The Engagement Annulment Storm Comes to an End: Nalan Yanran's Money Is Refused, and Their Relationship Gets More Complicated

As An Yi brooded over the remaining half of the roast chicken, the dilapidated wooden gate of the small courtyard creaked open.

Having heard that An Yi had returned, Nalan Yanran followed the servants' directions and found her way here.

The moment she stepped inside and saw the desolate courtyard and the cracked stone table, the young sect leader of the Cloud Mist Sect, who had been raised in luxury since childhood, froze. An indescribably complicated emotion welled up in her eyes.

"You... usually live here?"

An Yi looked up at her and casually wiped the grease from his mouth with his sleeve. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Why? Did you need something?"

Nalan Yanran walked over to the stone table, sat down somewhat stiffly, and said softly,

"My annulment with Xiao Yan... has already been settled. Uncle Xiao Zhan said that after some time, he would personally make a trip to the Holy City of Jia Ma and speak to my grandfather. The marriage arrangement was made by our elders back then, and now it will be dissolved by our elders as well. That way, it can be considered properly concluded and preserve the dignity of both families."

"That was pretty efficient." An Yi nodded. "That's good, then. Congrats, Pinky. You're completely free now."

Yet Nalan Yanran did not seem particularly happy. Instead, she frowned slightly. "But this morning, Xiao Yan came to see me alone. He said... he wanted to make an appointment for a duel. Three years from now, he would personally come to the Cloud Mist Sect to fight me."

"He said this battle had nothing to do with the interests of the Xiao Household or the Nalan Family. It was merely about reclaiming the personal dignity he had to recover as the man whose engagement had been publicly annulled by the woman."

"Pfft—cough, cough..."

The mouthful of chicken An Yi had just swallowed nearly got stuck in his throat.

"The Three-Year Pact?" An Yi asked tentatively. "Did you set any stakes for this duel? Like the loser having to become the other person's servant or something equally melodramatic?"

Nalan Yanran looked at him speechlessly. "Why are you bringing up such ridiculous nonsense? It's just a private fight between him and me."

"If I had to put it into words, it's about pride and saving face. After all, I was the one who came to annul the engagement. As a former genius and the one whose engagement was annulled, it's only natural that he has some resentment. He wants to vent it and prove himself this way. It isn't a big deal, so naturally, I agreed."

Hearing that, An Yi breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a thumbs-up. "Big-hearted! But you'd better work twice as hard from now on. If he really surpasses you in three years and beats you up in front of the entire Cloud Mist Sect, your position as young sect leader is going to be pretty awkward."

Nalan Yanran nodded seriously, then looked at An Yi with blazing eyes.

"The Three-Year Pact can wait. What about you? Do you really refuse to come back to the Cloud Mist Sect with me?"

"No." An Yi refused cleanly and decisively.

Nalan Yanran's expression became somewhat unnatural as she pointed at the shabby surroundings.

"But you're living far too poorly in the Xiao Household! And no one here welcomes you at all. They won't even arrange a decent place for you to stay. Come back to the Cloud Mist Sect with me. At least... at least we're still friends. I can protect you."

"Big sis, thanks for the offer, but I really don't want to go."

An Yi sighed and pointed toward the gate. "Didn't you notice? That male disciple from the Cloud Mist Sect who came with you—when he saw you coming over to talk to me and walking with me, the look in his eyes... he practically wanted to cut me into a thousand pieces!"

An Yi spread his hands. "If I really went to your Cloud Mist Sect, how many fanatical flower guardians like that would I have to deal with? In the Xiao Household, they at least remember that I'm the orphaned child of fallen martyrs. No matter how much they dislike me, at most they'll mock me verbally. They would never dare actually take my life."

"But what if I went to the Cloud Mist Sect? If you forcibly brought an outsider with no background into your sect, could you watch over me twenty-four hours a day? I don't want to have to sleep with one eye open, and I definitely don't want to one day get inexplicably ambushed by your admirers, or some sect elder who doesn't like the sight of me, dragged into a sack and quietly killed."

"So, forget it."

"As friends, if I pass through the Holy City of Jia Ma someday, I can visit the Cloud Mist Sect, catch up with you, and have some fun. But joining the Cloud Mist Sect through your connections would be nothing less than a death warrant to me."

Nalan Yanran fell silent for a moment. Though she had little experience in the world, she was not stupid. Naturally, she understood An Yi's concerns and the harsh reality behind his words.

She bit her red lip, flipped her wrist, and took out a card from her storage ring, gently placing it on the stone table.

It was a crystal card that shimmered with a faint purple glow. Five distinct golden patterns were printed along its edge—a Five-Pattern Purple Gold Card!

To obtain a savings card of this level, one needed at least the strength of a Dou Spirit, or status among the upper ranks of a great force like the Nalan Family or the Cloud Mist Sect. The sum contained within had to be astonishing.

Nalan Yanran pushed it toward An Yi and said earnestly,

"This contains all the private savings I've accumulated over the years. Since you don't want to return to the Cloud Mist Sect with me, take this money. At the very least, you can buy some better cultivation resources in Wutan City and won't have to live such a... meager life."

The corner of An Yi's eye twitched as he stared at the Purple Gold Card, his expression strange. "Pinky, do you really want to keep me?"

Nalan Yanran's cheeks instantly turned red. She hurriedly waved her hands in explanation. "That's not what I mean! I'm thanking you! If it hadn't been for the idea you taught me back then, there's no way this engagement annulment could have been resolved so smoothly and peacefully. This is the reward you deserve!"

But An Yi shook his head and pushed the Purple Gold Card back. "Then I definitely can't take this money."

"Why?" Nalan Yanran froze, her face full of confusion.

An Yi put away his playful grin and looked at her calmly. "If I took this huge sum today, wouldn't that mean you and I were square, with nothing more owed between us, and our connection completely severed from then on?"

"That's not what I mean!" Nalan Yanran grew anxious.

"But if I really took it, then objectively, that's exactly what it would mean."

An Yi sighed softly. "You're really a little dense when it comes to dealing with people. Your family probably never taught you this stuff, and that teacher of yours is most likely just as naïve and detached from worldly affairs as you are. She couldn't teach you these social rules."

"Let me give you a free lesson today: between two parties involved, overly valuable gifts must never be casually offered. The basic rule of human relationships is just four words—courtesy demands reciprocity. Once you depart from that premise, even the best relationship can become warped."

"I did casually give you an idea three years ago. But you were the one who actually carried it out and endured the pressure, while the elders from the Cloud Mist Sect you brought today were the ones who came to support you and put in the effort. If you really want to thank me, you can treat me to a nice meal at a restaurant in the city, or give me some distinctive little trinket. That is courtesy and reciprocity."

An Yi pointed to the weighty Purple Gold Card on the table, his voice lowering.

"But if you just throw this enormous sum in front of me, that isn't courtesy and reciprocity. If you really had your eye on me and intended to keep me, then I could shamelessly accept it. But you said yourself that isn't what you mean."

"Then giving me this carries the implication that we aren't close enough for such generosity. To put it more bluntly—you're giving me charity."

Seeing Nalan Yanran's face turn slightly pale, An Yi softened his tone and spoke earnestly.

"Luckily for you, you met me today. If it had been someone sensitive and overly proud, this gesture might not only fail to earn gratitude—it could wound them instead. Then you could end up with one of those stories where a small favor earns thanks, but a great favor breeds resentment."

"So, if you really consider me a friend..."

An Yi curled a finger and lightly flicked the Purple Gold Card back toward Nalan Yanran's hand, smiling faintly.

"Take it back."