"Let me hold you," Li Changzhou wrapped his arms around Yang Qinglan's waist, affectionately rubbing his face against her smooth, tender cheeks.

Yang Qinglan tilted her head and smiled with pursed lips.

"Lanlan! You can't spoil him like this!" Li Qianxia pulled Yang Qinglan out of Li Changzhou's embrace.

"Hey, Li Qianxia, I think you just want to tease me with this!" Li Changzhou challenged his sister.

Li Qianxia immediately nodded, vigorously agreeing with an "Mhm-hmm!", her face blossoming into a smile, wearing an expression that said, 'I just want to tease you, what about it!'—with a hint of affection.

Just as Li Changzhou was preparing to let his sister know how heavy a brother's love could be, Turquoise Pool chuckled:

"Qing Lan is right, I also think this money can be spent. No matter what you do, having a sense of shared gain is very important."

"See, that's called professionalism," Li Changzhou said to his sister again.

"Mutual benefit, huh..." Li Qianxia pondered, "That does make a little bit of sense."

If it weren't for this sum of Money, would Itheri, Da Yi, and the others still be willing to help them? Not only had they helped, but they had also forged a good relationship, and the others were very willing to collaborate with them again.

The same was true for Yafeiluna.

She had been actively collecting herbs for Qing Lan's alchemy, gathering poisons for the King Cobra, and collecting intelligence for Li Changzhou.

Whatever Li Changzhou commanded, Yafeiluna would do her utmost to comply. Why? Because there were benefits involved.

Respect without fear is too soft; cooperation without mutual interest is too vague.

Thinking about mutual gain when dealing with people not only makes subordinates more loyal but also increases the number of friends or willing collaborators.

"So," Turquoise Pool declared, turning to look at Yang Qinglan, "for mutual gain, the three of us must be together."

"I get that you might win, and Changzhou could probably win, but where do I win?" Yang Qinglan put her hands behind her back, not appearing authoritative but rather exuding a sense of lightness and ethereality, speaking with a voice that was enchanting to the ear.

With a smile, Turquoise Pool replied, "Aren't the three of us safer together?"

"Do you think I would like safety that is obtained in this way?" she asked.

"Whether you like it or not, and whether you need it or not, are two different things. You've not said you don't need it, and in your heart, you understand the necessity of safety. It's not just you who would die, nor you and Changzhou alone, but also Qian Xia."

"Stop, stop, stop, I'm unrelated; I'm just here to watch!" Li Qianxia genuinely took out a watermelon to eat.

The watermelon was red and sweet, not seedless, but even the seeds were temptingly black, full of life, endearing to one who sees them.

Yang Qinglan glanced at Li Qianxia before returning her gaze to Turquoise Pool and leisurely said:

"If you're going to be so realistic, then let me respond in kind—Changzhou and Qian Xia, due to family relations, detest the idea of being unfaithful to their parents. Do you think he would agree to your proposition?"

"Is this what you call responding in kind? That's a threat!" Li Qianxia said, then quickly clamped her mouth shut.

"That is an extreme view," Turquoise Pool replied unfazed, tucking a strand of white hair behind her ear, "Which child doesn't love affectionate parents? But when those children grow up, what about themselves? Do I really need to mention the current divorce rate?"

"Is a high divorce rate a good thing?"

"Of course not. What I mean is, people live for themselves. Don't children love affectionate parents for their own sake too? Hoping for a warm, original family.

"If children are selfish, should parents for the sake of their children compromise themselves? Continue staying with someone they have no feelings for? People only live once."

"There happens to be a small portion of people in this world," Li Changzhou joined the debate, "who would rather live for others than for themselves. To them, this is not a compromise but happiness. Does their life lack meaning simply because it's not lived only for themselves?"

Looking dispirited, Turquoise Pool said, "If you speak up, how can I respond? You know I can't stand against you."

Having finished, she even pouted, wearing a look of grievance.

Li Changzhou almost forgot that she was here to break them up, no, to join them. Seeing her expression, he unconsciously thought they were already a trio, and that he himself had been neglecting her.

That was close.

The "Favored Concubine" was too dangerous.

"Pff!" Li Qianxia spit out a watermelon seed, her eyes glued to the others as she gazed, as if watching an enthralling drama, reluctant to take her eyes off of the engrossing scene even while eating.

The three exchanged glances—

Yang Qinglan, who stood with her hands behind her back, nodded looking down at her own toes;

Turquoise Pool bit her lip and smiled, avoiding Li Qianxia's gaze, admiring the swing made of vines in the "Honey Pot World".

"Ahem." Li Changzhou cleared his throat, composed his emotions, and said, "I'm planning to go to Jupiter—"

"Oh, right." Yang Qinglan and Turquoise Pool both seemed to remember something, speaking up simultaneously.

"Hahahaha!" Li Qianxia laughed, hitting the table, "I say, you three should just be together! Brother, of course, you can do it for others, but you can't do everything for others. In the future, your and Qing Lan's children, once born, will be together with you and Turquoise Pool's children—do you think they would care about you having two wives? "

"How about it?" Turquoise Pool looked at Li Changzhou and Yang Qinglan, smiling with a hint of triumph. "Being with me, you can instantly gain an S-level Instinct, and my Instinct will also elevate, making us all safer, plus the kids will have playmates."

Li Qianxia bit into the watermelon: "The true shared gain!"

Li Changzhou ignored the two rascals and asked Yang Qinglan, "What's up?"

Yang Qinglan glanced at Turquoise Pool, who didn't seem to mind that Li Changzhou was not continuing the topic, and she waited for Yang Qinglan to tell her issue first.

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