Shi Lan had no memory of this young man, which left her completely puzzled. Had she offended him somehow?
When she saw the woman beside the young man, Shi Lan froze.
What an incomparable beauty...
Since being reborn, Shi Lan had never encountered a woman so beautiful. Even the belle of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion yesterday hadn't been a tenth as lovely.
Perhaps it wasn't the first time she'd seen someone like this. Shi Lan unconsciously stroked her chin. If she put on women's clothes in her current body, perhaps she could just barely hold her own.
"Cough, cough!"
Shi Tianlu coughed twice, pulling Shi Lan back to her senses.
"Greetings, Father and Mother."
"Aunt Shen."
"Second Brother, Third Brother."
Shi Lan greeted them one by one.
"Lan, let me introduce these three distinguished guests." Shi Tianlu rose and walked over to them.
"They're all from the prominent Lu Clan of Jiuxiao City."
"Uncle Shi, you flatter us." The woman smiled faintly, humble and courteous.
When Shi Lan heard the words "prominent Lu Clan," she suddenly realized who they were. She stared at the smiling woman in surprise.
So this was her genius fiancée? No wonder the man beside her was looking at Shi Lan with such hostility.
Then this visit...
Shi Lan's thoughts raced. Was the thrilling annulment scene about to begin? How should she respond when it came?
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west?
Never bully a young man for being poor?
That sounded a little embarrassing...
While Shi Lan's mind churned, her fiancée spoke first.
"Uncle Shi, let me introduce us myself."
"Of course." Shi Tianlu nodded slightly.
"Pleased to meet you. My name is Lu Yueqing. I'm the fiancée betrothed to you before birth, though we haven't married yet. This is my Third Great-Uncle, and this is my cousin, Lu Yuan."
Lu Yueqing introduced the three of them in a few brief words, her tone gentle and courteous.
"Uh... hello." Shi Lan felt a little awkward. This woman seemed so gentle...
From the moment Shi Lan entered until Lu Yueqing spoke, her Third Great-Uncle had kept his eyes half-closed and hadn't spared Shi Lan a proper glance.
"Lan, sit down and let's talk." Shi Tianlu waved a hand and returned to the host's seat.
"Yueqing's visit today is mainly because of the engagement between Shi Lan and me..."
Hearing Lu Yueqing say this, Shi Lan perked up. Here came the main event!
"You're both old enough now. It's time to discuss the wedding date." Shi Tianlu nodded and smiled.
Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu, seated below him, both clenched their palms at the same time.
Lu Yueqing was the greatest genius within a thousand li, and she was such a beauty too. How could she be matched with their useless eldest brother?
They were clearly as different as heaven and earth.
"About the engagement between us..." Lu Yueqing seemed to find it difficult to speak, stammering without getting the words out.
Su Lanyue, seated beside Shi Tianlu, felt her heart settle and let out a long breath. With Lu Yueqing acting like this, she must have some objection to the marriage.
Seeing Lu Yueqing's expression, Shi Lan sighed inwardly. The engagement was probably as good as broken.
"If you have something to say, Yueqing, don't hesitate. We'll all be family soon enough." Shi Tianlu chuckled, as though he hadn't noticed a thing.
"Shi Lan and I only met for the first time today. I don't know him at all. It's too soon to talk about marriage."
"You can get to know each other after you're married." Shi Tianlu didn't seem to mind, and appeared rather eager for Shi Lan and Lu Yueqing to wed.
"I'd like to ask you for a favor, Uncle Shi."
"If it's something I can do, I won't refuse."
"I hope we can put off discussing the wedding date. I'd like to spend some time with Shi Lan first."
As she spoke, Lu Yueqing lowered her head, seemingly a little shy.
"Sister Yueqing! How could you..." Lu Yuan started to say.
After Lu Yueqing gave him a smiling glance, Lu Yuan could only swallow the rest of his words.
Shi Lan stared at Lu Yueqing's smiling face, at a loss. Why wasn't she following the script?
She wanted to spend some time together and see how things went?
Everyone in the Shi Clan knew that Shi Lan, the eldest legitimate son, had been born with a useless constitution. If not everyone knew, then nearly everyone did.
How could a heaven's favored daughter like Lu Yueqing possibly tolerate having a useless man for a husband?
The smile on Shi Tianlu's face stiffened slightly as he rubbed his sleeve twice.
Lu Yueqing's words had left not only Shi Lan astonished; they were beyond Shi Tianlu's expectations too.
Shi Tianlu had braced himself for Lu Yueqing to visit and break off the engagement. In fact, he could even say he'd been hoping she would come and dissolve it.
Given Shi Lan's reputation in Tenglong City, no one with any pride would be willing to marry someone like him—not even an ordinary woman, let alone a heaven's favored daughter like Lu Yueqing.
Yet Lu Yueqing acted as if she knew nothing of Shi Lan's many "misdeeds." She'd paid them no mind and instead said she wanted to spend time with him.
Shi Tianlu suddenly felt that he couldn't see through this daughter-in-law-to-be at all.
Su Lanyue felt a little panicked. If they spent a long time together, Lu Yueqing might discover Shi Lan's true sex, given a young woman's keen intuition.
And then...
The hall fell silent for a moment.
"Hmm... Yueqing has a point, but..." Shi Tianlu said pensively.
"I'd like to speak with Shi Lan alone. I hope you'll allow it, Uncle Shi." Lu Yueqing stood and bowed in request.
Lu Yueqing had already lowered herself so much that Shi Tianlu couldn't well refuse. He could only nod.
"Let's leave things here for today. I've already had a banquet prepared. Please, everyone, come with me."
Shi Tianlu stood and walked over to Third Great-Uncle, gesturing with one hand. "Please."
Third Great-Uncle rose and returned the courtesy. "Clan Head Shi, please."
Shi Tianlu didn't insist and left the hall first.
"Keep a close eye on Lu Yueqing."
As he passed Shi Feng, Shi Tianlu condensed his true qi into a thread and sent the words into Shi Feng's ear.
Shi Feng nodded slightly, then slipped out of sight by the roadside.
In the blink of an eye, only Lu Yueqing and Shi Lan remained in the hall.
Lu Yueqing walked over to Shi Lan, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Shi Lan, may I ask you a few questions?"
"Huh? Sure, go ahead." Shi Lan was startled, then nodded.
"I heard that whenever you go out, you bring a large group of guards, and if someone displeases you, you beat them up. You even smash up shops?"
Lu Yueqing took a step forward and looked down at Shi Lan, who was sitting in a chair.
Shi Lan stood up. For some reason, Lu Yueqing seemed dangerous at that moment.
"My father arranged for the guards. I've never beaten anyone or smashed up a shop." Shi Lan shook her head and took two steps back, putting some distance between them.
"Then do you know Xu Yuanbai?" Lu Yueqing stepped forward twice, closing the distance between them again.
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