Chapter 264: You Still Want Others?
Shi Lan fell silent for a moment. When she looked up, she saw that besides Yan Huoshui, the other four men also had concern and worry hidden in their eyes.
She was struck by the clear realization, once again, that she truly had a family now. Not like her parents, who had considered her a burden, but partners—kin—who could genuinely share in her joys and sorrows.
Suddenly, her heart felt as if it were filled with sweet water, occasionally seeping out the taste of happiness. Knowing she had people to rely on made her relax involuntarily.
She finally voiced the source of her anxiety.
"It’s not that I’m troubled, really. It’s just... you’re all so good to me. Everything I have right now feels a little unreal."
"Oh, my wife, what’s unreal about it? Here, pinch my face."
Jiang Xia immediately dropped his chopsticks and laid his head in her lap. He looked up at her, his flawless, jade-like face turned toward hers. His lips curled into a smile, a cute canine tooth pressing into the corner of his mouth, and his voice was light and cheerful.
He Hanshi took one of her hands in his. The warmth from his palm was scorching hot.
Ye Ming pursed his lips, then gathered his courage and took her other hand. He squeezed it gently, a silent gesture to announce his presence.
With both of Shi Lan’s hands now occupied, Mu Tangfeng found himself a step too slow. Annoyed with himself, he simply moved to stand behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lanlan, I’m here too."
Even though four men had suddenly swarmed Shi Lan, Yan Huoshui wasn’t flustered in the slightest. A single tail coiled around her ankle.
She had only just said things felt unreal, and in the blink of an eye, her hands, feet, and shoulders were all covered by their warmth. The heat seemed to seep straight into the bottom of her heart.
Shi Lan’s face couldn’t help but flush. Firstly, it was from their collective warmth. Secondly, the scene of her being surrounded by several handsome men felt a little scandalous, no matter how you looked at it.
Not to mention another tail gradually joined the first one, until both her feet could feel the soft, fluffy entanglement.
She forced herself to calm down, pulling her mind back from its wild thoughts to finish what she was saying. "I’m so happy I met you all, and I’m so happy we’re partners. But I feel like the affection you have for me is far greater than what I can give in return."
"So, I’m terrified. I’m worried it’s not fair to you."
He Hanshi caressed her wrist, his steady, gentle voice soothing her inner turmoil. "Lanlan, don’t overthink it. There’s no such thing as fair or unfair here. We’re the ones who are truly asking for something."
"That’s right..." Yan Huoshui gazed at her, his eyes full of adoration. "We’re the ones who truly long to be needed. Even if you only give us a sliver of your affection, we will accept it with the utmost devotion."
"So, Lanlan, you shouldn’t be the one worrying. We should be. We have to figure out how to treat you even better so we can earn more of your affection."
Ye Ming picked up the thread. "Yes. If Lanlan feels she doesn’t like us enough, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It means we aren’t good enough, which is why you’re holding back your affection."
"That’s right, my wife. You can set your mind at ease."
Jiang Xia blinked his golden eyes, trying to win her over with his cute antics and make her happy.
Even Mu Tangfeng, who was usually sharp-tongued and not the best with words, added mildly, "That’s right, Lanlan. We’re all here by choice. Since we’re doing this willingly, how could we possibly make excessive demands of you?"
He paused, then huffed. "Lanlan, you’re an exceptional, powerful S-level female. You never have to worry about us not loving you. On the contrary, we’re the ones who should be worried about more people trying to get a share of your affection."
He’d only brought it up on a whim, but the thought itself made him feel like he’d just downed a gallon of vinegar. The words came out dripping with jealousy. "Lanlan, you probably don’t know this, but now that word is out on the Star Network about your S-class Spiritual Power, a whole bunch of males are clamoring to marry you."
"You wouldn’t want anyone else after you already have the five of us, would you?"
At his words, the other men’s expressions instantly fell, their eyes dimming with disappointment.
For a moment, Shi Lan felt as if she’d committed some heinous crime, breaking the hearts of five decent men all at once.
She rushed to prove her innocence. "You’ve got it all wrong! I swear, from now on, I only want the five of you. I don’t need any other men. If I do, then..."
"That’s enough. We believe you."
This time, Mu Tangfeng was quick to cover her mouth. He was the one who had brought it up in the first place; he didn’t want Shi Lan making some kind of terrible vow.
’No matter what happens in the future, at least right now, her love is real and pure.’
After that little episode, Shi Lan didn’t dare bring up the issue of fairness in their relationship again. She was afraid that if she did, she’d just end up hurting their feelings and making herself look like a two-timing heartbreaker.
She wasn’t sure exactly how much she liked them, but she was certain they were the only ones who had ever made her heart skip a beat.
She could guarantee that from her past life to her present one, none of the other males she’d met—whether it was Levito, Leo, Jiang Qingzai, or anyone else—had made her feel this way. They were the only ones.
’I’m really not a player!’
Shi Lan pushed aside her jumbled thoughts and, with her good mood restored, went back to enjoying the delicious meal before her.
After the birthday dinner, the six of them went to an amusement park. It was Shi Lan’s idea. She had never been to one as a child, and as an adult, she was almost always alone. She wanted to experience the joy of an outing with her partners.
Ye Ming wanted to book the entire park, but it was already crowded. Shi Lan didn’t want to ruin everyone else’s fun by kicking them out, so she just bought the more expensive express passes. She had plenty of money now, after all.
The express passes came with access to exclusive VIP lanes and were mandatorily bundled with every single attraction, which was why they were so expensive and few people bought them.
Besides, ever since the proposal incident, she felt like she’d become something of a celebrity. To avoid being stared at and causing a commotion, the exclusive lanes were much more convenient.
Shi Lan was actually quite brave. She tried every single ride in the park, including one that was even more thrilling than a drop tower. It was a magnetic disc ride where you sat in the center of a disc and were flung out with no ropes or tethers, only to be pulled back by some kind of magnetic force.
It was, by far, the most thrilling ride in the park. By the time she got off, Shi Lan’s legs had turned to jelly. She glanced at the men beside her. He Hanshi was completely unfazed, and Yan Huoshui still had a smile playing on his lips. Those two were probably so used to life-or-death situations that a ride like this was child’s play.
Mu Tangfeng was a Bird of Paradise; with wings to fly, he naturally wasn’t scared.
Ye Ming, on the other hand, had lips that were a little pale, no longer their usual rosy color. He’d been perfectly calm and composed in the park’s pitch-black haunted house, but he hadn’t expected that a high-altitude ride would stir up such a sense of dread. In front of Shi Lan, he tried his best to keep a straight face, but his complexion gave him away.
Jiang Xia, however, made no effort to hide his fear. He’d been screaming "AHHH" right along with Shi Lan in mid-air. After they got off, he stumbled and leaned weakly against her, looking aggrieved. "My wife, that was really scary."
Mu Tangfeng gritted his teeth. ’That short-legged beast is playing pitiful again.’
Yan Huoshui’s gaze darkened, He Hanshi lowered his eyes and his lips tightened, and Ye Ming suddenly remembered a note he had written.
The tips of his ears turned red beneath his soft, black hair. As if he had made a monumental decision, he also looked at Shi Lan, his green eyes still holding a trace of lingering fear. "Lanlan," he said, "I was scared, too."