As the moon rose high in the sky, the banquet drew to a close. The city lord dismissed the dancers and servants, and the other unrelated guests also bowed and left their seats.

Seeing this setup, Yin Ming thought to himself, "It's starting, it's starting."

Sure enough, the city lord, seated in the main seat, looked in the direction of Yin Ming and his companion and asked from afar, "What are your plans for the future, young heroes?"

Yin Ming coughed lightly and said seriously, "The two of us travel together without a fixed destination."

It means to wander around, going wherever the wind takes you, and who knows when you'll see each other again, maybe never in your lifetime.

Since that's what they've said, if you're really savvy, you should know to seize the opportunity, right? — Get engaged to tie down the male lead, then you won't have to worry about him not coming back later.

The city lord pondered for a moment and continued, "Indeed, a good man should aspire to travel far and wide. However, as the saying goes, one must first settle down and start a family before establishing a career. Young Master Ling, would you consider getting engaged first?"

This explanation is rather old-fashioned, but the meaning it conveys is still quite clear.

Yin Ming subconsciously turned around to look at Ling Yao's reaction, only to see the latter with her cheeks flushed and her eyes lowered, staring at the wine glass in front of her, without saying a word.

The atmosphere was awkwardly quiet. The city lord smiled to cover his embarrassment, "It was my presumption, I haven't asked if Young Hero Ling is married yet?"

Knowing that the male lead was not good at expressing himself, Yin Ming raised his voice and spoke for him: "He has never been married."

These words immediately drew the attention of Ling Yao and Yao Ling on the other side.

Yin Ming smiled in response, "Don't worry, don't worry, I've got everything covered. Wait here, I'll finalize things for you today."

The city lord seemed relieved after hearing this. He knew that young people would be shy. Since Yin Ming answered for him and Ling Yao did not refuse, the city lord tacitly agreed to let Yin Ming handle the matter. So, he and Yin Ming continued to ask and answer questions in turn.

"May I ask how old Young Hero Ling is this year?" the city lord asked.

“He’s sixteen,” Yin Ming replied with a smile.

Where is your home?

"Originally from Wuyaicheng West Village."

"I see... Wuyai City isn't that far. If Young Hero Ling doesn't mind, you can make Yao Manor your home..."

"To be honest, my wife's illness has made me realize how unpredictable life is and how treacherous people can be. If it weren't for you two young heroes, Yao City would have been completely transformed."

The city lord paused for a moment, then said, "I know I cannot protect Ling'er for life. I wonder if Young Hero Ling would be willing to take care of Ling'er for me?"

"Father, please stop talking." Yao Ling suddenly interrupted her father, blushing and lowering her head.

Oh ho ho, the female lead is shy.

“I feel the same way. Men should marry when they are of age and women should marry when they are of age. Ah Yao and your daughter…” Before Yin Ming could finish speaking, Ling Yao tugged at his sleeve.

Oh wow, even the male lead is shy.

That's true. This kind of thing can't be decided solely by Yin Ming. After all, it's their own business, and Yin Ming can only act as a middleman at most.

But, male lead, I've already helped you this much, the rest is up to you.

It's actually not that difficult. You can get a beautiful wife just by nodding your head. Don't let the duck that's already in your mouth fly away.

"Let the young people decide their own affairs," Yin Ming said with a smile.

The city lord smiled and agreed. After exchanging pleasantries, everyone dispersed and returned to their rooms.

Anyway, they will stay in Yaocheng for a few more days. When the male and female protagonists feel reluctant to part, they can bring up the marriage at that time, and everything will fall into place naturally.

Yin Ming pondered all the way to the door before realizing that a little tail was following him.

"Ah Yao? Your room is right next door." Yin Ming asked curiously, wondering why this person had been standing behind him the whole time.

The person behind him didn't answer. Yin Ming turned to look at him, but could only see his face half-hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his expression.

Yin Ming pursed his lips helplessly, pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Only then did the person behind him move and follow him in.

Yin Ming then realized that the male lead might have something to say to him.

"Ah Yao, is there something you need?" Yin Ming turned around and saw that this guy's face had turned even redder.

Is the alcohol kicking in and he's getting drunk? He's only had a few drinks... It seems the male lead's alcohol tolerance is indeed not very high.

Yin Ming helped Ling Yao sit down at the tea table and poured him a cup of tea to help him sober up.

The male lead's condition seems much more serious than last time. Last time he could still speak, but this time he's completely transformed into a cold and aloof guy.

Lingyao drank his tea without saying a word, and the two sat facing each other. Just as Yin Ming was getting so bored that he was about to yawn, Lingyao muttered, "What...did Yin Ming mean just now?"

What do you mean? Are you referring to Yao Ling's matter? What else could it mean? Of course, it's about playing matchmaker for you.

"I'm afraid you'll be lonely in the future, so I wanted to find someone to keep you company," Yin Ming said, resting his chin on his hand.

Male lead, do you want a wife or not? I've already said it for you. You just need to nod and it'll be done. You can even go straight to the wedding. Anyway, based on what I've observed over this period, you two are interested in each other.

Even if you don't like someone to that extent yet, it's okay. Just settle down first, and you can talk about it slowly later.

Having missed out on such a wonderful girl, Yin Ming doesn't know when he'll meet the next one. He can't wait any longer; he doesn't have much time left, and he's hoping the female lead can plead for him in the future.

"I..." Lingyao stood up straight, his eyes slightly narrowed, his gaze unfocused, as if he was extremely sleepy but was forcing himself not to sleep.

What?

Yin Ming looked at Ling Yao questioningly, but Ling Yao remained silent for a long time, blinking more and more slowly, until finally he simply closed his eyes slightly.

It's ridiculous that the system even arranged for Yin Ming to only speak half of the story. It's driving me crazy.

"You're drunk. Go home and rest. We can talk about it tomorrow."

"No……"

"So what are your thoughts on this marriage?" Do you want a straight answer?

"want……"

Okay, bro. Yin Ming was initially worried that he might be presumptuously trying to set them up, but since the male lead was also willing, Yin Ming no longer felt any pressure.

Lingyao could barely utter those three words before collapsing onto the tea table, unable to support himself any longer.

The candlelight illuminated his slightly immature yet perfectly proportioned features, casting a hazy glow over his face and adding a dreamlike beauty to his appearance.

Yin Ming swallowed hard after just one glance—damn, the male lead seems to be getting more and more handsome, even he, a grown man, almost couldn't resist.

Is this the charm of the protagonist's halo? Yin Ming silently shook his head to clear his mind of the jumbled thoughts, got up, helped Ling Yao up, and settled him on the bed.

Just as he was about to turn around and go to the next room to rest, a hand quickly grabbed Yin Ming's clothes.

Yin Ming turned around and found Ling Yao staring at him with bright eyes.

Yin Ming's heart skipped a beat. What was going on now?

Lingyao reached out and pulled, and a tremendous force struck, catching Yin Ming off guard and dragging him onto the bed.

Damn it, wasn't the male lead drunk? He looked so weak and frail, how come he's so strong? Yin Ming thought to himself, "That was too hasty. Getting pulled down like that is so embarrassing."

Yin Ming propped himself up on his elbows, silently pried Ling Yao's hands apart, and placed them on his own chest: "Good boy, sleep well."

Lingyao didn't answer, but just stared at Yin Ming with her starry eyes, shifting her body further in to make room for him on the bed.

Oh, does this mean we should sleep together?

That won't do. The female lead clearly doesn't want to see them sleeping together. For the sake of the relationship between the male and female leads, Yin Ming has no choice but to give up this kind of way of winning their favor.

Yin Ming shook his head to refuse and tucked the blanket around him, but Ling Yao reached out and grabbed his hand that was tucking the blanket around him. "Don't go."

It seemed the male lead was determined to stay with him, so Yin Ming could only say helplessly, "Fine, I won't leave. I'll go wash up. You go to sleep first."

Lingyao then released his grip.