I turned around to look at my fiancée, Fu Yating. The innocent flower look of a naive girl who hadn't seen the world was gone. There was a frown in her dark, steely eyes, and she looked worried.

Just as I thought…

The first hint I got that she was faking her persona was when, on the way to the festival, she never looked at me even once. Someone who was naive and innocent wouldn't have been able to control themselves and would have sent my way a look or two.

It was a small slip-up. She likely used that time to plan how to act around me, but it was still a slip-up. She was very impressive for her age.

Her gaze lingered on mine as she tried to read what I was thinking. She had a good mind for this, but I had been dealing with people much more experienced. Her attempts were amateurish at best.

Another clue that made me sure she wasn't as naive as she appeared was her father. He wouldn't have been stupid enough to send away a daughter as gullible as the character she played. That would have been asking for a horrible end for her or creating needless blood feuds with people the Fu Clan couldn't handle.

If she were tricked by another man, it would dishonor me, and could spell war with the Liu Clan. While our clans were somewhat equal in standing, the Liu Clan still had the advantage. We also had more allies and a bigger territory.

Of course, nothing was guaranteed. Many clans and sects had met their end due to the words and actions of a fool. But the Liu Clan wouldn't have gained so much territory and power in the hands of an incompetent leader. The Liu Clan Leader was in his seventies; he wouldn't make the mistakes of a boy regarding alliances. He wouldn't let his emotions cloud his judgment. He wouldn't pick an incompetent ally.

So, with all that combined, it made no sense for Fu Yating to be a dumb, naive girl who got embarrassed in every situation. It was more likely she was using this demeanor to incite feelings of protectiveness in her seniors.

Still, a scheming woman... It wasn't exactly my type.

I doubted any man wanted that type of woman so close to them. But it was one of the better options in a world like this. There were women like Song Song or any woman from the Song Clan; they were all crazy in some way.

As for my type of woman? It was much, much older than her.

"Well, as long as you let me read books in peace, I think our marriage will be a happy one," I said out of nowhere.

I often used this trick to read people—saying something out of the blue and observing their reactions. If she hated the arrangement, she would have shown some displeasure.

"What?" But she seemed more confused than anything else.

Then again, she was a really good actress. If it wasn't for the context of her situation, I would have bought her act too.

"Congratulations on the sweaty palm trick. I even doubted myself there for a second. How did you pull that off?" I inquired.

"I was nervous for real," she grumbled.

Huh, so she wasn't entirely acting? She was mixing it up a bit. No wonder her actions seemed genuine.

Honestly, I didn't know what I wanted out of this situation. I knew I wanted nothing to do with marriage, children, or anything like that.

First of all, my little fiancée here was a teenager. Even if that wasn't a problem, did I want to go through with all this?

I doubted I would be a good father. There was always too much on my mind, and I wanted to spend my time reading rather than with kids. What kind of father would that be? Someone who had to force themselves to spend time with their kids?

The setting sun bathed the palace in a crimson light. Fu Yating's face was nonchalant as she continued observing me. It was strange being on the other end of this gaze.

"Well, I think we should start this more amicably and begin by saying what we want from each other," I said. "You can start first."

Fu Yating stared at me for a couple of seconds. At least she didn't show any of the craziness that Ye An and Song Song didn't bother hiding. I hoped she wouldn't develop such tendencies in the future.

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"I don't want to have a child until I'm at least a Qi Gathering Cultivator. Then I won't have to train my body and can cultivate while sitting down," she said.

Okay, that was jumping a few steps. I thought Fu Yating would ask me to be a good man or not bring other women into our marriage or something along those lines.

"Sure," I nodded. This worked for both of us.

Hopefully, she would meet someone she liked in the years to come. Then she would break the engagement, and we would be done with this whole affair.

While I didn't think like Song Song when it came to kids, there were merits to her words. Having kids in a world like this was dangerous, and there was a good chance I would be dooming them to a horrible death.

"Well, what about you?" she asked. "What do you want out of this whole thing?"

I wanted this arrangement to be flexible and not interfere with my reading time. I already had too many things on my plate. Sure, most of those "things" were books I planned to read, but still.

Of course, saying something like that would send the wrong message and could just make an enemy of my fiancée.

"Just don't stab me in the back," I said.

"Sure," Fu Yating answered, replicating my previous response, complete with the slight aloof look I had practiced.

She might have been a good actress if she had been born in another world.

"So, what now?" Fu Yating asked. "No offense, but we aren't even married yet. I want no rumors going around about any misdeeds. I have a reputation to keep."

"We just had a nice long walk, and that was it," I shrugged and offered her my hand.

"Here's to a nice and long marriage without drama," Fu Yating chuckled and took my hand.

As soon as her soft palm touched mine, her demeanor changed again. She blushed, looked to the side with uncertainty, and her eyes were anywhere but on me.

Damn, I really hoped she wouldn't stab me in the back, or I wouldn't even see it coming.

"How did you get so good at acting?" I asked as we walked on the stone pathway, away from the colorful garden.

"Some of us don't have clan members already in the inner sect when we join. I actually have to lay the foundation myself for the Fu Clan members to have some advantage in the future," she said in a sweet, innocent voice.

I smiled, and we walked hand in hand while she played her part as the bashful maiden. The setting sun, combined with the colorful garden, created a pretty scene.

When we arrived where the rest of the feast was happening, some turned to look at us. But only a few paid attention, as we were just something happening in the background of the grand scheme of things.

I let go of her hand, and she returned to her crowd of adoring seniors.

Of course, Fu Yating had her own goals, and I wasn't sure how truthful she had been with me. Since this was only our first meeting, it was safe to assume she wouldn't reveal her goals or anything like that.

What could a young girl like her be scheming? Hopefully, nothing against me.

I walked back to Song Song's table and sat next to her. Song Song was still looking at the jade coins I had minted.

When he saw me, Liu Bo breathed a sigh of relief, but Liu Qian used her elbow to nudge him.

"What did I miss?" I asked.

"Just that the announcer bitch said it will take a couple of days to get the tournament ready. My theory is that the Sect Leaders are scheming something and need days to prepare," Song Song offered her two cents.

"Do you have to call everyone you see a bitch?" I asked, trying to keep the incoming smirk off my face. Song Song was about to go on a rant, and I loved every part of it. "You don't even know her, and she is a Core Elder."

"But I do know her, and she is a Song Clan member. She is a cousin or something to the prison whore; that whole branch of the family is kind of bitchy," Song Song complained as she seemed to be having a hard time memorizing the faces of the people minted into the jade coins.

I spent the rest of the night egging on Song Song, but she was too busy trying to memorize the faces in the coins to see through my intentions. The night was accompanied by music and jolly laughter.

After the feast, we all went our separate ways while the disciples were gathered off to what I assumed would be separate lodgings.

Song Song and I walked our own way toward the mansion that was not far from here. It was an abandoned path, and it was hard to see through all the weeds. The shadows of the trees lingered as the sun finally set, and the shadowy trees formed a creepy atmosphere.

Of course, Song Song added to this by humming some weird, cheery song. On the other hand, I took a book out of my storage ring and began reading it. My eyesight was good enough that even the brief moonlight was more than enough for me to read.

We arrived at our mansion, and at night it was quite a sight to behold, with vines along the walls seeming to choke the structure with a relentless grip. Some vines had broken off their usual rope-like structure and cast long shadows on the ground. As the wind brushed against them, it created swaying shadowy tendrils on the ground.

Speedy was there too, napping by the side of the yard, hidden under the shadow of one of the trees.

We easily jumped over the gate and began walking toward the mansion. It was a comfortable silence as we both understood each other. I was not going to sleep tonight and would spend the time until tomorrow reading while Song Song was going to cultivate.

But fate had other plans for us. We sensed the presence of an 'outsider' in our secluded part of the Sect before we even saw her. The sign that announced her arrival was a soft knock on the metallic gate, a sound that shattered the tranquility of our night.

The newcomer was a young woman with straight, dark hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. Her white uniform, adorned with splashes of green, hinted at her prolonged stroll on the grass.

This girl, who stood before us, was not just any stranger. She was my fiancée, and her face bore an expression of pure innocence, a look that could deceive even the most discerning eyes.

"Sorry, I got lost while following my group," Fu Yating apologized.

"Usually, problems don't follow you home," Song Song whispered. For some reason, my friend found this very funny and chuckled like a madwoman.

This proved that my dear fiancée was scheming something. Perhaps that was what Song Song found so funny—I was finally the one who brought problems to our doorstep instead of it being just her.