Tang Ya looked at Qian Ran expectantly, waiting for his decision.
She was already Qian Ran's woman now, and on an important matter like this, she valued his opinion even more.
Even though becoming Yan Shaozhe's disciple seemed like an opportunity she could only dream of, she still needed Qian Ran to agree. If he refused, she would turn it down even if a heaven-sent opportunity lay before her.
Tang Ya's instinctive gesture touched a soft spot in Qian Ran's heart.
Honestly, how could he possibly object to something so clearly beneficial to Tang Ya? Qian Ran had not even intended to make the decision for her, yet she had sought his opinion first.
Often, it was precisely these instinctive gestures that best revealed someone's true feelings.
His place in Tang Ya's heart seemed even higher than Qian Ran had imagined.
It seemed Tang Ya regarded him not merely as a lover, but as her husband.
That's right. A girl with Tang Ya's temperament would never choose anyone else as long as I didn't abandon her. In her eyes, I was her husband.
"Why are you looking at me? Are you silly? Of course I agree," Qian Ran said with mock irritation, though his voice was very gentle.
Tang Ya was too good to him-so good that he felt a little uneasy.
Tang Ya loved him so much and depended on him so deeply. What if he let her down one day? Qian Ran had never seemed to consider anything like that before.
When he first transmigrated into this world, Qian Ran could list its beauties as though counting his family treasures, and had prepared to build himself an enormous harem. As for things like responsibility, he had never seriously considered the issue when he first arrived.
But now, Qian Ran finally realized that those before him were living people with feelings!
Even his casual gestures could touch their hearts, making them happy or leaving them heartbroken and in tears.
"Hehe." Tang Ya playfully stuck out her little tongue, then bowed respectfully to Yan Shaozhe.
"Your disciple Tang Ya pays her respects, Teacher." Tang Ya bowed deeply to Yan Shaozhe. She was delighted. At last, she had a home too.
Ever since the Tang Sect's destruction and the deaths of both her parents, she had been like a lone piece of duckweed drifting on the water, with no one to rely on.
And now, she, Tang Ya, was finally no longer alone.
She had someone who could accompany her for the rest of her life, and she had a teacher too. Only at this moment did Tang Ya feel she had a home again.
"Hey, don't cry." The tears welling up in Tang Ya's beautiful, dark-blue eyes startled Qian Ran.
"It's because I'm so happy. I'm really happy today." Tang Ya turned her head and hurriedly wiped away her tears.
"Haha. Good. Xiaotao should be delighted when she finds out she has a junior sister now." Yan Shaozhe was in an excellent mood. Tang Ya's talent had already revealed itself. Given enough resources, she would certainly grow into a powerful figure in her own right. Her character also pleased Yan Shaozhe greatly.
He now understood why Bei Bei could not forget Tang Ya.
Tang Ya was a gentle girl who was always thinking of others. As for her own grievances and anguish, she buried them deep in her heart, all alone.
There was no man who would dislike a girl with Tang Ya's temperament.
It was also precisely this temperament that had left her bearing immense pressure alone all this time. Ordinary people naturally could not see into her heart, and thus could not truly enter it.
Qian Ran, however, understood Tang Ya's heart deeply. He knew that her delicate body bore a blood feud as deep as the sea, and that was why he could move her heart.
Yan Shaozhe understood now as well.
Bei Bei's defeat was not undeserved.
The girl had borne far too much since childhood. Had Bei Bei been a little older, he might have understood these things, but the current Bei Bei did not understand at all. That was why he had lost so utterly.
In the original story, it was only later, by continually helping Tang Ya restore the Tang Sect and easing the pressure in her heart, that Bei Bei won her true affection.
But how could the current Bei Bei possibly think that far ahead?
"You'd better treat Xiao Ya well from now on, understand? If I find out you've been bullying her, I won't let you off lightly." Yan Shaozhe glanced at Qian Ran.
He had long since seen that Qian Ran was a womanizing rogue. Tang Ya was bound to suffer plenty of grievances by staying with him.
"Teacher, Qian Ran won't bully me." Seeing Yan Shaozhe lecture Qian Ran, Tang Ya pouted unhappily, instantly turning into a fiercely protective wife.
"You, honestly. Just keep defending him. There'll come a time when you suffer for it." Yan Shaozhe was helpless. Still, he would not interfere in the younger generation's love lives. His own romantic affairs had been a complete mess back then. What right did he have to lecture anyone else?
"But Qian Ran, you really do need to be careful over the next few days. Although I won't punish you for what happened today, someone is bound to come looking for trouble. Still, considering your relationship with Xiao Ya, and the fact that Xiaotao will need your help in the future, I'll have her look out for you more once she comes out of seclusion."
"Who? Who's going to cause trouble for Qian Ran?" Tang Ya asked nervously. Whenever something concerned Qian Ran, she took it very seriously.
"The inner court's prodigy, Zhang Lexuan."
"She competed twice in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament, serving as captain the second time. At the Soul Master Academy tournament, she crushed her opponents like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Now, after cultivating in the inner court for so many more years, she's practically invincible there. Her relationship with Bei Bei is very special, so she won't let you off easily." Zhang Lexuan had been personally trained by Mu En. He treated her even better than he treated Bei Bei.
In Zhang Lexuan's day, every genius at Shrek Academy had been overwhelmed by her. And in those Soul Master Tournaments, she had single-handedly crushed the competition!
Ma Xiaotao had broken through to Soul Saint at twenty! Zhang Lexuan, meanwhile, had probably broken through to Soul Douluo at twenty-four.
Of these two inner court prodigies, one was even stronger than the other.
"Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan actually has a connection to Bei Bei?" Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya had heard of Zhang Lexuan, and both knew full well how formidable she was.
Qian Ran, meanwhile, curled his lip. Zhang Lexuan had not yet broken through to Soul Douluo. By his estimate, she should currently be a rank seventy-four or seventy-five Soul Saint.
But even that level of cultivation was already far beyond anything Qian Ran could compare with.
Was I really going to get beaten black and blue by Zhang Lexuan?
Although he had always been curious about the great beauty Zhang Lexuan and wanted to see just how beautiful she was, if the price was a savage beating from her, he would rather forget it.
Still, Zhang Lexuan had long since been someone he had his eye on.
As a transmigrator, winning Zhang Lexuan over was practically a nail hammered into the board-a sure thing. With his abilities, he had a chance of winning over any girl at Shrek Academy.
In the original story, Zhang Lexuan could be said to have suffered terribly because of Bei Bei.
In Qiankun Asking Love Valley, the reward she wanted was actually nothing more than to forget. She wanted to forget everything, to forget Bei Bei!
Zhang Lexuan treated Bei Bei so well, yet he never saw it.
Since that was the case, Qian Ran might as well leave Bei Bei none of them! If he was going to do it, he would go all the way!
Ten thousand years ago, Yu Xiaogang had liked leaving Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong deeply wounded in love. Ten thousand years later, Bei Bei had Tang Ya on one side and Zhang Lexuan on the other. Was this fucking heartlessness really carved into their bones? At that moment, Qian Ran made a decision that would bring glory to his ancestors: he would steal every last wife of Yu Xiaogang's descendants.
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