Otherworldly Companions: Every Handsome Man is Extraordinary

The empire set a quota: after three rounds of selection, each woman only needs to meet 50 men on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony and choose at least two partners from these 50 men.

For women, this is just a matter of course and a process, but for men who have just had the opportunity to choose a partner, it is their first time and the one with the greatest hope.

Older men who have failed to be selected still have the right to participate in the partner selection conference, but it is conceivable that the chances of being selected decrease year by year. There are quite a few men who participate in the partner selection conference every year but fail to be selected every time. Jiang Yu thinks that these people are not only unlucky, but also have a very strong psychological endurance.

Men who are not good enough may never have the opportunity to participate in a partner selection conference in their entire lives.

For women, the first partner selection conference, which is mandatory to attend, is the coming-of-age ceremony. They do not need to attend the partner selection conference every year. As long as they are of childbearing age and have gathered 5 partners, they can decide which year to attend the partner selection conference according to their own wishes.

"If I gather all five companions, can I summon a dragon?" Jiang Yu thought with a hint of sarcasm.

This society is so unfair. But Jiang Yu didn't have time to think about these issues anymore; she had already been forced to her seat.

This is a circular hall, with twelve women's seats arranged like clockwork around the edge. The seats are very ornate, like a giant seashell-shaped seat covered in red velvet and intricately inlaid with gold and various gemstones, more like a queen's throne. To the right of each seat, a small table made of a single gemstone is filled with exquisite refreshments, as well as a detailed list and information.

This list contains photos and information of 50 potential partners, arranged in a numbered order. While this numbering is nominally based on the Empire's overall strength, it is actually the only possible step in which male families can go to great lengths to influence the process.

On the corresponding left is a slightly smaller black velvet chair, where male partner candidates will come to the women in turn according to their numbers to communicate and compete.

Those with earlier numbers have a significant advantage, because once a woman has made her choice and decides not to continue selecting, the men who come after her lose the opportunity to interact with her face-to-face.

This is why, once a family member is shortlisted for the assembly, the family will do everything in its power to secure a higher number for their male offspring.

Jiang Yu's worldview largely comes from the modern society she grew up in. Her memories of the Ocean Empire consist mostly of sleeping and daydreaming, and the rest are just ordinary interactions with her family. Apart from some necessary etiquette and studies, her body can no longer support anything more.

Therefore, there are still many phenomena that she cannot agree with for the time being, and she can only silently digest them and try her best to adapt to this unfamiliar world as soon as possible.

Before coming, Jiang Yu kept mentally preparing herself, telling herself that there was nothing to be afraid of, but the scene in front of her still made her very nervous. Fortunately, it was also the first time for the other girls in the room to experience this.

As for the women who attended multiple times, they were placed in different venues and time slots to distinguish them, so Jiang Yu did not stand out in particular.

After sitting for a short while, the man with number 1 came up to Jiang Yu and bowed deeply to her.

Then he straightened up, lowered his eyes slightly, and gave a perfectly timed smile as he gazed gently at the girl sitting in her seat.

It can be as deep as it gets.

Jiang Yu's most direct feeling was experiencing what it meant to be hit hard at the opening. He was absolutely worthy of the number 1. This man's appearance was flawless. Every feature and physique was a work of art meticulously crafted by the Creator. He was simply a god who had stepped out of an oil painting.

Jiang Yu felt her fragile heart was already dizzy from being captivated by the man's handsome face, but such a dazed look, even for only a moment, seemed impolite. So, blushing, she gestured for the man to sit down and very kindly poured him a cup of floral tea and handed it to him.

The man seemed somewhat surprised, but that quickly turned into joy. In his view, Jiang Yu's shyness and kindness were the greatest affirmation of him. He was already very confident in himself, and Jiang Yu was exactly the kind of wife he had always dreamed of. He couldn't wait to become Jiang Yu's first partner.

The eligibility requirements for men to participate in the Partner Selection Conference are different from those for women. Women first participate in the conference during their coming-of-age ceremony, while men first receive an assignment from the Empire after reaching adulthood. Only after their job functions are determined are they eligible to participate in the Partner Selection Conference. Therefore, they wear formal attire symbolizing their job functions when they attend the conference.

Candidate number 1 is clearly employed in the military, and is a civilian officer with a seemingly high rank.

He was wearing a military dress uniform that resembled a suit, with dark green fabric printed with various leaf patterns. The collar and cuffs were adorned with a band of olive green gemstones with gold thread, and a large gemstone representing his rank was set in the center of his collar.

Compared to the orthodox and neat modern military uniforms that Jiang Yu had seen, the uniforms in this world appeared much more gorgeous, more like going to a splendid ball than a battlefield. If they were military generals, they would wear armor and a bright red cloak.

The military uniforms in this world are indeed very beautiful. Jiang Yu didn't need to spend time looking at the information of candidate number 1; she had already made a deep impression on him because of his earlier number, not to mention that he was also candidate number 1 whom her father highly regarded.

Born into a family of commanders of the Forest Empire, whose power far surpasses that of the Jiang family, and whose father was not only his mother's favorite but also her strongest partner, the man before him was practically a prodigy raised under the spotlight, holding an important position in the military at a young age.

"Miss Jiang, I'm sure you've already seen all my information. I wonder if you're satisfied with me? I hope I haven't disappointed you after we meet." Look at this society's gender inequality, it has forced such an outstanding man into such a humble state. This was unthinkable in Jiang Yu's previous society.

"You are an outstanding man, and my parents are very impressed with you," Jiang Yu said reservedly, displaying a gentle smile that she had practiced countless times before.

"And you, are you satisfied with me?" Number 1 leaned forward slightly, looking at Jiang Yu with longing. "Are you like your father and mother?"

"Um. Of course I'm very impressed with you, but I don't think I'm a good match for you, whether in terms of family background or anything else. Why did you choose me?"

This was also what Jiang Yu found very strange. They had never met before. Although the information described her hobbies, personality, and main life experiences in detail, it was not enough to support someone who had just met her showing such obvious affection for her. Moreover, the man's family background was enough for him to choose a woman with a more outstanding family background as his partner.

"How could you have such a thought?" Candidate No. 1 felt very strange. His handsome face showed a look of surprise, which made Jiang Yu suddenly realize that he was so outstanding.

“Miss Jiang Yu, from the moment I saw your information, I firmly hoped to become one of your partners. You are simply the ideal wife in my mind. I am very happy to have passed all the reviews and be able to meet you as the first person to be admitted. All the efforts I have made have been worthwhile. My family is as determined as I am. Please understand.”

“…”

Nothing to say.

That's absolutely devastating.

That's practically a crime.

This world is so friendly to women; everything happening right now feels like playing a mindless otome romance game. It all feels incredibly unreal to Jiang Yu.

At the same time, the face of her boyfriend in modern society resurfaced in her memory. Compared to the man in front of her, her boyfriend's fairly handsome face was utterly worthless. But how could the precious love they once had change because of this?

"Thank you for your kindness. I am very touched. Thank you so much."

Jiang Yu seemed to calm down instantly. Yes, sitting here was merely a body conforming to this world. Like all women, she was a tool to stabilize the imperial regime and a link to ensure the continuation of her family's glory. She enjoyed a life of luxury, but the price she paid was to obediently bear the empire's offspring.

What do you need a bicycle for?

On our first meeting, I saw someone who, aside from her background and beauty, spent most of her time asleep and seemed abnormal, almost completely lacking in talent, yet she appeared so deeply in love.

Such an outstanding person doesn't love her.

It was his family who loved her and needed her.

So she should do the same. She only needs to consider the interests of her family and the stability of her future life. Choosing a partner is actually the same. She only needs to make a rational and mechanical comparison.

Candidate number 1 widened his eyes slightly, unsure of what he had said wrong. The girl in the white dress suddenly became calm and even indifferent. He even wanted to try to persuade her to stay, but Jiang Yu's words indicated that the conversation should end there and he could simply return to his seat in the hall and wait for the results.

He was disappointed; he had thought he would be selected on the spot and get a spot.

Once Jiang Yu figured out what she wanted, she became incredibly calm. She began to communicate with those men rationally and started to truly examine and select them.

Firstly, those who immediately expressed their fervent admiration for her were the first to be eliminated by her. Those whose family background was inferior to hers were also excluded, since feelings cannot be forced. Her only use to her family was probably to find a family of equal strength and preferably one that could be of assistance to her for marriage.