"Chanqing, do you know who these three people are?"
Xun'er, sitting beside Gu Changqing, slightly leaned her delicate body and asked softly.
"They are from the Yunlan Sect. If nothing goes wrong, they should be here to break the engagement."
Gu Changqing didn't hide anything, openly smiling as he spoke.
"Oh? You actually know that?"
Xun'er was somewhat surprised as she looked at Gu Changqing, not expecting her younger brother to have such skills in gathering intelligence.
"I also know that the young girl should be Nalan Yanran, who has an engagement with Xiao Yan. This isn't a secret in the Xiao family."
Gu Changqing added.
"You've gathered quite a bit of information. How do you know they are here to break the engagement? What if they are here to complete the marriage instead?"
Xun'er glanced at Gu Changqing and said.
"Who would want to marry someone with no character, no talent, and not even good looks?"
Gu Changqing spread his hands helplessly. He wasn't badmouthing Xiao Yan—this was simply the truth. Of course, three years ago, Xiao Yan did have talent.
"Pfft!"
Xun'er also smiled brightly, then glanced sympathetically at Nalan Yanran across the room.
If she had such a fiancé, she might have already had the urge to kill him.
"Ahem, Patriarch Xiao, I came here today to ask for a favor."
The white-robed elder, Ge Ye, unable to stand the awkward atmosphere, finally stood up, cupped his hands toward Xiao Zhan, and said.
"The main act is starting."
Gu Changqing smiled broadly, putting on a "spectator" look as he watched Ge Ye and Xiao Zhan, while also occasionally glancing at Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran's reactions.
At this moment, Nalan Yanran quietly clenched her small hands. A trace of tension and expectation appeared on her beautiful, jade-like face.
It was as if a girl, who had spent her entire childhood in the shadow of clouds, was finally seeing the dawn break through.
Even though it didn't happen to him, Gu Changqing could still understand Nalan Yanran's feelings.
It would be like if Xiao Yan had a fiancé who was fat, ugly, and had a terrible temper—he would have had enough long ago. With his personality from three years ago, he might have already found a way to break the engagement.
The key point is, Nalan Yanran only wanted freedom.
"Hehe, Mr. Ge Ye, please speak. If it's within our ability, the Xiao family won't refuse."
Xiao Zhan didn't dare to neglect the elder's request, immediately standing up and politely responding.
However, as the patriarch, he didn't give a definitive answer either.
"Hehe, Patriarch Xiao, do you recognize her?"
Ge Ye turned slightly, pointing to the beautiful girl beside him, and asked with a smile.
"Uh... forgive my poor eyesight, but this young lady..."
Xiao Zhan, always a man of great depth, pretended not to know, even though he had already guessed the visitors' identities last night and had reminded Xiao Yan.
"Ahem, her name is Nalan Yanran."
Ge Ye smiled lightly and said.
"Nalan Yanran? Nalan Yanran, the granddaughter of Old Master Nalan?"
Xiao Zhan first feigned surprise, then broke into a broad smile, enthusiastically addressing Nalan Yanran:
"So it's niece Nalan! It's been so many years since we last met. You must forgive your Uncle Xiao's poor eyesight."
"Uncle Xiao, it is I who should apologize for not visiting earlier. How could I dare blame you?"
Nalan Yanran smiled sweetly, maintaining a respectful and graceful demeanor, displaying the poise of a well-bred lady.
What followed was a series of warm exchanges between Xiao Zhan and Nalan Yanran.
Nalan Yanran responded attentively to each, her face always showing a proper smile, never neglecting Xiao Zhan.
It wasn't until Xiao Zhan mentioned that Nalan Yanran had been taken in as a disciple by Yun Yun that Ge Ye stepped in, laughing:
"Hehe, Patriarch Xiao, my request today concerns Yanran. It's something that the Sect Master herself has asked me to bring up."
Xiao Zhan, not being a fool, had already guessed what Ge Ye might say based on their behavior after arriving at the Xiao family. However, still holding onto a sliver of hope, his voice trembled slightly:
"Mr. Ge Ye, please speak."
"Ahem…"
Ge Ye's old face showed a hint of embarrassment, but considering Nalan Yanran's talent and her importance to Yunlan Sect, he composed himself, smiling as he said:
"Patriarch Xiao, as you know, Yunlan Sect has strict rules, and the Sect Master has high expectations for Yanran."
"Due to certain special regulations, before officially becoming the Sect Master, her disciple cannot be entangled with any man."
"The Sect Master's intention is to ask if Patriarch Xiao could annul the engagement."
Ge Ye didn't come to bully anyone with force. Instead, he respectfully asked Xiao Zhan to annul the engagement, rather than forcibly declaring it null and void.
But Xiao Zhan and his son were highly sensitive people who wouldn't care about etiquette but only about their own face and interests.
Upon hearing Nalan Yanran's request to annul the engagement, Xiao Zhan's face immediately darkened, his anger surging.
Ge Ye knew that this was a difficult request, but a forced relationship wouldn't end well. Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan were never suited for each other. From the perspective of his sect's reputation and interests, the engagement should have been annulled long ago.
With a sigh, Ge Ye said:
"Patriarch Xiao, I understand this is a difficult request, but please, on behalf of the Sect Master, annul the engagement."
Again, Ge Ye was asking for the engagement to be annulled, not declaring a one-sided breakup.
Boom!
Xiao Zhan responded by unleashing the force of a five-star Da Dou Shi. A faint green Dou Qi swirled around his head, forming the image of a lion's head.
Seeing Xiao Zhan's reaction, Ge Ye dared not slack off, immediately releasing the force of a seven-star Da Dou Shi, stepping in front of Nalan Yanran to protect her.
With both men's auras flaring, many of the young people in the hall felt their blood surge, their faces turning pale.
Only Gu Changqing and Xun'er remained calm, their expressions unperturbed.
"Qingdi, do you think Nalan Yanran's request to break the engagement is reasonable?"
Xun'er, looking at the tense standoff in the hall, turned her delicate face slightly and asked Gu Changqing.
"Sister Xun'er, you've misunderstood."
"Nalan Yanran came to ask Uncle Xiao to annul the engagement, not to one-sidedly declare a breakup. It's just that Uncle Xiao and the others are too sensitive. What could have been a peaceful annulment has turned into an insult in their minds."
Gu Changqing shook his head, having little faith in the Xiao father and son.
Ge Ye had already said it—he was asking Patriarch Xiao to annul the engagement, giving Xiao Zhan the chance to save face. He just had to say a few polite words, bring out the marriage contract, and peacefully break it off.
But Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan were overly sensitive and immediately saw it as an insult.
Do people of that status really need to go out of their way to insult you?
Well, now what wasn't meant as an insult had turned into one.