Ruan Tang hesitated, wanting to say more but holding back. There was something she hadn’t mentioned. The message from her parents over the phone had been clear: they were coming to discuss marriage with their future son-in-law. Although she had firmly refused to discuss it with them.
The night was as cool as water.
At ten o’clock, Xu Lai couldn’t stand Ruan Lan’s incessant fawning and whining any longer, so he went to the kitchen to make her a late-night snack. His sister-in-law was just too annoying.
After quickly cooking a bowl of noodles, Xu Lai returned to his room to rest, while Ruan Tang texted her best friend, Luo Chu, to let her know that Qian Xiao was sleeping safely at her house.
Once that was done, she propped her chin on her hand and watched her younger sister wolfing down the food. Resting a hand on her forehead, she sighed, "Honestly. Can’t you be a little more ladylike when you eat?"
"You have the nerve to lecture me?" Ruan Lan pouted. "At every meal, aren’t you the one who eats the most?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Ruan Tang’s face flushed as she shot her sister a glare.
Ruan Lan wasn’t annoyed. After filling her stomach, she let out a long, contented sigh. "Sis, remember to come watch the competition in a couple of days. Lu An and I have mastered a few killer moves. When we face the Xiao Yu and Xiao Ling sisters, we’ll definitely slay their dragon!"
Before Ruan Tang could reply, Ruan Lan continued on her own, "The only weird thing is Ke Ji. I don’t know why he keeps hanging around our Go club. He just stares at Lu An with this intense look in his eyes... it’s really creepy."
"Sis, what do you think I should wear on the day I win the championship?"
Ruan Lan prattled on, but when she turned to ask for an opinion, the living room was empty. Her older sister had quietly slipped away at some point.
「The next morning came in a flash.」
At the foot of Mount Haitang, a man and a woman gazed fervently up at Haitang Court on the peak. The middle-aged man wore a suit, while the woman beside him was in an evening gown. Both were dressed with extreme formality.
However, to passersby and tourists heading to the beach, they looked slightly comical. After all, they weren’t attending some grand banquet. Weren’t they hot in those clothes?
Truth be told, they were indeed quite hot.
But Zhu Fen, though excited, was also hesitant. "Yinshan, I really don’t think these outfits are appropriate."
"How are they not appropriate?" Ruan Yinshan chuckled. "They’re so grand!"
Zhu Fen’s worries subsided. "That’s true."
The two outfits were expensive, having cost them twenty to thirty thousand, but they’d never had a chance to wear them.
"Still, Haitang Court is registered in our daughter’s name. Xu Lai must be incredibly rich to spend five hundred million... He’s so generous!" Zhu Fen said with delight. "We need to get Ruan Tang married to Xu Lai as soon as possible. We can ask for a bride price of eighty to a hundred million. We can’t let a prize catch like him get away."
Ruan Yinshan was thinking the same thing. Relying on the Ruan Family only brought him daily frustration; it was far better to rely on his future son-in-law. Becoming a member of the upper echelon and stepping into the true elite class was just around the corner!
When they reached the security booth, Zhu Fen ordered imperiously, "I’m Ruan Tang’s mother. Arrange for a car to take us to Haitang Court immediately."
Walking to the mountaintop would take at least an hour. Dressed so heavily on a hot day, they’d be exhausted. Zhu Fen’s entitled tone made the four security guards look at her like she was an idiot.
"Didn’t you hear me?" Zhu Fen scolded. "My daughter lives in Haitang Court. We’re here to visit family. You’d better be careful, or I’ll file a complaint against all of you."
"Last time, some old man named Ruan Su showed up with another old man and an old woman, planning to commit theft as a group. He even claimed to be the Haitang Court owner’s grandfather," one of the guards said, eyeing them sideways. "And who are you supposed to be?"
"..."
Ruan Yinshan and Zhu Fen exchanged a look. They were, of course, aware of that incident. Their father and eldest brother’s family had been beaten black and blue and dragged to the police station. They had been so ashamed they didn’t dare leave the house for a long time.
Fearing a similar embarrassing blunder, Zhu Fen quickly called Ruan Tang to come down and get them.
Soon, Ruan Tang drove her BMW 3 Series down the mountain. After her parents got in the car, she shot the security guards a smug look.
Once they arrived at Haitang Court, Qian Xiao and Xu Yiyi were still lazing in bed, but Xu Lai and Ruan Lan were already awake.
Seeing her parents’ extravagant attire, Ruan Lan had a headache. "Dad, Mom, aren’t you hot?"
"It’s hot, but we can’t lose face!" Ruan Yinshan huffed.
He and his wife, Zhu Fen, looked left and right, unable to hide the joy in their eyes. It was truly deserving of its title as East Sea’s number one Tower King.
This scenery.
This interior design.
It was simply perfect!
"Dad, Mom, have some tea," Ruan Tang said, having simply brewed some for them.
Ruan Yinshan took a sip and frowned. "Ruan Tang, what kind of tea is this? It’s terrible. It’s not even as good as the tea my friend gave me."
Xu Lai remained silent. This tea came from the Hongmeng Tea Tree, and every single leaf was enough to drive the Cultivators of the Immortal Domain mad with desire. It could enhance one’s Cultivation Level without any side effects and facilitate the comprehension of grand principles. It was, undoubtedly, a priceless treasure! But he said nothing, even motioning for Ruan Tang, who was about to speak, to stay quiet.
At that moment, Zhu Fen scrutinized Xu Lai and said in a measured tone, "Xiao Xu, we met once at the Ruan Family’s home. We’ve come today mainly to discuss something with you."
"Oh?" Xu Lai raised an eyebrow. What could they possibly want to discuss with him?
"Before, Yinshan and I didn’t know you well, so there were some misunderstandings," Zhu Fen said seriously. "But now..."
She ran her hand over the genuine leather sofa she was sitting on and glanced around the spacious living room before breaking into a wide smile. "I think you and my eldest daughter are very well-suited for each other. We came specially today to discuss wedding matters, like the bride price and so on."
Wedding matters!?
Xu Lai was taken aback. Ruan Lan was stunned as well. Only Ruan Tang’s expression changed slightly. She had repeatedly warned her parents on the way up not to mention the wedding. Why did they bring it up?
She whispered urgently, "Mom!"
"You be quiet," Zhu Fen snapped, glaring at her. "I’m doing this for your own good!"
Ruan Tang fell silent. For my own good? No, it’s for their own good.
Ruan Lan was much more direct. She sneered, "Dad, Mom, you can stop the act. You’re just thinking about the wedding so you can ask my brother-in-law for money, aren’t you?"
"Insolent girl! Is that any way to speak to your mother?" Ruan Yinshan, his true intentions exposed, flew into a rage. "And what do you mean, ’ask for money’? It’s the bride price! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to raise you and your sister? I devoted my entire life to it!"
Ruan Lan rolled her eyes. Her father held a minor, do-nothing position in the Ruan Family’s company, idling his life away while obsessing over his perpetually losing stocks. What kind of upbringing was that?
Zhu Fen kicked her husband and coughed. "I’m also doing this for Ruan Tang and Xu Lai’s sake. Yiyi is already five. It’s not right for them to lack official status."
Xu Lai understood now. He couldn’t help but smile. "Then, what do Uncle and Auntie feel is an appropriate bride price?"
Zhu Fen was overjoyed, her eyes practically turning into money symbols. "When the grandson of Zhou Heng from the Zhou Family got married, the bride price was three million, plus a house in the city center. And that boy and Ruan Tang have never gotten along." Updates are released by N()velFire.net
"Alright." Xu Lai nodded and held up five fingers.
"Five hundred thousand?" Zhu Fen’s face fell. Just as she was about to lash out, Xu Lai shook his head.
"Five million?" Ruan Yinshan’s expression eased slightly, but he still looked displeased. That’s too little. So stingy!
Xu Lai shook his head again.
"Fifty million!?" Zhu Fen couldn’t hide the delight on her face and excitedly grabbed her husband’s arm.
Still, Xu Lai shook his head.
How could the wife of me, the Supreme Emperor Xu Lai, be so cheap?
Talking about money is just too vulgar.
So, Xu Lai began, "Five hundred million star..."
Ruan Lan, shocked, interrupted him. "Five hundred million?"
HISS!
Ruan Yinshan tumbled right off the sofa, sucking in a sharp breath. He was indeed a prize son-in-law, so incredibly wealthy!
Zhu Fen was dumbfounded. "F-f-five... five hundred million?"
"..."
Xu Lai was completely confused. "No, not five hundred million yuan. It’s five hundred million star..."
"Five hundred million it is!" Fearing Xu Lai would take it back, Zhu Fen grabbed her husband and dragged him towards the door, shouting over her shoulder, "You two aren’t getting married until I see that money!"
Ruan Yinshan and Zhu Fen descended the mountain, ecstatic. They felt they had hit the jackpot.
Xu Lai, however, was left with a bit of a headache. The bride price he had intended was five hundred million star systems, each from a tenth-level civilization...
But people have their own ambitions, and you can’t force things. Since his cheap father- and mother-in-law preferred money, he would give them money.
"I’m sorry." In a rare gesture, Ruan Tang took the initiative to hold Xu Lai’s hand. "But please don’t listen to them," she said apologetically. "I’d marry you even if you had no money."
"So you’ve agreed to marry me?" Xu Lai raised an eyebrow.
"That’s not what I meant," Ruan Tang explained hastily. "I mean, even if we do get married in the future, you don’t need to pay a bride price."
"So, you still want to marry me." Xu Lai mused. "Women... they always say they won’t get married, but what they’re really thinking is..."
Before Xu Lai could finish, Ruan Tang’s face darkened and she stomped on his foot. "Shut up! If you dare spout any more nonsense, I’ll castrate you!"
What she clearly meant was— even if! Even if they really did end up together in the future, there was no way they could accept a bride price of five hundred million. It was just too absurd.
"..." Xu Lai wisely shut his mouth.
"Sis, I think the real question you should be asking is whether brother-in-law has a secret stash of cash." Ruan Lan went straight for the jugular. "Five hundred million is a massive amount of money."
Ruan Tang was speechless.
Xu Lai was speechless.
「Meanwhile.」
Outside the East Sea City Martial Dao Association, a white-haired old woman stood with a joyous expression on her face. A full ten years had passed. She, the Flower Fairy, was finally out of seclusion!
And so, the moment she was out, she came to the association to find her old acquaintances.
But as soon as she stepped through the door, many Martial Artists who recognized her hesitated for a moment before their faces filled with shock. They all performed a formal Martial Dao salute.
"We pay our respects to Senior Flower Fairy!"
"We pay our respects to Senior Flower Fairy!"
The respectful cries rose and fell, tinged with an undercurrent of fervor.
The Flower Fairy was a little confused. She had been in seclusion for ten years. How could so many people still remember her? Even teenage Martial Artists were looking at her with expressions of pure adoration...
But the Flower Fairy didn’t dwell on it, simply nodding with a smile.
As she entered the inner sanctum of the Martial Dao Association, the crowd of Martial Artists outside erupted with excitement.
"I finally got to see a Divine Gate Realm powerhouse with my own eyes!"
"The Divine Gate Realm is so terrifying! Just one glance from Senior Flower Fairy made my whole body tremble."
"Hahaha! Our Hua Country has the Flower Fairy! What great fortune!"
Who? Divine Gate Realm!?
The Flower Fairy, whose Boundary had actually fallen to the middle stage of the Ninth Grade, was utterly bewildered.