Marriage Alliance

The next day, Ning Rongrong woke up, and while they were having breakfast, Ning Fengzhi smiled and asked her, "Rongrong, what do you think of Lin Bei?"

Ning Rongrong was drinking millet porridge. She pursed her lips, then answered, "Daddy, why are you asking that? That guy is just a bad boy. You didn't see him yesterday—he kept fighting me for food."

"Then do you hate him?" Ning Fengzhi asked next.

"Hate him?"

Ning Rongrong tilted her little head, and the image of Lin Bei walking calmly into the square suddenly flashed through her mind. That figure, like a divine child, made her little face redden. She lowered her head and said softly:

"I wouldn't really say I hate him..."

"Then that means you like him?"

"Daddy, you're so annoying. How could I possibly like that guy!"

Ning Rongrong suddenly shouted, her face flushed.

Ning Fengzhi watched Ning Rongrong's reaction with a chuckle.

He knew his girl had definitely taken a liking to Lin Bei, or she would not have reacted so strongly.

Sigh...

For a moment, he truly did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Thinking that once his daughter grew up, she would marry someone else and become another man's wife, Ning Fengzhi, as an old father, suddenly felt a stinging soreness at the corners of his eyes.

He smiled and deliberately said, "Since Rongrong doesn't like Lin Bei, then I'll refuse the marriage alliance proposed by Her Holiness."

Ning Rongrong froze. "M-Marriage alliance?"

Then, as if she had reacted, an image surfaced in her mind of herself wearing a wedding dress, while Lin Bei, dressed formally, came to marry her on Seven-Colored Clouds—

The scene was so beautiful...

A smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Rongrong, then I'll go refuse Her Holiness in a moment, and we'll go home."

"Wait, Daddy!"

The little girl snapped back from her fantasy and cried out anxiously, her face red.

Ning Fengzhi looked at Ning Rongrong in feigned surprise. "What's wrong, Rongrong?"

Ning Rongrong lowered her head and said in a shy, tiny voice, "A-Actually, a marriage alliance with Lin... Lin Bei wouldn't be impossible..."

The more she spoke, the softer her voice became.

But what kind of person was Ning Fengzhi? A rank seventy-eight Soul Sage, with extremely sharp hearing. Naturally, he heard his daughter's words.

A trace of bitterness rose at the corner of his mouth.

It was over. His daughter had really been charmed by that brat Lin Bei.

Tsk...

Was this mix of joy and sorrow the unique state of mind of an old father?

"All right. Daddy will go meet Her Holiness now." Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly, gave Ning Rongrong a smile, then turned and walked outside.

Ning Rongrong blinked, her face bright red.

Not long after, Lin Bei was called to the Council Hall of the papal palace.

When he arrived at the Council Hall and saw Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong, his expression paused. Then he realized the marriage alliance was all but settled.

Tsk...

Ning Rongrong is my fiancée?

This was a plot development I'd never imagined.

Lin Bei looked toward Ning Rongrong, just as Ning Rongrong happened to look over.

Their gazes collided in midair.

The next moment, Ning Rongrong turned her head away with a flushed face.

Inside the Council Hall, aside from Ning Fengzhi's group of three and Bibi Dong, Yue Guan and several other elders were also present.

It seemed both sides attached great importance to this marriage alliance.

"Teacher."

Lin Bei bowed to Bibi Dong on the papal throne.

A rare smile appeared on Bibi Dong's icy face as she said, "Xiao Bei, Sect Master Ning has already agreed to betroth his daughter to you. Aren't you going to pay your respects to your Father-in-Law?"

Lin Bei was very straightforward. Hearing this, he immediately knelt and bowed to Ning Fengzhi. "Father-in-Law, please accept this bow from your son-in-law."

The corner of Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched.

Why was this boy so practiced?

Damn it. It seemed Spirit Hall had been plotting this for a long time. They had even taught this little fellow this kind of etiquette.

Thinking back on it now, Salas in Heaven Dou City had been showing goodwill not long ago; he had probably been laying the groundwork for the Marriage Alliance all along!

"Get up."

Ning Fengzhi spoke to Lin Bei with some helplessness.

Beside them, Ning Rongrong's face was bright red.

This guy was way too shameless. He was already calling him "Father-in-Law"?

Lin Bei stood up, not feeling embarrassed in the slightest.

What great achiever didn't have thick skin?

If he wanted to rule Spirit Hall in the future and unify the continent, he would need the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's help.

These were real, tangible benefits.

Only a fool would refuse!

Following the ladder when it was offered—that was what a smart person did.

On the papal throne, Bibi Dong nodded in satisfaction, then said to Ning Fengzhi, who was seated at the side, "Sect Master Ning, when do you think we should arrange the children's engagement?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "The two children are still young right now. How about this: when they turn thirteen, we arrange the engagement, and when they turn eighteen, we hold the wedding ceremony. What does Your Holiness think?"

Bibi Dong considered it briefly, then nodded. "We'll do as Sect Master Ning says."

In any case, Ning Fengzhi had already agreed to the Marriage Alliance, so when Lin Bei and Ning Rongrong got engaged or married afterward was no longer that urgent.

After that, Lin Bei and Ning Rongrong were chased out, under the nice-sounding excuse of letting them deepen their relationship.

But in truth, it was because the heads of the two major organizations needed to discuss some details of the Marriage Alliance inside. Since the contents were too materialistic and cold, they really were not suitable for children to hear, so Lin Bei and the others were driven out.

Let the adults bear the dark and cold world. Children were better off growing healthily under the sunlight.

Lin Bei brought Ning Rongrong to the Small Garden.

"Wow, it's so beautiful here!"

Seeing the Small Garden blooming with clusters of flowers, Ning Rongrong's face immediately filled with surprise and delight. She ran up to the flowers one by one, smelling their fragrance.

Lin Bei stood behind her, smiling.

"You really like flowers?" Lin Bei asked.

Ning Rongrong turned back and glanced at Lin Bei.

Although they were both six years old, Lin Bei was much taller, looking just like an older brother.

Ning Rongrong's face reddened slightly, and she answered in a low voice, "I like them a lot. I really like flowers."

Lin Bei swept his gaze around, then suddenly walked over to a cluster of golden roses. He reached out and picked one, then wrapped it with Soul Power so it would remain fresh—

He handed the rose to Ning Rongrong and said, "This Golden Radiance Rose is for you. I hope you always keep your playful, happy heart."

Ning Rongrong blinked, then took it with a red face. "Th-thank you."

The two of them had suddenly become engaged, which left Ning Rongrong somewhat unused to it for the moment. In front of Lin Bei, she would feel a little shy from time to time.

Lin Bei smiled. "You're my fiancée, so giving you flowers is only right. You don't need to thank me."

Hearing the word fiancée, Ning Rongrong's face could not help but redden a little more. She blinked her beautiful big eyes and looked at Lin Bei as she asked, "Do you really want to marry me?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Lin Bei looked at Ning Rongrong seriously. "You're so cute and pretty. When you grow up, you'll definitely be a great beauty. Being able to marry you is my honor. Of course I'm willing."

In my past life, I was a single dog.

Although I had looks too, looks couldn't beat money. Without money, I never even held a girl's hand before I died.

After being that miserable, in this life I've been able to take a beautiful teacher as my master, have a beautiful senior sister, and now have a beautiful fiancée. I'm already making a huge profit, okay?

How could I possibly be unwilling to marry you?

Young lady, have a little more confidence in yourself.

Ning Rongrong smiled happily. In truth, she felt a little inferior when facing Lin Bei, because Lin Bei's talent was far too good. She was already a genius in her father and grandfather's mouths, but in front of Lin Bei's talent, she seemed far too ordinary.

Now that Lin Bei had said this, she was truly happy.

"You'll grow up to be a super handsome guy too!"

Ning Rongrong felt that since Lin Bei had praised her, she had to praise him back too, so she complimented him like this.

Lin Bei smiled and put away the Good Person Card in the simulator that he had been preparing to use—

Tsk. I knew it. For a super handsome guy like me, conquering a little girl—what need is there for any Good Person Card?

Wasn't she firmly in my grasp with just one rose?

I'll save the Good Person Card for someone else.