17: Chapter 17 Farewell at the Grand Banquet

After passing through several corridors, the two arrived before the main building of an antique villa.

At the entrance of the villa, a middle-aged couple with extraordinary temperaments was waiting there.

The man had a tall and sturdy build, wearing simple casual clothes, but it could not hide the iron-blooded temperament unique to a soldier.

Just standing there quietly, he gave people a sense of oppression that was intimidating without even being angry.

The woman was wearing an elegant cheongsam, with a slender figure and still retaining her charm.

Her appearance was 70-80% similar to Yan Lili's, only her brows held an extra touch of wisdom and poise accumulated over the years.

"Dad, Mom, I've brought Fang Chuan back!"

As soon as Yan Lili saw her parents, she immediately put away her lazy demeanor, hopped over like a little rabbit, took her mother's arm, and instantly turned into a well-behaved daughter.

Watching her master-level skill of changing faces in a second, Fang Chuan clicked his tongue in wonder.

"Hello Uncle, hello Auntie." He hurriedly stepped forward and greeted them respectfully.

"You must be Fang Chuan, right? Come in, come in! That child Lili is always mentioning you to us."

Yan Lili's mother had a gentle smile on her face, looking Fang Chuan up and down, her eyes full of kindness.

"The young man looks really spirited!"

Yan Lili's father also spoke up, his voice loud and full of energy. He patted Fang Chuan on the shoulder with considerable force, "Don't be reserved, just treat this like your own home."

Fang Chuan was patted so hard he stumbled, thinking to himself that this uncle's strength was truly not small.

He could feel that although Yan father's gaze was kind, it carried a sense of scrutiny, as if he could see right through him from inside out.

"Thank you, Uncle and Auntie." Fang Chuan steadied himself and followed them into the villa.

The villa's decor style was a combination of classical and modern, low-key yet luxurious, with every furnishing exuding extraordinary taste.

Fang Chuan's gaze swept across the surroundings calmly, his mind calculating rapidly.

This classical-meets-modern decor was indeed sophisticated, but if converted into Faith Value, given his God Kingdom's terrifying daily income, it seemed he could buy an identical one from the exchange in less than half a month.

Soon, a sumptuous dinner was laid out on the table.

The dishes were not particularly luxurious, just some exquisite home-cooked meals, but for every ingredient, Fang Chuan could feel a faint energy fluctuation, clearly not ordinary items.

"Fang Chuan, don't be polite, eat more. Try this, it's made from the meat of the Tier 3 fierce beast 'Jade Scale Fish', which is good for the bodies of divine beings."

Yan mother kept piling food into Fang Chuan's bowl, her enthusiasm making him feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Thank you, Auntie." Fang Chuan could only bury his head and eat hard.

At the dining table, Yan father and Yan mother were very easygoing, asking only about school and studies.

When they heard that Fang Chuan's academic grades consistently topped the grade, both husband and wife showed approving looks.

"Not bad, not bad. There aren't many young people nowadays who can settle down and study."

Yan father nodded, "Developing the God Kingdom is certainly important, but knowledge is the foundation. Understanding the history, laws, and major races of the God Kingdom world can often save your life at critical moments."

"Uncle is right." Fang Chuan profoundly agreed.

Yan Lili, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically quiet, sitting beside him the whole time, eating in small bites, like a true lady.

However, she would occasionally look up, and seeing Fang Chuan looking a bit constrained from being questioned by her parents, a hint of sly amusement could not help but flash in her beautiful large eyes.

Fang Chuan noticed her smirking expression and felt his teeth itch with hatred.

"You little she-devil, just wait until I deal with you later!"

Of course, he could only think that in his heart.

The meal was finished in a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

After the meal, Yan father pulled Fang Chuan to chat for a while about the development path of the God Kingdom.

He discovered that Yan father's insights into God Kingdom development were very profound, with many points hitting the nail on the head, which benefited him greatly.

This made him even more certain that Yan Lili's father was definitely a powerful high-ranking god.

Towards the end of the chat, Yan father seemed to mention in passing: "Fang Chuan, although your awakened God Kingdom rating is not high, don't be discouraged. An F-rank God Kingdom doesn't necessarily mean there's no way out. The key is to find your own path."

"Many gods in our country actually didn't have very high ratings when they first awakened."

Fang Chuan's heart stirred, knowing that this was a hint to him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle. I will remember it."

After sitting for a while longer, Fang Chuan saw that it was getting late and rose to take his leave.

"I'll see you off!" Yan Lili immediately stood up.

"No need, you're a girl, don't run around late at night." Yan mother held her back and then said to the butler at the door: "Uncle Yan, please take Fang Chuan back."

"Yes, Madam." The middle-aged butler who had taken the car keys for Yan Lili earlier replied respectfully.

"Alright, dinner's over, Uncle Yan will take you back in a bit." Yan Lili walked to the door and waved at Fang Chuan, a lazy smile on her face, "I'm tired, so I won't see you off."

Fang Chuan had been persuaded by Yan father to drink a small glass of fruit wine, which had quite a kick, and now he felt his head was a bit dizzy.

He slurred his words, saying: "Alright, go rest. Help me... help me thank Uncle and Auntie for their warm hospitality."

"I know, stop nagging." Yan Lili pouted.

Fang Chuan followed the butler named Uncle Yan, got into an even more low-key and steady black hovercar, and left the Yan family villa.

At the villa entrance, Yan Lili watched the hovercar disappear into the night, her smile slowly fading, replaced by a trace of undisguisable sadness.

"Child, forget him."

Yan mother walked to her side, stroked her daughter's head with heartache, and sighed softly.

"The path of a god is a different world at every step. No matter how smart he is, the F-rank God Kingdom's resource cap has already locked his future."

"And you, you are going to the Star Realm to ignite your divine fire. Hundreds of years from now, you will still be youthful, while he will have long turned to dust. You are destined not to be people of the same world."

"I don't want that!" Yan Lili suddenly lifted her head, biting her lip stubbornly, her eyes instantly turning red.

"Didn't Great-Grandfather say? As long as I can... as long as I can promote to a Tier 5 god within a year, he won't interfere with my marriage anymore!"

Her voice was not loud, but every word was filled with unquestionable determination.

Yan mother looked at her daughter's appearance, wanting to say more, but in the end, it only turned into a helpless sigh as she held her tightly in her arms.

On the other side, Fang Chuan sat in the hovercar, his slightly tipsy head clearing up quite a bit as the night wind blew.

Uncle Yan, who was driving, was a very easygoing and talkative person, and he took the initiative to chat with Fang Chuan.

"Young Master Fang Chuan, our young lady hasn't caused you much trouble usually, has she?" Uncle Yan asked with a smile while skillfully driving the hovercar.

Hearing this, Fang Chuan immediately perked up and poured out his grievances: "Uncle Yan, you have no idea! That young lady of yours, she doesn't just cause trouble, she's practically a little devil! These past two years, I've been tormented quite a bit by her!"

Uncle Yan burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"This girl has been like this since she was small, quirky and full of mischief. I remember when she was five, she plucked all the leaves off her grandfather's most beloved Tier 9 spiritual plant, 'Purple Qi Comes from the East', and fed them to her rabbit."

"And another time, she..."

Uncle Yan seemed to enjoy chatting about interesting stories from Yan Lili's childhood, and once he started, he couldn't stop.

Fang Chuan listened with great interest, letting out bursts of laughter from time to time.

"Hahaha, so she's been this mischievous since she was little! That makes sense, that makes sense!"

As they chatted, Fang Chuan felt that his relationship with this Uncle Yan had drawn much closer.

He discovered that this Uncle Yan was actually Yan Lili's biological third uncle.

During the chat, Uncle Yan sighed, a trace of self-deprecation flashing in his eyes: "Does Young Master Fang Chuan find it strange that, even though my surname is Yan, I'm here doing chores like serving tea and pouring water? Actually, in a god family, if your talent is inferior and your God Kingdom doesn't develop, you can only retreat behind the scenes to manage these mundane matters."

Upon hearing this, Fang Chuan understood in his heart.

It seems that even in wealthy families, internal competition is equally fierce.

"It's a pity..." Uncle Yan suddenly sighed and shook his head, "Lili, she won't have it so easy in the future."

"?"

Fang Chuan's drunkenness instantly vanished by more than half.