Ya Fei walked into the pavilion and sat down across from Xiao Yu.
"Miss Ya Fei, are you satisfied with the outcome now that the Xiao Clan has won?" Xiao Yu poured a cup of tea, set it in front of Ya Fei, and asked with a smile.
Ya Fei gave him a sidelong glance with her alluring eyes and chided, "Young Master Xiao Yu, you clearly had confidence in your chances. Why wouldn't you give me even the slightest hint back then? Did you never consider me a partner?"
If she had known how confident Xiao Yu was, she would never have given in so easily when facing Gu Ni. She might even have hoped he would take the matter to headquarters.
Once the Xiao Clan revealed its trump card, it would only make her look discerning and far-sighted.
That would certainly earn her points.
"Heh, Miss Ya Fei, you're quite the joker. You're not one of the Xiao Clan, after all." Xiao Yu smiled faintly, a hint of amusement flashing through his eyes.
Ya Fei lowered her head and sipped her tea.
Seeing this, Xiao Yu said nothing.
He held the upper hand in today's conversation. The advantage was his!
"Young Master Xiao Yu, I came today to apologize to you." Looking at the young man before her, who was clearly still so young yet utterly unmoved by charm or persuasion, Ya Fei felt as though all her talents had nowhere to go.
Xiao Yu gave a small nod. "Mm. I accept."
Ya Fei's expression stiffened. She bit her red lip.
"Miss Ya Fei, we're both adults. How about we stop beating around the bush?" Xiao Yu said.
Having been rebuffed time and again, Ya Fei understood that she couldn't judge the young man before her by his age. She had to treat him as an equal.
Some of her tried-and-true little tricks had no effect on Xiao Yu whatsoever.
Ya Fei nodded. "Young Master Xiao Yu, the Xiao Clan now stands alone at the top of Wutan City. I hope we can work together."
Xiao Yu lifted his teacup and took a sip, signaling for her to continue.
"The Xiao Clan's Blood-Coagulation Powder works very well. It earned an excellent reputation among the mercenaries during that time. It's popular not only in Wutan City; I've looked into it, and it's well-liked in several nearby cities too. Some people even buy it in Wutan City and resell it elsewhere for two or three times the price."
"If we work together, we can provide the medicinal ingredients, and the Mittal Auction House can take care of the sales channels."
Ya Fei finished in one breath and waited for Xiao Yu's answer, her eyes full of hope.
After the Blood-Coagulation Powder appeared, Ya Fei had consulted Gu Ni and learned that it wasn't difficult to refine.
Its astonishing effectiveness came from the formula.
If the two sides reached an agreement, the Xiao Clan could earn more gold coins, while Ya Fei could achieve the results she wanted.
And from beginning to end, all the Xiao Clan would need to do was refine the medicine. The Mittal Auction House would handle everything else.
There was no doubt about it: this was a wonderful arrangement!
"It really is tempting. I almost want to agree," Xiao Yu said.
He saw Ya Fei's willow brows lift as joy began to surface on her face. Then he changed tack. "But I have one condition!"
Ya Fei pressed him. "What condition? Young Master Xiao Yu, don't worry. If it's within my power, I'll agree. I've kept what you said last time in mind."
Her fingers, resting on her thighs, tightened into fists.
"It is within your power." Xiao Yu spoke slowly, easing the tension in Ya Fei's heart a little.
But when he said what came next, Ya Fei was stunned.
"My condition is that you marry me!" Xiao Yu said.
Ya Fei shot to her feet. A flush spread at incredible speed from her neck across her entire face, even turning the tips of her ears bright red.
After a long moment, Ya Fei sat down again. "Young Master Xiao Yu, I'm discussing a business partnership with you seriously."
"Miss Ya Fei, do I look like I'm joking?" The smile vanished from Xiao Yu's face, and his expression grew serious.
He tapped his fingertip against the tabletop, the blows falling in a steady rhythm. "You have one day, Miss Ya Fei. You chose wrong once before. I hope you won't make the wrong choice again. Life doesn't offer that many what-ifs."
With that, Xiao Yu stood and left without the slightest hesitation.
Inside the pavilion.
Ya Fei sat alone in silence, her expression shifting.
Three days later.
The Xiao Clan was alive with celebration, and guests filled the seats.
Xiao Yu wore a red groom's robe and beamed with happiness.
"Xiao Yu, congratulations! Ya Fei is a beauty admired by countless people in Wutan City, and you actually won her over." Xiao Yan's eyes were full of envy, and there was a hint of sourness in his voice.
As the saying went, a gentleman pursued a graceful maiden.
Beneath Xiao Yan's boyish appearance dwelled the soul of an adult, so his eye for women was naturally different from a child's.
In his eyes, Ya Fei was truly a great beauty, every bit as stunning as the celebrities from his previous life.
What Xiao Yan hadn't expected was that he hadn't even gotten the chance to say more than a few words to Ya Fei, while his younger brother had won her over without a sound.
Xiao Yu put an arm around his third brother's shoulders and smiled. "Brother, I don't have any lofty ambitions. With you and our eldest and second brothers out making your way in the world, I'll just focus on making the clan stronger. Isn't that good enough?"
"Don't say that to Father too often. You still need to get stronger! Only the strong can keep people from bullying them," Xiao Yan said gravely.
Xiao Yu grinned. "Brother, you left one thing out."
Xiao Yan blinked. "What did I leave out?"
"No one dares bully the strong man's little brother either." Xiao Yu made a face at him, then ran off laughing.
Xiao Yan stood where he was, wearing an expression caught between laughter and tears.
"Brat, always looking for a way to slack off. Fine, I suppose you're lucky to have such a good older brother as me. I'll work hard to become stronger. I won't let anyone get the chance to bully you!"
Night fell.
Xiao Yu rubbed his face with both hands, then pushed open the door in front of him and walked inside.
A figure sat on the bed, wearing a festive red outfit and a red bridal veil.
Having married for the second time, Xiao Yu went through the customary proceedings with practiced ease, then lifted the veil.
Dressed in full finery, Ya Fei faced his burning gaze. Even though it wasn't the first time she had experienced it, she could hardly hide her nervousness.
"You little rascal, I have no way out now," Ya Fei whispered as Xiao Yu took her hands.
Xiao Yu lifted her fair chin and looked into her eyes. "Within three years at most, I'll not only bring the Xiao Clan back to the Imperial Capital, I'll also make the entire Mittel Family acknowledge you as its head!"
"Mm. I believe you." Ya Fei nodded gently.
A smile played on Xiao Yu's lips as he pulled her down onto the bed with him.
In the room, the candlelight went out.
[Congratulations, your number of wives +1] [Reward: One year of cultivation! Issued. Please claim it from your inventory.]
Several more months passed in the blink of an eye.
The Xiao Clan had taken complete control of every marketplace in Wutan City. Its standing was no lower than the city lord's; if anything, it was higher.
Besides the Blood-Coagulation Powder, the Xiao Clan had also produced a medicine called "Foundation-Building Spirit Liquid." As soon as it went on sale, people scrambled to buy it.
When news of Ya Fei's marriage reached the Imperial Capital, Mittel Tengshan learned of it and flew into a rage, clamoring to expel her from the family.
But after seeing the Xiao Clan continuously produce medicines, he gradually stopped making such threats.
Not long ago, Jia Nan Academy had come to Wutan City to recruit students. After learning of Xiao Yu's talent and strength, one of the academy's instructors invited him to join.
But Xiao Yu turned him down, saying he needed to take care of his wife and children.
Xiao Yan had originally wanted to wait until Xiao Yu's second child was born before going to the academy. But an elder of the academy had accepted him as a disciple, and there was no way to make the elder wait, so he had to leave.
At that very moment.
In the Xiao Clan's rear courtyard, the familiar scene played out again.
Xiao Yu and Xiao Zhan stood waiting in the pavilion.
The difference was that a woman with a prominently rounded belly sat inside.
It was Ya Fei.
The three of them were chatting when the door suddenly opened and the midwife rushed out.
"Congratulations, Young Clan Leader! Madam has given birth—a daughter..."
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