"Ah?"
"Are you joking with me? I'm far inferior to the people by your side, let alone Xiao Xue," Han Yue muttered softly. If she could be favored by Xu Ran, that wouldn't be a tiger's den, would it? It should be, rather, heaven?
Everyone knows that as long as you follow Xu Ran, even receiving a minor reward could potentially elevate you to the status of a powerhouse. And the women associated with Xu Ran became super geniuses overnight because of him.
This was something others might not know, but Han Yue and Xin Lan were well aware.
If the one forcing them hadn't been that guy from the Hong Family but had been Xu Ran instead, even if they were forced, they probably wouldn't object.
Han Yue stole a glance at Xu Ran, and her face immediately flushed red.
Disregarding Xu Ran's power, his handsome features alone were still incredibly dazzling, and the warm aura he emanated made one unconsciously want to draw closer to him.
"Who said I'm not interested? Are there even men who aren't interested in that sort of thing?" Xu Ran teased.
"But, but..."
Han Yue stammered. She truly didn't understand what Xu Ran meant. Could it be that Lord Xu Ran wanted to...?
Such thoughts were beyond her wildest dreams. Could someone like Xu Ran take a fancy to her? She hadn't even dared to harbor such a thought. But now, Xu Ran's words had stirred certain thoughts within her.
Such an outstanding man was right in front of her, and it would be a lie to say her heart remained unmoved.
While Xu Ran had many women around him, his merits were more than enough to overshadow his flaws.
Forging a relationship with someone like Xu Ran could lead to the meteoric rise of a force, let alone an individual.
"But what?"
"Don't you want to be with me?"
Xu Ran's fingers caressed Han Yue's neck and the slightly exposed skin of her collarbone, finding the delicate flesh exquisitely soft. And as Xu Ran's fingers glided across her skin, it quickly blushed from white to red where they touched. Xu Ran's fingers were like a paintbrush, bringing out his playful side.
"Lord Xu Ran..."
Han Yue closed her eyes, unable to utter another word.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, the caresses of Xu Ran's fingers incredibly unsettling. Yet, she didn't dare resist Xu Ran and could only close her eyes, leaving herself at his mercy.
It was then that she realized she was not without allure to Xu Ran.
The peculiar sensation on her body, coupled with the thrill and excitement in her heart, intertwined so that she let out a soft moan with her eyes closed.
Xin Lan had been staring, dumbfounded. She was aware of Xu Ran's romantic escapades, but she had never worried that he would make a move on her. If it were Xu Ran, even if it really happened, she wouldn't refuse.
Xu Ran's alchemy skills far surpassed hers, and she believed that her family would be pleased if she could be with him.
She wanted Xu Ran's help to change her family's crisis, but since Xu Ran was an outsider and not part of her clan, his advanced alchemy couldn't alter her family's decline. However, if Xu Ran were to be her husband, that would be a different story. So her original intention was to have Xu Ran pretend to be her fiancé.
But if...
Xin Lan watched Xu Ran's frivolous actions on Han Yue, covering her mouth and closing her eyes. Though she felt deeply embarrassed, she couldn't help but peek through her fingers at Xu Ran and Han Yue.
The trail of Xu Ran's fingers on Han Yue's body caused even Xin Lan to empathize deeply, transforming herself into a steamy temptress.
"Lord Xu Ran, no, this won't do." Han Yue was already drenched, her entire body soaked with sweat.
These brief minutes felt more exhausting to her than a whole day of cultivation. Especially with her heart thumping wildly inside her chest.
She never knew before that this could be so tiring, did she?
Even though Xu Ran hadn't done anything, not even a kiss, she was already harboring thoughts of running away.
"What won't do?" Xu Ran asked with amusement, looking at Han Yue.
Han Yue's hands gripped the chair's armrests tightly, so hard that her fingers had turned somewhat white.
Han Yue was still a virgin, always proper and well-behaved, and presumably, she had never experienced this kind of flirtation before, so naturally, she was somewhat overwhelmed.
"We are still outside, and it wouldn't be good if someone saw us," Han Yue said tremblingly, her eyes still tightly shut, her mind blank.
If Xu Ran were to... right now,
she would be powerless to resist, yet she didn't want it to be like this.
Even if Xu Ran really wanted something, they should at least go to a room, right?
"Oh?"
So Han Yue was worried he might take advantage of her here.
Indeed, he had just entertained such a thought, but he quickly suppressed that evil idea.
Even though he could ensure no one else would notice anything here, Han Yue and the others had limited mental endurance. Xu Ran didn't want to leave any kind of shadow on their minds.
"Senior Han Yue, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Xu Ran stopped his actions. Tasty things should be savored slowly, not gobbled up like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit. Eating too fast, and one might forget its flavor altogether afterward.
"You!"
As Xu Ran's moves ceased, Han Yue recovered quite quickly. Seeing Xu Ran pretending to be innocent, Han Yue felt both embarrassed and irritated. Could it be that she had misunderstood him just now?
Out of embarrassment, Han Yue felt a lump in her throat, almost ready to burst into tears.
If she had misunderstood Xu Ran's intentions just now, she would be utterly mortified.
"Don't cry. If it's that bad, I can always come to you tonight, right?" Xu Ran found it hard to see women cry. Seeing Han Yue cry, he realized that his joke might have gone too far. Han Yue and the others were not like Xun Er and her crowd, who jested with Xu Ran all the time and took none of his jokes seriously. But Han Yue and her company were different; a careless word or action might unsettle them.
"Who wants you to come to me?"
"As if I'm begging you or something!"
Han Yue's heart blossomed with joy at Xu Ran's shameless comment, but she hadn't expected him to actually be serious.
"Isn't that so? Without me, who would be able to save you and your family?" Xu Ran said, his tone languid and shamelessly smug.
Xin Lan couldn't stand it any longer. The Lord Xu Ran she respected and admired, how could he be so shameless? Taking advantage of the situation to threaten a girl? However, seeing Xu Ran and Han Yue bickering flirtatiously, she felt a sour twinge in her heart.
"You, shameless!!!" Han Yue exclaimed, her face flushed as she softly scolded him. She hadn't expected Xu Ran to be so brazen. Although she knew he was joking, Xu Ran's carefree attitude was so different from his powerful and invincible image.
No wonder so many people were utterly devoted to him. A strong yet charming person, who wouldn't like that? Xu Ran himself was indeed a fascinating person.