Free Web NovelChapter 19: Chapter 19: Pursuing Miss Shi Lan
Dr. Ai’s research on the potion couldn’t wait. She spoke of it that day, and Leo arrived that very night.
Shi Lan was surprised to see him again. "Leo? Are you here to visit His Highness again?"
Now that they were more familiar with each other, Leo nodded with a smile and casually pulled a gift box from his Space Bag. "My beautiful lady, I was in such a rush last time. This time, I’ve brought you a special gift to mark our meeting."
Shi Lan was rather flattered. As she opened the door for him, she said shyly, "That’s too kind of you. Oh, and my name is Shi Lan. You can just call me by my name."
"Of course, Miss Shi Lan."
Leo kept the gift box held out. Seeing that Shi Lan was hesitant to accept, he said, "Please, Miss Shi Lan, don’t be so formal. Think of it as a small thank you for all the trouble you go through taking care of His Highness."
"It’s just a small token. Please don’t feel burdened by it."
Shi Lan still felt she shouldn’t accept a gift she hadn’t earned. After all, taking care of the distinguished prisoners was part of her job—a job she was paid for.
However, she could also sense Leo’s persistence, so she didn’t refuse again. "Thank you."
Leo’s smile deepened. As they walked toward the prison cells again, he refrained from asking about her family background this time. Instead, he said, "Miss Shi Lan, you have such a wonderful temperament. You must have quite a few suitors..."
He meant it sincerely. In the Empire, males far outnumbered females. Females were put on a pedestal, received special treatment everywhere, and had endless streams of suitors. Most of them were arrogant and looked down on everyone.
If it were one of those females from the Empire, she would have first appraised the gift’s value before accepting it with a look of condescension, as if bestowing a favor. None of them would ever act like Shi Lan.
Shi Lan paused, then slowly explained, "No, I don’t. My spiritual power is F, and my Fertility Value is 0. No male would be interested in me."
Leo’s cheeks flushed at her words, and he felt a wave of chagrin. He wanted to slap himself. ’Why does my mouth always have to bring up the most inappropriate things?’
He passed it off with an awkward laugh, but inwardly, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
’F spiritual power means no ability to soothe a male. That’s one thing. But for her Fertility Value to be 0 as well... It’s true that no male would ever pursue her under these circumstances. What a shame...’
Leo sighed inwardly a few times but still offered a word of comfort. "It’s alright. If Miss Shi Lan needs anything in the future, you can look for me."
’Females in the Empire face many compulsory requirements upon reaching marriageable age. My spiritual power is B, so I don’t have to go to the battlefield and don’t have to worry about my spiritual power collapsing. I can get by without a partner’s soothing. As for children... I’m not very fond of them, so that conveniently sidesteps the issue.’
’Thinking about it that way, Shi Lan is a perfect fit.’
"Huh?"
Shi Lan looked confused. Leo, thinking she was just surprised by his words, said, "Miss Shi Lan, you shouldn’t put yourself down so much. Setting aside the spiritual power and Fertility Value issues, you’re a wonderful female."
In their two meetings, Leo’s impression of her had been very good. He especially remembered the hot meal from last time, when he was sitting on the spaceship returning home overnight from Black Star, and couldn’t help but marvel at a female’s attentiveness and consideration.
’It would be a very happy thing to have a female like her as my partner, wouldn’t it?’
"Haha, thank you for the compliment..."
Shi Lan still didn’t quite understand his meaning. She didn’t think Leo was actually interested in her, but faced with such sincere praise, she felt too awkward to question it. She could only smile and let the topic pass. The gift box in her hands suddenly felt like a hot potato.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before they reached their destination in the prison.
Shi Lan discreetly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left after escorting him there.
Leo watched her retreating figure, feeling a little disappointed that he hadn’t received a clear reply.
Fortunately, he still remembered the task at hand. He immediately took the blood collection kit from Dr. Ai out of his Space Bag.
He Hanshi and Ye Ming hadn’t expected Leo to be so fast. But given their current spiritual power collapse values, they truly needed to race against time.
So, neither of them hesitated to start drawing blood.
Leo stood at the entrance of cell number three. He looked at Ye Ming drawing blood inside the protective door and suddenly asked, "Your Highness, has Miss Shi Lan reached marriageable age?"
The front paws of the White Lion and the Black Panther, both in the middle of drawing blood, trembled. They simultaneously looked toward Leo.
Leo didn’t notice his highness’s expression and continued on his own tangent. "Miss Shi Lan is wonderful. If I can, I’d like to pursue her and ask her to be my wife."
Ye Ming lowered his head to look at the bright red blood in the collection tube, remaining silent for a moment. The White Lion’s muscles tensed as it drew blood. Mu Tangfeng, however, couldn’t sit still after hearing this. He sneered, "Leo, Shi Lan is our Prison Director. What are you thinking?"
"Aren’t there plenty of females out there for you to pursue? You want to chase after a scrap female with a Fertility Value of 0 and F-rank spiritual power?"
Leo looked disapproving. "Young Master Mu, that’s going too far. So what if her spiritual power is low? I don’t care."
Jiang Xia couldn’t continue playing with the ball in his mouth. He licked the fur stuck to the side of his mouth. "Leo, what’s so great about this female? Is it because you think she’s pretty?"
"Isn’t it just that her eyes are a little big, her lips a little red, and her skin a little pale? There are plenty of females like that out there."
He shook his head. "Young Master Jiang, you don’t understand!"
"There are plenty of females, but not many as good as Shi Lan. Beauty is just an embellishment, in the end." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Leo was being frank. ’Everyone in here is powerful and of high status,’ he thought. ’They would never choose a female like Shi Lan, whose spiritual power and Fertility Value are so low. I don’t have to worry about them realizing how wonderful she is and becoming my competition.’
Once he said this, Jiang Xia had no rebuttal. After all, he also thought Shi Lan was great.
’But looking at Leo... why do I feel like this male isn’t worthy of a female like Shi Lan at all?’
He couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. He sized him up and down. He was decent-looking enough, but... "Is your spiritual power that high? What makes you think Shi Lan would even look your way?"
Leo explained earnestly, "Young Master Jiang, I think Miss Shi Lan’s spiritual power is a perfect match for someone like me. If a male’s spiritual power is too high, her F-rank spiritual power would make it difficult for her to soothe them. As for me, I don’t have to worry about my spiritual power collapsing."
"Besides, I’m not arrogant enough to assume Miss Shi Lan will definitely be interested in me. That’s why I plan to win her over through my efforts."
As soon as he said this, most of the men in the prison fell silent.
It was true. Males with high spiritual power and those on the verge of spiritual collapse were indeed not suitable for Shi Lan.
But with their current level of spiritual collapse, locked up in prison as they were, it seemed they had no right to pursue her whatsoever.
Jiang Xia was speechless, but the speed at which he ground his teeth increased.
He Hanshi’s eyes darkened. He didn’t even notice that the blood had filled the tube and was starting to overflow.
Mu Tangfeng’s expression was grim. Driven by an indescribable emotion, he snapped, "Leo, you should get your eyes checked! You’ll go after just any female?"
As he spoke, he completely obstructed the view through the protective door, clearly not wanting to see him anymore.
Leo knew Mu Tangfeng was famous on Capital Star for his spoiled young master’s temper, so he didn’t argue with him further.
Instead, he turned his attention back to his highness. "Your Highness, you’ve also spent some time with Miss Shi Lan. Do you happen to know what she likes?"
"I wonder if she’ll like the bracelet I gave her today. It’s the most popular accessory for females on the Capital right now, so it should be alright..."
Ye Ming bit the blood collection tube to remove it, his gaze cold and dark. "Leo, this prince sent you here to work, not to pursue a female."
