BTTH : The Fallen Genius

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Chapter 66: The Swan and the Toad

Xiao Yan?!!

Hearing this name, Yun Zhi—who was actually Yun Yun—was suddenly shocked.

Isn't this the fiancé whom Yanran was betrothed to by an arranged marriage?

Not long ago, Nalan Yanran had been pestering her, hoping that she could send Elder Ge Ye as a representative of the Yun Lan Sect to accompany her to the Xiao family to annul the engagement. This made Yun Yun feel very displeased and unwilling.

This disciple of hers had always ignored the marriage agreement in the past, yet when the other party became a "cripple" and after she had taken Nalan Yanran as her direct disciple, the girl suddenly wanted to bring the Yun Lan Sect to annul the engagement. Wouldn't this seem like the Yun Lan Sect was bullying the weak?

However, Nalan Yanran repeatedly swore to her that her desire to annul the engagement had nothing to do with whether the other party was crippled or not—it was simply because she already had someone she liked.

Before joining the Yun Lan Sect, she had brought up the idea of annulling the engagement before. But back then, Xiao Yan was still a renowned genius. Neither her father nor her grandfather supported the annulment; in fact, they strongly opposed it.

It was only after she became Yun Yun's direct disciple that she finally gained the confidence and opportunity to annul the engagement. Who could have expected that the other party would suddenly fall from being a genius to a cripple?

In other words, this was purely a coincidence.

Nalan Yanran herself knew that bringing the Yun Lan Sect to annul the engagement at such a sensitive time would certainly make it seem like she was looking down on the Xiao family and using the Yun Lan Sect's power to pressure them.

However, if she went alone to break the engagement, she worried that the Xiao family might refuse. And who knew if her unseen fiancé would regain his strength? If he never recovered, would she have to wait forever to annul the engagement?

In the end, Nalan Yanran decided to act decisively and resolve the matter as soon as possible before it could cause more trouble.

After much pestering and repeated assurances that she was not looking down on Xiao Yan, Yun Yun reluctantly agreed to let Ge Ye accompany her to the Xiao family to annul the engagement. As compensation, she even increased the value of the gifts given for the annulment several times over.

However, she never expected that when Nalan Yanran returned, she would be full of joy—something that greatly displeased Yun Yun.

Using the Yun Lan Sect's influence to successfully annul the engagement... Is that something to be happy about?

Nalan Yanran had made such solemn promises before leaving, leading Yun Yun to believe that after annulling the engagement, she would at least feel some guilt—even if she wasn't overwhelmed with sorrow. She should have understood how much she was humiliating Xiao Yan, even if that wasn't her intention.

But Yun Yun never expected that Nalan Yanran would be so overjoyed that she didn't even bother hiding it!

Right then and there, Yun Yun decided to take Nalan Yanran back to the Xiao family and reinstate the engagement! She wanted her disciple to understand that some things could not be taken for granted just because she was powerful!

Her teacher, Yun Shan, had taught her since childhood to be upright and to act with a clear conscience. One should never use another person's suffering as a stepping stone for their own joy!

Just as Yun Yun was preparing to take action, Nalan Yanran excitedly ran up to her, completely oblivious to Yun Yun's displeased expression, and spoke cheerfully.

"Teacher! I found him!"

"Hm?" Yun Yun was slightly stunned, not quite understanding what Nalan Yanran meant. Instinctively, she asked, "Who did you find?"

"The boy I met before! I finally found him! He is my fiancé, Xiao Yan!!!"

"Uh…"

Yun Yun was stunned for a long time before she finally processed the information. She turned to look at Ge Ye and asked.

"And the engagement? Was it annulled?"

"How could it be annulled? As soon as the Young Sect Mistress saw Xiao Yan, she immediately demanded that the Xiao family conduct the wedding on the spot. I almost didn't know how to handle the situation."

Ge Ye shook his head with a bitter smile, while Yun Yun felt a headache coming on. She rubbed her forehead with her jade-like hand.

"Wait… Let me get this straight."

After sorting out the chaotic information, Yun Yun looked at Nalan Yanran and asked her, sentence by sentence.

"You told me before that you wanted to annul the engagement because you had someone you liked, but you didn't know his name?"

"Yes!"

"Then, when you went to the Xiao family to annul the engagement, you discovered that your fiancé was the very person you liked?"

"Yes!!"

"And then you demanded to marry him on the spot?"

"Yes!!!"

Seeing Nalan Yanran's joyful smile, Yun Yun felt a throbbing headache and a wave of dizziness. She waved her hand dismissively at Nalan Yanran.

"Go rest for now."

"Alright!"

Watching Nalan Yanran happily bouncing away, Yun Yun was left with a head full of question marks.

Originally, they had gone to the Xiao family to annul the engagement, so how did it turn into a forced marriage?

If the engagement had simply been annulled, it wouldn't have been a big deal. After all, the agreement had been made by their elders, and the two had never even met. Although breaking off the engagement at that moment seemed like a slight humiliation, time would pass, and Xiao Yan would eventually move on and find his own happiness.

But now, what kind of mess was this? Her own disciple—the Young Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect—had gone to the Xiao family and forced them to immediately conduct the wedding?

Nalan Yanran liked Xiao Yan so much that she wanted to marry him immediately, but that was only one-sided. It didn't mean that Xiao Yan wanted to marry her. Marriage was a lifelong commitment—forcing someone to spend their entire life with someone they didn't want was simply cruel...

Feeling an intense headache, Yun Yun turned to Ge Ye and asked about the outcome.

"And then? Did he agree?"

Before Ge Ye could answer, Yun Yun raised a hand to stop him.

"Sorry… That was a stupid question."

If Xiao Yan had agreed, Nalan Yanran wouldn't have returned.

At that moment, Ge Ye added.

"That boy politely refused the marriage several times, but the Young Sect Master was relentless. I was worried that things would escalate, so I suggested that they make a three-year agreement. Three years from now, they will duel in the Yun Lan Sect. If the Young Sect Master wins, they will marry immediately. If Xiao Yan wins, the engagement will be annulled, and all the gifts will remain with the Xiao family, as per the Young Sect Master's request."

"…"

Yun Yun fell silent, her face full of conflict.

She knew that marriage should be based on mutual willingness, but…

Nalan Yanran, a top-tier talent with an extraordinary background, a direct disciple of the Sect Master, and the sole heiress of the Nalan family, had taken the initiative to request an immediate marriage—yet she was rejected by a so-called "cripple" from a tiny city?

Alright… Yun Yun rarely judged people based on their strength, and she always tried to avoid looking down on others.

But the gap between Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan was simply too vast. In terms of status, strength, and future prospects, Xiao Yan couldn't compare at all—yet he still rejected Nalan Yanran's marriage request.

To put it bluntly, it was like a toad being fed swan meat, only for the toad to spit it out.

At that moment, Yun Yun instinctively felt that Xiao Yan was being ungrateful. But she quickly adjusted her perspective.

Perhaps he truly didn't want to marry Nalan Yanran.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

A woman like Nalan Yanran, with her status and talent, took the initiative to offer marriage—any normal person would have agreed immediately. Why did he refuse, even to the point of being forced into a three-year agreement?

Could anyone really resist such an opportunity?

Yun Yun's doubts about Xiao Yan's choice gradually turned into curiosity about him.

She had originally planned to visit Wu Tan City after settling this matter to meet Xiao Yan.

But now…

Yun Yun looked at the young man before her, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.

No need to make another trip.

(End of Chapter)

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For every 100 power stones = 1 chapter

300 power stones = 5 chapter

500 power stones = 8 chapter