Chapter 417: Confession

...

Looking at the person in front of him, Zeng Yi was quite surprised.

"Why are you still here? Didn't you go back to the Heaven Dou Empire to continue being the Crown Prince?"

Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes and smiled, saying, "I'm going to attend your engagement ceremony anyway, so I came early."

"I see."

Zeng Yi picked up the wine gourd again and took a sip of strong liquor, his eyes showing a tinge of melancholy.

"Since we're friends, you can't skimp on the betrothal gifts when the time comes."

"Hehe."

Seeing Zeng Yi like this, Qian Renxue couldn't help but feel a sense of resentment, clenching her fists.

She stared intently at the melancholic and decadent man in front of her and coldly said, "Is this how you have accepted your fate?"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Yi paused while raising the wine gourd, his eyes filled with surprise as he looked at Qian Renxue.

"Uh, what are you talking about?"

Slap!

Qian Renxue suddenly stood up, clapped her hands on the stone table, and stared at Zeng Yi with an agitated expression on her face. Anger was already evident.

"I'm saying, have you just accepted this outcome? Have you given in? Marrying that woman named Hu Liena and spending your life with her? Weren't you reluctant before, always thinking about how to escape and run away!"

As Qian Renxue displayed her agitated emotions, Zeng Yi froze.

Unconsciously, his collar was grabbed by a palm, and his body was lifted up.

"This is not the Zeng Yi I know! Where is your previous composure and confidence, fearlessness?"

Looking at Qian Renxue's face, which was so close, Zeng Yi momentarily lost his ability to think.

When he came back to his senses and saw her furious face, Zeng Yi reached out and grabbed her wrist that was tightly clutching his collar, chuckling.

"What are you talking about? Aren't you from the Martial Spirit Hall? Isn't this the result you wanted to see?"

Saying that, Zeng Yi turned his cheek aside, not wanting to meet Qian Renxue's gaze, and opened his mouth again.

"Besides, didn't you bring me here?"

These words from Zeng Yi hit Qian Renxue's heart like a thunderbolt.

Her eyes suddenly contracted as she stared at Zeng Yi's profile, loosening her grip on his collar and sitting down weakly.

Yes, if she hadn't done anything extra, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out like this.

But even if she didn't do that, he would still have been brought here, and perhaps things would have turned out even worse.

So, he ended up like this, and he actually blamed me in his heart?

Zeng Yi tidied up his slightly disheveled clothes, glanced at Qian Renxue who was still sitting in her original position, and turned around, standing with his back to her.

"You're right, I have accepted my fate. Even if I don't want it to be like this, what else can I do? With my own power, I can't escape from this cage at all!"

"This weak self of mine can't even control my own destiny and can only be manipulated by others."

Zeng Yi gazed at the sky, clenched his fists tightly, and his eyes were filled with unwillingness.

But in the end, his fists slowly relaxed.

Zeng Yi looked at the sky and smiled. "Maybe, this isn't so bad. At least, the sect will prosper because of my rescue, and Hu Liena is also a good girl, very beautiful. In the past, I never thought that I could marry a girl like her and become husband and wife. Such thoughts seemed to only exist in dreams. But now, it's actually becoming a reality. Being favored by such a girl, it seems that I'm quite lucky, heh."

Seeing Zeng Yi's back, Qian Renxue opened her mouth to say something, but found that she couldn't say anything.

For some reason, she felt an inexplicable heartache.

When Zeng Yi turned around, he found that Qian Renxue's figure had disappeared, as if she had never been here.

Looking at the spot where she had just sat, Zeng Yi couldn't help but smile.

"This person, really is like a ghost, appearing suddenly and then disappearing suddenly."

As the date of the engagement ceremony approached, the streets of the Spirit Hall City became more and more festive.

On the street, a pair of teenagers walked side by side, resembling a couple. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a different story. The boy had an expressionless face and seemed unwilling, while the girl had a shy appearance, giving off an odd feeling.

"It's really lively and festive. I never expected that every household would hang up red lanterns for you." Looking at the red lanterns hanging in front of each house on the street, Zeng Yi couldn't help but sigh, his gaze turning to the girl beside him.

"Just as expected of the Holy Saintess."

Upon hearing this, Hu Liena's face blushed and she nervously said, "No, it's for us."

"Us?"

Looking at Hu Liena's beautiful face, Zeng Yi was stunned.

"Hehehe, I guess so."

Although Zeng Yi was under house arrest, Hu Liena would sometimes take him out to stroll in the Spirit Hall City.

The sky was gradually darkening, and the red light reflected by the red lanterns illuminated the city, making it extremely beautiful.

"So beautiful~"

Standing high up and overlooking the city's night scene, Hu Liena couldn't help but exclaim from the bottom of her heart.

The night wind blew against her smooth black hair, and Zeng Yi stood behind her, silently watching the girl who would become his wife.

"There are only seven days left until the engagement ceremony, right?" Hu Liena turned around, her watery eyes looking at Zeng Yi, and a radiant smile appeared on her face.

Zeng Yi nodded, "Yes, time flies."

"I'm really looking forward to that day~ Zeng Yi, I'm really happy to have met you!"

Watching Zeng Yi, Hu Liena couldn't help but recall the scenes of their first encounter.

From his unwillingness when they were forced into an engagement by their teacher to her shock when she saw him in person, defeat and frustration. Then, she took him as her target to chase after.

From dislike to liking, this experience of emotions was so dreamlike and wonderful for her.

Hu Liena looked at Zeng Yi absentmindedly, feeling a little lost.

"Hey, Zeng Yi, do you dislike me?"

This sudden question from Hu Liena caught Zeng Yi off guard, and he looked at her with surprise.

"Why would you say that?"

"Ever since our teacher announced the engagement ceremony, you've changed. You've never smiled sincerely like before." Hu Liena stared into Zeng Yi's eyes with a serious expression.

"Uh, haha, really? Don't I smile like this often? How did I change?" Zeng Yi was a bit puzzled, touching his head with his hand and chuckling.

"That's just a fake smile. Actually, you've never genuinely smiled from the heart!" Looking at Zeng Yi, Hu Liena's eyes dimmed, and she lowered her head.

"The truth is, you dislike this, right? You don't want to go through with this engagement ceremony, do you?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on Zeng Yi's face gradually disappeared, and he became calm.

Seeing his smile fade away, Hu Liena lowered her head, forced a smile, and felt a twinge of pain. "I see, so you have been forcing yourself to smile, dealing with me. You actually dislike me and despise the Spirit Hall for forcing you."

"But!"

Hu Liena suddenly raised her head, her eyes staring directly into Zeng Yi's gaze, shining with a strong light.

"But, I really like you. I genuinely want to be with you! Before, I did indeed hate you. Our teacher inexplicably arranged a marriage for me with a stranger I didn't know, and I hated it. But after I came into contact with you and got to know your character, I was deeply attracted to you. Maybe you don't know, but you have already left a deep impression in my heart since the time you were still in Suotuo City! So, I like you, Zeng Yi!"

Hearing Hu Liena's heartfelt confession, Zeng Yi's eyes contracted, and he stood dumbfounded in place.

Come to think of it, in this life or the previous, it was the first time a girl had confessed to him.

Looking at Hu Liena's blushing cheeks, her determined gaze fixed on him, this intense emotion made him feel very surprised.

Zeng Yi couldn't help but recall the time when he was ambushed by a female Spirit King in Suotuo City.

So it was her.

Faced with Hu Liena's confession, Zeng Yi felt conflicted, unsure how to respond.

"I..."

Just as Zeng Yi was about to speak, he saw a slender finger being placed in front of his lips.

Looking closely, he saw that Hu Liena was now standing in front of him, her blushing face adorned with a smile, like a bud waiting to bloom, making people feel fondness for her.

Hu Liena looked at Zeng Yi and smiled gently, "You don't need to answer now. I'll prove it with time, I will make you like me."

Looking at her blossoming smile, Zeng Yi felt his heart beating rapidly.

...

Qian Renxue stood in front of a large hall, took a deep breath, pushed open the doors, and walked in.