Lin Yingxia curled her lip and said unpleasantly, "Dad, what are you talking about? Look at this guy—he's not wearing a single thing worth more than a hundred yuan. How could my sister ever marry someone like this?"
"Shut up! Is this any place for you to speak?" Lin Hongyi scolded Lin Yingxia.
Lin Yingxia curled her lip again, turned around, and walked straight back to her room.
Lin Hongyi looked at Ye Qingyun with a smile on his face. "My good son-in-law, could you please take out the engagement agreement between you and my daughter so I can verify it?"
"No problem, Uncle Lin," Ye Qingyun replied instantly. He was a bit flattered by the warm attitude of the thick-browed, big-eyed middle-eyed man before him. From the looks of it, Lin Hongyi fully supported the marriage between him and Lin Qiuyue.
Lin Hongyi took the agreement, saw his own signature on it, and his expression grew emotional. "Yes, yes, yes, this is the exact engagement agreement! I signed this with my own hand back then! My good son-in-law, you've finally arrived! Come, come, come! Hurry inside!"
With that, Lin Hongyi enthusiastically pulled Ye Qingyun into the house.
As soon as Ye Qingyun stepped inside, besides Lin Yingxia, he saw two other women. One was a tall beauty with a cold temperament whose features bore a three-to-four-part resemblance to Lin Yingxia. That was Lin Qiuyue, Ye Qingyun's nominal fiancée. The other was a well-groomed, wealthy-looking matron draped in gold and jade. Her name was Wu Zhenlan, and she was Lin Qiuyue's mother.
The moment Ye Qingyun entered, the family's gazes all fell upon him.
Lin Qiuyue glanced at Ye Qingyun once and then went back to eating her breakfast.
Lin Hongyi pointed at Ye Qingyun and said, "Let me introduce you all. This young man's name is Ye Qingyun, and he is Qiuyue's fiancé!"
*Puff!*
Hearing this, Lin Qiuyue spat her milk all over the table. With a face full of disbelief, she turned to Lin Hongyi and said, "Dad! You must be joking with me, right? How did I suddenly end up with a fiancé?"
"Sis, do you remember that coward I told you about last night? It's him! He tucked his tail and ran away when he saw those guys holding iron rods! He doesn't have an ounce of manhood!" Lin Yingxia leaned close to Lin Qiuyue and whispered.
Hearing this, Lin Qiuyue's favorable impression of Ye Qingyun plummeted even further.
"Qiuyue, I'm not joking at all. The engagement agreement in my hands was personally signed by me back then, and your mother approved it as well. Besides, I've often told you that you had a fiancé—did you forget?" Lin Hongyi smiled. It was clear that he was in a very good mood.
Lin Qiuyue wore a look of utter helplessness. Although Lin Hongyi had mentioned to her when she was little that she had an arranged marriage, she had always assumed her father was just joking with her. She never expected it to be real! And now Lin Hongyi had actually brought a man right to her face. How was she supposed to accept this? Furthermore, Lin Qiuyue was a corporate career woman who poured her heart and soul into her business, with zero interest in romance.
"Dad, you know me. I'm entirely focused on company operations and have no time to get married. How about we just drop this engagement?" Lin Qiuyue said.
Hearing this, Lin Hongyi's face sank, and his tone left no room for argument. "No! Qiuyue, I set this engagement myself! Over twenty years ago, I happened to save an enlightened master. It was he who cured the chronic ailments in my body, which in turn allowed me to have you. I made an agreement with that enlightened master that you would marry his disciple. Qiuyue, I am certain that his disciple must be an extraordinary person."
The enlightened master Lin Hongyi spoke of was naturally Ye Qingyun's master.
Lin Qiuyue's expression turned extremely grave. Ever since she was little, her father had doted on her immensely and yielded to her every whim. But today, Lin Hongyi's attitude was so firm, leaving no room for any turning back. It made him feel completely unfamiliar to her, and at the same time, she realized that changing her father's decision would be exceptionally difficult.
Thinking of this, Lin Qiuyue cast a look for help toward Wu Zhenlan at the side.
Wu Zhenlan understood, gave a light cough, and said, "Hongyi, young people nowadays advocate for free love; they don't go in for our older generation's ways anymore. If Qiuyue and Qingyun really aren't a good match, then let's just drop the engagement. I can see that Qingyun is a fine-looking young man, so I'm sure he won't have trouble finding a wife. That master did indeed help us a great deal back then—why don't we give Qingyun one million yuan and call it a day? What do you think?"
*One million yuan?!* Lin Qiuyue thought to herself that if the engagement could be resolved for one million yuan, it wouldn't be unacceptable.
"One million yuan?! Mom, you're way too generous. The money at home doesn't grow on trees, you know! Just give this guy ten thousand yuan and send him on his way," Lin Yingxia chimed in from the side.
Lin Hongyi's face darkened, and he said sternly, "Enough! One million? Xiaolan, how can you say such a thing?! If not for the help of that master, would we even have two daughters? Could we have built such a family enterprise? And Yingxia, show some respect to your brother-in-law! My mind is made up on this matter, and I don't want any of you saying another word! Qiuyue, go register your marriage with Qingyun at the civil affairs bureau right now!"
The room fell quiet.
In the end, it was Ye Qingyun who spoke up to Lin Hongyi. "Uncle Lin, if Miss Lin is truly unwilling, let's just cancel the marriage."
Although his master had vigorously tried to push him and Lin Qiuyue together, matters of the heart could not be forced. He had simply planned to follow his master's instructions and protect Lin Qiuyue in secret for a year.
Hearing this, Lin Qiuyue's expression softened somewhat, and she looked upon Ye Qingyun with a bit more favor. At least this young man in front of her wasn't someone who would pester her shamelessly.
"Hmph! It's good that you have some self-awareness! You're not worthy of my sister!" Lin Yingxia sneered from the side.
With a deep voice, Lin Hongyi said, "Qingyun, this marriage must under no circumstances be cancelled!"
With that, he turned his gaze to Lin Qiuyue and said word by word, "Qiuyue, if you still acknowledge me as your father, you will go straight to the civil affairs bureau with Qingyun and get married!"
When he finished speaking, the room fell so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Lin Qiuyue collected herself and nodded. "Fine, I'll marry him."
"Sis, you..." Lin Yingxia started to say, but Lin Qiuyue stopped her.
Receiving a definitive answer, Lin Hongyi's expression relaxed considerably. He smiled and patted Ye Qingyun on the shoulder. "Qingyun, your master is the person I admire most in this life. I believe that as his disciple, you won't be lacking in any way! I'm entrusting my daughter to you, and I am completely at ease."
"Uncle Lin..." Ye Qingyun began.
Lin Hongyi interrupted him directly. "Qingyun, you're still calling me uncle? It's time to change how you address me."
After a moment of hesitation, Ye Qingyun changed his words. "Father-in-law."
Hearing this, Lin Hongyi beamed with joy. It was obvious he was genuinely happy.
Following that, Ye Qingyun took out the scroll of Ladies Journey in the Tang Dynasty that he had been carrying with him, placed it on the coffee table, and said, "Lin Qiuyue, for our first meeting, this is a welcoming gift for you."
"Thank you," Lin Qiuyue replied perfunctorily.
At the side, Lin Yingxia impatiently unrolled the painting. As the scroll unfolded, she let out a gasp of astonishment.
"Th-this isn't this Ladies Journey in the Tang Dynasty?"