Luo Yao handed Ding Nan a white silk handkerchief, intending for him to give it to Shangguan Qingya to wipe her tears.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Ding Nan reached out his hand, she was so frightened that she fell off her chair.
“You! Don’t come over here!” she screamed, as if she were seeing some kind of prehistoric beast.
Watching the bean-sized tears stream down Shangguan Qingya’s cheeks one after another, and seeing her tremble like a startled little rabbit, Ding Nan was utterly bewildered.
‘Why is she reacting so strongly?’
Ding Nan turned his gaze toward Shangguan Qiu.
Shangguan Qiu’s expression was frozen, and his complexion looked quite poor.
Shangguan Qingya grabbed the hem of Shangguan Qiu’s robe, her youthful, pure face looking like a little mess.
“Second Great-Uncle, Qingya wants to go home! I want to go home!”
Ding Nan was stunned.
‘What the…’ he cried out internally.
‘Am I really that terrifying? I’m just a Level 3 weakling in the Body Tempering Realm.’
“As you can see, let alone getting married, even basic communication is difficult,” Shangguan Qiu said, his weathered hand patting his grand-niece’s head.
“Yes, indeed.”
He understood.
Ding Nan finally understood.
While today was supposedly about breaking off the engagement, they had actually come seeking an excuse to deliver gifts.
This girl, Shangguan Qingya, clearly suffered from androphobia.
To think he would encounter such a rare character trait after transmigrating.
He had only ever seen something like androphobia in gal games.
Ding Nan guessed that the clan elders had been discussing this very matter before he arrived.
No wonder they hadn’t reacted much when the Ding Clan’s reputation was at stake; they had already reached an agreement.
The sound of Shangguan Qingya’s sobbing was clearly audible in the hall.
Ding Nan couldn’t help but shake his head, his face filled with pity.
‘Poor kid, she can only look for a girlfriend in the future. Sigh, another lily is about to bloom.’
“?”
Shangguan Qiu felt there was a hidden meaning in Ding Nan’s words, but he couldn’t understand what he meant.
Ding Nan wanted to agree to the cancellation of the engagement immediately, but on second thought, he still needed the Patriarch’s approval.
He turned around and saw that several elders, including Ding Wen, were dripping with sweat.
“Ah, are you all very hot?”
“It is summer, after all,” the elders said with strained smiles.
“It’s not even midsummer yet.”
Ding Nan didn’t feel it was that hot.
At most, there was a thin layer of sweat on his skin.
Having been a southerner in his previous life, he was long used to this.
Ding Nan didn’t think much of it and cupped his hands to ask for Ding Wen’s opinion.
Luo Yao stood behind Ding Nan, smiling at Ding Wen.
“Since she is crying like this, I naturally agree to cancel the engagement,” Ding Wen said hurriedly.
“Very well, then the engagement is canceled,” Ding Nan declared.
Although Shangguan Qingya was quite cute—especially when she looked so pitiable while crying—they weren’t close.
He didn’t want to marry someone he didn’t know.
“Thank you.”
Shangguan Qiu looked as if he had just received a divine pardon.
‘?’
Ding Nan felt the old man was a bit strange.
It was just a cancellation; why did it feel like he had narrowly escaped death?
He looked back at Shangguan Qingya, who had been helped back onto her chair and was sitting with her head down, sobbing.
Ding Nan was still holding the handkerchief Luo Yao had given him.
It seemed he wouldn’t be able to use it.
Ding Nan walked behind Luo Yao and said, “Luo Yao, I’ll leave it to you to comfort Lady Shangguan.”
As he spoke, he stuffed the handkerchief back into Luo Yao’s hand, thinking he should stay away from Shangguan Qingya lest he scare her into tears again.
Then, he took three quick steps and returned to his armchair.
Luo Yao approached Shangguan Qingya with graceful, light steps.
“Eek!”
Shangguan Qingya suddenly cried out in alarm.
“What is it, Sister Qingya? Do you not like me?”
“No, no, I… I like you. I like Sister Luo Yao the most!”
Shangguan Qingya said excitedly through her tears.
Hearing the voices behind him, Ding Nan shook his head helplessly.
‘She’s so terrified just by hearing a man’s voice that she has to express how much she likes Luo Yao. How pitiful.’
“The matter of the marriage is settled. Nephew Ding Nan, you must come visit our Shangguan Family in the future,” Shangguan Qiu said.
“You are too kind, Elder Shangguan. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will certainly pay a visit.”
Seeing that things were mostly wrapped up, Ding Wen spoke slowly.
“Since Uncle Qiu is here, why not stay for the banquet tonight? Let the Ding Clan fulfill its duties as a host.”
“I will certainly attend tonight.”
Following that, the atmosphere in the entire hall became exceptionally harmonious as they began to chat about domestic matters.
After only a few sentences, Ding Nan started to feel bored.
Luo Yao stood behind Ding Nan, massaging his shoulders to keep him from falling asleep.
Even the number of Ding Clan disciples crowding the doorway to watch the excitement had dwindled.
The conversation consisted mostly of the elders reminiscing about their glory days.
Ding Nan couldn’t join in and was essentially invisible.
Ding Nan stood up, intending to excuse himself.
Suddenly, a loud, clear voice interrupted his movements.
“Congratulations! Congratulations!”
It was a woman’s voice, full of vigor.
“Who is offering congratulations?” the tall eldest uncle asked.
“Does our family have some kind of joyous occasion?” the thin second uncle asked, looking around.
Inside the Council Hall, everyone was puzzled.
A plump woman dressed in red with a red flower in her hair stepped through the crowd at the entrance, her red embroidered shoes clicking as she walked in.
The woman, who looked to be in her late forties, greeted everyone as if they were old friends before stopping in front of Ding Nan.
“And you are…”
Ding Nan looked at her, confused.
Everyone could see from her outfit that she was here to act as a matchmaker.
“Dongzhou, Li Qihua.”
Instantly, everyone froze.
Shangguan Qiu’s eyes widened and his beard twitched as he cried out, “The Nine Embroidery Needles, Winter Cold Uniform Apricot, a Nascent Soul powerhouse!”
Ding Nan didn’t understand the titles “Nine Embroidery Needles” or “Winter Cold Uniform Apricot,” but he certainly understood “Nascent Soul powerhouse.”
Immediately, a bottomless pressure swept through the room, verifying her identity.
Everyone present found it difficult to breathe, though fortunately, the Nascent Soul pressure didn’t last long.
“We did not know Senior was coming. For whom do you come, and for what matter do you offer congratulations?”
As the head of the family, Ding Wen stepped in front of Ding Nan.
He bowed and inquired, his face pale.
“It is like this: I have been entrusted by the current Sect Master of the Xishan Sect to come to the Ding Clan to facilitate a joyous union.”
Having said that, Li Qihua’s gaze fell upon Ding Nan.
Luo Yao looked at Li Qihua gloomily.
The Nascent Soul powerhouse felt nothing.
“Little Brother Ding Nan, do you know of the Xishan Sect?”
Ding Nan nodded and said, “A small sect in Zhongzhou. Back when the Nanyang Academy was recruiting, I was fortunate enough to be recognized by the Xishan Sect’s Eldest Senior Sister, Ji Qianlin, which allowed me to obtain a spot at the Nanyang Academy.”
“Mhm. This marriage is closely related to the Ji Family.”
“What? There’s another expert?”
“Dammit, another woman—mph!”
There was a commotion outside the door.
Ding Nan’s eyes widened.
‘No way, no way… Is the strongest sword cultivator of Zhongzhou’s younger generation going to marry me? Isn’t she already around 400 years old?’
“However, this marriage is not with Ji Qianlin, but with another woman of the Ji Family.”
Everyone was stunned, including Ding Nan himself.
“Another woman… Could it be that one!” Ding Nan’s expression changed drastically. He looked at Li Qihua with a look that clearly said “you’ve got to be joking.”
There were only two people in the Xishan Sect’s Ji Family, and both were women.
“It is indeed the Sect Master of the Xishan Sect, Ji Lanruo,” Li Qihua said, respectfully cupping her hands toward the sky.
Ding Nan took several steps back, nearly falling over.
“What the…?”
Ji Lanruo was Ji Qianlin’s mother.