17: Chapter 17 Will You Marry Me?

A moment later, in the backyard of the Meng Manor.

"Orchid fingers pluck at the Mortal World like water, on a three-foot red stage, all matters enter the song and wind~~"

"Singing of long goodbyes until sorrow is no longer sorrow, where the deepest red turns to ash, who will remember whom in their finest years."

"Snow falls vaguely on autumn-white hair, the lanterns are lush, wrinkling your brows."

"If you shed a single tear, if I can accompany you as we grow old, turning to ash amidst the misty waves would be a perfect end."

...

"The Jianghu laughs, grievances end. People trade blows, smiles hide daggers."

"The Mortal World laughs, laughing at loneliness. Ambitions are too high to be reached~"

...

After finishing a few songs, Jiang Yuyan stopped her voice and hands.

Meng Li nodded repeatedly, secretly thinking that what Yu Yan had said was true. Judging by her skill in playing and singing, she had indeed made a living as a street performer with her mother for a period of time.

Performers in the current world were not like certain charlatans from his previous life, who could make a fortune just by being blindly praised despite having no talent. Nowadays, if a performer didn't have real skill, let alone earning money for food, being booed off stage or even chased and beaten was a common occurrence.

"What do you think?"

Pulling back his thoughts, Meng Li asked Tie Xinlan while beckoning Yu Yan to come over.

Tie Xinlan replied, "The lyrics are good, and the melody is a bit strange since it's my first time hearing it, but it feels very fresh. She sings quite beautifully."

Then, she asked in confusion, "Why did you suddenly start studying singing?"

Meng Li smiled and said, "Managing the Family business and practicing martial arts every day is a bit tiring, so I wanted to enjoy myself a little."

At this moment, Yu Yan approached and gave them a formal bow. "Young Master, Miss Tie."

Tie Xinlan was suddenly surprised. "You know me?"

She didn't remember ever meeting Jiang Yuyan.

Yu Yan nodded and explained, "We passed each other when you left yesterday, and the Young Master introduced you to me afterward."

Tie Xinlan then realized, and after thinking back carefully, she found that she indeed seemed to have passed someone when she left yesterday. At the time, she thought the other person was a servant of the Meng Manor and didn't pay much attention. She hadn't expected it to be the new maid Meng Li bought, and such a beautiful one at that.

However...

She sized up Jiang Yuyan and keenly captured that the way the girl looked at Meng Li was a bit off.

Yu Yan noticed Tie Xinlan's gaze. Her eyes flickered slightly as she smiled and took the initiative to introduce herself, "My name is Yu Yan, and I am the Young Master's Personal Maid."

A Personal Maid?!

Tie Xinlan's expression changed slightly. She turned to look at Meng Li, hesitating to speak.

Meng Li narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze swept over Jiang Yuyan, who had lowered her head guiltily, and landed on Tie Xinlan. "Come with me."

After saying that, he didn't wait for her answer and directly pulled her hand, walking toward a distant spot.

Once they reached a secluded area, Meng Li said, "What did you want to say just now? Go ahead."

"How can you buy a Personal Maid?" Tie Xinlan asked huffily, her expression full of grievance.

"Why can't I buy a Personal Maid?" Meng Li asked back, then said solemnly, "I currently have no parents or direct elders above me, and I haven't married a wife yet. I make my own decisions on all matters. If I were to take a concubine, I would need to consider etiquette and marry a wife first."

"But having a Personal Maid violates neither reason nor etiquette."

Speaking to this point, he paused for a moment and changed his perspective. "I am the only heir of my Meng Family line. For the sake of the Family's lineage, I must make plans early."

"Back then, my parents died due to a vendetta, and the Family business was coveted by others."

"Fortunately, with the help of my Esteemed Uncle, I was able to grow up safely and smoothly take over the Family business. I will forever keep this kindness in my heart."

"But the reason the Family business was coveted was, firstly, because my Meng Family's assets were quite large and invited envy. Secondly, I was young and weak at the time, an easy target. Thirdly, my Family has only one heir per generation, with no uncles or brothers to help. Once an accident occurs, one becomes isolated and helpless."

"A fall in the pit, a gain in wit."

"To avoid repeating the same mistakes, I believe I should branch out more. If we remain a single-heir line and another accident happens, I'm afraid this Family business won't last more than a few generations. After all, I can't guarantee that my descendants will be as lucky as I was to meet someone as righteous as my Esteemed Uncle."

Meng Li's words were reasonable and grounded in fact, making it difficult for Tie Xinlan to refute for a moment.

However, due to her hazy feelings, she still found it a bit hard to accept that Meng Li had bought Jiang Yuyan as a Personal Maid.

Her mind raced as she changed her angle. "But you haven't reached the right age yet, and neither has Yu Yan. I remember you once said that for both men and women, the age for continuing the lineage shouldn't be too young. Otherwise, a man easily damages his Origin Qi, and a woman faces even greater life-threatening risks during childbirth."

"That is indeed the case." Meng Li nodded, then smiled. "But I didn't say I was going to perform the duties of a husband and wife with Yu Yan immediately."

"I plan to keep her by my side for now and nurture our feelings along the way."

Keep her for now and nurture feelings?

Tie Xinlan's eye twitched. "If you want to branch out the lineage, just marrying a wife is enough. There's no need for a Personal Maid, right?"

Meng Li seemed to realize something. "Do you mean you want me to marry Yu Yan as my wife?"

Tie Xinlan: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!

"Marry whoever you want!" Tie Xinlan shouted in anger, turning around to leave.

The moment she turned her head, a mist of tears uncontrollably filled her sparkling eyes, making her look truly pitiable.

Meng Li was quick and pulled her back, then with a forceful tug, he drew her into his embrace.

"Then, what if I marry you?"

The gentle words sounded in her ear, and Tie Xinlan's struggle instantly froze.

This sentence was like the morning light at dawn; as soon as it appeared, it dispersed the haze covering her feelings for Meng Li. Years of affection became clear and erupted all at once, drowning out the anger and resentment in her heart, replaced instead by shyness and pleasant surprise.

For a moment, her head felt a bit dizzy, and she subconsciously said, "Who said they were going to marry you?"

"Didn't you just say 'marry whoever I want'?" Meng Li replied with a smile, then said seriously, "I took those words seriously, you can't back out now."

Tie Xinlan curled her lip and said, "Who says that just because you took it seriously, I have to agree? I'm going to..."

She stopped before she could finish, because Meng Li leaned down and kissed her lips.

Tender, soft, and with an indescribable sweetness.

After a long time, their lips parted.

Tie Xinlan slumped weakly into Meng Li's arms, panting for a moment. Once she regained her senses, she said both shyly and crossly, "You're bullying me!"

As she spoke, she reached out and pinched his waist, but she didn't use much strength.

First, it was her first taste of the forbidden fruit, and the aftereffects of the stimulation were still there, making her lack strength.

Second, her heart and appearance were at odds; she wasn't actually that angry.

Meng Li didn't respond to that but looked into Tie Xinlan's sparkling eyes and said seriously, "When your Esteemed Uncle returns, how about I go to his door and propose marriage?"

Hearing this, the shy joy in Tie Xinlan's heart grew even stronger. She turned her head away and said, "I don't want to get married so early."

The underlying meaning was clear: she was willing to marry, she just wanted the wedding to be later.

Meng Li smiled and said, "Naturally. Let's set our engagement first. As for the wedding, we'll wait until we are at the right age."

"Then what about that Yu Yan?"

...