Shen Yueru was stunned, wondering why she just couldn't believe it. How exactly had this woman managed to captivate him?
Su Xue'er looked at Yu Shi's handsome face with astonishment, observing his determined gaze.
It seemed he was serious this time.
Yu Shi shouted loudly, "Yu Ke, come to my residence immediately."
Shen Yueru looked at Yu Shi in astonishment, thinking, "If even Yu Ke is here, then this is real."
Suddenly, a young man with refined features appeared at the residence's entrance, "Supreme Commander, what are your orders?"
"Give me a command, I want to marry Su Xue'er. Next month, we'll have the engagement ceremony and cease all cultivation," Yu Shi commanded sternly.
"Yes." With that, Yu Ke withdrew.
Yu Shi looked triumphantly at Shen Yueru, "Junior Sister, I've given the order. You may leave now."
With that, Yu Shi hugged Su Xue'er and led her into the study.
Shen Yueru watched them leave in a daze, murmuring to herself, "Senior Brother has never referred to himself as 'I' in front of us, nor has he ever referred to himself as 'I' in the hands of someone else. I didn't expect him to do so today, to Yu Ke and me."
Shen Yueru smiled wryly and left the Supreme Commander's residence in a sorry state.
Su Xue'er remained in a dazed state throughout. Upon entering the study, Yu Shi sat down, and Su Xue'er sat beside him.
Somewhat shyly, Su Xue'er asked, "Will this hurt someone else?"
Su Xue'er was afraid of angering Yu Shi, so she didn't say much. She only heard Yu Shi's gentle voice in her ear, "No, I did it intentionally."
"You haven't asked for my consent yet," Su Xue'er persisted stubbornly.
Yu Shi took her hand and pleaded, "Just consider it a favor to me, alright?"
Seeing Su Xue'er hesitate for a moment, Yu Shi spoke up after a while, "I'm sorry, I was rash."
Yu Shi then released her hand, leaving Su Xue'er somewhat astonished.
The esteemed Supreme Commander, actually apologizing to me? There must be some difficulty he's facing, or perhaps... Su Xue'er asked in surprise, "I didn't say I disagree, did I?"
Yu Shi hugged Su Xue'er with joy, "Thank you."
"Uh-huh." Su Xue'er replied faintly.
Yu Shi released his hold on Su Xue'er's hand, placing both hands on her shoulders, his gaze firm. "Even after we're married, if you haven't accepted me, I won't touch your body."
Su Xue'er simply smiled faintly, "This body of mine belongs to you already. Touch it if you want, don't touch it if you don't."
Yu Shi felt somewhat embarrassed, "Xue'er, I'm serious."
Su Xue'er chuckled and teased him, "I know, you're quite adorable."
Yu Shi realized Su Xue'er was teasing him and became slightly annoyed. "You dare to tease me?"
Su Xue'er pretended to run, and Yu Shi pretended to chase after her. The two of them frolicked in the room.
...
Shen Yueru listened to everything with a sinister expression, "Hmph, if she refuses to allow any physical contact, what if he insists? Su Xue'er, just you wait." The last few words were particularly heavy, especially ominous.
Soon, a month passed by quickly. Su Xue'er, to avoid encountering Shen Yueru and causing more trouble, had been quietly cultivating in Yu Shi's residence for the entire month, already touching the threshold of Spiritual King.
On this chilly morning, Su Xue'er, as usual, was practicing in her room when she heard Yu Ke's voice outside the door.
"Madam Supreme Commander, the Supreme Commander said tomorrow is the engagement ceremony, so please prepare."
Su Xue'er sighed lightly, "Understood."
After Yu Ke left, Su Xue'er lost interest in cultivation. She stood up, walked to the window, opened it, and sat by the window, feeling the cold breeze blowing onto her. Despite shivering, she found solace in the chaotic state of her mind.
One hand supporting her chin, the other resting on the table, she quietly gazed at the pond outside.
"I don't understand why Yu Shi wants to marry me. Clearly, Shen Yueru is good enough. Her jealous gaze is truly frightening."
Su Xue'er glanced at the window side, "I don't know how I feel about Yu Shi. Maybe it's just gratitude. At least he didn't force me. I can understand his kindness over this past year. But my origins remain unclear. Could it be..."
The entire Spiritualist Mansion was bustling with activity that day. Su Xue'er could hear the clamor from her room.
In the evening, after dinner, Su Xue'er still sat by the window, gazing at the moon. She had no intention of practicing, feeling as if there were a thousand ants crawling in her heart.
The door was left open, and Yu Shi quietly entered, watching Su Xue'er lost in thought. He then sat beside her.
Yu Shi had been observing Su Xue'er intently. After a quarter of an hour had passed, Su Xue'er still hadn't noticed his presence. She muttered, "Yu Shi is really ruthless. How could he say such things in front of Shen Yueru? Isn't he afraid of hurting her feelings? At the very least, she's his junior sister. Couldn't he have spoken more tactfully?" Su Xue'er's tone was somewhat annoyed.
"What? Are you angry?" Yu Shi's gentle voice sounded in Su Xue'er's ear. Su Xue'er slowly turned her head, feeling embarrassed. "Yu Shi, what are you doing here? You didn't use your spiritual power to sneak in, did you?"
Yu Shi sat down and gestured towards the door, "Well, the door wasn't closed. What do you think?"
"..."
"Oh, by the way, give me your left hand."
Su Xue'er placed her left hand on the table, and Yu Shi took out a ring, putting everything inside it onto Su Xue'er's middle finger ring.
Su Xue'er asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing much, just giving you a betrothal gift. You can use your spiritual power to check."
Su Xue'er used her spiritual power to examine it and was instantly taken aback. She looked at Yu Shi in astonishment, "How much is all this?"
"Not much, just ten million gold coins, plus some ordinary jewelry, a makeup box, and also some Yulan Bi'an flowers. I had them make a dozen or so sets this month, all with the same materials."
Yu Shi said this quite casually, which made Su Xue'er feel somewhat inexplicable. She looked at the ring in her hand, feeling unsure of what to say.
Seeing Su Xue'er's expression turn serious, Yu Shi touched her cheek, "Xue'er, don't you like it?"
Su Xue'er came back to her senses, looked up at his handsome face, and slowly said, "Why are you so good to me?"
Yu Shi smiled and said, "I'm good to you because you helped me out, but there are also other reasons. I'll tell you in the future."
Su Xue'er nodded faintly, and Yu Shi continued, "Get some rest early tonight. I have to go and attend to some matters."
"Okay."
After Yu Shi left, Su Xue'er looked at the spatial ring in her hand and murmured, "These things are so precious. Ten million gold coins is no small amount, at least equivalent to a top-tier force's annual income. Why did he do this?"