4: Chapter 4: Pre-marital Alliance, A Pact in the Palm of One's Hand

"You... what are you looking at?"

Su Qingyue kept her voice extremely low, as if she were a thief, terrified of being overheard by the nannies and maids nearby.

She was still putting up a front, but the roots of her ears were so red they looked like they were about to drip blood, and her eyes darted around, not daring to meet Li Qingfeng's gaze.

Li Qingfeng looked at her and suddenly chuckled.

"Looking at my future wife shouldn't be against the law, should it?"

Su Qingyue was choked by his words; her breathing stalled for a beat, and the heat on her Face surged even higher.

She wanted to step back, but felt that doing so would weaken her Aura, so she could only press her lips together tightly and say in a low voice: "You are very different from the rumors."

Li Qingfeng lazily adjusted his cuffs: "If those rumors were trustworthy, I wouldn't be standing here trying on this red garb right now."

These words made Su Qingyue's eyes flicker.

She originally wanted to say something else, but the voice of a nanny urging them on came from outside.

The two had no choice but to separate and return to their respective rooms to change out of their wedding garments.

Once everyone had left, Li Qingfeng was taken to a side hall next to the Ancestral Hall to hide and wait for the final procedures before the grand wedding tomorrow.

The Li Family was bustling and festive at this moment, with red silk draped everywhere, and the servants coming and going were all chattering about the "happy event."

But Li Qingfeng saw it clearly; this was no happy event. To put it bluntly, it was just a transaction laid out on the table.

He was a tool pushed out by the Li Family to stabilize the situation.

As for Su Qingyue, she was a bargaining chip sent out by her father to trade for peace.

Everyone wore a smile on their Face, but not a single one was truly happy from the bottom of their heart.

Li Qingfeng leaned against a pillar, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the railing, his mind filled with the two System prompts that had just popped up.

Compatibility increased by five.

And there was an additional "Dual Cultivation Spiritual Feedback."

Just looking at the name, he knew that this was different from ordinary physical contact; it was likely an extra benefit after the marriage contract was established and the Dao Companion pair's spiritual power merged.

In other words, the closer he and Su Qingyue were, and the more they acknowledged each other in their hearts, the more benefits the System would provide, and the more tangible they would be.

This matter wasn't just a simple case of marrying a wife.

This was going to bind him and Su Qingyue together tightly.

Just as Li Qingfeng was pondering, a very light sound of footsteps came from behind him.

He turned his head and saw Su Qingyue walking over.

She wasn't wearing that flashy red dress this time, but a simple, plain dress instead. Perhaps because she had just changed, her hair was a bit loose, with a few black strands clinging to the side of her Face, which made her look even more alluring than before.

She walked very slowly, the hem of her skirt brushing gently against her legs, and her waist was so slender that it could be grasped with one hand.

Her chest moved gently with her breathing; even though she wasn't revealing anything, it made one unable to look away.

Li Qingfeng took one look, and he knew what was going on.

She wasn't just passing by. She had come specifically to find him.

"Is Miss Su reluctant to part with me, chasing after me so soon after we separated?"

Su Qingyue's feet faltered at his words, and she looked up and glared at him.

That glare had no lethality at all; instead, because of the glistening moisture in her eyes, it looked soft and captivating.

"I came here because I want to discuss serious business with you."

Li Qingfeng nodded: "What a coincidence, I also like to discuss serious business first."

Su Qingyue walked up to him but didn't speak immediately.

She seemed to be thinking about how to begin, her fingers habitually touching the edge of her sleeve, rubbing it gently twice, before she said in a low voice: "My father sent me a message last night and explained the situation very clearly."

"After the wedding, if I can quickly give birth to a child with good Aptitude, the Li Family will treat me as one of their own, give me resources, and also preserve some Face for my father's side."

"But if there is no movement in my belly, or if the child born has mediocre Aptitude, my days in the Li Family won't be any better than they are now."

When she said these things, her tone was quite calm, but Li Qingfeng could still see that she was suppressing anger in her heart.

She wasn't afraid of hardship. She was afraid that she wouldn't even have her own life in her own hands in the future.

Li Qingfeng looked at her without a word.

Su Qingyue looked up at him and continued: "So I came today, not to complain to you. I just want to know, are you planning to accept your fate, or are you planning to fight for it?"

The side hall was quiet for a moment. Li Qingfeng suddenly laughed: "If I were to accept my fate, I wouldn't have said those things to you last night."

"Then how do you intend to fight?" Su Qingyue asked very directly.

Li Qingfeng leaned back, his tone slowly deepening.

"On the surface, go along with the Li Family."

"They want to see us get married and have children, want to see me honestly act as a tool, fine, then we will perform for them first."

"But behind the scenes, it will be different."

He looked at Su Qingyue, his gaze becoming sharp bit by bit.

"I won't be a chess piece forever."

"Right now, they arranged for me to marry you, but in the future, I will make them beg to bring better things before me. Resources, status, and say... eventually, the entire Li Family will have to bear my surname."

Su Qingyue's heart jumped violently.

She originally thought that Li Qingfeng was at most a stubborn troublemaker who wasn't reconciled to his fate. But now she realized that this person was not as simple as a troublemaker; what he was thinking about was climbing up, turning the tables, and overturning the whole table to become the dealer himself.

Moreover, when he said these words, he wasn't excited at all. He was very calm, so calm that it was as if he had calculated these things countless times in his heart.

Su Qingyue stared at him and asked softly: "Are you so sure?"

Li Qingfeng smiled: "It's hard to say right now, but I am clear about one thing: if I don't fight for it, I can forget about everything."

"Neither of us has a retreat. Instead of being obediently manipulated as chess pieces, it's better to join forces first, then overturn the table together."

Su Qingyue felt her heart tighten as she listened. Together. These two words made the expression in her eyes change instantly.

She was silent for a moment, then took out a jade pendant from her sleeve.

The jade pendant was the size of a palm, warm and smooth throughout, with a very pale cyan color, and spiritual light swirling inside; one look and it was clear it wasn't cheap.

"This is a Warming Spirit Jade Pendant," she said in a very soft voice, "left by my mother. Wearing it close to the body can nourish the Meridians and alleviate the collision of spiritual power, which is especially useful for someone like you with a poor foundation."

Li Qingfeng's gaze changed instantly. This item was precious. The key was that this was also her mother's keepsake.

"You are giving this to me?"

Su Qingyue nodded: "Consider it a bit of my sincerity."

After saying this, she took a step forward, raised her hand, and was about to tie the jade pendant on him.

She was too close. So close that when Li Qingfeng lowered his head, he could see her long eyelashes and the little white tip of her nose. Her lips were a pale pink, and when she spoke, her warm breath puffed onto his chin. His gaze traveled downward... Ahem. Her waist was truly slender, and the curves of her chest rose and fell with her movements, which couldn't be hidden even through her clothes. She was soft, fragrant, and swaying right in front of him.

Su Qingyue lowered her head to tie the string, her fingers wrapping around his waist, her fingertips accidentally brushing against his clothes, and then, through the thin fabric, gently grazing his side.

Li Qingfeng's breathing stalled for a beat.

The next second, the System panel in his mind lit up with a flash.

[Dao Companion gift detected.] [Item: Warming Spirit Jade Pendant.] [Effect analysis: Nourishes Meridians, alleviates spiritual power collision, slightly improves Qi stability.] [Host gains temporary buff: Meridian capacity + 10%.] [Risk of first empowerment decreased.]

Li Qingfeng's heart suddenly felt warm.

What he had been most worried about before was that after the marriage contract was established, the System's empowerment would be too intense for his broken body to handle. Now with this jade pendant, his Meridian capacity had directly increased by a notch; it was simply a lifesaver, directly leveling out the most dangerous hurdle.

This woman truly understood; everything she gave was exactly what was needed.

Su Qingyue had just finished tying the jade pendant and was about to pull away when her wrist was suddenly grasped by a large hand with ease.

Her body stiffened violently, and she looked up to Li Qingfeng.

Li Qingfeng's palm was burning hot, his grip not heavy, but locked on tight, with no intention of letting go at all.

"Li Qingfeng..." Su Qingyue's voice dropped, the end of her sentence softening.

She instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but after moving just once, she didn't move again. Because Li Qingfeng wasn't acting recklessly.

He was just holding it, his eyes looking straight at her, very seriously.

"Su Qingyue." It was the first time he called her by her full name. "Today everyone thinks that I am just a piece of trash used for marriage and bearing children."

"But remember this. It won't be long before these people have to change their Faces."

"By then, it won't be me begging the Li Family to give me a way to survive, but they who will be crying and shouting to bring the best resources and the best positions before me."

Su Qingyue's heart felt hot, even her breathing became chaotic. She looked at the man in front of her and suddenly realized that he was completely different from what she had imagined. He was not only clear-headed but also dared to think and act. The most deadly thing was that when he said these words, he really made people feel that he could actually do it.

Her hand was held by him, her palm could feel his temperature, and the string in her heart that had always been taut actually loosened slowly.

She was quiet for a few seconds, didn't break free, but instead relaxed her fingers little by little. Finally, she placed her whole hand into his palm.

Li Qingfeng's eyes flickered.

Su Qingyue looked up at him, her Face still red, but her eyes were much more serious than before. "Then I will trust you once." "Not trusting this marriage arranged by the Li Family." "It is I who trust you, this person."

Li Qingfeng's lips curled, his fingers tightened, holding her soft and cool hand even tighter.

Just then, the System panel flashed again. [Dao Companion active recognition detected.] [Compatibility increased.] [Current compatibility: 12%.] [Hint: The higher the compatibility, the more the cultivation empowerment, Dual Cultivation Spiritual Feedback, and subsequent offspring settlement rewards will increase after the marriage contract is bound.]

Li Qingfeng looked at these lines, his heart completely at ease. He finally understood now that this System wasn't mindlessly handing out benefits; it looked at the Dao Companion's Aptitude and the relationship between the two people. In other words, Su Qingyue was not a simple binding tool; the more she trusted him and the more willing she was to get close to him, the greater the benefits he could obtain.

Just then, from the direction of the Ancestral Hall, a long bell toll suddenly sounded. Dong—

Once the sound rang, the entire Li Family seemed to be awakened by this sound. Su Qingyue's fingertips shrank slightly, and she said in a low voice: "The time has come."

Li Qingfeng nodded, released her hand, but didn't let the two get too far apart. "Let's go, wife."

Su Qingyue's Face felt hot, she gently bit her lower lip, but in the end, she didn't refute it, just gave a low "Mn."

The two walked side by side toward the Ancestral Hall. One wore a green robe, eyes like deep pools, the other had a fluttering skirt, her profile looking especially gentle. On the surface, they were just a pair of newlyweds being pushed forward by the Family, but both knew clearly in their hearts that from now on, this matter was not just as simple as getting married.

They were forming an alliance.

And the System panel in Li Qingfeng's mind also popped up at this time, displaying a line of small blood-red characters. [Marriage contract binding countdown: One stick of incense.] [Please Host prepare for the first empowerment.]