Dongfang Yifei's hesitation left Nangong Yuze and Sima Jiaorong puzzled for a while.
"Yifei, Yan'er is with a masked man. And what happened to Yan'er? Why are you stopping here?"
Dongfang Yifei suddenly felt a pang of sadness. He glanced at Nangong Yuze, as if he had made up his mind, and said with a hint of resentment, "Yan'er said she's going to marry that masked man and that she's already been intimate with him. When I heard this, I was heartbroken. I wanted to come to the South China Sea Glazed Palace as soon as possible to ask you two to help me, but I didn't expect that you two also disapproved of my relationship with Yan'er. I was thinking that Yan'er is still young and might be deceived by that masked man. I never expected..." Dongfang Yifei gave a bitter smile and lowered his head, remaining silent.
"What?" Nangong Yuze and Sima Jiaorong exchanged a quick glance, their faces instantly changing color.
Sima Jiaorong, in particular, looked at Dongfang Yifei with a mixture of anger and disbelief. The matter he was talking about could be a big deal or a small one; wasn't this ruining Yan'er's reputation? She had watched her daughter grow up; how could she not know her daughter's personality? Yan'er had been intelligent and wise since childhood; she would never do something to hurt them like this. Now that Chen'er and Qi'er had met Yan'er, they would know the truth when they returned.
"Yifei, don't distort the truth and shift the blame onto that masked man. Yan'er said those things because she doesn't want to marry you." Nangong Ruichen's steady yet angry voice echoed in the corridor.
Dongfang Yifei was startled and turned to look at the two brothers walking towards them. They had returned very quickly, which made things even more complicated. Dongfang Yifei's eyes were gloomy as he pondered what to do.
"Father, Mother, don't believe what Yifei says. We know everything about this. Yan'er doesn't want to marry Yifei and has already threatened to kill herself. Moreover, Yifei has revealed what happened sixteen years ago, and now there are all sorts of speculations about what happened sixteen years ago on the four continents. Furthermore, a woman of extraordinary status has come to the South China Sea Continent to find Yifei, her purpose being to ask him about what happened sixteen years ago. People from the four continents are also rushing to the South China Sea Continent one after another. What's most hateful is that Wuguzi of the Qihe Dynasty actually spread the rumor that using Yan'er as a medicinal ingredient can create a potion that grants immortality. It's utterly despicable!" Nangong Jingqi said through gritted teeth, looking at Dongfang Yifei, her clear eyes seeming to spit flames.
"How could this happen?" Sima Jiaorong seemed to have suffered a great shock, and her body went limp. Fortunately, two maids supported her in time.
"Yifei, did you really leak what happened sixteen years ago?" Nangong Yuze asked Dongfang Yifei angrily. "If it was really your Eastern Region that leaked the information, then your marriage with Yan'er can only be called off! Back then, I made a verbal agreement with your mother that if your Eastern Region leaked Yan'er's background, the marriage alliance between the two continents would be terminated."
"Please, Uncle Nangong, be wise. For sixteen years, Yifei has remained celibate, waiting for Yan'er to grow up. Now, at twenty-six, he has no concubines in the household, which shows his sincere heart. I don't know whose slander Jingqi listened to to frame Yifei like this. Yifei is truly wronged." Dongfang Yifei also angrily defended himself. Even if he had spoken out of turn while drunk, those people were his close friends. No matter how the Nangong family investigated, they couldn't find that he had said it. In fact, his bunch of sycophantic friends had already betrayed him, but he just didn't know it.
"Hmph! Only our two families, Venerable Yunxiao, and that boy know about what happened back then. We all trust Venerable Yunxiao's character. If he would leak this matter outside your Eastern Region, who else would?"
Nangong Jingqi usually treats Dongfang Yifei like a brother, but when it comes to his sister, he resolutely regards Dongfang Yifei as his enemy, which shows how much he loves his sister.
"Jingqi, how can you falsely accuse Yifei without any evidence?" Dongfang Yifei was also furious, but more so to cover up his guilty conscience. It was because of his drunken slip of the tongue that his mother told him to rush to the South China Sea Glazed Palace to propose marriage. He didn't expect that even after traveling day and night, he was still a step too late. And who was that woman who was looking for him? How did she know that he knew about what happened sixteen years ago? Dongfang Yifei was absolutely furious.
"What other evidence do we need? The rumors circulating among the continents are the strongest evidence. On the way back, we found out that this matter first spread from the Eastern Region. In just over ten days, the whole world knows about it. Yifei, you keep saying you love Yan'er, but you've pushed her into the eye of the storm, leaving her in a predicament surrounded by enemies. And now you're ruining Yan'er's reputation. Do you want Yan'er to marry you with a tarnished reputation so that people can understand your wickedness, Dongfang Yifei? The peaceful five continents are about to be thrown into turmoil again, and the core of this is our Nangong family's precious Yan'er. Yifei, how can we thank you?" Nangong Ruichen was also furious. If he hadn't heard these words today, he might have sympathized with Yifei, but now he felt nothing but anger towards him.
“Ruichen, even you…” Dongfang Yifei was speechless. He had been hitting roadblocks everywhere lately, which was not a good sign. No, he had to send a message to his mother immediately to help him resolve this matter as soon as possible.
"Anyway, I, Dongfang Yifei, will never give up on marrying Yan'er. I'll head back now and visit her with my mother another day." With that, Dongfang Yifei turned and left.
"Chen'er, Qi'er, now that you've found Yan'er, why don't you bring her back? You know perfectly well that Yan'er is in great danger." Nangong Yuze looked at the two brothers with a puzzled expression.
“Father, we can’t keep Yan’er locked up in the South China Sea Crystal Palace forever. Yan’er has grown up. Let her go out and see the world! Besides, the man by her side will protect Yan’er, so Father and Mother don’t need to worry too much.” Nangong Ruichen said simply. He would not reveal his identity for the time being, after all, it would be safest for Yan’er to stay by his side for now.
"That's true, but Yan'er's identity is different from others. Now that there are those unfounded rumors outside, Yan'er is in even more danger. Since Yan'er wants to travel, let her go first. Father will send the most powerful Shadow Guard from the South China Sea Glazed Palace to protect Yan'er in secret."
-End of this chapter-
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