Chapter 1302: Breaking Up the Couple

"Nonsense!" Zu An touched his face, his reaction swift. "Of course, I'm just happy to see you back; I smiled without even realizing it."

Pei Mianman spat, "Pah, you rascal, who knows which loose woman you're thinking about!"

Although she said this, a hint of joy couldn't help but appear between her brows, clearly showing that she appreciated his sweet talk.

"I can't believe you've been through so much. Oh, it's a pity I wasn't by your side," Pei Mianman said, her voice full of regret.

Zu An had just recounted most of what happened in the Great Snow Mountain, naturally omitting any intimate moments with Yan Xuehen.

Even so, the exciting details were enough to make her exclaim repeatedly.

"No matter how exciting those stories are, they can't compare to our shared experiences in the Yin Ruins," Zu An said, embracing her and smiling.

Pei Mianman's heart fluttered too; in the Yin Ruins, they had been a couple for several lifetimes. "Hmph, I just worry that after being with me for so long in the Yin Ruins, you've grown tired of me."

Zu An kissed her delicate cheek. "How could that be? Everything back then was just an illusion; time flowed incredibly fast. It wasn't 'lifetimes' in the normal sense."

Pei Mianman's expression turned serious. "Are you saying you'd get tired of me if we actually lived together for decades?"

Zu An was speechless.

Why was her angle so tricky?

"Of course not! Manman, you don't know how charming you are. Those men who see you would practically want to devour you..." He reacted quickly, immediately showering her with flattery.

To his surprise, Pei Mianman didn't fall for it this time. "What about you?"

"I'll devour you right now." As Zu An spoke, his hands roamed, and Pei Mianman, ticklish, tried to evade him. But she was no match for Zu An, and soon she was laughing uncontrollably.

Just then, the door opened from the outside. "Lord Zu, I wanted to discuss something with..."

The person stopped mid-sentence, their voice abruptly cut off.

"Father..." Pei Mianman, recognizing the person, was startled.

Although the father and daughter had a distant relationship, they had been parent and child for many years, so she couldn't help but feel guilty about this situation.

The newcomer was naturally Pei Shao, the Cloud City Lord. Usually, he was quite amiable, often wearing a smile, but now his face was as grim as water.

Feeling guilty, Zu An quickly withdrew his hand from Pei Mianman's collar. "Greetings, City Lord."

He had been too engrossed in playful teasing with Pei Mianman, and after Yan Xuehen had left, the door hadn't been properly closed, allowing Pei Shao to walk in and catch them.

Being caught by a father while flirting with his daughter would be embarrassing for anyone, no matter how thick-skinned. "Lord Zu is now a Grand Earl. I can't possibly accept being called 'Lord' by you," Pei Shao scoffed, a surge of anger welling up inside him.

He had painstakingly raised his beautiful "cabbage," only for it to be unexpectedly "poked by a pig." Anyone would be furious.

Hearing the title "Grand Earl," Zu An's eyelid twitched. "City Lord Pei, what are you saying? I've always admired your character..."

He then launched into a string of sickeningly sweet compliments, which made Pei Mianman frown. He was nowhere near that good.

Pei Shao's composure was starting to crack. "Alright, alright. I came today intending to ask about your relationship with my daughter and why she took such a great risk impersonating a Gold-Medal Embroidered Uniform Guard to rescue you. Now, it seems I don't need to ask."

Zu An exclaimed admiringly, "City Lord Pei, your insight is truly like a torch. My admiration for you flows like a ceaseless river..."

Pei Shao was speechless.

This fellow truly made it impossible to get angry, even if one wanted to.

Pei Mianman then took a deep breath, clutching Zu An's arm. "Ah Zu and I have secretly pledged ourselves to each other."

Pei Shao's eyelid twitched. Finally unable to contain himself, he slammed the table and rose to his feet. "Nonsense! Do you even know what 'secretly pledged' means? An unsanctioned union would be a laughingstock even in an ordinary family, let alone in our Pei family!"

Pei Mianman held her head high. "We are deeply in love, and our feelings run true and deep. What's there to laugh about?"

"You!" Pei Shao's hair stood on end with fury. "You are destined to be the Qi King's Crown Prince Consort, and potentially the future Empress! Why are you so shameless?"

Zu An stepped forward, shielding Pei Mianman behind him. "City Lord Pei, I must correct you on one point: the Qi King's Crown Prince Consort will absolutely never become Empress."

"Hmph, as for the struggle between the Qi King and the Crown Prince, how many top aristocratic families in the world can't say who will emerge victorious? Who are you to speak?" Pei Shao was already enraged, and seeing Zu An step forward made him even more impolite.

"Because I said so," Zu An stated calmly. "I was able to break the Qi King's Crown Prince's two legs back then, and I wouldn't mind breaking his third leg either. Let's see how he marries a wife after that."

"You!" Pei Shao trembled with rage. "Utterly barbaric, utterly barbaric! Indeed, a commoner who suddenly rises to high office lacks the true cultivation of a nobleman."

"True nobility?" Zu An said coldly. "City Lord Pei, aren't you ashamed saying such things? Among all these top nobles in the world, which family doesn't have some debauchery and immorality? Perhaps the cleanest things are only the stone lions at their gates."

Pei Shao's breath caught. He knew Zu An spoke the truth, but such matters were common in great families and not considered fundamental errors that would tarnish a noble's integrity.

What was most important to nobles, of course, were various graceful and elegant courtesies, a long history, mutual recognition among families, and established rules such as marriages between powerful families or between common ones.

Someone like Zu An, despite being an Earl, whose conduct completely disregarded noble etiquette, would be privately ridiculed in these circles.

Not wanting the two of them to argue further, Pei Mianman interjected, "I've already rejected the marriage proposal with the Qi King's Crown Prince. If you want to marry him, you marry him yourself!"

"Fine, fine!" Pei Shao glared at Zu An. "Last time, you advised me not to agree to the Qi King's marriage alliance so soon. So, it turns out you were planning to steal from your own charge!"

Thinking of this, he became even more displeased, realizing he had been completely manipulated.

Pei Mianman said, "This has nothing to do with it. We already secretly pledged ourselves to each other when we were in Brightmoon City. If you insist on making me marry the Qi King's Crown Prince, I'll just make these matters public. Then we'll see if he still dares to marry me!"

"You!" Pei Shao was truly beyond furious. Daughters, it seemed, were indeed raised for others.

However, he suddenly remembered something and gradually calmed down. "That matter I discussed with you last time has come to fruition. They've agreed. Do you still want to go?"

"Really?" Pei Mianman was both surprised and delighted.

"Of course it's true," Pei Shao scoffed. "Come back with me first, and we can discuss it further."

Pei Mianman hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."

Zu An looked utterly bewildered. What was happening?

Pei Mianman jogged over to him and said, "Ah Zu, I might have to be separated from you for a while."

Zu An had expected some cliché plot twist from an old melodrama, but instead, she excitedly declared, "I'm going to apprentice under a master and join a top sect, one similar to White Jade Capital!"