[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet-":3,"chapter-i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-717":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Just Maxed Out, and You Want Me to Be a Puppet Emperor?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2337156,4569,"Chapter 717","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-717",717,"\u003Cp>Valentina did not refuse; she took the vial and carefully applied the ointment to the cut on her arm, the cool sensation immediately easing the burning pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she looked at Li Chen’s arm, hesitated a moment, and softly said, “Let me help you apply the medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen did not refuse, watching as she drew near, her slender fingers trembling slightly as she gently cleaned his wound and dusted it with powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were so close their breaths mingled; the cave was filled with an intimate, subtle atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valentina could smell his unique masculine scent—mingled with herbs and a trace of danger—and her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen, meanwhile, focused intently on her face, so near, marked by concern and seriousness, and her slightly parted red lips, tense with nervousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This time, I owe it to you,” Valentina whispered, her tone no longer sharp as before, but softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen’s voice was low, his gaze fixed on her with intensity: “It was nothing. Besides, when a lady is in peril, how could I stand idly by?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words brushed against her heart like a feather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her head, meeting his deep eyes, and within them, she seemed to see worry, care, and an emotion that unsettled her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lone man and a lone woman, sheltered together after danger, filtered through the trope of a hero saving a beauty, and Li Chen’s deliberate cultivation of this ambiguous atmosphere—all caused Valentina’s fondness for this mysterious sorcerer to surge uncontrollably in this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She did not even notice that the seemingly severe poison wound on Li Chen’s arm was healing at a visible pace now that the black miasma had been expelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, it was hard for Li Chen to be wounded—these low-tier beast attacks could not pierce his defenses; the earlier danger and injuries were merely a carefully staged performance to draw closer to Valentina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Valentina’s cultivation was too shallow to see through this mysterious sorcerer’s true depth; she assumed he had exhausted himself to protect her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere inside the cave was delicate; Li Chen broke the silence at the right moment. He moved his arm slightly, smiling as if carefree, his tone laced with teasing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came in haste; I barely used a tenth of my strength against those beasts. I’m afraid I’ve embarrassed myself before you, Lady.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Valentina, his gaze gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lady, you ventured deep into danger—surely you seek something? If you do not mind, I, Li Chen, would be honored to escort you safely and help you achieve your goal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his face still appeared “pale” and hearing his “reckless” words, Valentina’s tenderness, gratitude, and guilt deepened; she hurriedly urged:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your wounds are not yet healed—you must rest properly. It’s my fault that you’ve been dragged into this. Why don’t I return first to find help and come back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone carried self-reproach; she felt herself a burden to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chen would not give her this chance. He rose, his posture casual yet undeniably firm: “Minor injuries, nothing to worry about. Since you’re eager to proceed, let’s go now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True to form, after leaving the cave, Li Chen “coincidentally” encountered several waves of “powerful” beast attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, Li Chen “perfectly” displayed astonishing strength, appearing perilous yet effortlessly dispatching the beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout, he repeatedly “saved the damsel”—either wrapping his arm around Valentina’s slender waist to swiftly dodge sudden spikes and venomous vines;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>or, at the instant a beast lunged, shielding her behind his broad back, his frame blocking every possible threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That powerful arm, that steady heartbeat, and his scent—herbs mingled with danger—constantly assaulted Valentina’s senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Valentina stiffened and blushed at such intimate contact.\u003C\u002Fp>",615,"2026-06-20T21:59:20.546Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8ccd05087e865836b547d0b9ff14463ee1bafbea435e6d5d7d7c9c9ad38590f2","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-718","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-716",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]