"I have no issue with offering my assistance, however, as for the reward…" Xu Ran paused, lowering his gaze to admire Yao Ye Xue's fair and alluring neck, and further down, the significant swell of her chest framed by a pale pink bodice.
Yao Ye Xue's figure was tall and elegant but still fell short by a head compared to Xu Ran.
"I want you."
Xu Ran whispered into Yao Ye Xue's ear, his throat involuntarily tightening, his heart burning with desire.
The lamb that came to the door, especially one as esteemed and graceful as a princess, honestly held a considerable allure for Xu Ran.
Speaking of the Eldest Princess always conjured up in Xu Ran's mind images of well-known noblewomen such as Princess Gaoyang, brimming with authority. Adorned in her antique-styled clothing, Yao Ye Xue exuded the air of a high-ranking individual.
The Gama Royal Family had raised Yao Ye Xue to be a Crown Prince.
"If Lord Xu Ran does not disdain me, Yao Ye Xue would be only too grateful."
Yao Ye Xue lifted her head, her entire body going weak under Xu Ran's intense gaze. When had Yao Ye Xue ever seen such fervent admiration in someone's eyes? It was as if he wanted to consume her whole.
Just one look from Xu Ran, and she found herself uncontrollably stirred.
She had always admired Xu Ran, and seeing his interest in her, her heart could no longer remain calm, her body involuntarily flushed with a rosy hue.
She did not consider it an act of sacrifice for her country. Being Xu Ran's woman, even if just for a day, would be her honor.
Xu Ran's hand was already encircling her slender waist, her full figure soft and yielding to the touch. A gentle squeeze from Xu Ran made Yao Ye Xue powerless, causing her to fall into his embrace, her beautiful eyes becoming sultry and foggy as they gazed dizzily upon Xu Ran's face.
"Xu Lang."
Yao Ye Xue called Xu Ran's name in a dreamlike murmur.
And the next moment, Xu Ran kissed her passionately, holding Yao Ye Xue tightly as his Soul Power swept through the surroundings, finding an empty room and entering with her.
...
"Lord Xu Ran is indeed very fortunate. Hehe, though Yao Ye's status is far beneath that of Lord Xu Ran, after all, she is a princess of a nation. Jia Xingtian, that old man, holds her in very high regard; there's a significant chance she may become the Empress of the Empire in the future. It seems their ambitions are not small this time." Haibo Dong had spotted Xu Ran from a distance and was about to greet him when he noticed both Princess Yao Ye and Yao Yue were present, so he tactfully refrained from disturbing them.
It is quite impolite to interrupt a suave man courting a lady.
Although he had recovered and even became stronger than before with Xu Ran's help, his strength was hardly enough to be of consequence to them. They could swat him away with a slap.
"Supreme Elder, it seems that Lord Xu Ran forming ties with the royal household may not bode well for us, doesn't it? If Lord Xu Ran also supports the royal household in the future, our family clan won't stand a chance to advance further in the Jia Ma Empire," Teng Shan expressed with a touch of pain. As the Clan Leader of the Mittel Family, he naturally hoped that his family would advance further and even become the strongest force in the Jia Ma Empire someday. The royal household, on the other hand, was the force obstructing the family from advancing.
Originally, since the royal household was in decline, he had prepared to pull them down from their horse; then his Mittel Family could become the new master of the Jia Ma Empire.
"You really are inflexible, far inferior to He Yafei," the Ice Emperor reproached, disappointed. Fortunately, He Yafei had not held a grudge against their family; otherwise, the Mittel Family would not be talking about rising but struggling to survive.
"How come you all have such a narrow view? What counts a mere Jia Ma Empire for? He Yafei has already followed Xu Ran into the Black Corner Region, and I hear that in the Black Corner Region, her name is among the most distinguished few, and the auction houses she controls practically monopolize the auction business there."
The Mittel Family and He Yafei are now in the same boat. Whether the Mittel Family can rise in the future all depends on whether He Yafei can gain favor, and whether she can obtain more benefits from Xu Ran. Therefore, the Mittel Family has always been very concerned about He Yafei. The Ice Emperor and the others were naturally aware of the deeds He Yafei accomplished in the Black Corner Region.
"He Yafei has indeed soared to great heights," a complex expression crossed Teng Shan's face as he muttered. Even he now had to look at He Yafei's face, and even more, pray that she would grant the Mittel Family some resources for development. Because the high-quality elixirs, cultivation techniques, and Dou Techniques He Yafei held, if any of them were to be auctioned at the Mitter Auction House, would significantly boost the influence of the Mittel Family.
Who would have thought that the cultivation failure who was once only considered for a future marriage alliance in the Mittel Family would become such an eminent figure today? Times change and so do people!
Seeing Teng Shan's expression, the Ice Emperor couldn't help but sigh.
During the years he disappeared after being injured by Queen Medusa, the Mittel Family even faced the danger of being attacked by other forces. But now, the Mittel Family had long been recognized as the first family of the Jia Ma Empire.
"Everything we have now has been brought to us by Xu Ran. So don't think too much about it, and don't even think about fighting the royal household in the future. Like He Yafei, our Mittel family won't stay under this empire in the future. At least with He Yafei's help, our Mittel family's auction houses can spread across the entire Northwest Continent in the future."
"I am enlightened," Teng Shan finally came to a realization. He hadn't been able to step out of the old mindset, thinking in the same way as before even with such a significant advantage the Mittel Family had gained. Suppressing the royal household and becoming the number one in the empire had been his old dream. But in the future, he could aspire to something even higher.
...
Yao Ye lay exhausted on the bed, drenched in sweat as if she had been smeared with fragrant oil.
"So tired," Yao Ye's originally crisp voice had become somewhat hoarse. Only now did she realize how tiring and painful it could be. Yet, the overwhelming sense of happiness made a smile hang on her lips.
So it turns out...
She could be the protagonist of the things she dreamed about.
"Let me carry you to bathe; you're all wet, and so is the bed," women are truly made of water.
"No, I'm too tired and sore all over; I don't have the strength," Yao Ye just wanted to lie there and do nothing. While Xu Ran's gaze lingered on her body, although she felt shy, she was too tired even to think about covering herself.
People in the palace didn't say it would be this exhausting. Could it be that Xu Ran was that kind of top-level person the palace folks talked about?
"I'll wash you. You must have had people wait on you in the palace, right?" Xu Ran picked up Yao Ye in his arms, where the rich Water elements quickly condensed into a large tub of water, and Xu Ran holding Yao Ye stepped right into it.