The youth in fine clothes quickly spoke up to praise, "Miss Lydia Wade's temperament is like an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, and her figure is graceful and elegant. Master Wade truly has a wonderful daughter!"
His family was moderately wealthy, worth only tens of thousands of taels, but Master Wade was said to be the richest man in the Provincial Capital, with assets in the millions. And Miss Lydia Wade was his only daughter. If he could marry her, then after Master Wade passed away, all those millions would fall into his hands. So even though he hadn't seen Miss Lydia's true face, he spared no effort in his praise. Of course, he avoided complimenting her looks directly.
Master Wade was quite delighted to hear this.
The other xiucai also guessed that Master Wade was probably seeking a son-in-law, and their hearts were stirred. One after another, they launched into flowery praise, declaring that Miss Lydia Wade was a beauty unmatched in all of history.
"Shameless!"
Seeing the scholars' performances, Chloe Cao whispered.
"Heh."
Ian Song just smiled and said nothing. He didn't believe Master Wade was simply looking for a son-in-law—most likely he wanted someone to marry into the Wade family. Otherwise, with his status as the Provincial Capital's richest man, matchmakers would have already broken down his door. Why would he need to hold a son-in-law selection himself?
Even ordinary people found the idea of marrying into the wife's family hard to accept, let alone scholars.
Even with Master Wade's fortune, persuading these xiucai to marry into his family wouldn't be easy.
Just as Ian Song expected.
Soon, Master Wade announced that he was looking to choose a husband for Miss Lydia Wade, but with one condition: the man must marry into the Wade family.
As soon as he said this, all the scholars' expressions changed, some even showing anger, feeling that Master Wade was insulting them.
Seeing this, Master Wade's face darkened slightly, but he continued, "I only have one daughter. If anyone is willing to marry into my family, he will one day be the head of the Wade clan!"
Silence.
Everyone fell silent.
This made Master Wade quite uncomfortable, though he didn't show it. Instead, he simply moved on and ordered the servants to prepare the banquet.
After the banquet was over.
Everyone got up to take their leave.
Ian Song and Chloe Cao were about to leave the Wade Residence and return to the inn when a maid arrived. "Young Master Song, my lady would like to see you privately."
"Uh...?"
Ian Song couldn't help but hesitate.
"Go ahead, junior brother. I'll wait for you here," said Chloe Cao.
"Then please wait a moment, senior sister. I'll be right back!" Ian Song nodded, then followed the maid toward the embroidered tower where Miss Lydia Wade lived.
"Xiuyun greets Young Master Song!"
When Ian arrived at the embroidered tower, he saw Lydia Wade dressed in green and white skirts. Compared to yesterday, after some careful grooming, she looked noticeably fresher and more attractive.
"Miss Wade, there's no need for formalities!"
Ian Song waved his hand.
"Young Master Song, I asked you here mainly to thank you for saving my life!"
"Miss Lydia, there's really no need. I saved you, and Master Wade already paid me. You could say I just took money to resolve a calamity!" Ian Song said with a cheerful smile.
"Young Master Song, you really do have a sense of humor!" Lydia Wade laughed softly.
After chatting for a while, Ian Song prepared to leave.
"Please wait, Young Master Song!"
Lydia Wade suddenly called out.
"Is there something else, Miss Wade?" Ian Song asked.
"You two may leave. I have something to discuss privately with Young Master Song," Lydia Wade said, glancing at her two maids.
"Yes, miss!"
The two maids nodded and walked out the door.
"Young Master Song, please have a seat."
"If you have something to say, Miss Wade, please speak freely!"
"Young Master Song, I want to ask for your help," Lydia Wade suddenly bit her lip and said.
"How do you want me to help you?"
Ian Song asked curiously.
Lydia Wade showed a look of misery. "I won't hide it from you, Young Master Song. I've already pledged myself to someone in secret, but my father looks down on him and won't allow us to be together!"
"Then I'm afraid you've found the wrong person, Miss Wade. I don't think I can help with this," Ian Song shook his head.
Lydia Wade pleaded urgently, "No, you can help! My father seems to really like you, Young Master Song. As long as you agree to a fake marriage with me, then after my father passes away, you can take half of the Wade family's fortune. But after the wedding, you mustn't touch me!"
Ian Song couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Miss Wade, you've found the wrong person. Not to mention I'm already married—even if I wasn't, I couldn't agree to such an absurd request!"
"You could just divorce your wife!" Lydia Wade said matter-of-factly. "Young Master Song, maybe you don't know how much money my family has. The Wade family's assets total over five million taels. If you agree to my conditions, you'll get more than two million taels in the future!"
Hearing this, Ian Song's expression immediately darkened. "Sorry, Miss Wade, I can't agree!"
"Really not going to agree?"
Lydia Wade's face suddenly turned cold.
Ian Song shook his head.
"If you don't agree, I'll scream and accuse you of impropriety! Once my father hears you molested me, he definitely won't let you go!" Lydia Wade said fiercely.
"Hahaha!"
Ian Song laughed. "You really are too naive. Even if I agreed, do you think you could live happily with that man? If we get married, whether it's real or fake, you become my wife. If I wanted, even your father couldn't stop me. I could use the Wade family's power to hunt him down and kill him, and after your father passes, I could lock you away for life, never letting you be free. Now, do you still want me to pretend to marry you?"
Hearing these words, Lydia Wade's face turned deathly pale.
"You shouldn't do such foolish things in the future. Luckily you came to me—if it were someone else, your fate would be miserable. Also, if you want to scream 'molestation,' as long as I don't allow it, you won't be able to make a sound!" As he spoke, Ian Song flicked his finger and sealed Lydia Wade's mute acupoint. "Try and see if you can speak now."
Lydia Wade opened her mouth, horrified to find she couldn't make a sound.
Ian Song unsealed her mute acupoint. "Miss Wade, I'll take my leave now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ian Song got up and walked out of the embroidered tower, then found Chloe Cao and left the Wade Residence together. Inside the tower, Lydia Wade's face was filled with lingering resentment and unwillingness.
Not long after Ian Song left, Master Wade arrived, nervously asking, "Xiuxiu, did Ian Song agree?"
"Father, he isn't fooled by any of this!"
Lydia Wade replied, both embarrassed and angry.
The words she had said earlier were just meant to trick Ian Song, all to get him to marry into the Wade family. As for the person she claimed to have secretly pledged herself to, that was just a story she and her father made up.
"Ah, I knew it. How could someone like him agree to join our Wade family?" Master Wade said, full of regret.
"Besides, he already has a wife!"
Lydia Wade pouted.
"It seems you two are fated but not destined to be together!"
Master Wade sighed again.
"Junior brother, what did Miss Wade want from you?" On the way back, Chloe Cao couldn't help but ask.
Ian Song felt there was nothing to hide from Chloe, so he told her the whole story.
"Pfft, that Miss Wade is really bold!"
After hearing it all, Chloe Cao couldn't help but laugh.
"Maybe she's not the bold one. It could be Master Wade plotting to get me into the Wade family!"
Ian Song chuckled. Thinking back on Lydia Wade's various expressions, though they seemed genuine, he still noticed some flaws. So he concluded that it was probably a play acted out by Lydia and her father.