Ye Xun, standing by, watched as the Hunyuan Pill was delivered to Ye Ling's side, clenching her delicate fists secretly, then thought of what Duan Tianrao was about to say next, and all her emotions drained away.
Her face still wore that gentle smile.
"I wonder how Tangtang has been these past few days," Duan Tianrao's eyes flickered slightly, as if waiting for the right moment to speak.
Ye Ling didn't sense anything amiss, just sighed and said, "Her spiritual root is shattered, how could she be doing well? But that child is considerate, never showing any pain in front of me, truly heart-wrenching."
Saying this, Ye Ling couldn't help but look at Duan Tianrao and said, "Tianrao, you are Tangtang's fiancé, and you grew up together since childhood.
I believe if you spend more time with her, she should be able to relax a bit."
Duan Tianrao smiled but didn't agree to this.
Ye Xun, on the side, slightly lowered her head, and when Ye Ling wasn't paying attention, she tugged at Duan Tianrao's sleeve.
Duan Tianrao soothed her by patting her hand secretly.
At this moment, a slender figure slowly entered the front hall and bowed slightly to Ye Ling, who was seated above.
"Father."
As soon as Ye Ling saw Ye Qingtang's figure, his eyes couldn't help but show a trace of care.
"Tangtang, you haven't fully recovered yet, please sit down and talk."
Ye Qingtang, with a veil on her face, nodded obediently and sat directly next to Ye Ling, her eyes not even glancing at Duan Tianrao seated below.
Ye Ling didn't notice Ye Qingtang's indifference towards Duan Tianrao today, but just smiled and pointed to a pile of things on the table for Ye Qingtang to see.
"Tangtang, all of these are sent by Tianrao to nourish your body.
Tianrao has even sought out the Hunyuan Pill for you; he truly cares deeply for you."
Ye Qingtang's gaze swept over the mountain of tonics on the table, then she looked at Duan Tianrao sitting below, but her eyes were exceptionally indifferent, without any trace of a girl's coyness or gratitude.
"Thank you, young master Duan, for your trouble." Ye Qingtang spoke indifferently.
Duan Tianrao
All three people present were slightly stunned.
Usually, whenever Ye Qingtang saw Duan Tianrao, she would call him "Brother Duan" in a naive and charming manner.
Why was she so distant today?
Duan Tianrao frowned slightly, but thinking of the purpose of his visit today, he didn't mind.
Ye Ling only thought that Ye Qingtang was in a bad mood because her spiritual roots were broken, so he didn't take it to heart.
"In another half year, you will be sixteen.
I think it's time to bring up your marriage with Tianrao.
Once you're feeling better, I will discuss your marriage with Tianrao with the head of the Duan family, how about that?" Ye Ling didn't really want Ye Qingtang to get married so early, but with her spiritual roots broken, she would probably not be able to grow in martial arts in the future.
Now that the Ye family is under the control of the elder, even as the head of the family, he is virtually powerless.
It would be better to let Ye Qingtang marry Duan Tianrao sooner, and with Duan Tianrao's protection, he could feel more at ease.
As soon as Ye Ling said this, the expressions of the other three people present changed abruptly.
Especially Ye Xun, after hearing this, her body couldn't help but stiffen slightly, and a trace of stiffness appeared on Duan Tianrao's face.
Only Ye Qingtang, sitting upright in her chair, with her cold gaze, keenly noticed the abnormalities on Ye Xun's and Duan Tianrao's faces.
"Uncle Ye." Duan Tianrao suddenly stepped forward, "I came today for another matter, and I want to talk to Uncle Ye about it."
"Oh, what's the matter?" Ye Ling asked.
Duan Tianrao paused for a moment before saying, "The reason I came today, apart from visiting Tangtang, is also because my engagement with Tangtang, I'm afraid, cannot be fulfilled."
As soon as Duan Tianrao's words fell, Ye Ling's face, which was originally smiling, immediately darkened.
"Tianrao, what do you mean by that?"
Duan Tianrao took a deep breath and decided to be frank, "Tangtang and I have grown up together since childhood, and naturally, there is a bond between us, but my feelings for Tangtang are more like those of a brother and sister, without any romantic intentions.
Before coming here, I had already explained my thoughts to my father, and my father also believes that such matters cannot be forced.
Therefore, today I am here to break off the engagement with Tangtang."
"What?" Ye Ling slammed the table abruptly, his eyes glaring fiercely at Duan Tianrao.
"You want to break off the engagement with Tangtang? Do you know what you're saying?"
Ye Ling was truly furious.
The engagement between Duan Tianrao and Ye Qingtang had been set when they were still young, and this was known to everyone in the city of Lin.
Now, Duan Tianrao wanted to break off the engagement.
If this were to get out, wouldn't his daughter become the laughingstock of the entire city of Lin?
Duan Tianrao was resolute, looking at the furious Ye Ling, and still unyielding, he said, "Uncle Ye, a few days ago, my father has designated me as the next head of the Duan family.
I will inevitably become the head of the Duan family in the future, and my wife will also become the matriarch of the Duan family."
Saying this, Duan Tianrao immediately looked at Ye Qingtang, who was sitting beside Ye Ling with a veil on her face, a hint of disgust in his eyes.
"Tangtang has never been willing to show her true face, and her spiritual roots have been shattered.
In the future, she can only stop in the realm of martial arts.
As one of the three great families in Lin City, the Duan family's matriarch must have a sense of responsibility.
Now, Tangtang is probably not suitable."
Duan Tianrao's words were spoken with a facade of righteousness, but to Ye Ling's ears, they were piercing to the core.
"Duan Tianrao, do you even know what you're saying? Your engagement to Tangtang has long been settled, and now you actually want to break it off," Ye Ling glared at Duan Tianrao and scolded him.
Duan Tianrao lightly furrowed his brows and slightly raised his eyes as he spoke:
"Uncle Ye, it's true that Ye Qingtang and I have an engagement, but back then, when I got engaged to her, what was her spiritual root and what is it now? Uncle Ye, do you really want me to marry a woman who has neither spiritual roots nor beauty?"
Ye Ling was so angry that he trembled all over, never expecting Duan Tianrao to be such a person.
Duan Tianrao looked at the furious Ye Ling, showing no intention of changing his mind, and then turned to Ye Qingtang, who had been silent all along, and said:
"Tangtang, I ask myself, I have always been generous to you, but you should also consider my position.
Even earlier, when people in the city mocked you for being ugly and faceless, I never had the intention to retract the marriage.
But now that your spiritual roots are shattered, do you still want to force me to marry you? How am I supposed to explain that to the Duan family?"
"I can tolerate an ugly woman as my wife, but I cannot bring back a useless matriarch for the Duan family."
Duan Tianrao's words were heart-wrenching, and from beginning to end, what he valued was Ye Qingtang's spiritual roots.
When Ye Qingtang had a top-grade spiritual root, he could tolerate her ugliness, but now that Ye Qingtang's spirit was destroyed, why should he still endure?
Ye Ling stood up in anger, "Duan Tianrao, shut your mouth.
I was blind, I was the one who allowed you to get engaged to Tangtang back then, never expecting you to be such a person."
"Uncle Ye, you are also the head of a family.
Don't you think there's anything wrong with what I said?" Duan Tianrao had completely discarded his pretense at this point.
He had long learned from Ye Xun that the true power in the Ye family was held by the eldest elder of the Ye family, and Ye Ling was merely a figurehead as the family head.
"You..." Ye Ling was so angry that he trembled all over.
Ye Xun, standing by, couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corner of her mouth as she watched the scene.
She quickly hid that smile and stepped forward with a face full of concern, saying:
"Father, please calm down."
"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?" Ye Ling said.
Ye Xun gently glanced at the tall and upright Duan Tianrao, then said, "Young Master Duan also has his concerns.
As the heir to the Duan family, he naturally prioritizes the family's honor.
Please, Father, understand.
Tangtang is still young; she won't have trouble finding a good home in the future."
"What are you saying?" Ye Ling looked at his adopted daughter, whom he had raised himself, in disbelief.
He couldn't believe that at this moment, Ye Xun would actually speak in favor of Duan Tianrao.
Ye Xun looked at Ye Ling, who was furious, and then at Ye Qingtang, who had been silent all along.
She took out the Hunyuan Pill that Duan Tianrao had given her earlier and placed it in front of Ye Qingtang.
"Tangtang, Young Master Duan is also thinking about you.
He went out of his way to find this Hunyuan Pill for you to nourish your body," Ye Xun said, a cold glint flashing secretly in her eyes.
She was certain that, given Ye Qingtang's infatuation with Duan Tianrao, she would never agree to the annulment.
The Hunyuan Pill would also be refused, and she would likely desperately plead with Duan Tianrao not to annul the engagement.
The Hunyuan Pill would eventually return to Ye Xun's hands.
Ye Xun thought this way in her heart, but on the surface, she still maintained a gentle and persuasive demeanor.
Ye Qingtang watched Ye Xun's pretentious act with a cold eye, a sneer inevitably rising in her heart.
What was on Ye Xun's mind, she naturally knew very well.
In the previous life, Ye Qingtang indeed acted as Ye Xun had thought.
Upon learning that Duan Tianrao wanted to break off the engagement, she pleaded desperately, not only rejecting the gifts and Hunyuan Pills sent by Duan Tianrao but also casting aside her dignity, begging Duan Tianrao not to abandon her.
Completely disregarding the face of the Ye family and Ye Ling, she placed herself in an extremely humble position, which directly angered Ye Ling to the point of spitting blood.
However, in this life,
A smile suddenly curled at the corner of Ye Qingtang's lips.
As Ye Xun was full of confidence, Ye Qingtang suddenly reached out and took the bottle of Hunyuan Pills in her hand.
"Then I thank you for your kindness, Duan Gongzi," she said, and then stuffed the Hunyuan Pills into her spatial ring.
The whole process was done in one go.
Just as Ye Ling was furious, Ye Qingtang, who had been sitting there without speaking, suddenly said:
"I think what Duan Gongzi said is not unreasonable."
As soon as Ye Qingtang said this, the three people in the front hall were stunned.
Duan Tianrao looked at Ye Qingtang in surprise, thinking that she would cry and plead when he came to break off the engagement, but he didn't expect her to speak like this.
Ye Ling was also stunned, looking at his daughter with worry in his eyes, fearing that she had been too stimulated.
"What are you talking about, Tangtang?"
Ye Qingtang sat in her chair, looking at the stunned three people, and said slowly: "As a woman, I naturally understand that breaking off an engagement is somewhat embarrassing, but since Duan Gongzi is already the heir to the Duan family, he naturally has to prioritize the face of the Duan family.
I am indeed not suitable to be the head of the family."