Chapter 137: Not the Ideal Husband!

Chapter 137: Not the Ideal Husband!

East Courtyard.

After Yang Kai and Gong Mingyuan left, Jiang Ning also returned to continue his cultivation.

As for the Dragon Tiger Power Pill, he carefully placed it in his room.

His skin tempering was not yet complete, and he had not reached the stage where his skin membrane was as tough as copper. It was not suitable to refine this powerful pill.

The medicinal strength of this pill was too potent, and it required the tempering of the Dragon Tiger Essence Force.

It would cause his muscles to undergo a tremendous transformation in a short period.

Such a sudden and intense transformation, without sufficiently resilient skin and membranes, could lead to irreversible damage.

His muscles might even tear.

This was not an unprecedented occurrence.

Hence, the process began with skin tempering, followed by strength cultivation.

These were the steps accumulated through the experiences of predecessors.

So, Jiang Ning continued to temper his skin membrane, practice his fists to increase his energy and blood, and gain experience in the Five Beasts Fist.

During breaks, he would read books to improve his literacy skills.

Initially, Jiang Ning thought he could focus on his martial arts for a few days.

That night.

"Little Green."

Seeing the girl dressed in a green dress, Jiang Ning was surprised by her appearance.

"Young Master Jiang!" Little Green bowed slightly and said, "My lady has a matter to discuss with you, and I wonder if you would be willing to meet her."

"Of course, I'm willing," Jiang Ning nodded.

He understood that the lady Little Green referred to was Lin Qingyi, the deputy manager.

In Luoshui County, Wan Hua Tower used to have three managers: one main and two deputies.

However, the main manager had not been seen for many years and was probably no longer at Wan Hua Tower.

Previously, Shen Congyun and Lin Qingyi had been managing the tower.

After Shen Congyun was transferred, Lin Qingyi was left to manage the entire Wan Hua Tower in Luoshui County.

Therefore, there was no doubt that the lady Little Green mentioned was Lin Qingyi.

Soon after.

Jiang Ning said, "Little Green, please wait outside for a moment. I need to take a shower first, and then I'll follow you."

"Yes, Young Master Jiang, I'll wait for you outside," Little Green replied.

Wan Hua Tower.

Jiang Ning followed Little Green, and it was already the eighth hour of the fourth quarter.

Night had already fallen.

However, the street where Wan Hua Tower was located remained brightly lit and bustling.

"Young Master Jiang, please follow me upstairs," Little Green gestured.

A moment later.

Jiang Ning arrived at the rooftop pavilion.

The pavilion was silent, and Lin Qingyi did not seem to be there.

Seeing Jiang Ning's inquiring gaze, Little Green spoke, "Young Master Jiang, please wait here for a moment and enjoy the night view below. I'll go and invite the lady."

"Okay!" Jiang Ning nodded, agreeing to Little Green's arrangement.

Then he sat by the open-air terrace.

After Little Green prepared a pot of cold tea and some fruits for him, she retired.

Jiang Ning sat by the open-air terrace, and below him was the bustling street.

Even at the eighth hour of the fourth quarter, the street remained lively with many people coming and going.

Both sides of the road were adorned with colorful lanterns, creating a beautiful sight.

Looking up, he could see the bright moonlight.

As he drank the cold tea and ate the fruits, he quietly waited for Lin Qingyi to appear.

Lin Qingyi coming to find him so late must mean she had something important to discuss.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Clack, clack, clack—

Clear footsteps echoed from the stairs.

"She's here!"

Hearing these clear footsteps, Jiang Ning knew it must be Lin Qingyi.

A moment later.

Lin Qingyi's figure appeared before him.

At this moment, Lin Qingyi still wore a floor-length blue dress, with a layer of light gauze over it.

Due to the scorching weather, her dress was not thick, or one could say it was thin.

The soft fabric clung to her skin, accentuating her majestic and graceful figure.

Behind Lin Qingyi, Little Green followed closely.

Upon seeing Jiang Ning, Lin Qingyi gestured, and Little Green stopped at the entrance of the terrace.

Jiang Ning held up his teacup and nodded to Lin Qingyi, and a smile appeared on his face.

Lin Qingyi smiled in response.

"You seem to have a different aura lately," Lin Qingyi said curiously as she approached Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning smiled, "What changes could I possibly have? It's you, Sister Lin, who becomes more beautiful each day!"

Hearing this, Lin Qingyi smiled slightly.

Then she adjusted her dress and sat down across from Jiang Ning, "I feel like you're more confident than before."

Jiang Ning's heart was slightly surprised by Lin Qingyi's words.

He was amazed by Lin Qingyi's keen observation.

The previous night, he had easily defeated the blacksmith shop's manager, Qiu Shilong, and today, Gong Mingyuan had come to establish a friendly relationship. These events had indeed boosted his confidence.

Whether it was Qiu Shilong or Gong Mingyuan.

All of them were once prominent figures that he could only look up to.

And today, even someone as esteemed as Gong Mingyuan was showing him goodwill, personally delivering gifts and apologizing for the events of last night.

How could his mindset not undergo some changes?

Jiang Ning smiled, "Lin Jie, your observation is truly meticulous. My strength has improved slightly recently."

Upon hearing these words, Lin Qingyi's face also showed a hint of surprise.

"It's only been a few days, and to hear 'slight improvement' from you, it seems your skin tempering progress is going well!"

Jiang Ning smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Then he asked, "I wonder why Lin Jie has invited me here so late today?"

At this moment, Lin Qingyi had a hint of a smile on her lips.

"The moon hangs above the willow branch, and people meet after dusk."

"What could there be to talk about at this late hour?"

As they spoke, Lin Qingyi leaned forward, her hands resting on the table.

Her eyes seemed to sparkle with a hint of flirtation.

"Hmm?" Jiang Ning was taken aback by her words.

Because as Lin Qingyi leaned forward with her hands on the table, he caught a glimpse of a fair and majestic mountain beneath her leaning posture.

He paused for a moment, then quickly reacted, and his body leaned slightly backward.

"Lin Jie, don't joke with me!" Jiang Ning said.

At this moment, Lin Qingyi also seemed to realize something.

A blush flashed across her face, and she quickly sat back in her chair.

Then she adjusted her skirt and slightly lifted the front of her skirt.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore!" Lin Qingyi said seriously.

Then she continued, "Do you remember what I told you before?"

"What was it?" Jiang Ning was puzzled.

"You wanted a woman to warm your bed," Lin Qingyi said.

"Hmm?" Jiang Ning was slightly taken aback again.

Seeing this, Lin Qingyi smiled gently, "I mentioned finding a girl for you, and now I've found one. She's waiting downstairs. Do you want to meet her?"

"At your age, it's time to think about marriage."

Hearing these words, Jiang Ning couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

The fear of arranged marriages, it seems even in another world, there's no escape?

"If you don't speak, I'll take it as your agreement!" Lin Qingyi didn't wait for Jiang Ning to respond and spoke with determination.

The next moment, she waved at Xiao Lu, who was standing at the entrance of the tower, "Xiao Lu, come here!"

Xiao Lu, dressed in a green skirt, hurried over with quick, small steps.

"Tower Master!" She bowed gracefully.

Lin Qingyi instructed, "Go downstairs and call Jia'er up."

"Yes, Tower Master!" Xiao Lu bowed again and then hurriedly left.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning had just opened his mouth.

Forget it!

He shook his head inwardly.

It's good to meet her first.

If he meets the right person, getting married and having children isn't impossible.

A moment later, Xiao Lu reappeared before the two of them.

Behind her, Lin Jia'er also saw Jiang Ning.

She couldn't help but glance at him, a hint of disdain flashing across her lips.

"He's not bad-looking!"

"His talent is also decent!"

"But his background is too lowly! How can he match my noble status as the direct descendant of the Lin family?"

After learning about Jiang Ning's background and reading the intelligence report about him, Lin Jia'er had already made up her mind about Jiang Ning.

Her heart was filled with rejection.

In her eyes, they were from different worlds.

She was from the Lin family of Dong Ling City, a renowned first-class family, a true aristocratic clan.

She carried the direct lineage of the Lin family in her veins, not a distant branch.

With such an identity, how could she lower herself to marry Jiang Ning, a commoner?

Moreover, Jiang Ning held no official position, just an ordinary commoner.

Lin Jia'er acknowledged that Jiang Ning did possess some talent.

But she also understood that in the current Xia Dynasty, mere martial talent was not enough to break through the barriers to success.

Whether it was the martial sects or the aristocratic families holding important positions in the court, none of them could be influenced solely by martial talent.

Those sects with hundreds, even thousands of years of history.

Apart from these few families, the other disciples would hardly have access to the core inheritance.

Even if their talents were a notch higher.

The same was true for the important positions in the court.

After generations of operation by various aristocratic families, some for over a dozen generations and others for even longer, they had long monopolized the avenues for advancement.

Therefore, after learning about Jiang Ning's background, Lin Jiaye no longer had any thoughts about him.

The man she wanted to marry was simple—someone who could make her look good in front of her sisters.

Someone who could make her sisters look at her with envy and jealousy.

Not with pity.

Jiang Ning's background was too ordinary, even though he had decent Martial Dao talent.

This level of talent was acceptable for someone struggling in the lower ranks, but it was difficult to climb higher.

Breaking free from this invisible cage was extremely challenging.

At the very least, one would need to have achieved something in life first.

However, Lin Jiaye also knew that this matter was orchestrated by Lin Qingyi.

She understood that to leave a good impression on Lin Qingyi, she couldn't directly refuse.

Otherwise, if Lin Qingyi harbored any resentment towards her, all her previous efforts to curry favor would be in vain.

"Greetings, Aunt!" Lin Jiaye gracefully bowed to Lin Qingyi, looking every bit the elegant young lady.

Lin Qingyi nodded, "Jiaye, how is it? My judgment wasn't wrong, right?"

Lin Jiaye smiled, "Aunt's words are true. Jiang Gongzi is a talented and handsome man, and I've admired him for a long time."

As she spoke, Lin Jiaye's gaze towards Jiang Ning was filled with admiration.

"Greetings, Jiang Gongzi!"

She then introduced herself, "My name is Lin Jiaye from the Lin family of Dong Ling City. You can call me Jiaye."

Jiang Ning stood up, "Jiaye, please take a seat first."

"Thank you, Jiang Gongzi!" Lin Jiaye bowed gracefully again.

Lin Qingyi glanced at the two of them and then stood up, "You two chat, I have something to attend to."

As her voice trailed off, Lin Qingyi walked away, leaving Jiang Ning and Lin Jiaye alone on the tower.

The two fell silent for a moment.

Lin Jiaye was the first to break the silence.

"Jiang Gongzi, why don't we go downstairs for a walk and have a casual chat?"

"Sure!" Jiang Ning agreed.

After a while, the two arrived at a brightly lit area.

They walked side by side, with only a fist's distance between them.

Lin Jiaye turned her head, and at that moment, she saw Jiang Ning's bright profile, his features illuminated by the lights, making him look exceptionally handsome.

"What a pity!" Lin Jiaye sighed inwardly.

At this moment, Jiang Ning's attention wasn't on Lin Jiaye by his side but on Lin Qingyi behind him.

"As expected, gossip is in a woman's nature."

Jiang Ning thought to himself.

His extraordinary senses had already detected Lin Qingyi following them from a distance, not too far behind.

Lin Qingyi was only about ten steps away from them at this point.

At this distance, if he turned around, he would normally be able to see Lin Qingyi's figure.

Moreover, for a skilled expert like Lin Qingyi, eavesdropping on their conversation would be a piece of cake.

Just then, Lin Jiaye slowly spoke, "Jiang Gongzi, to be honest, you're not the ideal husband in my heart."

Then, seeing Jiang Ning's surprised gaze, she continued, "The ideal husband in my heart is someone who can provide positive value and emotional value, someone who can make me proud and feel honored."

"You and I are from different backgrounds. I come from a prestigious and influential family in Dong Ling City, the Lin family! Your background is too ordinary, and I don't want to marry down to you."

"I'm used to a life of luxury, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life living a simple life of coarse meals."

"The reason I agreed to meet you at Aunt's request is solely because it's difficult to refuse her kindness. I hope you understand this, and I also hope that Jiang Gongzi can help me save face later and not make Aunt feel embarrassed."

Hearing these words, Jiang Ning spoke, "Jiaye, you're quite honest."

Then, Jiang Ning smiled, "It's just as well, as Jiaye isn't the suitable partner I have in mind either."

Hearing this, Lin Jiaye secretly curled her lips.

She knew that this was just Jiang Ning's stubborn refusal.

Men valued their pride, and being rejected to his face would naturally make Jiang Ning feel embarrassed, so she didn't take his words to heart.

She had met too many men, and after seeing her, they all eagerly tried to please her.

This was all due to her beauty and charm.

She knew that she had inherited some of her aunt's beauty, and among the younger generation in the Lin family, she was the most captivating in terms of appearance and charm.

Not to mention that she had specially dressed up today, adding even more radiance to her looks.

Any normal man would find it hard to resist her.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end