Chapter 4: Arranged Marriage by the Finger

"Sir, are you referring to the prestigious Lu family?" Shen Mingqiu confirmed hesitantly

Isn't this rather inappropriate? Su Lanyue's expression changed slightly as she blurted out.

Shilan only felt a wave of warmth coming from above her head, as the damp and cold hair that had clumped together became dry and smooth within a few breaths

"Wait a moment, did you go to see Xu Yuanbo again a few days ago?"

Seeing that Shi Lan had remained silent, Su Lanyue lightly pinched her brow, feeling a bit of a headache, and weakly waved her hand, saying: "Forget it, you may return first."

Shen Mingqiu's palm tightened, and her expression showed a hint of surprise

"In the future, dry your hair before coming out. The evening wind is strong, so be careful not to catch a cold," Shi Tianlu said lightly as he stepped away from the Yishui Hall

Due to Shi Lan being a natural waste body, Shen Mingqiu's status in the Shi residence is subtly trending towards being on par with Su Lanyue.

"The engagement was arranged by our families before A Lan was born, and later I forgot to mention it to you," Shi Tianlu said casually

The Xu family is engaged in business, including inns, rice shops, silk stores, and so on, covering various aspects of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, and they possess considerable wealth

By a stroke of chance, Shi Lan crossed paths with Xu Yuanbai, and this somewhat naive girl found herself drawn in

Shi Lan tightened the string, still keeping her head down, her ears perked up, listening carefully

In addition to her parents, there sat at the table a stunning woman of similar age to Su Lanyue, along with two young men who were not much older than her.

Not long after Shen Mingqiu gave birth to Shi Lan in that year, she had a son, who was Shi Lan's second younger brother, Shi Yiming. Within two years, she gave birth to Shi Lan's third younger brother, named Shi Qinghu. Subsequently, with the favor of having sons, her status in the Shi family rose significantly.

Shi Lan came to his senses, bowed in greeting, and did not speak due to the consideration of the silent meditation.

Shi Lan has been protected too well by others, and coupled with her somewhat timid nature, she has had limited contact with men from the outside world

The side hall was not lit, somewhat dim, empty of any presence, and very quiet

The status of the Lu family in Jiuxiao City is no different from that of the Shi family in Tenglong City, yet Jiuxiao City is three to four times larger than Tenglong City, and it is filled with experts, making the disparity between the two as vast as that between clouds and mud

Shi Tianlu shook his head, stood up, and said, "No need to say more, we can discuss it when they come to visit." After speaking, he cast a meaningful glance at Shi Lan, who was engrossed in her meal, and raised his hand to stroke Shi Lan's damp long hair.

Sister, please take your time; I shall take my leave first. Shen Mingqiu's gaze flickered as she stood up, performed a bow, and gracefully departed

Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu stood up and returned the greeting in a very proper manner

Shen Mingqiu glanced at Shi Lan and chuckled softly, saying, "Ah Lan, your physique is rather too frail, almost comparable to that of a young lady."

Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu exchanged a glance, both perceiving the shock reflected in each other's eyes

Shi Lan felt a stir in her heart; the attitude of Shi Tianlu was quite different from what she had imagined

The beloved jewel of the head of the Lu family, the overlord of Jiuxiao City

As Shi Lan was about to turn and leave, he was called back by Su Lan Yue.

Originally, Shilan was indeed a girl, and there were always times when a young girl harbored romantic feelings; Xu Yuanbai was her dream lover.

"My lord, which member of the Lu family did you marry into back then?" Su Lanyue asked with a hint of apprehension

Lu Changfeng has only one daughter, and that is Lu Yueqing. You should be familiar with her name, right

A trace of disappointment flashed in Su Lan's eyes; this soft and gentle disposition, she did not know whom it had been inherited from

Su Lan's expression remained unchanged, yet her heart sank

After the meal, Shen Mingqiu put down his chopsticks and said softly: "Not to mention Yiming, even Qinghu has already taken two concubines. A Lan is not young this year, yet she does not even have a maid by her side. This is ultimately not very appropriate, and there are some unpleasant rumors circulating outside."

After the maid left, Su Lanyue nudged the still-bowed Shi Lan, "Stop eating and come with me." She then stood up and entered the side hall

The proud daughter of heaven, born with a useless body, engaged by arrangement, shouldn't it be time to break off the engagement now

Shi Tianlu patted the empty seat on his right and said softly, "Sit down and eat."

It is painful to think about, yet unfortunately she is now a woman. Upon reaching this thought, Shi Lan could not help but lower her head, a sense of melancholy reflected in her eyes

You may go down first," Su Lanyue waved her hand and instructed.

A congenital martial artist under the age of twenty

Shi Lan stood with his hands bound, remaining silent

After sorting through these surging memories, Shi Lan couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation

After Shi Tianlu had three sons, he devoted his efforts to cultivation and training successors, and no new lives were born in the backyard.

a stunning beauty that captivates the nation and the city

This is her biological mother, Su Lanyue, the matriarch of the Shi family

Su Lanyue's expression also changed slightly. After regaining her composure, she smiled and said, "How come I had no idea about this?"

Sulanyue sat down on the chair, took a deep breath, and said, "What do you think about this matter?"

The current head of the Lu family is Lu Changfeng

The two brothers, Shi Yiming and Shi Yiming, also stood up to take their leave, leaving only Su Lanyue, Shi Lan, and a group of maidservants in the hall

Shilan sat stiffly in the chair, burying his head in his meal. Having previously stuffed himself with quite a bit of dry food, after taking two bites, he found himself unable to eat any more

Xu Yuanbai's aptitude for cultivation is mediocre, and he himself is disinterested in martial arts, so he began to dabble in literature and ink, thus earning a reputation as a talented scholar in Tenglong City

I initially arranged a betrothal for Shilan with the Lu family from Jiuxiao City, which is six hundred miles to the west. Calculating the days, they should be arriving at our door in the next couple of days

However, based on some details from memory, Xu Yuanbai does not seem to be a good person

The underlying reason is still the concern that prolonged exposure to these things may cause Shi Lan to reveal flaws in some details of daily life.

A trace of jealousy flashed simultaneously in the hearts of Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu. Shi Tianlu had never been so gentle with them before; he often directed his fists and feet at them.

As these halos combined, the image of a proud daughter of heaven emerged in Shilan's mind

After searching through her memories, Shi Lan found relevant information about Lu Yueqing

Two years ago, the Xu family did not possess such wealth; they only had an inn and a rice shop. The rapid development they experienced was largely due to the assistance of Shi Lan

"Not bad." Shi Tianlu nodded slightly

Originally, Shi Lan had no interest in martial arts, but she was quite fond of the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. However, Su Lan Yue never allowed her to study these subjects; apart from learning to read, she was strictly forbidden from engaging in chess, painting, or music.

The moment Xu Yuanbai's name echoed, memories surged in Shi Lan's mind, and a face with red lips and white teeth leaped into her consciousness, causing her heart to involuntarily begin to race

These are the remnants of the previous regime's reactions

Then, thirty years in the east of the river, thirty years in the west of the river

Shi Lan nearly choked on the food in her mouth, feeling somewhat flustered, as the question of whether her identity was exposed was a matter concerning her life.

This child is becoming more and more backward, unable even to call for help.

The woman in question is the concubine named Shen Mingqiu, who was pregnant at the same time as Su Lanyue back in those years

Elder brother

"What are you standing there for? Sit down and eat, I've been waiting for you." A beautiful woman in her thirties on the left side of Shi Tianlu greeted with a smile.

Shi Lan's complexion became somewhat strange; with the waste material's annulment of engagement, coupled with the system, if she were not currently in a female form, she would undoubtedly fit the male protagonist template

Su Lanyue's smile on her face slightly stiffened, yet she did not say much more

The dining table was very quiet, with only the faint sound of bowls and chopsticks clinking.

The foremost genius within a radius of one thousand miles of Jiuxiao City