The Engagement

When Xue got home, she quickly made her way back to her room and cried her eyes out on her bed before succumbing to slumber.

It was the next day before she awoke, and the first thing she wanted to do was take a bath. She quickly stripped down before immersing herself in the tub, hoping to wash away everything about last night — the memories, the smells, all of it.

Before she could even try to relax, she was interrupted. A knock sounded on her door. Fate itself seemed to laugh at her expense. She could never truly enjoy a bath; the world marched on all the same.

The knock had barely faded before an impatient voice rose, loud and sharp yet with a hint of happiness.

"Eldest Miss, the council of elders has convened and requires your presence! Hurry — you mustn't keep them waiting!"

Lian Xue's brow furrowed. It was finally here — the outcome the elders had decided regarding her future. With any luck, it would be like all the rest: canceled. But the happiness in the servant's voice did not bode well.

She rose from the bath, water sliding from her skin, and moved to her wardrobe. Her fingertips traced the fabrics as she considered her choices. The proper thing would have been white — the color of the Lian Clan, symbolizing purity and elegance. But she had made her decision before she even opened the closet.

A subtle smile touched her lips as her hands found the garment she sought: a red dress, chosen not for modesty but for the message it would send. Along with it, she found a strip of matching red cloth for a blindfold.

She slipped the dress over her head, feeling the snugness of the fabric as it settled into place. It clung tightly across her chest and hips — tighter than she remembered, a silent testament to how she had grown. She would have traded every inch of beauty for the gift of sight, for the chance to walk the same path as her siblings without hindrance.

Her hair, black as midnight, fell in long, smooth waves as she brushed it out. Her father always said she took after her mother — not only in her hair, but in the grace of her face and the quiet strength she carried. Pale skin like polished jade, delicate brows, soft lips touched by natural color — beauty she could never behold herself.

When at last she was ready, she tied the blindfold firmly in place and stepped toward the door, moving with the practiced ease of one who had long ago memorized every step of her world.

The door opened, and a familiar scent filled her senses. A moment later, strong arms enveloped her in a protective embrace.

"Xue'er, I'm sorry. I couldn't dissuade them," said Chengwu, the voice she trusted most, filled with sorrow.

"It's all right, Father. You did all that you could," she answered quietly, her heart dropping at his words. This was it.

Lian Chengwu's arms lingered around her for a moment longer, as if he could shield her from what awaited. Then, wordlessly, he released her, and they began their slow walk down the corridor. His large, weathered hand closed gently around hers — strong, steady, but trembling ever so slightly beneath the surface.

The estate was hushed. Servants kept to the shadows, heads bowed, pretending not to see.

Lian Xue's steps were sure, her head high, but inside her heart ached with a cold weight. The red dress clung as she moved, tight across her chest and hips.

Would they think I dressed like this to tempt him? she thought bitterly. As if a blind girl would seek the attention of a man like Wei.

"Father," she said softly, "did they even try to bargain for more? Or did they give me away at the first offer?"

Lian Chengwu flinched. He stopped for a heartbeat, then resumed, grip tightening.

"I fought for better," he said quietly, voice rough. "I begged. I argued. But the elders... they said this match would bring stability. They spoke of trade routes, spirit stone rights, alliances — everything but you."

Lian Xue's smile was bitter. "Everything but me," she echoed. "Because what am I? Just a tool to barter. A blind girl they couldn't mold into a proper heir."

Her father stopped again, turning to her. "Xue'er... I failed you."

She shook her head. "No, Father. You didn't fail me. They did. All of them." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "If Wei thinks he's won, if the elders think they've rid themselves of me... let them think so. I'll play the part for now. But I will never belong to him."

The doors to the council chamber loomed ahead. Together, they stepped forward. The great doors creaked open, the carved lotus splitting apart as the two halves swung wide.

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The great doors parted, and Lian Xue entered the council chamber at her father's side, her red dress a silent act of defiance against the fate decided for her — and causing more than one elder to frown at her. The chamber smelled faintly of old wood and incense, the air heavy with expectation.

Before her sat the five elders, the true rulers of the Lian Clan — for though Lian Chengwu was patriarch, the face and voice of the clan, it was the elders who held the true power. The patriarch saw to the day-to-day administration: managing the lands, representing the clan to outsiders, overseeing trade, and negotiating with small parties. But for decisions that shaped the clan's future — alliances, marriages, the handing down of techniques — the council's approval was law.

Once, Lian Chengwu's father had been the head elder, and his influence had kept enemies at bay. But with his passing, the balance of power had shifted — and now, Lian Chengwu stood almost alone.

At the far side sat Lian Baishi, thin as a spear, his sharp eyes missing nothing. As master of external affairs, Heng handled diplomacy, trade, and alliances. His gaze held no warmth, only calculation — weighing gain, loss, and the clan's advantage, his mind honed from decades of balancing on the knife-edge between rival sects and opportunistic merchants.

To his right lounged Lian Yanyu, a woman of immense size, her flesh spilling from her ornate robes, heavy jowls trembling with each small movement. Her jeweled fingers fanned herself lazily as she studied Lian Xue with a glint of greed. Mistress of wealth and resources, she cared for the clan's coffers above all — and saw this marriage as gold in the making, a deal to line their stores with silver and spirit stones.

Beside her sat Lian Heng, old and hard-faced, keeper of law, land, and justice. His back was as straight as the staff he always carried, his lined face set in solemnity. His voice was that of order, his mind that of balance. Today, he saw this match as a means to bring peace — or at least, an end to the long, bloody feud.

On the other side of Heng sat Lian Duyi, the clan's overseer of martial matters, tall and broad-shouldered, his form still fit and powerful despite his years. His face was carved from stone, his eyes bright with anger beneath furrowed brows. He despised what was happening — the sale of their secrets, the surrender of their dignity. He bore the scars of battles fought to defend those very secrets, and now they would be handed over without a fight.

Finally, at the end of the crescent was Lian Suqin, silver-haired, with fine-boned features marked by sadness. She held the clan's records and histories and bore the weight of tradition. Her gaze on Lian Xue was full of pity, but her vote would not change the outcome. She had seen too many sacrifices dressed up as strategy.

Next to Lian Baishi stood Jin Guang, patriarch of the Jin Clan — reserved, his face as hard as granite, his eyes cold as frost. To outsiders he was the image of a respectable leader, but those within the Lian Clan whispered of his true nature: a man who had built his wealth on the misfortunes of others. It was said that where his merchants walked, ruin followed for all but the Jin. There had been too many "accidents" over the years — caravans lost to bandits that left Jin traders miraculously unscathed, rival warehouses burned in the dead of night, witnesses bribed or silenced.

And beside him — Jin Wei.

The young master's smirk widened the moment Lian Xue entered. His eyes devoured the sight of her. The red dress, meant to mock the elders, only fed his lust. She definitely wasn't this ravishing yesterday. His gaze clung to her chest, where the fabric strained against the fullness of her breasts. His eyes also lingered on the gentle sway of her hips and the roundness of her rear as she walked.

She's even riper than I imagined, Jin Wei thought, hunger turning his mouth dry. Those curves, that body... I'll have my hands all over her soon enough. I cannot believe a girl of her quality is hidden in such a backwater. I haven't seen women like her even in the major cities. All that and she is to be mine. A blind girl, proud now — but she'll break. And when she does, oh, how sweet it will be.

He barely heard the elders as they spoke. His mind filled with visions of Lian Xue bent beneath him, of that defiance in her face replaced by submission.

Let them dress her up in honor — I'll strip it away piece by piece.

The irony of this arrangement cut deeper for Lian Xue and her father because just about twenty years ago, the Lian and Jin clans had been bitter enemies. Their rivalry had begun with disputes over mining rights in the Emerald Mountains, but it had grown far bloodier with time. There had been sabotage on both sides: caravans ambushed on narrow mountain roads, spirit stone shipments mysteriously lost at sea, merchants attacked by masked raiders who left no survivors. Both clans had bled for profit, honor, and control — until so much had been lost that even the most vengeful hearts had wearied of the fight.

Elder Lian Baishi's voice snapped the tension, "Eldest Miss Lian Xue. Before we finalize our decision, what have you to say? Speak now."

She lifted her chin.

"I am the daughter of this clan," she said quietly, her voice clear as the chime of silver. "I have no illusions of my worth in your eyes. If you believe this match secures the future of the Lian Clan, if you believe it brings wealth, alliances, and safety, then do as you will."

A murmur rippled through the chamber. Jin Wei's smirk deepened, his gaze once again trailing boldly across the curves of her figure, as if imagining what was soon to be his.

Lian Yanyu leaned forward, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "The Jin family offers us access to their merchant connections and trade routes, control of river tolls, and partnership in their new expansion plans for the nearby cities. We will have their protection in trade disputes and their favor. We would be fools to refuse."

Heng nodded, though his tone was more tempered. "And the blood feud of old between our houses will finally be put to rest. This match is peace without bloodshed."

But Lian Duyi's voice rang out, sharp as a blade. "And in return we give up our greatest treasure — the Lotus Palm, the art that defines us. We give them our technique that helped us gain the strength we have today. We trade away our strength for coin. I stand against it."

Lian Suqin's soft voice followed, heavy with regret. "There are some bargains not worth making. I, too, oppose."

Lian Baishi's gaze swept the room, satisfied. "The majority stands. The union will proceed. May it bring prosperity to us all," his gaze narrowed at the father and daughter, "You two are dismissed."

Like those escaping from a fire, the father and daughter pair quickly offered respects before turning and exiting the room.

The doors behind them loomed once more, the carved lotus sealing closed like a silent witness to the bargain made.