If she doesn't behave in the future, I'll pull down her skirt and spank her!

She... what was she just thinking?!

Having children?

Ten or eight of them?!

And leaving Li Qing to take care of them all by himself?!

Heavens! How could she have such... such a shameless thought?!

This... this is simply...

Qian Renxue felt as if her head were about to smoke, her heart hammering against her ribs until it felt like it might explode.

She instinctively covered her burning cheeks, so mortified she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

[It's all his fault! All the fault of this detestable Li Qing!]

Qian Renxue gritted her teeth in her heart, pinning every "transgression" onto Li Qing.

[If he hadn't been constantly cursing me in his heart, driving me to lose my composure, how could I have... how could I have thought of such things! Yes! It must be his problem! This bane of my existence!]

She forced herself to take deep breaths, attempting to calm her heart—which felt like it was about to leap out of her chest—and the high temperature on her face. Yet, that captivating flush refused to fade; instead, her forced attempt at composure only made her look more delicate and alluring, adding a rare, girlish touch of bashful annoyance and charm to her otherwise holy and noble features.

Inside the Sea God Hall, the atmosphere once again turned strange and subtle.

Qian Daoliu looked at his granddaughter, who had suddenly turned as red as an apple and was behaving so strangely, filled with confusion.

Bo Saixi, watching Qian Renxue's expression of being mortified yet forcing herself to remain calm, finally could not hold back any longer. She turned away, her shoulders shaking violently as she broke into silent, blooming laughter.

As for Li Qing, he was completely lost, looking at the suddenly blushing Qian Renxue and the turned-away Bo Saixi with a blank expression.

[What's going on? Did I say something wrong? Why is her face suddenly so red? Is it too hot?]

Hearing this, Qian Renxue felt her cheeks burn with alarming intensity. She was so ashamed and annoyed that she wanted to rush over and crush that innocent-looking face of his into a pulp.

But her reason told her she must not let her facade slip.

She took a deep breath, the air carrying the unique, crisp scent of the Sea God Hall filling her lungs, helping to soothe her churning blood and her feelings of shame and anger.

She forced herself to channel her Soul Power to suppress the heat on her face, struggling to squeeze a calm expression onto her beautiful features. Although a suspicious flush still lingered at the corners of her eyes, she looked back at the "culprit" who had thrown her into such "utter disarray."

With light, lotus-like steps, she moved to stand before Li Qing, close enough to see his long eyelashes.

She tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes focused intently on Li Qing. The aggressive pressure of her previous marriage proposal receded slightly, replaced by a softer tone more befitting a young maiden discussing marriage, even carrying a hint of well-timed, inquisitive girlishness:

"Brother Li Qing..."

Her voice was deliberately softened, like a breeze brushing against flower petals in spring. It brought great comfort to Qian Daoliu nearby, who felt his granddaughter finally possessed the gentle, demure air of a bride-to-be.

"Are you... satisfied with me?"

Qian Renxue blinked, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings as she spoke softly: "If you feel that... I am acceptable, why not take advantage of today, with both elders present, and settle our affairs? What do you think?"

Her words were tactful, but the meaning could not have been clearer—stop struggling, young man, just give in!

I am so wonderful, what could you possibly be dissatisfied with?

As her voice trailed off, the gazes of Bo Saixi and Qian Daoliu simultaneously focused on Li Qing.

There was a hint of playfulness in Bo Saixi's eyes, as if watching a good show, along with... a trace of deep-seated, unconscious tension.

Qian Daoliu was full of anticipation, wishing he could nod on Li Qing's behalf.

The pressure was instantly shifted onto Li Qing.

Li Qing looked at the stunning face inches away, those violet eyes seemingly capable of drawing in a soul, his nose filled with the faint, lingering fragrance belonging to Qian Renxue.

He fell silent, not answering immediately.

He was not putting on an act; he was genuinely thinking.

The amount of information in such a short time was too much; he needed to sort it out.

[Qian Renxue...]

Li Qing began to weigh the pros and cons in his heart, conducting a high-speed brainstorm: [This woman, objectively speaking, is top-tier. Successor to the Angel God, innate level twenty Soul Power, god-level martial soul, Saintess of Martial Soul Hall, granddaughter of Qian Daoliu... She has the talent, the face, the figure, and the background. Among the younger generation of the Douluo Continent, one truly couldn't find a more suitable marriage partner than her.]

His inner voice echoed clearly in the minds of Bo Saixi and Qian Renxue.

Bo Saixi raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting this kid to be so objective when he got serious.

Qian Renxue felt a stir in her heart; the feeling of being affirmed and appreciated slightly diluted the shame and anger from before.

However, Li Qing's "but" soon followed:

[But... those future operations of hers are truly eyesores! Her infiltration of Tiandou exposed, throwing the bet after becoming a god, and finally being overturned... This intelligence and decision-making ability are truly hard to compliment. If I get tied to her, what if she has another lapse in judgment later and does something earth-shatteringly stupid? Wouldn't that implicate me?]

Qian Renxue: "..."

The slight goodwill that had just risen vanished instantly, and her fists tightened again.

This guy, he can't go three sentences without mentioning that my brain is bad, can he!

Bo Saixi was biting her lip with all her might, terrified she would laugh out loud.

Watching Qian Renxue's twisted expression—clearly furious yet forced to maintain a smile—she suddenly felt that if she agreed to this marriage, life might not be boring in the future.

But Li Qing's thoughts did not linger on his complaints for long; he soon thought of the positive side:

However... that being said, those are all matters of the future. Now that I have arrived, many things have already changed. For instance, my appearance, and this marriage alliance. Under the butterfly effect, the future may not necessarily follow its original trajectory.

Moreover, Qian Renxue's talent and conditions are right here. If I can guide her properly, help her avoid those detours, and perhaps even help her achieve godhood ahead of schedule... wouldn't she become my most powerful ally and... uh, my wife? With her and me joining forces, plus the combined power of Sea God Island and Martial Soul Hall, wouldn't we be able to walk sideways across the Douluo Continent? Tang San? By then, I won't even give him the chance to develop!

Thinking of this, Li Qing's eyes brightened slightly.

This idea was incredibly tempting!

Cultivating a top-tier genius who might otherwise be a liability into a god-level helpmate and the strongest enforcer—wouldn't that sense of achievement be far more thrilling than simply rejecting a marriage?

As for the question of whether she will be obedient...

Li Qing's train of thought began to veer off course again, and a notion tinged with a bit of mischief and absolute self-confidence emerged: It's not a big problem! Even though she is a few years older than me now, it's not like I won't be able to beat her in the future. When that time comes... hehe.

A scene surfaced in his mind: some day in the future, Qian Renxue refuses to listen to reason again and insists on doing something foolish. He, Lord Li Qing, sneers, unleashes thunderous methods to suppress her, and then...

Not listening? If she doesn't listen, I'll pull up her skirt and spank her! Let's see if she dares to act recklessly again!

"Pfft--!!!"

This time, Bo Saixi could no longer hold it in!

She spun around abruptly, covering her face tightly with her wide red sleeves. Her delicate body trembled violently like a leaf in the wind, her shoulders heaving intensely, yet she managed to suppress any loud noise. Only a few extremely stifled, wheezing sounds, like air leaking from a seal, escaped from behind her sleeves.