Mo Lianxing was utterly stunned.
The moment she learned that Jiang Che possessed a soul-cultivation technique, she realized she was likely doomed.
But she never expected it to happen so quickly.
They had just become cultivation partners in the afternoon—she’d even called him "husband"—and now, by nightfall, this man had transformed into a spectral form and slipped into her home.
"Jiang... no, husband, please calm down," Mo Lianxing pleaded, barely holding it together. With a swift motion, she draped a thin veil over herself. Though it covered her completely, the alluring curves of her figure remained tantalizingly visible.
"Calm down? Lianxing, how can I stay calm when you’re this beautiful?" Jiang Che’s lips curled into a smirk, his smile laced with danger. He stepped closer and took her hand.
Despite her nearly five thousand years of soul age, her flustered reaction made it clear—she’d probably never even held hands before.
"L-Let go!" she stammered.
"What did you call me?" Jiang Che tilted his head, his gaze sharp.
"H-Husband..." Mo Lianxing lowered her eyes. Damn it... she was actually being controlled by him?
Ahem, she told herself, this was all for the spirit stones! Yes, just for the spirit stones. She could endure a little humiliation.
"That’s more like it!" Jiang Che chuckled. "What’s wrong with your husband holding your hand?"
"......"
But then Jiang Che’s next move sent Mo Lianxing into a panic.
His hands lifted her off her feet.
"You—!"
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he intended.
"Relax, we’re just in soul form. Nothing serious can happen," Jiang Che said, his grin turning downright wicked. Mo Lianxing shivered involuntarily.
Soul form my foot! Like I’d believe that!
"Hey, Lianxing, you’re not backing out now, are you? Because if you are, I’ll have to take back those spirit stones I gave you."
Mo Lianxing: "???"
You can just take back a gift?
How stingy can you be?
And you’ve got mountains of premium spirit stones—you think one is enough to trick me?
Do I look stupid to you?
"What? Don’t want the Supreme Body-Refining Pill anymore?" Jiang Che pressed. "And my master doesn’t just craft ninth-tier pills—he can make tenth-tier, even beyond."
He was laying it on thick, spinning grand promises.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely a lie—his system did have such pills, though their price was astronomical.
"Beyond tenth-tier?" Mo Lianxing’s breath hitched.
The Supreme Body-Refining Pill was formidable, ranked as a ninth-tier pill, but ninth-tier wasn’t the limit.
Pills were classified into twelve tiers: 1–4 were low-tier, 5–8 mid-tier, and 9–12 high-tier. As for anything beyond twelfth-tier... she’d never even heard of it.
"I—"
Before she could speak, Jiang Che cut her off. "Just tell me—do you want it or not? Stick with me, and you’ll have Body-Refining Pills, premium spirit stones, top-grade spirit fields—all you could ever want. In the future, I might even get my hands on legendary Saint-grade or Immortal-grade spirit stones..."
Jiang Che’s talent for painting grand visions was unmatched.
Mo Lianxing was completely spellbound, her mind now filled with nothing but premium spirit stones and high-tier pills.
Meanwhile, Jiang Che carried her deeper into the palace.
He’d spent a million system points on that custom Soul-Nurturing Ring for her—if he didn’t enjoy himself now, would he even be Jiang Che?
By the time Mo Lianxing snapped out of it... it was too late.
---
On the bed, Shen Yu slowly opened her eyes.
She hadn’t slept at all, her mind replaying Jiang Che’s words over and over.
Maternal love... She had to admit, she did feel something different for the child in her womb.
Shen Yu was a woman of extreme rationality, someone who had almost never experienced joy. Even when her parents died in a car accident... she hadn’t shown much grief, just a hollow emptiness. She’d often sit alone at home, lost in thought, until she discovered mathematics and buried herself in its world.
Happiness, anger, sorrow—she’d never truly felt them. But when she learned she was pregnant... for a fleeting moment, warmth had flickered in her heart.
She’d even caught herself wondering about the baby’s gender. Would it be cute? Would it be clever?
A tiny, soft voice calling her "Mommy."
Her, holding the child, teaching it how to solve linear equations... The image made the corners of Shen Yu’s lips lift unconsciously.
Then she froze.
Her fingers brushed her own lips in disbelief. "I... I smiled?"
Why?
But when she tried to recapture that feeling... it was already gone, vanished without a trace.
Shen Yu fell silent, her gaze shifting to Jiang Che, asleep beside her.
Do I have feelings for him?
She could barely grasp the concept of maternal love—how could she possibly understand something as elusive as romantic love?
The sleepless girl stared blankly at Jiang Che's sleeping face.
Little did she know, while Jiang Che's body was asleep, his soul was bustling with activity.
In a way, Shen Yu was born emotionally deficient—utterly incapable of falling in love with anyone.
Yet Jiang Che employed the most underhanded tactic, using the world's greatest maternal love to awaken the emotions she lacked.
It worked. Once the seed of affection was planted, it slowly began to sprout.
Until it took root deep within Shen Yu's heart.
...
Meanwhile, in the bedroom upstairs.
Yu Wan'er, clad in pajamas, lay flat on the floor, her ear pressed tightly against the ground. Her pajama collar hung loose, revealing a glimpse of fair, delicate skin.
The little girl's brows were furrowed, her ears twitching occasionally.
"Wan'er, be careful not to get caught by Jiang Che, or you'll be in trouble again," Ye Mengyao remarked, sitting cross-legged on the bed, munching on chips while binge-watching a show.
"Don’t worry, Wan'er. Jiang Che isn’t that heartless. Shen Yu is pregnant—he wouldn’t dare touch her," Qin Qiaoqiao chimed in, yawning as she disapproved of Yu Wan'er’s antics.
Yu Wan'er slowly stood up, hands on her hips. "Hmph, guess that beast still has some conscience left."
Shen Yu was less than a month into her pregnancy—still in the danger zone. If Jiang Che lost control... the consequences could be dire.
Fortunately, he was still somewhat human.
A shred of decency remained, though not much. It was one of the few redeeming qualities he had left.
"By the way, Wan'er, should we sisters start thinking about giving Jiang Che a baby too?" Qin Qiaoqiao blushed as she spoke.
Ye Mengyao set down her tablet and rolled her eyes. "Qiaoqiao, sounds like you're the one who wants a baby, huh?"
Caught off guard, Qin Qiaoqiao fidgeted nervously. As the first girl in Jiang Che’s harem, seeing Shen Yu pregnant... naturally stirred something in her too.
"Qiaoqiao, let’s skip the baby talk. Shen Yu’s an exception! No need for us to jump on the bandwagon. Once one girl starts, everyone else will want kids too," Ye Mengyao said bluntly.
She saw things clearly.
Though she had feelings for Jiang Che, she wasn’t ready to bear his child—at least not now.
The young mistress still had her pride. Competing for favor with a baby? That was beneath her.