Chapter 3: You're Marrying Me?

“Ah!!”

Xiao Loxi let out a startled cry, leaping backward like a startled rabbit, her hand pressing against the tingling lips that had been kissed. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock, a blush spreading rapidly from her snowy cheeks down to her neck: “You… you… you stole a kiss from me again!!”

“You always react like this.”

Though clearly in the wrong, Xiao Che wore an expression of innocent heartbreak: “When we were little, you loved playing kissy-face with me. Now, every time I kiss you, you act like you’ve been terrified.”

“You—you—you knew that was when we were kids!!” Xiao Loxi’s face grew redder by the moment: “We’re adults now! We can’t just go around kissing like that! You—you’re about to get married soon. After that, you can only kiss your wife!”

“Why…?”

“Because I’m your aunt!!” Xiao Loxi stomped her foot in anger.

“Then… how do I stop wanting to kiss you?” Xiao Che tapped his chin, smiling warmly. The adorable, sweet 15-year-old girl in front of him showed no trace of the “aunt” authority she usually commanded.

“Hmph… then marry me!” Xiao Loxi flipped her nose up, scolding with a pout.

“Hey! You’re my aunt—how could you possibly marry me…” Xiao Che’s voice dropped lower, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Daring to steal kisses again! If you dare do it once more, I’ll tell your future bride, Xiao Qingyue, and let her deal with you, huff huff!” Xiao Loxi arched her head proudly, smirking at him.

At that moment, Xiao Hong’s voice echoed from outside: “Master Xiao, are you ready? It’s time to go welcome the bride at Xia’s house.”

“Yes, I’ll head out right away.” Xiao Che glanced at his outfit, preparing to leave. After taking two steps, he was halted by Xiao Loxi’s grip on his arm, her expression serious: “Xiao Che! Before you go escort the bride-to-be, repeat the agreement we made yesterday—no mistakes, not even a single character. Otherwise, you can’t leave.”

The agreement from yesterday? Xiao Che thought it over, sighing with a touch of resignation: “Very well… after marrying Xia Qingyue, you must never forget your aunt, never reduce the time spent with me, and whenever I call, you must respond just as before… I don’t think I missed a single character, did I?”

“Hehe, that’s a good boy.” Xiao Loxi flashed a charming smile, but still clung to Xiao Che’s hand: “Though I forgot to add one more thing yesterday… even though Xia Qingyue is now your wife, her place in your heart must never surpass mine! Repeat it fast—say it fast—say it now!”

Xiao Che glanced sideways at her, his gaze lingering on her beautiful eyes: “If you kiss me once more, I’ll agree.”

“Then… you’ll marry me?”

“…” Xiao Che surrendered.

“Master Xiao, are you done yet?” The predetermined “auspicious time” had already passed, and Xiao Hong’s voice echoed again from the doorway.

Xiao Che’s hand rested on the door, but he didn’t open it immediately. Instead, he whispered softly: “I can’t agree to this, Auntie… because in my heart, you hold a place no matter how many Xia Qingyues there are. I won’t let her take that spot from you.”

His voice fading, he finally pushed the door open and stepped out.

Xiao Loxi stood frozen for a moment, then a mischievous smile tugged at her lips, her expression brightening like a girl who’d just found the sweetest candy. She bounced on her heels and followed him out.

Xiao Che emerged from the door, his wedding procession—impressive as it was—waiting outside. Xiao Hong greeted him with a warm smile: “Master Xiao, please mount up. On the way to the wedding, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you… Of course, on such a joyous day, there should only be blessings, no misfortunes. Old Xiao doesn’t need to worry.”

“Hong Er, thank you.” Xiao Che nodded, offering a slight smile before climbing onto the horse.

At that moment, a friendly voice came from the left:

“Looks like you arrived just in time. Brother Xiao, are you heading to the wedding? Congratulations!”

Xiao Che furrowed his brow, then turned to see two young men approaching. The speaker, in his twenties with a refined appearance, had a bright, spring-like smile. Behind him, a slightly younger man with a lean frame followed closely.

Seeing them, Xiao Che smiled: “It’s you, Xiao Yu Long and Xiao Yang. You came all this way to see me off?”

Xiao Yu Long, the twenty-year-old son of Xiao Yunhai, the current abbot of the Xiao sect, was the most outstanding among the young generation. His cultivation had reached the third level of the Yuanling realm, a source of pride for his grandfather and a person of great expectations within the sect. Yet he bore no trace of arrogance, greeting everyone with kindness—even Xiao Che, his crippled younger brother, with warmth and respect, often showing concern for his brother’s damaged meridians.

Xiao Che had always held him in high regard, with deep affection and gratitude—though that was before today.

Xiao Yu Long’s companion was no ordinary Xiao disciple but the youngest grandson of the second abbot, Xiao Yang. At nineteen, in the ninth level of the Xiao cultivation, he’d grown up shadowing Xiao Yu Long, following his every step. Unlike Xiao Yu Long, however, Xiao Yang looked down on Xiao Che, dismissing him with contempt. When Xiao Che occasionally greeted him, Xiao Yang would either ignore him entirely or offer a disdainful huff.

As a disciple of an abbot, Xiao Che had his own quarters and a private courtyard, rarely visited except by his grandfather, Xiao Di, and his aunt, Xiao Loxi, and his only close friend. Today, however, Xiao Yu Long and Xiao Yang came uninvited, perhaps simply to bid him farewell.

“Haha, of course.” Xiao Yu Long laughed warmly, approaching him: “The bride you’re about to marry is the most precious jewel in our Flow Cloud City—and not just for our Xiao sect, but for the entire city. To have won such a treasure, I, as your elder brother, am truly proud and envious. Though I must admit, I’m a bit ashamed too, haha!”

Xiao Che smiled: “Brother Xiao, you’re flattering me. With someone of your caliber, you could choose any outstanding woman in Flow Cloud City.”

“We should leave now, Master.” Xiao Hong reminded him.

“Brother Xiao, go quickly. We await your bringing our city’s jewel home.” Xiao Yu Long said with a smile.

Xiao Che nodded, settling onto the horse. The wedding procession departed the courtyard, marching toward Xia’s house to the sound of gongs and drums.

The moment Xiao Che’s figure disappeared from view, Xiao Yu Long’s smile froze, his expression darkening instantly. He turned sharply and struck Xiao Yang across the face with a hard slap.

“Fool!”

Xiao Yang was sent sprawling, his face swelling. He scrambled to his knees at Xiao Yu Long’s feet, trembling: “I… I already planted the *Shi Xin* poison in him! The news about his sudden collapse was true… I… I don’t know how it happened!”

“Hmph!” Xiao Yu Long’s eyebrows twisted in fury: “I paid a fortune for this poison—something even Shi Tuo Yuan couldn’t uncover. And you ruined it! Do you want to watch Xia Qingyue marry that useless brat?!”

“Elder brother, he’s only just left. On the wedding road, we have plenty of opportunities… Though we can’t intervene directly, we can certainly stir up trouble for the Wu family and the Duke’s sons. They’ve all coveted Xia Qingyue. If we nudge them, and have them act together, they’ll surely…”

“If it were that simple, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to obtain the *Shi Xin* poison!” Xiao Yu Long cut him off coldly: “Xiao Che may be a failure, but his grandfather, Xiao Di, is a tenth-level cultivator in the Spiritual Divination realm—unmatched in Flow Cloud City. Who would dare challenge him? Xia Qingyue’s father has never objected to this marriage. Daring to cause a scene would offend both Xiao Di and the Xia family. Even if Wu family or the Duke’s sons tried, their families would intervene fiercely. And you didn’t see Xiao Hong personally escorting him? With him there, who could cause a ruckus?”

As he spoke, his clenched fists snapped with the sound of misaligned bones. The first time he’d seen Xia Qingyue, he’d been utterly stunned. Ever since, he’d vowed to spend the rest of his life making her his.

But now, she was about to marry Xiao Che—the most despised scion of the Xiao sect. How could he bear it?!

“Elder brother, perhaps you don’t need to worry so much.” Xiao Yang glanced at his brother’s face, speaking carefully: “Think about it—Xia Qingyue’s temperament, none of the top beauties in Flow Cloud City even bother to look at her. Could she possibly like Xiao Che? She agreed to marry him simply because of a promise made sixteen years ago. I’m sure she won’t even let him touch her finger after the wedding. Once she’s in our Xiao sect, the elder brother and she will have more opportunities to interact. With your looks and talent, and Xiao Che’s failure, over time, she might eventually be swayed. Then…”

Hearing Xiao Yang’s words, Xiao Yu Long’s face gradually relaxed, his long eyes slowly narrowing. He pointed at his nose and murmured: “You’re right… there’s no need to kill that failure. It might actually be a good thing.”

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