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Chapter 523 - Chapter 522: Jing Hongchen Clicks His Tongue in Amazement – Qian Ran Is Too Wealthy

"Qian Ran, who are you thinking about? Ugh, hugging me while thinking about someone else!" Meng Hongchen pouted, her tone filled with grievance as she caught Qian Ran spacing out. Had she pleased him too much just now?

She had worked so hard—wasn't this enough for a girl's first time? How incredible were the women before her that even this effort couldn't capture his attention?

The first time Meng Hongchen had felt the pressure to compete was when she moved to Xuan Ziwen's office and became roommates with Juzi and Keke. Seeing their sexy, endlessly feminine style, she was involuntarily drawn into the rivalry. She couldn't even bring herself to appear before Qian Ran without dressing provocatively; the bar was simply too high.

Since moving into that lab, Meng Hongchen began waking up 30 minutes earlier every day, allocating that extra time to primp and preen.

And now, she was questioning everything.

To create the image of a sweet, obedient girl in front of Qian Ran, she had meticulously prepared for days. She even signed an unfair agreement with Keke in exchange for her technical assistance.

And the result?

This?!

The women surrounding Qian Ran were far too many, and the ones at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy were just the tip of the iceberg. Their looks and talents were equal to or even surpassed hers. They likely spared no effort to please him as well. Whatever she could do, they could do better.

"I was just thinking about something important; that's why I zoned out," Qian Ran said, running his hand gently through Meng Hongchen's hair.

Meng Hongchen pouted even more, her eyes flickering downward. If he was just thinking, then how could there be such an obvious reaction?

Still, Meng Hongchen wasn't the kind of person to act irrationally. She tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear, exposing her delicate, spotless earlobe, then leaned further down.

Hiss!

Qian Ran narrowed his eyes.

He had to admit—when women became competitive, they truly brought out their best.

As long as they weren't engaging in palace intrigue, channeling their energy into the right areas was a good thing.

Qian Ran recalled watching clips of Empresses in the Palace in his previous life. If women turned to palace intrigue, the sharp-witted ladies around him would be no pushover. It would give him a splitting headache, no matter how capable he was.

But if they competed in serving him, refining their skills to ever more extraordinary levels… who knew? It might extend to artistic pursuits like dancing or singing. They might even form small groups—a girl band to outshine each other.

He couldn't even imagine how indulgent that would feel.

My god.

Forget being an emperor—nothing would compare to this.

Qian Ran suddenly sobered up. The moment he noticed even a hint of palace intrigue among them, he'd crack down on it decisively. Why emulate such feudal toxicity? That kind of nonsense had no place in his household.

Meng Hongchen noticed Qian Ran staring at her. She coquettishly rolled her eyes at him before leaning in to kiss him again.

Marks covered Qian Ran's body—his arms, neck, chest, and even his legs bore evidence of Meng Hongchen's enthusiastic efforts.

From the outside, it seemed like he was the lustful one. But wasn't it the women who craved him more?

Qian Ran glanced down at himself and reached a conclusion: women, they're just too good at pretending.

In this era, the mainstream attitude toward bold women wasn't exactly friendly. Meng Hongchen and the others likely felt embarrassed and restrained themselves. But Qian Ran distinctly remembered falling asleep last night without so many marks on his body.

Clearly, Meng Hongchen had taken another round after he'd dozed off.

"Alright. I'm going to take a shower."

Meng Hongchen pouted as she wobbled slightly in front of him, seemingly intent on making sure he noticed her "achievements."

Meng Hongchen knew Qian Ran responded to gentleness, not force. By showing him how much effort she had put in, she knew she could make him care for her even more.

"I'll join you," Qian Ran said, a flash of guilt in his eyes as he followed her into the bathroom.

When the two finally emerged from the room, Jing Hongchen, who had been waiting nearby, sighed at the sight of them.

From the subtle changes in Meng Hongchen's expression, he could already tell that their relationship had taken that irreversible step.

Jing Hongchen couldn't tell if he'd made the right decision. Ever since Meng Hongchen started dating Qian Ran, her aura had transformed dramatically, and her overall strength was improving by leaps and bounds.

But Qian Ran was destined to become a future enemy of the Empire and was a key target under Jing Hongchen's surveillance.

Now that Meng Hongchen was so deeply entangled, how devastated would she be if Qian Ran died one day?

And what would he do then?

"Maybe this is a good thing," Jing Hongchen muttered to himself. "The deeper Meng Hongchen falls now, the easier it will be for her to let go and throw herself into cultivation after Qian Ran's death. Her future achievements might even surpass expectations."

"But to think my precious granddaughter was so easily swept away by this rascal… it's infuriating!" Jing Hongchen's previously pained expression shifted quickly.

The thought of his treasured granddaughter being charmed so easily—and even taking the initiative—filled him with regret. He had always believed in raising her lavishly, yet this was how it turned out?

"What's so great about this flirtatious brat?" No matter how Jing Hongchen looked at it, he couldn't understand why Qian Ran had such overwhelming charm. The boy had been at the academy for only a few days, yet the girls seemed ready to die for him.

"Hall Master."

"The test results for the pills are in. They contain numerous rare herbs, making them significantly more effective than the ones developed by Mingde Hall. Their side effects are minimal, and they're nearly impossible to replicate," Lin Jiayi reported solemnly.

"I see. In that case, there's no need to interfere. If Qian Ran is willing to give out pills, that's his business," Jing Hongchen said dismissively.

Qian Ran had gifted numerous pills to the women around him. Naturally, some had been sold to Mingde Hall at exorbitant prices. Anything Qian Ran produced piqued their interest.

Unfortunately, the pills offered no valuable insights. Their efficacy stemmed purely from the exceptional quality of the ingredients.

Qian Ran had planted many mid-tier rare herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. These herbs grew at astonishing speeds and were of a higher quality than their counterparts grown elsewhere. The pills he casually handed out were made from these precious ingredients.

"This kid is ridiculously wealthy. I need to remind Meng Meng to milk him for all he's worth."

Qian Ran's wealth far exceeded Jing Hongchen's expectations. The gifts he had casually handed out in just a few days could sell for thousands of gold soul coins. Jing Hongchen estimated that the resources Keke, Nana, and Juzi had received were each worth at least tens of millions of gold soul coins. Naturally, he couldn't let his granddaughter be shortchanged.

(End of Chapter)

 

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