Qianran and Juzi were enjoying their tender moment together, basking in intimacy, until the maid sent by Xu Tianran delivered breakfast, forcing Qianran to momentarily halt his playful antics with Juzi.
Among the women Qianran had met, Juzi's beauty wasn't the most striking, but that didn't matter—Qianran was utterly captivated by her.
For Qianran, beauty was never the sole criterion. After all, no unattractive women ever surrounded him. What truly interested Qianran were the filters from his memories of novels and anime.
Otherwise, women like Juzi, Keke, or Nana, no matter how beautiful, were not rare in the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Many with equal or greater allure actively pursued Qianran, yet he found them utterly unremarkable. To him, they were simply pretty faces. In contrast, Juzi and the others were different because of their original stories, which made them uniquely compelling in his heart.
Even a minor character from an original work held far more appeal to Qianran than a mere beauty without such context.
Ordinary beauties couldn't catch Qianran's attention even if they flaunted themselves shamelessly. Of course, as the number of women around him grew, the goddesses in his inner circle had started dropping their aloof personas.
Naturally, Juzi and the others had no idea that Qianran's affection stemmed from his filter of their original stories—nor could they ever imagine that he was a transmigrator. As a result, they often felt insecure around him.
Even Juzi, despite her composure, feared that one day Qianran might lose interest in her.
The more time she spent with him, the deeper she fell, losing rationality in the process.
Her once hate-filled heart had gradually warmed, especially when Qianran was by her side. She would even forget about her thirst for revenge. If Qianran truly wanted to take her away, Juzi wouldn't hesitate to follow him.
She had even grown indifferent to Qianran's promises of capturing Dai Hao for her vengeance.
In her childhood, Juzi had lost everything—her parents perished in the war, and her world collapsed. Since then, she had never allowed anyone into her heart.
Having seen the light once again, Juzi dreaded returning to darkness.
She no longer wished to serve Xu Tianran; all she desired was to stay by Qianran's side, just like Keke and the others.
...
Later, when Xu Tianran summoned Qianran, he confided that his body had shown signs of recovery the day before. He requested Qianran to continue his treatment, and Qianran readily agreed.
However, Qianran made his own demands as payment—he wanted Xu Tianzhen.
Xu Tianzhen was Xu Tianran's sister.
For Qianran, obtaining Xu Tianzhen wasn't challenging.
But having her gifted by Xu Tianran himself? That would feel different.
Besides, Xu Tianzhen was only the beginning. Qianran wanted much more.
"No way! Tianzhen can't be with you," Xu Tianran retorted, his face darkening at Qianran's request. Previously, Xu Tianran had even promised Qianran a dukedom. That was merely empty talk, a ploy to buy time until he could claim the throne. By then, he expected Qianran to have already fallen to the hands of the Mingde Hall or the Holy Spirit Church.
Xu Tianran never intended for Qianran to leave the Sun and Moon Empire alive.
But now, Qianran dared to covet his sister? That was beyond audacious.
Qianran's notorious lifestyle meant Xu Tianran knew full well what would happen if his sister fell into Qianran's hands. She'd be utterly smitten in no time.
Xu Tianran cherished his sister deeply and couldn't bear the thought of her suffering. Despite their vicious power struggles as princes, all of Xu Tianran's siblings doted on Xu Tianzhen because, as a princess, she posed no threat to their ambitions. Their love for her was proportional to the intensity of their infighting.
Xu Tianzhen's endearing innocence in the original story stemmed from being spoiled to no end.
Even though Xu Tianran had grown twisted over the years due to his physical condition, his feelings for his sister remained unchanged. He adored her unconditionally.
Introducing his sister to a known scoundrel like Qianran? That would make him a laughingstock.
"Does His Highness the Crown Prince harbor any dissatisfaction with me?" Qianran asked with a sly smile.
"No... no, it's not that…" Xu Tianran was alarmed, afraid Qianran might detect his true intentions.
"Very well, then. I shall petition His Majesty myself," Qianran said with a measured tone.
After a moment's hesitation, Xu Tianran relented. He worried that refusing might lead Qianran to suspect his ulterior motives.
If Qianran realized Xu Tianran harbored murderous intent, he might flee prematurely. Furthermore, Qianran's background—his ties to Shrek Academy and the Martial Soul Hall—meant his backers wouldn't sit idly by.
On the contrary, sending Xu Tianzhen to Qianran could lull him into a false sense of security.
As he weighed the pros and cons, Xu Tianran came to an unsettling conclusion: offering his sister to Qianran was his best option for now.
Xu Tianran broke into a cold sweat. He didn't believe Qianran lacked any sense of danger. No matter how well Qianran concealed it, the Sun and Moon Empire's hostility towards him would have been obvious. Xu Tianran surmised that Qianran's boldness in coming to the empire stemmed from overconfidence in his backers and his own talents.
Though it was risky, Xu Tianran decided using Xu Tianzhen as bait would stabilize the situation.
"Then I must thank Your Highness," Qianran said with a laugh, his smile deeply unsettling to Xu Tianran.
Having handed Juzi over to Qianran, and now his beloved sister? Xu Tianran grew more agitated as he thought about it, but he had no choice but to maintain a cordial demeanor.
However, he had made up his mind.
Once his body was fully healed and he regained his former strength, he would personally eliminate Qianran.
Then, Juzi…
Images of Juzi in a tight cheongsam and stockings, her black hair styled into an elegant bun, flooded Xu Tianran's mind. Her dignified allure was irresistible. Such a woman should belong to him alone.
As Qianran's treatments continued, Xu Tianran found himself increasingly enraptured by these fantasies.
Once he regained his manhood, he would have children of his own and lead the empire's armies to conquer the continent. He would become the most exalted man in the world, unmatched by anyone.
Qianran was indeed a peerless genius, but even he would pale in comparison to Xu Tianran's vision of total domination.
(Chapter End)