Although Li Chang'an had already survived one major romantic chaos, he knew all too well that many more awaited him in the future.
Such as the inevitable confrontation between the Pope and Qian Renxue, mother and daughter;
or the enmity between Xiao Wu and the Pope herself.
Over the years, thanks to his perfect "time management," Qian Renxue had always believed she was the only one in his heart.
But now… that illusion was shattered beyond repair.
There was no explaining this situation anymore—he could only brace himself and face it head-on.
---
That day, Qian Renxue was dressed in a simple azure robe. Even in disguise, standing beside Ning Fengzhi, she exuded an air of graceful intelligence.
When she saw Li Chang'an, she even managed a calm, polite smile, pretending not to recognize him at all.
Li Chang'an's own expression remained equally composed. He turned to Ning Fengzhi and asked, forcing a slightly awkward smile,
"Uncle Ning, what brings you here?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled kindly, then gestured to Qian Renxue.
"Chang'an, allow me to introduce you. This is His Highness Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."
He then turned to her.
"Your Highness, this is the young man you wished to meet—Li Changsheng."
Qian Renxue, still playing her role as Xue Qinghe, feigned polite surprise.
"So you're Li Changsheng, the young hero who led the Crimson Rose Team to victory? Remarkable—so young, yet already so talented. To manage six female teammates and still perform this well—impressive indeed."
Li Chang'an gave a strained smile.
"I wouldn't dare claim credit, Your Highness. Compared to your royal insight and leadership, my small achievements are nothing."
But beneath her composed tone, her words carried a sharp edge.
The hidden meaning was clear: You certainly do enjoy surrounding yourself with women, don't you?
"Teacher," Qian Renxue said suddenly, turning to Ning Fengzhi with a demure bow, "may I have a private word with this Li Changsheng?"
"Of course," Ning Fengzhi replied with a genial nod.
"It's been a while since I last saw Rongrong anyway. I'll go visit her."
And with that, he walked off toward Ning Rongrong's lodging, leaving the two of them alone.
Naturally, Ning Fengzhi thought Qian Renxue's goal was to recruit Li Chang'an—a promising young genius worth winning over.
He could never have imagined that, in truth, his disciple and his prospective son-in-law were about to stage a very different kind of "negotiation."
---
"Let's see…" Qian Renxue began coolly, stepping closer.
"The little princess of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, our Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire, and the top support student of the Spirit Hall Academy…"
With each name she listed, Li Chang'an felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down his back.
'Damn. She's already investigated everything.'
"Li Chang'an," she said softly—but her tone carried steel.
"You're quite something, aren't you? You once swore you'd love only me. And now look at you—collecting women like titles. Tell me, are you still going to lie to me now?"
With a sharp metallic hiss, she unsheathed the sword at her waist, its tip leveling directly at his chest.
"Xue'er," Li Chang'an said gently, raising his hands in mock surrender, "can I… at least explain?"
She gave a cold laugh.
"Explain? You held hands with them in public during the tournament! What exactly do you want to explain, hmm?"
The sword's tip pressed against his chest, piercing through his robes. One small push, and it would pierce skin.
Li Chang'an sighed deeply.
"Then I won't explain. I just want to tell you one thing…"
His voice grew quiet but earnest.
"The first time I stepped into the academy, the first person I saw—the one who stole my heart—was you. I might love more people now, but my first love, the one I truly cherished first… has always been you."
As he spoke, emotion filled his eyes. His words came naturally, flawlessly sincere.
And indeed, to anyone hearing them—especially her—it was hard not to be moved.
"You've always been my moonlight, Xue'er—my brightest, purest light. Your place in my heart has never changed."
He took a slow breath, his tone heavy with feeling.
"Do you know why I came to the Heaven Dou Empire? Why I stayed all these years as a teacher here? It was all just to be closer to you. Every step I took—every decision—was to stay near you, even if only a little closer."
"If you don't believe me…" He took a step forward. "…then I'll prove it. I'll open my heart for you to see."
---
Before Qian Renxue could react, Li Chang'an suddenly moved forward—
and the blade slid straight into his chest, piercing him cleanly where his heart should be.
Blood blossomed instantly, staining his robes crimson. His face went deathly pale.
He had calculated it perfectly:
First, she'd be too shocked to question him further.
Second, this would serve as the ultimate "proof" of his sincerity.
"Ah—! You… why didn't you use your soul power to protect yourself!?"
Qian Renxue gasped, her sword clattering to the ground.
She knelt beside him, trembling, and with a flick of her wrist summoned an assortment of precious healing salves and elixirs—items so rare only the granddaughter of Qian Daoliu could possess them.
"Xue'er, don't cry…" Li Chang'an murmured weakly. "I just wanted to prove that my heart has always been yours. You believe me now… don't you?"
"I do! I do, I believe you!" she sobbed, hastily applying the medicine. "Don't move! I'll stop the bleeding—please, just stay awake! I never meant to hurt you, I just— I just wanted to know that I still mattered to you!"
Even through her tears, her training as a Holy Maiden surfaced; she worked swiftly and precisely.
But after applying two entire bottles of high-grade salve, the bleeding hadn't stopped.
Still, as soon as she whispered, "I'm sorry, I was too reckless…"
the wound began to heal miraculously—just as he'd planned.
She didn't question it, of course.
She only held him tighter, tears falling freely.
'This is my man,' she thought. 'And I'm his light. That's all that matters.'
---
"Xue'er," Li Chang'an said hoarsely after a while, "I thought you might come… so I prepared something for you."
He reached shakily into his storage soul tool and pulled out a small food container.
Inside were delicate pastries and familiar dishes—their favorite meals from a little restaurant near Spirit Hall.
"I… tried to hurry," he said, coughing lightly. "The food's gone cold, but it should still be good once reheated."
Of course, his storage soul tool froze time inside, preserving food indefinitely—but Qian Renxue didn't know that. Nor did she suspect that he had dozens of such "favorite items" prepared for all his different lovers.
In her eyes, this was the ultimate gesture:
he had risked time, distance, and exhaustion just to bring her the taste of home.
Her guilt surged. She imagined him racing against time, rushing from the tournament grounds back to Spirit Hall, buying their favorite meals, then rushing back—
all just for her.
Tears welled up again. She lowered her head—and kissed him deeply.
Li Chang'an responded softly, even as relief washed over him.
Crisis averted.