The Great Bluff Backfired

"Xiao Yan has come to the Nalan Family to propose marriage," Xiao Yan replied firmly.

After thinking for a long time, he finally spoke his mind.

If it weren't for Na Lan Yan Ran, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today. So even though there's no affection between him and Na Lan Yan Ran, he would still propose this marriage.

The Dou Qi Continent is vast, teeming with talented individuals; there may well be a way to treat Na Lan Yan Ran's injuries.

Even without mentioning healing pills, the spring water on King's Island is perfectly capable of repairing a person's injuries.

Upon hearing this, Nalan Su's face immediately lit up with a smile. He had thought that Xiao Yan no longer looked favorably upon his daughter.

Na Lan Yan Ran was also very surprised. Now that Yun Shan and Yun Yun were both on King's Island, there was absolutely no one who could know her identity.

Moreover, she clearly concealed her cultivation level completely. Even before advancing to Dou Di, she locked the bloodline lock of her family. No one in the Nalan Family had activated the Dou Di Bloodline. With no powerful figure appearing, why would Xiao Yan still come to fulfill this marriage agreement?

After much thought, she finally realized Xiao Yan's true feelings. Xiao Yan had no feelings for her whatsoever; he was only proposing marriage to repay a debt of gratitude.

Na Lan Yan Ran was initially a little excited, but now her expression changed instantly, and she became a little grumpy.

"I am truly sorry, Young Master Xiao Yan Yanran, but I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you today. I cannot agree to this marriage Yanran."

Love devoid of any emotion, purely for the purpose of continuing the family line, even if the two of them once had a relationship, the Xiao Yan of today is no longer the same person he once was.

"Why?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.

Could it be that Na Lan Yan Ran didn't find him appealing, or that she already had someone she liked?

Nalan Su glared at his daughter. What a fine future son-in-law! He had come to propose, and his daughter still refused.

"Xiao Yan, Yanran has never liked arranged marriages. Besides, you want to propose marriage, and a large part of the reason is to repay a debt of gratitude, right?" Na Lan Yan Ran saw right through Xiao Yan's thoughts.

She was fiddling with a teacup in her hand; since time had reversed, her mindset had undergone a tremendous change over the past year.

The present can never replace the past; she lives in the past and can never accept the new future.

Just like this teacup, once it has a broken corner, although it is still a teacup, it is no longer the same as before.

This is a mental illness. Although Xiao Yan is the original Xiao Yan, his current memories lack any trace of his past with her. He is a completely new person, not someone who has traveled back in time.

Xiao Yan was at a loss for words. He truly intended to marry Na Lan Yan Ran out of pity and to repay a debt of gratitude from years past.

Now that Na Lan Yan Ran is unable to cultivate, although she holds the position of Great Elder in the Misty Cloud Sect, she has no strength of her own and is ridiculed everywhere in the capital, just like he was back then.

Xiao Yan only wanted to marry Na Lan Yan Ran and find a way to heal her injuries. At the same time, given his current status, marrying Na Lan Yan Ran would also elevate the Nalan Family's standing.

"Xiao Yan, Yanran doesn't need your gratitude. Feelings cannot be bound by any favors. If you don't like me, why did you come to marry me? Please forgive Yanran for not being able to accompany you."

Na Lan Yan Ran ignored the conflicted expression on Xiao Yan's face, got up and walked out of the reception hall.

Looking at the stubborn back of the woman in front of him, Xiao Yan was filled with curiosity about Na Lan Yan Ran. Just how proud was this woman?

"Nephew Xiao Yan, please don't mind her. My Yanran has always been like this since she was little." Nalan Su, eager to help his daughter arrange this marriage, quickly said with a smile, "Nephew, if you have nothing else of importance, you can stay at my Nalan Family for a few days. I'll have Yanran accompany you to enjoy the scenery of the capital city."

"Then Nalan very much, Uncle Nalan."

The next morning, Xiao Yan walked out of the Nalan Family's side room. After eating some breakfast that had been brought to him, he began to chat with Nalan Su about everyday matters.

"Go and fetch Yanran for me!" Nalan Su suddenly shouted to a maid behind him.

The young master of the Xiao Clan family had already arrived at the main hall early. As the eldest daughter of the host family, how could Na Lan Yan Ran not be there to greet him?

"Master, Miss is in the family kitchen. We are not allowed to disturb her while she is cooking," the maid said meekly.

Nalan Su was so angry that he almost stood up from his chair. He really wanted to scold his good-for-nothing daughter. Cooking and preparing food were things that servants should do. What was a dignified young lady of a general's mansion doing in the kitchen? It was ridiculous.

"Nephew Xiao Yan, please don't take offense. My daughter Yanran has been spoiled by her uncle since she was little. Uncle will go and bring her over now so she can accompany you for a stroll in the capital."

Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "Uncle Nalan, there's no need to be embarrassed. It's not necessarily a bad thing that Miss Yanran likes cooking. Being able to cook a dish you like is a great happiness in life. I'm also very curious and just wanted to go to the kitchen to see how Miss Yanran's cooking skills are."

In the kitchen, Na Lan Yan Ran's cleaver moved with lightning speed, easily slicing fresh vegetables into strips before stir-frying them in the oil. In no time, a fragrant dish was ready.

"Good, good, good!" The cooks and kitchen staff clapped and cheered, having learned new recipes from Na Lan Yan Ran today.

Na Lan Yan Ran held a spatula in her hand and wore a floral apron, looking every bit like a domestic wife.

She took a bite of the food on her plate and suddenly saw Xiao Yan appear in the kitchen, which made her feel somewhat at a loss and stirred up complicated emotions again.

"Miss Yanran, your cooking skills are amazing!" Xiao Yan said to Na Lan Yan Ran with a smile. "I didn't eat much breakfast this morning. I wonder if Miss Yanran could make me some more?"

"Chop the vegetables," Na Lan Yan Ran winked at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan immediately understood and put aside his airs as Dou Zun expert, chopping the ingredients on the cutting board with rather clumsy movements.

Na Lan Yan Ran took it and poured it into the pot. With a quick flick of her right hand, all the ingredients in the pot rose into the air and were heated evenly.

Xiao Yan's hands didn't stop either; under Na Lan Yan Ran's guidance, he frequently cut the ingredients into all sorts of shapes.

The two worked together seamlessly; as soon as one person chopped a vegetable, the other would quickly stir-fry it. Over time, they both became immersed in the joy of cooking in the kitchen.

As the last dish was cooked, all thirty-odd dishes, each with its own unique color, aroma, and flavor, were laid out on the kitchen table.

These dishes even emitted a unique glow, just like the Little Master Chef, which amazed everyone.

"Try it," Na Lan Yan Ran said, handing a pair of chopsticks to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan suddenly felt a strong urge to eat, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork rib, and chewed it slowly.

The dishes that brought tears of happiness gave Xiao Yan a new spiritual shock. The taste of these dishes was simply too wonderful. He could hardly imagine that these delicacies were actually cut by his own hands.

After taking a few bites, Xiao Yan suddenly had a familiar taste. It was as if he had eaten the sumptuous dishes that Na Lan Yan Ran had cooked before.

He had no memory of ever having contact with Nalan Yanren, so why did he suddenly have this feeling?

A very tactful cook led everyone out of the kitchen, leaving only Na Lan Yan Ran and Xiao Yan behind.

The two sat at the table, heads down, eating without uttering a word, until Xiao Yan picked up a piece of green vegetable and placed it in Na Lan Yan Ran's bowl, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"Do you know you're fat? Eat more vegetables and less meat," Xiao Yan suddenly said very rudely.

Na Lan Yan Ran was taken aback at first, but then she saw Xiao Yan's behavior become extremely unsightly. His previous gentle and refined manners vanished, and he stuffed his mouth full of food, like a beggar who hadn't eaten for several days.

Xiao Yan could no longer maintain his previous airs; heaven knows how delicious the dishes were, he simply couldn't resist.

Na Lan Yan Ran instantly became furious, abandoning her usual elegance, and frantically stuffed food into her mouth, actually engaging in a fierce confrontation with Xiao Yan at the dinner table.

Xiao Yan snatched the roast chicken from in front of Na Lan Yan Ran and began to devour it. Na Lan Yan Ran, not one to be trifled with, then stole a pig's trotter from in front of him.

In the end, the two of them almost got into a physical fight at the dinner table, neither willing to back down an inch.

Then, Na Lan Yan Ran used her unique skill, the saliva spraying technique, and in an instant, she sprayed a bunch of saliva onto five or six dishes.

This infuriated Xiao Yan, who angrily retorted, "Hey, hey, hey, didn't you cook these dishes for me?"

Na Lan Yan Ran, her mouth stuffed with food, waved at Xiao Yan, shooing him away, "Get out of the way, all of you, get out of the way..."

This shameless behavior had completely enraged Xiao Yan. Just as he was about to continue grabbing the food on the table, he suddenly felt dizzy and realized that this scene had happened before.

A sharp pain shot through his head as the illusory dreamscape he had been transported to by Infinite Tsukuyomi on Ninja Island reappeared in his mind.

The scene in that dream was remarkably similar to what was happening now.

Xiao Yan's head was throbbing with pain. He pressed one hand to his temple and instinctively called out a name, "Arale!"

"Um, what does Brother Xiao Yan want with Arale?" Na Lan Yan Ran, who was frantically eating, was caught off guard and suddenly responded with this question as if by reflex.

As soon as she finished speaking, the chopsticks in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter, and she froze, completely stunned.