"Ah, Mister Xiao! There's no need to be like this! Just tell me slowly what happened."
"Then … Mister Zhong …?"
"Oh, right. Why don't you come in?" Madam Zhong motioned at the house behind her but Xiao Li tensed up.
"How could I do that? If Mister Zhong isn't satisfied with me, then I naturally can't just enter. I'll continue to kneel here until he forgives me."
"Alright then." Madam Zhong nodded. She was just happy that Xiao Li hadn't taken the sword himself and done something that couldn't be undone anymore.
She deliberated for a moment whether she should send Ma Tao inside to get Zhong Gang or go herself. She didn't want to leave Xiao Li to himself considering how agitated he seemed but Ma Tao probably didn't even know who he was so it would take even more time to explain to him so that he could tell Zhong Gang.
In the end, she just hoped that nothing would happen. "Mister Xiao, just wait here for a bit. I'll go and get Zhong Gang. He'll be here soon. I'm sure whatever happened can be cleared up."
Xiao Li gave his most sincere-looking nod before he continued to kneel and stare at the gate.
Madam Zhong hurried inside. The others were still sitting and eating or maybe it was more accurate to say that Zhong Gang was picking at his food while his wife was trying to coax their daughter into eating.
Yes, Guanyu had gone into a hunger strike because of the canceled wedding. She was sure that her parents would make every effort to find her lost fiance if they saw how utterly miserable she was. Well, she had never been in any danger. After all, her 'hunger strike' also involved frequent visits to the kitchen late in the night when she couldn't take it any longer or stuffing herself with snacks at the teahouse.
Still, everyone would feel better if this issue was finally dealt with.
"He came back."
Zhong Gang was the only one who looked up from the table. "Who?"
"Xiao Li. Guanyu's fiance."
"Ah?" All three of them leaped to their feet. Zhong Gang's dishes even fell to the floor thanks to his hasty movement.
Madam Zhong nodded and gave a smile. "He's kneeling in front of the gate and wants to speak to you, Ah Gang."
"Kneeling in front of the gate?" Zhong Gang fell silent and sat down again in a daze before slapping the table. "Well, he better kneel down! What was he thinking not appearing at the wedding?! We invited so many people!"
"Auntie! Did he say that he still wants to marry me?" Guanyu hurried over, that strike or whatever completely forgotten. She only wanted to know what would happen to the wedding. Would there still be one? It couldn't be that she would be unlucky once again, could it?
Madam Zhong patted her hand. "He didn't say that but it seemed like things aren't so simple. We should go and have a talk with him. Ask him to come in first. There's certainly a good explanation. Having him kneel in front of the gate isn't right."
"Hmph." Zhong Gang stood up and turned to his wife and daughter. "I'll go and speak with him. The two of you wait inside." Then he turned around and strode outside.
Li Fang and Guanyu exchanged a look before hurrying after him. Madam Zhong sighed and followed the three of them. Thus Xiao Li and Ma Tao were soon faced with the whole family.
Guanyu's heart instantly leaped. What a handsome guy! He seemed even better-looking now than six days ago at the teahouse. She could probably forgive him for missing their wedding based alone on this. Well, that would naturally only count if he still married her now.
While Guanyu was already appeased just by looking at Xiao Li's face Zhong Gang had mixed feelings about this. They had tried to trick this guy into marrying his daughter and it had seemed as if he was a good choice but then he somehow didn't turn up for the wedding, embarrassing them gravely.
He had been angry but also felt that maybe it was a good thing. After all, how would a wedding that was based on such a ploy turn out? He also didn't want for his daughter to be trapped in a bitter marriage.
But now this guy had unexpectedly come back. So did this mean he really wanted to marry Guanyu? But then why had he missed the wedding? It really seemed that there was more to it.
Zhong Gang frowned. He had to get to the bottom of this! "What is the meaning of this?"
Xiao Li took great care to look depressed. "Mister Zhong, I've already waited for five days. Is it that I did something wrong? Or is it that you just can't accept me as your son-in-law?"
Zhong Gang frowned even more. "What five days?"
Xiao Li looked perplexed and then turned to Ma Tao whose face had already lost all color. He had already understood that this was most likely once again not what he had expected it to be.
"That brother, didn't you say five days ago that Mister Zhong didn't want to see me?"
"Ah? I … I never said anything like that!" Ma Tao clenched his fists. He couldn't do anything else but deny everything. This guy didn't have any witnesses. What could he do? "Don't accuse people randomly!"
Unfortunately for him, Xiao Li was still the better actor. Contrary to Ma Tao who got loud after being accused he instead fell silent and had a contemplative expression on his face. "Is that so?" he mumbled and seemed even more depressed than before. Then, he looked up at the Zhongs.
"I am sorry! It seems it's all Xiao Li's fault! I misunderstood and made Miss Zhong wait. I even made her miss out on what should have been the most beautiful day of her life! There really isn't anything I can say in my defense. If it will calm the anger in your heart, then please strike me down right here on the spot!"
Once again, dying was brought up. It seemed a righteous cultivator really wasn't afraid of being pierced by a sword.
Faced with such a determined fellow Zhong Gang didn't believe for one moment that this was Xiao Li's fault. Just as the half-demon had planned all blame fell on Ma Tao's head.
"Mister Xiao, seeing that it's a misunderstanding there's no need for something like this. We're going to be family after all."
Xiao Li looked up, his gaze seemingly coincidentally stopping at Guanyu. "So … Does that mean Miss Zhong is still willing to have me as her husband?"
Guanyu beamed and wanted to answer but her father luckily got the drop on her. "Naturally, my daughter still wants to marry you! In fact, why not hold the wedding right this afternoon? We had hoped you'd come again so the preparations were all made. We were just missing the groom."
"This truly must be the result of the good karma I collected in all my previous lives!" Xiao Li went so far as to kowtow in front of this human family. He felt bitter inside but he forced himself to endure. As long as he fulfilled this task he would get his place in the demon realm. For that result, everything was worth it.
One really had to say that as a demon who was doing a task based on lies and deceit he really had a lot of trust in his king. Well, that was probably the advantage of being handsome. People were less likely to doubt your words.