"Put your clothes on first, then we'll talk."
Although Li Chang'an had already seen enough of Ning Rongrong's figure, now that she had finished absorbing the fruit and discovered her dress was ruined, he naturally wasn't about to take advantage any further.
Blushing, Ning Rongrong nodded and retrieved a light-blue gown from her storage soul tool.
When she looked back at Li Chang'an, however, his head was already turned away—posing as the perfect gentleman.
'So… am I really not attractive enough to him?'
She let out a faint sigh and slowly changed into her new dress.
Once she had tidied herself up, she suddenly realized something—her soul power had reached a bottleneck.
'Impossible…!'
In disbelief, she released her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to test herself, only to confirm it—her soul power had indeed hit a bottleneck. And yet there was no trace of harm to her body.
'Teacher Li didn't lie. This fruit raised my soul power so much, and still left no side effects.'
Her heart overflowed with emotion. To her, such a fruit was practically a divine treasure. Yet Li Chang'an had not kept it for himself, but instead had given it to her without hesitation.
'Could it be… does he like me too?'
Her peach-blossom eyes lingered on his back as her thoughts ran wild.
If Li Chang'an knew what she was thinking, he would have cried injustice. To him, those fruits were common goods—valuable, yes, but hardly rare.
But for a girl in love? Even if you slapped her, she'd believe you only meant to swat a mosquito for her sake.
"I… I'm dressed," Ning Rongrong whispered softly. If her courage had been ten parts before, it was now twelve.
"Good. You've probably noticed your soul power has reached level 40. So don't feel upset anymore. Consolidate your strength. In about a month, the academy will organize a spirit beast hunt. You'll officially advance to Spirit Ancestor then."
"Oh, and if anyone asks how your strength increased so quickly, don't mention me. Just say it came from your family."
Li Chang'an gave her a few simple instructions. He was ready to leave—after all, he still hadn't gone to see his Meng Yiran nor arranged matters with Ye Lingling, not to mention visiting Qian Renxue in the imperial palace. Such was the headache of having too many girls.
"W-wait!"
Before he could take a step, he felt a pair of slender arms wrap around him from behind. A refined fragrance filled his nose.
"Rongrong, what are you doing? You know I already have a girlfriend." He gave a helpless smile, not turning around.
Truth be told, this was the first time in this life he had ever been openly pursued by a girl.
"I like you, Teacher Li. If I don't say it now, I might never have the courage again." Her voice trembled as she leaned her head against his back.
"But… I already have a girlfriend. More than one, actually," Li Chang'an admitted.
Was Ning Rongrong beautiful? Absolutely. She embodied the grace of a noble lady, the fantasy of countless men who dreamed of princesses and heiresses.
But he had never intended to add her to his "harem." It was she who had swum in of her own accord.
"I don't care how many girlfriends you have. I still want to be with you." Ning Rongrong's voice was firm, her resolve unshaken.
She wanted to be cherished, yes—but more than that, she wanted to be with the man she loved.
"And what if I had… ten girlfriends?" Li Chang'an asked bluntly.
Silence. The air froze, heavy with awkwardness.
Even though she had prepared herself, Ning Rongrong hadn't expected that number. Ten.
Her grip around his waist loosened. Li Chang'an sighed softly, strangely saddened, and prepared to step away.
But then her arms tightened again, holding him even closer.
"Even if you already have ten, Teacher Li… what's one more?"
Li Chang'an: …
Turning, he drew the beautiful girl into his embrace.
---
Ten minutes later, they walked out of the hotel together. Li Chang'an was wiping his mouth as they went.
Ning Rongrong was stunning, but she still wore a touch of makeup. After a ten-minute kiss, his lips were coated in rouge—he had to clean it off before meeting Meng Yiran.
Though Ning Rongrong had been more than willing, practically offering herself to him, Li Chang'an restrained himself. He wouldn't cheapen things by taking her immediately—it would have seemed too vulgar.
Now that he had accepted her, he also knew he'd need to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, to bring them over to his side. Otherwise, problems would arise later.
Who would have thought that one of his former imagined enemies would one day become someone he sought to recruit? Truly, the world was full of twists.
And really, the sect should be grateful to Ning Rongrong—otherwise, Li Chang'an might very well have crushed them in the future.
After escorting her back, evening had already fallen. Li Chang'an went to find Meng Yiran after her classes ended.
The moment she saw him, Meng Yiran nearly jumped three feet high with joy. It had been a long time since she last saw him. Being his secret lover, she couldn't openly ask about his whereabouts—she could only wait quietly and search in secret.
This time, Li Chang'an opted for room service at the hotel. The two of them shared dinner together in his suite.
"In about two months, I'll be leaving Shrek Academy to form my own team for the tournament. Do you want to join?" Li Chang'an asked between bites.
Since it would involve her withdrawing from the academy, he had to let her know early.
"Of course! Who else would I follow if not you"
Meng Yiran replied sweetly, cutting a small piece of steak and feeding it to him with a smile.
"Good. Then the second matter—one month from now, you'll meet my other girlfriends. I'll formally announce your place among them. You'll need to get along with them."
The words caught Meng Yiran completely off guard.
"H-how many?" she stammered, anxiety creeping into her chest. Though she was older, she was still a later arrival.
"Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong. Oh, and one outside the academy, Ye Lingling. For now, that's all," he counted on his fingers.
"…What?"
Meng Yiran was stunned. Li Chang'an had managed to win over the academy's three most beautiful girls, plus another outside?
What she missed, however, was the word he had used: for now.
"Alright… I'll prepare myself mentally. Good thing you told me a month in advance." She patted her chest, trying to steady her nerves.
"Enough talk. We've eaten. Time for something else," Li Chang'an said, his gaze flicking to the chest she had just patted, his hunger shifting to a different kind.
Meng Yiran's flavor was unlike anyone else's.
"Mm… Chang'an, don't rush…" she whispered, body soft as silk as she coiled around him like a snake.
Smack!
Li Chang'an landed a sharp slap on her Ass.
"What do you call me?"
At the sting, Meng Yiran shivered, her breathing quickening.
"Ah—don't… Daddy, I was wrong…" she whimpered, her voice quivering, her legs shifting restlessly.
"That's better, you little minx," Li Chang'an chuckled, tossing her onto the bed.
---
That night, there were no words—only sounds that lasted until dawn.
Li Chang'an stayed at the hotel until morning. As always, when leaving, he gave her one last playful smack.
"Mm~"
Smiling, he set out breakfast and fresh water from his storage soul tool before quietly departing.
Daytime was for Ye Lingling. Nighttime… for Qian Renxue.
___
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