Before Xiao Long could open his mouth, Xiao Xun'er panicked.
The girl had originally stood diagonally in front of Xiao Long. Now she turned around and planted herself squarely between him and Nalan Yanran, blurting out, "No!
Absolutely not!
You're engaged to Xiao Yan, not Brother Xiao Long!
Even if you're going to marry someone, it should be Xiao Yan!"
Her voice rose a little too high, making her seem like an entirely different person from her usual cool, composed self.
Sitting in his chair, Xiao Yan's mouth twitched.
He had sat there through the whole thing, from his fiancée arriving to break off their engagement to her suddenly pointing her finger at his brother.
When Nalan Yanran had broken off the engagement just now, this girl hadn't reacted at all. But the moment she proposed substituting Brother Long, she panicked.
Wasn't this a little too much of a double standard?
I might as well not be here.
Nalan Yanran wiped the tears from her face. No longer backing away, she stepped half a pace forward and looked over Xiao Xun'er's shoulder at Xiao Long, though her question was directed at Xiao Xun'er. "Who are you?"
"I'm his sister!"
Xiao Xun'er regretted it the moment she said it.
She didn't want to be his sister.
But the words were already out, and she couldn't take them back.
Xiao Xun'er stiffened her neck and stared at Nalan Yanran, her expression rigid and her chin lifted even higher than before.
Nalan Yanran tilted her head. A red mark from her recent crying lingered at the corner of her mouth as she looked Xiao Xun'er over. "His sister?
Does being his sister give you the right to meddle in your brother's engagement?
I'm talking to my future husband. What do you think you're doing, standing between us?"
Xiao Xun'er choked on her words. Her mouth opened, but no reply came.
Watching the two girls trade barbs from behind them, Xiao Long thought, What the hell is this?
He placed a hand on Xiao Xun'er's shoulder and gently nudged her aside, then stepped forward himself. Tilting his head at Nalan Yanran, he said, "Hey, hey, hey. Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? When did I ever say I'd marry you?"
He looked Nalan Yanran up and down again, his disdain written all over his face. "Besides, are you even good enough for me?"
Nalan Yanran's eyes were still red, but her tears had stopped.
Rather than getting angry at his words, she actually curled her lips slightly. The movement was subtle, but Xiao Long was close enough to see it perfectly clearly.
"Don't tell me you intend to become someone without benevolence, righteousness, propriety, or trustworthiness too?"
She used Xiao Long's own words to shut him down.
"How is that the same?"
Xiao Long spread his hands. "My grandfather and yours arranged this for my younger brother! What the hell does it have to do with me? What kind of word games are you playing here?"
Her tears dry now, Nalan Yanran lifted her chin and looked at him. "I don't care about all that. I've said it already: I won't marry Xiao Yan. As for whom I marry, I'll naturally discuss that with my elders when I get back."
Xiao Long stared at her.
The lingering tears in her eyes hadn't quite dried, but the glimmer beneath them was unmistakably mocking.
This woman was getting back at him.
The more satisfaction he had taken in berating her, the more trouble she was making for him now.
Xiao Long said flatly, "You'll go back and tell your grandfather?
Tell your master?
Your family and the Misty Cloud Sect must think awfully highly of yourselves, then. Older brother, younger brother-you can just take your pick?"
Xiao Long knew perfectly well that Nalan Yanran had no interest in him.
Today was their first meeting. She had only just seen what Xiao Yan looked like for the first time, let alone him.
His tirade had simply left her with no graceful way to retreat. Unable to save face, she had decided on the spot to turn the flames on him and let him taste what it was like to be held over the fire.
She really holds a grudge.
He had just given her a blistering dressing-down in front of everyone, and now she was making trouble for him, clearly determined to leave him with no way to save face.
Xiao Long leaned against the chair back, mulling it over. If her master, Yun Yun, had come instead, he might have needed another couple of seconds to think.
After all, Yun Yun was the absolute pinnacle of mature women, with that alluring older-woman presence turned all the way up-a completely different flavor from a childhood sweetheart like Xiao Xun'er.
Nalan Yanran, though, was the same type as Xiao Xun'er. Xiao Xun'er was the top-of-the-line beauty with wealth and status, while she was, at best, an inferior version. Why would he bother?
"Break off the engagement. It has to be broken off!"
"Then please go speak to my grandfather about it with Uncle Xiao."
Nalan Yanran answered without missing a beat.
Xiao Long was even more speechless.
He turned to look at Xiao Zhan, who sat at the head of the room with an exceedingly complicated expression.
First, someone had come to break off an engagement, enraging him so much that he crushed his teacup. Then his eldest son had turned the situation around with a furious tirade. Next, the girl had suddenly pointed at that same son through her tears and said she wanted to marry him.
Xiao Zhan held his forehead and remained silent for a long time.
Ge Ye stood beside Nalan Yanran, his expression impossible to describe.
This little madam really is something. After being scolded, she actually wants to marry his older brother. Did that tongue-lashing scramble her brains?
But there was nothing he could do. Nalan Yanran was the sect leader's personal disciple. As a mere elder, could he really drag her back by force in front of outsiders?
Ge Ye could only steel himself and turn to Xiao Zhan, adopting an even more humble manner. "Clan Leader Xiao, this business today... we truly handled it poorly. Please consider our earlier words unsaid. However, I'm afraid we do indeed need to discuss the choice of groom again. You know young Xiao Yan's circumstances as well. After all..."
He stopped short, leaving the rest unsaid, but his meaning was plain.
Xiao Yan's cultivation had regressed, making him a good-for-nothing. Nalan Yanran could marry anyone but him. That was the Misty Cloud Sect's bottom line.
He drew an ancient jade box from his sleeve and held it out on his palm before Xiao Yan. "Please accept this, young Xiao Yan, as an apology for our mishandling of matters today."
The ancient jade box was exquisitely crafted, with a faint pattern carved into its lid. Inside was Qi Gathering Powder, which was immensely helpful for breaking through to Dou Zhe.
The three elders' eyes lit up at the sight of the box. The second elder even stopped drinking his tea, his gaze fixed intently on the Qi Gathering Powder. He was already calculating that it would most likely be wasted on Xiao Yan, and that he would be better off finding a way to get it for Xiao Ning.
Xiao Yan sat in his chair, his face alternating between green and white.
He was the one whose engagement had been broken off, yet his fiancée now wanted to marry his brother, leaving him-the person actually concerned-off to the side. Now they were offering a gift in apology. Refusing it would make him seem petty, but accepting it would make him seem spineless.
Xiao Yan was just about to say, "No need. A man should have some backbone," when a hand reached over before he could speak.
Xiao Long rose and crossed the two steps to Xiao Yan, took the ancient jade box straight from Ge Ye's hand, and tossed it into Xiao Yan's lap without even looking at it. Clapping his hands, he said, "No sense turning down a freebie."
Xiao Yan caught the box, froze for a moment, and looked up at his brother.
Xiao Long winked at him and lowered his voice. "Just take it. Why turn down something free?
They've got money and insist on giving it to you. If you don't take it, their consciences won't let them rest."
Then Xiao Long looked at Nalan Yanran. "As for the engagement, I'll go to the Imperial Capital myself before long and make things clear!"
"I won't marry you, and neither will my brother!"
By now, Nalan Yanran had recovered her composure. She gave him a sweet smile. "I'm marrying you anyway! What are you going to do about it?"
Before you continue