The carefree sixth prince, my father respectfully invites me to ascend the throne.

Qin Chen smiled faintly, slowly turned around, and walked out of the Yang residence.

Yang Xueqing stood there blankly until Qin Chen had disappeared for a long time before she came to her senses, and tears streamed down her face.

"Xueqing!"

Liu Rong hugged Yang Xueqing's delicate body tightly, her face full of heartache: "Xueqing, I knew you couldn't bear to part with him. Don't cry. If you're sad, your mother will be heartbroken too. But we have no choice but to make you suffer."

Yang Xueqing closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.

No, she doesn't want to be a concubine!

She would rather marry a poor, uneducated scholar than a spoiled, dissolute young master!

"Qin Chen..."

She murmured softly, her heart feeling as if it were being violently clenched, a sharp pain shooting through her.

……

The provincial capital.

On a bustling and lively street.

A luxurious carriage was traveling in the middle of the street. Because it was going too fast, pedestrians around it had to make way, leaving the whole street empty.

Yang Ling watched all of this unfold with a detached expression, feeling that this world was somewhat surreal.

Not long ago, Grandpa Yang even came to him specifically to ask him to get married to Yang Xueqing as soon as possible. Who knew that Qin Chen, that little bastard, would actually go and tell Grandpa Yang that Yang Xueqing and he had already secretly pledged their lives to each other!

Does he think the Yang family isn't troublesome enough?

It's a pity. His sexual orientation is clear; he doesn't like women. So how could he like someone as domineering and arrogant as Yang Xueqing?

He said this only to get Yang Xueqing to stop bothering him, so as to avoid incurring the wrath of the Yang family.

Unfortunately, Yang Xueqing, that silly girl, actually believed him, which caught him off guard. He didn't know whether to be glad that the girl was silly or to scold her for being stupid.

"Son."

Xiaoqing leaped in through the window, respectfully cupping her fists: "Your subordinate has discovered the latest developments regarding the Yang family."

Yang Ling asked calmly, "Has anything unusual happened in the Yang family recently?"

"Young master, it is said that... Qin Chen just came to the Yang family to annul the engagement."

"Oh."

Yang Ling did not react much; her expression remained calm and undisturbed.

"Furthermore... my investigation revealed that Miss Yang also seems to want to marry Qin Chen."

Yang Ling raised an eyebrow, her gaze slightly surprised.

Miss Yang?

He thought of Yang Yue'er, that arrogant, domineering, and extremely proud young lady who didn't distinguish right from wrong.

Yang Yue'er overestimated herself, thinking that just because she was beautiful, she could marry a playboy like Qin Chen.

"Keep an eye on the Yang family," Yang Ling paused, then continued, "Report back immediately if you hear any news about Yang Yue'er."

"Yes, son."

Xiaoqing accepted the order and withdrew.

Sunlight streamed into the teahouse.

Yang Ling picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and her eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

He was somewhat curious as to why Yang Yue'er would want to become Qin Chen's woman.

……

After a while, inside the Qin residence.

Qin Chen lay lazily on the bed, his gaze passing through the window as he watched the sunset on the horizon.

Suddenly, a figure rushed over from a distance and knelt down in front of Qin Chen.

"See Young Master."

Qin Chen glanced at the people below and said, "Speak."

"Reporting to Young Master, the Qin family's guards have sent word that the Yang family has decided to announce their engagement to you in three days. Furthermore, Old Master Yang will personally escort the eldest young lady and the fifth young master to Anyang County."

Anyang Prefecture.

Anyang County was a county that was far from the capital.

However, because Lingyao Valley is located in Anyang County, it has attracted many people to visit it.

Qin Chen lowered his eyes: "I understand, you may leave."

"Yes, son."

The guards were ordered to retreat.

Qin Chen sat up abruptly, a smile curving his handsome face: "I didn't expect the Qin family to act so swiftly. It's probably not just about winning them over..."

The Qin family is very powerful; otherwise, Old Master Yang would not have been willing to send his daughter into the Qin family.

If the Yang family has the protection of the Qin family, then they have nothing to fear from the Yang family's enemies. No matter how strong those people are, they will not easily touch the Yang family.

But if the Yang family loses the Qin family, they will have no security.

"No matter what, your father should help the Yang family get through this difficult time."

Qin Chen touched his nose, a sarcastic smile curving his lips: "Although the Qin family is not a prestigious noble family, it is still much stronger than ordinary families. Since the Yang family has climbed up to the Qin family, they will be living a life of luxury in the Qin family in the future."

Those fools in the Yang family actually wanted to use him to consolidate their power, without even considering how much he was capable of.

Unfortunately, those ignorant people were blinded and failed to see the Yang family's wolfish ambitions.

Perhaps in their minds, the Yang family was his mother's maternal family, and he would never harm his maternal grandparents' family. But this time, he really wouldn't show any mercy.

Even though he had no memory of his father, he still harbored a lot of hatred for the Yang family, especially for their attitude towards him.

"Qin Chen".

Suddenly, a soft call came from beside Yang Ling's ear.

Qin Chen was taken aback, raised his eyes to look at Yang Ling who was leaping down from the roof, and narrowed his eyes slightly: "What are you doing here?"

“I’ve come to find you,” Yang Ling said with a slight smile. “Didn’t you want to help the Yang family out of their crisis? I can help you.”

Qin Chen sneered. Did Yang Ling really think of him as a savior from suffering?

He doesn't need his charity!

"I've already said, unless my wife agrees, no amount of pleading will help!"

His voice was domineering and powerful.

Yang Ling's expression stiffened for a moment: "But... if I marry you, you will benefit a lot, won't you?"

"Heh," Qin Chen chuckled sarcastically, "My Qin family's affairs are none of your business, and moreover, I will not marry you."

Yang Ling bit her lip, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I heard that Old Master Yang's condition has worsened."

Qin Chen frowned: "So?"

"Old Master Yang once promised me one thing: if I marry you, that promise must be broken. If you don't marry me, wouldn't my marriage be ruined by you?"

Yang Ling gently stroked her sleeve, her tone indifferent: "Qin Chen, you are still young and don't understand love. You'll understand in time that missing out on such a beautiful girl will be a lifelong regret. You should reconsider."

"..."

Qin Chen remained silent.

Yang Ling smiled gently: "I know your wife is Feng Xun. You want to break off your engagement with Feng Xun? I advise you not to forget that Feng Xun is Feng Xi's daughter, and you know my relationship with Feng Xi. Feng Xi will definitely not let this go."

Qin Chen sneered: "There's nothing between us anymore. She won't bother me anymore, so you don't need to worry!"

"If it were the royal family of Phoenix Perch Kingdom, would you still dare to be so arrogant?"

“It’s none of your business to interfere in my affairs. If you have something to say, just say it directly. There’s no need to beat around the bush,” Qin Chen said, his face clouded with gloom. “I don’t want to repeat myself.”