She... What had she just been thinking?!
Having children?
Ten or eight of them?!
And making Li Qing look after them all by himself?!
Good heavens! How could she have such... such shameless thoughts?!
This... This was simply...
Qian Renxue felt as if smoke were about to pour from her head. Her heart pounded so wildly it seemed ready to burst.
She instinctively covered her burning cheeks, so mortified she wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it!
It's all his fault! It's all that detestable Li Qing's fault!
Qian Renxue ground her teeth inwardly, laying all the "blame" at Li Qing's feet.
If he hadn't kept insulting me in his thoughts and making me lose my composure, how could I have... how could I have thought of something like that? That's right! It's all his fault! What a menace!
She tried to take deep breaths to calm her racing heart and cool the heat in her face. But that captivating blush refused to fade. Instead, her attempt to act composed only made it seem more vivid and enticing, adding a rare touch of girlish embarrassment and charm to her naturally sacred, noble beauty.
For a moment, the atmosphere in Sea God Hall grew strange and delicate once more.
Qian Daoliu stared at his granddaughter, who had suddenly turned as red as an apple and begun acting strangely, utterly baffled.
Looking at Qian Renxue's mortified yet forcibly composed expression, Bo Saixi finally couldn't hold back any longer. She turned away, her shoulders shaking violently as she silently laughed her heart out.
Li Qing, meanwhile, had no idea what was going on. He stared blankly at Qian Renxue's sudden blush and Bo Saixi's turned back.
What's going on? Did I say something wrong? Why did her face suddenly turn so red? Is it too hot?
Hearing that, Qian Renxue felt her cheeks burn even hotter. Embarrassed and annoyed, she wanted nothing more than to rush over and scrunch Li Qing's seemingly innocent face into a ball.
But reason told her she couldn't let on.
She took a deep breath. The crisp, distinctive air of Sea God Hall filled her lungs, calming her churning blood and flustered emotions a little.
She forcibly used her Soul Power to suppress the heat in her face. Then, doing her best to look composed despite the suspicious blush lingering at the corners of her eyes, she turned back to the "culprit" who had thrown her into disarray.
She took light steps toward Li Qing, stopping close enough to make out his long eyelashes.
She raised her face slightly and looked at him intently with her violet eyes. The forceful insistence on marriage from before softened, replaced by a gentler tone more fitting for a young woman discussing marriage—and just the right touch of bashful sweetness.
"Little Brother Li Qing..."
She deliberately softened her voice, like a breeze drifting over flower petals in spring. Qian Daoliu, standing nearby, was greatly heartened. At last, his granddaughter was showing the gentle demeanor of a bride-to-be.
"Are you... satisfied with me?"
Qian Renxue blinked, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. In a gentle voice, she continued, "If you think... I'm good enough, why don't we settle things between us today, while both our elders are here? What do you say?"
Her words were tactful, but her meaning was perfectly clear: Stop resisting, young man. Just give in!
I'm so wonderful. What could you possibly be dissatisfied with?
As soon as she finished speaking, Bo Saixi and Qian Daoliu both turned their gazes to Li Qing.
Bo Saixi's eyes held a trace of amused anticipation, along with... a hint of tension so deeply buried that even she hadn't noticed it.
Qian Daoliu looked expectant, practically itching to nod on Li Qing's behalf.
The pressure instantly shifted onto Li Qing.
Looking at the exquisite face so close to his, with those violet eyes that seemed capable of stealing his soul, he caught the faint, delicate fragrance that belonged to Qian Renxue.
He fell silent, not answering right away.
He wasn't putting on an act. He was thinking seriously.
A great deal had happened in a short time, and he needed to sort it out.
Qian Renxue...
Li Qing began weighing the pros and cons, his thoughts racing at full speed. Objectively speaking, this woman is top-tier. An Angel God Inheritor, with Innate Level 20 Soul Power, a divine martial soul, the Saintess of Spirit Hall, and Qian Daoliu's granddaughter... She has talent, looks, a figure, and a powerful background. Among Douluo Continent's younger generation, it really would be hard to find a more suitable marriage partner.
His inner voice rang clearly through Bo Saixi and Qian Renxue's minds.
Bo Saixi raised an eyebrow slightly. She hadn't expected the boy to give such an objective assessment when he got serious.
Qian Renxue's heart stirred. Being acknowledged and admired helped ease some of her earlier embarrassment.
But Li Qing's "however" came soon enough:
However... her future decisions really are painful to watch! Her cover in Tiandou gets blown, then after becoming a god she throws a match on a bet, and finally gets turned around on... Her intelligence and decision-making are truly hard to praise. If I tie myself to her, what if she gets some ridiculous idea in her head and does something utterly stupid again? Wouldn't I get dragged down with her?
Qian Renxue: "..."
The little goodwill she'd just felt vanished in an instant, and her fists clenched again.
Did this guy really have to call her stupid every three sentences?!
Bo Saixi pressed her lips together, afraid she'd burst out laughing.
Seeing Qian Renxue struggle to maintain a smile while clearly furious, Bo Saixi suddenly thought that agreeing to this marriage might make life a lot less boring.
But Li Qing's thoughts didn't linger on the insults for long. He soon considered the brighter side:
Still... those are all things that might happen in the future. Now that I'm here, plenty has already changed. My appearance, this engagement... With the butterfly effect, there's no guarantee the future will still follow its original course.
Besides, Qian Renxue's talent and advantages are right there. If I guide her properly, keep her from making those wrong turns, and maybe even help her become a god ahead of time... then wouldn't she be my strongest ally and... uh, my wife? With the two of us working together, plus the strength of Sea God Island and Spirit Hall, wouldn't we be able to stride across Douluo Continent? Tang San? We wouldn't even give him the chance to grow!
Li Qing's eyes lit up slightly.
The idea was incredibly tempting!
Turning a top-tier genius who might become a useless teammate into a god-level, capable wife and the strongest fighter on his side—wouldn't that be more satisfying than simply rejecting a marriage?
As for whether she'll listen...
Li Qing's thoughts started wandering again, and a mischievous, utterly confident idea popped into his head. That won't be a problem! She may be a few years older than me now, but it's not as if I won't be able to beat her in the future. When that time comes... heh.
A scene appeared in his mind: one day in the future, Qian Renxue ignored his advice again and insisted on doing something foolish. Great Lord Li Qing would give a cold laugh, unleash his thunderous methods, subdue her, and then...
If she doesn't behave, I'll pull down her skirt and spank her! Let's see if she dares act recklessly after that!
"Pfft—!!!"
This time, Bo Saixi couldn't hold back any longer!
She spun around and pressed her wide red sleeve tightly over her face. Her whole body trembled like a leaf in the wind, her shoulders shaking violently. She managed not to make much noise, but a few tightly stifled, hissing sounds escaped from behind her sleeve.
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