Shuoxue City, Ningyuan Pavilion, the city lord’s mansion.

It was early summer, and the lake in front of Ningyuan Pavilion was full of blue waves and flowers were blooming by the lake.

Qi Ningyuan's face was slightly dark, and he lay on the recliner chair next to the window on the second floor of Ningyuan Pavilion.

Chen Ziling sat next to her, lowered her eyes slightly, and said softly: "Cousin, you can't say that either. My sister's appearance has almost recovered. Besides, she is alone and has suffered so much, so grandfather should love her."

Qi Ningyuan's eyes turned slightly, he glanced at Chen Ziling, and sneered: "What do you mean is that you sympathize with Chen Ziqing. Do you think I should agree to this marriage and marry her as my grandfather's wife?"

Chen Ziling was silent for a while before slowly saying: "Whether to marry or not, my cousin has a decision in his heart. I just told my cousin a little bit of the truth."

"Chen Ziling, don't waste your efforts. Do you think I don't know about your thoughts? Do you think I'm blind or stupid? You are afraid that you hate Chen Ziqing to death now? You were the only lady in the Chen family and always wanted to marry me, but my grandfather never mentioned the engagement between the two families. But as soon as Chen Ziqing came back, the marriage came out." Qi Ningyuan sneered, "Don't pretend, I have no interest in you at all. Your disabled sister will not be my wife! Leave here immediately! Without my permission in the future, you are not allowed to step into Ningyuan Pavilion!"

Chen Ziling looked gloomy and stood up and whispered, "Cousin, you really misunderstood me. Then I'll leave, don't disturb my cousin's rest."

Chen Ziling finished speaking and turned around and left. Qi Ningyuan did not look at her again.

"Chen Ziqing, Chen Ziling..." A trace of disgust flashed in Qi Ningyuan's eyes, "Who said I must marry a daughter of the Chen family? The woman I want..." A woman in a thin black dress suddenly appeared in Qi Ningyuan's mind, holding an umbrella in his hand...

Qi Ningyuan frowned and murmured to himself: "Why do you think of that woman again..."

The sound at the door disrupted Qi Ningyuan's thoughts. The old lord of Shuoxue City and Qi Ningyuan's grandfather Chen Ji sent someone to come and ordered Qi Ningyuan to come and see him.

Qi Ningyuan stood up, calmed down, went downstairs, left Ningyuan Pavilion, and followed the people.

Chen Ji's residence is called Qianxueju, which is located in the deepest part of the city lord's mansion, behind a dense bamboo forest.

Qi Ningyuan passed through the bamboo forest, and an antique pavilion appeared not far away in front of him.

A thin old man with white hair and fairy-like hair was playing the piano in the pavilion. The sound of the piano was so loud that it was astonishing as thousands of horses galloping. This was the old city lord of the Chen family in Shuoxuecheng, Chen Ji.

"Ningyuan pays homage to grandfather." Qi Ningyuan spoke.

The sound of the piano came to an abrupt end, and Chen Ji turned to look at Qi Ningyuan.

The actual gaze made Qi Ningyuan feel a lot of pressure. He bowed slightly, stood under the pavilion, and made a respectful attitude.

"Come here and sit." Chen Ji spoke, Qi Ningyuan felt relaxed, raised his foot into the pavilion, and sat down opposite Chen Ji.

"Have your grandfather told you?" Chen Ji was straight to the point and mentioned the marriage between Chen Qi's two families.

Qi Ningyuan nodded: "When I returned to the city, my grandfather was not here, but my grandfather left me a letter, which mentioned the engagement."

"Since you know, let's settle this matter!" Chen Ji's tone was low, but the intimidation in his words was very strong, and he was very strong, giving Qi Ningyuan no choice at all.

"Grandpa, when I was alive, I never mentioned the engagement." Qi Ningyuan frowned.

"Do you suspect that I am lying to you?" Chen Ji's face was slightly dark.

"I dare not." Qi Ningyuan shook his head, "It's just that before my mother died, I swore to her that I will marry a woman I like in this life and protect her forever. You must not be half-hearted or imitate my father. Therefore, I will forgive this marriage, my grandfather, forbiddenly."

Chen Ji snorted coldly: "What do you mean is that you only marry the girl you like? Only marry one in your life?"

"That's right." Qi Ningyuan nodded, "This is also my mother's last wish. I guess my grandfather doesn't want my mother to be at ease, right?"

"Don't use your mother to suppress me!" Chen Ji said coldly, "Your mother's softness of not fighting or robbing, and accepting things without any slightestness on you. Your mother also advised you not to hurt others for no reason or to do things that hurt the heavens and the truth. If you listened to them, you would not become the vicious and famous Young Master Qi now!"

Qi Ningyuan lowered his eyes slightly, remained silent for a moment, his lips curled up slightly, and he smiled: "Grandpa knows me very well, but my ability is less than one-tenth of my grandfather. But this marriage is not what I want. I really want to know why my grandpa insists on letting me marry Chen Ziqing, who has been away for many years? What are the benefits of this? What are the benefits of this to me?"

After Qi Ningyuan finished speaking, Chen Ji's eyes turned cold and he suddenly took action. Before Qi Ningyuan reacted, he had already strangled his neck and looked at him with a cold expression: "Don't forget, who made you what you are today? I want to bargain with me, in another ten years!"

For a moment, Qi Ningyuan thought he would be strangled to death by Chen Ji. But just as Qi Ningyuan closed his eyes and was about to die, Chen Ji suddenly threw him away!

Qi Ningyuan bumped into the stone bench and fell to the ground, covering his chest, gasping for breath, his face extremely ugly.

"I'll give you three breaths, get up and sit down." Chen Ji said coldly.

Qi Ningyuan supported the ground with his hands, stood up, touched his neck, sat back, looked at Chen Ji and said, "If I say I will not marry Chen Ziqing even if I die, will my grandfather strangled me to death?"

Chen Ji glanced at Qi Ningyuan and said something he said was not "I don't know", but "You don't know".

Qi Ningyuan laughed at himself: "That's right, I don't need to take my life for a disfigured woman. It was my fault just now, so I shouldn't talk to my grandfather in that tone, but I was taught by my grandfather, and it was my grandfather's blood. At least I would like to give me a chance to speak? I still want to ask, why did my grandfather insist on letting me marry Chen Ziqing?"

"Because I want to do this." Chen Ji said coldly.

Qi Ningyuan looked slightly stunned, and smiled with his head down, his smile was very ugly.

Chen Ji did not seem to explain the reason why he asked Qi Ningyuan to marry Chen Ziqing, but in fact he explained. The reason is very simple. Chen Ji wanted to use this method to let Qi Ningyuan know that no matter how plump Qi Ningyuan's wings are or how glorious and powerful the outside, he would bow his head and be obedient in front of Chen Ji.

In other words, this marriage is Chen Ji testing Qi Ningyuan. If Qi Ningyuan refuses, then the relationship between them will go in another direction; if Qi Ningyuan agrees, Chen Ji will continue to secretly help Qi Ningyuan like so many years in the past.

This is also one of the main reasons why Qi Ningyuan's grandfather Qi Yuan is addicted to medical skills, and Qi Ningyuan's father Qi Mo is addicted to female sex, but Qi Ningyuan was able to grow into the number one young man in the Apocalypse Continent, because his grandfather was also the master who taught him since childhood, and everything he learned from Chen Ji.

At least half of Qi Ningyuan's ability to have such strength and status today is attributed to Chen Ji. Qi Ningyuan has no capital for arrogance in front of Chen Ji, at least not yet. Everything that Chen Ji gave him can be easily taken away.

This is what Chen Ji wanted Qi Ningyuan to understand, and it is also a fact that Qi Ningyuan was unwilling to admit before, but now he has to admit it.

"Grandpa, I understand." Qi Ningyuan smiled slightly and nodded obediently, "Everything is done as my grandfather said, I have no objection."

Chen Ji looked at the smile in Qi Ningyuan Buda's eyes and said lightly: "This engagement is true. Your mother and your elder aunt were sisters who swore Jinlan. After you were born, your mother made an appointment with your elder aunt. If she gave birth to a daughter for the first time, the two families would marry you. Your mother didn't mention it to you before she died because she didn't know if Ziqing could come back. But your mother specifically told me more than once that I must find Ziqing back alive!"

Qi Ningyuan frowned and remained silent because he didn't expect Chen Ji would explain the engagement to him.

Since childhood, Qi Ningyuan often heard his mother Chen Fei talk about his eldest aunt Feng Qingran, saying that they were the best sisters. Chen Fei also mentioned Chen Yun and Feng Qingran’s eldest daughter many times.

But Chen Fei had obviously had countless opportunities, but never told Qi Ningyuan about the engagement between the two families. When Chen Fei was alive, she did not often go back to her parents' home.

But at this moment, Qi Ningyuan felt that what Chen Ji said to him just now was true, not lying to him...

Qi Ningyuan was thinking about the engagement when he heard Chen Ji change the subject and ask him: "What's the matter with the Wei family in Baiyue City?"

Qi Ningyuan calmed down and said respectfully: "Grandpa, I swear that the affairs of the Wei family have nothing to do with me. According to the clues I got, the destruction of the Wei family was done by the Ji family. The Ji family deliberately spread the news and threw dirty water on me."

"Ji family? Ji Kun, do you have this ability?" Chen Ji said coldly, "You haven't forgotten that I gave you the deadline and let you destroy the Wax City, right?"

Qi Ningyuan frowned: "Grandpa, Wilson City has no value and does not pose a threat to us. After the Wei family's accident, the Ji family has already begun to blatantly become enemies with us and have to marry the Han family. Now we should concentrate on dealing with the Ji family!"

"Are you so sure that the Ji family is the one who framed you?" Chen Ji asked coldly.

"At present, the suspicion of the Ji family is the most important," said Qi Ningyuan.

"Then what are you going to do?" Chen Ji asked again.

Qi Ningyuan thought for a while and said, "I plan to break up with Ji and Han families first and let them kill each other."

"Hmph! Since those people say that you stole the Wei family's Long Yan Flower and Treasure Map, then you can find a way to really get those things, otherwise you will be incompetent!" Chen Ji said coldly.

Qi Ningyuan lowered his head: "Yes! I will do my best to find the person who framed me and get those things!"

"The marriage is settled, there is an auspicious day at the end of the year, and I have already chosen it." Chen Ji looked at Qi Ningyuan and waved his hand, "You can stay in Shuoxue City for a few days, get along well with Ziqing, and think about how to act next, come here again when you leave."

"Yes, grandpa." Qi Ningyuan felt a little relieved when he heard Chen Ji say that the marriage was scheduled to the end of the year. Because he could not resist Chen Ji for the time being. If Chen Ji asked him to get married next month, there would be no room for improvement. Now there is more than half a year left, anything may happen, and he doesn't have to have a quarrel with Chen Ji at this time.

After Qi Ningyuan saluted Chen Ji respectfully, he walked through the bamboo forest and returned to Ningyuan Pavilion alone.

After entering Ningyuan Pavilion, Qi Ningyuan's entourage said that Chen Ziling had just arrived again and brought some of Qi Ningyuan's favorite dishes she made with her, but they were still hot.

Qi Ningyuan looked at the dishes with all the colors, fragrance and flavor, and did not take the chopsticks. After watching for a while, he waved his hand to let the follower come over and gave a few instructions. The follower quickly took the order out.

Soon, Chen Ziling met Qi Ningyuan's entourage. Qi Ningyuan asked Chen Ziling to meet at the Garden Lake Pavilion tonight. Chen Ziling replied that she would definitely go.

The night was low, and lights were lit everywhere in the city lord's mansion. Qi Ningyuan flew through the lake in front of Ningyuan Pavilion and landed in the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

On the stone table in the middle of the lake, there was a pot of wine, two jade cups, and two plates of exquisite desserts, but Chen Ziling was not seen.

Qi Ningyuan sat down and turned his head slightly. He saw Chen Ziling graceful white clothes, graceful figure, smiling at the corners of his lips, flying over, like a fairy descending to earth.

If you change a man, you must have been fascinated by this scene, but Qi Ningyuan is not only calm, but also feels a little bored.

Chen Ziling landed gracefully in the pavilion and smiled and called out softly: "Cousin."

"Are you sick? Send the things here first, hide from a distance and watch it. When I come, you will appear again? Do you think you are singing a show?" Qi Ningyuan snorted coldly.

Chen Ziling's face twisted for a moment, but soon returned to normal, and her smile was slightly unnatural. She walked over and sat down opposite Qi Ningyuan, looked at Qi Ningyuan and said, "My cousin misunderstood. I asked the servants to come and deliver these first. I came after I had dinner with my parents and sister."

"No need to say nonsense!" Qi Ningyuan said expressionlessly, "Grandpa has decided on my marriage with your sister, and I have no choice."

Chen Ziling's eyes were slightly dim, and she stood up, lowered her head and said softly, "Cousin, I understand... I shouldn't have come to see you alone. I'll go back now and ask my sister to come and drink with my cousin to enjoy the moon."

Qi Ningyuan grabbed the valuable jade cup at his hand, raised his hand and slammed it at Chen Ziling's feet, and said coldly: "I said, don't act like a show, one set of things! Your trick can deceive your stupid senior brothers, don't show your shame in front of me!"

Chen Ziling looked at Qi Ningyuan with a look of shame and annoyed: "Is it wrong for me to do anything I make? The first purse I made was given to my cousin, and I gave it to my slave again! I learned to cook with my mother, and cooked the dishes that my cousin likes many times, and when it was cooked well, I sent them to my cousin. I took them and fed the beasts raised in the mansion! My cousin accepted the clothes I made for my cousin every time, but finally put them on the entourage! My cousin may not like me, I silently like my cousin and treat my cousin silently. Even if my cousin doesn't accept it, I am happy and willing. But why did my cousin humiliate me so much? Tonight, my cousin took the initiative to ask me, and I really don't understand where I did it wrong?"

Chen Ziling said, tears were almost coming out.

Qi Ningyuan looked at Chen Ziling indifferently and said, "I will finally talk well? Sit down, I have something to tell you."

Chen Ziling sat back with her head down and heard Qi Ningyuan say, "I don't want to marry Chen Ziqing."

Chen Ziling nodded gently: "I can understand my cousin's mood."

"If you help me solve her, I can consider marrying you." Qi Ningyuan looked at Chen Ziling with no warmth at all.

A hint of joy flashed in Chen Ziling's eyes: "Are you serious about me?"

"Grandpa told me that the engagement really existed, it was decided by my mother and aunt. Chen Ziqing no longer exists, so I will naturally marry you." Qi Ningyuan looked at Chen Ziling and said.

"But that's my sister..." Chen Ziling lowered her eyes and looked embarrassed.

Qi Ningyuan sneered: "Chen Ziling, I beg you, can you stop pretending? Seven years ago, I picked a little maid in the mansion and went to Ningyuan Pavilion to serve him. The day after I left, she fell into the lake and died. Six years ago, your cousin gave me a handkerchief, and three days later she was raped when she got drunk. Five years ago, your cousin found a piano score to give to Xin'er, and took the opportunity to approach me, but she was disfigured. The piano score became a gift you have found for you specifically for Xin'er... Chen Ziling, if you want to hear it, I can tell you that the people you have harmed behind the scenes over the years! Do you really think I am stupid? I will say it again last time, stop pretending! So what if Chen Ziqing is your real sister? For you, is there any difference from other women you have harmed?"

Chen Ziling lowered her head and said nothing, and then heard Qi Ningyuan continue, "I don't dare to disobey my grandfather's wishes. So the wedding date is here. As long as Chen Ziqing is still alive, I will marry her. You can do it yourself!"

After Qi Ningyuan finished speaking, he stood up and flew away.
To be continued...