Cheng Jinyang is feeling somewhat melancholic.
So, is Sister Xinnan actually Sima Xingnan? Damn it, she's not even a member of the Cheng family of Shendu, why did she deceive me?
But then again, if she's neither my distant cousin nor related to me by blood, right?
With these thoughts, Cheng Jinyang felt somewhat lost for a moment, unsure whether to be elated or indifferent.
Soon it was his turn to appear, and after the broadcast called his name three times in a row, he hurriedly ran out from the preparation area.
As soon as he arrived at the testing site, he immediately became the center of attention for the audience.
The reason why ordinary guests paid attention to him was because the broadcast had just called his name three times in a row.
To lose focus during the crucial evaluation phase, equivalent to the civilian's college entrance examination, this commoner-born candidate was indeed interesting; I wonder how the Cheng family of Shendu will deal with him.
On the Xing family's stand, Xing Yuanzhi's face was almost frostbitten:
Cheng Jinyang, what's wrong with you? Don't embarrass me in public!
On the Wang family's stand, Cui Jinqi from Qinghe, who was sitting next to Wang Wanrou, was munching on melon seeds and chatting with her.
Wang Xinzhi sat silently behind them, looking bored and showing no intention of joining the conversation.
Cui Jinqi, among the younger generation of the Cui family in Qinghe, is quite a renowned young lady.
She's intelligent, quick-witted, and possesses exquisite beauty, almost on par with his younger sister Wang Wanrou in terms of looks.
However, her excessively bad temperament, habit of using deceptive language to tease others, and deriving pleasure from watching others in embarrassing situations have led to a slightly lower reputation compared to Wang Wanrou.
Nevertheless, she seems unperturbed by this and maintains a close relationship with Wang Wanrou, almost being her only confidante among the women of the family.
Elders in the family often tease Wang Xinzhi, saying, "Why don't you just marry her? Since you have your sister to protect you, you won't be bullied by her."
However, Wang Xinzhi firmly rejects such suggestions. His preference in a partner leans towards someone like Xing Yuanzhi, who is serene and gentle, completely disregarding Cui Jinqi's quirky personality.
Unfortunately, Yuanzhi is already betrothed to someone else. His gaze fell upon Cheng Jinyang below, his eyes revealing a mix of disappointment, envy, and resignation, making his emotions quite complex.
On the Cheng family's side of the viewing platform, relatives have started discussing, showing disdain and contempt towards Cheng Jinyang.
After all, just this morning, Her Royal Highness Sima Xingnan had come to question them directly, openly threatening, "I've sent people to deliver a formal invitation via the main entrance. Are the Cheng family of Shendu willing to accept it?"
This was a blatant threat: if Shendu Cheng family still refused to accept Cheng Jinyang's return, then the long-missing Princess Nankang would send a formal invitation to the Cheng family from the main entrance in front of all the guests.
Especially on this day, when the Cheng family of Shendu was performing ancestral rites, this move undoubtedly broadcasted to all the aristocratic families in Jiankang City: the Shendu Cheng family and the royal Sima family share the same ancestor, the same origin; our two families have very close ties!
This was an extremely fatal blow to the Cheng family, which had been actively working to distance itself from the royal family in recent years.
Cheng Qingxin sensed the underlying threat and reluctantly agreed to let Cheng Jinyang participate in the clan test.
While others simply thought the patriarch succumbed to the princess's pressure, they felt it tarnished the Cheng family's reputation, further souring their impression of Cheng Jinyang.
"Under the gaze of everyone, this Ji Nu is unexpectedly so lazy, it's really disrespectful!" An old man exclaimed angrily.
"Cheng Qinghe was always headstrong, abandoning the family to elope with a woman. It's no wonder his son doesn't care about the family either, even being late for such an important matter!" A woman complained disdainfully.
"Ji Nu, Ji Nu, eat dirt on the ground!" A child mocked, clapping his hands.
The surrounding voices grew louder, and Cheng Yizhou felt a bit uneasy, as this scenario resembled something straight out of a martial arts novel: when the onlookers of the world unanimously despised someone, the next moment might be the young hero drawing his sword, stunning everyone and shaking their arrogance.
"Father," he couldn't help but glance at the patriarch Cheng Qingxin, "shouldn't we ask the clan members to restrain themselves, to avoid being embarrassed later?"
"Restrain? Why should we restrain?" Cheng Qingxin glanced at him indifferently, "Cheng Jinyang fails to win the crowd's approval, causing grievances among the clan members. Why should we act like villains to suppress them?"
"What if he performs exceptionally well later?" Cheng Yizhou countered.
Cheng Qingxin fell silent for a moment:
"If he truly shines, naturally everyone will have nothing to say. If the Cheng Family accepts him, what's the harm?"
Cheng Yizhou secretly sneered. Since his father spoke these words, it indicated that he still harbored some apprehension towards Cheng Jinyang.
In other prestigious families, for a talent who hadn't even reached twenty years of age to enter the ninth grade middle realm, they would eagerly recruit them into the family, fearing that they might waste a single moment outside and lessen their future achievements by a fraction.
He himself had been influenced by the family in his early years, mistakenly thinking that Cheng Jinyang was not truly of the Cheng family, and had no interest in this peer "Ji Nu."
Now that it was confirmed that the other party possessed the bloodline of Universal Gravitation, and had exceptional talent, he also harbored a sense of admiration for his talents.
But his father had deep concerns about this, making it clear that even if Cheng Jinyang truly returned to the family, he would try his best to keep him hidden away and not let him appear too much in public.
Regarding this, Cheng Yizhou could only sigh helplessly. After all, he was only the son of the patriarch, not the patriarch himself, and couldn't lead the entire Cheng Family to change their attitude towards Cheng Jinyang.
He stared at the figure standing in the center of the arena below.
Cheng Jinyang.
People have their bad reputation, just as jade has its flaws.
If you could truly emit the brilliance of the sun and moon, who would bother with the slight controversies behind you?
Meanwhile, deep in the Cheng Family's territory.
Once known as 'Sister Cheng Xinnan', now Princess Nankang, Sima Xingnan, sat calmly in the inner room, leisurely sipping tea, seemingly unaffected by the secret house arrest.
"You seem very confident in him," a voice sounded from outside the door.
"Oh, it's Yuexian." Princess Nankang glanced faintly at the newcomer and set down her teacup.
"What if Cheng Jinyang fails the aptitude test?" Cheng Yuexian stood outside the door, hands clasped in her sleeves, calmly inquiring.
"He will definitely pass," Princess Nankang smiled faintly.
"What might easily pass as a supernatural ability test for others might become impossible for him," Cheng Yuexian hinted.
Princess Nankang shook her head calmly and asked, "Do you know Xing Yuanzhi?"
"Xing family's Qingfeng, how could I not know?" Cheng Yuexian frowned slightly.
"His fiancée," Princess Nankang chuckled softly.
Cheng Yuexian was stunned at the mention and after a moment, her expression turned incredulous, her lips slightly parted:
"How is that possible?" she exclaimed in disbelief, "Yuanzhi... Yuanzhi, that aloof and proud girl, how could she agree to an engagement... with him?"
"Yes, it's the so called "Ji Nu" you all so readily discarded," Princess Nankang coldly sneered at her, her expression filled with undisguised mockery and satisfaction.
"Yet, he's the cherished fiancé in her eyes. Ha, since you're so close to the Xing family's Qingfeng, you should know her judgment surpasses yours tenfold."
"However much you disdain him, in the end, it's only bringing shame upon yourselves. Just wait and see, the truth will soon be revealed."