Chapter 201: Grandeur

"Hey! What's wrong with being sixteen? What does being sixteen have to do with tooth sensitivity?" Yuexi exclaimed, puffing out her chest. "I'm grown up now; I can handle anything."

Zhang Zhenghao looked away, lowering his head to drink, while Li Nianlong said helplessly, "Alright, we get it, you can handle it!"

Yuexi seemed to snap out of it, exclaiming in realization, then shrunk back, no longer speaking.

Yue Chang sighed softly, her voice gentle. "Xixi always acts so rashly! But Big Brother, do you really think we're too young?"

You clearly mentioned Yuexi, why did you involve yourself?

Li Nianlong chuckled. "Not too young! Just a few more years away from marriage age!"

"Huh?" Yue Chang detected something unusual and quickly asked, "Does Big Brother want to get married?"

At this, Yuexi, Nalan Ruyue, and Zhang Zhenghao all looked at Li Nianlong.

Li Nianlong nodded. "I'm already twenty-four, almost twenty-five in a few months. It's time for me to find a wife. As the head of the Liu family, I'll definitely choose a suitable match, and someone is already looking for a match for me. If everything goes well, maybe this year, or at the latest, next year, I'll be getting married."

With that, Yuexi slumped in her chair, while Yue Chang looked somewhat resigned. Only Nalan Ruyue seemed prepared and remained calm.

Zhang Zhenghao chuckled. "So, Big Brother is getting married too. Then let me congratulate Big Brother in advance for a happy marriage."

Li Nianlong laughed. "Cut it out. Remember to bring your siblings to the wedding."

"Definitely." Zhang Zhenghao nodded repeatedly. "I'll make sure everyone comes."

"As long as you come, the rest doesn't matter," Li Nianlong said.

"No, it's a matter of etiquette. It must be followed."

"I can't stand your rigidity."

"This is about etiquette."

"..."

After a satisfying meal, Zhang Zhenghao was escorted to a guest room by the servants to rest. As soon as he lay down, he took out his phone and called his wife. "Xiaoyue, I have good news to tell you. I'm going to have my own research lab..."

That night, Zhang Zhenghao and his wife were immersed in joy, while Yuexi felt uneasy.

Lying in bed, watching Yuexi, Yue Chang sighed softly. "Xixi, didn't Master tell us already? We, as Red Phoenix members, are incomplete and destined to be concubines. This day was bound to come sooner or later."

"I know..." Yuexi sounded somewhat despondent. "It's just hard to accept hearing this news."

"You find it hard to accept, what about Sister Ruyue?" Yue Chang said softly. "Sister Ruyue and Big Brother have spent the most time together, their feelings run the deepest, yet she cannot become Big Brother's wife. Can you imagine the pain Sister Ruyue feels?"

Yuexi had no response.

"Fate is inevitable," Yue Chang sighed softly. "But perhaps it's for the best. At least we don't have to fulfill the duties of wives. We can play and have fun as we like, and Big Brother will always spoil us. What's not to like?"

"Don't speak in such absolutes. I never said I have to follow Big Brother. With so many men in the world, wouldn't I find someone to marry?" Yuexi huffed.

Yue Chang smiled softly. "If that's the case, your man wouldn't be able to handle the flames inside you and would end up burned."

"..."

"Don't think too much. At least Big Brother is still single, and we can have him for ourselves. Let's cherish this time together!"

"Hmph..."

On the other side, in Li Nianlong's room...

Lying in bed, seeing Nalan Ruyue walking to his bedside carrying a pillow, Li Nianlong whispered, "Ruyue, what's wrong?"

Nalan Ruyue pursed her lips, placing the pillow next to Li Nianlong's, and gestured with her hands: Brother, can I sleep with you tonight? I have something to say.

Seeing Nalan Ruyue's gesture, Li Nianlong seemed to understand something. He nodded, shifting closer to the edge of the bed, pulling back the covers. "Come in!"

Nalan Ruyue's face blushed slightly as she crawled under the covers.

Nalan Ruyue's body felt a bit cold, and Li Nianlong naturally extended his arm, which Nalan Ruyue leaned against, their bodies pressing together, devoid of any desire, only warmth.

"Ruyue, what do you want to say to me?" Li Nianlong asked softly after Nalan Ruyue's body warmed up.

Nalan Ruyue raised her hand and gestured in front of Li Nianlong: Brother, will your bride be Yuyu Sister?

Li Nianlong was taken aback. "How did you think of Yuyu?"

Because Yuyu Sister is the eldest daughter of the Xiang family, and she's very beautiful. The Xiang family and the Liu family have a good relationship, they are well-matched, and your feelings with Yuyu Sister are so good. I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't be together.

After seeing Nalan Ruyue's gesture, Li Nianlong was astonished. "You think Yuyu is beautiful?"

Nalan Ruyue nodded gently. Brother is not a martial artist, so it's understandable if you don't see it. But every time I see Yuyu Sister, I smell the scent of disguise cream on her face. If she were just an ordinary woman, there would be no need to disguise herself so modestly. So I guess Yuyu Sister must be very beautiful. Moreover, I heard that only the direct descendants of the Xiang family can practice the Xiang family's Tyrant's Secret Technique. The aura of the Tyrant's Secret Technique is very obvious on Yuyu Sister, so I guess she must not be a collateral branch, but the true eldest daughter of the Xiang family.

Li Nianlong stared at Nalan Ruyue in astonishment. Her analysis was terrifyingly accurate, many details that Li Nianlong had not noticed, or rather, because he didn't understand internal energy, he couldn't notice them at all. But Nalan Ruyue, through just a brief contact, found the suspicious points on Xiang Yuyu and guessed her true identity. This level of acute intelligence...

Heavens, did I pick up such a terrifying girl? Is her intelligence even higher than that of her sister!?

Seeing Li Nianlong's silence, Nalan Ruyue blinked her eyes, her bright eyes shining like stars in the dark night.

What's wrong, Brother?

"No big deal," Li Nianlong snapped out of his thoughts, looking at Nalan Ruyue. He spoke softly, "Ruyue, I didn't realize you were so observant. If it weren't for my cousin telling me, I wouldn't have thought that Yuanyuan was the heiress of the Xiang family."

Nalan Ruyue smiled faintly, "I'm a girl, so I pay more attention to the details of life. As a man, these things aren't something you're naturally good at."

"Don't console me, you're just smart," Li Nianlong sighed lightly, "Since you already know, what do you think of Yuanyuan?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is what you think. Do you like Yuanyuan?" Nalan Ruyue asked.

"The liking I have for her now is just the kind of affection between friends and siblings. It's far from the kind of liking that's akin to love," Li Nianlong spoke softly, "If I were still the person I used to be, in another two years, I would definitely choose you."

Nalan Ruyue's heart skipped a beat, and her big eyes blinked like stars.

"I'm speaking from the heart," Li Nianlong smiled gently, looking into Nalan Ruyue's eyes. "In this world, if you ask me who I care about the most? It's you, Ruyue."

Nalan Ruyue felt warm inside, her cheeks blushing slightly.

"But now I've inherited the position of the Liu family's head. Although I always say I'm just a figurehead, and I don't deal with other matters, deep down, I've accepted this position. Since I stand in this position, I can't help but consider the future of the Liu family. So finding a woman who is suitable and beneficial for the Liu family becomes especially important. At the moment, the most important thing is that I already know that the suitable person is Yuanyuan. You've also had some contact with her. What do you think of Yuanyuan?" Li Nianlong asked.

Nalan Ruyue thought for a moment, "Yuanyuan is a very good woman, and she matches well with you."

"Do you really think so?" Li Nianlong asked.

Nalan Ruyue blinked her eyes and added, "Maybe Yuanyuan isn't the type to take care of the household, but it doesn't matter. I'll be there for you, and I'll take care of things at home."

Li Nianlong smiled wryly, "If Yuanyuan and I become husband and wife, you'll marry someday too."

"I won't marry anyone!" Nalan Ruyue said seriously, "I want to be with you, brother, for a lifetime, without any status, just by your side."

Li Nianlong looked at her, the girl who resembled a fairy under the moonlight, her eyes so firm, like an unbreakable rock.

"Is it worth it?" Li Nianlong asked.

"It's worth it," Nalan Ruyue looked at him, "My life was given by you, everything I have is yours. As long as you need me, I will always be by your side. No one can separate us."

As their eyes gradually softened, Li Nianlong gently stroked Nalan Ruyue's back. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "Give me a little more time to turn our sibling affection into marital love."

The word 'marriage' made Nalan Ruyue's heart race, and she hugged him tightly.

That night, Li Nianlong couldn't sleep, foregoing his usual entry into the system.

The next day, Zhang Zhenghao was escorted back home by the Liu family guards. He was given three days to settle matters at home before he could begin his work on earthquake prediction in the research lab.

Leaving aside what happened at Zhang Zhenghao's home, let's talk about the Liu family's grand move today. They first used the media to publicize the imminent earthquake, urging the people of Tianfu to stay safe. Then they dispatched the military to start relocating the population of the western Tianfu to the east. Because Tianfu has developed many properties over the years, there are plenty of vacant houses, making it easy to accommodate these people. Moreover, the western residents are all willing to move. 

The government promised that if there is no earthquake in half a month, the houses they currently live in will be given to them for free, and their previous houses will still belong to them.

Only fools would refuse such a good deal. So, within just ten days, almost all the residents of western Tianfu had relocated to the east. However, there were still some people living in the deep mountains who couldn't be found at the moment.

In addition, the Liu family also deployed local military forces to guard the west of Tianfu, to prevent spies from taking advantage, and in case of an earthquake, they could also provide timely relief.

The Liu family's grand move to relocate the people of Tianfu and prevent casualties from earthquakes amazed the outside world.