Faintly, he could feel a mysterious aura descending from the Void, merging into his Sea of Consciousness Palace and illuminating that deep, dark space.
The vine rooted there seemed to grow more vibrant and lustrous, and the fruit at its tip took on a purer, richer color, though its size remained unchanged.
'Is this mysterious aura... Providence?' Jiang Lan wondered.
It seemed the fruit's ripening required a sufficient amount of Providence to nourish it.
In Jiang Lan's view, there was a great difference between luck and Providence.
Luck was a matter of the moment, while Providence was a state of being, a grand trend formed over the long term.
The main manifestation of Providence, then, was in fortuitous opportunities.
Otherwise, how could he explain it? He had such a powerful background, yet his Providence was pitifully scarce.
'But how does one obtain this Providence?'
'By suppressing or plundering the Providence of those who possess a great deal of it?'
'By treating them as a personal harvest?'
Gazing at the heroine before him, who was biting her lip and forcing herself to remain calm, Jiang Lan gently set down his teacup. "It seems Miss Su lacks sincerity," he said nonchalantly. "Never mind."
"I won't make things difficult for you. Men! Go and seize the Patriarch of the Su Family. I'd very much like to know what gives the Su Family of Yu Yi City the audacity to send you to assassinate me."
At his words, the color drained from Su Qinghan's face once more. Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists.
All her life, she had been one of Heaven's favored daughters, a shining star. Whether at the academy or the institute, she was always respected and admired by her peers.
The most humiliating experience of her life had been when the Su Family tried to force her to honor a promise from the previous generation and marry that good-for-nothing, Lin Fan.
And now, facing this debauched and infamous profligate scion—a man who couldn't cultivate and could only throw his weight around by relying on his father's reputation—she had no choice but to swallow her pride and bow her head in humiliation.
"Young... Young Master Jiang, please wait..."
She gritted her teeth and took another deep breath, forcing herself to swallow all her humiliation as she stepped forward.
The next moment, a refreshing, sweet fragrance drifted past Jiang Lan.
He lifted his gaze and saw that she had rolled up her sleeve, revealing a wrist as fair and delicate as snow-white lotus root.
Her slender, trembling hand reached for the nearby teapot and filled his empty cup.
As Su Qinghan leaned forward, the loose collar of her dress offered a brief, captivating view.
Tsk.
Jiang Lan paused for a moment, then his interest was piqued.
'This heroine is more perceptive than I gave her credit for.'
'Still, compared to this look of feigned calm hiding her inner humiliation, I much prefer her proud and defiant expression from before.'
'After all, I'm a hedonistic rich heir. It's perfectly normal to have the same tastes as the great Wei Wu, isn't it?'
"Miss Qinghan, what is the meaning of this?"
Despite his inner thoughts, Jiang Lan put on a slight frown.
Su Qinghan had never felt so humiliated in her entire life. Yet, she had to maintain a nonchalant facade, forcing an apologetic look onto her face.
"My rude behavior earlier... I was overcome with worry and wasn't thinking straight. I hope Young Master Jiang won't blame me. I am ignorant of proper etiquette; please forgive my offense."
"There is no wine at hand, so I offer this tea in its place as an apology to Young Master Jiang."
With that, she moved to pour tea into an empty cup for herself.
However, Jiang Lan just chuckled softly and reached out, grabbing her by the wrist. "Apologize with tea? There's no need. After nearly being killed by Miss Qinghan, I'm in a rather foul mood. This tea would just taste bland and flavorless."
"I've long heard that Yu Yi City is home to a pair of peerless beauties, renowned for their talent. The elder is named Su Qinghan, the younger Su Qingyao. Having seen you today, I can confirm you are both indeed rare beauties, the likes of which are seldom seen in this world."
"So how about this: Miss Qinghan, perform a dance for me to alleviate my boredom."
"Otherwise, as beautiful as the scenery at Snow Moon Pavilion is, I can't help but feel something is... missing."
With that, he watched Su Qinghan with great interest.
As Jiang Lan grabbed her wrist, Su Qinghan felt a wave of revulsion, as if countless ants were crawling over her skin, raising goosebumps.
Growing up, she had never had any physical contact with a man.
Yet now, she didn't dare pull her hand away. She froze, completely at a loss for what to do.
Jiang Lan's behavior filled her with even deeper vexation and regret.
'She could only blame herself for her recklessness, which had brought this calamity upon her.'
Moreover, she still had no idea where her younger sister was.
With Jiang Lan's power, if he wanted to hide her sister away, the Su Family would be utterly helpless.
At this thought, Su Qinghan gritted her teeth again. Forcing back the humiliation, she squeezed out a smile. "Young Master Jiang must be joking. I am but a plain girl. I don't know how I could possibly have caught your eye."
"Besides, I have always focused on my cultivation at the institute. I have never learned how to dance, so I'm afraid..."
"Fine. If you're unwilling, then so be it."
A faint smile still playing on his lips, Jiang Lan released her hand, cutting her off.
"..."
Su Qinghan's heart skipped a beat. She remained silent for a moment.
Then, she picked up the Long Sword from where it had fallen. In the open space beside the pavilion, she began to move, brandishing the blade as she executed an exquisite Step Technique.
She hadn't been lying. She had never learned to dance in her life. If she were to perform a dance, the most she could do was perform her Sword Technique.
However, thanks to her Innate advantages, even the simple movements of her body and the shifting of her feet looked exceptionally light, graceful, and beautiful.
As she danced, her slightly oversized dress billowed around her like a blooming flower, revealing legs that looked exceptionally long and straight.
As the hem of her skirt fluttered, it would occasionally reveal a glimpse of fair, delicate skin, smooth as warm jade.
Her robes fluttered and her waterfall of black hair, as if stirred by a gentle breeze, brushed against her flawless, alabaster face.
Combined with her calm expression, which barely concealed her humiliation, she gave off a cold, pitiable air that was strangely alluring.
Jiang Lan hadn't expected Su Qinghan to be so pragmatic. He'd told her to dance, and she actually did it.
'Although her movements were clearly rough and unpracticed, he had to admit that a beautiful woman had her advantages. Her every frown and smile was filled with an aesthetic grace, to say nothing of when she was dancing.'
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP...
Jiang Lan smiled and began to clap for Su Qinghan in appreciation. "I never expected Miss Qinghan to have such hidden depths. Though you've never studied dance, with talent like this, I'm sure that with a little practice, you could even outshine the headliner of this Snow Moon Pavilion."
Hearing Jiang Lan compare her to Snow Moon Pavilion's headliner, Su Qinghan's movements faltered, the humiliation in her heart deepening.
But her expression remained as coolly indifferent as ever, as if nothing were amiss.