Ye Chen, I'm Taking Your Harem

"Young Master, A Jiu, breakfast is ready."

Around this time, breakfast was ready.

Jiang Anran served everyone a bowl of preserved egg and lean meat congee, along with a scallion pancake.

"Yay! Time to eat!" A Jiu immediately picked up her chopsticks and bowl, looking like she could devour everything.

However, Young Master Fei had another issue to address first: "Ahem, Jiang Anran, that..."

He'd barely started and didn't know how to continue, so he paused.

"What is it? Young Master," Jiang Anran, who had been watching A Jiu gobble her food with doting eyes, turned her head to look at Young Master Fei gently as he stammered.

What was going on?

This scene felt a bit like a family of three?

A gentle and virtuous, dignified female lead doting on her daughter, and he was the male lead?

Shaking his head, Young Master Fei dismissed the absurd thought.

"This, Jiang Anran, about yesterday..."

Young Master Fei was truly afraid to face that scenario.

He feared both the severe consequences to the plot and, vaguely, whether Jiang Anran would be angry, given that he had forced her...

However, he hadn't realized what Jiang Anran's reaction yesterday implied at all.

Of course, Jiang Anran's answer was also different from what he expected.

"Young Master, you don't need to say it. I know what you want to say, but Anran just wants to say this."

Jiang Anran raised her index finger and placed it on Young Master Fei's lips, stopping him from continuing.

"I'm willing!"

A blush spread across her face as she parted her red lips and uttered those three words.

I... am... willing?

These three words pierced through layers of wool, skin, and flesh, striking Fei Yangyao's heart directly.

Could there be anything more moving than these three words?

He was instantly captivated.

He had always been in a detached position, like a tourist, feeling neither fully in nor out of this world. Ultimately, he would either fail and die, or return to reality.

Even though he discovered that this world was not a flat, novel-like world at all, that everyone had their own thoughts, their own affections, and their own beliefs.

Yet, these three words pulled him down for the first time, connecting him to this novel world.

At this moment, for the first time, he looked at her earnestly and completely.

His gaze was entirely different.

He focused his eyes on her.

She was no longer a female lead from a book, nor a damsel in distress from the Lin family, nor one of Ye Chen's many consorts. She was his own little maid, Jiang Anran, the one and only unique her.

The morning light from the outside world filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled patterns on the restaurant tiles.

Amidst this interplay of light and shadow, Jiang Anran's figure quietly emerged.

Her hair was lightly tied with an elegant ribbon, with a few stray strands falling casually on her forehead, swaying gently with her movements. Even the slight dryness at the tips couldn't hide her smooth, dark hair.

Her skin wasn't fair, and her complexion wasn't particularly rosy, but her eyes were clear and deep, as if they could see through his soul.

She wore a pure white cotton apron, embroidered with a few delicate, pale flowers. The apron was so clean it seemed to reflect the blue sky and white clouds outside, also indicating Jiang Anran's neatness and efficiency when working.

Beneath the apron, her figure was still graceful, though her bust size was a bit lacking—A+ was holding her back. Sigh, he should let her eat more, just like A Jiu.

She wore a pair of ordinary canvas shoes... Wait, why wasn't she wearing the better ones? He had bought her many good shoes before.

Young Master Fei could feel an impulse surge within his chest.

What if?

What if he didn't let Jiang Anran meet Ye Chen, didn't let her become the female lead, didn't let her join Ye Chen's harem?

After all, Ye Chen had so many other consorts; it wouldn't make much difference if one was missing, right?

For the first time, Young Master Fei began to want to defy the Heavenly Dao in his heart.

But, Grandma... What if he were here...

"You, stop looking, A Jiu is watching!"

Suddenly being tapped, Young Master Fei was immediately pulled back to reality.

A Jiu's bowl was already empty, but she hadn't refilled it. Her face was full of curiosity as she watched the two of them.

And Jiang Anran? She was cupping her face with both hands, her cheeks visibly blushing through her fingers.

At this moment, he made up his mind.

Anyway, the plot requirement from the system back then was just to pass.

And if I complete it myself, I get three wishes.

At most, I'll work harder on other parts, but Jiang Anran...

Ye Chen, I'm sorry, but Jiang Anran is mine now.

Having made up his mind, he didn't think any further. He got up and walked to her side, putting his right arm around her waist and gently prying her left hand away.

The shy maiden, on the verge of blooming, couldn't breathe from his scorching breath.

Her teary eyes looked at Young Master Fei, a mix of anticipation and resistance.

She shook her head slightly and pushed his hands away.

"No, A Jiu is here."

"It's fine, she doesn't understand."

"No... Mmm~"

In an instant, or perhaps a century later.

"Haa~ Haa~, I can barely breathe, you're so wicked," Jiang Anran said, pushing him away as they separated. She patted her chest with her small hands, panting.

"You only realize I'm wicked now? Then why did you cling to me so desperately back then, no matter how much I tried to drive you away?" Young Master Fei teased her with a wicked grin.

"Who was clinging? That's a nasty thing to say."

"Then aren't you afraid I'll devour you?"

"No."

"You're really brave."

"Of course, I've been around the block for so many years. Let alone you, I'm not even afraid of the bully in Changning District."

"Then watch closely, I'm going to devour you today!" As he spoke, Young Master Fei made a move as if to commit an indecent act.

"I'm so scared." Jiang Anran also played along, putting on a scared expression.