Chapter 47: Matchmaking (Part 2)_1
“I’ve kept you waiting.”
Lu Miaohuan’s icy demeanor softened a bit as she gave Lu Changsheng a slight nod in greeting.
Just now, as Lu Changsheng had been watching her, she had also been sizing him up.
Perhaps because of their meeting today, her mindset was different, and she found Lu Changsheng more handsome than she remembered.
His facial features, when looked at individually, were not particularly delicate, but together they gave off a just-right, harmonious vibe that elevated his attractiveness. He was very easy on the eyes and quite comfortable to look at.
Coupled with Lu Changsheng’s gentle gaze and composed, unruffled demeanor, she felt as if she were basking in the warmth of spring.
As someone captivated by appearances, Lu Miaohuan, who initially harbored some resistance to marrying Lu Changsheng, now felt it wouldn’t be unacceptable to marry him.
Although Lu Changsheng’s innate talents were lacking, with just a Ninth Grade Spiritual Root,
his exceptional talent in Talisman Making, and such handsome looks, he indeed possessed both talents and good looks.
The only flaw, if one had to be mentioned, was he had too many wives and concubines.
However, in that regard, Lu Miaohuan was quite confident in herself.
Not just the confidence of her status and family background, but also in her own looks and charm.
She clearly caught the way Lu Changsheng looked at her just now, and she felt a bit proud inside.
“I’ve just arrived myself,” she said.
Seeing that her attitude wasn’t as bad as he had thought, Lu Changsheng felt that the matchmaking could proceed.
He picked up the teapot and took the initiative to pour Lu Miaohuan a cup of tea, “I didn’t expect to meet Miss Miaohuan again in such a way.”
“I apologize for my rudeness when we last met,” Lu Changsheng spoke, lifting his cup in a gesture similar to a toast.
“I didn’t expect you to remember that incident.”
Hearing Lu Changsheng mention their last encounter, Lu Miaohuan’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
After all, her first meeting with Lu Changsheng had not been very pleasant.
It was mainly Lu Changsheng’s behavior at the time, along with his reputation, that left her with a poor impression.
“Of course, I remember. After witnessing Miss Miaohuan’s extraordinary elegance, how could I forget? That matter has always lingered in my mind, and each time I think of it, I find my rudeness inexcusable.”
“Now, nearly two years later, I finally get to meet Miss Miaohuan again and can express my apologies in person.”
Lu Changsheng wore a sincere expression, but began to spout nonsense.
After all, Lu Bo had said.
This second young miss may have a bit of a spoiled nature, but she is still rather innocent. Flattering words and playing along with her conversation should do the trick.
If that’s all it took, for the sake of having a child with a Sixth Grade Spiritual Root, Lu Changsheng was willing.
“I have long since forgotten about that affair.”
“I was in a bad mood at the time, so my tone was a bit harsh,” she admitted.
There’s an old saying: don’t slap a smiling face. Seeing Lu Changsheng’s earnest expression, Lu Miaohuan felt somewhat embarrassed.
She lightly lifted her skirt with graceful poise and sat down, delicately sipping from her cup of tea.
With the conversation started, the two began to chat.
During the conversation, Lu Changsheng found Lu Miaohuan to have a much nicer personality than he had imagined.
Her character couldn’t be described as bad; she acted like a lady of the family, a little reserved, needing others to take the initiative.
Then there was the fact that she didn’t seem to like smiling that much.
This gave the impression that she always had a touch of coldness on her face.
In reality, she wasn’t that aloof, not the ‘keep out’ kind.
Outside the cottage, Lu Bo used his ability to eavesdrop on the conversation inside. The old man’s face was creased with smiles like a blooming chrysanthemum.
He thought to himself that it seemed Lu Changsheng was quite adept at taking multiple wives, not without merit.
Then he stopped eavesdropping and patiently waited outside.
In his view, since Lu Miaohuan was willing to continue talking to Lu Changsheng, the match was halfway to success.
Inside the Bamboo Heart Cottage.
Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaohuan sat opposite each other, enjoying tea and casual conversation.
“The secular world indeed has many fun and interesting things, but I must admit I’m not very knowledgeable about such matters.”
“If Miss Miaohuan is interested, I would be willing to accompany you to explore and see the sights,” he offered.
“As for women, where in the mortal world could one encounter a celestial being like you?”
“Surely Miss Miaohuan hasn’t forgotten the first time I saw you, struck by your divinity to the point of losing my composure,” he continued, heaping praise yet keeping his tone even and his eyes clear.
In fact, much of the time, he didn’t even let his gaze rest on Lu Miaohuan.
Lu Changsheng did intend to marry Lu Miaohuan, to have her bear his children.
But he wouldn’t demean himself like a servile suitor, fawning over her.
Moreover, he believed that for a woman like Lu Miaohuan, being too obsequious would only count against him.
Thus, Lu Changsheng maintained a very composed demeanor.
Over the past four years at the Lu Family, Lu Changsheng felt that his greatest improvement had been in his state of mind, his emotional maturity.
Beauty lies in the inevitable passing of time: the flowers of spring, the moons of autumn, the days of summer, the snows of winter.
If you bloom, the gentle breeze comes naturally. If your heart is at peace, your smile will be serene.
The Immortal Beauty Technique, Second Rank Talisman Master skills, the Nine Netherhound—these things made Lu Changsheng feel like a blossoming flower.
With the gentle wind passing by, naturally, bees and butterflies would come to dance around him.
Moreover, winning a woman through begging, groveling, and self-degradation would require providing high emotional value later, spending much time and effort, and could upset the balance of his harem.
He, Lu Changsheng, was destined not to spend most of his time and energy on any single woman.
“At that time, I was with my sister. You were astonished upon seeing me, but didn’t you feel anything when you saw her?”
Lu Miaohuan’s cool visage revealed a hint of joy as she crossed her legs in her high-heeled, black silk stockings, posing seductively as she asked Lu Changsheng,
Lu Changsheng rose slightly from his seat and picked up the teapot to fill the cups with tea.
At the same time, his gaze dropped to those crossed legs, as if signaling to Lu Miaohuan the reason why he was so captivated by her beauty.
This action did not disgust Lu Miaohuan; on the contrary, it brought a secret delight to her heart.
Ever since she was young, her elder sister, Lu Miaoge, had always outshone her, receiving most of the family elders’ praises.
Her daily attire was even subject to commentary.
Now, the candid admiration in Lu Changsheng’s eyes gave her a sense of validation.
“Miss Lu Miaoge, of course, is like a fairy from the heavens, truly stunning and peerless.”
“Before this, I’ve had the fortune to see Miss Lu Miaoge two or three times but did not feel the same heart-racing emotion when I saw you, Miss Miaohuan.”
“It reminded me of a line of poetry I’d heard before: ‘When golden wind and jade dew meet, they surpass countless others in the mundane world.’
“Upon seeing Miss Miaohuan, I felt just that; even a mere glance felt like it surpassed countless other joys.”
As Lu Changsheng spoke, his eyes portrayed a sincere look at Lu Miaohuan.
“‘When golden wind and jade dew meet, they surpass countless others in the mundane world.’
“That’s a beautiful verse, did you hear it in the secular world?”
Lu Miaohuan’s beautiful eyes sparkled, a faint smile appeared on her cool face as if a lotus bloomed in seclusion.
“Hmm? Does the second young miss actually like poetry?”
Lu Changsheng was a bit surprised.
But then he recalled what Lu Bo had said: that the second young miss didn’t take cultivation too seriously and now, being in her early twenties, it wasn’t too far-fetched for her to enjoy such things.
“Yes, I heard it before in the secular world. The full poem goes, ‘The skillful clouds play coy, the stars convey their grief…’
“‘But I am not well-read and don’t fully understand its meaning; I only found it apt and resonating with my mood at the time.”
“There’s a story behind this poem too. If Miss Miaohuan is interested, I could share it,” said Lu Changsheng with a smile.
“Sure,” Lu Miaohuan nodded, her delicate chin lightly perked.
After more than four years, Lu Changsheng, a man from another world, found a use for the fragments of knowledge in his mind.
And so they talked for more than an hour.
During their conversation, Lu Miaohuan was very happy, her impression of Lu Changsheng greatly improved, and she was somewhat willing to marry Lu Changsheng.
However, a woman’s reserve and her pride made her purse her lips as she said, “Lu Changsheng, I had a very enjoyable chat with you today.”
“If you can agree to a few conditions of mine, I will consent to marry you.”
“Miss Miaohuan, please speak,” Lu Changsheng said with a nod and smile, his demeanor as gentle as jade.
“If I marry you, I must be the principal wife, and after you marry me, you cannot take any more wives or concubines. You cannot force me to have children, and there are more…”
Lu Miaohuan, suppressing her shy heart, laid out her conditions one by one with a cold, unflappable demeanor.
“GG!”
Upon hearing these conditions, Lu Changsheng internally cried ‘GG’ in retreat.
He immediately knew this matchmaking was doomed to fail.
Actually, he thought Lu Miaohuan’s conditions weren’t too excessive.
They were just the spiritual requirements of a young girl who yearned for love; she had barely mentioned material things.
If Lu Changsheng were just an ordinary person, a normal cultivator, who wished for a serene life, then these conditions would not be troublesome.
But with the ‘Blessings of Many Offspring System,’ Lu Changsheng was destined to be a man of great love and couldn’t forsake a forest for a single great tree.
Though he could agree now and deal with it later, Lu Changsheng didn’t want to do that.
He also disdained to deceive someone’s feelings.
Moreover, he was still in an inferior position within the Lu family, and agreeing now meant he had to follow through.
“Miss Miaohuan, I understand your intentions,” Lu Changsheng said.
“However, I would need some time to consider your conditions before I can give you an answer.”
Lu Changsheng apologized with those words.
“You need to consider it?”
Lu Miaohuan was taken aback, finding it somewhat unbelievable.
In the midst of their conversation, Lu Changsheng had shown signs that he liked her.
Moreover, she thought that since she was willing to marry Lu Changsheng, he should have been ecstatic and overwhelmed with joy.
But now, Lu Changsheng actually suggested that he needed to think about it?
What did that mean?
Was she being made to beg for a marriage that wouldn’t happen?
Her proud nature couldn’t stand such humiliation.
Suddenly, Lu Miaohuan’s exquisite face turned icy cold, like a millennium-old glacier, as she swiftly stood up and walked out of the pavilion with a clip-clop of her heels.
Lu Changsheng watched Lu Miaohuan’s retreating elegant figure and shook his head slightly.
Such beauty was beyond his reach for the time being.
“Second young miss, what’s wrong?”
Lu Bo, who was waiting outside the pavilion, saw Lu Miaohuan emerge with a frosty face and quickly walk away, puzzled.
Weren’t they just having a pleasant talk?
He hurried after her.