At the lobby of Luohua Pavilion.
Zhuang Renquan saw Zhuang Hao walk out and greeted him, "You finally came out! Let's go home first."
Zhuang Hao nodded and said, "Alright."
"How did your talk with Qi Shaorong go?" Zhuang Renquan asked, looking at Zhuang Hao.
Zhuang Hao shook his head and said, "I don't know."
"Just then, you really scared me to death. A-Hao, that really was too risky, you didn't even give any warning in advance before announcing your engagement. If Qi Shaorong refuted your words on the spot, where would your reputation have gone!" Zhuang Renquan shook his head.
Zhuang Hao's eyebrows lowered and he said, "There's no way he could've refuted it."
"Why not? Don't tell me that when I wasn't paying attention, Elder Brother, you and Qi Shaorong had already gotten together? Elder Brother, since when did you become so efficient at doing things?" Zhuang Qian said, with a face full of worship.
Zhuang Hao glanced at Zhuang Qian and said, "It's because I forced him using the contract. My strength is higher than his, so he had no choice but to go along with it."
Zhuang Qian eyes widened and he pointed at Zhuang Hao, "Big Brother, you…you… Qi Shaorong didn't agree voluntarily."
"How could the Fourth Young Master Qi have agreed voluntarily? When A-Hao announced their engagement, the expression on Qi Shaorong's face was very ugly." Zhuang Renquan said helplessly, shaking his head.
Zhuang Hao raised his head and took a deep breath. A pained look appeared on his face.
Zhuang Renquan patted Zhuang Hao's shoulder and comforted him, "Enough, A-Hao, although Qi Shaorong wasn't willing, it's already come to this point, at least there's been some advancement in you two's relationship."
"Exactly! Elder Brother, this isn't that bad, in extraordinary times, you must use extraordinary means. But Brother, what are you going to do now, even if Qi Shaorong didn't refute the engagement, what if he just doesn't show up on the day of your engagement celebration!"
Zhuang Renquan looked at Zhuang Qian and said, "Can't you please stop it with your crow's beak [1]!"
Zhuang Qian: "…"
Zhuang Renquan looked at Zhuang Hao and said, "A-Hao, the truth is, your previous marriage arrangement with Qi Shaorong wasn't really even cancelled in the first place."
Zhuang Hao looked at Zhuang Renquan and said, "Third Uncle, what do you mean!"
"Back then, Yi Chuxue was anxious about cancelling the marriage for you, A-Hao, but the real marriage contract had always been kept by your grandfather, so the marriage contract that Chen Yuan and Yi Chuxue took with them was fake." Zhuang Renquan said.
"So it's like that!" Zhuang Hao said with a dark expression.
"Elder Brother, the marriage contract still exists, aren't you happy?" Zhuang Qian asked.
"Shaorong just doesn't like me, it doesn't really have anything to do with whether there's a marriage contract or not. If I were to tell Shaorong that the marriage contract from back then was fake, he wouldn't be very happy either. I'm just surprised at how everything has turned out to be so messy and complicated." Zhuang Hao shook his head.
Tianlan College.
"Principal, I never would've expected that the owner of Allure Cosmetics is Qi Shaorong. Now all the students at the college are going crazy."
"Too bad Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao are formally getting engaged, otherwise Qi Shaorong would be very popular right now. Whoever gets together with Qi Shaorong will be able to access as much of those high-end cosmetics as they'd like."
"It's really a pity! Zhuang Hao beat everyone else to it! That kid sure is crafty, doing things so unscrupulously, it's not easy to deal with!" Hu Feng said.
Li Hong looked at Hu Feng puzzledly and said, "Principal, why are you saying it like that!"
Hu Feng glanced at Li Hong, "When Zhuang Hao announced the engagement yesterday, that disciple of mine had a surprised look on his face."
Li Hong looked at Hu Feng and said puzzledly, "Then Zhuang Hao didn't give him a heads-up before announcing the engagement?"
Hu Feng nodded and said, "I think so, my disciple probably didn't even know anything about it in advance, and when Zhuang Hao finished speaking, it had already caused an uproar with the audience."
Li Hong was still confused and looked at Hu Feng, asking, "But with Student Qi's disposition, if he didn't agree with it, couldn't he have refuted his words on the spot!"
"Did you forget, there's a contract between Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao. A marriage contract is much more equal than a master-servant contract, but the person who has a higher cultivation still has a certain amount of control over the person who has a lower cultivation." Hu Feng said.
Li Hong looked at Hu Feng and said, "Is Zhuang Hao that kid crazy? Student Qi isn't an ordinary person!"
Hu Feng shrugged and said, "He's not crazy, don't you know how powerful my disciple is! If he doesn't use some special means, he'd probably never succeed in wooing Qi Shaorong in his entire lifetime."
Li Hong touched his chin and said, "If Qi Shaorong really does get engaged to Zhuang Hao, the Qi Family should be full of regret now."
"I sure do sympathize with the Qi Family! Besides Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao getting engaged, Qi Shaorong being the owner of Allure Cosmetics is already enough to make the Qi Family wallow in regret." Hu Feng said.
Qi Shaorong, wearing a stiff expression on his face, walked into the college with Yi Fan.
"A-Fan, why do I feel like everyone's looking at me very strangely!" Qi Shaorong said.
Yi Fan tilted his head and said with a smile, "Of course they're looking at you strangely, Young Master, your status has risen again, everyone naturally worships you even more now!"
"I think they're just laughing at me behind my back." Qi Shaorong said.
Yi Fan smiled and said, "Young Master, you're overthinking it, who would dare to make fun of you."
Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes, "Who wouldn't!"
Yesterday, a lot of people probably noticed that he wasn't very willing to go along with what was happening, but most people at the scene cheered Zhuang Hao on.
"Student Qi, it's nice to meet you here!" Someone walked over and said.
Qi Shaorong looked at the person and said, "You… You're the captain of the college's guards."
"Yes! I am! It's rare for Student Qi to remember me."
"Student Qi, the next time you have a task you need help with, you should think of us guards!" The captain of the guards said.
Qi Shaorong smiled and said, "Sure, of course."
"Student Qi, you're probably busy, I'll leave first." The captain of the guard said.
Qi Shaorong waved his hand and said, "See you."
"Student Qi, I heard that you're getting engaged to Zhuang Hao, may you and Zhuang Hao live a long and happy life together, and remain a devoted couple until the white hairs of old age…" The captain of the guard said, turning around with a smile on his face as he left.
Qi Shaorong looked at him leaving, and frowned, saying, "This guy, if you're leaving then just go, why say so many words. Yi Fan, do you think this guy is trying to put a curse on me?"
"How? You worry too much, the other person is probably being sincere." Yi Fan said.
"Cursing me so sincerely, this guy is really…" Qi Shaorong scratched his head with frustration.
Yi Fan smiled and said, "Boss, your reputation among the college's guards seems to be good. If you want to bring the college's guards to your side, it shouldn't take much effort."
"Why would I want to bring the college's guards to my side? I'm already under enough pressure trying to raise you guys. Besides, the captain of the guards is a fool, I don't even need to guess that the people beneath him probably aren't that bright either," Qi Shaorong said.
Yi Fan: "…"
Yi Fan and Qi Shaorong were walking along the path, when someone suddenly stopped the two of them.
"Who's this guy! Someone from the Yi Family?" Qi Shaorong said.
Yi Fan glanced at Qi Shaorong and said, "No, it's someone from my mother's side of the family, a person from the Li Family."
Qi Shaorong looked at Yi Fan and said, "Then I won't disturb you two any longer, I'll go ahead first."
Yi Fan looked at Qi Shaorong as he left and rolled his eyes.
Yi Fan didn't really like anyone from the Yi Family, and he didn't have many good feelings towards the people from the Li Family. Yi Xun used to always say that Li Anya was angered to death because of Yi Fan, and that grandfather of his didn't like Yi Xun, and he didn't like his grandson either.
"Do you need something?"
"Grandfather would like for you to go back for a visit." Li Feng said.
"Not interested." Yi Fan said coldly.
Li Feng looked at Yi Fan and said, "Yi Fan, do you think that if you follow Qi Shaorong, you'll be able to have a good future without any troubles?"
Yi Fan looked at Li Feng and said, "Why not? Qi Shaorong is the behind-the-scenes boss of Allure Cosmetics, and he has exceptional medical skills. Following Qi Shaorong is still better than going with the washed-up Li Family. What's more, if it weren't for Qi Shaorong, then the me of today wouldn't exist."
"Cousin Li Feng, I think your journey here today has been in vain, no matter if it's the Yi Family or the Li Family, my attitude towards them is the same. Stay away from me, or else, think about what happened to Yi Huo and Yi Bing."
Li Feng, "Yi Fan, what's the meaning of this, the Yi Family never treated you well, but the Li Family doesn't owe you anything."
Yi Fan looked at Li Feng and said, "I know very clearly that the Li Family has never treated me badly before. I'm just a very fickle and uncaring person, I'm very good at keeping grudges. I'm unsuitable for forming close relationships with other people, cousin, it's better to stay away from me. I still have some things to do, in the future don't come looking for me if you don't have anything important to say, if there is something important, don't come looking for me either."
Li Feng: "…"
Yi Fan walked into the Principal's office. Hu Feng looked at Yi Fan and said, "A-Fan, what's up!"
"I have a friend who wants to enter the college's library."
"The special area?" Hu Feng asked.
Yi Fan nodded and said, "Yes, those books in the ordinary area aren't very useful."
"What do you mean? Doesn't the ordinary area also have many good things?" Hu Feng said displeasedly.
Hu Feng looked at Yi Fan and said, "Is that the wood-based cultivator, for his sake, you fought in that duel?"
"It can't even be considered a duel, it was just a trivial matter." Yi Fan said.
Hu Feng laughed dryly and said, "Disciple, you and that guy sure have a close relationship."
Yi Fan nodded and said, "Of course, I'm currently pursuing him, I haven't succeeded yet."
Hu Feng: "…"
"Disciple! You have to try harder! Shaorong is already getting betrothed to Zhuang Hao, but you still haven't succeeded yet. Zhuang Hao, that guy, although his method's a little abominable, but it doesn't matter [2], at least he managed to get an engagement, and was somewhat able to secure his position?" Hu Feng said.
Yi Fan looked at Hu Feng and said, "Principal, you know about that?"
Hu Feng shrugged and said, "Isn't it obvious? At that time, Shaorong's expression was really bad! If Shaorong was willing, why would he look like that!"
Yi Fan looked at Hu Feng and said, "If even you noticed that, Principal, then I guess there must have been many others who did too."
Hu Feng looked at Yi Fan and said, "A-Fan, you can't say it like that. Not everyone has such a sharp eye like your Master."
Yi Fan smiled and said, "So, about my request, does Principal agree to it? Master, I know your rules, how much money do you need? I can pay for it…"
"Disciple, you're really too polite, I never would've expected this! There are times when you can be so generous, when you're facing the Yi and Li Families, you always seem so stingy!" Hu Feng said.
Yi Fan looked at Hu Feng and said, "Why should I be generous with people I don't like?"
Hu Feng: "…"
"Master, so this matter is settled then, I'll leave first." Yi Fan stood up and said.
Hu Feng, "…Those two have such rotten personalities!"
Footnotes:
Crow's beak: Person who has made an inauspicious remark.
Doesn't matter: It actually says "Black cat, white cat, as long as they catch the mouse they're a good cat", I think it means that it doesn't matter what you do or how you do something as long as you do your job/achieve your goal in the end.