The Situation

Afternoon tea time.

In a corner of the Blue Piano, Ronan looked at the young woman wrapped tightly before him with some astonishment. Although his keen senses allowed him to see through the clumsy disguise and discern her true identity, he couldn't help but ask, "Is this necessary?"

Even through the veil and sunglasses, Ronan could feel Su Xiao's clear eye-roll in response to his words.

"You really don't know anything?"

She asked softly, her gaze shifting from surveying her surroundings back to Ronan.

Just like at the banquet that day, Ronan was still dressed ordinarily, looking like a very plain young man.

Their call last night hadn't contained much. Su Xiao had only heard about Ronan and Wei Wei being attacked and was worried about the safety of the young man who had helped her drive away Xiang Feihu. After confirming that Ronan himself was fine, she hadn't thought much else.

Who knew that at this moment, Ronan, who seemed a little different from other men in her eyes, would propose meeting?

When she heard Ronan's stiff invitation, Su Xiao couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Speaking of which, how is Yi Lin Manor different from the Li Family? This Ronan looks honest, but he's probably hiding a lot of thoughts, right? I'm Li Nanbei's intended woman, is this a provocation?

With this thought, she had intended to refuse Ronan's invitation.

The marriage alliance between the Su Family and the Li Family seemed to have become an unstoppable trend under the efforts of various forces. To be precise, although Li Nanbei was a bit arrogant, he was considered one of the most outstanding young talents in the entire Emerald Star Region. For Su Xiao to marry him was actually a slight step up. This was something she had to admit, no matter how unwilling she was in her heart.

According to hints from her family, once she finished her three years of university life, the two families would formally marry.

By then, the old man at Yi Lin Manor would be nearing the end of his life.

It seemed it was time for the overlord of the Blue Sea Province's capital star region to change hands.

The strength of the Su Family combined with the rapidly rising Li Nanbei would be enough to crush any obstacles.

And in the face of such a major trend, Su Xiao was powerless to resist, no matter how unwilling she was. That's why she had lost her composure and said those words at the banquet that day. Was Xiang Feihu very powerful? The Su Family had countless experts who could drive him away, but he wasn't just one person.

He represented the Li Family, and the man who was personally evaluated by one of the Empire's three great military gods as having "limitless future prospects." So she was very helpless.

Even if Ronan tore off his face with Xiang Feihu and drove him away for a while, he couldn't resist the future trend.

So, logically, she should refuse, especially at this sensitive time. Every move she made could send the wrong signal to the outside world. Her family would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen.

However, when Ronan elaborated on what he wanted to consult her about, Su Xiao was left speechless.

She suddenly felt that she couldn't see through this man at all.

Out of some strange emotion, she hid it from her family, relying on her maid to impersonate her at the spa, while she secretly slipped out.

When she arrived at the reserved cafe, her heart was beating fast, and the thought "Why does it feel a bit like having a secret affair?" actually popped into her mind.

This thought made her blush, but luckily she was wrapped up tightly, so Ronan couldn't see, and neither could anyone else.

Facing Su Xiao's abrupt question, Ronan smiled awkwardly:

"I probably know a little, but I'm not particularly clear."

"Before moving into Yi Lin Manor, I grew up in a secluded place, so there are some things I don't understand. But no one in the manor can answer my questions... So, I thought I could only ask for your help."

Su Xiao examined Ronan with a look as if she were looking at a monster.

Could this guy really be a farmer's child?

Was that contradictory temperament of decisiveness and calmness at the banquet merely due to the fearlessness of ignorance?

If that were the case, it could be explained.

The girl's mind raced, and she mused, "You really don't know why Wei Wei is targeting you?"

Ronan looked bewildered and shook his head.

Su Xiao smiled faintly.

What Ronan wanted to ask was actually this question.

Of course, he also wanted to know more things, but many things, the people in the manor wouldn't tell him. In his opinion, Su Xiao seemed to be a relatively reliable person.

After all, he didn't know many people in Bo Ning District. Christine was also a potential candidate, but that woman seemed very calculating, and Ronan didn't dare to trust her easily.

But Su Xiao was different. Although the relationship between the Su Family, the Li Family, and Yi Lin Manor was currently very delicate, the fact that she dared to come out and meet him at this critical juncture already proved a lot.

Ronan was actually very grateful for this.

Before going to the Azure Ring Island for further study, he at least had to figure out his situation.

These things couldn't be learned just by reading books and news.

Things in the noble circle were very complicated.

"That's roughly it. Some of the underlying rules in the noble circle can't be explained in a few words. Currently, in the eyes of most people, you are either a shield used by Yi Lin Manor to attract fire, or a man who is very likely to inherit the Earl's estate. If it's the former, it's fine, but if it's the latter..."

At this point, Su Xiao paused slightly and said decisively, "Wei Wei will definitely marry you!"

Ronan's eyes widened.

It was at this moment that he suddenly understood why the girl who liked to wear goose-yellow dresses had been targeting him.

So, in the eyes of others, he was the heir of Yi Lin Manor? The Earl wanted to pass down his estate, and Wei Wei had to marry him?

Thinking of this, Ronan couldn't help but feel a bit amused and exasperated.

But before he could speak, Su Xiao sighed faintly, "Actually, don't blame Wei Wei too much. She's just a bit childish."

"Some things, when you can't help yourself, you feel particularly unwilling."

Ronan was silent.

He knew, of course, that this sentence wasn't just about Wei Wei, but also about herself.

So he asked, "The Li Family, Yi Lin Manor... and your Su Family. What kind of situation is it exactly? Can you tell me about it?"

Ronan's tone was sincere. He genuinely wanted to know his situation. In the manor, he could vaguely gather some information, but it was fragmented and incomplete. And this girl in front of him had a sharp and clear mind; these things were probably all clear to her.

Su Xiao's voice was a little strange, "You, a potential heir of Yi Lin Manor, asking me this question like this, is that appropriate?"

Ronan smiled, "I really don't know; and I shouldn't have anything to do with that potential heir, right? If it's inconvenient, we can talk about other things. After all, I just arrived in Bo Ning District and don't understand many things."

Su Xiao hesitated for a while. For some reason, she felt that Ronan wasn't lying to her.

In fact, as intelligent as she was, she couldn't think of any reason why Ronan would lie to her about this kind of question. If it was to get closer and pick up girls, then Miss Su, who had seen all sorts of clever and clumsy methods from men since she was a child, could only admire Ronan's unique approach.

Bo Ning District wasn't big, but the waters were extremely deep, so deep that many people within it couldn't see clearly.

But people like Su Xiao and Christine were naturally different.

These girls, having been exposed to it since childhood, had long seen through these intricacies.

Ronan's confusion and bewilderment were instantly cleared up by her few words.

In just five minutes, a map of the power struggle over resources in the Emerald Star Region had clearly unfolded in Ronan's mind.

Yi Lin Manor was old and strong, but lacked vitality and had no successor. The Tri-Alliance Group had extremely high returns and substantial profits, but saw no future development prospects.

The Li Family was in its ascendant period, with formidable young talents. Li Nanbei was a new star so dazzling that he made his peers feel inferior and suffocated. After graduation, he was highly likely to enter the Royal First Military Academy directly, with boundless prospects in the military. What was even more terrifying was that the business acumen he occasionally displayed was no less than that of old foxes who had been immersed in the business world for many years.

The Red Hat Snake Group was like a snowball rolling bigger and bigger, and it would surpass the Tri-Alliance Group sooner or later.

As for the Su Family, Deep Blue Heavy Industries had cooperated with the Tri-Alliance Group for many years, but the appearance of Li Nanbei made the family's high-level executives determined to choose to cooperate with the Red Hat Snake. Although they currently appeared to be neutral, anyone with a discerning eye knew that the Su Family had been tied to the Li Family's warship.

The wedding day of Li Nanbei and Su Xiao would be the time when the power structure of the Emerald Star Region would be reshuffled and the dust would settle.

Listening to information about a domain that ordinary people couldn't access at all, and watching Su Xiao narrate her destined marriage with Li Nanbei as if it were someone else's story, a strong sense of discomfort surged in Ronan's heart.

He really disliked this feeling.

If a person didn't even have the right to love the person they wanted to love or do the things they liked to do, then what was the point of living?

So he looked at Su Xiao and asked the last question:

"Is that, Li Nanbei, very powerful?"

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