"Really? Lord Xu Ran can't possibly be saying this just to make me feel better, can he?" Han Yue had not expected Xu Ran to say something like that.
In front of Xu Ran, she had never been confident about her appearance.
Could it be that Xu Ran likes this kind of look? Today she wasn't even wearing stockings, and although she wore a short skirt, what's so attractive about legs without black stockings? Beyond that, she couldn't figure out what was appealing about her.
Could it be that Lord Xu Ran prefers a plainer style?
Countless thoughts raced through Han Yue's mind as she quickly pondered.
"That must be it, Lord Xu Ran is surrounded by beauties who are all dolled up, so maybe he finds the novelty appealing. It's like a young master who is used to delicacies occasionally taking interest in simple peasant food," Han Yue thought to herself.
"What I said is the truth. Senior Han Yue is the number one beauty of the Inner Court, how can you have so little confidence? In the Inner Court, if I dared say Senior Han Yue isn't beautiful, I reckon a bunch of guys would surround me the next moment ready to beat me up," Xu Ran was all too familiar with such scenarios. It wasn't just about instigating trouble; sometimes, even when Xun Er and the others were with him, crowds would glare at him with gritted teeth, ready to rush him at the slightest spark.
"Pfft, is it as exaggerated as you say?" Han Yue covered her mouth to restrain her laughter at Xu Ran's hyperbolic words. But after thinking about it, her popularity in the Inner Court did indeed seem to be pretty high. It was precisely because of her high popularity that so many people remembered her name. Otherwise, if it were purely based on strength, she would still have a long way to go.
But how could she be confident compared to those brought by Xu Ran?
The gap in temperament was like the difference between a commoner and a noble lady.
"It was indeed like that once, but these days, I've beaten all those guys in the Inner Court into submission, so there shouldn't be anyone daring enough to trouble me," Xu Ran found a bench to sit down on.
Because Xiaowu and the others frequently appeared in Canaan Academy, even covered by a veil, they couldn't hide the aura of peerless beauties, and so people often sought to pick a fight with Xu Ran.
But Xu Ran dealt with them in seconds, and now his notoriety in the Inner Court was quite established, albeit infamy.
"If Lord Xu Ran didn't conceal his strength, you would be the first on the strong list by now, and then no one would dare to trouble you," Han Yue felt somewhat indignant. Xu Ran was among the top masters of the Continent, and even Canaan Academy had to regard him. But those people had the gall to challenge Xu Ran, not to mention that even the Soul Hall was scared of him.
However, this side of Xu Ran made Han Yue feel warm inside. Usually, those who are powerful don't like to engage with the weak. Strength separates one from different social circles. She, Han Yue, couldn't enter the circle of someone like Lin Xiuya. Strong people only want to socialize with the strong. Besides Moon Spirit's members, most of her friends were also of the "Dou Spirit" "Cultivation Level".
But Xu Ran, despite being strong, gave off a very gentle vibe, without any superior attitude whatsoever.
"If I segregated myself from those weaker based on strength, I'd miss out on a lot of fun. I don't care if the people around me are strong or not, I just care if they are fun to be with. Unfortunately, those with decent strength are often dull. On the other hand, those in the academy with lesser strength always come up with a lot of fun stuff. Sometimes I find the things they talk about really interesting," Xu Ran interlaced his fingers and rested them behind his head, explaining comfortably.
Perhaps it was the influence from his past life, but he hadn't developed the habit of using strength to rank people.
Those with great power didn't provide him any joy, and their topics of conversation mainly revolved around "Cultivation". But it was different with the underperformers.
"Is that so?" Han Yue stood there, motionless. Xu Ran's words deeply shook her. So it was like that, was it? Although she would never bully the weak, she'd always clearly distinguished between the strong and the weak.
But Xu Ran's words made her suddenly realize that every person has their value and meaning. Even those not suitable for "Cultivation" can bring value to the world in other ways.
Moreover, value is defined differently for everyone. For Xu Ran, unless someone was a "Dou Di", the strength of others was worthless to him. Even a genius like Lin Xiuya was less interesting than those fun underperformers in his eyes.
"I was just speaking off the cuff, you don't have to take it to heart. Of course, those who work hard for their goals are respectable. By comparison, those who just goof off every day are too lazy, almost like my alter ego," Xu Ran laughed. Without the System, and still that lazy, he wouldn't be much different from those underachievers at Canaan Academy. It was probably for this reason, Xu Ran was rather lenient towards these types. As long as they didn't cross his bottom line, he never resorted to killing.
"Pfft, are you really that lazy, Lord Xu Ran?" Han Yue couldn't help but laugh again, picturing the image of a pair of dead fish eyes in a school uniform, looking lackadaisical. Apart from his strength and status, Lord Xu Ran did seem a bit like that. But with Lord Xu Ran's good looks, even without any strength, there would still be people willing to support him, like her, perhaps?
"Thinking of supporting me? It's not that simple," Xu Ran saw right through what Han Yue was thinking. Being kept by a rich beauty was like living a dream for him in his past life.
"Lord Xu Ran, I, I, I…" Han Yue hadn't expected Xu Ran could see through her thoughts, and she blushed, lowering her head, too ashamed to look at him.
"Don't just stand there, sit down. Sit here and let me lie down for a while."
"Oh, okay." Han Yue sat down beside Xu Ran, her cheeks red, while Xu Ran shamelessly laid his head on her lap. Knee pillows, truly the most perfect creation by the Creator.
"Your legs are a bit chubby, but just perfect," Xu Ran commented. Thighs should be soft and chubby, they make for a very comfortable rest.
"Do you think so?" Han Yue's voice was much quieter than before, and she was so embarrassed she didn't know what else to say. Since she'd grown up, her legs had never been touched by the opposite sex, let alone her thighs.
"It would be even better if someone came to give me a leg massage," Xu Ran remarked and then shot a stream of "Dou Qi" towards a large tree in front.
The "Dou Qi" collided with the tree, and in a flash, the entire tree was annihilated, vanishing into thin air. And the beautiful girl who had been hiding behind the tree was now exposed.