LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 151: Chapter 150: Zhang Lexuan’s Doubts – Had She Been Loyal to the Wrong Person All Along?
This was likely the first time Zhang Lexuan had ever dressed so revealingly. She appeared nervous, her arm self-consciously covering her chest, even though Qian Ran was the only one around to see.
She regretted it already. She wished she hadn't tried to be bold. Now, it felt like Qian Ran was seeing everything.
"Senior Sister, let me help you apply some sunscreen. You don't want to get sunburned," Qian Ran said, watching her in a bold red swimsuit that softened her usual cool elegance, giving her an enchanting allure.
"Get lost, you pervert!"
Already flustered, Zhang Lexuan turned red with embarrassment at his suggestion, kicking him in frustration.
What had come over her to agree to wear such a swimsuit? Surely, Qian Ran must have used some trick on her.
"Hey, I'm just trying to help. You wouldn't want to end up with a tan, would you?" Qian Ran said with an exaggerated sigh, his hand hovering close to her as if he were holding back.
"Fine, but watch it. I mean it this time," Zhang Lexuan said, sighing and allowing him to stay, though she was still wary.
"Of course," Qian Ran replied quickly, reaching into his storage device for the sunscreen and moving beside her to gently rub it onto her smooth back.
Zhang Lexuan's skin was flawless, her spine and soft shoulders creating a beautiful, alluring line.
But as he spread the sunscreen, she suddenly took the bottle from him, applying it herself on the front.
Qian Ran, still fascinated, respected her wishes. After all, Zhang Lexuan wasn't his girlfriend yet.
"Senior Sister, did Mu En really raise you?" Qian Ran asked casually, sitting close to her and making conversation.
"Yes."
"Old Mu told me I was born into a noble family in the Heavenly Soul Empire. But due to conflict with another powerful family, my whole family was wiped out. Only I survived, and Shrek Academy teachers found me. Mu En took me in and raised me."
"And yet you let me call him by name," Qian Ran commented, smiling as she applied the sunscreen. Seeing her annoyance at his lack of respect for Mu En, he gave her a slight grin.
"Mu En might even help that guy Beibei come after me someday. Should I really show respect to my future enemy?"
"The Heavenly Soul Empire doesn't have any Moon-related spirit lineage, does it? I'd say your spirit likely traces back to the Sun and Moon Empire. I'm guessing Mu En just valued your potential and took you in to be Beibei's fiancée."
"The old man's not as noble as he seems."
If she hadn't had that rare talent, would Mu En have raised her? Highly unlikely.
He was just preparing a legacy for Beibei before his passing. To Qian Ran, Zhang Lexuan was part of that legacy, meant to support Beibei after Mu En's death.
Zhang Lexuan ignored Qian Ran's blatant disrespect, but his mention of the Sun and Moon Empire made her pause.
"Do you know about the three main bloodlines of the Sun and Moon Empire?" Qian Ran asked.
She frowned, listening.
"Most people know that the Sun is the royal spirit of the Sun and Moon Empire. But they also have a second lineage—the Moon spirit—just as powerful, although it's now in a more subservient role."
She stared, stunned. She'd never heard this about the Sun and Moon Empire. She… could she be part of this Moon lineage?
"So, based on what I've gathered, it's likely that royal conflicts over time led to the Moon line being sidelined," Qian Ran continued.
"Which means, Senior Sister, your enemy could be one of two things," he said, glancing at her with a sly smile.
"What are they?" she asked, staring at him intently.
"One possibility is that the Sun and Moon royal family closely monitors the main line of the Moon lineage, but they don't want to exterminate it. When you awakened with full innate soul power at six, it triggered their fear, leading them to target your family."
Zhang Lexuan nodded, following his reasoning.
"The other possibility is someone merely saw your exceptional soul power potential, which led to your family being wiped out to prevent you from rising."
"Rationally speaking, the second option seems more likely. The Moon spirit is extremely rare and powerful, even in the Sun and Moon Empire. Killing off the entire line would harm their own empire. You may very well be a direct descendent of the royal Moon lineage."
Qian Ran's theories were not conspiracy but logical deduction.
Maybe it was Mu En himself who had killed her family.
How else could he have "happened" to find a six-year-old orphan with innate soul power, just when he was nearing the end of his life?
The Sun and Moon Empire would have wanted to eliminate just the child, not her entire family. And if Zhang Lexuan truly had the royal bloodline, she might even be a princess.
If she were royalty, that could explain her abilities. After all, her power without a soul device was formidable enough to surpass others of her generation.
"Are you saying… Mu En?" Zhang Lexuan's face went pale as the pieces fell into place.
Could her understanding of her life have been completely wrong?
Was Mu En not her benefactor but her enemy?
She sat down helplessly, her face drained of color, her mind spinning.
Had she truly been loyal to the wrong person all along?
The thought left her terrified.
Could Mu En have raised her solely to be Beibei's support and nothing more?