After Cai Mei'er left, Yan Shaozhe, brimming with enthusiasm, headed straight for the Soul Tool Department.
His destination? Fan Yu's laboratory.
Yan Shaozhe was a proud man, and under normal circumstances, inviting a student like Qian Ran to his home would be a casual matter at best. But Cai Mei'er's involvement had turned it into a critical mission. He couldn't risk mishandling it—if Cai Mei'er thought he wasn't taking her instructions seriously, it would spell disaster.
When Fan Yu was summoned, his first thought was that Yan Shaozhe had somehow discovered his plan to "disappear."
"If my wife's been taken, at least I should be able to salvage something in other areas, right?"
But Yan Shaozhe's actual request left Fan Yu completely floored.
"This… feels familiar," Fan Yu thought, staring at Yan Shaozhe. "So, even someone as high and mighty as him can't escape having his home raided."
The sympathy came swiftly.
Fan Yu vividly recalled his own predicament. It was the same back then—he'd been equally oblivious until his wife, Zhou Yi, had fallen to Qian Ran's charms.
Watching Yan Shaozhe now, Fan Yu felt both pity and a strange sense of relief.
"At least it's not just me anymore."
Misery truly does love company.
Yan Shaozhe was no ordinary man—he was the Dean of the Martial Soul Department and a core member of the Sea God Pavilion. Even emperors across the continent wouldn't dare show him disrespect. Compared to Yan Shaozhe, Fan Yu was a nobody.
"If someone like Yan Shaozhe can get outmaneuvered, then what's there for me to complain about?"
After all, their misfortune lay in having beautiful wives.
"Dean, Qian Ran isn't the kind of person to care about excessive formalities. Just prepare some simple home-cooked dishes," Fan Yu advised, his smile tinged with irony.
Fan Yu wasn't about to warn Yan Shaozhe.
Seeing Yan Shaozhe reduced to the same state as himself would be the perfect balm for his own bitterness.
Cai Mei'er was an even more exquisite beauty than Zhou Yi.
"If Cai Mei'er falls for Qian Ran, wouldn't that mean Xian Lin'er might too…?"
The thought sent a chill down Fan Yu's spine.
He hadn't forgotten the consequences of crossing Qian Ran. If he had tried to expose Qian Ran back then, Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er would have dealt with him without hesitation to protect their secret.
"Thank goodness I chose to back down."
Otherwise, he'd be a corpse by now.
"By the way, Qian Ran enjoys stir-fried dishes. Just make sure there's plenty of those. He's not picky about food, but… with you and Cai Mei'er hosting, I'm sure that will be more than enough for him," Fan Yu said cryptically, his tone laced with subtle mockery.
"Qian Ran isn't eating the food—he's eating Cai Mei'er!"
Fan Yu couldn't help but recall a specific dinner where Zhou Yi had bent down to pick up chopsticks for Qian Ran. She'd spent half an hour fumbling around, unable to retrieve them. The memory still stung.
Yan Shaozhe felt something odd in Fan Yu's tone but shrugged it off. His focus was on ensuring Qian Ran could help smooth things over with Cai Mei'er.
She had been in high spirits since her cultivation breakthrough, and he was certain Qian Ran's influence could help bridge the gap between them.
"When it comes to Qian Ran, she's practically a puppy. How could she not listen to him?"
Meanwhile, Qian Ran was blissfully unaware of the special surprise Cai Mei'er had planned for him. He was preoccupied with distributing the celestial herbs he had gathered to his female classmates.
"Qian Ran, what's the big secret?"
After class, a group of girls surrounded him, their curiosity piqued.
"I've got something amazing—something that can boost your cultivation by six or seven levels without any side effects. Want it?" Qian Ran teased with a mischievous grin. The effects of the celestial herbs from the Icefire Yin Yang Well were undeniable; Tang San had tested them a millennium ago.
Not only would they raise cultivation levels, but the residual medicinal energy would also nourish their bodies over time.
"Yes, yes, we want it!"
"Qian Ran, give me one!"
Xiao Xiao eagerly nestled close to Qian Ran, her cheek pressing against his chest.
"You can have it, but you've got to give me something in return. Don't you agree, Xiao Xiao?" Qian Ran smirked, his hand deftly undoing a button on her white blouse before slipping inside.
Xiao Xiao's figure had matured noticeably in recent months, now more than enough to pique his interest.
"Qian Ran, not here!" Xiao Xiao protested, her face flushing red as she squirmed in embarrassment. Despite everything, she remained the shy, bashful girl she'd always been.
"If you're looking for someone to tease, I'm here too!" Wang Dong'er puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance.
Through diligent training, Wang Dong'er's figure had improved significantly. While she couldn't yet rival the senior girls, she was no longer flat-chested. Of course, Zhu Lu was still an outlier in their age group.
"Seriously? You're offering, and now he's not interested?" Wang Dong'er pouted, her frustration evident.
"Zhu Lu, come here," Qian Ran called, pulling Zhu Lu toward him.
Zhu Lu's figure was undeniably captivating. Even with Cai Mei'er and Zhu Ying's mature allure as benchmarks, Zhu Lu's charm remained undeniable.
"Qian Ran, you only like big ones," Wang Dong'er muttered under her breath.
Everyone's eyes turned to Zhu Lu's ample figure, then back to their own. The envy was palpable.
Qian Ran always insisted he didn't care about size, yet time and again, his actions betrayed his preferences.
Despite their efforts to maintain themselves, they couldn't compete with Zhu Lu's natural gifts.
"Talking behind my back, huh? Just wait until we're home—I'll deal with you then," Qian Ran said, chuckling as he gave Wang Dong'er a teasing glance.
Wang Dong'er was far from being neglected. In fact, she ranked among Qian Ran's top five favorites.
Her appeal was something only Qian Ran fully understood in private.
Wang Dong'er was completely devoted to him. If Tang San knew how obedient she had become, he would likely break down in tears.
Obedience wasn't even the right word anymore—submission was more accurate.
It seemed Wang Dong'er found joy in submitting to Qian Ran's every whim, though he couldn't quite fathom why. It wasn't as if he'd intentionally nurtured this side of her.
"Hmph, as if I'm afraid of you," Wang Dong'er said, feigning defiance.
"Tonight, perform for me. Each of you can do a solo, or you can work together," Qian Ran said, his gaze sweeping over the group: Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, Zhu Lu, Wu Feng, Ning Tian, Cui Yajie, and the Lan sisters—all present and accounted for.
"This calls for a little excitement," Qian Ran thought to himself.
And if Zhou Yi joined the mix?
The looks on their faces when they saw her would be priceless.
(End of Chapter)