Chapter 173—I Want Her

After Mu Ran left, Shao Ping looked at Richard with a gloating expression. He patted the man’s rigid body, his gaze locked on the latter’s shocked and deflated face.

"How was it? I advised you not to mess with her, but you refused to listen. Look at you now, completely torn to shreds by her."

Richard remained silent, his deep gaze mixed with a hint of a desire to conquer as he watched Mu Ran’s retreating figure.

An inexplicable emotion stirred within his heart.

He was going to conquer that woman.

"Shao Ping, I want her."

Shao Ping leaned in closer, bringing his ear toward the man and raising his voice, "What did you say?"

"I said, I want Mu Ran."

Richard turned his gaze and pushed away Shao Ping’s leaning face, "Don't you think conquering her is quite challenging?"

Shao Ping’s eyelids twitched wildly. He let out a deep sigh, shook his head, and patted Richard’s shoulder with a helpless and hopeless expression, "Brother, don't say I didn't warn you. I don't know about challenging, but it's definitely going to be lethal."

"Then let's wait and see." Richard moved his feet and stepped onto the escalator as well.

"Mu Ran, I can give you happiness."

Holding onto the escalator handrail, Richard said softly to Mu Ran, who was eight or nine steps ahead of him.

The man’s voice was filled with sincerity and deep affection, his passionate and profound eyes fixed on the woman’s back.

Did she not hear him?

Why was she having no reaction?

Never in his life had Richard ever encountered a woman as unruly and frostily cold as Mu Ran.

This woman had successfully caught his attention.

The man climbed a few more steps, standing right behind Mu Ran. With his face almost pressed against her back, he radiated a sense of absolute certainty, "Mu Ran, I will give you happiness."

He believed that no woman could resist his sweet words and gentle offensive.

"Mu Ran?"

The woman remained unmoved, her gaze fixed on the live-streaming platform as she seemed lost in thought.

"I know you're not interested in me right now, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to stay in Country B and watch over you always."

Richard’s mother had asked him to visit her two younger sisters in Country China, who were his two aunts.

He had originally planned to visit his two aunts after finishing this competition and then return immediately to Country B.

But he had changed his mind. He was going to take Mu Ran back to meet his mother.

Richard had investigated Mu Ran, also known as the world skiing champion Mumu. This woman had completely cut ties with the Mu family, had no one to rely on, and possessed a lowly status.

If he took her back to Country B, his mother would never agree to let him marry her as his primary princess consort.

A secondary consort, however, would be possible.

The title of secondary consort would be a god-given blessing for a woman like Mu Ran.

Richard firmly believed that Mu Ran would eventually yield to power and prestige, and fall deeply in love with him.

"Are you disgusting or what, Richard?"

"Do you even have a brain? Don't be so cheap."

"Get away from me, or I'll kick you down."

Mu Ran spoke with a chilling tone, utterly sickened by the man's inner monologue.

How could there be such a thing as a man who was so utterly ordinary yet extraordinarily confident?

She had never seen a mixed-race man with such deep, chiseled features act so greasy and narcissistic.

"Mu Ran, I'm serious. I can give you happiness."

No longer intimidated by the woman's coldness and the murderous aura she exuded, Richard pressed closer, "I think you're very special."

Mu Ran jerked her wrist away from the man's grip, shaking her hand in disgust, "Stop talking. My limit for bearing you is running out."

"Gu Beicheng won't give you happiness, but I can."

Mu Ran curled her lips, a cold chill seeping from the corners of her mouth. Her fox-like eyes narrowed slightly, emitting a cold and piercing light, "You'll give me happiness?"

"A disfavored prince from Country B like you can give me happiness? If I go with you, will you let me be your primary princess consort? Do you actually look favorably upon my family background in your heart?"

The woman's slender, fair fingers poked forcefully against the man's chest, jab after jab, as danger gradually filled the air.

This Richard talked nonsense with a straight face, spewing utter absurdity from his pretty lips.

A man who couldn't even control his own marriage—who could he possibly give happiness to?

He couldn't even give away a single blessing for the New Year!

"Stop putting on a deep and affectionate act here with me."

Mu Ran turned around, ignoring the man entirely.

The escalator reached the very top of the ski slope.

"Mu Ran, I..." Richard was about to say something else when he suddenly trembled all over, a chilling draft running down his spine.

A gaze carrying a sharp, murderous cold sword shot straight at him.

Following the sensation, he saw Gu Beicheng.

Richard’s mouth drooped, but then he curved it back up. His pale and displeased complexion, caused by Mu Ran, warmed back up, replaced by a thick layer of unbridled cynicism.

Richard nodded at Gu Beicheng like a gentleman.

Yet, the other man merely gave him a flat glance before walking toward Mu Ran.

"Beibei, where did you just go?"

Mu Ran stood in front of Gu Beicheng, smiles dancing in her eyes. She tugged at the corner of the man's coat, swaying her body involuntarily.

Charming and seductive.

It was a stark contrast to the murderous intensity she had just displayed toward Richard.

Gu Beicheng wrapped one large hand around the woman's waist, domineeringly pulling her into his embrace.

He curved his lips arrogantly toward the disgruntled Richard not far away, then lowered his head to whisper softly to the woman, "I was busy with something very important. You'll know soon enough."

"What thing? I'm curious." Mu Ran’s ears tingled from the man's husky and magnetic voice. She lifted her small head, raised her arm, stood on tiptoe, and hooked her arms around Gu Beicheng's neck.

Looking at him with eyes full of amorous allure, she asked, "Beibei, did Nanyang come?"

Hearing the woman show such anxious eagerness to meet her idol Nanyang—even though that Nanyang was none other than himself—he still felt a slight twinge of discomfort in his heart.

Sensing that the aura of the man pressing tightly against her had shifted slightly, she curved her eyebrows, blinked her large eyes, and poured out a myriad of emotions.

"Don't overthink it. I just wanted to ask him why he gave me such a low score. He must be looking down on me."

Gu Beicheng’s expression gradually warmed. He lowered his head and planted a light kiss on the woman's cheek, "Be good. No matter what, don't beat him up when you see him."

Mu Ran: "What?"

Beat him up?

Why did Beibei's words sound so strange?

With their eyes locked, Gu Beicheng said nothing more.

Mu Ran did not probe further either. She answered softly and obediently, "Okay."

Gu Beicheng’s heart practically melted.

Mu Ran like this was simply too mesmerizing, too enchanting.

He wanted to possess her completely, inside and out.

Standing before the live-streaming camera, the two of them exchanged words back and forth, openly flaunting their affection.

They completely disregarded all the single souls watching this scene.

The live chat comments scrolled by:

【Mu Ran's facial expression changes so fast!】

【Is Mu Ran deliberately hyping up a CP?】

【Gu Beicheng is so pampering.】

【I feel like Gu Beicheng's affection is just an act.】

【Richard is so pathetic! The goddess's heart already belongs to someone else.】

【Richard, steal Mu Ran away!】

【Domestic entertainment is way too lenient on male artists...】

Host: "Next, let's invite the two judges, Zhaoyang and Liyou, to score Mu Ran and Richard!"

Zhaoyang:
【Richard: 8 points】
【Mu Ran: 10 points】

Liyou:
【Richard: 8.5 points】
【Mu Ran: 9.5 points】

Host: "Now, let's invite the public judges down below the ski slope to score the two athletes."

A minute later, the final scores of Mu Ran and Richard appeared on the large screen behind them.

【Mu Ran: 9.5 points】
【Richard: 8 points】

The host excitedly announced: "Congratulations to our Mu Ran! Successfully advancing to the semifinals!"

Suddenly, the direction of the comments in the live stream changed.

Many of Richard's visual fans flooded the stream with comments.

Most of their remarks expressed dissatisfaction and disbelief at the final result of the competition.

Richard's final score should have been higher than Mu Ran's.

Behind Mu Ran and the others, the large screen rolled with the netizens' comments.

Mu Ran didn't care at all about what the netizens were saying. Her strength lay right here; no matter how many times they competed, she would win.

On the other hand, Richard wore a gloomy expression. He walked up to the host, took the microphone, and spoke in a soft voice tinged with grievance, "Everyone, please calm down. Every competition has its winners and losers, and I have to admit I'm inferior to Mu Ran's skiing skills."

The man's aggrieved tone failed to appease his visual fans in the live stream; instead, it provoked even more of them to stand up for him in injustice.

Live chat comments:
【Why does Mu Ran get to win again?】
【Xiaoran didn't win last time either, what is upstairs sour about?】
【Mu Ran cheated! Why does our prince have to lose!】
【Heh, exactly! Mu Ran just took the backdoor.】
【Yeah, this competition was hosted by Mu Ran's sugar daddy Gu Beicheng, of course it's just promoting her.】
【So disgusting, Mu Ran!】
【Right, the last second she gave our prince no good look, the next second she's showing off affection in front of the camera!】
【Flaunt your affection and die fast!】
【I don't believe this competition result! Why did Mu Ran win!】
【Our prince is a genius athlete, a well-rounded talent, how could he possibly lose to a woman like Mu Ran!】
【Mu Ran is just building a persona, so annoying!】
【Rescore!】
【Although I don't understand skiing techniques, let me whisper that Mu Ran's movements are indeed much better than Richard's.】
【Are you blind, upstairs?】