Before Qin Li could answer, the girl before him reached up and removed the veil from her head. An exquisitely beautiful and bewitching face appeared before his eyes. Her faintly blue skin, rather than detracting from Shangguan Shiyu's beauty, instead added an otherworldly allure in Qin Li's view.
'So this is otherworldly beauty!' A storm raged in Qin Li's heart. 'Compared to the girl before me, all those so-called bombshells and goddesses I saw in my past life are nothing but fleeting clouds—not even worth mentioning!'
Shangguan Shiyu stared into Qin Li's clear, limpid eyes, her own filled with a captivating charm. Her heart pounded with nervousness. This was the first time in her life she had revealed her face to an outsider, and she felt a deep unease, as if awaiting fate's judgment. At that moment, she herself didn't even understand why she was so tense.
Qin Li had never denied his fondness for beautiful women. 'Just looking at them is a pleasure, isn't it?' Before seeing Shangguan Shiyu's true face, he had been indifferent toward this engagement. But now, he desperately wanted to tell the exquisitely perfect yet anxious girl before him: 'Don't be sad. I'm willing to marry you!'
'A man should have the courage to be true to himself!'
'Anyone can spout insincere platitudes, but how many men dare to be true to themselves at all times?'
"You're so beautiful!" Qin Li didn't hold back his praise. In fact, he felt that using words to describe her beauty was almost a profanity. Nevertheless, he didn't hesitate to add, "Really!"
The corner of Shangguan Shiyu's mouth twitched, and her beautiful eyes instantly misted over. With a swift motion, she pulled the thick veil back down. Her gaze instinctively flew to Qin Li's eyes, where she caught a flicker of regret. Shangguan Shiyu's heart trembled. 'He's really not scared? Is he really complimenting me?' For a moment, Shangguan Shiyu had no idea what this youth, with eyes as clear as still water, was truly thinking.
"I'm surprised you weren't scared. You must be very brave!" Forcing her tone to sound a little colder, Shangguan Shiyu composed her slightly turbulent emotions and continued, "Actually, I already know about your situation. Don't worry, I'll agree to the engagement. But don't get the wrong idea. I'm only doing this to help you. An engagement doesn't mean I'll marry you. Do you understand?"
Qin Li nodded with a wry smile, indicating that he understood.
A faint smile seemed to flicker in Shangguan Shiyu's star-like eyes. She said softly, "Well, I'll be going back now. You take care!"
"Wait..." Qin Li called out subconsciously. Seeing Shangguan Shiyu looking at him with surprise, Qin Li blushed slightly and said sheepishly, "I'm going to be away for a while. Could I ask you to... help look after my mother?"
Shangguan Shiyu fell silent at once. Today was the first time in her life she had ever stepped out of the Shangguan Family's estate, and now this young man she'd just met was making such a request.
'Should I refuse him?' Shangguan Shiyu hesitated. She found it hard to say no. 'Should I just tell Qin Li directly: In all of Yellow Sand City, besides my grandfather, you're the first person to ever compliment me! Everyone else... they see me as a monster!'
"Actually... I don't have any other motive. I just wanted to say that getting out more often might lift your spirits. I heard you barely spoke at all last year, but you've said so much today. Don't you find that an environment like this helps you relax?" Qin Li looked at Shangguan Shiyu sincerely and smiled. "As for asking you to look after my mother, that's a small, selfish request on my part. With the Shangguan Family's prestigious name as a shield, any lowlifes wanting to cause trouble will have to think twice about the consequences."
"Oh?" Shangguan Shiyu had to admit she was swayed by Qin Li's words. She couldn't find any reason to refute him. A cunning glint lit up her eyes as she suddenly asked, "Since you have no problem using the Shangguan Family's prestigious name, why did you refuse my grandfather's kind offer? You know what I'm talking about!"
Qin Li chuckled. Although he wasn't sure how Shangguan Shiyu knew he hadn't taken the Cultivation Techniques from the carriage, he said bluntly, "I have your personal consent now. That means, from this moment on, I'm your fiancé, at least in name. Therefore, I see no shame in borrowing my fiancée's family name to protect my own mother. But that doesn't give me the right to take those Advanced Techniques. I trust you understand what I mean."
Shangguan Shiyu stared intently at the youth before her, momentarily forgetting that his clothes were still dirty. A single thought echoed in her mind: 'He's different from everyone else!'
In truth, both Shangguan Shiyu and Qin Li knew their engagement had been set in stone the moment Shangguan Tie and Qin Hongyuan first discussed it. Unless Shangguan Shiyu had resisted to the point of death, which she hadn't, this meeting was nothing more than a formality for them to get acquainted.
The fundamental reason Shangguan Shiyu thought so highly of Qin Li was this: before receiving her personal approval, he would rather move out of the Qin Family residence and into the slums, even considering fleeing immediately, than borrow even a shred of the Shangguan Family's prestige. Yet, the moment she nodded, he unabashedly asked her to help look after his mother.
'He's a genuine person!' Although she couldn't say she liked him, Shangguan Shiyu definitely didn't dislike Qin Li. For her, this was a huge breakthrough. Before this, there was only one person she didn't dislike: her grandfather, Shangguan Tie!
"Alright, I promise!" Shangguan Shiyu said, as if she had to summon a great deal of courage. Having said her piece, she walked past Qin Li with a light step. A fragrant scent drifted past, leaving behind her final words.
"Take care!"
In that instant, the Innate Purple Qi Technique within Qin Li's body suddenly began to circulate at high speed. However, it was only for a moment—so brief that Qin Li didn't notice it at all.
Left alone, Qin Li leaned against the railing and gazed out at the rippling lake water. He suddenly broke into a silly, inexplicable grin. 'I can't believe it. I actually have a thirteen-year-old loli fiancée, and a Top-Grade one at that... And from the looks of it, her personality hasn't been too warped by her circumstances. She's a genuine person!'
'Yeah, I like a girl like that.'
'I have to get strong within a few years,' Qin Li told himself, 'and then turn "fiancée" into "wife." So what if her skin is blue?'
'I love it!'
...
"So? What do you think? Are you pleased with my granddaughter?"
Just as Qin Li was gazing blankly at the lake outside, Shangguan Tie's playful voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
"Huh? Old Master, that was a low blow! Don't you know you could scare a person to death like that?" Qin Li turned around, a protest on his lips but not a hint of fear on his face.
"You little rascal. A guy who can kill without batting an eye is going to be scared of an old man like me? Besides, you're already my prospective grandson-in-law. Can't you call me Grandpa?" Shangguan Tie teased. The more he looked at Qin Li, the more he liked him. He gloated inwardly: 'Qin Hongyuan, you old bastard. Just you watch. It won't be long before you regret letting him leave the Qin Family!'
"Those Cultivation Techniques and Heart Methods in the carriage were all prepared for you. The Shangguan Family has no intention of you marrying into our family. It was just a bit of goodwill from an old man to his future grandson-in-law," Shangguan Tie said seriously, looking at Qin Li.
Qin Li shook his head and smiled. "I am already endlessly grateful that you are willing to help look after my mother. A poor man's promises aren't worth much, but I still have to say it: thank you! I will repay this debt generously in the future!"
Watching Qin Li's proud, stubborn back as he slowly descended the stairs and disappeared from sight, a nostalgic look appeared in Shangguan Tie's eyes. He turned his head, looked at the wind-rippled lake, and muttered to himself, 'As expected of that man's son. But... that damn little rascal. Is it so hard to call me Grandpa? Hmph!'