"Woohoo..."
A sobbing sound came from the dining hall. Li Mingyue walked out with a deathly pale face.
"Mom, let's go."
Li Mingyue's outfit was different from what she had worn at noon. The dress she was wearing was extremely beautiful. The deep red satin was inlaid with countless tiny sequins. Following closely behind her was Si Xirui, wearing a dress of a similar style and fabric. The two walked one after the other to the sofa in the lounge. They looked as festive as two carp spirits leaping out of the river.
"I can't accept Brother Achen marrying someone else."
Li Mingyue's eyes were already red from crying. She looked at Si Jiangchen with extreme resentment. "Love is inherently selfish. I used to think that the love between childhood sweethearts was the most beautiful. But, but... I've waited for so many years, and now I still have to watch Brother Achen get married, and the bride isn't me... I really can't take it!"
It seemed that the telegram Si Jiangchen had sent home was not as impactful as his own words. Only after hearing Si Jiangchen say that he would marry no one but me did this cousin who had been coveting the position of the young mistress of the Si family finally give up?
I was just wondering whose descendants the two little ghosts wrapped around her back were when, unexpectedly, Si Xirui reached out and took Li Mingyue's arm. Staring at me resentfully, she said, "Country bumpkin, don't think that just because you've charmed my brother you can do whatever you want. There are strict rules in our Si family. You won't even be able to get past me."
"Xirui, mind your manners!"
Si Jiangchen's father frowned.
"Dad, you don't understand!" Si Xirui was clearly the youngest daughter spoiled by the family. After being scolded by her father, she showed no sign of fear. Instead, she stamped her foot and pointed at me. "At noon, when Mingyue jie and I went to pick up my brother, this woman was so excessive. She even made Mingyue jie sit in the servant's seat. No matter what, Mingyue jie is a guest of the Si family. She's using her coquettish ways to control my brother!"
Si Jiangchen's father frowned even more tightly. He glanced at Li Mingyue, who was covering her face with a handkerchief, looking extremely embarrassed.
"Achen, how could you let your fiancée bully your own cousin?"
He slapped the table heavily. "You've got your priorities all wrong!"
I understood what Si Jiangchen's father meant.
Li Mingyue was at least related to Si Jiangchen by blood, while I was just an "object" they had an ulterior motive for. I shouldn't be allowed to do whatever I wanted.
"Good heavens!"
When Si Jiangchen's aunt heard that her daughter had been forced to sit in the servant's seat of the car, it was as if she had suffered a great humiliation. She suddenly stood up, rushed in front of me, and raised her hand to slap me across the face, scolding, "Little vixen, we came to pick you up sincerely, and yet you still want to boss us around!"
I sneered inwardly.
Sure enough, this Li Mingyue was very cunning. She had thought through everything, and the result was exactly as she had planned!
I didn't even try to dodge the oncoming slap. If anyone dared to lay a finger on me today, I would break that insolent finger!
The aunt's slap didn't land on my face.
Si Jiangchen grabbed her wrist. "Aunt, I'll say it one more time. This is the Si family."
"Achen, she's bullying your cousin!" The aunt said with a heart - broken look on her face. "Your mother used to dote on her the most. Are you really going to let your cousin be humiliated?"
After hearing the aunt's words, Si Jiangchen's eyes darkened. "If it weren't for my mother's sake, I would have thrown you all out long ago! Aunt, tell Cousin Mingyue that if she still wants to stay in the Si family, she'd better behave herself!"
Si Jiangchen finally lost his temper!
His deep voice was like thunder in the distance, stunning the aunt. Even after Si Jiangchen had let go of her hand, she forgot to pull her arm back.
"Mom..."
Li Mingyue, still holding her mother's hand, wanted to cry, but then she heard Si Jiangchen say, "Today is the day for my welcome - home party and the announcement of my engagement. Mingyue, if you keep ruining the mood, I'll send an adjutant to send you back to your hometown right away."
"Um."
Si Jiangchen's words were very effective. Not only did Li Mingyue and her mother stop talking, but even his younger sister, Si Xirui, didn't dare to say a word.
Si Jiangchen's father seemed quite satisfied with the current situation. He finally took a good look at me. "The Du family promised something to my son, but it seems they've 'cut corners'?"
"Father, this is just right!"
Si Jiangchen said, "How could the Si family tolerate someone with strange blood? I've solved all the problems with Du Xinghe. She will marry me as a normal woman."
"..."
Si Jiangchen's father was silent for a moment. Sighing, he said, "Once a son grows up, his father can't control him. Do whatever you want. There's no need to bother me about it in the future."
Si Jiangchen's father was named Si Cheng.
The Si family was a lineage of the Zhengyi School of Taoist priests who lived secular lives. They had a tradition that had been passed down for hundreds of years, with their own methods of exorcising evil spirits, dispelling disasters, catching ghosts, and treating diseases. The clan leader of each generation was a powerful figure with high - level Taoist magic. However, something went wrong with Si Cheng's generation.
As the clan leader, Si Cheng didn't have the Heavenly Eye. He couldn't see spirits or demons. Even the spell to open the Heavenly Eye only had a very short - lived effect. Fortunately, he had a good son! Si Jiangchen had been different from ordinary people since childhood. He was like a reincarnated god. Learning Taoist magic was as easy as reviewing for him. He could draw inferences from one example and even learn without a teacher.
Since Si Jiangchen was six years old, he had started to perform the duties of the clan leader on behalf of his father.
Apart from sighing at Si Jiangchen's extraordinary talent, outsiders mostly thought that Si Cheng's Taoist magic was unfathomably deep!
After all, if a six - year - old son could even summon thunder to deal with a demonic creature, who would believe that Si Cheng was a useless person without the Heavenly Eye?
So, Si Cheng was a prestigious clan leader in public, but he felt deeply inferior in front of his own son...
Taoist practitioners all yearned for immortality. In order to show his strength as a father and as the clan leader, Si Cheng had found the Du family, who were experts in corpse - driving, and arranged a non - decaying skeleton for his son.
He never intended to let that once - in - a - century little girl from the Du family become the daughter - in - law of the Si family. All of it was just for show.
Unexpectedly, after Si Jiangchen went to Duyang Town, he wanted to marry his "prey".
Could Si Cheng object? Could he stop it?!
He could only meekly accept his son's willful decision.
The words "Once a son grows up, his father can't control him" contained decades of his suppression and depression...
I was led out of the large private room by Si Jiangchen. I still looked up at him and asked, "Does this count as meeting the parents?"
The cold shell around Si Jiangchen melted away instantly. The corners of his lips even curled up into a faint smile as he replied with a soft "Yes".
"I will definitely not be a good daughter - in - law in your family."
I was also infected by his smile and couldn't help laughing with him. "I've offended everyone in your family on our first meeting. You'd better give up on me. I'm a curse that will bring unrest to your family. Look at those women who want to marry you. Even the elders are involved!"