Zhao Lilong’s face darkened.
He set his teacup down heavily on the table, his voice turning cold and hard.
“What a fine ‘absolutely impossible’—Niece Qingyi, you speak quite boldly. This marriage was personally agreed upon by your Ye Family ancestors. Now you say you won’t marry, and then you won’t—where does that leave the Zhao Family’s face?”
Ye Qingyi’s eyes darted.
Uncle Zhao didn’t even pick up the thread about Ye Xuan marrying Zhao Yuan.
She understood—they were really coming for her today, and wouldn’t stop until they got what they wanted.
Moreover, Uncle Zhao and the Grand Elder definitely had some backroom deal.
Thinking about it this way, Ye Xuan was actually kind of pitiable?
Ah, what a messy love triangle of torment—she really was a sinfully beautiful girl.
“Dad.”
Zhao Yuan finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse with a pleading tone.
“Since Sister Qingyi doesn’t want to—”
“You shut up.”
Zhao Lilong shot his son a glance, his tone brooking no argument.
“You have no say here.”
Zhao Yuan’s face turned pale.
He clenched his fists, but in the end, he said nothing more.
Ye Qingyi watched Zhao Yuan’s aggrieved expression.
Her heart tightened slightly, but then she hardened her resolve.
She truly had no romantic feelings for Zhao Yuan.
If she softened even a little today, there would be endless entanglements in the future.
“Uncle Zhao, I respect you as my elder, but please respect my choice as well.”
Ye Qingyi met Zhao Lilong’s gaze and said each word clearly.
“I will not acknowledge this betrothal. If the Zhao Family wants to blame someone, I, Ye Qingyi, will bear the full responsibility.”
At the same time, she said to Ye Chu in her mind, ‘Golden Finger Grandpa, Brother Chu, I’ve already thrown down the harsh words of refusal. In the future, you absolutely have to look out for me—you can’t just run off and leave me.’
Ye Chu’s voice was solemn.
‘Your request has been received. The great God of the Chu Sect will bless you and banish all evil for you.’
‘Bad marriage, begone! Begone! Begone!’
Ye Qingyi: ‘…’ She was already beginning to regret it.
“You alone bear the responsibility?”
Zhao Lilong sneered, standing up.
His tall figure cast a shadow across the hall.
“What can you bear? You’re not unaware of the current state of the Ye Family. You open your mouth asking to break off the engagement—have you considered what price the Ye Family will have to pay because of this?”
Seeing that gentle tactics wouldn’t work, Zhao Lilong began to alternate between threats and bribes.
Ye Qingyi’s heart sank.
She knew Zhao Lilong was telling the truth.
The Ye Family had indeed been on the decline in recent years, while the Zhao Family was in its prime.
The marriage alliance between the two families was a veritable lifeline for the Ye Family.
The atmosphere in the main hall became extremely tense.
Zhao Yuan stepped forward, ignoring his father Zhao Lilong’s stern glare and rebuking words.
“Sister Qingyi, I know this might feel sudden. You’ve been having trouble with your cultivation, and now you’re suddenly forced to make such a big decision like marriage—it’s hard on you, and you want to escape and refuse. But I don’t care about any of that. What I’ve always cared about is just you. Let me take care of you, okay?”
The hall fell silent.
Ye Qingyi felt everyone’s gaze converge on her.
She glanced at Zhao Yuan.
His white robes were like snow, his jade crown holding his hair—standing in the morning light, he was like a painting.
He was the foremost among the younger generation of Qingyun City.
He was perfect in every way.
He was also very good to her.
Then why didn’t she want this?
She had asked herself that question countless times.
It wasn’t that Zhao Yuan wasn’t good enough—it was that the feeling wasn’t right.
It was like wearing a pair of shoes that looked beautiful but didn’t fit.
Everyone said how pretty the shoes were, but only the feet knew they didn’t fit.
Seeing that Ye Qingyi didn’t react, Zhao Yuan continued.
“Sister Qingyi, I’ve been working hard on my cultivation these past few years, precisely so I could have enough weight to make the family heed my opinion, and marry you into the Zhao Family with honor. Now I’ve finally done it—Sister Qingyi, why won’t you still agree?”
Zhao Yuan stared at her with blazing eyes.
“Do you really not have any feelings for me at all?”
“Sister Qingyi, I, Zhao Yuan, swear by my name as the young master of the Zhao Family: if you are willing to marry me, I will never betray you in this life. If I break this oath, may heaven and earth destroy me. I will also use all of the Zhao Family’s resources to find a solution for your spiritual energy loss.”
Ye Chu couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard this.
‘Rescuing a teammate from fire and water—where did the fire and water come from? Don’t ask.’
‘If his guess turned out to be true, he wondered how Ye Qingyi would feel.’
Ye Qingyi shook her head, looking into Zhao Yuan’s eyes.
“I remember all the good you’ve done for me, and I’m grateful. But gratitude is not love, and kindness is not a marriage contract. You ask if I look down on you… I don’t look down on you—it’s that I’ve never thought of marrying you. It’s not that you’re not good enough; it’s that from the very beginning, I never had that intention. I see you as a younger brother, a friend, a childhood companion… but never as someone I would spend my life with. If I married you just because you were good to me, that would be true disrespect to you.”
Zhao Yuan’s lips trembled slightly, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Sister Qingyi…”
His voice was hoarse.
“Everything you said, I know. But I still don’t want to give up. I only want to live with you, one heart, one lifetime.”
‘Awesome!’ In Ye Qingyi’s spiritual world, behind her back, Ye Chu put on a one-man show.
‘In the year 4399 of the Empress Calendar, the First Hollywood Awards Ceremony of the Cultivation World—the Best… Devoted… Actor… goes to… Zhao… Yuan!!!’
Ye Chu continued in a sarcastic, drawn-out tone.
‘Let us cheer for him!… Celebrate!… The Best… Devoted… Actor… is finally… born!!!’
Ye Qingyi continued.
“You say you can do all this for me. Let me ask you—did you do all these things to make me happy, or to make me marry you?”
“To make you…” Zhao Yuan mumbled, repeating over and over, “To make you…”
He was unable to answer.
‘Damn it, how should he answer to make this woman agree to marry him? He had been pretending for twenty years, and he really couldn’t keep it up any longer.’
Zhao Lilong observed all this, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed again.
He sighed, like a father compromising for his disappointing son, his face full of resignation and tolerance.
“Brother Zhenshan, I understand Qingyi’s concerns. How about this—today I won’t force you to agree immediately. I’ll only propose a compromise.”
He looked at Ye Changlin, and the two exchanged a glance.
“Today, let’s first set the wedding date. As for the details and timing, those can be discussed. As long as we set a date, the Zhao Family’s mind will be at ease. From then on, our two families will be one. The Zhao Family will hold back no resources, no pills.”
He spoke with utmost sincerity, as if this was already a huge concession, and refusing would be ingratitude.
Ye Changlin immediately chimed in: “This proposal is good! Zhenshan, Qingyi, the Zhao Family Head has already lowered his stance this much. If you still refuse to even set a date, then you are being ungrateful and disregarding the big picture!”
He looked around the room, his gaze sweeping over the faces of several elders.
Those who had been on the fence now lowered their heads, and no one dared to speak.
“The current state of the Ye Family is clear to all of you.”
Ye Changlin’s voice deepened.
“The Zhao Family is willing to form a marriage alliance. And you two are making excuses right and left. Do you really want to wait until the Ye Family is ruined before you regret today?”
Zhao Lilong smiled at the right moment, cupping his hands toward Ye Zhenshan.
“Brother Zhenshan, Brother Changlin speaks sense. The marriage between Yuan’er and Niece Qingyi is not just about the two of them—it concerns the future of both families. This matter has been dragging on for so many years. It’s time to settle it. It’s just setting a date; we’re not rushing to hold the ceremony. What is there to hesitate about?”
Everyone’s gaze converged on Ye Zhenshan.
Ye Zhenshan slowly stood up, adjusting the jade pendant on his waist that symbolized the Ye Family Head.
His movements were unhurried, carrying an inexplicable pressure.
Zhao Lilong’s smile stiffened for a moment.
He already had a premonition of what was coming.