"So, tell me, what do you normally do?"
Xiao asked Li Lun as they walked along the halls of the Yun family mansion. It had been an hour since the family meeting. The first half-hour was spent calming down his mother, and then he had a talk with Li Kai, his future father-in-law. Li Kai had asked Xiao to spend some time talking with Li Lun, and Xiao agreed.
Now he walked alongside the shy Li Lun, who kept her gaze on the ground but occasionally stole peeks at him. Up until now, all he had received from her were nods whenever he spoke. Looking at the shy girl, Xiao couldn't believe she was the same girl he had heard about in the past.
'Sigh... experiences change any person...'
Xiao inwardly sighed as memories of his past experiences flashed through his mind. When he was young, he thought he was the only one suffering, that he was cursed. But as he grew older, he realized how naive his thoughts were.
He wasn't the only one suffering, and what he had experienced might not have been half as painful as what others went through. In fact, Xiao could be considered lucky because he got a second chance to right the wrongs he had done. Xiao was no saint, but in his previous life, he was definitely a devil.
If it wasn't for his second life and meeting his master, he might never have been able to let go of the weight and feelings that were buried deep in his heart. He might have become an empty shell of a human. At one point, he was like that, filled with disappointment and failure. But he had learned to overcome them because someone showed him the way.
And Li Lun would be the same in the future. Faced with difficulties one after another, her heart would be repeatedly broken. Sure, she would become an unfathomable expert, but at what cost? Xiao could vividly remember reading about how disastrous her life would be in the future.
With Xiao's current power, he would be completely helpless against it. Even if he wanted to help her, he was powerless. Intervening in a legacy selection might cost the life of the chosen one. All Xiao could do was support Li Lun from the side, just as his master had done for him. Maybe then, he could bring some light into the dark world she would soon face. Maybe then, he could repay a fraction of what he truly owed her.
"Xi-Xiao?" Li Lun murmured, bringing Xiao out of his deep thoughts. Unknowingly, Xiao had entered a trance, forgetting about the girl beside him. This caused Li Lun to look into his eyes for the first time, meeting his deep black eyes that shined with a hint of white. Li Lun seemed to enter a trance as she gazed into his eyes.
"Li Lun, are you okay?" Xiao waved his hand in front of Li Lun's face to snap her out of her trance. She blushed and looked away shyly. Xiao inwardly shook his head at her behavior, then smiled at her as he spoke.
"You know, if you always blush like this and turn away, it'll be hard for us to talk."
"I-I'm sorry. It's just that I'm a bit nervous."
"Nervous? Am I such a scary guy?"
Xiao spoke with a downcast look and a disappointed face. Seeing this, Li Lun panicked, waved her hands, and spoke with a higher volume.
"No! It's just that I'm nervous, and I thought that you wouldn't like me and-"
As Li Lun rambled on, the angry expression on Xiao's face disappeared, and a teasing smile appeared. Li Lun realized he was just teasing her and pouted as she stomped the ground and turned her face away. Xiao laughed and spoke.
"Okay, okay, calm down. I was just playing around. You don't have to take it to heart. Moreover, why would I be angry?"
Hearing Xiao's words, Li Lun hesitated for a moment. But as she looked into Xiao's calm black eyes, she gathered courage and spoke.
"Well, isn't being engaged to me humiliating for you? Aren't you angry?"
Li Lun asked, her face filled with tension. She wasn't an idiot; she knew her engagement was just a game, one in which she had no power to intervene. She could tell that her father, too, was distressed by what had happened, and he had tried to help her. But his power was useless in this situation.
To Li Lun, that hurt. Just like any other young girl her age, she dreamed of meeting her loving prince and being with him. But her fate was sealed, and she had no power to change it. So, she went along with it. Yet, she still had some curiosity about her "fiancé."
And from what she had heard, she got to know that he was called many names: genius, weird, bookworm, weird young master, and many more. But what struck her the most was that he would never tolerate anyone messing with his family.
There were countless times when he beat up other kids who dared to make fun of his sister. Even when punished and beaten, Xiao didn't give in. He made sure his sister was happy. Learning this, she understood that her so-called "fiancé" was protective of those he loved and cherished.
When she first met him, she was scared. Among the crowd, he was like a shining beacon, confident, calm, and resourceful. Contrary to her beliefs, he was calm, endearing, and respectful toward her. This confused her. So, she wanted to know why. Why wasn't he angry at her? Xiao became silent for a moment at her question. Silence filled the air. Finally, Xiao looked directly into Li Lun's eyes as he spoke.
"Why? Well, truthfully, I am angry and, moreover, disappointed in my family. But why should I be angry at you? Aren't you, like me, someone forced into this? Then why should I direct my anger at you? I am not such a person anymore. Moreover, I think you're a bit cute, so I don't mind being engaged to you."
"Cute?" Li Lun blushed when she heard Xiao's words. At the same time, her impression of him improved, and unknowingly, she began to relax her guard around him.