"I got along well with Grandpa, and the issue has been resolved..."
Dugu Yan slowly raised her head like a stiff machine, only to see Dugu Bo nodding in agreement.
Although what Chen Ming said wasn't wrong, it was extremely misleading. Dugu Yan murmured the sentence to herself, feeling as if she was about to faint.
"So what you mean is that Grandpa has approved of you and that you even discussed our marriage with him?"
Dugu Yan squatted down with a loud "wah" sound, covering her face with her hands.
"Grandpa!"
"I'm not against this kind of thing! But this is a major life decision, and you should at least let me know first! Am I just getting married like this?"
Although Dugu Yan looked like she was crying, she wasn't shedding tears. She was just using her voice to cover up her inner emotions.
To be honest, ever since that incident, Dugu Yan had developed a peculiar feeling toward Chen Ming. Deep down, she felt like she couldn't marry anyone else anymore, and it was all Chen Ming's fault, so he had to take responsibility.
But after all, girls are naturally shy. Although Dugu Yan acted mature and composed like a cool older sister in front of others, she was still a little girl in front of her grandfather.
In her mind, this was something she should have thought through herself, then brought Chen Ming along to inform her grandfather. Not her grandfather dragging Chen Ming to inform her! Isn't there something wrong with this whole process?
As she thought about the issue, Dugu Yan suddenly realized a possibility. Her body began to tremble slightly, and she pressed her hands tightly against her face.
"Grandpa, did Chen Ming tell you about... that?"
"That?" Dugu Bo tilted his head in confusion.
"The thing that happened that day, the incident!"
"Oh." Still immersed in the relief of seeing a solution to the Dugu family's long-standing poison problem, Dugu Bo didn't notice how strange Dugu Yan's reaction was. He instinctively thought she was referring to Chen Ming understanding their poison issue.
So, Dugu Bo nodded and said naturally, "He told me. It's fine. Outsiders shouldn't know about it, but Xiao Ming isn't an outsider. He'll be part of the family in the future, so it's something that has to be faced."
"Ahh!" Dugu Yan, on the verge of breaking down, stood up abruptly and hugged Chen Ming tightly. Throwing aside her image entirely, she delivered him a solid headbutt.
"How could you tell Grandpa about you changing my clothes that day?!"
"Changing clothes?" Hearing those words, Dugu Bo's expression froze, and his face began to shift wildly—sometimes blue, sometimes red, sometimes green, and sometimes purple. In mere moments, he demonstrated the essence of the art of facial transformation.
Looking at Dugu Yan clinging to Chen Ming, Dugu Bo seemed to age several years in an instant. He stood there, letting out a long, deep sigh.
After taking a deep look at Chen Ming, he lightly tapped the tip of his foot on the ground, shot into the air, and scooped up the butler who still didn't know what was going on outside.
"Well, I can't manage you young people anymore. Say what you need to say to each other. When you're done, come eat."
Although Dugu Bo wanted to match his granddaughter with Chen Ming, hearing Dugu Yan mention that Chen Ming had helped her change clothes made his blood boil, and he nearly lost control of his right hand.
After much deliberation, he ultimately chose to stop thinking.
"Well, Yan Yan is at the age where she should settle down. It's normal for something like this to happen."
Dugu Bo initially wanted to say this was the best time for a Soul Master to cultivate, but after recalling that Chen Ming had broken through level 26 at the age of 11, he decided to ignore it.
The butler beside him glanced at Dugu Bo strangely after hearing his words.
"That's not the same. Your relationship with my older sister was true love."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo's face darkened, but he couldn't refute it. After becoming a grandfather, he realized that his actions back in the day were indeed a bit excessive. Dugu Bo thought he might as well jump into the treasure pool and drown.
After Dugu Bo's figure disappeared, Dugu Yan, still clinging to Chen Ming, stared at his faintly smiling face in a daze. Only after a long moment did she realize her posture was improper, and she hurriedly jumped down from him.
After Dugu Yan got down, Chen Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Soul Masters matured early by nature. It was common for commoners to marry and start families at the age of 12 or 13.
Having trained his body for years and consumed items like whale glue to enhance his physical strength, Chen Ming's development far surpassed his peers, and his body was brimming with vitality.
More importantly, unlike clueless children, he had in his previous life and was well-versed in such matters. His computer was even filled with a vast collection of treasured classics.
Usually, he suppressed all emotions while cultivating. But right now, he wasn't cultivating.
Dugu Yan's movements against him, the unique fragrance emanating from her, and the soft sensation he felt all stirred his body's instincts.
Though he didn't show it outwardly, he was genuinely embarrassed.
Suppressing his awkwardness wasn't easy, but letting it linger wasn't a solution either.
Dugu Yan, staring into Chen Ming's face, felt as though her strength was draining away. She wanted to speak, but after opening her mouth for a long time, she couldn't think of anything to say.
Although her heart told her to run away and leave this awkward scene, she couldn't muster the courage to take that step.
After a long while, Dugu Yan finally forced out her first sentence.
"Have you eaten?"
"No, I haven't eaten yet." Hearing Dugu Yan's words, Chen Ming couldn't hold back his laughter and let out a chuckle.
Dugu Yan glared at him, furious, wishing she could punch him in the head right there and then.
"You... I... You know what I mean! Did you tell Grandpa about us!?"
"I only told him about calming your soul power and suppressing the poison. I didn't say anything else." Chen Ming, unable to suppress the smile on his lips, spread his hands and spoke innocently to Dugu Yan.
"You didn't say... you didn't say!" Dugu Yan was momentarily at a loss for words.
"If you didn't say anything, why was Grandpa chatting so happily with you and acting like that?"
At this point, Dugu Yan remembered something serious.
"Grandpa just unleashed his soul power. Did you make him angry? Grandpa has a bad temper and can be eccentric, but he's not a bad person. If he offended you, I'll apologize on his behalf."
Dugu Yan glanced at the shattered stones on the ground, then at Chen Ming's still-flushed face. She couldn't suppress her curiosity.
"But looking at you, you seem a bit disheveled, but you're fine otherwise?"