Chapter 97: Thank goodness I don’t have muscle memory!

That was simply how men were: when their wives cared too much about their interactions with other women, they would complain about having no private space. Yet when their wives cared not at all, or even strongly encouraged them to dalliance elsewhere, they would inevitably feel slighted and begin to suspect that their wives did not love them that much after all.

Qin Chuan was no exception.

Liu Qingcheng was not his wife, of course, but in Qin Chuan’s eyes, if he wished it, the two of them would certainly grow into that kind of relationship. And now that Liu Qingcheng had plainly stated that she did not mind sharing his affection with other women, Qin Chuan could not help feeling a little uneasy.

“Shall we talk inside?” Liu Qingcheng asked, pointing toward the lounge.

Qin Chuan gladly agreed. The intoxicating experience from before still lingered on his mind, and he very much wanted to deepen their exchange.

The two of them went into the lounge. Liu Qingcheng locked the door first, then came to Qin Chuan’s side and nestled herself in his arms. At this moment, she no longer carried the same bewitching allure as before, but instead resembled a young girl who had just tasted the sweetness of love.

“There are mainly two reasons I can accept other women around you. First, it’s because of me personally. I’m just not the sort of woman who can be a gentle, virtuous wife and raise children at home. Don’t be fooled by how I just stressed my position as the principal one. In truth, I know I’d have a hard time handling it. It’s like when King Zhou made Daji his queen; before long, the country was ruined, the people were devastated, and I’m not cut out for that role either, hehe.”

Liu Qingcheng laughed freely, yet Qin Chuan caught a faint trace of sorrow hidden within that laughter.

“She doesn’t want to be a seductive enchantress who brings disaster upon the world,” Qin Chuan thought with a quiet sigh, feeling a little sorry for this woman whose every gesture was filled with allure. “But nature is nature. How could it be changed just because one wants to?”

Liu Qingcheng did not know what he was thinking and continued on her own: “Second, I know very well that a man as outstanding as you is bound to have all kinds of excellent women around him. Sometimes, even if it isn’t what you want, how can matters of the heart be avoided simply because you want to avoid them?

“Once emotional entanglements appear, forcing you to give them up would only make you suffer. But if I care too much and then can only helplessly accept it, I won’t feel good either. So why not just open my mind and accept it calmly?

“That way, you won’t be put in a difficult position, and you may even feel a little guilty because of how understanding I am, which might make you cherish and pity me even more. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone? Why not?”

Liu Qingcheng spoke with frank sincerity. Qin Chuan’s emotions were stirred as well. Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed as she said: many things simply were not avoidable just because he wanted them to be.

For example, because he had to find a woman with a Profound Yin constitution to suppress the Nine Yang energy within him, Qin Chuan had decided to cancel all his engagements one by one after entering the world. Yet in the end, he discovered that Lin Wanyu might very well possess that very constitution.

That bond was destined to be impossible to sever. For both Lin Wanyu and Qin Chuan, if they wanted to survive, the best choice was to cultivate together. Even if they settled for conservative treatment, the two of them would still have to remain extraordinarily close.

And during the later stages of treatment, they would even need to “face each other honestly.” In time, to say that no feelings beyond the need to survive would arise between them—such a claim would not even fool a ghost, and the ghost would probably not believe it anyway.

Take Lan Jin, for instance. At first, Qin Chuan had indeed used her as a shield to break off an engagement. But as they spent more and more time together and understood each other more deeply, he discovered that both his own state of mind and Lan Jin’s were changing constantly. That elusive and hard-to-name feeling between them was no longer something that could be neatly defined by the phrase “engagement shield.”

As for Long Wuhen, there did not seem to be any sign of emotional change yet, but who could say for sure about fate?

Qin Chuan truly could no longer imagine what the remaining six engagements would be like. Before leaving the mountain, he had joked with his master that adults did not need multiple-choice questions, but when it came time to act, if he wanted them all, that might not end easily at all.

Most importantly, not every woman on the other side would be willing to annul the engagement. Qin Chuan believed the Liu family where Liu Qingcheng came from was by no means the only one. In fact, the Lin family was also willing to honor the engagement. It was just that Lin Wanyu had a fiery temperament and refused to let others dictate her fate, which was why she had struck a bargain with her family.

Long Wuhen, on the other hand, was quite aligned with Qin Chuan’s current interests. But every time he thought of Long Wuhen’s extremely sensitive body, Qin Chuan’s natural reaction as a man would send a tremor through his thoughts.

“So absorbed. What are you thinking about?”

Liu Qingcheng’s sweet voice sounded by his ear. Perhaps to provoke him, she even deliberately breathed warm air beside it.

Qin Chuan said with a smile, “Of course I’m thinking about discussing a business deal worth several billion with you. Are you interested?”

“Hm?” Liu Qingcheng’s delicate face visibly stiffened, then she said in a coaxing tone, “Brother Chuan, these past few days are really not convenient for me. How about I just use—”

“I was joking!” Qin Chuan gently patted her on the back. “And from now on, when you’re with me, there’s no need to be so cautious.”

At his words, a mist seemed to rise in Liu Qingcheng’s beautiful eyes, and her emotions surged violently. Grievance, emotion, delight, and many other complicated feelings rushed up all at once.

In Liu Qingcheng’s eyes, Qin Chuan had always been someone she had to look up to. On one hand, there was the pressure of her family; on the other, there was the pressure of the business world, where wolves encircled her from every side. Both forces pushed her to win Qin Chuan’s favor.

Born into a great family, with a dazzling exterior and luxury cars and mansions at her disposal, she seemed splendid in the eyes of outsiders. But as an exceptionally beautiful woman, Liu Qingcheng was often the first choice for a political marriage.

Liu Qingcheng had long understood this. At first, her attitude toward Qin Chuan was one of calculation. Yet on their very first meeting, he had helped her solve a huge trouble, which made her far less resistant to him.

Later, as they got to know each other better, Liu Qingcheng discovered that Qin Chuan was a man of great humor, charm, and ability. What was more, he was handsome. That only made her want to draw closer to him even more.

Now Qin Chuan had actually refrained from pursuing Lin Wanyu and Lan Jin for her sake. Liu Qingcheng felt delighted, but also deeply moved. She had never expected to monopolize Qin Chuan’s feelings, but as a woman, who would willingly share love with others?

So even if Qin Chuan was merely playing a role, Liu Qingcheng was already more than satisfied. What was more, he respected her so much in many ways. That alone was enough.

Yet before that emotion had fully faded, Qin Chuan suddenly lowered his voice and asked, “Qingcheng baby, there’s something I’ve really wanted to ask you, but I’m afraid it’ll make you angry if I do.”

“You want to ask why, even though I’m a pure and innocent young lady, I’m so skilled with my mouth?” Liu Qingcheng asked with a teasing smile.

Being asked that way by Liu Qingcheng, Qin Chuan actually felt a little embarrassed. Curiosity made him nod.

“Come closer. I’ll tell you.”

Qin Chuan leaned in. The unique fragrance of a woman made his thoughts wander, and then he heard Liu Qingcheng whisper a few words into his ear.

After hearing the answer, the corner of Qin Chuan’s mouth twitched twice. Imagining a banana being used as a prop, only to end up bitten clean through by Liu Qingcheng, he could not help shivering.

“Good thing you didn’t rely on muscle memory before!” Qin Chuan said, patting his chest with lingering fear.