“Splendid! Absolutely splendid!” The Taiyi sect master’s eyes glowed with delight as he happily gazed at the row of straight-sitting youths—Xie Huaizhou, Ji Yanche, and Jiang Siwang—thinking to himself, Haha, my prospective sons-in-law have finally wised up! They match my son seamlessly, a match made in heaven! With that, he didn’t forget to blink smugly at Shen Yanchu.
“This is fantastic!” Su Rongyu chuckled quietly to himself on the side. Watching Shen Yanchu sandwiched between Jiang Siwang and Ji Yanche brought him a wave of secret gratification. Haha, he’s finally getting rid of these enthusiastic homos. Shen Yanchu, your happy life is about to begin!
“So infuriating!” Ever since her late-night chat with Su Rongyu about Shen Yanchu, Jihe had become kindred spirits with him, wishing they could stick together every waking moment. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, “That cunning little green tea Shen Yanchu only knows how to seduce my son. He’d better exit the stage early!”
“I’m done for! I’m completely doomed!” Shen Yanchu glanced left and right. On one side was the expressionless, scheming Ji Yanche; on the other was the mercurial, yandere-turned-deranged Jiang Siwang. Panic screamed in his head: Excuse me, you two, did you get the wrong script? Shouldn’t you guys be hovering around Su Rongyu instead? Turning his gaze across the room toward Xie Huaizhou, he sighed internally, At least you’re reliable. A sword dao supreme master is just different, looking at least somewhat normal.
With that, several people harbored their own hidden agendas, the atmosphere growing so bizarrely quiet that even a needle dropping on the floor could be heard.
Finally, the Taiyi sect master cleared his throat, shattering the awkward silence. “Haha, I presume young friend Ji and young friend Jiang have traveled from afar precisely to finalize a marriage pact with my son. Everyone’s taste is truly admirable, all of you are the absolute cream of the crop.”
The sect master turned toward Xie Huaizhou next, smiling amiably. “And as for Huaizhou, you and Xiaochu have been betrothed since childhood. But Xiaochu and I are fair-minded people. As for who will play the big spouse and who will play the small one among the three of you in the future, it will all depend on your own abilities and fortune.”
Shen Yanchu thought to himself, Stupid old man, you’ve really screwed me over this time. Pulling himself together, he tried to bullshit the sect master. “I hear that being the big or the small one isn’t so easy to manage. The big one has to run the household, while the small one takes all the grievance. How could such jade-like, dashing young gentlemen ever let themselves be trapped by these trivial conventions?”
“Without a doubt, total green tea behavior,” Jihe muttered under her breath while watching the scene unfold, her tone brimming with dissatisfaction and disdain for someone’s actions.
Just then, Jiang Siwang blurted out, “Who wants to share him with these two guys? One is as cold as an iceberg, wearing a frozen face all day long! As for the other, he’s as dull as a block of wood, unable to squeeze out a single word after half a day! I have my own means to snatch you over into my hands! Yanchu, don’t worry, you don’t need to stress over these trifles at all!”
Hearing this, Ji Yanche beside him could no longer suppress the anger burning in his chest. Staring coldly at Jiang Siwang, he retorted in a deep voice, “Snatch him over? What makes you think you can easily take Shen Yanchu away on a whim? Pure delusion!”
Instead of backing down in the slightest, Jiang Siwang raised his chin and answered with a provocative challenge, “Hmph, purely based on my deep affection for Shen Yanchu! That kind of profound devotion is enough to move anyone. Are you saying it wouldn’t be able to touch him?” As he spoke, he arched an eyebrow, his face radiating absolute confidence as if he had already foreseen Shen Yanchu willingly throwing himself into his arms.
Yet, faced with such unbearable arrogance, Ji Yanche only responded with a cold sneer.
His naturally indifferent eyes flashed with a glint of disdain as he slowly said, “Deep affection? What you keep shouting about as deep affection is nothing more than a passing fancy in my eyes. True feelings aren’t built on empty words; they require the sediment and trials of time to become as solid and unbreakable as a monolith. And you, how much sincerity do you have that could withstand that kind of scrutiny?”
Hearing those words, Jiang Siwang flew into a rage. He sprang to his feet, pointed straight at Ji Yanche, and countered, “What do you know? Your so-called feelings for Shen Yanchu are purely transactional, your mind is full of nothing but schemes and calculations!”
“At least I have a sense of propriety and won’t be as mercurial and unpredictable as you,” Ji Yanche replied calmly. His tone remained as placid as if discussing the weather, yet every single word struck a raw nerve in Jiang Siwang’s mind.
“Are you provoking me?” A dangerous glimmer flickered across Jiang Siwang’s eyes, and his fingers began twitching unconsciously as if brewing something explosive.
“I am merely stating facts,” Ji Yanche responded indifferently, completely unfazed by Jiang Siwang’s fury.
“Fine! Then let us see who among us can truly win Shen Yanchu’s heart!” Declaring this, Jiang Siwang made a move as if intending to prove himself through brute force amidst this verbal sparring match.
Xie Huaizhou, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke up, deliberately provoking, “Stop arguing. Why not let Shen Yanchu choose which one of you two he prefers more?”
Xie Huaizhou’s words landed like a pebble tossed into a tranquil lake, instantly shattering the silence. All eyes converged upon Shen Yanchu, waiting to see his reaction. A faint, inscrutable smile hung on the corners of Xie Huaizhou’s lips, his gaze deep and unfathomable as if he were secretly relishing the storm he had stirred up.
“How is this any different from choosing which toilet to drink water from!” Shen Yanchu wailed in an exaggerated manner, his expression a mix of helplessness and comedy as he clearly found this sudden multiple-choice question agonizingly painful.
The rest of the group had no intention of letting him off easily, their eyes carrying a teasing glint as they awaited his reply. Helpless and driven into a corner, Shen Yanchu braced himself and sauntered over to Su Rongyu with a cheeky grin. Seizing Su Rongyu’s hand with feigned deep affection, he declared, “Naturally, I fancy the number one beauty in the three realms.”
Su Rongyu’s expression shifted slightly. His internal aversion toward Shen Yanchu was on the verge of overflowing, but for the sake of his persona, he had to maintain a facade of amiability. Forcing down his lingering displeasure, he squeezed out a polite smile at the corners of his mouth and replied flatly, “Brother Shen flatters me too much. How could I ever be worthy of such praise.”
Seeing this, Xie Huaizhou’s eyes flashed with a hint of craftiness. Giving a light cough to break the delicate tension, he remarked, “Since Shen Yanchu has already made his choice, it wouldn’t do for us to force the issue, right? However, Shen Yanchu, you had better make sure this deep affection of yours isn’t just a passing whim.”
Crap, Xie Huaizhou is jealous. His possessiveness over Su Rongyu is truly off the charts! Shen Yanchu secretly lit an imaginary candle for himself in his heart.
The sect master clapped his hands together. “That is enough for today. All of you are to move to Lingxiao Peak. Go nurture your relationships properly!”