To be fair, Qian Renxue was top-notch in every way—her looks, talent, strength, and background. From a worldly perspective, she was an impeccable choice for a political marriage.
But the problem was... Li Qing wasn't an ordinary person!
He was a transmigrator! He knew all too well how Qian Renxue had acted in the original story!
Her early performance, disguising herself as the crown prince and planning flawlessly, had been impressive. But later on, especially when it came to feelings and certain decisions, her intelligence and way of doing things had been, to put it mildly, hard to describe...
He didn't want a ticking time bomb by his side in the future, especially not one utterly crushed by the protagonist's halo.
Bo Saixi listened quietly to Li Qing's objections. A flicker of understanding passed through her sapphire eyes.
She didn't answer right away. Only after Li Qing had finished did she speak, unhurriedly. "As for the past grievances between Spirit Hall and Sea God Island... Lord Sea God once sent down an oracle teaching us that there are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests. Past grudges aren't impossible to resolve when set against a shared future. As for the people of Sea God Island, they trust me, and they trust Lord Sea God's guidance."
She looked at Li Qing, her tone turning solemn and resolute. "As for Lord Sea God's wishes... I can tell you clearly: Lord Sea God knows about this, and... he approves of this marriage."
"What?!"
Li Qing was genuinely stunned this time. That old Sea God had actually agreed?
Just how badly did he want to retire?!
He'd even nodded along to an arranged marriage like this?
Bo Saixi keenly caught the fleeting resistance and helplessness in Li Qing's eyes.
Her heart stirred. She stepped closer, leaned forward slightly, and studied him with her beautiful eyes as she asked softly, "What is it? From your tone, you don't seem very satisfied with that young lady, Qian Renxue? Or do you not trust your big sister's judgment? I've never met her, but she's Qian Daoliu's granddaughter. With the Qian Family's bloodline and Spirit Hall's resources, she surely won't fall short in either looks or talent. You're the divine son of Sea God Island, the chosen successor of Lord Sea God. What ordinary woman could ever be worthy of you?"
What Bo Saixi said was perfectly reasonable, and even carried a senior's concern for a younger person.
In her eyes, Li Qing's refusal might simply be the youthful dislike of a stranger, or a worry that the other party wasn't good enough.
Li Qing scratched his head and sighed helplessly. "Big sister, you're not wrong. But... we've never even met. We don't know a thing about each other. Besides, she's Spirit Hall's Saintess, proud and high-minded. I'm guessing she feels much the same way I do. She might not be willing to accept a marriage arranged like this, either."
He tried to wriggle out of it with arguments about mutual affection and free choice in love.
At that, Bo Saixi smiled sweetly, her expression composed with the calm of someone who had seen through the world. "You don't need to worry about that. Since Qian Daoliu brought this up himself and is willing to bring his granddaughter here, he must already have a plan to persuade her. As for whether the two of you are willing..."
She blinked. A sly glint flashed in her deep blue eyes, like a little fox plotting something. Lowering her voice so only the two of them could hear, she said, "Even if you really aren't willing, you can't show it right away. Since they were the ones to propose an alliance through marriage, we of Sea God Island naturally have to keep them waiting. First, let's see Spirit Hall's attitude and find out how much Qian Daoliu values his granddaughter—and how much he values an alliance with Sea God Island."
Her hint was already crystal clear. "If Qian Renxue holds an extraordinary place in Qian Daoliu's heart, then he certainly won't let her suffer. If the marriage goes through, the betrothal gifts and their sincerity should satisfy us. If they only brought it up casually, without any real commitment, or if Qian Renxue herself firmly objects and the marriage falls through... then Sea God Island hasn't lost anything. On the contrary, we can use this chance to make Spirit Hall show some sincerity and atone for its invasion decades ago. Do you understand what I mean?"
Listening to Bo Saixi's plan, which was practically a shakedown, Li Qing first stared in surprise, then suddenly understood. A helpless, amused expression spread across his face.
Now he got it. Bo Saixi hadn't come simply to ask what he thought.
She'd come to teach him a lesson in how to get the most out of a negotiation!
"Big sister, you mean... take this opportunity to make Spirit Hall pay through the nose and make up for what they did back then?" Li Qing said bluntly.
Bo Saixi's smile grew even brighter, like a rose blooming in the sun, breathtakingly beautiful and yet dangerous enough to make one's heart race. "Naturally. Qian Daoliu was the one who proposed the marriage. Sea God Island didn't beg him for it. If they go back on their word and refuse to pay enough to settle the matter, wouldn't that mean they think too little of Sea God Island—and hold Lord Sea God's dignity in contempt?"
Looking at Bo Saixi's stunning smile, which carried a hint of a shrewd merchant's cunning, Li Qing felt much of the gloom brought on by his arranged marriage suddenly lift.
His eyes shifted, and a bold—and suicidal—idea came to him.
He suddenly stepped forward and reached out. As Bo Saixi stared at him in surprise, he took her soft, delicate hand, warm as the finest jade.
Bo Saixi's hand trembled slightly, and she instinctively tried to pull it back. But Li Qing held on tight, gazing straight at her. A smile unlike any he'd shown before spread across his face, blending a boy's sincerity with a hint of slyness. He spoke up first:
"Big sister, since you're worried she isn't good enough for me... then I think you should just marry me yourself!"
"???"
Bo Saixi froze completely, from body to soul.
The sunshine, the sound of the waves, the solemnity of the great hall... all the sights and sounds of the outside world seemed to vanish.
In her world, there was only the warmth of Li Qing's palm and the words that had exploded beside her ears like a bolt of thunder—Why don't you just marry me yourself!
This wasn't a thought!
Li Qing had said it out loud!
Clearly, loudly, and with an unmistakable earnestness!
Bo Saixi's mind went blank. Her deep, ocean-blue eyes were wide with utter shock and bewilderment, and with a hint of panic she hadn't even noticed in herself.
She had lived for over a century and weathered countless storms. She commanded the dignity of Sea God Island, and had faced peerless powerhouses like Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen without losing her composure. Yet in that moment, a marriage proposal from a twelve-year-old boy left her completely flustered.
It seemed like a long time passed, and yet it was only an instant.
Bo Saixi finally snapped back to her senses. Like a startled fawn, she yanked her hand from Li Qing's grasp.
Her stunning face had turned as red as a ripe apple. The fair skin of her neck and her delicate earlobes had flushed a tempting shade of pink as well.
"You... what nonsense are you saying!" Bo Saixi's voice trembled slightly, though she didn't notice it herself. She drew several deep breaths, struggling to calm her racing heart, and tried to use a senior's authority to bring the absurd situation under control. "Xiao Qing, don't fool around! I... I may not be married yet, but do you know there's one most important problem between us—one that's impossible to overcome?"
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