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"Are you really not going to kill me?" The Plane Consciousness asked cautiously once again.
At this moment, the Plane Consciousness was like a child who couldn't believe the truth and was carefully confirming it repeatedly.
Though Ye Wen was growing impatient, he still brushed it off with perfunctory responses.
"Yes, yes, I won't kill you, so just stay quiet and don't bother me until I figure out a solution."
A long time passed, but Ye Wen still hadn't come up with an answer. He sighed inwardly—how could he, the wisest being on all of Douluo Star, struggle so much with such problems?
But then, Ye Wen suddenly realized that a pair of bright eyes was only inches away from him.
"Holy crap!!!"
Ye Wen quickly retreated, creating distance between himself and the Plane Consciousness as he snapped irritably,
"What do you want now?"
The Snow Empress's thin lips, which had been slightly trembling, were momentarily speechless.
However, the Plane Consciousness forced itself to suppress its discomfort and took small, hesitant steps toward Ye Wen before tightly wrapping its arms around his left arm.
Feeling the close proximity of such beauty, Ye Wen was momentarily dazed. But he quickly regained his composure and tried to pry the Snow Empress's body off him with righteous indignation.
Come on, he was already a married man! Thoughts of office romance or special "playtime" with a female subordinate were things Ye Wen dared not entertain.
But the Plane Consciousness, controlling the Snow Empress's body, acted unusually bold, using her chest to firmly lock onto Ye Wen's arm.
"What are you trying to do?! I'm a married man! Don't use Snow Empress's body to make such ambiguous moves!"
Ye Wen resisted, but he didn't dare to use too much force, leaving him both angry and frustrated.
By now, the Plane Consciousness had practically pressed its entire body against Ye Wen's. Feeling the icy yet incredibly tempting divine form, Ye Wen felt his primal instincts stirring uncontrollably.
"Marry me~"
The Plane Consciousness's voice was as light as a feather. If not for Ye Wen's sharp hearing, he might not have caught it.
But a sense of absurdity immediately arose. Ye Wen stared in disbelief. "Huh?"
"Do you even hear what you're saying? I already have seven wives! You want to marry me? Are you dreaming?! Don't try to ruin my family!"
However, the Plane Consciousness, contrary to its usual timid demeanor, lifted its head and looked directly into Ye Wen's eyes. From those eyes, Ye Wen read an emotion called courage.
"If you want full control over Douluo Star, then you must marry me.
Otherwise, just as you can't fully trust me, I can't fully trust you either."
"What nonsense is this?!" Ye Wen exclaimed in disbelief. "What kind of logic is this? Why must I marry you to gain complete control over Douluo Star?"
At this point, the Plane Consciousness seemed to have exhausted its courage. It avoided Ye Wen's gaze and retreated back into its "ostrich mode," but its voice continued to drift softly.
"Snow Empress has told me a lot about you over the years. Although you have many wives, you're a good husband. So I thought, if I could become part of your family, maybe you could treat me like one of your wives.
This is the only solution I can think of to resolve your troubles."
Ye Wen listened with a face full of black lines. Was he destined to be targeted just because he was a good husband?
But why did it feel oddly comforting yet disturbingly reasonable at the same time?
For a moment, Ye Wen fell into silence.
And so, both of them remained silent. However, their bodies, pressed closely together, began to fill the previously cold study with an atmosphere of ambiguity.
After a long while, Ye Wen let out a sigh.
In the vast universe, how could everything go according to one's wishes?
He had initially only wanted to build a pure, loving family.
But soon, Ye Wen chuckled bitterly at himself. This situation was exactly what Ah Yin and the others had predicted.
The first time was with Silver Dragon King Yue Na, and now here came this second unexpected twist.
Yet Ye Wen quickly reflected—had he been colder and more ruthless in his dealings with others, perhaps he wouldn't have to face such troubling situations.
But would such a person still be himself?
At this moment, Ye Wen seemed to see the image of his past self, who had worked tirelessly to improve his cultivation for the sake of his family's well-being.
Stay true to your original intention, and you will achieve your goal.
With this realization, Ye Wen decided to let go of his resistance and let things take their natural course.
Since there had already been two unexpected additions to his family—Yue Na and Na'er—one more Plane Consciousness wouldn't hurt.
But as Ye Wen untangled his mental knots, he noticed something amiss.
"Plane Consciousness, you say you want to marry me, but don't you lack a physical body of your own?"
The Plane Consciousness stiffened for a moment, then relaxed and replied softly,
"Snow Empress's body is my body. Everything about her is derived from my essence.
If you truly marry me, I will choose to fully merge with Snow Empress and then marry you."
Upon hearing this, Ye Wen frowned deeply.
Why did the relationship between Snow Empress and the Plane Consciousness sound so similar to that of Yue Na and the others?
"No! To me, Snow Empress is Snow Empress, and you are you. If you truly merge, it would mean neither of you remains as you are—you'd become an entirely new entity. You could even say you'd mutually erase each other and forcibly fuse together.
I won't accept that."
Snow Empress had been one of his loyal subordinates for so long. Ye Wen didn't want to see her die in such an unconventional way.
But soon, his tone softened, and he gently said,
"However, you can choose to cultivate a new body. With my near-eternal lifespan, I can wait for you."
At this, the Plane Consciousness shook its head lightly, its breath sweet yet tinged with a hint of coldness.
"You misunderstand.
My relationship with Snow Empress isn't what you think it is."
But soon, the Plane Consciousness began to stutter, clearly struggling to articulate the unique nature of its bond with Snow Empress due to its limited vocabulary.
Suddenly, Ye Wen felt the intense pressure on his arm ease, though it was still wrapped around him.
"Master Ye Wen."
At the sound of this voice, Ye Wen knew that Snow Empress herself had taken over.
The thought of actually engaging in such ambiguous play with one of his female subordinates made Ye Wen feel deeply uncomfortable.
"Do you remember the classic masterpiece 'The Chronicles of Chaos' that you personally wrote?"
Hearing this, Ye Wen snapped out of his thoughts and grew curious. Why would Snow Empress suddenly bring this up? That novel had been written by Ye Wen during a bout of boredom, intended to entertain and fill the void of entertainment in this world.
Its entirely new worldview had been a massive hit, and Ye Wen hadn't hidden his identity, using his real name. At the time, it caused quite a stir, with some people thinking it was a fake. In the end, it turned into a big misunderstanding.
"What about that book?" Ye Wen asked curiously.
Never would he have expected this icy goddess to have read his novel.
Sensing Ye Wen's slightly strange gaze, Snow Empress began to shrink inwardly. Even someone as composed as her couldn't help but feel embarrassed about her collapsed persona.
But since she had brought it up, she had no choice but to explain.
"Just like the novel you wrote, Master, my relationship with the Plane Consciousness is akin to that of the Heavenly Dao and its spokesperson.
Do you understand what I mean, Master?"
At this, Ye Wen finally understood.
His earlier assumption had unconsciously equated the Plane Consciousness with gods, but now he realized there was a fundamental difference.
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