Lanling City.
On an early summer noon, the sun blazed high in the sky, cicadas chirped vigorously in the trees, and pedestrians were sparse on the streets.
It was lunchtime, and the aroma of food wafted from restaurants and homes along the street.
Especially from the "Welcome Inn" restaurant behind him, where the kitchen was at its busiest, various fragrances had been drifting from the chimney for nearly half an hour.
"Hmm, stir-fried diced chicken, crispy pork tenderloin, Dong'an chicken, sweet and sour fish, braised pork knuckle, Taibai duck..."
Eighteen-year-old Gu Hongbai silently recited the menu in his mind, thinking that the kitchen fires must be burning strong today, as all these aromas seemed perfectly cooked!
He thought to himself that once he succeeded in his mission, he would definitely come to properly enjoy a feast here.
After these thoughts, he quietly swallowed and silently moved his fortune-telling stall a bit to the side.
He was here for important business, how could he let such food distract his mind?
Today was Gu Hongbai's fifth day setting up his fortune-telling stall.
And from the first day until now, he hadn't served a single customer.
Of course, it wasn't that no one had approached him, but rather that he had found excuses to turn away anyone who came.
Because:
First, he didn't actually know how to tell fortunes;
Second, and most importantly, he had set up this stall solely to catch another glimpse of the girl in red who had ridden past on horseback five days ago. How could he waste time fortune-telling and risk missing her?
So never mind an empty stomach - even if he fainted from the heat, he would stand his ground until that lady in red appeared again!
However, today the heavens seemed particularly harsh, even hotter than previous days, and the willow leaves by the roadside looked ready to curl from the heat.
Gu Hongbai suspected that if the sun continued like this, even his hair would start to curl.
But even if it did curl, he wouldn't give up.
Fortunately, persistence paid off. After half an hour, right when the sun was at its most fierce, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly rang out from down the street.
Gu Hongbai quickly looked up to see a young lady on horseback, her graceful figure exactly the one he had been thinking about for days.
In that moment, all his hunger and discomfort vanished, but he faced an extremely important question―
How should he make her acquaintance?
Actually, after first seeing her that day, he had pretty much figured out her identity―the daughter of the Chang family, a martial arts household in Lanling.
After all, what other family in Lanling City had women who rode horses?
However, the Chang family associated with various martial arts schools and jianghu heroes. Never mind someone like him - even the teachers at the academy had no connection to the Chang family. He'd heard that Master Chang had five sons before finally having this precious daughter, whom he cherished like the apple of his eye. If he rashly went to their door professing his admiration for their precious daughter, he would likely be thrown out.
So after much thought, he felt his only chance was to make the acquaintance of Miss Chang directly.
And now, the opportunity he had waited days for was right before him, but unfortunately, she was on horseback.
At her current speed, she would pass by him in the blink of an eye...
At this critical moment, Gu Hongbai caught sight of several people stepping out of the restaurant, led by the notorious local bully Pang San, who had just collected protection money from him two days ago.
A quick idea struck him, and he immediately walked quickly toward Pang San, deliberately colliding with him head-on.
He had used all his strength, causing Pang San's chest to hurt. Pang San immediately started cursing, "Which blind fool dares to bump into your Master Pang?"
Upon seeing who it was, he cursed again, "So it's the worthless fortune teller who dares to bump into me? Didn't learn your lesson from two days ago? Today I'll let you taste your Master Pang's fists!" He grabbed Gu Hongbai's collar, ready to throw a punch.
But just then, a red figure descended from above, delivering a kick straight to Pang San's big head. In the blink of an eye, Pang San was thrown to the ground, the impact seeming to shake the street.
"Well, well, Pang San, it's been a few days since I taught you a lesson, and you dare to bully the weak again?"
The young lady's clear voice rang out, and before him was her face, as beautiful as a lotus after rain.
Only after Pang San had kowtowed three times promising never to bully anyone again and fled clutching his head and rubbing his waist did Gu Hongbai finally come to his senses.
He saw the heaven-sent lady looking at him with concern, asking, "Are you hurt, young sir?"
Gu Hongbai quickly shook his head and said, "Thanks to your timely appearance, miss, you saved me from that villain. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and will never forget it. May I ask where you're from? I must visit with gifts another day to properly thank you."
The young lady smiled graciously and said, "You're too kind. My surname is Chang, given name Ruyu, and I live at the Chang Manor in the east of the city. I'm glad you're unharmed - it was nothing, really no need for thanks."
With that, she mounted her horse again and rode on.
East City Chang Manor, Chang Ruyu.
Gu Hongbai silently repeated the name, thinking his guess had been correct.
Good.
He straightened up, packed away his fortune-telling stall, and leisurely returned to the academy.
That night, as the air cooled, Gu Hongbai lay in bed planning his future marriage proposal when he heard his dormitory mates discussing the Chang Manor in the east of the city.
"I heard the Chang family in the east is accepting marriage proposals these days!"
"The Chang family? You mean the most powerful martial arts family in the area? I heard Madam Chang had five sons before finally having a daughter, and they cherish her even more than their sons. I wonder what kind of marriage selection process they're using?"
"For a martial arts family, naturally it's a martial arts competition! They announced the conditions a few days ago - I heard you have to defeat the young lady's five brothers to qualify."
Silently listening, Gu Hongbai thought, "..."
Defeat her five brothers?
Looking down at his own physique...
Any one of his potential brothers-in-law could probably kill him...
In the darkness, his roommates suddenly heard their usually quiet companion ask, "Has anyone tried?"
Someone immediately answered, "Quite a few! Not just from around Lanling, but from Jiangnan, Jiangbei, Shandong, Shanxi, and even as far as the northern frontier and Yunnan, but without exception, none could defeat the Chang family's five sons."
"Good!"
This outburst surprised everyone.
Gu Hongbai realized his slip and tried to explain, "How could such a fine lady be allowed to marry so far away?"
But this didn't stop his dormmates' teasing―
"Brother Gu, you haven't fallen for Miss Chang, have you?"
"No offense, but you're no match for the Chang brothers with your build!"
"Let me give you some advice - hurry and find a martial arts master to train you these days, maybe you'll still have a chance..."
Gu Hongbai remained silent.
...Did they think he hadn't considered learning martial arts?
If reason hadn't told him it was impossible, he would have found a master long ago.
Hmph, he refused to believe those martial artists could love Ruyu more sincerely than he did!
After quietly observing for several days, Gu Hongbai discovered that regardless of where these men came from, none could defeat his five formidable potential brothers-in-law.
This meant that no one had yet been selected as a potential son-in-law by his future parents-in-law.
Somewhat relieved, he chose an auspicious day and carefully selected gifts that, while not extravagant, showed sincere intention, then gathered his courage to visit the East City Chang Manor.
As the area's renowned martial arts family, the Changs had always been known for their righteousness, frequently involving themselves in acts of chivalry and standing up against injustice over the years.
Therefore, they often received visitors expressing gratitude.
However, they had never received a young man like Gu Hongbai before.
Particularly noting his scholarly appearance, they quickly inquired and discovered he was a student at Crane Lake Academy, the most prestigious school in Lanling.
It was well known that Crane Lake Academy ranked among the nation's finest, with its students consistently achieving top scores in various examinations, indicating this young man must be quite scholarly indeed.
Given this, Madam Chang, who had always held educated people in high regard, immediately began to view him differently.
Of course, seeing his polite manner and proper conduct, Master Chang was also quite impressed with him.
Gu Hongbai also knew well the principle of quitting while ahead. After expressing his gratitude, he immediately bid farewell and left the manor, never once revealing his thoughts about their daughter throughout the entire encounter.
Of course, he hadn't caught a glimpse of Miss Chang who had been haunting his dreams.
However, unexpectedly, just as he was about to return to Crane Lake Academy, he heard someone calling out to him from behind.
That crystal-clear voice made him start. Gu Hongbai quickly stopped and turned around, only to find it was the very lady he had most hoped to see.
Ahem, could it be that the Chang family elders had taken a liking to him and thus sent their daughter to chase after him?
Although Gu Hongbai considered himself quite excellent, he still maintained his rationality and thought this unlikely.
So he quickly stood at attention and asked, "What can I do for you, Miss Chang?"
Chang Ruyu replied, "That day when I beat up Pang San, it was only because I couldn't stand him bullying others, not because I wanted anything from you. Why did you specially come to thank me?"
Ahem, finally another chance to speak with her!
Gu Hongbai suppressed his excitement and said seriously, "I certainly understand that your actions that day were chivalrous, but wouldn't I be failing as a person if I didn't come to thank you? So you did what you did, and I'm thanking you for what I should - there's no conflict there."
After speaking, he gave her his best sunny smile, showcasing his handsome features.
He noticed that the lady did indeed pause slightly at the sight.
Oh?
Gu Hongbai thought to himself, [How about that, my lady? Have you fallen for me? As they say, true scholarly refinement naturally shines through - surely I'm far better than those rough fighters.]
Just as he was secretly feeling pleased with himself, he heard the lady say, "But you're setting up fortune-telling stalls while studying - it must be hard for you. How can you waste money like this?"
Gu Hongbai: "..."
Although... he wasn't actually short of money! His father was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and owned hundreds of acres of good farmland...
Before he could speak, he saw her stuffing a money pouch into his hands, saying with a smile, "Take this, and don't set up stalls anymore. It's not easy to get into Crane Lake Academy - you should focus on your studies and strive to achieve scholarly honors soon to repay your teachers and parents."
With that and a carefree laugh, she mounted her horse and rode away.
Gu Hongbai stood there dazed, bewitched by that smile, until her figure disappeared from view.
When he finally came to his senses and looked down at the money pouch in his hand, he suddenly felt anxious.
He had gone there to gain her favor, how did he end up taking money from her?!
Wait, my lady! Your husband isn't the type to live off women!!!
