Chapter 9: An Unexpected Introduction and a Faux Fiancée

The banquet awaits within. I shall take my leave now.

With those words, the man who had initially greeted Lan Wu Xi, along with his companions, bowed deferentially before departing, leaving Lan Wu Xi to stare blankly at the grand doors.

‘Phew, relax, relax. It’s just a banquet; I can handle this.’

Steeling his resolve, Lan Wu Xi took a deep breath, his hand resting lightly on the doorframe, ready to push it open.

‘No! I’m still too nervous. And that cursed mission about publicly provoking the Yunxiao Royal Family’s prince—isn’t that just asking me to make enemies everywhere? I already offended Lin Yunxi last time. Now, adding the Yunxiao Royal Family, and eventually the protagonist, it seems I, Lan Wu Xi, am destined to provoke half the Yunxiao Kingdom’s major powers!’

A headache began to throb anew, his hand lingering on the door, hesitant to push it open.

[Young Master Yun is almost at the palace gates. You two, hurry out to greet him!]

Just then, the grand doors swung open from within. Losing his balance abruptly, Lan Wu Xi nearly tumbled headfirst to the ground, saved only by his quick reflexes, which allowed him to brace himself with both palms, averting a humiliating fall.

“Oh? Young Master, what are you…?”

It turned out that a dedicated maidservant was already inside, tasked with opening the doors. Lan Wu Xi, however, had been lost in thought, his mind miles away, his hand resting idly on the door, which had led to this rather dramatic mishap.

‘Phew, that was close to a public embarrassment. So, someone was meant to open the door all along.’

Lan Wu Xi, propped on his palms, cut a rather comical figure. A faint sheen of sweat adorned his forehead, and his impeccably tailored banquet attire had acquired a few unfortunate wrinkles. He could now distinctly hear the frantic pounding of his own heart.

“Hey, what’s that person doing by the door?”

“Indeed, quite comical. Perhaps they’ve hired a jester for entertainment?”

Men and women attending the banquet had also noticed the scene, their murmurs rippling through the hall. Some aristocratic youths cast disdainful glances at Lan Wu Xi’s undignified display, for it was ingrained in these noble families to hold profound disdain for the common folk.

‘I’m ruined. What an inauspicious start to the day. To lose face so spectacularly before the banquet even begins… I definitely shouldn’t have left the house today.’

Though their whispers were faint, Lan Wu Xi, a cultivator, heard every word with perfect clarity. His face flushed crimson with mortification. He hastily rose, brushed imaginary dust from his shoulders, and awkwardly slipped into the banquet hall, finding an inconspicuous corner to stand in amidst the pointed whispers and stares.

‘This is utterly humiliating. So many eyes on me; I wish I could just sink into the floor.’

Lan Wu Xi couldn’t help but cover his face with his hands. His recent actions had been undeniably mortifying, and to think he still had to publicly provoke the royal prince later. He would surely become the subject of their mocking jests once more.

“Hey! I say, you’re a grown man. Can you stop being so childish, squirming around like a little kid? It was just a minor embarrassment, what’s the big deal?”

Hearing someone scold him, Lan Wu Xi slowly lowered his hands, pausing in slight surprise upon seeing the speaker.

“Hmm… little one, where did you come from? This isn’t a place for playing. You should go back the way you came, or you’ll be in trouble if the guards find you.”

Before him stood a petite girl with twin ponytails, scolding him in a tone far too mature for her apparent age. She possessed large, sparkling almond eyes, and her rosy, plump cheeks made her resemble a living porcelain doll. Her upturned nose conveyed a sense of inherent pride, while her full, moist lips shimmered under the ambient light.

“How can you be so ill-mannered? I’m sixteen years old, not some child! Show some respect when you speak to me!”

At Lan Wu Xi’s words, the petite girl bristled instantly. Pointing an indignant finger at the bewildered Lan Wu Xi, she declared furiously.

“You’re sixteen? Really… hmm, I see.”

Lan Wu Xi, hand on his chin, gazed oddly at the fuming petite girl, then nodded as if struck by a sudden realization. He had wondered how such a young girl could have suddenly appeared; were the guards simply incompetent? It seemed this girl, who appeared no older than eleven or twelve, was indeed a legendary ‘loli.’

“You brute! That’s incredibly rude. I don’t know what my grandfather was thinking, to actually take a liking to someone like you. And I actually had expectations for you before!”

Sensing Lan Wu Xi’s subtly amused gaze, the petite girl realized he was no different from the others. To have held any expectations for him was utterly foolish. ‘Hmph, all men are the same,’ she thought with a cynical inner scoff.

“My apologies, my apologies. I was merely surprised, as it’s my first time encountering such a… charming girl as yourself.”

Indeed, Lan Wu Xi’s emotional intelligence remained remarkably low. Despite having numerous admirers in Xuanfeng Manor, his EQ was still firmly in the negative. This was evident when he uttered those words, completely oblivious to the petite girl’s increasingly darkening expression.

‘Wait, what did she mean by ‘take a liking to someone like me’? Ugh, why do I always miss the crucial details? If I ask again now, she’ll surely scold me. And judging by her expression, she seems to be in a terrible mood. I wonder who angered her? I’ll just ask later if there’s a chance…’

Suddenly, several figures slowly approached Lan Wu Xi and the petite girl, their faces revealing a mixture of surprise and ill intent.

“Well, well, isn’t this Miss Huang Yao Yue? I knew there was a peculiar scent in the air, drawing me hither. It seems this was fate’s design all along~”

Several men, dressed in lavish attire and sporting the characteristic aristocratic smile, stepped forward. Their entire demeanor reeked of dissolute idlers, the kind of profligate young masters who squandered their days in aimless revelry. Lan Wu Xi, for his part, instinctively disliked such individuals. Moreover, they seemed to disregard him entirely, their smiles directed solely at the petite girl, as if Lan Wu Xi were an insignificant bystander.

“Wang Lang, I’ve told you I have a fiancé. Can you please stop pestering me?”

Huang Yao Yue stated her displeasure, offering the young man named Wang Lang not an ounce of courtesy. Were it not for the impropriety of causing a scene at a banquet, she would have dealt with these persistent nuisances countless times over.

Yet, Wang Lang remained stubbornly persistent, clinging to Huang Yao Yue, while his companions chimed in, advocating on his behalf. Their collective intent was clearly to invite Huang Yao Yue to join them, and from their words, it seemed a dance would be held later during the banquet, an opportunity Wang Lang hoped to seize to ask her to waltz.

Lan Wu Xi had no desire to involve himself. He and Huang Yao Yue had exchanged only a few words in a corner; they were barely even nodding acquaintances. Moreover, this fellow, Wang Lang, seemed to possess considerable influence. Lan Wu Xi certainly wasn’t eager to meddle further. He already had enough enemies; adding a few more might just cause Lan Wu Xi to spontaneously combust.

“Young Master, this lady and I have matters to discuss. Might I ask you to leave?”

Wang Lang, having been repeatedly rebuffed, finally noticed Lan Wu Xi standing nearby and turned to address him.

“Oh? In that case, I’ll just…”

Although Wang Lang’s tone was framed as a polite request for Lan Wu Xi to leave, the faint, unspoken contempt was unmistakable. Nevertheless, Lan Wu Xi had no intention of arguing with Wang Lang; he truly had no compelling reason to intervene on Huang Yao Yue’s behalf.

‘I’m not some righteous protagonist from a novel, nor do I possess the inherent protagonist’s halo and plot armor that Yun Jingping enjoys.’

“Stop!”

Seeing Lan Wu Xi genuinely preparing to depart, Huang Yao Yue instantly panicked. How could this fellow be so cowardly? By all accounts, she was his ostensible fiancée, yet he was truly abandoning her without a second thought. Such shamelessness was utterly unprecedented.

“Huh?”

Startled by her shout, Lan Wu Xi’s body froze, unmoving as a bedrock. ‘What is she doing? We’re not related, nor do we have any ties. Isn’t this just forcibly dragging me into this mess? Those people clearly aren’t to be trifled with.’

“Miss Huang, what is the meaning of this?”

Upon witnessing Huang Yao Yue call out to Lan Wu Xi, Wang Lang’s previously smiling face hardened, and he cast a subtly hostile gaze upon Lan Wu Xi.

‘Brother, don’t look at me! This has nothing to do with me; she’s the one who called me. You should talk to her, alright?’

Lan Wu Xi’s heart pounded with panic. What was happening? He wasn’t her fiancé, so why was he obediently stopping at her command?

Lan Wu Xi, contemplating a quick escape, found his expression turning exceptionally grim at Huang Yao Yue’s subsequent words.

“What do I mean? Do you have an issue with me calling my fiancé?”

As she spoke, a subtle, cunning smile played on Huang Yao Yue’s lips, a glint of mischief dancing in her eyes.

“Phew, I thought it was something serious. Wait! Fiancé?”

Wang Lang nearly leaped in shock, while Lan Wu Xi’s mind, upon hearing this, turned into a complete muddle.

‘I’ve been promoted to fiancé this quickly? Miss, you’re practically shanghaiing me! Did you even ask for my opinion…?’

“You say he’s your fiancé! What proof do you have?”

Wang Lang, his face a mask of disbelief, pressed on relentlessly, his gaze fixed malevolently on Lan Wu Xi. Clearly, he now viewed him as a rival in love.

‘Don’t look at me! What proof do I have? Would you believe me if I said I only became her fiancé today?’

Lan Wu Xi averted his gaze, whistling nonchalantly, avoiding Wang Lang’s increasingly sinister stare. He then sidled up to Huang Yao Yue and, when no one was looking, lightly patted her backside, a silent signal for her to resolve the situation herself; he had no desire to be unwittingly used as her shield.

Huang Yao Yue, startled by the sudden liberties, shuddered. She then shot a venomous glare at the whistling Lan Wu Xi. ‘This fellow is truly taking advantage! He ignored me when I was being harassed, and now that I’ve declared my status, he’s taking liberties with me? I’ve never encountered such shamelessness!’

“Hmph! Our union was arranged by our parents. What proof could we possibly give you? And more importantly, why should we provide you with any? Who do you think you are to us?”

Indeed, her words carried immense destructive power. Wang Lang’s face cycled between ashen and pale, clearly indicating he had sustained a significant critical hit. Even Lan Wu Xi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.

“You…”

Wang Lang trembled with rage, pointing a furious finger at Huang Yao Yue, yet unable to utter a single curse. After all, she was the esteemed young lady of the Huang family, her status leagues above his own, a mere scion of an ordinary noble house. It was precisely for this reason that he had acceded to his father’s demands to pursue her; otherwise, who would fancy a girl with such a meager figure?

Ultimately, Wang Lang, simmering with unvoiced fury, could only unleash his wrath upon the innocent-looking Lan Wu Xi. As the saying goes, ‘pick the soft persimmon to squeeze.’ Thus, Wang Lang finally pointed at the bewildered Lan Wu Xi and declared.

“I won’t let you off the hook!”

Before Lan Wu Xi could even grasp him and explain that his relationship with Huang Yao Yue was not as Wang Lang imagined, the young man swiftly made his escape. Seeing this, the others likewise hurled their own ominous threats at Lan Wu Xi before scurrying away, leaving a bewildered Lan Wu Xi to question his very existence, utterly speechless.

‘Who am I? Where am I? What am I even doing?’