After realizing the scheming intentions of Mingde Hall and Xu Tianran, Qian Ran alternated between cursing their shamelessness and wholeheartedly enjoying the benefits.
The beauties sent over by Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi? Qian Ran welcomed them all. Each of them was at least a top-tier beauty. Even if they weren't flawless in every way, they always had standout features—long, seductive legs, or an adorable loli face with twin ponytails. Whatever their appeal, Qian Ran wasn't picky, and the experience was nothing short of blissful.
Qian Ran doubted anyone was living a better life than him.
At Shrek Academy, he had thought his days were already luxurious, but the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy was practically a paradise.
Of course, none of the other exchange students from Shrek Academy were enjoying such treatment—only Qian Ran.
Initially, the others had expected to be paired with a few attractive female students, but instead, they were assigned burly male companions. Watching Qian Ran bask in his heaven-on-earth experience while they were stuck in their dismal arrangements left them frustrated but powerless to complain.
"How does Qian Ran always end up thriving no matter where he goes?"
Walking past Qian Ran's dormitory, Huo Yuhao caught a glimpse inside and immediately felt a pang of jealousy.
Every day, Qian Ran's room seemed to be graced by a new group of beautiful girls.
It was infuriating.
What made it worse for Huo Yuhao was his own failure with Meng Hongchen. Despite his attempts, she remained uninterested, even disdainful of him. He felt his confidence crumble.
Xiao Hongchen had once suggested pairing Meng Hongchen with Huo Yuhao, but it seemed that idea had fallen through.
The problem was himself.
With Xiao Hongchen absent from the academy, he couldn't even appeal for help. Approaching Jing Hongchen directly was out of the question.
What stung Huo Yuhao most was Mingde Hall's shifting attitude. Initially, the academy had been incredibly accommodating to him, even allowing him to join Mingde Hall's studies before any of the other exchange students. But lately, he felt their favor waning.
"Am I really that bad?"
Huo Yuhao seethed with frustration. Why did Qian Ran get to enjoy the company of multiple women, while he couldn't secure even one? If not for Qian Ran, Huo Yuhao believed he would have been the star of this exchange program.
Without Qian Ran, his talent would have easily overshadowed the other Shrek students, and he would undoubtedly be the one enjoying Qian Ran's current privileges.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Qian Ran had stolen the life that should have been his.
Without Qian Ran, how carefree would his life be?
Adding to his resentment over Meng Hongchen's attitude and Qian Ran's charmed existence was a constant worry for his mother's safety.
Since that fateful incident, he hadn't seen his mother. The uncertainty gnawed at him. Knowing Qian Ran's ruthless tendencies, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but fear the worst.
His face flushed with anger as he clenched his fist, leaving a deep imprint on a nearby tree.
Huo Yuhao forced himself not to dwell on these thoughts, but whenever they surfaced, the pain was unbearable.
"Damn it, Qian Ran, you'll get what's coming to you. Enjoy it while you can," he muttered bitterly before storming off. He couldn't understand why Mingde Hall favored Qian Ran so heavily—it was suspicious.
One thing was clear: Mingde Hall hadn't abandoned their plans to eliminate Qian Ran. They were likely biding their time, hoping to extract more information from him before making their move.
Shortly after Huo Yuhao left, a young woman in a red dress appeared nearby.
Meng Hongchen was dressed in a red spaghetti-strap chiffon dress that barely reached her thighs, leaving her long, snowy-white legs fully exposed. Her delicate feet were adorned with crystal sandals that revealed her toes and the arches of her feet. Her toenails, painted a striking red, were pressed together, adding a touch of allure. Her hair, still damp as if she'd just stepped out of the bath, enhanced her sensuality.
Meng Hongchen had never dressed so daringly in the academy before. At most, she had worn sporty shorts.
But Meng Hongchen knew Qian Ran's taste well—he adored beautiful women. With so many stunning girls around him, she couldn't make a lasting impression without putting in some effort.
"Qian Ran is so inconsiderate. He's been here for days and hasn't even come to see me," Meng Hongchen pouted as she walked, her tone laced with irritation.
When Qian Ran had first arrived, she had wanted to visit him immediately, but Jing Hongchen had placed guards around her to keep her away. Jing Hongchen didn't want his granddaughter getting entangled with Qian Ran, knowing the chaos it could bring.
Moreover, Jing Hongchen knew Qian Ran's days were numbered—eventually, the empire would remove him. Any relationship would be meaningless, and he had even hoped Meng Hongchen might bond with Huo Yuhao instead.
But recently, Jing Hongchen's stance had shifted, allowing Meng Hongchen the freedom to seek out Qian Ran.
What infuriated Meng Hongchen most was Qian Ran's lack of initiative. As one of the first people to meet him at the Sun-Moon Academy—during the previous Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, no less—she considered herself his friend.
Yet Qian Ran hadn't reached out to her at all, leaving her feeling disappointed and unimportant. She had even stayed at the academy for him rather than joining her brother in studying at Shrek.
As she approached Qian Ran's dormitory, the sound of laughter and chatter reached her ears, and her cheeks puffed in irritation.
If Qian Ran weren't so exceptional, she wouldn't have tolerated his flirtatious tendencies.
After a moment's hesitation, she knocked on the door.
"Meng Hongchen?" Nana opened the door, dressed in leather shorts that barely covered her hips. Her long, slender legs were fully exposed.
Nana was taken aback to see Meng Hongchen. Everyone in the academy knew her as Jing Hongchen's granddaughter. Why was she here? Could it be…?
Nana, having spent time around Qian Ran, had grown accustomed to surprises. She recovered quickly, masking her initial shock.
Meng Hongchen, meanwhile, took in Nana's attire, her eyes lingering on the barely-there shorts. Nana's curvaceous figure was striking, with her hips so pronounced that the shorts didn't fully cover them. The slight peek of skin on each side was enough to captivate anyone.
Even Meng Hongchen, a fellow woman, found herself momentarily stunned.
(End of Chapter)
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X