185: Get out of here

What Xiao Yun heard from Gu Xiaoyue was the outcome she feared most and could not accept.

Her eyes gradually widened, and she screamed in a breakdown: "Impossible! Cousin would never get engaged to you! Impossible!"

Gu Xiaoyue buried her face in Shui Lingyu's chest, but cast a provocative glance at Xiao Yun from the corner of her eye.

This look further enraged Xiao Yun, who looked ready to rush up and hit her.

"Presumptuous!"

Xiao Yun's movement was stopped by Xiao Hongjun's shout, and her raised hand froze in mid-air.

"Grandfather, this woman is lying! She couldn't possibly be engaged to Cousin!"

She angrily dropped her hand and acted coquettishly toward Xiao Hongjun.

"Why is it impossible? Ling Yu called off his engagement with Su Jinxuan because of me; if you don't believe me, you can ask her. Also, when my parents came to Hechuan, they stayed in a property under Ling Yu's name. They only moved out later when they found a house more to their liking."

Everything Gu Xiaoyue said was verifiable information that could be tracked down.

Half-truths always sound more credible.

Duan Yao's eyes were also somewhat unfocused; Gu Xiaoyue had admitted her fiancé was Chu Li just two days ago, yet today she claimed it was Shui Lingyu.

"Impossible, impossible—"

Xiao Yun's composure collapsed, and she kept muttering that it was impossible.

A flash of disgust crossed Xiao Hongjun's face, and he ordered the servants to take Xiao Yun away.

"Since we are all our own people, let's go rest in the side hall first. Once the marriage contract is drafted and signed in a while, you may leave."

Even now, Xiao Hongjun refused to lift the restrictions on Gu Xiaoyue and Duan Yao.

The group went to the side hall together.

Xiao Mingyan's eyes were red as he stared fixedly at Gu Xiaoyue.

"Don't think that just because you found a backer, the Xiao Family will let you off! That immortal-rank pet egg—you will return it whether you want to or not!"

"Cousin, you're joking. I didn't take it, so how can I return it? Are you unable to snatch Duan Yao's God-Rank Pet, so you're determined to snatch an immortal-rank pet egg from me instead?"

Gu Xiaoyue hopped over to the sofa and threw herself onto it.

Shui Lingyu couldn't help but speak up, "immortal-rank pet eggs are rare, and I can understand Cousin's distress, but you shouldn't just target Xiao Yue. If you have evidence, bring it out; if she refuses to return it, I will return it for her! You shouldn't keep making these baseless demands!"

Xiao Mingyan snorted coldly and didn't respond.

Duan Yao was still being held by Xiao Hang, and since Xiao Mingyan was present, they couldn't draw a line between them yet.

They had to act out the charade to the end.

In the study, Xiao Hongjun ordered his servants to draft the marriage contract.

He walked to the window, lit his pipe, and took a slow puff.

Duan Yao could not be kept, but she could not be killed either.

Given this dilemma, arranging a marriage between her and Xiao Hang was a pretty good choice.

After all, once she married in, she would be a member of the Xiao Family!

It was the same for Gu Xiaoyue; marrying Shui Lingyu would make her half a member of the Xiao Family, and she could be well-utilized in the future.

He took another puff and exhaled a smoke ring.

The two children, Xiao Hang and Xiao Han, were becoming increasingly headstrong.

Did they think he couldn't see through their backroom dealings and formation of cliques?

However, compared to them, Xiao Yun, relying on her strong Beastmaster talent and his own doting affection for her and Xiao Mingyan, was becoming increasingly unscrupulous.

Her actions were arrogant, overbearing, and incredibly brainless; sometimes he even had to clean up the messes they made!

As the saying goes, it is easier to start a business than to maintain it. Decades ago, when he was expanding his territory, he had done his fair share of seizing things through trickery and force.

Now that he was old, he found himself becoming somewhat timid in his actions.

Xiao Hongjun sighed, "Call Xiao Hang here."

"Old Master called for me—is the marriage contract ready?"

The servant brought Xiao Hang into the study, where he still maintained his devil-may-care attitude.

"Almost. I wanted to give you a word of advice: pay more attention to her pets and see if they are truly all companion beasts."

A flash of greed crossed Xiao Hongjun's eyes, and Xiao Hang immediately understood.

"That goes without saying! But Old Master, although Duan Yao is from a side branch of the Duan Family, she does possess four God-Rank Pets. Right now, in the Xiao Family—"

Xiao Hongjun nodded slowly, "In a moment, I will have Mingyan give you the information for Yongle Shopping Mall. From today on, Yongle will be under your management."

Xiao Hang's attitude gave Xiao Hongjun some gratification; he was worthy of being his legitimate grandson, with clear and definite goals, knowing exactly what resources his chips could be traded for.

Given Duan Yao's strength, the Duan Family likely wouldn't agree to a marriage with a junior of the Xiao Family who held no real power.

On the surface, it would be a match between equals, but the difference in strength was too great.

Since their Beastmaster strength couldn't be on the same level, they would have to make up for it with resources!

"Master, the marriage contract is ready."

Gu Xiaoyue and the others returned to the study once more.

"Mingyan, from today on, Yongle Shopping Mall will be under Xiao Hang's responsibility. The work at the South China Beastmaster Association will be handed over to Xiao Han."

Standing on the side, Duan Yao watched the marriage contract, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Xiao Mingyan, on the other hand, was suppressing his anger, his chest heaving violently, but he dared not defy his grandfather's decision.

With these two sectors taken away, although he wasn't completely sidelined and still had some trivial work, it was almost devoid of any real profit.

Xiao Mingyan glared viciously at Gu Xiaoyue, the culprit who had caused him to end up like this!

Sensing his gaze, Shui Lingyu silently blocked Gu Xiaoyue, cutting off Xiao Mingyan's line of sight.

"Have you finished reading, Yao Yao? Sign it."

Xiao Hang picked up a pen and shoved it into Duan Yao's hand.

Duan Yao felt her scalp tingle; she probably couldn't leave safely if she didn't sign.

She hardened her heart and signed her name on the marriage contract.

But as soon as she finished signing, her nose soured, and tears threatened to fall.

She was fond of Chu Li; ever since Chu Li helped her out of her predicament and paid the 1.8 billion star coins in breach-of-contract fees, she had already secretly given him her heart.

"Haha, look, she's so happy she's about to cry!"

Seeing that Duan Yao had signed the marriage contract, Xiao Hang affectionately wrapped his arm around her waist again.

He even pinched her waist gently, reminding her to play the part to the end.

Duan Yao wiped away her tears and murmured, "Yes, I'm just too happy."

With the matter settled, Xiao Hongjun waved his hand, and several men in black suits entered.

"Young Master, young ladies, please!"

Gu Xiaoyue breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Xiao Hongjun was finally willing to let them leave.

Shui Lingyu silently glanced at the chains on Gu Xiaoyue's hands and feet and simply picked her up in a bridal carry.

When the group reached the entrance of the Xiao Family residence, the men in black suits finally removed the chains from Gu Xiaoyue and the restriction on Duan Yao's neck.

Chu Li and He Zhichen were waiting at the entrance of the Xiao Family residence, and upon seeing Gu Xiaoyue come out, they immediately went up to greet her.

"Xiao Yue, are you alright?"

Before Gu Xiaoyue could answer, Duan Yao, seeing Chu Li, felt even more aggrieved and began to sob, sniffling and whining.

Even if Xiao Hongjun could watch them from the window, Xiao Hang couldn't be bothered to keep up the act.

With Yongle Shopping Mall and the South China Beastmaster Association in hand, he and Xiao Han hadn't made this trip in vain.

As for the Snow Mountain Secret Realm, it was naturally something Gu Xiaoyue had colluded with Xiao Han on long ago.

She was just guarding against the day she might be captured by Xiao Hongjun because of her relationship with Xiao Yun and Xiao Mingyan.

How would she know if there was thousand-year snow ginseng in the Nevis Secret Realm? It was just to give Xiao Hongjun something to hope for.