Chapter 90: Si Qiuying

When Li Luo dismounted, his gaze was also fixed on the green-haired young lady behind the long table.

The young lady was wearing form-fitting casual clothes that outlined her well-developed curves; she was kneeling on the floor before the long table, her feet bare.

Her features were as beautiful as a painting, very delicate, her fair skin as tender as jade, and her soft green hair drifted gently with the breeze; she was truly a budding beauty with a fine temperament.

Li Luo also knelt down before the long table, then smiled at the young lady in front of him and said, "Si Qiuying?"

"Li Luo?" The green-haired young lady also smiled slightly, her voice as pleasant as an oriole.

Li Luo nodded and smiled, "It seems I didn't recognize the wrong person."

"In terms of appearance, you have perfectly inherited the advantages of the two House Masters," Si Qiuying chuckled.

"Is the subtext that you're lacking in other aspects?" Li Luo said.

"I didn't say that; after all, you are the first-place finisher in the Great Xia Academy entrance exam for Tianshu Prefecture," Si Qiuying smiled.

"You are from the Great Xia Academy, right?" Li Luo asked.

The Great Xia Academy, like the Nanfeng Academy, belonged to the category of intermediate academies, but the Great Xia Academy was far more famous than the Nanfeng Academy because it was located within the Royal City.

Si Qiuying nodded slightly and said, "But I didn't take first place; I only ranked second in the Great Xia Academy."

"As expected of a top-three intermediate academy," Li Luo praised. Although the Si Qiuying before him did not display her own resonant power, Li Luo could faintly feel a sense of pressure; clearly, she must have stepped into the Resonant Master stage.

After this brief conversation, Li Luo could feel that although this Si Qiuying appeared gentle, she actually possessed a touch of aloof pride in her bones. However, this was normal; after all, she was the young lady of the Golden Sparrow House, and the Golden Sparrow House was far stronger than the now-declining House Luolan.

"Miss Si, you shouldn't have come here specifically to pick me up, right? I don't think I have that much face," Li Luo suddenly asked.

Si Qiuying did not answer directly, but instead pointed her slender jade fingers in the direction of the Royal City and said, "Originally, some people from the Great Xia Academy were going to come and cause trouble for you today, or rather, give you some embarrassment. The one pushing them from behind is Duze Beixuan of the Duze House."

Li Luo was startled and said, "I don't think I've ever provoked him, have I?"

Si Qiuying smiled faintly and said, "The Duze House and House Luolan have had a grudge for many years. He doesn't dare to go and cause trouble for Sister Qing'e, so of course, he can only come for you."

"Alright, then thank you," Li Luo nodded and cupped his hands toward Si Qiuying.

Si Qiuying swept her gaze over Li Luo and said, "Li Luo, you know the current situation of House Luolan, right?"

Li Luo sighed, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. Being evasive is quite tiring. You aren't very old, yet your speech and actions are permeated with a sense of feigned maturity."

Si Qiuying’s slender brows furrowed slightly, and she said coldly, "I want to ask you, do you actually want to preserve House Luolan?"

"Of course I want to, but with wolves circling, the difficulty must be quite high," Li Luo replied earnestly.

"I have a method that can help you preserve House Luolan," Si Qiuying said calmly.

Without waiting for Li Luo to ask, she spoke directly: "If House Luolan and the Golden Sparrow House enter into a marriage alliance, the two joining forces will certainly be able to sever all covetous eyes."

Li Luo was stunned. He stared at Si Qiuying before him, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'm sorry, I have a marriage contract, so I cannot enter into a marriage alliance with you."

This time it was Si Qiuying’s turn to be stunned. The next instant, a flush of shame and anger surged onto her jade-like little face, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "I didn't say you with me!"

"I was talking about my older brother and Sister Qing'e!"

Li Luo smiled, "Then there's even less chance of that happening."

Si Qiuying stared at Li Luo and said, "Li Luo, don't play dumb with me. You know what I mean. If you want to preserve House Luolan, you need to pay a price. If you are willing to take the initiative to break off the engagement with Sister Qing'e and agree to a marriage alliance between my brother and Sister Qing'e, then our Golden Sparrow House and House Luolan will be one family. When that time comes, we will exhaust everything to protect House Luolan."

"Is this your intention, or the intention of the Golden Sparrow House?" Li Luo asked.

"As long as you agree, this is the intention of the Golden Sparrow House, because a marriage alliance between my brother and Sister Qing'e has only benefits and no harm for us," Si Qiuying said.

Li Luo smiled and said, "In that case, then I don't agree."

Si Qiuying’s beautiful eyes stared sharply at Li Luo: "You don't want House Luolan anymore?"

"Of course I want House Luolan, but I also want the person," Li Luo said with a smile.

"You are too greedy. Greedy people won't have a good ending, and the friendship of the Golden Sparrow House will not be given to a greedy person," Si Qiuying said expressionlessly.

Li Luo smiled and shook his head: "Miss Si, you are too naive to actually believe in this so-called friendship. Between various factions, there is only ever interest."

"The Golden Sparrow House maintains some friendliness with House Luolan; do you think it's some bullshit friendship? You're wrong. The Golden Sparrow House is just worried that if House Luolan falls too quickly, it will nourish and strengthen other great houses. Even if House Luolan is riddled with holes now, it can still shoulder a lot of pressure for the Golden Sparrow House."

"So, Miss Si, if you represent the Golden Sparrow House, then don't talk to me about friendship."

"House Luolan appears to be tottering, yet it has never collapsed. This is not because of any friendship from the Golden Sparrow House. If you don't understand the exact reason, you can go home and ask your parents; I don't have time to educate you."

Li Luo’s tone was unhurried, yet his words carried a sharp edge that made the fair, pretty face of the Si Qiuying before him look faintly unpleasant.

"Slap!"

Her small hand couldn't help but slap the tabletop, making a crisp sound, and resonant power surged over her body.

However, Li Luo stared at her with a calm expression and said, "Miss Si’s performance makes my first impression of the Golden Sparrow House not very good."

"Li Luo, you are going too far!" Si Qiuying said in a deep voice.

Li Luo’s expression remained calm as he said, "Before Miss Si says such things, you should examine yourself first. Although I came from Nanfeng City, you shouldn't treat me like some bumpkin who knows nothing because of that, right?"

"I was just giving you a suggestion," Si Qiuying’s voice turned a bit colder.

Li Luo smiled, stood up, and said, "I have never thought about relying on outsiders for House Luolan, because I know it's unreliable. So no matter who wants to deal with House Luolan, they have to ask me if I agree."

Si Qiuying said coldly, "I'm afraid you have to ask Sister Qing'e."

"Oh right, and also, I have to ask my fiancée if she agrees," Li Luo smiled.

Si Qiuying was somewhat annoyed and huffed, "Boastful! If it weren't for Sister Qing'e, this House Luolan would have been snatched away by others long ago."

"So, having a reliable fiancée, isn't that a very worry-free thing?" Li Luo asked.

Si Qiuying was so angry she nearly broke her silver teeth. In the end, she could only take two deep breaths to suppress the anger in her heart, because she realized she had underestimated this Li Luo’s thick skin. He didn't feel that relying on a woman was shameful at all; on the contrary, he took pride in it.

However, Li Luo paid her no more mind and instead looked toward another direction on the high slope. He saw a team of people galloping over, and among them, someone was holding a flag bearing the emblem of House Luolan.

Moreover, at the very front of that team, even from a great distance, Li Luo could see that slender and stunningly beautiful silhouette.

Thus, he whistled, tilted his head to look at Si Qiuying, and stabbed her with another knife.

"Look, my fiancée has come to pick me up."

(End of chapter)