“You’re trying to get me in trouble! What if someone reports me?” Zhou Yi pouted with a hint of jealousy, thinking about how Qian Ran would be enjoying himself without a care. Things might not be as easy for her.

  Using her authority as homeroom teacher to favor Qian Ran, Zhou Yi felt a pang of guilt and a sense of wrongdoing.

  “What’s there to worry about? We have support up top.”

  “From who?” Zhou Yi was shocked.

  Could there be someone else that Qian Ran had charmed as well?

  “Let’s just say I have someone who can protect you. I’ll talk to them and see if I can get you promoted to senior teacher this year.”

  Due to her blunt personality and the occasional trouble she caused for Director Du Weilun, Zhou Yi had always missed out on the promotion to senior teacher.

  “Really?” Zhou Yi’s mouth fell open slightly. She hadn’t expected Qian Ran to wield such influence, even enough to secure her a title.

  “Just trust me. Stick with me, and you won’t be short of benefits.” Qian Ran held Zhou Yi close, feeling his desires fre up once more.

  By the time Qian Ran and Zhou Yi left the room, another hour had passed.

  Zhou Yi now looked remarkably gentle, her cheeks flushed and her whole demeanor softer, a far cry from her previous severity. She truly radiated with a renewed glow.

  Her face was full of warmth, and the way she looked at Qian Ran was tender and submissive.

  At first, she’d thought Qian Ran might need her care and guidance, but now it seemed that he was the one capable of helping her—and even securing her promotion.

  It seemed she had boarded Qian Ran’s ship and could never disembark. If she wasn’t careful, her reputation would be ruined. She knew how shameful and unfair this was to Fang Yu, but she couldn’t control herself. She was willing to do anything to keep Qian Ran pleased. She couldn’t bear to lose him.

  All she wanted was to stay by his side, even if it meant compromising her own morals.

  If her circumstances had been different, she might have become like the younger girls around Qian Ran, clinging to his side constantly.

  Unfortunately, she had met Qian Ran too te in her life.

  She was resigned to staying in the shadows with him, never able to be open about their retionship. She knew they couldn’t stay together forever; even a fleeting moment of his attention was enough.

  “Qian Ran, could I…”

  She hesitated, then looked at him with a pleading expression. “I want to have a child.”

  Qian Ran froze. He hadn’t expected Zhou Yi to make such a request. Did she want to have a child now and let Fang Yu raise it?

  That wasn’t his style—he wasn’t interested in anything beyond a casual fling.

  Above all, he had no pns to have children. If he became a god, he’d have eternal life, so he didn’t need to pass down a legacy. Besides, if he ended up with ungrateful children, wouldn’t he just be inviting trouble?

  With a child, his wives’ attention would be divided, no longer solely focused on him. It seemed like a poor bargain.

  For now, fatherhood wasn’t something he wanted.

  With Tang Ya and the others, they’d always used precautions. Qian Ran wasn’t one to wear any "protection" himself, though; he found it uncomfortable.

  “I understand.” Seeing Qian Ran’s prolonged silence, Zhou Yi’s face fell.

  “I’m just not ready for that right now. Maybe in the future,” he said, deciding to leave the door open for ter. Besides, once he achieved godhood, his perspective would undoubtedly change.

  While Qian Ran was distant in matters of love, he would support Zhou Yi in other ways, even helping her become a Titled Douluo in the future.

  “Oh.”

  Zhou Yi realized then how young Qian Ran still was. Perhaps she’d been expecting too much.

  …

  Back at the arena, the promotion assessments were nearly over.

  When Qian Ran arrived, Dong’er, Xiao Xiao, Zhu Lu, Wu Feng, and Ning Tian were all waiting for him.

  “Are you okay? Ms. Zhou Yi didn’t punish you, did she?” they asked, a bit worried.

  Zhou Yi was known for her strictness; their css was much more disciplined than the others.

  Though Dai Huabin had been the one to start the fight, they figured Ms. Zhou Yi would still hold Qian Ran responsible for provoking him.

  “What do you think? Ms. Zhou Yi is incredibly impartial—she punished me harshly, not once but twice,” Qian Ran ughed. It felt more like he’d been rewarded twice, as Zhou Yi knew exactly how to please him.

  With just a look, Zhou Yi could understand him, far quicker than even Dong’er and the others.

  “Oh no, are you okay?” The girls all gasped, worried. If Qian Ran had been punished, they would be distressed too.

  “I’m fine.” Qian Ran waved it off. His energy would replenish quickly; his body was as strong as steel.

  “What about Dai Huabin?” someone asked.

  “Oh, he’s been transferred out of our css on Ms. Zhou Yi’s request. He’ll likely join Mu Jin’s css.” Qian Ran chuckled. Mu Jin and Zhou Yi had a long-standing rivalry, and with few high-level students, Mu Jin would likely accept Dai Huabin.

  After all, Dai Huabin was still considered the second-strongest first-year, next to Qian Ran.

  “That’s good, then, as long as you’re okay.”

  Hearing this, the girls rexed. Dai Huabin’s transfer was for the best—it would spare them the trouble of future conflict.

  “Let’s go home,” Qian Ran said, taking Zhu Lu’s hand along with Xiao Xiao and Dong’er, and heading out. Wu Feng and Ning Tian gave a quick goodbye before leaving too. Watching Zhu Lu being led away, Ning Tian felt a pang of disappointment. If only she had a figure like that—would Qian Ran choose her instead?

  Back at the vil, Qian Ran looked around, pnning to buy the surrounding empty plots, transforming them into a rge estate complete with a pool.

  Then, with Zhou Yi’s help, he could invite all the pretty girls in the css over for “team-building.” It’d be a perfectly legitimate activity led by Zhou Yi. He could enjoy the view without a single care.

  Their css had plenty of attractive girls, though most weren’t cssified as “goddesses” by the system. It seemed beauty alone wasn’t enough—they had to be noteworthy in the original story to qualify as conquests.

  He couldn’t imagine how thrilling it would be.

  After sketching out his pns, he approached Zhang Lexuan to hire a construction team and purchased the surrounding nd. Ideally, he would have loved a vil on the shores of Sea God Lake, but that nd was owned entirely by Shrek Academy and wouldn’t be sold for private use.

  (End of Chapter)