This Female Protagonist Is Quite Sensible

This Female Protagonist Is Quite Sensible

Vaguely, he could sense an inexplicable aura descending from the void and merging into the Mud Pill Palace within his sea of consciousness, illuminating that deep, dark expanse.

The vine rooted there also seemed to have become greener and more lustrous. The fruit at its tip had taken on a purer, richer hue as well, though its size had not changed at all.

"Could this inexplicable aura be Fortune?" Jiang Lan guessed.

It seemed the fruit needed sufficient Fortune to nourish its maturation.

In Jiang Lan's view, luck and Fortune were vastly different things.

Luck was merely a temporary stroke of good fortune, while Fortune was a situation and Great Trend formed over a long period of time.

The primary manifestation of Fortune lay, in fact, in all kinds of fortunate encounters and opportunities.

Otherwise, how could one explain that he possessed such a powerful background, yet had pitifully little Fortune?

But how was Fortune to be obtained?

By suppressing or plundering the Fortune belonging to those with great Fortune?

Become a leek farmer?

Looking at the Female Protagonist before him, who was biting her pearly teeth and forcing herself to remain composed, Jiang Lan gently set down his teacup and said flatly, "It appears Miss Su has no such sincerity. Forget it."

"I won't make things difficult for you either. Someone, go seize the Su Family Patriarch. I would like to know where the Su Family of Yuyi City found the nerve to send you to assassinate me."

At those words, Su Qinghan's lovely face turned pale once more, and her jade-like fingers whitened at the knuckles from how tightly she clenched them.

Ever since childhood, she had always been a Heavenly Chosen Daughter surrounded by dazzling glory. Whether at the academy or the institute, she had been respected by others and admired by her peers.

The most humiliating and unbearable thing in her life had been the Su Family demanding that she honor the promise left behind by the previous generation and forcibly marry that good-for-nothing Lin Fan.

And now, before this Second Generation Scion who indulged in wine and women, whose reputation was in tatters, who could not cultivate and could only rely on his father's prestige to throw his weight around, she could only lower her proud head in humiliation.

"Jiang... Young Master Jiang, please wait..."

She clenched her pearly teeth, took another deep breath, forcefully suppressing all her humiliation as she stepped forward.

The next instant, a refreshing, delicate fragrance drifted before Jiang Lan.

He raised his eyes and saw that she had rolled up half a sleeve, revealing a slender wrist as fair and delicate as a section of snow-white lotus root.

That slender, graceful jade hand trembled slightly, then picked up the teapot beside her and filled the empty cup before him.

Su Qinghan leaned forward slightly. Because she wore a somewhat loose gown, a fleeting glimpse of a rather dazzling sight flashed into view.

Tsk.

After a brief moment of surprise, Jiang Lan became intrigued.

This Female Protagonist was even more sensible than he had imagined.

Still, compared with her current appearance—humiliated inside yet pretending to be calm—he preferred the proud and unyielding way she had looked just now.

In any case, he was a Second Generation Scion given to sensual pleasures. It was perfectly normal for him to possess the bearing of Wei Wu, was it not?

"What does Miss Qinghan mean by this?"

Though he thought so inwardly, Jiang Lan slightly furrowed his brow.

Never in her life had Su Qinghan suffered such humiliation and embarrassment as she had today. Yet at this moment, she still had to pretend that nothing was amiss and force out an apologetic expression.

"My rude actions just now were caused by worry and urgency clouding my mind. I hope Young Master Jiang will not take offense. This little girl does not understand proper etiquette, and I beg your generous forgiveness for any offense caused."

"As there is no wine at present, I shall use tea in place of wine to offer Young Master Jiang my apology."

As she spoke, she was about to pour tea into an empty cup before herself.

However, Jiang Lan seemed to smile lightly. Then he directly reached out and caught her fair wrist. "There is no need to apologize by drinking tea. Miss Qinghan nearly killed me just now, and I am truly in a poor mood. Even this tea tastes bland and flavorless."

"I have long heard that Yuyi City has two peerless beauties, whose talents are renowned far and wide. The elder sister is named Su Qinghan, and the younger sister Su Qingyao. Now that I have seen you today, both are indeed unparalleled beauties of this world, rare beneath heaven."

"How about this? Miss Qinghan, perform a dance to relieve some of my boredom."

"Otherwise, though this Snow Moon Pavilion boasts beautiful scenery, it always feels as though something is missing..."

Having said that, he watched Su Qinghan with great interest.

The moment Jiang Lan caught Su Qinghan's wrist, she felt as though countless ants were crawling over that spot, raising a layer of goosebumps across her skin.

From childhood until now, she had never had any contact with a man of the opposite sex.

Yet now, she did not dare pull her hand back. Her whole body stiffened as she stood there, not knowing what to do next.

Jiang Lan's manner filled her with even deeper annoyance and regret.

If anyone was to blame, it was only herself for having acted too rashly earlier, thereby inviting this unprovoked calamity.

Moreover, her younger sister's whereabouts and traces were still entirely unknown.

With Jiang Lan's power and influence, if he wished to hide her younger sister away, the Su Family truly had no means of doing anything about it.

Thinking of this, Su Qinghan secretly bit her pearly teeth again, endured the humiliation, and barely squeezed out a smile. "Young Master Jiang jests. Qinghan possesses only the modest grace of a willow, so how could I possibly catch Young Master Jiang's eye?"

"Besides, Qinghan has always diligently cultivated at the institute and has never studied the art of dance. I fear..."

"Forget it. If you are unwilling, then let it be."

A faint smile remained at the corners of Jiang Lan's lips as he released her hand and interrupted her.

"..."

Su Qinghan's heart trembled. She fell silent for a moment.

Only then did she pick up the longsword that had fallen to the ground. On an open patch beside the pavilion, she began to stretch her figure and wield her sword, displaying an exquisite set of footwork as she did so.

She had not lied. From childhood to now, she had never touched the art of dance. If she were to offer a dance, at most she could only perform a sword dance using her swordsmanship.

Yet with her innate advantages, even merely stretching her body and shifting her steps, she appeared exceptionally light and graceful, full of aesthetic beauty.

Her somewhat loose dress unfurled like a blooming flower as she danced lightly, making her legs appear especially straight and slender.

Whenever the hem of her skirt drifted upward, it occasionally revealed a glimpse of skin as fair, fine, and delicate as warm jade.

Her skirts fluttered, her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, seemingly brushed by the breeze as it swept across her flawless, luminous face.

Combined with that calm demeanor with which she forcefully endured humiliation, she carried a certain cold and lonely air that stirred pity.

Jiang Lan truly had not expected Su Qinghan to be so aware of the times. He told her to dance, and she genuinely began dancing.

Though it was obvious at a glance that she was rough and unfamiliar with it, one had to admit that a beauty's advantages lay right there. Even every frown and smile was brimming with beauty, much less when she danced so gracefully.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Jiang Lan smiled and very cooperatively applauded Su Qinghan. "I never expected Miss Qinghan to hide such skill. Though you have not studied the art of dance, with such talent, if you put in just a little effort, even the top courtesan of Snow Moon Pavilion would likely be outshone by Miss Qinghan in the future."

Hearing Jiang Lan compare her to the top courtesan of Snow Moon Pavilion, Su Qinghan's sword-dancing steps faltered, and the humiliation in her heart deepened.

Yet her face still wore an indifferent, cool expression, as though nothing had happened.