Free Web NovelChapter 189: Chapter 189: Lanlan Doesn’t Plan on Taking Responsibility?
Shi Lan’s feelings for Ye Ming and Yan Huoshui were actually a bit more complicated.
Perhaps because they had been so far apart from her ever since their release from prison, Shi Lan didn’t have much confidence that their feelings would remain unwavering.
However, she wasn’t someone who clung desperately to feelings. She had even thought that if they found other females they liked, she would offer them her sincere blessings.
But now, sensing the resolve in Ye Ming’s heart, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of joy.
Shi Lan lowered her gaze slightly. Ye Ming stared at her fixedly for a moment, a shadow of disappointment appearing in his eyes.
He felt that Shi Lan was avoiding his feelings.
He wasn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve. As an heir watched by the public, he couldn’t display his emotions as wantonly as Mu Tangfeng and Jiang Xia.
To have gone this far, he had already summoned a great deal of courage.
Although Ye Ming felt a little dejected and disappointed, he didn’t lose heart.
’This is perfectly normal. Love for a female can’t be conveyed through a mere gaze. I need to show enough sincerity to move Lanlan,’ he thought.
At this thought, a renewed fighting spirit ignited in the depths of his dark green eyes.
Just then, the security guard’s earlier suggestion flashed through Jiang Xia’s mind. He hooked Shi Lan’s finger, snuggled up to her clingily, and cooed, "Lanlan, when are you planning to make me your Beast Husband? Can we get our marriage license?"
Perhaps worried Shi Lan would refuse, his tone was tinged with a probing, eager-to-please quality. His fluffy, silver hair, as soft as its owner, brushed against Shi Lan’s arm, occasionally grazing the wrist peeking out from her sleeve.
Shi Lan’s heart skipped a beat, and the other two men present felt a jolt as well. They never expected Jiang Xia to be such a man of action, getting started right away.
Mu Tangfeng shot him a gloomy glare, but then seemed to decide it was a good opportunity. He awkwardly shuffled closer as well, a hint of anticipation appearing in his proud and arrogant eyes.
Being stared at so intently by these two pairs of eyes, Shi Lan’s heart began to beat a little faster.
She didn’t reply right away, and Mu Tangfeng’s expression gradually darkened. He pressed his rosy lips together tightly, his jet-black eyes fixed on her. His furious tone was laced with an almost imperceptible hint of grievance and shock. "Lanlan, are you not going to take responsibility?"
"You’ve even touched my head! Among the Paradise Bird Clan, only partners are allowed to touch each other’s heads! We’ve already gone this far, and you’re still unwilling to marry me..."
"Huh?"
Shi Lan hadn’t expected this twist. ’I seem to recall petting Mu Tangfeng’s head a long time ago, and he let me do it willingly,’ she thought. ’Does that mean he’s been planning this since way back then?’
Jiang Xia wasn’t aware of this custom among Mu Tangfeng’s Beast Clan. His eyes darted about, and he promptly made something up. "It’s the same for us in the Rabbit Cat Clan. Only partners can touch tails."
Shi Lan: "..."
Ye Ming watched the farcical competition from the side, completely unable to get a word in. It seemed Lanlan had hardly ever touched his beast form, and he wasn’t as thick-skinned as the other two. He couldn’t bring himself to lie and trick her...
He stood frozen in place, his expression blank, as silent as an unfeeling statue. But the hand at his side, unconsciously digging into his palm, was the only thing that betrayed his inner turmoil.
As for Shi Lan, it wasn’t that she had no intention of taking responsibility. She just wanted to enjoy her single life a little longer and drag things out until she turned twenty-five.
Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng were already this clingy before they were even married. She couldn’t dare to imagine what it would be like after they were wed, them following her every step.
Most importantly, after being single for so long, she was suddenly about to have several partners. She had no idea how to handle married life.
She pondered for a moment before saying, "There’s no rush to get a marriage license. I will definitely marry you all. Besides, I haven’t even reached the legal age for marriage yet. I couldn’t get a license even if I wanted to."
Shi Lan’s words were well-reasoned, leaving Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng no room to argue or throw a tantrum. In the end, they had to settle for the next best thing: having Shi Lan register them as her fiancés so they could enter more easily in the future.
Shi Lan had no objection to this.
Ye Ming, who had been silent for a long time, quietly walked over. His tall figure stood beside her, blocking out most of the light. He looked down, and beneath his raven-black lashes, the beauty mark near his eye caught the soft glow, making his expression seem even more gentle and tender.
He said softly, his voice tinged with a hint of barely perceptible pleading, "Lanlan, could you register me too, while you’re at it?"
Shi Lan didn’t hesitate at all. "Of course. It’s your house, after all."
’I can’t believe Interstellar Mansion has such a ridiculous rule,’ she thought. ’The owner, a male, can’t even get in, while I, a mere guest, have more freedom than he does.’
Ye Ming was happy when he heard the first part of her sentence, but the second part, which felt like she was drawing a line between them, made his heart sink.
’I want to give this house to Lanlan,’ he thought, ’but I just don’t have the confidence right now.’
’If I offer her the house, Lanlan will definitely turn me down without a second thought...’
Perhaps those caught in the middle of a situation are always the most confused. The security guard on the side, however, saw things clearly. The female was willing to register them as fiancés; obviously, their relationship was far from ordinary.
He secretly sized Shi Lan up a few more times. Based on the decade-plus of gossip he’d heard on the Capital Star, he’d never heard of the Four Great Families having any other marriageable females.
The Bai Family barely counted, and besides, Miss Bai was already engaged to the Second Prince. So what was the background of this female the Eldest Prince was so fond of?
He didn’t recognize the other two, but anyone who dared to compete with the Eldest Prince for a female was clearly no ordinary person.
The guard thought for a long while but couldn’t figure it out. Instead, because he had stared at Shi Lan for too long, he attracted the attention of the other three males. He was met with several pairs of ice-cold, warning glares, as if they would gouge his eyes out if he looked for one more second.
He rubbed his nose sheepishly. ’I have a wife, okay?’ he thought. ’I’m not the type of male to be fickle...’
The guard didn’t dare to look again. After Shi Lan finished registering everyone’s information, she finally remembered the main reason she was there. "By the way, Ye Ming, are you busy?"
Ye Ming shook his head. He had been swamped with work recently, but he had already taken care of most things. Today, he had specifically cleared his schedule to spend the day with her.
Seeing this, Shi Lan said, "In that case, could I trouble you to take me to Yan Huoshui’s place? He injured his leg and has been recovering at home for the past two days. I want to go check on him."
"Injured his leg?"
A trace of surprise appeared in Ye Ming’s eyes. "Yan Huoshui is a 2S Beastman. At his school, there should be no one capable of injuring him."
’Unless it was the former Admiral Lu, but Admiral Lu wouldn’t have the time for something like that.’
Shi Lan wasn’t too clear on the details. "I don’t know. He said it was from some kind of school competition."
Hearing this, a look of sudden understanding dawned on Ye Ming’s face.
’Getting injured in a school competition? That could only happen if he let it.’
’I can’t believe how ruthless these guys are getting, one more than the other, just to fight for Lanlan’s attention.’
