Chapter 480: Chapter 419: Marriage Contract

Yun Rong was so shocked he thought he must have misheard.

’She used to do anything to be by his side, giving him whatever he wanted. And today, she just left him hanging—she stood him up?!’

“Oh? And what business might the Princess have? Perhaps I could be of some assistance.” Yun Rong forced back his anger, a proper smile fixed on his handsome face.

The Servant said awkwardly, “Her Highness has already retired to Concubine Yun Qi’s chambers for the night. I’m afraid your kind offer, Young Master, cannot be conveyed in time…”

Yun Rong’s smile cracked. His eyes darkened, and a deep unease settled in his heart.

’He didn’t like Ji Wan. Who in their right mind would like such an infamous, cruel, and vicious female? If it weren’t for the wealth and assets she controlled being useful to him, he, the great Young Master of the Nine-tailed Fox Clan, wouldn’t have even spared her a glance.’

’So what if the Red Fox Clan was rich? They were just a common-blooded Fox Clan, nouveau riche who got absurdly lucky by some twist of fate. They couldn’t even compare to a single strand of fur from the Ancient Divine Beast Race. His willingness to associate with Ji Wan was already a great honor, yet she had the audacity to threaten him with a forced marriage!’

Left with no other choice, Yun Rong had the Clan Leader bring Yun Qi over as a substitute groom.

He had always hated complications, and Ji Wan’s constant pestering had long grown tiresome. He had planned to cut all ties with her, but then the Clan Leader’s Wife became pregnant again. With his position as Young Master in jeopardy, he had no choice but to seek her out once more.

’Ji Wan was so obsessed with him. She would surely help him, just like she always did!’

’Yun Rong had even made up his mind. If she could really help him secure his position, then this marriage contract… well, it wasn’t entirely out of the question!’

’But lately, Yun Rong could clearly feel that the Princess’s heart was no longer with him. Her eyes and heart used to be filled with nothing but him. Why had she changed so much?’

’Did that disfigured Yun Qi steal her heart?’

’On what grounds? How could that ugly bastard possibly compare to him?’

Yun Rong was utterly infuriated, though he couldn’t tell if what he felt was anger, indignation, or regret.

The great Young Master of the Nine-tailed Fox Clan had never been so humiliated. Yun Rong wanted to storm off, but remembering the purpose of his visit, he ultimately maintained his proper demeanor and stayed another night in the Princess Mansion.

Sang Luo, for her part, had no intention of deliberately stringing Yun Rong along. The next day, after breakfast, she went to see him as promised.

“I considered the matter carefully last night. I’ve been terribly busy with my affairs lately and can’t get away, so I won’t be accompanying the Young Master to Xiangyi Mountain.”

“Wan’er, why? You promised…” Yun Rong grabbed her hand, a helpless look on his face.

Time and again, he looked into her eyes. Was his reflection still there?

Only a few months had passed. Why had her attitude changed so drastically?

Sang Luo pulled her hand away first. Yun Rong’s expression stiffened. With a polite smile, she said, “There’s no other reason. I simply don’t want to go.”

“As the Young Master knows, I am the Princess of the Red Fox Clan. In the future, I am destined to shoulder the great responsibilities of the Red Fox Clan. My father has high hopes for me and has given me many assets to manage so I may cultivate my abilities. I am no longer the little female who used to trail after Brother Rong. I have my own affairs to attend to. As the Young Master of the Nine-tailed Fox Clan, surely you can understand my position, Brother Rong.”

With things put so plainly, Yun Rong couldn’t very well say anything more.

Sang Luo looked at the snowy-haired young man before her, and a sliver of doubt crept into her heart. ’Does Yun Rong really love Princess Ji Wan?’

’It wasn’t surprising that Yun Rong had previously rejected Princess Ji Wan’s advances. The Princess’s pursuit had been so bold and fervent that any normal person would have been scared off. And yet, his words always held a note of concern for the Princess. As for liking her… he must have liked her a little. After all, she had done so much for him; even a heart of stone would have been moved. But it certainly couldn’t be called deep love. It was just that “Princess Ji Wan” no longer catered to his every whim, and that kind of jarring change would bother anyone.’

They stood very close, and Sang Luo once again caught the faint, bitter scent of herbs on Yun Rong. But after a moment, she could always detect a hint of perfume mixed in… She didn’t like this scent. It was a far cry from what she remembered.

Instead, the image that surfaced in Sang Luo’s mind was of that pitiable little fox.

When he was gravely ill and delirious, the young man would gaze at her with those beautiful, moist, ink-black eyes. Every word from his lips was a gentle plea, yet his actions were impossibly domineering and stubborn…

“Brother Rong, since you have the time, why not spend more of it with Miss Yun Zhi?” Sang Luo said, pouring him a cup of tea as if mentioning it in passing.

Yun Rong was shocked. “Wan’er!”

Sang Luo’s tone was calm. “You don’t need to say anything, Brother Rong. I already know everything.”

She had been curious about who his current love interest was, so she had sent people to investigate.

As the Young Master of the Nine-tailed Fox Clan, Yun Rong’s every move was watched. Besides, a romance wasn’t something that needed to be hidden. So, once Sang Luo started digging, she found out everything.

Yun Zhi was a lady from a prominent family within the Nine-tailed Fox Clan. A peerless beauty with excellent Fertility, she also had the backing of her powerful family, which could provide tremendous help to Yun Rong in securing his position as Young Master. She was a far more suitable marriage candidate than Princess Ji Wan.

Yun Rong used to think the same way. As long as he could form a marriage alliance with Yun Zhi, he would no longer need the Red Fox Clan’s help and could finally dump that maniacal female.

But he later discovered that Yun Zhi’s family was in cahoots with the current Clan Leader’s Wife’s family. While Yun Zhi could certainly help him secure his position as Young Master, if he actually married her, he would be reduced to nothing more than a pawn for her family—a puppet.

How could the proud and arrogant Yun Rong ever allow himself to be controlled by others? That was why he had come back to Ji Wan.

“Wan’er, she and I ended things a long time ago. I…”

Sang Luo grew irritated listening to him and cut him off. “Who you like is your business, Brother Rong. I have no right to interfere, and you don’t need to explain anything to me.”

The young woman didn’t fly into the rage Yun Rong expected. Instead, she was perfectly calm, her voice carrying a gentle, sweet softness it hadn’t before. “After all, the one you like isn’t me, is it, Brother Rong?”

Yun Rong was so stunned he couldn’t get a single word out.

’That was right. He had personally rejected a marriage alliance with her. There was no formal relationship between them.’

’But why was there a dull ache in his chest?’

“I…” He opened his mouth, but no words came.

Yun Rong gazed at the vibrant, bold young woman in red before him. She was so different from the gentle, sweet girl of the past, yet he found he couldn’t look away. “…You’re only treating me this way because you’re still upset about that, right?”

“Hm?” Sang Luo didn’t understand what he meant and shook her head. “No.”

’She simply didn’t want anything more to do with him.’

’She was tired of pretending.’

’Whether he was Yan or not, it was time to let it end.’

’It was all in the past anyway. So let him remain there.’

A few days later, a marriage certificate was delivered, shattering all of Sang Luo’s plans.

——Yun Rong wanted a marriage alliance with her?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep