Two days had gone by since I planted the seed of revenge in Shi Ran's hatred. The subsystem was in place and now it was time to wait patiently for it to grow. The System Maker acted like a fire-and-forget weapon; once it was launched, I didn't need to do anything else. This allowed me to focus on far more important events approaching.
Today was the day.
I stood in front of the polished bronze mirror in my chambers, adjusting the intricate silver clasp that held my formal crimson and gold robes. The man in the reflection was the image of a noble scion. But inside, my stomach was a chaotic knot of emotions I had never felt in either of my lives.
Today, I was getting engaged.
The thought was so absurd it was almost funny. In my previous life on Earth, I had been a creature of screens and solitude. My time was split between a demanding job and the escapist worlds of webnovels. I had never had a girlfriend, never been on a proper date, never experienced the simple intimacy of holding a woman's hand until I held Meira's. My romantic experience was completely blank.
And now, in this new life, I was skipping all the early stages and jumping straight to a formal engagement with the daughter of another prominent family, a woman known for her legendary beauty and talent. It was like a man who had only read about swimming being thrown into the middle of the ocean.
But what unsettled me most was that I wasn't entirely terrified. I felt… ready. More than ready. The woman I was about to get formally engaged to was Meira Su.
My feelings for her were complicated. At first, she had been a character from a book, someone I had pitied and admired, a tragic heroine who deserved a better fate. Then she became a strategic asset, someone with a Golden Luck aura, a powerful ally whose fate I needed to tie to mine for survival.
But in the last few days, as we planned my cousin's ridiculous funeral, she had become something more. I saw her quiet strength in her support, the intelligence in her eyes as she understood my political moves, and the warmth in her touch that pierced through my cold cynicism. The character from the novel was slowly being replaced by the living woman beside me.
I was starting to fall for her. This realization was both thrilling and deeply unsettling. It complicated my grand plan. It introduced an emotional factor I hadn't anticipated. Yet, it was a complication I welcomed. She was the one piece of genuine sincerity in my life filled with deception.
A soft knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. "Young Master," a servant called. "The Patriarch summons you to the Grand Reception Hall. The guests have arrived."
The guests.
The Su Family.
Her.
I took one last look in the mirror. "Let's get engaged," I said to my reflection with a nervous smile.
I walked out of my courtyard and into a transformed estate. The somber white silks of the funeral had been replaced with festive crimson and gold banners. The air was now filled with the joyful scent of blooming spirit flowers. Servants hurried along the corridors carrying trays of exotic fruits and jade jugs filled with priceless spiritual wine. The wealth and power of the Chen Family were on full display.
As I entered the Grand Reception Hall, the sight was overwhelming. The vast hall could easily hold a thousand people and was filled with the elite from both the Chen and Su families. Elders who usually stayed in seclusion had emerged, their powerful auras thickening the atmosphere. The hall buzzed with conversation and laughter, electric with the importance of the event.
At the head of the hall, on a raised dais, sat my father, Chen Tianyuan. Beside him was a man exuding a calm authority, his robes a deep oceanic blue. Patriarch Su Mingyan. Between them, an empty chair waited for me.
My father caught my eye and nodded proudly. But my focus wasn't on him. It was on the figure standing just beside the dais.
It was Meira.
She wore a formal gown of azure silk, embroidered with a silver Luan bird in mid-flight. Her hair was styled elegantly, adorned with sparkling pearls. She was beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. The quiet strength I always saw in her was now enhanced by a regal grace that made her the undeniable center of attention.
Our eyes met across the crowded room.
For Meira, as I knew from the book and from the deep emotion in her eyes, this was a life-changing event, the fulfillment of a lifetime of secret love. For me, it was a new experience, a step into a future I had never envisioned. I expected to feel nervous, to feel the burden of the political maneuver I was making. Instead, I felt a simple sense of rightness.
A genuine smile spread across my face, and I saw an equally radiant smile bloom on hers in response. It was a silent acknowledgment that we were both here at the beginning of something new and powerful.
I made my way to the dais, bowing respectfully to my father and then to Patriarch Su.
"Patriarch Su," I said clearly and formally. "It is an honor to welcome you to our home."
"The honor is all ours, Young Master Arya," he responded, his gaze sharp and appraising. He was a Peak Golden Core expert, and I could sense his spiritual presence examining me, searching for any flaws or weaknesses in his future son-in-law. "My daughter has spoken highly of you for years."
I glanced at Meira, who now looked at her father with a hint of embarrassed disapproval. I smiled at her before turning back to her father. "And I have always regarded Meira as a true friend and a person of exceptional character. I can think of no one better suited to be the future mistress of the Chen Family."
My words were a political statement and a heartfelt truth. The sincerity seemed to satisfy Patriarch Su, and his appraising look softened into one of approval.
"Good," my father boomed, his celebratory cheer a sharp contrast to his weary demeanor from just days ago. "Then let us not delay. Let the alliance between the Chen and Su families be formalized!"
The ceremony was grand and complex, steeped in centuries of tradition. As the chosen heirs, Meira and I stood before our fathers and the assembled elders of our families. The first part of the engagement was the Exchange of Gifts.
I stepped forward and presented a brocade box to Patriarch Su. "A humble gift from the Chen Family to our esteemed allies," I announced.
He opened it, and a collective gasp echoed through the hall. Inside, resting on a bed of red silk, were three peak-quality Golden Core Advancement Pills. These were Tier 4 pills, each one a masterpiece of alchemy that could save a cultivator years of effort. They showcased the Chen Family's supreme alchemical skills and clearly signaled the value we placed on this alliance.
Then, Meira Su presented a box to my father. Inside was a gnarled root radiating incredible life force: a five-thousand-year-old Azure Dragon's Root, the key ingredient for a longevity pill that could extend a Nascent Soul expert's life by a full century. It was a treasure of equal value, highlighting the Su Family's unmatched expertise in cultivating spiritual herbs.
The exchange was a perfect display of mutual respect and power.
The most important part of the ceremony was the Blood Oath. An elder brought forth a ceremonial jade bowl inscribed with golden formations. My father and Patriarch Su made small cuts on their palms, allowing a single drop of their blood to fall into the bowl.