Chapter 323: I, Xu Ran, am not a Thief of the Rooster's Crow and Dog'sie-1

"Xu Ran?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Qian Renxue raised her head abruptly to look at Xu Ran, with a slight blush on her face, struggling to maintain her composure.

At the same time, she was somewhat shocked; Xu Ran's strength really was growing ever stronger. He had nearly closed in on her, yet she had not detected his presence.

If Xu Ran had wanted to take action against her, perhaps she wouldn't even know how she died. Was this the extent of Xu Ran's strength? In a trance, she felt that even the two Titled Douluos guarding her might not be as strong as Xu Ran.

In that moment, Princess Xue Ke also cast her gaze upon Xu Ran, a glint of intrigue briefly flashing through her beautiful eyes.

Xu Ran's appearance and bearing were even superior to what she had imagined. Although the corners of his mouth carried a playfully irreverent smile, resembling that of a playboy, his body exuded an aura of domineering pride. The blend of these disparate traits made Xu Ran all the more captivating, irresistibly drawing others to uncover the mysteries that lay behind him.

Over the years, she had been studying music and rituals with Teacher Tang Yuehua in Yue Xuan, honing her ability to assess people.

The Marquis of Destiny standing before her, Xu Ran, was definitely not as despicable as her Imperial Brother had claimed, and could even be considered incredibly outstanding.

Furthermore, his talent was undeniably formidable. Although she did not know the full extent of Xu Ran's talent, being conferred the title of Marquis by the Xingluo Empire was surely no simple matter. If it were just some common genius, the Empire would not have gone to such lengths to court their allegiance.

"Princess Xue Ke pays her respects to Lord Xu Ran." Princess Xue Ke stood up, approached Xu Ran, and bowed slightly as a gesture of respect. Xu Ran, being a Marquis and an emissary of the Star Luo Empire, held a slightly higher status than her title as Princess.

"Your Highness is too courteous," Xu Ran replied.

"Princess, do not be swayed by your Imperial Brother's words. I, Xu Ran, am certainly not a thief or a scoundrel," Xu Ran said, extending his hand to take Princess Xue Ke's delicate small hand and helping her to stand.

"Mm," Princess Xue Ke's face flushed red, the untouched sensation of contact with another man sending a shock through her like electricity.

She had indeed harbored the desire to marry an unparalleled expert and then live a shamelessly blissful life together.

However, as a Princess, her marriage was not for her to decide. For the sake of her country, she must marry far away in a strategic union, and the partner for such an alliance could only be the Crown Prince of the Star Luo Empire.

Suddenly, a deep sense of disappointment flooded her heart.

She could not care less about how many women Xu Ran might have by his side. In the imperial palace, nearly every man she had seen had multiple wives and concubines, a concept she did not fret over.

She wished to marry a dashing young talent, someone like the unparalleled genius that was Xu Ran.

Xu Ran observed Princess Xue Ke, capturing every expression on her face. To his amusement, it seemed Brother Dai truly was fated for amorous encounters. Another fine Princess was likely beyond saving.

Indeed, Princess Xue Ke was quite remarkable. Born in the imperial palace, she naturally inherited excellent maternal traits, making her a very appealing beauty. In that case, there might be room to maneuver...

After all, Brother Dai was far off in distant lands, and unaware he even had a beloved fiancée in Princess Xue Ke. Even if they were engaged, she would not be married off so soon, and in the end, she would still belong to him, Xu Ran...

Pah, even if she got married, it wouldn't matter. After all, from one hand to the other, she would ultimately be his, right?

As Xu Ran and Princess Xue Ke locked eyes, anxiety stirred in her heart, prompting her to quickly avert her gaze, though her heart refused to settle.

Wasn't Xu Ran just able to get a pure, naïve Young Princess like Snow Ke by simply snapping his fingers?

A look, a gesture was all it took to captivate the heart. His actions and speech were all playacting.

"Brother Xu, why have you come?" Qian Renxue saw Xu Ran flirting with Snow Ke as soon as he arrived, and that too in front of her, so she quickly pulled Snow Ke away.

If things continued to develop like this, given Xu Ran's character, she couldn't guarantee he wouldn't do something to Snow Ke.

Fortunately, Xu Ran was from the Crown Prince's Mansion, and even if he was lascivious, it was unlikely he would compete with the Crown Prince for a woman. What Qian Renxue couldn't possibly imagine right now was that "Zhu Zhuyun," the fiancée of Davis, had already been taken into Xu Ran's fold.

"I came here specifically to see the Crown Prince and, incidentally, to fulfill an order from Brother Wei Si, to meet Princess Snow Ke. Upon seeing her today, I must say, Princess Snow Ke truly is a rare beauty," Xu Ran said.

"Hmph," Qian Renxue snorted coldly, her brows slightly furrowed. She didn't believe Xu Ran's nonsense; it was probably just his own desire to see her. Were other people that lecherous?

However, the more Xu Ran behaved like this, the more she wanted to marry off Snow Ke, to make him feel regret.

Why should Xu Ran get away with bullying girls in Tiandou City all day long without doing any real work?

She was determined to make Xu Ran feel regret. But her scheming was to no avail, as Davis, the Crown Prince, had long been controlled by Xu Ran. Even if Snow Ke really did marry into their household, she would still end up at the mercy of Xu Ran's affection.

"Princess, please stand here, leaning against the pillar," Xu Ran said without further ado, positioning Snow Ke and even handing her a bunch of fresh flowers to hold.

Snow Ke, a bit overwhelmed by the situation, blushed as she followed Xu Ran's instructions, striking a pose that exuded both the youthful beauty of a maiden and the dignified grace of a princess.

Qian Renxue was stupefied as she watched; Xu Ran was such a bold man, openly giving flowers to the princess, it was simply shameless.

Was this the favored man of the Great Prince's Mansion of the Star Luo Empire? Why did it feel so strange to her?

If that was the case, then… She had heard that "Zhu Zhuyun" of the Zhu Clan in the Xingluo Empire was also an exceptionally beautiful woman, with a figure that made people drool. Could it be that Xu Ran deliberately got close to Davis to then take advantage of his fiancée?

At this moment, Qian Renxue felt as if she had uncovered some earth-shattering secret.

It was said that Davis and Zhu Yun had not yet married. Others had yet to taste such delights, but Xu Ran had already sampled the freshness, and even… Xu Ran even had the audacity to bully someone else in their own home. What more could be said? It was the peak of brazen shamelessness.

"Brother Xue, please do not overthink it. I am simply following Brother Wei Si's command to paint a portrait of Princess Snow Ke and to send it to him," Xu Ran promptly said upon seeing Qian Renxue's changing expressions, as if she had misconstrued his intentions.

A friend's wife must not be coveted, and he and Davis were close friends.

Qian Renxue could suspect his propensity for lust, but she could never doubt his character.

"Oh?" Qian Renxue was immediately drawn in by Xu Ran's words. She knew about Xu Ran's strong cultivation talent, unrivaled in the world. But now, did Xu Ran possess extraordinary talent in another field as well?

Snow Ke also understood by now that the legendary Lord Xu Ran wasn't intentionally taking advantage of her, but was instead acting on an order from Davis. Instantly, her fondness for Xu Ran deepened yet another degree.