In truth, no matter what Lin Qinghen thought, he really didn’t have any chance to escape.

Lin Zhongtian’s people guarded the place tightly, leaving Yu Yinyin no room to slip in. Anything involving Lin Qingshuang always brought out Lin Zhongtian’s utmost caution, ensuring absolutely nothing went wrong.

With the wedding date fast approaching, Lin Qinghen’s anger now served no purpose. Resting his cheek in his hand, he kept thinking about Yin Jiuxiao.

Honestly, his first impression of this person wasn’t bad.

From his face to his somewhat similar life experiences, Lin Qinghen found himself drawn in a bit. However, he also felt Yin Jiuxiao was strangely intimate for some reason he couldn’t quite place.

On one hand, he wondered if this person had ulterior motives, and on the other, he thought, “Yin Jiuxiao’s a total washout now.” He had heard that Yin couldn’t even summon his own Spirit Essence anymore, his strength had fallen to Yellow Level One Star, and his eyesight was poor.

Forget adding a system – just in terms of spirit power alone, he couldn’t even beat Lin Qinghen, so what trouble could he possibly stir up?

All in all, Lin Qinghen found this fiancé a lot better than he’d originally imagined.

He wasn’t self-pitying, not boastful or arrogant, and he seemed decent enough – at least his attitude toward Lin was genuinely nice. With the engagement already in place, pretending to know nothing would do no good at this point.

After mulling it over, Lin Qinghen concluded that Yin Jiuxiao’s demeanor did have a bit of sincerity.

If, in the end, he truly couldn’t escape… then maybe, just maybe, he could give it a try.

At least, the person was agreeable, so it wasn’t entirely a bad deal.

And the funniest thing? Even if this marriage fell through, he would still end up going to the Yin family’s territory anyway. So, it wasn’t exactly a big loss – or even a loss at all. Leaving the Lin family was already a win.

After sorting things out, Lin Qinghen felt a lot more at ease. His irritation of the past few days pretty much vanished, and he even felt a flicker of anticipation.

The next day was the grand Lin family banquet, and Yin Miao attended with barely hidden resentment.

After the previous day, the Yin family had mulled things over all night, feeling both anxious and angry, but they realized Lin Qingshuang wouldn’t be the one marrying in.

Lin Qinghen was clearly not valued; bringing him into the family would be utterly useless – a wasted trip, in fact.

Yin Miao returned home and vented his anger at Yin Jiuxiao, but he didn’t dare touch a single hair on him.

Everyone in the family knew Yin Jiuxiao’s body was weak, and this was a crucial time. If he were to faint again, he wouldn’t be able to make vows at the Marriage Stone.

Lin Zhongtian had said it right – delaying the wedding date would be the true end of the Yin family.

Meanwhile, Yin Jiuxiao completely ignored him, still thinking about Lin Qinghen with obvious good spirits.

The next day, the Yin family was invited to the daytime banquet, though they were seated off in a corner.

Lin Zhongtian kept an eye on them, planning to press both sides to fulfill their agreement as soon as the banquet ended, wasting not a single second.

The unfortunate thing was, Lin Qinghen didn’t show up at the event.

Yin Jiuxiao felt very disappointed. Their time together yesterday had been far too short; he wanted to see him more, say a few more words, maybe figure out what secrets he hid.

But soon enough, the banquet wasn’t as dull as it seemed.

—There was drama to watch.

While most attendees were unaware of the fight over the Red Round Wheat, and those with a faint inkling didn’t dare challenge the Three Mountain, it soon became clear that Lin and Su Ye Immortal Mountain had struck a deal, and word quickly spread that Lin Qingshuang was about to go there for a brief study.

Lin Zhongtian, delighted with this news, saved it for an occasion like this to make the announcement grand.

Everything had gone smoothly so far, and after all the build-up, he invited Three Mountain’s Chu Fengzhu up, intending for him to make the announcement. But as Chu Fengzhu walked up, though he was smiling, the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

This Peak Master was Chu Wei’s direct uncle, and the Su Ye Immortal Mountain sect leader was his family too.

Though Su Ye Immortal Mountain wasn’t exactly a family clan, the Chu family had recently gained considerable influence.

To be honest, Lin Zhongtian found their interests a little odd. No rare treasure could win Chu Wei’s favor, nor that of this Peak Master, who had refused countless precious gifts yet cared only about that Red Round Wheat.

Now, while he began his speech, his compliments to Lin Qingshuang were polite but vague, and he avoided mentioning the apprenticeship agreement.

Lin Zhongtian sensed something was wrong and was about to speak when Chu interrupted in a low voice.

“Family Head Lin,” he said, looking over, “is there anything else you’d like to discuss with me regarding our previous trade?”

Lin Zhongtian froze, then replied, “Brother Chu, didn’t we already settle this…”

“Yes,” Chu Fengzhu said with a slight smile. “I was curious, which is why I agreed to this trade and offered to introduce your daughter to my brother. After all, if I ask, it wouldn’t be too hard for him to take on an apprentice. But for that, it has to be the very best – you understand?”

Unlike other factions, Chu Fengzhu wasn’t here for profit; he was simply intrigued.

He wanted to cultivate the plant in his own backyard, as part of his personal collection, to carefully study its unique properties.

Despite only being Yellow Level Four Star, it had never been seen before.

Lin Zhongtian, still clueless about what Chu was getting at, replied, “Of course, Brother Chu. Lin Family assures you there’s been no deception on our part.”

“Really?”

Chu Fengzhu shot him a cold smile.

The first time he saw that Round Wheat, he’d been shocked. Every aspect of it had exceeded his expectations, a complete transformation. His excitement had gotten the better of him, and he’d readily agreed to help the Lins – after all, the sect would just be gaining an apprentice, and it was no loss to them. But after numerous tests, he was somewhat disappointed.

This specimen’s quality wasn’t as great as he had hoped.

He’d seen the pills made from that day’s Lin family formula; they were tested, using base-level ingredients meant for three-star pills, yet they performed a tier above his own.

Not an alchemist himself, Chu Fengzhu didn’t immediately grasp the subtle quality differences. But the previous night, someone had sent him a new vial of pills.

Four-Star Homeostasis Powder, yet distinctly top-tier. It captivated him.

Compared to what he held in his hands, that Round Wheat suddenly seemed of much less value.

If he had agreed to this trade, he expected to receive the absolute best in the Spirit World.

His irritation grew.

He didn’t care who sent it, or their motives. Since the Lin family had agreed, they needed to fulfill his request.

Choosing this moment to push Lin Zhongtian, he intended to force his hand.

“Brother Chu!” Lin Zhongtian, feeling something was off, grew anxious. “Are you reneging on our agreement?”

Chu Fengzhu remained unfazed. “I always operate like this; it wouldn’t be the first time. If you can’t provide what I want, don’t expect your daughter to enter Su Ye Immortal Mountain.”

“You!”

The Lin family might’ve grown strong in recent years, but they were still no match for the Three Mountain.

As frustrated as he was, Lin Zhongtian had to swallow his anger and lower himself to continue negotiating.

But their odd exchange didn’t go unnoticed by others.

Just moments ago, everything had been cheerful, the atmosphere perfectly set for the announcement. Yet, with Su Ye Immortal Mountain’s Peak Master already on his feet, suddenly… nothing happened.

One of the guests from another noble family chimed in, raising his voice, “I heard Family Head Lin’s youngest daughter was going to join Su Ye Immortal Mountain’s sect leader! Such a powerful alliance! Will Family Head Lin share the details with us?”

Lin Qingshuang, seated nearby, was greeted by a few so-called “distinguished guests” who had joined her travels, and one of them teased, “Sister Shuang, you’re holding back on us! Such big news and you didn’t tell us?”

Chu Wei remained silent, giving her a glance.

No fool, he could tell this deal was about to fall through.

What a letdown. This trip to the Lin family had proven fruitless; neither he nor his uncle had obtained what they were most interested in.

Chu Fengzhu, losing his patience and assuming Lin Zhongtian was playing dumb, replied bluntly for all to hear, “The Lin family has such a profound heritage; they probably think we at Su Ye Immortal Mountain aren’t worth their time. This apprenticeship rumor… was just a misunderstanding.”

The words struck Lin Zhongtian’s face like a slap, and Lin Qingshuang’s expression soured too.

The room quieted, and then scattered laughter followed, full of mockery.

No matter how lavish this banquet, with such a joke, the Lin family’s careful plans crumbled.

Not to mention that in currying favor with Su Ye Immortal Mountain, they had offended the other two mountains – all for nothing.

Even Yin Miao, in his sour mood, chuckled quietly from his corner. Chu Fengzhu’s words had been loud enough for the whole room to hear, and the whispers and snickers were plentiful.

“Serves them right!” he muttered. “Haughty, pompous, thinking they’re something special!”

Yin Jiuxiao overheard. Unlike the onlookers, he knew far more of the inside story.

Could Lin Qinghen have done this?

Thinking about it lifted his spirits.

If it really was him, then this little “ugly duckling” wasn’t just a soft-hearted pushover. He had quite the calculating streak, waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a blow. The damage he’d caused the Lin family was… well, incalculable.

How… endearing.

Life’s twists and turns – you could never predict what would happen. But so far, he and Lin Qinghen had worked together like a perfect pair, each achieving what they wanted.

The past few days had been nothing short of fortuitous for Yin Jiuxiao, with every surprise coming at just the right time.

Meanwhile, Yu Yinyin quickly relayed the banquet’s happenings to Lin Qinghen through the butterfly she’d left behind.

After explaining, she heard the silence on his end and asked, “Qinghen, aren’t you happy about this?”

“It’s okay,” Lin Qinghen replied honestly. “I figured something like this would happen when I put my plan in place. Using my things to pander? The Lin family’s getting what they deserve, and my satisfaction’s already passed.”

He’d heard about the quirks of Su Ye Immortal Mountain’s leaders; Chu Wei and Chu Fengzhu, as uncle and nephew, were oddly similar in their obsessiveness.

The Peak Master shared Chu Wei’s disregard for consequences when it came to things he fancied. The Lin family’s Round Wheat wasn’t even close to his “best” standard, so the deal was bound to break.

Yu Yinyin sighed, feeling both guilt and pity for him. “I failed to protect you.”

That night, Lin Qinghen was due to marry in someone else’s place, and she still couldn’t break through the guards to get him out.

This embarrassing situation hadn’t loosened the watch on him.

“It’s not your fault. I’m not sad anymore,” Lin Qinghen replied. “It’s all about taking things step by step. Right now, I’m… thinking about Yin Jiuxiao.”

“What’re you thinking about him for?”

“I met him, and he surprised me. Honestly, he’s not a bad guy,” Lin Qinghen said. “I’ve been thinking about it all day, and now I feel like if I can’t avoid this, marrying him isn’t so terrible.”

After a pause, Lin Qinghen added, almost to himself, “You see, he’s so pitiful, speaks so softly, and he’s easy on the eyes. I’m not counting on him for anything; he’d be pleasant to have around, just to look at.”

Marrying him wouldn’t be so bad?

Yu Yinyin: “…”

Now it was her turn to be speechless.

After just one day, Lin Qinghen’s attitude had shifted entirely.

Ah, young people, young people…

They adapt to reality pretty quickly.