for others? Does he even deserve this honor?


    "Is Your Royal Highness humiliating my love for you?" Yue Ran bit her bottom lip and asked tearily.


    Is the man in front of her dreaming? Is he living on clouds?


    Many people cannot even ask for her attention, so what kind of drug did Ming Chen think she eats so that she would continue hanging on his crooked tree rather than continuing to explore the whole forest?


    "As the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister''s Mansion, I, Yue Ran, will never be someone else''s concubine, even if I were to die at this instant!"


    Yue Ran spoke so resolutely, but the tip of her nose and eyes were flushed red. A layer of water misted over a pair of heartbroken eyes, looking so pitiful. She uneasily grabbed the sleeves of her dress, and her long and dense eyelashes kept fluttering like butterflies.


    Ming Chen looked at the little crystal teardrops that stuck on the curled eyelashes of Yue Ran, and his heart could not help but move slightly.


    "I," Ming Chen started, only to realize that his voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat before continuing; his head was raised and his eyes were looking across the distant sky. "I am just making an assumption, not something real." He paused for a moment before adding, "So do not feel sad."


    He did not realize that he had tried hard to avoid meeting Yue Ran''s eyes, which could easily move him.


    Seeing Yue Ran so resolute, Ming Chen decided not to persuade her anymore, especially after looking at those pitiful reddened eyes that made her look like a bullied, docile little rabbit. He suddenly had the urge to rub her head and smooth out the rabbit''s fluffy fur.


    He suddenly felt that it was not a big deal to marry Yue Ran as his crown princess.


    No, why did he suddenly think this way?


    Ming Chen breathed in, closed his eyes, and tried hard to suppress such an absurd urge and foolish thoughts.


    No, just no.


    Yue Ran sneered in her heart. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This kind of man, like Ming Chen, is always cheap and will always stay cheap. He would lack honesty and moral principles.


    Ming Chen lowered his eyes and stared at the top of Yue Ran''s head.


    He had been chasing Xue Lu for so long, so why did he suddenly think of replacing Xue Lu with Yue Ran? Can he let Xue Lu go when he thinks of letting his feelings for Xue Lu go?


    How could it be? He will never let Xue Lu go!


    Moreover, Yue Ran is just his last choice!


    Ming Chen breathed a sigh of relief when he thought things through. He had finally made a decision and was acting according to Yue Yu''s method.


    "Since you do not want to be my concubine, then do not follow me from now on," Ming Chen said flatly, firmly suppressing the tremble in his heart. "Moreover, do not try and publicize your love for me to find me trouble; you can do it, can you not?"


    Yue Ran''s face no longer had the sweet smile of the past. Her eyes were red with tears, and she was full of disbelief, making Ming Chen feel particularly distressed.


    Ming Chen stretched out a hand, seemingly wanting to wipe away the tear that slipped down her cheek to the tip of her chin, but he quickly curled his fingers and looked away.


    Even though Ming Chen''s heart felt stuffy and uncomfortable, he still continued to say, "There is one more thing." His expression sank, and then he looked at Yue Ran with a serious look and said, "You are not allowed to go against Xue Lu in the future, or I will not let you go."


    The faint sunlight shone on Yue Ran''s pale-looking face. For a moment, it looked as if the golden light of the sun had turned into the silver light of the moon.


    At this time, the already thin body of Yue Ran looked more and more weak and slender, as if she could be blown away by the wind. Tears flickered under her eyelashes, and her hands holding onto the sleeves became tighter.


    Ming Chen''s palm unconsciously attached itself to her cheek, gently wiping the tears from her face for her. However, Yue Ran took a step back to avoid the man''s hand.


    The tears on the man''s hand were hot against his skin. It was so hot that his hand seemed to be scalded, seeping into his skin, into his veins, and into his heart.


    He felt¡­ somewhat uneasy.


    Those words that he said will naturally reach Xue Lu''s ears soon. It was all thanks to his subordinates hiding around.


    These sentences would make it feel like she, Xue Lu, would always be protected under his wings. Xue Lu would definitely be touched by his words, right?

 Chapter 80 - 80: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (34)

    In this way, he can create a dignified and earnest appearance for Xue Lu even behind the scenes, where she cannot see. Xue Lu would then be touched by him and secretly think about him from time to time.


    Does this not mean that he will be able to embrace the beauty of his dreams soon?


    By the time he has conquered Xue Lu, he can reluctantly bring in Yue Ran. No matter what, he wanted both women, both beauties of different styles and temperaments, to be his.


    He, Ming Chen, has a kind of fanciful self-confidence, fully believing that Yue Ran would be his backup woman with no hesitation. It will not be too late to think about Yue Ran then.


    The more Ming Chen thought about it, the more absurd his imagination became.


    "Since Your Highness, the Crown Prince, has decided, then Yue Ran has nothing else to say," Yue Ran replied hoarsely.


    She rubbed her reddened eyes and left the rockery first, leaving Ming Chen''s figure behind.


    When she returned to the poem exchange banquet, she remained tactfully silent all throughout as she sat back in her original seat, ignoring Ming Chen''s gaze that shifted to her from time to time.


    Yue Yu''s eyes flashed when he saw the two people''s¡ªYue Ran and Ming Chen''s¡ªreactions.


    It seemed that Ming Chen really did use his method.


    Soon, very soon, everything will fall back into its own respective places.


    Everything will soon be right again.


    ¡­


    The days passed quickly, and now it was time for the noblewomen in the capital to burn incense in the temple to pray for the family''s safety, health, and wealth.


    Yue Ran felt that it was a little strange that so many people, noblemen and noblewomen, were flocking to the temple to pray for blessings. Moreover, there seemed to be many incidents occurring all around the capital in recent times after the flower-viewing banquet in the oldest princess'' mansion.


    Ruan Ruan informed his Master that it was all thanks to Yue Yu and Ming Ze''s revenge for her, which made her smile so charmingly and beautifully.


    Coincidentally, Yue Ran and Xue Lu''s carriages met on the narrow road leading to the entrance of the temple.


    Bored, Yue Ran lifted the curtain of the carriage with a hand and said, "What a coincidence, Young Lady Xue."


    "Yes," Xue Lu replied. She did not bother to lift the curtain of the carriage to greet Yue Ran face-to-face. "Young Lady Yue, it really is a coincidence."


    What a coincidence!


    Xue Lu''s well-manicured nails stabbed the palms of her hands, which were resting tightly on her knees.


    She had never believed in Buddhism, ghosts, or gods. The only reason she went out of the Xue Mansion to visit the temple today was because of her appointment with His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.


    However, before she even got to her destination, she actually met Yue Ran, that hateful woman, on the road!


    What does His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, mean by this?


    Does His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, think that she and Yue Ran are of the same status or worth?


    Was it that the reason why His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, made an appointment with her was only out of his convenience to date two women at the same time?


    The more she thought about it, the bigger the fire in her heart.


    The more she thought about it, the more she hated Yue Ran in her heart.


    In fact, Xue Lu really misunderstood His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen. She was the only one invited to an appointment with Ming Chen.


    The reason Yue Ran came too was because of Yue Yu. Yue Yu had arranged the date and time of Yue Ran''s visit to the temple because he wanted to "help" Yue Ran win Ming Chen''s affection.


    Yue Ran could, of course, hear the female protagonist''s sarcasm. But does Yue Ran care about it? No, she even thought that it was fun. However, after waiting for a long time, there was only silence between them.


    Growing bored with nothing to do, Yue Ran took her hand back, and the curtain of her carriage covered the inner scene once again.


    Yue Ran easily let Xue Lu''s carriage pass her first, with her following behind.


    Yue Ran: I am just too kind.


    Since the two had nothing to say to each other, the rest of the journey was spent in total silence.


    Until¡ª


    "Ahhhh!"


    There was a sudden, loud shout.


    "Is this not the coachman''s voice?" Xue Lu asked, "What happened?"


    Hearing such a loud cry, Xue Lu panicked. Her body froze as she heard the loud noise, followed by a series of screams, and some faintly red, watery liquid splashed onto the outer side of the curtains.


    Gradually, the smell of the liquid began to spread to the inside of the carriage, following the wind. The strong odor at the tip of her nose told Xue Lu what it was.


    Blood.


    It was blood.


    Xue Lu''s face turned pale, but she still looked calm. Well, at least calmer as compared to the trembling maid beside her, Li Ya, who could not even let out a voice.


    Xue Lu''s body was also shaking, albeit not so much. Her hands that were on her knees were quivering, and cold sweat dripped from her forehead to the corner of her eyes and then to the edge of her lips.


    She breathed and blinked her eyes.


    The droplet of sweat entered her lips and touched the tip of her tongue.


    It was salty.


    It burned her eyes.


    She was scared.


    She was¡­ scared.


    She did not want to die.


    "Young Lady Xue, what has happened ahead?" Yue Ran asked. "Why did your carriage stop so suddenly?"


    One could easily hear the impatience in her voice.


    Yue Ran''s carriage traveled behind Xue Lu''s carriage, so she could not see the conditions ahead. And thus, she still does not know that there was an attack.


    That was a joke.


    Of course, Yue Ran knew what was going on ahead. She was the most clear about what had transpired, yet she still asked Xue Lu those two questions with malicious intentions.


    This was why Yue Ran had so kindly let Xue Lu''s carriage go first. She had so kindly given up such a generous act to momentarily satisfy Xue Lu''s pride and vanity.


    This led to Xue Lu''s carriage being stuck in the middle of chaos with no chance of retreating. In front of her was a ruthless and merciless attack, while behind her was Yue Ran''s still carriage.


    This scenario was actually a plan constructed by His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen, following Yue Yu''s hints. However, this plan does not actually include Yue Ran, an irrelevant person, in it.


    The original attack would just make Xue Lu feel helpless, but there was still a chance to retreat so that Ming Chen could enact a scenario of saving a damsel in distress and thus gain Xue Lu''s good impression and then affection.


    However, how could Yue Ran want to let it go as usual? That would be too boring.


    Moreover, the favorability of the four men for her would only rise slowly if Yue Ran allowed the normal process to go on.


    It was time for her to unleash chaos on the world.


    There was no reason for her to endure doing things so selflessly, to do things that she did not want to do, for these kinds of men.


    She was not that kind.


    It would be the most fun to torture them. Not physically, but mentally.


    But sometimes, it would also be fun to torture them both physically and mentally, especially when the man likes things such as bondage and masochism.


    Watching such things was refreshing!


    Xue Lu''s throat seemed to be stuffed with a mouthful of cotton, and she nearly choked on it.


    How could she know what was happening other than an attack?


    Was it a bandit''s attack, a robber''s attack, or an assassin''s attack?


    She herself was not sure of it, okay? S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She also wants to know what is happening!


    But she dare not look out the curtain; who knows if her hand would be cut once she stretched it out to lift the curtain?


    In spite of her turning thoughts, the curtain to her carriage was being lifted by a big and rough-looking hand, one that seemed to have held a sword for a long, long time.


    "Hey, the harvest this time is really not small," the man who lifted the curtain on Xue Lu''s carriage said. "Brothers, there is a beauty in the carriage¡ªthe kind that looks like a goddess here!"


    With zero to no difficulty, the group of men captured both Xue Lu and Yue Ran alive as their hostages and directly took them to the top of the mountain.


    Fortunately, both Ming Chen and Xia Zhan, who suddenly got the news, chased after them.


    It turns out that the group that captured the beauties were bandits.


    One group was desperately fleeing while carrying two hostages¡ªYue Ran and Xue Lu¡ªlike baggage, while the other group was desperately chasing after the former group.


    The mountain was their playing field.


    That was until...


    Ming Chen gritted his teeth in anger.


    He could not believe it!


    He only arranged for two hooligans to play an act in front of Xue Lu, so why did the two hooligans suddenly turn into a group of bandits that live and rob on this mountain?

 Chapter 81 - 81: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (35)

    And how was Ming Chen supposed to know that it was Yue Yu who was the mastermind behind the scenes that had caused this change?


    This idea was also provided by Yue Yu.


    Yue Yu had made plans for him to gain Xue Lu''s favor until his engagement and marriage to her; therefore, he was not at all guarded against such a deep-hearted man.


    Yue Yu''s thoughts were different.


    If it were as His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen, had planned before to send out two hooligans to bother Xue Lu, this would not make Yue Ran give up her affection for Ming Chen at all.


    However, if it were a choice between life and death, between choosing Yue Ran or Xue Lu to live or die, then the love Yue Ran had for Ming Chen would completely die the moment he resolutely chose Xue Lu.


    What a thrilling and touching love story between the daughter of the Grand Tutor and the crown prince of the current dynasty!


    Yue Yu did not want to show up in such a scene; he could only hide in the dark. If he were there, it would be impossible for Yue Ran to give up on her love.


    Therefore, he only decided to notify two men, Ming Chen and Xia Zhan, of the danger both noble young women were facing. As for Ming Ze, the youngest prince of the current dynasty, he would be dealt with by Yue Yu in the future.


    Yue Yu did not want to notify Ming Ze right now because Ming Ze would most definitely ruin his plans by taking crazy and unpredictable actions.


    One cannot use a normal brain to predict Ming Ze''s next moves.


    Ming Ze is a complete mad dog, a lunatic. Can a normal person really guess a lunatic''s thoughts?


    And the only person who could control this mad dog and put him on a leash is Yue Ran. Not even the emperor, Ming Ze''s father, could control him as well as Yue Ran does.


    In the present, Yue Yu can only solve Ming Chen and Xia Zhan once and for all.


    Just thinking about the absence of a strong love rival and a potential love rival competing with him for Yue Ran in the future made Yue Yu feel very happy.


    With such joy, Yue Yu''s men helped guide the bandit''s escape.


    Everything is under his control.


    All the chess pieces were in place.


    Nothing, not a chess piece, could ruin his plans.


    Five bandits were chased to the edge of the cliff on the mountain, and they seemed to have come to a dead end. There was nowhere to go.


    The bandit, who had held Yue Ran tightly in his arms with her back against his strong chest, gently rubbed against her sensitive waist in an area where no one could see. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran is quite sensitive to smells, so when the scent of the man''s body floated into her nose, she could recognize who this man was. This was also the reason why Yue Ran did not fight or make trouble along the way.


    This man is none other than the youngest prince, Ming Ze.


    Ming Chen, Xia Zhan, and the reinforcements they brought were still quite a distance away.


    Ming Ze, who was masked, said in a hoarse voice, "One is the bright and beautiful daughter of the Prime Minister''s Mansion, while the other is the daughter of the Grand Tutor. I wonder how much wealth could be exchanged for two beauties, especially the one in my arms."


    Yue Ran''s eyes twitched.


    What was Ming Ze doing? What kind of rogue words was he using? Where did he even learn such a thing?


    Xue Lu gritted her teeth in anger.


    Yue Yu was so kind to Yue Ran; Ming Ze was obviously in love with Yue Ran; Xia Zhan was bewitched by Yue Ran; His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen, was made strange because of Yue Ran; and now even the bandit who was threatening their lives was seduced by Yue Ran.


    Why is it all about Yue Ran? What was Yue Ran so good at?


    Xue Lu''s face changed drastically; her eyes were cold as she asked, "Who are you?"


    "Who am I?" Ming Ze asked with a chuckle. "If you really want to know who I am, then you would not be able to survive today. Young lady, are you really sure that you want to know my identity?"


    Xue Lu instantly shut her mouth.


    She still did not want to die.


    "Um, the young lady is still quite smart," Ming Ze said with a nod.


    The wind on the cliff was strong, and Yue Ran''s hair fluttered into the air. Her long and naturally curled eyelashes trembled with the wind.


    Ming Ze squeezed Yue Ran''s delicate face and said in a teasing tone, "Whoever has such a flamboyant beauty must be very lucky."


    Regardless of the presence of Xue Lu and the other bandits, Ming Ze gently pinched Yue Ran''s chin and kissed her lips.


    It was a lingering peck on the girl''s bright red lips.


    Full of his deep love and affection.


    "If you are willing to follow me, I can let you go today," Ming Ze said hoarsely.


    Yue Ran turned her head and pursed her lips. She had the attitude of not wanting to talk to the man.


    Xue Lu''s face turned ugly. She could no longer maintain her icy-cold goddess demeanor.


    "You vixen!"


    A female voice shrieked aloud, her tone full of unhappiness, disgust, and anger.


    Yue Ran shifted her gaze to the source of the voice.


    Oh, is this not the female protagonist''s personal maid named Li or something? Li Li? Li You? Li Shi? Yue Ran was not sure of the maid''s name. Anyway, why was she here? Why was she still alive?


    Yue Ran thought that she was dead long ago. The reason why Yue Ran was not aware of the maid''s existence was because such a cannon fodder character''s presence was just too low.


    With such a loud voice, naturally, Ming Ze, who had excellent hearing, could hear the maid''s words clearly. He looked at one of the bandits in charge of the maid in displeasure and said, "You should clearly know how to deal with such a broken-mouthed slave. Do you still need me to teach you how to deal with these kinds of things?"


    The bandit shuddered and immediately pinched the maid''s cheeks with his left hand. His right hand, which was free, moved very quickly. With a flash of light from the knife in his hand, the maid''s mouth was full of blood.


    "Li Ya!" Xue Lu exclaimed in horror and shock.


    Oh, so the maid''s name is Li Ya. Yue Ran noted this in her mind.


    Li Ya was screaming in tears as the blood kept spilling out of her open mouth.


    The bandit in charge of Li Ya had cut off her tongue with a single slash of a knife.


    Ming Ze: Two words, very happy.


    Yue Ran: How ugly. There was no aesthetic in such a punishment; it was not pleasing to her eyes.


    Ruan Ruan: That maid deserved it; who told her to scold my Master!


    Acting according to the original body''s character, Yue Ran looked at Ming Ze in horror.


    Where has Yue Ran, a noble young lady of the Prime Minister''s Mansion who was kept away from danger in a cage, ever seen such bloody cruelty?


    Ming Ze let out a muffled laugh when he saw the girl''s reaction. He leaned his head down to place a kiss on the top of her head and whispered in her ear, "Are you scared?"


    Yue Ran nodded blankly.


    "What are you afraid of?" Ming Ze said it in a doting tone. "If I were to scare anyone, I would never scare you, and if I were to hurt anyone, I would never hurt you." He raised a hand to place a strand of silky, flying hair on the back of Yue Ran''s ear. "To me, Ran Ran will always be the most important person in my heart, so what is Ran Ran afraid of?"


    On one side was Li Ya, who continued roaring like a female ghost rising from hell, and on the other side was Ming Ze, who kept bewitching her with sweet words and a kind face, hiding evil in his heart.


    Yue Ran sneered in her heart.


    So why did Ming Ze betray the original body in the first place? Why did Ming Ze personally push the original body into hell? Why did Ming Ze like Xue Lu in the end?


    None of the four men were pardonable.


    "Tsk!" Ming Ze made a sound of disapproval. "Have they not arrived yet?"


    Ming Ze felt extremely dissatisfied.


    Those men were extremely unworthy of Yue Ran. If this were a real kidnapping case with Yue Ran as the hostage, Yue Ran''s body may already have been cold because of their incompetence! However, with him here, nothing would happen to his beloved. At worst, if that scenario were to happen, then he and Yue Ran could just die together. This was because he did not want to live in a world without his beloved.


    The other men are all so useless!


    Ming Ze happily scorned them in his heart, secretly moved by his own self-devotion.


    He and Yue Ran were the only true natural pairing in the world.


    He and Yue Ran were meant to be together.


    Yue Ran: Sure.


    Ruan Ruan: Sure.

 Chapter 82 - 82: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (36)

    When Ming Chen, Xia Zhen, and their men chased the bandits to the edge of the cliff, they were exhausted. They were quite confident that nothing would happen since their group obviously had an overwhelming advantage in numbers.


    By the time they had arrived, Li Ya was in so much pain that she could not even cry out anymore. She just lay on the ground, panting heavily, sweat pouring down her face like rain, and her whole body was soaked in a cold sweat.


    There was dark red blood in her mouth. And every time she exhaled, she could spit out a big mouthful of blood, which looked extremely terrifying.


    Yue Ran did not want to pay attention to such an unaesthetic picture, but she could not help but keep looking at Li Ya''s tormented figure.


    However, the more she looked, the more frightened she became.


    Ming Ze sighed when he saw such a funny sight and said while covering the girl''s eyes, "Since you are afraid, why do you keep looking at her?"


    Yue Ran was silent for a while.


    Can she say that although it looks ugly and is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, she just likes looking at other people''s sufferings? That she takes other people''s misery as her source of joy?


    "I¡­" Yue Ran started, but her words gradually trailed off. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the man''s big hand, but to no avail. "She just howled so pitifully."


    Ming Ze chuckled.


    His Ran Ran is just too cute.


    "I just want to make her look so pitiful," Ming Ze whispered with an obvious smile. "If she is not pitiful, then how can I use her to scare the crown prince and General Xia?"


    Ruan Ruan: Hm? Why does Ruan Ruan not understand?


    Yue Ran: Oh, smart move.


    Yue Ran obviously understood what Ming Ze meant.


    Not far from the cliff, Ming Chen and Xia Zhan got off their horses.


    Seeing the two men''s arrival, Xue Lu''s eyes instantly lit up.


    Ever since the bandit in charge of Yue Ran, most probably the bandits'' leader, asked his subordinates to cut off Li Ya''s tongue without hesitation, she had remained silent and dared not move, just like the dead.


    She did not want to die!


    "Let them go," Ming Chen said calmly. Although he was panicking inside, he reflexively put on a calm facade on his face. "What do you want?"


    The head bandit, Ming Ze, let out a hoarse chuckle, followed by an intimidating silence. It was obvious that he did not intend to speak.


    Ming Chen straightened his lips before continuing, "Do you want power, status, or money? As long as you let them go, all of these things could be promised to you!"


    Ming Ze only blinked, then shifted his gaze to Xue Lu and said in a bewitching tone, "Did you see it? The crown prince and General Xia are here!"


    The smiling tone of the head bandit''s voice made Xue Lu shudder in fright.


    "I have long heard that you, the young lady of the Xue Mansion, had a deep friendship with both men! How romantic!" Ming Ze said sarcastically, "It is said that what men missed the most was something that they could not ask for, not to mention that you are still a person who looked at everyone coldly like a block of ice. I honestly do not understand why many people are interested in someone like you, but I guess it is what people call preferences."


    Xue Lu felt as if she had been slapped in the face by such an insult. However, she did not dare to say anything to refute it lest she would end up like Li Ya or, in the worst case, die by a sword or be pushed down the cliff in the next second.


    "Anyway, you have to beg those two men¡ªbeg them to let them save you," Ming Chen said with a sneer. "After all, you are the only daughter of the Grand Tutor, the most talented and most beautiful noble young lady in the capital, the dignified young lady of the Xue family!"


    Xue Lu: ¡­


    Yue Ran: ¡­


    In terms of status and wealth, she would overpower Xue Lu in both. So what was she, then?


    "Oh, if the two men, or even one of the men, end up choosing this beautiful lady in my arms instead, then your value is too useless!" Ming Ze said it icily. "And being useless meant that you are not qualified to continue living in the world; you are just wasting the good and fresh air of the world."


    Xue Lu: ¡­


    Inexplicably, Xue Lu knew that the head bandit''s threatening words were not just for intimidation. Inwardly, she believed that those words were true. If one of the two men did not choose to save her instead, then the head bandit would really kill her!


    Xue Lu did not know why the head bandit would give up wealth, status, and power. Maybe he knew that he was outnumbered and that putting pressure on the other side would make it so that he could escape during the chaos.


    From the corner of Ming Chen''s eyes, he looked at his men, who were trying to ambush in the dark, waiting for an opportunity to save both women, and said loudly, "You can have anything you want if you just let them go. I, the crown prince, can guarantee you this."


    "Even the position of an emperor?" asked Ming Ze mockingly. There was no trace of friendliness as he looked at his big brother, related to him by blood, standing in front of him. "The crown prince is so eloquent when speaking such nonsense." There was strong malice in the head bandit''s tone. "If the crown prince insists on speaking nonsense, then I cannot guarantee that these two women will not become that thing lying on the ground."


    Ming Ze gestured to Li Ya, who does not look like a human or a ghost, on the ground. All around her was already painted red with blood.


    Li Ya did not have the strength to scream anymore. She was already saving her energy by breathing and talking less, desperately praying in her heart so that she could survive this catastrophe.


    It was afternoon at this time, and the sun was still high in the sky.


    With such bright sunlight, everyone could clearly see Li Ya''s terrifying situation.


    Ming Ze and Xia Zhan''s hearts were beating wildly. Both men instinctively looked at Yue Ran in the head bandit''s arms in fear.


    Although they kept saying that they like Xue Lu and that they only have feelings for Xue Lu, now that they have reached this life-and-death situation where no one could guarantee the other''s safety, neither of the two could lie to themselves any longer.


    Both of them like Yue Ran, not Xue Lu.


    "Do you see it clearly now?" Ming Ze asked maliciously. "I will definitely keep one of these two stunning beauties today. Even if I die, it would be a beautiful thing to take one away to marry me in the underworld!"


    Xia Zhan frowned ferociously. "What do you mean?"


    All the two men knew was that the head bandit was going crazy right now. They could not guarantee that he would not do anything to Yue Ran. They could not imagine what would happen if Yue Ran was hurt and turned into the bloody ghost-like maid on the ground.


    As long as they tried to imagine it, they felt that they could hardly breathe. Even breathing was such torture.


    This situation completely frightened them!


    The head bandit grinned and asked, "Are my words not obvious?" Ming Ze''s eyes kept going back and forth between Yue Ran and Xue Lu''s figures. "You two can only choose one of the two hostages, while I will take the other one away to die with me!"


    "You!"


    "You!"


    Both men shouted at the same time. They were both shocked and angry at the current predicament.


    Yue Ran did not want to talk. She did not have any hope for any of the two men in front of her.


    "Do not talk so much nonsense!" The head bandit barked. "Choose one quickly; otherwise, I will die with both!"


    Ming Ze''s voice was so fierce that both Ming Chen and Xia Zhan did not have much time to think.


    Choose either Yue Ran or Xue Lu. Is this not an obvious thing?


    If it were the past, Ming Chen and Xia Zhan would have most definitely chosen Xue Lu with no hesitation. But now?


    Seeing the obvious panic on Xue Lu''s face and the extremely calm Yue Ran with a soft smile on her lips, Ming Chen and Xia Zhan were at a loss.


    They obviously liked Xue Lu for so many years, but...


    The drumming heart on their chests made them hesitate.


    Yue Ran''s soft smile turned into one of mockery. She had an "I know you two men would not choose me" expression on her face.


    As for Xue Lu, she looked at the bottomless cliff behind her, and her face turned from one of panic to one of anxiety and horror. Her heart palpitated when her mind played the worst scenario in her head.


    Xue Lu immediately looked at both men with full expectation in her eyes. This made both men frown.


    "Your Royal Highness, General Xia, I am so scared." Xue Lu feigned a cry. It was rare for such a cold person to show weakness and try to look pitiful.


    S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 83 - 83: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (37)

    Although Xue Lu knew that it was best not to say a word at this time, she was just so scared! She knew that both of the men admired her perfect self, and there was a high probability that they would choose her, but what if?


    What if they choose Yue Ran in the end and not herself?


    Even someone as proud as she is could not deny that both His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and General Xia have already started to care about Yue Ran, that annoying woman!


    She still has to save and prioritize herself first! So what about her pride and face? As long as she is still alive, all could be rectified in the future!


    Xue Lu''s cry was so fake that Yue Ran could hardly hold back the urge to roll her eyes. What kind of acting is this?


    Ming Chen and Xia Zhan''s hearts did not fluctuate at all. It was as if they were looking at a dead statue or an insignificant pebble on the ground.


    Ming Ze was bored waiting for so long; he was annoyed at such a useless delay in time.


    "Do you want to choose one or not?" The head bandit shouted. "Do you really think I am joking here?"


    The big hand gently resting on Yue Ran''s neck was slowly tightening. Ming Ze''s subordinate was also pinching Xue Lu''s neck very roughly, making her choke for air.


    The two men''s hearts tightened with the hand that gradually squeezed Yue Ran''s delicate and smooth jade-white neck.


    "I will give you three breaths to choose," the head bandit said with a grin. "If you do not choose one by then, then I will immediately push one at random down the cliff!"


    When they finish choosing one, he can take the other one away. Is this not a fair exchange?


    If the two men choose Xue Lu, then she would be safe. But if the two men choose Yue Ran, then Xue Lu might as well bid goodbye to the world.


    After three breaths, Ming Ze opened his mouth and said hoarsely, "Time is up; you can choose one now!"


    "I choose¡­ I choose¡­"


    "I choose¡­ I choose¡­"


    Both men stuttered out at the same time.


    They were in a state of disarray at this moment.


    They only had one thought in mind, and that was to choose Yue Ran; otherwise, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.


    Because Yue Ran is¡­ the love of their hearts.


    Yes, in these short few seconds, countless fragments of the two of them were recalled in their minds: Yue Ran''s smiles, Yue Ran''s happiness, Yue Ran''s sadness...


    Their minds were all occupied with Yue Ran.


    It turned out that someone had left so many traces in their hearts.


    But now is not the time for him to recall the past; choosing Yue Ran is more important than anything else; time is life.


    "I choose Xue Lu!"


    "I choose Xue Lu!"


    Both men shouted, and then they were both startled.


    Their heartbeats slowed to a stop before rapidly beating again, pounding thunderously in their chests.


    Ming Chen: What?!


    Xia Zhan: What?!


    Why did they...


    The head bandit did not allow them to think too much, and the name Xue Lu just reflexively came out of their mouths.


    They did not understand. What had actually happened?


    The moment Xue Lu heard of the result, she burst into tears. This was because she knew that her life had temporarily been saved. She can live!


    Ming Ze sneered, "How do I know who Xue Lu is?" He rubbed his temples with the hand that was previously held against Yue Ran''s neck and said, "You can just state the color of the dress of the woman you want to save!"


    Xue Lu stared at the head bandit blankly.


    Did the head bandit not know her name? But he clearly did! Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Does he... does he plan to kill her, so he wanted to give the two men another chance to choose which they wanted to save?


    Thinking of this, Xue Lu''s heart panicked even more.


    Xue Lu quickly faced the two men and cried, with almost no image of the cold goddess in their minds, "Ming Chen, Xia Zhan, save me!"


    She was desperate, so she quickly called them by their names, no longer caring about whatever etiquette she had learned since childhood.


    She really, really wants to live!


    As for Yue Ran''s life or death, who cares about such a thing?


    Seeing such a thing, the beautiful image of Xue Lu in their minds was completely broken into dust. Their leftover feelings for Xue Lu were no more.


    "Choose one!" The head bandit shouted impatiently.


    They needed to answer this right this time around.


    Ming Chen and Xia Zhan spoke together again at this time.


    "The woman in white!"


    "The woman in white!"


    Both men were once again startled, and their faces turned pale.


    No! What was going on? They clearly wanted to choose Yue Ran, so why did they keep choosing Xue Lu when they were speaking out loud? How could this be?


    How could this be?


    "Hahaha, good!" The head bandit laughed out loud.


    Yue Ran lowered her head, and her face bent into a smile that no one could see.


    The world consciousness would not allow the death of the female protagonist in these worlds. Or more specifically, the Lord God would not want His female protagonists to die, and hence there was this kind of scene.


    Yue Ran could feel that the world consciousness had sent its power to the two men, forcing them to choose Xue Lu instead of the insignificant her, a vicious cannon fodder female supporting role.


    Well, it was understandable, since the source of the Lord God''s increasing power comes from the happiness and joy of the union between the female protagonist and the male protagonist.


    It was not like Yue Ran had never experienced this kind of thing before. It could also be said that she was quite used to this kind of eccentric treatment. After all, she and the Lord God are enemies going on the same road, a road to wanting to gain more power, and hence both will compete for the same resources.


    This meant a fight to the death or an eat-or-be-eaten kind of thing.


    Ming Ze sighed. He leaned his head closer to Yue Ran and whispered in her ear, "Look, just because that Xue Lu showed a little weakness and cried pitifully to my imperial brother and General Xia, they immediately turned dizzy, drunken in love, and did not care about Ran Ran''s safety at all."


    Yue Ran did not reply and still maintained her position with a lowered head.


    "They so cruelly and mercilessly chose that other woman instead of Ran Ran," Ming Ze whispered. "So, do not hesitate to come with me, Ran Ran."


    Although Yue Ran does not have hope for the two men across her, but when they so easily choose Xue Lu over her, abandoning her to the enemy''s hands, her heart still hurts so, so much. It hurts so much that she can''t even scream.


    "Master, do not feel so sad," Ruan Ruan suddenly said in Yue Ran''s mind. "If Master is sad, then Ruan Ruan will be sad too; if Master is hurt, Ruan Ruan will be hurt too."


    Yue Ran''s eye twitched slightly. Her expression nearly ruined her play because of Ruan Ruan''s words for a moment.


    "Be quiet, Ruan Ruan." Yue Ran sighed as she replied to Ruan Ruan in her sea of consciousness. "I am brewing sadness for my acting."


    "Oh."


    Ruan Ruan nodded and let out an elongated "oh" to express his understanding and quickly kept quiet.


    "Okay," Yue Ran inwardly shook her head and replied after a short pause, her head nodding slightly to indicate her acceptance.


    Yue Ran''s voice was so soft that if Ming Ze was not so close to her, he might not be able to hear it at all.


    Fireworks seemed to explode in his mind, and a grin crept up his face. Dazzling and full of beautiful colors, all blending with the sweet taste of love, it was a smile that was so full of happiness that one could see the pink bubbles surrounding his figure. He was just like a little beaming sun, full of warmth and happiness.


    Ming Ze took a look at the man in charge of Xue Lu, and the man quickly pushed Xue Lu towards Ming Chen and Xia Zhan as promised.


    As for Yue Ran¡­


    Ming Ze laughed and said to the two men across him, "Then I will give that woman to you, and I will take the other one away with me!"


    After getting Xue Lu back, Ming Chen lightly signaled one of his men, who followed him, to release the rope from Xue Lu''s hands. This could be considered a buy one, get one free kind of transaction since getting Xue Lu back also meant getting her personal maid, Li Ya, back too.


    After doing so, Ming Chen and Xia Zhan could not help but look at Yue Ran, only to see that she still had a lowered head, but they could feel that she was calm. Very calm. Too calm, in fact. It was as if the person who was in the hands of the head bandit and a person who was going to die soo was not at all herself.


    When Yue Ran raised her head, the two men were startled and stunned.

 Chapter 84 - 84: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (38)

    It was then that the two men¡ªMing Chen and Xia Zhan¡ªcould see that Yue Ran''s eyes were dimmed. The brightness and brilliance in her eyes were lost.


    This reaction made both men panic. Their hearts were clenched painfully. Both felt that they were going to lose something very important. That significant thing was going to be lost forever.


    Everything has advanced to this point. Will Yue Ran ever like themselves again?


    Ming Chen gritted his teeth painfully. His hands were clenched so tightly into fists, and his skin was about to break and blood was about to flow out of his palms. It was indeed painful, but the pain in his heart was much deeper and worse than the pain in his hands.


    His heart was about to tear apart.


    Xia Zhan now fully understands that it was impossible for him to develop a relationship with Yue Ran, whether it was in the past or even in the present.


    It was just that he was not reconciled when things developed to this point.


    It was all because of his stupidity!


    How could he not have realized that he had affection for Yue Ran a long time ago? The reason he kept choosing Xue Lu over Yue Ran in the past was all because of his obsession!


    It was all because of his stupid obsession with Xue Lu!


    Otherwise, how could it be like this now?


    He must have been possessed by a ghost to actually choose Xue Lu at this junction! Just what kind of strange thing was he in contact with so that this could happen?


    Something seemed to be able to control their thoughts and deeds, which was obviously abnormal!


    This was what the two men were thinking in their heads until they heard a familiar voice.


    "Who gave you the courage to touch the noble young lady of my Prime Minister''s Mansion?"


    Yue Yu appeared at this critical moment. He had come to rescue Yue Ran like a hero saving a damsel in distress, like an immortal that came down from the heavens to the mortal world to save his beloved''s life.


    It was just that the female protagonist of this incident, Yue Ran, reacted very flatly. It was as if all her senses had been taken away, leaving only a hollow shell in front of everyone.


    That noble, glamorous, and beautiful face seemed to have lost its soul, taken by a reaper, a soul-sucking monster, and her eyes were dull, gloomy, and lacking light. The beautiful, shining stars in her eyes were gone.


    "Yue Ran!" Yue Yu exclaimed in panic.


    He suddenly had a bad premonition. The feeling of dread exploded in his heart, drowning him. He could only hope that his intuition was wrong.


    He did not want anything to happen to his beloved.


    He never wanted anything bad to happen to Yue Ran!


    However, what happened next left all three male protagonists present staring blankly.


    As if trying to give the girl in his arms more confidence, Ming Ze whispered, "Do not be afraid; I will always be by Ran Ran''s side."


    Yue Ran looked at Yue Yu, seemingly brought back to her senses by Yue Yu shouting her name. However, she only smiled sadly at him.


    "Brother Yu, no one in this world truly likes me at all," Yue Ran said. "I have always been a redundant person."


    "No, no!" Yue Yu''s words seemed to get higher and higher the more he spoke. "How could you be a redundant person? You are not a redundant person at all!" After saying this, his words grew softer as if lacking in power, and his ears unknowingly grew red. "Someone in the world likes you; I... I like you."


    The latter sentence made Ming Chen and Xia Zhan stare at Yue Yu with wide eyes. Both men looked at Yue Yu, the noble and elegant man like a jade figurine, in surprise and disbelief.


    Is this Yue Yu''s confession?


    How could¡­ How could this be? When did it happen?


    How can a big brother like his own little sister?


    What a beast!


    "Sister Ran, no, Ran Ran, you are a very important person to me," Yue Yu stated after braving himself.


    Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Something is resounding loudly in his ears.


    It was his heart.


    "Do not joke with me, Brother Yu," Yue Ran shook her head lightly and said. "I am not your important person; do not lie to me to get my hopes up." She then let out a shaky sigh. "My father only has eyes for you, and my mother only has eyes for Cousin Ning Ying."


    The more she spoke, the harsher and higher her tone was, and the bigger the flame that was burning in her eyes. Her eyes were rimmed red, and she was already a little hysterical at this moment.


    "Sister Ran, I¡ª" Yue Yu started but was immediately cut off by Yue Ran.


    As if Yue Ran would allow Yue Yu to persuade her with his words. All she wanted to do was stimulate these three men before giving them a big dose of medicine to immediately gain a big harvest.


    After all, a farmer would always want to maximize his or her harvest to gain the most profit, and a fisherman would want to catch fresh and big fish for maximum return.


    So how could Yue Ran let Yue Yu ruin her big plan?


    She had so carefully laid out the strategy to lead everything to this point. She was just like a spider, constructing a web into a network of fine threads and waiting for her prey to come to her trap. And when they do get stuck in it, it is time to wrap them up for a big meal.


    "Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, it was obviously I who met you first when I was twelve years old, so why could Xue Lu so easily steal your eyes and heart as soon as she appeared?"


    Ming Chen had a complicated look as he looked at Yue Ran. After hearing her words, his clenched fists tightened, and his skin broke. Blood immediately dripped out of his open wounds, coloring the ground crimson as warm, red fluid dripped out of the gaps in his fingers.


    "And you, Xia Zhan," Yue Ran said as she stared pointedly at Xia Zhan. "I have sincerely regarded you as a close friend who I can confide in, but in your eyes, I am nothing, even lower than the dirt on the ground you were stepping on! In your heart, I will never be better; I will never be as good as Xue Lu!"


    The calm facade on Yue Ran''s face could no longer be found. She had pretended for so long that it made all the four male protagonists present feel distressed for her.


    She was weeping. She was crying so sadly, yet she still had a beautiful smile on her face.


    At this moment, Yue Yu finally knew where his strong, ominous premonition came from.


    His face paled even more because he understood Yue Ran''s intention.


    She had no desire to live anymore!


    "Since no one in this world cares about me, since no one in this world likes me," Yue Ran said. She paused for a beat before continuing, "Why do I still need to live?"


    Yue Ran smiled even brighter and moved back slowly, Ming Ze following her lead.


    Ming Ze did not care that there was a cliff behind them. All he cared about and was focusing on was the beloved girl in his arms.


    So what if Yue Ran were to push him into the cliff alone? He did not mind dying in her hands. That was how crazy he is about Yue Ran.


    Only Yue Ran in this world would make him want to continue to live. To continue to breathe.


    If there was no Yue Ran, what was the point of living at all? S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, Ming Chen''s men, who were trying to ambush the bandits, finally caught an opening and immediately rushed up. The three male protagonists and their men followed.


    There was chaos for a while, and the two parties fought together like this. The four bandits other than the head bandit, with Yue Ran in his arms, were quickly defeated and killed with swords, leaving only Yue Ran and Ming Ze in between the bottomless cliff and the three male protagonists.


    Naturally, no one dared to hurt even a hair on Yue Ran''s body due to their masters'' orders, meaning that no one could also attack the head bandit that had taken Yue Ran as his hostage.


    Everything came to a standstill.


    Seeing this, Yue Ran took another step back.


    "Don''t, don''t do this, Yue Ran!" Yue Yu cried in panic. His face has long been pale because of Yue Ran''s drastic actions.


    He has always hated surprises that go beyond his script.


    He has always hated the chess pieces that did not go as he planned.


    But he could never hate Yue Ran, even if she committed those two crimes that he immensely loathed.


    "How can there really be no one in this world who cares about you?" Yue Yu tried to persuade calmly, but sweat trickled down his forehead, revealing his inner panic and anxiety. "I care! I care because I like you!"


    However, contrary to Yue Yu''s thoughts, Yue Ran suddenly let out a laugh. A mocking one.


    "Heh!" Yue Ran sneered. "If you really care about me, why do you want to put me in such a place to face this embarrassing thing?"

 Chapter 85 - 85: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (39)

    Yue Ran looked at Yue Yu with hatred. "Do you think I do not know that you are the one who made this group of bandits attack my carriage?"


    Yue Ran''s words immediately pierced his heart like an arrow laced with fire, burning him as they stabbed through his chest, locking on his heart.


    "Do you not just want to see me abandoned by His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince?" Asked Yue Ran in a malicious and sarcastic tone. "Do you not just want to see me in such a miserable situation?"


    She naturally knew that Yue Yu was in love with her, especially when his favorability for her was already more than 95. But so what? What does that have to do with her?


    Yue Ran has always acted very professionally, and this was the scene where she had to abuse the main male protagonist thoroughly with hard and piercing words.


    This was the moment where she had to open his heart, knead it, crush it in her hands just like playing dough, and then take his pride down a few pegs until he would have zero to no bottom line for her.


    Moreover, it was always fun to accuse others and put all the crimes on their heads.


    A shower of arrows came firing at him. Yue Yu''s heart burned so painfully and was riddled with holes.


    Yue Yu''s face paled, and he clutched his painful heart with a hand on his chest.


    "No, no, I have never thought of that!" he shouted.


    Yue Yu felt extremely flustered. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How did Yue Ran know that it was all his plan? How did she know that he had designed everything from the very start? Not even His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, was aware of it!


    "You have never thought of it?" Yue Ran laughed, short and sarcastic. "I know that Brother Yu has never liked me before, and even more so now," she said. "How can someone like you ever like me?" She paused before continuing, "Brother Yu, you have been pretending to be so kind and nice in front of me for so long; you must feel very tired and uncomfortable for doing so, right?"


    Yue Ran smiled and suddenly burst into tears.


    "It''s okay," she said softly. Even if the wind was howling, her voice still sounded so pleasant and clear, but the words she was saying were so heart-wrenching to everyone''s ears. "All of you will be free soon."


    After speaking and without waiting for everyone to react, Yue Ran jumped, and Ming Ze, who was still embracing the girl, followed her movements. Both of them leaped from the cliff and into the infinite abyss.


    "Yue Ran!!!"


    The three male protagonists shouted as their eyes widened, and they rushed ahead to try and catch Yue Ran from falling to her doom.


    Yue Yu reacted the fastest, but he only caught the afterimage of Yue Ran''s fluttering red sleeve.


    He stared at the empty hand in a daze.


    "Yue Ran," Yue Yu whispered, then clenched his hand, blue and green veins popping out of the pale skin due to the force. "YUE RAN!!!"


    His shout was so loud that the tree leaves shook and birds soared to the sky, and it echoed down the cliff.


    Time seemed to pass slowly, and it was already night. The sky was a hue between navy and jet-black, and stars studded the sky like a bejeweled blanket. But the most captivating part of all, of course, was the moon. It was full and bright, illuminating the entire ground in an ethereal light.


    However, Yue Yu, who was still kneeling on the ground facing the dark cliff below and the obscure horizon, could not appreciate the beauty of nature at night.


    He did not know when and where Ming Chen and Xia Zhan had gone, and he did not care about them either.


    The only thing that kept repeating in his mind was Yue Ran''s face when she jumped back into the bottomless abyss.


    It was a face so full of despair that Yue Yu felt breathless just thinking about it.


    Yue Yu did not know when it started to rain.


    He heard a rumble in the distance. And before he knew it, he felt cold droplets of water on his face and eyelashes. He did not attempt to shield himself and only looked up at the night sky full of dark clouds.


    The blood had long drained from his face, and he nearly fell sideways from kneeling.


    He needed to find Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran must be waiting for him below, injured and alone.


    And if not, then he would find her corpse. Most definitely.


    Yue Yu''s rationality occupies the high ground at this moment, but every cell in the body is restless, sad, and collapsing. It was so painful and nauseous, and a sense of despair permeated his whole body. Dizziness. Fatigue. Fever. And pain.


    There were several moments when he also wanted to jump down, but then, thinking of his unfinished business and his revenge for Yue Ran''s injustice, Yue Yu''s eyes, which were previously full of sorrow, changed into ones of madness.


    Therefore, he stood up with shaking legs.


    Yue Yu''s leg muscles felt numb, and every step felt like ants were biting and squirming in his legs. But he did not stop until he saw a white handkerchief on the ground, wet with mud.


    It was lying in the position where he was previously kneeling.


    Yue Yu was about to turn away with a shaky sigh when a sudden streak of white lacerated the darkness of the night before the clamorous crackle of thunder tore violently through the pouring rain.


    It was a heavy downpour, cascading down as if it were a waterfall as it viciously pelted everything on the ground.


    Yue Yu instinctively placed a hand on his chest, his heart racing unsteadily.


    He saw it¡ªthe pattern on the handkerchief.


    There was a familiar red embroidery on the handkerchief.


    A memory, a series of images, and unforgettable feelings flashed through his mind as if the incident had only occurred yesterday.


    It was the time when he went into, or rather, barged into, Yue Ran''s boudoir while she was just learning embroidery and practicing it on a white handkerchief.


    Her eyes back then, when she spotted him staring at her while leaning against the wall across her with folded hands, looked dazed, like a startled kitten. So cute.


    They had a short conversation, and then he got angry.


    A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes as he wrapped his fingers around Yue Ran''s delicate, jade-white neck. He lightly pulled her up, and Yue Ran followed his movements by standing up from the bed.


    As long as Yue Yu presses harder and twists it, Yue Ran will disappear, leaving no one left to scorn him.


    Just a dull crack and she was no more.


    He had the urge to kill her back then, to nip his weakness in the bud.


    However, there was an unfathomable sense of leisure in Yue Ran''s expression that made Yue Yu''s teeth itch. In the end, he still chose not to take any action.


    It was definitely not a good thing that Yue Ran could so easily affect his mood with her every move.


    As smart as he is, how could he not have realized that he may have fallen in love with his nominal sister? But the existence of Yue Ran is too important, and he wants to use her to lower the vigilance of the now ignorant crown prince.


    How could he ruin his grand plan just for his own selfish desires?


    What''s more, Prime Minister Yue is now currently assisting him with his affairs, so he can''t kill the prime minister''s daughter over a trivial matter.


    Hence, he decided to forget it. He would just bear her temper rather than face the troublesome consequences of her sudden death.


    Yue Yu didn''t believe that he would not be able to control his own heart.


    But how wrong he was now!


    How would he know that the word "love" is the most uncontrollable and unpredictable thing?


    After all, love recognizes no barriers; it knows not its own depth¡ªas deep as the abyss or as shallow as a puddle¡ªuntil the hour of separation; it is invisible yet so clear.


    Yue Ran took a step back and fell.


    She had accidentally hit her foot against the corner of the bed and tripped because of that.


    Her black hair swayed, and her body suddenly lurched back.


    With fast reflexes, Yue Yu immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, but instead of pulling her up, they both fell on Yue Ran''s bed. The handkerchief, with incomplete embroidery, was spread out and now lay uncovered by Yue Ran''s head.


    Blooming red peonies.


    Yue Yu was now on top of Yue Ran. On the bed.


    Yue Ran looked up at Yue Yu in fright, and her bright eyes seemed dazzling. Her soft black hair was scattered all around the white fabric underneath, and her skin was so white that it seemed to glow like the moon outside the open window.


    An intoxicatingly sweet fragrance flushed his cheeks. It was not certain whether it was from the scent of the bed or Yue Ran herself.


    "T-too close," Yue Yu heard Yue Ran murmur as he placed a hand on his chest to push him away.


    Yue Yu felt his heart stop for a bit at the image of Yue Ran getting flustered.


    It was then that he realized that she could get shy too.

 Chapter 86 - 86: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (40)

    Yue Yu''s faint breaths were loud against the silence, and black eyes as deep as the abyss were fixated on the girl under him.


    "Brother Yu, get off." She seemed to cry out unconsciously, and her voice was reproaching. "You''re very heavy."


    Then there was a pause.


    She had used such a coquettish voice that he had never heard of it.


    "Right," he replied after a long pause.


    He rushed to get off of her and almost fell off the bed. He then covered up his reddening face with a cough.


    Another deafening crackle thundered loudly, bringing Yue Yu back to reality.


    He ignored the biting cold that seemed to seep into his bones and suppressed the discomfort in his body as he forced himself to walk back to his position.


    Every step seemed to exhaust all his energy.


    He was tired, dizzy, and nauseous, but he did not forget to take Yue Ran''s handkerchief from the muddy ground and carefully inspect it when his surroundings suddenly brightened up under the light of the thunder.


    Yue Yu''s face appeared a little sinister because of the light.


    The conspicuous red embroidery could be seen clearly in a flash.


    Blooming red peonies.


    Boom!


    There was another thunderclap.


    Yue Yu carefully wrung the handkerchief dry from the rain, squeezing out both dirt and water from the damp and dirty white cloth. After doing so, he cautiously kept the handkerchief inside his clothes, making sure that it would not fall out of his body.


    His series of meticulous actions looked like he was handling some kind of precious treasure.


    At least, it was so to him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    A few hours ago, in a certain remote village far away from the capital¡­


    "How is it?" Asked Yue Ran as she let out a laugh. "My acting is not bad, right?"


    At this time, Yue Ran does not look like a soulless porcelain doll anymore. Her eyes were bright and radiant as she flashed a childlike smile toward Ming Ze. It was as if she had completed a great prank and succeeded in fleeing without getting punished.


    Yue Ran literally glowed with that smile and that natural lightness in every movement.


    Ming Ze, who saw it, could not help but beam with joy.


    "It really is not bad," Ming Ze said while clapping his hands together. "Our Ran Ran is naturally great and will always be the best!"


    Yue Ran, who was being cheered at, raised her chin and smiled brightly.


    "That is natural," she said.


    After a short while of celebrating, Ming Ze suddenly turned serious.


    "Ran Ran, what are you going to do in the future?" he asked. "Are you going to stay in this remote village all the time?"


    A week before jumping off the cliff, Yue Ran and Ming Ze had a serious discussion with one another to go over their agreed-upon plan.


    The house in front of the two was purchased with Yue Ran''s private money, and Ming Ze was responsible for renovating and decorating the inside of the yard.


    So when they had planned to jump off the cliff regardless, Ming Ze had already prepared everything so that they would not be hurt.


    Yue Yu had always thought that he was the real mastermind behind the scenes, controlling the fleeing direction of the bandits and putting Ming Ze and Xia Zhan on edge to allow Yue Ran to clearly see the two men''s faces, but he never knew that there were others behind him.


    This conforms to the idiom: the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.


    The cicada is Xue Lu, the mantis is Ming Chen, and the oriole is Yue Yu.


    Ming Chen made a plan to get Xue Lu''s affection, while Yue Yu controlled the scene and ended up being the one who benefited from it all.


    However, the oriole neglected the presence of the silent and cunning giant snake behind it. This giant snake is, naturally, Yue Ran, a predator who waits patiently to harvest the greatest prey with the highest nutrition content.


    "Who knows?" Yue Ran asked with a shrug. "I will just take each step slowly."


    First of all, Yue Ran only planned to take a short rest and live her life freely to get out of the plot for a while. She will naturally appear later, but before that, she will have to increase Ming Ze''s favorability for her first. It was better to make it full.


    The original body''s role in the plot has not yet ended, and Yue Ran has already pushed the waves and acted as a driving force to advance the plot.


    If her guess was right, then she would be able to compact the years of the time of the plot into a few short months, and hence her task would be done very quickly.


    Yes, in this world, Yue Ran was supposed to stay for a long time, but she had no patience to do so. Therefore, she had created this opportunity so that she could immediately go to the next world after this one was completed.


    Yue Ran would only appear when the situation had somewhat stabilized.


    "But how about you, A Ze?" Asked Yue Ran.


    Ming Ze smiled at Yue Ran''s question, giving the girl a look that said, "Do you still need to ask about this? Are my actions already not obvious enough?"


    "Naturally, I will go wherever Ran Ran wants to go," Ming Ze said.


    Whether it was going to hell or to his demise.


    All as long as his Ran Ran was happy.


    After all, he fell in love with her at first sight, so he would happily sink with her during the hard times or happily be with her during the happy times.


    He would stick by her side until the end of the world.


    Not even death could keep them apart because he would find her even in hell or heaven.


    ¡­


    The Yue Mansion


    Today''s Prime Minister''s Mansion is completely silent, with white silks hanging all over the mansion, fluttering from the blowing wind.


    Apart from Yue Yu''s pain and sadness, Prime Minister Yue and his wife, Yue Ran''s father and mother, do not show much sadness, or rather, they do not show any sadness at all. It was as if they were attending a stranger''s funeral.


    Yue Ran''s body was not found, which left Yue Yu in a daze and with a little bit of hope.


    As long as he did not see Yue Ran''s body, does that mean that there was a chance that Yue Ran could survive such a fall?


    Yue Yu was not sure, but he hoped that it was so.


    The end of the funeral reception can be regarded as a joy for both the people in the Yue Mansion and the guests invited.


    Ning Ying, Yue Ran''s cousin, has always been "comforting" Mother Yue, who does not look sad for the death of her only daughter, throughout the funeral reception. While Prime Minister Yue only had his own grand cause in mind, how could he put much thought into his own daughter''s death? It was just an insignificant thing.


    Such a scene made Yue Yu feel more stuffy and uncomfortable. There seemed to be bags of cotton stuffed into his chest so that he could hardly breathe.


    It turned out that everything Yue Ran said was true. She grew up with neither her father''s nor her mother''s love, which made her easily decide to leave this world without any hesitation!


    The more he thought about it, the more pain he felt in his heart.


    Yue Ran''s bones and body had not been found yet, and no one even knew if her body had been eaten by wild beasts at the bottom of the cliff. Yet everyone does not seem to care about it. They looked as if they were spending any other normal day where everything went as usual.


    Yue Yu stared coldly at the smiling people around him. Even the polite arc of his mouth had disappeared. His heart was pounding hard and fast, and blood surged to the top of his head, rushing to his throat.


    Yue Yu gritted his teeth, clenched his hands into fists, and tightened his lips. A trace of blood almost flowed out from the corner of his mouth until he pressed his lips together firmly, suppressing the pain in his heart and the urge to throw up a mouthful of blood.


    He lowered his head and closed his now-bloodshot eyes. He tried his best to calm all the emotions in his heart, suppressing the sadness and pain that were greater than death inside him.


    Those who made Yue Ran sad and suffer during this lifetime deserve to die. He has not yet taken his revenge on those people, so he still needs to endure it for some more time.


    Everyone. Everyone present is responsible for Yue Ran''s suffering and death! It was they who made Yue Ran live as a joke¡ªto live as everyone''s object of ridicule since she was a child!


    It was they who made Yue Ran live in pain since she was a child!


    Ming Chen and Xia Zhan are too! Both should be damned!


    All these people''s lives should be buried to appease Yue Ran!


    That was right. Since he was suffering, since he was unhappy, then everyone should not be happy. Everyone has to suffer along with him. Everyone must taste what it feels like to be him!


    Not one person in the world can be happy as long as he is not happy!

 Chapter 87 - 87: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (41)

    With this thought, Yue Yu once again drew a smile on his face and began to entertain the guests who came and went about in the Prime Minister''s Mansion.


    He may look calm on the outside, but there was a fierce and violent tempest hidden in his heart.


    Only by continuing with the plan could he overthrow the Ming imperial family and become the emperor himself. When he had reached the highest position of power, he would be able to send all those who made Yue Ran suffer to the execution ground and into hell. Or it would be better to torture all of them together.


    However, Yue Yu did not know that Ning Ying had actually seen his indifferent and unfathomable look from a distance.


    She was startled, and her heart beat fast.


    It turned out that Yue Yu was not as gentle and kind as he had first appeared. So was he always acting all the time? Was all his kindness and elegance an illusion, a mask to hide from others?


    Ning Ying bit her lower lip slightly.


    If she were to threaten Yue Yu with her discovery, would he agree to marry her by then?


    She tightened her hands into fists.


    If it were not a last resort, she also does not want to act like this. No matter what, she also likes Yue Yu a little bit. But once she decides to threaten him, will he still be able to grow fond of her in the future? This was an unlikely case, but this was also one of the only ways that she could think of to be able to marry him.


    Marrying Yue Yu was the only way for her to enter a good and prominent family!


    It seemed that she still had to go to her aunt and give her a hint to let Mother Yue propose a marriage for her and Yue Yu. At that time, Yue Yu would not dislike her, for it was her aunt''s idea and not hers.


    When they get married, they will live with one another and get to know each other more. There must be love between them, which is simply wonderful!


    Ning Ying secretly looked at Yue Yu''s handsome appearance and elegant demeanor, like a tall and straight jade. Just thinking about the future made her extremely happy.


    However, she did not know that Yue Yu had caught the glint of greed and ambition in her eyes that made him feel nauseated. He only looked away in disgust to keep himself from expressing his loathing outwardly. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    A few months went by quickly, and Yue Yu rose in rebellion against the imperial family.


    Although there was no longer Yue Ran in his plan, this process still went very quickly, and Yue Yu was almost met with no resistance from the opposing side.


    The death of Yue Ran seemed to have made a considerable impact on His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Ming Chen, making him indifferent to political affairs in the court. He was silent and dull all day and night, like a walking corpse.


    As for Xia Zhan, a general, he had been hiding in his mansion all day long and never went outside. Therefore, his military power was easily taken away and replaced by his subordinates. He had now become an idle, rich man.


    When Yue Yu got the news that the two men were decadent and depressed, he only let out a sarcastic sneer, mocking them in his heart.


    Heh, when Yue Ran was there, they did not cherish it, but now that Yue Ran is gone, who are they planning to show this kind of appearance to?


    As for Ming Ze, he was still missing, and no news about him could be found.


    Before everyone could react in time, Yue Yu had already taken the world into his hands.


    The dragon throne was his, and the emperor''s position was also his.


    "Ming Chen, Ming Chen, you never thought that you would become a prisoner one day, right?"


    Yue Yu, no, I mean, His Majesty the Emperor, who had officially changed his name back to Rong Yu, his original name, had said out loud.


    He was wearing a dragon robe made out of golden threads and majestic dragon embroidery that made him look even more noble.


    Even though his words mocked the man kneeling on the ground, Rong Yu still looked dignified and elegant, like an immortal that was not stained with the mortal dust in the world. He sat on the dragon throne expressionlessly, watching as Ming Chen was being pressed down by the royal guards under the steps.


    "Yue Yu, you are actually a remnant prince of the previous dynasty?" Ming Chen asked. His face showed obvious disbelief.


    This Yue Yu was so powerful that he actually took control of the entire court before he could even react in time.


    How could Ming Chen know that the power in Yue Yu''s hands was the product of the help given by the prime minister for more than ten years? The imperial family of the Ming dynasty was already unstable in the first place, so it was not wrong for him to strike and take back his place to make the world a better place, right?


    "The remnant prince of the previous dynasty?" asked Rong Yu with a smile. "This world should belong to me in the first place, and your Ming family are the doves who have forcibly occupied the magpie''s nest for years."


    Rong Yu''s eyes were dark and turbulent, like a dark pool whose depth no one knew.


    "So?" Ming Chen asked back. "You must feel very proud now, right?"


    Even if Ming Chen was pressed hard to kneel on the ground, his body still exuded a sense of nobility around him. He had knelt with his back straight, and his unwavering eyes were staring at Rong Yu.


    Ming Chen was, after all, the crown prince who had been taught and pampered for more than ten years; naturally, he would also learn to have an aura only assessed by that of the imperial family members.


    "Proud?" Rong Yu repeated Ming Chen''s words with a sneer. "I have indeed gotten the world into my hands, but the person I love died for you, so what am I supposed to be proud of?"


    Rong Yu quickly stood from the dragon throne and went down the steps.


    He stood in front of Ming Chen, lifted Ming Chen''s chin with the folding fan in his hand, and said, "Do not worry; I will not let any one of you people who had harmed Yue Ran die so easily!" He paused before adding, with a calmer tone, "I will make sure to make you people live a life worse than death."


    Rong Yu straightened his back and threw the fan aside, pointing to a eunuch and saying, "Burn it."


    The eunuch that was pointed quickly took the fan on the ground and quickly got out of the throne room to do as His Majesty has ordered.


    Rong Yu took a glance at the unkempt Ming Chen, then turned his back to walk back to this dragon''s throne.


    "Put him back into the prison," he instructed the guards.


    "Yes," they replied.


    Ming Chen wanted to say something when he heard Yue Ran''s name, but the well-trained guards directly blocked the man''s mouth with a dirty white cloth and pulled him down to throw him back into the prison very quickly.


    ¡­


    The sun starts to sink in a glorious blaze of color across the sky.


    Speckles of orange and red caught Rong Yu''s attention from his peripherals, and he tilted his head slightly to catch sight of the setting sun from the window of his study.


    "Your Majesty, it is getting late and the sky is getting darker," the head eunuch said. "Does Your Majesty plan to rest now?"


    This eunuch had been in the position of head eunuch for several emperors, living through the change of dynasties over and over again. The reason he could live for so long was because he was smart enough to easily advance and retreat in time and was, therefore, able to impress and satisfy the new generation of emperors.


    As he got older, his voice of persuasion became hoarse.


    "No need," Rong Yu simply replied and continued to read the memorials written by the ministers in the court. "Everyone can retreat first."


    All the servants left the room at his words.


    Rong Yu looked down at the notes passed down by the ministers below that tried to persuade him not to execute Ming Chen by beheading him.


    It was written that he is the new emperor who has just ascended to the dragon throne. He should be tolerant of this kind of mistake and pardon the capital crimes of the Ming family. As long as he demotes them to commoners and the Ming family''s descendants are not allowed to be officials all their lives, this kind of punishment is severe enough.


    But for Rong Yu, who had suffered for so long and lost his beloved forever, how could this kind of punishment be enough to quell the hate and anger in his heart?


    Well, it does not matter what others say. Rong Yu has already figured out a way to never let these people who have harmed Yue Ran be easily let go.


    "Come in," he said out loud.


    At his command, the head eunuch entered the emperor''s study and bowed to Rong Yu, ready to listen to any of the man''s commands.

 Chapter 88 - 88: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (42)

    "Hear my decree, and let it be known that a banquet will be held in the palace to celebrate my ascension to the throne," Rong Yu said.


    "At your command, Your Majesty," the head eunuch bowed again and retreated.


    The head eunuch let out a sigh of relief when he was told to retreat. His old bones could not hold any longer due to the long work hours.


    For this palace banquet, Rong Yu wanted to make Ming Chen truly realize that all the ministers would surrender to him.


    But what he did not know was that this palace banquet was the time for Yue Ran to show up. After all, how could she miss such an important event?


    ¡­


    The next morning, in a remote village...


    "Ran Ran, there is something I want to show you," Ming Ze said as he led Yue Ran to the seat in front of the stage.


    "Oh?" Yue Ran raised a brow.


    It most likely was a theatrical stage where actors told a story to the audience¡ªMing Ze and Yue Ran¡ªwith actions, singing, and melody.


    "When did you prepare all this?" she asked.


    "Just a few days," Ming Ze said while smiling. "Since there is no entertainment in this kind of remote village that has so few people, I do not want you to feel bored, so I prepared this."


    "Hm, I see," Yue Ran said, nodding. She then turned her head to face Ming Ze, who was sitting beside her. "Our family A Ze is so good." She patted the man''s head.


    She did not mind praising such a pleasing and obedient guy.


    Ming Ze: !


    Yue Ran''s words caught the man off guard, and he only stared stupidly at the girl who was looking at him.


    He is so happy! Does this mean that he is now taking a step closer to Yue Ran? He hoped so!


    "Ran Ran, I am so happy!"


    Ming Ze smiled goofily.


    From Yue Ran''s point of view, the man looked like a stupid but cute little puppy with its tongue out and its tail shaking from side to side with excitement.


    Although Ming Ze said that he needed a few days to prepare, it must take a longer time to actually be able to hide this surprise from her.


    "Although this may not be as good as watching it in the tea house in the capital, I still want to show this to you," Ming Ze said.


    "What is the story about?" asked Yue Ran.


    "Wait a minute," Ming Ze suddenly said, and her eyes went dark.


    Ming Ze had gently covered Yue Ran''s eyes with his hand.


    Yue Ran did not know why, but she indulged in his actions and did not reject him, which made Ming Ze feel even happier. She did not reach out to pull down his hands.


    After a while, Yue Ran heard rustling noises and the sound of footsteps. Finally, she heard Ming Ze say, "Okay."


    After saying those words, she suddenly saw the light again.


    Yue Ran looked at the man beside her with puzzlement. She did not see change anywhere, but the most likely possibility was that the actors performing were hiding behind the curtains on the stage.


    Facing Yue Ran''s raised eyebrow, Ming Ze only said, "Just watch, Ran Ran."


    After saying this, Ming Ze turned his head back to the stage and clapped his hands a few times.


    Suddenly, bursts of white mist rose from the well-built stage. When the fog cleared, the curtains were drawn. Silk strings and flutes of bamboo sounded with the actors that stepped on stage.


    Clouds and mist were hazy, mountains and rivers went around, and the immortal who lives in the nine heavens fell in love with a beautiful little lady in the mortal world at first sight. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In order to win the love of the little lady, the immortal turned himself into a mortal man, a scholar, and launched a passionate pursuit of the little lady.


    However, the little lady is passionate but ruthless; she was hot and cold when facing the immortal. But the immortal did not care about it at all. He just devoted himself to protecting the little lady, even after knowing that she was in love with another man. He made sure to stay behind her at all times and became the little lady''s biggest backer.


    The immortal is handsome and majestic, and he has saved the little lady from fire and water many times. Finally, one day, when the hard-hearted lady was betrayed by the man she loved, the immortal swept in and saved her once more. The little lady was moved, and they became a loving couple.


    But it was a pity that the good times did not last long. When the other gods learned of the news that the immortal''s heart had been moved, they finally took action.


    It is a very serious crime for an immortal to fall in love with a mortal, and even more so when an immortal marries a mortal. Other immortals persuaded the immortal to give up the little lady of the mortal world, but the immoral was unwilling.


    His love for the little lady was bigger than the rivers and lakes, the mountains, and the seas, so how could he give the little lady up?


    This resulted in a fight between the immortal and the other immortals of the nine heavens.


    In the end, the immortal''s soul was broken into pieces, and the immortal''s immortal bone was removed. The immortal high above finally completely fell into the mortal world, but he was not sad because he could finally live together with the little lady.


    The plot of this drama was nice to watch, although some of the parts coincided with her and Ming Ze''s experiences. This must have been deliberately done by Ming Ze, not that Yue Ran minded. This play was indeed entertaining.


    At the end of the song and act, Ming Ze turned his head toward Yue Ran. His eyes were deep and bright as he faced the girl.


    "Do you like it?" he asked. There was anticipation and excitement in his voice.


    Seeing that he had done a good job today, Yue Ran smiled and said, "It is very good; I like it a lot." She looked at Ming Ze; her eyes were soft, like gentle waves under her black eyelashes. She said, "Ming Ze, I like you the most!"


    Ming Ze was stunned. His smile had not even bloomed yet, but he suddenly froze. This was because Yue Ran suddenly came up to him and quickly placed a kiss on his lips.


    Although there was only a short and lingering peck that lasted for three seconds, Ming Ze felt that time seemed to have stopped. The girl''s clean, fresh, and faintly sweet fragrance permeated his nose, and her soft hair swept across his shoulders before falling like a waterfall when she left his lips.


    The moment Yue Ran''s soft lips approached, Ming Ze felt that his heart was going to explode.


    Her short kiss was akin to a low-flying dragonfly that stayed on the water for a moment, then left quickly, leaving behind a circle of floating ripples.


    Ming Ze''s favorability value increased by two points, reaching a score of 99. Just one more point away from a full one hundred.


    Yue Ran gently evoked a silent smile when her eyes were lowered.


    Ming Ze''s body reacted almost instantly when he was kissed by his beloved. Fortunately, it was covered by the open fan he was holding and the change in his sitting position, so he would not look too embarrassed.


    The man''s throat tightened, his voice was dry, and he seemed a little unbelievable and a little at a loss. This was actually the first time that Yue Ran had voluntarily initiated a kiss, an intimate kind of act.


    "Ran Ran, you¡­"


    Yue Ran raised her chin haughtily; her voice sounded a little aggrieved and angry as she said, "Why are you just staring at me? Can I not kiss you when I want to? You can kiss me, but I cannot do the same? Do you mean that you have changed your mind and do not really like me anymore? Then I will leave for you to see, hmph!"


    Seeing that the girl was really going to leave, Ming Ze took a deep breath and quickly grabbed her wrist. He said in almost a helpless tone, "Ran Ran, it is dangerous outside if you go alone. You know that I have always liked you for so long, so how could I not like your kiss?"


    Yue Ran looked at the man and pursed her lips. She asked, "Where is the danger?" a little unhappily. She folded her hands as she stared at Ming Ze challengingly.


    Ming Ze looked at the beautiful girl deeply with his deep and dark eyes; his aura seemed to grow deeper with more hidden danger. He leaned his body to get closer to Yue Ran, and an inexplicable sense of oppression enveloped the girl. But Ming Ze''s body was still getting closer and closer.


    Yue Ran grabbed the sleeves of her dress, a little nervous and at a loss as she stared at the man without blinking. After all, the original body was only a novice in terms of love. She had zero experience with this kind of thing.


    The closest she had been to a man was her first kiss with Ming Ze on the cliff up above the mountain where she had jumped off with him.

 Chapter 89 - 89: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (43)

    "You will make me..." Ming Ze paused in his words when he was about to kiss Yue Ran; his voice sounded restrained and deep. "You will make me cannot help but want to do something excessive."


    "You¡­" Yue Ran spoke before her voice trailed off. Her pupils shrank slightly as she stared at the man in front of her. After a while of silence, she suddenly stared at him angrily and said, "Do you want to hit me?"


    Ming Ze: ¡­


    The two looked at one another for a moment before Ming Ze sighed helplessly.


    "I¡­ have really overestimated you," he said with a low sigh.


    "What do you mean?" she asked angrily, slapping her hand on the man''s shoulder to show her dissatisfaction.


    The slap was neither hard nor strong. For Ming Ze, it was as if a cute little kitten was swinging a paw and slapping that paw clumsily at him.


    It was so cute and not dangerous at all.


    Ming Ze even wanted to grab those beautiful paws to kiss them.


    "Ran Ran is so beautiful when Ran Ran is angry," he said with a look as dreamy as his voice.


    Yue Ran: ¡­


    It was over; she could not even vent her anger anymore.


    ¡­


    A month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for the imperial palace to celebrate the new emperor''s ascension to the throne.


    It was said that His Majesty wanted to celebrate with the people, and thus, on this day, all the court officials gathered together in the banquet hall, bringing their sons, wives, and daughters.


    The feast soon began, followed by the sound of music and dancers dancing in the open space.


    Rong Yu naturally sat on the dragon throne while looking down at the people below him. His harem was still empty, and there was no concubine to serve him.


    The court officials have asked him to hold a draft, a procedure whereby noble young ladies were made available for selection to be included in the emperor''s harem.


    But Rong Yu declined. He had no need for any kind of beauty, nor did he want it. There was no need to waste time on something like that when he already had the world in his hands.


    Moreover, Yue Ran will be mad when she hears him taking in concubines, right? After all, Yue Ran had always wanted the best of the best.


    Rong Yu lowered his eyes to cover the gloom and ice in them.


    He was already so high above, and he initially should have been matched with Yue Ran so that he could protect her under his wings. But how she was gone, or rather, that her body was not yet found, and yet everyone around him, both men and women, looked so happy.


    Does no one remember the bright and flamboyant girl in his heart?


    "Heh," Rong Yu laughed at himself deprecatingly and took a sip of bitter tea.


    There were some pastries, fruits, and nuts on the table. The palace maids who served the meals were quickly and quietly entering and leaving the hall with trays of food boxes, constantly adding various delicacies to everyone''s tables.


    Seeing all kinds of delicious sweet pastries that were obviously freshly baked from the imperial kitchen, Rong Yu could not help but think that Yue Ran would love to eat them when she saw them.


    ¡­


    In an empty room close to the banquet hall, Yue Ran was eating those freshly baked pastries that Rong Yu thought she would like. Naturally, these pastries were stolen by the stealthy Ming Ze from the imperial kitchen.


    Yue Ran put a piece of small pastry in her mouth and chewed it a couple of times. But when she raised her eyes, by chance, she met Ming Ze''s eyes, which were looking fixedly at her.


    She saw that the man was smiling foolishly at her, like a big, happy, and foolish dog.


    "What are you looking at?" Yue Ran asked with a glare. "Are you not going to eat yours?" She raised her chin to point at the untouched pastries in front of the man. "If you are not going to eat yours, then I am going to eat them myself."


    "Okay," Ming Ze quickly replied and pushed the sweet-smelling dishes to Yue Ran.


    He only thought that Yue Ran was beautiful, delicate, and cute, no matter how he looked at her. Then he once again showed the girl another foolish smile.


    Yue Ran only stared at the food in front of her for a while before deciding to return Ming Ze''s food.


    It was not that she did not want to eat those delicious pastries that taste as good as they look, but that eating too much would make her gain weight, which was not okay, and would not be helpful to the incoming plan that she had prepared, which was also not okay.


    "On second thought, I do not want them anymore; you can eat them yourself," Yue Ran pursed her lips and said. "A Ze, do not starve yourself or you will get sick."


    Ming Ze was incomparably moved, which made Yue Ran roll her eyes.


    "Ran Ran is the best," he said, swallowing a piece of pastry with an expression full of cherishment on his face.


    This was what Ran Ran gave him. He should treasure their flavor and not eat them too fast, or else it would be a waste.


    By the time Yue Ran finished her food, Ming Ze had only finished one quarter of it.


    Yue Ran raised a brow when she saw it.


    "I did not know that you ate this slowly before," she said.


    "This is what Ran Ran gave me; of course I have to eat them slowly," he replied in a righteous tone.


    "But this is just too slow of a speed," Yue Ran sighed.


    Whatever, it was all up to him.


    Why does she always find herself losing in front of this foolish man? What a crisis!


    Ming Ze: Ran Ran is the best!


    Yue Ran: What a fool.


    ¡­


    The dancers followed the soft music with graceful movements.


    The male and female guests of the banquet were all relaxing while talking and drinking with one another.


    The dance in the hall soon came to an end, and the music officer stopped playing music. A group of dancers saluted the emperor sitting high up on the dragon throne and filed out silently to the exit of the hall.


    At this time, Xia Zhan stood up with his cup of wine and raised his cup in the direction of the dragon chair with the utmost politeness and respect.


    "This humble minister wishes that Your Majesty, the Emperor, lives for ten thousand years," Xia Zhan said.


    Rong Yu narrowed his eyes and accepted it. He raised his cup from a distance and drank the tea in the wine cup.


    Yes, Rong Yu has faked his jar of wine, replacing the wine inside with tea.


    Xia Zhan does not look very good in appearance now unlike that of the past, but as compared to the last time Rong Yu saw him, Rong Yu could say that Xia Zhan obviously looked much more neat and less depressed. But there was still gloom resting in between his brows.


    "This humble minister wanted to present a gift for Your Majesty," Xia Zhan continued.


    "Oh, a gift?" Rong Yu raised a brow. He had never put his full trust in anyone and always kept his vigilance, even in front of Xia Zhan, whom he had already considered a beaten dog and a loser.


    "I have found a beauty to perform a special dance for Your Majesty, the Emperor," Xia Zhan said.


    Rong Yu sneered in his heart when he heard this.


    He did not know what Xia Zhan had planned to do, but he would allow this man to jump in front of him for a while. He wanted to see what kind of game Xia Zhan was playing right now.


    "Okay," Rong Yu said. "Then bring the beauty out."


    The emperor''s golden words have been spoken, so under everyone''s eyes, the dancer slowly entered the hall.


    The night was deep, and because of the many lanterns inside, the hall still shone with the brightness of day.


    It was a plain-clothed beauty with a face covered with a white gauze veil, the same color as her clothes, that revealed a pair of charming phoenix eyes that seemed to hook anyone who saw it. The blooming red peony flower that was drawn between her eyebrows made her plain beauty look more vivid. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail with a white ribbon, making her look more heroic.


    The moment the dancer entered the hall, almost everyone''s eyes were fixed on her more or less for a moment, and there was even a faint sound of breathing.


    Rong Yu paused for a moment when he looked at the dancer. The hand holding the wine cup trembled, and his heart was pounding.


    There was something familiar about the dancer in front of him, but he did not know what it was.


    Just as everyone was thinking that the dancer would go straight to the open space where she was supposed to dance, the dancer actually went to Xia Zhan''s position.


    Under everyone''s surprised eyes, the dancer got close to Xia Zhan and pulled out a silver blade from its sheath.


    Swish¡ª


    A cold light glistened splendidly on the blade.


    It was Xia Zhan''s sword¡ªGeneral Xia''s sword.


    The dancer chose a sword dance.

 Chapter 90 - 90: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (44)

    Under everyone''s panicked eyes and the palace guards'' vigilance, the emperor raised a hand to calm everyone down.


    Rong Yu did not sense any kind of malice from Xia Zhan or the dancer. At least Rong Yu knew that Xia Zhan was not so stupid as to assassinate him in the public eye. So this meant that it must be something else. As for what it is, he will need to see it to know.


    Moreover, his heart was beating so fast when the dancer stepped into the banquet hall in graceful steps.


    A guess had already formed in his mind, but he was afraid to find out the answer. What if it was not what he guessed? To say that it would be a disappointment would be an understatement of his feelings.


    Rong Yu subconsciously touched his chest, where a white handkerchief embroidered with blooming red peonies was kept inside his clothes.


    It has been so long since he has seen that person. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He really missed her.


    Rong Yu missed Yue Ran.


    A lot.


    For a moment, everyone in the banquet hall was in a trance. The audience, who were in a daze, watched as the dancer stood in the position in the middle of the open space and saluted the emperor perfunctorily, then stood up naturally without waiting for the emperor to speak.


    So bold yet so natural.


    Every move and even the beauty''s light blinking reminded Rong Yu of Yue Ran.


    Seeing as how the emperor did not blink or speak, everyone in the hall shut up wisely. Their IQs are currently online.


    Emotions began to surge quietly again, and Rong Yu''s breathing quickened. His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest.


    Yue Ran, Yue Ran, Yue Ran...


    The name "Yue Ran" kept repeating in his mind like some sort of evil mantra that would lure a cold and clean immortal into the way of evil.


    The ready-made musicians in the palace were already in place, and the guests sitting on their seats also put down their chopsticks and wine cups one after another.


    Although they were indeed interested in the beauty that Xia Zhan had recommended to the emperor, they were not "that" interested. However, seeing how it could attract such a serious and calm emperor, they, of course, had to be interested and look invested in the beauty as well. More of the reason was to give the emperor face.


    The music started.


    The sonorous zither sound is accompanied by the tight rhythm of the drums, deducing the atmosphere of fighting on the battlefield with golden and iron horses. The swords in the dancer''s hands swung out in an arc, like an arc of a rainbow, like lightning bolts drawing out a dazzling white light.


    The bright palace lanterns swayed in the wind, blurring the desolate moonlight outside.


    The dancer''s movements were lithe, like a graceful dragon in flight.


    A dance is an art, and even more so for a sword dance.


    When performing an ancient dance of war, one must understand every movement and every detail in this dance, including all the expressions and gestures that must be displayed through the eyes.


    One must also understand the most basic breathing and posture of martial arts practitioners. As well as the way of holding the sword, the way of exerting force, and so on.


    Therefore, everyone could see that the dancer''s moves were calm and powerful, her limbs stretched beautifully and smoothly, and her sword dancing posture was graceful like a water dragon swimming in the deep sea. Overall, the dance is excellent and spellbinding.


    Everyone was eventually invested in the dance; their eyes were involuntarily attracted to the dancer. And the gazes that were originally bored at first now shone with interest.


    Following the song, the dancer turned around without stopping, raising her arms to stably draw the sword and at the same time making a beautiful back kick.


    At the climax of the song, everyone saw how the dancer was dancing faster and faster and getting closer and closer to the emperor''s position. But the bewitched audience could only sigh at the beautiful moves and did not take precautions against a beauty as radiant and ethereal as the bright moon.


    Suddenly, the crowd only saw her fold her sleeves before the blade''s silvery light streaked through the air and settled its sharp tip on the emperor''s neck.


    As long as it was pushed a little deeper, three feet of blood would splatter from Rong Yu.


    Will the world collapse if she slaughters the male lead?


    Her excitement heightened the more she thought about it until...


    "Master, Master, do not do it!" Ruan Ruan suddenly screamed in Yue Ran''s mind. "The Lord God will punish the Master if the Master kills the male protagonist!"


    It turns out that the dancer is really Yue Ran in disguise.


    Those among the audience members who have weak hearts had already screamed in fright.


    Everyone could not help but be taken aback.


    Seeing such a sudden turn of events in the banquet hall, all the musicians were startled and quickly stopped playing.


    However, the confrontational pair, Yue Ran and Rong Yu, remained calm.


    Now, Rong Yu was really sure that the veiled dancer was Yue Ran.


    If it were any other woman, Rong Yu would have killed her righteously.


    But only Yue Ran--only Yue Ran would ever have the guts to do something so bold and so natural.


    When the palace guards were just about to react, the dancer suddenly spoke, "May Your Majesty forgive me for my offense."


    The unadorned beauty chuckled and pulled down the veil tied to her ears.


    It showed the face of a scorching beauty that could almost burn everything.


    Rong Yu could not say a word. The only thing left is the feeling of being pulled into a charming illusion.


    "Your Majesty, do you miss me?" Yue Ran asked in mirth. The ethereal sound of her laughter was as pure as the first snowfall.


    Everyone saw the dancer pull the sword from the emperor''s neck and casually throw it to the side of the hall. However, no one can see her face, only her back.


    Rong Yu restrained himself from making a fool and clenched the wine cup in his hand tightly.


    He knew he was doomed. Throughout his life, he would never find another Yue Ran again.


    Many emotions in him began to surge like a tide.


    Yue Ran came back. To him.


    She was standing in front of him. Well and alive. Safe and sound.


    Although she had come to the palace through Xia Zhan, it still showed that the woman in front of him belonged to him and that she was also interested in him. Otherwise, why would she appear in front of him this way?


    Fireworks exploded in his mind.


    Rong Yu''s favorability value fluctuated in Yue Ran''s mind, but the strategy value has not yet reached one hundred. Yet.


    "Yue Ran," he said. His voice sounded slightly hoarse.


    "Yes," Yue Ran said with a smile. "I hear you, Brother Yu."


    Yue Ran called him "Brother Yu". Does that mean that she does not hate him anymore?


    Rong Yu took a deep breath and said softly, "Yue Ran, did you come back for me?" The hand holding the wine cup trembled as he continued, "I am sorry for all the things that I have done before, but my feelings for you are sincere. I am willing to guard you, to protect you, to stay by your side¡­"


    "Hmm," Yue Ran casually hummed aloud.


    "We... we have a long time to start over," he said.


    Rong Yu felt that he no longer needed dignity. Only at the moment of parting did he finally understand that Yue Ran is what air is to people and what water is to fish. Once lost, he may no longer be able to survive.


    He has wasted too much time. Too much time planning, too much time scheming.


    Rong Yu released the wine cup from his hand and gently covered Yue Ran''s hands in his.


    "Yue Ran, I love you... Are you willing to be my empress?"


    The emperor''s affection ran deep, but Yue Ran simply raised her lips in a light smile.


    "Yes," Rong Yu heard her say.


    The strategy value fluctuated, her attention was on the consciousness panel, and she had no time to take care of other things, so she just responded perfunctorily.


    However, Rong Yu did not hear her perfunctory tone. He thought it was her response.


    Rong Yu''s heart seemed to have stirred up a thousand waves, and everything was as beautiful as a dream. He was surprised, not knowing what to say. He was at a loss for a while, and finally, he hugged her tightly in his arms after pushing the table that separated their bodies away.


    The two, who were deeply immersed in the atmosphere full pf pink bubbles, ignored the unbelievable gasps in the banquet hall.


    Xia Zhan''s eyes deepened as he stared at the two people''s interaction.


    He already knew that this would happen, but it still hurts to see it with his own eyes.


    Yue Ran had escaped from the dead and came to him, Rong Yu. Just her presence made him so happy and satisfied. Only the person in his arms is real; the others are like passing clouds, not worthy of nostalgia and nothing to worry about.


    As long as she is here, everything will be fine.


    Yue Ran, who was embraced by Rong Yu, was listening to his violent heartbeat.

 Chapter 91 - 91: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (45)

    The emperor was very excited, and the strategy value has also changed, slowly rising.


    When the number jumped to 99, Rong Yu finally let go of Yue Ran, hugged her shoulders, and stared deeply into her eyes.


    "Ran Ran, stay with me for a lifetime, okay?" he asked.


    "Okay," she replied with ease.


    There was no need for Yue Ran to think twice because everything went according to plan.


    So far, Ming Chen and Xia Zhan''s favorability values have reached one hundred since she jumped off the cliff. Now, only Ming Ze and Rong Yu''s favorability values were stuck at ninety-nine.


    When Yue Ran turned her head to the audience, everyone was dumbstruck.


    The Yue family was dumbstruck.


    Was this not their daughter, Yue Ran?


    Yue Ran gave her family members a light smile.


    Sorry, your daughter has a big life and did not die.


    The two parents were terribly embarrassed, but Ning Ying''s eyes looked at Yue Ran in disbelief, which then turned into anger and resentment before she forcefully calmed herself down.


    How could Yue Ran not die?


    This thought coincided with Xue Lu''s, as she was staring straight at Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran was wearing plain white clothes and jewelry while being hugged into the emperor''s arms. Just leaning there quietly, she looked as if all the spring colors and all the beauty in the world were spent on her.


    Everything around her dimmed, and only she was colored.


    "It is Yue Ran," someone who recognized Yue Ran said out loud.


    No one knew who said it, but the once-silent banquet hall turned clamorous because of those four words.


    Everyone in the capital knew that "Yue Ran", the only daughter of Prime Minister Yue, had died a few months ago. So how could the supposedly dead Yue Ran appear in front of them this way?


    Could this person be fake? But how could a fake have the same exact face and demeanor? Moreover, could anyone just replicate such a beautiful face as they wanted? Impossible!


    So the girl in front of them could only be Yue Ran, whose body was not found when she had an accident.


    From the screen behind Rong Yu, there was a black and bruised Ming Chen tied up on a chair with a dirty cloth clumped in his mouth. There were also guards tightly guarding Ming Chen from running away.


    And thus, Ming Chen could only see everything unfold in his eyes but could not do anything about it, not even when he struggled out of the ropes that had torn his skin.


    Anyone who saw this man could see that the wounds on him had long scabbed; some were still fresh, showing his flesh and his white bones. Blood was flowing down his skin and dripping on the floor below him during the struggle.


    Yue Ran indistinctively swept her eyes across the screen behind Rong Yu, and Ming Chen struggled more.


    Yue Ran, Yue Ran, Yue Ran!


    The former crown prince tried to shout as loud as he could, but his voice still sounded very soft and muffled because of the cloth in his mouth.


    There was also soft music outside, which Rong Yu purposefully asked the musicians to play in the midst of the tense atmosphere of the banquet so that Ming Chen''s voice could never travel out of the screen and into Yue Ran''s ears. It was difficult for him to make a sound for help.


    Boom, boom, boom.


    Ming Chen heard his heart, which was thumping hard like small explosions. His expression looked extremely excited, and his eyes became red gradually because he was too eager.


    Yue Ran came back.


    Yue Ran is still alive.


    Yue Ran, come and look at him.


    He is just behind her. Behind the screen. Only a folding screen separated them.


    Yue Ran, turn your head. Turn your head.


    Yue Ran, you will still like me, right?


    He had been tied up for so long and had not eaten for two days, and thus his whole body is extremely weak. But he looked as if he were injected with some kind of drug when Yue Ran''s figure was in front of his eyes.


    The guards around did not know where Ming Chen''s strength came from, but the former crown prince actually moved around so desperately that the chair he was sitting on fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    However, the sound turned into a soft thump when it traveled into Yue Ran''s ears.


    "Brother Yu, did you hear that?" Yue Ran, who was separated from him by a screen, asked the question.


    "Mm, hmph¡­"


    Ming Chen tried to shout, but he could only make a sobbing sound.


    Yue Ran, Ran Ran, come and save me.


    "It is nothing," Rong Yu answered calmly. "It must be the palace guards behind the screen that made some sort of mistake. I will punish him if it disturbs you."


    "No need," Yue Ran said with a slight frown. "Is it not just some noise? It is fine."


    The two were talking intimately, with the man combing the woman''s hair with his hands.


    "Let me tie Ran Ran''s hair, okay?" Rong Yu murmured on top of Yue Ran''s head.


    Rong Yu especially liked how Yue Ran was lying in his arms, curling up on him like a docile little cat. Such a Yue Ran looks so harmless to humans and animals.


    Yue Ran noticed how Rong Yu''s eyes moved to the back for a moment. It was only a few times, so she thought that it was just a coincidence.


    She also looked back when answering Rong Yu with an "okay".


    Behind them was just a folding screen. It was hand-painted and lacquered into a beautiful and stunning landscape.


    Why are there palace guards hiding behind the screen? Perhaps to prevent assassinations?


    In the end, Rong Yu tied Yue Ran''s lustrous black hair into a simple knot, fixing hairpins and ornaments from a box that he had a eunuch take out.


    This box was a present that Rong Yu had originally wanted to give Yue Ran before she jumped off the cliff. Fortunately, Yue Ran was still by his side in the end, and these jewels will go back to their owner.


    Thump.


    There was a subtle sound as if someone was hitting something, and the folding screen shuddered a little.


    Yue Ran turned her head when Rong Yu finished her hairdo.


    "Brother Yu, you heard that too, right?" Yue Ran stared fixedly at the folding screen. "Is there someone else behind the screen?"


    "How could that be?" Rong Yu lied without changing his face. "It must be that those guards were bored and were playing some kind of game."


    Waste, Rong Yu thought.


    Even a bunch of guards could not subdue a dying man. How useless.


    "How could the palace guards play a game during work?" Yue Ran asked with a raised brow. "This is a dereliction of duty."


    "Hmph¡­"


    Yue Ran¡­


    Ming Chen let out a painful whimper. His skin was now a few shades paler because of the loss of blood and lack of energy. He could hardly support his current state any longer.


    Yue Ran suddenly stood up and walked to the folding screen.


    Just as she was about to go around, Rong Yu said, "Ran Ran, what are you doing?"


    Yue Ran turned her head back to Rong Yu with a smile and said, "I am just curious about what the palace guards were doing behind the screen."


    "Is it possible that Ran Ran suspects that I am hiding people behind the screen?" Rong Yu asked, and his face paled. "Does Ran Ran not believe me?" His eyes turned red, and his eyelashes trembled, looking extra fragile.


    Yue Ran: ¡­?


    Why did the main male protagonist suddenly turn into something like this? Is he trying to gain her favor by showing off his beauty?


    Well, she eats this set.


    "How could that be?" Yue Ran said, and she instantly went back to her seat, holding Rong Yu''s hand in hers. "If I do not believe in Brother Yu, who else am I going to believe in?"


    "Um, Ran Ran, I will never fail your trust," Rong Yu said solemnly.


    "Yes, I trust Brother Yu," Yue Ran answered with lowered eyes. Her bright red lips curled up, and the red peonies on her forehead bloomed with her smiling eyes.


    She will be the one to decide if Brother Yu is useful or not. If Brother Yu dares to betray her, then he will most certainly face something deadly.


    When Yue Ran turned her back, Ming Chen''s head was covered with a sack.


    His world turned dark, covering the former crown prince''s desperate face.


    ¡­


    At night in the emperor''s palace... S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Yu, I want Xue Lu''s identity," Yue Ran whispered in Rong Yu''s ears.


    Yue Ran''s words were very straightforward, but her voice was so soft and sultry that it scratched Rong Yu''s heart like a little kitten clumsily patting his heart with soft little paws.


    "Xue Lu''s identity," Rong Yu repeated.


    The two were lying down on the bed, Yue Ran''s head on Rong Yu''s shoulder. It was a very intimate pose only for couples.


    "Yes," Yue Ran said with a nod. There was a smile in her eyes as she continued, "And I want ''Yue Ran'' to turn into a nun in a temple on a mountain far from the capital. Make sure to shave off her hair too."


    Rong Yu: ¡­


    "Why?" Rong Yu asked after a long pause.


    Why do things in a roundabout way?

 Chapter 92 - 92: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (46)

    Why does Yue Ran want to do this kind of thing? Why do this when he could give her the world? What is his is also hers.


    "Brother Yu, can you do it or can you not?" Yue Ran raised a brow. "If you can''t, then... what is the use of you?"


    Yue Ran''s eyes turned ferocious, and she looked at the man with a little disgust.


    The girl''s sudden change in expression caused Rong Yu to have momentary heart palpitations. And when she stood up from the bed, intending to get away from him, there was only endless panic in his heart.


    "Ran Ran, Ran Ran, I will do it." Rong Yu took a heavy and deep breath, then firmly held Yue Ran''s petite hand in his. "I will do whatever you want, hm?"


    Yue Ran''s eyes fell on the hands they held.


    After a short pause, Yue Ran suddenly laughed and said, "Okay, I will trust Brother Yu."


    She laid back down on the bed, and they went back to their original positions, with Yue Ran''s head resting intimately on the man''s shoulder.


    However, even if Yue Ran was in his arms, Rong Yu did not feel any calmer. There was just a feeling inside him that said that he would never catch Yue Ran in this lifetime.


    Fearing the gains and losses in this relationship, Rong Yu hugged the girl tighter into his arms. He desperately needed to feel Yue Ran in his arms to make him feel safe.


    Yue Ran can never leave him!


    ¡­


    The next day, it was quickly announced that "Yue Ran" had offended the emperor and was thus punished to stay in the temple, the same temple where the original body had gone to shave her head, as a nun.


    The Yue family''s reputation was implicated by this, and many court officials talk to (mocked) Prime Minister Yue with kind words (ridicule).


    Prime Minister Yue was so angry, but he could not do anything about it. He could not even gain an audience with the emperor. He felt as if his life had already been shortened by ten years when faced with such a predicament.


    After "Yue Ran''s" head was kindly (forced to be) shaved, she was immediately sent away (tied away) in an old wooden carriage, then taken away to the north by General Xia, Xia Zhan.


    Xue Lu, who everyone now thought was Yue Ran, tried to shout and struggle out of the tight ropes on her body to no avail. When the strong wind blew the curtains open, she glanced outside the window and met Ming Ze''s eyes.


    It was so cold and chilling that it made Xue Lu shiver in fright.


    She subconsciously looked away and tried to bend her neck as if to make herself look smaller and hide from such a sight that looked at her with undisguised disgust.


    Xue Lu was immediately splashed by a bucket of ice-cold water. She now realized that she was no longer "Xue Lu" to others but "Yue Ran".


    But she still did not understand why. Why did she become "Yue Ran," and why would Yue Ran want to exchange her identities with her?


    Yes, she had guessed that her current predicament was all caused by Yue Ran.


    Does Yue Ran want her to suffer? But it did not make sense to trample on her own name and reputation.


    Xue Lu did not know how long she stayed in the carriage, but once the door was opened, she met Xia Zhan''s figure.


    Xia Zhan was one of her admirers. No, he was her former admirer.


    It was just like yesterday when she remembered him confessing his love for her. She still remembers him saying that he did not like Yue Ran at all and that he only liked her. He fell in love with her at first sight. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But what was this? What is this now?


    He did all this to her for Yue Ran.


    "Xia Zhan, do you really have to do this?" She tried to ask in what she thought was a gentle and friendly tone.


    Xue Lu did not have the arrogance or confidence of the past. She looked like a defeated person.


    Xia Zhan glanced at Xue Lu with a flat gaze and tone and said, "So what? You have never liked me even a little bit in the first place. Moreover, I am not interested in you anymore."


    Xue Lu stared at the man in anger when she heard those words.


    "Men are not good things. Men are cheap!" she scolded.


    Her entire body was trembling. She narrowed her eyes at Xia Zhan with an indescribable look of resentment and fear.


    But just as she thought that everything could not go any worse, Xia Zhan indifferently threw her into a tent. Inside, she saw eight women who were so skinny that they only showed skin and bones. All they had in common were their numb and empty eyes, which scared Xue Lu witless.


    In addition, she also noticed that all the women lacked cover in terms of clothing. Some were even naked, and there were black, blue, and purple bruises on their bodies. A few of the women were also covered in blood.


    The more she understood her situation, the paler her face became.


    She was sure that she was now a military prostitute.


    ¡­


    A few days have passed¡ªalmost a week¡ªand Xia Zhan has finally arrived in the capital from the northern border.


    The first thing he did when he returned was go back to the Xia Mansion to take a bath and freshen himself up before going to the imperial palace.


    When he arrived in front of Yue Ran''s palace, he was easily allowed in when he passed on a message saying that he had done what was asked.


    "Yue Ran, I have already done as you asked," were Xia Zhan''s first words when facing the girl who was lazily lying down on a recliner.


    Yue Ran, who was eating pastries, curled her bright red lips charmingly. She sat up, and her hair fell to her back and in front of her shoulders like a waterfall. Her slender waist was partially covered by her long, thick, black hair like algae, and the slender waist that was looming looked even smaller.


    The girl''s snow-white face was without makeup, but she looked surprisingly tender. Her brows and eyes were especially gentle and beautiful, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly like the little wings of a butterfly.


    The clear and bright eyes blinked, and the eyelashes followed. Her every blink sent ripples straight into the bottom of his heart.


    She looked at him generously with a pure smile and said, "You have done a very good job, Xia Zhan."


    Xia Zhan looked at her, then lowered his eyes calmly. Yue Ran would have thought that he was really calm if not for the man''s reddened ears, which he could not hide.


    Yue Ran cracked a smile, rested her hand lazily on the palm of her hand, and said, "What are you standing so far for? Come closer." She beckoned the man over.


    Xia Zhan raised his head and blinked a few times at Yue Ran''s slender figure, which looked frail enough to be blown away by the wind. She was a beauty that could not be absorbed all at once.


    He walked closer but was cautious enough to leave some distance between them. After all, it would be bad if Yue Ran''s reputation was ruined because of him.


    "A bit closer," Yue Ran said.


    It was only when Yue Ran could lean over Xia Zhan''s ear and his warm breath was mixed with the light and sweet fragrance of peonies that she raised a hand to turn him over.


    Xia Zhan now had his back on the recliner, while Yue Ran was lying on top of him.


    He froze stupidly, like a silly little dog that did not know what to do.


    Yue Ran threw her head back and burst out laughing. Her current expression resembled a red peony on the cusp of blooming.


    "You are so silly," she said, leaning her head down. The tip of her nose was touching the tip of Xia Zhan''s nose.


    The two people were so close together that their breaths were entangled.


    He just had to lean over to touch those bright red lips of Yue Ran.


    It was so close, yet so far.


    "A Zhan," she said.


    The sudden change in name that Yue Ran called him instantly caught Xia Zhan''s attention.


    Yue Ran slowly brushed the back of her hand on Xia Zhan''s neck, then traced the man''s Adam''s apple.


    "I want you to go to battle, okay?" She said it with a smile.


    Rather than saying that her words were a question, it sounded more like an order. But Xia Zhan knew that he would never refuse her requests, and thus he found himself simply saying "okay".


    "You are so kind to me." Yue Ran leaned closer to Xia Zhan''s ear and whispered to him.


    Her tone was rather ambiguous, and Xia Zhan felt that his whole body was hot all over.


    "Yue Ran," he called out the girl''s name hoarsely.


    "You must win the battle and bring me honor, okay?"


    "Okay."


    "I want to be an empress, so you must be my biggest support."


    "Okay."


    "You will do whatever I say, right?"


    "Yes, I will."


    "And if you do not bring me any honor..." Yue Ran looked into Xia Zhan''s eyes, and a menacing glint flashed in her eyes.

 Chapter 93 - 93: Unloved Daughter of Yue Mansion (47) (End)

    "It is better for you to never come back, understand?" Yue Ran spoke in a casual tone as if she were talking about the weather.


    If Xia Zhan cannot even win the battle, then what is the use of him? It was better to disappear than to waste air.


    She, Yue Ran, will never keep a useless person around.


    Xia Zhan could only reply helplessly in a doting tone, "Yes, I understand, Ran Ran."


    Yue Ran smiled. She smiled so beautifully that Xia Zhan was caught in a trance. Her lips were like the sweetest fruit, just waiting for someone to take a bite.


    She looked so unguarded as she was wrapped in his arms, her head rubbing against his clothes like a little kitten in need of spoiling.


    So cute.


    His heart has long softened into a mess.


    ¡­


    Following Yue Ran''s words, Xia Zhan went into battle after battle.


    Yue Ran kept the progress of the female protagonist, who was now "Yue Ran," as everyone in the capital knows, in the system''s live broadcast.


    Xue Lu was still living strongly, but not as strong as the original owner did. Sure enough, those that the Lord God likes are not good things!


    Since the Lord God wanted her to suffer this kind of dirty thing, she will let the Lord God''s favorite suffer it in her stead. After all, she was not a good person, so doing this was just a natural thing.


    "How long does Master think the female protagonist can last?" Ruan Ruan asked in Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness.


    "Who knows, but it was better to die early so that I can get the title of an empress to play around freely," Yue Ran said while eating the cold bite-sized food on the plate.


    ¡­


    A few months have passed, and Xia Zhan has returned triumphantly to the capital. He had occupied the other neighboring countries'' territories in just a short while. His reputation and achievements gained after these battles increased, and he was now even more popular with the ladies in the capital than in the past.


    What everyone did not know was that the mighty and dignified general that was praised by all was now kneeling down on one knee in front of Yue Ran, who was embraced intimately by Ming Ze.


    "You did a very good job, A Zhan," Yue Ran said in a casual tone, but Xia Zhan''s heart still skipped a beat. "As a reward..."


    Yue Ran''s charming face suddenly leaned forward, and Xia Zhan held his breath.


    Her pupils resembled a pair of lustrous pearls. They were as clear and limpid as ever before.


    Then Yue Ran suddenly laughed.


    Xia Zhan was rarely at a loss, but he always found himself at a loss in front of the person who had firmly held his heart in her hands. Even his thoughts were controlled by her.


    It was like walking on the edge of a jagged cliff where a single mistake would lead to a horrid death, but the scenery was so beautiful, he was unable to look away.


    Yue Ran sat back in a composed manner, and Ming Ze''s hands snaked their way around her waist again. Smiling, she said, "You are still so silly."


    Xia Zhan smiled with some difficulty as he watched just how used Yue Ran was to be with Ming Ze.


    He felt even more at a loss.


    "As a reward for your hard work, you can stay the night with me," Yue Ran said nonchalantly.


    He watched her subconsciously fiddle with her earrings. The motion resembled the innocent activity of pushing a swing, seemingly lovely and ingenious.


    "Do you like it?"


    She smiled mysteriously, causing Xia Zhan''s heart to tighten.


    "Like," he replied in a heartbeat.


    Yue Ran is so pretty.


    That was his first thought.


    ¡­


    One night, Ruan Ruan suddenly informed Yue Ran that the female protagonist had died and she had completed all the mission plot nodes.


    Yue Ran was currently lying down beside the emperor.


    She lazily traced Rong Yu''s handsome features with her fingertips.


    Seeing how Rong Yu''s eyelashes trembled as if he would wake up anytime soon, Yue Ran suddenly pressed hard on his ear.


    The emperor instantly opened his eyes.


    "Brother Yu, let''s hold my coronation ceremony soon," Yue Ran suddenly said, which fully woke him up.


    "Really, Ran Ran?" he asked. "You did not lie to me, right?"


    "Why should I lie to you?" She blinked her innocent eyes at the man.


    Rong Yu let out a bright smile. It was as if a noble and clean jade shone even more. Very handsome.


    He looked so handsome that Yue Ran could not help but give him a kiss. But before she could separate, Rong Yu had entangled their tongues.


    "My empress," he whispered pantingly. His voice was hoarse and sexy.


    "My emperor," Yue Ran said with a charming smile. There was a hook at the end of her tone, which made the man feel even hotter and harder.


    "My Ran Ran..."


    ¡­


    With Xia Zhan, the highest-standing general, and Ming Ze, who was now the current Prime Minister, as her backers, Yue Ran easily took the position of an empress, despite her controversial reputation and name. The empress position was one that many noble young ladies in the capital coveted.


    Yue Ran was the only one in the emperor''s harem that should have accommodated three thousand beauties.


    And what the world did not know was that the emperor was just one of the men in Yue Ran''s harem. As for who would spend the night with her, it all depends on her mood. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    The 15th day of the first lunar month was the first full moon after the new year.


    On that night, the moonlight was hazy, and lanterns were hung along all the streets. Many men and women walked closely together, stopping from time to time to admire street performances, giving the night a charming quality.


    "Husband, come and buy me this mask." Yue Ran pointed to a white fox mask that she thought was pleasing to the eye.


    As for who the "husband" was among the three men, does it make any difference? They were just the same in front of her eyes.


    "Don''t always squeeze through people," Rong Yu frowned and said. "What will I do if you fall or get lost in the crowd?"


    "Yes, it is dangerous if you get separated from us," Xia Zhan said.


    "Okay, I will buy my beloved wife the white fox mask that you want." Ming Ze immediately took out his wallet to assume the role of the "husband" of Yue Ran.


    The other two men, who were busy nagging Yue Ran, did not react in time and shot Ming Ze with an eye knife in turn.


    Yue Ran only laughed.


    The bright red dress on Yue Ran was slim and graceful. She was holding a candied hawthorn stick in her hand as she stood there against the wind, smiling at the three from within the crowd. Suddenly, neither the lanterns nor the moonlight shone as brightly as her lovable smile.


    Several noble young men passing by foolishly bumped into a stall while looking at her in a daze. Peals of laughter followed their gaffe.


    Placing the white fox mask on her face, the four followed the stream of people, admired the bright lanterns, watched performances, and ate sticky rice dumplings.


    "What did you wish for?" Rong Yu asked softly to the girl beside him, his empress.


    An eye-catching, flaming red river lantern slowly drifted to the distant horizon.


    "I thought you would know," Yue Ran said smilingly. There was undisguised affection in her eyes as she faced him, which made his heart pound louder and louder.


    The girl standing by the river turned her head. Her face was much more delicate under the lantern lights, and the expression in her luminous eyes was incredibly soft at that moment. They briefly captured the night scene like round liquid mirrors.


    They captured his figure as well.


    Overcome by an inexplicable impulse, he squatted down, allowing the corner of his robe to sink into the ice-cold water, and gave Yue Ran a tender kiss.


    "Ran Ran, will you stay by my side forever?" he asked.


    "Um," Yue Ran answered vaguely.


    "Ran Ran will definitely stay by my side, right?" Ming Ze asked.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran let out a hum.


    "Ran Ran will also stay with me, right?" Xia Zhan asked the last question.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran let out another vague hum. She did not say if it were a yes or a no, but the three men took it as her acquiescence.


    On that day, Rong Yu and Ming Ze''s favorability values turned into a full one hundred.


    ¡­


    The next day, Yue Ran''s palace caught fire, and only a black corpse inside her bedroom was found lying on the charred bed.


    When Rong Yu heard of it, he suddenly broke the brush on his hand.


    He reached out to touch the tears running down his face.


    "What... what did you say? Say it again!" he roared at the eunuch who delivered the news.


    Rong Yu looked at the bloody wound in his palm and laughed self-deprecatingly as it dripped onto the paper. In the end, Yue Ran still left him.


    He was so numb that he could not feel the pain.


    Sleep did not come to him that night.


    Since then, Yue Ran has never appeared before him.


    She no longer went to the place they used to meet. She was no longer in his life.

 Chapter 94 - 94: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (1)

    That icy lake that she loved to go boating on was thickening, and the red peonies around it began to bloom.


    He waited for a long time by himself. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The snowfall was getting heavier. It fell like fine pieces of jade that were covering his eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair.


    Just like that, the three men spent their days in loneliness and unbearableness.


    What they had gotten and lost made their hearts feel even more painful.


    ¡­


    Ming Chen''s latter half of his life was always covered in dampness and darkness. His legs were limp, and there were many wounds that were not treated and had already festered and scabbed uglily on his skin.


    Yue Ran must not like it, he thought silently and mercilessly tore off all the scabs on his skin.


    He must destroy all that Yue Ran does not like.


    But one day, Ming Chen was released from his cell and thrown in front of three men, whom he recognized very familiarly. They were Rong Yu, Xia Zhan, and his youngest brother, Ming Ze.


    They do not look like they are in good condition. At least, in Ming Chen''s eyes, the three men looked much worse than they had in the past.


    In the end, the three men passed on the news to him that Yue Ran was dead.


    Ming Chen''s mind blanked, and his vision suddenly blacked out.


    Ming Ze slowly walked down the steps and lightly kicked Ming Chen''s bleeding and skinny body.


    In the end, Rong Yu only waved his hands to order the guards to place Ming Chen back in his cell. As for Ming Chen''s life and death, Rong Yu does not care about it anymore.


    Ming Chen died not long after. There was blood on his head and on the wall. It was said that he died by suicide.


    Ming Ze also suddenly disappeared one day, and his body was found black and charred. It was concluded that he had burned himself up.


    After all, without Yue Ran in the world, what was the point of living?


    He must suffer through the same pain as Yue Ran.


    He must die in the same way as Yue Ran.


    It does not take long for Xia Zhan to retire from his position, giving Rong Yu his military power. Xia Zhan had decided to travel all around the world.


    Yue Ran did once say that she wanted to travel all around the world, so he will fulfill her wish in her stead.


    Rong Yu was left all alone in the capital.


    He guarded Yue Ran''s unrecognizable body until he was old and his hair was white. That was when Rong Yu decided to burn her body into ashes.


    Yue Ran must not like it if she sees her own body all black and charred like Ming Ze''s. It was better to leave only ashes behind.


    Rong Yu was the only emperor in history who did not have any other woman than Yue Ran alone. He has always kept his body, like jade, away from other women who wanted to climb into his bed.


    The successor to his throne was an orphan whom he took in as his adopted son. He named his adopted son Rong Ran.


    When the country was peaceful, just like Yue Ran had always wanted to see, Rong Yu passed away in his sleep, hugging an urn that contained Yue Ran''s ashes in his arms.


    "I am going to find you now," were his last words.


    ¡­


    "Ran Ran," a female voice said out loud. "Guess who has come here!"


    As soon as Yue Ran''s roommate opened the door to the dorm room, she looked ambiguously at Yue Ran.


    And Yue Ran, who was applying a sheet mask to her face, immediately tore it off when she heard her roommate''s words. She casually put on her fluffy rabbit slippers before running to the balcony of the dorm room to look at who was waiting for her downstairs.


    The young man downstairs in front of the dormitory building was dressed in a simple white cotton shirt and black trousers, but he still had that noble and cold feeling, as if he were an ice lotus growing on the topmost area of a snowy mountain.


    The young man was standing with a lowered head. Although Yue Ran could not see his face clearly from up above, the young man''s temperament and demeanor, followed by the appreciative glances cast by the people around him from time to time, showed his identity¡ªFu Chen.


    "A Chen!" Yue Ran said this happily and immediately ran downstairs without even changing out of her rabbit slippers.


    But just when Yue Ran was about to go out the door, she tentatively asked a girl on the innermost side of the room, who was studying hard, "Qian Qian, Fu Chen is here; do you want to go down with me to greet him too?"


    Qi Qian smiled reluctantly when she heard Yue Ran''s words. She pushed a pair of thick black glasses that were slipping down her nose up a little and said, "It is okay; he must have come to find you, so you can go yourself and I will just stay here."


    The girl''s voice was a little unstable as she said these.


    As soon as Qi Qian finished her words, one of the roommates could not help but interrupt: "Ran Ran, your prince charming only asked me to ask you to go down."


    Her sentence implied that Fu Chen did not ask anyone but Yue Ran to come down to see him.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran let out a hum. "Okay, then I will go down right now."


    Yue Ran smiled shyly. Her voice was soft and pleasant, like the sound of jade falling on a plate, as sweet as a slow, flowing melody.


    When Qi Qian looked up again, she could only see the ends of the fluttering white dress of Yue Ran, who had run out the door.


    Qi Qian could not help but tightly clench the pen in her hand. Her heart was numb with pain.


    Fu Chen was only two years older than her. And for her, Qi Qian, Fu Chen is her childhood sweetheart and also the object of her crush.


    Fu Chen has been excellent since he was a child. He has perfect grades, outstanding looks, and has always been liked by many girls. However, he has only ever been polite to others, except for those girls who like him. Even if they were to stand in front of him, he would just pretend not to see them and act as if they did not exist.


    In order to follow in Fu Chen''s footsteps, Qi Qian spent three years in high school studying hard from the early morning until late at night, every single day without rest, just so that she could go to the same university as him.


    Qi Qian thought that only this way would she have a chance to be with Fu Chen.


    This was because more than one person had told her before that she was the only girl who was special to Fu Chen and that she was the only girl that Fu Chen would treat differently.


    But Qi Qian did not expect that Fu Chen would fall in love with her roommate at first sight during the Mid-Autumn Festival in her freshman year.


    And this love at first sight could even be said to have been pushed by her.


    At that time, the Mid-Autumn Festival was a rare three-day vacation after the military training, and three of the four roommates planned to go home.


    However, since Yue Ran''s home is in the south and the university is in the north, if Yue Ran really did go home, it would be equivalent to crossing more than half of the country. It was just too far and time-consuming.


    "Are you all going back?" Yue Ran tilted her head to ask her three roommates.


    "Yes, are you not going back for this holiday?"


    The roommate who had just spoken could not help but look at Yue Ran, who was lazily sitting down on the bed with her legs swinging while packing her own luggage. She inwardly sighed.


    Why are they both¡ªher and Yue Ran¡ªhuman, but Yue Ran''s legs are so thin, so white, and so good-looking? How unfair!


    The roommate mentally bit on a handkerchief while wailing inside her mind.


    "My home is in the south. It is too far to go back, so I will just stay here," Yue Ran said.


    Maybe it was because Yue Ran was born in the south that she would speak in such a gentle and affectionate tone, which sounded like it would always contain love and coquetry.


    "What are you going to do then?" The other roommate asked. "Are you going to stay alone in the dormitory when we are all leaving?"


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed sadly. The girl''s delicate and beautiful brows frowned, and her smooth, slightly messy hair drooped with her mood. She looked like a sad and pitiful little kitten.


    "Or, Ran Ran, you can just go back with me," the voice of the fourth rommate sounded.


    After hesitating for a long time, Qi Qian finally said this sentence.


    Yue Ran was the first friend that she had made when she had just entered the university. Moreover, it would be lonely and too quiet to stay in the dormitory all alone.


    "My home is in the north, pretty close to the university," Qi Qian added, trying to convince Yue Ran to go back with her.

 Chapter 95 - 95: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (2)

    "Okay," Yue Ran said with a pair of eyes that lit up like the stars in the night sky. "Thank you, Qian Qian."


    The girl smiled so sweetly. Her red lips were bent, and something dark and obscure flashed in her inky black eyes that no one could see.


    ¡­


    Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.


    "Ran Ran, are you ready to go?" Qi Qian asked.


    "Wait a moment," Yue Ran''s voice said. "Just a minute."


    The beautiful girl was trying to fit a dress into the small rose-gold suitcase at this time. The long and lustrous black hair that had just been curled in the morning was lying softly on her thin and graceful back, swaying in arcs with the owner''s movements.


    Yue Ran''s small suitcase was too full.


    Qi Qian, who was looking at the delicate and beautiful girl in front of her, could not help but look down on herself.


    Her skin was not as white as Yue Ran''s, her waist was not as thin as Yue Ran''s, her figure was not as good as Yue Ran''s, her hair was not as smooth and shiny as Yue Ran''s, and her facial features were not as beautiful as Yue Ran''s.


    Wait a moment!


    What was she even thinking about? When did she become like this?


    Even if her thoughts were true, she still has grades! Her grades are much better than Yue Ran''s!


    Just thinking about it, Qi Qian could not help but feel a little ashamed. When will she be better than these people?


    Perhaps she had become like this because of the subtle influence during the military training.


    Back then, everyone was wearing the same uniform for military training, and everyone had to bask in the sun every single day.


    However, Yue Ran was different.


    In the rows of people with tanned and darkened skin, she was simply white and dazzling. It was as if her snow-white skin was not at all affected by the UV rays of the burning star.


    Yue Ran was originally a rare beauty, a beauty that could only be found once in a blue moon, but after this incident, she instantly became the public lover of all the boys in the university.


    Around Yue Ran, everyone would always see those boys who would confess to her, those boys who would invite her to lunch and dinner, and those boys who wanted to ask for contact information.


    As Yue Ran''s roommates, they are now already very skilled at helping Yue Ran reject others, acting as Yue Ran''s shield, or fence, of sorts.


    "Ran Ran, I have a friend waiting downstairs for us," Qi Qian said.


    "Hm, a friend?" Yue Ran tilted her head in question, and her curled hair fell down her shoulder with her action. "Is it a female friend or a male friend?"


    "A male friend," Qi Qian replied a little uncomfortably.


    Yue Ran said an elongated "oh" when she heard Qi Qian''s words before saying, "I get it."


    Seeing the teasing eyes of her friend, Qi Qian could not help but look away a little shyly.


    "What do you get? Hurry up and pack your things," Qi Qian said. "Do you really need to bring a suitcase when the holiday just lasted for three days?"


    "But all these things are useful for me," Yue Ran said with a pout.


    "Okay, okay, I understand, our delicate young lady Yue, can you please hurry up now?"


    "Wait, wait, do not rush, and I will be fine in a while," Yue Ran said as the small suitcase finally closed with a click.


    In the end, Yue Ran walked in front with a small leather bag on her back, and Qi Qian was dragging a small suitcase behind her. A gray, fluffy rabbit pendant swayed with Yue Ran''s movements as she walked out.


    As for the work called towing a suitcase or something, was this what Yue Ran should do? How could she afford to do it? Naturally, we have to trouble our independent and self-reliant female protagonist, Qi Qian, for this.


    ¡­


    Fu Chen was standing in front of the dormitory building, waiting for Qi Qian, his childhood friend who grew up together with him, to come downstairs.


    But instead of Qi Qian, whom he saw, he was greeted by a soft and slim body that suddenly came into his arms.


    Fu Chen subconsciously held the girl''s waist. It was so thin and soft to the touch.


    After realizing what he had done, Fu Chen immediately let go of the person, but the tip of his ears quietly evoked a touch of red.


    "Sorry, I did not mean to bump into you," he said, hearing the soft and pleasant voice of the girl travel into his ears.


    "It is okay," Fu Chen replied.


    Qi Qian, who was walking a little behind Yue Ran, saw the shyness and ambiguous air between the two, who could not help but secretly look at one another from time to time.


    Such an intermittent action of peeking at the other party allowed Qi Qian to see their faces from their backs. Both of the two people''s facial features were picturesque, and when they stood together, no one would say that they were not the perfect match.


    Just standing right there, those two people¡ªYue Ran and Fu Chen¡ªwere just like a frame in a movie, youthful and beautiful.


    It was a little harder to breathe.


    ¡­


    That was the first time Qi Qian saw Fu Chen care so much about a girl.


    First, Fu Chen volunteered to carry all of Yue Ran''s luggage, which includes her suitcase and a small leather bag, and then the two exchanged contact information with one another. After this, Fu Chen took meticulous care of Yue Ran everywhere.


    Every time he and Yue Ran were talking on the road, they would unconsciously get close to one another, thus inevitably leaving Qi Qian alone behind.


    In contrast, it seemed that Yue Ran and Fu Chen were the two childhood sweethearts who grew up together, while her, Qi Qian, was the unfamiliar one.


    When the three decided to spend their time outside, Fu Chen took the initiative to carry Yue Ran''s small leather bag.


    Fu Chen has never taken a picture before, but now that Yue Ran is around, he always picks up his phone to take many shots. However, the phone camera would only be aimed at the beautiful girl, who was smiling like a blooming spring.


    Sure enough, Fu Chen and Yue Ran got together very quickly.


    And they have only known each other for a week.


    ¡­


    The night before Fu Chen decided to confess to Yue Ran, he came to Qi Qian in advance.


    He wanted to set up an ingenious confession scene and needed Qi Qian to help him do it.


    That night, Qi Qian''s heart seemed to be stabbed by a knife, and it was dripping blood. Each droplet that fell was filled with pain, but she still responded "yes" with a smile.


    Qi Qian has liked Fu Chen for so many years, and he was also the man that she wanted to spend all her life with. But that man has someone that he likes, and he also has someone that he wants to spend all his life with.


    So she should bless him.


    Should bless him.


    ¡­


    The day before the end of the world is the same as usual. It was just that the sun was too dazzling, burning hot in the sky, and the heat kept rising from the ground. The heat was so intense that one could even see the change in the air and the slightly blurry environment outside the window.


    There are not many people out on the street, and it seemed as if one was going to be on fire as soon as one stepped out of the door. The heat was so oppressive that it felt like it could evaporate all matter.


    The cloudless blue sky above everyone''s heads looked so clear that it looked like an empty mirror.


    The weather forecast said that today''s weather would go up to a temperature as high as 40 degrees Celsius, which was only two degrees Celsius more than usual, but what could be felt and perceived by the human body at this moment is strangely hot and terrifying.


    "It is so hot," Yue Ran complained.


    Yue Ran, who quickly turned down the air conditioner as soon as she entered the room, breathed out a sigh of relief. Then she brushed her soaked bangs in front of her forehead casually with a hand.


    It was really too hot.


    Seeing the beautiful girl standing directly in front of the air conditioner blowing on the cold air, Fu Chen frowned and gently pulled the person away from the stream of cold wind.


    Fu Chen took out a piece of tissue paper from the tissue holder on the table and carefully wiped the sweat from the girl''s exquisite face.


    "Ran Ran, be good; it is easy to get sick when you blow on cold air while you are sweating," Fu Chen said.


    "Okay, I will listen to A Chen," Yue Ran replied with a sweet smile.


    The girl obediently closed her eyes and stretched her delicate and beautiful little face forward so that the man could wipe off the sweat more easily. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran''s skin was so white, so clear, and so tender that Fu Chen''s heart was about to melt when he saw it. He stretched out a hand to gently squeeze her cheek.


    It was so soft¡ªas soft as clouds.

 Chapter 96 - 96: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (3)

    The two here were acting so sweet, like a sticky couple that was standing on top of soft pink clouds with many pink bubbles flying around them, unlike Qi Qian, who was isolated on the side.


    If it were the norm, Qi Qian would have felt very uncomfortable when she saw this. Her chest would tighten a little, and it would be harder to breathe. But today, she seemed to be in a daze, as if confused and was unable to think or react properly. She was definitely not in the right state of mind.


    Yue Ran glanced over at Qi Qian, looked at Qi Qian''s current state, and then calculated the time of the start of the plot in her mind. It was most likely that a system called the "Salvation System" had found the female protagonist.


    This was just the start¡ªthe initial line that would lead to the next chain of events.


    It was true that at this time, the female protagonist, Qi Qian, was communicating with the system called the "Salvation System" that had suddenly found her this morning.


    Qi Qian: "You mean that today is the start of the apocalypse? The zombie apocalypse? Right here, right now?"


    Salvation System: "Yes, invading foreign microorganisms that have been dormant for decades are about to explode and spread around the world."


    Qi Qian felt anxious.


    Qi Qian: "But why me? Why choose me out of everyone else in the world?"


    Salvation System: "After the system scanning and testing, you are the most qualified person for me to bind to."


    No matter how high the psychological quality of the female protagonist is, Qi Qian, at this time, was just a young teenage girl who had just started her first year at the university. It would be a lie to say that she was not afraid at all.


    Qi Qian even wondered if all this was a prank, a stunt made for clicks, but unfortunately, it was not. She knew, and she was fully aware, that what the Salvation System said was all true.


    And because Qi Qian knew that it was true, she was even more afraid of facing it. She did not know what to do, and she could not tell anyone about the mysterious and illogical existence of this Salvation System in her mind.


    ¡­


    To Qi Qian''s surprise, she did not expect the end of the world and the start of the zombie apocalypse to come so quickly. She did not even have any time to make any sort of preparation to protect herself or to even hoard food that would keep her alive.


    Her parents, relatives, friends... she did not have enough time to notify any of them, and there was nothing she could do to try and communicate with them. But now she has no time to take care of other things.


    When the zombie apocalypse started, a large number of zombies had already roamed the streets.


    It was a sunny day, with the sun shining brightly for one second, but the next, a gloomy shadow had descended over the city. The sky was grey and leaden, carrying huge black clouds, and lightning flashed in a mass of darkness.


    It had become a drowsy and stormy day.


    Several neighbors who have turned into zombies are constantly knocking on their doors. As the sound increases, more and more zombies gather in front of the door.


    Fu Chen was the first to react, and he immediately hugged Yue Ran into his arms.


    "Ran Ran, you wait here for me first. I will go and take a look outside," he said.


    "Okay, but you have to be careful," Yue Ran replied with a frown, worry evident on her beautiful features.


    "Do not worry, Ran Ran," Fu Chen said in a gentle tone. He smoothed the girl''s furrowed brows and tenderly rubbed her cheek.


    The scene outside could be clearly seen from the windows.


    The zombies'' appearances were ugly to look at.


    Their limbs were stiff, and their decayed and withered skin rotted and turned abnormally green in color. Their hair appeared as if it were singed; their pupils in the eyes gradually became smaller and smaller until they disappeared, leaving only the white part of the eyes; their fingernails grew longer; and one after another, such creatures kept coming out of the residential building indiscriminately, wandering the streets purposefully, looking intently for their targeted food.


    From time to time, there will be people screaming and howling in pain and terror, as well as the hoarse roars of zombies. The sound of dread was endless. The sun disappeared into the sky, and the night is eternal. All the plants withered overnight, and the once beautiful blue planet has become a lonely and lifeless death star.


    There were too many zombies outside the door, and their numbers were far from what Fu Chen was able to block and resist.


    The moment Fu Chen opened the door, several zombies with stiff limbs rushed up like hungry and ferocious beasts that had spotted fresh meat. They looked aggressive and very dangerous.


    And even though Fu Chen had already reacted very quickly to come in and close the door, the zombies still moved so swiftly that they touched his skin a few times.


    There seemed to be someone coming out of the door of the apartment, just like Fu Chen, but the man''s speed was a little slower. In an instant, the man, a big living person, was divided into many pieces of meat that were divided among the monsters in front of Fu Chen.


    Even though his psychological quality was much better than that of an average person, Fu Chen was still disgusted by the scene that happened right in front of his eyes.


    Fu Chen quickly moved furniture behind the door and blocked it with his body, but it still did not work. He could clearly feel the vibrations and hear the loud sounds of banging, one after another, on the door. With every hit, he felt the door being pushed a little bit more than before.


    As time went on, the gap in the door opened wider and wider, and the unpleasant smell of stinky and rotten flesh came along with it. From time to time, long nails of zombies would come from the gap in the door.


    Qi Qian panicked when she saw such a scene.


    Qi Qian: "System! Is there anything that you can do about this? Do we just have to wait to die?"


    Qi Qian anxiously asked this question to the so-called Salvation System in her mind.


    Salvation System: "You will not die; you will awaken your ability very soon."


    The system replied calmly.


    Qi Qian: "But... but I do not have any of the so-called ability now! Did you not say that I am someone destined to save the world? If so, then I must not die!"


    She does not want to die!


    The Salvation System thought about Qi Qian''s words.


    What she said was indeed right. It would take some time for Qi Qian to awaken her ability, and she really could not do anything during this period of being "a normal person with no ability".


    Salvation System: "Well, okay, I understand. I have a Stealth Pill here in the system store, but it needs to be exchanged for points. You do not have any points yet, so you can only owe it first."


    As if trying to seize the last chance at life, Qi Qian answered the Salvation System with intense glee.


    Qi Qian: "Yes, okay!"


    Qi Qian does not have any problems with owing points as long as she can stay alive.


    Qi Qian: "About the Stealth Pill, what does it do? What is its function?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking about the recommended product by the system, Qi Qian could not help but ask for more detailed information.


    Salvation System: "Once eaten, the Stealth Pill will allow you to camouflage and hide yourself as if you are one with the world. No zombies will even realize your existence when the pill is consumed. One stealth pill will last for an hour, two hours at most."


    Hearing this, Qi Qian replied ecstatically in her mind.


    Qi Qian: "Okay, exchange it quickly!"


    There was a sound of clinking coins in Qi Qian''s mind, followed by the system''s mechanical voice.


    Salvation System: "Successful exchange. Your points have now turned negative."


    When the Salvation System finished speaking, a small, oval white pill suddenly appeared in Qi Qian''s hand.


    Qi Qian: "System, is there only one Stealth Pill?"


    Without reading Qi Qian''s mind, the system already knew what she was thinking just by looking at her expression.


    It is for Fu Chen.


    But this Stealth Pill was a precious resource and could not be exchanged casually.


    The Salvation System had made a thorough scan of the two people next to Qi Qian when it first bound itself to her.


    From the results the system scanner got, it was very likely that the boy named Fu Chen would also awaken his supernatural power, like Qi Qian, not to mention that his mental power is also very strong. It was just that the girl named Yue Ran was just an ordinary human being, not impressive at all. There was nothing special about her.


    Salvation System: "Okay, you can exchange one more Stealth Pill. One of the pills is yours, while the other one is for Fu Chen."


    Qi Qian did not think too much about the system''s words at the moment. She only knew that she and Fu Chen were safe now, so her mood immediately turned joyful.

 Chapter 97 - 97: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (4)

    Qi Qian quickly exchanged another Stealth Pill with the system.


    There was the same sound of clinking coins in Qi Qian''s mind, and another white pill appeared in the palm of her hand. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    "Brother Fu Chen, this Stealth Pill is for you," Qi Qian started. "If you eat this, the zombies outside would not do anything to you and would not realize that you are there. Eating this can hide your presence from the zombies outside."


    Qi Qian explained the Stealth Pill''s uses to Fu Chen in a fluster.


    Fu Chen glanced at the white pill in Qi Qian''s hand and looked up at her again.


    Qi Qian''s heart was naturally uncomfortable when the person she liked looked at her so suspiciously. But she could not care so much about it at this moment in time.


    "Believe me, Brother Fu Chen, I will never cause you any harm," Qi Qian said, trying hard to convince the man with her sincerity.


    Fu Chen lowered his eyes, looked at the two pills in Qi Qian''s hand, and asked, "Only two of them?"


    "Yes," Qi Qian said after a short pause.


    After thinking carefully for a while, Fu Chen decided to believe her. So he got up and took one of the so-called Stealth Pills from Qi Qian''s hand.


    Without Fu Chen''s support, the already precarious door was crumbling at this moment, as if the zombies outside could break into the room at any moment.


    Qi Qian thought that Fu Chen was going to eat the Stealth Pill, but she did not expect that he would go straight toward Yue Ran.


    The tall young man''s back, as always, made people feel safe and secure, as if one could always depend on him. But at this moment, there was more decisiveness.


    "Ran Ran," Fu Chen called out the girl''s name gently.


    The young man caressed the beautiful girl''s cheek before pinching her chin, his eyes full of affection and reluctance. Then he kissed the girl''s lips slowly and adoringly, as if she were the treasure at the tip of his heart, the darling that he cherished in the palm of his hand.


    ¡­


    Qi Qian never thought that the situation would turn into what it is now.


    Fu Chen gave the Stealth Pill that she had given him to Yue Ran!


    Then he died in the wave of zombies.


    Everything happened too quickly for Qi Qian to do anything.


    Qi Qian watched as Fu Chen opened the door and led all the zombies outside to him by acting as bait. The young man was strong and agile, but he was not a match for those undead zombies that seemed to have acquired the deformed power of immortality.


    In the end, Fu Chen''s figure gradually fell and was buried by the ferocious zombies.


    Fu Chen had fallen among those countless terrifying monsters.


    But before he fell, he turned around and glanced over to Qi Qian, and his lips moved slightly as if he were uttering something amongst the roars and terror.


    Qi Qian immediately understood his words.


    He said, "Take care of Ran Ran for me."


    Then those pair of nostalgic eyes shifted behind Qi Qian. She did not even need to think about who he was looking at.


    But¡­ but¡­ but still! Is Yue Ran really worth his life?


    Qi Qian seemed to have gone crazy as she rushed into the pile of zombies, regardless of the dangers of being infected by them. She rushed forward as if the disgusting slime and icy, grotesque touch of the zombies did not exist.


    But it was useless.


    It was all useless!


    As soon as Fu Chen fell, his body was already cut into pieces of meat, and those pieces of meat were eaten up by the zombies around him.


    "Fu Chen!" Qi Qian screamed.


    She knelt on the spot where the young man had died, crying dazedly as if trying hard to grab something but to no avail. Everything was in vain.


    Salvation System: "Do not cry; the most important thing to do first is to escape. The Stealth Pill that you have just eaten has a time limit, so once an hour or two have passed, if you have not yet awakened your supernatural power, you will be the next one to die!"


    Qi Qian sniffled.


    Salvation System: "Moreover, as the savior of the world, you cannot rely too much on the system, so there is a limit to the number of items you can exchange in the system store. The two Stealth Pills that you have just exchanged have already reached the limit for the item that you can buy."


    Qi Qian understood what the Salvation System meant.


    The system was saying that she could only exchange two Stealth Pills and no more of the same item. This meant that once the time limit of the Stealth Pill had counted down to zero, the effect would be canceled out.


    Qi Qian clenched her fists. Although she had already stopped sobbing out loud, the tears in her eyes could not help but keep flowing.


    She looked around at the so-called zombies, who were unconscious with green skin and thick blood flowing, and hatred flashed in her eyes.


    Suddenly, as if she had remembered something, Qi Qian asked the system in her mind.


    Qi Qian: "How are my parents now?"


    Salvation System: "Sorry, but I cannot detect your family members from so far away. There is a limited range for the system''s detection. However, according to the system''s speculation, they may now be in the same predicament as you were at the beginning."


    How could it be so? How could this be?


    The system meant that her family members were most likely dead after being preyed on by the zombies outside of their house.


    Qi Qian knelt on the ground while mumbling incessantly. The clothes on her body were already dirty because of her previous actions. She was covered in splashes of red blood, slime, and mud; even her face could not avoid the same fate.


    Only Qi Qian''s pair of eyes remained clean. Although they were clear, it was difficult to hide the grief and sorrow in them.


    She will never see him again.


    She will never see Fu Chen again¡ªthe Fu Chen who will teach her gently when she does not understand things, the Fu Chen who will protect her when her parents are angry with her, and the Fu Chen who will help her when she is in trouble.


    "Qian Qian," Yue Ran suddenly spoke out softly.


    The beautiful girl, who had stayed silent for a long time, also looked very sad. Pearl-like tears that shone from the ends of her eyes finally fell down her cheek and dripped down from her chin to the dirty and bloody ground.


    "Do not come any closer!" Qi Qian roared.


    Qi Qian loudly stopped the girl who wanted to come over.


    She was in a mess now. Her emotions were running around, tangled, and complicated.


    On the one hand, the boy she liked died because of Yue Ran, but on the other hand, Yue Ran was also the person to whom the boy she liked had entrusted Yue Ran''s safety before his death.


    Qi Qian really did not know how to face Yue Ran. Their current relationship is far from enough to offset the fact that Fu Chen''s death was indirectly related to her.


    "Qian Qian, I did not expect this to happen either. I... I am sorry¡­" Yue Ran''s voice trailed off as she choked on her words.


    The beautiful girl cried very guiltily, which would make anyone who saw it feel distressed and wish to comfort her.


    Just as Qi Qian was about to speak, the system spoke in her mind again.


    Salvation System: "Things cannot be delayed any longer. The effect of the Stealth Pill will soon expire in half an hour!"


    Qi Qian gritted her teeth and forced herself to get up from the ground. She bowed at the same position three more times to pay respect to the dead body of the boy she liked before turning away.


    She really wanted to stay here with her Brother Fu Chen, to be with him whether in life or death, but she could not.


    There were still things that she had to do in the world, and one of them was to find her family. If her family members were still alive, then she would have to keep them safe. She also has to find Fu Chen''s family members.


    "Brother Fu Chen, I will go first. I will definitely find and protect Uncle and Aunt from any dangers," Qi Qian promised out loud.


    Even if Qi Qian was reluctant to leave, she still had to go out and survive first. She will definitely come back here again in the future.


    Originally, Qi Qian did not intend to bring Yue Ran with her, but when she saw just how pitiful her appearance was and then thought of Fu Chen''s last words before his death, she paused in her steps before finally deciding to bring Yue Ran along with her.


    Qi Qian has gradually accepted the title "savior" that the system has given her, although just subtly.


    However, her journey was far from safe. The two girls still encountered zombies on the way.


    Although there were only two zombies right in front of them, for two unarmed girls, one zombie may be enough to kill them and let them die a few more times.


    At that time, Qi Qian had successfully killed two zombies with the help of the system that taught her how to fight more efficiently.

 Chapter 98 - 98: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (5)

    But the system could not always help Qi Qian with everything.


    Once a wave of zombies was defeated, there would be another wave that would greet them.


    This felt like killing enemies to gain experience points and level up in a game. Only that she only has one life and that the game has turned into reality.


    The Salvation System said that the two girls were lucky now since they had only encountered one or two zombies who acted alone. If they were to encounter a group of zombies, according to Qi Qian''s current strength, she would definitely be slaughtered by those monstrous beasts.


    "You follow me closely; do not run around, and we will immediately rush out," Qi Qian said in clear and concise words.


    Qi Qian protected Yue Ran with one hand while the other hand was placed in front of her. The two of them were hiding behind a car, temporarily avoiding the sight of the two zombies, but the two zombies were always lingering around the same place, refusing to leave, and there was also a tendency to get closer and closer to the two girls'' position.


    "No, Qian Qian," Yue Ran said while shaking her head timidly, fully sticking to her role as a dodder flower. "I¡­ I am afraid."


    Yue Ran''s hand was always tugging at Qi Qian''s clothes. And when she heard Qi Qian''s words, Yue Ran could not help but increase the strength of the hold in her hand. But after speaking out her thoughts, she felt a little embarrassed and relaxed the hold on Qi Qian''s shirt a little.


    "We have to figure out a way to get out of here before the sky gets even darker, and now there is no other way other than rushing in," Qi Qian said.


    After saying so, Qi Qian pushed Yue Ran''s hand away from her shirt and walked away without any reluctance.


    "If you do not dare to do so, then you can just stay here alone," Qi Qian said. Her voice was cold and hard.


    When Yue Ran and Fu Chen were together before, the not-very-strong friendship between them was already in jeopardy. At best, there would only be harmony on the surface that could be maintained. But now, Qi Qian did not even want to maintain that surface harmony.


    Qi Qian still blamed Yue Ran for Fu Chen''s death, and at the same time, she vaguely despised such a girl who looked so weak and delicate. This type of girl had nothing but beauty¡ªjust a hollow vase with a beautiful shell.


    In this zombie apocalypse, strength is the most important thing.


    And as for the weak and delicate Yue Ran, who looked at the female protagonist''s distant back, smiled indifferently. When her fisted fingers were spread open, a necklace with extremely delicate workmanship was revealed lying on the palm of her hand.


    As the female protagonist of an apocalyptic world, having storage space is indispensable. And some will even be helped by the system.


    And our female protagonist this time is quite lucky to have both. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ruan Ruan," Yue Ran said to the system in her mind.


    "Here, Master, Ruan Ruan is here!" Ruan Ruan replied happily.


    "Take the space away from the necklace," Yue Ran said. Her voice was so soft and sweet, but her words made people feel cold.


    "Okay, Master," Ruan Ruan said while tinkering with the power in the necklace. "It is done!"


    "Good job," Yue Ran said with a charming smile.


    After happily jumping around in Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness, Ruan Ruan said, "Does Master want to exchange Master''s points for supernatural abilities? This apocalyptic world is very dangerous; just look at those ugly and ferocious zombies that were lurking around."


    Not to mention that his Master''s current body is too soft, too fragile, too delicate, and too squeamish. This body really has low potential and cannot do anything at all.


    "No need," Yue Ran replied calmly. "Just tell me when Gu Si will arrive."


    There was really no need for Yue Ran to waste her points after all; the original body''s setting in this world is that of a dodder flower who could only parasitize on men.


    Yue Ran''s plot nodes that needed to be completed in this world were to find three different men to take care of her and let these three men meet one another. As for the rest, it was up to her to play.


    Although her task may sound easy, it would be hard to even survive in this zombie apocalypse since her body was so weak and could only be a burden to others. Not to mention that she also did not have any supernatural powers.


    But is this not more fun and challenging?


    After traveling to so many worlds, of course, Yue Ran knew that Ruan Ruan''s request for her to exchange system points for supernatural abilities was for her own good. But she does not like to go beyond the setting and waste her own resources. She still preferred to get everything by offering nothing.


    This was because it was only her and Ruan Ruan against the world and against the Lord God. Thus, Yue Ran did not want to waste her power that could be used in the future to fight against that tall and powerful existence.


    After all, it was not an easy task to gain power.


    "Hmm, let Ruan Ruan check first," Ruan Ruan said, scanning the surroundings and Gu Si''s positioning. "Gu Si is here! He is nearby and is coming soon!"


    "Um, I see," Yue Ran said.


    Yue Ran lowered her eyes; her eyelashes trembled, and tears burst forth in an instant. Thick black hair like a waterfall hung down her back, and the girl in the white dress curled up in the corner with her arms folded as she sat with her knees on her head.


    The girl''s dress was accidentally stained by the dirt on the ground, and her slender and fragile ankles were exposed. Her feet looked so delicate that they could easily be crushed just by pressing on them with a little more force.


    The beautiful girl was like a cloud. She has a pure whiteness that is incompatible with her surroundings, like a pure and innocent angel who accidentally strayed into the mortal world and was lost in distress and helplessness. Seeing her fall into such trouble, people cannot help but feel pity for her.


    This was what Gu Si caught sight of when he came over.


    Gu Si stared at the girl with eyes like ancient wells, as if something had pricked his heart, which had always been cold and hard. A feeling of distress inexplicably rose for some reason.


    As if aware of the obscure gaze, as if sensing something or someone staring straight at her, Yue Ran''s fingertips trembled slightly, and she raised her head cautiously and tentatively. Her gaze turned into one of relief when she saw humans in front of her, not zombies.


    Gu Si had come here with a modified off-road vehicle along with three companions.


    The Gu family is a military and political family, so Gu Si was thrown into the army at a very young age, and presently, his military rank is not low at all. Although the zombie apocalypse happened so suddenly, he still broke through a siege of zombies, relying only on his fighting skills and a gun in his hand.


    The girl, as beautiful as an angel, was stunned when a zombie, a walking dead, suddenly came to her and was almost close enough to touch the girl''s white dress.


    Gu Si narrowed his eyes slightly, the hand holding the pistol flicked, and the zombie was shot in the head.


    Almost immediately, the girl lifted her long white dress, ran to Gu Si''s side in panic, and then held the man''s hand with accuracy.


    "Please save me," Yue Ran said. Her voice was hoarse after crying, and it sounded shaky because she was trembling in fear.


    However, to Gu Si, it was a very pleasant voice to listen to.


    Gu Si looked at the red and swollen eyes of the girl in front of him. The tears in it were still dropping down her face, but every time she blinked, her eyes would look so clear and bright, like a glittering night sky full of stars.


    The man held the girl in his hand and pulled her behind him.


    Looking at his actions, Gu Si meant to protect her.


    "May I have your name?" Gu Si asked without looking at the girl.


    "My name is Yue Ran," Yue Ran said.


    Yue Ran.


    Gu Si chewed on these two words carefully. For some reason, he suddenly had the feeling of being closer to the girl in front of him. Just thinking about it gave birth to some secret joy.


    Seeing how Gu Si did not hesitate to protect the girl, the eyes of the other three members of the team flashed a hint of surprise.


    One of them spoke hesitantly, "Boss, we are here to find your fiancee. If you save others again, then there would not be enough seats for all of us."


    At this time, although they felt sorry for this girl, it really was inconvenient for them to save her.


    Gu Si frowned, but when he was about to speak, he found that someone was tugging lightly on the shirt behind him.


    "Sorry to trouble you," Yue Ran said. She lowered her head, and there was obvious loss and despair in her eyes.

 Chapter 99 - 99: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (6)

    Gu Si took Yue Ran''s hand that held his shirt and directly pulled the girl into his arms. He placed both arms around her small shoulders, only to realize that they actually fit together so well.


    They were just like two pieces of a puzzle that complement and harmonize one another.


    "I have my own plans, so do not say such things in the future," Gu Si said to the man who had previously spoken.


    The man froze and inwardly let out a sigh.


    Forget it. Since the boss has already decided, then why should he care more about it and even try to interfere?


    "Yes," the man replied back before looking at the surroundings. "There are more and more zombies combing over. Boss, we must get out of here quickly."


    Gu Si raised his eyes and glanced forward.


    This place was relatively hidden, and a few zombies that came over were quickly eliminated. But in front, there were actually several zombies surrounding a different girl.


    That girl''s figure flexibly shuttled through the crowd of zombies. And although her movements were incoherent, they were still effective enough to kill several zombies around her.


    However, Gu Si could see that that girl might not be able to hold on any longer. Her strength was getting weaker and weaker with the passing of time.


    Gu Si just glanced at the scene lightly and then withdrew his gaze.


    He is neither a saint nor a good person, so he would not help just anyone who is in trouble.


    "Let''s go," he said indifferently.


    "Wait," Yue Ran said, stopping the man with a word. Her small voice came from the figure in the man''s arms.


    When Gu Si heard the girl''s voice, he looked over.


    "That girl... she is my good friend, so can you..." Yue Ran''s words trailed off the longer she spoke.


    Yue Ran bit her lower lip, looking embarrassed, as she looked straight at Gu Si with a pair of limpid eyes. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Si could see his own reflection in those eyes. It felt as if he was the only one in her whole world.


    The man''s unwavering eyes quivered for a while, as if a stone were thrown into a still lake and ripples appeared.


    "This lady, it is good enough for us to save you, so how can we save another one?" Another member of the team questioned Yue Ran. This member had a slightly hot temper.


    From his point of view, Gu Si was fascinated and bewitched by this young woman who looked like an angel in front of him; otherwise, how could he have saved her so uncharacteristically?


    The five people here were still at a stalemate, but Qi Qian on the far side was obviously unable to support herself any longer at this moment. She felt that her physical strength was waning bit by bit and that she was getting weaker and weaker. It could be seen by the movements in her hands, which were getting slower, and her poorer performance.


    The Salvation System was secretly anxious in his heart.


    What was going on? After the system''s testing and scanning, that person from afar was obviously Qi Qian''s destined person! Why did he not come and save Qi Qian now that she was in danger after seeing her?


    The Salvation System was confused and in doubt.


    Qi Qian had just killed several zombies around her, but the energy points she earned were still not enough to save herself at all.


    "You want me to save that girl?" Gu Si asked, looking straight into Yue Ran''s beautiful eyes.


    "Yes, I beg you," Yue Ran said pleadingly.


    The girl became more and more flustered with the words she uttered and gradually stopped crying.


    "But why should I save her?" Gu Si asked with a nonchalant voice.


    Yue Ran raised her head in disbelief, as if she really did not expect the person in front of her to ask such a question.


    Is saving someone in danger when one can do it with little effort not something that should be done?


    Seeing the beautiful girl''s trusting eyes, Gu Si turned his head away.


    He was not a great man who would save just anyone like the girl had thought.


    In fact, just now, Gu Si had already planned to listen to Yue Ran and save that friend who was in danger. But¡­


    It was a very strange feeling to hear the girl cry. He would feel irritable. This was not something that he had ever felt before.


    But he still wanted to hear what the girl would say. He wanted to see how she would plead with him to save her friend. He wanted to hear more of her voice.


    However, before he could hear the girl speak, he suddenly felt a heavy weight in his arms.


    The beautiful girl in his arms had fainted!


    Gu Si: !


    "Boss, look at this necklace!" One of the team members exclaimed aloud.


    Gu Si''s eyes narrowed at what the man had pointed out.


    Was this not the necklace he was looking for?


    So was the girl who had just fainted in his arms his fianc¨¦e? But why did she say that her surname was Yue?


    There were many questions he wanted to ask, but now it was obviously more important to save the girl first.


    Gu Si carried the fainted girl in a princess hug and quickly walked to the car.


    The military base is on the outskirts, not too far from here.


    "You go and bring that girl here," Gu Si instructed his team members without turning his head.


    "Yes," the three replied.


    Qi Qian finally followed those three men into the car.


    At first, Qi Qian was very wary of this group of people who suddenly appeared to save her, but the system had told her that she could go with them, and hence she came.


    However, what Qi Qian did not expect was that she would see Yue Ran here too. And what was even more outrageous was the fact that she was lying intimately in a strange man''s arms!


    The man''s short black hair was styled very casually, but his sharp eyes would make anyone not dare to look at him directly.


    A strong black suit outlines the man''s sturdy figure. He has a high nose bridge, and his thin lips were slightly pursed. He is also very handsome, with three-dimensional and well-defined features and a hint of unruliness in the cold.


    This person is very dangerous.


    This was Qi Qian''s first impression of the man.


    But now the problem is: why was Yue Ran, who looked unconscious, held in the man''s arms?


    Although Qi Qian really does not want to care about Yue Ran now, in this kind of zombie apocalypse, at the end of times, at this moment, Yue Ran really was the only person she knew.


    "What have you done to her?" Qi Qian questioned Gu Si suspiciously.


    Hearing the girl''s questioning, Gu Si, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat of the car, did not even bother to turn his head around. He only acted as if he had not heard any questions.


    On the contrary, the person who sat beside Qi Qian, who looked especially fierce, was also the person who spoke in a very unfriendly way to her.


    "Did we allow you to speak?" the man asked.


    "You!" Qi Qian exclaimed.


    Qi Qian felt inexplicably angry and aggrieved, but she could not speak out or fight them with her meager power.


    Although Gu Qi stayed in the army, he was always a little more free to do whatever he wanted compared to others. He could also be said to be very indifferent, just like in the present moment, where he could turn a blind eye to Qi Qian''s plight.


    This was the real him.


    Gu Si is not absolutely good, nor was he also absolutely bad. He would only do what he wanted to do. That was it.


    In the plot, Gu Si, the main male protagonist, could be said to be the strongest person in this zombie apocalypse, even stronger than that of the female protagonist, Qi Qian. If such a person does not have an absolute position relative to where he is standing, then he must be a very dangerous person.


    Most of Gu Si''s decision was just to remain indifferent and to stay out of the way. To him, whether it was the end of the world or the normal world where there was still no zombie apocalypse, human life had nothing to do with him.


    Later, under the continuous admonition and efforts of the female protagonist, Gu Si finally agreed to help the female protagonist save mankind together.


    And the three team members around Gu Si have been with him for a long time. Their temperaments and morals were more or less the same.


    As for the original body that Yue Ran was in, she was only cannon fodder in the apocalypse and sold her body and beauty for protection.


    The original body would find the strongest man that she had met that was up to her taste, seduce him, and wrap him around her fingers like that of a dodder flower who could not live without the protection of others.


    Accidents happened, and the original body changed men twice. And when it came to the third man, her two other men came to find fault when they could finally locate her position.


    These three men obviously fought one another. However, the original body was actually hit by a stray attack during the fight that killed her in one blow.

 Chapter 100 - 100: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (7)

    The original body lost her life just like that.


    And now, the original body''s only wish was to survive at all costs.


    It does not matter who Yue Ran chooses to be with; the original body only wanted to survive, regardless of the cost.


    So Yue Ran will fulfill the original body''s wish. That was as long as she could get the original body''s soul power in exchange, which Yue Ran did.


    "So, where are we going now?" Qi Qian asked after calming herself down. This time, her tone sounded better than before.


    "To the base," one of the team members said.


    "Base?" Qi Qian asked questioningly.


    "Gee, why do you have so many questions to ask? We would not hurt you anyway," one of the team members replied impatiently.


    "Why do you want to save me?" Qi Qian asked again, ignoring the unfriendly gazes directed at her.


    "Of course it is for our sister-in-law. If it were not for our sister-in-law''s request to save you, who would want to volunteer to save you? Heh," one of the three other team members sneered.


    Sister-in-law?


    Qi Qian frowned suspiciously before asking, "Who is your sister-in-law?"


    Speaking of which, the man was amused. It was really rare, or rather, almost impossible, to see the boss'' emotional life.


    The man pursed his lips towards Yue Ran, who was lying peacefully in Gu Si''s arms.


    "Well, it is your friend. She is our eldest brother''s fiancee," the man replied.


    Hearing this kind of answer made Qi Qian''s brows tightly wrinkle, and a surge of anger grew in her heart.


    Fiancee?


    How dare she!


    Yue Ran had accepted Fu Chen''s love confession, but had she had a fiancee all along?


    Not to mention that Fu Chen was also dead and buried in a group of zombies for her! In the end, she was actually such a feisty woman who stepped on two boats in a relationship!


    "You are saying that Yue Ran is his fiancee!" Qi Qian yelled in indignation.


    Qi Qian''s voice was so sharp that it caused Yue Ran, who was in Gu Si''s arms, to stir and frown uncomfortably.


    Gu Si gently stroked the girl''s beautiful eyebrows, and there was a hint of tenderness in those eyes of his. But when he glanced back, he immediately looked irritable and gloomy. In an instant, his perception of Qi Qian turned from poor to extremely poor.


    "Shut up!" Gu Si''s reply was curt.


    The man''s clear and cold voice came into Qi Qian''s ears. Although he did not sound loud, there was just a kind of magic power that would make people unconsciously surrender to him.


    Although Qi Qian was clearly afraid, she still wanted to speak out stubbornly. She just has to expose Yue Ran''s true face!


    "You said that she is your fiancee?" Qi Qian sneered. "Then do you know that she actually has a boyfriend? Today, it was just today that her boyfriend had died among the zombies for her!"


    When Gu Si heard the word "boyfriend" coming out of Qi Qian''s mouth, his eyes flashed with displeasure and jealousy, which Gu Si himself probably did not even realize.


    As long as Gu Si thought that someone once embraced the beauty of the girl in his arms, he could not help but want to kill that person.


    Gu Si quietly held Yue Ran''s slender and petite hand a little tighter, and his eyes were cold.


    As for the girl''s boyfriend''s death, it was really a good death. It was the man''s honor to sacrifice his life for the girl in his arms.


    "No one will think that you are mute just because you do not speak," Gu Si said.


    The man sitting next to Qi Qian immediately understood the meaning of Gu Si''s words. He immediately tied Qi Qian up and sealed her mouth with tape.


    "Um, um, hmph!" Qi Qian struggled to get out of the ropes and tried to shout out incoherent words.


    "Boss, the air is clean now," the man who tied up Qi Qian said.


    Gu Si hummed lightly and stayed quiet. He grabbed the hand of the girl in his arms and stared indifferently ahead. No one knew what he was thinking of at this moment.


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed. She suddenly moved uncomfortably and moaned in a hoarse voice. Then her eyelashes trembled a little, and she opened her eyes.


    Those eyes were bright, shining like stars in the night, holding a little bit of ignorance and daze because she had just woken up from her sleep. Her ignorance was so pure that it looked fascinating.


    Gu Si''s Adam''s apple secretly moved up and down a few times.


    "You are awake," Gu Si said.


    Yue Ran nodded subconsciously, then her eyes widened when she realized where she was sitting. A pair of pink clouds floated to her cheeks at the right time, staining her ears red.


    "Thank you for saving me," Yue Ran said.


    "Then, how do you want to thank me?" Gu Si asked in a slightly ambiguous tone; his voice sounded low in the girl''s ears.


    Gu Si leaned forward, using his body to block everyone''s sight that was looking at the girl.


    Yue Ran''s pink earlobes turned red.


    "I..." she started, but her words immediately trailed off soon after. She did not know what words to use at this moment.


    "Mm, um, hmm!"


    When Qi Qian looked in Gu Si''s direction and saw that Yue Ran had woken up, she immediately struggled to move from the ropes and tried hard to make noise.


    Yue Ran pushed the man away for a while, then exposed her head to one side of Gu Si''s broad shoulders.


    "Qian Qian!" Yue Ran exclaimed, then looked at Qi Qian in question. "What is wrong with you?"


    Qi Qian was speechless and just stared at Yue Ran with a pair of reddened eyes.


    "What did you guys do to Qian Qian?" Yue Ran asked.


    Yue Ran opened her mouth to ask Gu Si, and she asked the man with tears in her eyes.


    Gu Si could only sigh helplessly at the girl in his arms. In an instant, all the ice around his body seemed to melt away, revealing lush greenery and the blooming flowers of spring.


    He raised his hand and wiped the tears from the end of Yue Ran''s eyes with a finger, then said, "Let her go."


    Almost as soon as he instructed his men, Qi Qian was released from the tight ropes. Once the tape was stripped out of her mouth, although it was painful, she still could not help but speak out loud.


    "Yue Ran, I have really misread you," Qi Qian started. "You obviously have a fiancee, so why do you still want to provoke Fu Chen?"


    Yue Ran looked at Qi Qian in surprise.


    "When did I have a fiancee?" Yue Ran asked. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Why did she not know about it? And why has she never heard of it?


    Seeing that Yue Ran still looked very good-looking and delicate even in the zombie apocalypse, in addition to having that pitiful look on her face, Qi Qian immediately felt angry.


    "Stop pretending! They have all told me about it!" Qi Qian spoke loudly.


    Qi Qian was then greeted by the four men in the car with bad and unfriendly expressions on their faces.


    Yue Ran''s suspicious eyes shifted to Gu Si, who was still holding her tightly in his arms.


    Gu Si cleared his throat and took out two necklaces from the inner pocket of his black suit.


    "This necklace is mine," Gu Si said as he pointed to one of the necklaces. When he pointed to the other one, he said, "And this one belongs to Ran Ran." There was a slight arc on his lips as he continued, "This is the token of our marriage contract that my grandfather gave us when we were very young. But because the Gu family went abroad later, it is forgivable for Ran Ran not to know about it."


    It was rare for Gu Si to speak so much at once and in one breath. And it was also to declare his relationship with Yue Ran in front of outsiders. He was simply declaring his sovereignty over the person he liked.


    "That¡­ Is that not my necklace?" Qi Qian exclaimed.


    Qi Qian recognized its design almost immediately, as Gu Si had taken it out. It was the necklace that she had worn since she was a child.


    Gu Si glanced at Qi Qian with extremely gloomy eyes and clenched the necklace in his hand.


    "Yes, this necklace belongs to Qian Qian," Yue Ran said with a nod. "You are mistaken."


    Gu Si clicked his tongue angrily. He did not expect things to be like this.


    The man immediately threw the necklace in his hand to Qi Qian, then continued to hold Yue Ran in his arms without letting go. Then he closed his eyes in silence.


    "I¡­ I have already woken up," Yue Ran said. "Can you let me go now?"


    Yue Ran moved uncomfortably in Gu Si''s arms. Coincidentally, the off-road vehicle seemed to have hit something on the road, and the car jumped a little. This caused Yue Ran to bump into something hard, and Gu Si snorted sensitively.


    The girl seemed to have realized something, and she froze.


    Looking at the adorably shy face of the girl in his arms, Gu Si felt that the depression and gloom in his heart seemed to have retreated a little bit.


    "Did you not beg me to save you just a while ago?" Gu Si asked with an evil smile.

 Chapter 101 - 101: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (8)

    "Now, it would be useless for you to escape from me," Gu Si said in a low voice. "You are mine, Ran Ran."


    There was a little bit of paranoia laced in the man''s cold voice, like that of Satan from hell, dangerous yet alluring.


    The man''s thin lips kissed the girl''s now-red earlobe after he said his words. He even stuck out his tongue to lick it, then bit it wickedly. As expected, the girl trembled in his arms, as he had wished.


    Almost immediately, the girl who had just said that she wanted him to let go of her fell softly into his arms with tears in her eyes.


    So sensitive and so cute.


    Gu Si embraced the girl contentedly. His dark eyes deepened a little more.


    This is just right.


    Yue Ran should always be like this. She can only fully depend on him to survive.


    Yue Ran is his.


    Although the people at the back could not see the movements in the front seat, the ambiguous atmosphere could still be felt by everyone in the car.


    Qi Qian''s face became ashen.


    These two people... One is obviously her fiancee, whom she had just known she had, and the other is the girlfriend of her now-dead crush. In short, these two people were just so blatantly flirting in front of her.


    "You guys¡ª" Qi Qian started but was immediately cut off by the cold words.


    "Shut up if you do not want to go down and be fed to the zombies," Gu Si said.


    "I am your fiancee," Qi Qian replied stubbornly.


    "Oh!" Gu Si sneered. "See if he really recognizes you as my so-called fiancee."


    Gu Si gestured out of the window with his eyes, and Qi Qian also turned her head to look over.


    But all she saw was the abnormally blue face of a zombie that was lying on the side of the window, grinning brightly with piercing red blood flowing out of his open mouth. His hands were long, and his sharp, pointed nails had rotted away. He was banging hard on the window when he saw Qi Qian looking over at him.


    Qi Qian, who had suddenly seen such a horrible sight in front of her, was so frightened that her whole body went cold. She could not even make a sound to shout or utter something out loud.


    She was shaking all over, and she could not even see or hear anything around her.


    That was until a gunshot sounded.


    Someone had killed the zombie, and red blood instantly spurted everywhere.


    Qi Qian now felt as if she had come back to life.


    On the other hand, Yue Ran got up from Gu Si''s arms and wanted to see what had just happened, but she was suddenly pressed into the man''s arms by a hand.


    In an instant, a very pleasant smell of cool and minty fragrance spread and lingered on her nose.


    "What is Ran Ran trying to look out for as a delicate and pretty girl?" Gu Si asked in a relaxed tone.


    He held the girl tightly in his arms and raised both of his hands to cover her ears.


    "Do not be afraid," he said.


    Hearing the sudden sound of a gunshot made Yue Ran''s body tremble for a moment. Then, very slowly, she also stretched out her hands to wrap them around the narrow waist of the man in front of her.


    At this time, Qi Qian had finally recovered from her trance, and her blood warmed up again.


    She finally felt that she was still alive.


    But when she turned her head, all she saw were the two people hugging in front of her.


    The man''s expression was indifferent, but there was a gentleness between his brows and eyes that could not be faked. Moreover, the movements he made seemed to really regard the person in his arms as his priceless treasure that no one other than him could touch.


    Qi Qian immediately felt a little blocked and sour in her heart. She could not understand the scene in front of her for some reason.


    The Salvation System, which is bound to Qi Qian, could naturally sense Qi Qian''s emotions to a certain extent. And right now, the Salvation System also feels very puzzled.


    It was obvious that these two people¡ªQi Qian and Gu Si¡ªwere both destined to be together. Yet why is such a man, who was destined to be with another woman, so interested in another girl?


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian, it is okay. That man named Gu Si is your destined person, and he will definitely like you when you have awakened your supernatural powers."


    Qi Qian finally fell silent, and her eyes turned slightly red at some point in time.


    Qi Qian: "Um."


    Qi Qian answered lightly in her heart, but no one knew what precise thoughts she was having right now.


    ¡­


    A small group of zombies appeared in front of the off-road vehicle.


    This small group of zombies was different from those in the past. Their bodies were harder and stronger than those of before, and they could even catch up quickly even if they were hit by a car. Moreover, their speed is also much faster than that of the car.


    Gu Si looked at the disgusting things that were constantly and relentlessly entangled outside of the window, and disgust flashed in his eyes.


    The off-road vehicle was finally forced to stop, and the people inside could not sit still. They were only temporarily safe inside for now.


    "Boss, let us go out and deal with it first," one of the three other team members suggested.


    "Um," Gu Si replied with a nod.


    Although the soldiers were strong and professionally trained, they were still outnumbered by the zombies outside. Moreover, these things are not humans but the undead. This meant that they would not fall without hurting their vital point, which is their heads.


    One wave of zombies came after the other, and even the strongest of the soldiers would inevitably be exhausted.


    Gu Si frowned as he looked at the scene outside.


    The sky was dim and cloudy, and dust was everywhere. Plants withered, animals died, and only the tall buildings outside were around to prove that there was once a place of prosperity in the world.


    But at the moment, all the living humans here have turned into this kind of undead with their rotting blue and green bodies, their mouths open blankly, and they are walking towards their former companions.


    Gu Si took Yue Ran''s delicate little hand into his.


    "Just wait behind me and do not move around, okay?" he asked gently.


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed. "I understand." She held the man back and answered with great confidence and trust in him.


    Seemingly stained by the trust in the girl''s eyes, Gu Si added another two sentences: "Although it may look scary and hard to get through, it is really not difficult either. As long as you follow me, everything will be fine."


    Right now, staying in this off-road vehicle is a very dangerous thing to do. With this car as the target of the attack, a circle of zombies was always surrounding and attacking it.


    At this time, the only way to get out of this encirclement was to go down the road and escape. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait a moment!" Qi Qian suddenly spoke out loud after a long silence. "You guys, are you all going to get out of the car?"


    Although Qi Qian had killed a few zombies before, that did not mean that she was not afraid of them or disgusted by them!


    Now that everyone is getting off the car, she will be left all alone. Is that not just throwing her into the mouth of the zombies outside?


    Gu Si frowned at her and thought about it. After a while, he took out a gun and threw it at her.


    Qi Qian was the person that his grandfather wanted him to find to be his fiancee. If she just died right under his nose, it would be hard for him to explain what had happened if he went back to the base.


    It was just that no matter how much effort he put in, he, Gu Si, would not and did not want to do anything more for her.


    Qi Qian could barely catch the gun from the air into her hands and instantly saw Gu Si getting out of the car while carefully protecting Yue Ran behind him.


    She bit her lip tightly, and a trace of inexplicable grievance sprouted in her heart. But it was only a flash; it came as fast as it went because she forced herself to eliminate those unnecessary emotions in these dangerous times.


    She, Qi Qian, cannot die.


    She has to live!


    At this moment, Qi Qian suddenly calmed down a lot, as if she were not a female university student who had not experienced any hardships, but rather like a calm ship that had gone through a thousand sails.


    She, Qi Qian, had grown up at this moment.


    Yue Ran: The female protagonist should thank me for helping her grow up.


    The Salvation System looked at Qi Qian with satisfaction and nodded inwardly.


    Well, it was as expected of the person it had chosen.


    She should be calm when she should be calm, she should be independent, and she is avid for self-improvement. She should rely on herself to become stronger step by step in this apocalypse.


    The off-road vehicle was already surrounded by zombies at this time.

 Chapter 102 - 102: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (9)

    Qi Qian was still sitting inside the car, and as the car swayed, her eyes reddened, and she looked at the five people who gradually opened up a way of life not far away.


    She was just like this. It was always like this. She was so easily abandoned by others. It was always so easy for others to abandon her!


    ¡­


    "Chief Gu, you are back!" a soldier exclaimed.


    This is a military base located on the outskirts of City C. It mainly trains soldiers and conducts weapon research. It was previously an absolutely secret and hidden place. But now, because of the sudden incident that there was a zombie apocalypse in the world, in order to protect the human beings who have not yet been infected, several upper-level officials have decided to open up some areas of the base to accept humans without charge.


    And the Gu family is naturally one of the founders of this apocalyptic base.


    When one of the soldiers in charge of guarding the gate saw Gu Si, his eyes lit up a little.


    Chief Gu is known to everyone in the army. He sat in the position of a colonel at a very young age, and every time he was out on a mission, he would perform extremely well. He is reputable, respected, and especially inspiring for soldiers in the army.


    Such a person is naturally the idol of many soldiers.


    "Um," Gu Si responded lightly, taking Yue Ran''s hand to walk straight inside the base.


    However, before the two could step in, the same soldier came over and looked at Gu Si with some hesitation.


    "Chief Gu, who is this lady?" The soldier asked.


    Meeting Gu Si''s sudden cold and condensed gaze, the little soldier suddenly shuddered.


    "What is wrong?" Gu Si asked in an indifferent tone.


    "Um, it is like this," the little soldier started. "There is an order from above that anyone who enters the base must go through all aspects of inspection, so..." He glanced at Yue Ran before lowering his head to the ground.


    Gu Si frowned, then he looked at the other soldier not far away who was rudely searching the body of a person.


    "I am sure that she is okay," Gu Si said.


    "But¡­" The little soldier started, but his uttered word immediately trailed off into silence when he was stared at by Gu Si''s chilling eyes.


    Seeing that the atmosphere was getting more and more wrong, Yue Ran stepped closer and placed one hand on Gu Si''s arm to get his attention.


    Yue Ran smiled gently. It was a smile that was sweet to the heart.


    "It is okay," Yue Ran said. "I can get checked."


    The little soldier suddenly blushed suspiciously.


    This girl¡­ this girl is just too beautiful! Is this Chief Gu''s girlfriend?


    Gu Si saw the flushed face of the little soldier in front of his eyes, and a chill flashed through those pair of inky black eyes. He turned his body slightly, and this move completely blocked the girl behind him. He lowered his eyes and thought about the little soldier''s words about the rules of mandatory inspection for a while.


    There was a short pause until Gu Si raised his head and said to the little soldier, "Anyone who belongs to the base can help search, right?"


    "Ah?" The little soldier let out a voice of surprise. He was stunned for a while.


    What do Gu Si''s words mean exactly?


    "It¡­ it seems to be like this, yes," the little soldier hurriedly replied.


    Getting the answer he wanted, Gu Si said, "Then let me do an inspection on her myself."


    After he said so, Gu Si pulled Yue Ran with him into a shed not far away without waiting for the little soldier to react.


    In just a few seconds, only the little soldier was left, and he remained in a daze for a while.


    ¡­


    "You," Yue Ran said, feeling a little startled by Gu Si''s unexpected actions. "What are you doing?"


    At this time, Gu Si''s warm and big palms that emitted fiery heat were firmly locked on the beautiful girl''s slender waist, and they slowly swam up her body, leaving behind little bursts of itchiness that led Yue Ran to curl both her fingers and her toes.


    "Do not move, Ran Ran," Gu Si said. "I am doing an inspection."


    The man took a step forward ambiguously, leaned his head closer to the girl''s, and hot air sprayed into her ear. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, do not, um," Yue Ran said incoherently.


    Gu Si''s hand kept slithering upwards, and in a blink of an eye, they had reached the edge of her chest.


    Yue Ran is wearing a white dress that is fitted to her waist and has lace designs. She had a slender figure, and her undulating curves could be seen from outside her dress. Just seeing her could arouse people''s desire to protect her.


    Yue Ran blocked the pair of hands that were messing around and pushed them away in a silent response to reject the man''s approach.


    Although Gu Si was smiling, his eyes grew deeper, and the emotions rolling in were dark and obscure, which shows that he was not as calm as he had looked outside.


    The man raised his hands and skipped her upper torso before landing exactly on the girl''s delicate chin. He then pressed his thumb on it.


    With just a little effort, a small red mark was easily left on the girl''s unbelievably soft skin.


    So delicate.


    Gu Si thought silently.


    Because of her raised chin, Yue Ran was forced to look up at the man.


    The girl''s limpid eyes looked pitiful, and Gu Si''s eyes instantly darkened even more. It was just like the deep and murky waters of a lake that no one knows the depth of.


    The man''s thumb brushed upwards and stopped on the girl''s full and rosy lips. Gu Si could not help but press hard and grind on it, making them stained even more with the color red.


    Gu Si slowly lowered his head and then covered those crimson-red lips that he had coveted for so long. He stretched out the tip of his bright red tongue and licked it carefully before he began to push forward.


    He kissed and bit on the girl''s lips more vigorously, wanting to cover all of Yue Ran''s breath with his.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran let out a soft moan.


    Gu Si''s movements are full of strong aggression, which almost makes Yue Ran feel a little overwhelmed.


    Almost instantly, the girl''s legs softened, and she could only lean on the man''s arms.


    Gu Si supported Yue Ran, who could barely sit still, with his hands snaked tightly around the girl''s slender waist, hugging her tightly into his arms.


    Gu Si, who looked very skilled, had actually kissed a girl for the first time. He had never been close to any woman before, nor had he ever been interested in them. But now he just could not get enough of the beautiful girl in front of him.


    Very soft and very sweet.


    It was a taste that he could get intoxicated by with no effort.


    Gu Si seldom eats sweets, but at this moment, he seriously and firmly thinks that Yue Ran is probably the sweetest existence in the world.


    No one knew how long it took before Gu Si finally let go of Yue Ran.


    This person, from the moment she took the initiative to ask him for help, was destined to be his.


    Perhaps earlier, from the first time he saw her, the girl''s helpless and pitiful but clear and noble appearance had already attracted him.


    ¡­


    When Gu Si led Yue Ran out, the little soldier was still in sight. It turned out that he had been waiting outside the shed for Gu Si''s news.


    When he saw the two coming out, the little soldier immediately walked over and gave Gu Si a very standard military salute.


    "Chief Gu," the little soldier said.


    "Um," Gu Si let out a voice and gave him a nod. "There is nothing for you to do here, so you can go back to your post."


    The little soldier looked at Gu Si, then his eyes shifted to Yue Ran, who was blocked behind him. Although the little soldier was puzzled, he still respectfully responded to Gu Si and then went back to his post.


    Behind Gu Si was Yue Ran, who was dressed as usual. The only change from when she entered the shed was her blushing face and reddened eyes.


    It was just that no one knew that on the girl''s skin, which was as white and delicate as porcelain, there were deep and shallow crimson traces printed on it because of the man''s reckless actions.


    If one were to pull on the girl''s dress, one would see just how densely packed those dense marks were, which told them just how fierce Gu Si and Yue Ran''s intimate actions were.


    ¡­


    Gu Si brought Yue Ran to the residence that he lived in at the base.


    This is an independent house with excellent security facilities and a very beautiful garden at the back.


    "Ran Ran?" The man asked.


    "Hmm?" Yue Ran was stunned for a while before she realized that her name was suddenly called out by Gu Si. She really did not expect the man to suddenly call her.


    Gu Si stepped forward and hugged the girl from behind.


    "Ran Ran, you have to be familiar with this nickname that I have given you," Gu Si said.

 Chapter 103 - 103: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (10)

    "Um," Yue Ran replied with lowered eyes.


    Yue Ran''s voice sounded sweet and soft as usual, but this time her tone was slightly cold.


    Gu Si''s intuition told him that the girl was not usually like this. Then he suddenly thought of Yue Ran''s so-called boyfriend.


    He did not know if she would do the same in front of that so-called boyfriend or if she would be more enthusiastic and even take the initiative when they did intimate things together.


    "Ran Ran has ever had a boyfriend before?" Gu Si asked.


    These words were suddenly asked with no emotion, as if the man was just asking the girl casually or perfunctorily with no intentions of really wanting to know her answer.


    Only Gu Si himself knew of the rage hidden under his "perfunctory" words.


    It was only the first time that he and Yue Ran had met, yet he could not wait to encircle the girl in his own territory and even wanted to imprint all his traces on her body to declare his sovereignty and also to make sure that she was his.


    Gu Si wanted to hear the girl''s soft cry under him when they were to do intimate things between couples.


    But all of this can only be done by him.


    Yue Ran''s eyes trembled, and she gently replied, "Um."


    "So, have you two been like this before?" he asked.


    Gu Si had brought Yue Ran into his arms with a hugging posture. He lowered his head and kissed the girl''s elegant and slender neck. And as if this were still not enough, he nibbled on her skin and ground it softly with his teeth.


    "Um, no, never," Yue Ran said while trying to shrink her neck and avoid the man''s touch.


    Hearing the negative answer, Gu Si felt a little more happy.


    Ah, it looks like they just have a "pure campus love" kind of relationship.


    Gu Si loosened his hold on Yue Ran and took off his lips that were on her skin. Looking at the red spot that had been ravaged by him, he turned his head to kiss the girl''s tender white cheek.


    He likes his marks on her.


    "It is safe here, so have a good rest here, okay, Ran Ran?" Gu Si smiled and said, "Women''s clothes are temporarily not available, so Ran Ran can wear mine first. The bedroom is in the first room on the left of the second floor."


    Gu Si thought that this time the beautiful girl would simply answer a short "um" as usual, but he did not expect to see her turn away so unexpectedly.


    He immediately pulled on the girl''s hand with panic on his face.


    "You," Yue Ran blinked and said. "Are you leaving now?"


    Gu Si''s heart suddenly became very soft.


    So she does not plan to leave him.


    Suddenly being depended on made Gu Si feel very happy and needed.


    "Yes, I just got back, so I have something to report to the higher-ups, but I will definitely be back soon," Gu Si said.


    Gu Si, who has always been arrogant, did not expect that one day he would also need to explain to someone what he was going to do in such detail.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran hummed softly. "Then you have to come back quickly."


    The girl frowned as if she were reluctant to let him go, but she could only see him off.


    "Um." Gu Si let out a sound from his mouth.


    He smiled and rubbed the girl''s head with doting affection.


    Her hair felt really soft on his callused hand.


    ¡­


    The second Gu Si stepped out of the house and the door was closed, the reluctance in Yue Ran''s eyes immediately faded away.


    She still had the same expression on her face, but her whole body''s bearing had changed a little.


    As a person who loves beauty and handsome men, how could Yue Ran not take advantage of the jade-like beauty of Fu Chen, her now-dead boyfriend, and also the female protagonist''s crush and the white moonlight in her heart?


    "Ruan Ruan," Yue Ran called out to the system in her sea of consciousness.


    "Here, Master, Ruan Ruan is here!" Ruan Ruan immediately replied excitedly.


    "What is the female protagonist doing now?" Yue Ran asked with a raised brow. "How is she?"


    "Let Ruan Ruan check first," Ruan Ruan replied, and then there was a pause and silence. "Ruan Ruan found it! The female protagonist was unfortunately bitten by a zombie while trying to escape from the zombie encirclement before, and now she has a high fever. But according to the plot, when she wakes up, she should have awakened her ability."


    "Hmm." Yue Ran hummed leisurely. "I see."


    Yue Ran narrowed her eyes slightly, then calmly made her way to Gu Si''s bedroom on the second floor.


    "What about Gu Si?" the girl asked Ruan Ruan again.


    "According to the plot, the female protagonist will have to go through some hardships to awaken her ability, but now, for some reason, this event has happened earlier," Ruan Ruan started. "And because of this sudden change, the overall process of this world may also speed up. Therefore, it is very likely that Gu Si will awaken his ability very soon too."


    "Hmm." Yue Ran hummed softly again.


    "So, does Master really, really not want to exchange points in the system store to awaken an ability?" Ruan Ruan asked in a worried tone.


    Although he knew that his Master is very powerful in terms of beauty and her soul, in the literal sense, almost everyone she comes in contact with in this world will awaken their supernatural abilities!


    Will his Master feel left out? Will his Master be bullied by others? S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran smiled softly.


    Although this body would not awaken any supernatural abilities, she still had the certainty to win and finish the task in this world flawlessly. After all, she has beauty and charm. That alone is enough to conquer the strategic targets.


    "I already have a supernatural ability," Yue Ran replied.


    Her supernatural ability is beauty.


    It was obvious that she only needed to show her face and open her mouth to talk a little. So why does she have to waste her points to awaken a supernatural ability and end up moving her own hands by doing hard work for nothing?


    It was still a better idea to sit back, relax, and win without moving a finger.


    That was how a real dodder flower worked.


    ¡­


    When Gu Si came back, he did not see anyone in the empty living room.


    He walked around the first floor, and still, there was no one.


    The man frowned, and then he turned on his mobile phone to check the surveillance at the door.


    No one had walked out. More precisely, Yue Ran has not gone out of the house. So if she had not been out, then this must mean that she is still inside the house.


    Suddenly, Gu Si breathed out a sigh of relief, and his expression became less tense and more relaxed.


    In the end, the man found the girl in his bedroom.


    Yue Ran''s petite figure was curled up while lying down on his bed in a sideways position. She was covered in a dark blue quilt and was sleeping soundly.


    The girl''s face looked very pure and obedient. Her long, inky black hair was spread out on the bed and fell on her snow-white shoulders, which still had red marks on them.


    Her lips were red, her skin was the color of snow, and her long black hair lay down like a waterfall. Even if she was asleep, she could still effortlessly attract others, just like a charming and bewitching siren luring unwary sailors onto rocks.


    She is so beautiful.


    Gu Si''s breathing suddenly became heavier. There seemed to be a storm that swept over his inky black eyes. It was as if the incoming danger was invisible and hidden from sight.


    The room was a cool color that Gu Si was familiar with, but now, in his absolute domain, in his absolute territory, a Sleeping Beauty was right in front of his eyes.


    That beauty breathes evenly as she sleeps soundly. She looked very comfortable and at peace, which obviously showed that she was adapting well to this new environment.


    Gu Si stepped forward, and a fierce madness surged in his heart.


    This was what he wanted. He wanted Yue Ran to become a part of his world and be completely integrated into it.


    Gu Si looked at Yue Ran with fiery eyes, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a soft moan coming from the petite figure on his bed.


    "Hmm¡­"


    The girl on the bed rolled over and raised her closed eyelids.


    Gu Si looked funnily at Yue Ran, who had half-opened eyes and was still looking confused and in a daze from waking up just a few seconds ago.


    When she saw a familiar person standing in front of the bed, surprise flashed in Yue Ran''s eyes. Then she forced herself to sit up and opened her arms towards the man.


    Gu Si was immediately stunned. This was a very rare moment for him.


    Yue Ran was wearing one of his white shirts with a few buttons left unbuttoned, and it was very loose and big on her small body. Her collarbone and shoulders were exposed, and the long sleeves had fully covered the girl''s fingers, hanging down loosely on their ends.


    Under the warm yellow light, the snow-white skin looked even more dazzling than before, making Gu Si unable to move his eyes.

 Chapter 104 - 104: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (11)

    But what does she mean by opening her arms wide? Is she asking him for a hug, perhaps?


    Gu Si took a few tentative steps and unknowingly softened his tough attitude. When he was very close to the girl, he was greeted by a warm and soft embrace.


    "Why did you just come back now?" she asked in an aggrieved tone, sounding very coquettish in his ears. The man did not miss the lazy edge in her tone, which made his eyes narrow and bend into a smile.


    Yue Ran lowered her head and rubbed her head against the man''s arms. She uncontrollably let out a soft yawn, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes before gathering at the end of them.


    For the first time in his life, Gu Si realized what the word "adorable" actually meant.


    So sweet, so milky, so cute.


    The soft and slender waist of the girl in his arms was so small that Gu Si could not help but snake his hands around it. He had a feeling that he had fully possessed the girl when he made this move, which makes him feel addicted.


    How could there be a beauty who is so fragile, delicate, and pitiful during the day, but when the night comes, she would become a peerless and coquettish little cutie?


    "Sorry for coming back so late," Gu Si said.


    He has never apologized to anyone before, but he did not mind doing it again to the soft little girl in his arms.


    "I am still so sleepy," Yue Ran muttered. "Let us go to sleep."


    "Okay, then I will take a shower first," Gu Si said softly. "Ran Ran can go to sleep first."


    "Uh-huh." Yue Ran lazily let out a sound and nodded slowly in the man''s arms.


    When Gu Si came back from his shower, he found that the girl had already fallen asleep again.


    There was a smile on the corner of his mouth as he carefully climbed onto the bed to position himself next to her.


    When he pulled Yue Ran into his arms, he did not even realize just how careful his actions were. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good night," Gu Si whispered softly in the silent night.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran saw the female protagonist, Qi Qian, again, it was already a month later.


    In the past month, many people on the military base have awakened their abilities one after another. At first, everyone was curious and scared at the same time, but in the later period, everyone was completely happy. After all, having a supernatural ability means having the power to fight zombies!


    In an instant, the base was filled with joy.


    At the same time, the base has gradually entered the right track, and various responsibilities, operations, and missions are classified and put into order.


    Most human beings have already adapted to this "end of the world" lifestyle.


    Qi Qian came into the base at this time.


    Her supernatural ability was a lightning ability at level three.


    It is level three!


    At the present moment, except for the legendary Chief Gu, almost all the power users in the base are only at level one of their abilities. And right now, this seemingly ordinary girl actually has a supernatural ability at level three?


    Oh, and by the way, this seemingly ordinary girl actually came to the base alone after passing through layers of protection!


    In an instant, the name "Qi Qian" became well-known in the base.


    It was rare for a woman to gain supernatural abilities, and now Qi Qian was still at level three! How amazing!


    Qi Qian raised her eyes and scanned her surroundings.


    Looking around, she felt that the military base was just like that. It was, well, in a word, normal.


    Qi Qian''s long hair, which used to be dainty and obedient, making her look very well-behaved and honest, was now tied up high into a ponytail. And the black tights of unknown material outlined the girl''s figure as much as possible.


    This was the standard and proper post-apocalyptic fashion for a cold and powerful heroine.


    And this person had almost completely changed from the Qi Qian from a month ago!


    ¡­


    "A Si, the roses over there are so beautiful," Yue Ran said. She was holding onto Gu Si''s arms intimately, intertwining her fingers in his, and smiling sweetly at him.


    At this time, she was pointing at an old man who was selling flowers not far away. Her voice was naturally soft and sweet.


    It was really strange for a man to wear a black suit in this apocalypse. Although Gu Si''s suit looks good on his body, it is not so easy to run away when danger strikes and one''s life cannot be guaranteed.


    Gu Si felt a little helpless at Yue Ran''s choice of clothes. After all, it was Yue Ran who asked him to wear it, so he could only comply.


    As for the reason, Yue Ran said that it was a fashionable couple''s outfit, which just perfectly fit her white dress.


    It was for this reason that Young Master Gu immediately followed her words. He even felt that this restrictive outfit was very comfortable to wear.


    In the old man''s booth was a basket of gorgeous roses. This was what she wanted.


    In the zombie apocalypse, if a pure natural rose had grown from the earth, then it could be said to be a miracle. And even if they were grown naturally, not many people were willing to buy such a thing when everyone was hoarding for more supplies.


    What was more, the roses in the booth not far away were grown artificially. It was most likely to have grown with the old man''s supernatural abilities.


    Gu Si looked at the basket of flowers from a distance, raised his brows slightly, and asked with a little puzzlement in his tone, "I can give you as many roses as you want, so why do you want to buy someone else''s flowers?"


    He could not seem to understand.


    Gu Si had awakened two supernatural abilities: water and wood.


    These two seemingly mild and low-attack attributes had developed into the strongest attributes in this zombie apocalypse under the control of Gu Si''s terrifying spiritual power.


    Of course, naturally, it was only limited to Gu Si and Gu Si alone. This was all thanks to his male protagonist''s halo.


    As a wood-type supernatural ability user, it was easy for him to grow flowers.


    "That is different," Yue Ran said. "I just want the flowers that A Si bought for me."


    The girl raised her chin and spoke out with a spoiled tone.


    How could Gu Si ever refuse Yue Ran?


    Of course he could buy it for her, but...


    "Then, tonight, Ran Ran and I will try to do it in another position, okay?" The man asked in a low and ambiguous tone.


    The girl''s jade-white face was suddenly dyed pink.


    "How could you..." Yue Ran just started to speak, but her words instantly trailed off at the end. She breathed in before saying in a very low tone, "How could you bring up this kind of thing in public?"


    Gu Si let out an elongated "oh" as he continued with a smirk, "But Ran Ran did not intend to refuse me, so does that not mean that you have promised me?"


    Yue Ran: !


    "Then, let us go and buy Ran Ran''s favorite roses," Gu Si said.


    Yue Ran was suddenly interrupted by Gu Si before she could even speak in reply to his words. The man gently pulled her to the place where the flowers were sold.


    However, although Yue Ran was shy on the outside, she was actually looking forward to it on the inside.


    As expected of the male protagonist, he has many ingenious tricks in bed.


    Because Gu Si has a wood-type supernatural ability, he can conjure up vines at will or even just use his mental power to conjure them up instead. As a result, the night in a certain villa was always very lively.


    Yue Ran, who has traveled into many different worlds, could only say one word: exciting.


    Those vines that were conjured would snake up from the ground and wrap around the girl''s bare body.


    First, they would circle the girl''s hands and feet to fix them in the desired position. These vines seemed to be very wise, as the strength of the binding was neither too tight so that it hurt nor too loose so that the girl could easily escape such a binding; it has just the right force.


    Thus, no matter how much the girl wants to escape, she can never break free. She could only let the man do whatever he wanted and could only passively accept everything.


    She cannot move at all.


    ¡­


    "Grandpa, we want to buy all the flowers," Yue Ran said with a smile.


    "Hello, I have come to buy the flowers," Qi Qian said.


    Both Yue Ran and Qi Qian had spoken almost at the same time.


    When seeing this kind of scene, the old man who was selling flowers felt a little embarrassed.


    Yue Ran turned her head sideways to look at the speaker, and her eyes widened.


    "Qian Qian!" She exclaimed. "You are fine! That is great; you are fine!"


    Almost as soon as she saw Qi Qian''s face, Yue Ran''s eyes flashed with excitement and a little guilt. A little guilty because she could do nothing to help Qi Qian when she was being pulled by Gu Si to escape the zombie encirclement.

 Chapter 105 - 105: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (12)

    Yue Ran trotted forward and hugged Qi Qian excitedly. But what was unexpected to her was that Qi Qian would push her away coldly.


    "Do not touch me," Qi Qian said with slightly narrowed eyes. "I am dirty, and I am afraid that it will stain your white dress."


    Gu Si immediately stepped forward and hugged Yue Ran, who was a little unsteady because she was so suddenly pushed away. He frowned and said with a voice that instantly became a few degrees colder, "Miss Qi, is this how you usually speak to others?"


    Qi Qian looked at the fair and beautiful girl in front of her. She was still wearing a spotless white dress at the end of times, still with that familiar, charming smile on her face. Her eyes were still full of beauty, and one could not see the shadow after going through the zombie apocalypse at all.


    However, Qi Qian will never forget how far she has come and what she has had to do and had to go through up to this point in time.


    Disgusting zombies, dirty basements, cold bodies with fever, smelly and rotting corpses, and often starvation.


    Those were just the most basic things that she had seen and gone through.


    If there was no system with her and no awakening of supernatural ability in her, then Qi Qian was sure that she may have already died in the mouth of zombies long ago.


    Nevertheless, the beautiful girl in front of her, at first glance, looks really well protected. She had a delicate and smooth porcelain white skin, as if it were normal for her to be pampered in the palm of somebody''s hand, and even if Qi Qian had not seen Yue Ran for a month, she could clearly see that the girl''s appearance was even more beautiful than before.


    While Qi Qian was trying to survive on the streets, Yue Ran could get anything she wanted so easily because of the man beside her, who is also her, Qi Qian''s, fiancee, Gu Si.


    "What?" Qi Qian raised a brow and asked. "Is what I say not true?" She folded her hands and continued, "How would I dare to touch the dress of our Young Lady Yue?"


    "Qian Qian, do not be like this, okay?" Yue Ran lowered her eyes sadly when she heard the sarcasm in Qi Qian''s tone, and her eyes were quickly reddened and filled with tears in the blink of an eye. "All these flowers," she paused for a second. "I will give them all to you, okay?"


    Seeing that Yue Ran was so aggrieved at the confrontation, Gu Si immediately pulled her behind him. He wiped the little droplets of tears off Yue Ran''s cheeks and the ends of her eyes distressfully and tried his best to coax her softly.


    "Ran Ran," Gu Si started.


    Seeing just how close the two of them were in front of her eyes, Qi Qian could not help but snort loudly in her heart.


    Oh, this Yue Ran is indeed a feisty woman. Only a month of the zombie apocalypse has passed, and she has long forgotten about Fu Chen in her mind.


    Not to mention that Brother Fu Chen was still missing that woman every day.


    The reason why Qi Qian came to this base in the first place was to let Brother Fu Chen see Yue Ran''s true colors!


    After Gu Si had successfully comforted Yue Ran, his breath instantly changed when he looked back at Qi Qian. That look was filled with murderous intentions that could no longer be hidden, and Qi Qian felt that her breath was stuck to her throat.


    "Miss Qi has only disappeared for a month, but Miss Qi sure has changed a lot," Gu Si said with his usual indifferent tone.


    His voice may sound normal, but it was actually coated with murderous mental power.


    The rules and regulations of the base stated that one could not use their supernatural abilities to hurt other people on the base. But this mental power attack is only aimed at one person, and the others will not be affected by it one bit. Gu Si''s target was, after all, only Qi Qian.


    In an instant, Qi Qian felt a tingling pain in her brain, and as every ticking time passed, she felt that the pain in her head was getting worse and worse.


    Qi Qian tried to resist that mental attack with all her strength.


    In an invisible place, the two people''s mental powers collided aggressively with sparks. No one wanted to give in to the other party.


    Qi Qian gritted her teeth, and a fine, cold sweat broke out from her forehead.


    Even if she wanted to resist and fight against it, she could not take it any longer!


    "Qian Qian," a deep voice said.


    A tall man walked from a distance, dressed in black casual clothes with a silver mask on his face that covered most of his face. Only a part of his chin was exposed, but he still looked attractive and elegant.


    Gu Si narrowed his eyes at the person who had just come. This man''s ability was actually comparable to his.


    However, although the visitor had called Qi Qian''s name, his eyes were focused on Yue Ran''s figure from the start to the end.


    That sight that was concentrated on Yue Ran held the joy of reunion and the thick love. That intensity of love may be the same as before, or it may be even more affectionate. That sight also held restraint.


    Fu Chen subconsciously relaxed his breathing a little.


    He had finally seen his Ran Ran again.


    The emotions in his gaze that Fu Chen thought were well hidden were actually very blatant and were thus naturally spotted by Gu Si long ago.


    The sight of this man on his Ran Ran, tsk, is really unpleasant.


    "Who is this?" Gu Si asked in an unfriendly tone.


    "Yue Chi," Fu Chen said. "Hello, my name is Yue Chi."


    Qi Qian''s face looked a little too cold at this time.


    Yue Chi, Yue Chi, with the word "Yue" from Yue Ran''s surname and the word "Chi" from Fu Chen''s own nickname when he was little, Xiao Chi.


    Yue Ran walked out from behind Gu Si with a hint of surprise on her face.


    "What a coincidence," Yue Ran said with raised brows. "My surname is also Yue."


    Fu Chen looked at the girl, whose eyes were looking at him with obvious surprise.


    As always, the girl wears a white dress that accentuates her narrow waist. She is always so flawless and beautiful. Her phoenix eyes held a charming light; her pale skin looked as delicate as a warm white jade; and her lips were red and kissable.


    A few strands of hair on the girl''s cheeks were gently swaying with the blowing wind, which added a bit of seductive light to her slim figure. On her face was an overly familiar and beautiful smile, and those bright eyes were shining, seeming to exude a soft light like that of the gentle moonlight that would tolerate anything in the world, making her look even more beautiful.


    She was as stunning as the first time he saw her.


    Looking at the girl on the apex of his heart right in front of him, Fu Chen''s heart could not help but throb, and even his voice trembled slightly with the feeling in his heart.


    "Is that so?" Fu Chen asked.


    "Yes," Yue Ran said while nodding her head. "Hello, my name is Yue Ran."


    The girl happily stretched out her head, tilted her head, and smiled sweetly. She was asking the man to shake her hand.


    Fu Chen''s eyes lowered, and his Adam''s apple slid up and down his throat. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hello," he said. His voice was low, deep, and a little hoarse.


    The moment he held that small and dainty hand again, Fu Chen was too reluctant to let it go. But he knew fully well that he could not do as he had wanted.


    Therefore, he could only hold the girl''s hand for a second and immediately let it go the next.


    He did not dare let the girl notice anything strange about him.


    Fu Chen could only greedily feel every minute and every second of Yue Ran being by his side and touching his skin, but he was also so tormented that he could not have her back.


    He is, after all, now her already-dead boyfriend.


    "There are many people in the world who have the surname Yue," Gu Si said, aggressively popping the small and invisible bubble between the two¡ªYue Ran and Fu Chen.


    Gu Si sneered, walked up, and hugged Yue Ran into his arms, then gave Fu Chen a bad look. His actions fully revealed his possessiveness for the girl in his arms.


    "Ran Ran, let us go first. All the new clothes that I have ordered for you must have already arrived in the villa," Gu Si said ambiguously in the girl''s ear with a lowered head. Yue Ran had also blushed at the right time.


    Everyone who saw this scene would say that Gu Si and Yue Ran were a good match. Everyone except Fu Chen, that is.


    Fu Chen stared at the girl in front of him in silence. His eyes gradually turned red, and the hands on each side of his body were clenched tightly into fists.


    "Okay," Yue Ran said softly and a little shyly before turning to both Fu Chen and Qi Qian.

 Chapter 106 - 106: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (13)

    "Then, Qian Qian and Mr. Yue, we will go ahead first," Yue Ran said.


    "Okay, Ran¡ª" Fu Chen quickly stopped his words and let out a small fake cough before continuing, "I mean, Miss Yue, please walk slowly."


    When the figures of the two people were gone from Qi Qian and Fu Chen''s eyes and the pure white end of the beautiful girl''s dress could no longer be seen, it was then that Fu Chen was finally able to withdraw his gaze.


    "Brother Fu Chen," Qi Qian said. There was a little bit of almost imperceptible resentment and affection in her tone.


    Fu Chen only lowered his head and did not look at the girl in front of him.


    "Qian Qian, do not target her," he said.


    Fu Chen''s voice was a little different from the one he used just now. This voice sounded clearer and gentler. It was a voice that came slowly, trickling into one''s ears like the sound of a cello, beautiful and pleasant. But what the man said made Qi Qian feel a little cold.


    "Brother Fu Chen, do you know what she did?" Qi Qian asked. "The second after your death, she would immediately chat with another man. And that man that you saw today was the man that she was interested in, named Gu Si. The day they hooked up was also the day that you died trying to save her. Not to mention that she also left me alone when¡ª"


    "Okay, that is enough, Qian Qian," Fu Chen said gently.


    At the moment when he had learned the truth, he might have resented Yue Ran a little, but after all, he still could not suppress the love for her in his heart. And therefore, he could not listen to anyone slandering her, not even if that person was his childhood friend, Qi Qian.


    "Let us head back too," Fu Chen said. "By the way, a person from the Gu family wanted to find you."


    Qi Qian looked at Fu Chen, who was already walking away, for a long time and then finally moved when the man was almost out of her sight.


    No matter how Qi Qian thought about it, she could not understand what was so good about Yue Ran and why Yue Ran deserved to be treated so affectionately by Fu Chen and even gain his full sincerity.


    After Qi Qian walked a distance away from the booth selling the flowers, someone walked out of the shadows and into the light.


    This person is Fu Chen.


    He had turned a huge circle since he did not want Qi Qian to know about this. More of the reason was that he did not want to hear her complain about Yue Ran again.


    Standing in front of the booth in Yue Ran''s previous position, he bought the basket of roses that Yue Ran wanted.


    At this time, the roses were still blooming beautifully. They looked delicate and fragrant, which was out of tune with this lifeless and gloomy cloud shrouding the world in this apocalypse.


    An exquisite little face flashed in Fu Chen''s mind, and he smiled.


    As long as he can see her, he is already very satisfied.


    ¡­


    At night.


    The moon was high up in the sky, and Gu Si has not come back to the villa yet.


    Yue Ran changed into her pajamas and lay lazily on the bed while flipping through an old magazine that was out of date in her hand. Well, it was not like there would be another new magazine when the apocalypse was still ongoing in the world.


    Suddenly, there were several noises coming from outside the balcony. Then it was followed by several knocks on the glass doors.


    Yue Ran raised her head in the direction of the sound and walked over to open the double glass doors of the balcony. But there was no one in her sight. And instead of a person, there was actually a bouquet of roses on the ground.


    It was the very same roses in a basket in an old man''s booth that she was looking at during the day.


    The night outside is slightly cold, and the sun has never been seen in the sky for so long since the start of the zombie apocalypse. However, the moon would appear to coat the world in its silver light every night.


    The bouquet of roses looked brilliant under the moonlight, and even after so long, they were still as beautiful as they were in full bloom during the day.


    Yue Ran scanned her surroundings again, but there was still no one in sight.


    In this zombie apocalypse, except for the absolute powerhouses and special circumstances, most people would prefer not to go out at night, even if it was temporarily safe inside the base. However, no one could really guarantee that they would be absolutely safe when they were out when the sky was very dark.


    And Fu Chen, who was hiding in the shadows from afar, saw Yue Ran stepping inside the room and closing the balcony doors. With a few quick steps, he arrived at the balcony, returning to the previous position where he had placed the bouquet of roses.


    He walked a few steps to the closed balcony doors and placed his hand on the cool glass.


    Fu Chen resisted pushing the doors open and only looked inside the room with a pair of nostalgic eyes.


    ¡­


    It was already very late at night when Fu Chen came back to his residence. But he is now an intelligent zombie who feels neither sleepy nor hungry.


    As soon as Fu Chen entered the door, Qi Qian walked up to him nervously. The worry on her face as she looked at the man was clear.


    "Brother Fu Chen, it is already very late at night," Qi Qian said. "Where have you gone for so long?"


    "It is nothing much," Fu Chen said, smiling gently at Qi Qian. "I just have some private affairs to take care of."


    "Brother Fu Chen, I know that I should not say this, but I think that it is better for you to go out less; after all, your condition is quite... special now," Qi Qian said in a rather hesitant tone.


    She did not want to offend her Brother Fu Chen with her words, but she just felt the need to say these things in case anything could happen in the future. After all, Brother Fu Chen was no longer human after that terrible incident. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For a moment, Qi Qian''s head replayed the scene where Fu Chen fell in between those countless terrifying monsters. But before he fell, he turned around and glanced over to Qi Qian, and his lips moved slightly as if he were uttering something amongst the roars and terror.


    He mouthed the seven words, "Take care of Ran Ran for me."


    Qi Qian seemed to have gone crazy when she saw this, and she immediately rushed into the pile of zombies, regardless of the dangers of being infected by them. She rushed forward as if the disgusting slime and icy, grotesque touch of the zombies did not exist.


    But it was useless.


    It was all useless!


    As soon as Fu Chen fell, his body was already cut into pieces of meat, and those pieces of meat were eaten up by the zombies around him.


    "Fu Chen!" Qi Qian screamed.


    She knelt on the spot where the young man had died, crying dazedly as if trying hard to grab something but to no avail. Everything was in vain.


    Every time Qi Qian thought about this incident, she would have lingering fears, as if this scene had left a permanent shadow in her heart.


    This was also one of the reasons why Qi Qian did not want or even dare to think about Fu Chen encountering any accidents when she was not there.


    If she could, she would rather that Fu Chen never leave her sight again.


    "Brother Fu Chen, if you were to be discovered," Qi Qian said and paused for a short while to let these words sink into Fu Chen''s head and to emphasize her next words. "The consequences would be unimaginable."


    "It is okay, Qian Qian," Fu Chen said. He was still maintaining his calm tone without any ups or downs. "I have my own measure."


    Fu Chen slowly took off the silver mask on his face as he spoke to Qi Qian.


    How could he not understand what Qi Qian meant by those words? But it was just that he wanted to see Yue Ran again so much that he would go out at night to visit her regardless of the dangers that might fall on him.


    When the silver mask was untied and placed on a wooden table, Qi Qian could see that there was a large and ugly scar on the right side of the original handsome and well-defined features. The scar was just below the man''s eye, shallow on the edges but very deep in the middle.


    When one were to see such a mark left on the man''s skin, they would only feel terrified and disgusted by it. One would also be able to feel the chills running down their spines.


    Fu Chen has never cared about other people''s eyes or their views of him. For him, this face was just his outer skin, a shell of sorts.


    But he cares about Yue Ran.


    And therefore, he would also care about Yue Ran''s opinions of him, her eyes on him, and her views of him.

 Chapter 107 - 107: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (14)

    "Brother Fu Chen," Qi Qian said as she looked up at the man in distress. But she really was not able to do anything to fix the scar on the man''s face or mend the hole in his heart.


    Fu Chen was the boy she liked, and his family all died because of this zombie apocalypse; the person he liked abandoned him for another man, and now he was no longer a human and had turned into a zombie, not to mention that his face was also disfigured because of trying to save that person he liked.


    For that scar on Fu Chen''s face, there was certainly a medicine in the system space that could cure it and fix it back to normal, but as of right now, Qi Qian could not redeem it at all because there were just not enough system points to do so. In the end, she still needed to do more tasks to gain points.


    "Qian Qian, I am fine, really," Fu Chen said. He emphasized the word "really" in his sentence to reassure Qi Qian.


    But the more Fu Chen acted this way, the more distressed Qi Qian felt toward him.


    Brother Fu Chen is always so good, but the world has treated him so badly. Why does Brother Fu Chen have to suffer a lot because of other people''s deeds?


    "By the way, about that someone from the Gu family who was looking for you, what is that person looking for you for?" Fu Chen asked.


    "That person came to me to talk about the matters of my engagement with Gu Si," Qi Qian said.


    After saying so, Qi Qian quickly looked at Fu Chen to try and see something she wanted to see in the man''s expression.


    How would Brother Fu Chen react to her words?


    An inexplicable fire of hope bloomed in her heart.


    Would Brother Fu Chen...


    "Then what about you? What do you think about this kind of arrangement?" Fu Chen asked the girl back in a gentle tone.


    "Me? I already have someone I like," Qi Qian said with lowered eyes, and she paused for a short while. "Besides, everyone in this base knows that Gu Si likes Yue Ran, and all his heart and attention are on her, not me, so why should I go to join in on this kind of thing? I most certainly have no plans to make fun of myself."


    Qi Qian wanted to laugh at herself a little.


    What was she actually expecting to see on Fu Chen''s face?


    Fu Chen looked at the girl in front of him and said jokingly, "Our Qian Qian is also an adult now, so how can you still stay all alone and single? One day in the future, you will also have someone whom you will want to spend a lifetime together with."


    Hearing this, Qi Qian forced out a smile on her face, even though it was hard to do so.


    She was most certainly not happy to hear Brother Fu Chen''s words.


    "So," Fu Chen started. "Did he not say that he was going to break off his engagement?"


    Having said that, Fu Chen gradually grew silent.


    Both people knew who Fu Chen referred to by the word "he" as. "He" is none other than Gu Si.


    Qi Qian naturally knew what Fu Chen had meant after being with him for so long. And even if she did not, after thinking about the man''s words for a while, she would gradually understand the meaning of his words.


    For a time, Qi Qian felt that she was a little too self-indulgent.


    She was still delusional, thinking that Brother Fu Chen would look at her more after getting along so closely with each other for a month. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But a delusion is still a delusion.


    There is one thing that will always remain true, though, and that is that all of it is fake.


    "Gu Si did say that he wanted to, but Grandpa Gu did not agree to it," Qi Qian said.


    Grandpa Gu has always been involved in politics all his life, so his gaze naturally looked vicious and terrifying. His head was only full of calculations, and only interests could move him.


    And Qi Qian, at this time, was undoubtedly a sweet treat in Grandpa Gu''s eyes that he wanted to catch.


    The reason for this engagement that would soon turn into a marriage was to pull in a talented person with high potential into his own camp and under his nose.


    "My parents also wanted me to be with Gu Si," Qi Qian added.


    Father Qi and Mother Qi were originally rescued by Gu Si during a mission outside. Because of his "heroic" actions, Qi Qian''s parents have already put on a thick layer of filter on their eyes. No matter how many lovers Gu Si may have right now, he is still an excellent man in Father Qi''s and Mother Qi''s eyes. Naturally, they would want Qi Qian to marry Gu Si regardless.


    Qi Qian raised her eyes and looked at Fu Chen standing in front of her.


    "How about Brother Fu Chen? Do you want Gu Si and I to get married?" Qi Qian asked.


    Fu Chen paused slightly, as if thinking about an answer he wanted to give.


    "Qian Qian, neither of you love the other or have feelings for one another," Fu Chen started. "If you two were forced to be together, I am afraid that you would not be happy either."


    Although Qi Qian knew that this was the answer that she wanted to hear from Fu Chen, she was not as happy as she had imagined.


    Because the main reason why Fu Chen said so, by leading the conversation from the start to the end, was that he did not want his Ran Ran to be wronged, and so it was fine for himself to be wronged in Yue Ran''s stead.


    Even if he and Yue Ran were not together, Fu Chen still did not want Yue Ran to be treated badly in the slightest bit.


    ¡­


    In a clean bedroom with cool colors, two figures huddled together under the blankets, with only the cool moonlight that sprinkled through the white curtains and the dim bedside lamp that cast a small piece of afterglow as the lighting of the room.


    The man was tall and handsome, while the woman was petite and beautiful. The two were interlocking their fingers, and their whispers dissipated in the silent night air.


    The little whispers and dim light outlined the man''s back facing the window, turning him into a desolate and lonely silhouette and diluting the oppressive feeling of being aloof and looking down on all beings during the day.


    Only when Yue Ran''s skin was full of traces of him did Gu Si feel immensely satisfied and thus stop his movements.


    "Ran Ran..." Gu Si said. His words trailed off at the end.


    There seemed to be something wrong with Gu Si today, and as for what it is...


    Yue Ran lay lazily on the man''s sturdy body, a delicate chin resting on the man''s chest. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she hummed lazily at the man in reply to his words.


    Gu Si stroked the girl''s slightly wet hair again and again, then his eyes suddenly darkened.


    In response to the man''s movements, Yue Ran raised her head, wrapped her arms around his neck, and then leaned in to kiss his sharp chin.


    "A Si, what is wrong with you? Have you encountered any problems?" Yue Ran asked a little worriedly.


    Gu Si hesitated for a moment before saying, "My grandpa, he wanted Qi Qian and me to marry."


    The girl, who was still acting sticky and delicately a while ago, suddenly sat up on the bed, and her eyes were instantly filled with tears as she looked at the man with aggrieved and accusing eyes.


    "No! You are not allowed to marry other people!" Yue Ran''s hands trembled as she crumpled the blanket under her hands. "You are not allowed to!"


    There was a rare possessiveness in Yue Ran''s voice and actions. A faint smile flashed in Gu Si''s eyes when he looked at the girl acting like this, but it quickly disappeared as fast as it had appeared before.


    Gu Si frowned and looked a little embarrassed as he said, "However, I cannot defy my grandpa. Moreover, this marriage was decided when we were children, so..."


    The man''s words trailed off, and he did not look like he was going to continue his sentence, which made the girl feel panicked in her heart.


    "So, are you going to abandon me now?" Yue Ran asked as tears welled up in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she spoke that sentence out. "Are you really going to leave me?


    A teardrop the size of a bean dripped down from the girl''s eyes and landed on the back of Gu Si''s hand. It felt surprisingly hot on his skin.


    Yue Ran threw herself into Gu Si''s arms and buried her whole face and body in the man. She cried continuously, looking so pitiful.


    "You... you said it yourself that when you saved me in the first place, I was already your woman," Yue Ran choked on her words. "You are not allowed to leave me behind! Do not¡­ do not abandon me." She rubbed her face on the man''s chest pitifully as her voice grew softer and softer, leaving only sniffles behind. "Okay?"


    Gu Si felt extremely flustered at this moment in time.

 Chapter 108 - 108: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (15)

    Gu Si only wanted to use this to test Yue Ran''s feelings for him, but he did not expect that his words would really make the other party cry so sadly.


    But even if he felt flustered, he also felt extreme joy in his heart that he could not deny.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    His heart was pounding.


    Who knew that the person he likes would like him as well?


    He is so happy!


    The poor Yue Ran, who was still crying, suddenly heard a suppressed laugh from above her head.


    Hearing such a sound, the girl raised her head and looked at the man in disbelief.


    She saw Gu Si with a smile on his face that had not yet disappeared in the midst of his laughing fest.


    Gu Si tried hard to purse his lips, which still wanted to let out an irrepressible smile, then let out a fake cough to ease up the atmosphere.


    Gu Si knew fully well that he was the guilty person and thus turned his head to the side embarrassedly and did not dare to look at the girl''s accusing teary eyes.


    "Gu Si! You lied to me!" Yue Ran exclaimed with a reddened face.


    "How would I dare to lie to Ran Ran?" Gu Si said with a teasing smile. "My grandpa really wanted me to get officially engaged and then get married to Qi Qian, but..." As his words trailed off into a pause, he suddenly approached the girl and kissed her already red and swollen eyes before continuing, "The only one I want to get married to is Ran Ran."


    ¡­


    Gu Si did not expect that a small experiment to test Yue Ran''s feelings for him would have such an effect.


    Although he and Yue Ran were acting pretty much like close lovers as before, and even though the two of them had done the most intimate things with one another, the relationship that they had now was still different after all.


    Since the two of them had made up their minds to stay together, they became more and more sticky with each passing day.


    Gu Si, who now always had a rippling smile on his face, had never imagined that just a few months ago he was still an indifferent, stern, and cold person who never smiled like a still and icy lake that had always been frozen for tens of thousands of years.


    And Fu Chen, who saw this change with his own eyes, felt his heart clench in pain.


    It hurts.


    ¡­


    There is a Squad Zero in the base.


    This squad consists of the twenty strongest people in the base. It acts as the entire base''s invincible blade, cutting through anything in its way.


    Both Fu Chen and Qi Qian were naturally situated in this squad. Moreover, Gu Si was also the leader of this squad.


    Sometimes, during the squad meeting, Gu Si would suddenly receive a phone call, and then his expressionless face would instantly be filled with endless tenderness the second he picked up his phone.


    Naturally, everyone knew who the person on the other side of the phone was. In other words, all the squad members of squad zero knew that there was only one person who could make Gu Si change his face in a split second.


    That person is Yue Ran.


    Occasionally, while Gu Si was eating during the lunch period, he would take out a pink, delicate-looking lunch box, which contained various cute and adorable-looking meals. It may sound and look unbelievable, but that was just how it was. It was a fact.


    When Gu Si was to perform squad missions, he would wear a bracelet woven by Yue Ran herself. From time to time, the skin exposed on his neck would have a few irregularities, such as scattered hickeys and sometimes even bite marks. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All of these only reminded Fu Chen of how beautiful the love between Gu Si and Yue Ran is.


    Once again, Fu Chen looked at the red marks on the back of Gu Si''s neck, and his inky black eyes uncontrollably elicited a hostile aura. The originally pure black pupils looked as if they were being poured forth with a stream of red blood.


    Fu Chen quickly lowered his head and quietly concealed the very same design of a bracelet on his wrist that was made of red strings like that of Gu Si''s into the long sleeve of his clothes. However, one could still easily tell the difference in the bracelets since Fu Chen''s one looked older and was stained with a little dirt that could no longer be washed off.


    Fu Chen still remembered how he got it in the first place.


    At that time, he and Yue Ran were still dating.


    During one class break, Fu Chen came to pick Yue Ran up when it was time to get out of her class.


    "A Chen!" Yue Ran called out happily to him.


    The girl held his hand with one hand while the other was stretched out in front of him. And then she opened her closed palm to reveal two red snake-knot bracelets.


    Fu Chen looked at the girl with a puzzled gaze until he saw her tie one of the bracelets around his wrist before looking at him with an extremely proud expression after doing this kind of action.


    "I made it myself," Yue Ran said while emphasizing the word "myself" in her sentence. "This has been very popular on the internet recently. If two people who love each other wear the same kind of knotted bracelet, this means that they will never be separated and they must be entangled together for a lifetime!"


    Fu Chen froze for a moment in surprise, then looked at the girl warmly and said with a tone full of seriousness, "Yes, we will be entangled together forever."


    Yue Ran smiled when she heard the man''s words, then raised her chin in a complacent manner and said, "But A Chen has not put it on for me yet."


    The girl''s flushed face and the sparkling love that overflowed from her eyes at that time were a beauty that Fu Chen would never forget for a lifetime.


    Yet at this moment, she was no longer his. And the snake-knot bracelet tied to his wrist has to be hidden from public sight too.


    "Squad Leader Gu, someone is looking for you outside," someone said.


    In an instant, the members of the squad quietly exchanged glances in private. Well, except for Fu Chen and Qi Qian.


    Oh, their sister-in-law is here to find their squad leader again.


    Everyone in Squad Zero, who was always stuffed full of pink clouds of love emitted from Gu Si and Yue Ran, said that they could still be stuffed with more fluffy pink cotton-like clouds and pink bubbles of love.


    This was because as soon as their sister-in-law came, Squad Leader Gu would stay happy for a long time, and thus the squad meeting''s atmosphere would also be much better and less tense and terrifying. Their nerves would also be able to relax a little because of this.


    Qi Qian looked at Fu Chen''s slightly lonely figure on the side, and her eyes flickered a few times with an unknown expression.


    The next time Qi Qian''s parents and Grandpa Gu discussed the engagement between Qi Qian and Gu Si again, Gu Si shook his head and left, while Qi Qian nodded her head and agreed to the proposal.


    Brother Fu Chen became like this because of Yue Ran, so how could Yue Ran still live so happily every day? She, Qi Qian, just had to interfere in Yue Ran''s relationship with Gu Si.


    The Salvation System, who looked at the current development that had been messed up chaotically, only felt tired.


    The world''s savior and the son of destiny did not fall in love with one another, and they did not get together.


    Fu Chen, who was clearly supposed to be dead after being torn off by the zombies, not even leaving a piece of meat behind, suddenly appeared after rising out of his grave and was actually alive. Although he was not human, he was still considered alive anyway.


    The two previous ones were fine, but what was with Yue Ran, who had nothing to do and had no substantial ability that was to be noted for worth but could actually grab the attention of two noteworthy men with the luck of the heavens to circle around her? The world''s savior could only be dejected on the sidelines.


    What kind of drama was actually unfolding live right in front of its eyes?


    The Salvation System could only sigh.


    Never mind; the most important thing that needs to be done is to save the world, while everything else, including love, counts second! It does not matter much if the world''s savior is going to have a romantic life or not.


    The Salvation System''s main mission was, after all, to save the world.


    ¡­


    During this time, although Gu Si and Yue Ran did not deliberately spend their relationship in a high-profile way or show it off to others, their relationship still easily attracted other people''s attention. And so, the low-profile relationship turned into a high-profile one without the two protagonists realizing it. Not to mention that Yue Ran and Gu Si did not have the intention to cover up their relationship.


    Every time the two appeared in the public eye, it was almost as if a spotlight was following their every move. Even if they were to do something normal, they would still look like idols in a movie frame.

 Chapter 109 - 109: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (16)

    Because of this "high-profile relationship", it also led the couple¡ªYue Ran and Gu Si¡ªinto trouble.


    As a result, Grandpa Gu quickly called Gu Si to ask the young man for an explanation.


    "Did I not tell you to break up with that girl long ago?"


    These were the first words that Grandpa Gu said to Gu Si when he stepped inside the room.


    Although the old man is indeed already very old with a head full of white hair, he is still full of spirit and energy. It was not obvious, looking at his face, that he is already eighty years old; at least, it cannot be seen from his rather youthful skin.


    Hearing this made Gu Si raise his brows, and there was a sense of unruliness in and outside of his words as he said, "That is indeed what you asked me to do, but I have never agreed to it."


    Grandpa Gu was furious when he heard the young man''s answer. He immediately yelled, "You have to agree to it even if you do not want to agree to it! Not to mention that you have already known since you were a child that you had a marriage contract in the first place." His voice grew calmer when he reached this point. "The talent of that girl from the Qi family cannot be missed and will not be lost in vain to ensure the thriving of our Gu family."


    Gu Si let out an elongated "oh" when he heard his grandpa''s words and sneered, "Do you not just want me to marry a person with supernatural ability?" He crossed his arms and continued, "As I have said before, I will not marry anyone but her."


    "You!" Grandpa Gu shouted but quickly stopped as he tried to calm himself down. "Okay, that is fine. Then you do not need to stay in this base anymore." There was a short pause before he continued, "For everything that you have today, which one is not given and provided by the Gu family?"


    Gu Si curled his lip when he heard this.


    It is so ridiculous. Does his grandpa actually think that he will back off just because of this kind of threat? As if!


    "Okay, if that is what you want," Gu Si said.


    After saying so, Gu Si left without looking back, leaving the old man alone and staring at the previous position where the young man had stood before.


    There was no regret or nostalgia in the young man''s expression, movements, or tone.


    He left just like that.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran blinked as she looked at the pile of supplies and zombie spars of myriad colors in front of her at this time. Seeing such a large amount of supplies made the girl not react for a while.


    Was she threatened by the main male protagonist''s grandpa?


    From the looks of it, yes. It is quite interesting.


    However, to be able to take out so many zombie spars¡­ how "kind".


    The zombie spars are the energy stones in a zombie''s head; they are also the zombie''s source of energy and life, which could be absorbed by human beings to gain more power and level up. These were also used as the zombie apocalypse''s new currency.


    "Miss Yue has no supernatural ability, right?" Grandpa Gu asked.


    Yue Ran simply replied, "Yes."


    "These zombie spars can strengthen your mental and physical strength," Grandpa Gu said. "And if you are lucky enough, you may also develop a supernatural ability of your own, which means that you can be self-sufficient without depending on others anymore."


    Yue Ran: You really know how to weave fancy dreams that I do not need.


    Yue Ran looked at the old man in front of her with clear puzzlement in her eyes.


    "Why are you giving me these kinds of things?" Yue Ran asked.


    "All of them are yours, but I only have one request," Grandpa Gu said. "I want you to leave my grandson."


    Yue Ran felt that this was a very novel thing. For a moment, she even felt that she was the poor and pitiful female protagonist that was asked to leave the male protagonist in the modern world where she was thrown with money. It was just that this scenario was played in an apocalyptic world full of humans with supernatural abilities and zombies.


    "I will send someone to escort you to the base in the neighboring city," Grandpa Gu continued. "The founder of the base in the neighboring city is an old friend of mine, and he will take good care of you."


    Ah, what beautiful words!


    Yue Ran sneered in her mind.


    Who does not know that if an ordinary person with no supernatural ability carries a zombie spar, then it is clearly telling others that he or she has a treasure, so whoever is powerful can come to that person and grab it?


    Moreover, it is difficult for an ordinary person to absorb the energy of a zombie spar, let alone be lucky enough to awaken a supernatural ability.


    The most ruthless thing in a zombie apocalypse is a weak and ordinary woman who lives alone and has no supernatural ability, living in a strange base with no means of protection. The luckiest thing for her may be to be eaten passively by others with no means to fight back. After all, there are so many means of torture in an apocalyptic world where human morals have declined to the bottom of the well.


    Really, the old man in front of her is really an old and sly carnivorous fish swimming for a long time in the sea of politics.


    Although Yue Ran thought so, she still stared at the pile of zombie spars for a long time. And finally, she slowly raised the corner of her mouth.


    Since she was already tired of staying in one place for a long time, she might as well go to a different place to experience different things.


    And that was why Grandpa Gu could hear the acceptance from the young woman in front of him.


    "Okay, I promise you," he heard her say.


    The girl has said this sentence very casually, as if she were saying something very usual, just like talking about the weather today.


    Grandpa Gu squinted his eyes, and he suddenly felt very unhappy.


    What had just happened? Why did this young woman accept his condition so quickly? Is his grandson so unimportant in her heart?


    Hmph. The young woman in front of him does not look pleasing the more he stares at her.


    Grandpa Gu: This girl is really not good.


    Yue Ran: What is wrong with my decision? Did you not want me to accept it? And so I did. Why are you so fickle? A person is not allowed to be so greedy as to want the things in their left and right hands unless that person is me.


    Ruan Ruan: The Master''s quick decision must be that the Master has been bored out of her mind by staying in one place for so long.


    His grandson''s eyes are really not good, and his grandson still needed him to come out to test this young woman. It is really not worth it for his grandson to treat this young woman like a treasure.


    "In that case, then it is fine," Grandpa Gu said. "Then tomorrow morning, I will send someone to pick up Miss Yue."


    ¡­


    Yue Ran came back to the villa while humming songs along the way. The smile and the joy exuded from her body clearly told everyone who saw her that she was in a good mood.


    Fu Chen, who was following behind Yue Ran, looked at the joyful back of the girl and could not help but raise a smile from the corners of his lips.


    He remembered what Qi Qian had said to him before.


    "Brother Fu Chen, I decided to get officially engaged to Gu Si," Qi Qian said.


    At that time, when he heard those words out of Qi Qian''s mouth, Fu Chen felt very surprised.


    "Why?" he asked.


    "I just think that Gu Si is actually very good," was Qi Qian''s answer.


    Fu Chen''s face showed a frown, but then a very secret joy sprouted out of his heart that could not be ignored.


    If Qi Qian and Gu Si were to get officially engaged, which would lead to a marriage, then Ran Ran would not stay together with Gu Si.


    Then, will he be able to get together with Yue Ran again?


    Look, he, Fu Chen, is really not a good person. He is actually a very selfish man, just hidden behind a gentle mask. And in fact, deep down inside his heart, he still does not want Yue Ran and Gu Si to live happily together.


    "I see," Fu Chen said. "Then that is it, as long as you do not regret your decision."


    Qi Qian smiled and said, "Yes, I will not regret it."


    She will not regret it as long as it can make Yue Ran feel uncomfortable, make Yue Ran feel unpleasant, and make Yue Ran suffer.


    She will never regret it.


    This was what Qi Qian thought silently in her heart.


    Qi Qian: I will never regret it.


    Yue Ran: Heh, then let us wait and see, shall we? S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    "Ah!" Yue Ran exclaimed out loud.


    This sudden scream interrupted Fu Chen''s thoughts.


    It is Ran Ran!


    What happened?


    Fu Chen quickly focused to the scene in front of him.


    Yue Ran had accidentally fallen to the ground!

 Chapter 110 - 110: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (17)

    Fu Chen could not care less about anything at the moment, let alone hiding away from Yue Ran''s eyes, and he just ran out while wearing a silver mask on his face.


    Yue Ran, who was looking at the tall figure running to her in panic, evoked a faint smile at an angle that no one could see.


    If the mountain will not come to her, then she will go to the mountain.


    Fu Chen hugged the petite figure of the girl on the ground into his arms with his feelings full of distress, then he hurriedly used his abilities to heal her.


    Yes, you saw that right.


    Fu Chen has the ability to heal wounds.


    Although he was now a zombie, his spiritual power strangely has a magical healing effect that could negate any unfavorable status from a mortal body, ranging from large wounds to small ones like scratches. Even dizziness and period pains can be eliminated with his power.


    Yue Ran''s white and slender ankle was already red and swollen at this time. Fu Chen knelt with one knee on the ground, and he carefully hugged the girl to let her rest on his chest. He directly and meticulously touched and grasped the injured feet with one hand and lightly brushed the swelling with a finger.


    "Um." Yue Ran frowned as she moaned in pain. "Yue Chi, do not press it so hard; it hurts."


    The girl''s pretty brows were tightly wrinkled, and a layer of cold sweat broke out from her forehead. Her voice as she uttered those words was soft and sweet, and even the air around her was sweet too.


    The person in front of him was the person of whom he was thinking day and night. She was so close at hand, and he felt both excited and nervous at the same time.


    Unconsciously, he had pressed on the wound a little harder, and the girl exclaimed once again.


    "Sorry." Fu Chen quickly apologized for his blunder and absentmindedness. "Are you okay?"


    "It is much better," Yue Ran answered. "Thank you."


    The swelling at her ankle had disappeared in the blink of an eye, and Fu Chen should have also let go of his hold on Yue Ran. But he just could not help it. He does not want to let her go. At all.


    It was good before when they would not meet face-to-face like this. If this incident had not happened before, then it was fine. But now that Yue Ran had met him face-to-face like this, he really could not let her go at all. And he also does not want to let her go.


    "I¡­ I will take you back," Fu Chen said.


    "No need," Yue Ran replied. "I do not want to trouble you. My boyfriend will come pick me up very soon."


    Yue Ran stood up and left the man''s arms just after saying this. Afraid that the girl would fall due to her sudden movements, Fu Chen kept close to her and acted as her guard.


    Yue Ran smiled at him when she saw it. Her smile was just like a blooming rose under the moonlight, bright and stunning against the backdrop of the silver and elegant moon.


    It was a thousand years in one glance.


    One silent eye may speak more than a thousand words.


    At first sight, only he had been in her eyes for a thousand years.


    But in actuality, her eyes were filled with love and longing for another man.


    Another man, not him.


    But for him, spending a day with her is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day.


    "Is it?" Fu Chen lowered his eyes and asked lowly. He forced out a smile from the corners of his lips. It was a smile that looked uglier than crying.


    "Yes," Yue Ran said with a nod. "Thank you, thank you for helping me just before."


    "You are welcome," Fu Chen answered.


    Yue Ran thanked the man in front of her with a smile, but when she turned her head around, her mood instantly seemed to change. Her mood has gone downhill, as can be seen with the naked eye, and her eyes even began to turn red.


    Fu Chen was a little surprised when he saw this.


    What was the matter? Did he hurt her just now?


    Fu Chen tried to think of all the things that he had said and done before, but other than accidentally hurting her before, he did not do anything else wrong. So what actually happened?


    The man tentatively put his fingers on the girl''s tender cheeks and tried to wipe away the tears that slipped from her eyes and dropped down to the tip of her chin. However, the more he wiped away her tears, the more tears seemed to fall out of her eyes.


    Yet he never expected the girl to suddenly hold his hand and even rub his big palm with great nostalgia.


    "You are really similar to a person that I knew before," Yue Ran suddenly said with her inky black eyes full of wistful affection. "Your eyes are the same, your lips are the same, your voice is the same, your height is the same, your body shape is the same, the way you speak is the same, and even your hands are also the same."


    Fu Chen''s heart suddenly beat violently against his chest.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    It was thunderous.


    This was a strange feeling. He clearly had a dead heart in his chest, but why does he feel that his heart is still beating and drumming hard at this moment? The feeling of excitement and tension made his blood rush, as if he were a human who had consumed too much sugar and was now suffering from a sugar rush.


    One thing that was clear was that his Ran Ran did not forget him.


    His Ran Ran has never forgotten him!


    "Similar?" Fu Chen asked. "Who am I similar to?"


    As soon as he opened his mouth, Fu Chen realized that his voice had somehow become terrifyingly hoarse.


    However, Yue Ran did not answer his words. She only touched the man''s chin slowly with her hand and rubbed it lightly with her fingers. Then she spoke very softly, blurting out the deepest thoughts in her mind at this very moment: "Yue Chi, can I kiss you?"


    Fu Chen: !


    As a person who is extremely sensitive at all times, he rarely reacts very slowly, like at this present time. Before he could even find words to respond to her, the girl''s warm lips had already crashed against his.


    Yue Ran had taken the initiative to kiss him.


    As soon as the girl touched the man''s lips, she stretched out her tongue and licked them lightly.


    Fu Chen can easily admit that he was no saint. Moreover, the girl he had always liked was in his arms, so how could he act indifferently toward her?


    And thus, no one knew who had started first, but in the end, Yue Ran was left panting in Fu Chen''s arms. Her pair of hazy eyes and the slightly swollen lips of the kissed girl were still slightly open as she took short, quick breaths. Those lips looked moist and red, full of seductive charm.


    Fu Chen held Yue Ran in his arms, and it took a long time for him to calm down.


    When he let go of the girl, he was that stranger, Yue Chi, once more.


    But only he himself knew that he could not seem to bear the longing and the love in his heart any longer. The chains that restrained him from going berserk were breaking off one by one.


    Only a monster inside his skin remained behind.


    Once the seeds are planted in the ground, they will take root and sprout.


    Strategy target number two: The ex-boyfriend, Fu Chen.


    Status: Caught.


    ¡­


    Now, no matter where Qi Qian goes, she can always see people pointing at her and hear people talking about her.


    There was just no way. Even in this apocalyptic era, especially in this apocalyptic era where there is almost no entertainment, people just can''t change their nature of gossiping.


    These interesting gossips were really the only entertainment that everyone in public could enjoy, like watching a TV drama but just in real life, so who would want to miss these things out? S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the past, it was always rumored and seen that Gu Si and Yue Ran were a natural pair. They would always go hand-in-hand everywhere they went, and anyone with eyes could see that they truly loved each other.


    But unexpectedly, in their sweet relationship, a fiancee of Gu Si would suddenly appear.


    And thus, this Miss Yue, Yue Ran, instantly became a person with a bad reputation in the base.


    However, it was also normal for people with powerful supernatural abilities to have a few women around them during these apocalyptic times.


    It has not been so long since the start of the zombie apocalypse, so human beings could still barely retain some of the previous moral values in their hearts.


    Yue Ran does not have any supernatural abilities, nor is she powerful in any way except for having a beautiful face that others do not have.


    Yue Ran is just a hollow vase with a beautiful shell.


    Yue Ran is a great partner in bed.


    Most of these contemptuous remarks were directed at Yue Ran.


    But now, Qi Qian has clearly become the center of everyone''s speech, the centre of everyone''s attention.

 Chapter 111 - 111: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (18)

    Qi Qian glanced at the groups of people around her and calmly looked away.


    Now, all of a sudden, Qi Qian has become the center of everyone''s speech and the center of everyone''s attention. Hearing from the crowd''s speech, she heard that it was because her fiancee eloped with another woman who was also controversial, Yue Ran!


    The gossip in the base became more and more exciting.


    Unfortunately, Qi Qian had never changed her expression from the start to the end at all. She does not care what others say about her.


    That was right. She does not even care whether Gu Si and Yue Ran ran away from the base or not. After all, she had never liked or been interested in that man named Gu Si. The only person that she had ever liked in this life was her Brother Fu Chen.


    Although Qi Qian constantly repeated these words in her heart over and over again, she still could not help but think of how she would be inferior to Yue Ran in any way.


    Now the difference between her and Yue Ran is not different from the difference between an elephant and an ant. Naturally, she was the elephant, while Yue Ran was the ant.


    If she, Qi Qian, were to just move her hand a little, Yue Ran would not even have the power to fight her back at all.


    Yue Ran: Do you not know that an ant is superior to an elephant? Elephants are strong enough to bulldoze entire trees, but their large size and tough hide could afford little protection from a mass attack by tiny ants, especially inside the sensitive trunk.


    The Salvation System looked at the extremely serious-looking girl and finally just sighed in a helpless and defeated manner. No matter what, Qi Qian is really the one chosen by the Heavens.


    The Salvation System could not be wrong with this.


    At this time, Qi Qian had just returned to her residence on the base, but she did not see Fu Chen anywhere in sight.


    The girl frowned a little when she realized there really was no one after sweeping through the whole house.


    Brother Fu Chen would normally be at the house right now, but why did she not see him at all? Could it be that something had happened to him without her knowing about it? Has his true identity been discovered?


    Qi Qian was about to rush out of the house in panic, but she had accidentally caught a small piece of paper from the corner of her eye. She turned her head to look at what it was and saw that it was actually a small, thin white object on the wooden table. It was a paper.


    Stepping closer, she realized that it had Brother Fu Chen''s handwriting on it. Seeing that it was so, Qi Qian quickly read the contents of it with a little trepidation.


    The words written in the letter were: Qian Qian, I will go out of the base to find Ran Ran. I do not want to lose her traces. Moreover, Qian Qian does not need to come after me.


    Brother Fu Chen only left her with three sentences, and it could be seen that the writer was in a hurry to finish writing it at that time.


    Qi Qian squeezed and crumpled the paper tightly in her hands.


    Qi Qian: "System." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi Qian suddenly called out to the Salvation System in her mind.


    Qi Qian: "Do you know where Yue Ran is right now?"


    Salvation System: "Yes, I know. You can inquire about this information for 400 points. Do you want to inquire about it?"


    Qi Qian: "Yes."


    Salvation System: "Okay, points exchanged..."


    Yue Ran, why is it always Yue Ran again?


    Why does everyone like her, and why does everyone just remember Yue Ran alone regardless?


    ¡­


    Regardless of the situation at the military base over there, the so-called elopement of the two people here went very well. Everything went swimmingly.


    The two¡ªYue Ran and Gu Si¡ªdo not look like they have any consciousness of living in a zombie apocalypse at all!


    It was often Gu Si who solved all the problematic things that would suddenly appear around them before they actually got to jump in front of Yue Ran''s eyes. In addition, Gu Si, who has rich experience, deliberately avoided places where there was a high probability that zombies would appear when driving a car.


    Therefore, in these past few days, the two of them have had the feeling of being an ordinary little couple going out on a spring outing instead.


    Ruan Ruan can only give an imaginary thumbs-up in this kind of situation.


    At least, right now, his Master does not need to see those disgusting-looking zombies.


    The little ball made of light shivered for a while.


    Zombies were just that terrifying to look at!


    The journey went on for quite a while until Gu Si took Yue Ran to a house.


    Well, rather than saying that the one in front of her is a house, it would be more appropriate to call it a castle.


    The white walls were built around it, and there was even a beautiful, luxurious, and noble-looking golden arch at the gate, which led to a long rose passage. Inside the walls was a medieval European-style spired castle.


    Although the plants had dried and the petals of the roses had fallen to the ground, it could still be seen that the castle was once very beautiful before the zombie apocalypse started.


    Gu Si took a glance at the surrounding environment and used his supernatural ability to make all the plants in the castle come to life. And in an instant, the place that seemed so desolate seemed to go back to its past glory. All the decadence and gloom had changed into an isolated world of its own, one so full of vitality.


    "Come in, my little princess," Gu Si said as he gave Yue Ran a princely bow. He bent his back, stretched out his hand, and made a gesture of wanting to take her hand in his. There was even a little smugness between his smiling brows.


    Yue Ran put her hand on his, clenched it slightly, then smiled at the handsome man.


    "Thank you, my prince," Yue Ran said with a charming and demure smile. Her cheeks were unknowingly flushed red. "Let us head inside."


    "Yes," Gu Si replied.


    Gu Si let Yue Ran take the lead in exploring the castle grounds, and the corners of his lips could not help but twitch up.


    If Yue Ran were to look back at the man, she would crash into a pair of eyes that held undisguised and endless tenderness, as if he would pamper the girl until his very last breath.


    After all, a prince and princess were fated to be together.


    Fu Chen: A knight is a better choice for the princess. A knight would protect and stay loyal to his princess regardless of any danger, even if the princess did not think of him anymore.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran and Gu Si temporarily decided to live inside the castle for a while.


    Although this was the zombie apocalypse and caused torture and suffering for others, from Yue Ran''s point of view, this current life was many times more comfortable than her life before when studying at the university.


    The high castle walls seemed to have a safety circle since all zombies would automatically leave the castle''s vicinity when they found themselves within a radius of two kilometers of the castle. It almost seemed as if there was something terrifying inside the castle that made all the zombies go away.


    It turned out that after Fu Chen had come out of the base, he followed the mark that he had intentionally left on Yue Ran and made his way to where he found her presence.


    Fu Chen is now a zombie, so there was really no need for him to eat or sleep. Therefore, he only found a simple place close to the castle and stayed there.


    He does not really care about the poor environment where he is staying; after all, what is more important to him is staying close enough to Yue Ran and being around her.


    This also led Yue Ran to never worry about the terrifying zombies outside at all.


    There is Gu Si, who settled the matters of food and living, and Fu Chen, who settled the matters of safety. This comfortable life is indeed more luxurious and pleasant as compared to the one she had before.


    This was what Yue Ran thought casually in her heart while she cuddled in Gu Si''s arms while reading a novel that she was interested in.


    Just then, the doorbell of the castle rang suddenly.


    The ringing doorbell indicated that the person who had come here knew that someone was living inside the castle.


    Yue Ran blinked and got up from Gu Si''s arms when Gu Si suddenly pulled her back.


    "Someone is outside the gate," Yue Ran said as she was trying to push the man away from her.


    A trace of impatience flashed in Gu Si''s eyes, and then he gave the girl a peck before he stood up and said, "Ran Ran, wait here for me."


    But Yue Ran tugged on Gu Si''s clothes and said, "I want to go with you."


    Seeing how the girl was so cute and sticky toward him, how could he bear to refuse her? And thus, the two walked out to see the scene outside the castle gate.

 Chapter 112 - 112: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (19)

    Unexpectedly, Yue Ran saw the female protagonist, Qi Qian, once again.


    Yue Ran''s inky black eyes flashed as she asked Ruan Ruan in her sea of consciousness, "Ruan Ruan, is the female protagonist stalking me or something? Otherwise, why do I always meet her everywhere when I do not even intend to deal with her right now?"


    "I have checked the system data," Ruan Ruan started. "The female protagonist is indeed tracking the Master''s location through her own system. Does the Master want to retaliate back or block it?"


    "No need," Yue Ran said as she mentally shook her head. "Just leave her be. I want to see what she is going to do."


    "Okay, Master!" Ruan Ruan chirped ever so cutely while circling in Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness. "Ruan Ruan will always wait for the Master''s instructions!"


    Yue Ran glanced at the uninvited visitors who had come in front of the gate.


    The female protagonist''s clothes were tattered with back marks all over her body; her hair was knotted; and there was a lot of dust accumulated from head to toe. She was accompanied by more than twenty people, both men and women, the young and the old, all of whom seemed to be fleeing from danger, which made every one of them look so disheveled.


    Well, looking at the situation, they should have just successfully escaped through something. At first sight, there was a very high probability¡ªalmost one hundred percent¡ªthat it was the threat of zombies.


    "Gu Si."


    These were the words that Qi Qian first said when she saw Yue Ran and Gu Si together.


    Qi Qian did not look surprised at all when she saw the two of them, as if she had long known that they had been living here for quite some time.


    The female protagonist paused, calmed her breath, and spoke to Gu Si, "We have just escaped from danger. It was hard to get out of."


    Qi Qian seemed to want to explain further, but Gu Si mercilessly cut off her words.


    "So what?" he asked indifferently.


    Gu Si only raised his eyebrows and glanced at her, then at the zombies that were wandering not far away. The group of zombies seemed to want to come over, but they seemed to be worried about something, so they dared not get close.


    "There is only this building nearby, and so this is also the only place that is safe for us to stay temporarily," Qi Qian said.


    Seeing that Gu Si still did not intend to answer her words, Qi Qian gritted her teeth in hatred. She was sure that this extremely sharp and smart man in front of her had a high probability of knowing her purpose for coming here, but she does not really care.


    Therefore, Qi Qian could only thicken her face and ask, "So, can you let us go in and stay for a night''s rest?"


    In fact, Qi Qian had only come to Yue Ran''s location to find someone, namely Fu Chen, at first. But along her journey, she saw too many tragic scenes of families being broken up while fleeing, teammates abandoning their friends to save their lives, lone children and widows who had no protection, and so on.


    Qi Qian thought that since she can save a life, she will save a life.


    Every living person represents hope for the rest of humanity. And as a result, things had developed to the present moment before she knew it.


    Qi Qian''s team has gradually expanded, and now it is already considered quite large in scale.


    There are a few people with supernatural abilities, but most of the members are just ordinary people. And ordinary people are powerless in the face of the strong and in the face of fate.


    Almost as soon as Qi Qian opened her mouth and finished speaking, someone next to her echoed, "Yes, please save us!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My granddaughter has not rested for two days," another one added.


    "Please let us go in!"


    "Please save us!"


    "Yes, save us!"


    However, even in the face of so many people calling for help, Gu Si still looked indifferent and unmoved.


    "So what?" Gu Si said those two words with an "I do not care about anything" type of face. "Why should I save them?"


    After all, those unimportant people have nothing to do with him at all. So why should he spare any effort to save them?


    Qi Qian quickly took out a level four zombie spar from the inner pocket of her clothes and raised a hand as a gesture to hand it over to Gu Si.


    "This was what we sacrificed two people with supernatural abilities to get," Qi Qian said. "Can we enter with this in exchange?"


    It was actually the first time for Qi Qian to see a level four zombie spar, and it was also her first time meeting a level four zombie. And thus, it was a rather embarrassing and one-sided fight. In the end, she even had to sacrifice two teammates to survive the mouth of the zombie and defeat it.


    However, Gu Si did not even look at what was in Qi Qian''s hand. It was clear from the man''s face that he had no slightest interest in it.


    "I am not interested in this level four zombie spar," Gu Si said. "I hope that we will not see each other again."


    He is really not interested in meeting this nosy so-called fiancee of his who seems to always want to bump into and interfere with him and Yue Ran''s relationship.


    Gu Si, the main male protagonist of this world, is not a good man. His actions were very different from those of the kind-hearted and generous female protagonist, not that he cares about it either. He cares about very little things in life.


    "Gu Si!" Qi Qian shouted angrily. "There are more than twenty lives here; do you really have the heart to watch them all die in a sea of zombies?"


    "Heh." Gu Si only laughed mockingly. He did not want to pay more attention to Qi Qian and was just about to leave, with his left arm around Yue Ran''s waist and his right hand clutching the girl''s right hand, until Qi Qian suddenly spoke up again.


    "Yue Ran!" Qi Qian shouted, now changing her target to the girl beside Gu Si.


    Since Gu Si cannot be relied on, then at least Yue Ran can.


    Yue Ran, who had been silent from the start of the two''s confrontation¡ªGu Si and Qi Qian¡ªto the end, finally raised her head to look at Qi Qian.


    "Yue Ran, do you really have the heart to watch all the people behind me die?" Qi Qian asked.


    Yue Ran laughed in her heart when she heard the female protagonist''s righteous words.


    Yes, she really has the heart to watch all of them die right in front of her eyes. In this way, she was actually quite similar to the male protagonist, except that her heart is much darker than his and much more selfish than his.


    However, she was now acting as the original body, and hence, Yue Ran showed an unbearable look on her face. She even tugged lightly on Gu Si''s sleeve, as if her big and limpid eyes were begging the man to let those people outside come into the castle.


    And hence, Qi Qian and the rest were allowed to come in.


    "Thank you," Qi Qian said when she passed by Yue Ran. She bowed her head and thanked Yue Ran in a low voice.


    "You are welcome," Yue Ran said while raising a smile on her lips. Her smile and her words were as sweet as honey.


    The rest of the people that came in could not help but be stunned by the girl''s beautiful laugh and stunning appearance.


    In this zombie apocalypse, they really have never seen such a clean and beautiful girl that still looked as pure and lovely as the arrival of an angel.


    Gu Si raised Yue Ran''s chin with a hand and pulled the girl over by tugging her by her small waist. It was not until the girl''s dewy eyes were filled with his figure that he felt much better than before.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran let out a sound filled with doubt from her lips and tilted her head to the side, questioningly. "What is wrong?"


    Looking at the girl''s suspicious eyes, Gu Si directly lowered his head, tightened his hold on the girl''s slender body, and whispered softly in her ears.


    "Do not smile so beautifully at others, or you may be in danger," Gu Si said with a loving (threatening) tone.


    ¡­


    "Have you ever seen Yue Chi?" Qi Qian asked.


    After everyone had almost settled down, Qi Qian came over to Yue Ran and asked her this question.


    "Yue Chi?" Yue Ran asked as she looked at Qi Qian a little strangely and questioningly. "No, I did not see him. Why would he be here?"


    Qi Qian frowned. As far as she knows, it was clearly because Fu Chen was here that the zombies did not dare to come any closer. So why has he never appeared in front of Yue Ran?


    Is Brother Fu Chen even here?


    However, before Qi Qian could go out to search for Fu Chen''s whereabouts, he had already come to the door by himself the very next day.


    "Yue Chi?" Yue Ran asked. She had just come downstairs when she met Fu Chen, who had suddenly appeared. And thus, the girl opened her eyes wide and looked at the man in disbelief.

 Chapter 113 - 113: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (20)

    "Why are you here too?" Yue Ran opened her mouth and looked disbelievingly at the man downstairs, who was staring up at her.


    "What is wrong?" Fu Chen asked. "Does Ran Ran not welcome me here?"


    "No, that was not it," Yue Ran said as she quickly shook her head before fully walking down the stairs. "I just did not expect to see you again."


    "Now that you have seen me, what is with Ran Ran''s reaction?" Fu Chen asked with a teasing tone. There was a gentle arc at the ends of his lips as he looked at the girl now standing in front of him.


    "Of course, I must look and feel happy," Yue Ran said with bent eyes and lips.


    While Yue Ran and Fu Chen were reminiscing about the time when they knew each other very happily, Gu Si, who was inside the kitchen and heard Yue Ran''s happy voice from the outside, quickened his speed to walk out, especially after he had heard of the happy conversation between the two.


    "Ran Ran, come over to eat," Gu Si called out, interrupting Yue Ran and Fu Chen''s harmonious conversation.


    "Okay, I am coming." Yue Ran turned her head and replied to Gu Si. She then shifted her attention to Fu Chen and said, "Then, I will go ahead first."


    Yue Ran waved her hand and walked away at a pleasant pace, leaving Fu Chen to stare at her back a little in a daze.


    ¡­


    Qi Qian: "What did you just say? I need to find a white jade dragon disc? Why, and for what?"


    Salvation System: "Yes, you need to find it. To find the white jade dragon disk and activate it will be the last task from the system. This white jade dragon disk has the effect of purification, and if activated, then all the mutated things in the world could be brought back to normal."


    Qi Qian: "There is this kind of good thing? Then why did you not mention it to me in the first place? The world could have already been saved much earlier then!"


    Salvation System: "There is no way to tell this kind of thing in the first place. There are levels between tasks that need to be unlocked first before reaching the final one, like in a game. And according to your previous strength and ability, it is absolutely impossible for you to activate the white jade dragon disk. Only when the previous system tasks were completed could you increase your supernatural abilities, and then could the final task be reached."


    Qi Qian never thought that it would be like this. So all the system tasks she did before were to lead her to the last point. After thinking for a while, she spoke again with a calm tone.


    Qi Qian: "Then, where is the location of this white jade dragon disk?"


    Salvation System: "The white jade dragon disk is located in the Dawn Barrier Base, a hidden base in City Y. And in order to activate the white jade dragon disk, it needs the full supernatural abilities of you and Gu Si."


    Qi Qian widened her eyes in surprise.


    Qi Qian: "Gu Si and my full supernatural abilities?"


    To sacrifice her supernatural abilities for a safe and peaceful world. It was a good bargain!


    But just thinking about that certain man who was always indifferent and cold, Qi Qian already felt an incoming headache in her head. This man is so troublesome.


    Even if Gu Si compromised, in the end, to take in more than twenty people inside the castle, for which most of the credit goes to Yue Ran, how could Gu Si want to voluntarily lose all his supernatural abilities to save the world and save those people that he does not care about?


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian, we should at least try to persuade Gu Si first, and maybe it would be possible?"


    Qi Qian: "Okay, at present, we can only try it this way."


    ¡­


    "Heh," Gu Si sneered, and he looked down at Qi Qian condescendingly in front of him. "Miss Qi is really interesting. To save the world? Why do you think that I want to save the world? Besides, why should I help you at all?"


    "Gu Si, do you know how many people, where you and I, or us, cannot see them, are now suffering the pain of family separation, abandonment, torture, starvation, and despair?" Qi Qian asked the indifferent man in front of her with eyes that burned with the righteous flames of justice. "Do you know just how many people died at the hands of those monsters? Do you really not have the slightest compassion for them at all?"


    Gu Si stared in boredom at the girl in front of him and simply said a cold-hearted, "No."


    Gu Si easily threw this one word and directly passed by Qi Qian by walking around her without a care in the world.


    To be honest, he really has no idea or compassion for saving people or the world. Moreover, why should he waste his time on this kind of useless thing when he might as well find more time to hug his soft and cute little girlfriend? Even this short conversation with Qi Qian was a waste of his time.


    But the female protagonist is still the female protagonist after all. And even if there is a stumble or a change in the plan, she will never give up easily. After all, this was the essence of every female protagonist: stubbornness.


    Instead of going to Gu Si and finding time to persuade him more, Qi Qian decided to go to Yue Ran.


    From the looks of the previous incident, Qi Qian fully understood that it was better to seek Yue Ran''s help than Gu Si''s. As long as Yue Ran agreed, Gu Si would instantly follow Yue Ran''s decision blindly.


    ¡­


    "Qian Qian, please sit down," Yue Ran said as she took Qi Qian''s hand and led her into the room to the sofa. Yue Ran placed two hands on Qi Qian''s shoulders and pressed her down to the seat. "Wait a minute; I will go and get you a cup of tea."


    Qi Qian looked at the beautiful girl dressed in a pure white short bubble-sleeve dress with delicate decorative laces. She could not help but think that Yue Ran really did look even more beautiful and prosperous than before. Her every move carries an innocent girl''s coquettishness and naivety, with the addition of an unintentional charm that was evoked from inside her bones.


    For a moment, Qi Qian''s thoughts went dark.


    Yue Ran was just a waste who did not know how to do anything. But she could still live so comfortably, even in this apocalypse. Yet she, Qi Qian, had to wander between life and death every single day.


    Her wandering thoughts were brought back to reality by Yue Ran''s soft and pleasant voice.


    "Here, Qian Qian," Yue Ran said.


    Qi Qian instantly came back to her senses, and she looked at the steaming cup of tea in front of her and shortly smiled at Yue Ran, who had now seated herself on the sofa across from her. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you," Qi Qian said.


    "This is Bohea tea," Yue Ran said, introducing the cup of tea in a gentle voice to Qi Qian. "This black tea blend imparts a light, smoky flavor with hints of orange and cinnamon. It tastes bitter and sweet, with an endless aftertaste. Give it a try, Qian Qian."


    "It smells good," Qi Qian said simply.


    Although Qi Qian had responded to Yue Ran with a compliment, she did not make any movement to hold the tea cup or even try to take a sip of the steaming Bohea tea. She just kept tapping the table with the tip of her finger.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    "Why did Qian Qian come to find me today?" Yue Ran asked. "What is the matter?"


    "Hmm, about that..." Qi Qian started, and her words trailed off at the end. Her tone was hesitant. In the end, her eyes flashed with determination before she continued by stating her purpose for finding Yue Ran today.


    Although she disliked Yue Ran very much, she really felt like she could believe in her.


    Yue Ran: What a big trust in me! Even I do not believe in myself. After all, I am full of lies.


    Unexpectedly, after hearing Qi Qian''s words about saving the world with the need to sacrifice her own and Gu Si''s supernatural abilities, Yue Ran smiled softly and beautifully, but the words that spat out of her mouth made Qi Qian feel unbelievable.


    "Oh, I see," Yue Ran said as she nodded lightly and understandingly. "But what does this have anything to do with me?"


    "What¡­ you¡­" Qi Qian''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "I am doing just fine now, and am I not living safely and happily?" Yue Ran asked gently. "So, what does saving the world have to do with me, then?"


    Not only did Yue Ran''s words shock Qi Qian, but the girl''s words also successfully shocked the Salvation System.


    The Salvation System had never once imagined that the girl in front of Qi Qian would actually have this kind of attitude towards such a noble deed!


    "But all mutant creatures needed to be eliminated from the earth so that the entire human race and the planet itself could survive and thrive!" Qi Qian tried to reason with Yue Ran. "The human race and the world need this! The mutant creatures needed to be purified!"

 Chapter 114 - 114: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (21)

    "Oh." Yue Ran simply let out a sound from her lips. There was no joy, anger, surprise, or disappointment in her tone.


    The girl''s delicate and beautiful lips just said a short "oh" coldly, and then she began to sip the tea on the table with ever-so-elegant manners.


    Qi Qian clenched her fists.


    "Yue Ran, I did not expect you to be like this," Qi Qian said.


    "What is Qian Qian talking about?" Yue Ran asked with a smile. She opened her pair of innocent eyes as if she really did not understand the implications of Qi Qian''s words.


    "Heh." Qi Qian narrowed her eyes. She almost laughed aloud at Yue Ran. This person is really good at pretending. "You¡ª"


    Before Qi Qian could finish speaking, she suddenly saw the girl in front of her stand up from her seat, and the smile on her face became extremely sweet in the blink of an eye.


    Qi Qian only watched as Yue Ran went to the door and opened it.


    Outside the door was Fu Chen, who had a warm smile on his face.


    "Ran Ran, this is the tea that I found by accident today," Fu Chen quickly said when he saw the figure of the beautiful girl perched in his heart. "Would you like to have a taste of it together?"


    Yue Ran took a small step forward and then hugged Fu Chen around his waist.


    "Yue Chi, thank you," Yue Ran replied sweetly; her voice sounded so clear and moving.


    "You are welcome," Fu Chen said. "As long as Ran Ran likes it."


    Fu Chen raised his hand and rubbed the girl''s little head. His eyes that were fixed on her were filled with boundless love.


    Seeing that the two people in the doorway did not put her in their sight, Qi Qian took the initiative to walk out.


    She did not know when the two people in front of her had gotten along so well and so suddenly.


    "Qian Qian?" Fu Chen asked. "You are here too?"


    "Um," Qi Qian responded, giving Fu Chen a nod. "I will go back first. You guys can continue."


    Qi Qian really did not want to see the two of them at this time, so she just wanted to leave quickly and keep them out of her sight. Out of sight and out of mind.


    But how could Yue Ran let the female protagonist go so easily? She is not a kind person. The female protagonist''s misery is her joy and her source of power, so why should she cut it off?


    All the actors had appeared on stage, so naturally, the show had to go on.


    So what if the female protagonist in this world does not like the main male protagonist the most? No matter who the female protagonist likes, Yue Ran has to continue her act.


    Yue Ran took Qi Qian''s hand, and it did not take long for her to suddenly burst into tears.


    "Qian Qian, are you mad at me?" Yue Ran asked. "But I¡­ But I really do not know what to do."


    Fu Chen frowned anxiously when he saw this, and he stretched out his hands as if wanting to hug the crying girl into his arms. But after hesitating for a moment, he forced himself to restrain himself and let his hands hang down defeatedly.


    "Ran Ran, what is wrong with you?" Fu Chen asked.


    Yue Ran did not speak a word and just looked at Qi Qian with red eyes.


    Finally, after a short pause, Yue Ran said, "I do not know."


    Although Fu Chen had no idea what had transpired between the two girls, after looking at Yue Ran''s current state, Fu Chen finally could not help but hug the girl in distress and comfort her gently in his arms.


    "It is okay, Ran Ran, it is okay," he said.


    "I do not know... I do not know which one I should choose," Yue Ran started. "The future of mankind is indeed very important, but A Si is just as important to me." She paused for one second before continuing, "Qian Qian, do not force me to choose to save the world, okay?"


    Almost instantly, as Yue Ran finished her words, Fu Chen looked over at Qi Qian with eyes filled with scrutiny.


    Looking at Fu Chen like this, Qi Qian felt that her heart was suddenly stabbed by something sharp, and it was quickly followed by a dense pain.


    Did Brother Fu Chen just not trust her so much in his heart?


    Qi Qian looked at the delicate and crying girl in front of her and the young man who was looking at the weeping girl in distress. She suddenly, inexplicably, felt a little irony in her heart.


    She remembered the moment when she met Brother Fu Chen after thinking that he was already dead after being torn apart by the zombies.


    Fu Chen was still awake then, with scarlet eyes and blood dripping from the right side of his face. But Qi Qian was not afraid at all. On the contrary, she even took the initiative to step forward and take him to her temporary residence. She even felt the joy of finding the man she loved once again.


    But later, how was Fu Chen able to regain his consciousness?


    Ah, yes, Qi Qian remembered it very well, alright. It was she who had repeated Yue Ran''s name in Fu Chen''s ear over and over again until he finally woke up.


    "Brother Fu Chen, I¡ª" Qi Qian started speaking but was instantly cut off.


    "Enough, Qian Qian," Fu Chen said. "You can go out first."


    Qi Qian stared at Fu Chen for a long time, but Fu Chen did not even look at her after so long. She could only grit her teeth and force back the tears in her eyes, then turn and walk out of the room.


    She was no longer the little girl she used to be. She cannot be so weak anymore.


    When Qi Qian had walked out the door and was out of sight, Yue Ran finally said, "I¡­ I am fine. You can let go of me first, Yue Chi."


    At this moment, Fu Chen was still hugging the petite figure of the girl in his arms, and Yue Ran seemed to have reacted after a while. She pushed the man away a little embarrassedly. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fu Chen could only resist the feeling of emptiness and loss in his heart and slowly let the girl go.


    "Ran Ran, can you tell me what happened before?" Fu Chen asked.


    The young man''s voice is clear, as warm and smooth as the water flowing from the mountain river, running straight into a stone and then traveling across or around it.


    "It is nothing," Yue Ran answered. "Thank you for helping me before."


    Yue Ran lowered her head sadly for a while but still did not answer the man''s question. There was a big smile on the girl''s face, and the tears that still welled up in her eyes made her smile extremely moving.


    It may seem as if everything was fine and dandy after looking at the girl''s smile, but Fu Chen knew her well enough to know that she was just hiding the troubles in her heart.


    This was normal.


    It was just normal for Yue Ran not to open up to him about her troubles; after all, they had only known each other for a few months.


    Fu Chen thought of this bitterly.


    "Oh, right, I have previously made a soup for A Si," Yue Ran said, seemingly talking to herself but also seemingly not. "I have to go to the kitchen."


    After the girl finished speaking, before Fu Chen could react, she hurriedly ran out of the door and into the kitchen. Thus, only Fu Chen was left to stand still in place.


    The smile at the corner of Fu Chen''s mouth froze, and his heart was suddenly filled with jealousy and unwillingness. He did not know how much longer he could suppress these feelings in the depths of his heart.


    "Ran Ran, you cannot do this to me," Fu Chen whispered to himself.


    Although these things were also what Fu Chen had previously imagined and expected, once they happened before his eyes, he could hardly hold back his raging feelings.


    His Ran Ran will gradually forget him, and he will no longer be in her heart.


    His Ran Ran will have someone who loves her very much and will stay by her side and accompany her wherever she wants to go.


    His Ran Ran will always, always be happy, with or without him.


    Although Fu Chen is now a zombie, he has forgotten that he is also human, just an ordinary human with normal human feelings. And when it came to this kind of thing, the jealousy in his heart would be bigger than anyone else''s.


    When Yue Ran walked into the kitchen, she was also watching the live broadcast opened by Ruan Ruan by Fu Chen''s side. When she saw the man''s painful appearance, the corner of the girl''s mouth slowly revealed a very sweet smile.


    Hmm, let her think for a moment. What step was she going to take next?


    Ah, yes, of course, to save the world.


    ¡­


    Qi Qian: "Is there any other way other than this?"


    The Salvation System keenly saw that its host was not in a good mood at the moment. It flipped through the taskbar and the data it had stored, then finally shook its head.

 Chapter 115 - 115: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (22)

    Salvation System: "No, this is the only way."


    Qi Qian lowered her eyes and said nothing for a long time. She does not understand. Is it not just a matter of sacrificing Gu Si''s supernatural abilities? So why would Yue Ran want to refuse?


    If sacrificing her supernatural abilities could make the world return to normal, then why not?


    This was a very good deal, and she would do it without any hesitation!


    It was really no wonder that Qi Qian could become the female protagonist of this apocalyptic world. Saving the world will always be her greatest priority; not even love can change that.


    Qi Qian used to be just a little girl who did not know much about the world. But later, with the company of the system and the coming of the zombie apocalypse that swept the world in a rush, she experienced standing in the line of life and death; she saw many deaths and partings; she saw the unwillingness and selfishness of human nature; but she also saw the beauty of human nature at the same time.


    She was sad, she despaired, she was unwilling, she was moved, and finally, she stood up.


    This is Qi Qian''s conscience as a person and as a human.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Three short knocks on the door sounded in the silence, and Qi Qian gradually recovered from her thoughts.


    "Come in," she said.


    The door swung open, and it was Fu Chen, who had come in with a rarely-seen heavy expression on his face.


    Qi Qian quickly stood up and said, "Brother Fu Chen."


    Fu Chen lowered his eyelids and said, "Qian Qian, today..."


    Qi Qian pursed her lips and said, "Brother Fu Chen, do you not believe me?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She looked at the man in front of her with a pair of reddened eyes. But Fu Chen only stayed silent.


    "Qian Qian, I do not want to see Ran Ran sad," Fu Chen finally said.


    "So if I am sad, Brother Fu Chen can turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to me?" Qi Qian asked in a rather hurried tone.


    "Sorry," Fu Chen said as an apology.


    In an instant, Qi Qian''s heart turned to ashes. Only that one word, "sorry," echoed in her blank mind.


    Fu Chen paused for a while and then spoke again: "For this kind of thing, do not do it a second time."


    The young man, who had always been gentle, had an unfeeling kind of dread at this moment, as if their twenty-year relationship was not worth mentioning at all.


    Qi Qian ignored the man and turned her head and reddened eyes away from Fu Chen. She did not want to look at him at all.


    Fu Chen froze.


    The young man seemed as if he wanted to say something but also did not want to say anything. He only lowered his head slightly, turned his body around, opened the door gently, and walked out.


    He was still as gentle as softly flowing water and the comfortable blowing of a breeze.


    ¡­


    A week.


    Only for one week. This was the time limit that Gu Si could allow Qi Qian and her "guests" to stay in the castle.


    But when Qi Qian was leaving, she suddenly found out that Gu Si, Yue Ran, and even Fu Chen had walked out of the castle.


    "Why are you guys here?" Qi Qian asked. Her face was cold, and her words sounded indifferent. There was a hint of a leader''s temperament in her.


    Yue Ran smiled in her heart. It seemed that the female protagonist had really suffered a lot during the apocalypse to actually be shaped into this now.


    "What do you think?" Gu Si asked.


    His deep eyes were covered in frost, and his gaze toward Qi Qian was terribly cold.


    This Qi Qian was not able to persuade him, so she dared to go out to harass his Ran Ran?


    How daring.


    If his Ran Ran was not thinking about this person''s well-being, then how could she have been jumping around for so long? If there had been no Yue Ran, then her body would have already been cold, and she might have turned into a zombie long ago.


    Yue Ran: If there was no me, you and the female protagonist would have been an official couple.


    Qi Qian''s heart was filled with joy, but this emotion was also well suppressed by her.


    Is this Gu Si''s promise?


    "If that were the case, then let us go together," Qi Qian said.


    "Team leader!"


    In an instant, someone on the team expressed their dissatisfaction. This was because there are already more than twenty members in their team, and fighting for survival is already very hard. If they add three more members, are they not just asking for death? Are they not just asking for trouble?


    When the team members were staying in the castle before, Yue Ran always stayed on her floor and rarely went outside the castle, and Gu Si would never let them see her around, even when the team members were searching for supplies. Moreover, Fu Chen was always alone and had never gone close to the team members, let alone go with them to search for supplies, so Qi Qian''s team members had no way to get in touch with the three ghostly people.


    Fu Chen does not need any food to live either. He only went out to search for things that Yue Ran might like.


    In short, many of the team members have never thought about how these three people could live so comfortably in this kind of zombie apocalypse. They had always felt that it was their team leader, Qi Qian, who had been working extra hard to protect them and keep them safe from those zombies outside.


    "Team leader, we simply do not have enough cars, and the seats are full," someone in the team said.


    "Yes, team leader, and there is very little food we could spare," someone else chimed in.


    No one is stupid. In this zombie apocalypse, one more person in the team meant less of a person''s share, which meant that they had to work even harder.


    Besides, there are now three additional members on the team at a time.


    "Enough, then we will just add three more people," Qi Qian said. "Moreover, two of them still have supernatural abilities."


    As soon as they heard that there were two people with supernatural abilities, the objection disappeared. However, there are still a few people jumping around.


    "And what about the one that does not have any supernatural ability?"


    "Yes, there are three of them, and only two have supernatural abilities!"


    "Enough!"


    The latter was spoken by Qi Qian. Her voice was cold, and she stared at the two people who had previously spoken out.


    Sure enough, it was them again. Those two people were always timid and fearful in front of zombies, and now they had jumped around so selfishly like this again.


    "Amongst you, there are also many people who do not have any supernatural abilities, but we are all the same; we are all equal."


    The female protagonist over there had already begun to establish her own prestige, and when she and her team members had already started arguing, Gu started to pull Yue Ran over and take her to the car that he had already prepared for a long time.


    Would he really stay there and let Ran Ran be the center of attention for everyone? As if! If not for the fact that his Ran Ran still cared about their little lives, then he would have no scruples about killing them all.


    "Ran Ran, we are going now," Gu Si said gently.


    "Okay," Yue Ran replied.


    To answer why Gu Si suddenly decided to come with Qi Qian, naturally, it was because he would be no match for Yue Ran''s soft and coquettish words.


    For Gu Si, there was no difference between before and after the coming of the zombie apocalypse; after all, his occupation has always made him bet his life on every mission. However, now is better because he has someone by his side whom he wants to protect for the rest of his life.


    Gu Si held the steering wheel with one hand and intertwined Yue Ran''s fingers with the other, looking very happy.


    On the other side, Qi Qian was suddenly interrupted by the sound of cars moving, and she quickly turned her head to look at the two separate cars, driven by Gu Si and Fu Chen, that had already gone far away, and she lowered her voice and said, "Let us go too."


    ¡­


    The place where they are now is in City J, which is about 2,200 kilometers away from the Dawn Barrier Base, a hidden base in City Y, in the north.


    According to the current situation, if they went on well for two or four days, then they would be able to reach City Y very soon. But if things do not go well on the road, then the time when they reach City Y will be hard to say.


    Before leaving this city, Qi Qian once looked for Fu Chen to ask him for a favor.


    She knew that if Fu Chen made a move, then their journey would definitely go very smoothly since he could deter all the zombies from coming to cause trouble.


    But Fu Chen was uncharacteristically firm this time as he said, "Qian Qian, you must know that I am not an omnipotent person nor is my ability invincible."

 Chapter 116 - 116: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (23)

    In fact, what Fu Chen said was right. Every time he was to control a zombie, it was at the expense of his own mental power, and it was very difficult for him to recover it. This also meant that every time he used his own mental power, he was one step closer to becoming a real zombie.


    Presently, Fu Chen still has his own consciousness, his own thoughts, and his own selfish desires.


    He had always thought that if he could stay a little longer, then he must look at his Ran Ran a little longer.


    He is just that selfish.


    ¡­


    "Ran Ran¡ª" Fu Chen had only started to speak, but he was immediately cut off by another.


    "Ran Ran, here it is," Gu Si said, successfully interrupting Fu Chen''s words.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed in question until she saw the beautifully packaged biscuits in Gu Si''s hand. "Oh, I want A Si to feed me."


    The girl''s tone was extremely sweet¡ªsweet to the heart.


    With smiling eyes and lips, Gu Si patiently fed the little cookies into Yue Ran''s mouth. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this, Fu Chen also took out two compressed biscuits from his pocket, intending to give them to Yue Ran to keep off hunger, only to see Gu Si taking out tools and ingredients out of his space supernatural ability and immediately starting to cook without needing to be asked.


    Fu Chen''s eyes flashed a gleam of surprise.


    It was as if Gu Si had already done this series of actions countless times and was already very used to them until they became a habit.


    Gu Si directly uses his supernatural ability to grow fresh and edible plants, cut them, and then put them into the pot with spices and seasonings. A beam of blue light emerged from his palm, and then the pot that was filled with vegetables was now filled with water.


    Speaking of which, the space supernatural ability of Gu Si was supposed to belong to the female protagonist. But when Ruan Ruan took it away, he unexpectedly discovered that it could not be taken out of the world, and thus it could only be used or transferred to another person.


    Yue Ran: What a pity, I cannot use it for myself.


    Ruan Ruan: It is okay, Master; Ruan Ruan has a space!


    Yue Ran does not want to face any troublesome things that would inevitably waste her time, and thus this space was logically transferred to her first strategy target, the main male protagonist who loves her wholeheartedly, Gu Si.


    It was also no wonder that Yue Ran and Gu Si could live so freely and easily with no worries in their hearts. After all, everything¡ªall their supplies¡ªcould just be kept in the space.


    The soup was made quickly, and a bowl of hearty vegetable beef soup was placed in front of Yue Ran. The tender sirloin pieces and diced veggies offer satisfying appeal. The savory garnish on top made this ordinary soup look extra special.


    The incomparably delicious smell and its visually appealing color could easily stimulate a person''s taste buds.


    There was no need to mention the main male protagonist''s skill in cooking. It must be guaranteed to be delicious. Yue Ran herself can testify after eating them for so long.


    More than twenty people on Qi Qian''s team over there could only look at this delicious and healthy pot of food with fresh ingredients. They suddenly felt that the precious dry food that they had protected with their lives in their hands was not delicious at all.


    It has been a few months since the start of the zombie apocalypse. So what life could those two people have ever lived when they look so out of place, like they were just going on an outing and having a romantic date in the wild?


    All of them have been running for more than half the time, trying hard to stay alive, eating their meals like they were their last...


    Fu Chen looked gloomily at the two people in front of him, who were intimately sharing a bowl of soup. His eyes inevitably flashed scarlet for a brief moment. It went as fast as it came.


    "Ran Ran, can I sit here?" Fu Chen asked.


    Even though Fu Chen was asking, he had already come to the position on the other side of Yue Ran.


    "Hm? Yes, you can," Yue Ran answered with a nod. "Ah!"


    Unexpectedly, Yue Ran had just finished speaking when Gu Si suddenly put the bowl in his hand and then put his arms around her petite figure to change their positions.


    "You cannot," Gu Si said with a tone as cold as his face. His other hand was still tightly hugging the girl in a protective and possessive manner.


    Yue Ran leaned meekly into the man''s arms, looking extra delicate and slender. Her eyes were full of dependence and joy, like a weak dodder flower swaying with the wind. She could only survive by clinging to the big tree next to her.


    The girl in Gu Si''s arms looked over at Fu Chen a little apologetically and said, "Sorry, my boyfriend does not like me getting too close to other people."


    Hearing this, although Gu Si''s expression quickly improved, as could be seen by the naked eye, he still kept his hold on Yue Ran with an absolutely possessive attitude.


    "So that is it," Fu Chen said. "Your boyfriend is too domineering."


    Fu Chen lowered his eyes, making it difficult for others to see or read the expression in his eyes, but his voice sounded very light, as if it would dissipate with the wind at any time soon.


    Hearing this, Yue Ran frowned and looked at Fu Chen with a strange look in her eyes.


    "Mr. Yue, A Si is a very good person, and there is no need for others to comment on him. Thank you," Yue Ran said in a firm and defensive tone.


    Fu Chen''s heart suddenly surged with pain and vague grievances.


    His Ran Ran actually blamed him for defending others?


    In contrast to Fu Chen''s current emotions, Gu Si''s heart was filled with joy.


    The delicate girl in his arms, who has always been gentle and coquettish, can now protect himself in front of others! How could he not feel happy?


    Gu Si touched Yue Ran''s soft and silky hair with his hand and smiled fondly at her.


    "I really did not love my Ran Ran in vain," he said.


    It was also at this time that Fu Chen lost control of his emotions. Seeing that invisible power emerges from Fu Chen''s palm, Ruan Ruan became anxious about Yue Ran''s mind.


    "Master, Master!" Ruan Ruan shouted out loud to gain Yue Ran''s attention. "Fu Chen is a little out of control!"


    Yue Ran only blinked, even feeling a little anticipation in her heart. What would the future plot become if Fu Chen made a mess? She was looking forward to it.


    "Relax, Ruan Ruan," Yue Ran lazily answered to her system. "Even if Fu Chen wanted to kill everyone, he would not kill me."


    Ruan Ruan froze and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Oh, that was right. He was just too worried about nothing.


    Qi Qian, who had glanced over at Yue Ran''s side, also noticed that something was not quite right with Fu Chen''s situation, and thus she quickly got up from her seat and shouted, "Yue Chi!"


    All of a sudden, the invisible power created by Fu Chen was interrupted, and the zombies who were about to move toward the group in the distance began to walk aimlessly again.


    Qi Qian breathed out a sigh of relief and then walked over with a serious expression.


    "There are not only the three of you here," Qi Qian said. "And there are plenty of places to sit over there."


    The meaning of the female protagonist''s words was to imply to Fu Chen that there are many people here, so do not act rashly.


    Fu Chen closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.


    "No need; I will just sit here," he said.


    After saying so, he found a place not far from Yue Ran and Gu Si and sat down alone.


    Gu Si looked at Yue Ran, who occasionally cast a glance at Fu Chen unconsciously, and his eyelashes trembled as he looked at the ground. A stream of light flashed across his eyes, which held obscurity. No one knows what he is thinking about.


    ¡­


    Along the way, there were occasionally a few zombies, and they were quickly killed by the female protagonist with a thunderbolt. Everyone seemed to be sheltered by her strong supernatural ability.


    When it was getting dark, the team finally came to park the cars in front of the door entrance of a hotel.


    Qi Qian got out of the car first and instructed the team members that came behind her.


    "Let us all rest here for a night," Qi Qian said. "Wang Xi and Li Sha, you two will take the lead to investigate the situation around the hotel. Su Xu and Tan Li, you two will go to the supermarket next to the hotel to get leftover supplies."


    These four people were the few users of supernatural abilities on the team. They have been staying with Qi Qian for quite a while and thus have a tacit understanding of one another.


    However, Gu Si, who just came out of the car with Yue Ran, acted as if Qi Qian was not there, nor had he heard of her words or what she had said.

 Chapter 117 - 117: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (24)

    Gu Si immediately pulled Yue Ran with him to choose to live in a room on the far right of the hotel''s second floor.


    Anyway, they do not know each other well, so why pretend to be close?


    He, Gu Si, has always done whatever he wanted, so why should he care about other people''s words? Well, except Yue Ran.


    After all, it was the main reason he was here in the first place.


    ¡­


    Inside the hotel


    Qi Qian seemed to have found something wrong, and she immediately asked everyone to evacuate the hotel, and she also told them to go as far away as possible.


    Hearing their team leader say this, everyone did not dare to hesitate or linger around any longer and got up one after another and fled to the outside of the hotel. Everyone stumbled, but they still struggled to run forward to stay alive.


    Fortunately, Qi Qian had found things worn very early, so there must still be time to escape.


    "Get in the car!" She shouted at her team members.


    Qi Qian kept calling the Salvation System in her heart.


    Qi Qian: "System! Why did things suddenly go so wrong? Why have the zombies suddenly gone crazy? What had actually happened?"


    Salvation System: "About this... let me search for the reason why for a moment."


    The Salvation System itself was also taken aback by this kind of sudden accident. It hurriedly checked the surrounding situation but found that there were zombies all around the city, surrounding the city like a dense wall of undead corpses, which looked extremely terrifying.


    The cause of this sudden riot was the energy fluctuations that came from the very hotel that they were staying in!


    Listening to the Salvation System''s explanation, Qi Qian''s face instantly paled, and she knew who was the perpetrator behind this scene. It was Fu Chen!


    Thinking of this, Qi Qian no longer hesitated, and she clenched her teeth and quickly ran towards the second floor of the hotel at her fastest speed.


    She has to hurry up!


    But no matter how she searched the hotel, she could not see any shadow of Fu Chen, not even a trace left by him that indicated that he was there. This also meant that now there were only Gu Si and Yue Ran who were still in the hotel, excluding her, who was running around.


    Qi Qian quickly came to Gu Si and Yue Ran''s room and hurriedly knocked on their door. When the door swung open, she said, "The zombies will soon surround us all; run away quickly!"


    Gu Si looked at Qi Qian indifferently and said in a mocking tone, "Oh, where do you actually think that you can escape to? The whole city is surrounded, so if you run about now, is it not just to die even faster?"


    Qi Qian suddenly recalled her team members, whom she had arranged to escape, and her face paled. Gu Si was right¡ªthere was no way to escape this zombie encirclement!


    So those team members...


    Qi Qian: !


    Qi Qian dared not imagine what the consequences of her order of escape would be!


    If¡­ if something were to happen to them, then she would never forgive herself for the rest of her life!


    Yue Ran: This is such an upright and noble female protagonist.


    For the first time, Qi Qian felt that she was useless. Firstly, she was not able to find Fu Chen; secondly, she had no way to stop the zombies from coming; and lastly, she could not protect her team members.


    Qi Qian tried to calm herself down as she spoke to the Salvation System in her mind.


    Qi Qian: "System, try to take a look at my team members'' situation and tell me how they are doing!"


    Salvation System: "Sorry, Qian Qian, they are no longer in the system''s viewing range, and thus the system cannot see their current situation."


    Hearing this, the bad premonition in Qi Qian''s heart became stronger and stronger. In the end, she could not hold it any longer and immediately rushed out of the hotel.


    Gu Si shifted his gaze from Qi Qian expressionlessly. He did not have the heart to care so much at the moment.


    He hurriedly took Yue Ran to an underground warehouse, an enclosed space with excellent defense capabilities. The room was also full of supplies.


    "Ran Ran, can you wait for me here?" Gu Si asked.


    "Is A Si going to leave me?" Yue Ran asked as she pulled on Gu Si''s sleeve. Her eyes were full of sadness and reluctance that could not be concealed. "Is A Si going to abandon me?"


    "Ran Ran, believe me, okay? I will finish things quickly, and I will be there to pick you up very soon," Gu Si said.


    Although Gu Si had said these words very easily, he had severely downplayed the current situation to Yue Ran. He said that he could solve this current situation quickly, but he clearly knew that it was not easy to solve such a thing in reality.


    For the first time, Gu Si was not sure if he could still stay alive after such an ordeal, and he was also not sure if he could protect his Ran Ran well, so he had come up with this last resort to arrange Yue Ran here for her own safety.


    "Okay, I will believe in A Si," Yue Ran said. "Then A Si must come back safely."


    Gu Si put on a comforting smile on his face, which looked extremely gentle.


    "Okay," he answered the girl back.


    After looking at Yue Ran carefully for a long time, he narrowed his eyes, turned around, and walked out.


    He had to draw the zombies away in order to buy time for Yue Ran to live.


    If someone had told him before that he would one day risk his life and death for a woman, he must have sneered at that person and dismissed his words, thinking that that person was dreaming all day long.


    But now, Gu Si really felt that because it was Yue Ran, he really would do so.


    He wanted her to live more than anyone else.


    Gu Si wanted Yue Ran to live more than anyone else.


    ¡­


    Another neat cut from the ice blade flashed a white light, and another zombie''s head was cut off.


    Gu Si habitually shook the ice blade in his hand to loosen his very tense and overused muscles, and his face turned a few shades paler than usual due to the prolonged use of mental power and supernatural abilities.


    He watched as a steady stream of zombies from so far away marched into his current position like an army out for war, and he could not help but curse in a low voice.


    It was not over yet!


    At this moment, a flash of white and purple light suddenly appeared behind Gu Si, which was the female protagonist, Qi Qian''s, lightning supernatural ability.


    Qi Qian flashed over at an unknown time; her hands lit up, and the two zombies in front of her vanished after being struck by her lightning supernatural ability in an instant.


    "What are you still standing here for?" Qi Qian asked. "Hurry up and find a way to escape!"


    Gu Si frowned as he glanced at Qi Qian, then turned his head away to mind his own business.


    Why was she always so nosy?


    Suddenly, a cyan-skinned zombie with the same appearance as an ordinary person quickly emerged from the wave of zombies. He stretched out his hand, and his sharp fingernails came out in an instant, pointing directly to the heads of the two¡ªGu Si and Qi Qian!


    Gu Si reacted quickly to dodge this attack.


    A huge water ball was immediately condensed in his hand. The moment it was released, the water ball turned into a ball of ice. Wherever it passed, the cold breath and power froze anything in its surroundings, and a deep pit instantly emerged where it fell.


    The cyan-skinned zombie that could not dodge in time was directly attacked by the hardened ice ball. It resisted for a moment when he was hit by it and finally stopped moving, with his hands and feet falling to the ground after a short struggle.


    One could see that the zombie''s body was penetrated by the ice ball, and its body was split into countless pieces that quickly exploded.


    At this time, Gu Si and Qi Qian both wore extremely heavy expressions on their faces.


    In the attack just now, Gu Si had used a hundred percent of his strength, but the cyan-skinned zombie was still able to resist it for a second or two, which showed just how powerful this zombie was.


    Unexpectedly, only a few months have passed since the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, but the zombies have already evolved so quickly.


    Qi Qian could not help but worry about this in her heart.


    She had to find the white jade dragon disk at a faster pace! S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The decision to do this final task from the Salvation System was extremely firm at this moment.


    She must hurry up and find it!


    The place that Gu Si and Qi Qian were at the moment was not too far from the hotel they were previously staying at. If a large number of zombies were to gather here, then there would be a very high probability that Yue Ran may be in danger!


    Gu Si constantly observed the surrounding environment and kept calculating in his head which way would be the most beneficial to take.

 Chapter 118 - 118: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (25)

    Gu Si''s eyes suddenly flashed brightly.


    Got it! He has found a solution!


    Although the number of zombies in the direction of one o''clock is large, their movements were much slower than those of the other zombies. Moreover, the gap between the zombies is large enough for him to pass.


    As soon as Gu Si had determined the route he wanted to take, he instantly rushed over in the one o''clock direction. At the same time, a layer of blue ice appeared on his body. The temperature of the ice was extremely low, and its touch was freezing.


    Using his powers like this was simply a wasteful approach to his supernatural ability with a high consumption rate, but now time is money. Moreover, he was indeed in a very desperate situation now because every second wasted here meant another second that Yue Ran could get into danger!


    Qi Qian looked at the blue flash of light that flew out at high speed and had suddenly streaked past her, gritted her teeth, and resolutely followed behind.


    ¡­


    In the underground warehouse of the hotel


    At this time, without much effort, Fu Chen made a gap in the barrier that Gu Si had set up and walked in with a calm expression.


    At a glance, the man immediately saw the girl, who had her head lowered and was facing the ground, and her hands circled her knees. She looked very small, cute, and endearing.


    As if disturbed or awakened by the sound of footsteps, the girl raised her head to show her beautiful face, and then her eyes shone with surprise at the person who had just come and was approaching her position.


    Yue Ran stood up, ran over to Fu Chen in panic, then hugged him and huddled in his arms.


    "Yue Chi! Great, you are here!" Yue Ran said happily, as if relieved that she could finally see a familiar person at this tense moment of waiting for someone''s news.


    Fu Chen looked indifferently and coldly at Yue Ran''s approach, but then he suddenly moved. He stretched out a hand to touch the girl''s delicate lips and pressed on them with a little bit of ferocity and jealousy in his movements.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran looked up at the man and hummed in question.


    As if realizing something, the girl frowned, let go of her hand around the man, and then looked at him with defensive eyes.


    The appearance of guarding against him in her eyes completely stung Fu Chen.


    Once upon a time, they were the closest and most intimate people in the world. At that time, he could hug and kiss her openly. But now he could only watch in silence and pain at how she and another man were deeply in love with one another.


    Restraint? What a restraint!


    She is supposed to be his!


    She is his!


    Yue Ran is his!


    The kisses filled with anger and love fell overwhelmingly upon Yue Ran. She could not stop the man''s aggressive and passionate movements and had to bear with them.


    "You¡­"


    The girl only managed to say this one word before another volley of attacks came overwhelmingly like a tsunami.


    Yue Ran''s eyes were filled with shock, then she struggled and tried to avoid the man''s touch, but to no avail. Her meager strength could not shake off Fu Chen in the slightest, not to mention that the jealousy in the young man''s heart was vented out like a volcanic eruption that caused disastrous loss of life and property to its surroundings regardless.


    Therefore, how could he easily let Yue Ran go?


    The girl was overwhelmed.


    However, Yue Ran has something that no one can resist.


    Sure enough, as soon as the girl''s delicate tears fell from her eyes, Fu Chen, who was embracing her, suddenly froze.


    Yue Ran did not say anything, but her eyes were full of tears. And when those tears fell and slid down her face like liquid pearls, Fu Chen instantly felt full of distress and pity for her.


    What was he doing? How can he hurt his Ran Ran just because of the jealousy in his heart?


    After a while, Fu Chen let go of the girl, feeling a little wronged, awkward, and flustered. Even his voice had become hoarse.


    "Do not cry, Ran Ran," he said.


    Yue Ran gradually stopped crying and calmed down after a while. However, she asked an unexpected question in the silence: "Do¡­ do you know where A Si is?"


    In an instant, the silent atmosphere that had just eased a little became tense and oppressive again.


    "I do not know," Fu Chen answered while lowering his eyelids to cover the expression in his eyes. "Why do you ask this? Did he leave by himself and abandon you here all alone?"


    "No! A Si only went away to protect me from the zombies and lure them away, so... so he went out alone¡­" Yue Ran spoke, her words trailing off at the end in obvious worry.


    As soon as Yue Ran heard Fu Chen''s provocative words, she immediately defended Gu Si this way. It was as if she would not allow anyone to speak ill of Gu Si as long as she was alive.


    "Is he that good?" Fu Chen asked tremblingly.


    He was not willing that things had turned out like this. He was reluctant to leave like this. He does not want to quit Yue Ran''s life just like this!


    "Yes, A Si is the best person in this world to me," Yue Ran answered firmly.


    When she spoke, Fu Chen could see that the love and tenderness in her eyes were almost tangible.


    "Then what about Fu Chen?" Fu Chen suddenly raised his voice as he asked such a question.


    Yue Ran looked at the man in surprise and puzzlement.


    "How¡­ how do you know Fu Chen?"


    Fu Chen turned his head away as a gesture of avoidance.


    No, he could not let her know about this. He could not let her know his identity.


    Now, he looks neither like a human nor a ghost with this kind of horrible appearance. It would surely scare his Ran Ran away.


    He did not want her to look scared.


    He did not want to see fear in her eyes.


    He did not want her to be scared of him.


    And so, he could never let her know about this.


    After a short while, Fu Chen could hear Yue Ran''s crying voice: "You... you are Fu Chen, are you not?"


    "¡­No," Fu Chen said. There was a long pause before he answered this one question. "You have gotten the wrong person."


    Fu Chen turned away from the girl''s gaze. He did not dare to look at her at all. But who would know that he was so suddenly hugged by her?


    Yue Ran embraced the man''s waist tightly and rested her head on his back.


    "You must be," Yue Ran said. There was a hint of clear nostalgia in her tone. "You are back, so why are you hiding from me for so long? I miss you so much."


    Fu Chen forcibly endured the sourness in his heart and unwrapped her hands that were wrapped around his waist before saying, "I am Yue Chi, not Fu Chen."


    Yue Ran pursed her lips and then said, "Then you turn around and let me see your face clearly!"


    But before Fu Chen could react to her words, Yue Ran had walked around the man''s figure and hugged his neck tightly. Without giving the man much time to think, she had pressed her delicate lips to his.


    Fu Chen was stunned for a moment, but when he could finally react, he found that he was reluctant to push the girl away.


    How could he bear to push her away when he loves her so much?


    Yue Ran took advantage of Fu Chen at this moment, and she suddenly reached out a hand to take off the silver mask on his face!


    Fu Chen''s eyes widened, obviously feeling very surprised. He quickly pushed Yue Ran away and turned around. His body even trembled slightly because of his panic.


    After a long time, Fu Chen''s hoarse voice sounded in the silence.


    "Have you seen it all?" he asked. "It is terrible, right? You must be very scared."


    Yue Ran came close to Fu Chen and took his emptily hanging hand. She wanted to turn his body around, but the man''s figure did not move at all. And thus, the girl could only walk around his figure again to stand in front of the man.


    Fu Chen turned his head away again. This was a subconscious reaction of his.


    Yue Ran stretched out her hand to slowly touch the scar on Fu Chen''s face.


    "It must have hurt a lot," she said with a tone full of distress. "Sorry, I am late."


    Bean-sized tears dripped from Yue Ran''s eyes and landed on the palm of Fu Chen''s hand, scalding his skin. It was extremely hot.


    "I am sorry that I only recognized you now," Yue Ran said in a crying voice.


    ¡­


    "Gu Si!" Qi Qian shouted at the man in front of her. "Gu Si! Wake up!"


    Qi Qian gritted her teeth and patted Gu Si''s face, trying to make the man wake up from his state of unconsciousness. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this time, the two managed to escape from the city center, and Gu Si fainted because of the exhaustion of his mental strength and energy.


    Qi Qian: "System, try to search nearby for a place that is safe to stay."

 Chapter 119 - 119: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (26)

    Salvation System: "Okay, Qian Qian."


    After a short while of scanning the area around them, the Salvation System responded to the female protagonist.


    Salvation System: "I have found a place. It is a small supermarket five kilometers to your right."


    Qi Qian: "Got it, system."


    After confirming her designated target, Qi Qian helped the unconscious Gu Si up and put him on her back with much difficulty.


    Qi Qian''s mental strength was also on the verge of exhaustion, like the exhausted fuel of a car that could possibly be emptied at any time. Now there are only a few droplets of fuel left in the car. The only reason she could still move was because of her sheer willpower.


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian, you should be more careful and do not force yourself too much."


    After embarrassingly avoiding the two wandering zombies, Qi Qian had now successfully carried Gu Si to the small supermarket that the system had pointed its location at.


    The door of the small supermarket has a heavy gate that needs to be pulled upward to be able to enter it. With Qi Qian''s current condition, she was only as strong as a weak and ordinary person with no supernatural abilities, and hence there was no way that she could open the gate at all. But it was also for this reason that the inside of the small supermarket must be very safe at this time.


    Qi Qian first placed Gu Si down from her back to the ground, then searched for something that could possibly help her out in this kind of situation. After looking around, she only found a useful iron bar that could help her.


    She walked to the door and lifted the gate a little when she pulled it up with her current strength. Her body was tense; sweat dripped from her chin; her hands were weak; but she could only hold on!


    With enough effort, she was finally able to pull the gate upward and support it with an iron rod to keep it open.


    The female protagonist breathed out a sigh of relief when she had made it and fell to the ground as soon as she relaxed her body. She sat pantingly, both hands pressing on the ground to support her current position, and took a few deep breaths.


    However, after a while, Qi Qian stood up again while gritting her teeth.


    It was not safe here. Both of them¡ªthe tired female protagonist and the unconscious male protagonist¡ªhave to go inside for her to feel confident in her safety.


    Therefore, if one were to see the current situation, one could only see that Qi Qian was dragging Gu Si''s body close to the gate by pulling on his hands before pushing his body bit by bit into the gate.


    As soon as she had also entered and pulled the iron rod supporting the gate from closing it away, the gate fell with a loud bang, and she fell into a coma.


    The Salvation System could not help but feel a little happier when it looked at the two people who were unconscious at this moment.


    The sound woman is sassy and heroic, while the young man is extraordinary and unruly.


    Although they looked to be in a mess at this moment in time, with their clothes dirty and tattered and their hair in a mess, it could not cover the temperament of the two. These two people seemed to be a perfect match in the Salvation System''s eyes.


    It was finally time for these two people to get along with one another!


    The Salvation System had a hunch that this deep sleep was an opportunity for both of them!


    ¡­


    As soon as Gu Si woke up, he immediately felt a change in his body. He felt that the energy in his body seemed to be unusually abundant.


    A hint of joy flashed in his eyes, and he quickly got up to look around at his current surroundings.


    The room he was in was dim and dark. If it were not for his supernatural ability and his five senses, which were very sensitive, nothing could have been seen clearly inside.


    After scanning around for a while, Gu Si reached the conclusion that he seemed to be in a supermarket. A small one, to be precise. Qi Qian was also lying not far from his position, looking deep into her sleep.


    He was currently in a safe place.


    Gu Si fiddled with his messy hair and combed it all back by running his fingers through it. This series of actions pushed his bangs up to reveal his forehead. Then he leaned his back against the cabinet behind him and stood up slowly with the help of his hands.


    He had an intuition that he must have slept for a long time.


    Now, the most important thing for him to do was to go back to that hotel to save his Ran Ran!


    Just thinking about what Yue Ran would be facing now or whether she was well or not made Gu Si a little anxious. This could be seen by his movements and the expression on his face.


    The underground warehouse that he had kept Yue Ran safely in was protected by his mental power, so zombies weaker than him could never get in. At that time, most of the zombies were led away by him, so his Ran Ran must be safe now.


    But when he hurried to the underground warehouse of the hotel, he found that the inside was empty. Moreover, the supplies around were not touched at all, so this meant that this place had already been emptied very early.


    Gu Si looked at the empty place, and his face was pale. The blue energy that suddenly shrouded him was constantly rioting. It looked as if he was going to lose control of his emotions and supernatural abilities at any time. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the end, Gu Si patiently searched the whole city, but to no avail. He was not able to find Yue Ran at all.


    Since Yue Ran was not here, then he should find her in another place! He must be able to find her location very soon!


    Gu Si, who was now unstable and paranoid, believed that Yue Ran must still be alive. As long as he looked everywhere, he would definitely find her very soon.


    So when he left this city, a tsunami appeared when Gu Si raised a hand from afar, causing the earth to quake and the water to blast anything in its way, bringing about large destruction to the city. Water immediately flooded that one city, causing utter desolation. This one attack took away all traces of existence.


    Gu Yi was actually venting his anger and panic.


    Since Yue Ran was not here, there was no need for this place to exist. This was why Gu Si had destroyed it.


    This city was just of no use to him.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran was lying on Fu Chen''s back at this time, her hands tightly wrapped around the young man''s neck. She was resting her chin on the young man''s shoulder and her head on his.


    Fu Chen was taking Yue Ran to a place where no one would disturb their two-person world.


    "A Chen," Yue Ran said.


    "Hm?" Fu Chen responded gently to the girl''s question.


    He was so happy. It turned out that everything he had thought of in his head was only due to his overthinking and cowardice. It was the main reason why he was so restrained when facing her.


    He just knew from the start that his Ran Ran was always the best Ran Ran in the world.


    His thoughts were soon cut off when he suddenly heard Yue Ran''s laughter. The laughter was clear, and it sounded like she was super happy.


    "What is wrong?" Fu Chen asked. He tilted his head to the back to look at the girl in the eyes in confusion.


    It was at this time that Yue Ran tilted her head forward to kiss the scar on the man''s right face, then looked into his eyes while hers were narrowing into beautiful crescents.


    "I did not dare to even think that we would still be alive after all that," Yue Ran said with her tone a little in awe.


    Fu Chen suddenly felt a little guilty about his deed. He had not yet told Yue Ran that he was no longer a human. Not anymore.


    But if Yue Ran knew about it, she would definitely want to leave him. After all, he is not a human, and he is also not a ghost. He is just a monster.


    Who could accept a monster like him?


    "Ran Ran, we..." Fu Chen started, but he did not seem to want to continue his words.


    "Hmm?" Yue Ran hummed in question.


    "How about we get married, okay?" Fu Chen finally asked the question that he had always wanted to ask her.


    After he finally said so, he breathed out a sigh of relief, as if he had gotten rid of the heavy weight on his shoulders.


    Now that the two of them are finally together again, of course, Yue Ran must be tied to his side permanently as soon as possible.


    Although this is the zombie apocalypse and the legal rules of society that have already crumbled have turned into bubbles, the difference between the words "girlfriend" and "wife" is still very different after all.


    As long as Fu Chen thought of him marrying Yue Ran, it seemed as if countless sweet bubbles had popped up in Fu Chen''s heart.

 Chapter 120 - 120: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (27)

    "How about we get married, okay?" Fu Chen finally asked the question that he had always wanted to ask her.


    "Okay," Yue Ran said. "Let us get married."


    Fu Chen: !


    Yue Ran said okay!


    Yue Ran said that she wanted to marry him!


    Yue Ran had accepted his proposal!


    Yue Ran had accepted him!


    "Then... then I will immediately prepare it now. There will be your favorite red roses, your wedding dress, and our wedding cake, then our ring, and..."


    Fu Chen, who did not expect Yue Ran to agree so easily with him, felt so happy that he could hardly find where the North was and where the South was. He seemed to be very flustered and panicked, which was simply adorable!


    Yue Ran laughed and hugged the man a little tighter.


    What she said later was so cute and kittenish that it made Fu Chen fall in love with her all over again.


    "Then, I want to have all kinds of roses, not only the red ones!"


    "Okay!"


    "I also want a beautiful diamond ring and a white wedding dress!"


    "Of course."


    "You cannot neglect and be perfunctory about our wedding decorations just because of the special situation we are in right now!"


    "How could it be? I will give Ran Ran the grandest wedding of the century."


    The laughter of the two gradually faded away, leaving only the occasional rose petals that fell to the ground, emitting bursts of fragrance following the leisurely breeze.


    After an unknown amount of time passed, a tall young man came over.


    This young man picked up the rose petals on the ground, one by one, and put them inside his pocket with an inexplicable smile on the corner of his mouth.


    ¡­


    These red rose petals were the clues that Yue Ran had left for Gu Si so that he could follow her wherever she went.


    In fact, from the very beginning of coming into this world and receiving the original body''s memory and the plot of the world, Yue Ran has already thought about the ending she wants for this world.


    Those who wanted to save the world often succeeded, but those who wanted to destroy it were often eliminated. But what if Yue Ran just wanted to be a bad person who wanted this world to plunge deeper into darkness and chaos? Will she be eliminated all the same?


    Yue Ran lazily raised her eyes and looked around at the desolate and dead environment around her.


    Today''s earth is no longer a beautiful blue planet full of vitality. Now it is rotten, dirty, and polluted by decaying, hypocritical, and corrupt humans, who were even worse and more terrifying than zombies in this zombie apocalypse.


    The evil and distortion of human nature could be seen everywhere.


    In such a world, the female protagonist wanted to save it, but Yue Ran just wanted to destroy it. So what can others do?


    ¡­


    Fu Chen carried Yue Ran on his back around and around the city for several turns by going in random directions, as if trying to make people who may trail them lose their tracks.


    Yue Ran felt that Fu Chen was a very cautious person.


    It was not after so long of going around that Fu Chen finally carried Yue Ran to a large house.


    "Ran Ran, are you tired?" Fu Chen asked as he placed the girl down.


    "I am not tired," Yue Ran answered while shaking her head from side to side. "After all, it was A Chen who had carried me for so long. Is A Chen tired?"


    While they were talking, Fu Chen took Yue Ran''s hand carefully while leading her into the house.


    "Of course not; Ran Ran is still too light," Fu Chen responded with a smile. His voice was full of doting as he rubbed the tip of the girl''s nose with eyes full of deep affection.


    Yue Ran let out a happy laugh.


    "This is actually a house under my name, but I did not come here often in the past," Fu Chen explained softly while letting Yue Ran look around the house. "When I first bought it, I had come over a few times to take a look inside, and now it is still in good condition. Let us live here temporarily, okay? I will protect Ran Ran well."


    Fu Chen said the latter two sentences with a low voice that held caution.


    Perhaps it was because he had lost her before and then had her again that Fu Chen always felt that he was worried about the gains and losses in this relationship. Yue Ran obviously has the upper hand over them.


    It may also be possible that, in front of the person you like, all reason is worthless.


    "Okay," Yue Ran replied.


    The girl looked at Fu Chen with extremely bright eyes. The joy and trust the man felt were like a rising tide, which could make one willing to drown and suffocate in the water when the tide hits downward.


    For the first time, Fu Chen voluntarily turned his face completely to look at Yue Ran, as if he had put all of his everything in front of her, whether good or terrible. The man showed a happy smile, one so full of joy.


    On the right side of his face was a terrifying scar, while the other side was clean and clear. One side made his face look like a devil, and the other side looked like an angel.


    This appearance was creepy yet strangely attractive as well.


    At least for Yue Ran, Fu Chen still looks very good and is in line with her aesthetics, despite the large scar on one side of his face.


    Yue Ran could not help but kiss the man''s scar again, with one side of her face in the light and the other in the shadow.


    Actually, they do not differ much, especially when Yue Ran was always hiding the devil-like evil monster in her heart while putting on an angelic mask on her face.


    ¡­


    "Team leader! Team leader!"


    Wang Xi looked at a figure lying on the ground not far away and called out in a panic. He then rushed over there directly, regardless of any dangers he might face.


    The unconscious figure lying on the ground was no other than Qi Qian, the female protagonist of this world, who had escaped from the tsunami and flood after being forcibly awakened by the system in her deep sleep.


    Back then, Qi Qian was sleeping soundly, as if in hibernation. But the upgrade was suddenly interrupted by the Salvation System, and thus she was forced to wake up. The awakening of the female protagonist''s supernatural ability was forced to fail at this moment. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi Qian clutched her aching heart, which was full of pity for her supernatural ability upgrade failure, and slowly got up from the ground. But seeing the scenery surrounding her made her complexion completely change!


    She saw that the surrounding area had suddenly become a vast ocean, and only the place where she was was protected by a transparent cover, like a bubble or shield of sorts.


    It was just that the transparent sphere cover was now flickering every now and then. Qi Qian was afraid that this protection would not last long.


    There was no way; after all, this water was not ordinary water. This water was made by Gu Si''s supernatural ability and contained his monstrous anger.


    Even if the Salvation System is a system, it has no entity after all, so it could not resist this attack for long. If it could resist longer, then it would also want to wake Qi Qian after a longer time, but it really could not hold on!


    Therefore, the system was also forced to awaken the female protagonist to upgrade her powers even further.


    As soon as the system saw that Qi Qian was awake, it immediately yelled at her.


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian! Quickly take advantage of this opportunity now to escape from this danger! Gu Si has gone crazy!"


    Actually, in the system''s opinion, Gu Si has gone completely crazy, or even more than crazy!


    The Salvation System gritted its imaginary teeth.


    How could the destined person of its chosen host actually be this kind of person who acts so unscrupulously, disregarding other people''s lives?


    This city clearly had other people in it, but Gu Si still attacked this place without even thinking twice! And with such an unusually powerful tsunami too! Everything was destroyed! The whole city was destroyed!


    Listening to the system''s words, Qi Qian immediately swam up to escape but ended up nearly dying during the process of getting to the surface.


    This was why Wang Xi was able to find Qi Qian in such an unconscious state.


    Wang Xi directly carried Qi Qian up and said to Li Sha, who was walking by his side, "Let us go back quickly; the team leader''s body feels as cold as ice right now!"


    Li Sha silently frowned as she looked at the man''s eager appearance and careful movement while holding Qi Qian in his arms.


    "Okay," Li Sha said.


    Wang Xi and Li Sha were a couple; they are a pair of boyfriends and girlfriends. The two had a good relationship before the zombie apocalypse. And during the zombie apocalypse, both of them had luckily awakened their own supernatural abilities so that they could maintain a stable relationship with one another all the way up to now.


    But now, Li Sha had found something wrong with Wang Xi''s actions.

 Chapter 121 - 121: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (28)

    But even if Li Sha did notice that something was wrong with her boyfriend, Wang Xi, she still does not intend to say much right now because the current situation is urgent and they need to leave to go back to their safe place with the others.


    There were more than twenty team members before, but now there are only five left, including Wang Xi and Li Sha. The other remaining three have supernatural abilities too, but they have exhausted all their mental power and energy to stay alive.


    Even if the five survived the sudden attack, they all have serious surface and internal injuries.


    But Wang Xi still insisted on looking for Qi Qian regardless, so how could Li Sha not see that something was definitely wrong with her boyfriend?


    ¡­


    "Cough cough cough..."


    Qi Qian suddenly felt dry and stuck in her throat, so her body inevitably let out a terrible cough, and then she woke up from her coma. But once she did so, she instantly felt pain all over her body, and she could not help but frown.


    Qi Qian: "System, what happened to my body now?"


    She felt her mind was a little muddled and blank.


    Salvation System: "It was an emergency, so I had to forcibly wake you up from your upgrade. Therefore, your supernatural ability promotion to another level was forcibly interrupted. It is normal for your level to regress now, but the recovery period will be very slow."


    The Salvation System also thought that it was a pity.


    Qi Qian was so close to leveling up, but she failed.


    In this way, the final task could not be completed any time soon because of Qi Qian''s lack of strength. But as long as this final task is completed, the Salvation System will be able to form an entity!


    Qi Qian: "Is there any medicine in the system mall that could help me recover faster or even upgrade my supernatural ability?"


    Of course, Qi Qian would feel unwilling and uncomfortable in her current situation. She had finally gotten to where she is today because of her hard work and effort, so how could they be gone so easily in the blink of an eye?


    Salvation System: "Yes, there is, but this medicine can only speed up your recovery. There are none that you can afford to help you upgrade your supernatural ability."


    Qi Qian pursed her lips.


    Qi Qian: "Then I will exchange my points for the first one."


    Salvation System: "Okay, but this medicine is very expensive. It would consume half of your total points."


    Qi Qian: "It is okay; exchange it for me."


    As soon as Qi Qian finished drinking the medicine from a small vial, Wang Xi opened the door and came into her room. Seeing that Qi Qian was already awake, a smile appeared on his face.


    "Team leader, you are awake!" he exclaimed.


    Wang Xi, Qi Qian''s team member, was actually accidentally rescued by her during a mission. She has seen his ability and loyalty to her, so it could also be said that he is the most trusted person on her team.


    "Yes," Qi Qian answered while sitting up from the bed. "How is everyone? What is their situation?"


    "Everyone¡­ Only five of us survived, six if it includes the team leader," Wang Xi said, lowering his head as he answered her.


    Twenty lives, including the old and young, just disappeared right in front of her eyes, but she could not do anything to stop it.


    Qi Qian''s eyes instantly reddened, and she grabbed the bed sheet tightly under her body with clenched hands.


    The idea of hurrying to the Dawn Barrier Base in City Y to get the white jade dragon disk became stronger.


    ¡­


    "A Chen," Yue Ran gently called out to Fu Chen in a sing-song voice. "Let us go there, okay?"


    The petite and beautiful girl was hugging the waist of a man who was cooking, with her head resting on his back, looking very intimate.


    Yue Ran did not know how Fu Chen did it, but he could actually manage to find fresh vegetables and water in such a short time.


    Fu Chen helplessly put down the dish in his hand, turned around, and took the person into his arms.


    "What Ran Ran wanted to do¡ªhow could I not agree to it? It is just that your aunt and the others will not agree for you to be with me with my present appearance," Fu Chen said.


    Seeing the young man''s head drooping lower and lower as he spoke, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and there was an unconcealed loss in his words, Yue Ran suddenly reached out her hand, pressed it on his chin, and lightly brushed his skin.


    "How could that be? As long as I like you, they will like you too," Yue Ran said.


    So what if there was a large scar on Fu Chen''s face and he was disfigured? His appearance was still very much in line with Yue Ran''s aesthetics. She likes it very much. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fu Chen raised his eyelids to look at Yue Ran with lost eyes, only to see the girl''s pair of inky black eyes that were shining like stars as she looked at him with a smile.


    Originally, Fu Chen thought that even if there were no guests at their wedding, he could complete the wedding ceremony with Yue Ran as soon as possible, but Yue Ran said that she still had an aunt in City Y.


    Yue Ran said that she wanted to look for her aunt and see if she was still alive or not.


    "And... my aunt is my only relative now," Yue Ran said.


    The girl''s beautiful eyelashes drooped down, and in the blink of an eye, her eyes welled up with tears, and they were overflowing with sadness.


    When has Fu Chen seen her like this before? He hurriedly hugged Yue Ran into his arms and comforted her with a voice as soft as dripping water.


    "Ran Ran and I will always be together," Fu Chen said. "I will always stay behind Ran Ran for the rest of my life."


    ¡­


    The military in City Y is very strong.


    When the zombie apocalypse started, the outbreak was actually the worst in City Y because the population density is very high. But thanks to the strong military, the safest place in the country is also here.


    This is already the second day that the female protagonist, Qi Qian, arrived at City Y and the Dawn Barrier Base. She walked out of a small building and looked at the gray sky that seemed to be covered with dark clouds ever since the apocalypse started.


    For a while, Qi Qian could not help but feel a little heavy.


    Qi Qian exchanged the power recovery medicine in the system mall for a chance to meet the base leader of the Dawn Barrier Base. So her current destination was to see the legendary man named Shen Yi.


    The female protagonist walked to the door of the office building, stated her identity, and stepped inside. She turned her head to look around her.


    The office space for national government personnel and the building itself looked extremely spacious and orderly.


    The guide took Qi Qian to the door and backed away, leaving the female protagonist alone to face the cold door in front of her.


    Qi Qian blinked, then pushed the door open without thinking too much.


    But someone whom she thought would never appear here would so unexpectedly appear here!


    Yue Ran?


    How could Yue Ran be here?


    How could she meet Yue Ran here?


    However, no one could answer the questions in Qi Qian''s mind.


    Yue Ran raised her eyes and gave her a smile that was as sweet as overflowing honey.


    At the time when Yue Ran and Fu Chen first came here, Fu Chen could very easily cover up his true identity as a zombie. But because they were looking for someone in the Dawn Barrier Base, the two did not intend to make a big scene here, and thus it was also inconvenient for them to announce their relationship in public.


    And the consequence of not making their relationship known to the public was that the two could only be forced to live separately.


    After all, for the sake of management and to maintain order in the zombie apocalypse, men and women could only live separately in different buildings unless they were a couple.


    But if someone is strong enough, they can live in a separate house instead of being cramped with others.


    Fu Chen was immediately dissatisfied and wanted to announce his and Yue Ran''s relationship, but was stopped by Yue Ran.


    "We are only here to find someone, so of course we have to keep a low profile," Yue Ran said as she hurriedly reached out her hand to grab Fu Chen''s. "And if I live in the women''s building, then it would be easier for me to find my aunt, is that not it?"


    When Fu Chen heard the girl''s reasoning, he fell silent.


    He knew that it was true, but...


    But he did not want to be separated from Yue Ran, even for just a second!


    He did not want Yue Ran to get out of his sight!


    After being with Fu Chen for so long, how could Yue Ran not see his thoughts? She took out a red rope bracelet from behind her, like a conjurer or a little magician, and said softly and tenderly, "Here, for you."


    "This is¡­"

 Chapter 122 - 122: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (29)

    Yue Ran took Fu Chen''s hand and carefully took off the red rope bracelet that had been dirtied and damaged on his hand and changed it to a new one.


    "This is¡­" Fu Chen''s words trailed off. He could only look at Yue Ran''s series of actions in a little daze.


    "This is a token of love," Yue Ran continued Fu Chen''s words. "The previous one was already old and torn, so I made another one. It looks good, right?"


    The voice of the girl at the end of her words was slightly raised, laced with a unique charm and arrogance, as if seeking praise.


    So cute.


    Fu Chen looked at the girl, who looked like a fluffy cat seeking praise from its owner, dotingly. He lowered his head and kissed the girl''s delicate lips, leaving them only after lingering for a long time.


    "Hmm¡­"


    "Okay, we can keep a low profile. I would not care much about it, but I have one condition," Fu Chen said after thinking for a while.


    "What condition?" Yue Ran asked.


    "You have to come to visit me every day," Fu Chen said.


    "Even if you do not tell me this, I will still do so," Yue Ran replied poutingly. "After all, A Chen is the person that I like the most!"


    ¡­


    Actually, Yue Ran has no aunt in City Y or any other city at all. This "aunt" was just an excuse for her to separate from Fu Chen for a while to search for her strategy target number three and also the object of the final task of the Salvation System that the female protagonist is going to find.


    How could Yue Ran not be present for such an important thing?


    The existence of the white jade dragon disk is quite a legend. Rumor has it that it was a treasure of a certain dynasty in history thousands of years ago. It was very famous and well-known at the time. But later, the white jade dragon disk disappeared during the change of dynasties and only reappeared thousands of years later, which was just a hundred years ago.


    Then again, no one has actually seen it to confirm if it even exists.


    The only people who knew of its whereabouts at the present were, naturally, those high-ranking officials before the start of the zombie apocalypse.


    And the goal and strategy target number three of Yue Ran''s trip this time was actually the leader of the Dawn Barrier Base, Shen Yi.


    The Shen family is a first-class family of high-ranking officials related to the government and politics. And this Shen Yi is the current head of the Shen family and also the patriarch of the Shen family.


    ¡­


    Shen Yi was sitting in the back seat of the car, resting.


    Just now, another group of zombies broke out like an outbreak of plague in the northern area of City Y. Shen Yi had hardly slept since the day before up to the present time.


    When he had just closed his eyes, the car suddenly braked, and he and the driver swayed along with the force.


    Shen Yi stabilized his body and glanced at the driver in front of him in displeasure.


    "About this¡­"


    The driver in front was hesitant to say anything. Shen Yi followed the driver''s line of sight and saw a woman standing in front of the car with tightly closed eyes and open hands to stop the car from moving.


    Well, he had to admit that her rather suicidal action worked.


    The girl, with snow-white skin and lustrous black hair, very delicate and exquisite facial features, and a figure so petite, was indeed a very rare beauty. The more he looked at her, the prettier she looked. Pure yet charming.


    A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Yi''s eyes, and then he quickly calmed down.


    "You can go down and see the situation," Shen Yi ordered.


    "Yes," the driver complied.


    Seeing that the car stopped in front of her, Yue Ran took advantage of the driver''s slow reaction, passed by him, and directly ran into the car.


    The driver: !


    "You¡ª" The driver said he was startled by the girl''s sudden actions.


    Shen Yi frowned as he looked at the person who had arbitrarily tried to stop his car. Not only did she do this, but she also ran into his car again. Has he neglected the management and order of the base too much recently?


    "My name is Yue Ran," Yue Ran said as she quickly introduced herself. "I graduated from S University before. I can¡­ I can speak a few foreign languages, like English, German, and French. I can cook; I can do laundry; I can sweep and mop the floor; I can..."


    Hearing that the girl''s words had grown more and more outrageous, Shen Yi''s brows became more and more wrinkled, and his eyes became colder, as if a layer of ice were painted over them.


    "What I wanted to say was that I... I heard that you are recruiting a secretary, so..." Yue Ran became more and more hesitant as she spoke, and her words gradually trailed off at the end.


    Shen Yi snorted as he questioned, "Just relying on your small figure? Do you have any supernatural abilities?"


    Yue Ran''s face turned pale for a moment, as if thinking of something bad.


    "No, no, I do not have one," Yue Ran answered softly.


    Looking at the girl who was about to cry in front of him, Shen Yi ignored the strangeness in his heart and said, "I do not accept useless people here, so you can go back to where you came from. And for today''s disturbance, I will kindly not investigate it."


    "But I¡­"


    Before Yue Ran''s words were finished, her head suddenly dropped, and she fell unconscious in the back seat of the car. All the blue and purple traces on her neck were inevitably exposed to the light, making Shen Yi stunned for a moment.


    This kind of thing often happens in the Dawn Barrier Base, or any other base for that matter. Having no supernatural ability meant that one was at the bottom of the food chain, and thus, anyone could bully that person.


    Although the Dawn Barrier Base had made the rules and forbade this kind of thing from happening, the higher-ups still could not control many private matters that could not be seen in the public eye, especially the ones that were done in secret.


    But unexpectedly, something like this actually happened right in front of his eyes.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran woke up, she found herself in a spacious and tidy bed, which was completely different from the crowded women''s dormitory building where she had to be cramped with the rest of the women assigned inside a room together before.


    Yue Ran yawned lazily and rubbed her face against the white quilt.


    Hmm, it feels very comfortable on her skin.


    She really did not choose the wrong person. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just like that...


    Strategy target number three: The leader of the Dawn Barrier Base, Shen Yi


    Status: Caught


    ¡­


    Yue Ran naturally stayed by Shen Yi''s side after that.


    So there was this scene where Qi Qian saw Yue Ran in Shen Yi''s office.


    The petite and beautiful girl was wearing a pure white dress. Her long, thick, and silky hair, like a waterfall, was draped over her shoulders. A tall and handsome man had put aside the official document in his hand, bowed his head, and gently lifted the girl''s hair on her face that had fallen by chance.


    Just when he heard the door opening, Shen Yi got up quickly and acted as if nothing had happened before. He sat up straight and looked at the doorway coldly.


    "Miss Qi," he said.


    "Patriarch Shen," Qi Qian said in response after recovering from her surprise. She smiled and nodded to Shen Yi in greeting.


    "Hmm¡­"


    Seemingly disturbed by the noise, the beauty asleep at the table snorted softly, then raised her head while resting her chin on the table. Her eyes were half-open, and she still looked extremely sleepy, even a little dazed.


    Shen Yu squinted his eyes at Yue Ran.


    Although the girl looked very pleasing to the eyes at this time, Shen Yi still could not help but click his tongue and say, "You finally woke up? You really do sleep very comfortably, like a little pig in a pen."


    "Hmm." Yue Ran only hummed in reply. She did not want to deal with this kind of naive person.


    This man had looked at her so tenderly for one moment, but now he had turned into this kind of childish man in the next moment.


    Therefore, now, of course, she was going to catch up with the female protagonist!


    "Qian Qian!" Yue Ran raised her eyes and gave Qi Qian a smile that was as sweet as overflowing honey.


    Shen Yi looked at Yue Ran, who had greeted Qi Qian in surprise.


    "Do you know each other?" he questioned.


    Yue Ran: Duh.


    Ruan Ruan: Duh.


    She had called the female protagonist by her nickname, so why ask such a silly question?


    Yue Ran had almost rolled her eyes, but fortunately, she could hold it back in time.


    "Of course, Qian Qian and I are good friends," Yue Ran said with a natural smile.


    Very good friends. Yue Ran thought to herself silently.


    The corner of Qi Qian''s mouth evoked a very mechanical smile.


    Although Qi Qian does not know why Yue Ran is here, and although she (Qi Qian) is very disdainful of her (Yue Ran''s) face-to-face and behind-the-scenes practices, looking at the current situation, she could only smile.

 Chapter 123 - 123: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (30)

    From what Qi Qian had seen, she could conclude that the relationship between Shen Yi and Yue Ran was very unusual.


    A malicious light flashed in Qi Qian''s eyes. It came and went very quickly.


    Oh, is there always fated love wherever Yue Ran goes? Yue Ran can always find men to protect her everywhere she goes, right?


    "Is Gu Si not here?" Qi Qian asked.


    Yue Ran did not answer Qi Qian''s question but instead asked her in response, "Fu Chen is still alive. You already knew that, did you not?"


    Qi Qian was surprised. She did not expect that Yue Ran would know the news that Fu Chen was still alive, which might most possibly mean that Yue Ran and Fu Chen were together again.


    Qi Qian frowned, quickly walked forward, pulled on Yue Ran''s wrist tightly, and said coldly, "Do you know where Brother Fu Chen is?"


    Yue Ran frowned in pain when she felt such a strong force. Her wrist immediately turned red, visible to the naked eye.


    Shen Yi got up, pulled Yue Ran over, and said with a voice so cold that it held a hint of warning, "Miss Qi."


    Qi Qian immediately loosened her hold on Yue Ran, let go, and stepped back with a smile.


    Has she not seen this kind of situation many times before?


    Brother Fu Chen is like this; Gu Si is like this; and now the person in front of her is also like this too.


    When Yue Ran was just a little uncomfortable, they would all surround her, stand by her, and always be on her side indiscriminately.


    Yue Ran will always face their unscrupulous favors.


    "Sorry, I was a little too excited to meet my good friend just now," Qi Qian said. "But why did I not meet your boyfriend here, Ran Ran?"


    Shen Yi: ¡­


    Hearing this, Shen Yi pulled away from Yue Ran, as if to clear their relationship in an instant.


    Shen Yi regretted it in his heart.


    Why was he so impatient to help Yue Ran just now? He should have let her suffer a little more. It was only then that she would realize who could truly protect her the best, not just that trash boyfriend of hers who seemed to do nothing and depended on her to survive.


    Shen Yi stared at Yue Ran as if she had done something heinous to him.


    Yue Ran did not even turn her head to Shen Yi, whose gaze made her feel like a wife who was confronted by her husband who heard that she had cheated on him.


    Contrary to Qi Qian''s dark and secret thoughts, Yue Ran did not panic at all. She only rubbed her wrist, looking as if she did not care about her wound, even though her eyes showed how aggrieved she was.


    "Fu Chen is living in the East District," Yue Ran answered softly and gently. "Does Qian Qian want to find him? I will take you there."


    Shen Yi instantly pulled on the back of Yue Ran''s dress and seated her in the position next to him when he heard the girl''s words.


    Want to see that trashy boyfriend of hers? Dream on!


    "Heh, are you done with your work?" Shen Yi asked. "Let me tell you some good news: you have to work overtime today."


    After Yue Ran was settled with more work, ignoring her cute little pout, Shen Yi turned to look at Qi Qian again.


    "Is there anything else you have to do with me, Miss Qi? If not, then please go back today," Shen Yi said without needing to hear Qi Qian''s answer.


    Although he had said his words in a polite way, they still sounded like a direct order from a superior to his or her subordinate.


    "But I have already made an appointment for today, and I¡ª" Qi Qian said, but her words were cut off by Shen Yi.


    "I am not feeling well today, so let us postpone this conversation to a later date," Shen Yi said.


    Shen Yi sat in a relaxed manner, his slender fingers slowly turning over the official document in front of him as if the words he said were a very normal thing.


    Qi Qian had no choice but to comply.


    Now that Yue Ran was here, she could not take out her chips for the time being. And seeing how protective Shen Yi was of Yue Ran, she could only give up for now.


    "Then I will come back tomorrow to find Patriarch Shen," Qi Qian said.


    "Yes, please go slowly, Miss Qi," Shen Yi replied.


    Qi Qian had to walk out of the door for now. When she stood in the hallway in front of the closed double doors, she could faintly hear Yue Ran''s soft and coquettish voice from inside the office: "Shen Yi, can I leave early today?"


    The Salvation System could not help but want to peek at the gossip at this time. It really could not help it; after all, Shen Yi is also a rare powerhouse in the zombie apocalypse.


    Cough. For gossip and the like, their systems also like to chat with one another. They are also social animals, but only in the form of data.


    So, in a place that no one could see, a white light suddenly emerged from Qi Qian''s body.


    After Qi Qian''s hard-earned efforts, the Salvation System could now be turned into a ball of white light. From time to time, he would come out of the female protagonist''s body to blow the wind and see the outside world in its tiny floating form.


    When the Salvation System was about to listen carefully to the play inside the office, one of the double doors was suddenly opened from the inside, and a girl ran straight out, passing through an invisible light.


    The Salvation System was stunned for a moment.


    The sweet fragrance that belonged to the girl was still lingering around its form. Although it was only a ray of light now, its senses were still there.


    The place that the Salvation System had accidentally touched and passed just now was the girl''s lips. And then it quietly blushed in the air.


    It is still an innocent little system.


    Yue Ran trotted over to Qi Qian and took a few quick breaths because she had run over from inside the office. Her stamina is not all that good.


    "Qian Qian, let us go together," Yue Ran said.


    Qi Qian let out a mocking smile and said, "No need." After a short pause, she continued, "Yue Ran, you do not need to act so pretentious in front of me."


    Yue Ran did not react to the female protagonist''s words and only smiled in response. Her eyes were clean and pure, and they still looked so tender and affectionate at this moment.


    However, Yue Ran suddenly turned her head and looked at a certain place in front of the office doors.


    She was looking at the system, who was still blushing secretly.


    Yue Ran took a few steps to the door and stretched out her pale, white fingers to poke at the small ball of light. It was a mass of nothingness.


    Salvation System: !!!


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian, did you see that? Did you see that? What... what is this? What had happened?"


    The Salvation System immediately flew behind the female protagonist in fright.


    Salvation System: Oh my gosh! How could she see me? sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi Qian was also very surprised, but she hid it well.


    About her being bound to a system or something, Qi Qian could never allow anyone to know about it.


    "There is nothing at all," Qi Qian said. "What the hell are you doing again?"


    Yue Ran raised her eyes with interest at the small ball of light.


    "Ruan Ruan, this Salvation System looks just like you," Yue Ran said to her own system in her sea of consciousness.


    Ruan Ruan: !


    "Impossible, Master!" Ruan Ruan retorted, trying to defend himself from this wild system that came "out of nowhere". "Ruan Ruan is the cutest and best system in the world! Master will not abandon Ruan Ruan for that¡­ that strange one over there, right?"


    "Pfft!" Yue Ran pursed her lips to prevent herself from laughing out loud. "Of course not, Ruan Ruan. You are my one and only system; how could I ever replace you?"


    Ruan Ruan flew round and round in happiness.


    "Ruan Ruan knew that Master treats Ruan Ruan the best!"


    After appeasing her own system, Yue Ran looked at the small ball of light in front of her. She had been to so many worlds, but this was the first time that she had seen a system materialize in front of her eyes. And it could also form its own entity.


    It is so interesting!


    "Did you not see it, Qian Qian?" Yue Ran asked.


    Yue Ran opened her eyes wide, quietly approached Qi Qian for a few minutes, and suddenly reached out her hand very quickly, grabbing the light that was previously floating in the air in the palm of her hand.


    The girl''s actions were so quick, just like how someone would quickly move to catch a mosquito that was flying in the air in front of their eyes with their hand.


    The Salvation System was actually dismissive of Yue Ran''s actions at first; after all, it was only a ball of light that could pass through anything, but then it realized that it had been caught and trapped! And also in Yue Ran''s hand!

 Chapter 124 - 124: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (31)

    The Salvation System wanted to fly away, but no matter how hard it tried to do so, it could not escape!


    So the system panicked!


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian! Qian Qian! Help me!"


    Qi Qian frowned and then tried to make Yue Ran release the ball of light in her hand, but Yue Ran flexibly avoided Qi Qian''s move.


    Yue Ran only said, "Since Qian Qian does not need me to accompany you, then I will go back first."


    When the last word fell, Yue Ran blinked her eyes very playfully, turned back, and ran away. But who knew that she would run straight to Shen Yi, who had so suddenly come out of his office?


    Shen Yi quickly stretched out his hand to support the girl, who was running too fast to avoid falling to the ground.


    But the strange thing was that even if Yue Ran had already let go of the system in her hand, the system could not run away or go back to Qi Qian at all.


    Fortunately, the Salvation System can still communicate with the female protagonist in their hearts.


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian, do not worry. I do not seem to be able to leave her too far, so I will check the situation out first."


    Qi Qian: "Okay..."


    There was nothing she could do about this, so she had to agree to it.


    ¡­


    Although Yue Ran had tied the Salvation System to her side, she did not call on him for the time being. And it was even more impossible for the system to make a sound to communicate with her, which would only expose him.


    And thus, the Salvation System could only watch Yue Ran go back to Fu Chen''s side after returning from Shen Yi''s side. And then Yue Ran and Fu Chen would act all sticky and clingy again. And the system even saw Yue Ran hook up with Wang Xi, Qi Qian''s trusted team member, whom she occasionally ran into along the way!


    The Salvation System only felt that his three views on human nature and morality were broken! He was extremely shocked, as if struck by strong lightning. He was petrified. This was followed by a rumble of thunder that sounded in his head.


    Yue Ran is a true time management master, a clear and upright master who takes good care of the fish (men) in her aquarium.


    And the simple Salvation System could not have imagined that he would soon become one of them.


    ¡­


    On a certain night, the moon hung high in the night sky. It looked like a lone pearl sailing in the sea of darkness, gracing the world with its gentle silvery light.


    Yue Ran lay lazily on the bed with her head supported by her hands.


    Under the moonlight, the girl was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, with delicate and picturesque facial features, charming red lips, and an extremely slender body. Even her fingers look so beautiful.


    This was the Salvation System''s thought as he looked shyly at Yue Ran by his side.


    "Little light ball," Yue Ran called out.


    The system, who was still immersed in his own thoughts, suddenly heard the girl on the bed talking and looking at him at some point in time.


    The system kept its mouth shut and did not speak. At this time, of course, he must not speak.


    "Hey, little light ball, I know that you can talk and that you can also hear what I say," Yue Ran said.


    She reached out a finger and poked the ball of white light.


    It was amazing. If she had not been able to see the outline of the system, this little light ball would have just been a mass of air.


    The Salvation System held back his voice for a long time. But seeing that the finger was going to poke somewhere else, he hurriedly made a sound.


    "You, stop poking me!" The system shouted, like a woman who has just been molested by a man.


    Yue Ran finally retracted her finger with satisfaction. She was fully satisfied that she had achieved her goal.


    "You are finally willing to talk to me?" Yue Ran asked this question in a complacent tone.


    "Who are you?" The system asked. "How are you able to see me? And even trap me!"


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed in question. She tilted her head ignorantly, and her tone sounded soft, delicate, and innocent. "I do not know, but I can see you and also hear your voice. So, what are you?"


    Yue Ran held the home court in her hands with just a few words. And now, the system was the one that was in a mess instead of her.


    "¡­I do not know either," The system said after a long pause. "I was born like this."


    "Is that so?" Yue Ran nodded understandingly. "My name is Yue Ran; what is yours?"


    "My name?" The system asked. There was a pause before a bitter sound was voiced out of the small white ball of light. "I do not have a name."


    The Salvation System felt a little frustrated. He has no entity, and he also does not have a name. However, if Qi Qian had successfully completed her final task, then he would be able to have both!


    Yue Ran turned over, held the small light ball in her hand, and said, "Then, shall I give you a name?" She thought for a while. "How about Yu Xing? It means a white jade that shines like a star in the abyssal sky of the night. Is the name Yu Xing okay?" She blinked, then yawned lazily as she continued, "Do not refuse and just go to sleep, little Yu Xing; I am sleepy."


    After saying so, she placed the ball of light beside her pillow.


    With this action, Yue Ran had successfully made the system immobile, and the system could only let her do whatever she wanted to do with him. He was blushing while staring at the ceiling all night.


    In fact, to be able to sleep in the same bed with a girl for the first time, the system also feels shy.


    ¡­


    Early in the morning, Qi Qian came to Yue Ran with an ashen face.


    "That little thing is my pet, so you have to give it back to me now, right?" Qi Qian asked.


    Yue Ran glanced at the female protagonist with a smile and asked, "Why is Qian Qian''s complexion so bad today?" She blinked cutely. "Ah, and I do not know why, but Yu Xing just could not stay too far away from me."


    Qi Qian frowned and subconsciously looked at the Salvation System, who was following Yue Ran behind, and asked, "Yu Xing?"


    The system hid away from Qi Qian''s look with a little guilty conscience.


    "Yes, it is the name of the little light ball from yesterday. I was the one who gave it to him. It sounds good, does it not?" Yue Ran asked with a happy smile.


    "Oh, but that light ball you mentioned is my thing; you are not qualified to name or move it, right?" Qi Qian questioned her back. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran leaned forward to close their distance and smiled a little more happily; the girl does not look even the slightest bit offended by Qi Qian''s words.


    "Really?" Yue Ran tilted her head in question. "But Yu Xing agreed to this. Qian Qian, we have to respect Yu Xing''s opinion, right?"


    Seeing the female protagonist''s sinking face, Yue Ran smiled and walked past her while humming a joyful tune to match her current mood.


    Only Qi Qian was left staring at Yue Ran''s back.


    When Qi Qian went to look for Shen Yi again, she straight up mentioned the purpose of her finding him. The female protagonist even took out a red pearl bead she exchanged from the system mall as a bargaining chip to gain Shen Yi''s trust.


    With this red pearl bead kept on the wearer''s body, it can directly reduce the attack damage the wearer receives by fifty percent. One must know that in this zombie apocalypse, this red pearl bead is simply a cheat¡ªa legendary artifact!


    Therefore, Shen Yi also began to pay more attention to the girl in front of him.


    Shen Yi looked at Qi Qian just like that. His long legs were crossed, both of his hands were resting on the armrest, one of his hands was raised, elbow in contact with the armrest, and the man''s head was resting on his hand.


    This man''s aura was so strong and intimidating that it made people not dare to look directly at him. However, the female protagonist is no ordinary person.


    Qi Qian does not seem to be affected by Shen Yi''s aura at all. She calmly took a sip of the water from the cup in front of her and placed it back on the table with a small click.


    "Okay." After a long time, Shen Yi finally responded to Qi Qian. "I can show you the white jade dragon disk."


    ¡­


    At long last, finally, Qi Qian was able to see the white jade dragon disk. This was the object needed to complete the final task issued by the Salvation System.


    However, contrary to Qi Qian''s thoughts about how majestic the white jade dragon disk would look, its appearance was simply disappointing.


    The white jade dragon disk''s appearance looked as if it was covered with a thick layer of dust. It was simple and extraordinarily low-key. It looked like some fake antique that a salesman would try to lure a simple and ignorant customer to buy.

 Chapter 125 - 125: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (32)

    Seeing the white jade dragon disk''s plain and uninteresting appearance, Qi Qian quickly called out the Salvation System in her heart.


    Qi Qian: "System, system! Do you hear me?"


    And after a while, she heard a voice.


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian? What is wrong?"


    The sound of the Salvation System seemed a little strange. It was no longer the childish sound it used to be, but a lot older, like the sound of a youthful teenager.


    However, Qi Qian did not think too much at this time. She only looked at the ordinary-looking object in front of her while communicating with the Salvation System in her mind.


    Qi Qian: "Is the object in front of me really the white jade dragon disk?"


    Salvation System: "Yes, yes! It is! Qian Qian, you found it!"


    The Salvation System was extremely excited at this time. As long as this white jade dragon disk is activated, the final task will be completed, and he can form his own entity! He will no longer only be a small ball of white light!


    When hearing the system''s answer, Qi Qian pursed her lips and felt a little doubtful.


    Qi Qian: "But why is it so...?"


    Ordinary. This was the last word that Qi Qian chose not to say to the system.


    As if the Salvation System knew what Qi Qian thought in her heart, the system quickly explained things to her.


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian, the white jade dragon disk needs to be activated by your blood. And then, you and Gu Si''s abilities would have to be injected into it as the next step. When those three conditions were met, it was then that the white jade dragon disk would be able to play its role in purifying the world."


    Qi Qian pondered for a while.


    Her blood and supernatural abilities were easy conditions to meet. But Gu Si''s sacrifice of his own supernatural abilities was hard to meet. Not to mention that she did not even know where Gu Si was at the moment.


    While Qi Qian was still thinking in her head, Shen Yi had already taken back the white jade dragon disk. It was soon kept out of her sight.


    "Miss Qi has seen it, so how about it?" She Yi asked. "Will your plan work? Can it really end it all?"


    If possible, Shen Yi also naturally wants this zombie apocalypse to end early.


    "Yes," Qi Qian nodded her head and said. "But it will take some more time."


    She will have to find Gu Si first and then try to persuade him to save the world.


    "Then I will just have to wait for the good news from Miss Qi," Shen Yi said.


    Shen Yi had his usual polite and solemn expression on his face. And almost as soon as Qi Qian left his office, his expression immediately changed drastically.


    "Where is Yue Ran? Why has she not arrived yet?" Shen Yi questioned the man standing by his side.


    Shen Yi''s tone seemed to be filled with anger, which made his subordinate feel scared, and he was made to act a little more cautiously so that he would not be burned by the raging fire.


    "Patriarch¡­ Patriarch Shen, Miss Yue is in the East District at this time, and¡­ and she is now with her¡­ her boyfriend," the man said slowly and carefully, stuttering in some places.


    Those among them who were working under Shen Yi could see just how much their master liked Miss Yue. However, she already has a boyfriend and is in a good relationship with a man living in the East District.


    That man really has the good fortune to be able to have Miss Yue as his girlfriend.


    "Okay, enough," Shen Yi said. He interrupted his subordinate''s words with a cold face. He got up, picked up the coat that was hung aside, wore it, and quickly walked out the door.


    "Let us go out to pick up my little secretary for work," Shen Yi said.


    The subordinate quickly followed behind and thought for a while.


    Maybe that man in the East District does not have that much good fortune. After all, having Shen Yi as a love rival is a deadly and terrifying thing.


    ¡­


    Inside a house in the East District


    The independent house that Fu Chen was staying at is small, but its size is just right for the two, and it looks warm and cozy, neat, and clean.


    And on the table in the living room, Fu Chen was hugging the petite girl into his arms while kissing her with affection.


    After a long time of lingering, Fu Chen finally let out a sigh of satisfaction. He hugged the soft body of the girl tightly and said, "Ran Ran, I miss you so much." The man''s brows furrowed a little, and his eyes turned dark and gloomy. "When will we be able to be together in honor?"


    "Did we not already agree that we have to wait until I find my aunt?" Yue Ran asked. With a raised brow. "And are we not already together right now?"


    Yue Ran stretched out her hand to gently caress Fu Chen''s scar on the right side of his face while smiling tenderly at him.


    No.


    Fu Chen thought in a paranoid manner.


    They are not together yet. Not like this, not when there are so many people in between them.


    Fu Chen really wanted to take his Ran Ran away from everyone else. It was then that they could truly be together forever and ever.


    The young man grabbed Yue Ran''s dainty hand that was messing with his face, placed it near his lips, and kissed it with endless affection.


    "But we do not even live together," Fu Chen said with a hint of grievance in his tone. "Ran Ran, can you come back and live with me?"


    Fu Chen and Yue Ran''s noses touched each other. The two people''s breaths intermingled, a very intimate move.


    But suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Then it was quickly followed by several more loud knockings.


    Fu Chen paused, loosened his hold on Yue Ran, and walked to the door. He turned the door knob in an anticlockwise direction and opened it cautiously.


    Shen Yi''s vision traveled from Fu Chen in front of him to the back, where Yue Ran was. He could see that Yue Ran was sorting her own messy clothes and appearance inside. The lipstick on the girl''s mouth was smudged and messy, and even her clothes were wrinkled.


    At a glance, one could already imagine what had just happened a few moments ago.


    Shen Yi''s face suddenly turned cold as he said, "Yue Ran!"


    "Uh-huh," Yue Ran replied calmly. "I am coming."


    Yue Ran walked slowly from the inside of the house to the doorway. It was as if she did not understand why Shen Yi had gotten so angry all of a sudden.


    The expression on Shen Yi''s face was dark, and he looked at Yue Ran with furious eyes.


    "Do you know what time it is now?" Shen Yi asked in a stern tone. "Why are you still here?"


    "I¡­" Yue Ran started to defend herself, but Shen Yi did not give her the chance to.


    "Okay, let us go quickly," Shen Yi said.


    The young man quickly took Yue Ran''s hand and pulled her to his side in a possessive gesture.


    Shen Yi glanced at Fu Chen and said polite words in a cold tone, "Then, Mr. Fu, we will take our leave first."


    Fu Chen could only silently watch the backs of the two people leaving.


    A dark red aura appeared, swirling and enveloping his body and looming above him. Even his eyes turned blood red.


    If it were not for his Ran Ran, who told him not to do anything, how could he have let Shen Yu leave so easily?


    On the other side, where Yue Ran and Shen Yi were...


    "Shen Yi," Yue Ran called out to the man. Can you let go of me now?" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing the girl''s words, Shen Yi immediately let go of his hold on Yue Ran''s wrist. It was as if boiling water had scalded his skin by accident, and he quickly pulled away.


    Shen Yi let out a discreet cough and calmly explained, "Oh, the situation before was a little urgent, so do not think too much about it."


    And Yue Ran, who should not think too much, only replied with a nonchalant, "Oh."


    "What is with your tone?" Shen Yi immediately questioned the girl with furrowed brows.


    Yue Ran: Childish.


    Floating in the air while watching Shen Yi''s strange attitude was the Salvation System named Yu Xing. He felt very speechless.


    It was obvious that Shen Yi''s heart was full of love for Yue Ran, but he still does not want to admit it, even when everyone around him could see it so clearly.


    But all of a sudden, the system felt very uncomfortable.


    Yu Xing looked down at his non-existent body, which was only a small ball of light, then looked at Shen Yi again, wondering.


    Why did he suddenly feel so uncomfortable? Will the system also feel uncomfortable?


    This uncomfortable feeling has actually been there ever since the moment Yue Ran met Fu Chen and spent a long time together. It finally stopped when Shen Yi interrupted them, but now it has risen again.


    That was right.


    He felt so sad, but he does not know what to do.


    He does not want Yue Ran''s eyes to leave him, but he could not do anything about it.

 Chapter 126 - 126: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (33)

    Gu Si followed the sign, the red rose petals, given by Yue Ran and finally arrived at the base of city Y, the Dawn Barrier base, just a few days after Qi Qian''s arrival.


    Shen Yi is the leader of the Dawn Barrier Base. Gu Si knew him because they used to be comrades-in-arms who went through dangerous missions and life-and-death situations together.


    With Shen Yi''s help, it must be easier to find his Ran Ran in the base.


    Therefore, as soon as Gu Si stepped into the Dawn Barrier Base, he immediately went to find Shen Yi.


    He must find his Ran Ran soon.


    ¡­


    Qi Qian thought about it for a long time and finally came to a conclusion.


    The possibility of finding Gu Si in this big, wide world was just too small. The only way to meet him was to let him find her on his own.


    And the only one who would allow him to take the initiative to come over is Yue Ran.


    Now that the Salvation System is not around her, although she still has a way to contact the system, they are still limited by time and space. It was still not as efficient and comfortable as having the system by her side all the time like before.


    Forget it. Now the first thing she should do is get her system back from Yue Ran.


    Therefore, Qi Qian went out to find Yue Ran at the base.


    When she saw her, the first thing that Qi Qian said to her was, "Give that little light ball back to me."


    It was very cold¡ªan opening remark that could not get any colder than this.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed and looked at the female protagonist in front of her innocently and sadly. "Can Qian Qian not let Yu Xing stay with me for a little while longer?"


    Yue Ran''s eyes turned red subconsciously, but Qi Qian naturally would not be fooled by Yue Ran''s sudden show of weakness. Qi Qian has already seen this kind of thing too many times before.


    "No, he has been with you long enough," Qi Qian said in a biting tone. "Besides, he is mine in the first place."


    Yue Ran turned her head to look at the little ball of white light with tears in her eyes and asked, "Little Yu Xing, what do you think?"


    She wanted the Salvation System to make a choice.


    Even though Yu Xing knew that she was just pretending by looking so sadly, his nonexistent heart still inevitably trembled. And at that moment, Qi Qian felt the system''s hesitation.


    Qi Qian: "System!"


    Qi Qian called the Salvation System in her heart.


    Salvation System: "Qian... Qian Qian, did we not initially agree that I would observe her for a few days first?"


    When the Salvation System have said this, he felt very guilty. Even if he clearly knew that Yue Ran must have feigned her sadness, he himself was still reluctant to part with her.


    This was his own problem, not anyone else''s.


    It was only a few days of staying by Yue Ran''s side, but the girl''s happiness, sadness, frowning, coquettishness, and other myriad emotions that she had shown, he had remembered everything very clearly.


    This clear memory is different from the memory captured by big data. This is the real memory that only exists in his heart.


    Qi Qian''s heart jumped fiercely for a short moment.


    She really did not expect the system to say this. Is the system not the one who always wanted her to complete the task as soon as possible?


    Qi Qian: "Anyway, you can come back to me first. Let us now think of a way to get Gu Si to come over here to the Dawn Barrier Base so that the final task can be completed."


    Salvation System: "But we can also communicate just fine like this now. It is also pretty good."


    The Salvation System quickly hid behind Yue Ran with a guilty conscience, which made Qi Qian almost laugh out loud.


    But this was not a happy emotion, but anger.


    The Salvation System which found her just before the zombie apocalypse started, was the one who forced her to become the person she is today. But the same system that found her and bound her, as well as the system that could not wait for her to complete the task, actually turned out to be like this.


    Qi Qian suddenly felt ironic about the current situation. She also felt a little disappointed.


    Qi Qian: "Okay, then we do not need to do this task."


    This was what the female protagonist said when she spoke to the system in a hurry.


    In her heart, the Salvation System surpassed the relationships of good friends. Every time she goes through a life-or-death situation, the system is also the only one who is always by her side to encourage her and to help her when she is in need.


    Qi Qian always thought that they have always needed each other, especially when they have the same goals; they depend on one another; they are family, but now she had to think more!


    "Qian Qian, Yu Xing also wants to stay with me for a while," Yue Ran said in a honeyed voice that sounded sweet, smooth, and pleasant to listen to, as if she were talking to a lover.


    But this very same voice only disgusts Qi Qian.


    Seeing Yu Xing hiding behind her, Yue Ran was also very happy, so she will reward him well.


    The girl stretched out her hand and teased the little ball of light, and then Qi Qian saw how the system hid shyly from the girl''s touch.


    "Okay, since that was the case, then I will go first," Qi Qian said. "You guys can play slowly."


    "Hm? Qian Qian, why do you leave so soon?" Yue Ran asked. There was an expression of surprise on her face.


    Looking at Qi Qian''s straight back as she went further and further away, Yue Ran burst into laughter. Her sweet voice traveled like the ringing of the silver bells.


    "Little Yu Xing, I really have not loved you in vain," Yue Ran said with a smile.


    It was a smile that easily fascinates the system''s mind.


    Yu Xing: ¡­


    The system was silent, but his nonexistent face silently turned red again.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran walked into Shen Yi''s office, which was also her office, she actually met someone familiar inside! It is Gu Si!


    Yue Ran: !


    Well, Yue Ran really did not know or expect that he would be here so soon. She did not have the time to pay attention to him recently.


    But here he was, right in front of her eyes.


    Fortunately, Yue Ran''s acting skills have always been in action.


    As soon as she opened the door and saw Gu Si inside, her beautiful phoenix eyes widened in disbelief. A trace of guilt flashed in her eyes, and she quickly reacted.


    But the moment she wanted to close the door, Gu Si had already appeared right in front of her in an instant. Then she fell into a cold embrace.


    The man''s arms tightly bound Yue Ran, and there was no room for her to escape. Gu Si seemed as if he wanted to vent all his loss, nostalgia, and yearning for her after separating for such a long time.


    "Ran Ran¡­"


    With those two words "Ran Ran", Yue Ran could clearly hear just how much Gu Si had missed her.


    "Wait, wait for a moment, A Si," Yue Ran said as she struggled out of the man''s tight hold and tried to reason with him. "Let go of me first, okay?"


    Yue Ran pushed the man with both hands, but no matter how hard she pushed him, it was all in vain. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shen Yi, who was on the side, was shocked for a moment, but then he quickly reacted.


    "A Si, you let go of the person first," Shen Yi said to intervene between the two.


    Gu Si had told him of his matter just now, and thinking about the man named "Gu Si," whom Yue Ran had mentioned before, Shen Yi immediately knew what their relationship was.


    But what about Fu Chen, her present boyfriend? How did they get together if there was Gu Si in between? After all, he had long known that Gu Si was a very possessive and terrifying man. He would never let anyone come between him and his beloved.


    After hugging Yue Ran for a while, Gu Si was finally willing to loosen his hold on the girl, but he still refused to let her go, only now he was hugging her with a lighter strength.


    Gu Si only felt safe once Yue Ran was in his arms.


    "Ran Ran, let us go home," Gu Si said in an affectionate and dark tone.


    "A Si, I..." Yue Ran started, but her words immediately trailed off. "Sorry."


    Yue Ran bowed her head in Gu Si''s arms, as if feeling guilty, but she was firm.


    Gu Si froze for a moment, and the joy previously painted in his eyes now faded away. His voice trembled a few times as he asked, "Why?"


    "There is no reason," Yue Ran said with lowered eyes. Her crow-black eyelashes trembled as she continued, "Thank you for taking care of me in those few months, but I have found my previous boyfriend, and I..."


    Every word the girl said was like a stab straight at his heart, which made Gu Si''s heart clench in pain.

 Chapter 127 - 127: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (34)

    But Gu Si just did not want to give up.


    He just did not want to give Yue Ran up!


    Just a moment later, Gu Si suddenly laughed.


    "It seems that Ran Ran really should not stay away from me for too long, or else Ran Ran will be in a daze just like now and cannot think clearly," Gu Si said.


    Instead of saying these words to Yue Ran, it seemed as if Gu Si was trying to convince himself even more.


    Gu Si looked down at Yue Ran''s clear and tearful eyes. His gloomy orbs were as dark as ink, seemingly wanting to swallow the girl whole into the abyss.


    In those eyes, there was deep love, and there was also a hint of threat.


    His Ran Ran should have never left his side.


    His Ran Ran should never be allowed to leave his side.


    "Gu Si," Yue Ran said coldly, and the strangeness in her tone made Gu Si panic. "Let go of me," she said with a frown. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ran Ran, I¡ª"


    Shen Yi suddenly grabbed Gu Si''s hand, which was still held around Yue Ran. Although the force he exerted was gentle, there was just a faint stubbornness that could not be ignored.


    Shen Yi remembered the secret glance from Yue Ran just now when she peeked at him. She looked so helpless and wronged. His heart ached when he saw it.


    "A Si, let go of her first," Shen Yi said. "You can talk about this with her later."


    Gu Si finally let Yue Ran go of his embrace, but he suddenly sensed that Yue Ran wanted to run away from him. Thus, in an instant, Yue Ran felt a bundle of soft water waves envelop and surround her waist.


    Yue Ran could feel that it was so soft, just like how water usually is. She could not feel its force, but she just could not move any further.


    "Ran Ran, be obedient, okay?"


    The only sound that Yue Ran could hear was Gu Si''s deep voice.


    Gu Si did not care about anyone else who was around¡ªShen Yi and the invisible Yu Xing, the Salvation System. His long, slender fingers with clear joints raised the girl''s soft and delicate chin, and he leaned his head down to kiss her fiercely in the next second.


    "No!" Yue Ran yelled in refusal. She tried to struggle out of the water that bound her waist and tried to turn her head away, but everything was done in vain. She was not able to move at all; even her head was bound tightly by Gu Si''s hands.


    Suddenly, the doors behind the two were violently slammed open, and Fu Chen walked in.


    When he saw the two kiss each other so deeply, Fu Chen''s eyes turned a faint, murderous red.


    Damn it! He was still a step late!


    "Gu Si!"


    Fu Chen used all his strength, pulled Yue Ran away, and threw a punch at Gu Si.


    Boom!


    This punch was extremely powerful, and Gu Si, who was kissing Yue Ran deeply, did not notice it for a while. In the blink of an eye, a few streaks of blood began to flow from the corners of his mouth.


    Gu Si smiled and carelessly wiped the blood off his skin with the back of his hand. He suddenly leaned forward with a blue light flashing in his hand. With this posture, he looked as if he wanted to strike straight at Fu Chen''s lifeline to kill him in one move!


    Fu Chen has an extremely powerful mental power that allowed him to control a large group of zombies, while Gu Si is definitely better at supernatural combat abilities.


    Gu Si used a hundred percent of his strength in this strike, but he suddenly saw Yue Ran running over to block this attack for Fu Chen!


    "Bad woman!" Yu Xing shouted.


    "Ran Ran!" Fu Chen yelled in panic.


    "Yue Ran!" Shen Yi called out in shock.


    Gu Si himself was also surprised, so he hurriedly, as quickly as possible, retracted his power. But because his movements were too hasty and the strength he put out was too fierce, although he had already taken a part of the power back and even suffered a recoil, he would still inevitably injure Yue Ran.


    ¡­


    Gu Si sat decadently on the side while looking at the girl, who was lying on the bed with closed eyes. His reddened eyes were filled with regret and self-blame.


    It was all his fault.


    It was all his fault that his Ran Ran had gotten hurt and became like this.


    "Ran Ran," he whispered.


    The Salvation System that had been trapped by Yue Ran''s side checked the girl''s wound with the power of heaven.


    Supernatural ability is actually a kind of self-protection bestowed on lucky people by the Heavens.


    Among all the people present at that time¡ªYue Ran, Fu Chen, Gu Si, Shen Yi, and Yu Xing himself¡ªonly Yue Ran has no supernatural ability, so she was also the most injured one. While Yu Xing himself is a system made out of a mass of light and air, he would not be affected by anything.


    The rest, however, were all lightly injured during the confrontation between Fu Chen and Gu Si, but they recovered very well and easily. Only Yue Ran''s deep wound had not improved at all.


    Not even Fu Chen''s healing ability worked on her.


    There was one thing that everyone was sure of, though: Yue Ran is dying.


    ¡­


    "You agreed?" Qi Qian asked.


    The female protagonist looked at Gu Si in front of her in surprise. Although he was still handsome at this time, there was obvious tiredness in his eyes.


    "Yes, and A Yi also agreed," Gu Si said.


    The tired man rubbed his temples and cleared his throat slightly.


    This time, Qi Qian was very, very surprised.


    She did not expect that things would go so smoothly.


    The Salvation System came back to her; Shen Yi also agreed for her to use the white jade dragon disk; and Gu Si had also suddenly appeared to agree to the request of saving the world!


    Sure enough, in a world without Yue Ran, everything would always go well!


    It was just that Qi Qian still does not dare to trust him so easily; after all, the actions that Gu Si had taken before do not make him look like a good and self-sacrificing person at all.


    "Is what you said true?" Qi Qian asked again for a final confirmation.


    Gu Si laughed sarcastically and said, "Oh, what good can I lie about this to you for? That is such a boring and useless act." He sneered at the girl in front of him. "Now no one knows when Ran Ran will wake up from her coma, so this could be regarded as fulfilling her wish in advance."


    The man''s voice was low and hoarse with a hint of tiredness, but when he mentioned Yue Ran, his voice would sound extremely warm, gentle, and doting. Even his facial features would soften with unconcealed affection.


    Although Qi Qian had a light smile on her face, her heart still stung a little unexpectedly.


    It seemed like the man in front of him was still her nominal fianc¨¦e, right?


    Thinking about it, Yue Ran is really lucky that she can survive a strong supernatural ability attack, even if she is now unconscious. And even if she were in a coma, there are still so many people caring for her and looking forward to her awakening.


    "Okay, then when do you want to do it?" Qi Qian asked.


    "Tomorrow," Gu Si simply answered.


    "Okay," Qi Qian said in agreement.


    ¡­


    Qi Qian: "System, what is the matter with you these few days?"


    Looking at the unusually silent system on the road, Qi Qian could not help but ask him in her heart.


    Salvation System: "No, it is okay, Qian Qian. I am just thinking that we are finally going to complete the task, and I just feel a little reluctant."


    The Salvation System was actually a little surprised when he was being questioned by Qi Qian, but he immediately reacted and said this answer with a tone of common reluctance.


    Now that Qi Qian heard the Salvation System say this, she also felt a little emotional while thinking about what had happened in the past.


    In the beginning, she was just an ignorant university student who was afraid of everything. She had almost died under the mouth of zombies several times. And when she killed a zombie for the first time, she vomited due to the wave of nausea that engulfed her. She was still scared that very same night. She was trembling in those hours of darkness, and she did not dare to sleep at all for fear of having nightmares that night.


    But now she was able to use her supernatural abilities to kill those disgusting zombies without changing her face.


    Along her journey, from the start to the end, the one that accompanied her the most and helped her the most during those hard times was the Salvation System.


    Qi Qian: "System, do you not want to have an entity the most? After completing this final task, you can have your own body. And I will always remember you."


    The Salvation System felt a little guilty, but he had covered it up well.


    Salvation System: "Okay."


    Qi Qian had only thought that the system was also feeling as sentimental as her, so although she had a few doubts about his attitude at this moment, she did not think too much about it.

 Chapter 128 - 128: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (35)

    Knowing that Fu Chen had taken the initiative to find her that night, Qi Qian seemed to realize that something was wrong.


    Why is everyone a little weird today? A little too weird, even.


    First, it was the system that had come back to her to complete the final task, then Gu Si''s initiative to help her save the world, followed by Shen Yi''s permission to use the white jade dragon disk, and finally Fu Chen''s visit late at night.


    The female protagonist knew that since they were all reunited at the Dawn Barrier Base, these men had never once come to find her. It was she who took the initiative to find them, but she was always coldly blocked out.


    Qi Qian did not know what went wrong, but the brother next door, who had grown up together ever since childhood, had suddenly become like this.


    Looking at the young man with a delicate silver mask on his face, who still looked tall and straight like a jade, Qi Qian did not know why, but her eyes became a little hot.


    After a long time, it was Fu Chen who broke the silence first.


    "Can I come in?" Fu Chen asked gently while standing in the doorway of Qi Qian''s temporary residence.


    "Yes, yes," Qi Qian quickly answered, feeling a little flustered.


    No matter how cold and indifferent Qi Qian is outside, in front of the person she likes, she will always keep some of her original character, being cautious, timid, and a little inferior.


    The two, who used to grow up together as childhood sweethearts, are now sitting silently in the awkward air.


    At the very least, they used to be close friends, but now they only feel a little strange sitting together at the same table while sometimes staring and avoiding each other''s eyes.


    For some inexplicable reason, Qi Qian suddenly felt a little cautious, and she turned the glass of water on the wooden table in an unconscious manner.


    "Brother Fu Chen is looking for me," Qi Qian started. "Is there anything that you want me to help you with? Or is there anything you might want to tell me about?"


    Fu Chen lowered his eyelashes and smiled lightly. The delicate silver mask shone with a cold and hard metallic light under the white light, and the arcs raised up on the corners of the young man''s mouth became more and more gentle.


    "Can I not just come to find Qian Qian if I have nothing else to do?" Fu Chen asked with a voice like a gentle breeze.


    Qi Qian''s heart gave an abrupt jump, and it turned a little sweet. She took a sip of the water from the glass she was holding to quickly conceal the smile that came up from the corners of her lips.


    When she gulped it down, she replied a little shyly, "Hmm, Brother Fu Chen can always find me at any time."


    However, the female protagonist, who was still immersed in extreme joy, did not notice that when she drank the clear water in the glass in front of her, the young man''s eyes turned deep and murky, looking so creepy that it would send shivers down anyone''s spine when one were to look at his eyes.


    ¡­


    Qi Qian woke up early the next morning.


    When she walked out the doors of her temporary residence, she saw the helpless and feeble old people and children on the base, who wore tattered clothes and looked very skinny since they did not get enough to eat. If it were the usual, she would feel a sense of pity in her heart, but now she only felt that the apocalyptic air was fresh and the world was beautiful.


    Everything in front of her at the moment was only temporary.


    After today, everything would go right again, and the people would not be in danger.


    After today, everything will be back to the way it was. The dark and dusty clouds hovering in the skies of the earth at this moment would disappear, and the warm sun would shine its light onto the grounds of the earth again. The skies would be a clear blue, and white and fluffy cotton-like clouds would perch up atop everyone''s heads again.


    Qi Qian was then guided by a soldier to the entrance of the secret room.


    This secret room is in the basement and is entirely made out of special outer space metal. This metal could be said to be unbreakable, and nothing in the pre-apocalyptic experiment can damage it.


    Qi Qian kept an eye on it and was a little careful when she entered and stepped into the room. After all, everything that had happened just the day before was a little too strange.


    It was only after the Salvation System repeatedly assured her that there was no problem that Qi Qian reluctantly let go of those slight doubts in her heart. She then closed the door behind her and walked to the center of the room a little hesitantly.


    "Miss Qi," Shen Yi said to Qi Qian, who had just come in, and gave her a slight nod as a greeting.


    Qi Qian also nodded slightly in response before replying, "Patriarch Shen."


    "Since Qian Qian has arrived, then let us start," Fu Chen said. His usual warm and gentle voice held a little bit of impatience and haste.


    As long as Fu Chen thought that his Ran Ran was still lying unconscious on the bed because she had protected him from a deadly attack from Gu Si, his heart would ache uncontrollably.


    Qi Qian nodded in agreement to Fu Chen''s words. She also did not want to drag things around any longer, and she only wanted to take quick action. She only hoped for things to go back to normal as soon as possible.


    Shen Yi took out the quaint and ordinary-looking white jade dragon disk from a protective case and placed it on top of the table.


    Seeing the man''s move, Qi Qian immediately cut her hand with a dagger without any hesitation. In an instant, the dark red blood flowed out of the palm of her hand and dripped onto the white jade dragon spar.


    Suddenly, a dazzling white light burst out. When the white light slowly disappeared, the white jade dragon disk, which was dull and inconspicuous, turned very shiny, smooth, and milky white.


    The white color of the white jade dragon disk was extremely mellow, warm, and beautiful. With a body full of glowing white light, even if it looked sleek and simple, one could easily tell that this object was not at all ordinary.


    It was just that this white jade dragon disk was still and kept absorbing Qi Qian''s blood without stopping. The female protagonist could clearly feel that the blood in her own body was flowing out bit by bit towards the opening of her wound. It was not until Qi Qian felt a little dizzy that the suction of her blood finally stopped.


    Qi Qian shivered a few times, and she needed to take a deep breath before she could recover from the unexpected situation. She then frowned fiercely.


    What had just happened a few moments ago? Her body should also not feel as weak as this!


    But before the female protagonist could think about it any further, Gu Si had already walked over and slowly but firmly injected his supernatural ability into the white jade dragon disk. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi Qian could not think about it anymore, and the condition for the white jade dragon disk to activate was for her and Gu Si to inject both their supernatural abilities. Therefore, Qi Qian could only quickly follow Gu Si''s lead.


    It was not until it was too late that Qi Qian clearly felt that something was very wrong! The injection of her supernatural abilities was not under her control at all!


    It was not she who injected her supernatural ability; the white jade dragon disk was the one who was sucking up her supernatural ability! And the suction was also extremely violent!


    Qi Qian tried to retract her hand, but she suddenly found out that she could not move at all! She tried hard to suppress the panic, surprise, and anxiety in her heart before calling out for the Salvation System in her mind.


    Qi Qian: "System, what is going on? Why is the white jade dragon disk so violent in sucking up my supernatural abilities? And why can I not move my hand at all? Did something go wrong in the process of activating the white jade dragon disk?"


    Salvation System: "Qian Qian, this is just a normal phenomenon. Everything will be fine after all the supernatural abilities you have have been absorbed by the white jade dragon disk. And now, Gu Si is also in the same state as you."


    Qi Qian immediately turned her head to look at Gu Si when she heard the Salvation System''s answer, but she found out that Gu Si was extremely calm at the moment. There were even hints of anticipation and madness in the young man''s eyes.


    Gu Si''s state was not like hers at all!


    The Salvation System is lying to her!


    She has been lied to!


    Qi Qian suddenly wanted to stop it all. She even wanted to increase the output of her supernatural powers with the intention of directly destroying the white jade dragon disk that was now faintly glowing with a few traces of red light.


    But it was useless! It was all useless!

 Chapter 129 - 129: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (36)

    No matter how hard Qi Qian tried, everything was just in vain!


    Qi Qian bit the tip of her tongue with her teeth, intending to calm herself down before communicating with the Salvation System.


    Qi Qian: "System, what are you doing right now?"


    Qi Qian thought that anyone in the world could betray her, but she had never once thought that the Salvation System was the one who could betray her!


    Qi Qian: "Do you not want to complete the final task from the system mission the most to get an entity of your own? So why do you want to do this?"


    No matter what Qi Qian had said to the Salvation System, he was still silent, as silent as the dead. Thus, the female protagonist had also gradually begins to feel desperate.


    It was then that she thought of Brother Fu Chen.


    "Brother Fu Chen," Qi Qian called out.


    The female protagonist''s long-standing pride did not allow her to bow her head to anyone at all, and thus she called out to Fu Chen like this as her hint of a prayer and a cry for help.


    Brother Fu Chen is so powerful and gentle. Out of everyone else, he would most definitely save her, right?


    However, Fu Chen only lifted his eyelids to look at the female protagonist and then closed his eyes as if he were just starting to take a rest. The young man did it in such a way that it seemed as though he had not an ounce of interest in the things in front of him at all.


    It was not until this moment that Qi Qian suddenly realized that, perhaps, everything she had now experienced was all their conspiracy. The Salvation System, Gu Si, Brother Fu Chen, and Shen Yi, one by one, had dug a hole long ago and were just waiting for her to jump down into it! Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And she had actually believed every one of them, especially the Salvation System!


    Right beside the female protagonist, Gu Si had already withdrawn his hand. Then he clutched his chest while staggering and almost fell to the ground when he wanted to take a step back.


    It turned out that Gu Si''s supernatural abilities had been fully absorbed by the white jade dragon disk. However, she, Qi Qian, was still not able to move at all.


    Not only were Qi Qian''s supernatural abilities fully absorbed, but her mental power was also absorbed into the white jade dragon disk. Her body was losing it bit by bit.


    What exactly do these three men and one system want to do? What were the four planning to do?


    It was at this time that the Salvation System turned into a glowing white ball of light and quickly escaped from Qi Qian''s body.


    Just now, the Salvation System, Yu Xing, had already absorbed a little of the power of the white jade dragon disk, and now he had barely gotten his share of the power to shape a humanoid entity.


    Shen Yi took a step forward to get close to the white ball of light and asked, "So, how should things go now?"


    "You can now carry her inside the room," Yu Xing replied.


    When Yu Xing had finished his words, Shen Yi had already walked out to pick up a beautiful girl who was quietly sleeping in another closed room, just like a sleeping beauty in a fairy tale.


    It was Yue Ran.


    The girl''s face was pale, and her lips had completely lost their color. Only her long and silky black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall and her exquisite facial features could vaguely show just how amazingly beautiful the girl was when she was awake, not that she was not beautiful right now. She only lacked the spirit and vitality of a healthy person.


    "You guys!" Qi Qian shouted.


    Qi Qian would be stupid if she did not understand what the four were doing right now. Although she did not know what method they would use, she was clear that the four most definitely wanted to use her own life to save Yue Ran!


    Qi Qian desperately wanted to get rid of the white jade dragon disk''s restriction, but she still could not do anything.


    She was trying hard to pull back her hand, but the cut on the palm of her hand that had just stopped bleeding had opened again. More blood flowed out of her body in the blink of an eye.


    The harder Qi Qian struggled, the more fierce the suction of the white jade dragon disk. Now, it has already turned a dark red color.


    Qi Qian could clearly feel that her vitality was being lost little by little. Her body was failing, her spirit was weakening, and her organs were aging.


    Her body was getting weaker and weaker with the passing of time until, finally, she could not hold it any longer, and everything in front of her went black.


    The female protagonist had fainted.


    ¡­


    When Qi Qian woke up again, she found herself lying in a dark basement¡ªthe same basement or secret room where her memory was left¡ªthe one made entirely out of special outer space metal.


    The female protagonist struggled to get up and rubbed her aching head. But then she immediately realized that something was wrong.


    This was not her hand! Her hands could not be like this!


    The hands in front of Qi Qian''s eyes had old and withered skin; the skin was extremely rough and was covered with deep folds. And the strands of hair that fell down her shoulder and occasionally appeared in her vision had turned a pale white color at some point in time! Her hair was no longer the dark and healthy black it previously was!


    Why was this the case? Why did this happen? Why have things changed so much?


    There was nothing in this room, and Qi Qian desperately needed to know what had previously happened. And thus she struggled to crawl out to the door and hammered the locked door with an old hand that was weak and trembling.


    Qi Qian wanted to speak, but she suddenly found out that her voice was too hoarse to speak. And even if she tried to voice out her words, she could only spit out a few meaningless syllables.


    "Is¡­ anyone¡­ there?" A voice spoke hesitantly from outside the door.


    Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the door was rudely opened from the outside, and a young man in a military uniform came in.


    This young man was surprised to see that the old woman inside the secret room in the basement had woken up. With a quick reaction, he immediately closed the door with a loud bang before Qi Qian could react and went out to report this incident to his superiors.


    At this time, Shen Yi was embracing Yue Ran in his arms while coaxing the girl to take her medicine in a very careful and gentle tone.


    Although Yue Ran''s body was almost in good shape, there were still some sequelae left after all.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Three knocks came from the door of Shen Yi''s office.


    Shen Yi frowned slightly when he was suddenly disturbed.


    Yue Ran only glanced at Shen Yi quietly. The young man placed the bowl of medicine in his hand, brought it down to the table, and kissed the corner of the girl''s eye gently.


    "Then I will go out for a while," Shen Yi said. "Be obedient and wait for me, okay?"


    "Hmm, okay," Yue Ran replied adorably.


    When Shen Yi stepped outside his office, he asked the young man in military uniform in front of him with an unhappy and impatient tone, "What is the matter? Did I not say before that none of you can disturb me at this time of the day?"


    "Patriarch, that person is awake," the young man quickly replied, for fear that Shen Yi would get even more angry.


    It was only at this moment that Shen Yi looked squarely at the young man.


    After a few months since that certain incident, Qi Qian was still able to wake up. To be able to have such a strong body, it was a great pity that her health could not be transferred to his beloved Yue Ran.


    "Okay, I understand," Shen Yi said. "You can resume your previous duties first."


    "Yes," the young man replied before going away.


    At this moment, Gu Si, Fu Chen, and Yu Xing also came.


    Yu Xing had already created his own entity by using the energy he obtained from the white jade dragon disk. He had specially set his features according to Yue Ran''s liking and aesthetics so that he could easily gain a bigger favor from the other three men.


    Shen Yi felt that his breathing was not smooth at all when he saw the three of them coming right in his direction.


    Noon was obviously his time of day with Yue Ran, but the three just insisted on coming over to disturb their two-person world!


    The four looked at each other silently at this moment. They knew each other very well.


    "Do you all already know about it?" Shen Yi asked this question, breaking the tense silence in the air.


    "Hmm," Fu Chen hummed lightly. "How are we going to deal with it?"


    Gu Si looked at Fu Chen and raised his eyebrows while he said, "How else are we going to deal with it? What else can be done? No matter what, there could only be one result in the end."

 Chapter 130 - 130: Dodder Flower in the Zombie Apocalypse (37) (End)

    Qi Qian was released. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to the person who had allowed her to get out of confinement, it was their superior and Miss Yue who were merciful and could not bear to let an old woman suffer any longer in "jail".


    And thus, they released a person of sin like her who had committed a serious crime during the hard times of the zombie apocalypse. As for what crime it is, no one has said anything about it.


    The female protagonist, Qi Qian, could not even let out a mocking smile on her lips.


    She was angry¡ªso angry, to the extreme! But there was also nothing that she could do about it. After all, she was now only a wretch, a waste who was not able to do anything!


    Those few virtuous people who are well-dressed but so blatantly and shamelessly turn black into white can even make up such a ridiculous story! Not to mention that everyone believed it too!


    "Okay, you can go now," a man in a military uniform said to Qi Qian at the doorway. He was the person who had released her. "There are no longer zombies present, and it is no longer the apocalypse, so it is very safe outside."


    With that said, Qi Qian was immediately kicked out of the building.


    However, she, Qi Qian, was in this old and frail body now, and there was nothing on her body at all. There was no money, no food, and no water. Does this not mean that those people just wanted her to die in disguise since she could do nothing at all?


    Heh, seriously. Are they actually afraid of getting their hands dirty enough to make them refuse to end her life just like this? Do they still want to torture her like this and let her starve to death on the streets?


    At this time, Qi Qian''s heart was full of despair. She could not accept her current appearance, and she could also not accept those people! How could they still live so safely and happily after doing such a maddening thing?


    This world is so unfair to her!


    The human beings she thought of and cared for wholeheartedly actually regarded these sanctimonious and hypocritical people as gods!


    Without her own blood and her own supernatural abilities, the zombie apocalypse would never have ended!


    Qi Qian''s eyes grew gloomier and darker with her thoughts.


    If there is an afterlife, she must make these people suffer regret for the rest of their lives!


    This was Qi Qian''s only thought before her death.


    Yes, the female protagonist has committed suicide.


    Large tracts of dark red blood flowed out from her wrist, looking gloomy and strange as she hung from a dead tree. Her whole person looked like a ghost that had crawled out from the depths of hell, dripping blood down the branches and onto the ground. Extremely terrifying.


    This was, after all, because Qi Qian had left this world with deep anger and sadness in her heart.


    It was just those few people¡ªYue Ran, Gu Si, Shen Yi, and Fu Chen¡ªand one system¡ªYu Xing.


    She must never let them go!


    Even if she were to turn into a ghost, she would never let them go!


    ¡­


    Who knew that Qi Qian would still be conscious in this world?


    She did not expect that after committing suicide, she would begin drifting in this world in the form of a soul, a ghostly being without form.


    Qi Qian could only watch the five people helplessly without the power to interfere or disturb anything.


    Yes, as a wandering soul, she had found out that the system had successfully formed an entity after that incident, and the five people lived together just like this.


    Qi Qian watched coldly as the four men fought each other to decide who got to spend time with Yue Ran and then got jealous of each other. On the other side, Yue Ran was just relaxing while waiting for their five-star services.


    These five people were regarded as heroes by everyone in the world because they had ended the zombie apocalypse from the root, and there were no longer any mutated things in the world.


    Qi Qian looked and looked again, until finally, after an unknown amount of time, her consciousness finally dissipated.


    But when she woke up again, she had actually gone back to her days at the university!


    She was back to the time when nothing had happened.


    At this time, Brother Fu Chen has not yet met Yue Ran, and the Salvation System has not yet found her to tell her that the zombie apocalypse has started!


    Everything¡­ everything has a chance to be redeemed.


    She could start all over again and change things around!


    ¡­


    Back in the system space, Yue Ran''s brows were slightly furrowed when she heard the news Ruan Ruan had told her. After a while, the girl raised her bright red lips and smiled wickedly, looking extremely charming.


    "You say, if the same thing were to happen again, would things not be more fun?" Yue Ran asked. Her smile was full of malice, like a seductive and dangerous poppy.


    Yue Ran originally did not plan to stay in the world after receiving the deadly blow from Gu Si. If she had died right then and there, Gu Si would definitely refuse to save the world, and she was sure that he would even speed up the world''s destruction.


    After all, Yue Ran was clear about Gu Si''s psychology. Without her there, there was no need for the world to live any longer.


    But then, a while later, Yue Ran quickly discovered that she could actually absorb the energy from the white jade dragon disk. It could add to Ruan Ruan''s individual power source and also give her power. This was an extremely rare case in a small world like this.


    And thus, Yue Ran changed her mind about leaving.


    After all, there was such a beautiful and tasty power, so why leave when she could grab a bite of it to benefit herself?


    With this, the ending of this world had changed.


    Yue Ran was kind and generous enough to stay until the original body''s natural life expectancy, which was not long at forty years old. This was only because she was satisfied with the added rewards that she could get.


    In the end, the female protagonist is still the female protagonist. Even if she had suffered a lot and committed suicide due to despair and not being able to change things around, she could still be reborn.


    Thinking of it this way, Yue Ran was sure that she must be the vicious female supporting character from the female protagonist''s previous life after her rebirth and her second chance to do everything all over again.


    "Does the Master want to go into that time and space, following the trail of the female protagonist?" Ruan Ruan asked while circling Yue Ran''s figure happily. "Now that Ruan Ruan''s power is much stronger and that the female protagonist has left a line in her wake to follow, it would be very easy to go into that parallel time and space!"


    Yue Ran raised a brow, smiled, and said, "Of course we are going. There is a ready-made source of power there for us to eat, so only a fool would not want to take a bite of it."


    "Okay!" Ruan Ruan agreed with joy.


    He was also very happy to grow stronger with his Master.


    ¡­


    The girl tilted her head and smiled at the man who had just stepped into the room. She only had a quiet smile on her face, which made people feel that the years were quiet, but Gu Si inevitably felt fascinated when he saw her.


    His heart could not help but skip a beat.


    "Ran Ran," the young man said.


    "A Si," Yue Ran said.


    Yue Ran was sitting down on the bed while opening her arms to Gu Si as an indication for the man to come and hug her.


    Gu Si only felt that his heart had turned into a soft mess as he had embraced the girl in his arms.


    "Did you not say that you want to go to the countryside to play today?" The young man asked gently. "Why has Ran Ran not gotten up from the bed yet?"


    "Is that not because I am waiting for A Si to come and kiss me?" Yue Ran replied coquettishly.


    ¡­


    The reborn female protagonist, Qi Qian, was full of joy when she thought that she could turn things around once again!


    But soon, she found out that she was wrong.


    Who knew that Brother Fu Chen would once again fall in love with Yue Ran at first sight? Then he still turned into a zombie to protect the same girl he loved in his previous life.


    Gu Si still hugged Yue Ran into his arms and protected the girl very well against fire and water, not wanting her to be stained with dirt or let her get hurt in the slightest bit.


    In this life, Qi Qian rejected the Salvation System from binding her. She still remembered very clearly how the Salvation System had first accompanied her through all the hard times and then betrayed her in the end. There was not even a word of explanation, consolation, or regret.


    Since Qi Qian did not have the Salvation System by her side, this also meant that she had to work extra hard as compared to her previous life.


    Qi Qian went on and on. Her actions and hard work were all done out of hatred!


    But then, Qi Qian finally found out that even if she had worked so desperately all throughout, she still could not pull the game back. She still lost in the end.


    So, she might as well forget it.

 Chapter 131 - 131: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (1)

    It has been two years since the female protagonist, Yi Yan, entered the male protagonist, Lu Heng''s, palace as his concubine.


    In the past two years, Yi Yan has become the most favored person in the third prince''s harem. Half of the month when Lu Heng entered his harem would exclusively be left for Yi Yan; that was just how favorably favored the female protagonist was.


    It was for this reason that the legitimate wife of the male protagonist, who had already hated the fact that Yi Yan and Lu Heng were childhood sweethearts, hated Yi Yan even more. As the third prince''s legitimate wife, she had almost lost her identity as the main wife in the concubine selection if not for her outstanding family background, but on the surface, she still had to pretend to be a generous person.


    But the female protagonist, Yi Yan, is still the woman who is immersed in the moisture of love every day, and she does not care about the others at all. Only the male protagonist, Lu Heng, could get into her eyes.


    Yue Ran is the dowry maid of the female protagonist, who has served Yi Yan since she was a child and even followed her after Yi Yan''s marriage.


    When Yue Ran replaced the original body to take her place and received the plot and memory in her mind, she sneered in her heart.


    It was a shame that a group of women would want to die for a man. But now that she has become the original body, she will fulfill her last wish in exchange for the original body''s soul power. After all, abusing people is what the original body wanted, which is her best skill.


    The original body''s wish was to abuse the female protagonist, the original body''s master and also her killer, Yi Yan; the male protagonist, the third prince and soon-to-be emperor, Lu Heng; and the male supporting role, the childhood sweetheart of the original body and the future youngest prime minister of the dynasty, Pei He.


    Not to mention that the current Yue Ran was not at all happy to have the identity of a super-loyal dowry maid who had always only been loyal to the female protagonist. It was disgusting!


    And since she was here now and she was not at all happy, then no one can ever be happy in this world! This must be some kind of heinous revenge from Lord God after eating up the leftover power she got from the white jade dragon disk in the last world!


    Seriously, the reason why the original body died in this world was because her beauty obstructed the female protagonist''s eyes by attracting the male protagonist''s attention. And thus, the original body, by some chance and luck, was able to become the male protagonist''s concubine, but then she died because of the female protagonist''s jealousy.


    After Yue Ran had taken the original body''s place, she had a lighter and more elegant temperament, almost like an immortal, with a pitiful and lovely look on her.


    Although the female protagonist, Yi Yan, was not very happy about such a change, Yue Ran had always took the initiative to retreat every time Yi Yan was spending time with Lu Heng, and Yue Ran had no intention of flattering Lu Heng at all.


    Lu Heng''s only impression of Yue Ran was that she was an honest and silent dowry maid for Yi Yan. Nothing else.


    This time, Lu Heng had come back from the court and directly planned to find Yi Yan.


    But when he passed by the rockery, he smelled a sweet, light, and refreshing fragrance, which he was inevitably attracted to. It was a fragrance as fascinating as a poppy, and it was hard to forget after catching a whiff of it.


    Another dowry maid of Yi Yan, named A Wei, faced Yue Ran and said with a whispering voice, "Sister, you are so beautiful, even more beautiful than the Madam."


    "You," Yue Ran said as she widened her eyes in surprise. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Be careful; if the Madam hears your words, your skin may be peeled off."


    A Wei pouted and said, "But I am not lying, though! If the prince sees Sister Yue Ran, he will definitely like you."


    Yue Ran gave a very light sigh and said, "But I do not want to be the prince''s woman. I just want to find an honest man and be a couple with him for a lifetime. This is enough."


    Yue Ran covered her mouth and shyly smiled at A Wei in front of her, letting out a crisp and charming laugh from her mouth. All of this attracted Lu Heng''s attention.


    The sun shines on the girl with a delicate smile; the light blue robes on her, equipped with a simple headdress, bright eyes, a slender figure, and a beautiful face, are really fascinating. It was almost as if he were looking at a playful little immortal who was playing in the field of flowers.


    No one knew how long Lu Heng had been in a daze, but when he looked back, the beauty was no longer there.


    Wang Li, who was next to Lu Heng, knows his master''s love for nature and beauty. At a glance, his master must have been attracted by that beauty from afar. This was a normal thing; after all, an eunuch like himself was also attracted to such beauty, not to mention a normal man like his master.


    Wang Li decided to say, "Your Highness, do you want me to inquire about her?"


    Although Lu Heng did not say anything at all, his expression had already conveyed everything.


    Originally, Lu Heng had wanted to find Yi Yan in her courtyard, but now he was not in the mood to do so, and thus he returned to his study to do "work".


    ¡­


    Inside the Third Prince''s Study


    On the table, there is a painting of Yue Ran that Lu Heng saw just a while ago, with the appearance of an immortal that has accidentally strayed into the mortal world, and the background of the woman is decorated with blooming flowers and the branches of trees.


    Lu Heng placed his brush down and kept looking at the painting foolishly, like a man in love.


    Just looking at the woman made him remember the uneasily noticed fragrance that had seduced his heart. The only way to relieve this bubbling emotion inside him was to see the beauty in the painting.


    It was also at this time that Wang Li entered Lu Heng''s study and walked closer to his master.


    "Your Highness," Wang Li started. "She is the dowry maid, Yue Ran, of the side wife, Madam Yi."


    Lu Heng lightly touched the edge of the painting with his fingers and suddenly asked, "What kind of man do you think this kind of beauty should be worthy of?"


    Wang Li''s close service to the third prince for so many years was not in vain at this time. He easily knew how to answer this rather tricky question.


    "Of course, only a man as handsome and in a high position as Your Highness can deserve such beauty," Wang Li said as if trying to prove his loyalty with a flattering answer. He then lowered his voice to a whisper and continued, "And Your Highness will be the Son of Heaven and the ruler of the whole world in the future. Only this kind of beauty should be worthy of Your Highness."


    Lu Heng listened to Wang Li''s flattering words comfortably and let out a loud laugh of joy.


    "You are right," Lu Heng answered. "How can having the high mountains, the rivers, and the lakes not be in the company of beauty?"


    ¡­


    When the female protagonist, Yi Yan, looked at Yue Ran''s charming face, the sense of crisis in her heart suddenly soared to the sky.


    She, Yi Yan, as a woman who looked at Yue Ran''s face every day, would be in a trance when illuminated by her beauty, not to mention her husband, Lu Heng.


    If Yue Ran were to get favored by Lu Heng, does this not mean that she would become a joke in the harem and even the whole capital if it were to spread out?


    Yi Yan would never allow this kind of maid to have the opportunity to serve Lu Heng.


    Yue Ran has already felt the emotional change in the female protagonist, but she does not care much about it. After all, this kind of thing will soon become a reality, and it is not something that the female protagonist can change or interfere with. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yue Ran, come here," Yi Yan ordered. Her tone was rather stern and unfriendly.


    Yue Ran put down the ornament in her hand and walked in step by step, as if snow-white lotuses were blooming behind her every step.


    "Miss, what can I do for you?" Yue Ran asked while blinking her pure and innocent eyes.


    Hearing this address, Yi Yan''s face immediately showed anger.


    "As my dowry maid, you should become a model for others to follow. I am now the side wife of the third prince, so you cannot call me Miss anymore," Yi Yan said. "In the past, I have indulged you so much that you would now be so unscrupulous. What if you offend the master of another palace one day? If this were to happen, then you would only lose my face as a side wife in public!"

 Chapter 132 - 132: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (2)

    Yi Yan was talking as if she were standing on the highest stage of morality, as if saying to Yue Ran that she had said all of this for her own good.


    Yue Ran had nearly rolled her eyes in front of the female protagonist.


    Seriously, why did the female protagonist not say this to the original body in her last life? Did the female protagonist not just want the original body''s arrogance to set off her own nobility? What nonsensical, high-sounding words!


    Now that there was a sense of crisis, the female protagonist had become the kind of person who talks as if everything is for the other person''s good. It was really disgusting!


    Yue Ran knelt on the ground with a plop, and she knew that her knees must be bruised when she heard the loud knock against the ground.


    "I am sorry, Madam," Yue Ran lowered her eyes and said softly. "It was this servant who embarrassed you."


    With a suppressed voice and sadness in the girl''s eyes, the beads of water that welled up in her eyes rolled down her face like falling stars.


    Yue Ran: My knees hurt a lot. It is so painful.


    Ruan Ruan: Master is so pitiful.


    Yue Ran''s face began to turn red, and her eyes were now a little swollen, which made her look pitiful and lovely, as if she had just been bullied by others.


    Everyone in the room watched the scene in silence, and Yi Yan also realized that her image might collapse if she did not do anything. She did not want to ruin the kind image that she had set up with hard work here just because of a dowry maid, so she quickly pulled Yue Ran up.


    Yi Yan let out a sigh as she pretentiously said, "I am also doing this for your own good."


    "Ran Ran knew that Madam usually loves Ran Ran the most," Yue Ran replied readily.


    "It is good that you know," Yi Yan said. "I just want you to change your usual impatience and irritability to something more stable, especially when you are almost old enough to get married."


    The female protagonist''s fox tail came out so quickly. So this was what Yi Yan had planned to say after going for a long roundabout.


    Since the female protagonist had come to the imperial palace, Yue Ran had always gotten along well with everyone around her. When Yi Yan has something to do, she will always take Yue Ran with her wherever she goes.


    In the eyes of others, Yue Ran is always understanding and very loyal to Yi Yan. But Yi Yan still blamed Yue Ran for being impatient and irritable.


    But speaking about marriage in front of others, Yue Ran''s cheeks suddenly turned a suspicious pink, the color of peach blossoms.


    "Are you shy? Is that why you actually blush like this?" Yi Yan asked with her usual generous smile.


    The maid next to Yi Yan, named A Wei, was the one who had spoken out with a teasing smile when she heard her master''s words: "Madam does not know yet, but sister already has someone she likes."


    Just now, Yue Ran deliberately told A Wei that she had someone she liked, all to pave the way for this present moment.


    Ruan Ruan: My Master is so smart!


    Yi Yan looked at Yue Ran in surprise. Yue Ran had usually stayed by her side and did not have much chance to meet foreign men, so how could there be someone that she liked without her knowing about it?


    "Yue Ran has someone she likes?" Yi Yan asked.


    "Yes, Madam," Yu Wei answered in confirmation. "Sister Yue Ran has said it herself before. This man is actually Sister Yue Ran''s cousin."


    "Oh, is that so?" Yi Yan asked as she shifted her gaze to Yue Ran to confirm whether what Yu Wei said was true or not.


    Yue Ran immediately blushed red and quickly lowered her head slightly as she nodded.


    "Um," the girl answered shyly.


    Seeing Yue Ran''s shy look from the beginning to the end, like a girl in the spring of her love, Yi Yan also felt relieved, and she planned to find a chance to tell the third prince to let Yue Ran get out of the palace to get married to the person she likes.


    As long as Yue Ran''s beauty does not attract the third prince, then everything is fine.


    It was only then did Yi Yan laughed with relief and joked around. She no longer looked as serious as she did before.


    "Yue Ran, you have followed me for so long, so why did you never mention it to me before?" Yi Yan asked in a teasing tone.


    Yue Ran only pursed her lips and did not speak. The blush on her face told everyone everything.


    "Madam, can you not see that Sister Yue Ran is just shy?" Yu Wei laughed.


    "This is nothing," Yi Yan said to Yue Ran. "You have nearly reached the age to get married, and women will always get married when they get older."


    Listening to this, everyone else in the room started to make fun of Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran covered her face in embarrassment, lowered her head shyly with ears that started to turn pink, and stomped her feet angrily as she said, "You are all bullying me, hmph."


    The young girl stomped her feet and turned around all at once. There were no flaws in her movements.


    And because she had run away in messy steps with her head down, she had failed to see anyone in front of her. Thus, she happened to bump into Lu Heng, who was peeping and eavesdropping outside the door.


    Anyone who saw this only thought that it was an accident. After all, Yue Ran did not have eyes at the back of her head.


    But there are not so many coincidences in the world. If there is, then everything must have been premeditated.


    Yue Ran had learned of Lu Heng''s presence as early as when he first stepped into Yi Yan''s courtyard.


    Seeing that Yue Ran was about to fall, Lu Heng stretched out his arms reflexively and looked down at the charming girl in his arms.


    Lu Heng felt as if she had caught a falling immortal from the heavens and into his arms.


    The girl''s cheeks were red, her slightly swollen eyes looked pitiful but full of affection, her lips were as red as blood, and there was starlight in her eyes.


    The girl in his arms now had a different kind of beauty, like an unstained immortal that had been corrupted with evil, turning into a seductress that specialized in sucking the souls of men. She was full of charm.


    After realizing what had happened, Yue Ran hurriedly broke free from Lu Heng''s arms, and Lu Heng also withdrew his hand, albeit reluctantly. He hid the fingers that had touched the girl''s skin in his cuff and rubbed them carefully, as if he could still feel the lingering and residual touch of the girl''s smooth and delicate skin.


    Kneeling on the ground with her head lowered, Yue Ran easily revealed her exquisite curves and good figure.


    "Please forgive me, Your Highness; this servant did not bump into you on purpose." Yue Ran quickly explained her foolish actions. There was a sense of hurry in her slightly trembling voice.


    Yi Yan walked over. Even if she felt uncomfortable when she saw that scene with her own eyes, she could tell that Yue Ran did not mean it and that everything that had just happened was only an accident.


    "Your Highness, are you okay?" Yi Yan asked worriedly. "Yue Ran is always like this, so do not blame her." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng only looked at Yi Yan silently.


    How could he bear to blame her? He was still reminiscing about the touch of beauty just now. It was a pity that the time was too short.


    "It is okay," Lu Heng said. "This prince has just arrived, and this prince heard you, and the rest were joking around inside the room. This prince wonders what you are talking about so happily."


    When Lu Heng was right outside the door, he had actually heard everything and even felt a little sad in his heart.


    He did not expect that Yue Ran already had someone he liked, but Lu Heng was confident that he could compare with that person.


    He, Lu Heng, was a prince, the prince who was destined to be an emperor in the future. There would be no woman who would not like him.


    The female protagonist, Yi Yan, no longer wants Yue Ran to stay here, and Lu Heng could also see it. Therefore, it was impossible for him to ask Yue Ran to stay here now.


    Yi Yan firmly believed that her childhood sweetheart relationship with Lu Heng was more important than anything else and that Yue Ran was just a little prettier than her. So the third prince must not like Yue Ran.


    "It was nothing important," Yi Yan answered Lu Heng. "It was just that Yue Ran, this girl, has someone she likes." Seeing that Lu Heng did not have any superfluous emotions on his face and did not respond to her words, Yi Yan continued, "Your Highness, Yue Ran has been with me since I was a child, and now that she has reached a marriageable age, I just want to ask Your Highness to give me some kindness so that Yue Ran can get out of the palace to get married when the right time comes."

 Chapter 133 - 133: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (3)

    After Yi Yan finished speaking, Lu Heng looked at Yue Ran, the protagonist of their topic.


    Yue Ran was still a little scared when she accidentally bumped into the third prince just before, and now she had lowered her head and did not dare to look up at Lu Heng at all.


    The young girl''s small hands were pinching the hem of her sleeves, and the small veins on the back of her snow-white hands were clearly visible from where Lu Heng could see them. She looked a little nervous.


    Feeling the third prince looking over, Yue Ran''s body trembled slightly. This action was only seen by Lu Heng.


    It looks like he scared the little beauty.


    "Unexpectedly, without noticing it, a few years have passed, and Yue Ran has grown up to reach a marriageable age," Lu Heng said.


    The man''s eyes were gloomy, and he pressed the tip of his tongue to the roof of his mouth after speaking in a rather unclear and obscure tone.


    Meanwhile, Yi Yan was ecstatic. She thought that Lu Heng had agreed with what she had just said. Sure enough, the third prince still cared about her the most.


    "So," Lu Heng said again. "Who does Yue Ran like?"


    "About this, I, your servant, am not very clear about it either," Yi Yan replied in a gentle tone. She turned her head to the young girl with a lowered head and said, "Yue Ran."


    Hearing Yi Yan calling her, Yue Ran raised her head slowly. Her pair of inky black eyes were clear and limpid, and she looked shy with a pink blush on her face, like a girl immersed in love.


    "Replying back to Your Highness and Madam, the person this servant likes is this servant''s cousin," Yue Ran said. "This servant met him several times before entering the Yi Mansion, but this servant has not seen him after that. However, this servant''s cousin sometimes writes letters to this servant to keep in touch." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The original body does have a cousin who likes her, which is the male supporting character of this world, but the original body''s heart and ambition are actually higher than the sky, and she does not like him, a poor commoner, that much at all.


    "It turns out that you two are childhood sweethearts," Yi Yan said with a smile. She emphasized the two words "childhood sweethearts" to Lu Heng as if giving him some kind of implication to decrease his liking for Yue Ran, if there was one. "You two are a really good match."


    It was a pity that Lu Heng did not hear the female protagonist''s implications at all. He was thinking in his head that Yue Ran''s family is actually a low-aristocratic noble family, while her cousin must be a poor person who has a very low family background.


    This cousin of hers actually dares to covet Yue Ran. A poor peasant actually dares to covet a noble phoenix! This poor person is really a man who eats soft rice!


    (*Man who eats soft rice: a man who relies on his wife or girlfriend to feed him; a man who is supported financially by a woman.)


    Lu Heng was already angry when he heard Yue Ran''s words, and Yi Yan''s implications had actually added fuel to the fire blazing in his heart.


    Lu Heng''s voice sounded a little bit aggravated as he forced out the words, "You two really are a good match." He breathed in before continuing, "But no matter how you see it, Yue Ran is still a maid from the imperial palace. She had made great contributions by serving her master, and the Yue family is pretty good too, so how could a poor man be worthy of her status?"


    Hearing this, Yi Yan only thought that the third prince did not like Yue Ran''s cousin''s identity.


    "This may not be a bad thing," Yi Yan said. "After all, the most important thing still lies in Yue Ran''s feelings. What do you think, Yue Ran?"


    Both Lu Heng and Yi Yan looked at Yue Ran at the same time.


    Yue Ran only smiled innocently, and her bright eyes seemed to look as if she were yearning for her future life with the one she loved.


    "This servant does not care what his status is," Yue Ran started. "This servant only hopes to grow old with him forever. This servant once read the poem from Master Ye that says, One birth, one world, a couple for a lifetime." The girl''s tone was a little dreamy as she continued, "To be a couple for a lifetime, to be a couple that loves one another till the end, this is my only wish. So this servant hopes that in the future, there will be a person who treats this servant like this. My cousin had also given me this promise before." There was a short pause before she said, "He said that he would only have me as his wife alone for the rest of his life."


    A young girl''s feelings are always like poetry. She hangs her head shyly as she talks about her dream and her yearning for the future.


    The male supporting character, Pei He, had indeed promised the original body like this before. But then, who knew that he would break this promise in the future when he met the female protagonist? He even treated such a married woman very well; no wonder he is an infatuated male supporting character who would give his all to the female protagonist.


    Then again, the original body also did not care about this so-called promise of Pei He since she wanted to climb into the bed of the male protagonist, Lu Heng. And she succeeded in doing so, only to die at the female protagonist''s hands due to the female protagonist''s strong jealousy.


    After hearing Yue Ran''s words, Lu Heng only thought that the reason why Yue Ran wanted to marry her cousin was only because of her cousin''s promise to her of being a couple for a lifetime, which had confused the young girl''s heart. He was pretty sure that Yue Ran did not actually like her cousin that much in terms of her affection for the opposite sex.


    But for such a simple promise, he, the third prince, Lu Heng, was destined to be able to give it to her for the rest of his life. However, this does not mean that he would let Yue Ran go so easily.


    The shy appearance of the young girl in front of him made Lu Heng feel sour in his heart. And such a beautiful expression on the young girl''s face also does not belong to him but to another man.


    Something obscure was churning in the male protagonist''s dark eyes. It was a strong possessive desire to plunder the young girl in front of him with vicious means.


    Yi Yan listened to Yue Ran''s words and saw the young girl''s eyes full of longing.


    Although she and Lu Heng could not be a "couple for a lifetime" like Yue Ran had said, the young man had also given her his own precious and sincere feelings, which were priceless.


    Yi Yan looked at Lu Heng a little obsessively, but she could never imagine that what Lu Heng had in mind at this time was about how he could get her dowry maid.


    "If that was the case, then Yue Ran has met a really good match," Yi Yan said. "This was the one thing that most women in the world could only think about but never ask for."


    Lu Heng turned the ring on his finger with dark emotions brewing deep in his eyes.


    If the head eunuch were here at the moment, he would definitely say with emotion that Lu Heng looked exactly the same as the emperor when he was young. They were worthy of being a pair of fathers and sons.


    "Now that Yue Ran has not yet reached a marriageable age and the palace also has a stipulated age for leaving, letting Yue Ran out so rashly like this may let other people living in the palace think wildly," Lu Heng said, as if explaining things to Yi Yan to let her understand his thoughts, but was actually thinking of a reason to make Yue Ran justifiably stay longer in the palace. "This prince also does not want others to become jealous of you and bring you trouble."


    Love words came as soon as Lu Heng opened his mouth, which made Yi Yan feel both happy and shy at the same time. But unfortunately, Lu Heng did not see her at all, and he only focused his attention on Yue Ran''s figure from the corner of his eye.


    And here, Yi Yan still thought happily in her head full of pink bubbles of love.


    Sure enough, Lu Heng was still thinking about her everywhere, so she should also not let him down.


    "Okay, then let us wait for the right time," Yi Yan said in reply to Lu Heng''s words. "There is no rush."


    Yue Ran: Pfft...


    Yue Ran had to wonder if Yi Yan could still say the same thing in the future.


    "Afterwards, this prince will pay attention to whether this person is worthy of entrustment so as to give you an accurate statement," Lu Heng said.


    Lu Heng: I still need to pay more attention to my rival in love.


    Although the female protagonist, Yi Yan, felt a little weird, she did not think too much about it.

 Chapter 134 - 134: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (4)

    Yi Yan only thought that the third prince valued her too much, and that was why he would also pay a little more attention to the maids around her.


    She was sure that Lu Heng''s actions and deeds were all for her own good.


    "This is Yue Ran''s honor, Your Highness," Yi Yan said with a smile before turning her head to the young girl with a lowered head. "Yue Ran, why have you not come over to thank His Highness?"


    The young girl''s petite body immediately knelt on the ground.


    Being so close to Yue Ran, Lu Heng could not help but take a whiff of the girl''s sweet and refreshing fragrance. His heart began to get a little restless.


    "Your Highness and Madam''s great kindness and virtue to Ran Ran¡ªthis servant has already engraved it in my heart," Yue Ran said. "This kindness is hard to repay, and Ran Ran will never forget it."


    In fact, just as Yue Ran was kneeling down while begging for mercy from Yi Yan with a loud plop at first, Lu Heng had seen it from outside the door just before he had entered the room. And that loud sound seemed to echo into his heart. He wished that he could just rush in and hug Yue Ran into his arms regardless, but in the end, he had managed to hold his impulse back.


    In his head, he had resented the unreasonable behavior of Yi Yan because of it. And now, Yue Ran has to kneel on the ground again because of the same person, Yi Yan.


    Lu Heng felt distressed when he thought about Yue Ran''s delicate skin. How could that young girl endure such continuous kneeling? Her knees must have been swollen by now. Yi Yan is so unreasonable.


    "Alright, this is not a big deal," Lu Heng said. "Get up quickly. This prince is not a fussy person, so there is no need to kneel here and there, back and forth. There is no need for you to be so polite either."


    "Thank you, Your Highness," Yue Ran replied in a grateful tone.


    It was getting late, and Lu Heng planned to stay here in Yi Yan''s courtyard more in order to see Yue Ran more often. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But when the night came and he lay on the same bed with Yi Yan beside him, he did not feel the need to release his desire, nor did he have one, so Lu Heng could only feel restless in his heart while thinking of Yue Ran.


    Meanwhile, Yi Yan only felt shy while lying beside Lu Heng. Lu Heng had told her that he did not want to hurt her by going to bed after a long time of not coming into his harem, and he only wanted to lay down together to show his deep love for her.


    How could she imagine that the person who had shared the same bed with her would only think of another in his mind, be dissatisfied, and thus make excuses with her so that they would not roll to sleep in the bed they shared? What a sad thing this is!


    The female protagonist may not know about this now, but when she finds out the truth at a later date and thinks back to this day, she will only realize that she has always been a joke since that very day.


    Maybe a lot of people knew about it already, but she was the only one who was foolishly kept in the dark and was still feeling self-righteous.


    On the other end, Yue Ran had returned to her room to take a rest after a long day.


    Wang Li is a smart person. Knowing that his master likes Yue Ran, how dare he let Yue Ran keep watch at night? So he only asked the young girl to go back and rest, assuring her that he could just watch the night by himself.


    ¡­


    The next day, early in the morning, Yue Ran came into the room with a basin of water and a towel in hand.


    Lu Heng was sitting by the bed in his night robe, and Wang Li was squatting on the ground to put on the third prince''s shoes for him. This is the ancient royal family''s luxury.


    Lu Heng just needed to wave his hand, and everyone else would do their best of everything to satisfy him.


    After the third prince had put on his shoes and stood up, Yue Ran walked to the bedside, planning to help Yi Yan refresh herself like the original body usually does.


    Wearing a thin, white robe, Yi Yan''s entire skin could not be covered at all. The skin on her neck was still clean and clear; there was not even the slightest mark or blemish on her at all.


    Yue Ran''s eyes flashed with an obscure light. If someone were to take a closer look, they could perhaps see the slight ridicule in them.


    This situation is so funny. So nothing happened at all last night? Why did the male protagonist not sleep with his beloved female protagonist last night?


    Yue Ran leaned down and whispered in Yi Yan''s ear, "Madam, how is your condition? Do you need my help to get up?"


    The young girl''s tone was extremely innocent, and so were her pair of inky black eyes. If Yi Yan did not know Yue Ran''s character, she would have thought that this young girl was most definitely satirizing and making fun of her.


    Before Yi Yan could reply to Yue Ran, there was a plopping sound and a thud from the third prince''s side, followed by an angry shout, which instantly attracted both Yi Yan and Yue Ran''s attention.


    "How do you take care of His Highness the third prince?" Yi Yan and Yue Ran heard Wang Li''s loud voice yelling from the room next door. "You do not even know how to put on the robes for His Highness, so what is the use of you?"


    Yi Yan frowned a little and instantly instructed the young girl beside her, "Yue Ran, hurry up and see what had happened to His Highness next door."


    "Yes, Madam," Yue Ran replied obediently as usual. An extremely charming and enchanting smile appeared as soon as she lowered her head, facing the ground.


    Yes, let her see how the male protagonist would try to seduce her at that time.


    It was very rare that the female protagonist would actively send her to the male protagonist.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran had walked next door and slowly lifted the light blue gauze in her way, she saw a palace maid kneeling on the ground while begging for the third prince''s mercy.


    Those who did not know what happened would have thought that she was trying to seduce the third prince in broad daylight. Or maybe she was? Or maybe not. Who knows.


    Looking up, Yue Ran saw that Lu Heng''s clothes looked like a mess, and he had not put on the outer layer of his robe on his body yet. The young man''s face was expressionless and indifferent at this moment.


    Seeing that Yue Ran had come into the room, Wang Li said in surprise, "Oh, little girl Yue Ran, come and help His Highness get dressed."


    Yue Ran blinked before saying, "But this servant still has to help serve the Madam."


    Anyone with eyes and ears could see just how real Yue Ran''s expression was and how firm the refusal in her tone was. She really did not want to come and serve the third prince in front of her at all.


    "Otherwise," Yue Ran continued after thinking for a while. It was not so good to refuse so firmly like this after taking into account the third prince''s face. She might as well make another suggestion to diffuse the tense air. "This servant will ask someone more appropriate to come in and serve His Highness."


    Lu Heng looked at Yue Ran''s beautiful face and did not speak.


    Wang Li was the one who took over the conversation, as he said in a rather strange tone, "Why do you want to do things in a roundabout way? His Highness is now in a hurry, and if he is not prepared soon, he will be late for the morning court. If His Highness is late for the morning court, then who could be able to bear such consequences?"


    Wang Li was planning to coax while also half-threatening Yue Ran, and thus he had spouted out those words. He could easily understand his master and thus quickly cooperated with his master''s performance.


    This was all done so that Yue Ran could help the third prince get dressed.


    Yue Ran lowered her eyes and said after a pause, "Then, Your Highness, this servant will help you get dressed."


    Lu Heng raised his arm while looking at how Yue Ran made a circle around him to get his hands into the sleeves of the robe. He instantly felt that the depression he felt in the morning had disappeared.


    The young girl had a very beautiful face with exquisite features and long eyelashes that were naturally curved upward. Even a blink of her eyes would make Lu Heng''s heart itch. And when she reopened them, her eyes would have a blanket of water, looking as clean and clear as a child''s eyes.


    At this time, Yue Ran held the belt of the third prince in her hands, and she slowly approached Lu Heng to carefully wrap the belt around his waist.

 Chapter 135 - 135: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (5)

    Lu Heng immediately narrowed his eyes, and his aura turned oppressive. He felt as if the young girl was embracing him and leaning into his arms like his closest lover. He had even gotten a whiff of the same sweet and refreshing fragrance that made him feel as if he were in a trance.


    The young man lowered his eyes to stare at the top of the young girl''s head and raised his hand as if he were about to hug her back. But before he was able to touch Yue Ran''s waist and embrace her in his arms, the young girl had already stepped back.


    The young girl that had previously laid in his arms had gotten away, and his dream was instantly shattered.


    "Your Highness, this servant has completed the duty," Yue Ran said simply. She obediently retreated to the side and stood upright. There were no other superfluous movements at all to try and attract his attention like the others do.


    "Yue Ran, are you done with it?" Yi Yan''s question rang from the other room. She was referring to her previous question, where she had asked Yue Ran to find out the situation on Lu Heng''s side.


    Yi Yan''s words of calling Yue Ran over immediately disrupted the peaceful and warm scene at the moment. But this was only from the male protagonist''s point of view, not Yue Ran''s.


    "Yes, this servant is coming, Madam," Yue Ran replied aloud. She then turned her body back to Lu Heng and bowed slightly as she said, "Then, this servant will leave first, Your Highness."


    The young girl turned around and walked out the door.


    Lu Heng felt that every time he looked at Yue Ran''s back, she would always look extremely graceful and beautiful, akin to the noble bearing of an aristocratic lady in the capital.


    ¡­


    "So, just now, what had actually happened on His Highness'' side?" Yi Yan questioned the young girl in front of her.


    Hmm, how should Yue Ran reply to this kind of question? Should she say that the female protagonist''s beloved husband was trying to seduce her?


    That would have been a hilarious scene to see! However, she could not say so. She cannot break out of her character''s setting.


    "It was just that the servant who had helped His Highness get dressed was not careful enough and thus made His Highness unhappy," Yue Ran said while recounting the scene she saw before. "Wang Li was worried that His Highness would be late for court, and thus he asked this servant to help His Highness get dressed."


    The young girl''s articulation was brief yet concise. There were no other superfluous words. Everything was straight to the point. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    On this day, Yue Ran received a letter from her cousin.


    The words were written as follows: I will see you at Leng Shan Temple. We have an important matter to discuss.


    Ever since Lu Heng became interested in Yue Ran, he ordered Wang Li to monitor every move in Yi Yan''s courtyard. Once there is any matter that is related to Yue Ran, Wang Li will have to report it to Lu Heng as soon as possible and tell him all the details about it.


    Therefore, any movements by Yue Ran were always under Lu Heng''s careful scrutiny. Naturally, what Lu Heng got from the reports was all that Yue Ran purposefully wanted him to see.


    Here, Lu Heng had seen the contents of the letter to Yue Ran from her cousin much earlier than when Yue Ran had received it.


    Knowing that Yue Ran had read the letter that her cousin sent to her, Lu Heng immediately heard from Wang Li that Yue Ran had asked Yi Yan for permission to go out of the palace to pray to Buddha in her name to ensure everyone''s safety.


    Angered, Lu Heng vented his emotions in his dark study room. All the gold, silver, and jade were thrown to the floor and scattered all over the place. Everything inside the study looked messy, and there were also broken porcelain and shattered jade pieces on the ground.


    Without much thought or hesitation, Lu Heng picked up the precious inkstone on the table and smashed it down.


    "Why are you so impatient to see him?" Lu Heng asked no one in particular as he slumped down in his chair. His voice was low and deep, and anger was hidden in his words. "Why are you in such a hurry to see him?"


    Even after venting his emotions by destroying many precious things, he still did not feel any calmer; on the contrary, he was furious.


    Lu Heng stared at the air in front of him for a while before ordering, "Wang Li, prepare the horses."


    The young man''s voice was not loud, but it still sounded terrifying nonetheless.


    Wang Li was hiding in the corner of the room, trembling. It was the first time that he saw the third prince like this. The third prince had never gotten this angry before, nor had he ever destroyed things like a madman as he had previously done a few moments ago.


    Fearing that he would get punished if he answered too late and that his life would be lost, Wang Li hurriedly answered his master, "Yes, Your Highness! I will prepare the horses immediately!"


    ¡­


    Leng Shan Temple


    As soon as Yue Ran left the palace, Lu Heng immediately followed her, not too far away.


    Looking at Yue Ran, who had obviously dressed up, Lu Heng felt that his breathing was not smooth and his eyes were sore.


    The Yue Ran before him, who had never had the intention to dress up, has already easily intoxicated him to obsession. But presently, he just had to see Yue Ran, who had specially worn yesterday''s newly made dress, in order to meet her sweetheart without being able to say a word.


    How sad it is for him!


    The happier Yue Ran is, the sadder Lu Heng will be.


    After placing a stick of incense to pray for safety, Yue Ran hurriedly got up from where she was and ran out to meet her sweetheart.


    People in love always do not want their loved ones to wait long for them. They would always want to show their best sides to one another.


    In the winding bamboo forest, the air was fresh and clean, which would make people easily relax in such a tranquil atmosphere.


    A slender and straight figure stood in the shade of a bamboo, waiting for the arrival of his sweetheart. He heard the rustle of leaves when a gentle breeze blew by.


    It was at this time that Yue Ran trotted over. Running for such a distance from the temple to the bamboo forest had made her pant, and her breathing was a little short. Her scarlet lips kept opening and closing as she tried hard to collect her breath and return it to normal.


    Seeing a familiar figure in front of her eyes, Yue Ran immediately called out in a joyful and sweet voice, like the coming of spring, where all the flower buds had grown and bloomed beautifully.


    "Cousin!"


    Hearing the silvery voice that he could only hear in his dreams, the young man named Pei He, who stood under the shade, turned around to look at the girl, who was not far away from his position, and also called out, "Cousin!"


    Cousin and cousin are a natural pair!


    The male supporting character in this world is definitely not bad-looking. As expected, when Yue Ran looked at his face, she smiled very sweetly. She is satisfied with this man''s appearance.


    Pei He is really a very handsome man¡ªa handsome scholar, to be precise. He has a literary air about him, with a poetic temperament to match. He could really be regarded as a very good marriage partner for a boudoir lady, according to looks only, at the present.


    Naturally, the male supporting character in this small world would have great talent to go along with his attractive appearance. After all, he is the future prime minister who would assist the male protagonist, who is the future emperor, to make this dynasty prosperous, which would be written down in history.


    When Pei He hugged Yue Ran into his arms, the young man felt that his cousin had changed a lot after they had been separated for two years since she went into the Yi Mansion. Moreover, she had become even more beautiful than before.


    The two were hugging one another here with much nostalgia and affection, while Lu Heng and Wang Li were not so peaceful.


    Wang Li was hiding in the dark, following Lu Heng''s every move. Now, he only felt that the sky was overcast by dusty clouds and that the world had turned dark and dreary. This was all because of Lu Heng''s mood right now.


    The aura surrounding the third prince was getting heavier and heavier, and the bamboo next to him looked to be in a rather precarious condition.


    The poor bamboo used to be lush with branches and leaves, but now it seemed that it would not grow up anymore. At most, it would only grow a few more feet before it stopped. After all, all its young leaves had already fallen to the ground at the position where the third prince was standing.


    Looking at the two people who were hugging one another in front of him, Lu Heng''s eyes turned as deep and dark as a cold pool. The murky shadows in it revealed danger as he stared firmly at the young girl who was supposed to be his.

 Chapter 136 - 136: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (6)

    Pei He took out a handkerchief and carefully and gently wiped the tiny beads of sweat on Yue Ran''s forehead.


    Feeling the warmth of the skin under his thumb, the young man only felt that the delicate and tender young girl was lively, charming, and lovely. He could not help but like her more and more.


    "Why are you in such a rush?" Pei He said it gently, with a smile on his lips. "Now, look, are you not sweating? Are you uncomfortable? It would be bad if you were to get sick if you were not careful."


    Yue Ran pursed her lips a little as she said, "But I want to see Cousin sooner." The young girl''s expression looked extremely sincere and pure, which made the young man''s heart all soft and mushy. "Cousin, what do you want to tell me?"


    Seeing the letter that Pei He had sent her, she knew that there must be something important that he wanted to tell her.


    "The imperial examination is coming soon," Pei He started. "I will definitely study hard and get a good grade when the time comes. I will go to Cousin''s family to propose a marriage so that Cousin can marry me in a grand manner by then."


    Yue Ran knew that Pei He''s family was not in a good situation since they were poor and none in the family had a high status; they were just poor commoners. That was why Pei He had been studying hard all these years. He had hoped to change his own destiny through the imperial examination. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Actually, Cousin¡­" Yue Ran started. But before she could continue her words, Pei He immediately cut in and blocked the young girl from speaking any further.


    With a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth, he said, "Ran Ran, you do not need to say it; I understand it very well. But please let me speak out what was on my mind first."


    Yue Ran stared at the young man in front of her silently before nodding her head, as if acquiescing to the young man''s words.


    "I know that over the years, Auntie has always disliked my close relationship with you," Pei He started. "Although Cousin did not tell me anything, I can still understand it very well. I know that my family is poor, and Auntie is worried that I could not give you a happy and rich life."


    There was a short pause before the young man continued, "I know that Cousin does not care about these things, but Auntie''s worries are justified. As a mother, she hopes that you will have a good life when you marry your future husband. So if I can succeed in the imperial examination this time, I will go to Cousin to propose a marriage. But if it fails, I also hope that Cousin can be happy and marry a better person."


    Although Pei He''s sincere words were said with a smile, there were sourness, reluctance, and sadness in his eyes, which he did not want Yue Ran to see.


    Yue Ran knew full well that her mother hoped that she would marry well and had always looked down on Pei He before, so Yue Ran had always said good things about Pei He in front of her mother, hoping that her mother would change her opinion of her cousin.


    Although Pei He''s family is poor, every year when Yue Ran celebrates her birthday, he will always take out all the money he has saved for a long time to carefully prepare gifts for the young girl, only hoping that she can always be happy.


    Something slipped from Yue Ran''s eyes, dripping down her cheeks. She did not sob or cry out loud. She only felt sad. Extremely sad.


    "Cousin," Yue Ran called out. "I do not care about whether my future husband will be rich or not; I do not think that marrying others will bring me the happiness that I have always longed for. I only hope that my future husband can be with my cousin. Ran Ran only wants to be with Cousin."


    As long as that person is her cousin, Pei He, she will be happy.


    "I have always known that, since I was a child, most men in the world have three wives and four concubines and are ungrateful for what they have," Yue Ran continued. "But I still believe that in this world, there will always be one person who is truly worth entrusting for life. And Ran Ran has already found that person." She looked straight at Pei He. "Ran Ran just wants to grow old with Cousin for the rest of my life."


    Yue Ran smiled when she saw Pei He''s expression.


    "Cousin is sincere toward Ran Ran, so how could Ran Ran not do the same to Cousin?" Yue Ran spoke as she looked at the young man in front of her with firm eyes.


    Pei He did not expect Yue Ran to say such a thing, and he could only look at the young girl in shock. But after this short moment, he quickly wiped off the tears from the girl''s face and the ends of her eyes.


    Yue Ran could only watch the young man''s actions with a pair of moist and affectionate eyes.


    "I, Pei He, swear that in this life, if I am lucky enough to marry Yue Ran as my wife, I will care about her and love her for the rest of my life," Pei He said. "I will never take in a concubine, nor will I ever love another, and if I violate this, then I will be struck by lightning."


    Yue Ran was not the only one who was shocked by Pei He''s words. Lu Heng, who was hiding not far away, was also shocked. Then the young man immediately felt cold all over his body, from head to toe.


    Lu Heng had felt that he had fallen into hell from when Yue Ran had first expressed her love for her cousin, Pei He; from when Yue Ran had said that she only wanted Pei He to be her future husband; from when Yue Ran said that she wanted to marry Pei He.


    The young girl''s expectation is so simple, but it is also the one thing that he cannot afford the most.


    Yue Ran¡ªwhat should he do with her?


    If he forced her, regardless of the young girl''s wishes, would she forgive him? But even if he knew that she would not, how could he just watch her walk into another person''s arms just like this? How could he let her go and not do anything about it?


    Lu Heng''s thoughts were now in a jumble of confusion, and he did not want to see any more of the sweet scene between the two people¡ªPei He and Yue Ran¡ªin front of him, so he just walked away like this. But he did not even know how he had even left in the first place.


    ¡­


    At night, Lu Heng looked at the sleeping Yi Yan next to him, and he quietly lifted the quilt to get out of bed and walked to the next room to the bed, where Yue Ran was curled up sleeping.


    She looked so small and cute at this moment.


    Looking at the soft and delicate features on the young girl''s face, Lu Heng bent down and held out a hand to gently touch her cheek with his cold fingertips. His eyes turned deep, dark, and vast. They were cavernous and unpredictable.


    "Only when you are asleep can I look at you so unscrupulously," Lu Heng said gloomily. "Why is the person you like not me? Why, Yue Ran? Why?"


    The young man''s eyes were ruthless, and his fingers pressed a little harder on Yue Ran''s skin, marking her delicate and smooth skin red with force.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran groaned softly in her sleep.


    Lu Heng instantly let go of his hand, and both hands were clenched into fists when he straightened up his back.


    In the dim light of two candles in the room, the interior glowed a dim and warm orange color.


    No one knew what kind of dream Yue Ran had, but she had an extremely warm and sweet smile on her face, as if she had a really good dream. Then she seemed to have muttered something in this silent night.


    The young girl''s voice was so soft that Lu Heng could not hear it clearly, so he bent down to get closer to hear what she was saying. He waited for a while, but the young girl no longer said anything at all.


    It was not until he was about to get away that he finally heard what Yue Ran had uttered. Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft. It was just enough for Lu Heng to hear that one word carefully.


    "Cousin," the young girl said.


    In the empty and quiet room, this one word seemed to be ringing in his ears all the time.


    Hearing such an unpleasant word flow out of her lips, Lu Heng suddenly grabbed Yue Ran''s arm which was hanging outside the bed. It was as if the young man was panicked, and he needed to touch the young girl''s skin to calm himself down at this moment.


    The hand that held onto Yue Ran''s hand began to tremble, and Lu Heng''s shoulders kept rising and falling as he took in a deep breath over another.


    He was not calm.


    How could he be calm?

 Chapter 137 - 137: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (7)

    Pain flashed in the young man''s pair of inky black eyes, which held a complexity of emotions¡ªanger, sadness, and reluctance intertwined with one another, seemingly exploding inside his head, putting him in a daze.


    "Why?" Lu Heng asked in a hoarse voice. "Why do you even have him in your dreams? Do you love that man so much?"


    Seeing that Yue Ran''s smile was getting sweeter and sweeter, Lu Heng could not bear it any longer, and his reason was burned away by the monstrous jealousy in his heart.


    On the spur of the moment, Lu Heng bowed his head and kissed the young girl''s red lips, which he had been thinking about day and night.


    As he had previously expected, it was as beautiful and sweet as he had imagined. He greedily ingested the breath that belonged to her and traveled downward.


    In the end, Yue Ran hummed, her brows frowned, and then she let out a sigh.


    As if trying to further avoid the young man''s touch, Yue Ran''s head turned sideways. Lu Heng could only let out a sigh when he saw it.


    He wanted to taste the beauty of the past again.


    With that, he bit Yue Ran''s lips, then gently sucked and licked them before his tongue traveled deeper inside.


    Finally, the young girl made a sound from her throat and subconsciously responded to Lu Heng.


    After receiving a response, Lu Heng was stunned for a moment, and then he became more eager, which could be seen clearly when his emotions were reflected in the actions he showed.


    ¡­


    Early in the morning, Yue Ran helped Yi Yan get refreshed and dressed by handing her a towel and helping her get dressed like the original body usually does every day.


    Looking at Yue Ran''s unusually red and swollen delicate lips, Yi Yan could not help but ask, "Yue Ran, what happened to your lips?"


    Touching her lips, Yue Ran''s beautiful brows were slightly wrinkled, which made others want to help her smooth them out and help her relieve her worries.


    "Madam, this servant is not clear about this either," Yue Ran answered. "Maybe I am allergic to something that I ate last night without knowing it. This servant will just go back and apply some medicinal ointment on my lips later on."


    Yi Yan just asked this question casually but did not actually take this incident to heart, so she did not make a sound to reply to Yue Ran''s words.


    Lu Heng, who was next to the two women, pretended to be calm as he took a sip of the tea from her cup. He had been watching Yue Ran from the corner of his eye ever since she had first stepped into the room.


    After the close contact they had last night, Lu Heng has always been in a good mood, until now. It seems that no matter what the young girl is doing, she can always seduce him without putting in any effort.


    Seeing that Yue Ran was touching her lips, he thought to himself triumphantly, Thanks to this prince''s careful care last night, she was able to look so charming and loveable.


    But no matter what the young man thought in his heart, he still had to keep a serious look on his face so that no one would be suspicious of him.


    Lu Heng "casually" turned his head in the direction of Yi Yan and Yue Ran and said, "Later, I will ask Wang Li to bring you a bottle of jade crystal ointment. You will be fine after applying this ointment for a day."


    When Yi Yan heard Lu Heng say this, she was shocked. She did not expect that the third prince would be so generous as to give this jade crystal ointment away.


    One should know that this jade crystal ointment was an imperial gift from the emperor, and there were limited amounts of jade crystal ointment in the imperial palace, not to mention in the third prince''s palace.


    But Lu Heng actually gave Yue Ran a bottle of it. So how could Yi Yan not be shocked?


    After seeing Yi Yan''s expression, Lu Heng hastily changed the meaning of his words by saying, "This prince had actually first planned to let Wang Li, this foolish slave, bring this jade crystal ointment to you. I heard that this ointment has the effect of beautifying and smoothing even the roughest of skin." As he spoke, he glared at Wang Li next to him. "Who knows that this foolish slave actually forgot to give this to you when I first got it? I only remembered that there was still this thing when I heard the conversation between you and Yue Ran."


    As Lu Heng''s close confidant, Wang Li immediately understood Lu Heng''s meaning at a glance, and he quickly knelt down to echo the third prince''s words.


    "It is all this slave''s fault," Wang Li quickly said as he "confessed" his wrongdoings. "This slave deserves to die. This slave deserves to die."


    This huge movement shook the fat on Wang Li''s body as he pretended to slap himself a few times in the face.


    Nodding his head in satisfaction, Lu Heng looked at his heartfelt servant and said, "Okay, that is enough. Fortunately, you met Madam Yi this time. If you were to meet someone else, they would not be as kind as Madam Yi."


    Wang Li smiled obsequiously and said, "That is natural. Only Madam Yi is the kindest person in the whole palace; that is what all the servants say."


    Listening to Lu Heng''s words made Yi Yan feel sweet in her heart.


    As expected, the third prince still likes her the most. With a precious thing like the jade crystal ointment, the first thing that he thought of was to give it to her.


    And to think that she was still doubting what was between the third prince and Yue Ran just now¡ªshe only felt that she was such a silly person to think so. There was clearly nothing between them.


    Yi Yan shifted her gaze to Lu Heng and smiled more and more shyly and affectionately.


    "Your Highness, you are so kind to Yi Yan," Yi Yan said coquettishly. "However, you cannot blame Wang Li for this matter. He is the eunuch next to you, and he always has to take care of every big and small matter every day for you, so being forgetful is a normal thing. So do not punish him, okay?"


    Lu Heng only hummed at Yi Yan''s words.


    He did not expect that Yi Yan herself would believe his words and even help him make up a reason so that Wang Li would not be punished, so there would be no need to disagree with her.


    Soon later, when Yi Yan remembered this matter in the near future, she would only feel like she was very stupid right now.


    Lu Heng pretended to think for a while, and then he uttered, "Okay, then that is fine. Sure enough, Yi Yan is still the kindest person who knows how to be considerate to the servants. It would be great if Chu Ning was half as good as you."


    Chu Ning is Lu Heng''s main wife. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yi Yan''s heart was in full bloom. She was indeed the main wife in Lu Heng''s heart. Chu Ning, who was from the prominent Chu family, was only lucky to have such a powerful family background, and so she had successfully taken away the position of Lu Heng''s first wife.


    The position of first wife was supposed to belong to her, Yi Yan! But Chu Ning had actually snatched that position away from her, all because of her family background!


    Just thinking about this made Yi Yan feel extremely angry!


    Although her thoughts were aggressive, Yi Yan still spoke softly and modestly: "No, Madam usually behaves very well, but the servants are human too, so there is no need to be so harsh on them."


    Lu Heng had only said his latter sentence without much thought, so he did not actually put it in mind. Right now, his mind was preoccupied with how Yue Ran would find him in the afternoon, so how could he still hear the words that Yi Yan was speaking about?


    Yue Ran, who stood on the side, lowered her head and smiled ironically.


    Lu Heng, who had been staring at Yue Ran all the time, could only see Yue Ran''s mouth curling upwards from where he could see. He only thought that Yue Ran was thinking about him as much as he was about her. Now, he was even more looking forward to meeting Yue Ran alone in the afternoon.


    Here, Lu Heng was already thinking about how he would hold Yue Ran in his arms to talk about love later, while Yi Yan, who was sitting by Lu Heng''s side, was shining about how the relationship between her and the young man still had not changed after so many years of knowing one another.


    Who knew that the young man in her eyes¡ªher beloved husband, Lu Heng¡ªwas thinking about how he could have an affair with her dowry maid?


    This must be what sharing the same bed but having different dreams means.


    ¡­


    Yi Yan sat down comfortably on the bed while squinting her eyes.


    "Yue Ran, you should go and get the jade crystal ointment the third prince said in the morning in the third prince''s study later, do you understand?" Yi Yan asked as she looked out the window.

 Chapter 138 - 138: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (8)

    Yi Yan did not look at Yue Ran as she spoke out loud.


    Yue Ran nodded and smiled as she said, "Yes, the third prince really likes the Madam the most. All the good things will all go to the Madam."


    Yi Yan''s lips arched up when she heard Yue Ran''s words.


    "Alright, you only know how to speak nice words," Yi Yan said. "Hurry up and go take it. Do not be late so as to delay the third prince''s work later."


    "Yes, Madam," Yue Ran replied subserviently.


    ¡­


    The Third Prince''s Study


    Lu Heng has been waiting in the study since he came back from the morning court.


    In order to let Yue Ran see his attractive side, he had changed several clothes and even brought over the large glass mirror from the warehouse that he had bought from the merchants in the west to see which one of the robes looked more attractive on him.


    Lu Heng finally chose to wear a set of royal blue and white robes.


    "Wang Li, what do you think of me wearing this one?" Lu Heng asked.


    Wang Li quickly answered with ease, "Your Highness, you are the most handsome one in this outfit. Miss Yue Ran will definitely fall in love with you, Your Highness."


    Although Lu Heng is not a loyal man, like the majority of men in this era, he still looks young and very attractive. After all, he is the male protagonist in this world.


    The set of blue and white robes on him made him look elegant and noble. When he was not smiling, he looked especially cold, indifferent, and majestic. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Will Yue Ran feel that this prince is not a person easy to get close to when wearing this?" Lu Heng asked with a frown.


    Wang Li was about to cry. The third prince had changed several pieces of clothing for a long time already.


    But he could keep this thought in his heart and only said with a sad face, "But Your Highness is indeed the descendant of the emperor, the Son of Heaven. Your Highness is not a commoner."


    Commoner. This word was actually a reminder for Lu Heng.


    But Lu Heng''s thoughts have traveled far. Thinking of that day when Yue Ran had met her cousin, Pei He, that man seemed to be wearing a white robe.


    That cousin of Yue Ran looked as gentle and elegant as jade, which should be the type of man that Yue Ran likes. The more he thought about this, the more he felt that his thoughts were really right.


    This may be just the reason why Yue Ran would like that poor commoner.


    However, this prince must look better in white than Pei He.


    Lu Heng turned his head to Wang Li and said, "You go and get this prince''s moon white robe for this prince to wear."


    "Your Highness is still thoughtful," Wang Li answered.


    After a sentence of flattery was over, he immediately ran over to get it.


    After changing his clothes, Lu Heng finally felt that he had found the right direction on how to get Yue Ran to like him.


    "Your Highness, how can Miss Yue Ran''s cousin compare to you? He could not even match a toe of yours in terms of identity or appearance," Wang Li said.


    "Okay, you can only flatter me," Lu Heng said. "Yue Ran is coming soon. If you have nothing to do here, then hurry out and wait for her."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Wang Li readily replied.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran arrived, she saw Wang Li guarding the front door of the third prince''s study alone.


    "Eunuch Wang, Ran Ran has come over to get the jade crystal ointment that His Highness had talked about in the morning to give it to the Madam," Yue Ran said as she bent her back a little.


    The young girl had immediately stated the things that she wanted to do today in one go.


    "Oh, how could this servant be able to bear the courtesy of Miss Yue Ran?" Wang Li said it with a slightly flattering tone.


    Even Lu Heng''s main wife, Chu Ning, has to be courteous to Wang Li, who is Lu Heng''s right-hand man in dealing with his affairs. But since Wang Li clearly knew that his master was very interested in Yue Ran, he dared not make Yue Ran feel even the slightest dissatisfaction with him.


    Otherwise, whose fault would it be when Yue Ran hated Lu Heng because of him?


    Or maybe Yue Ran could even blow the pillow wind to make his life harder.


    The latter one may or may not be impossible, but the former one is very likely to happen! Since the cons outweigh the pros, then why should he do something that would only put him at a disadvantage?


    "The jade crystal ointment is in His Highness'' study," Wang Li said. "Miss Yue Ran can just go in quickly."


    Yue Ran did not expect that she would have to go inside the third prince''s study to get it by herself. This was a place that even the Madam and the others were not allowed to enter at will.


    "This¡­" Yue Ran said, and her words trailed off. "This is not very good, Eunuch Wang. Why do you not help take the jade crystal ointment out for me? Ran Ran can just wait here so as not to disturb the third prince''s business."


    "Miss Yue Ran, what are you talking about?" Wang Li asked. "How could you be bothering me? You go in quickly. His Highness is still waiting inside."


    Wang Li smiled apologetically at Yue Ran.


    Seeing that she could not beat Wang Li in this war of words, Yue Ran could only open the door and walk in.


    Moreover, what does Eunuch Wang mean by waiting inside? His Highness, the third prince, is not waiting especially for her, right?


    Yue Ran had not intended to close the door so that she could escape quickly when the time came after taking the jade crystal ointment, but who knew that Wang Li would be so "thoughtful" as to close the door behind her? She could only look forward and walk in cautiously.


    Lu Heng had heard Yue Ran''s voice a long time ago. He was currently posing with a fan in hand as he looked at the booklet with a solemn expression.


    From the corner of the young man''s eye, he listened to Yue Ran''s slow and light steps on the floor, the slender and graceful figure during her salute, and the beauty of her steps, as if delicate lotuses were growing and blooming following every step of her way.


    The shimmering light reflected from the window shone on the young girl''s beautiful face, which made her every move look so gentle and moving.


    "Yue Ran greets Your Highness, the third prince," Yue Ran said as she saluted the young man in front of her according to etiquette.


    Lu Heng was stunned for a while, and the gaze that was looking at Yue Ran was scorching and burning hot. He had forgotten to call the young girl to rise, and there was only silence in the air.


    Yue Ran''s kneeling legs were sore and a little uncomfortable. Her delicate body looked a little unstable in its position.


    "Yue Ran greets Your Highness, the third prince." Yue Ran repeated her words again.


    Lu Heng returned to his senses when the young girl repeated her sentence for the second time. He then gave her a discreet cough and said, "Rise quickly. Just now, this prince was just a little too fascinated when reading this booklet for a while, and..."


    Yue Ran did not wait for Lu Heng''s explanation to end when her body could no longer bear it, and she swayed and fell to the ground.


    The young girl''s body had been kneeling for too long, and her legs felt numb¡ªso numb that it was as if countless ants were running all over her legs. And when she had forcefully gotten up, her legs did not stand steady, and she fell just like this.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng did not bother to pretend any longer. He quickly picked up the fallen Yue Ran and held her in his arms.


    He looked down at her and asked in a low voice, "Yue Ran, how are you? Are you hurt?"


    Yue Ran looked a little shocked, and her misty eyes with small crystal teardrops dotting her eyelashes met the young man''s worried ones.


    "This¡­ this servant is all right," Yue Ran answered, feeling a little flustered. "It was just that my legs are a little numb from kneeling too long."


    "Then it is okay," Lu Heng said. "It is all my fault for not paying attention just now."


    The unusually intimate embrace made Yue Ran feel uncomfortable, and so she tried to struggle out of his hold.


    "Your Highness, it is not appropriate for you to hug this servant like this," Yue Ran said with a slight frown on her face.


    Of course, this is not an appropriate posture between a master and a servant. But Lu Heng did not feel anything wrong about it.


    However, when he looked at the expression on Yue Ran''s face, he could only reluctantly let go of her.


    When Lu Heng retracted his hand, he accidentally touched Yue Ran''s arms.


    The young girl immediately hissed upon contact.


    Seeing the painful expression on Yue Ran''s face, Lu Heng nervously asked her, "What is the matter? Could it be that you accidentally hurt yourself before?"

 Chapter 139 - 139: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (9)

    "There should be nothing wrong, Your Highness," Yue Ran quickly replied. "This servant will just go back to smear some ointment on it later on."


    "Your skin is too delicate, and it must have been red due to the fall just now," Lu Heng said. "If you wait until you go back to treat it, that wounded spot will become bruised, looking green and blue. It will look very ugly on the skin."


    Who knew that the third prince would say these kinds of words?


    Yue Ran looked at the third prince a little curiously and asked, "How could Your Highness know about these things so clearly?"


    "When this prince was young, this prince was not loved by the imperial father and had to grow up alone in the Lasting Autumn Palace," Lu Heng started. "The servants around this prince were bitter and mean, and knowing that this prince will not have a good prospect in the future and will not be seen by the imperial father, naturally they will act more unscrupulously without caring for this prince''s identity as the third prince. Back then, this prince was just a neglected prince with no real status."


    Seeing the worry on Yue Ran''s face, Lu Heng chuckled a little.


    "It is okay; this prince has already grown up," Lu Heng said. "This prince may not have been able to understand it when this prince was young, but now this prince does not care about it anymore."


    Lu Heng''s words were actually an understatement of his past experience. The reason he was neglected by the emperor was because of the lowly status of his mother, a foot-washing maid who died of dystocia after giving birth to him.


    If it were not for the male protagonist himself being a smart and motivated person who strives to climb up regardless, which managed to attract the favored concubine''s attention, one who does not have a child of her own, to take him back from the Lasting Autumn Palace and adopt him under her name, he would not have been able to even see or recognize the face of his imperial father for life.


    It just so happens that the emperor does not have a lot of children, and his remaining imperial brothers who survived were not that smart and only knew how to play around all day long. It was very likely that it would not be possible for him to be a candidate for the future emperor. If so, then he was most likely to be a neglected prince again.


    When Yue Ran heard Lu Heng''s words, she could not help but look at the young man with some sympathy. Who knew that the third prince was living in such dire straits when he was just a child?


    "That was all the experience of the past," Yue Ran said. "Your Highness is now the emperor''s favorite son."


    To be honest, how could the imperial family really feel so much sorrow and depression? Lu Heng, who was about to be the winner, the future Son of Heaven, does not care about the difficult situations in the past or the hardships he has faced up to this day.


    What he did not expect was for Yue Ran to comfort him so gently after she had heard of his difficult childhood. It seemed that all the misery he had faced before was worth it.


    And now, Lu Heng felt that his road to getting Yue Ran to like him was bright. Maybe the sympathy she felt for him would turn into a liking for him in the near future.


    "Yes," Lu Heng said with a nod. "Now this prince is okay because this prince is already used to it. If the imperial father did not have a better choice, the position of the future emperor would not have been mine."


    Yue Ran did not expect Lu Heng to be quite capable of acting. Those who did not know about the real situation would have thought that he loved his imperial father a lot. Then again, if he did not know how to act, he would not have been the most favorably favored son of the emperor now.


    But look at the things that he did after he had ascended the throne from the original body''s future memory. If his imperial father knew about it, he might have to jump out of his coffin in rage, but at least this dynasty will still prosper after all.


    Even if Yue Ran knew that Lu Heng was just acting in front of her, Yue Ran still had to act along with him to keep the original body''s character setting in this world.


    "The emperor saw that Your Highness is smart and studious, so he would also naturally value Your Highness," Yue Ran said gently. "It was not that the emperor did not have a better choice, but Your Highness is the best choice to be the future emperor out of all the other candidates."


    Hearing this, Lu Heng only looked at Yue Ran with affection in his eyes.


    "Yue Ran knows this prince the best," Lu Heng stated in a doting tone.


    Pretending not to see the affection in the young man''s eyes, Yue Ran continued to say innocently, "How could Ran Ran be compared with the side wife? Your Highness and the side wife grew up together and are childhood sweethearts with one heart, so the side wife would naturally understand Your Highness, the third prince, the most."


    The more Lu Heng heard Yue Ran''s words, the more he felt that everything was just wrong.


    "In fact, this prince and Yi Yan are not childhood sweethearts," Lu Heng said in reply to Yue Ran''s words. He wanted to correct her so that there would be no misunderstanding between them. "This prince had only met Yi Yan when she had entered the palace a few times. At that time, the empress liked the second brother and kept trying to bring them together. But the second brother does not like Yi Yan at all, and every time they meet, the second brother will always try to take me with him. That was how I got to know Yi Yan."


    Lu Heng was eager to express something to Yue Ran, but she just refused to answer him. The young girl pretended to be oblivious to the young man''s implications and acted as if she did not know anything at all.


    She is the most innocent. She is pure white.


    Yue Ran had long known that even the empress, who was already dead due to "sickness," did not have a child of her own. For all Yue Ran knew, the now-dead empress could not bear a child because she had suffered the consequences of a harem fight.


    The second prince is a very innocent man. He is the son of a dead concubine in the emperor''s harem. When his mother died due to an "accident," the empress adopted him and took him under her wing. But the empress is now dead, and the second prince is now all alone.


    Seeing Yue Ran''s reaction to his words, Lu Heng could only sigh in his heart that the young girl was too innocent, and he helped her sit down on his chair.


    Yue Ran widened her eyes and asked, "Your Highness, how can this servant take your seat?"


    Before the young girl could stand up, Lu Heng held down her thin shoulders, which made her unable to move up any further.


    "Do not move around. This is nothing but a chair," Lu Heng said.


    Yue Ran had no choice but to sit down. In fact, Yue Ran did not intend to move out at all. It was just right for the male protagonist to take the initiative to ask her to stay in her position. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young girl can only helplessly watch as the third prince picks up the jade crystal ointment placed on the table that he had prepared in advance and opens the lid.


    In an instant, the room was filled with the delicate and sweet aroma of a blooming lotus.


    "Your Highness, this jade crystal ointment smells so good!" Yue Ran exclaimed in surprise. "It was no wonder that it was really an expensive gift that was limited in numbers."


    "This jade crystal ointment is after all made mostly of the snow lotus on the Heavenly Mountain, which is beneficial to treat wounds, like the red spot on your injury just now," Lu Heng explained slowly to the young girl.


    As he said that, he rolled up Yue Ran''s sleeves and rubbed the pure white ointment on her skin.


    Yue Ran dodged shyly and finally decided to look away to reduce her embarrassment.


    Sure enough, Lu Heng saw the red swelling on her arm, which was especially conspicuous on the originally porcelain-white skin.


    Lu Heng took a swab of the jade crystal ointment from the bottle and smeared it evenly and lightly on the red spot on Yue Ran''s skin.


    After he finished his actions, he asked, "So, how do you feel?"


    Hot air sprayed on Yue Ran''s ear while the young man spoke to her. The sensitive Yue Ran quickly shrank her neck in response as she said, "The ointment is icy cold, but it feels very comfortable on the skin."


    Pretending not to see Yue Ran''s avoidance, Lu Heng sat by the young girl''s side. The chair that was originally only used for one person was not being squeezed with two people, which made the space a little too crowded.

 Chapter 140 - 140: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (10)

    Yue Ran and Lu Heng were now very close together.


    The young girl''s back was pressed against Lu Heng''s chest, meaning that Lu Heng was half hugging Yue Ran sideways. His fingers were gently rubbing against Yue Ran''s delicate skin.


    Such a posture did not allow Yue Ran to escape anywhere. She had now found herself encased in the young man''s arms.


    "This jade crystal ointment needs to be rubbed slowly on the skin to provide a better effect," Lu Heng explained slowly.


    "Your Highness, about this... this servant can just do it instead," Yue Ran said.


    As she was speaking, the young girl raised a hand that was not being held and wanted to push the young man''s hand away, but who knew that that raised hand was immediately encased by a big man''s palm, which was warm and a little rough on her skin?


    The slightly rough calluses on his hands must be because Lu Heng had held swords and was pretty good at martial arts himself.


    "It will be inconvenient for you to do it yourself," Lu Heng said. "And if you do it yourself, you may miss some places and thus reduce the ointment''s effect on your wound, which would not be good. It is still better for this prince to help you do it instead."


    Now, Yue Ran does not have a reason to move away from Lu Heng again, and she also does not dare to move either. So she could just sit there stiffly in the young man''s arms.


    If someone were to watch the two from a corner right now, because of the angle, one would only think that the two of them were doing something inappropriate and intimate, like talking about love, for example.


    Yue Ran could only hide shyly in Lu Heng''s arms as he kept on rubbing the ointment on her skin in circles. She narrowed her eyes lightly as she dropped her head down, and slyness flashed in her eyes along with her red lips that were turned up.


    Every time Lu Heng would rub the ointment on her, Yue Ran would feel numb all over her body. She did not know if the reason she felt this way was because of the ointment or not. Or maybe Lu Heng''s body was just too close to her, and she was not used to this.


    Seeing the charming girl in his arms blush red, Lu Heng smiled joyfully.


    The male protagonist was indeed a man with a harem of his own and someone who knew how to catch a young girl''s heart. This could be seen by his obviously provocative yet unintentional movements. He has a lot of tricks.


    However, the current Lu Heng was actually also caught by the innocent young girl in his arms.


    He did not want to let Yue Ran get out of his arms at all. He even felt as if there was a raging fire burning in his heart, but he did not want to act so soon to scare the young girl in his arms, so he could only hold it back forcibly without doing anything impulsively.


    It was also at this time that Yue Ran felt that something was pressing against the side of her lower back. It was hard and hot.


    Yue Ran: What could that be?


    Ruan Ruan: Shameless!


    Lu Heng, who had a girl he was interested in on his arm, was burning with desire, and a fine layer of sweat coated his forehead. The hand that was holding onto the young girl''s arm was also bulging with veins.


    Yue Ran, who has not realized what trouble she has caused, is still enjoying Lu Heng''s service by being a lazy bug.


    How could she know that Lu Heng, who was embracing her now, was looking at her with such a fierce gaze as if he were going to eat her alive? The desire in the man''s heart was attacking him like a wild and ferocious beast that could barely be contained in a worn-out cage. And Yue Ran, who did not know of the incoming danger, was only a cute little white rabbit in the man''s eyes.


    Feeling that the thing on her back was getting hotter and hotter, Yue Ran, who felt uncomfortable, pushed the man away and said in an innocent tone, "Your Highness, there seemed to be something pushing me on the side of my lower back."


    Lu Heng suppressed his desire and whispered in the young girl''s ear while speaking in a deep and hoarse voice, "Do you not like it?"


    Yue Ran turned her head around and asked a little doubtfully, with a face full of confusion, "Like? Like what?"


    Lu Heng, who was originally full of lust, only saw Yue Ran''s clean eyes. The beautiful eyes that were blanketed with a layer of water were extraordinarily dewy and clear, and they met his own. He could even see his reflection from the bottom of her eyes, but it was a delusion that she saw only him in her eyes. And for some reason, he felt a chill in his heart.


    As if Yue Ran felt that the fire she set up was too small and not destructive enough, she continued to add fuel to the fire by saying, "Your Highness, please do not casually keep such a sharp weapon on yourself in the future. What would you do if you accidentally injured yourself? It is still better to prevent the danger first than to wait until it becomes a reality."


    Lu Heng only felt happy and sad now. He is happy that Yue Ran still cares about his well-being, but he is also sad that Yue Ran does not understand his feelings and his thoughts for her.


    "Um." Lu Heng made a voice as if to say that he understood the young girl''s words before saying, "This prince knows, and this prince will not keep this sharp weapon on this prince again."


    It was at this time that Yue Ran saw that the "ointment rubbing session" was over, and thus she planned to get up and leave. But when she got up, though, she accidentally saw a piece of paper with a painting that was previously on the third prince''s table suddenly being blown away by a breeze from the open window.


    Yue Ran reflexively caught it in the air and held it in her hand to look at what was drawn on it.


    "Your Highness, did you paint this?" Yue Ran asked.


    The beauty in the paper looked very delicate and beautiful, but unfortunately, the painting only shows one side of her face and not everything. The sky blue color of the dress embroidered with blooming cherry plum flowers she was wearing showed beauty''s elegance, grace, and appeal, just like the beauty of a wide blue sky and the beauty of the rivers and lakes, which are incomparable.


    "Yes, it was painted by this prince," Lu Heng answered calmly.


    This was the latest painting of Yue Ran made by Lu Heng. Since seeing her talking to another dowry maid of Yi Yan, Lu Heng had already drawn several portraits of Yue Ran with different looks every day.


    Fortunately, this was a painting that did not obviously show just who the person in the painting may be.


    The beauty in the painting only showed a side profile, so it was normal for Yue Ran or the others who were to look at it not to recognize that the beauty was actually Yue Ran herself.


    Yue Ran only felt that she had seen the beauty in the painting somewhere before, but she just could not remember it.


    "Who is this?" Yue Ran asked curiously. "She does not seem to be one of Your Highness'' beauties in the palace."


    "This is the woman that this prince dreamed about," Lu Heng said. He looked at the beauty in the painting with tender and affectionate eyes.


    Yue Ran only nodded her head, then looked at the painting again, not noticing that once her gaze had focused on the paper in her hand, Lu Heng had shifted his affectionate gaze onto herself. The emotion in his inky black eyes looked fiercer and stronger than before.


    "Oh, there are words next to it," Yue Ran said as she stared at the beautiful calligraphy. Then, she read out loud, "Under the moon, thinking of dress and flowers, the cool breeze blows the dewdrops moist and clear. If she is not on the head of the foggy mountain, then she will be on the clouds under the moon." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After reading the words softly and delicately, Yue Ran raised her head to look back at Lu Heng, only to see the man in a daze.


    "Your Highness, what is wrong with you?" Yue Ran asked.


    Instead of answering the young girl''s question, Lu Heng said, "Unexpectedly, Yue Ran can read very well. Do you like to read poetry and books?"


    Yue Ran nodded shyly at the man''s words before saying, "Yes, Ran Ran has liked to read since Ran Ran was a child. Ran Ran has ever read this poem before and thought that this poem sounded very beautiful, so Ran Ran studied it for a while."


    "Hmm." Lu Heng hummed in an ambiguous tone, and he said, "This prince remembers that Yue Ran seems to like the poem from Master Ye that says, ''One birth, one world, a couple for a lifetime,'' very much."


    "Yes," Yue Ran replied with a nod and a smile. "There are many beautiful visions in this poem."

 Chapter 141 - 141: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (11)

    "Yes," Yue Ran replied with a nod and a smile. "There are many beautiful visions in this poem, and Ran Ran yearns for them." There was a short pause before she continued shyly, "To be a couple for a lifetime, to marry as a pair of husband and wife, to be a couple that loves one another till the end, to hold one another''s hand and grow old together, this is what Ran Ran has always hoped for."


    Yue Ran is always like this. She never made a secret of her yearning for whoever was asking about it. It is indeed a very cute trait, but it is still impossible for Lu Heng to make her wish come true.


    Yue Ran''s eyes were full of longing, which was something that Lu Heng wanted to destroy! This was because the longing in her eyes was not at all for him but for others¡ªfor her cousin!


    As a member of the imperial family, he, Lu Heng, had always gotten what he wanted, and if he did not, he must still get what he wanted!


    Afterward, Yue Ran only looked at Lu Heng, who was preoccupied with his own thoughts. She picked up the jade crystal ointment on the table, turned around, and left the study without caring anymore for the male protagonist.


    ¡­


    Everything was quiet for the next few days.


    Seeing that the letter exchange between Yue Ran and her cousin was getting more and more frequent, Lu Heng finally could no longer bear it anymore and quickly found Yi Yan to have a talk.


    "Yi Yan, this prince wants Yue Ran," Lu Heng said simply.


    Looking at the young man''s firm eyes as he said these words to her about wanting her dowry maid made Yi Yan feel so much pain. The great pain that Yi Yan felt in her heart felt like it was being torn apart with no care and no mercy.


    As if Yi Yan could not believe the young man''s words, she asked again, "Your Highness, what are you talking about? I must be hallucinating and hearing things wrong, so can Your Highness repeat your words again?"


    Right now, Lu Heng can no longer care whether Yi Yan feels uncomfortable or not. Anyway, he could no longer bear the sweetness between Yue Ran and Pie He. Not anymore. Just thinking about it made him feel so mad with jealousy that he wanted to destroy everything in his sight.


    "This prince likes Yue Ran, and this prince may also have fallen in love with her," Lu Heng answered without taking into consideration Yi Yan''s feelings. "Yi Yan, you should know that this prince cannot live without her."


    Yi Yan could not bear it any longer and cried out hysterically.


    She could not accept that her dowry maid, who was serving her, was also serving the same man as her! That man is also her husband¡ªthe husband of hers who fell in love with her maid!


    "Lu Heng, how can you treat me like this?" Yi Yan asked this question without the slightest bit of calmness. "Do you not care about our relationship after so many years of being together?" There was a short pause before she continued, "Yue Ran is my dowry maid!"


    Lu Heng, who was already irritable, saw Yi Yan''s distorted expression that disregarded etiquette and decency and thus frowned, and his temper became even worse.


    "Yi Yan, this prince did not come here to discuss this matter with you but only to inform you of what will soon happen," Lu Heng said with a tone that sounded very aggressive. "You have to arrange and settle your things with Yue Ran as soon as possible for this prince since this prince wants her. This prince believes in you, so you will not disappoint this prince, right, Yi Yan?"


    Yi Yan never expected that after so many years, this would be the first time that Lu Heng had ever lost his temper with her. She could only sit absentmindedly on a stool as she asked, "When did it start?"


    "It has been a while," Lu Heng answered. "In fact, in the past two years, this prince has never seen Yue Ran greeting this prince every time this prince went into your courtyard, but this prince did not think about it too much at that time. It was not until this prince saw her not long ago that this prince finally understood why you did so."


    It was obvious that Yi Yan did not want Lu Heng to see Yue Ran due to Yue Ran''s immensely beautiful face, and that was why she did not allow Yue Ran to serve Lu Heng every time he came to her.


    It was indeed for this reason, but Yi Yan did not want to admit it nor did she want Lu Heng to misunderstand her for being a narrow-minded person, so she would vehemently deny this unfounded claim! There was no evidence of her doing this!


    "No, Lu Heng, things are not what they seem," Yi Yan said while feeling panicked inside her heart. "You listen to me first, Your Highness, I¡ª"


    But before she could "explain" any more, she was suddenly interrupted by Lu Heng himself.


    "Yi Yan, this prince does not want to hear any explanation from you," Lu Heng said. "As long as you can help this prince this time, then this prince can pretend that this prince does not know those things that you have previously done in the past."


    Yi Yan shook her head hard. She did not seem to be able to accept reality and was pleading desperately, "Why must it be Yue Ran? What do you even like about Yue Ran?"


    "You know, the first time this prince saw Yue Ran after so long, this prince just found that this prince could not help this prince''s self," Lu Heng said. "Yi Yan, you can understand this prince''s words, right?"


    Yi Yan: ¡­


    "If you can do this well, then both of us can be the same as before," Lu Heng said. "But if it fails, then..."


    Having said this, Lu Heng''s eyes became fierce for a moment.


    There was no need for him to continue his words. If the female protagonist were to fail to help the male protagonist win this beauty that the male protagonist was pleased with, who was the female protagonist''s dowry maid, back, then the female protagonist would obviously suffer bad consequences. These consequences have a high possibility of affecting her reputation, her fame, her natal family, and worse, herself.


    "This prince is sure that you can understand," Lu Heng said.


    Looking at Lu Heng, who has spoken with a gentle tone but with eyes full of cold darkness, Yi Yan inexplicably felt ironic. The original relationship between them now actually needs another person to maintain it. How ridiculous.


    After Lu Heng finished speaking his words, he no longer took another look at Yi Yan and just got up to stride away from Yi Yan''s courtyard. There were still things that needed to be done, and he could not waste more time staying here to do them.


    Yi Yan got up from the stool but found her legs were weak, so she just slumped herself on the ground, not saying a word. Her eyes were empty and lifeless.


    Lu Heng is so cruel. He is so cruel to her.


    Yue Ran: Naturally, the members of the imperial family cannot be trusted. Or rather, promises from another can never be trusted. Only when you climb up to the top and receive absolute power will every one obey you and never leave you behind, no matter what they think of you in their hearts. Only absolute power can bring you absolute joy, absolute obedience, and absolute fear from others. Only absolute power can make you run free with no shackles to bring you down or a cage to imprison you in a place.


    ¡­


    In the beginning, the servants were all driven to the front door to guard, but they had all heard the quarrel between the third prince and Yi Yan. No one dared to breathe loudly, and their bodies only trembled with fright for fear that they would be implicated and vented angrily by those in power.


    At this moment, Yue Ran was watching the system''s live broadcast of the two main protagonists'' exchanges with relish.


    "I did not expect that the male protagonist would be so impatient," Yue Ran said to Ruan Ruan in her sea of consciousness. "I thought that it would at least take another few days for this to happen instead of it happening right now."


    "Master, this male protagonist is indeed a scumbag," Ruan Ruan said without hiding his adorable contempt for Lu Heng. "He is so heartless."


    "Uh-huh," Yue Ran answered perfunctorily.


    She does not really care if the male protagonist is a scumbag or a heartless and selfish person who only cares about himself. She only cares about getting the male protagonists'' love and also completing her missions in this world. As for their affection for her, what does it have to do with her?


    After a while, Yue Ran said, "The female protagonist will summon me very soon." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How does Master know this?" Ruan Ruan asked the question.


    "I just know it," Yue Ran laughed in her heart. "After all, the female protagonist in this world has this kind of predictable character."


    ¡­


    At night, when Yue Ran came into Yi Yan''s room in her courtyard, she felt strange when everyone was looking at her in an odd way.

 Chapter 142 - 142: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (12)

    Inside Yi Yan''s room, Yi Yan was sitting on a stool while staring at the teacup on the table.


    "This servant greets the Madam," Yue Ran said, according to the etiquette of the palace.


    Hearing Yue Ran''s voice, Yi Yan finally came back to her senses and looked at Yue Ran, who was kneeling on the ground while greeting her. Even though she could not see the young girl''s face due to her lowered head, her fair neck and elegant posture were all undeniably eye-catching.


    It was no wonder that this young girl could catch the third prince''s eye just with a glance.


    But the more Yi Yan thought about it, the more uncomfortable she became.


    "You can get up," Yi Yan replied coldly.


    "This servant gives thanks to the Madam," Yue Ran said as she stood back up.


    Looking at Yi Yan, who was obviously in the wrong mood tonight, Yue Ran thought about it, but she did not know how to speak, so she just stood quietly in place, looking as still and silent as the dead.


    The silence at night was deafening in her ears.


    "Yue Ran, I remember that you said before that you already have someone you like, right?" Yi Yan asked as she narrowed her eyes at the young girl in front of her.


    When Yue Ran heard this, she was a little shocked. She did not expect that Yi Yan would ask her this question, and thus a blush came to her cheeks, and she smiled silently. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, this servant did not expect that the Madam would still remember this thing," Yue Ran replied shyly. "He is this servant''s cousin, named Pei He."


    What Yi Yan saw in front of her was a beautiful woman smiling shyly when she talked about someone she liked. Her face bloomed with love that could not be concealed. Instead, she looked more and more beautiful, with her face the color of peach blossoms that flowered, showing their full beauty in spring after a bitterly cold winter.


    Yi Yan''s heart was immediately dyed green, full of jealousy.


    The third prince was attracted by that face of hers, by that skin of hers, so if it is destroyed, then the third prince will no longer like her that way, right?


    Then she, Yi Yan, will not be polite!


    The evil thoughts in her heart sprung forth, and she looked a little crazy with the rather distorted features on her face.


    Yue Ran looked at Yi Yan''s hysterical expression and cried out worriedly, "Madam, Madam!" Seeing that Yi Yan still did not respond to her call, she asked, "Is the Madam okay?" She frowned a little before continuing, "This servant saw that the Madam''s complexion is not very good today, so should this servant call a doctor for the Madam to look at the Madam''s condition?"


    Yue Ran asked the latter question out of concern, which was obvious on her face. However, this did not make Yi Yan feel happy at all. She only thought that this move was just Yue Ran''s move to make fun of her, as if she, Yi Yan, was the object of ridicule for Yue Ran!


    Yue Ran must be laughing at her own incompetence, which was simply unforgivable!


    Just thinking that in the future she will have to rely on Yue Ran''s superior position to make Lu Heng like her, Yi Yan will feel extremely ashamed and indignant!


    In just an instant, Yi Yan had placed all the crimes she had suffered on Yue Ran''s head.


    It was all Yue Ran''s fault!


    Yi Yan suddenly stood up and pushed Yue Ran to the ground while screaming angrily, "Do not think that I do not know what you are actually thinking right now in that head of yours! I will never let you succeed! As long as I am here and alive, there will be no possibility for you to climb into the third prince''s bed with just that beauty of yours! You must have seduced him!"


    Yue Ran, who was still caring about Yi Yan, sneered in her heart, but she professionally put on a wronged and teary expression on her face.


    She "truly" did not know what she had done wrong to let Yi Yan suddenly treat her this way.


    But after she heard of Yi Yan''s angry scolding, Yue Rn seemed to have caught on to something and immediately knelt on the ground from her falling position. She hurriedly explained to try and regain her innocence: "Madam, things are not what you said. This servant really has no such thoughts about the third prince. This servant really does not have such thoughts at all!"


    Yue Ran had already emphasized her words with the word "really". After all, she is only interested in her cousin, Pei He, right now and not anyone else.


    Seeing Yue Ran pathetically pleading for herself in front of her (Yi Yan''s) eyes, Yi Yan still did not take her (Yue Ran''s) words seriously and just vented all the grievances she (Yi Yan) received from Lu Heng onto Yue Ran without caring for anything.


    "No?" Yi Yan spat out this word with a terrifying sneer on her face. "No? But the third prince can still come to me and say straight to my face that he wants to get you. If not for you, who kept on seducing His Highness, how could His Highness disregard my face like this to ask for you? Do you think that I am stupid, so you can fool me like this? Who do you think I am?"


    "Madam¡ª"


    "Even if you really did not do it, so what?" Yi Yan cut off Yue Ran''s words and continued to speak: "Your existence from the very start is a mistake by itself. Tell me, why do you have such a seductive face to begin with, huh? Who do you actually plan to seduce with that face of yours? Tell me!"


    Yi Yan yelled maddeningly at the terrified and wronged Yue Ran. Her face, at this moment, looked like those horror stories that were written in books and also like those scary psychopaths and ghosts in a horror movie. Yi Yan was as terrifying as a red-haired clown.


    Yi Yan: I do not want to hear your explanations! I do not want to hear your words! I only care about myself, and the third prince is also mine! Mine, you hear me?


    Yue Ran: So scary.


    Ruan Ruan: So scary.


    Seeing that Yue Ran was weeping silently, like the blooming pear blossoms crying with rain, with a little bit of tears that fell down her cheek as she knelt down to beg for mercy, looking so touching, pitiful, and lovable, Yi Yan only felt even more resentful and jealous of Yue Ran! Why does she have such a beautiful face?


    With a vigorous wave of her hand, she slapped Yue Ran''s delicate face with a loud clap!


    Ruan Ruan: OMG!!!


    Ruan Ruan was immensely shocked when he saw this scene playing right in front of his nonexistent eyes in Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness through the system''s live broadcast screen. The female protagonist is really daring to do something as suicidal as this!


    Yue Ran, who could not bear the great force, fell to the ground following the slap, and a red slap mark immediately appeared on her fair and smooth cheek.


    Yue Ran: Hehe. You are my main target now, my dear female protagonist. I hope that you can still live well in the future. Make sure not to show your back to me, or else.


    Ruan Ruan: Not one person had ever lived well after slapping my Master''s face! Hmph! Who told the female protagonist to slap my Master''s face in the first place? She deserved to live a life worse than death! Oh, my pitiful Master''s beautiful face! What a tragedy! (Mourns)


    In this world, there is actually a kind of fragile beauty like that only written in the poems of countless scholars and writers, which makes people feel endless pity and love towards that certain person.


    And this certain pitiful and lovely person is Yue Ran, who had perfectly depicted those words and who had also fallen on the ground twice right in front of her (Yi Yan''s) very eyes.


    "Madam," Yue Ran said as she suppressed the pain in her cheek and tried to ignore the growing hatred in her heart that had piled high like a mountain and was as deep as the sea. "This servant really did not do it at all. Madam, you have to trust this servant."


    Pear blossoms are pure and flawless, always looking charming and moving in the rain.


    "Madam, this servant and the Madam grew up together, so how could this servant dare to do something like seduce the third prince, who is the Madam''s husband?" Yue Ran said as she pitifully tried hard to restrain her sniffles. The pain on her cheek hurt a lot, but she still persevered and continued to say, "There must really be a misunderstanding, Madam. Besides, this servant already has someone this servant likes. Have you forgotten it already, Madam?"


    Yue Ran: Do you have a short-term memory like that of a goldfish, Madam?


    The latter sentence reminded Yi Yan of the sentence Yue Ran had told her before and this also gave her an idea.


    Yes, Yue Ran already has someone she likes. And if Yue Ran is married off right away, then the third prince will have no choice but to let Yue Ran go in this kind of situation.

 Chapter 143 - 143: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (13)

    The third prince could not do something such as forcefully separate Yue Ran and her cousin if they were already married, right?


    Yes, the more she thought about it, the more feasible her idea became. The third prince must not be able to steal another person''s wife so blatantly since he had to take into account his very face as a member of the imperial family in public as well.


    That is right. This must be the case, so Yue Ran has to be married off to her cousin right this instant! Right now! Very soon!


    "Yue Ran, you really do not want to seduce the third prince, right?" Yi Yan asked in a rather scary tone as she grabbed Yue Ran''s shoulder and shook it vigorously.


    "Ma¡­ Madam¡­" Yue Ran''s words trailed off as she said that one word shakily.


    "Answer me quickly! Answer me quickly! Answer me quickly!" Yi Yan shouted like a madman. She was urging Yue Ran to answer her like a crazy person or a wild beast that had just come out of its cage.


    "Yes¡­ Yes, Ma¡­ Madam," Yue Ran answered. She was feeling a little dizzy from all the crazy shaking, and even the tone of her words followed suit.


    Hearing Yue Ran''s answer, Yi Yan stopped shaking the young girl''s shoulder and said in her (Yue Ran''s) face with confidence, "Then, in this way, you will have to immediately leave the palace to get married to your cousin tomorrow so that the third prince will not want you anymore! This is the only way that the third prince will no longer be interested in someone like you, you hear me?"


    Yue Ran was stunned and a little in a daze. She felt disappointed by the words Yi Yan said to her.


    Yue Ran never expected that after so many years of relationship with Yi Yan and staying by her side since their childhood days, Yi Yan still did not trust her (Yue Ran) at all and even wished to marry her (Yue Ran) right away so as not to obstruct her (Yi Yan''s) eyes and also not to obstruct the relationship between her (Yi Yan) and the third prince.


    But before Yue Ran could reply, Lu Heng suddenly rushed in from the doors leading to Yi Yan''s room. The third prince''s entrance was so sudden that it caught the two women inside¡ªYue Ran and Yi Yan¡ªoff guard.


    Originally, Lu Heng thought that after his conversation with Yi Yan in the morning, Yi Yan would do what he had told her to do. But she had taken a long time without giving him any news, and he was also impatient to wait any longer. So, he rushed non-stop towards Yi Yan''s courtyard from his study on this very same night.


    However, Lu Heng did not expect to be met with such a scene when he arrived.


    Not only did Yi Yan not follow what he had said before, but she even wanted Yue Ran to get married off by tomorrow so that he could dispel the idea of getting Yue Ran out of her hands!


    Now, Lu Heng, who felt very angry, could not bear it any longer and stepped past Yi Yan''s figure without even sparing her a glance and walked toward the fallen Yue Ran.


    As soon as Lu Heng walked close enough to Yue Ran, he immediately knelt down to embrace the young girl''s body. Yue Ran''s breath was a little weak, and so was the feeling of her entire body. When she could not hold on any longer, her world turned black, and she fainted in the male protagonist''s arms just like that.


    Such a fragile Yue Ran made Lu Heng feel infinite distress.


    Seeing that the third prince who had just entered her room was going to leave with Yue Ran in his arms, Yi Yan''s eyes turned red. She cried out and said, "Your Highness, do you really want to treat me like this? Do you really want to just leave like this? What would others think of me when you just left with Yue Ran in your arms? Why does Your Highness treat me like this?"


    It was fine if the female protagonist had chosen to shut up, but now that she did not, the male protagonist''s eyes turned only darker and darker.


    Lu Heng stopped in his tracks and said, "Yi Yan, you have really disappointed me too much."


    After Lu Heng said this sentence, he raised his legs and left Yi Yan''s bedroom, ignoring Yi Yan''s persuasion on his way out. All of her words only traveled into his left ear and out of his right.


    ¡­


    The farce of that night quickly spread throughout the palace. It was said that the third prince fell in love with the dowry maid next to Yi Yan, but Yi Yan refused to give her dowry maid to the third prince, and so she and the third prince directly tore their faces off and had a quarrel in her bedroom.


    Is this not just to see Yi Yan''s jokes, as she was the main character of the rumor and also the subject of ridicule for everyone else?


    Who told her to always look so aloof and arrogant at ordinary times, acting as if she was the third prince''s only true love in the entirety of the third prince''s harem? Just because she did not need to compete for favor like the other third prince''s concubines and only had to wait for the third prince to come often, does that mean that she does not need to give the other concubines and the main wife much respect as well?


    Now that Yi Yan had actually let her dowry maid steal the favor of the third prince, everyone in the third prince''s harem only felt joy and derision.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Lu Heng brought the unconscious Yue Ran to the front yard.


    The front yard is usually the place for Lu Heng to rest alone, and no one other than the servants has ever come here before.


    Carefully placing Yue Ran on the bed, Lu Heng immediately called the imperial physician.


    When the imperial physician came, Lu Heng asked nervously, "What happened to her? Tell me quickly! Do not dawdle!"


    The imperial physician wiped the nonexistent sweat on his forehead and answered, "Replying back to Your Highness, the third prince, this young lady''s pulse is very weak. I am afraid that it is a symptom brought out of her mother''s womb. This time, she has received such strong stimulation that her blood has surged and her body has turned empty. I am afraid that it will be very difficult for the young lady to conceive an heir in the future."


    (The above explanation is all made-up nonsense, so do not believe it, my dear readers!)


    Lu Heng did not expect that Yue Ran''s condition would be this serious. He was still thinking about what kind of good words he should choose for the name of his future child that would be born out of Yue Ran''s womb.


    But now, now...


    "Is there a way for her to recover?" Lu Heng asked a little too hurriedly.


    "Replying back to Your Highness, the third prince, I am afraid that it will be very difficult to cure the young lady completely. We can only take care of her body carefully first, and so there might be a possibility of the young lady getting pregnant in the future," the imperial physician answered. "As long as the young lady does not get impatient and angry, then her body will stay in better condition."


    "Then we can only do this first," Lu Heng said. "You can retreat." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, Your Highness," the imperial physician said as he bowed before stepping out of the door that Wang Li opened and urged him to go.


    Now, only Lu Heng and the unconscious Yue Ran were left in the room.


    Looking at Yue Ran, who was still not awake, with pale skin, a swollen cheek, and bloodless lips, like a fragile and easily breakable porcelain vase, Lu Heng''s heart clenched. He carefully tidied up Yue Ran''s disheveled hair and held the young girl''s hand in his palm.


    "Yue Ran, I swear that I will never let you suffer any harm again," Lu Heng promised softly in a very sincere and affectionate tone, then he pressed the back of the young girl''s hand to his cheek before sighing softly.


    In fact, although Yue Ran looked severely beaten, the wounds that she had suffered were actually nothing at all. The slap she received from the female protagonist was also calculated only so that the wound she suffered on her face would only appear on the surface of her skin and not be a deep wound at all. She was only pretending to be dizzy and secretly hearing everything outside.


    The pulse that the imperial physician had taken for her was also something that Yue Ran had tampered with. After all, changing her pulse after going into many different worlds was only a normal and casual thing.


    As if Yue Ran would let herself suffer this disgrace without fighting back.


    Her only goal was, after all, to create a gap between the relationship between the male protagonist and the female protagonist.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran woke up the very next day.


    Looking at Lu Heng, who was sleeping by the bed with his hand holding onto her own, Yue Ran frowned and immediately pulled her hand back with force.


    This crude action of hers woke Lu Heng up with a jolt.

 Chapter 144 - 144: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (14)

    Lu Heng, who had just opened his eyes, looked at the young girl who had already woken up and said in surprise, "Yue Ran, you have woken up! How do you feel?"


    Yue Ran only frowned at the young man and wanted to get out of bed to walk away, but she was stopped by Lu Heng, who pressed her shoulders down to let her lie back down on the bed.


    "No, you cannot get up yet," Lu Heng said. "You are still very weak now, so do not get out of bed easily. I will give you whatever you want, so there is no need for you to walk or go anywhere else."


    Seeing such an earnest third prince in front of her, Yue Ran did not feel happy but only felt uncomfortable and strange. She does not like him, and she also does not like the feeling that he gave her.


    "Ran Ran is just a maid, so this servant does not dare to bother Your Highness with this servant''s problem," Yue Ran said. "This servant can do everything just fine."


    Facing the chilly reception from the young girl lying down on the bed, Lu Heng actually found himself not being able to get angry with her at all.


    "How could you bother this prince?" Lu Heng asked with a smile. "In this prince''s heart, Yue Ran is the best."


    Yue Ran did not expect that Lu Heng would be so patient with her and would even still treat her this way with a good temper instead of getting angry and violent for disrespecting him as a member of the imperial family.


    But seeing this did not make Yue Ran waver in her decision, nor did it change her mind at all. The person she likes is not him and will never be him in this lifetime.


    "This servant remembered that this servant had already told Your Highness that this servant already has someone this servant likes. This servant only hopes that Your Highness will stop wasting time on this servant," Yue Ran said. "The Madam really likes Your Highness, so Your Highness should better not disappoint the Madam''s affection for Your Highness."


    Ruan Ruan: Wow! The Master has already started her strategy!


    Yi Yan had already treated Yue Ran like that yesterday, but Yue Ran still spoke good words for her. Even if it were so, Lu Heng still did not like to hear what Yue Ran had just said at all!


    "Yue Ran, this prince likes you," Lu Heng said. "As long as you are willing..."


    The frown on Yue Ran''s face became more prominent. She did not want to hear how the third prince would express his love for her any longer.


    "Your Highness," Yue Ran interrupted the young man''s words. "Ran Ran does not want to live in the palace for Ran Ran''s whole life. Ran Ran just wants to live with the person that Ran Ran likes."


    Yue Ran''s face was indifferent and cold as she stared at Lu Heng. It seemed that the former party was not interested in what the latter party would say at all.


    "If Your Highness cannot fulfill Ran Ran''s wish of living together as a couple for a lifetime, then do not like Ran Ran further anymore," Yue Ran said. "And Ran Ran will also not covet the glory and wealth of the imperial palace. Just leave Ran Ran as before and do not interfere in Ran Ran''s life."


    This situation was falling into an endless loop.


    Lu Heng clearly could not afford what Yue Ran had wished for, and he also did not want to let the young girl go, so he could only hold onto her. Hard. And tight. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then, Yue Ran, you rest first." Lu Heng quickly changed the subject and responded reluctantly as he stood up from the stool that he was sitting on. "You can just call and tell what you want to the servants around if you need anything. Anything at all."


    After emphasizing the latter sentence in his words, Lu Heng turned his body away and walked out. He wanted Yue Ran to ask him to stay, and he even held this expectation in his heart as he took another step closer to the doors.


    However, Lu Heng was bound to be disappointed because Yue Ran only pulled up the quilt to her shoulders, turned sideways, closed her eyes, and began to "sleep". She did not care for Lu Heng at all, nor did she want his care even in the slightest bit.


    Lu Heng''s so-called care was just that cheap for Yue Ran.


    Anyway, she will always get what she wants, whether she takes the initiative to do it or not.


    ¡­


    Everyone in the third prince''s backyard, where all the third prince''s harem of beauties live, is paying their respects to the main wife of the third prince.


    Li Xin, another side wife of the third prince with the same status as the female protagonist, who usually dislikes Yi Yan the most, was the first to speak sarcastically when she saw Yi Yan''s face full of haggardness that could not be concealed by the powder and rouge applied to her face.


    "Yesterday, I seem to have heard the sound of a quarrel in some courtyard," Li Xin started. "What happened, Sister Bai? Do you know what happened, and can you tell me about it?"


    Bai Fen, one of the concubines of the third prince and a smart person who rose to the position of a noble consort when the male protagonist became an emperor, instantly understood Li Xin''s words and what she meant.


    Bai Fen smiled and agreed with a charming smile as she said, "Oh, Sister Li does not even know about this thing? It is because of our Sister Yi Yan, who is so powerful and unrighteous, that she sent her own dowry maid to the third prince''s bed." There were muffled sounds of laughter around as she continued her words: "I also heard that last night, the third prince carried the same dowry maid named Yue Ran all the way back to the front yard and even asked for the imperial physician to take a look at the dowry maid''s condition."


    "Oh, His Highness had actually called the imperial physician to come?" Li Xin asked in surprise and with a little gloating. "Could it be that that dowry maid was injured by someone in some way? It should not be; after all, our Sister Yi Yan is the most charitable, the most generous, and the most magnanimous person of all. So, how could our Sister Yi Yan bear to punish her own dowry maid with such a kind heart that does not even harbor the slightest evil?"


    Yi Yan already had a pale and haggard face after not sleeping well last night, but now the fact she still had to listen to Li Xin and Bai Fen''s sarcastic words made her face even uglier as she tried hard to suppress the pent-up anger in her heart.


    The two women''s words were clearly meant to slap Yi Yan''s face over and over again. After all, do their words not simply mean that she was a hypocritical person from the beginning to the end who always had evil in her heart while putting on a mask of generosity to fool others?


    Lu Heng did not have many beauties in his backyard, where his harem is, even after the selection of his concubines. And those concubines with families that were not powerful did not have the guts to fight at all, had long shrunk into quails, and dared not speak for fear of implicating themselves and probably their families as well.


    This was a fight between those in favor and those with power, so they chose to hide away. Being transparent and blending into the background would save their lives, so as long as they are not stupid, none of them would take the initiative to talk at this time, unless they are good with words, that is.


    Hui Na, the only concubine who could be considered to be in a pretty good relationship with Yi Yan, spoke out to mediate the dispute and to calm this rather tense atmosphere.


    "We are all sisters, so what is wrong with this situation?" Hui Na spoke out. "Is this not just because of a mere maid? We do not even have the courage to send our own maids to the third prince''s bed, and if anyone in my courtyard dares to seduce the third prince, that servant will be beaten to death by me."


    It was also at this time that Chu Ning, the third prince''s main wife, who was watching the excitement from not far away, stepped inside the room and walked into the spotlight.


    "What is everyone talking about?" Chu Ning asked with a gentle smile. "Everyone looks so lively today."


    As she spoke out, Chu Ning walked to her own seat, and the rest of the concubines paid their respects to her in unison.


    "This concubine pays my respect to the Madam."


    "Get up," Chu Ning said. "You people do not have to be so polite to me."


    Even if she were to say so, if anyone were to walk out of line, they would still be punished severely, so no one actually dared to take Chu Ning''s polite words to heart.


    "Thank you, Madam," everyone said in unison.


    Chu Ning''s most loyal follower, Li Xin, said, "Has the Madam heard of the latest news yet?"


    "Oh?" Chu Ning asked.

 Chapter 145 - 145: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (15)

    "Oh, what news is it?" Chu Ning asked knowingly.


    Of course, Chu Ning had long known what they were talking about. She liked watching the fun the most, and thus she was willing to pretend that she did not know anything and even asked Li Xin to repeat everything again in public to give another hard slap to Yi Yan''s face with words.


    Chu Ning will never forget the third prince''s concubine selection that she was present for that year. Just because of Yi Yan''s presence, she (Chu Ning) almost missed the chance to become the main wife of the third prince himself!


    Yi Yan is just that hateful of a person!


    But since she, Chu Ning, was now given the chance to hit Yi Yan''s face this time, how could she (Chu Ning) actually let such a chance slip by? She would never let this go, and she was happy to see just how much Yi Yan would suffer!


    "Madam, we were actually just talking about Sister Yi Yan''s dowry maid," Li Xin started. "Sister Yi Yan had sent her dowry maid to the third prince''s bed, and this same dowry maid had somehow gotten the third prince''s favor, and thus she was carried out to the front yard and even stayed overnight and has not come out yet from the front yard by now."


    This was a treatment that even she had never enjoyed before, Li Xin thought sourly. This move actually hurt the enemy by one thousand and hurt herself by eight hundred. But as long as she could see Yi Yan''s uncomfortable face, she would feel much more at ease, and she even felt that the damage she received was actually worth it to see just how much Yi Yan was suffering inside.


    Since Li Xin could think of it, other people could also naturally think of it too. But who could tell that it was Yi Yan''s dowry maid who had done such a thing? Compared to them, the most uncomfortable person right now would naturally be Yi Yan herself, so everything was just fine.


    "It turns out that this was the case," Chu Ning replied as she shifted her eyes to Yi Yan below. "Yi Yan, look at what you have done. In order to fight for the third prince''s favor, you had actually done such a despicable thing."


    Chu Ning had naturally said this on purpose. Of course, she knew that Yi Yan truly liked Lu Heng, and it was impossible for such a person to send her own dowry maid to climb the third prince''s bed. But she, Chu Ning, just wanted to charge Yi Yan with this kind of crime so that others would think that it was actually Yi Yan who took the initiative to push her own dowry maid to solidify and strengthen the third prince''s favor for her. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, this is not the case. I¡ª" Yi Yan wanted to explain, but how could Chu Ning let her have the chance to do so?


    And thus, Chu Ning quickly cut off Yi Yan''s words and continued, "All right, I will kindly forget about your mistake this time. But the next time you do this again, I, the main wife, will not be so soft-hearted as to forgive you for the second time. If all the sisters in the backyard actually do things the same way as you do, then everything will be messed up chaotically. Do you hear me?"


    "Yes," Yi Yan answered as she lowered her head. She felt wronged for being accused of something that she did not do. "This concubine understands, Madam."


    "Madam, do not worry. We dare not do such a thing at all," Li Xin said with a gloating smile.


    "That is right," Bai Fen echoed alongside Li Xin''s words. "We have not had a close relationship with the third prince since we were young, unlike Sister Yi Yan, so we do not dare to do anything wrong like this at all."


    When Chu Ning heard the two people''s words, she smiled in her heart. In Chu Ning''s mind, Li Xin and Bai Fen were only stupid people, so they could just say whatever they wanted as long as it benefited Chu Ning herself.


    Chu Ning only smiled indulgently at the two to show her generosity and virtuousness to everyone inside the room. She was just that kind.


    "However, so far, this has not changed the fact that the dowry maid named Yue Ran has no name and no title, so staying in the third prince''s front yard will not have a good effect on her after all," Chu Ning said. "Since this is your maid, Yi Yan, then you can go and persuade the third prince about it yourself. And when the time comes to arrange where she will go, she can just stay in your courtyard with you. As for her title, naturally, it will be decided by the third prince himself, something that you have to persuade the third prince about. For now, she should quickly move out of the front yard and first into your courtyard, Yi Yan."


    There was a short silence. And in that silence, Yi Yan was gritting her teeth hatefully as she stared at the ground with burning anger in her eyes. This was just too much!


    Everything was just too much!


    Seeing that Yi Yan did not object to her words, Chu Ning continued with a complacent tone, "It just so happens that you and your dowry maid had grown up together, so it was just right for you two sisters to serve the third prince together. You will be happy about this whenever you think about it, right, Yi Yan?"


    "Pfft..." Li Xin made a brief sound out of her mouth to express her contempt for Yi Yan before muffling her own laughter.


    Right now, Yi Yan only wished that she could tear up the false kindness on Chu Ning''s face for daring to ridicule and make fun of herself like this! But she still had to hold back her anger and (reluctantly) agree to Chu Ning''s face following the rules of etiquette.


    "Thank you, Madam," Yi Yan replied back to Chu Ning.


    Li Xin, by Chu Ning''s side, looked extremely happy. This was probably the happiest day that she had ever experienced after entering the third prince''s palace after so long.


    "Okay, this is enough," Chu Ning said. "Let us stop here for today."


    Following Chu Ning''s words, everyone stood up from their seats and politely bid their farewells.


    After saying a few polite words, Yi Yan quickly left this place and immediately returned to her own courtyard without stopping. She tried hard to ignore the ridicule and laughter of everyone else behind her who was blatantly staring at her defeated back.


    ¡­


    Yi Yan picked up the teacup on the table and smashed it on the ground. The glass shards and the hot tea were scattered everywhere.


    Accompanying her actions were her non-stop cursing and scoldings.


    "Vixen, they are all shrews! Curse Yue Ran for letting me suffer such humiliation today!" Yi Yan yelled. "Then there are also Chu Ning, Li Xin, and Bai Fen, who are not good things! Die! All of them should die! How could they dare to laugh at me? Curse them all! Die!" She panted and gritted her teeth hard before continuing in an eerie tone, "All of you, wait for me. One day, I will make you regret it!"


    Watching from the side was A Luo, Yi Yan''s first-class maid, who looked worried.


    A Luo carefully comforted Yi Yan by the side as she said, "Madam, please calm yourself. Do not get so angry, or it may hurt your precious body."


    Yi Yan sneered as she said, "Oh, do I not even have the right to get angry now?"


    "No, Madam," A Luo quickly replied. "This was not what this servant had meant." She lowered her eyes a little before changing the subject smoothly when Yi Yan''s mentality was much more sensitive and had already weakened. "Madam, are you going to persuade the prince to give Yue Ran a title?"


    "That is impossible!" Yi Yan responded angrily. "Does she deserve it? I will definitely make Yue Ran pay the price of betrayal!"


    When A Luo met Yi Yan''s resentful eyes at this moment, her pupils quaked and her body trembled a little. A Luo was a little scared by Yi Yan''s maddened eyes at this moment and did not dare to say anything at all.


    It was also at this time that an idea, a plan, flashed in Yi Yan''s mind.


    "Since Yue Ran said before that she does not like the third prince at all, then she does not need to thank me so much for fulfilling her wish," Yi Yan said, talking to herself. After saying so, she turned her head a little to the side and called out, "A Luo, come here."


    Very quickly, A Luo came close to Yi Yan and listened to the plan that Yi Yan had whispered into her ear. Yi Yan repeated the plan twice before she asked, "Do you remember it now?"


    A Luo looked at Yi Yan in disbelief. She never expected that Yi Yan would want to completely destroy and eliminate Yue Ran without giving her any way out!


    Looking into A Luo''s timid eyes, Yi Yan said threateningly, "Be careful. You have to understand that only this way can Yue Ran not threaten my status."


    "Yes," A Luo replied in a very soft tone of voice.

 Chapter 146 - 146: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (16)

    Yi Yan nodded in satisfaction when receiving the young girl''s answer.


    ¡­


    Since Yue Ran lived in the front yard, Lu Heng would come to her every day after participating in the morning court, and he had never gone to the backyard since then.


    Lu Heng only guarded Yue Ran all day and night, much to Yue Ran''s annoyance. Naturally, Yue Ran did not want or plan to say a word to Lu Heng at all.


    She was angry! She was angry at him for not letting her go, and she was also angry that she was "caged" in the front yard just like this without being able to walk out of the room at all!


    Originally, there was not enough time for the third prince to enter the backyard because more than half of the time was previously occupied by Yi Yan. The other five or six days would be spent with Chu Ning, Li Xin, and Bai Fen. The rest of the concubines only have a few days left to spare.


    There were only thirty days in a month, so there was clearly not enough time for everyone to see or even spend time with the third prince, the master of the harem. No one had the time to even show off their worth.


    If it were before, these concubines could still see the third prince from afar, but now, not even his shadow could be seen at all, which made many of the concubines in the backyard complain. No one knew how many pieces of handkerchief they had torn away due to the anger in their hearts. But after all, there was nothing they could do about it since they could not actually control the third prince''s leg to make him come to them.


    ¡­


    While eating, Lu Heng meticulously served Yue Ran the dishes in front of her.


    "Come on, Yue Ran, try this," Lu Heng said. "This prince had specially ordered the kitchen to cook this for you. It was made with the best snow swallow nest, which is good for your body."


    In front of Yue Ran was a bowl of peach gum snow swallow tremella sweet soup and a bowl of red date porridge that had just been boiled. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran ignored those two bowls and continued to eat the bowl of rice she was eating with the stir-fried vegetables and meat. She was acting as if she could not hear any of the third prince''s words, but she answered the man anyway so as to make sure that she could still keep her life.


    "Your Highness does not have to worry about Ran Ran," Yue Ran said. "It is better to leave such precious things to the Madam."


    Naturally, both understood that the "Madam" here referred to Yi Yan.


    Facing Yue Ran''s cold face every day, Lu Heng did not feel discouraged at all. He was even in good physical condition after being abused.


    "Since you do not want to drink it now, then you do not need to drink it for now," Lu Heng replied patiently. "Yue Ran can drink it whenever Yue Ran feels like it."


    Before Yue Ran had the time to roll her eyes, Wang Li had already come in with a little eunuch behind him. The young girl noticed that the little eunuch behind Wang Li was carrying quite a lot of things in his hands on a large tray.


    "Your Highness," Wang Li said. "These are the tonics sent by the wives and concubines in the backyard. Do you want to try any of them?"


    Right now, how could Lu Heng have the appetite to try them?


    "No need," Lu Heng answered perfunctorily. "Just distribute these things to the servants later."


    If it were normal times, Lu Heng would still have some thoughts about tasting and enjoying the love of his wives and concubines, but now, forget it. He was not in the mood to do so.


    Looking at the hesitant expression of Wang Li, who seemed to want to speak but did not know if he should speak out loud or not, Lu Heng frowned and said, "What do you want to say? Speak directly if you have something to say. Why hesitate?"


    "Well, Your Highness, it is like this," Wang Li started. "The Madam asked this servant to ask Your Highness why he has not yet entered the backyard after so long. Is it because Your Highness has someone he wants to bring into the palace that Your Highness was too preoccupied and thus did not have time to visit the wives and concubines? These were the Madam''s words."


    Wang Li just had to emphasize the latter sentence so that if anything were to go wrong, he was not in the wrong. With that said, Wang Li was also carefully watching the expressions of Lu Heng and Yue Ran, wanting to note their changes in his heart so that he would know how he should react by then.


    In the past two days, it was the first time that the third prince had treated someone so tenderly. He even served that person so carefully for fear that something would go wrong when he was not there.


    Anyone who heard Wang Li''s words could clearly understand what he meant, let alone Lu Heng, who had experienced many intrigues in the imperial palace since he was just a child.


    Lu Heng took a glance at Yue Ran to see her reaction, only to be greeted with the unchanging face of the young girl, who continued eating without any interference. It was almost as if anything were not worth her attention.


    The young man did not know how to feel about this for a while.


    "This prince understands." Lu Heng decided to answer Wang Li first. "Tell the Madam that this prince will see her when this prince has time later on."


    In any case, Lu Heng still has to keep up appearances and show respect for this main wife of his. Not to mention that he still had to rely on the added power of the Chu family to facilitate his future actions so that everything would go smoothly.


    Wang Li, who had gotten an order, immediately withdrew and did not want to disturb his master and Yue Ran''s two-person world.


    Yue Ran: Two-person world?


    Ruan Ruan: (makes a weird face)


    Yue Ran, who had eaten her bowl of lunch completely, put down the bowl and chopsticks on her hand before saying, "Your Highness does not have to do this for this servant. This servant also does not need Your Highness'' kindness as well."


    As soon as the young girl finished her words, she stood up and got back into her "room" in the front yard, or rather, the place that she was temporarily staying in.


    ¡­


    Upon receiving the news from Wang Li, Chu Ning hurriedly started to dress herself up.


    "Lian Ya, do you think that His Highness would like me wearing this dress?" Chu Ning looked at the bronze mirror and asked her maid, Lian Ya, who was combing her hair.


    "Do not worry, Madam, you are the third prince''s main wife, so how could the third prince not like it?" Lian Ya gave a quick-witted response.


    Hearing Lian Ya''s praise, Chu Ning, who was still feeling a little happy at first, looked at her mediocre appearance in the mirror and felt a little disappointed.


    "That is right. I am just the third prince''s main wife, but it was not out of the third prince''s volition," Chu Ning said self-depreciatingly. "The third prince previously liked Yi Yan, and now it is Yue Ran. When is the third prince ever going to see me in his eyes?"


    Chu Ning touched her own face and muttered to herself as she stared at her own reflection.


    ¡­


    Hearing a little eunuch''s greeting from outside the door, Chu Ning immediately straightened her back and then looked at her own reflection in the mirror.


    "This servant greets Your Highness, the third prince." A greeting came from outside Chu Ning''s boudoir.


    When Chu Ning saw Lu Heng''s appearance as the doors opened, she smiled and bowed sideways as she said, "I greet Your Highness, the third prince."


    "Rise," Lu Heng said.


    "Thank you, Your Highness," Chu Ning replied a little shyly as the young man helped her sit on the seat together.


    It was then that Lu Heng started to explain the purpose of coming to find Chu Ning.


    "This prince knows that this prince has not been in the backyard for quite a while, and there will definitely be some complaints that you may have received," Lu Heng started. "But you, as the main wife, should handle these things well and share the worries with this prince, understand? Otherwise, how can this prince be rest assured to hand over the power of the management of the backyard to you?"


    Hearing Lu Heng''s semi-threatening words, Chu Ning hurriedly stood up from her seat in panic to plead guilty.


    "It was my fault that Your Highness was distracted by it," Chu Ning hurriedly said. "I will definitely deal with this matter in the future and will not let these kinds of unimportant matters bother Your Highness in the slightest bit."


    In fact, this matter was also led by Chu Ning so that it could reach the third prince''s ears. This was because she, as the main wife, had seen that the third prince did not enter the backyard because of Yue Ran, so she felt uneasy and thus indulged Li Xin and the others in making trouble.

 Chapter 147 - 147: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (17)

    But now, Lu Heng actually blames this on Chu Ning for failing to handle the internal affairs of the backyard well. The main point of his words was that Chu Ning had failed to do a good job as the main wife of the third prince.


    "It is good that you understand," Lu Heng said. "This prince still has to worry about this small backyard now, so how can you let this prince take care of the imperial father and also do my best for the Jin Dynasty, right?"


    Lu Heng is very shameless. To put it bluntly, it was all because he insisted on "caging" a woman and thus caused dissatisfaction with other women. Now he had started to bring up the Jin Dynasty and even put this kind of black pot on his main wife''s back, which made her feel very fearful.


    If the third prince were to fail to handle the court affairs for the emperor well because of her, then even if Chu Ning had a hundred or thousands of mouths, she would still not be able to clear herself off of the heavy charges that were suddenly hung on her head.


    Chu Ning quickly pleaded guilty again and said, "Do not worry, Your Highness; I know what to do."


    Seeing that what he said had successfully gotten through Chu Ning''s head, he kindly helped Chu Ning himself and comforted her by saying, "With the Madam''s words, this prince could be relieved."


    There was a short conversation between the two when Chu Ning tentatively brought up Yue Ran''s matters to the front as she said, "Your Highness, I heard that Yue Ran is still staying in the front yard in Your Highness'' courtyard."


    "Yes," Lu Heng said simply, without meaning to cover things up at all. "If the Madam wants to ask anything, then ask away."


    "I did not mean anything else when I said this, but I just wanted to ask Your Highness when Your Highness would give Yue Ran a title," Chu Ning said with a smile. "After all, it is not appropriate for such a person without a title to live in the front yard with Your Highness. Moreover, it would not have a good influence on Yue Ran herself. So, what do you think, Your Highness?"


    When Chu Ning said those words, she had always emphasized that it was all for Yue Ran''s own good and was the best choice of action. And saying this made Lu Heng think more about Chu Ning''s words. He had really not done a good job, which may have impacted Yue Ran''s reputation when he first took her away.


    Although the relationship between Yue Ran and himself is still clean, with no skin-to-skin relationship or any kind of intimacy at all, and Yue Ran is still a pure and innocent young girl, others do not know about this. Moreover, in his mind, Yue Ran would definitely be with him in the future, so Lu Heng did not want her to suffer any kind of grievance.


    However, Lu Heng also had his own considerations. He wanted Yue Ran to accept him and like him willingly. Then again, this will definitely not be possible for a while, so he wants the young girl to stay with him, and maybe she will fall in love with him after staying by his side for a long time.


    But now he knew that staying together with Yue Ran would affect the young girl''s reputation. Then again, he is also reluctant to part with her.


    Lu Heng can only think about these complicated things with an aching head. Dealing with court matters is much easier than this.


    Seeing how silent Lu Heng was after a long time, Chu Ning expressed her concern for him as she said, "What are you thinking about, Your Highness? Your Highness can always share your worries with me."


    "No need," Lu Heng said in decline. "Let this prince think about it alone."


    Lu Heng, who had a headache while thinking about Yue Ran''s matters, suddenly heard a loud noise from outside, and an irritable sound was let out of his lips.


    "What is that noise outside?" Lu Heng asked with furrowed brows. "Are there no rules here?"


    "Do not be angry and hurt your body, Your Highness," Chu Ning quickly said. She turned her head to her maid not far away from her and ordered, "Lian Ya, go and see what is going on outside. Everything usually goes orderly around, but it turns into a mess once His Highness has come."


    "Yes, Madam," the maid, Lian Ya, answered and went out as per order.


    When Lian Ya came back again, her expression was not very good as she whispered the problem into Chu Ning''s ears. However, when Chu Ning heard it, she felt very happy! This was really a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!


    Lu Heng, by Chu Ning''s side, frowned as he asked, "What happened?"


    Chu Ning suppressed the joy in her heart and said in embarrassment, "Your Highness, it is the side wife, Sister Yi Yan, and Yue Ran. What does Your Highness think of letting me go out and quickly deal with this matter while Your Highness rests here inside?"


    Lu Heng, who was originally irritated and full of distress by Yue Ran''s problem, suddenly heard the young girl''s name, whom he was always thinking about day and night. Once he heard her name, he was not able to hear anything else.


    Yue Ran should have been staying in the front yard without being able to go out at all, so why was she now with Yi Yan?


    Thinking that there may be a problem with Yue Ran, Lu Heng quickly ordered, "Quickly let them in."


    "Yes," Chu Ning replied, signaling her servants to do as instructed.


    Unexpectedly, not only were Yue Ran and Yi Yan here, but there were also Li Xin and Bai Fen who stepped inside the room.


    The most shocking and important thing was that Lu Heng actually saw Pei He walking behind them all, which made his pupils widen immediately. His heartbeat almost stopped. He was stunned.


    "What is going on?" Chu Ning asked in a stern and reprimanding tone. "What were you people arguing about at the door just now? And why is there a stranger here? Yi Yan, you speak."


    Yi Yan quickly confessed what she had previously seen and "fully explained" the "ins and outs" of the matter.


    In fact, this was a problem that Yi Yan had created.


    She was the one who forged two letters and passed them on to Yue Ran and her cousin, Pei He. In the letters, she wrote that the other party had something they wanted to say to the other and thus wanted to meet in the backyard of the palace. She then bribed the palace servants to allow Pei He to go into the palace unimpeded.


    Yes, from the start to the end, it was all her schemes.


    Originally, Pei He thought that this letter was shady, and it was not possible for Yue Ran to do such a thing as this. Not to mention that Yue Ran would rather go out to meet him than let him come into the palace, where there are dangers everywhere. This was just not Yue Ran''s personality.


    However, he could not rule out the fact that something may have happened to Yue Ran; maybe there was an emergency, and thus she wanted him to come into the palace. Just in case something bad were to really happen to Yue Ran, then Pei He would never forgive himself in this lifetime if he were not to appear on the scene! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And thus, Pei He came and voluntarily walked into a trap. It may most likely be a trap, but he was worried about Yue Ran, so he does not mind stepping into danger.


    When the two met, they both knew that they had been tricked. But it was too late to flee.


    Yi Yan, who was hiding in the dark, had already "coincidentally" met with the two during a "walk", and then attracted the attention of both Li Xin and Bai Fen to let them join in the fun and also to make this matter worse so that Yue Ran could not escape!


    Lu Heng looked at Yue Ran, who was kneeling on the ground, in silence.


    No matter if this was a scheme or not, no matter if Yue Ran was tricked or not, Lu Heng does not really care about it. Right now, he only cared about the fact that Yue Ran was looking at Pei He with a pair of worried eyes that no one could mistake for pure emotion that was full of anxious affection that could not be hidden.


    Lu Heng narrowed his eyes. He had not done anything out of line to Yue Ran in the past few days, but what he got in return was only her cold face and icy tone. It did not matter at first, but looking at the current affectionate scene still made him feel very uncomfortable. Such contrast was just... unbearable.


    Li Xin, who had nothing to do but make everything more chaotic, confidently sat on an empty seat and smiled as she said, "Hey, why do I think that it was such a coincidence for Sister Yi Yan to happen to see that scene of the affair of her previous dowry maid? Could it be that everything was planned by Sister Yi Yan from the very start?"

 Chapter 148 - 148: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (18)

    Bai Fen gasped in surprise as she asked, "Could it be that everything was a conspiracy?"


    "Could it be?" Li Xin asked herself, then let out an exaggerated sigh. "Then again, Sister Yi Yan could not have done anything bad. If I did not know that Sister Yi Yan was always so kind and good to everyone, even to the servants, I would have thought that Sister Yi Yan was dissatisfied that her maid was being favored by His Highness more than herself, so she had specially designed this kind of trap to become the caller who catches the thief here."


    "Sister Li, if you had not cleared this up by saying this, I would have really thought so myself," Bai Fen chimed in. "If it were so, then it would have been really outrageous."


    Seeing the two sing together in tandem, Yi Yan''s face turned livid after being accused so straightly with no evidence. Or maybe it was just that both of them had hit the target in her heart¡ªthe truth was pierced through just like that¡ªbut Yi Yan still spoke out in a hypocritically dignified manner.


    "Of course, I am very happy that Yue Ran can be loved by His Highness," Yi Yan said. "However, I just could no longer hide this matter, especially not when Yue Ran used to be my dowry maid, when encountering such a scandalous thing."


    Seeing how "righteously" Yi Yan had spoken out, Li Xin blatantly rolled her eyes in front of everyone. This hypocritical person was clearly lying in broad daylight. So annoying.


    Chu Ning really hoped that these few people would continue to cause trouble. After all, this matter had nothing to do with her, so everything was just perfect since she would not be implicated in such a mess. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your Highness, what do you think about this matter?" Chu Ning asked gently.


    The jealousy in Lu Heng''s heart is almost burning him out at this moment. Yue Ran had not even looked or glanced at him ever since she entered the door, and he could only hear women''s voices, especially Yi Yan, who was singing with bitterness rolling on her tongue.


    Without waiting for Lu Heng to speak, Yi Yan had already said, "Although Yue Ran has no status yet, everyone knows that Yue Ran is already Your Highness'' woman and a member of the backyard. If this kind of incident is not dealt with seriously, I am afraid that it will be very difficult to convince the public." There was a short pause before she continued, "I could not bear to see it either, but the imperial family has its own family rules, so everything should be done in accordance with the rules."


    With this said, Yi Yan really wanted to kill and eliminate Yue Ran''s existence completely.


    This kind of thing, like having an affair, was especially serious in ancient times, not to mention that Lu Heng was still the third prince and a member of the imperial family. The punishment that Yue Ran would receive would only be worse.


    Lu Heng suppressed his jealousy and asked, "Yue Ran, do you have anything to say?"


    Yue Ran stopped Pei He from wanting to help her explain the situation for her, then shook her head and said, "Ran Ran has nothing to explain, and Your Highness also knows that the relationship between Your Highness and Ran Ran is clear and innocent. Ran Ran only wants to be with Ran Ran''s cousin in this life."


    After saying so, the young girl held Pei He''s hand and looked at him firmly.


    This was exactly what Yi Yan wanted to see.


    But she had never actually thought that Yue Ran would want to seek death so much and so quickly. After all, how could the third prince ever tolerate someone who betrayed him?


    Chu Ning also did not want Yue Ran to formally enter the third prince''s backyard. From the conversation between the third prince and Yue Ran just now, it could be seen that the third prince cares a lot about this Yue Ran, perhaps even more than he did about Yi Yan before.


    Looking at Yue Ran''s extremely beautiful face, Chu Ning''s eyes flashed with hatred. Yue Ran is indeed a huge threat to her.


    Lu Heng angrily kicked over the chair next to him and stared at Yue Ran with burning eyes, then sneered.


    "Good, good," Lu Heng said. "Since you like him so much, then this prince will fulfill your wish."


    When everyone thought that Lu Heng was going to let Yue Ran go and let the two of them¡ªYue Ran and Pei He¡ªbe together, Lu Heng suddenly called out, "Wang Li."


    "I am here, Your Highness," Wang Li said.


    "Bring Pei He down to clean his body," Lu Heng said.


    "What?" Wang Li asked in a dumbfounded manner. He was shocked and stunned. He even thought that he had heard the order of the third prince wrong for a while.


    "Did you not hear my words?" Lu Heng asked. "Why are you still not moving?"


    "Yes, yes, yes, Your Highness," Wang Li hastily answered when he was awakened by Lu Heng''s words that hid blood. He quickly called several other eunuchs to pull Pei He out of the room.


    Chu Ning and the others were all stunned by this sudden change, and it was all caused by the third prince.


    Meanwhile, Yue Ran was crying as she tried to pull Pei He back from being dragged out.


    "No, no, Your Highness, please," Yue Ran cried as she helplessly struggled to prevent the eunuchs from dragging Pei He any further. "Ran Ran will never dare to do it again. Please, Your Highness, please, just let my cousin go."


    As a man, Pei He knew that he might not be able to escape today. Looking at Yue Ran, who was crying bitterly, he did not care about what he had to face and only wanted to comfort the young girl to stop her from feeling sad.


    "It is okay, Ran Ran," Pei He said. "I will be fine."


    "No, Cousin," Yue Ran sobbed and shook her head. "No¡­"


    But in the end, she could only watch helplessly as Pei He was dragged out by several young eunuchs. She wanted to chase after him but was suddenly grabbed on the arm by Lu Heng.


    Yue Ran shook her hand angrily to try and get rid of the young man''s hold, but Lu Heng had held onto her so tightly.


    "It is all your fault!" Yue Ran yelled. "It is all your fault! Lu Heng, I hate you! Lu Heng, I hate you!"


    Looking into the young girl''s resentful eyes, Lu Heng also felt very uncomfortable. But if he had not done this today, he might not have gotten her for the rest of his life.


    "Yue Ran, you can rest assured that this prince will treat you well," Lu Heng said.


    After he spoke these words, Lu Heng hugged the other party and carried her back to the front yard, regardless of the other party''s struggle.


    Lu Heng could not hold back the jealousy in his heart any longer. He wanted to get Yue Ran now, and no one in the world could stop him from doing it.


    This was most certainly not the development that Yi Yan wanted to see. However, she could not change anything now because Lu Heng has gone far. It was not possible for her to chase after him and then thoroughly offend him because of it. She was not that stupid.


    After watching this kind of farce, Li Xin laughed out loud.


    "Some people just would try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice to lure it," Li Xin said without planning to hide the derision from the tone of her voice and expression on her face. "Are you not just fulfilling Yue Ran''s wish to climb a higher branch?"


    (*To steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice to lure it: To try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off.)


    "Li Xin, no matter how you say it, I am also the side wife of the same status as you, so you might as well clean off all the filth in your mouth before you talk next time," Yi Yan barked back.


    Chu Ning only rubbed her fingers on her temples to get rid of the incoming headache that would plague her head very soon. What is all the fuss about in front of her?


    "Enough," Chu Ning said. "That is enough. There is no need to talk about it here anymore. Everyone, go back."


    As reluctant as Yi Yan may have felt, she still has to answer "Yes, Madam," just like the rest of the people here inside the room.


    ¡­


    The front yard


    Lu Heng put Yue Ran directly on the bed and leaned his own body over to press her down.


    Tears were still hanging on Yue Ran''s eyelashes as she stared at Lu Heng with eyes full of hatred. Her body was constantly struggling to get out of the young man''s hold.


    "Lu Heng, you have to die! I will never forgive you in this life," Yue Ran said with gritted teeth. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you!"


    Detaining Yue Ran''s scrambling hands above her head, Lu Heng gently wiped away the tears from the corners of the young girl''s eyes. A trace of pain flashed in his own inky black eyes, which held the sadness and gloom in his heart.

 Chapter 149 - 149: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (19)

    "As long as this prince loves you, it is fine," Lu Heng said. "Yue Ran, you have to believe this prince. What this prince can give you is something that your cousin could not get, even if he worked very hard for a lifetime. This prince will make women all over the world envy you."


    As Lu Heng said so, he stretched out his other free hand and pulled on the belt of the young girl''s dress, revealing the piece of red clothing underneath.


    It was bound to be a restless night.


    The wind and waves continued to hit the sea surface, and the broken ship drifted with the wind and was forced to sink.


    The spring night is bitter, the day is high, and the king does not go to court early. This was the exact saying for the current Lu Heng.


    Hearing Wang Li''s voice constantly urging him from the outside, Lu Heng had the idea of not wanting to get up for the first time.


    Lu Heng turned his head to look at Yue Ran, who had passed out after a long night. Her temples were wet with sweat, her brows were tightly locked on her exhausted face, and the scarlet quilt covered every inch of her chest. The plum blossoms embedded on her porcelain skin looked as gorgeous and beautiful as those plum blossoms in the snowy winter.


    The young man carefully tidied the young girl''s messy hair, bowed his head to slowly touch his lips to the end of her eye, and then reluctantly got out of bed.


    ¡­


    Since that day, Yue Ran has lived in the exclusive courtyard of Lu Heng himself, in the front yard. And no matter how much other people object to this, the young man did not take a step back at all.


    There was already very little time for Lu Heng to enter the backyard, and even if he did, he would basically visit Yi Yan, Chu Ning, Li Xin, and Bai Fen.


    Ever since Yi Yan exposed Yue Ran''s incident that day, Lu Heng had never stepped into her room again, and Yi Yan broke a lot of porcelain in anger.


    This also allows everyone to see clearly just how much Lu Heng values Yue Ran in his heart.


    There was only gloom in the backyard.


    ¡­


    The time went ticking past, and soon it was time for Lu Heng to succeed to the throne.


    "Sit down," Chu Ning said as she looked down at everyone in front of her.


    "Thank you, Madam," everyone replied in unison.


    Chu Ning looked at Yue Ran, who was sitting below in a simple light blue dress. Her skin was so white and smooth that it was enviable.


    Those pair of inky black eyes that glanced and looked at others were like pools of clear water that would drown one with affection when they were being stared at, but now they have changed. Her facial features were especially beautiful. Her features, from head to toe, were beautiful. Everything about her was just so beautiful that Chu Ning wanted to ruin everything about her! Even those who sat beside her looked like foils, even if they were to wear outstanding and bright clothes.


    In the past year, the third prince''s doting on Yue Ran has made Chu Ning very jealous. Fortunately, Yue Ran was not in good health and was not able to conceive an heir; otherwise, it would be harder for Chu Ning to handle things.


    As if sensing Chu Ning''s sight, Yue Ran looked up. Those eyes, which were previously soft and full of affection, were now cold. They look so cold that their eyes do not contain a trace of emotion.


    Chu Ning narrowed her eyes and quickly dodged away. She felt a little hairy. Why was she so scared of Yue Ran for a moment? Why does she feel extreme fear? No, it must be just her imagination. Yes, it must be so.


    Chu Ning shifted her gaze to Li Xin and said, "When you and Yi Yan entered the palace together, I gave each of you a jade bracelet. I just hope that no matter how high or low your status is, everyone can be as close as sisters."


    Then she talked about the happy past between them, as if trying to strengthen their alliance.


    "Thank you, Madam, for the bracelet that you have rewarded me," Li Xin answered with a smile. "I have been wearing it every day, and it is also thanks to the Madam that I can be where I am today."


    Now, Yi Yan acts much more low-key than before. She is no longer as arrogant and cold as she was before. She is no longer as proud as she was before. This was all because she knew that Lu Heng no longer liked herself. So even if she were to face Li Xin''s provocations, she could still bear them.


    While the women were talking, a little eunuch ran in in a hurry. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Madams and concubines, it is not good!" The little eunuch said it with a little panic on his face.


    "Speak well. What is going on?" Chu Ning asked.


    "His Majesty, His Majesty has passed away," the little eunuch replied.


    Li Xin covered her mouth in fright and fell off the chair. Has the emperor passed away?


    "Where is His Highness, the third prince?" Yi Yan asked.


    Chu Ning cast a dissatisfied glance at Yi Yan but did not say anything since it was difficult for her to speak at this time and in this situation.


    "When His Highness, the third prince, received this news, he had already set off," the little eunuch said in reply.


    When the women in the whole room heard of the emperor''s death, they were not actually sad, but they felt really excited! They were thinking about how their status would change from a prince''s concubine into the emperor''s concubine, so how could they feel sad?


    This status change was more than just a step up. It was more like jumping from the lower floor to the upper floor. They were very happy, even though they had put on sad expressions on their faces. The joy was naturally more concentrated on Chu Ning, who was to be the future empress, the second highest status of an ancient woman. The highest one would naturally be the empress dowager.


    Well, no matter how joyful everyone was in their hearts, they had to obediently pretend to be distraught; otherwise, those literati would fight words against them, and if there was anything wrong, their reputations would go down the drain.


    ¡­


    Right now, Lu Heng is equally excited.


    Standing alone in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Lu Heng slowly strokes the dragon throne that represents the supreme ruler under the heavens.


    "After so many years, I have finally gotten it in my hands," Lu Heng said. "Imperial father, more than twenty years ago, did you ever think that I, who has made you feel ashamed, could now sit on the dragon throne that you snatched from many of your brothers?"


    At that time, Lu Heng''s biological mother was the ugliest and most vulgar maid servant in the imperial palace. That time was also the time when the fight to seize the throne was the most tragic. His imperial father was also framed for making a mistake in court and was thus faced with the anger of the current late, late emperor, who was Lu Heng''s grandfather.


    The fight was fierce, but at last, Lu Heng''s father ascended the throne and became the emperor. But again, he was somehow framed, and when he woke up one day, he saw that he had slept with the lowest and most extremely ugly foot-washing servant. He immediately felt disgusted and sick. As for when Lu Heng was born out of that affair, he (Lu Heng''s imperial father) also did not dare to look at the baby Lu Heng, fearing that his eyes would be stained with dirt and dust.


    This was why Lu Heng had been neglected since he was very young. His mother was also not there to accompany him due to her early death after bearing a child.


    "A few years ago, when you once asked to let me sit on the dragon throne, I declined. At that time, I really wanted to sit on it, but I knew that it was not the right time, because sooner or later, this dragon throne would belong to me," Lu Heng said. "And now, it is mine. Imperial father, you should rest in peace while I continue to guard the Jin Dynasty for you."


    The throne room fell silent after that as Lu Heng took a seat on the dragon throne as if he were already the Jin Dynasty''s present emperor.


    ¡­


    Since that day, the imperial palace has been plunged into a vast expanse of whiteness.


    As soon as the funeral ceremony was over, the Jin Dynasty began to grow restless as many ambitious people popped out here and there.


    The civil servants headed by Bo Ying, the late emperor''s most reliant minister, holding a very high position above all the officials, used the ancestral rules as an excuse to respect the late emperor''s empress and his adoptive mother as the empress dowagers.


    But how could Lu Heng really agree to this? Not to mention that his imperial father''s empress has never liked or supported him since she is supporting his second brother. And if he were really to make her the empress dowager, would he not be under pressure again?

 Chapter 150 - 150: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (20)

    Those two women¡ªthe late emperor''s empress and the adoptive mother¡ªwere both mountains that Lu Heng was pressed under. And both women were not his biological mothers.


    Moreover, after becoming the emperor, Bo Ying kept reminding him of the words, "Legitimate and illegitimate have clear honor and inferiority."


    What does this mean? It means that he was not his imperial father''s legitimate child but an illegitimate one, so he has to know the difference between superiority and inferiority, the difference between honor and dishonor.


    Lu Heng really hates it when others talk about his past. Even if he were adopted by his imperial father''s favorite concubine, it would still not change his past experiences or how he was born to be who he is today. He is still his imperial father''s illegitimate child, not born of the empress.


    Even if Lu Heng wanted to refuse Bo Ying directly, Bo Ying would definitely refute him by saying that the imperial family has its own family laws, made by his own ancestors and now passed down to him. If he were to refuse Bo Ying''s "suggestion", would it not mean that he simply did not care about the rules set by his ancestors as soon as he had ascended the throne?


    So, for now, Lu Heng could only delay this "suggestion" euphemistically by saying that he would think about it. However, this delay could not be too long. Otherwise, other problems would inevitably arise.


    ¡­


    When Yi Yan happened to learn about Lu Heng''s predicament, she thought that this might be her only chance to stay in a high position.


    Ever since Yi Yan was not liked by Lu Heng, she has been ridiculed and pulled down by others. Yi Yan''s mentality has completely turned upside down since then, and in her view, the world is cold. Only by stabilizing her own position could she live a better life in the future.


    The third prince''s concubines will soon be assorted according to Lu Heng''s decision when he settled the matters of the empress dowagers of the Jin Dynasty. If there had been no change in the past when the relationship between her and Lu Heng was still very good, then Yi Yan would never feel so much in a hurry as now. But everything in the present is still different after all.


    Yi Yan does not have a strong natal family or any clansmen that can contribute to the Jin Dynasty to strengthen her own position. She could only barely call the late emperor''s empress "aunt", who was her biological mother''s cousin. Now, this aunt of hers was stuck in the Palace of Great Benevolence and could not go out to help her (Yi Yan) at all.


    Now, only that vixen, Yue Ran, who was continuously loved by Lu Heng, would not worry about her own future position at all since it was guaranteed for her to get a high one. If she, Yi Yan, were to have a lower position than that of Yue Ran, her life might be over just like this.


    Knowing that Lu Heng was stumped by this incident and that it was difficult for him to make a decision, Yi Yan instantly knew what to do. She felt like she could fix her own position as long as she did this. She would not let others, especially Yue Ran, step on or over her head!


    Therefore, Yi Yan came into the Palace of Heavenly Purity to convince Lu Heng to make a deal.


    When Lu Heng heard that Yi Yan had come to find him, he felt a little surprised, and then a sneer came onto his face. Yi Yan must come to find him to help plead for her aunt.


    "Let her in," Lu Heng said in a lazy tone as he flipped over the official documents on the table.


    Yi Yan walked inside and bent over to salute the young man. Her current self had to be cautious with her every step since she was not favored by this young man anymore.


    "I, your servant, greet Your Majesty, the emperor," Yi Yan said.


    "Get up," Lu Heng said.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Yi Yan said in reply. Seeing that the former young man that she loved had become the emperor and that the close relationship that she previously had with him had since long disappeared, Yi Yan had mixed feelings when she faced him straight like this.


    "Why did you suddenly come to find me today?" Lu Heng asked knowingly while acting as if he were oblivious to anything in the world. "Is there something wrong, or is there something you need from me?"


    "No, Your Majesty," Yi Yan replied. "I, your servant, only heard that Your Majesty was troubled by the problem with my aunt, and so I have come to help solve Your Majesty''s worries."


    "Oh? You, solve my worries?" Lu Heng asked. "Did you not come to intercede for your aunt?"


    Lu Heng originally thought that Yi Yan wanted to intercede for that woman in the Palace of Great Benevolence, but now it seems that he has thought wrong. She does not have this meaning.


    "I had come here not to intercede for my aunt but to solve the troubles of Your Majesty so that Your Majesty would not have any worries," Yi Yan said again to reassure Lu Heng. After all, she had only come here for herself, for her own selfishness.


    Yi Yan did not say how she would solve this predicament, but this is not what Lu Heng cares about. All Lu Heng cared about was the result that Yi Yan would represent to him, not the process, so he did not want to ask too much about this. Anyway, it would be nice if someone would solve it for him without him asking the other party for a favor.


    However, Lu Heng knew that Yi Yan did this for a reason. She must have a request, something that she wants as a payment for dealing with this. Apart from wanting high status, what else could she actually ask for? Yi Yan was just that predictable to him at this point.


    Yes, she, Yi Yan, had come to find Lu Heng when she was in a difficult situation and deliberately used this matter as a bargaining chip to help her exchange for a high position in the future.


    Thinking of this, Lu Heng could not help feeling that time had passed and circumstances had changed. The Yi Yan he knew had now become someone as selfish and greedy as this.


    Sure enough, all the women in the harem except for his Yue Ran care most about his status, honor, and face.


    "Oh, how should I thank you then?" Lu Heng asked sarcastically.


    When Yi Yan came here, she had previously thought and was prepared that the last bit of face between herself and Lu Heng would be completely torn apart to pieces, and the rest that would be between them would just be benefits. Only thinking about what she was about to get could soothe the sadness in her heart a little more.


    Lowering her head, Yi Yan expressed her request tactfully: "All I want is to live decently in Your Majesty''s future harem."


    Lu Heng rubbed his fingers expressionlessly.


    For him, this was a cost-effective deal, so why not do it?


    "I see," Lu Heng said. "Well, as long as you can handle this matter well, then I will promise you."


    Hearing Lu Heng''s answer, Yi Yan knew that her purpose for coming today was fulfilled. She knelt down happily to thank the young man, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    ¡­


    Yi Yan decided to come to the Palace of Great Benevolence at night, and then only a few faint lights flickered in the dim room of the late empress.


    Her aunt, who was dressed in luxurious clothes, was sitting on the chair while drinking tea in a cup calmly, as if she already knew what was going to happen next. Even in death, she must die with dignity because she was an empress, the role model of all the women in the world.


    Yi Yan stood at the door and only watched her aunt like this. She felt terrified in her heart. What she was afraid of was not her aunt, but her aunt''s fate at this moment. She kept telling herself in her heart that she must not live like her aunt. She must not live so pathetically like her aunt. She must not end up like her aunt!


    When Yi Yan''s aunt, the former empress, was dying, she kept pulling Yi Yan''s hand to tell her that there would never be abandoned wives in the Yi family, that Yi Yan must catch Lu Heng''s heart, and that Yi Yan must live in Lu Heng''s favor to continue the glory of the Yi family.


    These words kept ringing in Yi Yan''s ears like a curse.


    Holding the remains of her aunt, Yi Yan said, "Auntie, you will not be sacrificed in vain. I will definitely fulfill your last wish and become the empress to continue the glory of the Yi family."


    Yi Yan really hates Yue Ran now. If Yue Ran had not taken Lu Heng''s favor from her, Lu Heng would not have let her aunt die like this. It was all because of Yue Ran! It was all Yue Ran''s fault! S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was all Yue Ran''s fault!


    ¡­


    The Palace of Heavenly Purity


    Lu Heng was reluctant to let Yue Ran suffer after needing to keep watch of herself after the late emperor''s death every day.

 Chapter 151 - 151: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (21)

    Because Lu Heng was very worried about Yue Ran after entering the filial piety period, it was reported to the public that Yue Ran was in poor health and needed to recuperate. Well, even though everyone knew about this "hidden" matter, what else could be done? Besides, not many people could control the emperor.


    Even if someone wanted to find fault, they could not because Yue Ran had been living in the front yard of Lu Heng''s previous living space without taking the intention to step out at all.


    When Wang Li came to deliver the news, Yue Ran was sitting beside Lu Heng.


    This time the news was about the former empress drinking a poisonous cup of wine that led to her own death. Before Lu Heng''s adoptive mother, Xiu Ying, could make a single move, Yi Yan had solved the trouble. Therefore, when Xiu Ying heard that her nemesis, the former empress, had taken poison and died, she only felt joy.


    The first thing Lu Heng thought when he heard of the news, though, was that Yi Yan had inherited the terrifying ruthlessness of the women from the Yi family clan who married into the imperial family.


    Yue Ran, who was reading a book next to Lu Heng, heard from her system, Ruan Ruan, that the female protagonist was still going to work together with Xiu Ying in this world as she did in the plot, which made Yue Ran sneer in her heart.


    The female protagonist can try to find as many allies as she wants, but she can never escape the palm of her (Yue Ran''s) hand. She (Yi Yan) was doomed to despair.


    Lu Heng looked at the silently stunned silly Yue Ran and thought that she was frightened by the news of the former empress'' death, so he waved all the palace servants in the room away and embraced Yue Ran into his arms.


    "Yue Ran, do not worry," Lu Heng said in a soft tone. "I will always be by your side." After a short silence, he said a word of promise: "Lu Heng will protect Yue Ran for the rest of his life."


    Seeing that there was still no response from Yue Ran, Lu Heng did not mind it.


    In the past year, Lu Heng had gotten used to Yue Ran''s silence and coldness, so this was already expected. But he still did not give up and was persistently and blatantly favoring her alone. Anyway, Yue Ran would most definitely warm up to him after seeing his efforts one day.


    ¡­


    When Xiu Ying heard about her nemesis''s death, she had planned to ask Yi Yan to come over for questioning. However, Yi Yan herself had chosen to come over before Xiu Ying could summon her presence.


    "I, your servant, pay my respects to the Empress Dowager," Yi Yan said.


    "Get up," Xiu Ying said.


    "Thank you, Your Grace," Yi Yan said. "I, your servant, have come here today to ask Your Grace for one thing."


    "Why should Ai Jia help you?" Xiu Ying asked as she raised a brow and looked at Yi Yan with an indescribable smile on her face.


    (*Ai Jia: This is usually used by empress dowagers to refer to themselves, implying that they are the house of sorrow because the late emperor had died.)


    "Because I, your servant, know that Your Grace and His Majesty do not have a harmonious relationship as they have appeared on the outside," Yi Yan replied. "And now that the emperor has just succeeded the dragon throne, Your Grace urgently needs someone of your own people in His Majesty''s harem. And I, your servant, am the best candidate for that. This was because I, your servant, am not liked by the emperor now and have no strong natal family; only Your Grace, the empress dowager, can help me. And naturally, I, your servant, will repay Your Grace''s grace in the future without fault."


    Yi Yan knew that she was now alone and helpless, so she could only survive in this harem with the help of the empress dowager. Moreover, she also knew that the empress dowager would also need her help. She was quite confident in herself that the empress dowager would accept her deal and would cooperate with her very soon.


    Looking at Yi Yan, who was kneeling below, Xiu Ying felt that the young woman looked very much like her aunt, the former empress, at this moment. And what Xiu Ying hated the most in life was also the former empress.


    How could Xiu Ying really trust what Yi Yan had said when that young girl could even poison her own aunt with her own two hands? Yi Yan''s words must be the most unbelievable ones.


    However, even so, Xiu Ying did not intend to refuse Yi Yan''s request at this moment.


    "Thank you, Your Grace," Yi Yan said with obvious joy in her eyes. "But I, your servant, still have one more request."


    "What else is there?" Xiu Ying asked.


    "I, your servant, wanted to ask Your Grace to give me a new name," Yi Yan said.


    Yi Yan had not said this for a reason. The reason she wanted to ask for a new name from the empress dowager was to show others that the empress dowager was her backing and that she had a good relationship with her (the empress dowager), so others should think twice before fighting or going against her (Yi Yan).


    A smirk came onto Xiu Ying''s lips, and she said, "Then, from now on, you will be named Yi Lin."


    From now on, Yi Yan''s name will forever be changed to Yi Lin.


    This time, Xiu Ying was not afraid of Lu Heng and thus directly lived in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility with no care for the young man''s face.


    And as soon as the empress dowager in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility waited until the concubines came to pay their respects to her, these concubines began to make trouble.


    The women in the third prince''s backyard kept arguing and satirizing one another in Xiu Ying''s ears. But Xiu Ying did not feel bored; instead, she felt a little fun to see them compete for favor, just as she had in the past. Look at how her hard work (the blood and sacrifice of others that she had to shed) had paid off. She had finally become the empress dowager of the Jin Dynasty, the most honorable woman in the world.


    Since Xiu Ying herself had said before that she could not stain her eyes with dirt, she had to show things practically by doing things herself.


    Xiu Ying knew just how much Lu Heng loved Yue Ran, so she deliberately said, "Empress, as the role model of all the women in the world, you should advise the emperor that the rain and dew should be shared. The hundred flowers in the harem should bloom together; there is no reason for one flower to bloom alone."


    When Xiu Ying said this, everyone instantly understood who she was talking about. But Yue Ran, who was sitting down and listening to other people''s "civil" conversation with the rest in boredom, pretended not to understand a thing.


    Xiu Ying had actually never expected that Yi Yan, now called Yi Lin, would be squeezed out so quickly. When Xiu Ying saw Yue Ran''s face, she knew that no man could actually resist such beauty. Even she, a woman, had to suck in a breath when she saw her (Yue Ran); what more a man who only thinks with his lower body?


    "The emperor''s status now is different from before," Xiu Ying said. "Having three sons and one daughter was nothing for a prince. But now that he is an emperor, the Son of Heaven, if the rain and dew cannot be evenly spread, how can he prosper? How can he have a legitimate imperial heir?"


    After Xiu Ying said her words, everyone looked at Yue Ran in unison, with jealousy and hatred undisguised in their eyes. No one looked at Yue Ran with a friendly gaze. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiu Ying looked at this scene with malicious satisfaction in her heart.


    "Yes, I, your servant, knew that I was wrong," Chu Ning answered.


    Now, Yi Lin could barely be regarded as Xiu Ying''s person, so there would be no need for Xiu Ying to embarrass the young girl in front of everyone.


    ¡­


    Soon, the women from the backyard were sorted into different classes. This news was announced by a eunuch that ran around the six palaces.


    There were eight classes in total, and ranking from the highest position to the lowest one were as follows: The empress, the imperial noble consort, the noble consort, the consort, the concubine, the noble lady, the first class attendant, and lastly, the second class attendant.


    Chu Ning was obviously the empress, without a doubt.


    And just right below her was Yue Ran, the noble consort, titled Yue. The word "Yue" was chosen carefully by Lu Heng. The word "Yue" here was different from Yue Ran''s surname and meant the bright moon that shone silver like frost upon the ground. Only when one lifts their head can they see the moon, so distant, so aloof, yet so gentle. However, no one can catch and hug the round silver moon in their arms. The reflection (affection) that shone on the lake was just an illusory image after all.


    No matter who was to see Yue Ran, everyone except the emperor, the empress, and the empress dowager had to salute her as Noble Consort Yue.

 Chapter 152 - 152: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (22)

    Li Xin, ranked lower than Yue Ran, was titled Consort Li; Yi Lin (Yi Yan) had the same status as Li Xin and was titled Consort Yi; Hui Na, who has a pretty good relationship with the female protagonist, was titled Concubine Hui; Bai Fen was titled Noble Lady Jin; and as for the rest of the concubines, they were ranked the first class attendant and the second class attendant, respectively.


    When Yi Lin knew that she was only titled a concubine and that Yue Ran actually ranked a level higher than herself, she swept all the things on her dressing table to the ground in a fit of anger. Her blood was boiling in her veins.


    She was so angry!


    "Why is that vixen, Yue Ran, ranked on top of me?" Yi Lin asked in rage. "Do I have to salute that vixen from now on and in the future? How could this be? Why are things like this? It was all Yue Ran''s fault!"


    ¡­


    The East Chamber of Warmth


    Yue Ran was living in the Hall of Joyful Longevity and thus had dined in the East Chamber of Warmth, the dining hall here, with Lu Heng.


    Now that Yue Ran''s position had been determined, it was inappropriate for Lu Heng to stay here any longer.


    "Ran Ran, I cannot bear to leave you so far away," Lu Heng said. "How about I ask the palace servants to repair the Palace of Celestial Favor before you move there alone?"


    The Palace of Celestial Favor is one of the six Eastern palaces of the Forbidden City, located in the eastern interior annexes where most of the past emperors'' most beloved concubines live.


    But how could Yue Ran agree to this? Just as she was about to refuse the young man, Pei He came in. He had just walked around the six Eastern palaces to read the imperial decree in turn.


    "Your Majesty, this servant has finished reading the imperial decree for the master of the six palaces," Lu Heng said with a lowered head.


    Pei He, who was supposed to have a bright future and was supposed to be the future youngest prime minister of the Jin Dynasty, has fallen to where he is today. His body had been "cleansed" (castrated) as Lu Heng had ordered, and he had now become an eunuch.


    Ruan Ruan: The Master is so scary to be able to turn the youngest prime minister-to-be with a bright future into an eunuch with no future. The male supporting character was no longer a real man, just like that. How pitiful. However, Master is more awesome to be able to do something like this so easily! Wow!


    Yue Ran: Naturally. But the abuse has yet to come.


    "Hmm, well done," Lu Heng replied carelessly. He no longer felt as vigilant with Pei He as he did at first, since Pei He was no longer a real man anyway, so what could he do with Yue Ran? Nothing.


    Yue Ran looked at Pei He, who was prostrating on the ground at this moment, and her eyes unconsciously turned hot with her clenching heart. After all, she was the one who had hurt him; she was the one who had implicated him, the most innocent person.


    Lu Heng kept staring at Yue Ran''s expressions all the time.


    And all he saw was that Yue Ran''s eyes, from the start to the end, had always stuck to Pei He''s figure from the moment Pei He came into the room. This made Lu Heng feel very angry.


    Since Pei He was castrated as Lu Heng had ordered, Pei He has always stayed by Lu Heng''s side as his (Lu Heng''s) eunuch all the time in order for Lu Heng to humiliate him (Pei He) in front of Yue Ran.


    But whenever Pei He was there, Yue Ran''s eyes would always unconsciously fall on that young man''s figure. Maybe Yue Ran herself did not even know about it, but Lu Heng, who was always paying attention to the young girl, saw it and knew about it, which made him feel resentful and jealous of Pei He.


    "Ran Ran, what are you looking at?" Lu Heng asked.


    Hearing Lu Heng speak in such a tone, Yue Ran knew what was going to happen next.


    Although Lu Heng was reluctant and distressed to hurt Yue Ran himself, that does not mean that he would show the same mercy to her on the bed.


    "Nothing," Yue Ran quickly replied with dodging eyes.


    "Good, then I will believe you, Ran Ran," Lu Heng said. He then shifted his gaze to Pei He and ordered, "Pei He, you go and kneel behind that screen."


    Lu Heng pointed to the screen not far away, and Pei He glanced at Yue Ran with a pair of worried eyes. He could already guess one or two things about what was going to happen next, and he could not help but be worried for Yue Ran instead of caring for himself.


    "Yes," Pei He replied and went to kneel behind the screen, as Lu Heng had ordered.


    Lu Heng picked Yue Ran up from the stool and walked to the bed, ignoring the young girl''s struggle to escape from him in his arms.


    "Your Majesty, do not do this, okay?" Yue Ran begged pleadingly as she lightly pulled on the young emperor''s sleeve as a gesture of begging for mercy.


    Yue Ran really did not want to show this kind of thing in front of Pei He, even if they were separated by a screen and Pei He could not see anything.


    "I do not want to do this either," Lu Heng said with a low sigh. "But this time, it is Ran Ran who is not obedient."


    Lu Heng pressed Yue Ran on the bed. The bed was facing the screen, and Pei He knelt behind the screen with red eyes. He tightly clenched his fists as he lowered his head.


    Holding Yue Ran''s hands above her head, Lu Heng leaned his head closer to hers and licked her little earlobe, wetting her skin.


    Lu Heng smiled softly and said in a deep voice, "Since Ran Ran is not obedient, then I can only teach Ran Ran how to be obedient."


    "Your Majesty, Ran Ran has made a mistake. It was all Ran Ran''s fault." Yue Ran quickly admitted her wrongs as she tried to beg for mercy to avoid the "punishment". "Ran Ran will be very good in the future, so let Ran Ran go this time, okay?"


    Seeing the helpless and desperate appearance of the young girl crying under him, Lu Heng felt pain in his heart, but he still did not intend to stop so easily at this time.


    Lu Heng just wanted to force Yue Ran to accept the fact that she could no longer be together with Pei He; there was not the slightest chance for her to have a future with Pei He.


    Lu Heng just wanted to force Yue Ran to accept the fact that she could only be with him, not Pei He. And he also wants Pei He to completely give up on Yue Ran in the same way, at the same time. Therefore, he, Lu Heng, will let Pei He watch helplessly as he loves Yue Ran, and Pei He cannot do a thing about it.


    The person on top of the young girl now is him, Lu Heng!


    "No, that is not okay," Lu Heng said. "Ran Ran always deceives me like this every time, so I have to punish Ran Ran properly this time."


    Yue Ran really did not want Pei He to see the later scene of her being pressed under Lu Heng''s body; it would make her feel very ashamed and embarrassed. So, she kept struggling hard to get out of the emperor''s hold, and both of her hands that were pinned up now had red circular marks on her wrists. These marks looked especially glaring on her porcelain white skin.


    The more the young girl struggled, the more angry Lu Heng became.


    Did Yue Ran just not want to be favored by him? Or she just did not want to be seen making love with another person by the person she liked?


    "Do you still like him?" Lu Heng asked through his gritted teeth.


    Yue Ran did not answer. She only shed tears. She may have shed too many tears that red-rimmed her eyes, making the young girl''s originally beautiful icy features look more charming.


    It made Lu Heng feel more excited, and Yue Ran could literally feel it down below.


    "Lu Heng, I beg you, do it next time, okay?" Yue Ran pleaded.


    Every time Lu Heng wanted Yue Ran to call him by his name, he had to torture her on the bed first before she would speak. Unexpectedly, at this time, in this kind of situation, the young girl actually took the initiative to speak first.


    An evil smile appeared on Lu Heng''s face, and he whispered in the young girl''s ears, "Ran Ran''s voice calling my name sounds really nice, so Ran Ran has to keep calling it like this later, okay?"


    Pei He, who was kneeling behind the screen, could clearly see through the thin screen separating him from both people on the bed. He heard Yue Ran''s helpless voice begging for mercy and hated himself for his own incompetence that led to today.


    Pei He clenched his fists and punctured his fingernails into the flesh of his palms fiercely.


    S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 153 - 153: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (23)

    The blood stains dripped on Pei He''s robe where no one could see them, just like no one cared about his injured self at this moment.


    Looking at Yue Ran, who still did not give in, Lu Heng said quietly, "If Ran Ran continues to struggle, I will have someone drag Pei He down until he is beaten to death. Ran Ran can try it out, but Ran Ran should be aware that my patience is limited."


    Hearing what Lu Heng said in her ears, the young girl slowly gave up struggling and lay on the bed with her head sideways, weeping.


    Obviously, it was he who had told the young girl to stop struggling, but Lu Heng was not happy to see such an obedient Yue Ran at all. It was still better for her to make a fuss so he could see Pei He dying in front of his eyes rather than seeing the scene where the young girl tried hard to protect her loved one and sacrificed herself instead.


    However, Lu Heng did not intend to say anything anymore. He only lowered his head and licked the young girl''s tears away.


    "Every part of Ran Ran is so sweet, but these tears are salty," Lu Heng said. "If one day Ran Ran can cry for me like this, just once, even if I know that I am to die immediately after, I will still be willing. I will be willing as long as Ran Ran loves me, just once."


    Lu Heng, who was talking to Yue Ran, did not get a single response out of the young girl''s mouth, so he squeezed her chin to force the other party to look at him.


    "Answer me, Ran Ran," Lu Heng said in a low voice.


    "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the richest person in the world, so what could Your Majesty not have?" Yue Ran spoke. She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembled, and the corners of her lips desolately made a small arc. She looked empty.


    "Yes, I am indeed the richest person in the world, but even so, I have never won Ran Ran''s heart," Lu Heng said as a sad smile made its way to his face. "I have never won a moment of Ran Ran''s concern, and this makes me feel really unwilling." He slowly caressed the girl''s face and said, "Ran Ran, you are mine. From head to toe. For the rest of your life."


    Yue Ran''s eyelashes trembled when she heard the young man''s words, but she still steeled herself to say, "Then, Your Majesty also needs to understand that it is impossible for you to win Ran Ran''s heart in this lifetime."


    Lu Heng did not expect that even at this time, Yue Ran would still talk to him like this. She was stubbornly putting up a fight against him.


    Then he has to punish her well to let her see things clearly.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran stretched out her hand to grab Pei He.


    However, Pei He, who saw the young girl with hickey marks all over her body, flinched a little. Yue Ran''s face paled; she immediately stopped her hand in embarrassment and curled her fingers. It is better not to disturb her cousin if she is already like this.


    As if understanding what Yue Ran''s silent actions meant, Pei He hurriedly held Yue Ran''s hand, which was about to be retracted, and blinked the tears in his eyes away.


    A man does not tear up easily until he reaches the saddest point in his life.


    Yue Ran, who had just been tormented by Lu Heng in the first place, was already exhausted, but she still forced herself to smile to hide her fatigue and comfort Pei He, trying to make him feel a little better.


    "Cousin, do not cry," Yue Ran said as she forced her tired body to sit up and gently wipe the young man''s tears. "I am not worth your tears. In the end, it is still Ran Ran who is sorry for Cousin."


    Pei He shook his head and said, "It is not Ran Ran''s fault."


    Seeing Yue Ran''s face filled with utter pain, Pei He''s heart was also bleeding with her. Why did the Heavens torture them like this?


    "It was Ran Ran who harmed Cousin, which made Cousin become what Cousin is now," Yue Ran said as her tears dripped down uncontrollably, but she still maintained a small smile on her face. "If it were not for Ran Ran, maybe Cousin would have already been in the top three of Jin Shi. It was very likely that Cousin was already famous by now and might have even entered the bridal chamber with ornamented candles and had a wedding night with Cousin''s beloved."


    (*Jin Shi: It is the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The top three rankings of Jin Shi include Zhuang Yuan for first place, Bang Yan for second place, and Tan Hua for third place.


    Unexpectedly, Yue Ran could still make jokes to make him feel happy, so Pei He also forced a smile on his face.


    "Yes, maybe I would already have such a sweet dream by now," Pei He said.


    Seeing that Yue Ran looked a little lost and was in a daze when she heard him say these words himself, Pei He smiled and wiped away the young girl''s tears, then spoke seriously, "But if my bride is not Ran Ran, then even if I enter the bridal chamber with ornamented candles, I will still not be happy. And even if I do enter the top three rankings of Jin Shi, so what?"


    Yue Ran looked at Pei He with incredulous eyes, as if she did not understand what was going on.


    "In my heart, Ran Ran is the most important person, and nothing in the world could compare to Ran Ran," Pei He said. "As long as I can see Ran Ran every day, I will always be very happy."


    "Cousin, I¡­ I¡­" Yue Ran started, but her words immediately trailed off. She did not know what to say, so she immediately threw herself into the young man''s arms and cried loudly.


    Pei He hugged the young girl tightly in his arms and gently caressed the back of her head. He himself lowered his head to touch his forehead to the young girl''s neck.


    When Pei He raised his head again, he said, "Okay, do not cry anymore. Everything that happened is all voluntary, so Ran Ran does not need to bear any burden in Ran Ran''s heart." Rubbing his cheek on the young girl''s cheek, he looked at her face and then said with a smile, "Look, look, Ran Ran is crying like a cute little cat. Ran Ran even wet my clothes."


    Sure enough, when Yue Ran looked down, she saw that a spot on the young man''s clothes had been dyed a lot darker than the rest of the area.


    "Hmph, who told Cousin to tease Ran Ran like this?" Yue Ran said this proudly while sniffling from time to time. "Naturally, this is the punishment that Cousin deserves."


    Looking at Yue Ran, who was crying in one second and smiling in the next, Pei He could not help but feel that his cousin was really easy to coax and tease. So cute.


    "Oh, now Ran Ran can blame me now, huh?" Pei He spoke with bent eyes. He raised a hand to pinch her little nose and said, "You, little girl, are really amazing."


    Yue Ran giggled while she put her arms around the young man''s neck. She looked at him seriously and said, "In this life, Ran Ran is sorry for Cousin. But in the next life, Ran Ran will definitely be with Cousin for the rest of Ran Ran''s life. We will be a couple for a lifetime, even if Ran Ran has to search high up in the heavens or low down in the underworld." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then I will trade my three lifetimes of merit in exchange for a lifetime in a world with you," Pei He said it in a serious tone, like an oath or a promise.


    ¡­


    In Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness


    When Yue Ran heard it, she instantly called Ruan Ruan in her sea of consciousness.


    "Did you hear it, Ruan Ruan?" Yue Ran asked.


    "Ruan Ruan heard it, Master!" Ruan Ruan replied loud and clear. "The male supporting character''s three lifetimes of merit must be worth a lot of power!"


    "This is indeed a cost-effective deal," Yue Ran answered while smiling in her heart. "It would be a shame to let something so delicious go just like that, so since he had made a deal with the devil, then the devil should also fulfill the promise."


    "Whatever the Master says is always right!" Ruan Ruan chirped.


    ¡­


    Even though Yue Ran was communicating with Ruan Ruan in her sea of consciousness, it still did not affect her outer appearance. She looked like she wanted to cry but was trying to hold her tears back.


    Suddenly, the young girl asked, "Cousin, can Ran Ran kiss you?"


    Pei He knew that he should refuse, but he did not want to let go of the young girl''s hand at all. And Yue Ran does not need to hear the young man''s answer either. She had already expected him not to say a word and had already leaned forward to slowly approach the man''s face.


    Then Yue Ran closed the distance, and their lips touched.

 Chapter 154 - 154: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (24)

    This was the first time that the two had ever kissed one another. Every time they secretly met one another before, they would start their forbidden love affair, but this was only limited to holding hands and talking. What they have is a love that does not go beyond the boundaries of the etiquette of the Jin Dynasty.


    It is not that Yue Ran does not want to, but it was Pei He himself who felt that he wanted to save the best day of being intimately together when he married her on their wedding night. This is his respect for the young girl in front of him.


    Yue Ran stretched out her tongue to pry open Pei He''s tightly closed lips and teeth, then tossed and turned lingeringly. Pei He, who was originally firm on not wanting to go beyond the boundaries of etiquette, was slowly responding to Yue Ran at some point, and the two became entwined with one another with deep and endless affection.


    ¡­


    Looking down at the person lying sideways in his arms with a silly smile on her face, Pei He laughed happily.


    "Is Ran Ran so happy?" Pei He asked with narrowed, bent eyes.


    "Of course," Yue Ran said in a matter-of-fact tone.


    "As long as Ran Ran does not dislike my broken body, then it is fine," Pei He said.


    Hearing the young man''s words, Yue Ran''s eyes widened, and she immediately raised her hand to cover his mouth. After doing so, she said, "Cousin, Ran Ran does not allow you to talk about yourself like this, even if it is Cousin himself."


    Pei He took the hand pressed to his lower face, held it caringly and lovingly in his hand, and said, "Silly girl."


    The tone of the young man''s voice was full of undisguised affection, laced with gentleness like water.


    "Ran Ran like Cousin the most. No matter what Cousin becomes in the future, Ran Ran will still like you forever and ever," Yue Ran said. "What is more, Ran Ran is also not clean anymore."


    As the young girl finished her words, Pei He felt like his throat was stuck. He pulled her petite figure into his arms, raised her chin, and kissed her lips vigorously and hurriedly. He does not want to hear any more demeaning words coming out of the young girl''s lips. He does not allow her to say those things about herself.


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed, feeling a little shocked by the young man''s sudden move.


    Hearing such a sweet voice travel into his ears, Pei He let Yue Ran go and whispered, "Such a sweet Ran Ran is always the purest and cleanest person in my heart."


    Seeing that Yue Ran''s body was covered with marks made by Lu Heng, Pei He gently touched them one by one. Yue Ran could see the young man''s distressed look when he did these little actions.


    Wanting to comfort the young man, Yue Ran said, "Cousin, Ran Ran wants you to cover up these traces for Ran Ran. Ran Ran wants these traces to belong to Cousin."


    As the young girl spoke, she raised a hand to pull down the curtains, covering the beautiful scenery inside that was full of spring.


    ¡­


    Chu Ning''s hands trembled when she read the emperor''s monthly bedside list sent by the palace staff. Basically, all of the days were occupied by Yue Ran''s name, from top to bottom. She was so angry that she threw the list on the ground in great anger.


    If it were the usual situation in the past, Chu Ning would have let this slide. But now, the situation has obviously changed. Everything in the present was different from that of the past!


    This was because just a while ago, Chu Ning and the emperor had just asked a painter to paint both of them together. However, the emperor also asked the painter to stay and called him to paint the emperor himself with Yue Ran!


    Being included in a painting with the emperor has always been the empress'' great honor, but she did not expect the emperor to slap her in the face like this in front of everyone!


    What was even worse was that the famous painter actually heartily praised Yue Ran as the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen in the world in front of the emperor, in front of her, and in front of everyone, which made the emperor extremely pleased and happy! This was because everyone knew that this beauty belonged to the emperor himself.


    However, Chu Ning was excluded by the side with a stiff face, showing just how redundant and superfluous her existence was at the time. She, Chu Ning, was obviously the emperor''s wife, but Yue Ran was the person who had gotten the honor and praise of everyone!


    Why? Why? Why!


    Why is it Yue Ran and not her, Chu Ning?


    Why is Yue Ran more like an empress than her, Chu Ning?


    Why could Yue Ran enjoy better treatment than her, Chu Ning?!


    Because of this matter, the empress dowager, Xiu Ying, has already approached the emperor to remind him of his position, to take care of all the women in his harem well, and to spread rain and dew in a fair manner. But the emperor just refused to listen and still went his own way.


    Chu Ning really did not know what the emperor liked so much about Yue Ran. Was it not just because of her good-looking face?


    Yue Ran has always been cold towards the emperor, like an ice goddess that refuses anyone''s approach from thousands of miles away, but the emperor is not tired of her like this. The emperor was still not bored of Yue Ran! How hateful!


    ¡­


    It was very cold in winter, and the emperor felt distressed for Yue Ran, so he had specially allowed Yue Ran not to pay a greeting to the empress every morning.


    However, the empress, Chu Ning, had specially sent someone to say that there was something that needed to be announced today, so Yue Ran had no choice but to participate in this boring meeting where women had their war either by fighting dirty or with words.


    Yue Ran wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, but trouble kept finding her. Since there was no way to steer clear of this, she would play it her way.


    When it was time for the morning greeting, everyone looked at Yue Ran''s arrival with surprise on their faces. This Noble Consort Yue does not usually come here very often, but if she were to attend this meeting, then this meeting would be much more interesting.


    Normally, when Yue Ran is not around, Li Xin and Yi Lin (formerly Yi Yan) will sit in the first seats on both sides of the empress. But as soon as Yue Ran came, Yi Lin, the female protagonist, had to change positions. And where Yi Lin was sitting right now was the seat in Yue Ran''s starting position. How humiliating!


    That was why, when Yi Lin saw Yue Ran''s presence, her complexion was not very good. Okay, maybe the three words "not very good" were an understatement of her current appearance.


    Li Xin was smiling gloatingly as she said, "Concubine Yi, why do you not take your seat? What are you doing still standing there in a daze?"


    Everyone smiled mockingly as they looked at Yi Lin, who was awkwardly standing in the middle. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a "loyal" dowry maid of the female protagonist, Yue Ran pretended not to hear or notice the "commotion" and only lowered her head to play with the jewel-like hand warmer in her hand.


    "Oh, could it be that Concubine Yi could not find your seat?" Li Xin asked contemptuously. She "kindly" raised a finger to point to a seat and said, "It is right there, Concubine Yi. Your seat is just right there. There is no need to thank me so much."


    With a livid face, Yi Yan sat down while everyone was having fun watching the show.


    After everyone was seated, Chu Ning, the empress, appeared.


    "Greetings to the empress," everyone said in unison.


    "Everyone, get up," Chu Ning said in a generous tone.


    Among the group of colorful brocade clothes, Chu Ning wore the most simple one and was still sitting on top in the center position. It was hard for her not to attract everyone''s attention at this moment.


    Although everyone does not know why Chu Ning wore this kind of simple and ordinary dress, this does not prevent some people from flattering her one after another.


    "Your Majesty, the empress, although the clothes that you are wearing today have a very light color and a few patterns so that it does not look ostentatiously grand, you still look especially bright and clear this early in the morning," Bai Fen flattered the empress first.


    "The folded branches and the flower embroidery on Your Majesty, the empress'', dress look like the fashionable embroidery method I, your servant, have seen when I, your servant, first entered the Jin Dynasty many years ago," Hui Na, Concubine Hui, said following Bai Fen''s flattering.


    Many others followed after the two, and Chu Ning smiled in satisfaction.


    Seeing that everyone had expressed the desired results, Chu Ning finally decided to express her purpose for asking everyone to come at this time regardless: "It seems that everyone thinks that my clothes are not bad."


    "Yes," everyone else answered in unison.


    Yue Ran only blinks calmly on the outside but lets out a sneer in her heart.

 Chapter 155 - 155: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (25)

    Yue Ran had long known Chu Ning''s purpose for doing this, and she neither agreed nor objected. The young girl only sat on the stool while sipping the warm tea from her cup in a lazy manner.


    The young girl was just waiting for the meeting to end early.


    If she had known that she had to listen to this kind of nonsense when she came here, then she might as well not have come so that she did not have to wake up so early in the morning for "an announcement". What bad luck!


    "I have checked the account book sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and saw that the harem spends a huge amount of money on clothing materials each year," Chu Ning started. "Although my clothes are embroidered, they are sparse and simple, while the clothes that each one of you is wearing now, regardless of the material, are embroidered so ostentatiously and simply cost too much."


    "What Your Majesty said is true, but it was not like the imperial palace could not afford the price," Li Xin said, feeling a little uncomfortable by the empress'' words.


    "The decorations in the harem are often sought after by the people, so the clothing materials from the south of the capital are doubled, and the price will only continue to increase," Chu Ning said. "As the price rises, then the imperial palace will only spend more and more money on these materials. If this continues, then this extravagance will only deplete the imperial treasury."


    Seeing that no one was speaking after she had spoken, Chu Ning felt a little embarrassed. She looked down, and her gaze fell on Yue Ran, who sat the closest to herself.


    "Noble Consort Yue, what do you think about this?" Chu Ning asked.


    Everyone instantly turned their attention to Yue Ran. If one had to say who was the most gorgeously dressed person in the room, then Yue Ran would be that person.


    From the beginning to the end, it was the emperor who personally asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to arrange Yue Ran''s clothing with the best materials and to check everything that she wore, including jewelry and head accessories. Even the decorations and furniture placed in her room had to be checked very carefully to make sure that nothing she touched was wrong.


    At this moment, the large, white fur coat Yue Ran was wearing on her body was the fur of several white foxes that had just been given as a tribute from the north. There were only four rare white fox furs in total, and they were all made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs into this large, soft, snow-white fur coat that Yue Ran was wearing.


    Seeing that the fur coat was as spotlessly clean as snow, which made Yue Ran''s face even more beautiful, makes everyone in the room feel so jealous of her. But who told the emperor to only like and favor Yue Ran alone among many of them?


    Hearing Chu Ning calling her, Yue Ran lazily raised her eyelids and smiled softly as she said, "It is not that Ran Ran does not want to follow as Your Majesty wishes, it was just that..."


    The young girl''s eyebrows and eyes were bent into a very beautiful smile. It was as if Yue Ran was laughing at Chu Ning''s pretentiousness like an audience watching a clown in a show.


    "It was just that the clothes that the emperor has asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to rush to make are enough for me to wear until the next year," Yue Ran said in a soft and slow tone. "So I am afraid that I would not be able to follow as Your Majesty has wished."


    Hearing Yue Ran say this made Chu Ning so angry that someone had actually dared to refute what she had previously said! And Yue Ran even ignored her (Chu Ning''s) position as an empress and did not take her seriously at all!


    Yue Ran deserved full marks for having such great power to show off.


    In fact, everyone here, except the empress, does not agree with Chu Ning''s suggestion at all. After all, who among them does not love beauty?


    In this harem, they could only count on the emperor''s favor to live grandly in a sea of wealth, so if they dressed like an old hag who had no fashion sense, then what else were they going to look forward to?


    If they were to look like Chu Ning did, then they would not even get a glance from the emperor¡ªnot that they even did at all. Anyway, their situation would definitely be worse off if they were to follow the empress'' wish.


    This was especially so for Bai Fen. She now only wished to swallow the flattering words that she had previously said to the empress.


    Right now, Bai Fen is very dissatisfied with her current position as a noble lady and wants to improve it by having children. But how could she seduce the emperor if she did not dress more luxuriously and gorgeously? Would her plain self be able to do so? Obviously not!


    Yue Ran was greatly favored by His Imperial Majesty, so no matter how dissatisfied Chu Ning is with the young girl, she still has to bear it in her heart.


    "His Majesty, the Emperor, loves you a lot," Chu Ning said with a forced smile on her face. "His Majesty knows that you are cold and weak, so he thinks of you in everything."


    Chu Ning could only comfort herself with the fact that Yue Ran was too sick and weak to give birth to a child, so Yue Ran could never threaten herself and her position.


    This kind of woman who could not bear any children will quickly wither like a flower that has long passed its most beautiful blooming age, and Chu Ning herself will be the one who has the last laugh!


    Chu Ning turned her head around to ask Yi Lin, "Consort Yi, what do you think?" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yi Lin, the female protagonist, no longer has any favor from the emperor and so could naturally not openly offend the empress. So, she could only flatter Chu Ning like the rest of the women in the harem.


    "On one night, Emperor Song Ren Zong felt very hungry and wanted to eat roasted lamb very much," Yi Lin started. "But he did not want to start an endless slaughter just because of this overnight desire. If he were to order the palace staff to roast a lamb that night, then every night from then on, no matter whether he wanted to eat roasted lamb or not, the imperial dining room would definitely kill the lamb in advance to prepare for emergencies. After a long time, this will become a routine, and every night the imperial dining room will kill a lamb for preparation. As time goes on, how many lambs will be killed?"


    Yue Ran listened to the story out of boredom. She lowered her eyes and let a dainty finger make a circle around the teacup as she listened to both the system''s chat in her sea of consciousness and the female protagonist''s flattering words.


    "Emperor Song Ren Zong forbears the joy of eating and drinking, and he does not want the people in the palace to know his likes and dislikes to avoid waste and extravagance, which is why he seldom revealed his feelings or expressions on his face," Yi Lin continued. "And Your Majesty, the empress'' behavior is just like Emperor Song Ren Zong. Your Majesty is merciful, tolerant, modest, lenient, and also frugal."


    Chu Ning nodded in satisfaction. This is the kind of image and virtuous virtue she wanted and sought. With this kind of reputation, even if she was not loved or favored by the emperor, he still had to respect her in public.


    However, Chu Ning only cared about her own reputation when doing this and completely ignored the interests of other people in the harem, which was a big mistake.


    "What Your Majesty, the empress, said is indeed true," Hui Na, Concubine Hui, started. "But His Majesty, the emperor, has always said that the ancestors and the past emperors had worked hard to govern the country and make the country rich and peaceful, where the people would remain happy and strong even when they were to face adversities."


    This statement was obviously made to oppose Chu Ning''s words.


    "Even if the country is rich and the people are strong, the harem still cannot squander extravagantly," Chu Ning said sternly. "Otherwise, the inheritance left by the ancestors will not last for several generations."


    Hui Na pursed her lips in embarrassment.


    "I will set an example and imitate the old system of our ancestors," Chu Ning started. "From now on, we will no longer use expensive clothes and materials brought in tribute from the south, and we will not wear any expensive jewelry either. The number of rouge powders used in daily life and the charcoal used in winter will also be halved, including the charcoal distribution for the imperial princes and princesses. The charcoal distribution to all the palace servants will also be halved."


    Just for the consolidation of one''s own status, Chu Ning can even ignore her own children.


    As the empress, her Chu family could give her more than enough, so this kind of distribution that was to be cut in half would not affect her at all. It does not matter if those were halved.

 Chapter 156 - 156: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (26)

    This was because, even if Chu Ning lacked something in the palace, because of the rich and powerful Chu family, her natal family, she would never lack anything. Even if she did, her family could just give her more things¡ªmuch more than enough so that she would never complain about something that she was short of.


    However, for those with low status in the imperial palace, the number of charcoal distributions that have already been cut in half is not enough at all. How can such little charcoal to make fire be enough during the long, bitter winter?


    Yue Ran, who is in a high position, does not care about this thing at all. Meanwhile, Yi Lin does not want to offend the empress, so she can only say yes to everything even if she refuses it in her heart. Li Xin would naturally follow the empress'' suggestion since she was the empress'' loyal follower, but the others had no right to object to the empress at all.


    With this, the result was obvious. Everyone can only comply with Chu Ning.


    "Yes," everyone, bar Yue Ran, said in unison.


    "Your Majesty, the empress, you are really diligent and frugal," Bai Fen said.


    No one knows whether Chu Ning heard the irony in Bai Fen''s words or not, but Chu Ning answered, "Hmm, I also thought long and hard about it. Each of us lives in one of the Six Palaces, so we should set a good example for all the rest of the women in the world. We must not forget that our ancestors used to live with much difficulty in the past."


    "Yes, I, your servant, will follow Your Majesty, the empress'', teaching," Li Xin answered respectfully.


    Chu Ning might be the only person who felt really happy by the end of the morning greeting. Even if Li Xin felt dissatisfied with Chu Ning in her heart, she still could not say it out loud.


    ¡­


    On the way back, Yue Ran passed by the imperial garden. Her inky black eyes watched as the blooming plum blossoms fluttered with the wind. The palace maid next to Yue Ran smiled and said, "Noble Consort Yue, these plum blossoms are the best in winter."


    "That is right," another palace maid chimed in. "The late emperor liked plum blossoms the most. These plum blossoms were specially planted back then, and they were also carefully cared for. Every time this servant passed by here, this servant had to appreciate them for some time."


    Both plum blossoms and snowflakes think that they have all the beauty of spring, and neither of them is willing to admit defeat. Plum blossoms make the snowflakes look three-point crystal clear and white, but plain white snowflakes lose to the fragrance of plum blossoms.


    Yue Ran stood under the plum blossoms and looked up to admire them from the most perfect angle of view. The large, snow-white fur coat she was wearing seemed to have melted and blended in with the spotlessly white winter scene.


    The palace maids and eunuchs stood a distance away to watch Yue Ran as the snowflakes fell onto their clothes.


    Yue Ran murmured, "So lovely."


    But the young girl, who stands under the plum blossoms and looks at the scenery with the falling snowflakes as her backdrop in the white winter, does not know that she is also the most beautiful scenery in the eyes of others.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran''s face was full of irrepressible disgust. Only ghosts would want to swallow it.


    Disregarding the young girl''s face that was full of rejection and regardless of the young girl''s objection, Lu Heng pressed their lips together, and wine flowed from his lips to Yue Ran''s.


    At this time, Yue Ran''s eyes were covered in frost as she refused to swallow the liquid, which could only flow out of the corner of her lips, staining the white sheets red.


    Legs that entangled overlapped with the quilt.


    Taking advantage of this gap, Lu Heng sneaked in secretly. It was hot and tight.


    The young man lowered his head and sighed contentedly into the young girl''s ears. There was a pained and joyful expression on his face.


    "Ran Ran, relax," Lu Heng whispered. "Why are you so tight every time? It is killing me."


    The young man skimmed back and forth on the young girl''s somewhat tense, graceful, and exquisite body. He wanted to use this method to make the other party feel more relaxed and comfortable, completely forgetting that he was the one who had caused her to feel this way in the first place.


    Who knew that Lu Heng was so cunning? Yue Ran is also not feeling well right now. After comforting the young girl for a while, they quickly relieved each other''s discomfort.


    Lu Heng could not help but feel happy that this kind of thing could only be enjoyed by himself.


    There was a thunderstorm, and the waves were beating against the surface of the sea. The surface of the swaying sea had to bear bits and pieces of strong, pattering wind and rain. They drifted with the tide and did not know when the storm would end.


    At the peak of the most intense emotion, Yue Ran could not help calling out, "Hmm, cousin."


    The young girl''s voice was especially sweet at this moment, filled with lingering affection that no one could ever reject and that they would only want to drown in.


    Hearing this, Lu Heng was stunned for a while. He was so shocked that he even forgot what he was doing at this moment.


    After some time, the young man slipped out.


    At this time, Yue Ran seemed to have realized what she had just said, and both of them could only look at one another blankly.


    After reacting, Lu Heng held Yue Ran''s shoulders with a forceful movement and looked at the young girl fiercely. His eyes were red, and he asked in a vicious tone, "Why, why, why? Why can you not forget him even at this time? And you can still call him even at this moment with me inside... Why? You tell me, Yue Ran, why?"


    Lu Heng''s eyes widened, looking red and bloodshot. His long eyelashes cast a shadow under his eyelids, and the atmosphere in the room reached its extreme.


    Seeing the emotionless Yue Ran, Lu Heng suddenly felt discouraged, which killed his spirit. He let go of his hands on the young girl''s shoulder, beat the surface of the bed to vent his anger, and ended up sitting weakly on the edge of the bed, defeated.


    It turns out that not even the emperor can do whatever he wants to do, and not even the emperor can get everything he wants to get.


    "Yue Ran, you tell me what you want me to do so that you can love me, okay?" Lu Heng asked feebly, with a deep and hoarse voice, as he forced a smile on his face. "I have really tried very hard."


    Lu Heng, who had not gotten a reply for a long time, bowed his noble head. At this moment, it seemed as if he had already been abandoned by the whole world.


    "Forget it. Yue Ran, you should have a good rest first," Lu Heng said. "I still remember that there are still some official documents that I have not finished reviewing yet in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. I will leave first. I will see you again after some time."


    Lu Heng hastily picked up the clothes on the ground to wear them, and then he ran away in panic. He was unwilling to take another look at the young girl''s eyes, which made him feel sad.


    Hearing the sound of the door closing, Yue Ran relaxed herself on the bed and covered her body with the quilt with a piece of mind. She could finally sleep peacefully.


    That male protagonist could only ruin her sleep over and over again, like a dog that wanted to keep gnawing on bones, which was simply annoying! Finally, he was gone! Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he could not even satisfy her, then it was better to leave!


    Out of sight, out of mind! Yue Ran snorted.


    ¡­


    Right now, Wang Li, who was dozing outside the door, was sound asleep. But then, his round body was suddenly kicked by Lu Heng, which made him wake up slowly.


    Wang Li did not disguise the shock in his heart, which was clearly reflected on his face when he saw Lu Heng in front of him. Normally, it was still very early, so why did the emperor suddenly come out? Regardless of the reasons, Wang Li hastily stood up according to his duty.


    "Your Majesty, why did you suddenly come out?" Wang Li asked. "Your Majesty can just shout for me from the room if you need anything."


    Without knowing the cause of His Majesty''s early leave or the confusing situation, Wang Li simply thought that Lu Heng needed a change of water or something, so he smiled and said flatteringly, "This servant will immediately change the water for Your Majesty... ah!"


    Getting another kick from Lu Heng, Wang Li could only exclaim and look wronged.


    "Let us go back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation," Lu Heng said.


    "Hm?" Wang Li hummed in confusion. He, who thought that he had heard it wrong, looked up at Lu Heng in a daze, only to be stared at by the young emperor''s expressionless eyes, which made him feel so startled with fright that his heart almost stopped beating.

 Chapter 157 - 157: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (27)

    "What?" Lu Heng asked. "Can you not understand what I am saying now?"


    The young emperor''s roar was so loud that when Wang Li finally broke out of his daze and returned to reality, his legs immediately went weak as he answered, "Yes, yes, this servant understands."


    Wang Li hastily wiped off the cold sweat running down his forehead.


    And thus, in the end, the group of people quickly returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in such a mighty way.


    ¡­


    The moon was hanging high above the sky, surrounded by curtains of stars that stretched out to the horizon.


    There is no need to wait until the next day for this news to spread because everyone in the harem already knows about it on this very same night.


    After all, what the harem concubines look forward to the most every day is knowing who the emperor will stay with that night. Although it was very likely that the emperor was going to go to Yue Ran''s place, there must always be accidents, right? No one could guarantee that the emperor would not get bored of Yue Ran the next day.


    In fact, no one actually knew how the noble concubine actually offended the emperor when she was in bed so that the emperor would directly return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the middle of the night in a rush.


    However, no one would complain about it. After all, this was their chance, right? They can finally take advantage of the emperor and Yue Ran''s rift to get favor!


    Although the emperor did not summon other people to attend his bedside that night, it was still a good sign anyway. It was likely that the days when Noble Concubine Yue dominated the emperor would soon be over and that their hope of being favored would come very soon!


    The next day, early in the morning, all the concubines in the harem were waiting anticipatively in the empress'' palace for the morning greeting to laugh at Yue Ran''s joke. They all thought that they could laugh and make fun of Yue Ran, but the other party did not come to attend the morning greeting at all, so they had actually been happy for so long for nothing.


    Yue Ran had gotten the emperor''s permission so that she did not have to get up early every day to greet the empress, and all the harem concubines could only sulk in pity.


    Even the female protagonist, Yi Lin, thought that the emperor was already tired of Yue Ran''s coldness, indifference, and lack of sentimentality. No matter how beautiful Yue Ran looked, the emperor, as a man, would still feel bored of her after so long.


    Yi Lin thought that at this time, it was her chance to shine and get the favor of the emperor, but she did not know that she and the other harem concubines would never have any chance in this lifetime.


    At this moment, Yue Ran, the protagonist and subject of ridicule in the harem, is sleeping beautifully on the bed, and she does not look anxious at all. What was the need to be anxious when it was all part of her plan?


    Yue Ran was not in a hurry, but some others were in a hurry.


    Pei He took the opportunity to take advantage of the absence of the emperor, who went to court, to run to Yue Ran''s palace with many worries.


    Going through a secret passage would allow Pei He to come and go freely into and out of Yue Ran''s room, and then Yue Ran would only need to dismiss all of the palace servants when needed. But it was also fine if they were not dismissed since there would not be any loss or commotion anyway.


    When Pei He arrived, the first thing he saw was Yue Ran''s sleeping figure on the bed.


    Pei He initially wanted to wake Yue Ran up, but when his hand was stretched out, he suddenly felt reluctant to do so. In the end, his rationality prevailed, and he whispered, "Ran Ran, Ran Ran..."


    Yue Ran knew of the young man''s presence as early as when Pei He had walked into the room, but she still pretended to have only woken up from her sleep as she said in a daze, "Hmm, cousin..."


    Seeing the dazed young girl who had just woken up and was not yet fully awake and hearing her calling him like this, Pei He only felt sweetness in his heart.


    Pei He carefully supported Yue Ran as she sat up, and he followed her to sit on the edge of the bed. The young girl consciously leaned into the young man''s arms.


    "Cousin, why are you here?" Yue Ran asked.


    Seeing the way his beloved just woke up, Pei He felt an indescribable satisfaction in his heart.


    "Why do you think that I came here to find Ran Ran today?" Pei He asked.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran looked at the young man in bewilderment. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Pei He helplessly smiled at the young girl and lightly pinched her little nose. How could Yue Ran be so cute like this?


    "What happened last night, Ran Ran?" Pei He asked, finally getting to the main point. "Why did the emperor suddenly return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the middle of the night instead of staying here overnight?"


    Originally, Pei He wanted to ask a little eunuch who was watching the night last night with Wang Li, but he did not know why he had the sudden urge to take the risk to find Yue Ran himself.


    It was only then that Yue Ran understood why Pei He had come to find her.


    "Oh, it is about this. There is nothing to be worried about, Cousin," Yue Ran said with a smile.


    "How could this not make me feel worried?" Pei He asked, and then he pinched the young girl''s cheek. "But Ran Ran still does not want to say it to me. Ran Ran, tell me quickly."


    Seeing how persistent the young man was in front of her, Yue Ran finally spoke up: "Well, the problem took place when I was on the bed last night, and I suddenly called out for Cousin. It was just as simple as that. Like I said before, Cousin, everything is just fine. There is no need to be worried."


    This explanation makes everything clear.


    Pei He is both helpless and happy. The happy thing was that Yue Ran has a deep love for him, and the helpless thing was that how could she suddenly call out another man at that kind of time and situation?


    Yue Ran could have been beheaded just by a word from the emperor, and there could also have been an execution of nine relatives, which was the most severe punishment for a capital offense. After all, this kind of thing was a severe insult to the emperor.


    Hearing Yue Ran''s explanation, Pei He really did not know whether he should talk about it or not. But in the end, he helplessly smiled and said, "Well, since this is the case, then Ran Ran should take a good rest. I think that the emperor still loves Ran Ran a lot; otherwise, he would not have let Ran Ran go just like this. It is better for Ran Ran to stay put at the Palace of Celestial Favor for some time until the limelight of this excitement is gone."


    Pei He did not want Yue Ran to face criticism as soon as she stepped out of the Palace of Celestial Favor; he did not want her to face ridicule or sarcasm from others, so he had suggested that she stay put in one place for a while until the emperor calmed down and doted on her again.


    After saying these, Pei He planned to leave; after all, the emperor only went to the morning court, and it was not like he would not be back.


    Yue Ran lightly tugged at Pei He''s clothes with reluctance in her eyes. She does not want him to leave yet.


    When Pei He''s gaze stopped at the young girl, he could see that she looked as if she was about to cry in the next second, so he could only sit back on the bed helplessly.


    "Ran Ran, the emperor will come back from the morning court later," Pei He explained patiently and gently. His tone was filled with the gentleness of the moon that illuminates Yue Ran alone in the vast, wide world.


    "But the morning court would not be over for a while, and it would not matter if Cousin stayed just a little longer," Yue Ran said. "Besides, the emperor is still angry right now anyway, so Cousin would most likely be scolded if Cousin went back early. Ran Ran still does not want Cousin to leave, so Cousin can go back at a later time when the emperor is less angry, okay?"


    Seeing Yue Ran acting so cute and coquettishly in his arms, Pei He could not help but say, "Okay, then I will stay here a little longer as Ran Ran wants."


    "That is great!" Yue Ran exclaimed in joy.


    The reason the young girl was so happy was that there were not many opportunities for the two to meet alone since Lu Heng wished that he could stay by Yue Ran''s side for more than twelve hours a day, which was suffocatingly sticky, like an unwanted bubblegum that could not be thrown away.

 Chapter 158 - 158: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (28)

    Yue Ran and Pei He hugged each other and enjoyed this wonderful time together.


    But if it was just hugging one another, then it is not Yue Ran, okay? She was bored, and there was almost nothing to do on this kind of ancient plane. Naturally, the only entertainment that could be played here was the entertainment in bed.


    Yue Ran narrowed her eyes like a sly little fox and asked, "Does Cousin not want to try the taste like the one last time?"


    Pei He had felt the bliss and the feeling of ecstasy, and he still misses that feeling to this day.


    When this subject was brought up so suddenly, Pei He opened his lips but could not say a word.


    Once again, the curtains fall, hiding the scenery of the bed inside. There were sounds of laughter in the room, but the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards stood outside calmly as if they could not hear a rustle or noise.


    ¡­


    The Hall of Mental Cultivation


    After staying in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a few days, Lu Heng finally figured it out. He had already straightened out his thoughts well, and he had also calmed down.


    Although Lu Heng could not win Yue Ran''s heart, it was already good enough for Yue Ran to be by his side. Maybe some things can''t really be forced.


    Despite the fact that the young emperor had made up his mind, it would be difficult to ask for Yue Ran''s forgiveness if he were to take the initiative to apologize and find her first. And therefore, Lu Heng could only lose his temper in the Hall of Mental Cultivation every day.


    In the past few days, all the palace servants who served in the Hall of Mental Cultivation were trembling every day, fearing that they would accidentally offend the emperor in one second and that their heads would be lost in the next.


    Wang Li understood that since the emperor came back from Noble Consort Yue''s Palace of Celestial Favor, the emperor has not been happy for a day. It was very likely that the two protagonists had a fight, and thus the emperor was throwing a temper tantrum here.


    But with the emperor''s unpredictable temper that could explode even with the slightest touch, Wang Li did not dare to take the initiative to say anything. So Wang Li could only be seen standing silently on one side of the room, trying to lower his sense of existence.


    On Lu Heng''s side, he could not think of a way out at all. Seeing all the palace servants around him, he suddenly called out, "Wang Li, come here."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Wang Li answered as he stepped forward to walk closer to the young emperor. "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"


    Seeing how Wang Li was bowing his head while nodding meekly at him, Lu Heng suddenly felt as if he had found someone very unreliable. But then again, he could not find anyone else that he could trust, so he could just tell Wang Li about his problem first before he could rethink the idea he received later.


    Lu Heng coughed twice before saying, "It is like this. I have some conflicts with the noble consort, but... I do not want to take the first initiative to, um, you know..."


    Upon hearing this, Wang Li intently understood what Lu Heng meant. And then a wretched smile appeared on the face of the chubby eunuch. His eyes were bent so much that Lu Heng could no longer see them.


    "What are you smiling so uglily for?" Lu Heng asked with a tone so solemn. The furrowed brows on his face could kill a fly. "Do you not understand what I am talking about?"


    "This servant understands, this servant understands," Wang Li quickly replied as he tried hard to straighten the smile on his face, although he still failed to do so. At least he has given it a try.


    "So, what can you do?" Lu Heng asked.


    "This is just a simple thing, Your Majesty," Wang Li said in reply. "Your Majesty can just make the noble consort jealous. For example, Your Majesty can find a few beauties to accompany Your Majesty to have fun, and then spread this kind of news to the noble consort''s ears in the Palace of Celestial Favor. What does Your Majesty think of this idea?"


    Hearing what Wang Li had said, Lu Heng nodded and felt that this idea might just work. But both had already forgotten that Yue Ran has no affectionate feelings for Lu Heng at all.


    "In this case, then I will leave this matter to you," Lu Heng said. "If this idea really did work in the end, then I will reward you heavily."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Wang Li replied flatteringly.


    No one knows if Lu Heng was just too confident or if he really thought that Wang Li''s method was really good, so he was sure that Yue Ran would really come.


    ¡­


    All the concubines in the harem knew that the emperor did not like to enter the Six Palaces recently, so he only summoned musicians to play music in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.


    No one knew how many veils the concubines of the Six Palaces had torn because of this. Originally, they thought that if the emperor hated Noble Consort Yue, then they would have a chance to win his favor, but they were wrong. The emperor would rather hide in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and listen to female musicians play music than go and walk around the Six Palaces to see the concubines in the harem.


    Lu Heng waited left and right in the Hall of Mental Cultivation to wait for Yue Ran, but all the respectable consorts and concubines came except for the one he wanted to see the most.


    Feeling angry, Lu Heng smashed the teacup in his hand to the ground in a shatter and roared out, "Wang Li, get the hell here!"


    Wang Li was so scared that he immediately walked in and kneeled on the ground, trembling.


    "Your¡­ Your Majesty," Wang Li said in a quivering voice. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How did you handle this matter?" Lu Heng questioned sternly. "Why has the noble consort not come to see me yet? Has the news reached the Palace of Celestial Favor?"


    "Your Majesty, there is no one in the Six Palaces that does not know about this news," Wang Li explained submissively. He had spread the word extremely well already, but it was the noble concubine herself who did not want to come to see the young emperor.


    In fact, Lu Heng also understands clearly that it was Yue Ran who did not want to come to him, and he himself felt very uncomfortable knowing this. He would rather lie to himself and say that it was Yue Ran who had not heard of this news at all, but this little lie was also broken by Wang Li''s words.


    Why does Yue Ran not come to him? Why does Yue Ran not care about him?


    On the side, a woman was peeking at the scene in front of her.


    After several days of observation, the woman, Bai Ji, also noticed that the emperor was having a conflict with Noble Consort Yue and wanted her to come to him on her own initiative. However, the noble consort just did not come.


    Thinking this way, Bai Ji suddenly felt that this might be her chance. So, holding the short-necked Chinese lute in her hands, she walked closer to the emperor with a smile.


    "Your Majesty, this servant has a way to solve this predicament," Bai Ji said. "It is like this..."


    Lu Heng was so angry that he did not notice Bai Ji''s flattering and flirtatious expression at the moment, but Wang Li by the side saw it.


    This was another reckless person, Wang Li thought. Even he, a eunuch, could just see how sincerely the emperor treats the noble consort, but this musician really wants to seek death.


    ¡­


    Everyone in the Six Palaces thought that the emperor only recruited musicians to listen to music on a whim, but who knew that he would actually favor a female musician during this time?


    On the second day, the newcomer came to offer tea to the empress during the morning greeting. If it were an ordinary tea offering, then Yue Ran would not have to come and attend so early in the morning, but the protagonist is Bai Ji.


    With Bai Ji here, there would definitely be a good show to watch, so how could Yue Ran not go?


    Yue Ran did not arrive very early to the empress'' palace, and she also did not arrive late. She calmly walked in and sat in the seat while waiting for the show that was to come.


    When everyone inside saw Yue Ran coming, they thought that the young girl finally could not bear it any longer and thus wanted to see just who dared seduce the emperor when she was not there.


    The emperor''s new and old lovers came today. There was not even a need to think about it to know that there would be a good drama to watch.


    "Yesterday, the cold wind blew all night," one of the harem concubines in the seats below, with the title of a noble lady, said out loud. "I do not know if I heard it wrong, but I seem to have heard the sound of the Imperial Favor Carriage passing the long imperial street.

 Chapter 159 - 159: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (29)

    "Noble Lady Jin heard it right," Bai Fen joined in. "The sound of the wheels was so loud that no one would not hear it passing by."


    Hui Na followed suit by saying, "Last night, the emperor did not turn over the sign, so who was actually picked up by the Imperial Favor Carriage?"


    (*The Imperial Favor Carriage: It is a special carriage used by the emperor to take the concubine to the emperor''s bedroom when he summons the concubine to attend the bed.)


    "Could it be the noble consort?" Bai Fen asked aloud, then gave out a sarcastic sigh. "The emperor has always doted on the noble concubine, after all."


    These people''s words were simply saying that Yue Ran''s domination over the emperor was over and that it was time for the emperor to favor another. The sound of the Imperial Favor Carriage last night must have been to fetch the emperor''s new lover over to attend to the bed and not Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran does not even bother to lift her eyelids as she simply counters, "I have always been waiting for the emperor to come to my own palace."


    Lu Heng has always felt distressed for Yue Ran, and so he did not want Yue Ran to run around in this bitterly cold winter. He did not want her to catch a cold, whether by accident or not. He would rather wrong himself by walking in the snow than let Yue Ran do it.


    Others were not so lucky. It would be good enough for the emperor to remember their faces or even their names, but the cruel fact is that the emperor does not even know most of the concubines'' existences at all. The majority of the concubines could not do anything about it.


    Yue Ran''s simple remark made everyone feel uncomfortable. It was a painful slap in their faces.


    In this harem, only Yue Ran and the empress do not need to fight for preferential treatment by gaining the emperor''s attention. The reason why the emperor paid attention to the empress was to purely show his respect for his wife for the public to see.


    Hearing the heart-wrenching words, the concubines in the room immediately stopped irritating one another. They were all stabbed the same way by Yue Ran anyway.


    If anyone wanted to know who was hurt the most, then that person would undoubtedly be Yi Lin, the female protagonist herself. And everyone also understood why, even if no one were to talk about or discuss it.


    ¡­


    "Greetings to the empress," everyone said in unison when Chu Ning came into the room.


    "Everyone, get up," Chu Ning said in a generous tone.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," everyone replied as they took their respective seats.


    "I just heard that the sisters were chatting in a very lively way from outside of the hall," Chu Ning said. "What is everyone talking so happily about?"


    "Your Majesty, the empress, we sisters were only joking with one another just now," Bai Fen said. "We were talking about how the emperor did not turn over the brand yesterday, but the Imperial Favor Carriage was still pulled along the imperial street, and no one knew who it was."


    "Oh, it turned out to be this," Chu Ning answered knowingly. "This is the blessing of our new sister. The one in the Imperial Favor Carriage is also her. Today, we will welcome another younger sister to join and accompany us in the Six Palaces."


    "There is a new younger sister?" One of the concubines asked, followed by a sudden, loud discussion among the many others. The hall was instantly restless.


    Chu Ning''s smile was a little ugly. She had seen this "new younger sister" before, and she herself felt that Bai Ji''s identity and appearance were a little too unattractive. But this was what the emperor wanted, so what else could she do?


    "Just now, His Majesty, the Emperor, has sent a verbal order to title our new younger sister, Bai Ji, as the Second Class Attendant," Chu Ning said. "Second Class Attendant Bai will be allocated in the Palace of Peace and Harmony. She will live with us sisters from now on."


    "But is she not...?" Li Xin''s words trailed off. She had blurted this out in surprise.


    After all, Li Xin was clearly aware that this newcomer, titled Second Class Attendant Bai, was just a lowly musician, not of noble descent. A musician''s status was even lower than that of an imperial maid. So could His Majesty, the Emperor, actually be attracted to such a woman?


    "It stands to reason that some of the sisters have seen her before," Chu Ning said. "After all, some of you have gone to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to see the Emperor. It was said that she is a prostitute who can play the short-necked Chinese lute."


    "A prostitute?" Bai Fen asked with a disgusted tone. She immediately nailed down the main point of Chu Ning''s sentence. "With such a lowly status, she actually deserves to sit on an equal footing with us? Besides, the emperor is still in the period of filial piety."


    The period of filial piety? Yue Ran almost laughed out loud when she heard this sentence.


    Not only did Lu Heng want to replace the moon and the sun itself, but he also could not wait to get in touch with Yue Ran, even if the young man''s imperial father had just died long ago.


    Bai Fen had said this in a sarcastic tone. No matter whether she was pretending to be of kind and flattering character or not, she really did think that a prostitute''s status was very low. She really does look down on those who prostitute themselves.


    However, Bai Fen does not know that she is just a plaything in Lu Heng''s eyes. So how noble could she be if she were to compare herself to those who prostitute themselves? There was no difference since they were all just concubines of the emperor, no matter what status they had. Only the emperor''s special preference would make a difference.


    "Noble Lady Jin, you should have some sense of propriety in your speech," Chu Ning said sternly, although there was some satisfaction in her eyes. "No matter what, Second Class Attendant Bai is the first newcomer that was accepted by the emperor after he had ascended the throne. As long as the emperor likes it, no one has much to say." After a pause, she continued, "I have said before that the Six Palaces must be harmonious and peaceful. If anyone dares to get jealous and plot against others, I will definitely not tolerate this."


    No matter how unhappy Chu Ning feels in her heart, she still has to put on the guise of a wise, generous, and magnanimous empress in public.


    "I, your servant, will follow Your Majesty, the empress'', teachings," everyone replied in unison.


    ¡­


    "Second Class Attendant Bai."


    Everyone looked as a woman in an exquisite pink dress walked in. She could barely be considered beautiful with that appearance of hers. Not to mention, which of the concubines in the harem was not a beauty? Let alone Yue Ran, who was the most beautiful of all.


    Why has His Majesty, the Emperor, suddenly changed his taste? And also into something like plain water instead of a grand feast.


    Bai Ji walked with great confidence in front of the empress and asked Chu Ning for peace: "The concubine of the Palace of Peace and Harmony, titled the Second Class Attendant Bai, Bai Ji, greets Your Majesty, the Empress. May Your Majesty, the Empress, always be blessed."


    "Get up and take a seat," Chu Ning said in a generous tone.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Bai Ji replied as she walked to the only empty seat in the hall.


    But before Bai Ji had taken her seat, Bai Fen started saying, "I thought it was some kind of beauty, but it turned out to be nothing more than that. The most beautiful one must be Noble Consort Yue, then the next one would be Consort Li."


    The tone of voice that Bai Fen had used was not loud, but it could be heard in the silence of the hall. It was especially penetrating and harsh when it traveled into Bai Ji''s ears.


    "What are you talking about?" Li Xin said jokingly, "In terms of beauty in the harem, the first one would be Noble Consort Yue, followed by you, Sister Bai."


    Hui Na only smiled at the chattering as she said, "Second Class Attendant Bai, let me introduce the sisters in the hall for you. I am Concubine Hui. This is Noble Consort Yue, that is, Consort Li, followed by Consort Yi¡­" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the concubines in the harem were slowly and calmly introduced to Bai Ji, one by one.


    It was only now that Bai Ji finally met the noble consort, whom the emperor had never forgotten since the day she came into the palace.


    Noble Consort Yue is indeed a peerless beauty that could never be forgotten with just one glance. She looked very fascinating and beguiling just by sitting there so quietly without doing anything. It was no wonder that the emperor was so captivated by her.


    Originally, Bai Ji had planned to let the emperor dote on her so that she would be able to give birth to the emperor''s first legitimate son after he had ascended the throne, but the emperor had never touched her, not even a finger or a nick of skin at all.

 Chapter 160 - 160: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (30)

    Until now, Bai Ji was still clean. She was still innocent.


    How could Bai Ji know that since Lu Heng met Yue Ran, he was no longer interested in another woman? For Lu Heng, everyone else in the world is monotonous and bland; only Yue Ran is full of colors. So, how could he be interested in others?


    From the moment Lu Heng met Yue Ran, the young man seemed to have already been fascinated by the young girl. Every time he went to another concubine''s palace, he did not have any desire to do anything and would only sleep with them by covering himself with a big quilt and closing his eyes. He did not even touch the concubine''s skin or hand at all.


    Only when Lu Heng comes to Yue Ran''s room will he really vent all of the accumulated lust. It seemed that he would never get tired of it all night, and then he would keep thinking about it during the day.


    Therefore, every time Lu Heng spent the night in Yue Ran''s bedroom, the palace staff would tirelessly boil water all night, and the young girl would also not be able to sleep.


    Even so, every time Lu Heng got up and went to the morning court, he was still full of energy. The palace staff only felt that this was a very strange phenomenon. After all, Lu Heng had worked hard all night, but why is he still so energetic?


    "His Majesty, the emperor, really likes the younger sister," Bai Fen said to Bai Ji in a sarcastic tone that held a hint of jealousy. "The clothes on your body must be from the newest tribute."


    "Noble Lady Jin has good eyesight," Bai Ji said in reply.


    Bai Fen raised a brow and looked at Bai Ji with undisguised sarcasm on her face. The words that she blurted out next felt as if she had not used her brain to think twice.


    "It was not that I have good eyesight; it was just that at first glance, what you are wearing is a very thin cloth. I am just afraid that you will feel cold this winter," Bai Fen said. "But this kind of cloth is really rare. I think that only Noble Consort Yue has it in the whole palace, other than you. I am afraid that not even the empress has it in her own palace."


    It seemed as if Bai Fen had said these sentences out loud without careful consideration, but her words directly pulled out two of the women with the first and second highest rank in the harem. This was a great slap at the empress. Only Bai Fen herself would know if she had accidentally blurted out those words or not.


    Anyone who heard Bai Fen''s words would instantly think that she is really stupid. And whoever thought that Bai Fen was stupid was the real stupid person.


    But Yue Ran did not fall into the trap, nor was she provoked at all. The young girl only brought the rim of the teacup to her lips with an expression on her face that said, I just want to be quiet and drink tea while watching the show. Please do not drag me into the water. Thank you.


    Seeing that Yue Ran did not say anything, Bai Ji only lowered her head to feign a smile. She did not want to face the noble concubine unless she absolutely had to.


    "Is that so?" Bai Ji asked in reply to Bai Fen''s words. "The emperor only rewarded me with clothes, so how would I know if he rewarded others with the same thing or not?"


    "Her Majesty, the Empress, advocates frugality and simplicity in the harem," Li Xin said. "And you are just a Second Class Attendant, so wearing this outfit is a bit too extravagant."


    "But His Majesty, the Emperor, likes it when I dress like this," Bai Ji said in reply with a triumphant smirk on her face. "Then, Consort Li, who should I listen more to? Should I listen more to the emperor or the empress?"


    Bai Ji''s tone was as soft, delicate, and weak as a white lotus, but the words she spoke were like thorns piercing the skin. The subject was turned over to the empress.


    The empress advocates frugality and simplicity in the harem, but the emperor does not like it.


    Yue Ran pulled the corners of her lips upward and smiled. But this beautiful smile was not seen by anyone since her lips were concealed by the teacup covering her mouth as she took another sip of tea.


    "The emperor''s will will always come first," Chu Ning answered slowly and gently. "The snow outside has stopped, the weather is cold, and the road is slippery. Everyone can go back earlier."


    Ah, the empress could not take it anymore of others offenses to her. How disappointing.


    Chu Ning did not want to continue to lose face in front of everyone anymore. She just wanted to let this group of annoying things leave quickly, out of her sight, so that she could calm down and relax her nerves. If they were to stay any longer, then she might not know what she would do.


    "Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress," everyone replied in unison as they filed out of the hall.


    The play was over, and it was time for the show to end. Anyway, there will be another show after that, so Yue Ran does not have to worry about having no entertainment for some time.


    Yue Ran was the first to leave and return to the Palace of Celestial Favor. As soon as she arrived, she instantly went to bed to sleep more.


    How would Yue Ran know that there was still someone waiting for her arrival in the Hall of Mental Cultivation? That man sitting in one place had almost become a stone statue that was filled with hope and expectation.


    After a while, Lu Heng asked Wang Li whether Yue Ran had come or not, but the result he received was always the same: no. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your Majesty, you have to be patient," Wang Li said. "Noble Consort Yue may come soon, so Your Majesty has to wait for Noble Consort Yue to see how stable Your Majesty is."


    Wang Li was actually more anxious than Lu Heng is inside.


    Why has the noble consort not come to see His Majesty yet? If she did not come, then he was afraid that he would really die in His Majesty''s hands! However, he still has to comfort His Majesty while panicking inside.


    "Yes, you are right," Lu Heng said. "I have to be stable."


    After hearing what Wang Li said made sense, Lu Heng continued to sit down to review official documents again.


    ¡­


    In just a few days, Bai Ji made a fuss again. It was another day full of drama, and she came to find the empress, so the empress came to find the emperor in turn.


    Then, it was the emperor''s turn to call all the relevant people to this case, which were Consort Yi, Yi Lin, and Second Class Attendant Bai, Bai Ji. Originally, this matter had nothing to do with Yue Ran, but Lu Heng said (and insisted) that as the second highest ranking person in the harem, she also needed to be present during this kind of thing.


    To put it bluntly, who in the imperial palace does not know what the emperor is actually thinking of inside? Chu Ning could not say anything to retort back to the emperor''s suggestion, so she could only pretend as if she did not hear the emperor''s words at all.


    When Yue Ran came in, Lu Heng immediately hung on his words, and his mind blanked. He had already forgotten what he had just said to the others.


    "I pay respect to Your Majesty, the Emperor," Yue Ran said.


    "There is no need to be polite; take a seat," Lu Heng said. "Ran Ran has worked hard to come out in this cold weather, but I still let Ran Ran run around. Make sure to stay warm and comfortable so that Ran Ran does not catch a cold after staying outside for quite a while."


    Who in the imperial palace does not know that Noble Consort Yue will use a sedan chair whenever she goes out? Even after knowing this, the emperor was still afraid that his beloved would feel cold outside. He does not even want to waste a few words to comfort the rest of the women who have walked here on their own two legs.


    Yes, this kind of affection is one that none of the women in the room wanted to see.


    As Lu Heng said this, he had to reach out his hands to touch Yue Ran''s before he felt relieved.


    This scene made the others want to look away after seeing it.


    Lu Heng still looks as shameless as ever. Once he had touched Yue Ran''s hand, he did not want to let it go again. The young man stared at the young girl with focused eyes.


    How long has it been since he last saw and touched Yue Ran like this? It feels like a very long time ago¡ªonce upon a time.


    In fact, they had only stopped meeting one another for a few days, and these comfortable days were only enough to allow Yue Ran to sleep peacefully.


    Lu Heng was not embarrassed, but Yue Ran was embarrassed, so she quickly withdrew her hand.

 Chapter 161 - 161: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (31)

    "Your Majesty, there is still something else that needs to be done first," Yue Ran said, indicating that Lu Heng should focus on the present moment.


    "It is just a small matter, and it is not as important as Ran Ran," was Lu Heng''s answer.


    This wave of operations stunned everyone present, including Yue Ran herself.


    Disfigurement of a woman''s face in ancient times could be considered a trivial matter, and it was not like the plastic surgery case in modern times. But the key was that the person who was almost disfigured was still Lu Heng''s concubine!


    Bai Ji had made so much noise because of the matter related to her face, and she was really about to cry for real. She may have faked her cry before, but not now.


    No matter how insignificant her status was, she was still the emperor''s concubine, and she was almost disfigured! Such a big thing could actually be turned into nothing when compared to whether the noble consort''s hands are cold or not. Did she hear it wrong?


    After saying so, Lu Heng also reflected on whether what he had just said in public was right or not. He may have been a little too excited to actually blurt out what he had actually thought about in his heart.


    Lu Heng faked a cough twice before saying, "Second Class Attendant Bai, you have said before that it was Consort Yi who harmed you. Do you have any evidence to support your words?"


    Yi Lin never thought or expected that when she first saw that Second Class Attendant Bai was favored by the emperor and she herself was not, and that she had actually kindly wanted to win over Second Class Attendant Bai to act as her helper, she would be bitten back so soon.


    "That day, Consort Yi had opened a bottle of ointment in my palace," Bai Ji said. "She was the only person who had ever touched that same bottle of ointment.


    "Second Class Attendant Bai, on that day, I opened that bottle of ointment out of good intentions to help you confirm whether it is the medicine for reducing swelling and removing stasis or not," Yi Lin answered back. "Moreover, it was Second Class Attendant Bai yourself who had asked me to stay and check it for you." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Bai Ji heard Yi Lin''s words, she stood up and asked, "Then, dare I ask Consort Yi that, besides you, does anyone else have the opportunity to touch this bottle of ointment that day?"


    Seeing that the two women were arguing with reason and were insisting on their own opinions, Yue Ran smiled lightly at the entertaining drama that had unfolded in front of her.


    The scene of a thief shouting to catch a thief was really fun to watch. And this performance in front of her was exactly that.


    Seeing the smile on Yue Ran''s face, Bai Ji thought that the young girl was laughing at herself, and thus Bai Ji said in a bad tone, "What is Noble Consort Yue laughing at?"


    But before Yue Ran could even say a word, Lu Heng had already slapped the table and said with a raised voice, "Is this how you usually talk to the noble consort?"


    The terrifying momentum of the emperor made Bai Ji so scared that she no longer dared to say anything.


    After shouting at Bai Ji, Lu Heng turned his head to Yue Ran and gently spoke to the young girl with a smile on his face, "Ran Ran, do you have anything you want to say just now?"


    Such swift face-changing skills stunned everyone present, except the two protagonists, Yue Ran and Lu Heng.


    Yue Ran has seen this kind of thing countless times before and thus calmly said, "I only wanted to say that besides Consort Yi, Second Class Attendant Bai has also touched that bottle of ointment."


    Yi Lin did not expect that Yue Ran would actually speak for her, but she would not be grateful to her because of this. Sooner or later, she will bring that young girl down and step on her with triumph on her face! After all, all her (Yi Lin''s) sufferings came because of Yue Ran in the first place! Who told Yue Ran to be born with such a beautiful appearance?


    Yue Ran''s beauty was the original sin.


    Yue Ran had just said that sentence casually, but it successfully poked and impaled Bai Ji''s heart straight through with an invisible arrow. Bai Ji panicked for a moment, forced herself to calm down, and then said in a serious tone, "Noble Consort Yue, you should know how important a face is to a woman. After all, you yourself are very beautiful."


    Heh, Bai Ji''s words were actually belittling her, Yue Ran, straight in her face.


    Bai Ji''s words mean that Yue Ran is a person who relies on her short-term beauty to serve and attract the emperor, so Yue Ran will sooner or later lose favor because of her fading beauty.


    Yue Ran smiled sweetly when she heard it. She tilted her head a little to the side and said, "I am only telling the truth, so why do you look so in a hurry? Hm? And you still look guilty?"


    In the end, it was Yi Lin who said that she did not have any sort of drugs or poisonous herbs in her purse at all and had the emperor''s men check her and her place, so she justified her innocence.


    After the case reached a conclusion, everyone finally once again recalled what Yue Ran had said just now and then looked at Bai Ji in a strange way.


    Could it be that there were actually women who dared to lay hands on their own faces? If they were so cruel to themselves, then they would only be crueler to others! So terrifying!


    Yue Ran smiled. This was actually the empress dowager''s scheme to frame Yi Lin. Whether Yi Lin is really on her side or not, the empress dowager still does not like the Yi family at all because of her dead rival, the empress, who was Yi Lin''s aunt. Therefore, the empress dowager has just landed an attack on Yi Lin herself.


    However, as the previous "loyal maid" of the female protagonist, Yue Ran still has to prove that she cares about her former master. After all, she will always stay "loyal" to Yi Lin and thus will help Yi Lin deal with her problem like this.


    Yue Ran picked up a teacup and took a sip, but she suddenly felt sick and nauseous. She tried to hold it back by putting a hand on her chest to pat and rub the discomfort away, but it did not work.


    This sudden action by Yue Ran frightened Lu Heng a lot. His mind had thought wildly, and he was thinking that something was wrong with Yue Ran, so he quickly hugged the young girl in his arms and leaned her head to his chest. He also helped to pat Yue Ran''s chest carefully to help her feel better.


    "Ran Ran, how are you feeling?" Lu Heng asked with undisguised worry on his face and in the tone of his voice.


    "I am¡­" fine.


    But before Yue Ran could finish speaking, she once again felt nauseous. There was a great urge to vomit.


    This made Lu Heng panic a lot. Just what was actually happening with Yue Ran?


    Chu Ning looked at the two affectionate people in front of her, and the veil on her hands was crumpled and a little torn due to the strong force she had exerted. The other two women, Yi Lin and Bai Ji, did not feel much better.


    As the empress, Chu Ning has to always put on a generous and magnanimous facade.


    "Your Majesty, why do you not ask an imperial physician to take a look at Noble Consort Yue''s condition?" Chu Ning asked gently.


    Seeing how Yue Ran was suffering in Lu Heng''s arms, Chu Ning had never once suspected that the other party was pregnant or anything. After all, the imperial physician had previously diagnosed that Yue Ran would never have a chance to get pregnant in this life, so Chu Ning could rest assured.


    To care for and comfort Yue Ran was always Lu Heng''s first priority. And because of this, he had already forgotten that he should first call for the imperial physician to come and check his beloved''s condition. Thankfully, Chu Ning had reminded him of it.


    "What are you all still doing in a daze?" Lu Heng asked with a raised voice. "Why do you all still not hurry up and call for an imperial physician to come?"


    Watching the scene in front of her, Yi Lin viciously cursed in her heart that it would be better for Yue Ran to suffer from some incurable disease! It was better for her to die early so that she did not have to worry so much about gains and losses!


    ¡­


    The old imperial physician had just stepped into the room after running as fast as he could to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He had just greeted the emperor pantingly by saying, "This servant greets the¡ª"


    But before the imperial physician could finish his words, he was suddenly dragged by the young emperor to the bedside to check on Yue Ran''s well-being.


    "What are you still greeting me for?" Lu Heng frowned. "Why do you not just hurry up to check on the noble consort as soon as possible?"

 Chapter 162 - 162: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (32)

    Lu Heng spoke sternly in a threatening tone. "If something were to happen to the noble consort, then I can promise that your life will not be guaranteed."


    Facing this kind of intimidation made the imperial physician''s hands start to shake. He was afraid that he would really diagnose some serious illness later and that his own life would be lost just like this!


    Being an imperial physician in the imperial palace is really a high-risk occupation that can make one easily lose their head at every turn. But the return received was also very large. It all depends on luck and skill.


    Lu Heng stood by the side with his fists clenched in fear. Just looking at Yue Ran, who looked pale and as weak as a rustling leaf on a branch, made him feel so much unease at the moment.


    The young emperor was afraid. He was really afraid that he would hear something that he really did not want to hear. And when he does hear it, he does not know what he will do, and he is sure that he will most definitely lose control of himself!


    Tremblingly, the imperial physician reached out a hand to check Noble Consort Yue''s pulse. He touched the wrist again and again, repeatedly. Every time he touched it, he would feel more and more excited! It seems that his luck was especially great today!


    After confirming the pulse after many tests and checks, the imperial physician could firmly confirm that his head would still stay intact and connected to his body tonight. Not to mention that he would most definitely be greatly rewarded as well!


    Therefore, the imperial physician got up and saluted the emperor as he said in a joyful tone, "Congratulations to Your Majesty, the Emperor. Congratulations to Your Majesty, the Emperor."


    Lu Heng was dumbfounded when he heard the imperial physician congratulating him out of nowhere. He, like Chu Ning, never once had any hope in this life that Yue Ran would one day have his baby, the proof of the crystallization of their love. He also did not have hope that the young girl would give birth to a baby for him.


    "Your Majesty, the noble consort is pregnant," the imperial physician said.


    This sudden sentence that he had received rang in Lu Heng''s ears and immediately knocked him dizzy. This was an unforeseen event, but a good unforeseen event!


    Lu Heng, who recalled the words that the imperial physician had just said, shouted, "Say it again, what happened to the noble consort?"


    The young emperor could hardly believe the news that he had heard!


    "Your Majesty, the noble consort is pregnant," the imperial physician repeated with a joyful expression. The wrinkles on his face were about to cover his eyes. "It has been half a month."


    Lu Heng''s joy was beyond words. He jumped and clapped his hands excitedly, like a little kid getting the present that he wanted the most. It was a very childlike joy, full of pure innocence.


    The young emperor laughed heartily. It was as if he wanted to show off his joy to the whole world as he said, "I am going to have a son. I am going to have a son. I am going to have a son! Ran Ran, we are going to have a son!"


    Lu Heng was so excited that he did not see Chu Ning, the empress, next to him at all. Chu Ning could no longer maintain her graceful empress demeanor, and her legs turned weak as her body dropped to sit on the stool.


    With a desolate smile on her face, Chu Ning was stuck in her own thoughts.


    What about her own son? Is he not the emperor''s child as well? The emperor already has three princes, so how could he just spout out those sentences as if he were going to have his first son?


    Were all the three sons dead in his eyes? Could it be that the emperor just loved Noble Consort Yue so much that he would not take others into his eyes anymore?


    At this moment, Chu Ning felt extremely terrified. She was afraid that the emperor would really disregard herself and her son, and then make the son born to Noble Consort Yue the crown prince! No, what should she do if it were so?


    Lu Heng sat on the edge of the bed excitedly as he held on to Yue Ran''s hand. His expression as he looked at the young girl was full of pure love and joy.


    "Ran Ran, do you know? I thought that Ran Ran and I would never have a child in this life," Lu Heng said. "And I never would have imagined that God would still take pity on me. This child is so good. He came just at the right time. This is the first son that I have after I ascended the throne!"


    Chu Ning was almost unable to bear the blow. Did the emperor really just say that the baby in Yue Ran''s womb was his "first son"? So what about her, Chu Ning''s, son?


    The empress'' face was full of pain. And as if that was not enough, Chu Ning heard the emperor repeat the three words that she now hated the most: "My first son!"


    How could the emperor say so? It was a pity that the emperor did not see Chu Ning''s current expression since he was so focused on the fact that his beloved was pregnant with his child. Only Yi Lin and Bai Ji saw the expression on Chu Ning''s face.


    Yi Lin did not expect that Yue Ran would be able to conceive before her, even with such an unhealthy, weak, and sick body! This is really unfair! If only Yue Ran had not taken Lu Heng''s favor away from her, then there would have been no today!


    In fact, only Yue Ran, who was in the room, knew that she was not pregnant at all. Everything was just an illusion fabricated by herself with the use of her great acting skills and her pulse-changing technique, which had reached a god level.


    But the play still needs to be carried out to give heart and soul to this one-man show.


    Everyone else in front of Yue Ran was just the audience that reacted to her grand performance.


    Yue Ran lay on the bed with a blank and dazed expression. She concisely touched her stomach with a hand in a light movement and muttered to herself, "I actually have a baby."


    Lu Heng held Yue Ran''s hand with one of his hands, and the other hand covered her stomach. That hand gently stroked her still-flat belly.


    "Yes, Ran Ran, we finally have a baby," the young emperor said with a mind still full of disbelief and joy.


    Lu Heng, who had already given up hope, did not expect that such a big surprise would hit him in the head. And until now, he still could not calm down his excitement.


    "I want to accumulate blessings for our child and make him the happiest and healthiest child after birth," Lu Heng said.


    It was rare for Yue Ran not to refute Lu Heng. The young girl nodded, and at this moment, her motherly brilliance had infinitely magnified, and she appeared much more soft and gentle.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran hummed lightly in agreement with Lu Heng''s words.


    Anyway, it was not her own things that would be wasted, so why would she care so much?


    With the young girl''s approval, the young emperor became even more excited as he quickly called out, "Wang Li."


    "Your Majesty, this servant is here," Wang Li quickly answered. He did not expect that the noble consort could get pregnant with the emperor''s child at this time. No matter what, it was a good thing anyway.


    The happier the emperor is, the happier the servants below him will be.


    "All the palace maids, the eunuchs, and the guards will be rewarded with one year of salary," Lu Heng said.


    "This servant understands, Your Majesty," Wang Li answered back.


    Who would not like such a good thing?


    Lu Heng let out a little sigh as he said, "I can finally understand how my predecessor felt back then when he had his first son. I have decided to proclaim a general amnesty for all under heaven."


    (*Proclaim a general amnesty for all under heaven: It means not to blame the past, no longer pursuing the past problems, and giving new opportunities to start over. The state reduces or exempts criminals from punishment in accordance with the law. But this amnesty is also limited and is not an act of generalization. In short, the country''s imperial prisoners, like the political prisoners who argue and resist imperial power, are not within the amnesty.)


    Lu Heng''s latter sentence made everyone feel like they had received a hard blow and were thus stunned silly. They could not believe it. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The proclamation of the general amnesty for all under heaven is only available when the crown prince is appointed, so it could be imagined just how excited and happy Lu Heng was to receive the news of Yue Ran''s pregnancy. Not even Yue Ran herself expected this to happen.


    In fact, Yue Ran may have underestimated Lu Heng''s affection for her a little too much. After all, what should she expect from the love of an emperor who has many beauties in his harem? Not to mention that he has a number of sons and daughters as well.

 Chapter 163 - 163: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (33)

    Besides, according to the plot of this world, the female protagonist will not be pregnant for a lifetime. This was because she had walked straight into the trap set by one of the vicious concubines and accidentally drank something that should not have been drunk. This made her unable to conceive for life.


    The female protagonist will have her revenge and then suffer from depression for a while. She will get better with the affection of the male protagonist, and then she will decide to adopt one of the emperor''s sons to make him hers. This adopted son will rise to the throne and make the female protagonist the empress dowager after the male protagonist''s death.


    This was actually the reason why the emperor would have many children. It was for the female protagonist to select which of the emperor''s sons she would like to adopt the most, like selecting and adopting a pet that suits her eyes, of sorts. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In an instant, everyone knelt on the ground and said, "Think twice, Your Majesty. It is unknown whether the child conceived by the noble consort is a male or female. How can Your Majesty decide so easily to proclaim a general amnesty for all under heaven like this?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. How can Your Majesty decide to proclaim a general amnesty for all under heaven when Your Majesty is still not sure that the child is a little prince?"


    "I, your servant, beg Your Majesty to think twice."


    "Your Majesty, please think twice."


    Chu Ning was already numb as she sat alone and defeatedly on the stool. She just could not and did not want to accept the truth and reality in front of her.


    Yi Lin''s condition was a little better than Chu Ning''s. At least, Yi Lin has no children, and thus, she does not have such deep feelings as the empress. She only has a tiny bit of resentment. Yes, just a little bit. So little that it was negligible.


    Ruan Ruan: That was clearly a lie! Ruan Ruan has caught it and even sees it in Ruan Ruan''s data! The female protagonist''s jealousy and resentment for Yue Ran have soared like a rocket being launched from the earth.


    But no one in the room knows that the more they tried to stop Lu Heng, the more Lu Heng wanted to implement this move.


    Yue Ran: Thank you for the assistance, everyone.


    Lu Heng was previously in a good mood, but now it was getting worse and worse, so much so that he could hardly hold back his killing intent any longer. The reason he has not lashed out yet is because Yue Ran is by his side.


    Because Yue Ran was just found out to be pregnant, Lu Heng cannot commit and does not allow himself to commit any crimes right now, not to mention that Yue Ran''s health is not so good. What if something happens if he punishes (kills) people right here, right now, in front of her eyes? He could not afford for this to happen, so he could only calm himself down.


    "Why can I not proclaim a general amnesty for all under heaven for the pregnancy of my beloved woman?" Lu Heng asked. "Back then, two of my predecessors did it, so I can do the same, can I not?"


    "But, Your Majesty, the past two emperors waited until the little prince was born," someone said.


    "I just want my most beloved child to be blessed as soon as possible to come to this world safely," Lu Heng said. "I do not want to leave regrets like those two emperors of the past." He did not want to hear any more rebuttals from others in the room and thus closed his eyes, reopened them, and said, "Wang Li, deliver the imperial decree now."


    Wang Li, who was still gaping in disbelief, was snapped out of his trance and quickly answered, "Yes, yes, Your Majesty, this servant will go right away, right away."


    Lu Heng ignored everyone''s eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Yue Ran with gentle yet hot affection in his eyes.


    ¡­


    After the proclamation of a general amnesty for all under heaven had been done, everyone, in an instant, found out that Noble Consort Yue was pregnant.


    Naturally, there would be many who were dissatisfied with this, but the imperial decree had already been issued, so there was nothing that others could do to stop it. It was too late for the ministers to even protest to the emperor, so they could only congratulate the emperor for the upcoming birth of the little prince, even if they had not yet found out the true gender of the unborn baby. It may be a little prince or a little princess, but a decree is a decree.


    Ever since Lu Heng found out that Yue Ran was pregnant, he has always been in a good mood when doing anything. He was not as irritable and temperamental as he was before, and the servants under him were also in a good mood and felt more relaxed because of this.


    As for the concubines in the harem, there seemed to be many veils and porcelains that were torn and broken and thus needed to be replaced in the Six Palaces. Before they were aware of it, they were suddenly hit with all the news once everything had been carried out.


    They learned that Yue Ran was pregnant and that the emperor had already proclaimed a general amnesty for all under heaven. Everything was too late to change. They do not even have the chance to change such a shocking thing! How hateful!


    But there were also some others who thought this news was good. For example, if Yue Ran was pregnant, then the chance to serve the emperor would naturally be given up. Then everyone else in the harem would have a chance to conceive a prince! This was great news!


    This kind of thinking is indeed positive, but since Noble Consort Yue was pregnant, the number of times the emperor ran to the Palace of Celestial Favor was actually higher than when Noble Consort Yue was not pregnant! The emperor even has to stay overnight to stare at Yue Ran, which makes the concubines in the harem feel very anxious.


    Lu Heng is watching Yue Ran very carefully now for fear that there will be the slightest mistake. He does not even allow Yue Ran to do anything, such as move her hands, walk, or something. He will instead bring everything to Yue Ran.


    ¡­


    At the beginning of the new year, the harem, the prince, the princesses, and the emperor had obligations to pay their respects to the empress dowager, Xiu Ying.


    "Peace to the imperial mother. May the imperial mother have peace, happiness, and a long life."


    "Peace to the empress dowager. May the empress dowager live a long life and be blessed with all the blessings in the world."


    "Peace to the imperial grandmother. May the imperial grandmother live a happy life full of peace every year."


    Xiu Ying nodded at the faces of everyone''s greetings before saying, "The palace is full of harmony. Ai Jia is also happy to see it. Do not be polite and keep so strict with the rules; everyone can take your seats." After saying so, she turned her head in the direction of the little children on the side and said, "Children, come here, come. Come to the imperial grandmother. The imperial grandmother has not seen you all for a long time."


    Lu Heng helped Yue Ran stand beside him as she slowly got up from the ground. He had specially added a place beside him so that he could take care of her at any time.


    With a little frown on the young emperor''s face, he lowered his head and whispered concern in the young girl''s ears.


    "How does Ran Ran feel? Can Ran Ran still bear it?" Lu Heng asked with obvious worry in his tone of voice. "Ran Ran can quickly sit down and rest. Do not tire yourself, or our child will feel tired too. Moreover, I will be worried as well."


    "I am fine. There is nothing wrong with me, and I can still bear this," Yue Ran said. "How can I be so delicate as to get tired so easily like this?"


    After Yue Ran became "pregnant", her temper towards Lu Heng became more and more relaxed and friendlier. She no longer sneered, ignored, avoided, or stayed cold toward the young man as before.


    This gave Lu Heng infinite motivation. He thought that it would be really good if their relationship always stayed this way. He had never expected that there was still room for development between himself and Yue Ran after getting the news of her pregnancy!


    Everything that happened made Lu Heng feel so happy! And therefore, he looked forward to this unborn child even more than before¡ªeven more than Yue Ran herself.


    Yue Ran: I have zero expectations, thank you.


    Originally, Lu Heng only liked the child because Yue Ran was the mother of the child, but now he sincerely liked it even more. He could not wait to see the day the child would be born.


    Perhaps this child is the only bridge that would connect him with Yue Ran. And after a while, he could maybe walk into Yue Ran''s heart by then!


    Lu Heng thought so happily, and he really hoped that time could go faster!

 Chapter 164 - 164: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (34)

    And from then on, time started counting down.


    At this time, everyone focused their attention on the emperor and Noble Consort Yue.


    "Your Majesty, the Emperor, already has three princes and one princess under your knees. And counting Noble Consort Yue''s child in her belly, Your Majesty would have five children in total," Xiu Ying, the empress dowager, said.


    The empress dowager has long heard that the emperor dotes on Noble Consort Yue a lot, and there was even a proclamation of a general amnesty for all under heaven for the noble consort''s unborn child. If the child is born, then all the glory will most definitely go to Noble Consort Yue.


    Judging from the emperor''s expression, the empress dowager, who has experienced a lot in the harem, knows and is sure that this is true love.


    The affection the emperor has for Noble Consort Yue is true love. It was very sincere, as could be seen by the emperor''s gaze and actions whenever his eyes were to fall on the noble consort.


    Lu Heng was happy when he heard the empress dowager''s words. The topic he liked to hear the most was about the child in Yue Ran''s womb.


    "Yes, I hope that Ran Ran can give me a son," Lu Heng said. "With this, I will be satisfied."


    The emperor''s way and expression of showing off everywhere are unstoppable.


    Seeing Lu Heng''s expression of certainty that she had a son in her womb, Yue Ran asked in an unconcerned tone, "What, if my child is a girl, then will Your Majesty not like it?"


    When he heard this, Lu Heng immediately held Yue Ran''s hand and explained, "No, how is that possible? As long as the child is born by Ran Ran, then I will like it no matter what. If it is a girl, then she must be as beautiful and lovely as Ran Ran. I am afraid that I would not want to marry her to anyone else in the future. It was better for her to stay by our side for the rest of her life."


    Lu Heng''s words made Yue Ran laugh happily. The young emperor also followed suit as he held the young girl''s little hand and played with it.


    Seeing that the emperor was coaxing Noble Consort Yue as if no one was around, the jealous eyes of the harem concubines were around. If their murderous stares were palpable, then Yue Ran would have been shot to death by now.


    The empress dowager agreed as she said, "Yes, a daughter indeed must be loved." Looking at the emperor''s only daughter on the other side, Xiu Ying waved for her to come over and said, "A Ling, come, come to the imperial grandmother."


    The little princess awkwardly took a few steps forward and then finally turned to walk back to the empress, who had smiled stiffly because she saw this.


    Chu Ning quickly explained, "A Ling has a reserved temper and is spoiled by me like this. A Ling, go, go quickly to the imperial grandmother''s side."


    The empress pushed the little princess in the empress dowager''s direction, but the little princess refused to move. She only wanted to stay by her mother''s side.


    "That is fine," the empress dowager said. "After all, A Ling is a first-class princess with golden branches and jade leaves, so she should be more reserved."


    (*Golden branches and jade leaves: This was originally described as beautiful flowers and trees, but later refers to a person of royal lineage, descendants of the aristocracy, or a peerless beauty.)


    Hearing this sentence, Lu Heng was unhappy at first because he was really not satisfied with the little princess'' previous performance of not doing as asked, and thus he said, "Lu Ling, go to your imperial grandmother."


    It was the first time that the little princess had been treated so harshly by her imperial father. She was too young to hide her feelings, so she immediately said everything she had thought and heard before to everyone in the hall.


    The little princess rudely pointed at Yue Ran''s stomach and said, "Is the imperial father angry at me? It must be all because of that bad child! That bad child who had not been born actually robbed my imperial father of me! That bad child also robbed my imperial brother''s crown prince position! It is all that bad child''s fault! That bad child must not be born!"


    The little princess'' words frightened everyone in an instant. Lu Heng was so angry that he slapped the table in front of him with a loud bang.


    "Kneel down," Lu Heng said sternly. "Did you just hear what you have said yourself? Could the words you have just said be said by an imperial princess? You are too arrogant and unreasonable. How dare you curse your unborn sibling like this? Who taught you to speak these kinds of words?"


    Chu Ning hurriedly pulled the little princess down to kneel and plead guilty. The little princess herself also felt that she had said the wrong things and was thus frightened to tears.


    "It is all my fault," Chu Ning said in a hurry. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is I who did not teach A Ling well. Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."


    "Why of course it is your fault," Lu Heng said in reply. "Is this how you teach your children as an empress? Is this how you set an example to all the concubines in the Six Palaces?"


    Lu Heng only wanted to think that it was all his own greatness for teaching his children well. And if they made mistakes, then it must be the fault of their mothers, and it has nothing to do with him.


    At such a young age, the little princess must have been taught badly by someone to be able to say such vicious things as if it were the norm. As for who this someone was, it was self-evident. All the blame must naturally go to Chu Ning herself at this time. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, no matter how much Chu Ning hates Yue Ran, she will not say it in front of the little princess in case something like today happens. But the little princess herself overheard it when the servants in the empress'' palace said it unintentionally when taking care of her.


    This time, Lu Heng scolded Chu Ning directly by threatening her empress'' position. This made Chu Ning feel really panicked, and she could hardly say anything since she was speechless.


    Everything was tense for a while; even the silence itself was deafening.


    In fact, Yue Ran did not feel much when she heard the child''s vicious words and cursing. Children are not able to do very bad things as adults do, and they do not pose much threat to her. Moreover, it was impossible for children not to make mistakes.


    Then again, this same little princess was also not kind when she was growing up. Her sense of morals may have skewed a little too far off from normal, but it was not what Yue Ran should care about. As long as the little princess does not block her way, she will be fine.


    Yue Ran stretched out her hand to gently tug at the corner of Lu Heng''s sleeve and said, "Your Majesty, the princess did not mean what she had said before. She is just too young to understand it. Your Majesty, do not be angry. The princess can just be taught well by the empress again."


    Lu Heng nodded to Yue Ran''s words and said, "Yes, that is right."


    When Chu Ning heard the emperor and the noble consort''s words, she did not feel happy at all. She only felt humiliated that the emperor had finally "forgiven" her because of Yue Ran. To think that she was not forgiven even after she had begged for mercy.


    What a shame it was for her and her face! No matter how unwilling and reluctant Chu Ning was, she must still bite the bullet and say, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Seeing that the atmosphere had improved, the empress dowager smiled and talked to the only grandson that she had not spoken to yet beside her. "A Ming, why do you not get close to the imperial grandmother?"


    "Imperial grandmother, this grandson often feels cold and thus dare not get close to the imperial grandmother since this grandson is afraid that it may have a bad effect on the imperial grandmother," A Ming, or Lu Ming, answered.


    "Oh, then look at this: A Jin is fat and chubby, and A Fang has grown a lot taller these days, but why does A Ming look much thinner than before?" The empress dowager asked in doubt.


    "Replying to the empress dowager, the eldest prince has lost his appetite since a year ago and loves to play a lot, so this servant did not notice it," the servant who took care of Lu Ming, the eldest prince, said. "Not only that, but the eldest prince also ran and rolled in the snow during winter, was exposed to wind and snow, and thus caught a cold."


    The empress dowager frowned a little and said, "No matter how young the eldest prince is, he is still the master. It is you servants who are not serving the eldest prince well, so how could it be the master''s fault? Your master is the eldest son of the emperor, so you servants should be careful and pay more attention when serving him."


    "This servant knows this servant''s mistake!"

 Chapter 165 - 165: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (35)

    "This servant knows this servant''s mistake," Lu Ming''s nanny answered with remorse, as if she had really understood and would correct the mistake that she had made before.


    "These imperial grandchildren would get sick easily, and Ai Jia is very worried about it," the empress dowager said. "Only when Your Majesty''s heirs are sufficient can they finally flourish physically, growing strong and healthy. Now is the New Year. In this new year with a new atmosphere, all of you, who are as beautiful as flowers and jade, should take a step up so that the emperor will be able to have more heirs. Your Majesty, is what Ai Jia said right?"


    "What the imperial mother said is right," Lu Heng answered in a half-serious and half-perfunctory tone.


    The harem concubines wanted to say that it was not that they did not want to give birth to the emperor''s heirs, but that it was the emperor who did not want to. They were really going crazy just to think of a method to seduce the emperor so that he would want to stay the night.


    However, the key was that the emperor was not willing to give them that chance. So, how could they give birth alone if the emperor did not come to them? Not to mention that they could even hardly see the emperor''s face alone, unlike Noble Consort Yue.


    Yue Ran did not care about what these people¡ªthe emperor and, more specifically, the empress dowager¡ªwere talking about. She was looking at the thin and frail Lu Ming, the eldest prince, from a distance and felt a little distressed.


    Such a young child lost his biological mother so early on, so what should he do alone in the imperial palace that was more like a man-eating dungeon? He must have lived a really hard life until the day he stood here today.


    Lu Heng looked at his beloved woman, who was not paying attention to himself at all, and said a little jealously, "What is Ran Ran looking at with such a focused gaze?"


    "It is nothing much," Yue Ran said. "I was just looking at the eldest prince''s cute appearance. How could he voluntarily play and roll in the snow in this bitingly cold winter? It does not seem to make sense."


    Hearing what Yue Ran had just said, the eldest prince''s servant grew a little nervous and could only hope in her heart that the noble consort did not notice anything wrong.


    Lu Heng looked at Yue Ran''s distressed gaze at Lu Ming. He only thought that his beloved found his eldest son pleasing to her eyes, and thus beckoned Lu Ming to come over.


    "Lu Ming, come here," Lu Heng said.


    When the eldest prince walked over, Yue Ran pulled over a corner of Lu Ming''s clothes and looked at it. The cloth inside was dirty and old, not to mention that his little hands were cold.


    "Why are the eldest prince''s clothes so thin and old?" Yue Ran asked in a doubtful tone. "And his hands are also so thin and cold; is the eldest prince not afraid of freezing?"


    It was the first time for Lu Ming, who had had no biological mother since he was born, to be faced with someone else''s care. It was the first time someone had cared about him so much like this, so much that his eyes turned slightly red and his nose was sore.


    "Thank you for the noble consort''s concern. This imperial son is fine."


    Lu Heng also finally noticed it, thus pulling Lu Ming over and looking at him carefully from head to toe. The young emperor immediately found that the outer clothes looked fine, but the inner clothes were old and did not look like they had been washed for a long time.


    Now, Lu Heng only felt complicated. No matter what happens and no matter how much he does not care about his own children, Lu Ming is still his eldest son and a member of the imperial family.


    "How do you servants usually do things?" Lu Heng spoke angrily. "If you do not even know how to take care of the eldest prince, then what else can you servants do?"


    The servants who took care of the eldest prince were so frightened that they knelt on the ground to beg for mercy. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your Majesty, please calm down your anger. Your Majesty, please calm down your anger. It is the eldest prince who always makes himself dirty, so we servants also do not know what to do about this. Is that not right, eldest prince?" A servant spoke as her gaze focused on Lu Ming.


    The threatening eyes of the servants who served him were all locked on him, so Lu Ming subconsciously shrank his neck back in fear.


    Yue Ran looked at the eldest prince, who looked a little scared, and said in a gentle and caring tone, "Your Highness, you can just say what you want to say. You will not be wronged since your imperial father is right here."


    Hearing Yue Ran''s cue for him and saying this thing about himself, Lu Heng instantly felt that he was really a great man who was full of justice.


    With a hot heart, Lu Heng instantly said, "Yes, what Ran Ran said is right. Lu Ming, you can just say what you want, and I will make a decision for you."


    Suddenly, the palace maid, who was standing beside the empress, took a small step back nervously, and her eyes glanced at the scene with fear. Unfortunately, no one noticed her little actions at this time except Yue Ran, since they were all focused on the eldest prince.


    Yue Ran has long known that this thing is related to the empress. So does she want to seek justice for the eldest prince? No, of course not. She does not have so much leisure time, and the word "justice" does not suit her character. She only does things with a goal in mind.


    Not only will she get the eldest prince''s trust like this since she has plans for him, but she can also watch a good show. Not to mention that her reputation will also get better for helping the eldest prince seek justice from his evil servants.


    "Imperial father," Lu Ming started as soon as he gathered his courage. "These servants usually do not let this imperial son eat enough food."


    Now everyone was in an uproar. Unexpectedly, the dignified eldest prince could not even eat enough at his daily meals!


    Lu Heng''s face turned dark. He did not expect that his eldest son would not even have food to eat. In his eyes, not having enough to eat is basically equivalent to having no food to eat at all. There was no difference between the two.


    "What is going on?" Lu Heng asked in a tone full of anger. He inexplicably remembered his situation in the past. Could the past repeat itself again, only now with his eldest son instead of himself? "Lu Ming, tell me the situation carefully."


    Lu Ming pursed his lips before he took a deep breath and said, "The nanny would eat my everyday food whenever it was sent to my palace and then let this imperial son eat the food that belonged to them. Even so, they would still cut this imperial son''s food, and only this imperial son can eat a little bit every time. The servants said that it would be bad for this imperial son to eat too much. But in fact, this imperial son eats very little, and this imperial son would always goes to bed hungry every day. This imperial son is not full at all."


    When Lu Heng heard this, his face turned livid. To think that his eldest son would actually eat the servant''s food, which was of low quality and also in low quantity. This was too much!


    "The charcoals used in winter were not allowed to be used by this imperial son. Moreover, the quantity of charcoal has been halved, so all the charcoals that should have been mine were immediately moved to the second imperial brother''s room," Lu Ming continued. "The servants said that the second imperial brother is the future crown prince, and this imperial son is just a useless prince. This imperial son feels very cold and hungry at night, and this imperial son has fallen ill several times. The servants also did not change, wash, make, or order new clothes for this imperial son, and they asked me to wear old and dirty clothes because it was troublesome to wash one or to make and order new clothes for this imperial son.


    Hearing the eldest prince''s words, Yue Ran hugged the child into her arms with distress in her eyes. What Lu Ming had said only showed how difficult it was for imperial heirs to live without their biological mothers. Adoptive mothers may or may not make things better.


    Lu Heng was so furious that he smashed the teacup that he had taken from the table toward the servants who served the eldest prince.


    "Do you servants have so much guts that you dared to deceive me and the eldest prince like this?" Lu Heng asked, enraged. "You servants do not even want to live anymore, do you?"


    "Your Majesty, please spare this servant''s life!"


    "Your Majesty, please spare this servant''s life!"


    "Your Majesty, this servant did not intend to do this."


    Seeing that they were at a dead end, they could not hide things anymore.

 Chapter 166 - 166: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (36)

    "Yes, yes, Your Majesty. It was the empress who asked us servants to do this!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. If it were not for the empress, even though we have many guts, we would not dare to mistreat the eldest prince at all!"


    Chu Ning did not expect to get implicated while watching an entertaining play today. And when she looked up at the first-class maid, Lian Ya, beside her, she finally understood.


    Lu Heng did not expect the perpetrator of this crime to be the empress again.


    Chu Ning, who started to kneel and beg for mercy again, felt that she was really wronged this time. She was not the one who instructed the servants to mistreat the eldest prince at all, but it was indeed done by her first-class maid. Moreover, Lian Ya also did this for her own good.


    Now, Chu Ning really did not know how to explain things properly.


    "Empress, look at what you have done," Lu Heng said. "Since you became an empress, you have either cut this or shortened that here and there. Do you think that my Jin Dynasty is too poor? Is it really necessary for the harem to start thrifting? Not to mention that you also conspired with the servants to bully my son. I think that you do not want to be an empress any more."


    These words were a little too heavy, and all the harem concubines below immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down."


    The empress dowager was also not very satisfied with the actions taken by the empress. After all, Xiu Ying likes to drown in luxury and extravagance. Although she could not show it to the public, that does not mean that she could not enjoy it secretly.


    "The empress'' actions were indeed inappropriate," the empress dowager said. "Once the emperor took the throne, the empress had already started to cut expenses like this, and so the harem concubines could only dress so plainly every day. How could the emperor be interested in entering the harem to have more offspring?


    There was a short pause before Xiu Ying continued, "Moreover, when the noblewomen came from outside to the imperial palace for a visit, they would also see that the harem concubines in the palace were not as well dressed as themselves, which would make them think that it must be of the emperor''s orders. What face will the emperor have by then?"


    The empress dowager let out a soft sigh and said, "Of course, with your status as an empress, all the things that were cut in half would still be enough. But take a look at those low-ranking concubines and servants below. How are you going to let them live like this?"


    Chu Ning did not expect that her "thrifting" order would turn out like this in the end. She only wanted to let everyone see that she was a virtuous and wise queen, and she did not think too much about it when she gave that order.


    After all, why would she, an empress with high status in the imperial palace, want to care so much about those below her? They should only obey her will, right?


    "Yes, I, your servant, know my mistake," Chu Ning answered readily. "I, your servant, will follow the empress dowager''s teaching and will never repeat this kind of mistake in the future."


    Lu Heng stared at this scene with furrowed brows. He could not figure out why the empress had suddenly become like this. She was fine before, but now she has changed so much. Or maybe it was because he just never understood her in the first place. He had never found out about the ugliness in her heart.


    The empress dowager looked at Chu Ning with a light gaze before turning to the emperor and saying, "Your Majesty, how about finding a foster mother for A Ming to take care of him?"


    After Xiu Ying said this, the harem concubines below, who do not have a child yet, looked restless, as if they were eager to try to get that chance. No matter what, they would not be at a disadvantage if they got an imperial heir for nothing.


    Lu Heng also thought that this was good. Seeing how carefully Yue Ran was comforting his eldest son on the side, he suddenly had an idea.


    "What the imperial mother said is right," Lu Heng said. "Noble Consort Yue likes Lu Ming very much, and Lu Ming also likes Noble Consort Yue very much, so we can just leave the eldest prince to Noble Consort Yue to take care of."


    The empress dowager hesitated and said, "But the noble consort is still pregnant. Would this not be too tiring for Noble Consort Yue?"


    Yue Ran gently caressed Lu Ming''s head and said softly, "It is okay, Your Grace. It would not be tiring for me since I, your servant, like the eldest prince very much."


    "This is just right," Lu Heng said in reply. "It is better to let Noble Consort Yue get used to taking care of a child in advance so that the noble consort will have more experience taking care of her baby later on." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that the emperor has said this, it will not be easy for the empress dowager to refute his words. Meanwhile, the harem concubines below looked very disappointed. None of them have the right to compete with the noble consort, nor can they refute the emperor''s words.


    Noble Consort Yue is pregnant with the emperor''s heir, and she will also be the eldest prince''s adoptive mother. Would this not be a "buy one, get one free" kind of thing?


    How can the noble consort always be so lucky?


    When the time to visit and greet the empress dowager was over, Lu Heng helped Yue Ran leave the empress dowager''s palace first. Lu Ming followed Yue Ran on the other side while holding onto the young woman''s hand.


    From a distance, they really looked like a happy and harmonious family of three.


    ¡­


    Ever since Yue Ran raised Lu Ming, the young boy never imagined that he could have ever lived such a happy life. Every single day of breathing was filled with joy.


    In the morning, his imperial father would personally teach him in his study.


    After this, she would have lunch with both his imperial father and his imperial mother.


    After the meal, his imperial father will test his studies to see if he has improved.


    When this was also done, his imperial mother, who was sitting on one side, would gently care for him. She will ask him about how his day is going and whether he is happy or not.


    Lu Ming really hopes that every day of living in the future can always be like his. But happiness is always short-lived. Were things really hopeless?


    Lu Ming easily answered all the questions on the paper, and Lu Heng nodded in satisfaction when he read it. The child indeed fulfilled the man''s expectations.


    "Good," Lu Heng said in approval. "Keep on working hard and do not be impatient and complacent, do you understand?"


    "Yes, imperial father," Lu Ming answered. "This imperial son will always remember the imperial father''s teachings."


    When Yue Ran heard that the two, father and son, were finally finished, she said, "Our A Ming is the most intelligent and obedient, is he not?"


    Putting down the embroidery cloth and needle in her hand, she pulled Lu Ming, who was standing beside her, closer to her position and gently touched the little face that was a little more fleshy than before after eating more.


    Lu Ming immediately hugged Yue Ran''s waist and acted cutely as he called out, "Imperial mother."


    The eldest prince had lost his mother when he was a young child so he was insecure and independent, but under Yue Ran''s pampering, he now acts more and more cute and clingy. And the young woman just likes the child acting like this. The more dependent he is on her, the better.


    Looking at the close contact between the mother and son, someone wished hard to tear the son away to replace him. And that someone was Lu Heng. He could not see them together like this any longer!


    "Lu Ming, have you remembered what I have told you before?" Lu Heng spoke in a dissatisfied tone of voice. There was also a hint of warning in his tone.


    "This imperial son remembers," Lu Ming answered. "This imperial son has grown up and can no longer lie in the imperial mother''s arms."


    The eldest prince could only let go of his hug and look at Yue Ran with reluctance in his eyes.


    Yue Ran took a glance at the male protagonist in front of her and said, as she turned her gaze back to Lu Ming, "Do not listen to your imperial father. Your imperial father just envies you."


    "The imperial father envies this imperial son?" Lu Ming asked in confusion. "Why?"


    The eldest prince was curious as to why his father would envy him. Then an idea began to form inside his head. Does the imperial father also miss his mother like he does?


    When Lu Ming asked this question out loud from inside his head, Yue Ran''s face went strange. Meanwhile, Lu Heng naturally changed the subject with a funny smile on his face.


    Yue Ran picked up the needle and thread and began to embroider again.


    Seeing such a thing, Lu Heng could not help but feel jealous.

 Chapter 167 - 167: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (37)

    Seeing such a thing, Lu Heng could not help but say in a tone full of jealousy, "Ever since Lu Ming came, it was also the first time for Ran Ran to embroider patterns on clothes."


    Lu Heng was undoubtedly feeling jealous because Yue Ran had never done such a thing for him before. And this special embroidery that she had made was also given to a child like Lu Ming! How could he not be jealous?


    "I was previously a first-class palace maid, so it was a matter of course for me to be able to embroider, but my craftsmanship is not very good," Yue Ran said. "It will take more than a month for me to be able to finish embroidering this piece of clothing."


    "As long as it is made by the imperial mother, no matter how long it takes, it will be this imperial son''s favorite clothes," Lu Ming said. "This imperial son will cherish it like a treasure."


    Seeing such a well-behaved and obedient Lu Ming in front of her, Yue Ran was so moved that she did not know what to say in reply.


    ¡­


    In Lu Ming''s eyes, his imperial father, the emperor, is majestic and lofty in front of everyone, but only in front of his imperial mother would he be humble. The eldest prince would always find his imperial father trying hard to flatter his imperial mother and caring about her in everything, while his imperial mother would do things her way, just like now.


    Looking at Yue Ran, who was still angry with him because of yesterday''s incident, Lu Heng picked up the bowl of bird''s nest soup on the table and coaxed her softly.


    "Ran Ran, it is all my fault," Lu Heng said. "I should not have ignored Ran Ran''s dissuasion last night. It is all my fault."


    Yue Ran thought of the scene last night where she had constantly called out for the man to stop, but the man was just too obsessed with it, so she let out an angry huff and turned her head. It was obvious that she did not want to talk to Lu Heng at all.


    Seeing that Yue Ran was still ignoring him, Lu Heng placed the bowl of bird''s nest soup down on the table with a small click and hugged the young woman into his arms.


    "You cannot blame me for this," Lu Heng said.


    Yue Ran sneered as she said, "Oh, could it be that it was my fault?"


    Lu Heng smiled and whispered something into the young woman''s ear, and the young woman blushed and gently hit him when she heard it. The young man, in turn, held the soft and delicate palm of the hand that had hit him very lightly and played with it.


    What Lu Heng had whispered was, "Okay, do not be angry. And even if you do get angry, you cannot prevent me from sending greetings to our baby, right?"


    Lu Heng tried his best to coax and deceive Yue Ran to let go of her anger with many love words, and finally, she let out a soft "hmph," which meant that she would finally forgive the man and enjoy the man''s service.


    Lu Ming watched this from the start to the end and could not help but say, "The relationship between the imperial father and the imperial mother is really good."


    Lu Heng readily replied, "Of course, this imperial father will only love and pamper your imperial mother for the rest of this imperial father''s life."


    Seeing that Lu Heng could not restrain himself from showing his love for her even in front of his son, Yue Ran glanced at the man with pursed lips. And what happened next made Lu Heng so dazed that he immediately forgot what he was about to say next.


    Yue Ran suddenly leaned over and sprayed a mouthful of blood. Warm red blood spattered all over the table, dripping down from its edges. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This sudden, unexpected chain of events instantly startled and frightened both Lu Heng and Lu Ming into fools. It was also at this time that the young woman''s figure fainted in Lu Heng''s arms.


    Looking at the unconscious Yue Ran in his arms, Lu Heng yelled, "Ran Ran, Ran Ran!" in a panic. But there was no response.


    "What are you all doing standing there in a daze?" Lu Heng questioned the servants angrily. There was uncontrollable fear and anxiety running wild in his heart. "Why do you servants not call for the imperial physician yet?"


    The emperor''s roar made everyone snap out of their daze, and they all ran out in a panic.


    Lu Heng carried Yue Ran to the bedroom, while Lu Ming followed behind in shock and worry.


    ¡­


    After all the harem concubines in the Six Palaces received this piece of news, they ran non-stop to the Palace of Celestial Favor. When they have all arrived, they only see that the palace maids are running back and forth into and out of the room while carrying basins full of red liquid, which is undoubtedly blood (mixed with water).


    Looking at the situation, it does not take a genius to know that Noble Consort Yue''s pregnancy was not going to go well; after all, she was clearly in danger, and so much blood was shed.


    Chu Ning suppressed the joy in her heart as she walked closer with worry on her face.


    It was also at this time that Yue Ran cried out in pain. Her face was extremely pale, and cold sweat rolled down her forehead to the tip of her chin. Anyone with eyes and ears could see and hear that she was suffering great pain.


    Lu Heng held Yue Ran''s hand tightly in his. He comforted the young woman, feeling extremely anxious and fearful.


    "It is okay. It is okay, Ran Ran," Lu Heng said. "You and the child will be fine. I am the Son of Heaven, an emperor, and I will protect you and the child."


    At the present moment, Yue Ran could not hear Lu Heng''s comfort at all. Her whole body ached, and she felt that her child would be gone in the next second.


    "My child, my child!" Yue Ran cried out loud.


    "Do not worry, Ran Ran," Lu Heng said in a very gentle tone. "The child will be fine."


    Lu Heng looked at Yue Ran with heartache. In fact, even though he himself felt that he might not be able to save the child at this time, but he still tried hard to suppress his worries to comfort Yue Ran.


    Chu Ning stepped forward and asked with concern in her voice, "Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven, so how can you stay here? Why do we not go out and wait?"


    As the empress spoke, she went forward, wanting to help Lu Heng get up, but the man immediately pushed her away.


    "Get out of here! Get out of here!" Lu Heng shouted angrily and impatiently. "Everyone, get out!"


    When Chu Ning fell to the ground, Li Xin immediately stepped forward to help her get up. In an instant, the group of harem concubines who watched the show with delight could reluctantly go out to wait for the result. It was not good for them to make the emperor unhappy at this juncture.


    ¡­


    Inside the room, the imperial physician knelt on the ground with a loud thud and spoke with a trembling voice full of fear, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, the child could not be saved."


    After saying this, the imperial physician quickly kowtowed three times with three loud bangs. His legs were shaking, and blood flowed down from his forehead to his chin.


    Yue Ran lay on the bed blankly, unable to even feel the pain in her body. She could only stare sadly at the floor while shedding silent tears.


    Lu Heng did not expect that his and Yue Ran''s child would disappear so quickly that he was caught off-guard. It was only yesterday that he could still feel the little thing''s vibration that seemed to talk and communicate with him.


    "It is okay, Ran Ran," Lu Heng said to Yue Ran in comfort. "We will definitely have more children in the future."


    "Get out," Yue Ran said in a very soft voice. And because her voice sounded too low, Lu Heng was not able to hear it at all.


    "Ran Ran, what did you say?" Lu Heng asked.


    "I said, get out!" Yue Ran suddenly screamed with all her might. "Get out! Get out! Everyone get out!"


    After driving Lu Heng and the other palace servants out, Yue Ran was left lying on the bed alone, crying with her shoulders shaking. Her sobbing sounded so lonely and sad. It was heartbreaking to hear them.


    A group of harem concubines were kneeling outside the bedroom with their heads lowered. They did not dare to raise them at all. They were afraid to look at the emperor''s expression at this moment. Which one of them does not know that the emperor loves the noble consort the most? And now that the noble consort''s child was gone, they could only hope that they would not get pulled into or involved with this kind of problem.


    The imperial physician, who came out with the emperor, knelt on the ground and continued to say what he had not finished saying before.


    "Your Majesty, the noble consort¡­ the noble consort is¡­ poisoned and¡­ and... I am afraid... I am afraid that time... time is..."

 Chapter 168 - 168: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (38)

    "I am afraid... I am afraid that time... time is..." The imperial physician stuttered, and his words trailed off because of extreme fear.


    "What is it? Speak clearly!" Lu Heng roared. "Say it quickly!"


    "I am afraid... I am afraid that... time is running out," the imperial physician finally said, exhausting his courage as his shoulders sagged down. He did not dare to raise his head to look up at the emperor at all. He already knew that the emperor would be in a very bad mood.


    Lu Heng''s legs felt weak, and he fell to the ground in disbelief. He crawled to the imperial physician, grabbed the old man''s shoulder, and shook it vigorously.


    "Impossible! This is impossible!" Lu Heng yelled. There was obvious desperation in his tone. "There must be a way, right? Yes, there must be a way. You can just tell me what it is. Tell me!"


    Lu Heng refused to accept that what the imperial physician said was true. He did not want to believe it at all. He did not want to believe the imperial physician''s words at all!


    "Please forgive me, Your Majesty," the imperial physician said as he begged for mercy. "I am incompetent. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."


    The harem concubines did not expect that things would go this way either. They only thought that it was just the child that was gone, but they did not know that the noble consort herself was losing her own life because of this.


    Looking at the harem concubines kneeling in front of him, Lu Heng roared angrily, "It is you people! It was all your fault! It was you all who harmed my Ran Ran and my child! It is you; it must be all you poisonous women!"


    "I, your servant, dare not, Your Majesty," a voice suddenly spoke out in this tense atmosphere.


    As if he had found a target for attack, Lu Heng stood up to walk in front of Chu Ning and said, "Is it you? Are you worried that my Ran Ran and my child will block your son''s way, so you intend to kill my Ran Ran and my child? Is it you?"


    The more Lu Heng thought about it, the more he felt that what he said had made sense, as if he had clearly identified that the perpetrator was Chu Ning.


    In the beginning, Chu Ning had fallen because of Lu Heng''s push, and now she looked very unkempt and was in such a mess. How could she still have the demeanor of an empress?


    "No, it was not me, Your Majesty," Chu Ning quickly explained. "It was really not me. How dare I, your servant, do this?"


    "I see," Lu Heng said. "You still do not want to admit your mistake, or you do not dare to do so. If that was it, then I will help you admit it."


    With a strong force, Lu Heng slapped Chu Ning directly in the face. A big slap mark was left on the empress''s face, and there was blood at the corner of her mouth.


    The harem concubines around did not expect that Lu Heng would go so crazy as to beat the empress directly in the face. And it was now that they really started to cower in genuine fear.


    While listening to Yue Ran''s sad cries coming from inside the bedroom and watching the harem concubines kneeling down below, Lu Heng''s anger was still not at all relieved. Suddenly, he let out a strange smile and stared at the harem concubines with a ruthless look in his eyes.


    Lu Heng spoke out, "My child is gone, so how can you people still kneel down here intact?"


    Listening to the emperor talk and laugh at a time like this, the harem concubines only felt scared. Everything was so terrible that their bodies began to tremble. What did the emperor mean by his words? Could it be that the emperor wanted them all to be buried along with the unborn child''s death?


    "Your Majesty, please spare my life."


    "Your Majesty, please spare my life."


    Seeing such a scene, Wang Li timidly interfered and said, "Your Majesty, should we conduct a thorough investigation of the Six Palaces to find out who harmed the noble consort and the imperial child?"


    "Yes, I want to see who is desperate enough to dare risk their lives to harm my Ran Ran and my child," Lu Heng said in an eerie tone in reply. "Come, search all through the Six Palaces, and do not leave a single hole or gap unchecked! Anyone who dares to stop me will be killed without mercy."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    The kneeling harem concubines could only pray that the evidence would not be found on their heads; otherwise, from looking at the emperor''s move, not to mention their own lives, their whole family would also suffer accordingly without mercy!


    When such a huge thing happened, it was very difficult for the empress dowager to pretend that she did not know about it, no matter how much she wanted to pretend to be stupid at this time.


    At the time that the empress dowager arrived, the investigation was still ongoing. Lu Heng saw her figure but did not get up to greet her as usual. He did not trust any woman in the imperial palace right now. To him, every woman alive was a suspect.


    The empress dowager was a little angry, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could only hold her breath and say, "Your Majesty, the noble consort has lost her child, and Ai Jia is also very sad. But that was no reason to treat the empress so rudely like this."


    Among the people present, it was only Chu Ning who looked the most disheveled and was in her most embarrassing state. If the empress dowager had not recognized the empress''s face and was informed of this news beforehand, she would have thought that the empress was a servant who looked especially unkempt and did not follow the rules and regulations of the imperial palace.


    "Oh, is the imperial mother really sad?" Lu Heng asked viciously as he ignored the latter sentence of the empress dowager''s words, as if he did not hear anything related to the empress.


    Unexpectedly, Lu Heng was also so disrespectful to the empress dowager that the expression on the empress dowager''s face twisted a little, and her body posture was frozen stiff.


    Lu Heng looked at the empress dowager and smiled. This smile was so frightening that everyone''s hair was raised and they felt chills in their hearts. No one could ever feel comfortable or be comforted by a twisted smile like this.


    It was so horrible! The harem concubines only felt that they would most definitely develop nightmares tonight.


    "It is enough for the imperial mother to watch carefully from the side and not interfere in anything," Lu Heng said slowly and gently. But the more he acts like this, the more terrifying he is. "The child of Ran Ran and I is gone. None of these vicious and poisonous women can escape their crimes. I will settle things with everyone slowly." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These harem concubines had always wished that the emperor would look at them more. Even one glance was already great. But now, all of them really wish that they were only invisible. All of them only wished that they could blend in with the background so that the emperor could not look at or notice them at all.


    ¡­


    Everyone was now waiting for the news until the guards came back with the results of their investigation of the Six Palaces.


    After hearing it, Lu Heng kicked Yi Lin, the female protagonist, down. But before Bai Fen could be happy that her plan was successful, she was also kicked by the emperor in the same way.


    Little did Bai Fen know that Yue Ran had known about her plan long ago and had already hidden a bottle of poison in her room, just waiting for today.


    As for Yi Lin, she had originally wanted to harm Yue Ran by poisoning her, just like in the original plot, but now she had happened to be harmed by Bai Fen as well.


    Lu Heng pointed at both Yi Lin and Bai Fen and said, "You two poisonous women are the ones who harmed my Ran Ran and my child!"


    "Your Majesty, please spare my life," Bai Fen said as she begged for mercy. "How could I, your servant, ever be so courageous as to harm the noble consort? Someone must be framing me!"


    Bai Fen tugged on the emperor''s trousers unwillingly but was immediately kicked to the ground again. The force was so strong that she vomited a mouthful of blood.


    Yi Lin only thought that it was her own bottle of poison that allowed Yue Ran to be in such danger today, so she did not intend to refute that statement. She only laughed out loud. She laughed so crazily that tears came out of her eyes.


    "I have long wanted that cheap maid, Yue Ran, to die," Yi Lin said with joy. "And as you can see, I have succeeded! God is helping me after all!"


    Yi Lin laughed again after saying so.


    Seeing that Yi Lin still looked so arrogant after speaking such evil words, Lu Heng was furious. Several curses were uttered out of his mouth before he ordered, "Come and drag this vicious woman down. Chop her up! Chop her into many pieces for the others to see!"

 Chapter 169 - 169: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (39)

    Yi Lin, who was dragged out of the Palace of Celestial Favor, was still smiling, but she felt a little sad. Everything has changed so fast that even if she had succeeded in her revenge, she still found out that she was not happy at all. She only found out that her heart was empty and she was drowning in sadness and gloom.


    When Yi Lin was dragged out, Bai Fen looked at the emperor, who was staring at her expressionlessly as she cried and begged for mercy.


    "Your Majesty, I, your servant, did not do it," Bai Fen cried out.


    Yi Lin may think that it was her bottle of poison that put Yue Ran in danger today, but it was actually Bai Fen''s bottle of poison that succeeded. Bai Fen wanted to plant Yi Lin as the perpetrator of this and kill Yue Ran at the same time. This was hitting two birds with one stone.


    But unexpectedly, she was also caught in this problem! How did she find out? And why was there suddenly this bottle of poison in her palace? Was she framed by someone else?


    Lu Heng did not care about Bai Fen''s thoughts at all as he said, "Drag this poisonous woman down and chop her up into pieces as well."


    This is how the female protagonist died in this world. She was chopped up into pieces, and the body parts were hung on stakes for everyone to see as a warning to whoever dared to cross the line in the future.


    ¡­


    Recently, everyone in the imperial palace felt like they were stepping on a thin line between life and death. Every day they spent here, they were in danger. They fear that once the noble consort is unable to hold on anymore, everyone will suffer the same consequences.


    The court officials could also clearly feel that the emperor''s temper had become increasingly moody recently, and many officials had been demoted because of it.


    Now, apart from going to court, Lu Heng only stayed at the Palace of Celestial Favor to guard Yue Ran every single day, like a fixed clockwork.


    But even so, Noble Consort Yue was still losing weight day by day.


    Yue Ran shed tears while touching the clothes that she was still making, other than doing embroidery, that she had originally planned to give to her unborn child.


    Lu Heng, who was holding Yue Ran in his arms, was also full of sadness.


    "Your Majesty, will the child blame us¡­ because we did not protect him well?" Yue Ran asked with a voice choked with tears.


    "No," Lu Heng said gently. He raised a hand to caress Yue Ran''s head to comfort her. "Our child is so cute and well-behaved, so how can he blame his mother for this?"


    "Yes, he is so cute and well-behaved¡­" Yue Ran said, and her words suddenly trailed off as she let out several coughs. The cough sounded so soft, but it seemed as if they had consumed all the energy out of the young woman.


    Lu Heng reflexively covered the young woman''s mouth with a handkerchief, and then he immediately crumpled it and kept it to his back when Yue Ran''s fit of cough subsided.


    Since that first day of coughing out a mouthful of blood, Yue Ran''s health has gotten worse and worse. She coughs up blood very frequently, and Lu Heng can only reassure himself that things will pass and that everything will be fine.


    As for these bloody handkerchiefs, Lu Heng had always kept them out of Yue Ran''s sight so that she could not see them.


    "Okay, Ran Ran, do not think so much," Lu Heng said. "Ran Ran should have a good rest to recuperate Ran Ran''s energy. Ran Ran still has to eat with Lu Ming after class, right?"


    "Yes, that is right. I still have A Ming," Yue Ran said weakly in reply.


    Lu Heng carefully arranged the quilt for Yue Ran so that she could lie down more comfortably while he sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her.


    ¡­


    What people do not want to face still has to be faced in the end.


    In a few days, as soon as Lu Heng left the morning court, he immediately made his way to the Palace of Celestial Favor to see Yue Ran as usual.


    That morning was beautiful. The sun cast its golden glow down into the world, and everything was instantly filled with freshness. The world was full of color.


    Looking at Yue Ran, who was still sleeping so peacefully on the bed, Lu Heng smiled very warmly at her figure. He walked up and called out gently with a tone so soft to wake the young woman up for her to get up and eat, "Ran Ran, it is time to get up. Do not sleep anymore. Ran Ran."


    But after calling out for the sleeping young woman twice and seeing that she had not yet woken up, Lu Heng panicked.


    "Ran Ran, Ran Ran," Lu Heng called out hurriedly. He stretched out a hand to reach out and touch Yue Ran on the bed, only to see that he was trembling. "Ahh¡ª"


    When the eunuchs and maids outside heard the heart-piercing shouts of the emperor in the room, they all knelt on the ground in fright.


    ¡­


    In the Palace of Celestial Favor, Lu Heng held Yue Ran''s cold and skinny body and stayed there for three whole days. He neither ate nor drank, even ignoring civil and military matters in court. He was absent, and every official who went to participate in the court knew about it.


    At this time, a group of officials were kneeling outside the Palace of Celestial Favor to beg the emperor to show up.


    The gate of the palace suddenly squeaked, and the doors opened.


    Lu Heng could be seen carrying out Yue Ran''s corpse in a decadent manner without a trace of expression. He said, "Today, Noble Consort Yue will be conferred the title Empress Jin Yue."


    The tone of his voice has no ups and downs. His words sounded more like an order than a negotiation. But the court officials kneeling immediately raised their objections.


    "Your Majesty, how can the noble consort be crowned empress now that the current empress is still well and alive?" One of the court officials questioned the emperor righteously.


    "Yes, and even if Your Majesty wanted to do this, Noble Consort Yue''s title, Empress Jin Yue, could only be granted posthumously after the passing of the current empress," another court official interjected. "Please think twice, Your Majesty."


    "Please think twice, Your Majesty."


    Lu Heng took a glance at those kneeling officials indifferently as he said in a very light tone, "Any further dissuasion means disobedience to the imperial edict. Anyone who dares to block my way will be punished without mercy."


    What else could the kneeling court officials say other than "yes"?


    ¡­


    Lu Heng decreed that the whole country had to observe mourning for Empress Jin Yue for three whole years. Anyone who disobeyed this decree will have to face the nine familial exterminations, which is the most severe punishment for a capital offense.


    This method of punishment is not only a severe punishment for the wrongdoer himself or herself but also an extreme deterrent to his relatives. Once a wrongdoer is sentenced to this punishment, it will affect the lives and deaths of his or her relatives within nine generations.


    Chu Ning, who was kneeling in front of Yue Ran''s coffin, could only look at the emperor with a sad expression on her face. She could only think of things with gloom in her heart. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Obviously, she, Chu Ning, is Lu Heng''s wife and also became his empress when he came into power as the emperor. However, Lu Heng canonized Yue Ran as Empress Jin Yue, so where did he put her (Chu Ning) in? Who does Lu Heng think she is?


    Right now, Lu Heng, who was gently touching Yue Ran''s coffin, muttered, "Ran Ran, I will not let you depart this life so unjustly, and I will not let go of anyone who has caused you harm.


    Before Yue Ran lost her breath, Lu Heng had called out the shadow guards to thoroughly investigate the whole imperial palace. Sure enough, he found out that the perpetrators who harmed his beloved were not only Yu Lin and Bai Fen, who had caused Yue Ran to die with poison, but he also found out that his imperial mother, the empress dowager, and the empress, Chu Ning, had cooperated to harm Yue Ran.


    It goes without saying that they all did this just for the sake of the power of the dragon throne.


    Lu Heng could guarantee that they would never be able to get what they wanted most for a lifetime.


    Lu Heng took one last look at his beloved, sleeping so peacefully on the coffin with affectionate eyes, and then sealed the coffin.


    When Lu Heng turned back, he saw Chu Ning kneeling in front of the harem concubines while pretending to cry sadly with an embroidered veil in her hand, which she had used to occasionally dab the corners of her eyes to make her act a little more believable.


    "Empress, you do not think that without my Ran Ran''s child in the world, I will make your Lu Jin the crown prince, right?" Lu Heng asked softly. He had just spoken the most terrifying words in the gentlest tone.


    "Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?" Chu Ning asked.

 Chapter 170 - 170: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (40) (End)

    Chu Ning''s heart skipped a beat, her hair stood on end, and her head subconsciously looked at Lu Heng in a panic as she tried to speak out as normally as she usually does: "I¡­ I do not quite understand what Your Majesty''s words had meant."


    Lu Heng stretched out a hand to gently stroke Chu Ning''s face, and his hand stroked the woman''s neck. But things changed when he suddenly grabbed the woman''s neck. Hard.


    Chu Ning''s face turned red, and she felt choked. Literally.


    "This means that I will never make your child a crown prince in this life," Lu Heng said with a sneer. While Chu Ning was in a daze, he leaned his head closer to her ear and whispered, "Do not worry. I will let you stay in the empress position that you value so much. Just like the relationship between my imperial father and his dead empress back then."


    Just like Lu Heng''s imperial father and Yi Lin''s aunt.


    After saying that, Lu Heng ignored Chu Ning''s begging for mercy, got up, and left.


    In the far corner of the hall stood a morbidly pale and bony eunuch who had a lowered head. His shoulders trembled from time to time, and a hand stuck to his face.


    If others were to see this, they might have thought that this eunuch was laughing happily while trying not to make a sound. But this was only if they did not see the droplets of water that dripped out of his hand drop onto the ground with small ticking sounds.


    "Ran Ran, have you forgotten me?" The eunuch muttered very softly to himself.


    Since the day that Yue Ran had an "accident" and lost her child, Pei He could only look at the young woman from afar. Only during the short time when the emperor had left for the morning court could he step closer. But even then, Yue Ran was still asleep.


    The young woman on the bed was very quiet and did not move at all. She was more like an artificial doll without a soul, and she no longer smiled at him.


    At that moment, Pei He felt stuffy in his chest. He could only watch her get thinner day by day.


    Pei He had a lot on his mind. Finally, he swept them away rationally, or rather, he tried hard to ignore the dangerous signs. After his emotions were restrained in his eyes, he carefully smiled at Yue Ran from afar, even if she did not give him a glance.


    ¡­


    A series of things happened in the harem, which were all very frightening, making them all tremble in fear.


    The empress dowager, Xiu Ying, suddenly died in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, and the empress, Chu Ning, was also secluded in the Palace of Eternal Spring by the emperor, just like the abandoned empress of the previous generation. This was no different from the treatment of being sent into the Cold Place.


    (*Cold Palace: This is a palace where the empress or concubine of an emperor resides when the emperor does not like her anymore or she commits a crime that cannot be forgiven by the emperor. This palace only consisted of a little yard in the corner of the imperial palace, which was absolutely isolated from the outside world. The empress or concubine sent to this palace was only given some food through the crevice of the door, so she would become thinner and thinner day by day.)


    All the harem concubines in the imperial palace have been demoted and devalued by the emperor, so there are not many of them left.


    Moreover, the emperor has also issued an imperial edict to make Lu Ming, the adopted son of Empress Jin Yue, the crown prince. This move completely extinguished Chu Ning''s only hope.


    Chu Ning''s younger brother, who was always very upright and righteous in his heart and was a man with a high status in court and also Chu Ning''s most solid backing, someone who stabilized her empress'' position, later learned that his elder sister was one of the murderers who had contributed to Empress Jin Yue''s death, so he had also stopped pleading for his elder sister''s cold treatment.


    ¡­


    Years later


    Hall of Mental Cultivation


    Looking at his imperial father, who looked extremely pale and kept coughing non-stop, Lu Ming immediately asked in a worried tone, "Imperial father, are you okay? How do you feel today?"


    "It is okay," Lu Heng answered. "The imperial father is about to reunite with your imperial mother, so the imperial father feels very happy¡­"


    Lu Heng''s words trailed off, which was followed immediately by a fistful of coughing.


    Lu Ming could only look at this with tears in his eyes. The happiest time of his life was the time when his imperial mother was still alive, but he did not expect that the time spent together would be so short.


    At this moment, a vague and blurry figure appeared in front of Lu Heng''s eyes.


    "Ran Ran," Lu Heng whispered, and his eyes lit up. It was as if the last trace of energy in him was put together to show an energetic and joyful emotion on his face. Just like beautiful fireworks that explode in the night sky. Its beauty was short-lived.


    The man seemed to have seen Yue Ran in front of him and tried to raise his hand, wanting to touch that illusory figure right in front of his eyes.


    "Ran Ran," Lu Heng called out again. "Wait for me."


    Lu Ming could only watch as Lu Heng dropped his hands weakly and passed away with a smile.


    ¡­


    Not long after Yue Ran passed away, Pei He also went with her, without feeling any nostalgia for this world. Unexpectedly, when he opened his eyes, he returned to his childhood days.


    Looking at the small and cute three- or four-year-old Yue Ran with an innocent face in front of him, Pei He knew that this was another chance at life that God had given him. Since it was so, he must not miss Yue Ran again.


    Yue Ran tilted her head and looked at Pei He with a pair of big, bright eyes full of doubt.


    "Cousin, why do you not play with Ran Ran anymore? Do you dislike Ran Ran?" As Yue Ran spoke, her eyes watered, and the tears that welled up in her eyes looked about to drip down the corners of her eyes.


    Pei He stretched out his arms to hug Yue Ran and then wiped off the tears on the chubby face of the little girl as he said, "I will never dislike Ran Ran for the rest of my life."


    Yue Ran was sobbing softly. The little girl looked so cute and pitiful. No matter what expression she had on her face, she would always look the most beautiful in Pei He''s eyes.


    "Really?" Yue Ran asked while blinking her dewy eyes with little crystal tears stuck onto her eyelashes. Her little nose also turned as red as the rims of her eyes.


    "Really, I like Ran Ran the most," Pei He said it with a smile.


    "Then Cousin should not lie to Ran Ran," Yue Ran said. "Let us make a pinky promise." The two children locked both of their pinkies together to signify that a promise had been made. "This promise is not allowed to be changed for a long hundred years, and if Cousin breaks this promise, then Cousin will turn into a puppy."


    In this way, Pei He has always kept his promise and has always protected Yue Ran, from their childhood to their adulthood.


    ¡­


    Pei He knew that his aunt, Yue Ran''s mother, had never liked him or his family circumstances. So in this life, Pei He took the imperial examination ahead of time, successfully won the championship in one fell swoop, and had his name written down on the Golden Lists.


    Pei He came to Yue Ran on a tall horse. When he was close, he immediately dismounted and walked to the beloved of his dreams.


    In this life, Yue Ran did not become Yi Yan''s (Yi Lin''s) maid and only grew up in her own house. As she grows older, Yue Ran becomes more and more beautiful. She had that kind of thrilling beauty that was simply irresistible.


    Pei He approached Yue Ran and asked her gently but seriously, "Ran Ran, are you willing to marry me? I will always protect you, love you, and fulfill the promise we had back then for a lifetime."


    Yue Ran nodded shyly, and her bright and tender eyes turned into beautiful and touching crescents. Her eyebrows were bent into an arc, and she smiled very sweetly as she said, "I do."


    Even though Pei He had already expected such an answer in his heart, once he heard those two words coming out of her lips, his heart could not help but skip a beat.


    "Ran Ran," the young man exclaimed as he hugged Yue Ran excitedly.


    The champion of the imperial examination, his name written on the Golden Lists, and now the wedding night with a bridal chamber and beautiful ornamented candles.


    From his previous life to now, Pei He could actually be regarded as an innocent man who had never made the last step in bed. He was still a pure young man, in a sense.


    At this time, Pei He lifted Yue Ran''s red veil, which covered her appearance, with a trembling hand.


    Looking at Yue Ran, who was usually glamorous and unparalleled, shrouded in red, she looked even more radiant, and Pei He could not take his eyes away.


    With jet-black hair, snow-white skin, and bright red lips, several of the warmest colors formed the most splendid hibiscus beauty face in the world. She smiled slightly, touching the man''s heart.


    As beautiful as first sight.


    When everyone has left the couple alone in the bridal chamber, Pei He called out, "Wife."


    "Husband," Yue Ran said with a smile as a pair of red clouds covered her cheeks. The young girl was too shy to look up at Pei He as she spoke.


    The couple fell on the bed, just the red curtains that covered the spring scenery inside.


    After a night of red-ornamented candles, hundreds of flowers bloomed with the coming day.


    Not long after Lu Heng was crowned the emperor of the Jin Dynasty after his father''s death, Pei He began to resign and took Yue Ran with him to play around. They became a real "ordinary" couple, as they have long wished to be.


    ¡­


    After a few years, Lu Heng, the young emperor, went to the south for the first time.


    He suddenly felt bored on the boat, so he walked out and stood on the front end of the boat to relax. Just in time, he saw Yue Ran and Pei He walking on the bridge while holding hands.


    At this time, Yue Ran was six months pregnant. Pei He, next to her, was telling a joke as he carefully looked at the road, which made Yue Ran smile happily.


    Lu Heng stared blankly at the young woman, who had a faintly charming smile on her beautiful face. She was like an immortal that accidentally strayed into the mortal world, looking untainted by the mortal dust.


    What a familiar feeling this was, as if it had appeared in a dream.


    Lu Heng wanted to ask someone to stop the boat, but the beauty on the bridge was gone.


    ¡­


    Years later, Lu Heng was on the verge of death. There was only one breath left in him. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This time it was the real end of life, with gray hair all over his head.


    Lying on the bed, Lu Heng suddenly smiled desolately. He finally understood what the dream that had haunted him for many years was and who the beauty on the bridge that he had missed was.

 Chapter 171 - 171: White Lotus Transfer Student (1)

    "Master, this time, we have come to a modern plane," Ruan Ruan said as he circled happily around in Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness.


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed as she looked at herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror that fully showed her reflection. She did not hesitate to admire her own beautiful appearance from head to toe and said, "Very beautiful indeed."


    The girl in front of her had long, smooth, jet-black hair and was wearing a school uniform. She was in good shape, but she still had the peculiar youth of a girl. She looked exactly like a pure schoolgirl who was the white moonlight of all the boys in school.


    Yue Ran touched her own face, which still has adorable baby fat, and asked Ruan Ruan, "Am I still a high school student right now?"


    Ruan Ruan checked the plot in the current world before replying, "Yes, this time, the Master is in a campus love story world."


    After saying so, the plot of the world was suddenly stuffed in Yue Ran''s mind, which was quite unexpected this time since the speed of the memory and plot that the Lord God sent to her head was so quick.


    The plot in this world tells the story of the two-way secret love between the female protagonist and the male protagonist. The love would start budding from the campus days until the day when the two protagonists get married and both will have their happily ever after.


    In this world, the male protagonist, Qi Yu, was a perfect child from childhood to adulthood. He is the perfect role model for a child that all parents want their children to be. He has good grades, a good family, and especially good looks. One day, there was an accident, and the male protagonist helped the female protagonist, Zhi Lan, out of trouble when the female protagonist was bullied and bothered by some street gangsters.


    Since then, the female protagonist has secretly liked the male protagonist. And later, because the two studied in class and even outside of class together, they had more and more contact with one another. These two protagonists would then have some accidents and thus have little secrets that they do not want others but themselves to know.


    The male protagonist, Qi Yu, was then gradually attracted by the optimism and kindness of the female protagonist, Zhi Lan, and liked her more and more.


    Finally, after the college entrance examination is over, the male protagonist will confess to the female protagonist. They will stay together for two whole years. When their relationship goes into its third year, the female protagonist decides to go abroad for some personal things. After four years, she will come back and get together with the male protagonist, who is still waiting for her and is still in love with her, again. Eventually, the two will get married.


    After knowing this, Yue Ran only felt that the story was bland and extremely boring.


    "So this is just boring, pure campus love with not much stimulation and excitement that would make one''s blood pump and one''s heart race," Yue Ran commented. "Are there no kinds of misunderstanding, jealousy, or anything at all?"


    Why did the Lord God even put her into this kind of plain world with no sort of violence? This was weird. This was strange.


    "Master, there are some accidents, but only small ones," Ruan Ruan replied. "These small accidents do almost no harm to the two protagonists."


    "Hmm." Yue Ran only gave a hum in reply.


    When Yue Ran sorted out the original body''s memories in her head, she then found out her own identity in this world. It turns out that she was a very good playmate of the female protagonist when she was a child¡ªuntil they were separated, that is.


    The original body and the female protagonist used to be neighbors, but later, Father Yue''s small company became bigger and bigger, and then the Yue family moved to a new city with the better development of the company. Now the company''s business has expanded here, and thus the Yue family has moved back to City C again.


    "This identity is a very good choice to disrupt the two protagonists'' good relationship," Yue Ran said out loud to Ruan Ruan in the original body''s bedroom.


    The young girl''s voice was extremely gentle, but with a few traces of her unique sweetness, soft and glutinous, like stirring amber candy. Her voice was so beautiful that Ruan Ruan''s nonexistent pointed ears and tail could not help but move. His Master is just too cute! He likes his Master the most!


    From the original body''s memory, Yue Ran found out that the original body actually has a secret crush on the male protagonist as well, but then she dated the male protagonist''s best friend instead when she found out that the male protagonist actually likes the female protagonist.


    The original body only did this to attract the male protagonist''s attention, but the male protagonist did not even give her a glance. The male protagonist had never cared for the original body''s existence from the beginning to the end.


    Not long after that, the original body got into an accident and lost her memory. Yes, she was suffering from amnesia. The male protagonist''s best friend found out about her accident and sought the original body out to explain their relationship to her. Even with the memory loss, the original body was still not at all attracted to the male protagonist''s best friend, and there was no movement with her heart; her heart only felt blank and empty when facing him, and thus they broke up neatly.


    This was to be expected because the original body did not like the male protagonist''s best friend when she still had her memory, and thus she would even tmore so not be attracted to the male protagonist''s best friend if those memories were lost.


    Anyway, from then on, the original body officially faded out of the plot, and then nothing happened. The original body had only truly become a nonexistent person. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran was a little dumbfounded by the plot because it is quite simple. The plot points that she had to follow through on were first to date the male protagonist''s best friend until she had amnesia, then the breakup with the male protagonist''s best friend.


    After that, she could play as freely as she liked, following the character setting and not being out of character. Naturally, she will plan well and will not let this kind of big chance like the amnesia accident fly away to get the favorability of two men.


    Does the Lord God now think that if she were no longer present in the plot, then she could not disrupt the relationship between the male protagonist, Qi Yu, and the female protagonist, Zhi Lan? And does the Lord God really think that by dating the male protagonist''s best friend, Ye Chen, the male protagonist will be disgusted with her and avoid her?


    Naturally, the former and the latter may be disasters for others. But who is she? She is Yue Ran, the most beautiful person in the world and in the whole vast universe, and the smartest person who never accepts any loss from others. If she does, then there will be revenge¡ªa revenge that will never end until it is completed.


    If it were not for the fact that the Lord God had erected a beauty shield on her to simply lower her beauty to make her look more ugly than she usually was, then everyone, men and women, would have already fallen in love with her at first sight.


    But now, Yue Ran was used to making strategies and seamless plans to win the male protagonist''s affection. She does not know if getting used to this was a good thing or not. Maybe not. At least not for her.


    She really missed those days when she could just act very badly and act however she wanted to without needing to think about other people''s feelings. And even if she were to stab them with a knife or even simply push them out as a shield to protect herself from harm, that person who was hurt would still love her anyway because of her irresistible beauty.


    After teasing Ruan Ruan, her system, for a while with a few words, Yue Ran picked up her school bag and went out of her room to head downstairs. The corners of her mouth did not stop smiling.


    "Mom, Dad, good morning," Yue Ran said with curved brows and eyes as she walked down the stairs.


    The young girl smiled softly and tucked a strand of glossy jet-black hair behind her ear.


    Yue Ran could see that Mother Yue and Father Yue were already sitting at the dining table while waiting for her to eat together.


    "Ran Ran, you are here," Mother Yue said very gently. "Come and eat. Breakfast is already prepared."


    Yue Ran''s smile deepened, and her footsteps became a little more cheerful as she answered, "Thank you, Mom."


    "Today is the first day of going to the new school," Father Yue said. "Ran Ran, how are you preparing?"


    "Naturally, I am all ready, and all my things are already packed," Yue Ran answered.


    "That is good," Father Yue said. "It is always good to be prepared. You will also have a friend that you know there. I have specifically asked for you to move to Zhi Lan''s class."


    "Will Zhi Lan also be in the No. 1 High School?"

 Chapter 172 - 172: White Lotus Transfer Student (2)

    "Will Zhi Lan also be in the No. 1 High School?" Yue Ran asked, feeling a little surprised.


    "Yes," Mother Yue answered for Father Yue. "Your dad is afraid that you will not have any friends in class and thus has specially arranged for you to be in the same class as Zhi Lan as soon as your dad has finished completing the transfer procedures for you in your new school."


    Mother Yue explained this while pouring Yue Ran a glass of yogurt.


    "Mom, Dad, thank you," Yue Ran said as she smiled and looked at them, feeling deeply moved.


    "Silly child, why do you even have to thank your parents like this?" Father Yue responded as he shook his head from side to side with a smile. "Okay, eat your breakfast quickly. Make sure not to be late on the first day of school."


    "Okay, Dad," Yue Ran replied very obediently.


    The young girl was holding a glass of milky white yogurt with a smile on her face, and she responded to her father so tenderly that both Mother Yue''s and Father Yue''s hearts melted because of it.


    ¡­


    No. 1 High School


    No. 1 High School is not only famous in City C, but it is also the best high school in the city. Not to mention that this No. 1 High School actually also ranks among the top five of all the high schools in the whole country. Every year, countless people would crowd and fight blood, figuratively speaking, just to get one position to study at this high school.


    At this time, Yue Ran was walking on the road to such a prestigious high school.


    Today was her first day of school, and she was walking on the campus trail, which looked very pleasant and was not crowded with people.


    "Why is the weather so hot today?" A male student, Student A, asked as he was fanning himself with a hand to try and get rid of the heat, or at least to reduce the heat.


    "That is right," another male student, Student B, complained. "I have never felt such hot weather like this before. What a nightmare! Can you believe it?"


    Student A looked unimpressed at his friend, Student B, beside him and simply stated, "You complain about this every single year. Anyway, should I have clipped the bangs out of my forehead? But I would not look good when I did so. But my bangs will get wet if I do not do so."


    "Uh-huh, what a crisis," Student B said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.


    "I know, right?" Student A responded with strong agreement before patting Student B''s shoulder with a smile. "This is why you are my best friend."


    Student B only looked at Student A with a blank stare before once again rolling his eyes.


    The two students were complaining about the hot weather today until a nice and refreshing female voice came from behind them.


    "Hello, fellow students," Yue Ran said. "May I ask where the first class of the second year of high school is located?"


    The two men turned their heads with impatience and irritation at being disturbed because of the heat that hit their faces and made them sweat so uncomfortably, but were suddenly startled when they saw the appearance of the young girl behind them.


    Is¡­ Is she an angel that fell from the sky?


    The girl in front of them was fair-skinned; her eyebrows and eyes were gentle and delicate; her oval face and her charming eyes seemed to attract attention with the illumination of the sun, like broken crystal lights. The long black hair that is smooth and shiny and falls neatly on and over her shoulders like a waterfall complements the girl''s already delicate and exquisite facial features even more beautifully and adds a bit of innocence and beauty. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the young girl was wearing the same style of school uniform as any other, it still could not hide her beautiful figure at all. She looked exquisite and elegant, which stood out among all the students in the school, as if there was just a natural spotlight that shone on her figure wherever she went.


    Student A and Student B''s faces immediately turned red.


    "Ah, yes, it is on the fourth floor of the building," Student A replied first with a little stutter. "Just go up the stairs, turn left, and the first classroom you will see is it."


    "Okay, thank you," Yue Ran said as she thanked the man politely. The young girl''s voice was soft and gentle, and the ending sounded a little coquettish, making Student A''s face instantly turn so red that even the tips of his ears were also stained with red clouds of blush.


    "You¡­ you are welcome," Student A replied shyly while fiddling with his hands.


    Seeing that the beautiful angel was walking further and further away into the distance, Student A suddenly returned to his senses and slapped the top of his head in realization. Why did he not think of asking for her contact number? If he has her number, then they could be more familiar and close, right? Not to mention that their relationship could also develop further...


    Student B beside him seemed to have seen through his friend''s thoughts and said in a contemptuous tone, "Come on, are you serious? Do not even think about it." Student B shook his head at his friend before continuing, "There is no way that such a beautiful girl would be attracted to you!"


    "Nothing is impossible, I tell you." Student A retorted back before he took out his mobile phone and typed in it for quite a while. He then quickly took a picture of the back view of the angel of his dreams that was gradually walking away from him and uploaded it to the school forum with the title, "A stunning little beauty was discovered today!"


    The caption below was: I want to know all about this little beauty''s information in five minutes!


    ¡­


    The homeroom teacher of the first class of the second year of high school coughed a few times to calm the noise in the classroom while saying, "Students, be quiet." The stern voice was changed into a more gentle one as she continued, "This semester, we have a new transfer student in our class. Everyone, please welcome Yue Ran, our new classmate."


    The students in the class had naturally noticed the beautiful female classmate as soon as she stood outside the door from the glass windows of the class. Everyone''s gaze as they looked at her became so intense that even the applause grew louder, as did the cheers.


    It was during this round of applause that Yue Ran walked in to stand at the center, in front of the class, with her back behind the blackboard, to greet everyone.


    "Hello everyone, my name is Yue Ran, and I have just moved from City A to City C because of my parents'' work," Yue Ran started. "I like to play the piano and violin. In my spare time, I like to read books and draw. I hope that I can be good friends with all of you here in the coming days. Please give me more advice in the future."


    After saying so, Yue Ran bowed very sincerely.


    In an instant, the applause from the students in class grew much louder than before, followed by excited chatter, all of which revolved around the new transfer student, Yue Ran.


    "Wow, what a beauty she is!"


    "She is so good-looking and even acted so polite; this transfer student is just too good!"


    "I even heard that the transfer student passed the test, ranking second in the whole grade. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also very smart!"


    "She has both beauty and brains! The beauty is awesome!"


    At this moment, the female protagonist''s deskmate excitedly rocked Zhi Lan''s shoulders back and forth, who was sleeping on the table, while gushing, "Zhi Lan, Zhi Lan, you must wake up! A great beauty just transferred to our class!"


    "Hmm, who?" Zhi Lan asked as she rubbed her eyes to try and wipe the sleepiness off her.


    Originally, the female protagonist had already woken up when everyone first applauded so loudly, but she just did not want to open her eyes at all because she was simply not interested in whatever was going on in the class. She would rather catch up on sleep.


    When Zhi Lan "woke up" leisurely and opened her eyes, she first glanced at where the male protagonist, Qi Yu, was sitting. The other party seemed to have noticed her gaze and thus raised his head to smile at her.


    Zhi Lan''s face immediately flushed, and she quickly turned her head away with unstoppable joy on her face. Her heart pounded against her chest. Qi Yu just looked and smiled at her!


    Zhi Lan''s deskmate clicked her tongue and said, "I know that your handsome guy is good-looking, but the beauty in front is even better!"


    "What do you mean? He is not mine," Zhi Lan retorted shyly with a blush on her face. She had only heard the former sentence while filtering out the latter one.


    Zhi Lan''s deskmate felt speechless, and she had the urge to roll her eyes. Zhi Lan was her deskmate, and they both had a pretty good relationship in between being acquaintances and friends. Does Zhi Lan actually think that she is blind?


    She, as Zhi Lan''s deskmate, naturally could see everything clearly.

 Chapter 173 - 173: White Lotus Transfer Student (3)

    She, as Zhi Lan''s deskmate, could see clearly that every time Zhi Lan raised her head to look at the back of the class, the first thing that she would always want to see was Qi Yu. And whenever they talked about Qi Yu, she would blush so shyly and then pat her reddened face.


    It was obvious that Zhi Lan had a very big crush on Qi Yu, the class monitor.


    And right now, after she said that Qi Yu was hers (Zhi Lan''s), Zhi Lan would blush shyly to deny it, but the happiness on her face was undeniably shown out clearly.


    "Okay, okay," Zhi Lan''s deskmate said, wanting to quickly change the subject. "Oh, the transfer student''s name is Yue Ran! The name Yue Ran sounds so nice!"


    Yue Ran? Zhi Lan spelled out those two words in her mind as she looked up. Her line of sight immediately touched a very familiar figure in front of the class, and she quickly stood up excitedly, and her chair fell with a loud bang. It was Ran Ran! Ran Ran has come back after three years of moving away to City A!


    But before Zhi Lan could express her joy and call out to Yue Ran, the homeroom teacher immediately reprimanded her by saying, "Zhi Lan, what are you trying to do?


    In this world, the female protagonist, Zhi Lan, usually has the worst grades in the class and still has such a bad attitude. She often sleeps in classes, and now she is trying to disrupt the order of the class!


    Now she, as the homeroom teacher, will never allow this to happen!


    "Teacher, I¡­" Zhi Lan started, but her words immediately trailed off. She was in a panic and lowered her head. Her face turned red from embarrassment, and the long and thick bangs that hung down from her head almost covered her entire face.


    The male protagonist, Qi Yu, was about to speak for Zhi Lan, but then he heard a gentle and sweet voice like that of a wind chime and a spring breeze in a warm summer sun, which sounded like a kind of enjoyment.


    "Teacher, Lan Lan and I have known each other before and are very good friends," Yue Ran said. "She must have just been too excited to see me, so she stood up so quickly that her chair was knocked backward."


    Qi Yu had always lowered his head to do the sets of questions in his book and was not at all interested in whatever transfer student was moving into and going to do in the class today. But when he heard her words, he looked up, and his eyes unexpectedly met a pair of bright, dewy eyes that looked at him with a very sweet smile.


    The young man was stunned for a moment, then he quickly lowered his head to look back at the questions in his book. The only difference now and before was that the originally smooth handwriting had accumulated a large black spot somewhere on the page.


    "So that was it," the homeroom teacher said. "Then, Zhi Lan, you can fix your chair and sit back down. Do not make any further noise to disturb the class."


    The homeroom teacher had said these sentences in a perfunctory manner. Although the homeroom teacher often speaks like this to her almost all the time¡ªas often as nine out of ten times¡ªZhi Lan still feels aggrieved.


    But this time it was okay because Ran Ran was here to help her out of the siege! Ran Ran is always very kind to her!


    Thinking of this, Zhi Lan cast a grateful look at Yue Ran, who was standing on the podium in front of the class.


    Zhi Lan''s deskmate let out an exaggerated gasp as she asked, "Zhi Lan, you actually know the great beauty, Yue Ran? And you two are still good friends? Oh my gosh!" She was so excited to know that her deskmate actually had a good relationship with such a beautiful person, and thus she continued, "Zhi Lan, you are really not good. Why did you not introduce me to such a beautiful little angel like Yue Ran earlier?"


    "Actually, since Ran Ran''s family moved out to City A on the second day of the new year, we have not contacted each other again," Zhi Lan explained.


    "Okay, everyone, be quiet," the homeroom teacher said as she tried to lower the noise in her class. "Yue Ran, you can sit at the empty table in the back first. When the class is over, the class monitor will help you pick a new desk for you if you want to change your seats."


    Yue Ran glanced down at the position that the homeroom teacher pointed out for her from the podium in front of the class. That position was exactly behind the male protagonist, Qi Yu.


    The class position is based on grades. The higher the score of a student, the greater their priority is to choose their seats first. Meaning that the student who ranks first in class will choose his or her seat first.


    The male protagonist in this world chooses the position in the innermost corner of the classroom every time. Therefore, the empty table just happened to be behind him.


    The corner of the young girl''s mouth curled up into a sweet smile as she turned her head to the homeroom teacher and said, "Thank you, teacher."


    The young girl''s voice was sweet and soft, like cotton candy, with a natural closeness that made people feel happy when they heard it. But her voice also sounded as comfortable as white peach soda in summer, and everyone instantly felt that the heat today was reduced a lot.


    When Yue Ran went down from the podium and walked to the empty table, she had to pass Zhi Lan''s seat. Seeing the excited eyes of the female protagonist, Yue Ran only smiled sweetly with her eyes and brows bent into crescents and nodded lightly to her.


    The female protagonist of this world is a plain type. Her appearance is very ordinary; she looks well-behaved but also a little dazed and confused. She most definitely does not look smart.


    Yue Ran had to think and wonder just how the male protagonist was actually attracted to this type of girl. She could only guess that the male protagonist was special. He likes the female protagonist''s soul and inner personality as compared to her outside appearance.


    Zhi Lan''s deskmate gasped and instantly gushed, "Oh my gosh! The great beauty just smiled at me! She just smiled at me! I have received a critical hit! My heart!" She sniffed the air and said, "And do great beauties have their own natural fragrance when they walk by? Hey, Zhi Lan, did you smell that nice and sweet scent just now?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Uh-huh," Zhi Lan replied absentmindedly. She was very happy to see a friend, whom she had not seen for more than three years, finally come back.


    Yue Ran slowly walked over to the empty seat and took her seat. As soon as she sat down, a young boy, the male protagonist''s best friend, to be more precise, who sat next to the male protagonist, turned his head back to speak to her, "Hello, my name is Ye Chen."


    Of course, Yue Ran knew who this man was very well. He is her soon-to-be boyfriend.


    Dating Ye Chen was a plot point that must be done in this world and cannot be skipped.


    Because Yue Ran was sitting alone for the time being, Ye Chen could very conveniently talk to her. The young boy with refreshing short hair and a personality like warm sunshine blushed rarely at this moment when he stared at Yue Ran.


    "Hello, my name is Yue Ran, and you can just call me Ran Ran," Yue Ran answered in reply.


    "Ran Ran," Ye Chen obediently said in reply.


    As soon as the two words came out, the young man only felt that all his thoughts were centered around the young girl in front of him. His heart could not help but tremble, and his heartbeat was abnormally fast at this moment.


    "You¡­ you can just call me A Chen," Ye Chen said as he stuttered out a little. "And beside me, here is my deskmate and good friend."


    After he finished saying so, he pulled Qi Yu over to him so that he could hide his red face with the cover of his friend''s body.


    Yue Ran''s smile deepened as she said, "Yes, I can see that he is your deskmate."


    Hearing the teasing tone in the young girl''s voice, Ye Chen felt more and more at a loss. He really did not know how to react, nor did he know what to say to the extremely beautiful girl in front of him.


    "I¡­ I mean that his name is Qi Yu, and he is also the monitor of this class," Ye Chen said.


    Hearing that his friend had introduced himself, Qi Yu had to stop writing on the answers to the question in his book, turn his head around, and smile warmly at Yue Ran as he said, "Hello, my name is Qi Yu."


    The male protagonist is tall and slender; his temperament is like jade; and his appearance and personality are also kind and gentle. There was always a slow elegance when he did things, even when talking, which reminded people of the royal princes in the Middle Ages.


    "Hi," Yue Ran said with a smile.

 Chapter 174 - 174: White Lotus Transfer Student (4)

    "Hi, I am very happy to meet all of you," Yue Ran said with a smile.


    "Nice to meet you too," Ye Chen quickly replied.


    "Pfft." With this, Yue Ran let out a chuckle that sounded like the soft ringing of silver bells when coming into contact with the breeze.


    Ye Chen had answered her words so quickly that Yue Ran could not help but think that the young man was quite cute.


    Since Ye Chen had started to talk to Yue Ran, the enthusiasm on his face had never faded even once. Qi Yu only felt that his friend''s unpromising appearance was very shameful and shameless.


    "Okay, that is enough," Qi Yu said. "The homeroom teacher has something to talk about in class today, so let us listen to her first."


    "Okay, I will listen to the class monitor," Yue Ran said. The young girl''s smile was rippling like a white lotus floating on the surface of a lake under the moonlight, hazy and charming.


    Qi Yu also smiled back at the young girl before turning his head to the homeroom teacher.


    Even after hearing Qi Yu''s words, Ye Chen was still talking to Yue Ran.


    Ye Chen asked, "Ran Ran, have you gotten your books for each subject yet?"


    "Hmm, not yet," Yue Ran answered with a small shake of her head. "I do not know where to get it."


    "It is okay; I can take you there," Ye Chen said. "I will go with you when I help you move your new desk later."


    "Okay, thank you, A Chen," Yue Ran said.


    "No, It¡­ it is nothing much," Ye Chen replied. "You are welcome."


    ¡­ S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One whole class just passed like this during the chat between the two people; the school bell rang and now is the break time between classes.


    "Hello, Yue Ran. My name is XXX, and it is very nice to meet you!"


    "Oh my gosh, Yue Ran, you are really beautiful up close! How do you take care of your skin?"


    "Yue Ran, can we add contact information? I can add you to our class group."


    "Yue Ran¡­"


    Yue Ran, who was suddenly surrounded by everyone after class, was stuck in the middle of the crowd and could only respond softly and gently to the enthusiastic students around her. This scene was just like a group of fans crowding around an idol.


    "Okay, okay, this is enough," Ye Chen said as he tried to get the group of lively classmates to move away from Yue Ran. "There will be a chance to get to know Ran Ran more in the future. Now, Yue Ran is going to get her new desk!"


    However, Ye Chen''s words did not stop the enthusiasm of the students at all. His words simply did not have any persuasive power over the group.


    Qi Yu, who had been sitting down calmly, suddenly got up and motioned for Ye Chen to go out so that he could get out of his seat.


    The young man walked up to Yue Ran and said, "My apologies."


    "Hmm?" Yue Ran hummed in question, not understanding the young man''s words at all. And before the young woman even realized it, Qi Yu had already taken hold of her hand to lead her out of the sea of students, like the encirclement of a zombie siege, and out of the classroom.


    "Wow!" The students cried enthusiastically.


    Such a combination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman made the students in the class roar one after another in astonishment and awe.


    Listening to the clamor from the classroom and feeling the soft and delicate skin under his hands, the ever-so-calm Qi Yu''s face was gradually covered with a thin layer of red.


    "A Yu, wait for me!" Ye Chen exclaimed from the classroom.


    Seeing that the two of them left him behind, Ye Chen naturally pushed the crowd away to make a space for him to chase after the young man and young woman.


    Once Qi Yu and Yue Ran stepped outside of the classroom, he immediately released his hold on the young woman''s wrist.


    "It just happened so suddenly," Qi Yu said. "I am sorry for offending you."


    Even if the young man was to say sorry, he was still very gentle and elegant, with a noble upbringing that radiated from his very bones.


    "It is okay," Yue Ran replied gently. "I understand."


    "Hey, A Yu, you wait for me," Ye Chen said as he ran out of the classroom and towards Qi Yu, slinging an arm over his friend''s shoulder. "I will go with you." He shifted his gaze toward Yue Ran before saying, "Ran Ran, let us go together to help you move your table."


    "Okay," Yue Ran said in reply as a smile appeared on the corners of her mouth.


    ¡­


    School Forum


    Subject Title: The three students who raised the average attractiveness bar so high in high school are walking together!


    Below this was a picture of Yue Ran, Ye Chen, and Qi Yu walking together, followed by a bunch of comments from the student body in school.


    "Two words: prosperous beauty."


    "Ahhh! Qi Yu looks like a noble prince!"


    "The new school belle looks so good, just like an angel!"


    "Ye Chen, your girlfriend loves you!"


    "Upstairs, do not tell lies in broad daylight."


    "Woo, I do not think that I deserve to live in this world!"


    "Upstairs +1"


    "I question my own genetics all the time. Upstairs +2"


    "Everyone, someone posted a ship pairing choice on the school forum just above this! The shipping war discussion is crazy! You should all see it for yourselves!"


    ¡­


    No matter how noisy the school forum is right now, the three protagonists of the discussion were not aware of it at all.


    When the two young men helped Yue Ran take the new table back into the classroom to change the current old one for her, Yue Ran suddenly saw Zhi Lan standing and waiting just beside her chair.


    "Lan Lan," Yue Ran called out. Her voice sounded very pleasant and crisp to everyone''s ears.


    Yue Ran trotted over and held Zhi Lan''s hand lightly. Anyone could see the apparent joy on the young woman''s face.


    "Ran Ran," Zhi Lan said in reply. She is also very happy to meet Yue Ran.


    The two of them have been good friends since childhood, and now that they are back together, they naturally feel that they have a lot of things to say to one another.


    "Ran Ran, how have you been these past three years?" Zhi Lan asked.


    "Well, I am fine," Yue Ran said. "But I miss Lan Lan a lot."


    Zhi Lan now had a sincere smile on her face, and even her expression looked better than before as she said, "I miss Ran Ran a lot too."


    "Oh, right, by the way, Lan Lan," Yue Ran started as she blinked coyly. "Can you help me move the table out of the way first to make way for a new one?"


    "Ah?" Zhi Lan asked, feeling confused for a while until she regained her senses. "Oh, yes, okay."


    Seeing the bunny-like eyes of the young woman in front of her, Yue Ran pressed a finger on Zhi Lan''s face with a smile on her face and said, "Lan Lan is so cute."


    Zhi Lan had just moved the table away, and the two men who were one step behind Yue Ran finally came inside the class.


    "A Chen, just put the table here," Yue Ran said as she pointed to an empty space.


    "Okay," Ye Chen said with a sunny smile.


    Seeing that a layer of perspiration was on the young man''s face, Yue Ran hurriedly took out a pack of tissue from her bag and took two pieces of tissue from it, one for Ye Chen and the other for Qi Yu.


    There was a slight apology in Yue Ran''s voice as she said, "I am sorry, and thank you, you two, for your hard work."


    "It is okay; the table is light," Ye Chen quickly answered.


    As the young man spoke, he took the piece of tissue paper from Yue Ran''s hand and wiped it on his face indiscriminately. Fortunately, his face looks very handsome even with small tissue paper pieces stuck on his skin; otherwise, people would have thought that he looked unsightly, rude, and unruly right now.


    On the other hand, Qi Yu folded the tissue paper in his hand into a square before he slowly wiped off the sweat on his face by dabbing it lightly on his skin. His whole person, from appearance, manner, or taste, from head to toe, looked extremely gentle and refined.


    The two teenagers have very different styles.


    The only thing they had in common right now was that when sweat dripped down their cheeks, their manly and youthful auras gushed out of them. This made all the girls in the class blush as they looked at the two young men.


    Zhi Lan shyly peeked at Qi Yu, then looked away. She did not know where to put her eyes in this kind of "ambiguous" situation.


    Yue Ran cast a casual glance at the female protagonist''s blushing face and then laughed softly as she said, "Are the three of you very familiar with one another in class?"


    Ye Chen, without surprise, of course, was the first to answer Yue Ran''s words. He let out a light cough before saying, "I am only familiar with A Yu here, but not with her."


    The young man gestured to Zhi Lan.

 Chapter 175 - 175: White Lotus Transfer Student (5)

    Ye Chen gestured to Zhi Lan before he continued by saying in a rather gossipy tone, "But let me tell you, the two of them are very familiar with one another!"


    The young man pointed to Zhi Lan and Qi Yu.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed in question. She tilted her head slightly, expressing doubt. The girl''s eyes were clear and ignorant, and the hearts of the people who saw her turned increasingly soft.


    Ye Chen only felt that he had been hit by a value of ten thousand cute critical hit damage! He was running out of health points.


    And in a place where no one was paying attention, the tips of Qi Yu''s ears quietly turned red.


    Ye Chen forced himself not to stare at Yue Ran''s beautiful face, making the red blush on his face subside and looking less obvious before he continued, "The two of them go to the library after school to make up for the day''s lessons, so they grew familiar with one another."


    "Oh, then what about you?" Yue Ran asked Ye Chen. "Why did you not go with them?"


    "Well, I¡­" Ye Chen spoke awkwardly as his words trailed off. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand as he continued with a lower voice. "My grades are really not good, and it is useless for me to go."


    "You just did not want to focus on your studies, and you just do not want to learn," Qi Yu said disapprovingly when he heard Ye Chen''s words. "With your mind, you can get good grades with a little effort. So if you are only a little more diligent in..."


    Seeing that Qi Yu was about to start nagging him again, Ye Chen quickly patted the young man''s shoulder in frustration and said, "I know, I know, I am very smart and will get a high score, right?" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I think the class monitor is right," Yue Ran said after she lightly watched the show on the side.


    Ye Chen: !


    "Ah, Ran Ran, are you going to tell me to be more diligent in my studies too?" Ye Chen asked. He had an expression full of hopelessness on his face.


    Yue Ran laughed out loud. She stood on tiptoes and reached out a hand to lightly pat the boy''s head.


    The young girl comforted the young man by saying softly, "Okay, I will not tell A Chen to do what A Chen does not want to do."


    Ye Chen: !!!


    The young man''s face instantly turned red, and his words sounded a little awkward when he said, "I¡­ I am going to my seat first. I will get ready to attend the next class."


    It was too shameful for him to be coaxed so softly and gently by a beautiful girl or something!


    Yue Ran''s smile deepened as she watched the young man walk over to his seat with the same hands and feet, looking very nervous and stiff. So lovely.


    Seeing that Ye Chen had already walked to his seat and was pretending to be dead, Yue Ran turned her head to the two people left, feeling a little funny as she said, "I will invite you all for dinner."


    "I¡­" Zhi Lan just wanted to reject, but Yue Ran instantly interrupted her words.


    "You are not allowed to refuse my invitation," Yue Ran said. "It has been such a long time since we have not seen each other, okay?"


    Listening to the girl''s coquettish tone, Zhi Lan finally swallowed her words of refusal and said, "Okay, I will go with you."


    Qi Yu glanced at Zhi Lan a few times with gentle eyes before replying to Yue Ran, "A Chen and I can go too."


    "Okay, then I will let you know the address of the restaurant," Yue Ran said.


    "Uh-huh," Zhi Lan said. "Well, it is almost time for class, so I will go back to my seat first."


    "Okay, bye for now, Lan Lan," Yue Ran said with a wave of her hand.


    The young girl smiled beautifully. Her voice sounded so sweet that the tips of a young man''s ears were stained with a layer of red again.


    Zhi Lan shyly looked at Qi Yu before turning around and leaving.


    ¡­


    Although it was the first day of school, the teacher started to get to the main point of the topic after a few brief greetings to the students.


    Qi Yu was listening carefully to the teacher''s lecture, but he was suddenly distracted by a round yet hard object poking at his back, soft and itchy.


    When the young man turned his head, he could finally see what it was. It turns out that Yue Ran poked his back with the back of her pen.


    "Class monitor," Yue Ran said with a cute blink.


    Because it was in class, her voice was specially lowered. It was different from the usually clear and beautiful sound. It sounded low and seductive, with a hint of unique flavor.


    Yue Ran leaned forward and whispered, "Class monitor, I have not learned about this formula before."


    The young girl wrote a formula in the book that the teacher had used when solving the problem just now.


    "Ah, this is..." Qi Yu''s mouth opened and closed as he explained how the formula was used for Yue Ran.


    Seeing that the two heads were getting closer and closer and almost touching each other, Ye Chen suddenly interrupted by asking, "What are you two talking about?"


    Ye Chen leaned over and squeezed in between the two of them. Yue Ran and Qi Yu''s heads were forced to lean back.


    "Nothing much," Qi Yu answered. "We were just talking about a math formula."


    Ye Chen stared at Qi Yu suspiciously. He did not believe Qi Yu''s words that much. And thus, the young man asked, "Our Ran Ran is so smart, so does she still need you to teach her?"


    "A Chen," Yue Ran said embarrassedly. Two pink clouds instantly colored her cheeks.


    "Hey, I am just telling the truth," Ye Chen said.


    "Okay, I get it," Qi Yu said. "Let us listen to the class now." After saying so, he turned his head to Yue Ran and said, "That was it. If there is anything that you do not understand in the future, you can just ask me your questions after class."


    "Okay, and thank you, class monitor," Yue Ran said. "The class monitor is really kind."


    The joy in the young girl''s voice seemed to be overflowing, and the trust and dependence in those eyes that looked like thinking stars in the night sky made Qi Yu feel stunned for a moment.


    "You are welcome," Qi Yu answered with lowered eyes.


    ¡­


    "Let us go to Xiao Ling''s Seafood Restaurant," Yue Ran said. "I will treat you all to dinner."


    As soon as the end of school bell rang, Yue Ran started to pack up her new books into her school bag.


    Ye Chen''s ears perked up as he answered with joy, "Okay, okay, I like Xiao Ling''s Seafood Restaurant''s hairy crabs the most!"


    "Then make sure that you eat enough," Yue Ran said. "Ah, wait a minute. I will first go find Lan Lan for a moment to ask her to come with us."


    "Okay," Ye Chen said in reply.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran found Zhi Lan, she asked, "Lan Lan?"


    The sudden voice shocked Zhi Lan.


    "Ah? Ran Ran? What happened?" Zhi Lan asked the young girl with blinking eyes.


    Zhi Lan subconsciously hid her mobile phone on her back. And on the screen was a message showing that her boss was urging her to come to work as soon as possible.


    "It is nothing much," Yue Ran said. "But what is wrong with you? Do you want me to help you pack your things into your bag before we get going?"


    The young girl''s voice was light, like a long-necked swan swimming in the still lake with the sunset as its backdrop. It was a naturally enchanting sight. It is a voice that everyone will like.


    "No, it is fine," Zhi Lan replied. "I will get things ready very soon, so you do not have to worry. I will make a call first, though."


    "Okay," Yue Ran said with a nod. "There is no need to hurry."


    "Um," Zhi Lan said.


    After Yue Ran had gone away and the hallway outside the classroom was once again deserted, Zhi Lan immediately called her boss.


    Zhi Lan held the phone to her ears and said, "Boss, I have something to do tonight. I cannot go to work today, so can I ask for a leave?"


    "Can a leave from work be requested at will?" Zhi Lan''s boss questioned Zhi Lan angrily over the phone. "Do you not know how busy we are here every day? You said that you would come an hour late every day because of school, and I have already agreed, but now you are really just pushing things too far! Do you think that you can receive wages without working hard for free? Nothing in this world is free!"


    "Boss, please, I am really in a hurry today," Zhi Lan said uneasily. "I promise that this will be the last time."


    Zhi Lan, who might not be able to ask for a leave from work, was a little anxious.


    "Fine, then only this one last time," Zhi Lan''s boss shouted from the phone. "But I will deduct a day of wages so you can go!"


    After hesitating for a while, Zhi Lan''s boss finally agreed after deducting a day''s wages.

 Chapter 176 - 176: White Lotus Transfer Student (6)

    This arrangement would naturally only benefit Zhi Lan''s boss.


    Deducting a day''s wages does not mean that there will be no wages received if Zhi Lan does not go to work today, but that she will receive no wages if she goes to work tomorrow.


    Does this not mean, for Zhi Lan''s boss, that there will be a free employee working for him tomorrow night? This was the reason why he was so "kind" as to let her take a leave today.


    Zhi Lan clenched her hand tightly on her phone, and her other free hand was clenched into a fist. Her boss was clearly bullying people in broad daylight! However, she had absolutely no choice but to agree to this unequal arrangement because her only source of income was working at this job.


    Thinking of this, Zhi Lan could only helplessly loosen her hand a little on her phone and say, "Thank you, boss."


    ¡­


    The collocation of the two men and the two women, especially when three of the four of them are still the most important people on campus, made the students who came and went not help but keep turning their heads to look at them.


    Zhi Lan was not used to such eyes. She subconsciously took a few steps back and ducked behind Yue Ran for cover.


    "Lan Lan? What is wrong with you?" Yue Ran asked questioningly, looking a little ignorant.


    "No, I am fine," Zhi Lan answered.


    Seemingly able to see the girl''s unease, Qi Yu, who was in front, turned his head back to say, "Let us go together."


    Yue Ran glanced at the male protagonist with a half-smile expression on her face before saying, "The car is already waiting for us outside."


    "Ran Ran, is this the car that you have booked online on your phone?" Ye Chen asked.


    "Ah, no," Yue Ran answered with a shake of her head. "I asked my driver to come and send us for one trip."


    "Okay, that is great!" Ye Chen said it with a laugh. "Then let us go now! I could hardly wait!"


    "Okay," Yue Ran replied with a sweet smile.


    Time gradually passed in the chatter of the four. Naturally, most of the time, it was the cooperation of both Ye Chen and Yue Ran that helped liven up the dead silence.


    ¡­


    "Ran Ran, do you want to eat this?" Ye Chen asked as he took out all the meat from the shell of a hairy crab that he liked the most. "I have removed all the meat from a hairy crab for you."


    Ye Chen held the plate of crab meat up for Yue Ran as if he were holding up a treasure to offer it to her with both hands.


    Yue Ran let out a small chuckle and said, Yes, thank you, A Chen." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young girl took the plate and placed it in front of her, looking cute and sweet.


    Ye Chen only felt that his heart had started to get sick again. After all, it was beating so loudly and quickly that he almost thought that he had a heart problem.


    After eating the crab meat that was offered to her, Yue Ran held the glass of wine beside her and raised it as she said, "First of all, I would like to thank the class monitor and A Chen for helping me move my new desk. And then, when I saw Lan Lan again, I was very happy. I am spending my first day at No. 1 High School with a great start!"


    "Well, for me, it is very nice to meet Ran Ran," Ye Chen said with a silly smile, raising his glass of wine up high. "Cheers!"


    Qi Yu, the male protagonist, was also infected by the lively spirit of the young girl, and the smile on the corners of his mouth never came down.


    Seeing that the three of them raised their glasses of wine, Zhi Lan only felt a little anxious.


    "But, Ran Ran," Zhi Lan started a little hesitantly. "You have never been able to drink alcohol well before."


    Yue Ran smiled and replied, "Lan Lan, it is alright. I know that my alcohol tolerance is low, so I will just take a sip. I know my body well." After saying so, she once again raised her lowered glass and said, "Come on, everybody, let us have a toast!"


    Hearing Zhi Lan say this, Ye Chen put down his glass, frowned worriedly, and said, "Ran Ran, how about me getting a glass of coke for you instead?"


    "No need," Yue Ran said. "It is fine; I can still drink a little."


    As if this were not enough to convince the young man, after the young girl had finished speaking, she called out the young man''s name with a coquettish hook that no one could resist.


    "A Chen," Yue Ran said. Her tone of voice went from high to low and back to high again.


    How could Ye Chen stand this? He lowered his head, seemingly trying to look at another place, as he stroked his forehead with one hand, trying hard to cover up the big smile on his face that just would not go away. But it seems that he has failed big time.


    "Okay," Ye Chen said as he finally compromised. "Then just that one glass and not more."


    "Okay," Yue Ran answered happily with a nod of her head.


    It was just that no one had expected that what Yue Ran had meant about her having a low alcohol tolerance and thus drinking a sip was really just one small sip.


    "Ran Ran?" Zhi Lan asked slowly.


    Zhi Lan touched and patted the young girl''s shoulder, who was lying with her head and hands down on the table, but she did not get any response except for a few occasional murmurs.


    "Ran Ran?" Zhi Lan asked again, trying to gently ask the unconscious Yue Ran to wake up. "What should I do? Ran Ran is completely drunk. And when we came here, Ran Ran had asked her driver to drive back to her home first."


    Zhi Lan subconsciously turned to Qi Yu for help.


    "Do you know where her home is?" Qi Yu asked Zhi Lan.


    "I will just take her back," Ye Chen said.


    The two young men almost spoke simultaneously, and both reflexively made brief eye contact with one another. The atmosphere unknowingly tensed a little.


    "I¡­ I do not know," Zhi Lan answered honestly and a little hesitantly. "Ran Ran and her family do not live in the place where they used to live three years ago."


    "Hmm." Qi Yu hummed a little before saying, "Okay, then I will take a look at the class information sheet."


    Qi Yu is the class monitor, and naturally, he has all the information sheets of his classmates in case anything like this were to happen. This information was entrusted to him by the class homeroom teacher.


    After looking over it for a while, Qi Yu finally spotted Yue Ran''s name, read her address, and then read out loud in surprise, "Ventura Emerald Gardens?"


    "Hm?" Ye Chen hummed in question and asked, "Is that not the name of your residential house complex, A Yu?"


    Qi Yu did not expect it to be so coincidental. He did not expect Yue Ran to be his neighbor.


    "Yes," Qi Yu replied. "Yue Ran lives right next to my house."


    "Oh, then that is great!" Ye Chen exclaimed. "The three of us can just go together."


    Ye Chen felt very happy at this time. This meant that he would have a reason to go to Ran Ran''s house in the future.


    "Hm? The three of us?" Qi Yu questioned the young man.


    Qi Yu glanced at Ye Chen with a gentle smile on his face. His eyes looked a little more lively and playful as he asked, "Is your way home on the way with us?"


    Ye Chen immediately let out a fake cough as he said, "I only want to take Ran Ran back to her home safely."


    "There are two girls here," Qi Yu said.


    Seeing that the topic had come to her, Zhi Lan quickly waved her hands from side to side and said, "No, it is alright. I can just go home by myself. You two can send Ran Ran back safely."


    "No," Qi Yu said a little sternly. "It is already so late at night. It is very unsafe for a girl to travel alone in the dark. Not to mention that your home address is not far away from A Chen''s house, so it would be just right for A Chen to walk with you."


    Hearing the young man''s caring words, Zhi Lan shyly nodded as she responded with a low hum. Now, there is no excuse for her to refuse this.


    "Then, you and Ran Ran will go back together, and I am going to take her with me?" Ye Chen asked with slightly furrowed brows.


    "Hm, yes," Qi Yu said lightly with a nod of his head.


    "Well, okay, great," Ye Chen replied a little too unenthusiastically.


    Although the young man was a little reluctant to leave Yue Ran, he also felt that he should really not let a young girl go home alone at night, or it would not be safe for her.


    "Then, we will go first," Ye Chen said out of duty.


    "Yes," Qi Yu said.


    "Then, take good care of Ran Ran," Ye Chen said.


    "Understood," Qi Yu answered, smiling a little helplessly.

 Chapter 177 - 177: White Lotus Transfer Student (7)

    After both Ye Chen and Zhi Lan finally left, Qi Yu could only breathe a sigh of relief.


    Ye Chen was just too long-winded.


    Now that no one else was there, Qi Yu could now place his full attention on the drunk girl lying on the table.


    The young girl''s face was flushed red, her red lips were slightly parted, her skin was fair, her long eyelashes trembled, and she looked pure and endearing with a unique charm just after drinking.


    Qi Yu did not know why, but his throat felt a little dry.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran hummed lightly, raised her head, and blinked at Qi Yu with a pair of pure and ignorant eyes, as if she did not know what was going on right now.


    Seeing that the young girl finally woke up and moved, Qi Yu immediately asked, "Yue Ran? Are you awake?"


    The young man had stepped forward and leaned closer to the girl to ask.


    If Yue Ran were to wake up, then it would be more convenient to take her home. But he did not see the next development.


    Just as soon as he stepped forward, he was suddenly wrapped around the waist by the young girl''s arms. In an instant, a sweet smell with a hint of alcohol lingered in his nose.


    Qi Yu, who had never had such direct and close contact with a girl before, instantly blushed.


    "Um¡­ I am¡­ awake," Yue Ran said in between pauses. She blinked slowly at Qi Yu from time to time with a drunken blush on her face.


    "Now that you are awake, then let us go back," Qi Yu said. "I have already requested a car from a ride-hailing app."


    As Qi Yu said that, he pulled Yue Ran''s hand over his shoulders so that her body could lie on his for support as they walked out with some difficulty.


    "Okay," Yue Ran answered softly.


    Perhaps because of her drunkenness, the young girl''s every word contained a coquettish ending, and the hearts of those who listened to it would inevitably tremble along with her words.


    "Then let us go," Qi Yu said. He helped Yue Ran''s body stabilize with one hand, and he was holding their belongings with the other.


    But before they could walk any further, Yue Ran spread her arms out to Qi Yu and said, "I want the class monitor to carry me. Class monitor, carry me."


    Qi Yu blinked and asked slowly, feeling a little in disbelief, "Yue Ran?"


    Yue Ran instantly pouted when she heard it and said, "My name is not Yue Ran! My name is Ran Ran! Do not call me Yue Ran!"


    Qi Yu only felt helpless towards the young girl. Maybe he should have called Ye Chen to help Yue Ran go back in the first place.


    In the end, Qi Yu could only follow the words of the young girl and say, "Okay, Ran Ran."


    "Um," Yue Ran said as she nodded in satisfaction. But in the blink of an eye, she once again spread out her hands to Qi Yu and coquettishly requested that he carry her.


    Therefore, in the end, it turned into a situation where Qi Yu was carrying a person on his back with two school bags hanging in front of him.


    Not to mention that the person on his back was still restless as she kicked her feet and arched her head back and forth on his back, which made him feel endless worries.


    Furthermore, he had to endure the gazes of passersby outside from time to time as he stood in one place while waiting for their ride to come.


    On this night, when the round moon hung high in the sky, a boy was carrying a drunk girl on his back, and the two were still wearing identical school uniforms. It was very hard not to notice them among the sparse crowd of people.


    After the car the young man requested finally arrived, Qi Yu did not expect him to be faced with another new challenge.


    Yue Ran was so drunk that she became restless even when sitting in one place. She often went to Qi Yu''s side to lean and rest on him.


    "Yue¡­" Qi Yu just started, but he immediately changed his words with a small cough. "That, Ran Ran, you should pay more attention to the public eye."


    Feeling the eyes of the driver in front of him stick to him from time to time, Qi Yu felt inexplicably shy, and a hint of pink stained the tips of his ears.


    "A Yu," Yue Ran called out softly and coquettishly. She skillfully stretched out her hands to hug the young man''s waist.


    Qi Yu instantly felt a little dazed and at a loss, while also being shy.


    After eighteen years of living from childhood to adulthood, it was the first time that he was faced with someone who acted like this.


    Today is the first time that they have met, so things should not have gone like this and developed so quickly. But the good upbringing and education taught to him by his parents for more than ten years made him unable to push the young girl away from him.


    The driver watched the two secretly for a long time and finally could not help but speak: "You, a young man, look quite handsome! Is this your girlfriend?"


    "No, she is my classmate," Qi Yu replied.


    "Oh, I see," the driver said.


    But the more the driver saw the interaction between the two, the more he could not believe the young man''s words.


    Hey, maybe the young man was just too shy to admit their relationship. This is normal.


    "Young man, let me tell you that at your age, you can naturally date a girl," the driver said. "But you must remember not to steal the forbidden fruit."


    Qi Yu struggled with whether he should explain and correct the driver''s words for a few seconds, but in the end, he still did not refute the driver.


    The young man only felt that it would take too much time and waste too much time to even explain such a thing to the driver, so he just gave up.


    The driver in front thought that he was right, and thus he was even more excited as he continued to speak along the way until they reached their destination.


    It was just that the more the driver talked, the brighter the blush on Qi Yu''s face was. A thin layer of sweat inevitably appeared on his forehead, and even his body was stiff and tensed.


    Finally, the car arrived at the gate of the community, and the driver said, "Here we are!" Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you," Qi Yu said.


    The young man thanked the driver very politely and got out of the car with Yue Ran in his arms. Yes, it is a princess hug.


    "Thank you, sir," Yue Ran said a little drunkenly.


    "You are welcome, you are welcome," the driver said. "Have a nice night!"


    While the driver was talking, he could not help but peek at the rearview mirror.


    Hey, it was nice to be young. It was also very rare to see such a young couple with such a high attractiveness value.


    Here, Qi Yu has come to the front door with Yue Ran in his arms. He placed the person down gently and helped her stand while asking, "Ran Ran? Can you go in by yourself?"


    Yue Ran squinted her eyes and said, "Hm? Go in? I, uh, I can!"


    Although the young girl said yes, Qi Yu still saw her unsteady footsteps as she tried to walk, and then he finally gave up letting her go back alone. It would be dangerous if she were to fall unconscious and hit her head when no one was there to supervise her. It was not good for her to bump into things, either.


    "You wait here first," Qi Yu said. "I will ring the doorbell of your house."


    "Okay," Yue Ran answered with a cute nod.


    Listening to the young girl obediently answer him, Qi Yu''s mouth could not help but show a smile.


    "Um," Qi Yu said.


    Qi Yu had just rung the doorbell, but he suddenly felt a soft touch coming from around his waist. It was the girl''s hands. Yue Ran had entangled him again.


    The young man quickly turned his head but immediately saw Yue Ran''s enlarged and exquisite face so close to him.


    Suddenly, a pecking sound came from his lips.


    Is this¡­ Has he just been forcibly kissed?


    This was his first kiss.


    Qi Yu was so shocked that he did not know how to react for a while. When he finally realized his circumstances and looked at the young girl, he only saw that the girl who had just kissed him had tilted her head to the side and fallen asleep on his shoulder.


    A pleasantly soft and sweet scent seemed to have stained his clothes and neck.


    A thin layer of red appeared on Qi Yu''s face. He was shocked and at a loss.


    Qi Yu subconsciously wanted to push Yue Ran away.


    But it was also at that instance, when he saw the young girl''s drowsy and quietly sleeping face, that his movements stopped. It seems that all the ups and downs of his emotions had faded away, and what was left at that moment was only his violently beating heart.


    Just then, the door of Yue Ran''s house opened, and a woman came out to answer the door.

 Chapter 178 - 178: White Lotus Transfer Student (8)

    The woman with very neat clothes came to ask, "Who is it?"


    Qi Yu was busy pulling the petite figure lying on him at this moment away and forced himself to calm down as he answered, "Hello, Auntie."


    "Hello," the woman replied. Then she suddenly exclaimed, "Is this not the young lady?"


    The woman hurriedly took Yue Ran from Qi Yu''s hands, but she did not expect that Yue Ran would just not let go of the young man''s hand.


    The smile on Qi Yu''s face froze for a moment, and he secretly pulled his hand out of the young girl''s hand with quick movements.


    "That, Auntie, I am Yue Ran''s classmate," Qi Yu said. "A few of our classmates and Yue Ran went out for dinner tonight, but Yue Ran was unexpectedly drunk. My house happened to be right next door, so I took the liberty to send Yue Ran back." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man''s gestures and demeanor have their own gentleness and elegance. His figure is straight and tall, and his appearance is very handsome. As soon as the woman saw it, she subconsciously thought that Qi Yu was a good child.


    "Okay, thank you, classmate," the woman, whom Qi Yu guessed was the Yue family''s servant, said. "Would you like to come in and sit down for a while?"


    "Thank you, Auntie, but there is no need," Qi Yu answered. "My house is right next door, and it is already so late at night. I should go back home too."


    It was indeed already very late at night, so the woman did not insist on the young man staying. It would not be good to make his parents worry about him.


    "Okay then, I will take the young lady in first," the woman said. "You can come over to play whenever you have time."


    "Okay," Qi Yu answered. "Goodbye, auntie."


    Because the two families are neighbors, Qi Yu only needs to walk a few extra steps to get back home. But as soon as he stepped inside his house, he immediately saw his mother sitting on the sofa with crossed arms and a very serious expression on her face, as if she were waiting for him to come back home.


    Mother Qi spoke first as she asked, "My son, you finally came back, huh?"


    "Mom, what kind of tone are you using? Why do you speak to me like this?" Qi Yu asked with a helpless expression on his face.


    Mother Qi rolled her eyes.


    Oh, who knew that her son could still pretend so much? However, she has seen it all with her own two eyes.


    Mother Qi raised her chin and said, "Then, you can tell me. In the middle of the night, with the sky, the stars, and the moon as two people''s witnesses, a lone boy and a drunk girl were standing right outside the porch so intimately. How do you want to explain this?"


    While she was saying this, Mother Qi could not help but reflect on herself. Was it because she was too unenlightened and ignorant in the past that she could not even know and realize that his son was already falling in love with someone else for the first time? Was she so blind? Or was it that she just did not care enough about her son?


    There was a long pause, and Qi Yu could only say, "Mom, the program on society and law is on XXTV-1."


    "Okay, okay, I will get things straight," Mother Qi said before narrowing her eyes. "Now you tell your mom, when did your relationship start, hm?"


    "She is just an ordinary classmate," Qi Yu answered. "I only took her back because we were going on the same road."


    Qi Yu felt very helpless because of his mother''s great imagination.


    "You are just making things up," Mother Qi said with a voice of complaint. "I have seen it all. I have seen how the girl even kissed you, humph!"


    After saying this, Mother Qi then looked at Qi Yu with an ambiguous gaze, as if she had caught his handle.


    As if she had suddenly thought of something, Mother Qi accused her son with shock, "Do not tell me that you do not want to be responsible for the girl?"


    Mother Qi''s face turned pale in shock. This was not the son she had taught!


    "Mom, what are you really thinking?" Qi Yu asked. "She is really just an ordinary classmate. Our relationship is that we are only friends in the same class."


    "Really?" Mother Qi asked her son with a suspicious gaze.


    "Really," Qi Yu answered while nodding heavily. He felt a little headache, but he also had a hint of amusement in his helplessness.


    "Oh," Mother Qi said before sighing in disappointment. But then she suddenly thought of something again and asked, "Hey, but then why did she kiss you? On the lips too."


    "She is drunk," Qi Yu quickly answered. "Okay, Mom, that is enough questions. I will go up first. I still have homework that I have not finished yet. Good night, Mom."


    In order to avoid further questioning from his mother, Qi Yu quickly fled and hid upstairs in his own bedroom.


    It was just that Mother Qi downstairs did not think so.


    Hmph, the girl is a neighbor anyway. It will be easy to see the girl tomorrow if she (Mother Qi) goes out early in the morning before she (Yue Ran) goes to school.


    ¡­


    After finishing his homework and taking a bath, Qi Yu lay on the bed, tossing and turning with his eyes closed, but he just did not feel sleepy at all. For some reason, his mind always remembered that sudden kiss again.


    The young girl''s lips are soft, light, and fleeting, warm and hot, so fast that people could not grasp them. It was beautiful, yet regrettable.


    It was like a low-flying dragonfly that stayed on the water for a moment, then left quickly, leaving behind a circle of floating ripples.


    Qi Yu gradually fell asleep in a daze. And he unusually dreamed of something.


    The girl in his dream has a delicate and slender figure. Her voice was especially soft and charming, lingering in his ears.


    She was below him and had tears in her eyes, but on the contrary, he was fierce in comparison.


    ¡­


    When Qi Yu woke up, he stared at the white sheets on his bed absentmindedly.


    The young man never would have thought that he would one day actually dream of a person whom he had only seen for one day! Moreover, it was still that kind of shy dream that he had never dreamed of before!


    Qi Yu covered his flushed face with both hands and coughed a few times. He secretly washed his sheets while fighting off his inner shyness.


    Just as he stepped out of the house, he happened to meet the protagonist of his dream.


    "Class monitor!" Yue Ran greeted Qi Yu with a sweet smile on her face.


    As soon as Qi Yu came out, Yue Ran, who was sitting on the bench outside, immediately stood up to greet the young man. But when Qi Yu saw her, he subconsciously wanted to escape. However, Yue Ran did not give him this chance.


    "Good morning, class monitor," Yue Ran said.


    The young girl''s voice is clear, and her face is decorated with a bright smile, which is particularly conspicuous and healing in the silent morning.


    "Good morning," Qi Yu replied.


    Although the young man replied to the young girl, he still did not dare to look into her eyes at all, or he may remember that special dream from before.


    "Thank you so much for last night, class monitor," Yue Ran said.


    "It is alright; it was just a little effort on my part," Qi Yu replied.


    "When I woke up, Aunt Li said that you lived right next door, but I did not quite believe it," Yue Ran started to chatter. The "Aunt Li" in the young girl''s words was the woman last night that Qi Yu had met. "I did not really expect things to be so coincidental. It was not until I saw you that I finally felt a sense of reality. Ah, so it was true, I thought."


    "Um, I did not expect things to be so coincidental either," Qi Yu replied.


    Yue Ran''s eyes suddenly brightened as she said, "Then, can we go to school together from now on?"


    "Hm?" Qi Yu hummed in shock.


    The young man looked over at the young girl in surprise. Does she not have a driver to pick her up and take her back and forth to school and back home?


    Yue Ran coughed embarrassingly as she said, "My driver has something to do today and had asked for a day of leave."


    Qi Yu asked for confirmation: "So your driver cannot come today?"


    "Yes," Yue Ran answered. She nodded to Qi Yu with a very serious expression. "Moreover, how can the two of us go to school separately when we just live side by side?"


    Qi Yu was just about to speak until he heard a very familiar voice that made his heart palpitate. And when he saw the person that he had identified in his head, he knew that things were not going to go well.


    It was Mother Qi who had so suddenly appeared at the door of the house of the Qi family.


    "Yes, Qi Yu, what your classmate said is right," Mother Qi said. "Why should neighbors travel separately?"

 Chapter 179 - 179: White Lotus Transfer Student (9)

    Mother Qi said, "It is better for neighbors to go to school together. The more the merrier, right?"


    Qi Yu narrowed his eyes a little and said, "Mom, why are you up so early today?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about, son?" Mother Qi asked. "When did mom ever sleep in?"


    Mother Qi shot her own son a glance filled with obscurity. She could not show too much of her emotions, or the little girl from the neighboring house would know of her bad habits.


    How could her son not know how to give her a good face in front of outsiders? Why does her son only know how to talk about her black history (and bad habits)? Really bad.


    Oh, right! Yes, this young girl is not at all an outsider! How could she forget this?


    "Hello, auntie," Yue Ran called out. "My name is Yue Ran, and I am a classmate of the class monitor."


    "Oh, Yue Ran," Mother Qi said. "This name sounds so nice, and you look really good too!"


    Mother Qi was not able to see the young girl clearly last night, but now it seems that this young girl is really beautiful¡ªmuch more beautiful than she had first thought.


    The young girl''s eyebrows were curved, and those round, dewy eyes that looked at another person like this would make anyone''s heart melt.


    Yue Ran is already very beautiful, and when she smiles, she looks like a flower in full bloom, pure and gorgeous. At first glance, she looks exactly like the epitome of a well-bred girl.


    Oh my gosh, her son''s taste when picking a girl is so good!


    "Thank you for the compliment, Auntie," Yue Ran answered. The young girl looked embarrassed as she smiled shyly at Mother Qi.


    Mother Qi said, "Auntie is telling the truth!"


    Qi Yu interrupted by saying, "Okay, Mom, that is enough. We still have to go to school. Hold back a little, okay? Do not scare people away."


    The young man only felt that his mother was a little too enthusiastic toward Yue Ran. He could only laugh helplessly.


    If he were to let his mother talk any longer, she might have to talk about the topic last night that she had talked about with him¡ªabout the kiss.


    Speaking of last night, Qi Yu could not help but secretly glance at Yue Ran, who looked calm and normal as usual.


    Why does it seem like nothing has happened to her? Does she¡­


    "No, I like Auntie like this very much," Yue Ran said.


    "You see," Mother Qi said as she raised her chin toward Qi Yu. "I am so kind and beautiful, so how can I ever scare people away?"


    Mother Qi looked at her son with a gaze filled with disdain and disgust.


    Yue Ran nodded in agreement on the side.


    Suddenly, Mother Qi liked Yue Ran even more than before.


    Alas, such a sensible girl is rare, unlike her son!


    Qi Yu: Am I really your son?


    ¡­


    It took a lot of effort to make Mother Qi go back into the house. And now, only Qi Yu and Yue Ran were left waiting for the arrival of the car outside.


    "Sorry, the driver seems to be late today," Qi Yu said apologetically.


    Qi Yu looked down at his watch and could not help but frown a little when he saw the time. The driver was already 10 minutes later than usual, which was unusual in itself.


    "It is okay," Yue Ran replied. "Everything is fine. By the way, class monitor, I was drunk last night¡­" Her words trailed off, and there was a short but heart-pounding pause for Qi Yu. "Class monitor, I have not done anything out of the ordinary, right?"


    Sure enough, just as he had guessed before, Yue Ran did forget about the kiss last night.


    Qi Yu felt a pang of disappointment in his heart, but he also felt a little fortunate. This was a very contradictory feeling.


    Forget it; it is better not to remember this kind of thing.


    "No, you have done nothing out of the ordinary," Qi Yu said. "Everything is normal."


    Yue Ran laughed lightly, and the tips of the young man''s ears were gradually turning red.


    "Is that so? Then, that is good," Yue Ran said.


    After saying this, Yue Ran took out a box of cookies from her schoolbag and handed it over to Qi Yu.


    "Here, I baked these cookies by myself," Yue Ran said. "And now I will give them to the class monitor."


    The young girl''s eyes were clear and sincere, as if she really just wanted to say a sincere thank you without any other ulterior motives.


    "No, I have not done anything substantial to deserve such a thing," Qi Yu said.


    "The class monitor does not have to be so polite to me," Yue Ran said. "We are friends now, are we not?"


    The young girl''s question was asked cautiously, as if she was afraid that she would be rejected by the young man.


    "Yes, certainly," Qi Yu answered.


    "Then, the class monitor should accept it," Yue Ran said as she gestured for the young man to take the box of cookies with anticipation in her eyes.


    Qi Yu lowered his eyes to glance at the box of cookies. The cookies were packed in a pink metallic box with a cute cartoon design on it. One can easily tell at a glance that it belongs to a girl.


    As if feeling the entanglement in the young man''s heart, Yue Ran then added in a rather hesitant tone, "Class monitor, I only have this kind of box at home for the time being."


    "It is fine," Qi Yu replied.


    The young man reached out and took the box of cookies into his hands.


    "Thank you; I like it very much," Qi Yu said.


    Yue Ran then smiled extremely happily as she said in joy, "As long as the class monitor likes it."


    ¡­ sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two, Yue Ran and Qi Yu, were really late to class today.


    As soon as the two walked into the school building, the class bell rang.


    If the two had just struggled to run instead of walking slowly, then they might have been able to reach the classroom before the bell rang. It was just that both of them looked and felt very calm, and they both did not seem to be afraid of being late.


    "Class monitor, why are you so calm?" Yue Ran asked as she tilted her head a little to the side to look at the young man beside her.


    Qi Yu looked at the young girl lightly, as if he were asking, Is she not the same as him?


    "Well, I am late anyway, so it is no use worrying," Yue Ran said. "Whether I will arrive earlier or later is the same. I will still be late."


    "Me too," Qi Yu said.


    "Pfft, then we are really calm and steady," Yue Ran said with a smile.


    Qi Yu smiled gently at the young girl beside him.


    The two of them walked very unhurriedly all the way, and when they got inside the classroom, the homeroom teacher was already there.


    The homeroom teacher could only look at the two late students with disappointment on her face.


    One of the two students is one of the students of whom she was very proud, and the other is a student who has just transferred and is about to become one of the students of whom she was very proud.


    But both of them were late today! And at the same time at that!


    This was a very unconventional case.


    The homeroom teacher asked them, "What is the matter with the two of you today?"


    "I am sorry, teacher; my driver is late today," Qi Yu explained.


    The homeroom teacher still believed in Qi Yu''s studious and honest temperament, so she said, "Okay, this is not your fault."


    After saying so, she turned her head around to ask Yue Ran, "What about you?"


    Yue Ran blinked with eyes full of sincerity as she said, "Teacher, I came here in a car with the class monitor."


    "You and Qi Yu? In a car?" The homeroom teacher asked, stunned and feeling dumbfounded.


    She knew Qi Yu''s family conditions fully. His family has his own car to come to fetch him back and forth, so how could the two of them be together instead today?


    "We are neighbors, so we came together," Yue Ran said.


    "So that is it," the homeroom teacher said as she gave her a nod. "Okay, then you two go and sit down in your respective seats. But there will be no next time for this to happen!"


    For the sake of the two of them being late for the first time, the homeroom teacher temporarily let them go. This will be the first and last chance for mercy.


    "Okay, thank you, teacher," Qi Yu replied.


    "Thank you, teacher," Yue Ran said with a sweet smile.


    The two responded at the same time, one gentle and one sweet, and they looked extremely harmonious together.


    ¡­


    As soon as Yue Ran had just been seated in her seat, Ye Chen immediately turned his head back to ask, with worry on his face, "Ran Ran, what did the homeroom teacher say to you? She did not punish you, did she?"


    "No, I did not get punished," Yue Ran said. "Maybe because this is my first time being late, so I am just fine. A Chen does not have to feel worried about me."

 Chapter 180 - 180: White Lotus Transfer Student (10)

    Hearing the latter sentence, Ye Chen''s face instantly turned bright red. He wanted to say something, but he did not know what to say.


    In the end, the young man only kept silent with a shy expression on his face.


    After saying so, the young girl fumbled inside her school bag to search for something. When Yue Ran touched the thing that she was searching for, she bent her eyes and pulled an iron box out of her bag.


    "A Chen, here you go," Yue Ran said as she gave Ye Chen a pink metallic box with a cute cartoon design on it. The inside of the box was filled with cookies.


    "Hm?" Ye Chen hummed in question. "This is?"


    This was just the second day of his meeting with Ran Ran, so why did she give him a gift? It was not that he did not like it either. He will always like whatever Ran Ran gives him!


    "I backed these cookies myself, and three servings are prepared, one for each of you," Yue Ran explained.


    Qi Yu, who was sitting in front of the young girl, was looking outside the window as if he did not pay attention to the two people''s, Yue Ran and Ye Chen''s, conversation at all, but in fact, his ears were already perked up to eavesdrop quietly on what they were talking about.


    The young man''s eyes were lowered when he heard that Yue Ran had made three servings, one for each of them.


    The young girl is a liar. It was clear that¡­


    It was just like Yue Ran did not tell him that she had made it only for himself.


    "Thank you, Ran Ran," Ye Chen answered happily.


    As soon as Ye Chen touched the pink metallic box of cookies, he could not help but quickly open it. Inside were basketball-shaped cookies, very cute and pretty, just like Yue Ran.


    The young man likes to play basketball a lot, so a smile full of joy was instantly drawn on his face. He turned his head back to glance secretly at the young girl, who was reading her book, only to feel that his heart was soft and full of happiness.


    At this moment, Yue Ran also raised her head. In that instant, when their eyes met, smiles appeared on their faces.


    Ye Chen hurriedly turned back and touched his hot cheeks with both hands, trying to calm himself down, which obviously did not work because his heart still could not help thumping so hard and so fast.


    He wanted to laugh out loud. The world is so unimaginably beautiful.


    ¡­


    Another day of school passed quickly, and the last class ended when the end of the school bell rang.


    "I have to give Zhi Lan a tutoring lesson later in the evening, so you can go back by car first," Qi Yu said as he faced Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran''s hands stopped moving while she was packing her things inside her school bag. She blinked, raised her head to meet Qi Yu''s eyes, and asked, "Then what about you? I am using the class monitor''s car, so how can I just go back alone and leave you here like this?"


    The young girl felt a little embarrassed just thinking about it.


    Ye Chen joined in and asked, "Hm? Why are you two going together?"


    "My driver took a leave because of his personal matters today, so now I am taking the class monitor''s car," Yue Ran explained.


    "Um," Qi Yu agreed with a nod.


    "Then, I can just send Ran Ran back," Ye Chen said as his eyes shone brightly.


    Yue Ran frowned slightly and said with some disapproval, "However, A Chen''s home is not on the way to mine. It is okay; I can just wait for the class monitor to finish the tutoring session first with Lan Lan."


    "They need at least an hour of study with every session of meetings," Ye Chen said. "I can just accompany you back."


    "But this is not so good, is that not it?" Yue Ran replied.


    There was a clear apology in the young girl''s voice, and her face was also stained with a thin layer of red due to shyness, like a peach blossom in spring, looking very charming and moving.


    "It is fine," Ye Chen said in reply.


    The young man''s unruly smile contained a hint of success, as if he had accomplished the desired result he had aimed for and wanted to achieve.


    In the end, things turned out like this: four people, one table, two pairs of men and women, and studying in the library.


    Ye Chen was lying on the table while thinking in a dull manner. How did things turn out like this in the end?


    He obviously wanted to take this opportunity to be alone with Ran Ran by taking her back home. But his opportunity became a tutoring session instead.


    A pen gently touched the young man''s head.


    "What are you thinking?" Yue Ran asked in a whispering voice.


    Because they were in a library and they were sitting in the same row, they needed to whisper to one another when talking about things other than studies, which made the distance between the two of them grow extraordinarily close.


    When Yue Ran got close to him, Ye Chen could clearly smell the sweet and lingering fragrance from the young girl''s body when she whispered to him.


    The young man, who has always been lively and warm like the sun, is now extraordinarily restrained at this time. His eyes looked a little dazed and confused, like a cute little puppy who does not know where to put his eyes.


    Ye Chen''s face was flushed red, and the whole person looked like a cooked shrimp.


    "You should do it like this," Yue Ran said.


    The young girl''s eyes were smiling at the young man as she placed her hand on the paper filled with questions in front of him. Her hand inadvertently touched the back of Ye Chen''s hand.


    "Um? Oh, so it is," Ye Chen replied clumsily.


    The young man only felt that the place where Yue Ran had touched him was faintly hot at this time. He wanted to move his hand away, but he was also reluctant to do so.


    Meanwhile, Yue Ran did not seem to notice the young man''s reaction at all. She was only focused on explaining the topic that Ye Chen did not understand in front of her.


    Qi Yu, who was explaining things to Zhi Lan, subconsciously stopped his words for a moment when he saw the hands of the two people in front of him touching one another.


    The young man squinted his eyes at the pink-like, ambiguous atmosphere between the two of them that only belonged to boys and girls who liked one another on campus.


    "Class monitor?" Zhi Lan asked.


    Seeing that Qi Yu''s eyes looked a little out of focus, Zhi Lan subconsciously called out for him. She followed the class monitor''s gaze to look at the gentle Yue Ran, who bowed her head to Ye Chen with a sweet smile on her face.


    For some reason, Zhi Lan suddenly felt a little flustered.


    "Hm?" Qi Yu hummed in question.


    The young man came back to his senses, looked at the girl in front of him with his usual gentle and quiet temperament, and asked softly, "What is wrong?"


    Hearing that Qi Yu''s voice was as caring and gentle as always, Zhi Lan could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe she was just thinking a little too much.


    "It is okay; nothing is wrong," Zhi Lan answered with a shake of her head. "It is just that I have a question about this that I still do not understand."


    ¡­


    Young friendship is always sincere and warm, not mixed with any selfishness.


    The only change that could do it was pure young love. Probably.


    When Zhi Lan finally reacted, two extra people had already been mixed into her and Qi Yu''s relationship.


    "Wow, the school heartthrob, the school hunk, and the school belle are reunited once again! Look at this picture!"


    "What is so exciting about this? Are they not always together almost, like, all the time?"


    "Sure enough, do good-looking people only get along with other good-looking people? Then it is impossible for me to join them."


    "Joining them is simply a dream. Not everyone can be their friend."


    "Hey, but who is that extra person behind them? Why is she always in the same frame with the school belle, the school heartthrob, and the school hunk every day?"


    "Yes, who is she? She does not even look as good as the three people''s fingers!"


    Several girls in school uniforms were crowding together to discuss the picture they saw posted in the school forum today. It was yet another day to admire the beauty of the trio¡ªthe school belle, the school heartthrob, and the school hunk. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The school belle is really beautiful, and the school heartthrob and the school hunk are both very handsome. But the only dissatisfaction that ruined the beautiful picture was that the pictures taken of the trio in the same frame were always broken into by a very average and unknown person.


    This just did not make any sense!


    "I do not know. Hey, does anyone among you know anything about it?


    "Well, I may have heard of something."


    "What is it? Come on, come on, spill it all out!"


    "Yes, do not let me wait here for long! I am dying of curiosity!"

 Chapter 181 - 181: White Lotus Transfer Student (11)

    "Well, I heard from the people in the trio''s class that this unknown person seems to be the childhood friend of the school belle. And this unknown person also has a good relationship with the school heartthrob."


    "Ah, I envy her so much to have such a beautiful and popular friend! If only I were her..."


    "I honestly do not know where she came from to actually have the face to squeeze into the popular three. Does she not even have a little self-knowledge about herself?"


    "I know, right? I am so sick of it. She seems to be called... what was it again?"


    "Zhi Lan, I think?"


    "Oh, you are right, sister. She is called Zhi Lan. Why is she even close to the school heartthrob?"


    "I know, right? I was shipping the school belle and the school heartthrob together, but the picture was also broken into by an unrelated passerby. I am speechless."


    "Ahh! Sister, I am also shipping them together too!"


    "Hey, I am shipping the school belle with the school hunk instead."


    "Me too; it seems that we are the same, sister."


    And this unrelated passerby, Zhi Lan, that the group of girls were talking about was standing on the side while clenching her fists hard with tears in her eyes."


    She had heard too much of this recently.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Yue Ran asked while walking closer to the group with slightly narrowed eyes.


    Qi Yu and Ye Chen, behind the young girl, were also walking towards the group of girls.


    "No, we did not say anything," one of the girls in the group answered.


    "Oh, is that so?" Yue Ran asked. "Lan Lan is our good friend, and no one can say otherwise."


    The young girl, who had always had a good temper towards others and liked to smile warmly to heal others'' hearts, seemed to frown at this moment. There seemed to be obvious anger in her eyes.


    Qi Yu pulled the sleeve of Yue Ran''s school uniform and said, "It is all right; do not be so angry about this." After he said so to Yue Ran, he turned his head to the group of girls and said, "Talking about others behind their backs is a waste of time. It is better for all of you to complete a few more sets of questions to improve your scores when you have free time."


    Being caught talking badly behind someone''s back by the popular trio that they admired, the group of girls naturally felt very embarrassed. They all quickly ran away with lowered heads after muttering a few apologies. The way they ran away seemed as if they were fleeing for their lives, or rather, fleeing from embarrassment.


    Yue Ran turned her head around to ask the female protagonist with a look of worry, "Lan Lan, are you all right? Do not take what they all say to heart. What they were all saying was pure nonsense. Do not listen to their words."


    "I am fine," Zhi Lan replied softly. She sniffed a little while forcing back the tears that were about to burst out of her eyes.


    Perhaps because of family reasons, Zhi Lan has always been a more sensitive person compared to other children. She always had to pay attention to other people''s emotions toward her for fear that they would not like her.


    Zhi Lan had always told herself that what others said about her did not matter. The opinions of others toward her have no influence on her at all. What they say is theirs, and she just has to do things her own way without caring for other people''s opinions.


    She is herself, while others are others.


    However, Zhi Lan is also tired.


    She is so tired, just like this moment.


    In recent times, what she heard the most from others was her unworthiness and how Yue Ran and Qi Yu match each other very well.


    Zhi Lan has selectively ignored the pairing between Yue Ran and Ye Chen; after all, she only focuses on Qi Yu all the time. As for the others, they do not matter much.


    Yes, Zhi Lan likes Qi Yu.


    She has liked him since the first time he rescued her from danger. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He is her prince in shining armor, who rode on a white horse.


    He is her prince charming.


    But she dared not confess to her prince. And therefore, she could only approach him secretly.


    In truth, Zhi Lan felt really unworthy of her prince, Qi Yu.


    Qi Yu rode on a white horse with a silver sword strapped to his waist. He was gentle and considerate. He is everything that she dreamed of in a man.


    Qi Yu looked at Zhi Lan and said, "Here, you can use this."


    The young man took out a tissue from his pocket and handed it over to Zhi Lan. There was a bit of distress in his gentle eyebrows as he looked at her.


    Zhi Lan''s tears burst out instantly.


    How could Qi Yu always be so nice and gentle to her?


    "Alright, alright, do not be sad," Yue Ran said gently. "We will ignore them the next time we see them. We do not need to care about them."


    Yue Ran hugged Zhi Lan into her arms and comforted her softly again and again.


    "Okay, thank you, Ran Ran," Zhi Lan replied with a heavy nasal voice, one that could only be heard after crying.


    Zhi Lan felt very touched. Now, she also has the class monitor, as well as Ran Ran and her mother.


    She was not alone, so she would not be easily defeated!


    "Okay, I am fine now," Zhi Lan said. "How was your rehearsal?"


    After the high school military training, the school will always hold a welcome party for all the students, old and new. The hosts of this welcoming party were Qi Yu and Yue Ran.


    "It is good," Yue Ran answered with a smile, then flicked her hair and gave Zhi Lan a cute wink. "You can see just how beautiful I am by then."


    There was a hint of coquettishness in the young girl''s sweet and pleasant voice, but it did not sound bad to listen to. It only makes people feel soft and cute, and they subconsciously want to listen more to her voice.


    "Well, then I will wait and see," Zhi Lan replied smilingly.


    "Ran Ran is always the best-looking person in the world!" Ye Chen chimed in.


    The young man was giving compliments to Yue Ran, as he always does.


    "A Chen," Yue Ran said.


    The young girl glanced at Ye Chen shyly, as if embarrassed.


    Ye Chen''s heart involuntarily tightened when he saw those eyes, and even his breathing became heavier.


    ¡­


    The welcome party was about to start, and Qi Yu and Yue Ran were already preparing in the backstage. At this time, Ye Chen and Zhi Lan were also backstage with them.


    A close-fitting blue dress outlines the beautiful figure of Yue Ran, embellished with sequins, and it glows under the stage lights like the brightest galaxy full of twinkling stars in the sky.


    The young girl''s already white skin looked even fairer at the moment. Her long, smooth hair was pulled high into a high bun, revealing the girl''s full and clean forehead and her long neck.


    Ye Chen only took a look at her, and then he could no longer look away. At this time, only the presence of Yue Ran could fully fill his heart. No other person could get inside.


    The young man could really not wait any longer. Day and night, thinking about Yue Ran was the most hidden secret in the young man''s heart.


    As soon as Yue Ran looked back, she saw Ye Chen staying there, seemingly in a trance.


    The young girl stopped her conversation with Qi Yu, slowly and elegantly pulled up her dress, and walked toward the young man in her sight. Her silver high-heeled shoes clacked on the ground. The sound was clear and crisp, like water dripping into the sea and then falling into Ye Chen''s heart, leaving lingering ripples behind.


    The surface may look still after a while, but there were raging undercurrents beneath.


    The sweet and pleasant smell of the young girl gradually faded away with her clicking heels, and Qi Yu was slightly relieved that there was only a trace of it left lingering behind. The situation just now was too easy for him to drown and sink into, which was too dangerous.


    If Yue Ran had just stayed a little longer...


    Even though he felt relieved, Qi Yu''s eyes could not help but subconsciously track after the mermaid-blue figure of the young girl. He did not even notice when Zhi Lan arrived in front of him.


    "A Chen?" Yue Ran asked with a soft and gentle voice.


    "Hm?" Ye Chen hummed in response.


    As soon as the young man saw the young girl''s smiling face, he could not help but feel a dense sweetness surging up in his heart, which was fierce and irresistible.


    It was impossible for Ye Chen not to like Yue Ran.


    "What is wrong, Ran Ran?" Ye Chen asked the young girl.


    "Nothing," Yue Ran said in a sing-song voice. "I am just fine."


    The young girl smiled sweetly for one second, but that smile fell away in the next. She shook her head slightly and then frowned slightly in distress.


    "Okay, I admit it. I lied," Yue Ran said. "I am feeling a little nervous. What should I do, A Chen?"

 Chapter 182 - 182: White Lotus Transfer Student (12)

    The young girl in front of him frowned, and the appearance of her in a state of nerves with her lips slightly pursed made Ye Chen''s heart soften and melt into a puddle of water.


    The young man opened his hands and tentatively took a cautious step forward, seemingly wanting to embrace the young girl in front of him.


    One small step. Two small steps. Three small steps.


    They are all small steps taken to carry out a small test. If Yue Ran were to step back, then he would stop. And if Yue Ran did not move away, then...


    It means that Yue Ran does not refuse his approach!


    Yue Ran did not refuse him!


    In an instant, it was as if the bright moon and the spring breeze came into his arms, and Ye Chen was alone while basking in the beauty of the world. He could only sigh with satisfaction.


    The young girl in his arms is delicate and soft. Everything he touched was soft and smooth, and the familiar sweet and pleasant scent lingered in his nose, which was a little light at this time.


    "It is okay, Ran Ran," Ye Chen said. "I will always be here with you."


    "Thank you, A Chen," Yue Ran replied smilingly.


    The young girl was nodding her head in the young man''s arms. The corners of her mouth were raised upward, and her eyes, at this moment, were filled with tiny stars.


    "It is almost our turn, Ran Ran," Qi Yu suddenly said from the side, breaking the pink bubbles between the two people¡ªYue Ran and Ye Chen. There was a gentle smile at the corners of Qi Yu''s lips as he said, "Ran Ran, your hair is a little messy."


    Qi Yu came over with a decent black suit that made his usual gentle and elegant aura look a little more noble and majestic.


    "Hm? A little messy?" Yue Ran asked.


    The young girl quickly came out of Ye Chen''s arms to touch her "messy" hair.


    "It is right here," Qi Yu said gently.


    Seeing that the young girl''s hair was getting more and more disorderly because of the young girl''s prying hands, an arc appeared on Qi Yu''s lips as he reached forward to slightly correct the position of the silver clip on the back of the young girl''s head and also to run his hands through the young girl''s now unruly hair to straighten them. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi Yu''s body seemed to cover Yue Ran''s dainty figure for a short moment before he stepped back to look at her with a helpless gaze that held a hint of amusement.


    "It is okay now," Qi Yu said.


    "Thank you, class monitor," Yue Ran said in reply.


    The chatting and intimate actions of the two here made Zhi Lan, who was watching from the side, feel bitter.


    The two were talented and beautiful, as if they were a match made in heaven. They did not have bad grades; their family conditions were good, and their looks were especially eye-catching and beautiful. They seem to be worthy of one another.


    But she still likes him.


    Zhi Lan likes Qi Yu.


    Qi Yu was the dream man of all the girls in school.


    Qi Yu was the one who saved her from harm again and again.


    Qi Yu is her prince charming.


    Qi Yu could always affect her in any way.


    ¡­


    At the welcoming party.


    As soon as Yue Ran and Qi Yu came on stage, they almost set off an upsurge of screams.


    The students in school, who had just finished military training, had been depressed for a month. Now is the time to release their natural instincts. The two people on stage were so popular, so the whole scene was boiling. The audience was screaming.


    "Wow, my Ran Ran is on stage! So beautiful!"


    "Qi Yu is as handsome as ever!"


    Ye Chen and Zhi Lan, who were sitting in the front row, listened to all the words and cheers of the rest of the audience in their ears.


    Ye Chen''s lips were bent. His smiling eyes were filled with pride that he himself did not even notice.


    His Ran Ran will always be the most beautiful and dazzling person in the crowd.


    On the other hand, Zhi Lan, who was looking at the two dazzling people on the stage, felt complicated for some reason. She also felt a little sad, and a layer of tears instantly blanketed her eyes.


    She did not know why, but she just suddenly wanted to cry.


    "Do you think they are a good match?" Zhi Lan asked Ye Chen, who was sitting beside her, without moving her eyes away from the stage.


    Hearing this, Ye Chen turned to look at Zhi Lan and rolled his eyes at her.


    "Do they match? Why did I not see it at all?" Ye Chen replied in a sneering tone.


    Although the four of them often walked and grouped together, in Ye Chen''s heart, the only people he truly recognized were Yue Ran and Qi Yu. As for Zhi Lan, who is she?


    Ye Chen still could not understand why Qi Yu had such a good relationship with the girl sitting beside him right now.


    Zhi Lan naturally heard the sour taste in Ye Chen''s words. After all, Ye Chen really does like Yue Ran. Everyone who sees it will know it when they first see it.


    Thus, Zhi Lan only smiled and said nothing.


    There is really no way not to feel bitter about this.


    Zhi Lan often does things her own way. But her confidence and optimism that she always believed she had would automatically fade away when she met Qi Yu or when things were related to Qi Yu.


    Zhi Lan would always subconsciously compare herself with others, even if that person was Yue Ran, when it came to Qi Yu. Her friend really did not seem to be an exception either.


    ¡­


    After the welcoming party came to an end, the group of four, Yue Ran, Ye Chen, Qi Yu, and Zhi Lan, went to the small restaurant at the gate of the school as the assembly point.


    Ye Chen coughed a few times before saying, "You can go in first. I still have something I want to say to Ran Ran."


    The young man secretly gave Qi Yu a wink, hinting for Qi Yu to lead Zhi Lan to walk away to leave him and Yue Ran alone.


    Qi Yu''s warm and gentle eyes looked at him. Although he was smiling gently, there was a subtle feeling in his heart that he seemed to not be able to describe.


    The young man still remembered the scene from last night.


    At that time, Ye Chen came to him to talk to him about his crush, or rather, his love.


    For the first time, the always enthusiastic and unrestrained boy smiled in front of Qi Yu like a little girl who had just experienced the beginning of love.


    It was a shy yet unstoppable joy.


    "A Yu, is this what it feels like to like someone?" Qi Yu remembered Ye Chen asking himself. "I really, really, really like Ran Ran. I like her so much that I do not know what to do. If someone asks me to stay away, I definitely cannot do it. If I were to get closer to her, I would be afraid of scaring her with my enthusiasm. Will she like me? Even just a little bit?"


    There was a short pause in the silence between the two until Ye Chen once again spoke.


    "A Yu, I have made a decision," Ye Chen said firmly. Determination was burning brightly in his eyes as he continued, "I have to confess to Ran Ran! No matter the outcome, I will accept it. If her answer was a no, then I just have to chase harder until that word of rejection becomes a yes."


    That small piece of memory came to an abrupt end, and now Qi Yu just looked at Ye Chen with a smile as he said, "Okay, then we will go first."


    "Um," Ye Chen answered with a nod.


    Qi Yu turned her head lightly to Zhi Lan and said, "Then let us go first, Zhi Lan."


    "Okay," Zhi Lan replied to Qi Yu before shifting her attention to Yue Ran. "Goodbye, Ran Ran."


    Zhi Lan likes the fact that she will once again have her time alone with Qi Yu. Although she was shy, she was also very happy because she had always anticipated this moment.


    "I will see you two later," Yue Ran answered calmly as she waved her hand goodbye at them.


    After the two left, Yue Ran turned her full attention to Ye Chen and asked, "A Chen, what do you want to talk about with me alone?"


    Ye Chen blushed bright red as he took out a lily that had been hidden behind his back at some point in time.


    "This is for you, Ran Ran," the young man said shyly.


    Yue Ran was pleasantly surprised to accept this lily. And then her smile bloomed on her face, which looked even more delicate than the white lily flower on her hand.


    A white lily.


    A white lily is a flower that has been associated with innocence and purity, fertility, and remembrance. Because of its color, its elegant appearance, and its symbolism, a white lily is a popular choice for weddings.


    Aside from this, a white lily has also been taken to signify good luck, as well as being seen as a sign of new beginnings.

 Chapter 183 - 183: White Lotus Transfer Student (13)

    However, a white lily is also a time-honored inclusion in memorial arrangements and is considered spiritually symbolic of the circle of life.


    If there is a beginning, there will naturally be an end. This is the cycle of life.


    And this goes for their relationship.


    Yue Ran may start dating Ye Chen now, but this relationship will also be broken at a later date.


    A white lily as a new beginning, and a white lily at the coming end.


    Is this not a flower that was just perfect for this occasion?


    "Thank you, A Chen," Yue Ran answered with joy. "I like it very much."


    Seeing the happy appearance of the young girl in front of him, Ye Chen only felt that the tension in his heart was mostly relieved.


    "Ran Ran," Ye Chen started.


    The young man, whose voice has always been full of youthful and sunny air, had never before spoken in such a nauseous yet gentle tone.


    As soon as Ye Chen said so, his whole face, down to the tips of his ears and neck, had already turned red.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed gently.


    "Do you remember how we met for the first time?" Ye Chen asked while clenching and unclenching his hands due to nervousness.


    "Of course I remember it," Yue Ran answered with a gentle smile.


    "The first time I saw you, the only thought I had in mind at the time was that Ran Ran must be the most beautiful flower in the world," Ye Chen said. "It was also the first time that I wanted to hold a flower in my hands."


    Ye Chen paused when he said this. He cleared his throat and tried his best to hold back his violently beating heart. His heartbeat was pounding hard in his ears. Could Yue Ran perhaps hear it?


    On the other hand, Yue Ran felt that she may have understood the implied meaning in between the young man''s words. Two floating red clouds gradually floated to her porcelain white cheeks.


    "Um," Yue Ran said softly.


    The young girl lowered her head slightly and responded with a very soft "um". This voice was entwined with the breeze that blew by, mixed with the fragrance of the lily in her hand, and then blew into Ye Chen''s figure.


    Ye Chen could not help but let out a smile and quickly compose himself again. With a rare seriousness on his face and a slight trembling voice that could be heard if one listened carefully to him, he said, "So, Ran Ran, are you willing to give me a chance to hold you?"


    Yue Ran tilted her head slightly as she heard Ye Chen''s confession. She raised her lips into a smile, and even her eyes were bent into twin sweet arcs, like twin crescent moons.


    After a while, the young girl opened her lips and answered, "What kind of flower does A Chen want to hold, is it not A Chen''s own freedom to decide?"


    Hearing the teasing tone in the young girl''s words, Ye Chen also laughed along with her.


    In an instant, even the air around him felt much sweeter to breathe in. The ugly pebble on his feet also looked much more beautiful than before. Even that rusting metal on the far end looked aesthetically pleasing to his eyes.


    Ye Chen took a step forward and then stood still. At this moment, the two were so close together that Ye Chen could even see the tiny fluff on Yue Ran''s face.


    "Ran Ran, you clearly understand what I mean," Ye Chen said.


    After a moment of pause, Yue Ran answered a simple, "Oh."


    Hearing the young girl''s delay in responding, Ye Chen felt a little confused.


    "So, is Ran Ran willing to be with me?" Ye Chen asked again, now much more straightforwardly compared to the one before.


    "Hmm¡­" Yue Ran hummed with her voice trailing behind at the end, which another breeze had caught. "Then, A Chen, you must first close your eyes to know the answer."


    The young girl smiled shyly, put her hands behind her back, tapped her toes in a rhythmical manner, and said the latter sentence slowly.


    "Hmm, okay," Ye Chen said.


    The young man closed his eyes. His long eyelashes trembled, as if showing the owner''s unease at this moment in time.


    In that short moment of darkness, Ye Chen has already thought of at least a thousand ways to continue to be friends with Yue Ran if he is rejected. As long as Yue Ran does not avoid him, it is fine. Everything could still be changed.


    However, he was suddenly interrupted by a warm and soft embrace.


    This embrace was familiar to him; after all, it had only been a few hours since he had hugged the young girl into his arms before.


    Ye Chen opened his eyes in surprise. He subconsciously held the petite figure in his arms tightly as a response.


    "So, Ran Ran, is this your promise?" Ye Chen lowered his head to ask the young girl huddling in his arms.


    There was a hint of uncertainty in the tone of his voice. There was also expectation laced between his words.


    Yue Ran''s height only reached Ye Chen''s neck. At the present moment, she had buried her entire face on the young man''s neck and breathed softly as she replied, "What did I promise you?"


    "Promise to be with me," Ye Chen said.


    "Not yet," Yue Ran said in reply. "When did I promise you?"


    "Regardless, Ran Ran agreed to my promise," Ye Chen said.


    The smiling voices of a young man and a young woman in the distance gradually dissipated in the air, leaving that place full of sweetness and joy.


    Everything was beautiful in Ye Chen''s sight.


    ¡­


    "Let us go," Qi Yu said to Zhi Lan beside him.


    "Um," Zhi Lan replied softly.


    The two walked quietly on the avenues of the school, and for a while, no one was speaking, and they were only drowning in silence.


    Although Qi Yu was walking around, his eyes could not help but glance in Yue Ran and Ye Chen''s direction from afar.


    "Class monitor," Zhi Lan called out.


    "Hm? What is wrong?" Qi Yu asked.


    The young man turned his head back to ask Zhi Lan and did not look at the two in the distance again.


    "Class monitor," Zhi Lan started. "What do you think about Ran Ran? What is your impression of her?"


    "Ran Ran?" Qi Yu asked, seemingly taken aback by Zhi Lan''s unexpected question.


    "Um," Zhi Lan replied with a nod.


    The smile at the corner of Qi Yu''s mouth deepened a little as he thought about Yue Ran.


    "Ran Ran is a very good girl," Qi Yu said.


    The young man paused for a rare few seconds while describing Yue Ran before finally uttering a common and polite adjective to describe the protagonist of the subject.


    "We have many similarities," Qi Yu continued. "Both of us like to play chess, read history books, do calligraphy, and eat mooncakes."


    "Is that so?" Zhi Lan replied stiffly.


    This was Zhi Lan''s first time hearing Qi Yu describe others with such excellence and great qualities. This shows that the person that he was talking about is different from others in his point of view.


    Zhi Lan had also never seen him look like this before while talking about others.


    That look he has looked like he was...


    No. Zhi Lan quickly shook her head to get rid of those thoughts.


    It must not be.


    "Um, that is it," Qi Yu said as he finally concluded his words. "What is the matter? Why are you asking me this?"


    "It is nothing. I am only asking the class monitor this question casually," Zhi Lan said. "And what about me? What does the class monitor think of me? What am I like in the class monitor''s mind?"


    Zhi Lan looked at the young man with eager eyes. It was the kind of urgency unique to a person in love.


    "Um¡­" Qi Yu thought in his head before saying, "You are optimistic and kind. You are also a very good girl." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhi Lan pursed her lips and smiled. This emotion added a little bit of liveliness to her normally flat face.


    While they were chatting, Zhi Lan suddenly stopped her steps.


    Qi Yu looked at Zhi Lan, who suddenly stopped in confusion. But then his eyes were attracted by the two people standing intimately in the distance. The two people in his vision were hugging and smiling, not far away.


    The young woman is cute and charming, while the young man is tall and handsome.


    At this time, the young man was holding the young woman tightly in his arms. There was a doting smile on the young man''s face, and one just could not miss the deep love he had when he was looking at the young woman so close to him.


    They were Ye Chen and Yue Ran.


    Although Qi Yu could not see Yue Ran''s face from afar, he could still feel her joy as she was buried intimately in the young man''s arms and the way she had tightly hugged the young man around his waist with her arms.


    They really looked like a pair of campus couples who looked extremely sweet and harmonious.


    Qi Yu looked at the two of them from the distance just like this, and his mind had suddenly shifted a bit.


    A subtle and fine emotion surged in his heart, causing him to temporarily lose his mind.

 Chapter 184 - 184: White Lotus Transfer Student (14)

    Zhi Lan, who was standing right beside Qi Yu, could naturally notice the romantic mood full of pink bubbles in the distance.


    Yue Ran and Ye Chen were hugging each other very sweetly. It seemed as if they were in a world of their own, and no one could ever disturb them, no matter how hard they tried to do so.


    After watching the two for a while, Zhi Lan finally withdrew her gaze and then looked at the young man beside her.


    Qi Yu, who was originally gentle, elegant, and handsome at all times, at this moment had his eyes lowered to the ground.


    In an instant, Zhi Lan felt that there was something wrong. But this emotion was only subtle in her heart. She could only feel a hint that something was not quite right about Qi Yu, but she could not pinpoint what it was.


    But also because of this emotion, coupled with her inner anxiety and panic about the idea of losing the prince charming of her dreams, Zhi Lan did not want to wait any longer. She no longer had the patience to wait any longer.


    Since the class monitor does not hate her and has a good impression of her, it means that she has a chance to date him, right?


    "Class monitor," Zhi Lan started while turning her body around to face straight at the young man beside her. "I¡­ I¡­"


    Qi Yu came back to his senses when he heard Zhi Lan''s voice, and the corners of his slightly pursed lips twitched a little as he looked at the face of the young girl beside him.


    "Hm? What is the matter?" Qi Yu asked the young girl in his usual gentle voice.


    "Class monitor, I... I like you!" Zhi Lan said the latter three words out loud.


    The young girl quickly closed her eyes nervously as soon as she finished her words.


    She just could not help it. Her heart was beating wildly, and she secretly opened her eyes to peek at the young man''s expression.


    "So, class monitor, will you be my boyfriend?" Zhi Lan asked. Her heart almost stopped beating for a moment.


    The young girl was blushing and smiling nervously. She could no longer pay attention to anything around her since all her senses were occupied by the young man in front of her.


    Qi Yu had long shifted his gaze away from Zhi Lan. He did not look at her at all. His focus was fixed on the two figures, who were still hugging one another in the distance.


    The young girl''s hair, which was previously tied up into a high bun, was now pulled down to form a natural curly arc, falling in large waves down her shoulder and onto her back. She was simply enchanting.


    Looking at them being so intimate with one another, Qi Yu''s heart was inexplicably occupied by an obscure and ghostly emotion. In a fit of anger, he responded with a low "um" to Zhi Lan as an acquiescence.


    But as soon as he said this, Qi Yu instantly regretted it.


    When was he ever so impulsive like this before? He should not be like this.


    The young man really does think that Zhi Lan is a very good and self-motivated girl, and he also had good impressions of her before. But those good impressions of the young girl were purely out of appreciation he had for his friends.


    Yes, only a friend, and nothing more intimate than that.


    Qi Yu had never once thought that he and Zhi Lan would be together before or even now.


    The young man wanted to open his mouth to make everything right again, but looking at the young girl''s rare, happily smiling face in front of him, he paused for a moment. He does feel a sense of guilt in his heart, but he still wants to correct things, or things may just get worse in the future.


    And the latter part would not be good for him, nor was it good for Zhi Lan.


    "Zhi Lan, I¡­" Qi Yu had just started to speak, but he was immediately cut off by Zhi Lan''s words.


    "Qi Yu, I... I like you so much! No, I love you!" Zhi Lan spoke out loud.


    Zhi Lan did not notice that Qi Yu wanted to speak to her at all. Her head was currently occupied by the infinite joy of the fact that her prince charming had decided to bring her along to sit on his special white horse, and thus her mouth just opened and closed like this with excitement.


    "Since the first time you rescued me, I have... I have fallen in love with you from the first moment you appeared on the scene," Zhi Lan said.


    Perhaps it was the silence of Qi Yu that gave Zhi Lan infinite courage to confess her feelings for him. For the first time, she wanted to tell all her secrets and release all the pent-up love for the person in front of her.


    Zhi Lan wanted to pour out all her heart to him. So even if the young girl''s face was flushed red at the moment, she still mustered up the courage to continue to speak to the young man in front of her.


    "And not long after, you promised to help tutor me because of my bad grades, and thus we completed our homework together every day after school," Zhi Lan continued. "You will always remember my preferences, whether they are what I like or dislike. You will help me from others, and you will always respect my very being."


    The more Qi Yu listened to Zhi Lan''s words, the more embarrassed he felt in his heart. He could only stay silent, and he lowered his eyes to look at the ground as Zhi Lan''s voice traveled into his ears without stopping.


    At this time, Yue Ran and Ye Chen also came over at some point to Qi Yu and Zhi Lan''s positions.


    The two of them, Yue Ran and Ye Chen, did not care that they were still in school at this time. They had their fingers intertwined, and the intimacy between the two was clear and visible to the naked eye. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A Yu, what are you two talking about here?" Ye Chen asked as he looked over at Qi Yu.


    Qi Yu did not look at Ye Chen, nor did he answer him. The young man had subconsciously looked at the entangled hands of Yue Ran and Ye Chen.


    Yue Ran leaned her head on Ye Chen''s shoulder in a lazy manner. Her eyelashes were naturally curled up, and her twinkling, star-like eyes were shining with the light of watching a good show in front of her.


    "Ran Ran, you are here," Zhi Lan said.


    "Um," Yue Ran answered.


    The young girl''s head got off the young man''s shoulder, and she released the hand that was holding onto Ye Chen''s and took a step forward. Her gaze looked carefully at the two, Qi Yu and Zhi Lan, and then she opened her mouth in surprise.


    "Lan Lan, why is your face so red?" Yue Ran asked knowingly with slightly narrowed eyes.


    Ye Chen looked at Qi Yu with bent eyes. With a relaxed expression between his brows and eyes, Ye Chen opened his mouth in leisure as he uttered, "A Yu, you two...?"


    Zhi Lan blushed bright red and nodded shyly under the eyes of Yue Ran and Ye Chen.


    The three of them did not see Qi Yu''s drooping eyes, except for Yue Ran, of course.


    This most definitely did not happen in the plot.


    However, Yue Ran only found that the current situation was very interesting. After all, it would be much more interesting for her to rob the female protagonist of the male protagonist when she herself still has a boyfriend of her own, right?


    Are things not more exciting like this? So fun!


    Yue Ran wanted to laugh out loud, but she could only purse her lips in an effort to restrain the mirth that was about to be shown. Laughing out loud right now would be too out of place, not to mention out of character.


    Ye Chen stepped forward and held out a hand to put it on Qi Yu''s shoulder.


    "Okay, A Yu," Ye Chen started. "What kind of great luck do we have today so that we both got off the single list at the same time?" With a smile, the young man continued, "Let us go. Let us go to the street in front of the school to eat together. I will treat you!"


    As Ye Chen spoke to Qi Yu, he turned back around to grab Yue Ran''s hand and hold it in his.


    "Ran Ran, remember to hold my hand tightly," Ye Chen said in a very gentle tone.


    "Okay, A Chen," Yue Ran answered with a small squeeze of her hand.


    The young girl nodded playfully. That adorable look made Ye Chen laugh.


    In the young man''s eyes, everything about Yue Ran was always beautiful and interesting. No matter what she does, it will make him feel extremely happy. He was so full of joy that he always wanted to stay with her all the time, as much as possible and as long as possible.


    Ye Chen pulled Yue Ran over to him, and then clasped the person into his arms. After doing so, he gently rubbed the young girl''s hair, which was a little messy, and helped her fix it with slow but careful movements.

 Chapter 185 - 185: White Lotus Transfer Student (15)

    "What does Ran Ran want to eat today, hm?" Ye Chen asked as he leaned closer to the young girl''s face and caressed her cheek affectionately.


    The affection between the two was almost palpable in the air.


    "Hmm... I am craving crayfish today," Yue Ran answered after thinking about what she would like to eat today. This question is very important for her stomach and for her own comfort and satisfaction.


    The young girl''s serious look when she was thinking hard was so cute that Ye Chen could not help but lower his head to boldly kiss the smooth black hair of his little girlfriend. On his face was a wild and thieving smile, one that seemed as if he had stolen something great and had benefited from the crime.


    "Okay, then let us eat crayfish for today," Ye Chen answered very easily. He would readily agree to Yue Ran''s words all the time. "I will peel all the crayfish for Ran Ran."


    With that, the two easily walked away. The direction in which they were going was naturally toward the street in front of the school.


    Zhi Lan carefully glanced at Qi Yu before saying with a smile full of joy on her face, "Class monitor, then let us go with them as well."


    Yue Ran, who was walking in the front, heard Zhi Lan''s voice from the back. And thus, Yue Ran turned her head back to look at the two, who were quite a distance behind, and waved at them.


    "Yes, A Yu, come along quickly!" Yue Ran shouted from a distance with a sweet smile on her face.


    "Okay, coming!" Qi Yu immediately answered the young girl''s words.


    This left Zhi Lan to stare at Qi Yu''s receding back silently.


    Qi Yu had so easily listened to Yue Ran''s words just like that and had already walked in front of her so quickly without even giving her the chance to react.


    Zhi Lan''s expression became unclear, and it was much harder to maintain the smile on her face.


    ¡­


    The place where the four were eating crayfish is at a famous restaurant near the school.


    The decoration of the restaurant inside is simple yet creative, which is very popular with the young people, especially the students around.


    "Ahh, Ran Ran, open your mouth," Ye Chen said.


    Seeing that Ye Chen peeled another crayfish for her to put it in her mouth, Yue Ran could only smile helplessly at his actions. Why would he only feed her and not eat it himself? Then again, she was too lazy to peel it for herself, let alone for others.


    "Ahh¡­"


    Wanting to tease her boyfriend, Yue Ran deliberately opened her mouth wide while eating the crayfish and then closed it to where the meat touched Ye Chen''s chopsticks.


    A suspicious red very easily rose again to Ye Chen''s face. Ran Ran and him¡ªwas this an indirect kiss between them? S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mm, very delicious," Yue Ran said with bent eyes and lips.


    Ye Chen chuckled and turned his head away from looking at Yue Ran. He wanted to straighten his face back to normal, but the arc on the corners of his mouth just would not go down.


    He is so happy. What should he do?


    The two people were so warm and sweet over here, but the two on the opposite side looked a little embarrassed and awkward.


    "Class monitor, do you want to eat this?" Zhi Lan softly and tentatively asked this question. "Would you like me to get them for you?"


    The young girl had summoned up her courage to ask Qi Yu if he liked the side dish that she was pointing at.


    "Thank you, but I can do it myself," Qi Yu replied calmly.


    The corners of the young man''s lips were pursed slightly, and there was even a hint of alienation in his words that Zhi Lan had never heard from him before.


    "Oh, I see," Zhi Lan answered.


    The young girl lowered her eyes in disappointment. Listening to the joy and laughter on the other side, her eyes were instantly filled with envy that she herself may not have noticed. But even if she herself did not realize it, the discomfort and unpleasantness she felt in her heart were clear. There was even a little disgust.


    Zhi Lan wanted her relationship with Qi Yu to be like the relationship between Yue Ran and Ye Chen.


    When will she and the class monitor be as close as the other two in front of her?


    ¡­


    This meal of four was spent with two people''s joy and two people''s depression.


    When it was time for the four to go home, Yue Ran would return with Qi Yu, as she usually does. Only this time, Ye Chen was added to the list.


    Originally, Qi Yu was going to send Zhi Lan back to her home, but Zhi Lan herself refused to let Qi Yu accompany her. Naturally, there was a reason for this. If possible, she does not want to leave Qi Yu''s side at all.


    Zhi Lan had taken a leave from her job last time, but this time the meal together ended early, so she still had to go to the store to work.


    And about her working in this job, she did not plan to let Qi Yu know it at all.


    So although she was very reluctant to leave Qi Yu''s side, she still refused his offer after all. She has a job to do.


    ¡­


    The inside of Qi Yu''s car


    All three, Yue Ran, Qi Yu, and Ye Chen, were sitting in the back seat.


    Ye Chen sat on the right, Qi Yu sat on the left, and Yue Ran naturally sat in the middle.


    At this moment, Yue Ran was leaning her body lazily against Ye Chen''s. She was casually playing with the slender, fair-knuckled fingers of the young man.


    Every now and then, the driver in front has to look back at the rearview mirror to see the situation at the back of the car. He only felt that things were developing in a rather strange direction.


    What had happened? If he had remembered things correctly, were Young Lady Yue and the young master not... together? Was he wrong? Had he thought wrong?


    Where did Young Master Ye even jump out from to get in between Young Lady Yue and the young master?


    Everything was just strange.


    After watching the situation for a while, he quickly realized that Young Master Ye and Young Lady Yue were a sweet little couple. While his young master is naturally all alone.


    The driver: Forever alone. How pitiful.


    "Ran Ran!" Ye Chen suddenly called out Yue Ran''s name.


    "Hmm?" Yue Ran only hummed lazily in question.


    "I am going to participate in a basketball game in a few days," Ye Chen said. "Do you want to come and watch my game?"


    Yue Ran''s ears perked up, and she raised her head from Ye Chen''s arms to look straight at the young man. The young girl clearly looked very interested in the proposal.


    "Basketball game?" Yue Ran asked blinkingly.


    "Yes," Ye Chen answered with a nod. "A Yu will also be participating in it."


    Yue Ran was even more surprised when she heard this. She turned her head to look at Qi Yu, as if to see some clues on his face.


    But Qi Yu was just focusing on looking at the scene outside the window with rapt attention and did not seem to have paid any attention to the couple sitting beside him.


    "A Yu, I really could not see that you can actually play basketball," Yue Ran said honestly. Her voice easily gained Qi Yu''s full attention. "Are you really going to participate in the upcoming basketball game with A Chen?"


    Qi Yu heard Yue Ran''s words but did not turn his head.


    Yue Ran, who thought that the young man was very interested in looking outside the window, had thought wrong.


    Qi Yu was actually looking at the young girl''s vague but delicate facial features through the reflection of the pitch-black glass and in the shadows of the street lights on the glass window of the car.


    "Um," the young man answered simply.


    "Okay," Yue Ran said with a voice full of smiles. "I will definitely go and cheer for you two when the time comes!"


    Ye Chen suddenly let out a dangerous hum from his nose. He turned Yue Ran''s delicate face over to his so that her starry eyes could only focus on him. He lowered his head and looked at the young girl in a half-serious and half-joking manner.


    "No, Ran Ran is only allowed to cheer for me," Ye Chen said.


    To be honest, although the young man may have looked calm outside, jealousy was actually bubbling inside his heart. He only wanted Yue Ran to look at him alone, or he would inevitably get jealous.


    "I get it, I get it," Yue Ran answered with a pretended disgusted look on her face.


    At the same time she said those words, she slipped into the young man''s arms when the young man still could not react and hugged the young man''s narrow waist tightly.


    Ye Chen laughed happily at his girlfriend''s actions. He also stretched out his hands to embrace the petite figure in his arms.


    His jealousy was gone, just like that.


    Ye Chen asked, "Ran Ran, what are you doing?"


    Yue Ran hummed a little before saying, "Well, I am sleepy, so I want to lie down for a while."

 Chapter 186 - 186: White Lotus Transfer Student (16)

    Ye Chen''s brows were slightly furrowed, and he instantly felt distressed for his girlfriend.


    His Ran Ran must have been really exhausted from the non-stop rehearsal for the welcoming party in the past two days.


    The young man raised his hand to run his hands along the young girl''s long and smooth hair again and again, as if trying to gently comfort the girl and soothe her fatigue away.


    It would have been better if he had suffered this kind of discomfort instead of his beloved girlfriend.


    "Well, Ran Ran, you can go to sleep first," Ye Chen said. "I will wake you up when we have arrived."


    "Hmm." Yue Ran responded with a cute, drowsy humming sound.


    Then the young girl''s face leaned weightlessly against his chest. If he were to lower his head a little and listen carefully, he could hear the young girl''s warm and soft breathing.


    Looking at Yue Ran''s sleeping position, Ye Chen decided to pick up the person and change her posture and position to make her feel much more comfortable. He seemed to have considered that her current position would not be comfortable for sleeping.


    The original posture of the two embracing one another turned into Yue Ran sitting on Ye Chen''s lap with her head resting on the young man''s arms and her face buried in the young man''s chest.


    Feeling and seeing the petite figure of his girlfriend in his arms, Ye Chen only felt very happy and satisfied. His whole person, the flow of his blood, and the pounding of his beating heart seemed to drown in pink and were bubbling with sweetness.


    The young man lowered his head and looked at the beautiful features of his beloved girlfriend in his arms. Her eyebrows were curved and bent beautifully, and her dense and long eyelashes trembled slightly in her sleep. She has a small and delicate nose and moist and plump lips that were slightly opened and pouted. Every trace of her features, from head to toe, was simply divine.


    There is nothing about Yue Ran that does not make him happy and excited. He likes her so much. So much. So much!


    If possible, Ye Chen does not want to get separated from Yue Ran at all.


    In a place that Ye Chen could not see, Yue Ran''s toes in her current position had touched Qi Yu''s calf at some point. The spot that touched him was undeniably warm.


    Almost as immediately as this had happened, Qi Yu had quickly responded.


    The young man was holding on to the feet that were swaying with the movement of the car, but instead of removing his leg, he inexplicably pulled Yue Ran''s legs over to his side a little bit more.


    Qi Yu''s eyes were involuntarily raised to look at Yue Ran, and then he was met with the peaceful and beautiful sleeping face of the young girl.


    Yue Ran has really fallen asleep. She was not awake.


    This touching accident on his leg was not done intentionally.


    For a moment, Qi Yu could not tell whether he felt lost or something because, at this moment, his attention was fully occupied by the small and warm touches on his leg.


    There are many things in between, like the thin cloth of his trousers that separates them or their current relationship, but this moment still inevitably makes Qi Yu''s mind move a bit.


    Qi Yu, at some point, also pretended to be asleep. First, he did not want to see Ye Chen''s proud and affectionate appearance in front of him at this time. And second and last, he wanted to use this move to hide the inner panic in his heart.


    However, before the young man had time to think about extra things, the young girl''s legs were taken back and away by Ye Chen.


    Ye Chen naturally noticed the situation where the two collided with one another because of the shaking of the car, so how could he let that happen? He does not want Yue Ran to touch another man other than him.


    So he made a decisive decision to hug the young girl in his arms tighter.


    Feeling the warm and soft touch move away from his leg, Qi Yu''s heart sank a little. No one knew what he was actually thinking at this moment.


    ¡­


    "Ran Ran? Ran Ran?" Ye Chen asked.


    "Hmm?" Yue Ran hummed in a lazy and sleepy tone.


    The young girl frowned and pouted for a moment before opening her sleepy eyes. Those inky black eyes looked pure, ignorant, and unbelievably innocent. From Ye Chen''s point of view, Yue Ran right now looks incredibly cute. But it was not that his girlfriend was not cute at other times.


    Yue Ran, in the young man''s eyes, is always the most beautiful and cutest person in the world!


    "Ran Ran, we have arrived," Ye Chen said in a soft and coaxing voice. "You have to get up to go home."


    Ye Chen, who had already gotten out of Qi Yu''s car, could only coax Yue Ran, who was still sitting at the back.


    "Hmm, A Chen, carry me," Yue Ran ordered sleepily, followed by an adorable yawn.


    Looking at the petite figure in the car who was asking to be carried with open arms, Ye Chen only felt that his heart was about to stop beating. And then his heart pounded. Hard.


    Joy immediately filled his senses. He was whole. He was complete.


    Ye Chen reached into the car door and carried Yue Ran out by wrapping his arms around her back and behind her knees. It was a bridal carry.


    The young man had so easily lifted her out and held her close to his body.


    "A Yu, does Ran Ran''s family live here?" Ye Chen asked as he walked forward with his girlfriend in his arms.


    But who knew that Qi Yu would so suddenly block him before he could walk any further?


    "What is wrong, A Yu?" Ye Chen asked his friend with a raised brow.


    "You will be misunderstood by Aunt Yue like this," Qi Yu explained slowly.


    The tone the young man used was the same as usual, sounding very gentle and soothing, so even Ye Chen did not notice anything wrong with his friend.


    "It is okay; everything will be fine," Ye Chen said. "I can just say that I am Ran Ran''s ordinary classmate. There will be nothing wrong with that."


    "Ordinary classmate?" Qi Yu asked gently. "Will ordinary classmates be this close with one another?"


    Ye Chen frowned at Qi Yu''s words.


    Yue Ran has not said anything about telling her parents about her relationship with him yet. If he just met her parents like this, then it would indeed be a little inappropriate. It will still be better for him to discuss this with Yue Ran first in the future.


    "You can just give Ran Ran to me," Qi Yu said. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Chen hesitated for a while. He knew that he had to pass Yue Ran on to Qi Yu, but he was just reluctant to do so.


    Qi Yu could clearly see Ye Chen''s hesitation, so the young man cleared his throat.


    "I know Ran Ran''s parents," Qi Yu said, as if he was trying to reassure Ye Chen. "Besides, could you not even trust me?"


    "Of course I do trust you," Ye Chen quickly answered.


    "What trust?" Yue Ran''s sleepy voice suddenly sounded.


    The young girl, who had just woken up, had asked this question in a dazed way. She did not understand the current predicament, nor could she yet straighten her thoughts. She was only unconsciously repeating the word she seemed to have heard first in Ye Chen''s sentence in a cute and dazed way.


    "It is nothing. Everything is fine," Ye Chen said softly to the young girl in his arms.


    Yue Ran, who was still feeling a little sleepy, was now aware that she had most likely arrived home after slowly blinking a few times.


    The young girl let out a lazy hum and said, "A Chen, let me down. Do not let my parents see me like this."


    "Okay," Ye Chen answered obediently, gently putting the young girl down and helping her balance her body for a while to avoid falling and hurting herself.


    When Yue Ran got down from Ye Chen''s hold, she looked at the young man with moist and dewy eyes. Ye Chen''s lips were curled upward into a smile, and he could not help but hold the young girl''s face, lean his head down, and kiss her.


    It was just an innocent peck on the cheek.


    "So, goodbye for now, Ran Ran?" Ye Chen said this while ending his sentence with a question.


    "Yes, see you tomorrow, A Chen," Yue Ran answered softly.


    Ye Chen hugged the young girl tightly for a while before he was willing to let her go. But when he released his hold on her, he still would not let go of her hand, which was intertwined with his.


    "Then, Ran Ran, you can go back first," Ye Chen said. "I will look at you."


    Yue Ran also had a smile on her face; she was absolutely beautiful. Even the slightly messy part of her hair had a bit of a peculiar beauty in the laziness after sleeping, and her eyes were full of affection and care. One could easily drown in such warm feelings.


    "Okay, then you have to go back early as well," Yue Ran said. "Do not get too tired."


    "I will."

 Chapter 187 - 187: White Lotus Transfer Student (17)

    "I will; do not worry," Ye Chen reassured.


    "Do you want the driver to take you back?" Yue Ran asked.


    "It is okay; I can just take a taxi," Ye Chen answered.


    "Okay, then you have to pay attention to safety," Yue Ran said.


    "Okay, hurry back home," Ye Chen said. "It is getting really late."


    "Then... I will really leave now?" Yue Ran asked as she blinked with reluctance in her eyes and a little pout on her lips.


    ¡­


    Qi Yu looked at the two people from the side, who looked especially affectionate. And for the first time, he really had the urge to lose his demeanor, so he took a step forward and decided to take action.


    The young man let out a few coughs to get the couple''s attention.


    Seemingly awakened by the sound of coughing, Yue Ran reflexively looked toward the source, which was Qi Yu.


    In an instant, there was another moment of palpitations in the young man''s heart.


    "A Chen, it is getting late," Qi Yu said. "It is time for Ran Ran to go back home."


    "Ah? Okay, right," Ye Chen responded.


    The young man''s reluctant eyes fell on Yue Ran again. Just thinking about the fact that he was not going to see Yue Ran for the night made him feel sad. He missed her already, even if Yue Ran was still right in front of him.


    Why does his family not live here? He does not want to be separated from his Ran Ran at all.


    As if seeing the young man''s sadness, Yue Ran stood on tiptoes to rub the young man''s soft hair with a smile that easily made Ye Chen blush and his heart drum.


    "A Chen, I will go first," Yue Ran said. "And this time, it is for real. Good night."


    "Um," Ye Chen replied a little sadly. "Good night, Ran Ran."


    Yue Ran pinched the man''s cheek while asking with a very sweet smile, "Wait for me to call you tonight, okay?"


    "Um, okay," Ye Chen immediately responded with joy. But in the next second, he instantly bowed his head in disappointment. "Forget it; it would have been very late when I got home. It is still better for Ran Ran to go to bed earlier since Ran Ran has been feeling so tired these few days."


    The young man gently caressed the hair on Yue Ran''s head.


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed with a pout. "But I want to hear A Chen''s voice when I go to sleep."


    "Then only call me when you are going to bed," Ye Chen suggested.


    "Okay," Yue Ran replied with a nod of her head. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing his girlfriend''s well-behaved and extremely adorable self, Ye Chen felt that his heart had melted into goo. He likes Yue Ran so much!


    Qi Yu looked at them and then sighed helplessly.


    The young man asked, "Do you still plan on leaving or not?"


    ¡­


    Yue Ran, who had finally separated from Ye Chen, went home with Qi Yu, who had a red face. As usual, she would tease the class monitor on a daily basis in a very secretive, hidden, and natural way that not even the young man realized.


    Qi Yu would be left blushing with a pounding heart after doing so.


    With sophisticated techniques and a pair of simple, clean eyes that looked ignorant of the world, the people who were being flirted with could not help but wonder if it was their own problem instead of Yue Ran''s.


    ¡­


    After going back into her room, taking a shower, and applying beauty products to her face, Yue Ran then chatted with Ye Chen on her mobile phone.


    It was also at this time that Ruan Ruan spoke in Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness, "Master, will the male protagonist still like you if you were to date his best friend like in the plot?"


    Yue Ran''s hand typing on her mobile phone paused for a moment when she heard the system''s words and wondered how he could have such an idea.


    "Hey, Ruan Ruan, do you not trust me?" Yue Ran asked teasingly.


    "How could Ruan Ruan not trust the Master?" Ruan Ruan immediately spoke out about his loyalty to Yue Ran. "Ruan Ruan is just worried about the Master."


    "No need to worry; everything is going as planned," Yue Ran answered while blinking her long eyelashes. "Dating the male protagonist''s best friend would in fact make the male protagonist like me more than before. Not to mention that the male protagonist''s best friend has such good looks that his appearance does not lose to the male protagonist himself."


    Yue Ran really likes Ye Chen''s appearance.


    Ruan Ruan has a strong feeling that his Master prioritizes the latter reason more than the former.


    Well, this was the consistent style of his Master. She likes good appearances the most.


    "It was just that the amnesia part of the plot point that I needed to complete is a little tricky," Yue Ran continued. "There are many ways to make a person lose their memories, but which one is the best for me?"


    Yue Ran asked no one in particular before looking down at her phone and continuing to type on it to communicate with Ye Chen.


    There was a long pause before Ruan Ruan asked, "Then what about the male protagonist?"


    Yue Ran''s hand for sending the messages stopped, and an inexplicable smile appeared on the corner of her mouth as she said, "Naturally, he also has to be mine. All mine."


    ¡­


    "Wow, Ye Chen!!!"


    "Qi Yu, come on! Ye Chen, come on!"


    "Qi Yu, you are the best!!!"


    The girls on the field were clearly divided into three waves. One was to support Qi Yu, the other was to support Ye Chen, and the last one was to support both of them.


    "Look over there! The school belle also came to watch the basketball game today! So pretty!" A girl held her companion''s hand excitedly as she pointed out where Yue Ran was.


    "What is the matter? Is it not just normal for the school belle to watch her boyfriend''s game?"


    The girl blinked a few times before asking, "Boyfriend? Does the school belle have a boyfriend? When? How? How come? How did I not know about this?"


    "How can you not know about this? This is the biggest news of the week! You can just check it out on the school forum! That topic had long exploded!"


    "Ah, about that... My phone was taken away by my parents because of the exam this week, so I have not yet had the time to check the school forum."


    "How pitiful!" The companion let out a sigh. "Here, I will show it to you."


    ¡­


    Breaking news! The school hunk and school belle would actually do such a thing in public!


    The thing is like this: I am sure that everyone knows that there is actually a small forest on the east and west sides of the school. These places are common for couples to go to for a tryst.


    Last night, my boyfriend and I went to the usual place where we often go. I can guarantee that this place is very secluded, and ordinary couples could not find it at all.


    However, as soon as I got there, I actually saw a couple¡ªa man and a woman¡ªin school uniforms kissing one another! You should have seen it; it was warm and intimate. But it was late at night in the dark, so I did not want to risk myself by using a flash to take pictures.


    Originally, I thought that it was just an ordinary couple, but I did not expect that the boy would speak up in the next second! Is there really anyone in the school who does not know of the school hunk''s deep and sexy voice after it has been broadcast all around the forum for a while?


    It is actually the school hunk who is in the small forest! But what shocked me even more was that the first thing that he called out was actually "Ran Ran"!


    Oh my gosh! Shock! Explode! Ahh¡ª!


    It was the school belle and the school hunk in the small forest!


    As a fan of the Qi Yue ship (Qi Yu and Yue Ran, for those who did not know), I am not that excited to know that the school hunk is with the school belle. But what can I do, right? I can only cry in my sleep that my ship has not sailed but has sunk instead before it reached the shore. So pitiful!


    Anyway, I dared myself to take a picture of the two under the dim illumination of the moonlight. Very skillfully and quietly, like the spy I am.


    Although you can only see the silhouettes of the two people in the dark, even as the school heartthrob and the school belle''s fan, I have to admit that the school belle and the school hunk looked so sweet together! An arrow had knocked me down! The domineering school hunk and his petite and delicate wife! Wow!


    Look at the action of holding the person in his arms¡ªeven the shadows look so sweet!


    Whoever sees it would most definitely say that they are a good match!


    ¡­


    Below the text above were the comments from the students in school.


    "Wow, so unexpected!"


    "Sure enough, I am right in predicting the sweetest couple in the school!"


    "Ahh! My ship has sailed! So happy!"


    "No! How can this be? What about the school heartthrob? What about my Qi Yue???"

 Chapter 188 - 188: White Lotus Transfer Student (18)

    "No! What about the school heartthrob and the school belle being together? Is all hope lost?"


    "Upstairs 1 and 2, please do not cue the other people unrelated to the subject."


    "Me, me, me, me! I have seen them holding hands with each other before! I thought that I had seen it wrong, but now I see that it is actually true! They are really together! Wow!"


    "Me too! I saw the school belle wearing the school hunk''s jacket with the school hunk''s name on it! They are so sweet!"


    "Although my heart is broken and I have lost my love, I still wish them the very best."


    "Upstairs, my heart is broken too. I can only cry in sadness."


    ¡­


    This basketball game is in the city high school league, and now the No. 1 High School is playing against the No. 3 High School.


    The teenagers on the field run, jump, shoot, and pass the ball. There are traces of youth everywhere in the performance of every action and every drop of sweat the players shed.


    There is Ye Chen, who is known as a basketball genius, on the side of No. 1 High School, as well as Qi Yu, who has equally good skills and cooperates very well with him in the game. The score of the No. 1 High School is naturally far ahead as compared to the No. 3 High School.


    "A Chen is the best!"


    Sitting in the auditorium, Yue Ran shouted at the teenager, who threw another three-pointer on the court.


    Ye Chen grabbed the hem of his clothes, wiped his sweat, and instantly revealed the strong six-pack abs in his abdomen.


    In an instant, the screams in the arena rose, one after another.


    And in this scream, Ye Chen accurately captured the voice that had been haunting his heart and mind.


    The young man turned his head and looked at the auditorium not far away. Sure enough, he saw a young girl holding a custom-made cheering stick in her hand, smiling and waving at him.


    Almost uncontrollably, he also raised his hand and returned a very bright smile.


    It was his beloved Ran Ran!


    "A Chen, what are you looking at?" Qi Yu asked with drooping eyes.


    Qi Yu had seen that the two people were looking at each other very affectionately from across the court, and he could not help but want to interrupt the scene.


    "Huh? It is nothing. I was just looking around," Ye Chen said. "A Yu, let us go and prepare. The break is almost over."


    He should show his very best! After the game, he can go and see his Ran Ran with pride.


    "Okay," Qi Yu answered.


    The game soon resumed, and the players of No. 3 High School were dumbfounded and also a little angry.


    What was going on? How can the players from No. 1 High School become so fierce all of a sudden? Did they hide their power all this time? How deceiving! The players of No. 1 High School are literally pulling wool over their eyes!


    Looking at Ye Chen, who had thrown the ball in again, Yue Ran smiled and raised the cheering stick in her hand. She then turned her head to look at Zhi Lan beside her and noticed that Zhi Lan was absentminded and had not moved her cheering stick at all.


    "Lan Lan, why don''t you lift the cheering stick up?" Yue Ran asked, feeling a little confused.


    "Hmm." Zhi Lan hummed lightly. "I think it does not matter if the cheering stick is raised up or not. The class monitor will still perform well anyway, and our team will win."


    In fact, Zhi Lan really wanted to lift the cheering stick in her hand up, and she even wished to announce to the world that Qi Yu was her, Zhi Lan''s, boyfriend!


    However, there is always someone in her heart reminding her not to be too greedy. A person as good as the class monitor is already very good to want to be with her, so what was she still thinking about?


    Does she still want to get everyone''s blessing?


    Thinking of this, Zhi Lan lowered her head in disappointment.


    Suddenly, she felt a pair of warm hands covering hers.


    Yue Ran easily lifted the cheering stick from Zhi Lan''s hands, then looked at the female protagonist with a deep smile flashing in her eyes.


    "Lan Lan, do what you want to do," Yue Ran said softly and gently, like the allure of the siren, like a devil''s seductive promise. "Why do you need to think so much? Are you not just cheering? Everything is alright."


    Zhi Lan looked at the young girl beside her and could not help but feel envious.


    If she is like Yue Ran, then she must be able to love someone freely and magnanimously.


    But it was a pity that she was not. Not to mention that she is still the daughter of a murderer!


    She and her mother depended on each other for life, and she still had to pay for her own school fees by herself. Well, she does not feel like she had to be ashamed of the latter part because she was working, eating, and earning money by herself with her own hard work.


    However, the former has caused her too much pain.


    Overnight, the distance from her friends and the evil words of others made her dare not so blatantly love such a shining person as Qi Yu.


    But still, for the sake of Qi Yu, she still wanted to give their relationship a try.


    Yes, like Yue Ran had said to herself. She can do what she wants to do, and there is no need to think so much about it. She was just cheering for Qi Yu, her boyfriend. Everything is fine.


    Zhi Lan is an absolute activist. Once she has persuaded herself, she will act it out immediately.


    But in spite of that, it is still truly a pity that Zhi Lan''s enthusiasm did not even get a glance from Qi Yu, and instead, the two girls in the upper right corner took a few more glances at her.


    ¡­


    "Ran Ran!" Ye Chen shouted happily.


    Ye Chen ran towards the young girl almost immediately after the game was over. Many people were still around and had not left yet, quietly looking at the rumored couple from the corners of their eyes.


    "A Chen, you let me go first," Yue Ran said.


    It turns out that Ye Chen had directly hugged the young girl into his arms as soon as he came over. And for a while, the breath of the young man lingered around Yue Ran.


    Although the young man is sweaty, it is not so unpleasant that Yue Ran wants to throw the young man far away from her. It is still in a tolerable state where Yue Ran does not have to show her little disgust for him for the world to see.


    "I do not want to," Ye Chen answered coquettishly.


    The young man lowered his head and buried it in the young girl''s fair neck and shoulders. His slightly damp hair lightly rubbed against the young girl''s soft and delicate skin, leaving a slight itchiness and moisture behind.


    Yue Ran gently picked up the towel beside her and covered Ye Chen''s head. Then she lifted his face with both hands and moved his head away from her.


    "A Chen, your hair is still wet. You are not allowed to hug me," Yue Ran said with pouted lips.


    Hearing the young girl''s kittenish anger, Ye Chen only felt that his heart had been sweetly downed with honey.


    The young man shook his head a few times to dry his damp hair on the towel held by Yue Ran. And when his head came out, Yue Ran could see that his hair was laid in a mess, looking unruly and presumptuous. But with such a handsome face, the young man still looks good regardless.


    "Ran Ran is my girlfriend," Ye Chen said. "Of course I can hug Ran Ran whenever I want to!"


    There was a sense of pride in the young man''s words.


    Yue Ran could only blush and let him make trouble. After a while, she said to him in a soft tone, "Okay, do not make a fuss. A lot of people are watching us."


    Ye Chen hugged Yue Ran again and finally let her go. He blinked pitifully at the young girl to show how aggrieved he was and said, "Then I am going to change my clothes."


    "Um," Yue Ran said with a nod while pretending not to understand him.


    "Ran Ran," Ye Chen said in a sing-song voice with a lingering sticky end.


    Who could resist when a sunny boy acts like a spoiled little puppy?


    Anyway, now Yue Ran could not do it.


    So Yue Ran curled her lips into a smile, stood on tiptoe, and gently placed a kiss on the young man''s lips.


    This made everyone else around look in shock.


    "Wow!"


    "Look, look, they kissed! They kissed! Ahh! My heart!" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They are so sweet! Oh my gosh! Ahh!"


    "They kissed! Did you see it? Did you see it?"


    "Hey, did you take a picture of it? Did anyone take a picture of it?"


    "There is, there is! Hurry up and go to the school forum. There are still HD pictures inside!"


    Meanwhile, Qi Yu, who was not far away, looked at the intimate and harmonious couple like this, and his demeanor suddenly sank.

 Chapter 189 - 189: White Lotus Transfer Student (19)

    He looked at the young girl in front of him with a flowery smile, eyes and brows bent into beautiful crescents, and long black hair that was draped softly on her shoulders, which made it quite hard for people to look away.


    However, the joy and expectation in the young girl''s eyes were not for him.


    "Class monitor? What is wrong with you?" Zhi Lan asked as she looked at the young man beside her with a little worry in between her brows.


    "It is nothing," Qi Yu answered with lowered eyes. He turned his head to Zhi Lan and asked gently, "Do you have time tonight?"


    "Ah?" Zhi Lan blinked, then replied quickly, "Yes, yes, I do have time tonight."


    In fact, Zhi Lan did not have any time at all tonight, but she said yes so quickly without even thinking twice since she was just too excited.


    If it were in the past, Qi Yu would have immediately noticed something like this. But now, he naturally could not care too much when he himself was feeling restless and not in a good mood.


    The young man raised a faint smile, and his inky black eyes were as dazzling as the warm sun in the sky, easily brightening Zhi Lan''s eyes.


    "We have not gotten together, just the two of us, for a long time," Qi Yu said. "How about we go to the one we used to go to in the past today?"


    "Okay, class monitor," Zhi Lan bowed her head and responded shyly.


    The young girl did not dare to look up to see the handsome face that made her heart move.


    Just what did the class monitor''s words mean? Was this perhaps their first date?


    Zhi Lan could not hold back the curiosity and excitement in her heart. She looked up at the young man quietly, and at one glance, her heartbeat could no longer be stopped.


    ¡­


    "So, are you two going on a date tonight?" Yue Ran asked the female protagonist, smilingly.


    Yue Ran and Zhi Lan were on their way to the toilet, arm in arm.


    The friendship of girls in school seems to always be indispensable. They would go to the toilet together and do everything together, hand in hand.


    Zhi Lan blushed a little when she heard Yue Ran say this. Zhi Lan hurriedly looked around, and when she saw that there was no one, it was only then that she could breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Ran Ran, your voice is too loud," Zhi Lan whispered to Yue Ran as she let out a low and shy shush.


    Yue Ran raised a brow and said, "What is wrong? Are you both not in a relationship? So dating is just a normal thing."


    Zhi Lan frowned a little and answered, "However, the class monitor does not seem to want to make our relationship public."


    After the young girl said so, she lowered her head slightly and let out a sigh.


    "But A Yu has an appointment with you tonight, right?" Yue Ran spoke to Zhi Lan softly. "So he may just want to take this relationship slowly, step by step. You do not have to worry."


    Seeing how frustrated and sad the person in front of her was, Yue Ran embraced Zhi Lan and comforted her gently.


    "It is okay," Yue Ran said. "Our Lan Lan is so good, so how could anyone not like it?"


    "Really?" Zhi Lan asked with her eyes lit up.


    "Of course," Yue Ran said. "Our Lan Lan is very good."


    The young girl''s beautiful face looks very serious and sincere. Anyone who looks at her would never believe that she was deceiving others with such a tone and expression. Who would not like and believe such a beautiful girl?


    But in fact, what Yue Ran was thinking at this moment was to have the male protagonist in her grasp while also thinking of having a good relationship with the female protagonist. After all, what is the best use of this best friend identity, if not for betrayal?


    The female protagonist''s despair, sadness, loss, helplessness, misery, and all other very negative emotions were all good contributions to her (Yue Ran''s) boost of power.


    Who told those female protagonists to be in the opposite camp from her?


    After all, the female protagonists of every world were all just tools and products of the Lord God for Him to gain power, so who said that she (Yue Ran) was not allowed to snatch it away?


    The male and female protagonists of a world always travel around in a circle, with a line of fate connecting them in every world Yue Ran goes to. No matter how far they are apart from one another, they will meet one another at the end, unless that line of fate is cut off, that is.


    The only way for that line of fate to be cut off was for one of them to love another person with all their hearts, with a full one hundred over one hundred of favorability value to another, or to make one of the protagonists die. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There is no certain time when the male protagonist and the female protagonist will meet, and of course, the quickest way to cut their relationship off from the bud is to just let them die or to disturb their hearts in a slower way.


    If Yue Ran remembered correctly, tonight should be the part where the female protagonist suffered from school violence and the male protagonist came to her rescue.


    But now, with her (Yue Ran) here...


    The young girl smiled sweetly, and a deep meaning flashed in her eyes where no one could see it.


    ¡­


    In the milk tea shop not far from the school, Qi Yu was waiting for Zhi Lan in his seat.


    The young man was wearing an ordinary school uniform, but he was wearing it with a sense of dignity and unmatched elegance.


    With those gentle and affectionate eyes, it seemed as if he were a prince who had come out of the Middle Ages, noble and elegant, gentle and courteous. He also particularly looked like the Prince Charming that came out of a fairy tale.


    All the girls present inside the milk tea shop glanced at Qi Yu''s position with either restrained and shy eyes or bold and straightforward eyes. And some girls even thought about how to approach the solitary prince.


    Sitting there in one position, Qi Yu looked at the exquisite watch on his wrist for the second time.


    It has been 20 minutes. What is the matter with Zhi Lan? Why was she not here yet? She has never been late when arriving at their appointment before.


    For a moment, Qi Yu was even wondering if he should make a phone call and ask about Zhi Lan''s current situation to see why she was late and what was holding her back from coming.


    But suddenly, Qi Yu remembered something during the time when the four of them had made an appointment to come out together before.


    Because his and Yue Ran''s families were neighbors, he and the young girl would usually go out and come back together to their respective houses.


    The first time, Qi Yu arrived as promised and went to the young girl''s house to wait for her at the appointed time so that they could go together to the meeting.


    Finally, after waiting at Yue Ran''s home for more than thirty minutes and after drinking two cups of tea, the young girl slowly came down the stairs.


    The pure white dress is different from the school uniform that the young girl usually wears.


    The slightly curled black hair was different from the long, straight hair that the young girl usually has.


    Not to mention that those two things perfectly complimented the young girl''s features, which have always looked delicate and exquisite, as if her naturally beautiful face was always highlighted and brightened with an innate flawless halo.


    Qi Yu looked at Yue Ran''s eyebrows, dewy eyes, delicate nose, red lips, and the blush adorning her cheeks, which looked just right and tempting.


    After so long, Qi Yu had already remembered everything very clearly.


    "Sorry, A Yu, have you waited for a long time?" Yue Ran asked with a little embarrassment on her face as she held a pale yellow handbag with a fluffy yellow duck keychain dangling from it in her hand.


    "It is okay," Qi Yu answered gently. "I have just arrived myself as well."


    Hearing the young man''s words, Mother Yue, who had been chatting with Qi Yu for more than half an hour, could not keep silent any longer! Her beloved daughter is really not punctual.


    "Ran Ran, Qi Yu have already come here half an hour earlier," Mother Yue said. "You are really slow to show up, which made Qi Yu wait for you for so long."


    Although Mother Yue''s words were meant to blame Yue Ran, there was actually not much blame in her tone. Instead, she sounded full of doting and pampering.


    After all, this was her beloved daughter, so how could she stand staying mad at her or even get mad at such a good daughter? Her daughter should always be spoiled happily all the time so that she will not have any worries all her life.


    Qi Yu got up from the sofa and said with a smile, "Auntie, this matter is not Yue Ran''s fault. It is mine. It is I who had come too early today."


    "Qi Yu, you do not have to cover things up for our Ran Ran."

 Chapter 190 - 190: White Lotus Transfer Student (20)

    "Qi Yu, you do not have to cover things up for our Ran Ran," Mother Yue answered a little happily. She likes that Qi Yu is defending her daughter, although her daughter is in the wrong. "Every time she goes out, she will have to put on make-up for more than an hour so that she can look this beautiful."


    Make-up? Qi Yu reflexively looked at Yue Ran in surprise. Does Ran Ran wear make-up? Why could he not see it at all? Does Ran Ran not always look like this?


    Yue Ran felt a little embarrassed under Qi Yu''s intense stare.


    The young girl gave a discreet cough before saying, "A Yu, boys naturally have to wait for girls when they go out."


    There was coquettishness in those words with a little bit of kittenish softness, which made Qi Yu smile.


    "Yes, it is my fault that I made an appointment with Ran Ran too early today," Qi Yu said with a gaze so soft as he looked at the young girl.


    "Alright," Yue Ran said with a raised chin. "Since A Yu knows that it is A Yu''s fault, then I will kindly punish you for helping me carry my bag today."


    "Okay," Qi Yu answered gently.


    Since then, Qi Yu has learned that when dealing with girls, he should always have enough patience.


    Boys need to wait for girls when they go out.


    And now, Qi Yu may just be facing the same case at present.


    It was just that Qi Yu was destined not to be able to wait for Zhi Lan today, and he was not able to tell Zhi Lan the speech of the breakup that he had prepared for her for a long time.


    The clock ticked, and second after second passed.


    Suddenly, in the quiet milk tea shop, there was a sound of the door being opened.


    Qi Yu subconsciously raised his head to look at the entrance of the shop.


    However, it was not Zhi Lan who stepped inside the shop, as Qi Yu had expected, but another person who made him think a lot.


    It was Yue Ran.


    "A Yu?" Yue Ran asked.


    As soon as the young girl came in, she immediately found Qi Yu inside. The young man''s presence was just too conspicuous and eye-catching.


    Yue Ran widened her eyes slightly and walked over to the young man in surprise.


    Qi Yu also raised his eyes to look at the young girl.


    Yue Ran was now not in her normal school uniform but was wearing an open-waisted tight top, a pair of dark wide-leg jeans, and a pair of extremely classic white canvas shoes. Her whole person looked very youthful, beautiful, and dazzling. She was incomparable.


    The young girl has a very graceful figure; her exposed waist is thin and white; and her body proportions are also excellent. Several boys and even girls in the milk tea shop could not help but secretly look at her.


    Yue Ran sat down across from Qi Yu. She stroked her long hair that fell down her shoulders and casually threw it back. In an instant, her beautiful and fair neck was revealed.


    Qi Yu''s eyes darkened, and he lowered them to the table. He reached out a hand to pick up the tea on the table and took a few sips.


    After doing so, the young man greeted the young girl with a smile and said, "Ran Ran."


    When Yue Ran sat down, she looked around a few times inside the milk tea shop, as if trying to find someone or something. She then blinked and turned her attention back to the young man in front of her.


    Yue Ran could not help but ask, "Why are you here alone? Where is Lan Lan?"


    Hearing this, Qi Yu let out a slight frown on his face.


    "We made an appointment at seven o''clock, and I have been waiting here for thirty minutes now," Qi Yu explained.


    Yue Ran tilted her head and said, "Lan Lan is not the kind of person who will be late for an appointment. Also, Lan Lan said that she would come right after class."


    Qi Yu put down the tea in his hand and finally realized that something was wrong. There appeared a little bit of worry in between his brows as he said, "I will call her phone to check on her first."


    "Okay," Yue Ran replied with furrowed brows.


    Qi Yu called Zhi Lan several times, but the displayed status only showed that no one was connected. And even the last call showed that her phone was turned off.


    Yue Ran also began to feel anxious when she listened to the notification sound from her mobile phone and said, "Let me try to call her."


    There was a sense of worry and urgency in the young girl''s voice.


    "Okay," Qi Yu replied.


    However, it still did not work. Yue Ran received the same results as Qi Yu did.


    "What¡­ what should I do?" Yue Ran asked worriedly. "Lan Lan''s phone will not be shut down without any reason."


    The young girl bit her lower lip tightly, her face showed concern, and there were even a few tears in her eyes.


    Qi Yu''s heart hurts when he sees it.


    "It is okay; Zhi Lan will be just fine," Qi Yu said. "Alright, how about we go look for her at school or at her house first?"


    In the past, whenever he sent Zhi Lan back, Qi Yu would only send her to the front of the neighborhood of her community, so Qi Yu himself actually did not know the specific address of Zhi Lan''s house.


    But Qi Yu could always check it in Zhi Lan''s student information as the class monitor if he wanted to.


    "Okay," Yue Ran said with a nod before giving a suggestion. "I know where Lan Lan''s house is, so let us go to her house first." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay," Qi Yu also replied with a nod.


    When the two of them arrived at the entrance of the community they remembered, Yue Ran spoke with a little emotion: "Lan Lan and I used to live here before. We are neighbors, and we have a very good relationship."


    Qi Yu turned his head to look at the young girl''s nostalgic expression, and the corners of his mouth were unconsciously raised into a smile.


    "I heard you say it before," Qi Yu said.


    Yue Ran turned her head to meet the young man''s gaze and smiled back at him. She immediately teased him by saying, "Uh-huh, so, A Yu, you have to treat Lan Lan well."


    Hearing this, Qi Yu''s expression quickly turned cold, as if his warm heart were suddenly splashed with a basin of cold water, waking him up from a dream.


    "Um," Qi Yu answered.


    This one word was concise but sounded dull. Apart from this, he could not say anything at all at this moment, and he did not want to say anything either.


    Qi Yu also did not want to treat Zhi Lan, his good friend, like this. In fact, it was his own fault in the first place that led to this day and the start of this relationship. It was his mistake.


    Anyway, this mistake will be corrected very soon.


    Following the original body''s memory, Yue Ran finally came to the house that she remembered in the past. When she knocked on the door, it was an unfamiliar uncle who opened it.


    The uncle frowned at the two teenagers in front of him.


    "Who are you two?" The man asked with raised brows.


    "Hello uncle, we are looking for Zhi Lan," Qi Yu said.


    Seeing that Yue Ran did not plan to speak, Qi Yu took the initiative to step forward and talk to the uncle politely.


    "Zhi Lan?" The uncle asked, feeling skeptical. "Who is this person? I do not know anyone with the name Zhi Lan. Have you gotten things wrong?"


    Just as Qi Yu was about to speak, Yue Ran grabbed his wrist and pulled him away.


    "Sorry, uncle, we seem to have gotten to the wrong place," Yue Ran said apologetically. "Sorry to disturb you."


    "It is alright; it is alright," the uncle replied. "Since you have found the wrong house, then I will close the door first."


    "Okay," Yue Ran replied. "Sorry to disturb you, uncle."


    "It is okay, no problem," the uncle said before the door was closed.


    Yue Ran still took hold of Qi Yu''s hand as she led him out of the residential building.


    "What is the matter?" Qi Yu asked doubtfully. "Is that uncle not..."


    "Yes, that uncle is not Uncle Zhi," Yue Ran said, then furrowed her brows while feeling a little doubtful. "But Lan Lan''s family obviously lived here before. If Lan Lan''s family moved away, then why did Lan Lan not tell me anything?"


    The young girl lowered her head, looking very lost.


    Qi Yu could no longer hold it back and thus raised a hand to put it on top of Yue Ran''s inky black hair. He has waited for this for so long.


    The young man lowered his head slightly and said, "Everything is okay, "in the gentlest voice he could muster, which was enough to make the hearts of those girls, who dreamt of meeting their very own Prince Charming one day, move.


    Yue Ran looked very depressed, but her heart was very calm, and she was even a little happy.


    It was so easy to make the male protagonist begin to doubt the female protagonist.

 Chapter 191 - 191: White Lotus Transfer Student (21)

    Why does the female protagonist want to hide her family address and not let everyone know about it? No matter how anyone thinks about it, it would only appear suspicious.


    "Well, now let us go to school and look for Lan Lan," Yue Ran said.


    "Okay," Qi Yu answered.


    Yue Ran was in such a hurry to walk that she did not see the way clearly.


    The young girl suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"


    There was a scream of pain beside Qi Yu, and he quickly stopped to look back at the young girl''s current situation.


    "What is wrong?" Qi Yu asked in concern.


    Yue Ran put a hand on Qi Yu''s shoulder; the tears in her eyes made them look hazy and glazed.


    "I... I sprained my foot," Yue Ran sniffed and said in a choked voice.


    Qi Yu frowned and spoke with worry, "How could this happen?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man quickly picked up the person and walked to an empty bench by the road while speaking. The concern in his words was beyond words.


    Yue Ran naturally wrapped her arms around the back of the young man''s neck and leaned her entire body into his arms.


    "I do not know either," Yue Ran said pitifully. "Hmm, A Yu, take it easy. It hurts."


    It turns out that after Qi Yu placed Yue Ran down, his fingers accidentally touched her swollen ankle.


    Listening to the young girl''s sullen and angered words because of pain, Qi Yu was worried at the same time, and an inexplicable shyness rose in his heart. The kind of voice Yue Ran used was too easy to make people think too much.


    When Qi Yu snapped out of his thoughts, he asked, "It is already swollen. Can you still move?"


    The young man tried to turn the young girl''s ankle, but soon heard the young girl''s rushed breathing.


    "No, no, it hurts," Yue Ran said. "A Yu, it hurts."


    Qi Yu looked up and saw that the young girl''s originally white forehead had been sweating at some point, the rim of her eyes were red, and tears were swirling and pooling in her eyes, as if they were about to fall in the next second.


    "Sorry," Qi Yu said with undisguised concern.


    "No," Yue Ran replied, taking a breath. "It is... fine."


    Hearing that the young girl''s words had a painful pause and were not spoken in a complete sentence in one breath, Qi Yu quickly made a decisive decision in his heart.


    With that thought, the young man carried Yue Ran again.


    "Ah? A Yu, what are you doing?" Yue Ran asked, blinking in shock.


    "I will take you to the hospital," Qi Yu said. "Your wound is too serious, and it is better to get it checked quickly."


    The young man strode forward while speaking to the young girl in a deep voice.


    "But we still have to find Lan Lan first," Yue Ran said with a little urgency and worry in her tone of voice. "What if something were to happen to Lan Lan?"


    With that said, the young girl struggled to get down from Qi Yu''s hold, but who knew that she would accidentally touch the wound on her leg? Her delicate little face immediately turned pale.


    "Ran Ran, do not move," Qi Yu said softly and gently. "Wait until the injury is treated first, okay?"


    The young man''s originally meticulous actions turned even more careful.


    "Ran Ran, right now, your injury takes the first priority. Therefore, I will take you to the hospital first to get treated, or your injury may get worse," Qi Yu said.


    "But what about Lan Lan?" Yue Ran spoke worriedly.


    "Everything will be alright," Qi Yu said in reply. "I will promise you this, okay?"


    "Well¡­" Yue Ran''s words trailed off, and her furrowed brows also straightened a little. "Okay. Then that is fine."


    The young girl looked so reluctant that Qi Yu could not help but feel a little funny when he looked at her. Although he thought so, he still accelerated his pace while making sure that the young girl did not feel any bumps as well as he could.


    ¡­


    In a grove at school


    At this time, a group of girls in school uniforms were tightly surrounding a girl who had curled up on the ground.


    The one headed by the group of girls has docile shoulder-length short hair. She wears her school uniform in an orderly manner and has lovely facial features. If one only looks at the surface, one would think that she is definitely a good girl that teachers and classmates like.


    But at this time, the viciousness that flashed in her eyes abruptly destroyed this temperament.


    "You are Zhi Lan, right?" The leader asked, then she sneered. "Heh, do people like you really not see your appearances in the mirror to clearly see if you are worthy or not?"


    There was obvious malice in both the girl''s expression and words.


    The other girls in the group echoed their leader''s words.


    "Boss is right! Hey, is Qi Yu, the school heartthrob, the person you can think of?"


    "That is right! Are you worthy of standing beside him?"


    "I have always disliked this person for a long time, from the first time I saw her."


    "Me too. I am not going to be soft-hearted this time."


    "A beating was just right for this kind of person to keep her awake."


    The leader of the group of girls listened to the words of her gang members, and her docile little face showed a malicious smile. She stepped forward; one hand fiercely pinched the face of Zhi Lan on the ground, and the other hand slapped the girl directly in the face.


    After doing all this, she looked at Zhi Lan with obvious disgust in her eyes as she said, "Ah, my hands hurt just by hitting your rough and thick face."


    Several young girls next to her hurriedly stepped forward.


    "Boss, are your hands alright?"


    "Boss, do not get yourself hurt just for this kind of person."


    "Yes, boss, just let me come and do it instead of getting yourself hurt."


    "Boss, it is not worth it to hurt your delicate hands to hit this person''s thick skin."


    The leader glanced at the group of girls lightly and said, "Okay, then you guys can just have a good time with her. Make sure not to kill the person when having fun."


    After saying so, she stared gloomily at the miserable person who had been bullied by them for a round on the ground, with pleasure and jealousy flashing in her eyes.


    It was just this kind of useless person. Is she really worthy to be with Qi Yu?


    ¡­


    By the time Yue Ran and Qi Yu went to the hospital to treat Yue Ran''s foot injury, it was already late at night.


    "Okay, mom. I am really fine now, and A Yu is also with me," Yue Ran explained to her mother on the phone.


    The young girl was currently lying on the hospital bed while talking on the phone to reassure her parents.


    "It is alright," Yue Ran said. "I have just sprained my foot, and I can go back in a while."


    The young girl''s voice was soft, and she had a helpless smile on her face. Qi Yu, who was holding the plastic bag filled with the takeaway that he had ordered and had just arrived, was inevitably attracted by this voice.


    When Yue Ran hung up the phone, she saw Qi Yu''s focused eyes on her.


    The smile in the young girl''s eyes deepened, looking especially gentle and lingering.


    "A Yu," Yue Ran called out.


    "Hm?" Qi Yu hummed in question.


    The young man''s hand holding the dishes paused, and his eyes dodged a little more.


    "Why do you buy so much food?" Yue Ran could not help but ask as soon as her eyes landed on the different takeout dishes in front of her. "I have only sprained my foot. A Yu, you may have been making too much of a fuss like this, right?"


    Hearing this, the young man''s originally gentle face turned serious.


    "Ran Ran, the doctor said that your injury is very serious," Qi Yu said. "Not to mention that you would only be fully healed in half a month."


    Yue Ran, who was lying on the hospital bed, stuck out her tongue.


    "Well, okay," Yue Ran said with a little resignation. "But I still have to go back home, and I cannot finish all these foods."


    "It is okay," Qi Yu said. "You can just eat what you can, and I will take care of the rest."


    "Okay, A Yu," Yue Ran said in reply.


    The young girl''s voice was soft and lingering, which made Qi Yu''s fair ears turn a little red.


    "Hurry up and eat," Qi Yu said. "I will take you back after we finish the food."


    After a short pause, the young man made a sound again.


    "By the way, what is up with A Chen today?" Qi Yu asked tentatively. "Why is he not with you?"


    When the words crossed his lips, he thought they were inappropriate, but after hesitating for a while, he finally opened his mouth to speak.


    According to the past, it was absolutely impossible for Ye Chen to let Ran Ran come out alone.


    "Hm¡­" Yue Ran hummed for a long time.


    The young girl sitting on the bed wrinkled her nose, which made her look very cute.


    "Well, A Chen has something to do at his house," Yue Ran said.

 Chapter 192 - 192: White Lotus Transfer Student (22)

    "Well, A Chen has something to do at his house, so he went back first," Yue Ran said.


    Hearing this, Qi Yu could now guess the reason why Ye Chen had left so suddenly. The reason must be because of Aunt Ye''s body.


    The young man was thinking about this, and he suddenly heard that familiar soft voice again that sounded in his ears.


    "However, A Chen did not tell me what was going on," Yue Ran said. "A Yu, do you know why?"


    Qi Yu raised his gentle and kind eyes to meet the young girl''s bright and starry eyes.


    Although he had known it for a long time, Qi Yu still could not help but sigh that the person in front of him was really born very well.


    Especially that pair of eyes. The affection carried in them is long and lingering. Everyone who looks into them will be drowned in their world until they are drunk. But in the blink of an eye, it is they who are only lingering, it is they who would feel sorrowful, and it is also them who are affectionate alone.


    "I am not too sure either," Qi Yu answered with lowered eyes.


    Yue Ran lowered her head in disappointment, and her hair fell on the quilt, strands by strands, incessantly in her eyes.


    "So that was it," Yue Ran said.


    As if the young man could not bear to see the young girl''s lost expression, he changed the subject a little bluntly by saying, "Okay, let us not talk about that. Let us eat now before it is too late."


    Hearing this, the young girl, who had been feeling lost for a while, immediately laughed.


    "Well, okay, thank you, A Yu," Yue Ran said. "It is a good thing I have you."


    At this moment, Qi Yu was smiling very softly as he spoke, "Why thank me? There is no need to say thank you between you and me."


    ¡­


    At this time, just outside the door of the Yue family''s house


    Yue Ran looked at her parents, who were waiting for her from outside the car window, and smiled at Qi Yu beside her.


    "I have arrived," Yue Ran said.


    "Um," Qi Yu replied.


    The young man''s eyes were downcast, and there was a secret reluctance in their depths.


    He did not know when was the next time the two of them could be alone like this again.


    Qi Yu silently thought so in his heart, but the action of moving was very smooth.


    The young man got out of the car first to say hello to both Mother Yue and Father Yue before opening the car door and carrying Yue Ran out, who was sitting inside his car unmoving due to a leg injury.


    "See you tomorrow," Yue Ran said.


    Seemingly unaware of the slight grievance in the tone of the young man just now, Yue Ran came down from his arms as usual and then said goodbye to him with a smile.


    "Oh, right," Yue Ran suddenly said when she remembered something. "By the way, remember to contact Lan Lan again and ask her to call me to report her safety when you get in touch with her."


    Looking at the trusting and flower-like smile of the person in front of him, all the complicated emotions rioting in Qi Yu''s heart were inexplicably calmed down, and his eyes that looked at her were still full of affection.


    "All right, I understand," Qi Yu said. "You can go in now."


    The young man just watched the young girl so tenderly and attentively like this, until the young girl walked further and further away. He only turned his head away when he could no longer see her little figure.


    Thinking of Yue Ran''s gentle exhortation when she said goodbye, Qi Yu took out the phone from his pocket.


    And at this time, the result he received with the one from before is still the same.


    Qi Yu still could not get in touch with Zhi Lan. This was a weird case.


    The young man frowned.


    This was actually the first time that Qi Yu had been calling Zhi Lan on the phone for so long, and no one answered. Usually, when he hits a call, Zhi Lan would have immediately picked it up from the other side.


    The address that Ran Ran took him to before, Qi Yu himself, had also double-checked if this address was where Zhi Lan had filled in the school student information, and it was. But Zhi Lan clearly did not live there when he and Ran Ran went over to check on her well-being.


    Could it be that something happened to Zhi Lan without anyone knowing it?


    Qi Yu thought worriedly.


    Forget it. When he goes to school the next day, he can always find out what has happened to her.


    Thinking like this but still not feeling calm in his heart, Qi Yu picked up his phone again and dialed a number skillfully.


    "Help me check when a student named Zhi Lan left the No. 1 High School," Qi Yu said on the phone.


    After the young man received a reply, he hung up.


    Not long after, Qi Yu''s phone rang. When he looked at his phone screen, what he received was not a text message but a video.


    In the video, a group of girls are beating up a very familiar-looking girl. The girl could only lie there helplessly on the ground while accepting beatings from the others.


    It started with a struggle at the beginning, and then the girl grew more and more obedient and resisted less later on. In the later part, the girl almost gave up her own body protection.


    At the end of the video, the girl was left lying on the lawn alone, looking very dirty and miserable.


    And the time at the end of the video was just a minute ago.


    Qi Yu frowned. He was unable to believe what he had just seen.


    The young man called his driver, who had not yet returned home, and went to school again.


    Just from looking at the appearance of the girl in the video, whose nose and face were swollen and there was not a single piece of good flesh, Qi Yu knew that Zhi Lan''s condition would not be good.


    Not to mention that there were also wounds with blood, and the dazzling red was clearly visible in some places, which stained the girl''s school uniform.


    Whether Zhi Lan is still alive or dead has become a matter that needs to be confirmed on the spot. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    It was already the next morning at school when Yue Ran was finally aware of the female protagonist''s current condition after a good night''s sleep.


    "What do you mean?" Yue Ran asked with a frown. "Okay, I will go to the hospital right away."


    Ye Chen, who was holding his girlfriend''s soft and tender little hands after class, raised his head in question to look at Yue Ran when he heard her words.


    The young man could not help but ask, "What is wrong, Ran Ran?"


    "Lan Lan... Lan Lan, something happened to her!" Yue Ran spoke out a little incoherently.


    The young girl, who has always been warm and has always spoken with sweetness in her tone, was about to burst into tears at this time. Not to mention that her voice also sounded more urgent than ever.


    ¡­


    The quiet and desolate piece is all that Zhi Lan can hear and feel right now.


    The young girl could only see the white walls of the hospital, the white beds, and the white doctors, but she could not hear anything.


    She could not hear people''s conversations; she could not hear the frolic on the TV; she could not hear the horns of the cars on the road; in short, she seemed to be in a silent wasteland, where the snow was sparse and the cold was biting.


    "Lan Lan, you are awake!" Yue Ran exclaimed.


    Seeing that Zhi Lan, who was lying on the bed, was awake, Yue Ran quickly rushed over and took the young girl''s hand.


    Yue Ran''s eyes were red and swollen, and it looked like she had cried for a long time.


    Seeing Zhi Lan wake up at this moment, tears filled the young girl''s eyes again, and drop by drop fell on the white quilt, like flowers blooming all over the place.


    Zhi Lan moved her mouth as if she wanted to speak, yet no sound was made. Perhaps it was too difficult, so the young girl gave up after a few moments.


    Yue Ran blinked a few times before she realized something and asked, "Lan Lan, do you want to drink water?"


    After speaking so, she turned her head to Ye Chen, who was not far away.


    "A Chen," Yue Ran called out to the young man.


    Hearing his girlfriend''s call, Ye Chen went to the side and poured a glass of water before handing it over to Yue Ran.


    "Lan Lan, open your mouth a little, and I will help you make it easier for you to drink the water," Yue Ran said softly and gently.


    Zhi Lan took a sip of water with difficulty and slowly opened her mouth. Soon, her throat felt comfortable after it was moistened.


    "Thank you," Zhi Lan said.


    The young girl''s sound is no longer as pleasant as it used to be. It now only sounded hoarse and unpleasant.


    In fact, this school violence incident was completely avoided by the female protagonist in the original plot.

 Chapter 193 - 193: White Lotus Transfer Student (23)

    As soon as those groups of girls just wanted to start taking action to beat the female protagonist, the male protagonist broke into the darkness like the starlight streaked across the sky and landed in front of the female protagonist herself to save her from "hell".


    It was also this accident that made the relationship between the two protagonists grow stronger.


    After all, the female protagonist is someone who has experienced this kind of salvation many times from the male protagonist, and the male protagonist kept on saving the female protagonist just as many times.


    There will always be something special about them for each other.


    Qi Yu did not find out about this accident in time this time, all thanks to Yue Ran.


    However, there was a hint of deep meaning in Yue Ran''s tearful eyes. She did not expect that the group of girls ganging up on the female protagonist would be so cruel. After all, she still underestimated them and could not predict the future results. She was not a psychic.


    But even so, Yue Ran would not have much sympathy because the worse the female protagonist''s condition is, the better it would be for her.


    "Ran¡­ Ran¡­" Zhi Lan said these two words with difficulty. "Ear?"


    When it comes to ears, the three other people in the room other than Zhi Lan are rarely silent. In the end, it was Yue Ran who could not bear it anymore and said in a crying voice, "Why has the doctor not come to take a look at Lan Lan yet?"


    Although Zhi Lan could not hear Yue Ran''s voice, she could still feel the anger that had condensed in her heart in an instant.


    Zhi Lan''s eyes were red, and her teeth were clenched tightly. Although she could not use force all over her body, she still felt that her whole body had a bubbling force inside. She tried hard to raise her head, as if she wanted to get up.


    Although Zhi Lan tried to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, those tears still seemed to fall uncontrollably, drop by drop, and they flowed all the way to the bed along the ends of her eyes.


    "My ears!" Zhi Lan exclaimed as hard as she could.


    Qi Yu wanted to stop her from panicking. But just as soon as he was about to speak, there was a rare silence.


    What could he even say? Should he say that she would forever have a hearing problem?


    When the doctor came in, he asked, "Who among you are her family members?"


    The doctor raised his eyes to see that only three students were there, and even two of them were still in school uniforms, and then he frowned deeply.


    "Where is her guardian?" The doctor asked skeptically. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We are not very clear about this either," Yue Ran quickly explained.


    Ye Chen took Yue Ran, who was answering the doctor, into his arms and comforted her slowly.


    "Doctor, we are the patient''s classmates, and we do not know the news of her family," Ye Chen followed up after Yue Ran with an explanation.


    The doctor frowned even more and said, "That is your own business. It is impossible for this little girl not to have an adult watching her, right?"


    During this stalemate, Qi Yu''s cell phone suddenly rang.


    The young man looked at the familiar numbers on the screen, and his handsome brows were slightly wrinkled.


    "I will go out and take a call first," Qi Yu said before walking out.


    And Zhi Lan''s eyes have been slowly following the young man''s figure from start to finish.


    Even though it was difficult to move, Zhi Lan still endured it.


    In this silent world, he is her only security.


    ¡­


    With a "click", the door of the ward opened. Qi Yu, who had just gone out to answer the phone, had come back.


    The young man, who has always been indifferent to humiliation and gentle like the spring breeze, now has an inexplicable expression on his face. No one knew whether he felt heavy or light in his heart.


    "I just heard the news just now that a woman came to the school to find someone because her daughter did not come home all night," Qi Yu said. "According to what she described her daughter to be, that person that she was finding should be Zhi Lan."


    Yue Ran''s eyes widened. She got up from Ye Chen''s arms and asked, "Could that woman be Aunt Zhi?"


    "Well, I think she should be," Qi Yu answered.


    "Hmm, then I will pick up Aunt Zhi from school," Yue Ran suggested.


    "I will go with you," Ye Chen actively replied.


    Qi Yu silently looked at Ye Chen, who had so quickly volunteered in a matter of seconds, and nodded.


    "Okay, then I will stay here for now," Qi Yu said.


    ¡­


    Almost as soon as Yue Ran and Ye Chen arrived at the school gate, they saw a woman waiting at the gate. No matter what happened outside, she just waited in one position intently.


    The woman had a familiar face, and she was wearing very simple clothes. The white shirt was still a little yellow from the continuous wash, and many white hairs could be seen on her head that were tied into a ponytail.


    Compared to a few years ago¡ªmore specifically, it was only three years ago¡ªthe woman seemed to have aged for more than ten years in an instant.


    "Aunt Zhi," Yue Ran, came over and greeted the woman.


    The woman standing still turned her head when she heard the gentle and pleasant voice, and then she exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Ran?"


    "Yes, it is me," Yue Ran answered. "I have not seen you for a long time, Aunt Zhi."


    "Xiao Ran, so you are also studying at this school," Mother Zhi said. "Since you are a student here, then do you know where Lan Lan went? She did not come back home all night last night!"


    Mother Zhi took Yue Ran''s hand and asked her very eagerly.


    Ye Chen immediately frowned when he saw this. He stepped forward to hold Yue Ran with one hand and the other on Mother Zhi''s wrist that held Yue Ran''s hand.


    "Auntie, please calm down first," Ye Chen said.


    "A Chen, it is alright," Yue Ran said.


    It was only then that Ye Chen removed his hand from Mother Zhi''s wrist, but he held Yue Ran closer to him.


    After Yue Ran finished speaking to Ye Chen, she looked at Mother Zhi with a hesitant expression on her face.


    "Aunt Zhi, I know where Lan Lan is," Yue Ran said. "Let me take you there."


    "Okay, okay, thank you, Xiao Ran," Mother Zhi said. "So my Lan Lan is all right; that is great! But what happened to her until she did not go home last night? Xiao Ran, do you know what happened to Lan Lan?"


    When Mother Zhi spoke the latter sentence, she was stimulated again.


    Ye Chen quickly put his arms around Yue Ran and swiftly changed the portions of the two so that it was now Ye Chen himself who stood between them to act as a wall to separate the two women.


    The young man could not help but say, "Auntie, you will know it when you see her later. Let us go first; do not stand here any longer."


    "Okay, okay, sorry to trouble you," Mother Zhi said.


    "No trouble, Aunt Zhi," Yue Ran said gently.


    It is indeed not troublesome. It was just that Mother Zhi might not be able to bear it at the time when she meets her daughter.


    ¡­


    In the hospital.


    Qi Yu lowered his eyes to look at the body of the person lying on the bed with many bandages and stubborn eyes. A trace of guilt flashed past his eyes.


    When the group of girls beat people, they did not seem to expect that they would be discovered by others when doing so. And thus, they just beat the young girl in front of him so carelessly.


    The students on the side of the road who saw it only pretended not to see such a thing, so this incident did not cause any sensation at all.


    It was as if a drop of rain came down from the sky and onto the sea. It would cause slight ripples, but no waves were made.


    This event was so obvious and so easy to find out.


    And Qi Yu also found out why they did it in the first place.


    It was because of him.


    It was all because of him.


    Qi Yu sat upright for a long time and then opened his mouth dumbly.


    "Zhi Lan, sorry," the young man said.


    Whether the young girl on the bed could hear it or not, he should say sorry.


    It was all because of his impulsiveness at that time that she suffered this unavoidable disaster.


    Basically, all of this was caused by him.


    ¡­


    "Lan Lan!" Mother Zhi exclaimed when she came into the ward.


    When Mother Zhi saw her own daughter lying in the hospital bed, she only felt that her sky was about to fall.


    It was her daughter! Her daughter was lying on the bed!


    Why is she so miserable?


    Her husband was sentenced to murder, and now the daughter is lying on the bed with bandages all over her body.


    "How could my daughter become like this?" Mother Zhi wailed. "How could my daughter become like this?"


    "Aunt Zhi, Lan Lan... She will be fine."

 Chapter 194 - 194: White Lotus Transfer Student (24)

    "Aunt Zhi, Lan Lan... She will be fine," Yue Ran said gently. Sadness was clear on her face.


    Right now, Mother Zhi is not able to hear anyone else''s words at all. Her head was lying on the hospital bed at this time while she was crying extremely heartbrokenly and sadly.


    "Aunt Zhi¡­" Yue Ran''s words trailed off.


    Seeing that the woman was crying beside the bed, Yue Ran hesitantly stretched out her hand with reddened eyes and slowly touched Mother Zhi''s back to comfort her.


    It was at this time that a nurse came into the ward with a list in her hand.


    The nurse asked, "Who are Zhi Lan''s family members?"


    "I... I am." Mother Zhi''s crying stopped as she answered the nurse. "What is the matter?"


    "This prescription and the cost of the next treatment," the nurse said. "You can pay the fee at the front desk."


    "Oh, oh, okay," Mother Zhi answered and nodded dully.


    Mother Zhi wiped the tears from her face, stood up tremblingly from the ground, and took the list from the nurse''s hand.


    When she saw it, she felt that her whole world was about to fall apart.


    "200,000? Why... why is the hospitalization fee so expensive?" Mother Zhi asked out loud in shock.


    She had never seen such great pricing before. Just thinking about the fact that she had to owe people money to pay for this hospitalization fee made her whole world look bleak. Furthermore, she does not know where to borrow or get this huge amount of money.


    She had no friends and no connections. Does she have to get a usury now?


    "Auntie, I will pay for the hospitalization fee," Qi Yu said.


    There was guilt in the young boy''s gentle voice as he spoke.


    "You? But¡­ why?" Mother Zhi asked, feeling confused and skeptical.


    "This is nothing," Qi Yu said. "Classmates should help one another in need."


    Yue Ran glanced at the young man after hearing his words.


    The male protagonist of this world is really a perfect gentleman to the core.


    There is no so-called gentleness that was only on the surface but, in fact, hid a black heart. The male protagonist of this world has real warmth from the inside out. He is always very gentle and kind, inside and out.


    And that was why the young man took all the responsibility for this incident upon himself.


    "Thank you, thank you," Mother Zhi said gratefully. A great weight was pulled off her shoulders. "What is your name?"


    "You are welcome, Auntie," Qi Yu replied. "My name is Qi Yu."


    "Thank you, thank you, Qi Yu!" Mother Zhi said excitedly and gratefully, then bowed to Qi Yu to express her thanks.


    "It is okay, Auntie," Qi Yu said. "This is just a little effort, and Auntie does not have to be so polite."


    ¡­


    On the way back, the two, Yue Ran and Qi Yu, were rarely silent.


    After a long while, it was Yue Ran who spoke first to break the atmosphere.


    "I am sorry," Yue Ran suddenly said.


    As soon as the young girl opened her mouth, she cried with apology and grievance.


    Her three-word apology seemed to have a soft hook, which makes people''s hearts break with distress.


    "Uh, hm? What is wrong?" Qi Yu asked.


    At this time, the young man was a little flustered, and he did not understand why Yue Ran had said these three words at all.


    "I¡­" Yue Ran started.


    But before the young girl''s words were finished, tears had already fallen from the ends of her crimson eyes, drop by drop, as if falling on Qi Yu''s heart.


    Qi Yu quickly leaned over to Yue Ran and asked worriedly, "What is wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"


    Yue Ran shook her head, sniffed lightly, and spoke with a slight nasal sound: "Yesterday, if it were not for me, you certainly would not have discovered Lan Lan so late, and Lan Lan would not have been hurt so badly like this."


    Qi Yu was stunned, as if he did not expect that the young girl''s sudden apology was for this.


    Without thinking too much, the young man has already blurted out, "Ran Ran, it is not your fault."


    "No, it is," Yue Ran insisted. "Everything is my fault. Everything is my fault. Just blame me."


    The young girl cried even more fiercely after saying so.


    "Last night, if I had not sprained my foot... you would have found Lan Lan sooner," Yue Ran said. "And maybe¡­ maybe¡­"


    Qi Yu sighed lightly. Helplessness and distress were eminent between his beautiful eyebrows.


    The young man looked at the young girl, who could not stop crying in front of him, stretched out his hand, pulled it back, and then stretched it out again. Finally, after so long, he overstepped the boundary and gently embraced the young girl into his arms.


    The slender, cool palm stroked the young girl''s jet-black hair, and he spoke with a tone so soft, as if he were coaxing a child to sleep.


    "Ran Ran, it is not your fault. It is others who are at fault. It is the group of perpetrators who are at fault," Qi Yu said. "If you really want to know who is at fault the most, then it should be me. I am the real culprit in it all. If it were not for me, Zhi Lan would never have been hurt so badly."


    There was a short pause before the young man continued.


    "So, Ran Ran, do not feel guilty anymore," Qi Yu said. "Stop thinking about it and get some sleep."


    Yue Ran took advantage of the situation to lie on Qi Yu''s shoulder, and tears soon soaked the young man''s clothes.


    But when she heard these words, she raised her head from Qi Yu''s shoulder; her eyes looked clear and pure. Those pair of eyes that were washed with tears were like the grass in spring after rain¡ªrefreshing and beautiful.


    "What about you?" Yue Ran asked.


    Qi Yu was stunned for a moment before asking, "What?"


    "What is A Yu thinking?" Yue Ran asked.


    Qi Yu''s dense and long eyelashes drooped down slightly, covering the little light in his pupils.


    "I¡­" Qi Yu''s words trailed off as soon as he started to speak. "This is all my..." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You yourself have said it before," Yue Ran said.


    The young girl''s slightly hoarse voice interrupted the young man.


    "You said it before that it is the perpetrators who are really at fault," Yue ran said. She paused for a second, then her voice became firmer as she continued, "So, do not put the blame on yourself. If it really comes down to it, then I have to say that I am the same as you. I am also at fault."


    Qi Yu raised his eyes and looked at the young girl fixedly. Although she looked a little disheveled because she was crying, her delicate and pitiful appearance actually added a little more beauty and loveliness to her face.


    Unable to hold back, Qi Yu just raised his hand and gently pulled the delicate young girl completely into his arms.


    He silently said sorry to Ye Chen in his heart. This is the last time. The last time...


    Now, he really seems to need her.


    He really needs her.


    Yue Ran followed the young man''s movements obediently and stretched out her hands to slowly wrap them around the young man''s thin waist.


    Yue Ran''s voice sounded, "So, let us work together to get those people the punishment they deserve, okay?"


    There was silence in the air for a long time before a word came out of the young man''s lips.


    "Okay," Qi Yu said.


    The corner of Yue Ran''s mouth evoked a very light smile, very shallow and looming.


    Qi Yu had plunged himself into a swamp called guilt, but she did not.


    A boy of seventeen or eighteen years old, no matter what his personality is, has a clear mind.


    The male protagonist is a child of a rich family, a very good boy who has always been sought after by others and protected very well by his parents. And when such a terrible thing happened, one could only imagine the feeling in his heart.


    However, the young man did not know that in some corners of the world, this is actually the daily life of some people.


    What was more was that the reason for this happened because of himself in the first place, even if it was without his knowledge.


    "So, stop blaming yourself, okay?"


    Yue Ran knew that even though she had already said that, Qi Yu still might not be able to pull himself out completely.


    But at least, after this, she and Qi Yu will be stuck together.


    Stuck together.


    Together.


    Take this so-called guilt and responsibility together.


    "Okay," Qi Yu answered.


    The young man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His nose was filled with the young girl''s natural, faint fragrance, which made him relax.


    The whole day and night, the young man''s heavy heart inexplicably felt at ease at this moment.


    Qi Yu thought that he would only get blamed by others, whether in words or eyes when they looked at him, but someone told him that it was not his fault.


    So, right now, he could only hold her tightly to him.


    ¡­


    Late at night


    Qi Yu had just finished taking a shower and was still wiping his damp, inky black hair, but suddenly he heard a few knocks from the door of his room.

 Chapter 195 - 195: White Lotus Transfer Student (25)

    The young man looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. At this time, his parents should be asleep, right? Then who is outside the door?


    When Qi Yu opened the door, he saw Yue Ran standing outside, smiling at him like a dream.


    "How are you...?" Qi Yu asked blinkingly. A smile instantly appeared on his face when he saw Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran bent over and passed under the young man''s arm against the door. The whole process was completed in one go, making Qi Yu feel stunned and somewhat amused at the same time.


    "What is the matter? Why did you come here so late at night?" Qi Yu asked.


    "Look!" Yue Ran exclaimed as she lifted the black bag she was carrying and took out the beers in it one by one, placing them on the table.


    "This is¡­?" Qi Yu''s words trailed off in doubt.


    "Beer," Yue Ran answered in a matter-of-fact tone.


    "I know," Qi Yu said. "What I wanted to ask is, What are we going to do with them?"


    Yue Ran blinked, looked at the young man, and said, "Drink it, of course."


    At a glance, Qi Yu could see what Yue Ran was thinking.


    The young girl in front of him does not want him to feel depressed and alone. She does not want him to sink into self-blame.


    The young man hooked his lips and smiled. This feeling of being cared about by others is not bad. Not bad at all.


    Although Qi Yu did not need alcohol at this moment, he still brought the young girl to the balcony of his room.


    "Sit down," Qi Yu said.


    The young man pulled the chair back to let Yue Ran sit before he went back into his room. When he stepped back out, there was a thin blanket in his hand.


    "The wind is a little cold at night," Qi Yu said with a little worry on his face. "You should wear this in case you were to catch a cold."


    "Pfft¡­" Yue Ran wanted to laugh a little as she said, "It is September. No matter how cold it is at night, I will not catch a cold so easily."


    Qi Yu also laughed along with her.


    "Then I will leave it on the table," Qi Yu said with a smile. "You can just take it and use it whenever you need it."


    "Um, okay," Yue Ran responded with a nod.


    The young girl opened a can of beer for Qi Yu before she opened another can for herself.


    "Here, A Yu," Yue Ran said as she handed the opened can of beer to Qi Yu. "I really did not expect that Uncle and Auntie would go to bed so early."


    Looking at the thin, white wrist that the young girl stretched out, Qi Yu''s eyes secretly focused on it for a moment before he took the can of beer from her hand.


    When the young man grabbed the can, he accidentally touched the young girl''s fingers. It was soft and warm.


    Qi Yu suddenly remembered the night they first met.


    It was also over alcohol, and the young girl quickly got drunk when she had just taken a sip of wine.


    It was also that night that he had that kind of dream for the first time.


    Qi Yu looked at the young girl, whose face was already a little red in front of his eyes, as if time went back to that night.


    "Hey, A Yu? What are you thinking? Do you not want to drink it?" Yue Ran asked. The words she articulated were a little slow and slurred.


    Suddenly recovering from his thoughts, Qi Yu smiled and looked at the drunk person in front of him with bent eyes. He placed the can of beer on the table before looking fixedly at her.


    "My parents go to bed so early?" Qi Yu asked. "If that is so, then how did you enter my house?"


    "Oops, I was found out," Yue Ran mumbled slowly as she pouted her lips. Suddenly, she leaned as close to Qi Yu as she could and said in a whisper, as if she were to tell him a secret: "After all, we have been each other''s neighbors for a few months, and Auntie does not treat me as an outsider at all."


    After speaking, Yue Ran raised her thumb and smiled ostentatiously. This action of hers meant that she had her own fingerprint imprint on his family''s fingerprint password.


    Looking at the slightly silly smile and the little pride on the young girl''s face that could not be ignored, Qi Yu only felt helpless and a little amused.


    His mother actually did not treat Yue Ran like an outsider at all.


    "Um, my mother really did not treat you as an outsider at all," Qi Yu said with lowered eyes.


    His mother treated Yue Ran as his future girlfriend. His mother also treated Yue Ran as her future daughter-in-law. He knew about it.


    Qi Yu knew that clearly. But he still chose to keep silent.


    "Hmm." Yue Ran hummed lightly. "I actually saw that the lights on your side were still on, and I also knew that Uncle and Auntie were usually asleep at this time, so I may have come in arbitrarily."


    Yue Ran blinked slowly and cutely at the young man.


    "Hmm, A Yu," Yue Ran said. "You will not blame me for this, right?"


    As the young girl said that, she moved the chair closer to Qi Yu''s chair. With that, her whole body had moved much closer to Qi Yu''s.


    The young girl''s fiery breath could be felt so close to the young man.


    Qi Yu spoke, "How can I blame you?"


    It should be the opposite. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That is good," Yue Ran said.


    When the last word "good" just ended, Qi Yu suddenly felt his shoulders sink to one side. It turned out that Yue Ran had fallen asleep on his shoulders.

 Chapter 196 - 196: White Lotus Transfer Student (26)

    Yue Ran looked so peaceful and quiet while asleep, with her eyelashes trembling a little, like the quivering of a butterfly''s wings, from time to time.


    Obviously, the young girl has such a poor alcohol capacity, and she had also said before that she wanted to come to his house to accompany him for a drink.


    However, where Qi Yu himself had not noticed, his mood was actually much better than it was during the day.


    Qi Yu did not plan to wake Yue Ran up. He slightly adjusted his sitting position to make the young girl sleep more comfortably on his shoulder.


    ¡­


    If the weather is too hot or too cold, she can always come to him.


    Because as soon as she appears, his world will always be the way he likes it the most.


    ¡­


    Qi Yu took the most direct way to deal with Zhi Lan''s situation, which was to call the police.


    Originally, the family of the leader of the group of girls who ganged up on Zhi Lan still wanted to use money to solve the problem in private, but with the joint effort of both the Qi family and the Yue family, money could not solve the problem at all.


    Instead, the leader of the group of girls was sentenced to several more years in jail for this.


    Not only was the leader sentenced, but everyone who got involved in that unilateral fight was more or less convicted.


    This was because Zhi Lan''s injury was just too serious.


    Yue Ran watched Qi Yu finish the process with indifferent eyes.


    Sure enough, the current male protagonist is still too young, green, and naive. When such a horrible thing happens, the first thing that comes to his mind is to call the police.


    As everyone knows, if this kind of person, the male protagonist, is not the victim and does not feel the same, he will never know the true pain.


    If the male protagonist were to know what it feels like to be the victim and to suffer the pain of the victim, then maybe he would only intensify the punishment for those perpetrators, and there would be no sympathy for that group of girls at all.


    It was just that this rare, unique, clear mind of a young man really made people (Yue Ran) want to destroy it, crush it, mold it, and play around with it.


    Yue Ran really wanted to see what the male protagonist who was pulled down from the altar would look like.


    It must be a very interesting sight to see.


    ¡­


    The female protagonist''s injury took a little more than four months to heal.


    And it was not all over yet. Now, Zhi Lan needs hearing aids to hear vague human voices, and there is also a small scar between her eyebrows.


    During this period, Qi Yu and Yue Ran were the ones responsible for shouldering the expensive hospitalization expenses.


    Originally, Qi Yu did not want Yue Ran to participate, but when he saw her coquettish eyes, his heart softened.


    ¡­


    24th December, 20XX


    Tomorrow is Christmas.


    Little couples who love being together every day will naturally not let such a romantic day go.


    Ye Chen and Yue Ran walked hand in hand on the lawn below the inpatient department of the hospital while chatting with one another.


    The young man pulled Yue Ran to sit down on the long bench beside the road.


    Ye Chen sat down first, and then Yue Ran was pulled into his arms just as she was about to take a seat. Yue Ran had no choice but to lean into the young man''s arms, just like this.


    "A Chen, you¡­ What are you doing in broad daylight like this?"


    Yue Ran buried her head on the young man''s shoulder and spoke very embarrassedly.


    Ye Chen smiled when he saw the shy look on his girlfriend. He hugged the person in his arms a little tighter.


    "We have been together for so long," Ye Chen said. "Is Ran Ran still not used to it yet?"


    "No," Yue Ran answered honestly.


    Seeing the young girl''s red ears, Ye Chen could not hold back and kissed her.


    This time, it really annoyed Yue Ran.


    She pushed the young man away and looked at him tearfully as she said, "You, you clearly know..."


    "I clearly know? What do I know clearly?" Ye Chen asked innocently while pretending not to understand the implication of Yue Ran''s words.


    "You clearly know that my ears..." Yue Ran said as her voice trailed off, becoming smaller and smaller at the end, and finally, none of the two could hear it anymore.


    The corners of Ye Chen''s mouth were hooked up. He naturally knew that Yue Ran''s ears were a sensitive part of her body, but, hey, who was to blame? It was his girlfriend who was so cute that he could not hold back the need to tease her.


    Ye Chen rested his chin on the shoulder of the young girl in his arms, and his breath was filled with the familiar, pleasant smell of her body. The young man could not help but sigh contentedly.


    "Where do you want to go for Christmas?" Ye Chen asked.


    "This kind of thing should have been arranged by you," Yue Ran said.


    "Yes, indeed," Ye Chen said. "But I still want to ask for your opinion symbolically."


    "Hm?" Yue Ran raised her head in dissatisfaction. "Why is it only symbolically? I¡­"


    Before the young girl could finish speaking, Ye Chen had already blocked her lips.


    "Because I already know what you like and what you dislike. I am delivered to you," Ye Chen said when they separated. "I am yours."


    When the last three words fell, Ye Chen leaned in once again and deepened the kiss.


    After being together for more than half a year, the young man who has kissed Yue Ran countless times is no longer as green and jerky as when he first kissed her.


    While kissing, Yue Ran slowly moved her hands to touch the strong waist of the young man.


    Ye Chen''s figure is really based on Yue Ran''s aesthetic point of view.


    Especially the front abs. Especially the front abs.


    And yes, she just had to repeat them twice.


    Facing the straightforward move, Ye Chen could not help but want to kiss Yue Ran even more deeply, and for a long, long time.


    Knowing that now was not the right time, Ye Chen grabbed Yue Ran''s wrist which was still slowly moving upwards, reluctantly releasing the moist lips that he had just kissed, panted slightly, and smiled smugly and happily. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It is better for Ran Ran to do this kind of thing behind closed doors," Ye Chen said suggestively.


    Yue Ran laughed and directly nestled into the young man''s arms.


    Soon, a muffled voice came from his neck.


    "This is what you said," Yue Ran mumbled.


    In the afternoon, the sun is just right, the winter snow is just melting, and youthful affection is always so simple and pleasant.


    However, Qi Yu, who was watching from upstairs, had a rare calm face at the moment.


    The young man kept telling himself that Yue Ran was not his.


    However, it was useless. As long as he saw her getting close to other boys, even if he knew that this boy was her boyfriend, his good brother, and his best friend, a strange, unfamiliar feeling called jealousy would always surge up in his heart.


    Qi Yu looked at the two people kissing intimately below; his eyes were cold, and his fingertips were white. His heart is sour.


    He really wants to... He really wants to stop them.


    He really wants to separate them.


    But what is his position in doing so?


    Thinking of this, Qi Yu''s mood plummeted, and his mouth curled into a bitter smile. He turned his head away, forcing himself not to look at the harmonious couple on the open lawn.


    "Qi Yu," Zhi Lan called out to the young man by the window.


    It was Zhi Lan and her mother who had come over to him.


    Today was the day Zhi Lan was discharged from the hospital. All three of them had come to pick her up, but Ye Chen had dragged Yue Ran downstairs before they could meet Zhi Lan.


    Then there was that scene that Qi Yu had just seen.


    "Um," Qi Yu responded with a sound, and then his demeanor immediately returned to normal. He nodded extremely calmly, as if nothing had happened at all just now. "Does Auntie need anything from me?"


    Mother Zhi looked at the talented young man in front of her and then looked at her own daughter.


    She thought that it was really a blessing in disguise! Her daughter said that this young man in front of her was no ordinary classmate at all.


    This is her daughter''s boyfriend! Boyfriend!


    Not only that, the Qi family is also the leading wealthy family in the local area.


    The eldest young master of the Qi family is his own son-in-law! Oh my gosh! This kind of thing makes her feel very happy just thinking about it! She could even laugh happily in her dreams! Gold was right in front of her eyes, and she had to seize it well!


    She cannot allow this opportunity to slip out of her grasp!


    Mother Zhi could not be blamed for thinking this way either. In fact, in the past few years, the mother and daughter have depended on each other for life, and it was hard to live.

 Chapter 197 - 197: White Lotus Transfer Student (27)

    And now the two, mother and daughter, were really poor and afraid.


    Zhi Lan and her mother wanted to live well, but they just could not do it. Or rather, they do not know how to do it. They do not know how to improve their lives! And then Qi Yu came to them like a pot of gold delivered to their door!


    If possible, Mother Zhi hoped that her daughter would not live like her and find the wrong man.


    "So Qi Yu is here to pick up Lan Lan," Mother Zhi said. "Alas, I will just take these things, so why do you not help me hold Lan Lan instead?"


    Although Zhi Lan did not hear her mother''s words completely, she got a general idea. Moreover, with the frequent glances from her mother, Zhi Lan instantly knew what her mother was thinking and planning inside her heart.


    However, Zhi Lan could not take action and could only glance at Qi Yu with sadness in her eyes.


    Although the two of them had been together for more than half a year, they had not had any intimate contact at all, which made Zhi Lan feel even more inferior and scared, especially because of the permanent injury that she now has and thus the increase in anxiety in her heart.


    Qi Yu was indeed very kind to her, but she just could not feel the slightest love from him.


    Therefore, at this stage, Zhi Lan can only use her pitifulness and illness to tie the young man by her side first. She does not want Qi Yu to leave her at all!


    She just loves Qi Yu too much.


    She just loves the prince charming of her dreams too much!


    "Okay, Auntie, let us go," Qi Yu replied.


    The young man did not give Zhi Lan the slightest look but came over and held the young girl''s arm very politely and gentlemanly.


    Zhi Lan lowered her eyes to her arm. This was the closest contact she had with Qi Yu from the past to the present.


    "Hey, this is very good!" Mother Zhi said it happily as she looked at the two teenagers in front of her.


    Suddenly, the smile in Mother Zhi''s eyes deepened a lot.


    When the three of them went downstairs while chatting, the first thing that they saw downstairs was the young couple who were still doing a public display of affection not far away.


    When Qi Yu saw it, he could not help but shout at the two, "Ran Ran, A Chen!"


    The two of them turned their heads together with inexplicable expressions on their faces.


    Then Yue Ran reacted first, and her face turned very happy. She immediately ran over while pulling Ye Chen with her.


    "Lan Lan, congratulations on being discharged from the hospital," Yue Ran said joyfully.


    The happiness on the young girl''s face could be sensed very clearly, and even the world around her shone and flowers bloomed because of it.


    "Thank you, Ran Ran," Zhi Lan said.


    "Why do you not call me upstairs?" Ye Chen asked Qi Yu. "I can still help you carry some things down."


    Ye Chen, who was pulled by Yue Ran, came over, slung an arm around Yue Ran''s shoulder, and smiled smugly.


    "I saw that you two were having a good time, so I decided not to call you," Qi Yu said.


    The young man glanced vaguely at the shoulders with Ye Chen''s arm, and suddenly, his eyes turned more serious. Qi Yu''s slightly raised lips were also slightly pursed at this time, and he had said those sour words like that because his heart was bitter.


    Yue Ran could not help but smile in her heart. She naturally heard the strangeness in the tone and words that Qi Yu had said. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Aunt Zhi, let me help you carry those things," Yue Ran said.


    "Okay, okay," Mother Zhi replied happily. "Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Ran."


    "It is not hard at all, Aunt Zhi," Yue Ran replied gently.


    The young girl''s smile was very warm and pure.


    Ye Chen immediately snatched Mother Zhi''s stuff away before Yue Ran could even get a hold of it. Not even a finger has touched those bags that are now in one of Ye Chen''s hands.


    "Of course, I will hold these things myself," Ye Chen said. "It was enough for Ran Ran to support me."


    "Pfft¡­" Yue Ran laughed sweetly when she heard it. The young girl smiled and stretched out her hand to wrap them around Ye Chen''s specially bent arm and said, "Got it, A Chen. Let us set forth!"


    ¡­


    "You can just send us there," Zhi Lan said.


    The young girl bit her lower lip, and it took a long time for her to open her mouth. Although her family situation has been known, Zhi Lan still wants to leave the last bit of dignity for herself.


    "Is it there?" The driver in front of the car asked. "I see."


    ¡­


    Ye Chen and Yue Ran, who were sitting in another car, which was just slightly behind the three in the car, also arrived at this time.


    When they were on their way to Zhi Lan''s house, they needed to pass through the community where Ye Chen lives.


    Ye Chen enthusiastically pointed it out to his girlfriend and said, "Now, this is the community that you are going to live in in the future. Isn''t it big and beautiful?"


    "What?" Yue Ran asked, dumbfounded. It took her a second to realize what the young man had meant, and then she laughed.


    Just holding his hand, Yue Ran lazily hugged the young man''s waist.


    "We have been together for so long; why do you never take me to your house?" Yue Ran asked with pouted lips.


    Ye Chen stroked the hair of his girlfriend that he liked very much with both hands, lowered his head, smiled, and said, "Why? Is Ran Ran not afraid anymore? Ran Ran deliberately wanted to hide me from Ran Ran''s parents before, but now you actually want to take the initiative to meet my parents?"


    The young man blinked happily.


    "Well, Ran Ran really loves me so much," Ye Chen said, leaning in for a kiss.


    Yue Ran reached out and covered the young man''s mouth before spitting out a word.


    "Shameless," Yue Ran said.


    Ye Chen grabbed the little hand of his girlfriend. It was tender and fair, and it felt very good to the touch. He rubbed it slowly a few times and then kissed her fingers.


    The young man smiled shamelessly and said, "Um, I am shameless. As long as Ran Ran still wants me, I can be even more shameless."


    "No," Yue Ran replied in an instant. "Then I do not want you anymore."


    The young girl stretched out her hands with her cheeks puffed up and embraced the young man''s waist instead.


    Ye Chen embraced Yue Ran a little tighter, looking dissatisfied when he heard her words.


    "That is not good," Ye Chen said. "You can only be tied to me for the rest of your life."


    ¡­


    When the car in front stopped, Ye Chen took Yue Ran''s hand to get out of the car.


    "Is it here?" Ye Chen asked.


    The young man frowned and looked around.


    This is a famous area. In other words, this place is also called a village in the city.


    The houses here are small, dilapidated, and crowded, which is simply out of tune with the prosperity of the surrounding buildings in the big city.


    Ye Chen did not despise it. He had long known that Zhi Lan''s family situation was not very good, but he just did not expect such a poor situation.


    He usually could not see the clues from Zhi Lan at all.


    "Yes, sorry to bother you," Mother Zhi said.


    Mother Zhi did not care much about other people''s opinions of her or her family. After all these years of living, if she still cared about this kind of thing, then she would not have been able to support herself and her daughter. She would also not be able to send her daughter to school.


    It was just that Zhi Lan was different from her mother, after all. She had long frozen when she saw Qi Yu looking around and scrutinizing the surroundings.


    It was better to say that the young man had just glanced at everything indifferently. There were no other emotions in his eyes.


    "Please, Auntie, lead the way," Qi Yu said. "We will help you bring your things home."


    "Then I will have to trouble you," Mother Zhi said.


    Mother Zhi could hardly wait for Qi Yu to say those words. This will allow the two, Qi Yu and Zhi Lan, to get along better and closer.


    Such a good golden turtle son-in-law, she can never let him go.


    (Golden turtle son-in-law: Excellent and outstanding son-in-law.)


    "No need, Mom," Zhi Lan said, stepping forward to intervene. "We can just take these things ourselves."


    "Hey, there is so much," Mother Zhi complained a little. "With my strength, I cannot afford to carry them all."


    "Mom!" Zhi Lan yelled. She was feeling a little anxious.


    She does not want others to see the poor conditions in her family.


    She does not want Qi Yu to see the dilapidated house that she is living in.


    Yue Ran naturally saw the anxiety in Zhi Lan''s eyes, and she also knew what Zhi Lan was thinking about.


    But, hey, after being so silent and living peaceful days for so long¡­

 Chapter 198 - 198: White Lotus Transfer Student (28)

    But, hey, after being so silent and living peaceful days for so long, it was once again time to have some fun.


    "Lan Lan, it is alright," Yue Ran said gently. "We will not get tired of carrying these things." She then turned to Mother Zhi and said, "Aunt Zhi, please lead the way. I really want to visit your new home now."


    "Okay, okay, Xiao Ran," Mother Zhi answered with a nodding head. "Let us go. Let us go together."


    Such a well-behaved and beautiful little girl with a sweet smile¡ªwho would not be happy to see her?


    In the end, there was no way for Zhi Lan to stop her mother''s actions. She had no choice but to follow behind and walk on the familiar road leading to her home.


    As the group walked, Ye Chen and Yue Ran intentionally or unintentionally fell behind.


    Ye Chen squeezed Yue Ran''s tender little cheek with one hand; his eyes were full of affection.


    The young girl''s already rosy cheeks were pinched even more crimson, as if she were walking with a hazy light; the fluff on her face was small and visible; her facial features were delicate and beautiful; and her skin was delicate, like a soft jelly to the touch, which was addicting.


    If it were not for his girlfriend''s explicit prohibition not to pinch her face frequently, Ye Chen thought that his hand might always be stuck to it and never let go.


    Only now, the young man''s face was darkened, and he had deliberately said to Yue Ran in a feigned vicious tone, "Do not smile so sweetly to others!"


    "Ah, I see," Yue Ran answered in a sing-song voice.


    The young girl was accustomed to acting like a spoiled child, and it seemed that she did not take Ye Chen''s words to heart at all.


    "Hey, you are now being perfunctory to me," Ye Chen complained childishly.


    Yue Ran blinked, looking innocent as she spoke. "Is that so? But I just want to be perfunctory."


    "Ran Ran," Ye Chen said with eyes widening in disbelief.


    "Ah, A Chen!" Yue Ran exclaimed and slapped the young man''s hand away from her. "You pinched me again!"


    The laughter of the two behind the group could be heard from time to time.


    Mother Zhi turned her head frequently, and she spoke out as if she were looking for a topic.


    "They really do have a good relationship, haha." Mother Zhi said it with a laugh.


    However, the two people next to her have their own concerns, and they do not seem to have heard her words at all.


    In the end, Qi Yu still replied calmly with an "um."


    This is completely different from his past gentle and polite style.


    Even Mother Zhi could feel that something was wrong with the young man, but she just did not know what it was. What could it be?


    Mother Zhi just could not seem to put a finger on the crux of the problem.


    Walking beside Zhi Lan, Qi Yu lowered his eyes, and some obscure emotions flashed in their depths. The young man did not look at the scene behind him that disturbed him and only looked in front.


    Just listening to the voice of the young girl behind him, he could easily imagine her joy at the moment.


    Why is she so happy?


    Does being with Ye Chen make her so happy? S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    "We are here," Mother Zhi said. "Please come in."


    Mother Zhi warmly entertained the three of them inside the house, which made Zhi Lan feel even more uncomfortable.


    Does her mother still not know what she usually looks like in other people''s eyes? Not a single thing inside the house was worth being seen by others.


    Moreover, why was she just so enthusiastic today? This was so uncharacteristic of her.


    "Our house is very small, and it has not been cleaned for a long time, so it is a little bit messy inside," Mother Zhi said.


    "No, Aunt Zhi, I feel that the house is very warm and cozy," Yue Ran answered with a face full of sincerity. Just looking at that face of hers, no one would have thought or guessed that she was lying inside.


    "It is fine if you do not dislike it. Come on and sit down. Sit down," Mother Zhi said.


    Zhi Lan lowered her head and looked at the small space inside her own house.


    The old and crude furniture was in a mess, and she had not cleaned it and fixed it up for a long time. Even though they had not been disturbed for a long time, the floor was covered with a layer of ash.


    Right now, Zhi Lan really does not dare look at their expressions.


    "You child, go and wash some fruit," Mother Zhi ordered Zhi Lan.


    "Um," Zhi Lan quickly replied with a brisk sound. She just wanted to leave this living room as soon as possible.


    But when Yue Ran heard Mother Zhi''s words, she immediately stood up.


    "Aunt Zhi, just let me wash them," Yue Ran said while looking at Zhi Lan with a little worry on her face. "Lan Lan has just been discharged from the hospital, so she had to pay even more attention to rest."


    "Hey, but is she not just fine?" Mother Yue asked. "Xiao Ran, you can just sit down."


    "But¡­" Yue Ran wanted to insist on doing it, but her words were cut off by someone else.


    "Ran Ran," Qi Yu said, interrupting Yue Ran''s words.


    The young man reached out his hand to grab hers and then stood up.


    "Auntie, we will not bother you anymore," Qi Yu said. "It is getting late, so we will go first."


    Mother Zhi looked at Qi Yu and asked, "Well, will you not at least stay for dinner?"


    Ye Chen also stood up at this time; he stretched out his hand to embrace Yue Ran and then glanced vaguely at where Qi Yu was holding his girlfriend''s hand.

 Chapter 199 - 199: White Lotus Transfer Student (29)

    After Ye Chen''s eyes quickly swept past it, he turned his attention to Mother Zhi.


    "Auntie, the residential house complex that they live in is a little far from here, and it will be dark if they do not leave now," Ye Chen said as an explanation, which cooperated well with Qi Yu''s words.


    "So that was it," Mother Zhi said regretfully with a low sigh while wiping her hands on her apron.


    Mother Zhi looked at the three people in front of her.


    Firstly, Ye Chen... Mother Zhi does not know much about this boy.


    Secondly, Yue Ran... Mother Zhi knew that the company of Yue Ran''s father was prosperous back then and raked in a lot of money, so the Yue family should have made a lot of money by now.


    Then lastly, Qi Yu... Mother Zhi was very sure that this young man''s family must be very rich just by knowing his surname.


    If Zhi Lan, her daughter, can always have a good relationship with the three of them, then there is no need to worry about her future. If that were so, then she could get rid of this kind of life, the life of the poor.


    Zhi Lan would not have to suffer without having money issues and be burdened by life again in the future if Zhi Lan could only tie herself up with the three of them.


    It was just that Mother Zhi also understood that she could not force these three people too tightly. Now that the three people are saying this, forcing them to stay will only make them annoyed and would also arouse their dislike.


    "Okay, then come back to Auntie''s house to play again at a later date," Mother Zhi said.


    "Okay," Qi Yu answered.


    "Okay, bye, Aunt Zhi," Yue Ran said.


    "All right, you should be careful on your way," Mother Zhi said.


    "I know, Aunt Zhi," Yue Ran responded with a nod. "Then, we will leave first."


    "Yes, goodbye," Mother Zhi said.


    Mother Zhi still had a smile on her face at this time, but when the three left and closed the door, her face instantly changed.


    She turned around to look at Zhi Lan with hatred and rebuked her daughter: "What happened to you just now? You are just like a piece of wood. You only have a problem with your ears, not your body! Why are you so silent now?"


    There are many mothers like this in the world. When their children are in danger, they will be very worried and want to bear the pain for their children. But once their children are fine and dandy, they will start to dislike them again and will always find fault with them for every little thing.


    Every now and then, their children would be faced with constant scolding.


    It is undeniable that Mother Zhi loves her daughter, and Zhi Lan herself also knows it. But Zhi Lan just has such a scar about family love in her heart, which cannot be easily revealed.


    Again, Zhi Lan closed her eyes as usual and ignored her mother''s scolding. She quietly walked into her bedroom before closing the door.


    She now just wanted to be alone.


    ¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As early as when he was about to go out, Qi Yu had already let go of Yue Ran''s hand.


    However, Ye Chen still held Yue Ran. The young man suddenly turned around and said to Qi Yu, "A Yu, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"


    Qi Yu looked up at Ye Chen, feeling slightly puzzled, and asked, "Hm? What do you want to say?"


    Ye Chen raised a brow and said, "A Yu, tomorrow is Christmas. Do not tell me that you are out of ideas when preparing a surprise. You are not really out of ideas, are you?"


    Qi Yu understood Ye Chen''s words and asked, "Why should I do it?"


    "Tsk!" Ye Chen made an exclamation of disapproval. "You are someone who has a girlfriend now, so do not be so dull. The day of Christmas is, of course, the time for a date with the person you love."


    "A date?" Qi Yu asked, blinking.


    So does that mean that Yue Ran and Qi Yu will be together all day tomorrow?


    "That is right," Ye Chen said. "Ran Ran and I already made an appointment with one another all day tomorrow."


    While speaking, Ye Chen also raised his hand and intertwined his and Yue Ran''s fingers before shaking them in front of Qi Yu provocatively.


    Qi Yu looked at the two people''s entangled hands and felt that it was extremely dazzling.


    The young man narrowed his eyes a little and said gently, "You have arrived."


    Ye Chen: !


    "Arrived? So quickly?" Ye Chen turned his head around to look at where he was and indeed saw that he had already reached his home at some point in time.


    But why is this road so short?


    His time with Yue Ran is so short.


    "Well, you have arrived," Yue Ran said. "A Chen, go in. I will see you tomorrow."


    The young girl said it softly and waved a hand at him as a gesture of goodbye.


    "Good night, A Chen," Yue Ran ended.


    "Okay, good night, Ran Ran," Ye Chen replied.


    The young man lowered his eyes and opened his mouth somewhat sullenly.


    Yue Ran laughed when she saw it. She walked up to hold that handsome face, and smiled softly and dotingly, before saying, "A Chen, hurry up and go back. Stop dawdling."


    Ye Chen pouted for a while before saying, "Then I want a kiss from Ran Ran."


    No one knew how a boy of 1.8 meters could act like a spoiled child, but Yue Ran still kindly satisfied him. After all, he is her current boyfriend.


    After giving the young man a peck, Yue Ran spoke with a smile, "Is this okay?"


    "Uh-huh," Ye Chen answered happily. "See you tomorrow, Ran Ran."


    "Um, good night," Yue Ran replied gently.

 Chapter 200 - 200: White Lotus Transfer Student (30)

    After finally sending Ye Chen away, Yue Ran walked over to Qi Yu, who was standing not far away.


    "Let us go together, A Yu," Yue Ran said. "Are we going to take a taxi back?"


    "Yes," Qi Yu answered. "But it will be a few minutes late."


    When Qi Yu replied to Yue Ran''s words, perhaps because he was stimulated just now, Yue Ran actually heard a little bit of awkwardness in his words.


    And now, Yue Ran glanced at the young man in front of her with interest.


    When the male protagonist was at the female protagonist''s house just now, although he did not show any dissatisfaction or contempt, she still felt his desire to leave.


    The male protagonist''s upbringing did not allow him to show any inappropriate behavior on the outside, but his dislike was still obvious to Yue Ran. After all, who is she?


    This was not to say that Qi Yu looks down on anyone, but only because he grew up in an environment that made him unsuitable for this extremely dirty and messy environment in his eyes. It has nothing to do with other things.


    Like she had said before, Qi Yu is a perfect gentleman to the core.


    But it was better to see him being pulled off the altar.


    Is that not more exciting?


    Then again, how did the two protagonists even get together in the first place?


    Is this the so-called true love that is destined? Or were they just pulled, tied, and stuck together because of the Lord God?


    Yue Ran: Heh.


    Yue Ran snorted lightly in her heart, but her face still remained as usual.


    There is no so-called fated love in the world. If there is, then why can the male protagonists and the female protagonists be separated because of her?


    Are they not the most fated couple in the world?


    ¡­


    The streets in the winter afternoon are a bit cold, and the temperature in City C has dropped dramatically these days. Pedestrians who come and go have already put on thick padded jackets, except for a few girls who love beauty. They were still wearing thin summer clothes and were shivering in the cold wind.


    And now, Qi Yu and Yue Ran were just walking by the road.


    Qi Yu looked at the young girl next to him, who held up her hands and sighed, and then looked at the convenience store beside her.


    "Ran Ran, you wait for me here first," Qi Yu suddenly said.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran tilted her head slightly and looked at Qi Yu in doubt.


    "I am just going to the convenience store here to buy something for a moment," Qi Yu explained patiently to Yue Ran before looking in the direction of the convenience store.


    "Ah? Okay," Yue Ran replied with a nod. "You go, and I will wait for you here."


    The young girl was wearing a white winter down jacket with a pink plaid scarf wrapped around her neck, which covered her original delicate chin and revealed only her small and lovely nose and big, twinkling, beautiful eyes. Right now, she looks very small, delicate, and cute.


    Qi Yu''s fingers curled up a few times, and he was no longer able to hold back. He leaned a little closer, raised a hand, and gently stroked the young girl''s soft and silky hair.


    "Um, Ran Ran is really good," Qi Yu said with a very gentle tone.


    In fact, the relationship between the two has already exceeded the boundaries of friendship, but neither of the two has pointed it out.


    Maybe someone did it on purpose, and maybe someone also knew it well but still could not help sinking anyway.


    It didn''t take long for Yue Ran to see Qi Yu coming out of the convenience store with a disposable hand warmer in his hand.


    Yue Ran blinked a few times before asking, "This is... bought for me?"


    "Yes," Qi Yu answered. "It is a little more cold today, and there is only this one left in the store, so you can just use this first."


    While speaking, Qi Yu took the package apart, and the two hand warmers were put into the two pockets of Yue Ran''s down jacket on both sides.


    "Two pockets, one on each side," Qi Yu said.


    Unexpectedly, before the young man had completely withdrawn his hands, two small hands that felt cold to the touch reached to pull one of his hands into Yue Ran''s pocket.


    Qi Yu was stunned for a moment, and then he looked up at her.


    The temperature in the pocket gradually increased, and Qi Yu even felt a little dry in his mouth.


    The young girl in front of her did not seem to feel anything wrong at all. She still has that beautiful smile on her face as usual, looking very normal. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you, A Yu," Yue Ran said. "A Yu''s hand is also very cold, so let us do this together."


    Qi Yu paused for a while, and almost immediately, words came out of his mouth.


    "Okay," Qi Yu found himself saying.


    The warm and soft touch on his hand reminded him all the time of what the two of them were doing right now.


    They were clearly on a wide street, but Qi Yu felt that the place they were in right now was cramped for some reason. In every breath he took, there was just an irresistible, seductive, and addictive aura lingering around him.


    Qi Yu did not even know when the street lights in the distance had been turned on, the Christmas decoration lights of the street shops had all been turned on, and white snowflakes had suddenly floated in the sky.


    In an instant, the world seemed to have fallen silent, as if only the sound of snowflakes falling to the ground and melting was heard.


    If there is a sound, it must be a kind and gentle sound, just like the first snow, stunning the world and quietly dying.

 Chapter 201 - 201: White Lotus Transfer Student (31)

    Many pedestrians on the road stopped to look at the first snow this year.


    A young couple embraced and kissed each other excitedly, and some others took out their mobile phones to take pictures of this beautiful scene that would only occur once a year.


    Tonight, just hours away before Christmas, is the first snow of the year.


    Yue Ran also raised her head excitedly. She stretched out her hand, and a few snowflakes naughtily fell on her hand, which had only been warmed for a while, and instantly turned into a drop of water.


    "A Yu, did you see it?" Yue Ran spoke in wonder. "It is the first snow of the year."


    Looking at the beautiful smile on the corners of Yue Ran''s mouth, Qi Yu also smiled at her in response.


    "Yes, it is the first snow of the year," Qi Yu replied very gently. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The warm atmosphere between the two of them did not last long because the phone in Yue Ran''s bag suddenly rang.


    Qi Yu pretended to have inadvertently glanced at Yue Ran''s phone screen and saw a very familiar name.


    Two words.


    Ye Chen.


    It was Ye Chen who had called Yue Ran on the phone.


    "Hello, A Chen," Yue Ran answered the phone very happily, as if the warmth and intimacy they had just experienced were nothing but Qi Yu''s imagination.


    Qi Yu closed his eyes, took out his hand from Yue Ran''s white down jacket pocket, stepped a distance away to give her privacy, and then looked at her quietly.


    He appears to be waiting for the young girl to finish the call.


    But the too-tight body revealed Qi Yu''s current feelings at this time.


    Because of the distance, Qi Yu could only hear words such as "I will wait for you" and "first snow".


    However, just based on these few words, Qi Yu can also infer what the two were talking about.


    Sure enough, as Qi Yu had guessed, Yue Ran walked over and apologized to him as soon as she just hung up the phone.


    "Sorry, A Yu, I may not be able to go back with you tonight," Yue Ran said.


    Qi Yu had foreseen this problem, but his heart still could not help but sink for a moment. And then he smiled again with an understanding face as he said, "What is the matter? Has something happened?"


    Hearing this, the young girl smiled happily again, as if thinking of something extremely happy.


    "A Yu said that he was coming to see me since today is the first snow of the year." Yue Ran shared her joy with the young man in front of her. "You say, how can a big man like him still act like a child? He said that it is a sense of ritual for lovers to meet during the first snow."


    Yue Ran covered her face shyly and smiled as she spoke. Her expression was very much like the kind of helpless look a girl has when facing a child who does something wrong, but the child could only be pampered anyway and not punished.


    "It is alright, then I will wait for him here with you," Qi Yu replied gently.


    Qi Yu felt that she had done a good job in this regard. He is restrained enough.


    What he clearly wanted was to take Yue Ran away, but what he said to her was to wait with her.


    It was just that as soon as he finished speaking, a very nice male voice came from not far away.


    "Ran Ran!"


    There was excitement in the young man''s voice.


    Qi Yu looked to see where the voice came from, and he saw Ye Chen.


    Ye Chen''s body was slightly bent with his hands on his knees, and he was panting slightly. In such cold weather, there was actually a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.


    One could imagine just how long and far he had run to reach here. He must have run out the moment he saw the first snow outside his window.


    "A Chen!"


    Yue Ran trotted over, and the two stood embracing each other, just like the most common little couple on the street.


    Qi Yu watched that scene, and his eyes gradually turned cold. His fingernails had embedded into the flesh of his palms, but he did not feel any pain.


    Oh, what a loving couple.


    Really, it is so frustrating.


    And although Yue Ran turned her back to the male protagonist, she had always kept Ruan Ruan''s attention on Qi Yu''s situation, so none of the two men were out of her sight.


    Looking at the slightly lonely boy behind her and the frigid coldness in his eyes at the juncture, Yue Ran quietly raised her beautiful red lips.


    Finally, it was time for the male protagonist to take the bait.


    ¡­


    "So, why did you suddenly run out?" Yue Ran asked.


    At this time, the two were sitting in the taxi. Yue Ran was leaning on Ye Chen''s shoulder, while Ye Chen was holding her hand tightly.


    "Today is the first snow of the year; of course, it would only make sense if I were to watch it with the person I love," Ye Chen said.


    "Oh," Yue Ran answered simply. She smiled and did not look at the young man, but the young man forcibly held her face with both hands to face him.


    "Yue Ran."


    The young man''s words sounded more serious than ever.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed in question.


    "I will love you forever."


    These words came from Ye Chen''s almost murmuring mouth. His eyes held rare affection and seriousness.


    At this moment, only the figure of Yue Ran could be seen in those dark eyes.


    There is only Yue Ran in his world.


    Yue Ran''s eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, and everything else¡ªthose are all the things he loves.


    Gradually, the breath between the two gradually became hot, and the couple''s lips were finally pressed together.

 Chapter 202 - 202: White Lotus Transfer Student (32)

    Just like the snowflakes in the sky, romance is always eternal.


    Even when the kiss was over, Ye Chen was only thinking that he really, really loved his Ran Ran.


    ¡­


    Because Yue Ran and Qi Yu live in a wealthy area and the security facilities of this residential complex here are excellent, taxis were not allowed to enter the community. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this was exactly what Ye Chen wanted.


    He wanted to walk along the road on the night when the snowflakes fell from the sky, like mini-feathers made of ice crystals, with his beloved girlfriend.


    "It is already so late at night," Ye Chen said. "Do you feel cold?


    Yue Ran smiled and shook her head. "Not cold."


    But even though the young girl said that, she still moved towards Ye Chen and looked at him expectantly.


    "Tsk," Ye Chen made a sound of disgust from his mouth and covered the young girl''s eyes. "Ran Ran, please control your brazen eyes!"


    "No," Yue Ran mumbled coquettishly. She immediately put her arms around him. "What is so embarrassing about me wanting to touch my boyfriend''s body? A Chen¡­"


    Ye Chen sighed. Why did he ever think that his girlfriend was a pure fairy?


    Even though the young man thought so, his hand was still very honest, and he quickly unzipped his winter coat.


    A successful smile flashed across Yue Ran''s face, and her hands quickly got in.


    The icy little hands reached directly under Ye Chen''s sweater and touched the lean but powerful abdominal muscles of the young man.


    Ye Chen immediately wrapped Yue Ran in his coat and looked around nervously.


    Although it was at night, and although it was not the first time to do this, Ye Chen was still very nervous and shy every time he let Yue Ran do her thing.


    No one can really blame him. It was just too embarrassing to do this kind of thing directly on the side of the road, in the eyes of the public, where it is possible for everyone to see it.


    It was just that he looked at the only person with the top of his head who was covered by him and smiled very sweetly.


    Hey, forget it. Who lets him dote on his wife so much?


    But suddenly, the smile on Ye Chen''s face froze for a moment, and his face instantly blushed. His body even trembled.


    "Ran Ran¡­ you, where are you touching?" Ye Chen whisper-shouted at the young girl.


    One of Yue Ran''s hands rose up, brushed somewhere, and moved back and forth with a smile. Her brows and eyes were full of starlight, and they looked very fascinating, but it was a pity that no one could see them.


    "A Chen is so cute," Yue Ran said.


    "You cannot praise me for being cute!" Ye Chen said it with gritted teeth. "Ran Ran, let go!"


    Contrary to his words, Ye Chen hugged his girlfriend even tighter and then buried his whole head in the girl''s neck. His breath was too hot.


    "No, do not touch that, Ran Ran¡­"


    ¡­


    Ye Chen had swept his eyes around and thought that no one was around, but the situation between the two of them was clearly seen by Qi Yu, who was standing at the corner of a wall not far away.


    Qi Yu also watched them for as long as they were there.


    The turbulent snow fell to the ground at some point, and because the young man had not moved for a long time, a few snowflakes fell on his shoulders at this moment.


    Like this snowflake, he was equally cold and lonely, and he was completely integrated into this world.


    It turned out that Yue Ran also has such a side.


    Qi Yu was overjoyed at his discovery, but the next second, his face sank.


    But this side that Yue Ran showed was not facing him.


    He said that he could still convince himself that Yue Ran was A Chen''s girlfriend.


    And, no matter what, he, Qi Yu, also has a girlfriend now.


    But as he got along more and more intimately with Yue Ran, the more Qi Yu also found that he was not able to be separated from her.


    He did not even know when the young girl had left an influence on every aspect of his life.


    So he could only hurt the other.


    A Chen, sorry, but Yue Ran can only be his.


    Qi Yu glanced at Yue Ran, who was smiling happily in the distance, and then lowered his indifferent eyes when he saw the intimacy between the two.


    Very silently, Qi Yu seemed to leave here without any hesitation.


    "Master, the male protagonist has left," Ruan Ruan notified his Master in his Master''s sea of consciousness.


    "Um," Yue Ran made a sound as a reply to Ruan Ruan, and a charming smile appeared on her lips. A strange light flashed in her eyes.


    When the male protagonist was gone, Yue Ran was finally willing to come out of Ye Chen''s arms.


    "Well, today''s portion is over," Yue Ran said.


    After all, there is no longer a need to use it.


    Ye Chen blushed, quickly closed the zipper, and said, "Okay, then let us go."


    The young man took Yue Ran''s hand and walked very quickly, as if he had just stolen something precious. He was panicked and guilty of not wanting to get caught red-handed, so he fled the crime scene.


    Yue Ran smiled sweetly, intertwined with his and her fingers, and also quickened her pace to follow suit.


    ¡­


    Qi Yu and Zhi Lan broke up.


    When Zhi Lan called Yue Ran, Yue Ran was with Ye Chen, and the two were eating small cakes in a dessert shop.


    "What is wrong?" Ye Chen asked his girlfriend.


    "Lan Lan said that she and A Yu had just broken up," Yue Ran started. "So I have to go see her now."


    Ye Chen frowned.


    Why is it always that Zhi Lan?

 Chapter 203 - 203: White Lotus Transfer Student (33)

    Is Zhi Lan a buzzing mosquito that one cannot get rid of? Why does she also ruin his time with Yue Ran? So annoying!


    "But today is..." our first Christmas spent together.


    Before the young man could finish speaking, Yue Ran had walked over and kissed him on the lips, saying, "Our A Chen should be good. There are many more Christmases for us to spend together in the future."


    Probably¡­ not.


    "All right," Ye Chen said as a compromise. He put down the tableware in his hand, feeling a little aggrieved. "Do you want me to accompany you there?"


    "No need," Yue Ran said with a shake of her head. "Lan Lan should not want to see too many people. I alone am enough. Then, A Chen, I will leave first!"


    Before leaving, Yue Ran stroked the young man''s hair and kissed him on the lips.


    The young girl''s eyes twinkled, as if there were a galaxy of their own. She looked at him just like this, so intently and so affectionately, as if he were her whole world.


    Ye Chen''s face was a little red, and there was shyness in his smile as he said, "Then I just happened to want to go back, and our road is on the way, so let us take a taxi together."


    "Okay." Yue Ran smiled sweetly.


    What a good and obedient boyfriend.


    ¡­


    "Ran Ran, do you really not need me to accompany you?" Ye Chen looked at Yue Ran worriedly.


    "No need," Yue Ran answered gently. "Did you not come in here too last time?"


    "Well, I did, but... okay, then call me when you are done."


    In the end, Ye Chen only said this. Although he had many words to say, it was still better not to utter them now.


    "Okay," Yue Ran replied obediently.


    After taking a few more steps, she suddenly reached out and hugged her boyfriend.


    "Merry Christmas," she said.


    Ye Chen smiled and hugged his girlfriend back.


    "Merry Christmas, Ran Ran."


    After the couple hugged each other for a while, Yue Ran slowly withdrew from Ye Chen''s embrace, but her fingers were still intertwined with his.


    "Then I will really go now."


    "Um." Ye Chen answered, but his gaze was not on his girlfriend. Right now, he does not dare look at her.


    Gee, does his girlfriend really know how cute she is right now?


    "Okay, go in. Why are you staying outside for so long?"


    Ye Chen could not help but step forward and push Yue Ran away with a smile.


    "Okay, goodbye, A Chen." Yue Ran blinked and waved a hand.


    "Um."


    It was not until Yue Ran was so far away that he could no longer see her figure that Ye Chen turned around and left.


    ¡­


    After a while, Yue Ran arrived at Zhi Lan''s door.


    The young girl knocked on the rusted iron door, and the sound resounded throughout the space.


    Yue Ran curled her fingers and resisted the urge to clean her hands with a wet tissue so that she could still stick to her character setting.


    In the end, Yue Ran could only close her eyes and distract herself by calling out, "Lan Lan? Lan Lan?"


    At least by doing so, she would not worry too much about the rust particles stuck to her beautiful knuckles. This would not make her skin bad, right?


    After waiting for a long time, Yue Ran finally saw Zhi Lan, who came to open the door.


    At this time, the female protagonist''s eye sockets were red and swollen, her hair was a bit messy, and her dark circles were heavy. Her already tired face looked even more haggard.


    The young girl even smelled of alcohol.


    Well, this was definitely completely different from the simple and optimistic female protagonist that Yue Ran had met at the beginning.


    Yue Ran quickly put on a worried look on her face and stepped forward to support Zhi Lan, her dearest friend, and spoke concernedly, "Lan Lan, you... Why are you drinking?"


    "Ran Ran!" Zhi Lan ignored Yue Ran''s concern and just kept mumbling on her own. "Qi Yu... Qi Yu does not want me anymore."


    While the female protagonist is distracted, Yue Ran also takes the chance to inadvertently brush the little red-brown particles on her knuckles onto the female protagonist''s black t-shirt.


    Yue Ran only let out an inward sigh of relief when she saw that her knuckles were once again clean, but the smell of alcohol on Zhi Lan made her brows furrow a little. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It is okay, Lan Lan. Everything is okay," Yue Ran said gently. "Let us go in first."


    With that, Yue Ran pulled Zhi Lan into the house, and then into Zhi Lan''s bedroom.


    "Ran Ran, I¡­ I do not want to break up with him," Zhi Lan said sadly. "Moreover, he did not even want to take the chance to save me! You tell me... you tell me... does he not like me anymore?"


    The young girl lying on top of the bed was crying very sadly. Bean-like tears fell from the ends of her eyes; her voice was hoarse, and she could not even utter a complete sentence.


    "Lan Lan, do you not know what kind of person A Yu is?" Yue Ran asked.


    Yue Ran stroked the female protagonist''s head and looked at her with a beautiful smile in her eyes. Her tone was unprecedentedly gentle and bewitching.


    Zhi Lan stopped crying and looked up at Yue Ran in confusion. "What do you mean?"


    "Why do you not drink a glass of water and calm down first, okay?"


    "Okay," Zhi Lan answered with a nod.


    For some reason, Zhi Lan followed what Yue Ran told her to do in a daze when she heard Yue Ran''s words.


    In Zhi Lan''s heart, she believed in Yue Ran very much. After all, Yue Ran is her best friend.


    After drinking a glass of water, Zhi Lan immediately asked the question in her heart.

 Chapter 204 - 204: White Lotus Transfer Student (34)

    Zhi Lan opened her mouth and asked, "Ran Ran, just now you just said that Qi Yu is not that kind of person, so what kind of person is he?"


    Yue Ran smiled when she heard Zhi Lan''s words.


    "What kind of person Qi Yu is... Lan Lan, you are his girlfriend; do you not know it?"


    As soon as she heard these words, Zhi Lan immediately lowered her head again.


    "I¡­ I am not... anymore," Zhi Lan said. "I am not Qi Yu''s girlfriend anymore."


    Yue Ran pursed her lips concernedly and asked, "Well, then do you know why he suddenly broke up with you?"


    Zhi Lan raised her head in a daze and asked, "Why?"


    Yue Ran''s lips straightened, and there was a small and inexplicable smile on her red lips.


    "How do I know why? I am not him," Yue Ran said. "However, I think that you must have an emotional foundation with him."


    The young girl''s voice is very beautiful, flowing slowly like a spring, and it can easily warm the hearts of others.


    Zhi Lan felt the same and unconsciously followed Yue Ran''s words.


    "However, he still told me that he wanted to break up," Zhi Lan said sadly.


    Yue Ran took her friend''s hand and said seriously, "That being the case, you can still chase A Yu back. Why bother thinking about it here? In any case, the reason for the breakup must always be understood."


    "But... but I look like this now..." Zhi Lan''s words tailed off before she continued, "Can I still chase him back?"


    The female protagonist looked at Yue Ran without the agility and confidence of the past.


    In the past, the female protagonist had the most common thoughts of a girl: low self-esteem, but the difference was that she had great self-confidence. And such contradictions were attractive to another person, more specifically, the male protagonist.


    But at this moment, the female protagonist is like a pearl that has lost its luster, looking extremely dim.


    What''s the use of pearls that have already lost their luster? If someone was not aware of it, then it might as well just be a stone.


    It was just that... How could this tarnished pearl be reconciled to accepting its fate? It wants to be as glorious as it was before. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this, Yue Ran acquiesced to this pearl''s actions. After all, it is most interesting when the pearl is given hope in such despair. There will be more drama to watch before the pearl completely plunges into the abyss, into the deep blue sea, never to resurface again.


    But it would not be fun to get rid of this pearl so early.


    "What are you talking about, Lan Lan?" Yue Ran asked a little incredulously, as if she could not believe Zhi Lan''s words. "In my heart, Lan Lan is the cutest! A Yu''s reason for breaking up with you... it must be his wrong."


    "No, do not say that about him! He must have a reason to break up with me; he must..." Zhi Lan''s exclamation turned lower and lower, and her voice gradually trailed off at the end of her sentence.


    Zhi Lan was stimulated by the fact that Yue Ran had talked badly about Qi Yu.


    The first person who would complain and retort when they heard about others saying bad things about Qi Yu must be Zhi Lan.


    Even if they have broken up and are not in a relationship anymore...


    Even if Qi Yu does not like her anymore¡­


    Zhi Lan will still subconsciously defend Qi Yu all the time.


    "Look." Yue Ran looked at Zhi Lan with a look that said that she had already expected such a thing. "You obviously like A Yu very much, so do not give up easily."


    After being silent for a while, Zhi Lan suddenly stood up and looked at Yue Ran, feeling moved.


    "Ran Ran, I think what you said is right," Zhi Lan said. "Qi Yu does not dislike my ear problem, my origin, or my family. During these six months, he often went to the hospital to see me. So, he must have kind of, even just a little, like for me too, does he not?"


    The corners of Yue Ran''s mouth deepened, and her eyes became more gentle.


    The words she spoke also sounded even more soft and understanding.


    "I feel so too," Yue Ran said.


    "So, I want to try again," Zhi Lan said with determination.


    The corner of Yue Ran''s mouth raised a seemingly reassuring smile.


    "It is best if you can figure things out," Yue Ran said as she slightly tilted her head sweetly to the side. "Now, go and pack yourself up."


    "Okay, thank you, Ran Ran!"


    Zhi Lan sat down and smiled sincerely and gratefully at Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran also smiled back while holding back the urge to laugh.


    Yue Ran: Oh my gosh, this is just too funny!


    Sure enough, the affectionate feelings of a girl are always a collection of poems, especially for a girl who is still in an ivory tower.


    The craft of weaving words into a vibrant tapestry of emotion, imagery, and rhythm, and the quality of beauty and intensity of emotions, were built as an expression of love in their minds.


    Yue Ran did not even need to do anything. She only had to guide the female protagonist a little and let the female protagonist herself express her innermost thoughts, and this was the result.


    What a success, heh.


    ¡­


    Not long after, Zhi Lan actually went back to No. 1 High School to attend class again as usual after the school violence incident.


    As soon as the news came out, the whole class was talking about it.


    From what they have heard, they only know that Zhi Lan now has a problem with her ears after that incident. So did she really come back?


    At the school gate at this time, Qi Yu and Zhi Lan were together.

 Chapter 205 - 205: White Lotus Transfer Student (35)

    At the school gate at this time, Qi Yu and Zhi Lan were on the sidewalk and walking in the same direction as their class.


    "Is this your request?" Qi Yu asked.


    "Yes," Zhi Lan responded with a nod. "Let me go to school like a normal person."


    Zhi Lan looked at Qi Yu with a rather greedy gaze at this time, which made Qi Yu feel slightly uncomfortable.


    "Zhi Lan, maybe I did not make it clear at the beginning, but you are a very good girl, and we broke up purely because of my unilateral reasons." After a pause, Qi Yu continued, "With your current conditions, coming back to the No. 1 High School is not a very good decision."


    No one knew where the words had stimulated Zhi Lan, but she suddenly became excited, and not in a good way.


    "It is not a very good decision for me to go here? Then where is it better for me to go? Do you really not know why I became like this in the end?"


    Almost as soon as Zhi Lan said these words, she immediately regretted it, especially seeing the somewhat strange expression on Qi Yu''s face.


    Zhi Lan did not mean to say this.


    But every time she sees Qi Yu, she always holds extravagant hope in her heart.


    She only wished for him to see her. If only Qi Yu could pity her and have mercy on her...


    She wanted Qi Yu to only look at her. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Can he?


    "I see." Qi Yu said as his tone turned a little colder. "Then you can stay at No. 1 High School and let me know if you need anything."


    "Okay," Zhi Lan answered in a low voice with her head lowered, looking somewhat lonely.


    ¡­


    Even though she had already known and was prepared to face the many rumors and gossip in school, Zhi Lan still did not expect that the pointing eyes of everyone on the road would be so uncomfortable.


    Maybe they were not really disgusted with her appearance or were they all saying malicious things about her, but it was just the unrelenting gossip that finally pushed Zhi Lan, the main protagonist, into the spotlight, whether in a good or a bad way.


    If it were not for the fact that there were still Qi Yu and Yue Ran in this school, Zhi Lan thought that perhaps she would have backed away and fled from the school grounds long ago.


    "Is she the one who was beaten by the group of girls and has gone deaf as a result?"


    "Hey, she is not deaf¡ªwell, not completely. Did you not see her wearing hearing aids?"


    "Oh, so that was pretty much it."


    "You say, can she hear us talk like this?"


    "I do not know, but let us go. I think she is a little scary."


    After speaking, several students hurried past Zhi Lan. Some of them occasionally turned their heads back to look at her with scrutiny.


    Zhi Lan literally could not hear the whispers around her, but she was very sensitive to the eyes of the students around her now more than before.


    Seeing the silhouettes of those people hurriedly passing by, Zhi Lan could not help but lower her head. Her eyes grew dark, which was something that she did not even notice herself.


    ¡­


    Christmas is over, and soon it will be winter vacation.


    "So, Ran Ran, have you decided where to go for the winter vacation?" Ye Chen asked his girlfriend.


    "No, but I want to stay with A Chen." Yue Ran hugged Ye Chen''s arm and acted coquettishly.


    "I also want to be with Ran Ran." Ye Chen raised a bright smile at Yue Ran, then turned to ask Qi Yu next to his girlfriend. "A Yu, what about you? Are you going to go abroad again?"


    "Yes, it should be," Qi Yu answered.


    "Going abroad?" Yue Ran looked at Qi Yu in confusion.


    "Ah, A Yu''s grandparents live abroad, so every winter vacation, A Yu and his parents would fly abroad to spend time with his grandparents."


    "Oh," Yue Ran nodded understandingly. "So which country are you going to?"


    "My grandparents are living in Switzerland," Qi Yu said.


    "Switzerland? Does this mean that you can go skiing?" Yue Ran instantly looked at Qi Yu with excitement.


    Just like that, Yue Ran''s eyes were full of him.


    Qi Yu lowered his head and smiled as he answered, "Yes, does Ran Ran like skiing too?"


    "I like it," Yue Ran said happily before her expression turned a little shy. "But I am not very skilled at it."


    "It is okay," Qi Yu answered smilingly. "I can teach you later."


    "Okay." Yue Ran replied with a nod. "It just so happens that I have not skied in a long time."


    Seeing that the two of them were talking more and more vigorously, Ye Chen was instantly jealous. He put his arms around Yue Ran and abruptly changed the two positions.


    "Ran Ran, I can teach you to ski too," Ye Chen cut into the two and said.


    "But are you not--"


    Before Qi Yu could continue his words, Ye Chen had already coughed out loud several times to interrupt Qi Yu''s words.


    Ye Chen quickly winked at Qi Yu to stop Qi Yu from talking, at an angle that Yue Ran could not see, as if telling Qi Yu to follow his words and not expose him.


    "You can ski too?" Yue Ran raised a brow.


    Looking into the suspicious eyes of his girlfriend, a nameless fire burned into Ye Chen''s heart.


    The young man put an arm around Yue Ran''s neck, pinned the person firmly in the crook of his arm, lowered his head, and pretended to look vicious as he spoke, "How can you not believe me?"


    "Oh, I believe it. Brother Chen, I was wrong!" Yue Ran feigned an act of begging for mercy.


    "I will teach you how to ski during the winter vacation!"

 Chapter 206 - 206: White Lotus Transfer Student (36)

    "I will teach you how to ski during the winter vacation!" Ye Chen spoke as he made up his mind.


    "But do you not have to study for the college entrance examination during the winter vacation?" Yue Ran hugged the young man''s waist and looked at him with wide eyes.


    "Um¡­" Ye Chen''s voice trailed off.


    The college entrance examination is coming in the second half of the year, and Ye Chen''s grades are actually not bad among the average students, but he is too ordinary when compared with Yue Ran.


    A few days ago, the recommended places came out, and Yue Ran and Qi Yu were guaranteed to be sent to S University, the highest and best institution in the country.


    If he wants to go to the same university with his girlfriend, then he must make good use of the winter vacation to study well so that he can get into S University.


    Seeing that the young man had suddenly turned frustrated, Yue Ran poked Ye Chen''s face while feeling a little funny in her heart.


    "What are you sighing for?" Yue Ran spoke with a smile. "It is winter vacation, so you can definitely play for a few days."


    Hearing this, Ye Chen''s dead expression instantly came back to life.


    "Okay, then I will teach you how to ski by then," Ye Chen said with determination.


    "Uh-huh," Yue Ran said while agreeing along.


    The three of them were talking and laughing together, just like this. Two handsome men and one beautiful woman¡ªit was just like a beautiful scene on the street.


    At this time, Zhi Lan has been following the three, who are not far away.


    Once, they happily walked all the streets and alleys near the school together. She thought that she had integrated into them, but now it seems that she was the one who actually did not deserve it from the very beginning.


    In this small group, one of the members is Qi Yu, who she likes very much, is very gentle and polite, and has ever been in a relationship with her; the second one is Ye Chen, who has never liked her very much, and now he is simply indifferent to her; and the last one is Yue Ran, who has a good relationship with her but is often dragged away by Ye Chen.


    And what about her? No matter where she is now, no one cares about her at all.


    But after a slight hesitation, Zhi Lan finally stopped. She had made up her mind! She cannot shy away from a problem!


    "Ran Ran!" Zhi Lan shouted from the back.


    She was calling Yue Ran''s name, but she was actually looking at Qi Yu. Her gaze was straight and obvious.


    Seeing that it was this person again, Ye Chen could not help but want to roll his eyes.


    During this period of time, Zhi Lan has been following the three of them all the time. No matter what, she will always call Yue Ran, his girlfriend, away in the name of broken love or any other lame excuse. It was because of this annoying person that he and Yue Ran had lost so much dating time!


    Also, Qi Yu had clearly broken up with her, but Zhi Lan was just very persistent and was not like a normal person where she would have to follow and pester Qi Yu wherever they went.


    Tch, if it were not for Yue Ran''s good relationship with her, Ye Chen would have threatened her long ago not to obsessively cling to them.


    Unlike Ye Chen''s glaring unhappiness and Qi Yu''s indifference, Yue Ran was very enthusiastic.


    "Hm? Lan Lan? Why have you not gone back home yet?" Yue Ran happily stepped forward, took Zhi Lan''s hand, and walked forward together.


    The two young men in the back looked at each other silently. If the little girl wants to be together with that person, then they can only keep up. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I was about to go back, but then I saw you." As Zhi Lan spoke, she quietly observed Qi Yu''s expression, and then she was very disappointed when she saw that the young man had no response to her words.


    "So that was it," Yue Ran replied with a nod. "We are just planning to go to the nearest milk tea shop to have milk tea. Lan Lan, do you want to join us?"


    Zhi Lan raised a smile on the corner of her mouth and politely refused, "No need; I have something to do in a while. I am just here to give something to Qi Yu."


    Having said that, Zhi Lan bowed her head a little shyly.


    "Oh, so Lan Lan is here to send something to A Yu again." Yue Ran''s eyes lingered between Zhi Lan and Qi Yu with ambiguous eyes. "Okay, A Chen, let us go first. It is not good to disturb something like this."


    Yue Ran was just about to pull Ye Chen away with her, but who knew that her wrist would suddenly be caught and pulled?


    "Ran Ran, I will go with you," Qi Yu said as he did not let go of his hold on Yue Ran''s wrist. "Do you not want to go back home by car with me?"


    "Hm? Hey, but¡ª"


    Before Yue Ran could finish speaking, the two young men had tacitly or forcibly pulled her forward.


    Yue Ran had no choice but to turn her head around and signal Zhi Lan goodbye with her eyes.


    In the end, Zhi Lan was left alone on the open street.


    Qi Yu was only eighteen years old at this time, and there were not many people who could make Qi Yu''s eyes freeze with dislike and indifference, and there were also not many people who could make Qi Yu leave with a cold face.


    However, for Zhi Lan to be able to make Qi Yu do these two things is simply unusual and the only one in the world.

 Chapter 207 - 207: White Lotus Transfer Student (37)

    Yue Ran laughed lightly in her heart.


    Watching the three of them walk away, Zhi Lan could only silently look down at the little cake that she had worked hard to make but not delivered. She could no longer hold it back and finally let out a cry.


    She did not understand. She just did not understand how things could turn out like this!


    Obviously, half a year ago, the four of them would go to the library together after class, and they would discuss and share their favorite books together. No matter what happened, Qi Yu always seemed to be the first to appear in front of her.


    Qi Yu will always be that smiling, gentle boy.


    Even later, they became boyfriend and girlfriend.


    But how did things become like this now?


    There was not even a word or a look that was given to her.


    She seemed to have lost the young man at some point in time.


    And this... she seems to have only realized it clearly now.


    ¡­


    At another snowfall, Qi Yu was sipping warm tea while reading a book in his room. He would also occasionally glance out the floor-to-ceiling window, and when he did the same this time, he suddenly found a sneaky figure outside the garden downstairs!


    He frowned a little, put down the book in his hand on the table, and took a closer look.


    The sneaky figure outside was rather familiar. Wait, is that not Ye Chen?


    What was he doing here?


    Ye Chen was currently outside the Qi family''s garden at this time. He looked left and right, trying to look for the best landform suitable for climbing up the wall.


    "What are you doing here?" Qi Yu''s voice came suddenly.


    Ye Chen: !


    "Why did you suddenly appear?" Ye Chen voiced a complaint.


    "A Chen, I think that it is hard not to pay attention to your conspicuous look in a world of white," Qi Yu answered gently.


    "Okay, okay. Let us not talk about this. I am actually here to find you, A Yu," Ye Chen said as he got to the point of his visit.


    Qi Yu raised a brow and asked, "Find me? You are not looking for the person next door?"


    "Hey, I want to find Ran Ran too, but not this time," Ye Chen said. "I came here to learn to ski with you."


    "Ski?" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Chen opened his mouth in frustration. "That is right, ski. At that time, I promised Ran Ran that I would definitely teach her how to ski, but I cannot do it, so I am here to master it from you before teaching her."


    The young man''s eyes were bright, and his spirits were high. He spoke firmly and determinedly about his promise to his girlfriend.


    Qi Yu looked at his friend and thought faintly in his heart.


    Does Yue Ran like this kind of thing?


    "Since you cannot ski, why did you agree to it in the first place?" Qi Yu asked as he led Ye Chen into his house by legitimate means, which was to go through the front door.


    "Hey, be careful not to let Ran Ran find out!" Ye Chen quickly hid beside Qi Yu as a cover and followed Qi Yu into the house step by step. "A Yu, you, a single man, will not understand it. Skiing is, of course, only fun for couples."


    Qi Yu only wanted to say that he felt really angry when he heard the latter sentence.


    "Are you sure that you want to learn how to ski? Skiing is unfriendly to beginners, and the struggle is serious." Qi Yu calmed himself down before saying this.


    "Most certainly!" Ye Chen hurriedly replied.


    "Okay, then let us meet at the ski resort tomorrow afternoon," Qi Yu said.


    "Okay, great! As expected of my good brother! Thank you, A Yu!" Ye Chen laughed happily.


    ¡­


    Poof¡­!


    It was the sound of a body falling onto the snow.


    "Let us take a break first," Qi Yu said. "You have been practicing for a long time."


    "No!" Ye Chen still held on to his own body, which had already fallen and was in pain. He ignored the bruise on his face that he had accidentally hit and stood up with difficulty. "Winter break is just a few days away, and I have to learn to ski before then."


    Qi Yu gave the young man in front of him a deep look.


    Maybe Ye Chen does like Yue Ran more than he had first thought.


    After a pause, Qi Yu only replied with an "okay."


    ¡­


    Ye Chen, who had finally finished a day of studying to ski, moved his body in the snow. When he did so, he instantly felt the pain of his body breaking apart. A mask of pain was projected on his entire face.


    "Right, A Yu, remember not to tell Ran Ran about this," Ye Chen said. "If she asks, you can say... well, you can just say you do not know what I am doing, and you can just throw the question out to me. I will find a way to answer it somehow."


    "Okay," Qi Yu replied.


    Although the young man has wounds all over his body, his eyes could not stop shining. That dazzling glare could compete with the sun and the moon for brilliance.


    When the stars twinkle, it only shows his unrepentant love for his sweetheart.


    ¡­


    "Ran Ran, it is time for breakfast!" Mother Yue shouted from the first floor.


    Today is the first day of winter vacation. But early in the morning, Mother Yue had already called Yue Ran to get up from bed and to stop sleeping.


    "I am coming," Yue Ran responded in a dazed and confused way. She only went down the stairs after taking a warm and comfortable shower and changing out of her pajamas.


    Yue Ran no longer had the same lively energy as before. She only felt lazy and wanted to roll around on the fluffy carpet on the ground.

 Chapter 208 - 208: White Lotus Transfer Student (38)

    It was as if Yue Ran had not fully woken up from her sleep yet.


    "Why did Ran Ran get up so late today?" Mother Yue asked, smilingly.


    "Mom¡­" Yue Ran circled her hands around Mother Yue''s arm and acted childishly. "Today is the first day of winter vacation, which means the first day of holiday, so I can sleep a little longer." The young girl then blinked cutely at her father and spoke, "Dad, do you not think so too?"


    Who can resist the little fairy Ran Ran''s coquetry? Well, at least Father Yue could not.


    "Yes, Ran Ran is right. It is indeed your fault, wife, for calling Ran Ran up so early," Father Yue said to Mother Yue. "Holidays are for rest."


    "So what if it is a holiday? Today is not different from any other day," Mother Yue said in reply.


    The elders of the Yue family had passed away early, and by their generation, few people in the family were truly related by blood.


    This also leads to the fact that three people, Mother Yue, Father Yue, and Yue Ran, only eat together on New Year''s Eve every year, and there are no relatives to visit on the second day of the new year.


    "That is right," Yue Ran said in agreement. "We really do not have any sense of ceremony for the holidays every year." After a pause, she continued, "Oh, I heard from Aunt Qi next door saying that they would go abroad every New Year."


    Yue Ran pretended to say this inadvertently, which sounded simply natural.


    "Go abroad?" Mother Yue''s eyes lit up when she heard it. "This is a good idea! Let us do it too! Do you know where their family is going?"


    "Hmm¡­" Yue Ran hummed. "If I do not remember it wrongly, they seem to go to Switzerland every year to visit A Yu''s grandparents."


    "Switzerland!" Mother Yue gasped in surprise. "Husband, this place is very beautiful!"


    Mother Yue spoke to Father Yue with some excitement before turning her head back to talk to Yue Ran again.


    "Do you know? Your father actually proposed marriage to me in Switzerland."


    Yue Ran opened her eyes wide and asked curiously with a gasp, "Really?"


    "Of course. Can this matter still be faked?" Mother Yue gently pinched her daughter''s little cheek. "Husband, what do you think about us going to Switzerland to play this year?"


    "Yes, we can do it," Father Yue replied readily to his wife. "We can go play there this holiday. The business in the company is not much and can be completed soon." After a short pause, he continued, "But most importantly, we must still listen to our precious daughter''s opinion. What do you think about playing in Switzerland this holiday, Ran Ran?"


    Yue Ran: This is what I want.


    Ruan Ruan: It is time for the male protagonist to get into action!


    "Me?" Yue Ran asked. Looking into the eyes of both her parents, who were staring at her, Yue Ran only smiled and said, "I also think Switzerland is a good place to go for a holiday."


    ¡­


    The three family members had just determined their current destination for this winter vacation, and now Mother Yue is already at the Qi family''s house.


    "You mean that you and your family are going to Switzerland for Chinese New Year too?" Mother Qi asked in surprise. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes," Mother Yue replied with a nod. "I heard that you and your family go to Switzerland frequently for family visits, so I have come here to ask."


    "Hey, why are you just asking?" Mother Qi linked her arm with Mother Yue''s. "Let us just go there together. We can stay in my in-laws''s villa. Both my mother-in-law and father-in-law are not strict at all, nor are they traditional in a sense."


    "Will this be too much trouble?" Mother Yue asked a little hesitantly.


    This two mothers''s conversation happened to be heard by Qi Yu, who had just come down the stairs. The young man smiled and sat down on the sofa opposite Mother Yue.


    "Aunt Yue," Qi Yu started with his usual gentle smile. "Ran Ran also wants to learn to ski anyway, and I happen to know how to do it. Are things not more convenient this way? And it would also be too troublesome to find a place to live with your family, like a hotel to stay in, and also find the transportation to take around."


    "Yes, yes." Mother Qi nodded in agreement. "What my son said is right. You and your family can just come together with us! It will be a two-family holiday! This is a holiday for best friends!"


    It was not easy for Mother Qi to meet someone of the same age who was close to her and could talk to her like Mother Yue, which made Mother Qi very happy. Now that they are going to go to Switzerland together, she is even happier!


    "Come on, say yes," Mother Qi urged. Five people living in a villa is too spacious and large, and living with a total of eight people is just right."


    After hearing Mother Qi''s and Qi Yu''s words, Mother Yue felt that what they said might be just right. It would be nice to go together.


    "Okay, I will go tell Ran Ran and my husband first to ask their opinions."


    Although Mother Yue said this, her face had already shown that she was convinced and would agree to the Qi family''s proposal of going together to Switzerland this holiday.


    "Okay, okay." Mother Qi nodded understandingly. "Do not worry. And do not rush to make a decision."


    ¡­


    During this winter vacation, the skiing skills that Ye Chen learned finally came to no avail.


    The young girl who promised to help him with tuition every day finally left one day.


    Among the small group of three, only Ye Chen was left in City A.


    "The tenth day," Ye Chen muttered as he stared at the red mark in front of him.

 Chapter 209 - 209: White Lotus Transfer Student (39)

    Ye Chen muttered as he stared at the X-mark that he had just made on the calendar. "Ah, ah, ahh¡ª! Ran Ran was already gone for ten days and had not come back! Does this mean that she would not come back in another ten or twenty days?"


    The more the young man spoke, the more he was convinced by his own words.


    If it were true, then that would be horrible! How could he live without his Ran Ran?


    "Ran Ran, Ran Ran..."


    The delicate and unruly teenager lay listlessly on the table, constantly muttering, constantly fiddling with the calendar on the table, and constantly moving a pen in his hand.


    From time to time, the young man''s eyes would stray to the black screen of the mobile phone beside him with anticipation in his heart and eyes. But there was nothing. There was no news.


    He did not receive any news from Yue Ran.


    What time is it in Switzerland right now? What is Ran Ran currently doing?


    Ye Chen slumped down on the table.


    His world was nothing without Ran Ran.


    He really could not help it; he really wanted to fly over to see her right away!


    But, no, he could not do it. At least not yet, and not now. He had to wait for New Year''s Eve for a few days before he could do so!


    While Ye Chen was muttering injustice in a mood full of gloom, he suddenly thought of a great idea! Why did he not think about this before?


    Since Yue Ran did not call him, then... Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can just make a phone call myself!" Ye Chen exclaimed inside his room. "It has been a long time... It has been long enough, so making a phone call right now would be just fine! Ran Ran would not be angry with me. Uh-huh, yes, right! I am a genius."


    Because Ye Chen was always on the phone without making any progress in his studies, Yue Ran had specifically prohibited him from making frequent phone calls to her so that he could study hard!


    With that, Ye Chen took his phone to call Yue Ran.


    "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way¡­"


    The mobile phone rang with a Christmas song, and it did not take long for the call to connect to the other line.


    However, what came from the phone was not the familiar, clear, and pleasant voice of Yue Ran, as Ye Chen had first expected, but the low voice of a young man.


    This voice was one that Ye Chen himself was all too familiar with.


    "A Yu?" Ye Chen asked in surprise from his phone. "Why are you the one who answered the phone? What about Ran Ran? Where is she? Is she okay?"


    Qi Yu, who was on the other side of the phone, far in Switzerland, looked at the confused and dazed teenage girl under his kiss and raised a very happy smile.


    "Ran Ran?"


    As Qi Yu asked this question, he lowered his head and kissed the young girl''s red, swollen, and extremely moist lips that he had already kissed many times before nuzzling his head to her slender neck.


    As soon as the young man exhaled a breath, the warm puff of air sprayed on the young girl''s neck, causing her to shrink away reflexively.


    Hearing Qi Yu''s clear, gentle, and pleasant voice that was slightly and unusually hoarse at this time from the phone, Ye Chen only felt a little puzzled.


    What was wrong with Qi Yu''s voice?


    Ye Chen did not know why, but he felt a little strange and unusual at this moment, as if something was just not right, but he did not know what it was.


    There was just something¡­ something amiss.


    "What is wrong with you?" Ye Chen asked in doubt. "What is wrong with your voice?"


    "It is nothing."


    After hearing Ye Chen''s voice coming from the phone, the young girl''s originally dazed eyes opened slightly, and a trace of clarity swirled in her eyes.


    But then, a pair of warm lips met the young girl''s slightly opened eyelids, and when those lips left, the last trace of clarity in her eyes disappeared.


    "A Yu," Yue Ran called out. She stretched out her arms and wrapped her arms around Qi Yu''s neck with her red lips slightly pursed, as if she were acting like a spoiled child.


    Very cute.


    Qi Yu''s eyes deepened a little.


    "I still want to kiss," Yue Ran said coquettishly.


    Ye Chen, who was on the other side: ?


    "A Yu, what sound is that?" Ye Chen asked, feeling skeptical. "Is it Ran Ran?"


    Why does that voice sound like his Ran Ran?


    "It is nothing," Qi Yu answered with a voice as gentle as ever.


    The young man did not even flinch or hesitate when telling lies with eyes wide open and in broad daylight.


    "Ran Ran is not here right now." Qi Yu continued. "If there is nothing else, then I will hang up first."


    "Hey, A Yu, wait..."


    But before Ye Chen could finish his words, there was already a beeping, busy tone from the phone.


    When the voice of that person had finally disappeared, Qi Yu casually threw the phone on the bed at will, giving Yue Ran a deep look. He smiled, lowered his head, and covered the lips that were asking for a kiss.


    Qi Yu was hesitant to do it before and even thought about giving up at one point, but now, seeing the young girl''s heart full of himself and eyes full of affection when facing him, he only thought that he had done the right thing.


    It was extremely fortunate for him to go on with the plan.


    It was extremely fortunate that he did not miss her.


    It was extremely fortunate that Yue Ran was now his.


    She was all his.


    His, and his only.


    "Ran Ran¡­" Qi Yu called out gently to the adorable young girl in his arms.


    "A Yu¡­"

 Chapter 210 - 210: White Lotus Transfer Student (40)

    "A Yu!" Yue Ran shouted in panic. "Quick, get away! Get away!"


    The young girl who lost control on the ski slope cried out anxiously.


    But Qi Yu, who was in front of her, did not retreat at all but opened his hands and took the initiative to greet the young girl who crashed into his arms.


    "Ah!" Yue Ran exclaimed.


    The young girl who slid down the slope just slammed into his arms like that. The strong impact made the two fall into the snow together, and they turned over a few times.


    When Yue Ran regained her senses, she struggled to try and stand up. She could not help but touch the young man''s face and body through the thick clothes and skiing gear to check if he was hurt, and then she scolded him with blame that was laced with worry in her tone of voice.


    "Why do you not get away, as I told you so? Do you know how dangerous it was? You could have gotten very hurt!"


    Qi Yu smiled, still wrapping her arms around her waist as he said, "It was just a small slope, and this should not be too difficult to handle."


    "Yes, yes, A Yu, you are a pro," Yue Ran said.


    The young girl''s smile is flamboyant and bright, with the shyness and softness unique to a girl, and she looks extremely dazzling in the overwhelming winter white snow.


    It was especially so at the moment when she rushed over. At that time, it seemed as if she had come with the snow in the sky with great vigor and vitality, and then there was only one person left in his world in an instant.


    In this black-and-white world, only she is colored.


    "Ran Ran," Qi Yu said.


    The young man still has the same gentle and smiling appearance, but it makes people feel a little different.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed in confusion.


    What could Qi Yu want to ask her?


    The young man suddenly asked, "Ran Ran, what do you think about me?"


    "Well, you are a very good person, very good-looking, and tall as well. You¡­"


    Just as Yue Ran was about to continue her words, she was suddenly cut off by Qi Yu''s voice.


    "I am not talking about this," Qi Yu said.


    This was the first time he confessed to someone, and the young man turned shy, and his ears were covered in a layer of red.


    And in that moment, Qi Yu was really tempting in Yue Ran''s eyes.


    "So, A Yu, what are you talking about?" Yue Ran pretended not to know the hidden implication in his words and quietly lowered her head to get closer.


    "Ran Ran, I love you."


    When the young man finally said these belated words, he was full of joy, and he only hoped that the young girl would be able to look at him. But what he was waiting for was not the young girl''s smile but her shocked face, which gradually became more and more calm and stoic following the ticking of time.


    "A Yu, are you joking around with me?" Yue Ran got up from the young man''s arms with a stiff smile. She seemed to be a little afraid to look at him.


    The shyness and expectation on Qi Yu''s face, when he saw the young girl''s expression, instantly faded, and his face even turned pale.


    "No, I am serious." Qi Yu got up, turned over Yue Ran''s body, and said this word for word. His eyes were full of seriousness and persistence.


    "What... what do you mean by this? You clearly know that I have a boyfriend!" Yue Ran broke away from Qi Yu''s hands in disbelief.


    "Leave him and stay with me, okay?"


    Leave Ye Chen and stay with him, okay?


    These words, which sounded almost like a prayer, did not seem like they were the words uttered by the gentle Qi Yu. But these words were indeed what the young man had uttered.


    "What?" Yue Ran frowned and looked at him strangely. "Ye Chen is the person I like, my boyfriend, and also your good brother. How can you... how can you just say something like this?"


    The young girl''s words no longer have the softness and dependence of the past but are full of strangeness and alienation.


    "Ran Ran, do not do this; do not do this to me."


    There is grievance in the humbleness of the young man''s words, which were laced with caution in their hoarseness. If a girl is soft-hearted, she will definitely go up to comfort the young man as soon as possible. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But how unfortunate that it was Yue Ran that Qi Yu was now facing!


    Yue Ran: I am a stone-hearted woman who has no feelings.


    "A Yu, I¡­ I will treat your words as a joke," Yue Ran said. "Then... I will go ahead first."


    With that, Yue Ran turned her back to the young man and was about to leave, but Qi Yu took her hand to stop her, and then he asked her in a deep voice, "Why?"


    Contrary to the loss and grievance just now, this one word sounded very calm. But the calm word has a hidden sense of danger.


    "What do you mean by why?" Yue Ran turned her head toward the young man in confusion.


    "Why... why do you not look at me more? I obviously like you so much," Qi Yu said.


    "A Yu, but the person I like from the beginning to the end is only A Chen; he is the only one," Yue Ran said. "I don''t know why you said these kinds of words, but if the two of us still want to continue to be friends in the future, then we should pretend that none of these things have happened today."


    "Enough!" Qi Yu suddenly interrupted Yue Ran''s words. His hands tightened, and his eyes turned scarlet. "Ran Ran, I can tell you that this is impossible."

 Chapter 211 - 211: White Lotus Transfer Student (41)

    "Ran Ran, I can tell you that this is impossible." Qi Yu said. There was a pause, and then his voice turned shockingly calm and low. "Either be together, or die together."


    This last sentence was a soft murmur, more like talking to oneself, but no matter how good the voice sounded in another''s ears, it was still creepy.


    Only Yue Ran was left with a panic-stricken look on her face.


    However, inside the young girl''s heart, she was laughing at this scene with full interest.


    Yue Ran: This is so interesting! And would you look at that?


    The male protagonist had gone crazy because of her.


    "Are you crazy? Let go of me!" Yue Ran shouted as she struggled out of the man''s hold. "Let go!"


    "Oh, Ran Ran, you still don''t know me well enough," Qi Yu said gently.


    The young man pulled the young girl forcefully and hugged the person tightly in his arms, with such force that he seemed to be pressing the person in his arms into his bones and blood.


    "Ran Ran, stay with me, okay?"


    Just as Yue Ran wanted to refuse, she felt her body soften for a while.


    Ah, is the drug coming back again?


    Since Yue Ran came here, every time she got close to Qi Yu, her body would feel soft and her mouth would go dry. At the same time, she just wanted to get close to him.


    Every time, she could not help but want to stick to him, as if the closer she was to the young man, the more comfortable she would feel.


    And now, this feeling has come again, and it is still stronger than ever.


    In fact, Ruan Ruan had already analyzed the drug in the male protagonist''s hand as early as the first time he did it.


    But Yue Ran still played this stage with the young man¡ªuntil now, that is.


    Now was just the right time for the drug to kick in.


    The young girl in Qi Yu''s arms struggled less and less and even fainted in the end.


    As soon as Qi Yu felt Yue Ran''s weak and delicate body that had completely fallen into his arms, he laughed softly.


    "Now, Ran Ran will most certainly promise me, right?"


    ¡­


    "Oh my gosh! Really?" Mother Qi exclaimed happily. "I knew that you two would end up together!"


    In this exquisite and luxurious manor, the parents of the Qi family, the parents of the Yue family, and the grandparents of Qi Yu are all gathered together at this moment. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was all because of the relationship information that the two juniors suddenly announced. The two, mainly Qi Yu, said that he and Yue Ran are dating.


    The first and happiest person in the room is Mother Qi, who has long shipped her son and Yue Ran together!


    Her ship has sailed!


    She just knew that her son and Ran Ran were really the best match!


    Other than Mother Qi, the others in the room were also very happy.


    "When did you two get together?" Mother Yue asked the two teenagers, feeling happy yet a little puzzled. She has long known how good Qi Yu is, so she felt a little relieved.


    "Well, it was just these two days," Yue Ran answered smilingly.


    Yue Ran, who was dressed as usual, tightly held Qi Yu''s hand, and most of her body was hidden behind the young man.


    Mother Yue thinks that Yue Ran''s behavior of completely sticking to Qi Yu is not very good, even if the two are already in a relationship.


    And thus, during the rest of the holiday in Switzerland, Mother Yue planned to talk to her daughter alone.


    Although Mother Yue does not object to the two''s relationship, before marriage, a girl should have the proportions to act as she should.


    But thinking about it carefully, she seems to have never succeeded in talking to her daughter alone. Either the two of them were staying together or Yue Ran was on the way to find Qi Yu.


    It even seems as if even her own mother has become a dispensable person.


    ¡­


    "What are you thinking? Why are you here alone?"


    When Mother Qi arrived in the garden, what she heard first was Mother Yue''s sigh, so she had come over to ask what was Mother Yue''s trouble.


    Mother Yue let out another sigh again before saying, "I really don''t know what was going on with this child, Ran Ran. Why does she not hug me and kiss me on the face anymore as usual?"


    "Hey, then what am I? My son has never done these kinds of things before," Mother Qi let out a sigh. "It is still better to have a daughter like Ran Ran. Anyway, is this case not just because she was just starting to date my son? She will go back to normal very soon."


    "Hmm¡­" Mother Yue only hummed unsurely.


    "Hey, do not look so down," Mother Qi said. "My son has always been out of sight all day too, and well, I do not really care about where he was going." There was a pause, and Mother Qi''s eyes turned a little strange. "However¡­" Her voice trailed off, and the sound that traveled out of her mouth turned into a soft whisper, as if she were telling a secret. "I do know an interesting place."


    Mother Qi smiled with a strange glint in her eyes.


    She accidentally came into this place last time, and she did not expect to see something exciting! Who knew that the young couple, who often didn''t see anyone, actually made out here?


    ¡­


    Mother Qi waved Mother Yue over with a whisper, "Here, it is just right here in this place!"


    This is a deep, weedy corner of the villa grounds that seems to have been neglected for a long time. If one only looked at it from the outside, it was absolutely ordinary. But if one were to split the thorns, there would be a completely different world inside.

 Chapter 212 - 212: White Lotus Transfer Student (42)

    On the thorns that separated the other side were large red roses, which looked as classic, passionate, and romantic as ever.


    The beauty found inside was even more wonderful than what is described in fairy tales. After all, this kind of beauty is found in reality, and it gives people a far greater impact than the fictional descriptions of fairy tales.


    "Here, here," Mother Qi whispered a little excitedly to Mother Yue. "There is a small passage here where you can go in directly!"


    "Okay," Mother Yue answered.


    It was just that before the two of them could enter, they heard a very weak whimper. It was the voice of a girl. It sounded very familiar, and it was followed by an increasingly intense voice.


    Mother Qi turned her head and said to Mother Yue with some embarrassment and some guilt on her face, "This, well... You know how young men are. The love between couples is sometimes uncontrollable. This is perfectly understandable!"


    Mother Qi said these words of "comfort" to make Mother Yue feel a little more calm.


    "No, I have to go check it out myself!" Mother Yue insisted and stepped forward towards where the sound came from.


    Mother Qi raised a hand and said, "Wait a minute, do not..."


    The intimacy between the couple was suddenly interrupted. And the two, who were engaged in a kiss, were shocked by the unexpected disturbance.


    When such a thing happened, Qi Yu''s first reaction was to hug Yue Ran tightly into his arms so that no one could see the young girl''s charming face at this time.


    Qi Yu turned to the two guests that had barged in and asked in his most usual voice, as much as he could muster, "Mom, auntie, why are you here?"


    It was rare to see his son dodging and talking with a shy face. Mother Qi only felt that this trip was worth it! However, her son does seem to be a little bit unkind. Did he not see the blood-red shade from the tip of the little girl''s ears?


    Mother Qi let out an awkward cough and said, "We just came in by accident. You should treat this as if we have never appeared here before." She let out a stiff laugh. "Then we will leave first."


    After Mother Qi finished speaking, she held Mother Yue''s hand and quickly left the scene together.


    "How is it? What do you think of this place?" Mother Qi asked Mother Yue with expectation in her voice.


    "The two kids being together are fine, but how old are they now? They are still so young," Mother Yue answered.


    "Ah, but my son is already eighteen. And is Ran Ran''s eighteenth birthday not coming very soon? Moreover, both of their studies are very good, ranking first and second, respectively. Not to mention that both of us know the children''s personalities very well," Mother Qi said. "There is no need to worry about them being irresponsible and delaying their studies or anything. Both will be just fine."


    "Well, you are right," Mother Yue replied a little hesitantly. "Maybe I was just thinking a little too much."


    Mother Qi laughed and said, "Then let us go to the spa together! There is a great place that I have not brought you to yet! Let us go together."


    With that, Mother Yue also threw her worries to the back of her mind and answered, "Okay, let us go together. It would be a good idea to relax."


    The voices of the two mothers gradually faded away from the place.


    Yue Ran quietly raised her head from Qi Yu''s arms and looked at him dissatisfiedly.


    "It is all your fault," Yue Ran said poutingly.


    "Yes, it is all my fault," Qi Yu said. "It is because I covet the beauty of Ran Ran."


    The young man said this in the tone of confessing his love for the young girl, with a gentle expression. Who could blame him when they saw him like this?


    Yue Ran just smiled and then lazily got into Qi Yu''s arms, relying on him all over. "Next time, don''t mess around outside without my consent."


    The young girl was threatening the young man with the softest tone. But she looked more like a spoiled child to her most trusted person.


    Qi Yu thought a little erratically, and his mouth opened to answer a word. "Understood."


    The young man lowered his head and rubbed the equally excellent tip of his nose with the tip of the young girl''s nose. After kissing the attractive red lips, Qi Yu restrained himself and let go of Yue Ran, and then he took her hand in his, intertwined their fingers, and walked out of the fairy tale-like place and out of the thorn of roses.


    "Let us go," Mother Qi said. "I will make you your favorite steamed fish for lunch today."


    "Okay," Yue Ran said happily. "I also want to eat braised pork made by A Yu!"


    "Okay, I will make them for you."


    Qi Yu looked at the sweet smile on the young girl''s face with satisfaction and greed.


    Once upon a time, this was something the young man had dreamed about but could not get. It was exclusively for that person, with strong love and tender eyes.


    But now...


    Qi Yu clasped the young girl''s hand a little bit more and smiled very gently.


    She is his now. And this look will only belong to him in the future. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    A few days after New Year''s Eve, it was Yue Ran''s birthday.


    Ye Chen had long planned to come to Switzerland on this day to surprise Yue Ran. It was just that the surprise had not been given away, and he had already received a shock in advance.


    It was because from that day on, on his last call with Qi Yu on Ran Ran''s phone, Ran Ran''s phone never got through again.


    So Ye Chen quickly started to call Qi Yu.

 Chapter 213 - 213: White Lotus Transfer Student (43)

    The young man could get through at first, but every time he asked where his Ran Ran was, he would only get the answer that said that his Ran Ran was busy. It had been a long time, and Ye Chen could not even listen to his Ran Ran''s voice on the phone.


    In the end, Ye Chen decided to change his plans.


    The young man canceled the plane ticket that he had booked long ago and bought another one with the quickest flight time just to see his Ran Ran as soon as possible. He only wanted to make sure that she was okay. Moreover, he wanted to relieve the pain of lovesickness in his heart.


    ¡­


    On Qi Yu''s side, he has been sending people to keep an eye on Ye Chen''s movements. Upon receiving the news that Ye Chen had finally come to Switzerland, Qi Yu did not know whether to feel relieved or nervous.


    But that was it. Since Ye Chen is already here, it was better to settle this matter as soon as possible. After all, in school, Ye Chen and Yue Ran are a recognized couple.


    Oh, how can his Ran Ran be branded by others? She is now his, and his only.


    The sooner they broke up, the more reassured and relieved he would be.


    ¡­


    As soon as Ye Chen got off the plane, he immediately called Yue Ran. However, the phone still could not get through.


    With no other choice, Ye Chen could only call Qi Yu again. And this time, it got through.


    "Hello, A Chen?" Qi Yu asked in his usual gentle tone of voice.


    "A Yu, I am coming to Switzerland!" Ye Chen exclaimed.


    Qi Yu pretended to be surprised and asked, "You are coming to Switzerland too? Why so suddenly?"


    Ye Chen let out a sigh as he said, "I just wanted to come, so I came! But why did you not answer the phone after so long?"


    "Sorry, I did not have my phone with me several times before, so I did not answer your calls," Qi Yu said.


    "It is okay; it is okay; I forgive you!" Ye Chen quickly replied. "However, I do not know the way here now that I am here in Switzerland."


    "You have arrived already?" Ye Chen heard Qi Yu ask from the phone, and then this was followed by an amused chuckle that traveled into his ears.


    "Yes," Ye Chen answered a little sheepishly. "I am currently at the airport."


    "Oh, okay," Qi Yu said. "If so, then I will pick you up from the airport."


    "Okay! By the way, A Yu, is Ran Ran there?" Ye Chen asked.


    The young man''s happy tone just now turned into a cautious one when she mentioned Yue Ran.


    Qi Yu looked at the slender figure who was still bathing in the bathroom through the frosted glass, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He narrowed his eyes a little, and then he said to Ye Chen without revealing any flaws, "She is in her room. Do you want me to call her for you?"


    "Hmm¡­" Ye Chen hummed in thought. "No need! I will just see her when I arrive there."


    "Ok, then you can wait for me in front of the airport, and I will drive to pick you up," Qi Yu said.


    "Okay, thanks, bro," Ye Chen said. "I''ll rely on you here."


    At this time, Ye Chen still did not know his good brother was already in a relationship with his girlfriend. And what he would see later on would surprise him even more.


    ¡­


    As soon as Qi Yu put down the phone, Yue Ran came out of the bathroom.


    The young girl simply wore a bathrobe; her wet hair was loosely tucked behind her ears, and her skin just out of the bath was fair and flushed, like a beautiful pearl, soft and attractive, making people want to touch it, to caress it, and to find out just what was hidden inside.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Seeing Qi Yu''s darkening eyes, Yue Ran asked with a smile and then quickly buried herself in the young man''s arms, holding him tightly.


    Surrounded by the softness of the young girl, Qi Yu was still a little stunned.


    But very quickly, he reacted.


    "Ran Ran is really in great shape," Qi Yu whispered.


    The young girl raised her chin with a little pride, and in the blink of an eye, another burst of laughter came.


    "By the way, did I hear my phone ringing just now? I seem to have heard it often before, and this time is still the same," Yue Ran said.


    "Your phone? Ringing?" Qi Yu raised a brow. "No, I have been sitting here for a long time, and I heard nothing."


    "Oh, well, then maybe I heard it wrong," Yue Ran said with a shrug. "But who is the person who just called you just now?"


    Qi Yu raised his eyebrows and looked at Yue Ran for a while before smiling and saying, "It is Ye Chen, your boyfriend."


    "My¡­ boyfriend? Mine?" Yue Ran blinked in disbelief. "A Yu, what are you talking about? My boyfriend is obviously you."


    "Ran Ran." Qi Yu took the young girl''s hand and smiled softly and indulgently, but there was also a little helplessness in his smile. "At that time, when you saw me and a girl walking a little closer together, you got angry and impulsively agreed to A Chen''s love confession."


    Yue Ran: More like the other way around, "boyfriend".


    "Girl?" Yue Ran asked with a little anger in between her brows. "What girl, hm?"


    The young girl had filtered out all the other words and only focused on the fact that Qi Yu, her "boyfriend", was walking closely with another girl. This is unacceptable!


    Qi Yu did not expect that Yue Ran''s reaction would be this.


    However, it suits him well. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You also know that girl," Qi Yu said.

 Chapter 214 - 214: White Lotus Transfer Student (44)

    "Her name is Zhi Lan," Qi Yu continued.


    "Zhi Lan?" Yue Ran repeated the two words in question.


    Because of the drug prepared by the male protagonist, Yue Ran not only forgot a lot of the memories of the past but also the faces of people she knew before.


    This is also how Yue Ran completed the "amnesia" plot point in this world. And this was also thanks to the hard work of the male protagonist, Qi Yu, who was kind enough to do all the work and plan for Yue Ran so that she did not have to do anything other than go along with the young man''s plan.


    The last plot point that she needed to complete in this world would be to break up with Ye Chen, which will happen very soon.


    "Yes, and now your boyfriend is here," Qi Yu said. "You will meet him very soon." Qi Yu took a step forward and enveloped Yue Ran in his arms. "Ran Ran should be more sensible, and Ran Ran should not hurt people''s hearts too much. However, what needs to be said should still be said clearly, okay?"


    "Okay." Yue Ran responded to the young man obediently in his arms.


    "Ran Ran is so good." Qi Yu smiled and touched the top of the young girl''s smooth hair. "I love Ran Ran the most."


    "The most?" Yue Ran raised a brow suspiciously.


    "I only love Ran Ran alone," Qi Yu corrected with a deep chuckle.


    "Um."


    Yes, that was it.


    Things should have been like this from the start.


    Ran Ran must never doubt him, and she should always be on his side.


    ¡­


    Ye Chen waited for quite a while in the airport before finally seeing a silver car stop in front of him. Only when the car window went downward, revealing Qi Yu''s face, did the young man realize that his ride was here.


    He easily opened the co-pilot''s door and sat on it very naturally without looking out of place as he worded out, "Why did you just come?"


    Qi Yu glanced at the young man beside him, as if inadvertently, with an inexplicable smile on the corner of his mouth as he said, "My girlfriend likes to stick to me, so I came late."


    Ye Chen: !


    Ye Chen was stunned.


    How did he not know that Qi Yu has a new girlfriend now?


    "Hey, A Yu, you do not even tell me when you have made a girlfriend now!" Ye Chen complained jokingly. "Anyway, who is your girlfriend? Do I recognize her? And when did you and her get together? Why did you not say anything to me when you made one?"


    Hearing that Ye Chen had more and more questions, Qi Yu turned to look at him and simply said, "You will find out who she is in a while."


    "Oh my gosh, did you two already move in together so soon?" Ye Chen asked with an exaggerated gasp. "Do Aunt and Uncle know about it?"


    This time, Ye Chen was even more surprised.


    Has Qi Yu already introduced his girlfriend to his parents?


    "Yes," Qi Yu said in reply.


    This is just a concise and comprehensive word, but it implies a secret joy, which makes Ye Chen very novel when it is said by the calm and gentle Qi Yu.


    This was the first time that Ye Chen ever saw his best friend looking very affectionate.


    "Then I would like to see just who stole our A Yu''s heart," Ye Chen said smilingly.


    ¡­


    "Wow, the manor you live in is so beautiful!" Ye Chen exclaimed.


    What catches the eye is a luxurious manor with white fences, an open green lawn, and an infinitely high blue sky. The roads are lined with many roads, which are exquisite without losing extravagance and leisurely, just like a medieval manor, low-key luxury, looking fresh and extremely pleasant.


    As the silver car got closer, Ye Chen could get a glimpse of the whole picture of the manor.


    There are several houses in the center of the manor, all of which look like buildings from the European Middle Ages. The walls of the buildings are mainly white, with smooth golden lines. Under the sunlight, they are shining brightly, as if they have covered the entire manor with a layer of golden film, which looks very beautiful and eye-catching.


    Qi Yu only smiled and said nothing.


    After the young man parked the car, he led Ye Chen to a small house behind him.


    This house looks quite small compared to the rest of the ones around, but everything inside is exquisite and especially beautifully decorated.


    "Here is¡­?"


    "Do you not want to see my girlfriend?" Qi Yu asked. "You can come in."


    Ye Chen instantly widened his eyes and then said in surprise, "But I have not gone to see your grandparents, uncles, and aunts yet. This is not too good, right?" There was a pause before he added, "And Ran Ran too. I want to see Ran Ran more right now."


    Qi Yu let out a low chuckle as he said, "Ran Ran is here too."


    "Really?" Ye Chen''s eyes lit up happily. "Let us hurry up and go in then!"


    The young man''s tone was pleasant, and his steps quickened a lot without realizing it. Anyone could see just how happy he was. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When he finally came to the door of the house, Qi Yu raised his hand and rang the doorbell. Soon, a nice female voice came from inside.


    When the door was opened, a familiar young girl came out and immediately trotted into Qi Yu''s arms.


    "A Yu, you are finally back," the young girl said. "I miss you so much!"


    The young girl was wearing a pure white, close-fitting dress, which showed off her slender figure. Long black and bright hair draped softly behind her, and a pair of white socks reached her slender calf. She ran out wearing only a pair of light pink, fluffy slippers.

 Chapter 215 - 215: White Lotus Transfer Student (45)

    Qi Yu instantly hugged the person tightly and hurriedly carried Yue Ran into the house as he said, "It is so cold outside; what are you doing by running out of the house?"


    Yue Ran stuck out her tongue mischievously and rubbed her head in Qi Yu''s arms affectionately and obediently twice.


    "Who told you to come back so late?" Yue Ran asked in a soft and coquettish voice.


    The two were so close and intimate together, and both seemed to have completely ignored Ye Chen, who was still standing outside the door.


    "Ran... Ran Ran?"


    The young man blinked and was unbelievably stunned. He could only stare at the scene in front of him in disbelief.


    Ye Chen''s eyes widened and gradually turned red as he stared at the two people in front of him, who were embracing each other. His voice became hoarse at some point, as if he could not confirm what just happened, and thus he could only softly, hesitantly, and cautiously call out Yue Ran''s name.


    Yue Ran also heard Ye Chen''s voice. She first paused, then withdrew from Qi Yu''s arms. She hesitated for a moment before greeting the young man outside the door kindly.


    "Hello, A Chen," Yue Ran said.


    "Ran Ran, you..." Ye Chen blinked absently, and his voice trembled violently as he asked, "Ran Ran, did you admit the wrong person? I¡­ I am Ye Chen."


    Ye Chen reluctantly raised the corners of his mouth, and he had uttered his words out almost pleadingly.


    "I know that you are Ye Chen," Yue Ran said.


    The young girl''s voice was still soft, but she no longer had the dependence and love she had in the past. Instead, there was a faint sense of strangeness and alienation lingering in her.


    Yue Ran blinked before asking, "We have been together before; have we not?"


    Ye Chen looked at Yue Ran with deep eyes and asked back in disbelief, "What do you mean by have we been together before?"


    "After all, I have never liked you," Yue Ran said. "It was just an accident that we got together at the time. Let us break up, and do not bother me anymore."


    These words were said a lot colder than before, and the coldness made Ye Chen feel distressed.


    The young man did not understand. How did things become like this after not seeing him for more than ten days? It is like Yue Ran''s whole person has changed into another.


    Ye Chen stared at Yue Ran and silently clenched his teeth. Tears flashed in his eyes as he asked word by word. "You have never liked me?"


    "Yes," Yue Ran said simply.


    "If you do not like me, then why did you promise to be with me? Why do you want me to go to the same university as you? Why do you like to hug me every day? Why do you..."


    Seeing that Ye Chen was becoming more and more aggressive, Qi Yu took a step forward and protected Yue Ran behind him. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A Chen, you calm down first," Qi Yu said.


    "Calm down? How can I calm down?" Ye Chen almost growled.


    And almost immediately, his eyes swept to the hands of the two people in front of him who were holding onto each other, and then he thought of the intimate embrace of the two in the doorway just now.


    Ye Chen, who was almost overwhelmed by his emotions, finally remembered what was wrong with the two of them during this period of time. It turns out that this... this affair happened so long ago without him even realizing it!


    In an instant, anger and sadness flooded his heart.


    "Qi Yu, you¡­ How can you do this to me? How can you do this to me? Say it!" Ye Chen shouted.


    The young man looked at the two in front of him with red eyes and swung his fist directly.


    Qi Yu, on the other hand, did not plan to dodge this move in the slightest and took the punch.


    "Ah Yu!" Yue Ran exclaimed.


    The young girl felt distressed and touched the corner of the young man''s injured mouth. The originally flawless face was abruptly ruined by this wound, which made people feel distressed.


    "Ye Chen! What are you doing?" Yue Ran turned her head and shouted angrily at Ye Chen.


    "You broke up with me because of him, did you not?" Ye Chen asked.


    "No, I have already said before that I do not like you," Yue Ran answered.


    The young girl''s expression was clearly indifferent, but Ye Chen did not seem to feel it at all. He took a step forward and pulled Yue Ran tightly into his arms.


    It was not until he smelled the familiar scent of the young girl that Ye Chen finally felt that this was the real world and that what had happened just now was just a dream, a nightmare that he could not wake up from.


    He wanted the young girl to hold him. She looked at him tenderly, distressed, as she said, "A Chen, do you have nightmares again? Do not be afraid. I am here."


    But the struggle of the young girl in his arms told him that all of what had happened before was not an illusion.


    "Ran Ran, Ran Ran..."


    Ye Chen lowered his head and buried Yue Ran in his arms as he called out the name of his sweetheart with one voice after another, just like a small beast whimpering, just like when their love was still strong.


    Ran Ran said that she likes his coquettish appearance the most.


    The so-called deep affection is hard to restrain, and there is a bit of careful prayer in the humble begging. Ye Chen wants to hug and rub Yue Ran into his bones and blood without any scruples, but he is also afraid of hurting her, so he can only protect her in his own domain as much as possible.

 Chapter 216 - 216: White Lotus Transfer Student (46)

    "Ran Ran, today is not April Fool''s Day, and this joke is not funny at all," Ye Chen said. His voice could not stop shaking.


    He accidentally used too much force, and Yue Ran frowned and tried to brush his hands away to no avail. A pair of clear eyes looked at the young man indifferently.


    "Tell me what I did wrong, and I will correct it, okay? Do not¡­ Do not abandon me, please."


    Yue Ran lowered her head and looked at the trembling hands on her waist. She did not pull away from him and only quietly let him hold her with a deep frown between her brows.


    "Ran Ran, I was wrong; please do not abandon me, okay? Do not leave me, okay? Do not break up with me, okay?"


    Ye Chen had never felt so sad and flustered before.


    He was afraid. He was really afraid that those good things he had experienced in the past were all just floating clouds. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was afraid that his beloved would act like a cute and spoiled child in another man''s arms, clamoring to touch his abdominal muscles and always asking for a hug.


    He was afraid that those gentle afternoons of sunshine could only belong to others from then on.


    And he would only be left with nothing.


    No, Ran Ran cannot be so cruel to him like this.


    "Let go," Qi Yu said in a deep voice as he wanted to pull Ye Chen away and bring Yue Ran into his arms.


    Time suddenly seemed to stop for a few seconds, and after a while, Ye Chen raised his head and stared at Qi Yu fiercely, with a touch of unnoticeable pain deep in his eyes.


    "Scram," Ye Chen said.


    Qi Yu frowned and said, "You are hurting Ran Ran."


    Hearing this, Ye Chen looked at the person in his arms in a panic, and sure enough, he saw the frown on the young girl''s face, and she looked uncomfortable.


    "I... I... I am sorry, Ran Ran, are you alright?" Ye Chen pulled away and asked in a low voice full of caution.


    The young girl withdrew from his embrace, then heaved a sigh of relief, and said in a cold tone, "I am fine."


    "I¡­ I am sorry, Ran Ran. I did not mean to do it. I just..." Ye Chen explained in a panic, but his words were impatiently interrupted by Yue Ran.


    "It is all right," Yue Ran said. "Ye Chen, please stop pestering me in the future."


    Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was getting more and more wrong and more and more tense, Qi Yu, who was on the side, quickly pulled Yue Ran and took him into his arms.


    The young man bowed his head and whispered softly in the young girl''s ears, "Ran Ran, how can you talk to A Chen like this? Although you indeed do not like him, you two have ever been together anyway."


    Seeing the two of them being so close in front of him so recklessly, Ye Chen clenched his fists tightly, and the veins on his hands burst out.


    But no matter how angry Ye Chen was feeling, the conversation between Qi Yu and Yue Ran still continues.


    "You can go back to the room first," Qi Yu said. "I have something to say to A Chen."


    "Okay, but then you have to be careful," Yue Ran said.


    There was concern in the young girl''s soft voice, which was now directed at Qi Yu and not Ye Chen anymore.


    It was just ridiculous how some people have changed so fast that Ye Chen himself could hardly react to such a thing.


    However, Ye Chen''s first reaction was not to blame Yue Ran but to think about how to get her back.


    "Okay, you can go back first," Qi Yu said.


    The young man lowered his head and pecked the young girl''s lips before gently instructing her to enter the bedroom upstairs.


    The young girl bowed her head shyly, with obvious joy in her eyes. "You asked me to go back first, so why are you still kissing me?"


    While muttering in a low voice, Yue Ran obediently walked up the stairs and into the bedroom.


    It was not until the young girl''s figure was gone that the two young men, who had been staring at her back, came back to their senses.


    Qi Yu was the first one to react. He looked at the undiminished love in the eyes of the young man in front of him, and his eyes deepened a little.


    "A Chen," Qi Yu started.


    "Do not call me A Chen," Ye Chen said. The enthusiasm and vitality of the youth are no longer there. "Qi Yu, where have I ever been sorry for or offended you in anything to make you do this to me? Why are you even doing this to me?"


    "What did I do?" Qi Yu raised his brows in surprise, as if he had no idea what bad things he had done.


    "Heh," Ye Chen sneered. "Why did I not find out that you are such a duplicitous person before? I warn you, Qi Yu, Ran Ran is mine!"


    The original gentle eyes of the young man sank when he heard the word "mine" coming out of Ye Chen''s mouth.


    Qi Yu lowered his eyes and immediately took over the words. "Ran Ran is now my girlfriend. I hope you will pay more attention in the future."


    "Pay more attention? Pay more attention to what?" Ye Chen asked sharply. "Pay more attention so that I will not be cheated by my own close brother again, you mean?"


    "A Chen, I will compensate you," Qi Yu said.


    "Heh," Ye Chen sneered. "But I do not care. Who cares about your compensation?"


    Ye Chen used up almost all of his strength to hold back and stop hitting the annoying face of the young man in front of him.

 Chapter 217 - 217: White Lotus Transfer Student (47)

    "You will want it," Qi Yu said.


    The young man looked at Ye Chen with certainty, with deep meaning in his eyes that Ye Chen himself did not understand.


    "You will want Auntie''s heart donation document," Qi Yu said.


    After speaking, Qi Yu took out a piece of paper from his pocket, folded it open, and showed it to Ye Chen.


    Ye Chen took the piece of paper tremblingly and read it. It was really a heart donation document.


    "You¡­ you¡­" Ye Chen was at a loss for words. He could only look at Qi Yu complicatedly.


    Qi Yu was his best friend and also the first friend that he had ever made and stayed with.


    "I only have one request," Qi Yu said. "Stay away from Ran Ran and do not show up in front of her again."


    Do not show up in front of her again¡­


    Do not show up again¡­


    These words kept echoing in Ye Chen''s mind until he got off the plane and returned to the place he was familiar with, his home.


    He stared at the front of his house in front of him in a trance, only feeling that it was like a dream these few days. Sometimes he even wonders if it is true that everything was imagined by him.


    But no.


    Everything was real. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His Ran Ran really does not want him anymore.


    The plane ticket in the young man''s hand was crumpled tightly and thrown to the ground; his eyes were red, and the water was gleaming in them.


    A single tear fell from the end of his eyes, and there was a sob.


    Until he could not hold back any longer. He cried.


    When he got home, he finally locked the door and acted presumptuously.


    He really wanted to ask Yue Ran why.


    But no, not anymore.


    The so-called love of youth is the most sincere and affectionate one.


    The young man, who had never shed tears, was sitting on the ground at this moment with his head buried in his arms, and he whimpered in a low voice. His arms were wet.


    ¡­


    Seven years later.


    Inside a villa in City A.


    "Um, A Yu, no, not here!"


    Yue Ran blushed slightly while pushing and shoving the man sticking to her body. Gradually, she could not help but slowly respond to the man''s passionate kiss.


    A woman wearing a white dress with a square collar has a good figure, fair skin, and black hair with snowy skin. Her slightly curled hair is casually tied up into a ponytail. The ponytail swung and moved with Yue Ran''s movements, which were caused by her trembling figure.


    "Everything is all right, Ran Ran," Qi Yu said. "Xiao Bai will not be back in a while."


    As Qi Yu spoke, he could not help but kiss the woman''s moist and full lips again and again. His breath was getting hotter and hotter. During such an ambiguous exchange, Qi Yu''s big, articulated hands also slowly moved downwards until he¡­


    It was then that the door suddenly opened, and then a little man who looked just like Qi Yu walked into the house with cute, uniform little steps. At this time, the little man was carrying a schoolbag and looked at the two adults in indescribable positions expressionlessly.


    "The teacher has something to do today, so I went home early from school," the little man, named Qi Bai, said in a flat tone.


    Immediately, Yue Ran''s face flushed red, and she immediately buried her head in Qi Yu''s arms, refusing to look at Qi Bai after facing such an embarrassment.


    Qi Yu''s lips curled upwards, and after finally comforting his wife in his arms, he stepped forward, pretending that nothing happened, and picked Qi Bai up from the ground.


    "What did our Xiao Bai learn at school today?" Qi Yu asked with a gentle smile.


    Qi Bai, who is still as expressionless as ever, blinked.


    Why are adults so inattentive in front of children?


    This is a question that Qi Bai could not answer for... for as long as he lives in the world.


    But even if Qi Bai was speechless by his parents'' actions, he answered his father obediently. "I learned math addition and subtraction in school today."


    "Why are you still learning addition and subtraction?"


    Yue Ran, whose embarrassment had already died down, also came over to the two at this time.


    Forget it. Anyway, this is not the first time this kind of embarrassing thing has happened, and Qi Bai has seen even more embarrassing things before.


    Yue Ran tilted her head and asked, "Did our Xiao Bai not already do multiplication, division, fractions, and algebra long ago?"


    Speaking of this, Yue Ran had to sigh with emotion. As expected of the male protagonist''s son, his IQ was always on the finish line at birth.


    "The teacher called us to study hard," Qi Bai answered.


    "Pfft... Okay, good baby, study hard," Yue Ran said while she chuckled softly.


    The woman stepped forward and could not help but touch her son''s smooth and tender face, with a tender smile spread out on her lips.


    With such a beautiful smile and charming appearance, Qi Yu could not help but glance sideways at Yue Ran.


    And Yue Ran, who was not afraid of death, leaned forward. "A Yu, why are you always looking at me? You are not allowed to look at me."


    After Yue Ran finished speaking, she stretched out her hand to cover the man''s beautiful eyes. But before she put her hand up in action, the man looked over at her with helpless and indulgent eyes.


    "Do you love me?" Qi Yu asked.


    The man''s facial expression on the surface was as gentle as usual, but his normally squinting eyes contained an imperceptible nervousness and tension at this time, and there was even a little bit of trembling in his voice.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran looked up from the man''s arms in confusion.

 Chapter 218 - 218: White Lotus Transfer Student (48)

    Yue Ran then kissed Qi Yu''s chin with a charming smile and an imperceptible glint in her eyes as she uttered, "Love. The person who I love the most in the world is my baby, A Yu. No one in my heart is as important as you."


    As if Qi Yu had risen from hell to heaven all at once, he, the lost traveler, finally meets the angel who guides the way to salvation.


    Qi Yu turned over and pressed the person under him again, affectionately nuzzling his head in Yue Ran''s slender and fair neck, and boundless joy could be felt and heard from his low laughter.


    At this time, Qi Yu seemed as if he had eaten something sweet, like honey, and he just could not help but laugh very happily. His eyes and heart were full of her.


    If this is what Yue Ran said, then he would want to believe it.


    He was willing to believe whatever she was saying.


    A very sweet smile also spread across Yue Ran''s face when the favorability value of Qi Yu towards her reached the score of 99. It was just one point away from one hundred, and Yue Ran was not in a hurry to complete it.


    "Ran Ran, let us go together tomorrow," Qi Yu said.


    "Hm? Go together? Where?" Yue Ran asked suspiciously while stroking the man''s soft hair with her delicate hand.


    "Let us go to the class reunion together," Qi Yu said.


    After saying that, Qi Yu''s lips uncontrollably kissed the woman''s delicate collarbone, which was already covered with strawberry prints.


    "A Yu, no," Yue Ran mumbled.


    "It is okay, Ran Ran," Qi Yu whispered hoarsely. "Xiao Bai had already gone upstairs a long time ago."


    "No, I did not mean that," Yue Ran said poutingly. "What I meant was that we are going to the class reunion tomorrow, so how can I cover up so many of these traces?"


    Yue Ran gestured to the traces on her skin.


    "Then I just have to pay more attention to it," Qi Yu said with his eyes narrowed playfully and a smirk splayed on his lips.


    Seeing that Qi Yu was getting more and more unscrupulous, contrary to his words, Yue Ran exclaimed with smiling eyes, "A Yu, you beast!"


    These words were followed by laughter.


    The two people''s breaths were getting a little unstable.


    ¡­


    The location of the class reunion was chosen in a very high-end hotel, led by their later class monitor in high school.


    This new class monitor is a very enthusiastic and capable person, and he is doing very well now.


    Qi Yu and Yue Ran walked hand in hand to the inner hall of the hotel. A handsome man and a beautiful woman both have an outstanding and noble temperament. When they were paired up like this, they would inevitably and effortlessly attract all the attention of the people around them.


    And fortunately, the two have become accustomed to this kind of gaze since childhood, so these gazes were easily ignored.


    As soon as the door of the private room was opened, everyone looked over in an instant, and then there came a strange silence.


    Everyone was collectively stunned for a moment. It took a while for the class monitor to react, and he hurriedly greeted the two of them and led them to the empty seats.


    The class monitor really did not expect that these two people would actually come.


    Although they were classmates before, the two and the others were not from the same world after all. A casual accessory for the two of them may be something he cannot afford in this life.


    Everyone was eyeing the two of them, especially Qi Yu.


    Qi Yu is an important and rich person with deep connections, and if they can rely on friendship to climb up a little bit, it would be a very good thing.


    "Mr. Qi, hello, hello, do you still remember me? I am the classmate sitting in front of you in class before."


    "Hello, Mr. Qi. We have worked together on a group project before. Do you still remember me?"


    "Hello, Mr. Qi. We have played basketball together before."


    There were countless words like this, but Qi Yu stayed silent while holding hands with Yue Ran. There was a polite smile on his face as those words traveled into his ears.


    "It has been seven years since we last saw the two of you, but the both of you look like you have not changed at all!"


    "Yes, how unfair."


    "That is right. It does not matter if you two look good, but you two are also not able to get old. Can you two give us a way to live on like this?"


    Hearing those words, the smile on Qi Yu''s face deepened. He raised the hand that was intertwined with Yue Ran''s fingers. The pair of rings on his hand may look low-key, but they were elegant and exquisite.


    "And that was why we got married," Qi Yu said.


    Just at this moment, the door of the private room was pushed open again.


    The man who came in looked to have an air of coldness. His jet-black hair was drawn back, revealing a smooth forehead. His handsome features were indifferent, and he wore a pair of gold-wire glasses that did not diminish the cold aura around him.


    The beautiful eyes of the man behind the glasses were full of coldness at the moment, and it was clearly reflected in the hearts of everyone through the thin films of glass. He is dressed in an expensive suit, and his every move is elegant, and he has a coldness that strangers should not approach. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it were not for his still familiar appearance, which has only grown more mature and well-defined compared to his youth, almost no one would be able to associate him with the Ye Chen of seven years ago.


    Ye Chen''s eyes dimly looked at Yue Ran and Qi Yu.

 Chapter 219 - 219: White Lotus Transfer Student (49)

    As soon as Ye Chen came in, his eyes dimly looked at the two familiar people who had their fingers intertwined and seemed to look very affectionate.


    In an instant, the man''s eyes narrowed slightly, and the eyes covered by his glasses were full of complexity.


    Even if seven years had passed, the first thing he would see in the crowd was still her figure.


    This kind of familiarity seemed to be carved into the bones; as long as there was Yue Ran, Ye Chen''s eyes would never leave her.


    But that person in his eyes and heart just turned her head and glanced at him, and then there was nothing else. It was as if the two were just complete strangers.


    Ye Chen lowered his head and slightly curled the corners of his mouth, and a self-deprecating expression appeared on his face. He curled his hands slightly.


    He should never forget how these two treated him back then.


    Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit wrong, the class monitor also became anxious.


    Back in high school at that time, who among them did not know that Ye Chen and Yue Ran were a young couple who acted so sweetly with one another every day that the others who watched them were envious of their relationship?


    Whenever Ye Chen''s eyes fall on Yue Ran''s figure, there will always be this endless gentle light. This was something they had never seen from him after being in the same class for two years.


    At that time, many people were secretly shipping these two. Who knew that they would be separated in the end? And then, before they knew it, Yue Ran and Qi Yu were already together. After that, the couple got married and had a child.


    This situation at present is something that the class monitor did not expect to see or even imagine. He honestly did not expect that these three people would actually come to attend the class reunion at all.


    "Class monitor," Ye Chen said to the class monitor with a nod.


    The class monitor was rather flattered because he did not expect Ye Chen to greet him first.


    "Hello, Mr. Ye," the class monitor replied.


    Following this reply, the crowd that had been quiet just now became lively again.


    It was just that Qi Yu secretly clenched his hands a little tightly. He had seen it. He had seen how Ye Chen''s eyes stayed on Yue Ran. How could he miss something this obvious?


    Fortunately, his Ran Ran just swept a glance at Ye Chen and immediately turned her head away, without stopping for a second.


    Feeling the increased strength in her hands, Yue Ran turned to look at Qi Yu in question. "A Yu, what is the matter?"


    Qi Yu looked at Yue Ran without speaking and just shook his head.


    But those eyes of his are clearly showing that he is jealous.


    Yue Ran smiled to herself before bringing her whole body closer to Qi Yu. From the outsider''s point of view, it looked as if the two of them were sticking tightly together, just like a very sweet and sticky couple.


    "Is our A Yu jealous? But why? I did not even spare him a single look," Yue Ran said.


    Sweet talk is the easiest thing for Yue Ran to do.


    While the two were whispering to each other''s ears quietly, a very deep and pleasant voice tore into their conversation.


    "A Yu, long time no see." Ye Chen said it with the intention of disturbing the two people''s sweet atmosphere.


    Ye Chen looked at the bodies of the two people leaning against each other and tried his best to stop his urge to physically separate the two with his hands or by stepping in between them.


    No, now is not the time yet.


    Qi Yu raised his eyes and smiled just right at Ye Chen as he opened his mouth and said, "Yes, it has been a long time since I last saw you."


    After saying so, Qi Yu led Yue Ran to a seat before sitting beside her.


    It was also at this time that Ye Chen sat down beside Yue Ran in a very natural way.


    "Ran Ran," Ye Chen suddenly said.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran raised a brow in question.


    "I have not seen you for a long time," the man said.


    These words and the tone in which he said this sentence were very different from the words that he had initially planned to say. There was a gentle entanglement in the coldness that Ye Chen himself may not have noticed.


    Right now, Ye Chen only feels that the seven years of separation from Yue Ran have never happened at all. His reaction was still the same as before. His heart still beats much faster when he sees her.


    Ye Chen even felt more nervous because of how close he was to Yue Ran. She was just right next to him, and a familiar fragrance lingered in his nose.


    If someone told the workers in Ye Chen''s company that the usually ruthless and stony boss was feeling nervous, they would definitely roll their eyes back in a sarcastic manner. After all, how could their cold and indifferent boss, who was like a block of ice, ever feel nervous?


    Nervous? It was more believable to say that there was a blue moon hanging high in the night sky.


    But this impossible thing was what was actually happening.


    Ye Chen had come back with the obvious plan of wanting to take revenge on both Qi Yu and Yue Ran. However, he had not yet started to do anything, and he was already timid in front of Yue Ran. It was as if he would always be influenced by her presence. All his life.


    "Yes, it has been a long time since we last saw each other," Yue Ran said. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman''s smile was as warm and stunning as Ye Chen remembered it.


    Very beautiful.

 Chapter 220 - 220: White Lotus Transfer Student (50)

    And now Yue Ran''s smile looks a little more gentle as the years go by without meeting one another.


    "Are you¡­"


    Before Ye Chen could finish speaking, he was suddenly interrupted by Qi Yu.


    "Right, speaking of which," Qi Yu said with a smile. "A Yu, why did you not come to the marriage ceremony where Ran Ran and I were getting married?"


    Ye Chen''s hands under the table were fisted hard, and then they soon relaxed.


    "I had such a good relationship with Ran Ran at that time, so how could I not want to go? It was just that I was really busy with some personal things and was not able to get away, so I was not able to come in the end," Ye Chen said.


    The point of this long remark was actually all about the two words "good relationship".


    With that said, Ye Chen stretched out a hand from below in a nonchalant manner and spread out his fingers naturally, as if he had not challenged Qi Yu just now.


    On his slender middle finger was a unique silver ring, which Yue Ran had personally designed and given to him when they were dating. At that time, Ye Chen had considered this to be a love confession or even a marriage proposal, so he was excited about it for a very long time.


    It was just that he did not expect that when the ring saw its former owner again, the situation would turn into this.


    Ye Chen glanced at Yue Ran with an obscure gaze but immediately found out that her eyes had not looked at him at all. In an instant, a trace of loss and grievance flashed in his eyes.


    Does Ran Ran not care about him, even just a little bit? At all?


    Is Qi Yu so much better than him?


    Qi Yu''s eyes darkened. Of course, he knew about that ring on Ye Chen''s finger.


    In the past, Ye Chen''s happiest thing to talk about every day was his relationship with Yue Ran in front of him. And that ring on Ye Chen''s finger had been talked about so many times in their conversation that Qi Yu just could not forget it.


    Qi Yu lowered his head and smiled lightly, hiding the coldness in his eyes.


    What does that ring on Ye Chen represent now? Ran Ran is his, not Ye Chen''s. Not anymore. And she will forever be his.


    However, Qi Yu just could not help but feel a tinge of jealousy when he looked at that attention-grabbing ring that he could hardly take his eyes off of her.


    "So that was it," Qi Yu said.


    After saying these four words, Qi Yu said no more, and then there was only a long silence. A strange atmosphere surged between the two men.


    Suddenly, Yue Ran broke this silent clash by standing up from her seat. She turned to Qi Yu and said with a smile, "A Yu, I will go to the bathroom for a while."


    "Okay," Qi Yu said as he took Yue Ran''s hand and squeezed it with a gentle smile. His eyes trailed behind Yue Ran''s back as he silently watched her go away.


    Ye Chen only looked at the two people acting closely together with a cold face.


    Heh, they really did not shy away from anyone at all.


    Ye Chen lowered his head, and his face darkened.


    How dare they!


    After all that they did to him!


    ¡­


    As soon as Yue Ran came out of the bathroom, she was suddenly pulled over by a tall figure.


    In the darkness, the man''s breathing was clearly audible; the outlines of his handsome facial features were vaguely visible in the light and shadow, but he did not lose his cold temperament in the slightest.


    The man''s voice was cold, with a hint of urgency and a well-hidden, deep-seated longing.


    "Ran Ran," the man said.


    Yue Ran recognizes his voice. The man''s voice belongs to Ye Chen.


    Ye Chen pulled Yue Ran in his arms, smelled the familiar fragrance, sighed contentedly, and even his eyes turned a little red.


    "Ye Chen?" Yue Ran asked a little hesitantly before speaking, "What are you doing? Let go of me now."


    Yue Ran struggled a few times in the man''s arms, but in exchange, she was hugged even tighter than before.


    "Do not move, Ran Ran," Ye Chen said. "Just let me hug you for a while. Just for one moment."


    Listening to the man''s slightly pleading voice, the struggle of the woman in his arms gradually diminished.


    "Ran Ran, Ran Ran..." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Chen''s head was leaning lower and lower, and the dark red lips brushed against Yue Ran''s ear, leaving behind a deep and affectionate whisper.


    In the end, Ye Chen lowered his head and looked at Yue Ran. The two were so close together that they could feel each other''s breaths; even their noses touched.


    "Ran Ran, do not forget me, okay?"


    Ye Chen spoke word by word, husky and slow. Warm breath sprayed on Yue Ran''s face, and the man''s arms tightly enveloped her petite figure in his. It was as if Ye Chen was a seductive sea monster that led her into his trap, leaving her no way to escape.


    No one was sure who started it first, but before anyone knew it, they had kissed.


    In the dark, the man kissed Yue Ran extremely fiercely, as if to vent all his thoughts, emotions, and love for the past seven years.


    Ye Chen could feel that the woman in his arms still had a familiar soft body and delicate and tender skin that he had missed and dreamed of for so long. After seven years of absence, he can finally touch Yue Ran again.


    No one knew when a tear dripped from the end of Ye Chen''s eyes.


    Ran Ran¡­ He misses her so much.


    The kiss started with Ye Chen''s love for Yue Ran and ended with a hickey on her collarbone.

 Chapter 221 - 221: White Lotus Transfer Student (51)

    In the end, Yue Ran was left panting and leaning against Ye Chen''s chest. Her body was soft, her eyes were red, and her face looked especially charming and seductive.


    "I have to go," Yue Ran said as her breath calmed down.


    "Ran Ran." Ye Chen suddenly grabbed the hand of Yue Ran, who was about to go out, and hugged her from behind. "Do not abandon me, okay?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man''s aggrieved tone also contained a hint of coquettish cuteness, which was completely different from the cold, noble, or seductive aura of his from before.


    Yue Ran smiled secretly and silently in the dark, with her back turned to Ye Chen and her face covered in shadows. A flash of light glinted past her eyes.


    "Ye Chen, I am already married," Yue Ran said as she pushed her hand against the hard chest as an indication for Ye Chen to let go of her.


    But Ye Chen was stubborn, and he quickly said, "I do not care!"


    Yue Ran smiled a little and said in a gentle and affectionate tone, "However, he cares."


    She then pushed off the hand that was tied to her waist and walked away slowly and gracefully, leaving only the lonely figure of the man behind her.


    ¡­


    "A Yu?"


    Before Yue Ran reached the door of the box, she saw Qi Yu at one end of the corridor, holding the suit jacket that he had taken off in his right hand, as if he were waiting for her to come back.


    The male protagonist still looks as gentle as a jade, a perfect gentleman, but there is just an air of strategizing in his temperament. The passing years have made the once youthful young man look even more elegant and gentle.


    Seeing the picture of a beautiful woman in front of him, Qi Yu watched as Yue Ran happily ran over, and he held out a hand for her to take in a gracious manner.


    "Why is A Yu standing outside?" Yue Ran asked as she habitually stuck close to the man.


    Qi Yu straightened the woman''s hair, which was a little messy just now, and said softly, "Why are you running so fast in high heels? Ran Ran should be careful of falling." He tapped a finger on her nose dotingly before continuing, "Anyway, let us go back home now since it is quite late already. Not to mention that Xiao Bai is still at home alone, waiting for us."


    "Okay, I will listen to A Yu," Yue Ran answered in a cute manner.


    It was just that before the two of them left the hotel, they met another acquaintance. It was Zhi Lan, the female protagonist.


    It has been so long since Yue Ran actually bumped into the female protagonist of this world after years of long absence. If it were not for the reminder from Ruan Ruan, Yue Ran would not have recognized the female protagonist at all. That showed just how much the female protagonist had changed from before.


    Back then, in the second semester of her senior year, the female protagonist basically had not come to school much, and she did not have much contact with the male protagonist from later on. Not to mention that Yue Ran was a little too lazy to deal with this non-challenging female protagonist.


    However, what Yue Ran really did not expect was that the female protagonist would look like this in the end without her interference after several years had passed. The female protagonist looked very far from her original appearance.


    In simple words, the female protagonist looked from average to bad.


    The female protagonist, Zhi Lan, is dressed in a simple and casual white T-shirt and jeans. She has a pair of thick glasses on her face, her hair is slightly messy, her skin is a little too dry and sallow, her eyes are dull, and even her clothes look a little yellowed.


    There was no way that the female protagonist had taken even a little time to take good care of her body and appearance. Not to mention that no one would have believed it if they were told otherwise.


    The man next to the female protagonist also looked very ordinary and dull. But at the very least, he looked like an honest and pretty trustworthy average man.


    The two are definitely like the most ordinary of the ordinary couples on the streets, with the heavy burden of life and great debts bagging heavily on their shoulders. The two even looked a little confused and out of place in this luxurious hotel.


    The female protagonist was not like this before. Although she felt inferior because of her poor family, there was always this light and hope in her eyes, just like a little sun that warms and shines pleasantly on others.


    But now, she was just the exact opposite of herself from before.


    With just a glance, Zhi Lan instantly recognized Yue Ran and Qi Yu, who were walking past her and her husband.


    It was just that now, her first reaction was not to meet and greet the two but to bow her head to cover herself because of the sudden sharp rise of inferiority in her.


    Qi Yu did not stop in his footsteps at all, nor did he even give Zhi Lan a single glance. And Yue Ran, well, in fact, she could immediately make up the current situation of the female protagonist in her mind after just seeing her like this, and she had no interest in getting to know the current female protagonist at all.


    Right now, the two handsome men are much more interesting than making the female protagonist, who has already suffered very much in life, feel even worse. It would be good enough to just leave the female protagonist alone like this to suffer with her own sufferings for a lifetime.


    But at the moment when the two couples passed by each other, Zhi Lan suddenly stopped Yue Ran and Qi Yu.

 Chapter 222 - 222: White Lotus Transfer Student (52)

    Zhi Lan suddenly stopped Yue Ran and Qi Yu with two words: "Yue Ran."


    Yue Ran stopped, turned her head, and asked in confusion, "Hm?"


    Zhi Lan could not help feeling ashamed in front of the two bright faces that finally put their attention on her.


    "I... I am Zhi Lan," Zhi Lan said a little stutteringly. "Do you still remember me?"


    "Zhi Lan?" Yue Ran asked, feeling a little confused. She thought about the question asked of her for a while before showing an expression of sudden realization. "Oh, so you are Lan Lan!"


    After a while, the woman said apologetically, "Sorry, I could not remember a lot of people and things from the past, but I heard that we used to be good friends, right?"


    Zhi Lan nodded dumbfoundedly. Seven years have passed, yet the woman in front of her was just as good-looking as she was before. No, Yue Ran looked even better than before, if that was even possible.


    "Really?" Yue Ran asked as she removed her hand from Qi Yu''s arm. She walked over and held Zhi Lan''s hand intimately. It was as if the seven years of passing and the missing memories in her head had not happened at all.


    Qi Yu looked at the now-missing figure next to him, and an icy coldness flashed in his eyes. And Zhi Lan, who was watching Qi Yu secretly from the corner of her eyes, could not help but feel a little scared by the aura and expression on his face.


    On the day of Qi Yu and Yue Ran''s wedding, Zhi Lan once went to find Qi Yu.


    But no matter how she argued, screamed, or shouted, no matter how many words she said or even cried to him, Qi Yu did not come out to look back at her, not even once.


    After waiting for a day and a night, Zhi Lan finally saw someone come out, but the man that she had waited long for and had long dreamed of had driven her away without the slightest hesitation.


    The vicious tone and actions of the person she loved still make her remember it to this day.


    That might have been the day that she felt the most embarrassed.


    The boy who she loves with all her heart and mind married her best friend, the second person she trusted the most, just after Qi Yu.


    Zhi Lan was only left walking aimlessly on the road, like a wandering spirit without a plan or purpose.


    Later, she no longer had any motivation. Then so be it. She could only live like this. She had already given up on hope.


    In the end, she could only find an ordinary person to marry and live an average, busy life with no excitement.


    However, after seeing the brightest starlight, how can she still endure the most ordinary darkness in the world?


    Qi Yu was gone from her life, and so was the light of her life. All that was left was gloom and darkness.


    Zhi Lan will forever remember that when she was young, she once fell in love with a person and met such an amazing teenager who she had dated for a while. It was the happiest and most exciting time of her life.


    At that time, she only felt that her dream had come true and her life was complete.


    So, therefore, how could Zhi Lan still be willing to live an ordinary and boring life now? Can she still live with that ordinary and mediocre husband and live such an average life all her life? S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But what can she, Zhi Lan, do?


    She cannot change her life, so in the end, she can only give in to this depressing life.


    Yue Ran smiled kindly at Zhi Lan at present as she asked her in a gentle and friendly tone, "We used to be really close together, right?"


    "Um." Zhi Lan answered succinctly.


    Zhi Lan herself did not know what the meaning of calling Yue Ran and Qi Yu to stop was. Maybe it was just to prove that she used to be a bright girl and was also friends with them, or rather had a connection with them in the past.


    She, Zhi Lan, used to be friends with such bright and dazzling people.


    Yue Ran raised her brows happily, and a very sweet smile graced her lips.


    "So, can you tell me about our days in high school?" Yue Ran asked with a cute tilt of her head.


    Yue Ran had said this with a little distress. With this soft and coquettish voice used, one that could easily touch another''s heart, one could be afraid that no one could ever refuse her.


    "Ran Ran, come here," Qi Yu said.


    Seeing his beloved baby Ran Ran speaking coquettishly to someone other than him, the corners of Qi Yu''s mouth flattened a little, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.


    "Ms. Zhi, do you need something from us?" Qi Yu asked. His voice still sounded gentle, but there was just this penetrating hint of danger and threat that the person who was subjected to it could feel and hear.


    But instead of Zhi Lan answering the question, Yue Ran did.


    "A Yu, I just wanted to talk to Lan Lan for a while," Yue Ran said.


    "Mr. Qi," Zhi Lan greeted Qi Yu.


    When the man''s surname was spoken out of her lips, Zhi Lan only felt that her throat was filled with astringency and sourness that traveled to her heart and eyes.


    "It is nothing much," Zhi Lan said. "I only want to go to the class reunion. And since there is still time to spare, I want to chat with Ran Ran for a while."


    "Yes, A Yu." Yue Ran stepped on her heels and trotted over. She acted like a lovely and spoiled child as she hugged Qi Yu''s arms affectionately. "I also want to chat with Lan Lan for a while as well."

 Chapter 223 - 223: White Lotus Transfer Student (53)

    "After all, it has been quite a while since we last saw one another. It was hard to find a good friend in high school, and that incident passed by a long time ago," Yue Ran added.


    Her words were referring to how she felt jealous when she saw Qi Yu and Zhi Lan walking a little closer together and thus dated Ye Chen on impulse.


    Although Qi Yu did not want to agree to Yue Ran''s request, how could he be willing not to fulfill it? As long as it was what Yue Ran wanted, he could never refuse her.


    Without further ado, Qi Yu could only sigh helplessly and pinch Yue Ran''s delicate little face.


    "Okay," Qi Yu said as a compromise. "Then I will wait for you in the car."


    "Okay," Yue Ran answered happily.


    Seeing the man''s doting appearance toward another woman, Zhi Lan quickly turned her head away to avoid looking at such a scene.


    ¡­


    "What? It turns out we were neighbors when we were kids?" Yue Ran''s face was now full of surprise. "It really is fate." She gave Zhi Lan a cute nod. "But then why did we not stay in contact with each other in the future?"


    Zhi Lan could not help but stare at Yue Ran with scrutiny in her eyes. Did Yue Ran really not know it, or did she pretend not to know about it?


    In the second semester of high school, Yue Ran suddenly broke up with Ye Chen, and she immediately dated Qi Yu soon after.


    Later, Ye Chen suddenly went abroad, and the other two of them, Yue Ran and Qi Yu, did not go to school for a long time because they were exchange students at some other school for some time. No matter how much Zhi Lan called them, it was useless.


    It was almost as if the time that Zhi Lan had spent with them was just a fleeting dream.


    Until now, Zhi Lan will still be in a trance from time to time. That person who could laugh and cry freely in the past¡ªwas it really her?


    Later, because of the results of her grades, she just went to a second-tier university in a second-tier city, which was far from the two of them, Yue Ran and Qi Yu.


    Zhi Lan had also tried to find the two of them when she came to City A, but without exception, she was always threatened to leave by Qi Yu.


    She was not able to even see Yue Ran''s face at all.


    "It is not because of A Yu, is it?" Yue Ran asked with an inexplicable smile on her face.


    "Hm?" Zhi Lan hummed in question.


    "Well¡­ A Yu told me that at the time that¡­" Yue Ran''s words trailed off, and she coughed out a little embarrassingly. "Well, it was just that... Well, it was because I saw you approaching him, and then I misunderstood you, and, well¡­"


    The woman seemed a little embarrassed, and the words sounded pleasant, but the meaning was not that clear when those short, separate sentences were combined.


    Zhi Lan was stunned when she heard Yue Ran''s words.


    Did Yue Ran not get together with Ye Chen because of Ye Chen''s confession in the first place?


    "I then got angry and got together with Ye Chen." Yue Ran finally spoke her final words.


    Zhi Lan''s eyes widened, and she asked, "Who¡­ who told you these?"


    The woman''s voice trembled slightly.


    Zhi Lan suddenly realized something after speaking with Yue Ran. She realized that something had indeed been missing all along.


    She just knew that there was something wrong! Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She just knew it! How could the two people who were so affectionate and loving at the time suddenly separate without any warning at all?


    Now, there seems to be a reason for everything that has happened.


    Looking at Zhi Lan''s dazed face, a cunning smile flashed in Yue Ran''s eyes.


    After all, someone must know about her situation, right?


    After getting Qi Yu, she still misses her Ye Chen.


    In the end, she was still greedy and wanted two men instead of one.


    "Hm? Is that not it?" Yue Ran asked with a little doubt.


    "What..." As if Zhi Lan had just reacted, she responded in a panic.


    Zhi Lan only felt that she was in a mess now.


    Qi Yu turned out to be this... Did he use this kind of method?


    Just as Zhi Lan was about to speak again, she heard the ringing sound of bells playing in a catchy rhythm.


    Yue Ran picked up the phone and said two words, "A Yu," very sweetly.


    "How is the chat going?" Qi Yu''s voice sounded on the phone. "Xiao Bai had called me a few moments ago."


    "Ah? Xiao Bai called you? What did Xiao Bai say?" Yue Ran asked.


    "Xiao Bai said that he missed us and called us to go back early," Qi Yu answered.


    Yue Ran smiled lightly. How could her son say such a childish thing?


    However, now that her goal has been achieved, there is no point in talking to the female protagonist any longer. It was still better to go back than waste more time here.


    "Oh, okay, then I will come over right away," Yue Ran said.


    The woman cut off the call and gave Zhi Lan a friendly smile.


    "Sorry, but I have to go back now," Yue Ran said a little apologetically.


    "It is okay," Zhi Lan said. "You should go back quickly so as not to let Mr. Qi worry any longer."


    "Okay, then I will go back first," Yue Ran said. "I will talk to you next time."


    "Um."


    Zhi Lan just watched as the woman gradually walked away until she fell into a man''s arms in the distance with a sweet and loving smile.


    "What is wrong, wife?"


    The voice made Zhi Lan return to her senses, and she frowned unconsciously as she looked at the man standing beside her.

 Chapter 224 - 224: White Lotus Transfer Student (54)

    "Hm? What is the matter?" Zhi Lan asked in reply.


    "Did we not plan to go to your class reunion? Then let us go there quickly," the man, who is her husband, said.


    "Okay," was Zhi Lan''s simple reply.


    Zhi Lan did not want to come to this reunion party at first. After all, how could she not feel embarrassed when facing her former classmates in her current situation?


    It was just that someone in the group chat of her former classmates posted pictures of Qi Yu and Yue Ran together while also saying that they might come, so Zhi Lan just decided to come here when her brain grew hot and her impulsiveness jumped in front of her reason.


    Now that she has arrived, it would only be strange if Zhi Lan and her husband did not go in to meet the others.


    But just as Zhi Lan was about to continue her way, she actually saw a tall and noble-looking man walking out of the doors from where the class reunion was held.


    Only a glance was needed for Zhi Lan to recognize the man.


    Only a glance was needed for Zhi Lan to recognize that the man who came out of the doors was Ye Chen.


    In just a few short minutes, Zhi Lan had already met several old friends, one after another.


    And now, when Zhi Lan saw them again, she was no longer in the same world as them.


    Now, the female protagonist''s inner feelings were very complicated, and she did not know what she even felt at this moment.


    Ye Chen was in a hurry and had no time to care about the other things. He looked as if he were looking for someone to chase after. He simply walked past Zhi Lan without stopping or even glancing at her at all.


    Zhi Lan gritted her teeth.


    It was like this yet again! They ignored her again, as if they had never known her before at all!


    It was so hateful! Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They are all so hateful!


    "Ye Chen!" Zhi Lan called the man''s name with a raised voice.


    The cold and noble-looking man paused, turned around, and frowned at the stranger in front of him.


    There was a strange look in between his brows and eyes, as if he were asking, Who are you?


    As if Zhi Lan understood the man''s silent question, she said, "I am Zhi Lan, your high school classmate."


    Ye Chen thought about the strange woman''s words for a moment in his mind and then came to a realization.


    There was indeed such a person named Zhi Lan that he knew of in the past, and he could recall that Zhi Lan had a good relationship with his Ran Ran. But even if that were so, what does this person have to do with him now?


    The only reason he was ever in contact with Zhi Lan was because of Yue Ran and Qi Yu. Other than that, he wanted nothing to do with her.


    Ye Chen looked indifferently at Zhi Lan and turned his head away without a change in expression. It was clear that he did not want to pay attention to Zhi Lan at all.


    It would be a lie to say that Zhi Lan herself was not annoyed by Ye Chen''s attitude toward her. With a sneer on her face and ridicule in her eyes, she said in a smug tone that fit the expression on her face, "Do you not want to know the reason why Yue Ran got together with Qi Yu in the end?"


    This question successfully caught Ye Chen''s full attention.


    "What did you say?" Ye Chen asked with narrowed eyes. He frowned slightly, and the look in his eyes was full of inquiry.


    "I said that you and Yue Ran were so deep in love with one another before," Zhi Lan said with a contemptuous smile. "So why did she suddenly want to break up with you as if nothing had happened before?"


    Ye Chen''s voice was deep as he spoke, "Oh, then do pray tell me why?"


    "Naturally, it was because of Qi Yu," Zhi Lan said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I do not know what method he used specifically to make Yue Ran''s memories in the past all a blur. I may not know the specifics of what had actually happened, but I do know that in Yue Ran''s memory, she has seemed to always like Qi Yu and not you, Ye Chen, at all." There was a slight pause as she continued, "Not to mention that Yue Ran herself did tell me that she had actually gotten with you because she was angry with Qi Yu."


    "And again, what does this represent?"


    Ye Chen''s voice became a little bit colder than before, with an unending chill at the end.


    If... if what Zhi Lan said was right, if what Zhi Lan said was really the case at present, then are all the memories that he has lived on for the times that he spent with Yue Ran all false?


    Has Yue Ran really never loved him before, and all she has always liked was only Qi Yu?


    After all, Zhi Lan said that Yue Ran had only gotten together with him because she was angry with Qi Yu.


    "However," Zhi Lan said with a pause. She folded her arms in contempt and lifted her nose in disdain as she continued, "Ran Ran clearly told me at the time when you two were together that she likes you very much. She had always talked a lot about you to me during our conversations when the two of you were dating."


    Ye Chen''s brows smoothed a little when he heard Zhi Lan''s words.


    "I also only found out something today when I chatted with her for a while¡ªthat she had forgotten many things in the past," Zhi Lan said. "Do you really not think that something is very strange about this?"

 Chapter 225 - 225: White Lotus Transfer Student (55)

    "What could be so wrong for things to result in this in the end?" Zhi Lan asked with undisguised malice in her eyes. "Why do two people who love each other so much get separated in the end? Is it not because there is clearly something wrong in the first place? But what could it be?"


    Ye Chen''s fist clenched tightly in an instant, and his blue veins burst out with his increasing anger. Even his eyes were scarlet.


    Zhi Lan did not understand why she said these things to Ye Chen at first, but when she saw Ye Chen''s expression of anger, especially when he was like a volcano before an eruption, she suddenly understood, and she even felt a secret pleasure in her heart as she watched the changes in the man''s expression.


    It was most likely that she did not want others to live so happily as they did in the past; she just did not want their lives to go smoothly when her life itself was full of steep turns and rockiness, and it was not smooth at all.


    Since her life was not great, why should she let other people live their lives full of greatness? Naturally, she had to dampen their good moods and spirits and put stumbling blocks in their paths so that they could live a life worse than that of before, even if it were just a little bit.


    ¡­


    "President, Mr. Ye is here."


    "Hm?" Qi Yu raised his eyebrows slightly.


    Mr. Ye, as in Ye Chen? What is Ye Chen coming over to find him here for?


    "Let him in," Qi Yu said.


    It was just that Qi Yu did not expect that as soon as Ye Chen came into his office, Ye Chen would punch him in a fit of rage.


    "Ye Chen, are you crazy?"


    Qi Yu got up and elegantly wiped off the blood from the corner of his mouth with a hand before dusting the nonexistent dirt off his expensive suit.


    "Oh, am I really the one who is crazy?" Ye Chen asked with a sneer. "I did not expect that you, Qi Yu, out of all the people in the world, would actually use such a barbaric method to get Ran Ran in the first place!"


    When Qi Yu heard Ye Chen''s words, a trace of panic and fierceness flashed in his eyes.


    Impossible!


    This was absolutely impossible!


    The other person who knew about this was no longer alive in this world!


    "Oh, what kind of barbaric method have I used?" Qi Yu asked with a curl of his lips. "Ran Ran and I are truly in love with one another. Do you not understand this fact, or do you simply not want to believe it?"


    "How dare you say that you two are truly in love with one another?"


    Ye Chen was so angry that he laughed mockingly after speaking those words.


    This man¡­ This was the man that he had believed in so much before!


    How stupid of him to do so in the past!


    Qi Yu stared down at Ye Chen and spoke, "If not?"


    Ye Chen did not want to talk nonsense with Qi Yu anymore. Right now, he only wanted his Ran Ran to return to normal. He only wanted his Ran Ran to have her own memories back, not manipulated ones.


    His Ran Ran should have her own independent thoughts and memories instead of both being obliterated or controlled by some abnormal means.


    Ye Chen let out a sneer as he asked Qi Yu in a sarcastic tone, "Do you think that if you do this, Ran Ran will truly love you in the end?"


    The smile on Qi Yu''s face slowly fell, and gradually, the expression on his face became unfamiliar.


    Qi Yu''s eyes were dyed with the darkness of the abyss. He squinted them slightly, and Ye Chen was unable to see the man''s expression clearly.


    Qi Yu was not sure.


    He really was not sure. He really did not know.


    That is why, for the past seven years, he has been worrying about gains and losses every day.


    Qi Yu was afraid that all of this was just a dream; he was afraid that what he was experiencing at present was just a cloud of bubbles, an incoherent dream. And when he wakes up from this dream, he is afraid to see that the girl he loves is still smiling happily in that person''s arms.


    Qi Yu did not know if Yue Ran''s words were true or not when he said that she loved him or whether it was just because of the influence of the drugs. But nonetheless, he really wanted to believe her words. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And Ye Chen''s words at the moment undoubtedly brought out the topic that Qi Yu was most reluctant to face in his heart.


    "So, what do you want to say?" Qi Yu questioned with an expression still obscure.


    "Stop all of your actions and let Ran Ran return to normal," Ye Chen said.


    "Oh, but Ran Ran is normal now," Qi Yu answered in a casually calm and relaxed manner.


    "Normal?" Ye Chen let out a snort of disdain. "You mean that it is normal for Ran Ran not to remember the past? So it was normal for Ran Ran to suddenly break up with me in the first place for no clear reason?" Ye Chen sneered derisively as he said, "Qi Yu, you should stop deceiving yourself. Ran Ran does not love you at all!"


    Qi Yu''s face, like that of a crown jade, finally showed a slight crack, and a very dangerous smile appeared on the corner of his lips. His calm eyes, like the dark surface of a hypnotic sea at night, were full of raging undercurrents of anger and pain.


    He walked in front of Ye Chen step by step, with a victorious attitude, looking extremely elegant as he spoke word by word, "Ye Chen, why do you say that?"

 Chapter 226 - 226: White Lotus Transfer Student (56)

    Qi Yu continued, "It has been a long seven years, not seven months, so why are you so sure that she is not in love with me?"


    Ye Chen curled his lips back in provocation as he said, "Oh, if you are really so confident, then you can stop your abnormal means and let Ran Ran choose who she wants to stay with by herself! She must be allowed to make her own decision!"


    ¡­


    Qi Yu stopped the drugs that influenced Yue Ran''s mind and memories.


    The drugs Qi Yu administered to her before came in the form of perfume, so Yue Ran would always want to be close to him, to be next to him, and she would always want to hug him as soon as she got near him.


    It was almost like an addictive drug for Yue Ran.


    Now that there is no such fragrance, there is naturally less of an impulse to get close to the male protagonist.


    And as time goes by, Yue Ran''s memories of the past will get clearer and clearer. She might just get back to her former self.


    Qi Yu was betting that Yue Ran really loved him.


    Qi Yu was betting on their seven-year relationship.


    Qi Yu was betting on their marriage.


    Qi Yu was betting on their close relationship with their son, Qi Bai.


    Qi Yu was betting that Yue Ran would choose him over Ye Chen. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    Time passed from late at night to the dawn of the morning.


    The clock was ticking on the wall, and a man sat on the sofa in the dark. The man almost kept that position for hours, staring at the door unblinkingly, looking at it from time to time, not wanting to miss any movements or sounds. He then took turns looking at the door to his phone for fear of missing any important information.


    The expression on Qi Yu''s face showed tension, fear, and anticipation.


    But no, there was nothing.


    No sound. No movements. Nothing.


    Qi Yu laughed at himself and covered his reddened eyes with the back of his hand. The expression on his face looked almost heartbreaking.


    On the night Yue Ran came back from the class reunion, he found a hickey on her collarbone. He heard her casual explanation of how she got it, and he believed it.


    But tonight, for the first time, Yue Ran did not come back home. She did not answer her phone. The positioning that he had placed on her had failed to connect, and the person he sent to follow her was knocked out.


    For the first time, Qi Yu had lost contact with Yue Ran.


    Qi Yu''s first reaction was to panic. He just could not help but panic for fear that Yue Ran may encounter some danger when he was not by her side.


    He quickly sent his men everywhere to find out Yue Ran''s whereabouts. He even asked them to check all the CCTVs and surveillance around just to pinpoint Yue Ran''s current position.


    He was really scared that Yue Ran may have had an unexpected accident.


    It was not until very late at night that a phone call suddenly came in, and it was from an unknown number.


    Qi Yu picked it up. No one was talking on the phone. He only heard the coquettish groan of a woman, the low panting of a man, and the creaking sound of the bed.


    He could only helplessly listen to the slightly hoarse voice of the woman calling out "A Chen" from the phone without the power to interfere with anything.


    Almost immediately, Qi Yu knew who the phone call had come from.


    It was from Ye Chen. And the person with Ye Chen was his most beloved, Ran Ran.


    At that moment, Qi Yu''s hand shook, and the phone almost slipped off his hold.


    Qi Yu lowered his head and covered his face. His eyes were scarlet, and no one had an idea what he was thinking at that moment.


    Why? Why? Why did things still turn out like this?


    Is the seven years of the relationship between them, with the addition of a child, still not comparable to Ye Chen after all?


    What was wrong with being with him?


    Where is Ye Chen worth it? Was Ye Chen worth letting Ran Ran leave him and the child behind?


    Where is Ye Chen even better than him?


    Before Qi Yu knew it, the sky had already turned bright. Qi Yu''s body had long stiffened, and his muscles were tensed and immobile when he tried to move them. His body felt numb for a while.


    But can the uncomfortable feeling in his body be compared to the pain in his heart? The physical pain he was experiencing was not worth mentioning compared to even the slightest pain in his heart that he was feeling right now.


    The lone Qi Yu was what Qi Bai saw when he came down the stairs. Qi Bai was wearing a school uniform and carrying a small school bag on his back. He looked ready for school.


    In the past, the food for breakfast and dinner at home was always prepared by Qi Yu, while the food for lunch would be served by the servant hired to clean and cook. After all, there was no other way for Qi Yu to do it.


    Even if Qi Yu wanted to cook lunch for the mother and son, he was not able to leave the company due to his busy work and thus had no time to do it.


    The little Qi Bai looked at his gloomy and emaciated-looking father sitting on the sofa in the living room, and he walked over with a rare distressed feeling in his heart.


    "Dad, where is mom?" Qi Bai asked with a little worry laced in his still childish voice.


    Qi Bai had been so used to seeing his mother and father stick together every time they were by each other''s sides.

 Chapter 227 - 227: White Lotus Transfer Student (57)

    It was kind of weird for Qi Bai not to see both of his parents together at this time.


    Qi Yu hugged Qi Bai and said in a hoarse voice, "Xiao Bai, be good. Your mother has something to do outside, so she will only come back home in a while. Xiao Bai, can you wait for your mother to come back home with your father today?"


    Qi Bai let out a cute little frown on his serious-looking face before saying, "But I still have to go to school today, Dad."


    "It is alright; you do not have to go today since Dad asked for a leave for you," Qi Yu said as he hugged Qi Bai. "Let us wait for your mother together to come back home today."


    ¡­


    After a long time of waiting, there was finally the sound of the door opening.


    Yue Ran was still wearing the same dress she went out with yesterday, but now with a silk scarf wrapped around her neck. Her dark, slightly curled hair was draped softly over her shoulders. Her facial features were picturesque, and her figure was graceful.


    She still looked as beautiful as ever, as beautiful as the first sight. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A Yu? Xiao Bai? Why are you two sitting down here?" Yue Ran asked as she walked over and sat next to Qi Yu. She reached out a hand to hold his.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as Yue Ran sat down on the sofa, she was suddenly hugged into a warm embrace by Qi Yu.


    "Ran Ran, do not go, okay?" Qi Yu muttered in the woman''s ear. "Do not leave me, okay?"


    There is a prayer in the man''s rare and fragile voice, and those who heard his voice would inevitably feel soft-hearted for him.


    Yue Ran gently wrapped her arms around the man in response, with her hands falling on the man''s generous back to rub him with comfort and consolation.


    "I will not go," Yue Ran said softly and warmly. There was obvious and undeniable affection in her voice. "I will not leave you. My husband and my son are here, so where else can I go?"


    Qi Yu did not say a word, and he only hugged the woman in his arms a little tighter.


    "I went shopping with my friends yesterday, and by the time we finished, the sky was already too dark and it was already so late into the night, so I decided not to come back home on a whim," Yue Ran said as her explanation of not coming back home yesterday. "I am sorry for not informing you of this, A Yu."


    The woman''s voice was soft and charming, with a naturally demagogic power of its own.


    The explanation that Yue Ran had provided was obviously filled with so many flaws, but Qi Yu had no choice but to believe it.


    At least, his Ran Ran was still willing to make up a reason as an explanation to him. This meant that she still had not given up on their relationship.


    Qi Yu took a deep breath of the familiar fragrance that belonged to his beloved in his nose while thinking sadly.


    He will not let go of Yue Ran.


    He will never let her go, especially to the likes of someone like Ye Chen.


    "Um, I believe in Ran Ran," Qi Yu said. "Did Ran Ran already have lunch? If not, then I will make one for you."


    Qi Yu had already asked the servant not to come today, so today''s lunch was going to be made by him. After all, his Ran Ran still prefers his cooking over the others''.


    "Okay, thank you, A Yu," Yue Ran said.


    The woman still smiled very sweetly, which was the same as usual. Qi Yu leaned over and kissed the white and tender face skillfully, and then quickly went to the bathroom.


    He did not have time to take a shower last night, and he was afraid that Ran Ran would not like him so unkempt like this.


    Qi Bai only sat by the side of the sofa, feeling as irrelevant as usual. He stared at his mom and dad''s interaction silently with no expression on his face before deciding to go back to his room, planning to study more since he had missed today''s lesson.


    To be honest, he has already learned and understood everything in his grade and above, but it does not hurt to revise them again in case he forgets something, which is very unlikely.


    ¡­


    In an elegant dining room, the two men sat facing each other.


    One of the men looked gentle and warm, while the other looked noble and calm.


    Apart from the difference in temperament, both of them looked extremely handsome in appearance. But at this moment, there is a faint tit-for-tat and threateningly hostile atmosphere lingering around the two.


    These two men were like two king predators of their own territories. They would usually just run in parallel lines where those two lines would not meet one another, but they now have the same goal, so it was inevitable to confront one another for it.


    Not to mention that Ye Chen still hated Qi Yu for all the mess that Qi Yu had made for him. But at the very least, Qi Yu did help his mother live longer than was expected. The surgery was, after all, a success.


    None of the two men spoke. It was as if the person who was unable to hold back his breath and spoke first would lose while the other one would prevail.


    Considering that Qi Yu had to pick someone up later, he was the first to put the cup of coffee in his hand on the table and say, "Ye Chen, it has really been a long time since we last saw each other."


    Ye Chen put one finger on the bridge of his glasses to lift them up coolly, raised an eyebrow to glance at Qi Yu, and laughed sarcastically.

 Chapter 228 - 228: White Lotus Transfer Student (58)

    "Heh," Ye Chen sneered in sarcasm. "Did you not just see me a few days ago during the class reunion?"


    Qi Yu ignored Ye Chen''s words and said in a light and unbothered tone, "You made that phone call that night."


    "Yes, yes, I did," Ye Chen said. "What do you think about it?"


    Qi Yu instantly clenched the cup in his hand until the tips of his fingers turned white, but the expression on his face was still gentle and unbothered. He opened his mouth with a smile on his face, looking very calm as he said, "The deceased aunt would have never thought that one day her most beloved son would actually be a third party that destroys other people''s families."


    The gentle young man gave Ye Chen a very sharp look at this moment, one that was full of ridicule and faint jealousy.


    Ye Chen let out a cold laugh.


    If it were in the past, the young Ye Chen might have acted angrily and impulsively when he heard those words, but now he is different from his past self.


    What kind of words has he, Ye Chen, not heard in the past seven years?


    "If it were not for Ran Ran''s willingness, I would never be able to force her." Ye Chen said this sentence with a hint of pride. There was a hint of Ye Chen''s youthful spirit shown in front of Qi Yu from that of seven years ago.


    "Wake up and face reality, Qi Yu," Ye Chen said. "You see, as soon as you stop using that disgusting drug of yours to control others, Ran Ran will immediately return to my arms." He frowned a little as he continued, "If it were not for you, the person who married Ran Ran and had a child in the end must be me."


    On the surface, Qi Yu still looked calm, but anger and jealousy were bubbling inside of him as he heard Ye Chen say these words word for word.


    Curse this man.


    "That medicine was developed by Dr. K," Ye Chen said in a nonchalant tone. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi Yu suddenly raised his head and narrowed his eyes slightly at Ye Chen.


    Oh. He had really underestimated Ye Chen''s means and depth of investigation. Unexpectedly, after a whole seven years have passed since that last incident, Ye Chen has grown so much to this point to even be able to know this kind of hidden information.


    "So, you could no longer try and attract her whole attention with illegal means again," Ye Chen continued saying. "Not to mention that you are the one who actually gets involved in other people''s feelings."


    Ye Chen''s words were getting colder and colder. As long as he thought of the fact that he and Yue Ran could have had a happy future that was full of love, his heart hurt so much that he could not help but want to kill Qi Yu over and over again.


    "Oh," Qi Yu said in a nonchalant tone. "Anyway, this is a foregone conclusion. Ran Ran will always be my wife, and it will always stay that way. Besides, we still have a child between us. But what about you? What do you have with her?"


    Ye Chen''s face darkened. This was also the reason why he had always been submissive to having the title of "lover", a third party in someone else''s relationship.


    No matter what, Ran Ran and Qi Yu had been in a relationship for seven years, were already married, and even had a child, so Ye Chen dared not let Yue Ran choose who to stay with between him and Qi Yu.


    He was afraid that the one who would finally be left behind would be him. Again. Even if it was not voluntary and intended on Yue Ran''s part in the past.


    Ye Chen never wanted to go back to the days when he could only hide behind and shrink in the shadows, like a dirty rat peeping out from inside the sewers. Back then, he could only watch as their family of three lived their happy lives without him.


    Those times inevitably left an indelible scar in his heart.


    Only when he truly embraces Yue Ran in his arms can he feel that he is once again alive.


    Seeing that the person in front of him gradually fell silent, a trace of clarity flashed in Qi Yu''s eyes. He seemed to understand the man''s most hidden thoughts.


    It was not hard when he himself felt the same.


    At this time, they were really quite similar.


    "Well, the time is almost up for me to get home, and I still have to pick Ran Ran up when I get off work," Qi Yu said as he stood up from his seat. "I will leave first."


    When Qi Yu was about to walk out the door, Ye Chen, who had not spoken for quite a while, suddenly called out to him.


    "Wait a moment," Ye Chen voiced out.


    Qi Yu stopped in his footsteps, elegantly raised a brow, and looked back at the cold and noble-looking man behind him.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran returned home, the house was dark. There were no lights on.


    Yue Ran frowned slightly. She felt a little confused when she saw this.


    Hm? Is no one at home?


    But suddenly, a candle lit up in the darkness. Soon, more and more candles lit up, making the room look brighter and brighter. The warm yellow lights looked a little blurry, casting a hazy filter like that of artistic paint on the whole house.


    There was a man standing by the candles, wearing blue ice-silk pajamas. He stood there peerlessly, looking at Yue Ran with a tender smile on his face. There was a hint of deep and obscure meaning in his eyes that was quite difficult to detect or understand when he looked at her.


    "A Yu," Yue Ran called out as she ran towards Qi Yu.

 Chapter 229 - 229: White Lotus Transfer Student (59)

    Yue Ran ran into the man''s warm and comforting arms.


    Qi Yu opened his hands and hugged his beloved wife happily as he said warmly, "Welcome back, Ran Ran."


    "A Yu, what are you doing?" Yue Ran asked. "Why do you still light up the candles at night when you can simply turn on the lights? Did you prepare a romantic dinner for us together, perhaps?"


    Yue Ran kissed the face of the man that she just could not get tired of looking at. Thinking about it back then, she had really indulged Qi Yu in many things and in many ways. This was primarily because she liked the man''s face, his body, and his temperament and personality in themselves.


    "I miss you, Ran Ran," Qi Yu said with a little grievance in his tone.


    Yue Ran thought about the man''s five words for a while. It seemed that she had really neglected her dearest husband these few days because of Ye Chen, the man who had currently grabbed her attention.


    Then she has to take good care of her dearest husband today.


    However, Yue Ran''s eyes glazed over, and she lightly recalled in her heart how Ye Chen was wearing a pair of gold wire glasses that heightened his ascetic aura, how the end of Ye Chen''s eyes turned seductively red, how Ye Chen would show a face that was full of unbearable desire, and how the deep love in Ye Chen''s eyes would be shown clearly wherever her eyes met his.


    It was also cute how the tips of Ye Chen''s ears would turn so red as if blood was about to drip out of them when he was shy.


    Not to mention Ye Chen''s figure with eight-pack abs. Whenever she sits on the man''s sculpted waist and abdomen, she cannot help but want to stretch out her hands to touch them over and over again. It was quite addictive.


    Seeing that the person in his arms was distracted and that it was obvious that she was not thinking about his appearance, Qi Yu''s eyes flashed a hint of sadness and pain.


    The man bowed his head and bit the woman''s lip softly; his movement was quite sharp and fierce yet soft and gentle at the same time. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ran Ran, let us do it." Qi Yu suddenly said these words, much to Yue Ran''s surprise.


    Hearing this, Yue Ran raised her eyebrows and asked, "Do it? Right now?"


    Qi Yu, he¡­ He was quite open to certain movements in bed, but it was the first time that he had said things like this outside of bed so bluntly.


    Seeing Qi Yu''s red ears, Yue Ran wrapped her arms around his neck, pretending to be distressed, as she said in a teasing tone, "But, A Yu, I do not want to do it today."


    "You cannot refuse me," Qi Yu said.


    With those four words, the man who had just asked for the woman''s opinion softly has now hardened his heart. He will not let Yue Ran refuse him, at least not right now.


    Instead of speaking in reply to Yue Ran''s words, Qi Yu leaned over and kissed her red lips.


    A kiss means forever.


    Yue Ran was dazzled and dazed by the passionate kiss delivered by the male protagonist.


    The man who held her body moved his hands over every sensitive point of her body with his hands. Although the movements below her were gentle, the force that impacted her was more powerful.


    Suddenly, another person came out of the darkness of the shadows and walked out into the warm yellow glow of lights from the candles around.


    The man walked over to the intimate couple, went behind Yue Ran, and then embraced the woman with open arms.


    "Hmm¡­" Yue Ran hummed.


    Another hard feeling came from behind her, and Yue Ran reluctantly opened her hazy eyes to glance back at the person behind her.


    The man who had just joined the two was Ye Chen.


    But who would know that as soon as she glanced back with that gaze that seemed to have a magnetic and demagogic pull on Ye Chen, the impact of the force from the man in front of her turned even more ruthless?


    One after another, hot kisses landed on the woman''s graceful back, causing Yue Ran to tremble slightly.


    The two men seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding and cooperated so well that Yue Ran could not help but become addicted to this kind of feeling.


    She would not get tired of this anytime soon.


    Yue Ran really did not expect the two men to cooperate so early at this time. She had thought that they would at least take more time to do so when the time had passed much longer. Maybe after a few months, but definitely not right now.


    It was no wonder that Yue Ran had received a system notification from Ruan Ruan telling her that both the male protagonist and his best friend''s favorability value for her had reached a hundred.


    Yue Ran had completed her personal mission in this world just like this.


    The two men glanced at each other, and both saw the secret unwillingness in each other''s eyes, but there was more of a compromise inside that reluctance.


    Neither of them dared to gamble on who Yue Ran would choose, which would lead to one of them being left behind, so they could only find this kind of compromise.


    At least, they will always have her, even if things turn out like this.


    There would not be a time when they would be alone again.


    They will not be left behind.


    They do not want to lose her.


    They do not want to lose Yue Ran.


    Just thinking about that possibility made them feel devastated.


    Everything felt so empty without her, without Yue Ran.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran woke up in Ye Chen''s arms, and Qi Yu had long woken up before her and had gone to work.

 Chapter 230 - 230: White Lotus Transfer Student (60) (End)

    Because of the absence of Qi Yu, only Yue Ran and Ye Chen were left on the bed.


    The grueling workout has only been done from so late in the night into the crack of dawn, so Yue Ran could not help but wake up very late today.


    It was just that Ye Chen had been living like a person without a job these days, and he kept on pestering her every single day.


    The same is true now.


    Was this man living his early retirement life already?


    Ye Chen followed Yue Ran to sleep until it was noon, and the sun was hanging high in the sky.


    Yue Ran rubbed her face against the man''s chest and chose to continue to close her eyes after letting out a small and sleepy yawn. She wanted to rest more after a long, grueling workout that lasted all night into the dawn of the morning.


    Ye Chen looked at the petite little woman in his arms with a funny look and could not help hugging her and kissing her face a few times with a bursting affection that bloomed from his chest.


    Why is his Ran Ran so adorable?


    In fact, Ye Chen had woken up long ago, but he was reluctant to get up and leave Yue Ran''s warmth.


    He just wanted to look at her.


    He just wanted to look at Yue Ran like this.


    Just looking at her made him feel warm and satisfied.


    He could never get tired of looking at Yue Ran, as if even all the time his whole life was not enough for him to look at Yue Ran. He just could not see enough of her, and he wanted to be close to her to make up for all the time that they had lost when they were not together.


    Although Ye Chen had missed a whole seven years with Yue Ran for so long and still has regrets in the end because of this, at least right now, his Ran Ran still ended up in his arms.


    It was maddening not to have her with him. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He never wanted to feel that feeling of being left behind by the person he loved ever again.


    He never wanted to live those empty days without Yue Ran again.


    Once more, and it would most definitely drive him crazy.


    Back then, he could hardly believe that his girlfriend, who had been with him for almost a year, had left him for another man. His Ran Ran, the woman he loved more than anyone or anything in the world, was gone.


    Yue Ran simply disappeared from his life. And he had no right to get her back.


    Ye Chen was reminded every time he went home, every time he came back from his studies at school, then from work when he had reached adulthood, that there was no one there to talk to him and spend time with him during his breaks anymore. And every time he went to bed, there was no one there to talk to him at night, and he had no one to fill the gap in his heart.


    Everything felt so very empty. Like, half of him was just gone.


    When his Ran Ran left him, she did not just leave everything very cleanly without looking back. She took everything that made him happy away with that one departure.


    In the past, he and Ran Ran could talk and laugh for hours about anything and everything before they separated from one another when the night came.


    As a couple, they never fought.


    Sure, they had a few silly arguments every now and then, but they always made up by the end of the day. And this so-called "fight" was never anything serious because none of them could stand to be mad at each other for very long.


    Though his little Ran Ran had tried hard to stay mad with him for long, she would fail every time. When it came to his charms, she was rendered powerless every time. That or he would work her funny bone with his silly antics.


    Ye Chen smiled faintly, remembering the way they used to be.


    Seven years was such a long time of separation, and that by far was the longest that they had ever not spoken to one another after getting to know each other.


    It was exasperating on his part. He was almost driven mad. If he had not kept himself very busy with his studies and work from the ground up, he knew that he would have lost his mind by now and would have confronted Yue Ran long ago.


    Ye Chen, who prided himself on his rational thinking and self-control, was slipping along with the knowledge that he was really losing her then. He had placed himself in strong denial, believing that she would come back to him on her own. And he has for the last month since their breakup.


    Ye Chen first thought that he would allow Yue Ran time to sort out her feelings and give her time to miss him. But seven years had been a long time, and things were just getting out of hand.


    Yue Ran did not come back to him, and she had built a happy family of her own with Qi Yu and her son, Qi Bai.


    He had to go from blissful serenity to this empty shell of a life in such a short amount of time. How did Yue Ran expect him to react to that? From the very moment his eyes fell on her very being, he knew that they would never be truly separated.


    It was love at first sight.


    His love, once placed on her, could never be removed or eliminated by any means.


    And when he knew that Yue Ran did not take part in Qi Yu''s schemes voluntarily, he was angered. But now, Yue Ran was once again in his arms.


    This was enough.


    "Ran Ran?" Ye Chen tentatively called Yue Ran''s name softly.


    "Hm?" Yue Ran hummed softly in question in a half-sober state.


    "I love you so much," Ye Chen said. "I loved you from the first time I saw you."


    Ye Chen looked at Yue Ran with the same open smile as before, as if the whole seven years of separation had not happened at all.


    The coldness and indifference that had been incorporated and grounded into his bones in those devastating seven years were all forgotten by him.


    He was just Ye Chen, Yue Ran''s Ye Chen alone.


    ¡­


    "Well, that was a good vacation world; do you not think so, Ruan Ruan?" Yue Ran asked as she stretched both of her hands in the air with an air of laziness that seemed to radiate from her bones.


    "Right, Master!" Ruan Ruan circled around Yue Ran happily. "It has been a very long time since the Master has relaxed and taken things slowly in a world like this."


    What Ruan Ruan said was right. It has been a very long time since she has done things at a slow pace in a world like this.


    This was also the reason why Yue Ran had used a slow method to complete her simple mission, and this was also the reason why she was not in a hurry to get the favorability value of the two men to reach one hundred, the maximum score, quickly.


    Anyway, this was a relaxing world that did not take much effort to complete on Yue Ran''s part.


    At the same time, three clusters of light appeared, shining like fireflies in front of Yue Ran.


    Without further ado, Yue Ran ate them, and power instantly rushed into her soul.


    Ah, the world was beautiful.


    Yue Ran''s world was complete.

 Chapter 231 - 231: The Gentle Psychiatrist (1)

    Yue Ran''s world was complete following the colorful and delicious rush of power that seeped into her soul.


    "So tasty." Yue Ran licked her red lips in satisfaction.


    They were so tasty that she wanted more and more.


    "Let''s go to the next world, Ruan Ruan," Yue Ran said with slightly narrowed eyes as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand.


    "Yes, Master!" Ruan Ruan chirped on happily.


    A familiar sense of dizziness came, and when Yue Ran opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a modern incandescent lamp.


    Registering her current position in her head, Yue Ran decided to sit straight up in an elegant manner with her back straight before her eyes darted around without a trace.


    She was alone in a room with modern furniture all around her. It seems that she was not brought into an ancient world.


    The place that Yue Ran was in was an office. It has simple and elegant decorations that do not make the room look out of style. Her surroundings looked very clean and elegant. It was a place where one could easily put down their guard and relax.


    Yue Ran was currently sitting on a boss leather rocker recliner, wearing a warm-colored sweater and black flat shoes. Her slightly curled long black hair was tied lowly and loosely lying on her left shoulder. There is also a nameplate on the desk in front of her with the two words "Yue Ran" written on it.


    Much to Yue Ran''s surprise, the memories of the original body came quickly into her mind without a single pause. This was definitely an odd occurrence, especially when she was facing the Lord God, who views her as a bloody parasite.


    Just what was lying in store for her in the future because of this odd move? Would there be unexpected surprises?


    Shaking off those thoughts, Yue Ran focused her attention on the rush of memories that were crammed into her head.


    In this world, the original body is a genius top student who has returned from studying abroad. She had graduated from her studies very early with a bachelor''s degree in psychology during her undergraduate program, completed a medical degree program, and even finished her residency in psychiatry.


    Before that, the original body had won many awards, and she immediately opened a clinic after returning to her home country. She specializes in psychological treatment; she has a good reputation; and her own affinity for her profession is very strong. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a medical license and certification in her early twenties, the original body now runs her own psychological counseling clinic, and her reputation in her field is very good. Her name was quite well known to others.


    Whether it was the original body''s delicate and gentle appearance or her mature and steady temperament, just looking at and talking to her can already relieve a lot of stress.


    This was especially true for younger people. Among Yue Ran''s patients, the success rate of cure is almost a hundred percent for the younger children or younger people, like teenagers and young adults.


    The original body was actually born in an orphanage.


    After the original body achieved success in starting a clinic, she invested in and assisted many orphanages with the money that she had earned. She is also the deputy director of a loving children''s welfare home in the city that she lived in.


    The original body''s career is a huge success, earning her a very good reputation, and she is quite prestigious in the academic world. She is almost universally praised by all the others in the outside world.


    The original body was once selected as an outstanding youth, which won her another award. She has a noble character and is known for her gentleness and kindness.


    The original body is simply, in a word, perfect.


    The original body is a perfect person.


    Yue Ran: ¡­


    Yue Ran did not say anything when she had read and understood all the new memories in her head. But she most definitely did find her current situation strange in her heart.


    Very, very strange. And this was saying something.


    How could the Lord God ever be so kind as to designate her, a "parasite", a body with such a good character and such a good reputation for nothing? It just did not make any sense.


    She must have missed something.


    Was the memory she received incomplete, perhaps?


    Even Ruan Ruan was confused by his Host''s current situation. Everything was weird.


    Ruan Ruan: What was even happening?


    It was at this time that several knocks came from the door.


    Yue Ran stood up from the boss leather recliner that she was lying on in reflex and straightened up her clothes and hairstyle in the mirror. After making sure that she looked extremely presentable and that there was no other problem with her appearance, she raised a gentle smile in the mirror.


    The stunning woman in the mirror smiled back at her. She has extremely beautiful features and picturesque eyebrows, and a beauty mark at the end of her eye adds a bit of maturity to her. When she smiles, she looks like the warm sunshine in the frigidly cold winter.


    Yue Ran was the gentle warmth in the freezing cold.


    Yue Ran was the shelter in the wind and rain.


    As long as those pair of eyes look at the others intently, they will not be able to hide any secrets from those pair of eyes at all. They would just want to confide all their worries and problems to her.


    As long as those pair eyes look at the others intently, they would feel cared for, as if they were in a safe space where no one could inflict any sort of harm on them.


    The addition of the beauty mark at the end of her eye in this world is indeed a good addition to her profession.


    Yue Ran raised her hand and ran her fingertips across her cheek.

 Chapter 232 - 232: The Gentle Psychiatrist (2)

    Yue Ran raised her hand and ran her fingertips across her cheek and onto the intriguing beauty mark. This new addition and the original body''s temperament were indeed very suitable for her career in this field.


    Another round of knocking came from the door again, which stopped Yue Ran from admiring her beautiful reflection in the mirror.


    When Yue Ran''s gaze turned to the door, the beautiful woman in the mirror also turned her head to the door in sync. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Doctor Yue, your guest has arrived," said someone whom Yue Ran remembered from the original body''s memories as the receptionist and one of the staff in her clinic.


    "I see, let them in," was all that Yue Ran had said.


    Her voice sounded so clean, pleasant, and unbelievably gentle.


    The door was soon pushed open, and it was a middle-aged couple who came in. Yue Ran turned her body around with a beautiful and friendly smile plastered on her face. She politely shook her hands with them and greeted them with a warm "hello."


    This middle-aged couple is classmates with the professor of the original body at her university, and they are also a well-known upper-class family in the city. They have three children, two sons and a daughter, in total.


    Among them, the eldest son, the first child, has almost completed his postgraduate study at a well-known university, and the only daughter, the third and youngest child, is now in high school.


    The problem lies with their youngest son, Cheng Ying, the second-born child in the family. This youngest son has always been silent since he was a child and is more sensitive and introverted than his peers. The couple has been worried about whether something will go wrong with this child since he is so different from the other two of their three children, and his flawed behavior and temperament may affect their reputation in the public eye.


    As a result, after the youngest son had gotten to junior high school, the couple did not know what stimulation their son had received in school, but before they knew it, he had completely fallen into autism.


    The couple had brought their youngest son to many clinics for consultation in the past few years to fix this "problem," but there was just no sort of improvement.


    In the end, the couple came to the original body specifically to ask for her help, to seek a "specialist," in their own words.


    Miraculously, in just a few months, their youngest son had undergone many changes, which rekindled the couple''s hope of normality and their improved reputation. It was not good to have an odd one out in their "perfect" family¡ªthe black sheep in a bunch of bleating snow white, an ugly stain in a pure snow white.


    Imperfections could not be tolerated.


    This time, the couple had come to see the original body to confirm the course of treatment and to provide feedback on the situation.


    "I see." Yue Ran nodded to the couple''s words understandingly. "Okay, then let us make an appointment for the next consultation on Thursday. Is that alright?"


    After confirming the consultation time, Yue Ran kindly sent the couple away and turned around to dig through her drawer for folders. There was a lot of patient information inside.


    It did not take long for Yue Ran to find Cheng Ying''s page based on the memory she received from this body from one of the many folders inside.


    What was written down there was that Cheng Ying was extremely introverted and had low self-esteem.


    Cheng Ying is afraid of loud sounds and voices, crowded environments, and dark, especially black, things. He has claustrophobia, and artistic induction is ineffective.


    He likes to listen to fairy tales and seems to have a slight Oedipus complex, which is yet to be verified for further conclusion.


    He has normal worldly cognition, mild bipolar disorder, and mild antisocial tendencies.


    The rest of the information written down was about Cheng Ying''s age, height, weight, and blood type, as well as some consultation records.


    Yue Ran looked through it all and did not find anything special, but there seemed to be a rather special patient record from the original body''s memory. Where could it be?


    Slightly narrowing her eyes, Yue Ran took out her backpack and thrust her hand inside to reach out for an old-fashioned tablet. It seemed to have been specially made by someone so as not to be able to connect to the Internet, and it could only be used for file storage.


    It only took a few quick taps on the screen for Yue Ran to click on the password to unlock the tablet, and then she clocked on a diary-like memo containing the special patient record "information" that the original body had typed in.


    [Name: Cheng Ying]


    [This man is my type.]


    [His figure, his appearance, and his temperament are all that I like.]


    [When frightened, he looks like a little rabbit.]


    [Those frightened eyes are too cute to look at, and it makes me look forward to what they will look like in the future.]


    [I will give this young man ninety points out of a hundred.]


    [I have to be patient just so that I will not spoil him too early, or else there would be no fun.]


    Yue Ran: ¡­


    Ruan Ruan: ¡­


    Both Yue Ran and, especially, Ruan Ruan, were speechless.


    Sure enough, how could the body that his Master possesses in every world be that of a normal person, especially one so perfect as this current body? There must always be some weird "defects" and "imperfections," or everything would just be much more strange and sketchy, considering that it was the Lord God who had placed his Master in this world.


    But then again, the identity and body his Master possesses in this world are still much too kind to be placed in, just like the identity and body in the previous world.


    The Lord God must be planning something behind closed doors.

 Chapter 233 - 233: The Gentle Psychiatrist (3)

    Just what could the Lord God be planning? What does the Lord God have in store for his Master? For them?


    This thought, which belongs to Ruan Ruan, coincided very well with Yue Ran.


    Just what must the Lord God be planning? A worse future than what was predicted in the first place?


    At this moment, Yue Ran and Ruan Ruan could not have imagined that they had hit the point just right¡ªthat what the Lord God had in store for them was worse than they could have ever imagined. But again, it was the future Yue Ran and the future Ruan Ruan who were going to deal with it, not their present selves.


    So everything was going to be fine, right? It has to be. For survival.


    Yue Ran pinched the center of her eyebrows. It seemed that the body she now possesses was not mentally normal. But that was also fine. She can deal with this since it was not the first time for her to do so.


    Yue Ran let out a soft sigh. She held a hand to her forehead before flipping through the rest of the information. The original body seemed to have the habit of keeping a diary inside this old-fashioned tablet.


    Judging from the words the original body recorded, there seemed to be a few patients like Cheng Ying before, but she did not seem to like them as much as she likes Cheng Ying, the male protagonist of this world. Moreover, the original body had already given up on the past few special patients on hand.


    Cheng Ying was the most special one of all.


    These words Yue Ran read from the tablet somehow evoked a memory in her head, and she felt a rush of emotions crashing into her.


    Yue Ran could feel firsthand the excitement and expectation in this body from the idea of turning Cheng Ying into something, more specifically her toy.


    This idea was naturally not normal and morally wrong, but then again, Yue Ran was not normal, nor was she a person with good morals. She could even be said to have the same morals as a devil in hell, so it seemed like it would be more fun to become a villain, the villain of this world.


    It would be very nice to have the male protagonist of this world as her little toy for her to play with. She can play with that toy whenever she wants, and she can also discard that toy when she feels bored with it already. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, toys are just toys. And toys could be thrown away when no longer used. Or maybe they could be better used as decorations put on the side.


    Red lips were raised as an enthralling smile was slowly stamped on Yue Ran''s face.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran spent the rest of the afternoon in her clinic relatively leisurely. She no longer accepted new patients except for the two or three patients she currently had on hand.


    Now she is mainly responsible for running her clinic and dealing with its operations management, as well as continuing her academic research.


    The time came to approach the evening in a blink of an eye.


    Yue Ran glanced at the silver watch on her wrist to check the time, packed her things, and prepared to go back to the original body''s home in this world as per usual.


    "Ah, Doctor Yue, are you already off from work? Goodbye! See you again, Doctor Yue," the receptionist in the clinic said happily.


    "Yes, thank you for your hard work today, Xiao Zi," Yue Ran said with her usual gentle smile before heading out of the clinic the way she usually goes with slow and steady steps.


    ¡­


    "Doctor Yue, are you leaving already?"


    Yue Ran turned her head and answered, "Yes, Aunt Zhang. How was the scratch I saw on your hand the last time we met? Is it healing well?"


    Aunt Zhang is the cleaning staff of Yue Ran''s clinic.


    Aunt Zhang''s eyes widened in surprise, feeling flattered by the care and attention. "Oh, Doctor Yue, do you still remember this kind of thing? It is okay, it is okay, and yes, the scratch has been healed a long time ago; after all, it was just a small one, and I would have forgotten it if Doctor Yue had not reminded me of it!"


    Yue Ran smiled generously and thoughtfully as she greeted all the staff in her clinic casually yet sincerely, with natural warmth and friendliness radiating from her very bones. She could call everyone by name accurately and politely, and even the cleaning staff, Aunt Zhang, received her gentle greetings.


    After everyone had bid their goodbyes to Yue Ran, she left. All of the staff seemed to be infected by Yue Ran''s gentle smile, and the corners of their mouths unconsciously rose up.


    Several other young doctors in the same clinic gathered together to joke. They all lamented that Doctor Yue Ran was really young, promising, gentle, beautiful, smart, kind, and had a good personality. Just talking to her made them feel very happy.


    Although this was a little bit exaggerated, this is the impression that this clinic, including outsiders, has on Yue Ran.


    Yue Ran is simply the epitome of perfection, someone whom everyone would enjoy spending their time with.


    ¡­


    When Yue Ran got home, she turned on the TV while she was cooking her dinner.


    The news happened to be on. It seems that there have been several cases of accidental deaths of teenagers in the city recently. As the Chinese New Year was approaching, the representatives of the police force were reminding the parents to take good care of their own children and pay attention to their children''s mental health.


    Yue Ran turned on the faucet, and the water washed away the red blood on the glinting blade. She softly hummed an unknown nursery rhyme, and then she let out a contemptuous laugh.


    Pay attention to the children''s mental health¡­

 Chapter 234 - 234: The Gentle Psychiatrist (4)

    Some parents nowadays are just like a pair of children who have their own children. They were childish, not real, responsible adults. Some even regard children as the guarantee of future life and even wish that they could have more children.


    To them, more children equal greater wealth.


    As long as there is at least one child they have who can become talented and famous, they can live a good life, whether in terms of wealth, fame, or others, for the rest of their lives. There are quite a lot of them who hold this concept in their heads.


    Not to mention paying attention to the mental health of their children, they would be satisfied if they could raise their children to become a new workforce for them.


    Is Cheng Ying, the male protagonist of this world, not the same?


    Even though Cheng Ying''s parents were so anxious about his condition and took him around to seek medical advice after he became completely ill, one was afraid that it was only because it was just for show in front of the patriarch of the Cheng family.


    Not to mention that the couple could not allow anyone to know that their son had this kind of mental illness, a huge defect in their eyes. They could not afford to lose face to outsiders, so it was only then that they started to worry about their son''s condition after Cheng Ying became so ill that he could not even go to school anymore.


    According to Yue Ran''s observations, Cheng Ying should have been exposed to severe domestic violence since he was a child, and he also lacked care and kindness when he was growing up.


    When the original body took over the patient, Cheng Ying already showed a certain degree of self-destructive tendencies, but under the original body''s guidance, this poor condition has eased a lot.


    "What a poor child..."


    Yue Ran''s words trailed off as she looked at the vegetables in her hand with pity. However, a very evil yet charming smile was evoked from the corner of her lips.


    Although the male protagonist, Cheng Ying, is really just a year younger than she is in this world, he is still a child in Yue Ran''s eyes.


    The blade of the knife in her hand flashed with white light, looking extremely cold and icy, as she cut the vegetable on the chopping board into two equal pieces.


    She will make sure to make him grow up well under her guidance.


    ¡­


    Soon Wednesday came, and the appointment time for the consultation agreed upon with the parents of Cheng Ying finally arrived as scheduled.


    Yue Ran handled her work matters in advance before driving to Cheng''s family villa with her car alone. Because of Cheng Ying''s illness, he does not live in the main house of the Cheng family. His parents have driven him out of the house and into another one of their family villas to live alone. Naturally, this includes the staff inside the family villa.


    Today, Yue Ran was wearing a milky white turtleneck sweater, and light gray casual pants, and even her shoes were a soft and clean white. Her whole person seems to be coated with a gentle and angelic halo, which would make one think of a nurse or a doctor with a big pinch of holiness.


    Yue Ran drove all the way to Cheng''s family villa, where the housekeeper was already waiting in front of the doors. She smiled and nodded politely to the old man.


    "Doctor Yue, you are here," the housekeeper said welcomingly. "The young master is currently in the living room."


    "I see," Yue Ran replied smilingly.


    This was not the first time the housekeeper had seen Yue Ran. He respectfully turned aside to let her into the silent villa.


    There are very few servants in this villa, with only five of them, including the housekeeper, in total. This was because they were afraid of aggravating Cheng Ying''s condition, so all of the staff here is more like a ghost, where they come and go from one place to another without leaving a trace behind.


    After walking through the quiet garden, Yue Ran walked into the living room wearing a pair of special silent slippers. She could vaguely see the figure of the young man nestled on the sofa in the plainly decorated living room.


    The young man was wearing a large white sweatshirt. He was very thin, more on the lean side, and very tall. His legs were folded in front of his chest, and his figure was completely sunken into the sofa. It was as if there was only that small section of the entire sofa where he could find a place to sit.


    Cheng Ying: "¡­"


    His beautiful amber eyes looked over at Yue Ran.


    The young man in front of her was the male protagonist of this world, Cheng Ying.


    Yue Ran looked back at the male protagonist with eyes full of tenderness, like the gentle and comfortable warmth of the hot spring, making people feel like they were wrapped and cocooned in the comfortable and warm waters. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The apparent nervousness on Cheng Ying''s face and body loosened a little, which was manifested in the fact that he no longer hugged his calf with his hands, and his body posture relaxed a little.


    "I have not seen you for a long time," Yue Ran said.


    Yue Ran''s voice is very soft, like the gentle wind that brushes past the willow leaves and branches in spring or the ripples caused by flying catkins falling on the surface of a water body. In short, it does not sound unwelcome or intrusive at all.


    Cheng Ying only stared at the young woman and blinked in response.


    Yue Ran got a little closer, and she could feel that the boy turned a little more nervous again, and his fingers were moving quite actively, as if it were the only way to relieve the highly strung emotions inside him.

 Chapter 235 - 235: The Gentle Psychiatrist (5)

    Yue Ran sighed. It had not been long since their last consultation, and they had been seeing each other for three or four months now, but Cheng Ying was still a little wary of her.


    Then again, compared to the male protagonist''s previous psychiatrists that he had seen before, Yue Ran could already be said to have yielded the most successful results.


    Yue Ran sat on the corner of the sofa farthest from Cheng Ying''s position and quietly took out a picture album-like book from her bag. It was a storybook. The book was quite thin enough so that Cheng Ying could tell what it was just by taking a glance at it.


    The young man quietly raised his head to look at Yue Ran, like a cute, fluffy, wary little hamster.


    "I brought you the storybook that we did not finish reading last time," Yue Ran said. "Do you want to hear it?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran raised the book in her hand to show it to him. Cheng Ying bit his bottom lip and thought for a while, then chose to give her a slight nod.


    "Do you remember what we agreed to before?" Yue Ran reminded him with a gentle tone, like coaxing a child.


    The two of them had reached an agreement during their previous consultation. If Cheng Ying wanted or did not want to do something, he had to say it clearly and tell Yue Ran what he wanted or did not want to do.


    Cheng Ying obviously still remembered their previous agreement. When Yue Ran said this, he immediately let out a muffled sound and stopped looking at her. It was obvious that he did not want to talk to her.


    Yue Ran waited patiently for a while but did not make him wait too long because that would cause an unnecessary psychological burden for Cheng Ying.


    She coughed lightly, as if to moisten her throat.


    Cheng Ying was attracted by the sudden sound and action, and he thus turned his head slightly to look at Yue Ran from the corner of his eye.


    Yue Ran flipped through the book, starting from the unfinished part of the last consultation, and continued to narrate the story in an extremely warm and gentle tone, enthralling and immersive.


    Cheng Ying was quickly attracted by her voice. He raised his head to look at Yue Ran, with surprise and a slight joy in his eyes.


    Unfortunately, Yue Ran stopped talking after only three or four sentences.


    Yue Ran spoke with a smile, "This story is very interesting. Are you sure that you really do not want to hear it to the end?"


    Cheng Ying blinked silently in reply.


    He had read almost all kinds of fairy tales sold on the market, including even those unpublished ones, but the fairy tales that Yue Ran read to him were particularly different from the rest. He had never heard of any of the stories from Yue Ran''s storybooks before. Her stories were always unique¡ªa special world of their own.


    For a child like Cheng Ying, who has been relatively withdrawn since childhood, it is not easy for him to acquire a hobby, which often means that if he does have one, he will most definitely devote a lot of energy to this said hobby. As long as something catches his eye, he will want to chase after it, no matter how long it may take. He was quite persistent in this.


    And now he was attracted to the storybook that Yue Ran was reading him. He had an inkling that Yue Ran''s stories seemed to be written by herself. After all, he was not able to find any of the stories she read him anywhere else.


    Moreover, rather than reading the stories himself, he prefers it if someone else were to read them to him, especially someone with a nice and gentle voice like Yue Ran. She has a voice that could easily make anyone willingly sink and drown so comfortably in.


    "I¡­ I want to hear it," Cheng Ying said.


    The young man''s voice was hoarse, which did not sound suitable for his age, but it was not unpleasant to the ears.


    Yue Ran looked at Cheng Ying and saw his face clearly for the first time. He has a fair complexion. He is handsome and has delicate-looking cheeks. His eyes looked more beautiful than emerald gemstones, even if they looked distant and cold, and he also seemed to carry a subtle aura of abstinence and madness.


    Yue Ran immediately felt the subtle desire rolling in her body, yearning for the person in front of her. This sudden feeling obviously belonged to the original body, not her own. Then again, Cheng Ying was her prey now.


    This feeling inside her is not the emotion of love or disgust, but something more complicated. It is something dirtier, a kind of desire that would make one feel guilty, yet one would want to indulge in it at the same time.


    "Okay," Yue Ran said, nodding her head with satisfaction. The tone of her voice sounded lighter. It was as if she were like a kindergarten teacher coaxing a child to take a nap.


    She had always changed her tone so that it sounded just right, just perfect in the others'' ears, in every type of situation, which would make people get immersed in it. And now that Yue Ran was reading a fairy tale, Cheng Ying most definitely did feel as if he were inside that fairy tale himself.


    The young man now seemed much more relaxed in Yue Ran''s presence. He began to stop hugging his knees and changed his uncomfortable and closed-off curling pose into a more comfortable and open position.


    After Yue Ran finished telling a story, she looked up at him, patted her knees, and asked, "Are you tired? Do you want to lie down and listen?"


    She was indicating that he could lie on her lap while listening to the story.

 Chapter 236 - 236: The Gentle Psychiatrist (6)

    Cheng Ying was completely stunned, as if he did not expect that Yue Ran would make such a suggestion. His breathing suddenly became a little more rapid, and his face seemed to change.


    "It is okay. If you do not want to do it, you can just sit back and listen. It is okay. Everything is okay," Yue Ran said softly to gently calm down the young man''s quite intense emotions.


    However, what she really did not expect was for Cheng Ying to actually agree to her suggestion. After all, the action of lying down on one''s lap was a relatively intimate physical contact.


    She only wanted to give Cheng Ying a psychological precaution today, like a threshold effect. It is generally difficult for people to accept a large request made to others at once, but it is easier for them to accept it if the request made is gradually becoming easier compared to the one from before and that the gap between the two requests is continuously narrowed.


    "Hm," Cheng Ying hummed softly, so softly that Yue Ran might not have heard it if she had not been paying attention to him. She was a little surprised when she saw the young man slowly approach her like a stealthy yet shy little cat.


    The young man seemed to have made a lot of determination, and every move he made was full of hesitation, but the distance between himself and Yue Ran was closing to only one or two meters at most. With the continuous movements, Cheng Ying''s proximity to her was instantly narrowed in the blink of an eye.


    Then he smelled something.


    Yue Ran has a nice scent on her, like the smell of rain or nature itself with a hint of floral scent, which gave Cheng Ying a sense of security. It was pleasant and calming.


    "Just lie down and relax," Yue Ran said. "I will keep on reading to you until you do not want to hear it anymore, okay?"


    The last word Yue Ran said was simply too gentle, like a devil''s whisper, full of seduction and natural enchantment. Cheng Ying''s heart could not help but beat a little faster.


    The young man lay down obediently and nervously, with his head lying on her legs. He suppressed the discomfort in his heart and hugged his curled legs in his arms. Fortunately, Yue Ran soon started reading the next sentence of the fairy tale, and the young man gradually relaxed in this new position.


    Yue Ran read the story for almost an hour. Perhaps because she spoke too softly and too gently, Cheng Ying now felt a little sleepy.


    The last line of consciousness that he had struggled to grasp in his hands seemed to easily slip out of his hold as Yue Ran gently stoked his hair and said "sleep" with that pleasantly soft voice of hers. And so, Cheng Ying fell asleep in a daze.


    It was strange. This was strange.


    It was usually very difficult for him to fall asleep, whether during the day or at night. But today, it was not hard for him to fall asleep. At all. And today, his heart does not feel as empty as before. Why?


    Cheng Ying did not know when he had already fallen asleep.


    Yue Ran slowly blinked her eyes as she looked down at the young man sleeping with his head on her lap. Her long and naturally curled eyelashes fluttered with her movements, like the gentle flap of a butterfly''s wings.


    Generally, psychiatrists will establish friendship relationships with their patients, but they will not have any deeper emotions or connections beyond this. This was because their patients could easily become dependent on them and then grow increasingly attached to them.


    Once the patients regard their psychiatrists as a pillar of support, these patients will not become truly independent, and it will also affect the doctor''s personal life. It is true that this method may be an effective way to cure the patient''s mental illness, but it may also have more serious consequences.


    Yue Ran thought of these in her head, and a beautiful smile appeared at the corner of her lips.


    "It seems that I may have charmed the male protagonist unconsciously," Yue Ran said as she softly ran her fingers through Cheng Ying''s soft hair.


    Yue Ran: Ah, I am just too charming. My charm is unbeatable.


    Ruan Ruan: My Master is the best!


    And she just wants to be the male protagonist''s pillar of support.


    She just wants herself to be the male protagonist''s world.


    She wants to be his everything.


    The female protagonist may have to step aside for her to stand on the stage. Then again, she might as well push the female protagonist off the stage permanently. After all, there was a humongous hole in this world.


    This was because the plot in this world has an open ending.


    And Yue Ran would not let this opportunity go to waste.


    ¡­


    Cheng Ying had a very long dream, but it seemed to end in just a few breaths. Bizarre colors of black, white, and gray filled his vision.


    He dreamt that someone was standing in front of him, not far away, in a school uniform, and that someone wanted to choke him alive. And thus, Cheng Ying turned around from that person and wanted to run away, as far away as he could, but the surrounding street lights, the telephone poles, the pine trees, the buildings around, the bicycles, and even the shadows and darkened sky itself all turned into hands that were trying to catch him and trap him alive.


    All those hands wanted to choke him.


    Too many hands. Too many hands wanted to catch him and trap him. Alive. Choke him. Alive.


    Trapped, trapped, trapped.


    He was almost trapped. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, by some miracle, he was able to successfully run back to his house, and the first thing he saw was his parents waiting in front of the door. Were they waiting for him?

 Chapter 237 - 237: The Gentle Psychiatrist (7)

    Cheng Ying had just breathed a sigh of relief, only to see his elder brother and little sister walking over to greet his parents with happy smiles.


    When he turned around, his elder brother''s face suddenly appeared in front of him. His heart and stomach clenched, and every nerve in his body became tense.


    Hands.


    Darkness.


    Trapped, trapped, trapped.


    "Cheng Ying, are you really from our Cheng family?" His elder brother''s voice echoed in his head.


    His elder brother''s tone was filled with contempt, disdain, and derision. It was then that his little sister''s face suddenly appeared next to his elder brother''s, wearing a black mask while showing the glint of the dark, malevolent eyes, and she was giggling in front of him with the same derision and disdain in his elder brother''s eyes.


    Cheng Ying froze in place, just like the blood that seemed to stop running in his body. He wanted to leave, but there seemed to be no other place he could go.


    Hands.


    Darkness.


    Laughter.


    Trapped, trapped, trapped.


    "The sounds and scents of nature. The sound of birds singing came from the backyard, and it turned out that the fragrance of flowers was everywhere."


    Suddenly, Cheng Ying heard a voice say this, cutting through the darkness invading his world.


    Everything¡ªthe darkness, the shadows, the hands, the derision, and all the other negativities in front of him¡ªturns a little blurry. Everything was lighter.


    Trapped, trapped, trapped...


    "The bearing of affliction, pain, and loss. There are no disasters and pains because the pains and sufferings are left to the gods. There are no worries because the worries are left to the gods. There are no disappointments because the disappointments are left to the gods."


    The pleasant and gentle voice continued to sound clearer and clearer with the passing of every second of time, and the blurry, snow-like black and white picture in front of him was now like an old-fashioned or antique TV set, and everyone''s movements were stuck in a hazy and blurry static image one after another. Everything was clouded.


    Suddenly, he was not trapped anymore. Those hands had stopped catching up to him. Everything had stopped.


    Cheng Ying was startled out of his sleep, and he suddenly and rapidly sat up as a subconscious reaction.


    Yue Ran was standing not far away from the sofa that Cheng Ying was sleeping on. She slowly asked when he saw the young man wake up, "Did I disturb your sleep?"


    She had seen that Cheng Ying seemed to be having a nightmare in his nap, so she did not forcefully wake him up. Instead, she spoke with the voice when she was reading a fairy tale to persuade the young man to wake up from that unpleasant dream.


    This could work, mostly because he had always shown an unusual interest in the stories that she had read aloud.


    When Cheng Ying heard Yue Ran''s voice, one that he seemed to be hearing in his dream, now awake from his slumber, he was startled again.


    He then turned around from his position and suddenly found that Yue Ran was still there, so he blinked, stood up, and took two steps back in hesitation. He bit his lower lip in a cautious manner and looked at the young woman, looked away, looked back, looked away, and then looked back at her again.


    "You want to ask me why I have not left yet, right?" Yue Ran spoke with a smile on her lips. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cheng Ying nodded slightly. He had expected her to leave when he was fast asleep. He knew very clearly that she had no obligation to look after him when their session was over.


    "Did I not say before that I would keep on reading you the story until you had heard enough today? This is your reward for keeping your promise," Yue Ran said.


    Yue Ran blinked at the young man. She did not say that she was afraid of waking Cheng Ying up or that she wanted to wait for him to get up before leaving, which might increase the psychological burden in his mind and thus affect subsequent consultations.


    "I brought a lot," Yue Ran said in a sing-song voice.


    The young woman naturally opened the zipper of her bag without making any excessive noise in one elegant movement, and Cheng Ying could see the books that were exposed from the open bag from where he was standing.


    Yue Ran smiled and asked, "How is it? Do you still want to hear it? Or should we leave it until a later date to do so?"


    Leaving it for a later date is a very meaningful statement.


    Moreover, people, especially simple and pitiful people like Cheng Ying, usually choose the latter option when facing someone they trust. That is, if they believe that the person in front of them sincerely cares for them.


    This is a small psychological game, and of course, it is also related to Yue Ran''s expressions, movements, and tone. Everything is calculated perfectly, as precise and accurate as everything was supposed to be.


    "When will it be in the future?" he asked.


    Cheng Ying seemed to have a better impression of her because she was still there after he woke up. Finally, he no longer held back his words but turned his head to look at Yue Ran and asked her with that unique voice of his, which sounded nice and pure, only unique to him.


    "When do you want it to be?" Yue Ran asked the young man back.


    People like Yue Ran are most accustomed to kicking questions back to the person who asked them.


    She had to admit that it was fun.


    Cheng Ying was immediately stumped by his own question. He lowered his head and looked at his fingers for a while, and he could not help but think of that dream. Would even his hands turn into monsters to catch him? To trap him? He would surely be caught up soon.

 Chapter 238 - 238: The Gentle Psychiatrist (8)

    If Yue Ran knew what the young man was thinking, she would definitely let out a sigh.


    The distrust of one''s own body is a serious psychological problem, and improper guidance may have a bad tendency to aggravate this condition.


    "Tomorrow," Cheng Ying suddenly said. "I hope that it will be tomorrow."


    The eyes with which the young man was looking at Yue Ran held a little bit of confusion and hesitation.


    "Hm? Tomorrow? Okay," Yue Ran said as she looked at the male protagonist with a smile. "I hope that it will be tomorrow too."


    It was almost two o''clock in the afternoon when she came, and it was five o''clock now, which was almost dinner time.


    Seeing that both Yue Ran and Cheng Ying were still talking, the housekeeper had no plans to disturb them.


    Yue Ran is a person with a strong sense of time. When she saw that it was already close to dinner time, she looked up at Cheng Ying and asked him softly, "It is time for dinner. Are you hungry?"


    Cheng Ying''s mind was a little empty. He was still immersed in that nightmare and could not help but think about it over and over again in his head. Thus, when he heard Yue Ran talking about dinner, he shook his head in response, since he does not have any appetite at all.


    "I am... not very hungry," Cheng Ying replied as his head lowered to the ground, as did his line of sight.


    "Okay, then remember to eat when you are hungry," Yue Ran said. "Well, that is it for the consultation we have today. I will see you tomorrow, okay?"


    Yue Ran usually limits his meetings with Cheng Ying to about three hours, so as not to put a psychological burden on Cheng Ying for too long. Being a psychiatrist is a job that requires rigor and patience.


    There were quite a few accomplishments that she had achieved today. One, she had just read him a fairy tale today, although it was only Yue Ran''s unilateral output. The second one would be that Cheng Ying had initiated physical contact with her today, which is already very rare and a good achievement in itself.


    Cheng Ying hesitated for a moment before saying, "Okay."


    Yue Ran then smiled and said "goodbye" to the young man with a smile.


    Just when Yue Ran was about to walk out of the living room, Cheng Ying asked in a soft voice, "Where are the gods?" Cheng Ying seemed to be afraid that Yue Ran did not understand what he meant, so he added another sentence: "The story that you read before... it was never finished."


    "About that, you have to find the ending of the unfinished story by yourself," Yue Ran said.


    The young woman smiled at the young man and gave him a wave of her hand as a gesture of goodbye. Cheng Ying had very good eyesight. Looking at those white hands with distinct finger bones and round and shiny nails, he felt an inexplicable feeling in his heart.


    Will Yue Ran''s hands come to catch him too? But her hands were different from those sallow and black hands infested with darkness. If she were the one who catches him, the one who traps him, it seems that it would be a better thing than being held by those terrifying hands in the dream.


    "Um" was Chen Ying''s answer.


    Yue Ran left the Cheng family villa and called Cheng Ying''s parents to give a report on today''s consultation. Cheng Ying''s mother was particularly happy and enthusiastic when Yue Ran told her that Cheng Ying''s condition had improved, and she even asked Yue Ran to go again to meet Cheng Ying the next day.


    Cheng Ying''s mother was pretty adamant about wanting to know when her son would return to normal. She kept repeating words such as "increasing reward" and "I will thank you well for curing my son" many times to Yue Ran during their conversation.


    Yue Ran tried to smooth things over with a smile, making the middle-aged woman feel a little dazed. In the end, all Cheng Ying''s mother could say was, "Okay, Dr. Bai. Everything will depend on you, Dr. Bai."


    ...


    At the same time, in the city''s criminal police team. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The recent suicide incidents among teenagers have attracted the attention of society. The preliminary investigation showed that these teenagers had indeed committed suicide, but because all these teenagers happened to be in the same city and the time that they committed suicide was too close to one another, some people in the criminal police team also became suspicious.


    "Xiao Meng, do not bother with this matter anymore," Wu Bin said with a little exasperation. "The increase in the suicide rate of teenagers is also a normal thing. Everything is just a coincidence. The superiors have sent people to investigate this matter several times. The reasons for their suicide are complete, the suicide note is clear, and the family has accepted the outcome. So, why are you still insisting on digging more into this already-solved case?"


    "I just feel like something is very wrong with this case, but I just do not know what it is," Tang Meng, or Xiao Meng, as Wu Bin had called her, replied. "I have a hunch that something is wrong, something is missing, and I want to find out exactly what it is."


    Wu Bin narrowed his eyes slightly before saying, "Then, can you please explain to me where the problem is?"


    Wu Bin let out a sigh. This new girl is very serious about and dedicated to her work.


    Although Tang Meng is a person who landed her job in the criminal police force with her deep network and connections, she is actually not as squeamish as everybody had expected her to be. Moreover, she has a very bright mind, which is good for everyone since everyone initially imagined her to be an annoying and spoiled little princess.

 Chapter 239 - 239: The Gentle Psychiatrist (9)

    Recently, Tang Meng was even nicknamed the ''flower of the police force'' for being the only policewoman on the criminal police team.


    Even though Tang Meng was a little stubborn, which was actually an understatement, this teenage suicide case was already long closed, yet she still stubbornly looked into the case and kept on reading the information from one file to another from time to time.


    "Well, for example, this Liu Zi You was 17 years old," Tang Meng said in reply to Wu Bin''s question. "He was dating a partner not long ago, so why did he suddenly commit suicide within a week? And it was in such an extreme way of committing suicide by jumping off the rails."


    "Did the superiors not find the reason for this person''s suicide clearly already? When he was a child, he witnessed an accidental murder, so he had already been traumatized by then," Wu Bin said. "Moreover, the person that he was dating with was also a person in an online relationship with him, and they got together just after chatting a few words to one another online, which did not help solve his traumatic problem at all."


    Tang Meng pursed her lips when she heard Wu Bin''s words.


    "We have also checked the chat records of the two and found out that Liu Zi You had already shown suicidal tendencies even when he was dating his partner, but his online dating partner only thought that he was complaining about his life and just let him vent his emotions and frustrations wherever and whenever he wanted without much sincere care," Wu Bin continued. "And after hearing that Liu Zi You had committed suicide, is his partner not very scared that she cried so badly when being questioned as to what was recorded in the file?"


    "But... I still feel that something about this is strange," Tang Meng said with suspicion.


    Tang Meng flipped through the files in her hand and found a total of six teenagers and six suicides, all of whom had no nostalgia for the world. The evidence in the files had already been concluded, and even the families of those teenagers have accepted it.


    "Is it really as simple as them just committing suicide?" Tang Meng asked aloud to herself.


    ¡­


    At the end of today''s consultation, Yue Ran looked at the time¡ªit was already afternoon¡ªand decided to go get something to eat for lunch first. There is also a return visit from her patients in the evening. This is just a consultation to communicate with the patients, who have already achieved normal social interactions and communications and have returned to fit into society like all the rest of the people in the world.


    While having her lunch, Yue Ran received a call from her professor, who had helped her a lot when she was abroad. It was said that the daughter of her professor''s best friend had some psychological questions, and the professor wanted to see if Yue Ran could take the time to help answer them.


    The reason why the professor called Yue Ran in the first place was that among the domestic professors in Country A that this professor could contact, Yue Ran was already at a very high level, which would be of great help, and was also the professor''s first choice.


    In return for the professor''s previous help, Yue Ran smiled and agreed.


    The professor told Yue Ran not to worry since the daughter of her professor''s best friend would definitely pay up for the time that Yue Ran would teach her. Then the other party sent Yue Ran the contact information from the phone, and Yue Ran clicked on it to add the daughter of her professor''s best friend as a friend in her social account.


    And now, Yue Ran started a conversation in the chat with a very pretty smile on her face. Who knew that she would get in touch with the female protagonist, Tang Meng, of this world so quickly? Then again, this was what was written in the plot. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran: [Hello, I am the professor''s student, Yue Ran.]


    Tang Meng: [Hello, my name is Tang Meng!]


    Yue Ran: [I heard from the professor that you have questions about psychological problems and thus need help via consultation, right?]


    Tang Meng: [Yes, yes, that is right!]


    Tang Meng: [I hope that I will not trouble you too much!]


    Tang Meng was determined not to give up on the teenage suicide cases. From her research, she found that these teenagers had all stopped studying for a period of time due to various mental illnesses before they took their own lives.


    Tang Meng then thought about using mental illness as a breakthrough to try and solve this closed case again. After asking around with her connections, she finally found Yue Ran. She checked Yue Ran''s information and found that this young and beautiful female psychiatrist not only has a rich resume, but she is also very well-known and knowledgeable. Her reputation in the public eye is also very good.


    Ever since Tang Meng was transferred to this criminal police team, although everyone was polite to her, Tang Meng still knew it in her heart that everyone simply thought that she was just a good-for-nothing silly girl who had gotten her job through personal connections, and they would never let her handle any serious and important cases.


    Tang Meng did not come to the police force to work as a vase with no skill but beauty alone! She has beauty and brains!


    The young woman was determined to make some achievements as soon as possible to impress everyone and show everyone that she had the skills to be in her position!


    Tang Meng has even thought and daydreamed about what it will look like when she goes on stage to receive the award for her meritorious service and has even rehearsed her speech for her awesome work in her head over and over again!

 Chapter 240 - 240: The Gentle Psychiatrist (10)

    Yue Ran and Tang Meng chatted through text messages for a few more polite words, and the two finally decided to have an appointment, where Tang Meng would have to come to Yue Ran''s clinic for a consultation to resolve her problems.


    After finalizing the meeting time with the female protagonist, Yue Ran was now ready to start a return visit appointment with the first patient of the day, a filthy rich young master. The young master she was going to meet today had actually caused the original body a lot of trouble in the past.


    The young master that Yue Ran was talking about was the young master of the Lu family, Lu Yuan.


    Lu Yuan has always been doted on and spoiled rotten by his family since he was a child. He is also very smart and prodigious, which makes his family love him even more. Everyone in the Lu family, from grandparents to uncles and even to his aunts, loves him so much since he is the only young master of the Lu family.


    This young man typically grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. He can get everything within his reach with just a wave of his hand or a word from his mouth.


    When Lu Yuan almost turned seventeen, he had injured three of his classmates, not by accident. One of the three classmates even almost died during that incident. Later, he was checked and diagnosed with mania. Many people who suffer from mania, like Lu Yuan, do not think that anything is wrong.


    Not long later, it was discovered that those three classmates had tried defending themselves from the attack and that they had been bullied by Lu Yuan for quite some time already.


    This incident was downright scandalous, but the high compensation given by the Lu family made the family members of those three classmates keep their mouths shut. Because Lu Yuan was only sixteen years old, he was originally going to be sent to a juvenile detention center. However, no one knew what sorts of means the Lu family had used to stop this from happening and only had Lu Yuan go to a psychiatrist for treatment. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The psychiatrist they looked for happened to be Yue Ran.


    At that time, Yue Ran was growing in fame in the psych industry, and there happened to be a person in the Lu family who was once a classmate of Yue Ran, so the Lu family decided to hand Lu Yuan''s case over to Yue Ran.


    When Yue Ran and this young master met for the first time, they had a strange, relatable feeling. Something, right then and there, just clicked.


    There was chemistry.


    In fact, Lu Yuan was originally the original body''s favorite toy, or at least the original body wanted to shape Lu Yuan into her perfect toy. But this young master''s psychology was too complicated and twisted. He obviously receives and showers in the love of so many people in his family; he was born wealthy, he is smart, and he is in good health, but it was just not enough. It could be said that he has everything that most people in this world dream of, but nothing is ever enough.


    This is where his mind is twisted.


    If ever asked why he was not satisfied, Lu Yuan would answer that his family members do not really love and care for him, and he wants them to prove their love to him. Because it was just never enough.


    It was because love and like were mere words, so they are meaningless, right?


    Lu Yuan does not know and cannot see what the others are thinking, so if they say that they love him, that they like him, or that they care for him, then they have to prove it to him, right?


    He just has to see the proof of their words, their care, and everything.


    Then came a series of deep dives into his mental health. The original body then realized that Lu Yuan was simply born a bad seed, a bad person from the very start.


    Therefore, the big question is, Why did Yue Ran not choose Lu Yuan as her toy to shape into perfection in the end?


    The answer to that was that Lu Yuan was simply too difficult to control and asked for too much (the proof of love). During the treatment process, he hinted at this to Yue Ran more than once. He wanted her to say that she cared about him.


    Moreover, it was just written in the law of the universe that villains have to mess with the protagonists, and Lu Yuan was simply not the male protagonist of the world, but Cheng Ying. And hence, Lu Yuan was not a qualified "toy" to be messed around with.


    Furthermore, Yue Ran knew very clearly that as long as she made any promise to Lu Yuan, even if she had shown him the proof of her love, for example, by thrusting her hand into her chest and taking out her heart for the young master, Lu Yuan would still not necessarily, no, he would most definitely not believe her. He will smile and ask her, "How do I know that this heart belongs to you?"


    See how messed up he is? Yeah, the original body was not taking any risks with this spoiled young master who would demand a mile once she gave in an inch.


    Lu Yuan would always doubt everything, and Yue Ran knows that while he longs for others to love him, he also longs for others'' betrayal. What an irony!


    In short, Yue Ran and the original body still prefer Cheng Ying in their hearts.


    Honestly, for Yue Ran, the male protagonist will always be her top priority, and the others can only stand back to let him through.


    ¡­


    "It has been a long time since we last saw each other," Yue Ran said with a straight face.

 Chapter 241 - 241: The Gentle Psychiatrist (11)

    Yue Ran asked politely, "How have you been lately?"


    "Does Doctor Yue care for me?" the young man sitting across from her asked.


    The young man that she was seeing now was her patient, Lu Yuan.


    Lu Yuan sat on the sofa opposite Yue Ran with a happy smile on his face. He was wearing a white T-shirt, gray jacket, light trousers, and a trendy pair of white leather high-top sneakers to give an extra dose of style to his look that combines both comfort and functionality.


    The young man looks cheerful, friendly, and generous, just like an ordinary college student, with a pair of sparkling golden eyes, dimples, and a pair of cute tiger teeth that appear when he smiles. This kind of appearance would easily attract the attention of many girls in college.


    Yue Ran looked at Lu Yuan with a rare expression that did not hold a gentle smile before answering calmly, "This is just the process of a return visit, Lu Yuan."


    "All right, all right, I get it." Lu Yuan''s face suddenly turned cold, and he slumped down on the sofa, playing with a strand of hair on his forehead from time to time.


    "You have not done anything out of the ordinary recently, right?" Yue Ran went straight to the point and asked the key questions for today''s appointment.


    Lu Yuan is very smart and has excellent grades. He has started to take over the Lu family business in the past two years. And he seemed to have unparalleled talent in this field. With the love and endless support from his family, there was no doubt that he would be the next in line for the CEO position of his family''s company.


    Although Lu Yuan is still only in his twenties now, the power in his hands has reached a level that is difficult for ordinary people to achieve.


    His family regarded Yue Ran as the last line of defense to contain Lu Yuan, and they hoped that this kind and outstanding female doctor would take good care of their son and prevent him from going astray like before.


    It was just a pity that Yue Ran was not what they imagined her to be. Hidden behind the soft and fluffy pure white wings and the shining halo above her head, which cast light on the darkness of the world and brought salvation to those who wanted to repent, was the dark shadow in the shape of a devil behind her. It was too bad that her sharp tail had already ensnared her victims, stabbing their hearts in so deep that they would never be able to escape from her grasp.


    A villain is a villain, after all. There was no way for a villain to turn good¡ªonly a villain who hides their evil behind a kind or gentle facade.


    "No, nothing out of the ordinary," was Lu Yuan''s answer. His face looked hurt as he continued, "How can you think of me like this? I am studying and working very hard every day. I am trying very hard¡­" His words trailed off before he said his words in a tone just above a whisper, "To resist the urge to rip out their hearts and take a look at what is truly inside their bodies. It must look fascinating."


    Yue Ran let out a sigh as she said, "You know the consequences of losing control, right? You also know that I am your one and only last choice, Lu Yuan."


    Yue Ran smiled. It was the first time that she showed her smile when he met Lu Yuan today.


    Lu Yuan liked to see Yue Ran''s smile very much. It was a smile that was so kind, gentle, and tolerant, as if she would never cheat or betray another. He desperately hoped that Yue Ran could make a promise to him, to tell him that she loved him just like the others did, and then let him tear her apart with pain and pleasure amid suspicion and betrayal.


    "I know, I know. You do not have to remind me of this every time we meet!" Lu Yuan sighed and covered his ears like a rebellious child, not wanting to listen to Yue Ran anymore.


    Yue Ran cleverly used Lu Yuan''s psychology against him. She used herself as a guarantee to let Lu Yuan return to his daily life, using her own expectations and trust to constrain Lu Yuan''s behavior, and then pushing all the words that seemed to be promises into their relationship.


    She held sweet honey in one hand, coaxed him, and said, "Lu Yuan, I am your only choice." The other hand held a threatening whip and said to him with a smile, "Lu Yuan, I can send you to the juvenile detention center at any time, so you have to be careful."


    "Can you not even fulfill your patient''s little wish? You just have to say that you believe me and coax me well," Lu Yuan said before sighing in defeat. "Forget it; stop speaking. I have long memorized your answer to this."


    "Very good," Yue Ran said with a no-nonsense attitude. "It seems that your view of your current situation is very clear, so be good, Lu Yuan, and we will see each other again next time."


    Yue Ran usually does not waste too much time on this little lunatic. He is smart enough, and he knows what he will do and what the consequences will be if Yue Ran is not tied to him or warns him of things.


    Yue Ran stood up, patted the skirt of her dress, turned around, and prepared to leave. After all, their appointment has ended.


    It was too bad that before she could go any further, Lu Yuan''s voice came from behind her, holding an imperceptible gloom.


    "I heard that Lu Zi You has committed suicide," Lu Yuan suddenly said.


    Yue Ran stopped and then turned around. Her expression turned a little depressed.


    S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 242 - 242: The Gentle Psychiatrist (12)

    When she heard such news from Lu Yuan, Yue Ran''s mood went down, and great sadness seemed to shroud her figure. She closed her eyes before saying softly, "He is such a poor child... I will give him a proper moment of silence."


    Lu Yuan: ¡­


    Ruan Ruan: ¡­My Master really respects the dead.


    Yue Ran: Hehe.


    With that, Yue Ran turned around and left.


    Now left all alone, Lu Yuan''s eyes turned glazed and unfocused. Even if one were to see him like this at this moment, one would still not be able to decipher what he was thinking as he sat there staring blankly into nothingness in his living room.


    Soon, a shadow cast over the city, and the rain started to fall down the sky from dour, leaden clouds.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    The weather is frighteningly dull. Thick water vapor seemed to be condensing in the air, and the almost pitch-black clouds seemed to be brewing rain, foretelling a heavy downpour. Although it was still early in the morning, the sluggish sky gave the spiritless citizens the illusion that it was already close to evening.


    Yue Ran had specially asked her secretary and receptionist, Liu Zi, that if she did not have much work to do today, then she could go back home early. It was likely to rain heavily anytime soon.


    "Okay," Liu Zi answered with a smile. "Doctor Yue, do you want to cancel your appointment held this afternoon?"


    Liu Zi has been working under Yue Ran for a year or two. She really does admire and sincerely like her gentle, elegant, and kind-hearted boss.


    "Me? I am going to Cheng''s family residence this afternoon," Yue Ran said. "I have promised an appointment today with the patient from yesterday."


    Yue Ran smiled and winked at her. Liu Zi wanted to say something more, but she shook her head and let out a cough since she did not know what to say about her boss'' dedication to her work.


    "I have not eaten much since I have gotten up from bed." Yue Ran easily changed the subject with a gentle smile on her face. "Can you buy me some breakfast?"


    "Doctor Yue," Liu Zi started, but then she thought better of it and could only let out a defeated sigh. "Okay, I will do it."


    Sometimes, it really worries Liu Zi that her boss is disregarding her health and well-being for her work.


    "If it rains heavily, please do not think twice about contacting me to pick you up," Liu Zi said. "There is an umbrella in the office, so please do take it so that you do not have to get caught up in the rain and catch a cold."


    Liu Zi could only say these words since she knew that Yue Ran would not change her mind once she put her thoughts into something.


    "Okay, I will, Xiao Zi." Yue Ran smiled gently.


    Liu Zi knew what Yue Ran''s temperament was like and knew that Yue Ran would definitely do what she had promised, especially the commitment to her patients, so she (Liu Zi) had no choice but to let her (Yue Ran) go, hoping that it would not rain too much today.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon.


    Yue Ran drove to Cheng''s house.


    As soon as she had parked her car and came out into the open, the rumbling rain, followed by a streak of lightning and a roaring thunder, seemed to break out from the sky. It looked as if God had poured a basin of water down from the vault of heaven, and it seemed like the torrent of water was going to submerge the whole world in dark blue.


    Holding an umbrella was almost of no use in this kind of weather. Yue Ran had only walked for a few steps, but most of her trousers were already wet.


    "Doctor Yue, fortunately, you are here." The housekeeper of the Cheng family let out a sigh of relief as he greeted Yue Ran when she stepped into the Cheng family''s residence. "The young master had just lost his temper in his room just now." The expression on his face morphed into one of worry. "The weather today is so bad that we do not know who to look for to accompany the young master. Sir and Madam are all out at work. Fortunately, you had come over today."


    The housekeeper took off the coat on Yue Ran''s body for her and kindly handed it to her respectfully, along with a white, fluffy towel in his hand. His original nervousness eased a lot after seeing Yue Ran arrive, and he could not help but say a few more words to her, showing how relieved he was by her appearance. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, look at me, this old fool," the housekeeper suddenly said. "Shall I go and get you a new pair of trousers? My wife bought one recently, and she has not used or even opened its packaging. I hope you do not mind wearing it."


    "That would be great," Yue Ran said as she smiled naturally and generously. "Then I will have to trouble you for this."


    The housekeeper breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Yue Ran accept his suggestion. He poured her a cup of warm water and got her new trousers to put on.


    Feeling the dampness of her trousers disappear and her surroundings becoming dry and warm, Yue Ran felt much better and thus carried her bag and proceeded upstairs to her destination.


    Walking to where she wanted to go, Yue Ran spotted her target and saw that the door to Cheng Ying''s room was left open. From the outside, she could vaguely see the messy and disordered things inside.


    The male protagonist did lose his temper, indeed.


    Yue Ran''s footsteps were very soft, but Cheng Ying was someone who was very sensitive to sounds. When he turned his head, he saw Yue Ran walking over to him.


    "Good afternoon," Yue Ran greeted the male protagonist.

 Chapter 243 - 243: The Gentle Psychiatrist (13)

    Yue Ran greeted the male protagonist with a warm smile.


    Cheng Ying: ¡­


    Cheng Ying did not say anything in reply. He slid back from his sitting position when he saw Yue Ran from the open doorway, who was coming closer to him, and then he found himself sitting on the soft cushion he had previously placed on the ground.


    "It is raining really hard today," Yue Ran said.


    The young woman walked to the doorway of Cheng Ying''s room but did not go in rashly. Instead, she turned her head to look out of the window. The rain was knocking heavily against the glass windows, and the water droplets stuck to the transparent glass.


    Cheng Ying also followed her gaze and looked out, but he only felt that the bad weather made his heart feel more and more depressed. The only light allowed from the outside seeped from behind gunmetal clouds.


    "May I come in?" Yue Ran asked softly. Compared with the stormy music played by the violent rain, the young woman''s voice was so soft, like that of a mother coaxing her baby to sleep.


    Cheng Ying nodded.


    "Then do you still want to hear more fairy tales today? Or do you want to hear something else?"


    Cheng Ying: ¡­?


    Some kind of emotion flashed past Cheng Ying''s eyes. He obviously wanted to start listening to her fairy tales directly, but because the weather was too bad today, he could not help but feel more and more irritable.


    He was surely not in the mood to spend time with Yue Ran, as he would usually prefer to.


    "Then let us compose a story," Yue Ran suggested when she read the young man''s emotions. "You and I."


    The young woman smiled again. Her smile looked so gentle and dazzling, easily and effortlessly lighting up her surroundings against the dark background of the heavy rain.


    At this time, Cheng Ying felt an inexplicable feeling in his heart. Apart from the gentleness and kindness he felt from her countenance, Cheng Ying also seemed to have sensed a hint of danger, yet it was charming, inviting, and spellbinding.


    It was not something he could resist.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran sat opposite the young man inside his room, holding a thermos cup in her hand, and then took a sip of warm, steaming milk.


    Delectable.


    "Let us play a game, a story-composing game, okay?" Yue Ran looked at Cheng Ying with a bit of expectation, but her expression was very restrained.


    "I am not very good at playing games," Cheng Ying said.


    Cheng Ying did not seem to like being watched like this by the young woman, or maybe he was just shy, so he turned his head away to look out the window.


    "Let us give this game a try, and we can forget it if you do not like it, okay?" Yue Ran coaxed Cheng Ying softly and repeatedly emphasized that if he did not like it, then they could stop this game at any time.


    Cheng Ying hesitated again and again, but finally nodded.


    "Then I will go first," Yue Ran said.


    Ruan Ruan, who was settled in Yue Ran''s sea of consciousness, was excited!


    Ruan Ruan: The game that the Master is playing has finally started.


    Yue Ran: So exciting!


    Yue Ran looked a little excited as she took out a paper and pen and then wrote a sentence down while reading it aloud.


    "Once upon a time," Yue Ran started. "There was a prince who was targeted by a demon when he was born, and the demon placed a curse on him." When she said her piece, she turned her head to Cheng Ying as she said, "Okay, it is your turn."


    Cheng Ying had just been immersed in the atmosphere of Yue Ran reading her story when she suddenly stopped. He looked a little disappointed, and his attention turned a little distracted.


    Yue Ran held the pen and paper for the young man. Cheng Ying did not take it from her, so Yue Ran kept holding it up silently without complaint. After waiting for about ten seconds, Cheng Ying decided to slowly take them away from her.


    "Demon?" Cheng Ying finally asked aloud.


    Cheng Ying hesitated for a long time before he started to write his piece. He was not sure whether he wanted to read out the story he had written like Yue Ran had before. He struggled a little in his heart, and in the end, he did not read a single word when he finished writing his part.


    "The king sent someone to tie the devil to the gallows and force him to lift the prince''s curse." Yue Ran read Cheng Ying''s writing aloud when the paper and pen went into her grasp again. "Oh, what a wonderful plot."


    Yue Ran complimented the young man naturally and generously. Cheng Ying sniffed and touched his left earlobe as if he were a little embarrassed, which he was. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then it is my turn again," Yue Ran said. "The king took a new wife after the prince came of age and let his new wife''s children inherit the throne."


    Cheng Ying frowned, as if he were not satisfied with the storyline that Yue Ran had given him, but he had obviously entered the ambiance and atmosphere of this story, and thus he had involuntarily begun to think about the following plot he wanted the story to flow into.


    "The prince was left in isolation, and then he found that the king was not his biological father, so he ventured into the forest alone," Cheng Ying said.


    The young man spoke out loud this time. Although it was very soft and slow, Yue Ran still nodded at him with satisfaction.


    "The forest was full of dangers," Yue Ran said. "The prince saw a beautiful blonde girl on the edge of a stream. She seemed to have sprained her foot and was sobbing softly."


    Yue Ran had just tested Cheng Ying''s psychological attack and defense mechanisms.

 Chapter 244 - 244: The Gentle Psychiatrist (14)

    Yue Ran originally wanted to test Cheng Ying''s inner fear through the content of the curse, but unexpectedly, he chose to avoid the question, bypassing the process and directly giving her a conclusion, which is also a relatively rare answer.


    Then she tested relatives and ethics issues to know the young man''s views on family relationships, and the answers he gave her were more common than the ones before.


    "She¡­ was a devil, sent by the king to kill the prince," Cheng Ying started. "The prince recognized her at a glance and fled the forest far away." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran looked a little surprised, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt that this answer was actually quite reasonable. A beautiful girl who appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the wilderness with a sprain on her foot alone was suspicious. It seemed that Cheng Ying was still more rational about love.


    "The prince felt very tired and exhausted both physically and mentally during his escape. At this time, he met a witch," Yue Ran said. "The witch told him that as long as he was willing to sacrifice his soul, all the problems that troubled him could be solved, whether it was his pursuers or his biological parents. All she wanted was his soul¡­"


    Yue Ran''s voice was a little bewitching, seeming to contain a magic power that can easily evoke delusions in people''s hearts. It was moving and intoxicating.


    Cheng Ying, who was caught up under her spell, asked, "Soul? What is the soul? What is its use? Why does the witch want... the prince''s soul?"


    The young man tilted his head, obviously not understanding which universal currency the soul belonged to.


    "Soul¡­" Yue Ran''s words trailed off; her voice gradually faded away and dispersed into the air. "Just like if you, Cheng Ying, gave me your soul, then it means that I will have everything from you. Your happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy all begin and end because of me. Your emotions and behavior are all under my control, and you can no longer put others in your eyes."


    Yue Ran seemed to be explaining what the word "soul" meant to Cheng Ying, but not at the same time. It was better to say that she was the witch who was tempting the young man to sacrifice his soul for her.


    She paused for a moment, then started to speak again: "You will love me... with all of your heart."


    Yue Ran''s words have a strong psychological implication. Generally, when people give others examples, and if someone has used the other as an example, it is easy for them to take it in and start to think about the problem from the other''s shoes.


    Just like if someone asked what the other would do if they were to meet a ghost, then the other would involuntarily think about what would happen if they did meet a ghost and what they would do, and then they would have a vague sense of fear, excitement, or whatever feeling they would have if they were to really meet one.


    Right now, Cheng Ying was facing the doctor he trusted very much, and with her implications, he had almost subconsciously taken on the role of the prince for himself. He began to think, If what Yue Ran said really happened, then...


    Will he really fall in love with her and give her his soul? Would he unconditionally obey her words? And with only her presence in his sight, he can no longer put anyone else in his eyes, and best of all, Yue Ran can solve all his problems.


    Cheng Ying really does have to say that he does think that the deal she gave him is a really good one.


    "Then... did the prince agree?" he asked.


    Cheng Ying spoke tentatively, with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.


    Yue Ran smiled and said, "You should reword it like this: The prince had gotten everything he wanted, and the witch found his biological parents, who were making a living by farming, for him. The witch also chased away all of his pursuers, and the king never bothered the prince again."


    Having said this, Yue Ran slowly took a sip of water.


    She continued, "The witch who possessed the prince''s soul locked him to her. From then on, the prince fell in love with the witch. Because his soul was in her hands, he had no choice but to love her, which made the prince feel very comfortable and relaxed."


    If the first part of the story is about letting Yue Ran get to know Cheng Ying better, then the second half of the story is completely about Yue Ran''s suggestion and the concealed hypnosis done to her most beloved lamb.


    She had basically told Cheng Ying to give his soul to her.


    After finishing the story, Yue Ran went silent for a moment while Cheng Ying looked like he was in a daze. After a while, Yue Ran clapped her hands lightly.


    "The story is over," Yue Ran said. "What do you think of it?"


    "I do not know either," Cheng Ying answered in a pure and honest manner. "It seems a little different compared to the ones before."


    Yue Ran knew clearly that the young man meant that this story was a little different from the other fairy tales she had read him before. Yet Yue Ran was not able to see any displeasure or disgust in his expression. He simply seemed to find it a little strange.


    "Because this is a story that we wrote together," Yue Ran said. "I find it very interesting."


    Looking at Yue Ran''s smile, Cheng Ying felt a little dazed. This seemed to be one of the few achievements he had made together with others. In an instant, this story felt much different from the other stories.


    Because of his participation, the story is half his work. Half of the story belongs to him.

 Chapter 245 - 245: The Gentle Psychiatrist (15)

    If the entire composition of the story had been written by him, Cheng Ying might have felt disgusted with it, but half of it was completed by Yue Ran, not only him alone, so this story felt different.


    Yue Ran is a highly educated psychiatrist, and Cheng Ying knows this very well.


    So when she said that the story was interesting, that part of his participation suddenly seemed to stick together with Yue Ran''s, and the part of his composition became meaningful. In short, it will be difficult for Cheng Ying to forget this story in a short time. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was exactly in line with Yue Ran''s expectations.


    In such rainy weather, when the male protagonist is already in a state of being susceptible to stimulation, he will be able to remember this story through suggestion and association, thus being put into a role under psychological hypnosis.


    "Okay, then let us listen to some other fairy tales," Yue Ran said, changing the subject of their conversation very naturally. "You can also listen to it while lying down today."


    Cheng Ying thought of the pleasant scent of Yue Ran''s body when he slept on her lap yesterday afternoon. Although his body had involuntarily become tensed due to nervousness, it was much better than that of yesterday.


    Right now, the young man is just like a wary little cat that has been abandoned by others. But when facing a gentle person like Yue Ran, he will try his best to tuck his claws away, slowly approach her, and then docilely fall asleep on her knees.


    Cheng Ying looked cautious, with both fear and expectation appearing on his face at the same time. Yue Ran showed a sweet and evil smile from an angle that he could not see.


    The little, oblivious lamb was walking step by step into the trap set by the hunter.


    ¡­


    Cheng Ying accidentally fell asleep again. His sleep was usually very poor, and he would wake up four or five times at night. If the weather was this extreme, he could stay up all night and wait until dawn before he could finally take a rest.


    Therefore, he himself felt very strange about why he could feel sleepy and even fall asleep peacefully next to a stranger. Was it because she was reading fairy tales to him in such a gentle voice? Or was it because she was just like the ideal mother he had once imagined and yearned for?


    In a daze, Cheng Ying heard her soft and coaxing voice telling him to go to sleep and that the heavy rain was nothing to be afraid of. It was her voice that washed and cleaned all the dirt away from the world. After the rain, there would be a beautiful rainbow, and everything would be brand new.


    He then heard her tell him to go to sleep and that she would protect him.


    Cheng Ying felt a little sour in his heart when he heard this; his heart clenched, and his body also curled up a little more. It felt like someone had taken hold of his beating heart in their hands. He felt uncomfortable all over, as if he could not adapt to this new emotion, and he even had the urge to cry.


    Yue Ran watched the young man fall asleep peacefully, and she placed her palms on top of his head. Her touch seemed to hold an indescribable power, invisible yet touching. That unknown power seeped from the palm of her hand to the young man''s head, where she had made contact with him.


    The reason for doing this was because she did not want Cheng Ying to have nightmares when sleeping next to her. That would not be a good thing for her progress.


    How pleasant would it be for the male protagonist to think that he could only fall asleep so comfortably and so pleasantly next to her and that he would only be plagued with nightmares when there is no her beside him?


    Yue Ran''s eyes arced into beautiful crescents, her lips curled up into a mischievous smirk, and her shoulders shook a little, as if she were holding back her laughter.


    That would be very fun.


    ¡­


    Cheng Ying was awakened by the smell of food. The rare good sleep that he had made his whole body feel so comfortable and relaxed, something that he had not felt for a long time. He could not even remember the last time he had such a good rest. Even his spirit, mentally and physically, has loosened a lot and is no longer so tense.


    The young man then gently backed away from Yue Ran because he had found that Yue Ran was leaning back on the chair and seemed to be asleep. Cheng Ying looked at the young woman and cautiously poked her leg to try and stir her awake.


    Maybe it was because his movements were too light, so Yue Ran was not awakened by his action.


    Now the young man was in trouble, and he did not know whether to wake Yue Ran up or not, but the vulnerably unprepared look of Yue Ran made Cheng Ying feel the feeling of "being trusted" for the first time. It was rather nice, as if warm and colorful bubbles had appeared and floated around slowly inside him.


    It is almost five o''clock now, and it is still raining outside, but it did not rain as heavily as it did in the early afternoon. The smell of food could be smelled faintly from outside his room, and Cheng Ying''s stomach grumbled. It was obvious that he felt hungry.


    Cheng Ying pressed a button on the wall. It was a button to indicate to the servants that he wanted to eat and that they should deliver the food upstairs for him.


    Soon, two servants brought dinner into Cheng Ying''s bedroom. They were a little surprised to find Yue Ran asleep inside the room, but their young master did not say anything about it.

 Chapter 246 - 246: The Gentle Psychiatrist (16)

    Since Cheng Ying did not say anything, they, of course, did not have the guts to say anything as well, and thus, the servants immediately left the room to give the two privacy after they did their needed work without dilly-dallying for too long.


    "Hmm," Yue Ran hummed, slowly stirring awake. She blinked a few times in confusion before looking around in a daze. "Did I fall asleep?" she asked, particularly to no one, before she spotted Cheng Ying not far away from her. "Sorry, I usually fall asleep easily on rainy days. Are you hungry? You should eat first."


    Yue Ran stretched her hands and body slightly from her position and looked at Cheng Ying with a smile. There was no trace of embarrassment on her face, which made Cheng Ying relax a lot.


    "Well, that is it for today''s consultation," Yue Ran said. "I will leave first. You should eat more."


    Seemingly realizing that she had stayed too long and that it might affect the young man''s meal time, Yue Ran stood up to pat non-existent dust off her clothes before saying goodbye.


    "See you next time," Yue Ran said with a smile. "Feel free to contact me if you have any questions for me."


    Yue Ran had already reached the door of the room when she said this, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard Cheng Ying''s voice.


    "Well, I do not mind," Cheng Ying said with caution. "How about¡­ we... well, eat together?"


    Yue Ran turned her body to face the young man and smiled at him.


    He knew that Yue Ran was always smiling, but he had never seen her smile like this before¡ªat least not to him, and not with his own eyes.


    The smile that she had on her face right now was different from the others before. It was as if all the brilliance of the sun, the moon, and the stars had gathered on her face. Her eyes seemed to contain an endless sky, and the glittering stars entered her eyes.


    Cheng Ying looked a little silly and dazed when faced with a dazzling sight like this.


    He heard Yue Ran ask him, "Can I?"


    "Uh, um, yes," was his stuttering answer.


    First, he looked at her and nodded, then looked at the plate in front of him and nodded, and then he finally looked out the window in embarrassment.


    What was he even feeling?


    There was only a small dining table in Cheng Ying''s room. Yue Ran walked over to the seat opposite the young man and sat down. As if he were afraid that Yue Ran would regret her decision to stay, Cheng Ying quickly pressed the food delivery button again before she could say anything. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the food delivery button was pressed for the second time, the servants quickly guessed that Yue Ran might also want to eat dinner here, so they quickly prepared another portion for her. But when they actually saw the two¡ªYue Ran and Cheng Ying¡ªsitting and eating dinner together at a table with their own two eyes, they were still inevitably a little excited.


    It has been several years since their young master had eaten with others for a meal. What a great day it was!


    There was no conversation between the two of them while they had their meal, since they were both very quiet. While chewing on his food, Cheng Ying would silently raise his head to look at Yue Ran from his peripheral vision from time to time. Yue Ran''s posture when eating was very elegant, as if she were not eating a homemade meal but rather some high-end French cuisine.


    And her posture does not look artificial or strange at all; it is extremely natural, with elegance radiating from the inside out. Cheng Ying recalled while chewing that Yue Ran had always seemed to have been such a perfect person; even if she had accidentally fallen asleep just now, her sleeping face and posture were still so elegant, refined, soothing, and serene.


    Yue Ran seemed to be different from everyone he knew.


    The young woman seemed to hold not even one negative side and was always so gentle and considerate, just like the holy divine sculptures he had seen before when he had visited the church a few times. No matter when and where, she would always look at everyone with compassion, a gentle smile, equality, and tenderness.


    However, people like those in the church feel like they have a divine will bound to them, which makes them feel kind yet cold and distant, but Yue Ran was not the same. She is¡­ warm. She is pleasant. And she is comfortable to be with.


    Cheng Ying''s heart suddenly beat a little faster.


    "The meal is very delicious," Yue Ran said. "Do you like the black pepper mashed potatoes? I like it a lot."


    Yue Ran gently dabbed her mouth with a tissue after eating, and with her actions, she had inevitably wiped off and lightened some of her lipstick, making her lips look less red. She pointed to the mashed potatoes in the meal in front of Cheng Ying and commented softly.


    She found that Cheng Ying subconsciously ate a lot when he was peeking at her. So Yue Ran had simply guessed that he had preferred eating this one over the rest.


    "Um, yes, I like it too," was Cheng Ying''s answer.


    Although Cheng Ying looked a little dull when replying, Yue Ran could tell from his faster-than-usual speaking speed that he probably really did like it.


    "The mashed potatoes I make are also delicious. I am quite good at cooking Western food," Yue Ran said. "If you would like it, you can come over to my house and try it next time."


    Faced with Yue Ran''s somewhat intimate invitation to her house, Cheng Ying frowned. She must have her own family members at home, right? What he disliked and was least good at was communicating with people¡­

 Chapter 247 - 247: The Gentle Psychiatrist (17)

    Just thinking about his horrible social skills made him feel a little embarrassed, and he unconsciously shivered at the thought.


    Cheng Ying was about to shake his head and reject Yue Ran when he heard her voice again.


    "I am the only one living inside my house," Yue Ran said, her tone tinged with a little sadness and loneliness. "I originally wanted to adopt and raise a small pet. But it was a pity that I was too busy at work. I am afraid that I do not have the time to take care of it."


    Yue Ran looked a little disappointed.


    At her confession, Cheng Ying felt curious and thus subconsciously asked, "Do you not have a servant at home?"


    After asking, the young man seemed to feel that he was acting a little too abruptly, and so he immediately lowered his head and did not dare to look at Yue Ran. It was as if he were a child who had done something wrong and did not dare to face the consequences of his mistake.


    It was cute. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yue Ran shook her head lightly with mirth in her eyes and answered, "No, I am the only one at home alone. And a pet... it should be taken care of personally by me, right? How can I let others do it for me?"


    Cheng Ying did not raise his head to look at her, so he was not able to see Yue Ran''s smiling eyes at that moment. When she used the word "pet," she emphasized its accent to accentuate its weight. She was now looking at the young man''s black hair with amusement in her eyes.


    "So it is like this¡­" Cheng Ying replied, his words trailing off at the end.


    "So," Yue Ran started. "Do you want to come over and play next time?"


    Yue Ran placed her elbows on the table and raised her upper body. Her sudden approach made Cheng Ying feel nervous, but he did not feel scared of her. This was probably because he was already used to her presence.


    The young man folded his arms and hesitated. Yue Ran was too close to him. Their faces were only a fist apart. Cheng Ying could even feel a hint of her breath when she breathed out, which was hot¡­


    "How about I tell you stories all day long and cook you Western food in the evening?" After saying so, Yue Ran added, "No one will come to bother us."


    Yue Ran was too close to him. Cheng Ying had nowhere to hide. He could only look into her eyes. He could not move, as if he were frozen. He could only stare at her blankly, while his mind had turned into a mess.


    How many years has it been since he went out of his house? And even still, go to other people''s homes! Then again, no one had ever invited him to their houses before¡­


    And now she wants him to go out? To leave his home? To go to her house?


    It was a little ridiculous, but it was also a fascinating idea. Yue Ran was someone who seemed to be trustworthy, someone from whom he could feel some sense of security, someone from whom he had deemed safe to be with.


    If he were to go to Yue Ran''s home, he could comfortably spend his time alone with her, and no one could disturb him, or them, for that matter. He would be able to hear her read her fairy tales to him and even eat his favorite food.


    But it is still too risky. And he does not like risks.


    "No, no, I, uh, my family, uh, would not agree, um, I am sorry, I, uh, hmm..." Cheng Ying sputtered out his reply in a series of incoherent bursts, which left him himself in confusion. His voice also became dry and hoarse.


    The young man shook his head and refused, as if he did not know what else to say.


    Yue Ran smiled lightly before walking out of Cheng Ying''s room without closing the door. She knew just how to settle this little thing, this little stumble, and make his little prey willingly emerge out of his safe little cocoon.


    The young woman took out a phone from her pocket and clicked on a number to call her intended recipient to solve this problem. After a few rings, the call was picked up.


    "Hello? Mrs. Cheng? Cheng Ying''s progress is going well. Yes, he is very good," Yue Ran said. "I would like to have his next consultation at my home. Can it be done? Yes, I want Cheng Ying to come over to my house. Um, uh-huh, yes. It is not too much trouble. You do not have to be so polite. Yes, alright, that is not a problem. Goodbye, Mrs. Cheng, and have a nice day."


    Yue Ran spoke loudly so that Cheng Ying could hear her and his mother''s conversation clearly on the phone. This was especially so that the young man could hear that his mother had so easily agreed to Yue Ran''s suggestion without even a hint of hesitation, and also to show just how much his family members do not care about him.


    When Yue Ran made the suggestion, Mrs. Cheng had quickly and fully agreed with Yue Ran''s words and praised her repeatedly for her substantial progress with Cheng Ying that others cannot do.


    Mrs. Cheng: Doctor Yue is a miracle worker!


    Yue Ran: Thanks. It was not too much trouble.


    Ruan Ruan: My Master is the best!


    Cheng Ying: ...


    When Yue Ran came back into the young man''s room and clicked the door shut behind her, she said softly to him, "You see, it is very simple, right? Your mother has allowed it. We will have our next appointment at my house. You will like it there."


    The young woman''s smile was still ever so gentle, but it was a little more undeniably domineering.

 Chapter 248 - 248: The Gentle Psychiatrist (18)

    One day after the storm, the sky returned to calm, the wind was still, and the sun was shining brightly. The plants were covered with water droplets, reflecting the crystal light, and the air was filled with the smell of grass mixed with soil, and the streets were full of small wet ponds, which can make one''s shoes wet if you are not careful.


    Tang Meng complained loudly to herself about the humid air and her wet trousers when she had walked down the streets and followed the directions from the GPS to navigate her way to Yue Ran''s clinic.


    When Tang Meng arrived at her destination, she gaped a little. Yue Ran''s clinic was much bigger than she had imagined at first. Thinking that the other party had reached such achievements at such a young age, Tang Meng could not help but feel a little more admiration for Yue Ran. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When she walked into the clinic, she immediately headed up to the receptionist.


    "Hello, I am Tang Meng." Tang Meng greeted Liu Zi. "I have made an appointment with Doctor Yue to come here today."


    "Please wait a minute, Miss Tang, and let me check Doctor Yue''s schedule to confirm your appointment with her," Liu Zi, Yue Ran''s secretary and the clinic''s receptionist, said politely to Tang Meng.


    Liu Zi sat at the front desk while clicking on the mouse with eyes stuck to the screen of the computer to confirm Yue Ran''s itinerary for the day. When she had gotten what she wanted, she then smiled, stood up from her seat, and led Tang Meng to Yue Ran''s office upstairs.


    "Doctor Yue, Miss Tang is here," Liu Zi announced after knocking on the door to Yue Ran''s office.


    "I see," Yue Ran answered, her gentle voice traveling out the door. "Let her in."


    With that, Tang Meng walked into Yue Ran''s office, feeling a little uneasy for some reason. It was not until she saw Yue Ran looking at her with a gentle smile on her face that she could finally feel relaxed.


    Yue Ran stood up and made tea for her guest of the day, the female protagonist, and the two quickly sat down face-to-face and began to communicate, going straight into business.


    Tang Meng started, "Doctor Yue, are you aware of the recent cases that have occurred in this city?"


    "Recent cases? Yes, I have heard about them being reported in the news on TV," Yue Ran answered. "They are the cases involving teenage suicides, right?"


    Yue Ran''s expression turned serious when she mentioned this.


    "Yes, that is right," Tang Meng said with a nod. "Although I am not in a position to reveal too many details, I can still mention a few more things that are not released to the public. In the past year or so, within a total of five months, there have already been six suicide cases reported, which all occurred in this city, and all of them involved teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19."


    "Within five months, and all involved are teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19?" Yue Ran paused for a moment in quiet contemplation. "This does sound a little fishy."


    Tang Meng could not help but feel a little excited when her suspicion was also recognized by others¡ªin this case, Yue Ran¡ªand thus she quickly continued talking.


    "Yes, after my investigation, I found out that these deceased teenagers all had mental illnesses with varying degrees of severity, but they were almost cured before they suddenly committed suicide," Tang Meng said.


    "Mental illness of varying degrees? If you put it that way..." Yue Ran paused in her words before she continued, "Then there is a reason to explain their suicide."


    Hearing this, Tang Meng instantly grew anxious. She did not want Yue Ran to think about suicide cases like this in this way, and so she quickly explained in panic, "No, it is not like this! I think that there is something deeper about the cases! The suicides of these victims, I think, are problematic."


    "Oh?" Yue Ran raised a brow in question. "Are you saying that you suspect that someone is inducing or motivating them to commit suicide instead?"


    Yue Ran''s words hit the nail on the head. The lingering speculations that Tang Meng had dared not voice out were unequivocally and unhesitatingly pushed out into the open and slapped into her face by Yue Ran.


    Tang Meng could only take a deep breath and nod cautiously before saying, "Yes. I think so. It is for this that I hope Doctor Yue can help me analyze their psychological conditions."


    Yue Ran smiled slightly as she said, "No offense intended, but one can only analyze the psychological state of the deceased through other people''s words and evidence, and the inferred results may also deviate from the facts."


    Tang Meng was stunned for a moment, and her heart sank a little. She was feeling a little disappointed, which was not much at all, to be honest. This was because she herself actually did not particularly believe in the crazy guess that someone had led these six young people to commit suicide and managed to get away with it without a scratch or even a trail left behind.


    Sometimes, Tang Meng herself even wondered if she had read too many fiction novels, which led her to try and crack this closed case in the first place. After all, there was not much for her to do in the police criminal force, and there was so much free time on her hands.


    "But I can still give it a try," Yue Ran said after a moment of pause.


    "Really?" Tang Meng raised her head with a grateful expression, and she felt a lot more relaxed in her heart. "Thank you so much, Doctor Yue!"


    Tang Meng actually does not feel much responsibility to find the truth in this closed case. She had actually held no real expectation in her heart.

 Chapter 249 - 249: The Gentle Psychiatrist (19)

    To be honest, Tang Meng only thought that no matter whether her guess was right or wrong, it would be okay to give this case a try since she had nothing better to do anyway! Furthermore, she would not lose anything by doing this.


    Right now, Yue Ran is only getting herself into big trouble. This was because the next step to take was that she would have to go and consult with the deceased teenagers'' families one by one to get the deceased teenagers'' information, and also go to the deceased teenagers'' school, to various places where they often went, to meet their friends or acquaintances if they have one, etc. to get to know them more with the company of the female protagonist of this world, since no clues could be missed.


    Yue Ran: So troublesome.


    The only reason why Yue Ran would go through so much length and trouble was that she had to follow the plot line of this world until the open-ended part of the plot, where she could have the freedom to play as she pleases. But right as of now, she could only go with the flow or risk dying, which would not do.


    Today, the two of them sorted out the information in Tang Meng''s hands, including some chat records and the life stories of the victims. Tang Meng then asked Yue Ran to get to know and understand more about the six deceased teenagers first with the information that they had gained so far.


    The sky had darkened before Tang Meng left the clinic. Yue Ran sat alone on the boss leather recliner, closed her eyes, held her forehead, and chuckled as she asked softly into the air, at no one in particular, "Tang Meng, you should take a good, long guess. Do you really think that there is really such a person in the world?"


    Only silence answered her.


    "And if there is, can you really be able to find that someone?"


    ¡­


    The day was sunny, a daft breeze flitted through the air, leaves upon the trees fluttering about as they listened to the whispers of the wind. And if one listened closely enough, one might be able to hear their secrets as well.


    It was on this beautiful day that Yue Ran drove to pick up Cheng Ying from his residence.


    Kidnapping someone from their home is the first step in the original body''s plan, something that Yue Ran accepted and did not see as a bad plan of action.


    "Good morning," Yue Ran greeted the young man.


    From a distance, Yue Ran saw Cheng Ying standing next to the silver railing in front of his home with a hand gripping the iron rod so hard that his fingers turned white. The young man was wearing a white shirt, casual trousers, and sneakers. He bit his lower lip, and a thin layer of sweat covered his forehead.


    Yue Ran felt that the young man may just cry any time soon.


    Right now, Cheng Ying looked just like a male cat that knew it was going to the pet hospital to have itself neutralized, and now it could only tremble while pretending to be calm.


    It was quite cute, Yue Ran thought so silently in her heart.


    "Shall we get going?" Yue Ran asked.


    Yue Ran got out of the car and walked up to him. Today, she was wearing a casual white dress. Her white and healthy skin was glowing dazzlingly under the sun. She smiled, took Cheng Ying''s backpack, and opened the passenger door for him.


    "Good, good, good morning," was Cheng Ying''s reply.


    "Cheng Ying," Yue Ran said, looking at the young man with a smile. "Are you nervous?"


    Yue Ran looked at the way the young man stuttered and the way his teeth chattered when he spoke, and she instantly understood his feelings. She walked up to him and rubbed his short, dark hair with kindness that Cheng Ying himself found almost palpable.


    It had obviously been a very long time since anyone had done such an intimate gesture to him, so long that he could hardly remember when the last time it had happened. Cheng Ying did not know how to react, so he could only freeze his steps, open his mouth, and then quickly close his lips to stop his gaping.


    "You will be very happy today," Yue Ran said. "But of course, if you really do not want to go to my home, then I will not force you to do so, okay?"


    Yue Ran leaned very closely toward the young man. After smelling the familiar fragrance on her body, his original uneasy and jittery mood gradually stabilized.


    The young man glanced at the residence behind him. The deserted mansion was like a giant beast without a mouth that could swallow, shroud, and engulf him at any time.


    Cheng Ying thought of that dream again. During that time, he had nowhere to go. So what difference will it make if he goes anywhere else?


    "Um, yes," Cheng Ying answered. "I am going."


    Yue Ran breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled. Her ease made Cheng Ying gradually relax his vigilance.


    The young man gritted his teeth and forced himself to get into the open passenger seat of the car. Yue Ran knew that he probably did not like this kind of environment, so she opened all the windows when he came over.


    "You can listen to music if you want to," Yue Ran said. "It would not make much noise."


    When the car started to drive down the road, there would be some noise when passing through the downtown area. Yue Ran handed Cheng Ying a headphone and motioned for him to put it on to silence the noise coming from the outside.


    Cheng Ying really did not like to hear those car horns or the noisy people in the downtown area. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man gingerly took the headphones from Yue Ran''s hand in silence.

 Chapter 250 - 250: The Gentle Psychiatrist (20)

    Cheng Ying hesitated for a moment before putting the headphones on.


    In an instant, his world became extremely quiet and returned to calm, except for the very light blues playing melodiously in the headphones. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The scenery on the roadside was fleeting. It had been a long time since he had gone out to see the scenery, ever since he moved into that house.


    Cheng Ying''s parents were always busy with work. When they knew he was mentally ill, they thought it was most suitable for him to just rest at home. The less he got out of the house, the better it was for them.


    Cheng Ying was not able to go out by himself, and his parents also did not have the time or leisure to take him out. They only thought that it would be very troublesome to take Cheng Ying out. After all, how embarrassing would it be if Cheng Ying lost his composure outside in the public eye? That would only bring shame upon them, which would not do.


    It is then that they decide to leave everything to the doctor, their son''s psychiatrist, and only in front of others do they look like they truly love their son, Cheng Ying.


    Everything in their lives was just an act.


    "Would you like some candy?" Yue Ran asked.


    Cheng Ying could not hear Yue Ran''s voice due to the headphones, but the hand she stretched out to him and the little candy packaged in a beautiful blue plastic wrapper on the palm of her hand made Cheng Ying understand what she meant.


    The young man slowly took the candy, looked at it, hesitated for a moment, then unwrapped it before stuffing it into his mouth.


    The orange-colored candy was cool in his mouth and tasted a bit sour on the tip of his tongue. It was not very sweet, just light and fruity. It was nice.


    Because his hearing was weakened, his sense of taste became much stronger. He gradually stopped thinking and was immersed in the light sweetness. He looked at the passing scenery and seemed to feel a lot quieter in his heart.


    The storm returned to calm, and the raging sea stilled.


    Everything around him was fleeting, and time passed slowly.


    It was nice.


    ¡­


    Yue Ran specially chose a route with better scenery and fewer people to her home. She did not encounter many red lights along the way, and thus she quickly arrived at her destination, her house.


    The young woman deftly parked her car and opened the door for Cheng Ying when she had gotten out of the driver''s seat.


    "How are you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Yue Ran''s eyes were now full of worry, and Cheng Ying realized that his psychiatrist was probably worried about him. She had decided to take him to her home, and she was probably concerned about whether something would happen and he would feel uncomfortable or something.


    "I am fine," Cheng Ying said in reply.


    Cheng Ying obediently put the headphones away and let Yue Ran lead him out of the car.


    "This road is still a little noisy, and I am afraid that you may feel uncomfortable," Yue Ran explained. "And it is good that you are fine. It seems that you are in good condition now."


    The young woman breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his hair in a soothing manner. Cheng Ying was still not used to her intimate behavior and dodged slightly. Yue Ran did not mind this and, ever so naturally, led him through the door.


    Cheng Ying was a little nervous in his heart, but he felt more curious that the agitation inside him could somewhat be ignored.


    Yue Ran''s home is as simple as her person. The large area of white makes people feel that everything is clean, neat, and tidy. Cheng Ying''s sharp eyes saw that some furniture around was covered with dust covers similar to tablecloths. They were probably originally black in color, but Yue Ran had covered them up.


    Cheng Ying had never been a guest in other people''s homes for a long, long time, so he was somewhat overprepared. He even brought his own slippers just in case of anything.


    "I remember that you liked the illustrations in this fairy tale book, so I ordered a blanket with its drawings for its design," Yue Ran said. "It had just arrived two days ago, and I have washed it clean already. I had placed it on the sofa before going out today. You can sit right there to see it."


    Yue Ran knew that Cheng Ying was a bit of a germaphobe, so she had made a lot of preparations in advance. As expected, this made Cheng Ying feel a lot more comfortable, and it also alleviated a lot of his discomfort.


    Hearing her words, Cheng Ying nodded obediently, took two steps, and saw the folded blanket. It looked a little too cute and incompatible with the decorations of her home.


    It was just like him. He seems a little too out of tune with this place and with her.


    "What do you want to drink?" Yue Ran asked with a smile. "Warm milk or juice?"


    Cheng Ying: ¡­


    The young man pursed his lips and said nothing, looking very troubled. Yue Ran sighed.


    It was always like this. Every time this young man got closer to her, her progress would unknowingly debilitate, and she would have to start from scratch again the next day.


    But now, it was not like she was starting over from scratch. After all, she had already brought him to her home, so that was something.


    "Then what about warm milk?" Yue Ran offered her suggestion.


    The young woman opened the new disposable cup in front of her and poured the young man a cup of warm milk, as she had said.


    "I live alone in my house, so you do not have to be too restrained," Yue Ran said.

 Chapter 251 - 251: The Gentle Psychiatrist (21)

    "If you want to, you can feel free to look around, okay?" Yue Ran suggested.


    Cheng Ying was still silent while holding the disposable cup tightly in his hand, but he nodded lightly to Yue Ran to indicate that he understood her words.


    "Okay," Yue Ran said smilingly. "Then we shall start today by reading a fairy tale, shall we?"


    "Um, yes, okay," Cheng Ying replied.


    "Then come on over?" Yue Ran smiled and waved him over.


    Cheng Ying felt as if he was being treated like a furry little animal for a moment. He then quickly shook his head to shake off this strange thought and feeling before he silently moved closer to her.


    Yue Ran gently covered him with a blanket. Cheng Ying shrank from her actions but accepted the warm blanket nonetheless.


    To be honest, the feeling of being cared about by others is really, really good.


    It was nice. Very nice.


    Without even realizing it, Cheng Ying''s heart, which was entangled with layers upon layers of iron chains, had the chains slowly loosened and eroded. A certain someone was using a kind of gentle and arbitrary means to quietly untie and release his defenses. Bit by bit.


    ¡­


    Cheng Ying never thought that he would accidentally fall asleep in someone else''s house. He struggled to get up, feeling especially embarrassed for his actions. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sky outside the window seemed a little dark. For his sake, Yue Ran had kept the door open, so he could see the flowers and plants in the courtyard and the dim sky at this moment.


    Cheng Ying: ¡­?


    The young man rubbed his bleary eyes, feeling a little dazed and confused from his sleep. He subconsciously looked for Yue Ran''s figure next to him but only found that the sofa was empty, except for him, and it held residual heat.


    In an instant, he felt panic in his heart, followed by a full sense of loss.


    "Oh, you have woken up," Yue Ran spoke when she walked back into the living room and saw the male protagonist had awakened from his nap. "Are you hungry?"


    Yue Ran''s voice immediately settled his empty heart, and Cheng Ying relaxed. He could not help but want to get closer to her for no reason.


    Although the feeling of loss that he had felt for the reason that he did not see Yue Ran''s figure when he had woken up just now had been relieved by her appearance, it still made Cheng Ying feel somewhat unsettled.


    Cheng Ying could not help but think that one day Yue Ran might disappear from his life, and that made him subconsciously want to get closer to her and to rely on her more than he already did now.


    Right now, Yue Ran had an apron on with her hair tied loosely behind her head. She looked like she had previously cooked in the kitchen, and there was a faint aroma of the ingredients she used for cooking lingering on her hands.


    Cheng Ying stared at Yue Ran blankly. His eyes were wet, and he looked particularly aggrieved, like a kicked puppy that was stranded in the middle of the rain after it had found itself abandoned by its owner. So cute and so adorably poor. Yue Ran felt stunned for a moment, and she promptly walked up to him and gently pulled him into her arms.


    Because Yue Ran was standing and Cheng Ying was sitting on the sofa, her arms could wrap around the young man''s figure just right.


    Cheng Ying: !!!


    The young man was now just like a frightened and alarmed little rabbit. He could not resist himself from blushing till the tips of his ears went red, but he did not feel sick or uncomfortable because of the intimate behavior enacted by Yue Ran.


    However, his heart was beating very quickly, and he was filled with nervousness, shyness, and something unknown. There were even slight feelings of sourness in him.


    It was complicated. What was he even feeling?


    "Did I scare you? Sorry, I thought you wanted a hug when you had just woken up from your sleep," Yue Ran explained softly.


    Yue Ran''s tone was a tad bit serious. She let go of Cheng Ying, knelt down to her knees, and looked at him with their eyes leveled with one another. Hers was filled with guilt and self-blame, as if she was really anxious and afraid of scaring him, and that she really did not mean to make him feel uncomfortable.


    "No, no, I am not," Cheng Ying answered the young woman''s question. "Hug, it is fine¡­ to hug for a while. This is a normal thing, right?"


    Cheng Ying scratched the tip of his nose and touched the back of his head in a cautious manner. His eyes were wandering around the surroundings anywhere else other than Yue Ran, and he did not know where to put his hands.


    Yue Ran smiled, and her soft laughter made Cheng Ying''s nervousness and shyness lessen a lot.


    "Of course this is normal," Yue Ran replied.


    The young woman took a fairy tale book for the young man and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. She replaced the now-cool milk in the cup with warm water.


    "You can read this story first, and I will finish the cooking soon," Yue Ran said. "If there is anything you want or if anything were to happen, you can just ring this bell or call out for me, okay? I will be just right over there inside the kitchen."


    Yue Ran took out the bell she brought out of his house and put it on the coffee table beside the cup of warm water for the young man to use at any time.


    Cheng Ying nodded slowly at her words, looking especially well-behaved and cute. Yue Ran looked at the young man carefully before turning around and getting back into the kitchen to finish the dinner preparation.