Chapter 23: Entrustment

Before Qin Li could answer, the girl in front of him had already reached up and removed the veil from her head. An exquisitely beautiful and enchanting face appeared before Qin Li’s eyes. Her faintly blue skin did not detract from Shangguan Shiyu’s beauty at all; in Qin Li’s eyes, it actually added to her mysterious, alluring charm.

What did it mean to be an absolute enchantress? This was it! Qin Li’s heart surged with overwhelming waves of emotion. Compared to this girl before him, all the so-called beauties and sex goddesses he had seen in his previous life seemed like mere fleeting clouds, completely unworthy of mention!

Shangguan Shiyu’s eyes, full of tender emotion, gazed into Qin Li’s clear and pure ones. She was incredibly nervous inside. This was the first time since she was little that she had revealed her face to an outsider. Her heart was uneasy, as if she were awaiting the judgment of fate. At this moment, even she herself did not know why she felt so tense.

Qin Li never denied that he liked beautiful women. Even just looking at them was pleasing to the eye, wasn’t it? If before seeing Shangguan Shiyu’s true appearance, Qin Li had held a somewhat indifferent attitude toward this marriage arrangement, then now, he truly wanted to immediately tell this exquisitely beautiful yet anxious girl in front of him: Don’t be sad, I am willing to marry you!

A real man should have the courage to face his true feelings!

Anyone could say polite words that went against their heart, but how many men dared to speak their true mind at any time?

“You are really beautiful!” Qin Li did not hold back his verbal praise. In fact, he felt that using words to describe this girl’s beauty was almost an insult to her. Yet he still added without hesitation: “Really!”

Shangguan Shiyu’s lips twitched slightly. Her beautiful eyes instantly misted over. With a swift motion, she pulled the thick veil back over her face. She instinctively looked into Qin Li’s eyes and saw a flicker of regret pass through them. Her heart trembled. He really isn’t afraid? He was really praising me? For a moment, Shangguan Shiyu couldn’t figure out what this boy with such pure eyes was really thinking.

“You weren’t scared at all, which means you’re very brave!” Trying hard to make her tone sound cold, Shangguan Shiyu straightened her slightly disordered emotions and continued, “Actually, I already know about your situation. Don’t worry, I agree to be engaged to you. But don’t misunderstand—I just want to help you. Being engaged doesn’t mean I’ll marry you, understand?”

Qin Li smiled wryly and nodded to show he understood.

A hint of a smile seemed to appear in Shangguan Shiyu’s star-like eyes. She said softly, “Well, I’m going back now. Take care of yourself.”

“Wait…” Qin Li called out instinctively. Seeing Shangguan Shiyu looking at him with some surprise, Qin Li blushed slightly and said rather shyly, “I’ll be away for some time. Could I ask you… to look after my mother for me?”

Shangguan Shiyu fell silent at once. Today was the first time in her life she had stepped out of the Shangguan Family mansion, and this strange boy she was meeting for the first time was actually making such a request.

Should she refuse him?… Shangguan Shiyu hesitated. She found it hard to say no outright. Could she just tell Qin Li directly: In Huangsha City, besides my grandfather, you are the first person to praise me! All the others… they see me as a monster!

“Actually… I don’t mean anything else. I just want to tell you that getting out more will make you feel better. I heard you hardly spoke at all for a whole year before, but today you said a lot. Don’t you think being in this kind of environment makes you feel much more at ease?” Qin Li looked sincerely at Shangguan Shiyu and smiled. “As for asking you to look after my mother, that’s just a bit of selfishness on my part. With the prestige of the Shangguan Family name, any troublemakers who want to cause trouble will have to think twice about the consequences.”

“Oh?” Shangguan Shiyu had to admit she was persuaded by Qin Li’s words. She couldn’t find any reason to argue with him. A sly glint appeared in her eyes, and she suddenly asked, “Since you don’t mind using the Shangguan Family’s reputation at all, why did you refuse my grandfather’s goodwill? You know what I mean!”

Qin Li chuckled. Although he didn’t know how Shangguan Shiyu found out he hadn’t taken the cultivation methods from the carriage, he replied directly, “I’ve gotten your personal agreement. At least from now on, I’m nominally your fiancé. So, borrowing a little of my fiancée’s family’s reputation to protect my mother—I don’t think that’s shameful. But that’s not a reason for me to take those advanced cultivation methods. I believe you understand what I mean.”

Shangguan Shiyu gazed seriously at the boy in front of her for a while, instinctively forgetting that his clothes were still a bit dirty. One thought filled her mind: He’s different from the others!

In truth, Shangguan Shiyu understood, and Qin Li understood as well: the marriage arrangement between them had been set from the first time Shangguan Tie and Qin Hongyuan discussed it. Unless Shangguan Shiyu had resisted to the death at that time—but she hadn’t. So their meeting now was just a way to get to know each other a little.

The fundamental reason Shangguan Shiyu held Qin Li in high regard was that, before receiving her personal consent, Qin Li would rather move out of the Qin Family, go to the poor district, and even consider fleeing immediately, rather than borrow even a shred of the Shangguan Family’s reputation! But once she gave her nod, Qin Li didn’t hesitate to ask her to look after his mother.

He was a person of genuine character! Although she couldn’t say she liked him yet, Shangguan Shiyu definitely didn’t dislike Qin Li. For Shangguan Shiyu, this was a huge breakthrough. After all, before this, the only person she didn’t dislike was her grandfather—Shangguan Tie!

“Alright, I promise you!” Shangguan Shiyu said this as if she had mustered great courage. After speaking, she walked briskly past Qin Li. A faint fragrance drifted by as she left their final words of this meeting.

“Take care of yourself!”

At that moment, the Innate Purple Qi Art inside Qin Li’s body suddenly began circulating at high speed. But it was only for an instant—so brief that Qin Li didn’t even notice it.

Left by himself, Qin Li leaned against the railing and looked out. The lake outside rippled in layers. Suddenly, for no clear reason, Qin Li started grinning foolishly. To think, I actually have a thirteen-year-old loli fiancée, and she’s top-tier… And from the looks of it, her temperament hasn’t been too badly affected; she’s a girl of genuine character.

Hmm, I like this kind of girl.

Qin Li told himself inwardly that he must become strong within a few years, and then remove the word “fiancée,” leaving just “wife.” So what if her skin is blue?

I like it!

…

“So? Are you satisfied with my granddaughter?”

Just as Qin Li was staring absently at the lake outside, Shangguan Tie’s somewhat teasing voice suddenly came from behind.

“Ah? Old Master, you’re not being very kind! Don’t you know people can scare others to death?” Qin Li turned around, saying this, but there wasn’t a trace of fear on his face.

“You little rascal, you’re the type who can kill without batting an eye, and you’re scared of an old man like me? Besides, now that you’re my future grandson-in-law, can’t you call me Grandfather?” Shangguan Tie joked, feeling more and more pleased the longer he looked at Qin Li. He thought proudly: Qin Hongyuan, you old fool, just wait—it won’t be long before you regret letting him leave the Qin Family!

“Those cultivation methods and techniques in the carriage, I prepared them all for you. The Shangguan Family isn’t expecting you to marry into our family. That was just a bit of kindness from me, an old man, to my future grandson-in-law.” Shangguan Tie looked seriously at Qin Li as he spoke.

Qin Li shook his head and said with a smile, “If you can help look after my mother, I will be more than grateful. A promise from someone poor and lowly may not be worth much, but I still want to say: thank you! I will repay you generously in the future!”

Watching Qin Li’s proud and stubborn back as he slowly descended the stairs and disappeared from view, a trace of nostalgia appeared in Shangguan Tie’s eyes. He turned around, looked at the wind-stirred lake surface, and muttered to himself: He really is that man’s son. But… that darn little rascal, was it so hard to call me Grandfather? Hmph!