Sophia Lin’s face turned green with rage. “Second Grandfather, I absolutely refuse to marry this useless waste! You’ve always spoiled me—aren’t you going to stand up for me today? You have to help me!"
Evan Chu suddenly spoke up, his voice ringing out. "Father, I’ve already made my decision. I was supposed to marry Sophia Lin, the Second Miss, but now I’m changing my mind. From today onward, I’m getting engaged to the Third Miss of the Lin Family! That’s final!"
Evan’s words exploded like a thunderclap in the hall—just as jaw-dropping as when he crushed Leon Lin before. The shock was so intense, nobody could accept it.
“Feng’er, are you out of your mind? Why would you do something so crazy?” Dominic Chu was utterly confused, but knowing Evan always had his reasons, he didn’t dare object right away.
“Some things are better left unsaid. Sophia Lin is a stunning beauty—how could a so-called waste like me ever deserve her? It’s more fitting for me to be with the Third Miss. Father, I hope you’ll let me do as I wish!” Evan’s half-smile was full of sarcasm and mockery.
He strode right up to Sophia Lin and leaned in, voice low but sharp. "Are you happy now? Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to. A wilted flower like you—do you honestly think you’re worthy to be Evan Chu’s woman?"
Do you really think your third sister is ugly? Mark my words—one day you’ll see that her beauty is something a shameless woman like you could never hope to match!
And one more thing—don’t forget! In my eyes, you’re not even a real woman. I don’t care for women who look like men, not even a little!
"You… you…" Sophia Lin was so furious, so humiliated, she couldn’t even get the words out. Her whole body shook with rage.
Her beauty and her… assets had always been her pride—everyone knew she was the city’s envy, waves upon waves. But this waste actually called her a man! How could anyone stomach such humiliation? It was even worse than being slapped in the face!
Evan Chu, you humiliated me in front of everyone today—but I swear, one day I’ll pay you back double, triple, a hundred times over! When that day comes, I’ll make you wish you were dead!
The Lin Family’s Third Young Miss was named Roxanne Lin. Very few people even knew her name—she almost never left home because of her supposed ugliness, so more than half the Lin Family had never seen her.
Evan Chu strode up to Roxanne Lin, a confident smile on his face. "Roxanne Lin, do you have any objections to my decision today? Give me your hand—right now!"
Evan Chu was always decisive. Before Roxanne Lin could even react, he had already taken her hand.
“Today, I, Evan Chu, choose to be engaged to the Lin Family’s Third Young Miss! This is my choice, and I hope you all support me!” With those words, he boldly took Roxanne Lin’s hand and led her toward the banquet, leaving behind a hall full of stunned, wide-eyed onlookers.
The waste, Evan Chu, now had star force that blew away even Leon Lin, a fourth-level Profound Martial Realm genius. He was supposed to marry Sophia Lin, but now he was engaged to Roxanne Lin instead. Everything he did today left everyone in the hall with a head full of questions and shock.
Everyone in the Chu Family knew about Evan Chu’s engagement to Roxanne Lin, but only those in the hall understood what had happened. No one else knew the real story.
The engagement banquet, which should have been packed with guests, was instead sparsely attended because of Evan Chu’s reputation as a waste. Even some Chu Family members didn’t bother to come, which didn’t surprise Evan.
The banquet was dead—no excitement at all. Who would ever congratulate a waste for getting engaged? Most people just mouthed empty words, barely anyone was sincere.
Dominic Chu couldn’t shake his doubts. He should have been thrilled—after all, his genius son had returned—but he struggled to accept the fact that Evan was marrying an ugly daughter-in-law. It was a reality he found hard to swallow.
Roxanne Lin stayed silent from start to finish, which caught Evan Chu off guard. When he first took her hand, he’d felt her tremble—clear as day.
After the banquet, Evan Chu brought Roxanne Lin to the summit of Flowing Cloud Mountain—the place where he used to absorb stellar force, and where he’d suffered countless failures. Standing here again, his heart was full of emotion.
“Roxanne, today marks our engagement. I swear to you, three years from now, I’ll make you my wife for real. By then, everyone who ever looked down on us will be forced to see us differently! Trust me—just believe in me!”
Evan’s resolute gaze filled Roxanne Lin with boundless confidence. “Evan, I believe you! You know, in my heart I’ve always thought you were a genius. No matter what others said, I never believed it—in my eyes, you’re the most outstanding, and the person I admire most!”
Roxanne Lin’s voice was like music from the heavens, especially moving to Evan Chu’s ears. “Thank you, Roxanne. I never imagined I’d mean so much to you. Do you know why I brought you here?”
“You must have your reasons for bringing me here. Even if I didn’t ask, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”
Roxanne Lin’s empathy sent a warm current through Evan Chu’s heart. “Roxanne, would you let me see your real face?”
Roxanne Lin was a little flustered, but seeing Evan Chu’s expectant gaze, she couldn’t bear to refuse.
“I’m afraid my ugly appearance will scare you. You know, when I found out I could be engaged to you, I was so happy.
So many times I woke up from dreams, because being with you has always been my greatest wish.”
“When you said you wanted to get engaged to my second sister today, my heart hurt—but I thought there was no way you could defeat my elder brother, so I figured you’d end up engaged to me anyway. But then everything changed. When my brother lost, I almost wanted to die.”
Tears glimmered in Roxanne Lin’s eyes as she choked out, “But then you actually chose me. It felt like I was dreaming—I still can’t believe it’s real.”
Evan Chu understood Roxanne’s feelings. “After all that, you still don’t want to take off your veil?”
Roxanne Lin was at a loss for words, and after a long pause, she said, “I’m scared. I’m scared that once you see my face, you’ll leave me. I’m afraid that from this moment on, I’ll lose you forever!”
“You silly girl—did you forget what day it is? Since I, Evan Chu, chose you, I’ll treat you right for my whole life! Beautiful or ugly, I don’t care at all. Don’t you trust me? Don’t you believe me?”
Evan Chu spoke with genuine sincerity, but in truth, much of it came from the Sword Spirit’s prior hints. If Roxanne Lin’s appearance truly couldn’t be restored, he might have refused the marriage without hesitation.
The Sword Spirit had also told Evan Chu about Sophia Lin’s lost chastity, which made humiliating her face-to-face especially satisfying for him.
Roxanne Lin seemed to make a huge decision. Finally, she nodded, and with trembling hands, removed her veil. She didn’t dare look at Evan Chu, afraid to see the shock on his face.
Even though Evan Chu was mentally prepared, when Roxanne Lin took off her veil, he was still stunned—but he quickly recovered. She looked far better than he’d imagined.
There was an egg-sized red birthmark on Roxanne Lin’s face. If not for that mark, Evan Chu was sure her beauty would easily surpass Sophia Lin’s.
Seeing Evan Chu silent for so long, Roxanne Lin opened her eyes, thinking he was frightened by her appearance. She hurriedly said, “I’m sorry to disappoint you, I…”
“Stop overthinking! I don’t see anything wrong at all. Don’t let yourself feel inferior. Even if the whole world looks down on you, I won’t—I promise, in this lifetime, I’ll never despise you!” Evan Chu’s words were firm, his eyes blazing with sincerity.
“Kid, do you see that red birthmark on her face? Don’t underestimate it—that’s the Vermilion Bird Mark, an extremely rare sign that appears maybe once in millions!”
“Someday, when her Vermilion Bird bloodline awakens, that red mark will vanish, and her appearance will transform as well. Then you’ll understand just how wise your choice today was!” The Sword Spirit’s voice echoed in Evan’s mind again.
“Vermilion Bird Mark? What the hell is that? Hey, Sword Spirit—can’t you give me a heads up before you pop up in my head? Every time you do, I nearly die of shock! If anything happens to me, I’ll hunt you down myself!” Evan Chu cursed inwardly.
“You sure know how to complain after getting lucky! The Vermilion Bird Mark appears in only one out of millions, and only on girls with the Profound Yin Constitution.”
“The Vermilion Bird is a divine beast of fire, while the Profound Yin Constitution is the coldest, most yin-based physique. Only such a body can withstand the mark’s power. It’s a miracle no one’s discovered her secret until now!”
“Hey, what you’re saying makes no sense to me. Can you explain it more clearly?” Evan Chu’s interest was piqued.
Roxanne Lin saw Evan Chu standing stock-still, his expression constantly shifting. “Evan, what’s wrong?”