Chapter 49

Xuan Qing tried to explain, though the excuse he came up with was incredibly flimsy.

"I'm only ten. You want to wait for me to grow up? How many years would that take? What if I grow up ugly? What will you do then? You'll regret it by the time it happens."

Even he didn't believe this excuse; among soul masters with dragon-type martial souls, there were hardly any who were ugly, provided they cared even a little about their appearance.

Bone dragons were the exception; that thing was just a pile of bones, and no matter how you looked at it, it couldn't be made to look good.

Shui Yue'er waved her hand, looking completely unbothered.

"It's fine. Ten or eight years, this sister can afford to wait. Besides, you won't grow up ugly. I've always had a sharp eye for people; with your foundation, you're bound to be a handsome man in the future."

"So it's settled. From today on, I'm your fiancée. In a few years, I'll marry you."

"You aren't allowed to go back on your word, or I'll go complain to your parents and tell them you're bullying me."

Xuan Qing's mouth twitched violently. Go to his parents? Where would he even find parents?... Wait, he had an idea.

He pointed at Zi Ji, then at Zhu Zhuqing, spouting nonsense with a straight face.

"I like the cold and aloof type. You're too lively; you aren't the type I like, so we aren't a good match. You should go find someone else."

"If you don't believe me, look at how steady and cold they are. That's the type I like."

But who was Shui Yue'er? A beauty-obsessed girl with a unique train of thought. Hearing this, not only did she not back down, but her eyes lit up, and she smiled so brightly her little fangs showed.

Seeing that smile, Xuan Qing's heart skipped a beat. What kind of trouble was this girl about to stir up now?

"That's fine! My sister is exactly that type. Look, why let good water flow into someone else's field? You can just take both of us sisters."

"My sister can serve you during the day, and I'll serve you at night. I guarantee you'll be so happy you'll forget your home and never want to step outside."

"Pfft—"

The entire hall fell into a dead silence.

Everyone was shocked by the girl's train of thought. Was she really that bold? Taking both sisters at once? Was she trying to drain Xuan Qing dry?

But considering his potential... well, it was understandable. Who wouldn't want to get their hands on such a monster of talent?

Although Shui Yue'er was a bit of a fangirl, she wasn't stupid. She knew the value of early investment, and even at his young age, Xuan Qing already possessed a sharp mind.

Once he grew older and his status became more established, he would be even harder to hoodwink. Striking now was indeed the best opportunity.

Xuan Qing wanted to slap himself. How could he have forgotten that? He had dug his own grave, jumped in, and then packed the dirt down on top of himself.

Both sisters at once? He couldn't handle that.

Xuan Qing looked at Xue Qinghe.

"Make sure the payment is delivered to Dugu Manor, or I'll tear down your Crown Prince's Eastern Palace!"

With that, he turned and bolted, his speed like a dog chasing him, and he vanished in the blink of an eye.

If he stayed any longer, he was genuinely afraid Shui Yue'er would tie him up and drag him home.

Shui Yue'er shouted from behind.

"You can't run! This sister has set her heart on you. When you grow up, I'll come to marry you—no, I'll let you marry me!"

Xuan Qing ran even faster, disappearing from the hall in a flash.

Seeing this, Zi Ji struggled to hold back her laughter as she followed, and Zhu Zhuqing hurried after them, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

After the three left, the hall erupted into raucous laughter, especially Dugu Bo, who slapped the table so hard tears of mirth streamed down his face.

"Hahahaha! This brat finally got a taste of his own medicine! He's usually the one driving people half-mad, but now it's his turn. Satisfying! Truly satisfying!"

Dugu Yan also covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking, though her laughter wasn't quite as exaggerated.

Chen Xin sat in his seat holding a cup of tea; though he appeared calm, the tea was sloshing in his cup, clearly showing he was suppressing his laughter.

Xue Qinghe was in a great mood. Seeing Xuan Qing get frustrated was truly heart-pleasing.

Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a smile.

"It's a good thing for a young man to be popular, but this level of popularity is a bit excessive."

"However, considering the situation of young friend Xuan Qing, it's understandable. Who wouldn't want to hold such a monster of talent in their hands?"

Xue Qinghe nodded in agreement, gloating.

"This Palace thinks it's not bad. At least someone can keep that sharp tongue of his in check. This is what they call 'one thing subduing another.' Let's see if he dares to spout nonsense in the future."

Ning Fengzhi looked at Ning Rongrong and teased.

"Rongrong, your competition is quite fierce."

"Although that Shui Yue'er girl is a bit lively, she has a straightforward personality, is quite pretty, and has a sister to boot. A pair of sisters—the lethality is doubled."

Ning Rongrong blushed.

"Da... Dad, what are you saying? Who... who likes him! He's so annoying, I don't like him at all."

Ning Fengzhi looked at her with a faint smile. As a father, how could he not understand his daughter's heart?

Someone like Xuan Qing was a one-of-a-kind existence in the history of the Douluo Continent, but his daughter was thin-skinned and too embarrassed to admit it.

Besides, that brat Xuan Qing didn't seem to have awakened to matters of romance yet, otherwise, he wouldn't have been scared off by Shui Yue'er.

On the other side, Shui Yue'er returned to Shui Bing'er's side and laughed triumphantly.

"Sister, did you hear that? He said he likes the cold and aloof type, doesn't that fit you perfectly? How about it, have you considered it?"

"If we sisters join forces to take him down, you can be the first wife and I'll be the second. We'll manage him together."

Shui Bing'er's pretty face flushed as she chided her.

"Yue'er, what nonsense are you spouting! How can you say such things so casually? Besides, he ran off immediately, which clearly means he isn't interested. Let's not be delusional."

Shui Yue'er chuckled.

"Oh, sister, you just don't understand. He's afraid we'll devour him right here; it just shows he's thin-skinned and easy to train."

"Once he grows up, won't he be at our mercy? If you tell him to go east, he wouldn't dare go west. If you make him kneel on a washboard, he wouldn't dare stand. Just think how wonderful that would be."

Shui Bing'er subconsciously imagined the scene.

After marriage, Xuan Qing kneeling at her feet, pitifully calling her sister and begging for forgiveness—that image... it didn't seem half bad.

But she immediately shook her head, casting the thought aside, and quickly covered her face, feeling her cheeks burning. How could she have such thoughts? It was too embarrassing.

However, she thought about it again.

If she had to marry, why not pick someone good? Aside from his sharp tongue, Xuan Qing didn't seem to have any other flaws at the moment.

If Xuan Qing knew what she was thinking, he would surely say:

"Love Continent is truly terrifying. The girls here have such abnormal thought processes; one is more aggressive than the last."

After the banquet ended, Xue Qinghe returned to the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, shed his disguise, and reverted to the appearance of Qian Renxue.

She sat before the mirror, looking at her own face, the corners of her mouth curling upward. Today was truly satisfying; that bastard Xuan Qing finally got what was coming to him. She could laugh for a year just thinking about his disheveled appearance.

Just then, a figure appeared silently behind her.

Qian Renxue didn't need to turn around to know who it was. There were only a few people in total who knew about this secret chamber.