A Perfect Misunderstanding

"How could this happen?"

Xiao Han held the two marriage contracts, examining them back and forth. One moment he walked into the hall, the next he returned to its entrance.

"What is it?"

Seeing Xiao Han acting so startled and pacing about, everyone in the hall had their curiosity thoroughly piqued.

Taking advantage of their inattention, Xiao Han lightly touched one of the marriage contracts with his finger.

Extraction!

The moment Xiao Han gave the command, subtle changes immediately appeared on the contract.

"Ding! Congratulations, you have extracted the ink traces from a marriage contract. Black attribute +1."

A tiny black glimmer appeared at Xiao Han's fingertips, like a drop of ink.

According to the system's description, this cluster of black light possessed only the black attribute—it could merely dye an object black. It was utterly ordinary.

Fusion!

Xiao Han touched his own clothes with his finger.

"Ding! Congratulations, fusion of the black attribute succeeded. Clothing black attribute +1."

As the system's voice fell, Xiao Han noticed a small ink stain had appeared on the hem of his cyan robe.

Extraction!

"Ding! Congratulations, you have extracted the ink traces from a marriage contract. Black attribute +1."

Fusion!

"Ding! Congratulations, fusion of the clothing black attribute succeeded. Clothing black attribute +1."

While no one was paying attention, Xiao Han extracted the ink attribute from the other marriage contract as well.

Since he had extracted only a tiny amount of ink, and he was standing at the doorway with his back to everyone, the entire process took very little time. No one noticed his small movements.

After finishing all this, Xiao Han maintained an expression of utter shock and exclaimed, "Heavens, so that's what happened!"

"What happened?"

"Xiao Han, hurry up and tell us. You're keeping us in suspense."

"Yes, hurry and say it."

The people around him were already protesting Xiao Han's behavior.

Xiao Han smiled faintly at Ge Ye. Holding the two marriage contracts before everyone, he called out, "Everyone, please look."

Xiao Han's theatrics had completely stirred their curiosity.

Among them, Xiao Yaozu glanced at Xiao Han before reading from the marriage contract.

"Nalan Yanran, granddaughter of Nalan Su of the Nalan Family, is hereby joined in marriage with the grandson of Xiao Lin of the Xiao Clan in Wutan City, Xiao... May they form a happy union. This document serves as proof. Date: Jia Ma Empire..."

When Xiao Yaozu reached this point, his entire body froze. He turned back in astonishment and said, "Wait, why isn't Xiao Yan's name on this?"

Xiao Yaozu looked at the other marriage contract in utter shock. After examining it repeatedly, he nearly turned to stone and blurted out, "Strange, neither marriage contract has Xiao Yan's name on it?"

"Uncle Yaozu!" Xiao Han smiled slightly as he looked at Xiao Yaozu. "The words are written plainly in black and white. How can you be certain the groom is Cousin Xiao Yan? I was about to say it should be me!"

"Uh..."

Xiao Yaozu clicked his tongue inwardly. Indeed, Xiao Yan's name was not written there. No one could say that the intended groom was definitely Xiao Yan. It could have been Xiao Yan, or Xiao Cat, or Xiao Dog.

Xiao Yaozu stroked his beard and looked at Xiao Han. The longer he looked, the deeper his gaze became. Xiao Han truly was no simple person.

"How is that possible?"

At this point, Xiao Yan, the person directly involved, could no longer sit still. He snatched the two marriage contracts over, his brows tightly furrowed and his eyes vacant. Like he had seen a ghost, he stared at them and muttered, "How can my name not be there? My name was clearly on my marriage contract. It was you!"

Xiao Yan pointed at Xiao Han's nose and shouted sternly, "You must have tampered with them!"

Xiao Han's gaze darkened in the face of Xiao Yan's furious accusation. "Xiao Yan, you cannot slander me so casually!"

"My name was on the marriage contracts just now. You must have tampered with them!" Xiao Yan shouted.

"Where is the evidence?" Xiao Han calmly met Xiao Yan's gaze. "Everything requires evidence. Yes, I did borrow the marriage contracts from your hands for a look just now. But before everyone here, I'd like to know—when you say I tampered with them, who saw it?"

Xiao Han swept his gaze around, but no one dared respond.

Xiao Han had been right in front of them. If he had tried to switch the marriage contracts, that would have been impossible. It would have been far too obvious. And if he had scraped away the words directly, that would have been impossible as well.

If something had been used to scrape them away, it would definitely have left marks on the paper.

Yet there was not a single trace to be found on either marriage contract.

Of course, everyone knew the missing writing had to be related to Xiao Han.

But where was the evidence? Without evidence, they did not dare accuse Xiao Han casually.

"You... you... you..." Xiao Yan was so enraged that even the hand pointing at Xiao Han's nose trembled slightly. He shouted, "Fine, even if my name isn't on them, it's already implied. I'm the only grandson of my grandfather Xiao Lin who could be betrothed to a young lady of the Nalan Family!"

Xiao Han smiled faintly and reminded him, "Dear Cousin Xiao Yan, have you forgotten that you have two older brothers?"

"Older brothers!"

Xiao Yan's whole body jolted.

That was right—he had two biological older brothers, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li.

Seeing Xiao Yan fall silent, Xiao Han continued, "Xiao Yan, you and Nalan Yanran are destined to belong to different worlds. You are so shamelessly trying to force some connection with her, hoping she will come to the Xiao Clan to break off the engagement. Is that truly the outcome you want to see?"

"Uh..." Shamelessly? Xiao Yan froze. In his emotional agitation, he had not realized that things had developed to the point where he was the one shamelessly clinging to Nalan Yanran.

In truth, even Xiao Yan himself did not know that the moment he had seen Nalan Yanran, he had developed a slight fondness for this fiancée whose beauty did not lose to Xiao Xun'er's.

Seeing Xiao Yan remain silent, Xiao Han went on, "Once the engagement is broken, it will negatively affect the Misty Cloud Sect and Nalan Yaran. But what about our Xiao Clan?"

"The Xiao Clan?" Xiao Yan froze again.

This time, not only Xiao Yan, but everyone else also looked toward Xiao Han.

"That's right." Xiao Han continued, "Would it not have any negative impact on our Xiao Clan? Once the engagement is broken, it would not only mean that the Xiao Clan and the Nalan Family would turn from friends into enemies. We would also make a powerful enemy of the Misty Cloud Sect. Have you ever considered all that carefully?"

"Uh..."

Xiao Yan clicked his tongue inwardly. The elders present, including the Three Great Elders and Xiao Zhan, all looked at Xiao Han in surprise.

Though Xiao Han was still young, he thought so far ahead. His maturity was no less than an adult's.

Still unconvinced, Xiao Yan retorted, "Does that mean we must bow our heads and submit to their coercion?"

Xiao Han looked at Xiao Yan, shook his head slightly, and said, "You are wrong. There is no submission and no bowing our heads. It is merely a misunderstanding. A perfect misunderstanding."

"Uh..."

Everyone present nearly turned to stone as they stared at Xiao Han.

When they looked at him again, Xiao Han's figure gradually became incomparably lofty in their hearts.

Because of Xiao Han, the Xiao Clan had avoided making two powerful enemies.

To one side, even Nalan Yanran herself, one of the people involved, stared at Xiao Han in a daze.

Nalan Yanran had read what was written on the marriage contracts more than once. There had absolutely been no issue with them.

Yet now, the character "Yan" was indeed missing from Xiao Yan's name on both marriage contracts.

At this moment, Ge Ye, who had seen much of the world, was the first to recover. He cupped his hands toward Xiao Zhan and said, "Clan Head Xiao, since Elder Xiao Lin and Elder Nalan Su did not specify which of your children was betrothed to Yanran, surely you cannot have Yanran marry all three of your sons. Such an engagement, with its unclear and ambiguous designation, should naturally be voided. What do you think?"

Xiao Zhan gave Ge Ye a deep look. Since things had come to this, he could only nod in agreement.

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, you have perfectly destroyed the engagement-breaking Storyline. Reward: 50000 Experience Points. Reward: 1000 Coupon Points."