While Wang Chen was resting, Ye Guyi had already run back to her own room.
Leaning against the door, her heart was still pounding wildly, and the scene from just moments ago kept replaying in her mind.
Her cheeks burned red, filled with both shyness and delight. She was entirely wrapped in an indescribable emotion.
"What… what on earth am I doing…" Ye Guyi murmured softly, covering her face as she recalled how her hands had roamed all over Wang Chen just moments before.
Yet, despite her embarrassment, deep within her heart there was an undeniable hint of anticipation and joy.
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.
"Guyi, it's me." Zhao Yurou's voice came from outside.
Ye Guyi hurriedly opened the door and welcomed Zhao Yurou in. Seeing Ye Guyi's flustered and bashful expression—like a cat that had just stolen something—Zhao Yurou instantly guessed what had happened.
Eight or nine times out of ten, Ye Guyi must have just gone to find Wang Chen, and it was definitely not for something proper.
"Guyi, you must be overjoyed living in Wang Chen's house," Zhao Yurou teased with a smile.
Ye Guyi's face flushed red. "Aunt Zhao~" she said softly.
Zhao Yurou nodded and spoke earnestly, "Guyi, Aunt Zhao completely supports you being with Wang Chen. He's such a fine man—you must hold on to him.
But there are a few things Aunt Zhao wants to remind you of when it comes to being with Wang Chen."
Ye Guyi blinked, confused. "Aunt Zhao, remind me?"
Zhao Yurou pulled her to sit down and lowered her voice. "Guyi, if you truly want to be with Wang Chen, there's one thing you must understand first."
"What is it?" Ye Guyi asked.
Zhao Yurou said solemnly, "You must realize that a man like Wang Chen is destined to be admired by many. He'll attract countless beautiful and talented female Soul Masters who'll be drawn to him and surround him.
So, the first thing you need to learn is to be magnanimous."
Ye Guyi was puzzled. What did she mean? If there were many women around Wang Chen, shouldn't she drive them all away? Why should she be magnanimous?
Seeing the confusion written all over Ye Guyi's face, Zhao Yurou knew she hadn't grasped her meaning—and that was understandable.
After all, in Zhao Yurou's eyes, Ye Guyi was still a young and innocent girl who had never been in love. It was natural she didn't understand such adult matters.
Zhao Yurou tapped Ye Guyi lightly on the forehead. "You once mentioned Wang Chen already has a girlfriend named Meng Hongchen, right?"
At the mention of Meng Hongchen, the good mood Ye Guyi had been in completely vanished.
Seeing her darkened expression, Zhao Yurou shook her head. "Meng Hongchen is Jing Hongchen's granddaughter. Her talent and looks are no worse than yours, and more importantly—her background and status.
Guyi, that's only the beginning. In the future, you'll face even more rivals, more competition.
Some may not be any weaker than Meng Hongchen—in fact, they could even be better."
Her face drained of color as Zhao Yurou's words sank in.
Just imagining several women like that annoying Meng Hongchen buzzing around Wang Chen made Ye Guyi's head ache.
She knew it was hard enough to drive away one, let alone several even stronger ones.
With a pleading look, Ye Guyi turned to Zhao Yurou. "Aunt Zhao, what should I do?"
Zhao Yurou smiled faintly. "Since you can't drive them away, you'll have to learn how to get along with them."
"Ah?" Ye Guyi stared at her in disbelief.
Zhao Yurou sighed. "Before I met Wang Chen in person, I only knew him through your descriptions. I thought he was simply a talented young man from the Wang family—about equal to you in strength and talent, a perfect match. The Wang family's influence would also ensure your safety.
That's why I came here with you—to see whether he truly was as good as you said, before feeling comfortable entrusting you to him.
But after meeting him, I realized Wang Chen far exceeds what I imagined.
To defeat Wang Yan and seize the position of family patriarch—his strength must already rival that of a Rank Nine Soul Engineer or even a Titled Douluo.
And what's most astonishing is his age—he's only about your age, fifteen or so. To possess such power at that age is simply unbelievable.
There has never been such a monstrous genius in the entire history of the Sun Moon Empire.
Though his fame hasn't yet spread, I'm certain that in time, his name will shake the Sun Moon and even the entire continent.
With such excellence, do you think royal ladies or daughters and granddaughters of Rank Nine Soul Engineers could resist being drawn to him?
Once his true strength becomes known, there will be an endless swarm of admirers around him."
Ye Guyi looked dejected. "Then what should I do?"
Zhao Yurou chuckled. "Guyi, when that time comes, just ignore them. Stay by Wang Chen's side with all your heart. Let them fight over him all they want—when he grows tired of it, you'll be the one who wins in the end."
After hearing this, Ye Guyi fell silent for a long while.
The pride of an angel would not allow her to accept sharing the man she loved with anyone else.
Lifting her chin proudly, her gaze sharp, Ye Guyi declared, "Aunt Zhao, I can't do that. If I can't win Wang Chen for myself, then I refuse to coexist with those other women.
If it comes to that, I'll find a way to sleep with him and raise the child on my own."
Looking at Ye Guyi's proud expression, Zhao Yurou seemed to see a shadow of someone from the past. After a long moment of silence, she wiped the corner of her eyes and said softly, "Then you'd better work hard at cultivating. Otherwise, sleeping with Wang Chen won't be easy."
A flame of determination ignited in Ye Guyi's eyes.
"I must kill every Evil Soul Master and grow stronger as fast as I can. One day, I'll surpass Wang Chen, tie him to my side, and make sure he only ever loves me!"
With that resolve, Ye Guyi threw herself into her cultivation. After all, to hunt Evil Soul Masters for experience, she first needed enough strength—or she would only end up being hunted herself.
――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Three days later, in the Wang Family's ancestral hall, Wang Chen and the thirteen elders above the Soul Saint level (including Wang Yan) gathered for a clan meeting.
The Second Elder slammed the table angrily. "Yesterday, the rare metals our Wang Family purchased from outside were hijacked! The Tenth Elder, who was in charge of escorting them, was gravely injured and barely escaped with his life.
Outrageous! They even dare to rob my Wang Family's goods! Have they gone mad?!"
The heavily wounded Tenth Elder, face pale, rasped out, "The leader of that bandit group is a Soul Saint-level powerhouse… very strong… cough cough."
Former patriarch Wang Yan frowned deeply as he read the report. A Soul Saint turning to banditry?
Wang Chen narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at the wounded elder.