"Mengmeng, it seems your brother has taken quite a blow. Do you think he'll be okay?"
Qian Ran held Meng Hongchen gently in his arms.
Meng Hongchen stood around 1.65 meters tall, slim and petite. Her figure, about a C-cup, wasn't particularly large but also far from small. Among her peers, her allure was undeniable. Her slender waist highlighted the perky and round curves of her lower body.
Her posterior wasn't overly voluptuous but was perfectly proportioned, carrying a youthful charm.
After all, there were distinct differences between a young maiden, a mature woman, and a seductive lady. And for Qian Ran, he found appeal in all three. The youthful tightness, the mature softness, and the balance in between—each had its own charm.
Nowadays, Meng Hongchen and her friends all preferred wearing tight clothing.
Perhaps because Qian Ran liked it.
While not everyone with a good figure chose to dress this way, those without one would never dare, lest their flaws be laid bare.
"Don't bother with him. He keeps trying to compete with you despite his lack of ability. He's not worthy." Meng Hongchen pouted.
"Pfft. How can you talk about your own brother like that? But you're right—he's not worthy." Qian Ran chuckled and shook his head. Knowing one's own limits was important, something Xiao Hongchen clearly failed to grasp.
Seeing that Meng Hongchen and her peers were all surpassing him, Xiao Hongchen must be panicking.
People with overly inflated egos often lose their composure in situations like this.
"When you go back, keep an eye on Xiao Hongchen. I'm worried he might do something irrational," Qian Ran said, ruffling Meng Hongchen's burgundy hair.
"Got it. It's not like he can do anything to me."
"Still, you should have someone keep watch over him. If he really becomes unbearable, just send him back home. No need for him to stay here and be a nuisance," Meng Hongchen suggested.
"Understood." Qian Ran nodded but had no intention of letting Xiao Hongchen return to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Just seeing Xiao Hongchen annoyed him. He was looking for an opportunity to eliminate him altogether—permanently.
Xiao Hongchen was still blathering on somewhere, blissfully unaware that it was only Meng Hongchen's presence keeping him alive for now.
"Sea God Fate?"
Qian Ran froze for a moment before realizing what it referred to.
The Sea God Lake, Sea God Fate—it was one of the most significant events in Shrek Academy's inner court.
The purpose of this matchmaking event was simple: to ensure talent stayed within the academy.
Shrek's inner court students were the academy's true elites. Typically, fewer than a hundred students resided there, often only 50 or 60. Aside from rigorous training, they were frequently sent on missions for the academy's Supervisory Corps.
As a result, inner court disciples rarely interacted with the outside world. Additionally, there was no age limit in the inner court, making it difficult for some students to find suitable partners.
To address this, Shrek Academy organized the matchmaking event.
The Sea God Fate event was somewhat reminiscent of modern matchmaking shows like If You Are the One, complete with lights to signal interest or rejection. Qian Ran remembered the format vividly.
Each year, Shrek's deans from various departments attended the event, underscoring its importance.
"You're not planning to participate, are you?" Xian Lin'er knocked Qian Ran lightly on the head, glaring at him.
Given the number of beautiful women already surrounding Qian Ran, the idea of him joining the Sea God Fate matchmaking event would be enough to make people furious.
Typically, only single young men and women participated. Someone like Qian Ran, who was clearly far from single, wouldn't fit in at all.
With a different woman each day and a harem that wouldn't repeat for a month, what business did he have at the Sea God Fate?
"Do you think I'm stupid? No matter how shameless I might be, I wouldn't stoop to participating in such an event," Qian Ran said with a dark expression. While he was indeed intrigued by Shrek's inner court beauties, he knew better than to act on impulse.
Besides, as Shrek Academy's vice-dean, would it make sense for him to attend a matchmaking event as a single participant?
He had standards.
Still, he couldn't deny an interest in a few individuals—like Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming.
Han Ruoruo was a senior disciple in Shrek's inner court, even more experienced than Zhang Lexuan. Occasionally, when resources were tight, she filled in as a substitute instructor. Her martial soul was the Shimmering Gold Rope, an eight-ring Control System Soul Douluo.
With her strong-willed personality and no-nonsense attitude, Han Ruoruo had earned the nickname "Golden Fairy" and was considered the best control-type master in the inner court. In the original storyline, she eventually paired with Wang Yan, the teacher who often collaborated with Zhou Yi.
Wu Ming, on the other hand, was a fiery-tempered soul master known for her powerful Golden Crow martial soul. Alongside Ma Xiaotao, she was one of the inner court's two "volcanos." Her temper was even fiercer than Ma Xiaotao's. In the original story, she too found her match during this event.
Qian Ran had always had a soft spot for fiery personalities. Such spirited women often had... surprising moments of vulnerability.
"Good. You'll be attending this year's Sea God Fate as a guest observer in your capacity as vice-dean. Since your promotion hasn't been officially announced yet, your appearance is bound to turn heads. Those proud inner court girls might just raise their standards even higher," Xian Lin'er teased.
Qian Ran was simply too outstanding. His presence at such an event would undoubtedly add pressure to the inner court's male disciples.
"Also, have you prepared your eight-ring soul tool for the Level 8 Soul Engineer certification? You need to succeed in this to establish your position firmly within the Soul Engineering Department. Once you've obtained the Level 8 badge, no one will dare underestimate you because of your age."
"I've already asked Juzi and the others to gather the materials. I'll start tomorrow. Give me a week," Qian Ran said nonchalantly. Typically, preparing and crafting a Level 8 soul tool took three months or longer due to the exorbitant cost of materials and the risk of failure.
"A week? Well, I'll be waiting for good news. I'll make sure many of our Soul Engineering teachers come to watch your demonstration—it'll be a chance for you to showcase your abilities," Xian Lin'er reminded him.
"Got it. You're such a nag, Lin'er." Qian Ran yawned, running his hand over her shapely curves. Despite his teasing, he secretly enjoyed her meticulous care—it was almost motherly in its thoroughness.
"I'm only doing this for you," Xian Lin'er pouted. With her instructions out of the way, the two soon found other things to occupy their time...
(End of Chapter)
Notes-You can read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X