Pursuit and Making Use of the Grand Heir

What? My Qingchen?

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if time froze. Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing, mouths agape for ages, all turning to stare at William Wang Jinling, as if asking what exactly he meant by that.

Was this a slip of the tongue from William Wang Jinling, or was he announcing to everyone that Serena Feng was already marked as the Wang Clan’s future principal daughter-in-law? Did William have the Wang Clan’s approval to say such a thing?

Facing everyone’s scrutiny, William Wang Jinling looked completely unruffled and offered no explanation. Dongling Zichun’s face flushed deep red—if Dominic Zhai hadn’t been holding him back, he’d probably have slammed the table by now.

He’d finally set his sights on a girl, and now William Wang Jinling was trying to steal her—what was that supposed to mean?

Dongling Zichun’s eyes burned with fury, but since this was Nolan’s suburban villa, he didn’t dare offend Nolan’s dignity—he just made a quiet note of it in his heart.

Prince Terrence Valen of Lyndaria frowned in obvious displeasure, while the others looked thoughtful. Under William Wang Jinling’s open and sharp gaze, they all quietly averted their eyes…

Only Nolan Dongling remained unchanged—his expression and movements never shifted, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Serena Feng was so shocked that when William Wang Jinling said those words, she just stared blankly at him, completely forgetting about everyone else’s reactions. All she wanted was to ask William what on earth he meant by that.

He said that in front of everyone—was he trying to get her killed?

The Wang Clan would never agree to let her through their doors. If the Wang family heard what William Wang Jinling said today, they’d definitely destroy her—just to snuff out his feelings.

Just thinking about how the Wang Clan would react made Serena Feng shiver all over. She frantically blinked at William, signaling him to fix things quickly, but William only smiled reassuringly and shot her a discreet look, telling her to stay calm.

Serena was panicking inside, but she knew William Wang Jinling wasn’t a reckless man—he must have a reason for doing this. Even though she was full of doubts and worries, now wasn’t the time to ask; she could only stew in silence.

Seeing that everyone turned away and stopped questioning after William’s forceful move, Serena could only comfort herself: it should be fine, William wouldn’t just sit by and let the Wang Clan hunt her down…

Aaargh… Thanks to William Wang Jinling’s words, Serena was so frustrated she buried herself in her chicken soup, gulping it down in a few quick bites. When she finished, she shoved the empty bowl at William, puffing with irritation: "More!"

Getting to order around the Wang Clan’s Grand Heir wasn’t something that happened often—she’d better take advantage before the clan decided to hunt her down.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but since she and William had accidentally become the focus of the whole banquet, every move they made drew attention. As soon as she spoke, everyone couldn’t help looking their way again.

Dongling Zichun nearly rushed over to fight William for the bowl, but Dominic Zhai was sitting right next to him and pinned him firmly in his seat.

Facing all the envious and jealous stares, Serena just pretended not to notice and let herself enjoy being served by the number one young noble in the land.

The maid serving nearby got a hint from Nolan Dongling and stepped forward to dish up for Serena, but William declined: "No need, my Qingchen is picky—I’ll do it myself."

His words were openly intimate.

Serena smiled without refuting him, but used the chance to observe the others’ reactions. She knew William Wang Jinling never acted this way—never mind in public, even in private he was always impeccably proper. This felt like he was deliberately putting on a show for someone.

But who was that someone?

Serena scanned the crowd from left to right, twice over, but couldn’t figure it out. Everyone present was a seasoned schemer—no one would reveal their feelings so easily.

The most suspicious was Nolan Dongling, but he didn’t react at all—not even a flicker of his eyelid—which left Serena feeling a little blocked up inside.

Fine… He clearly didn’t care about her, so why was she so eager to see his response? She might as well focus on eating. With her brain, she couldn’t compete with these people anyway. William Wang Jinling wouldn’t hurt her—whatever he wanted to do, she’d just cooperate.

If worst came to worst, so what if the Wang Clan held a grudge? William started this mess—he’d handle it. It’s not like Serena ever wanted to marry into the Wang family and become their principal daughter-in-law.

Serena and William had gone from background extras to the main event. While the Crown Prince and Adrian Dongling tried to greet Prince Terrence Valen and the others, they couldn’t help glancing at William and Serena, frowning every so often.

Were those two treating mushiness as entertainment? Didn’t they realize how inappropriate this was?

Seeing the Crown Prince and Adrian Dongling’s displeasure, Dominic Zhai had to cough lightly, hinting to Serena and William not to hog the spotlight. Didn’t they see Princess Serenity, Su Wan, and Princess Yara glaring daggers at them? The pair really were unfazed—was William trying to make every woman in the room jealous of Serena?

William Wang Jinling offered the table an apologetic smile at just the right moment, then bowed his head to eat, still not forgetting to serve Serena more food.

If anyone said William was being improper, the truth was he did everything openly and graciously. With so many people watching, all he did was serve Serena food—nothing more intimate than that. Apart from that one 'my Qingchen,' he didn’t cross any further lines.

By the end of the meal, only Serena and William had actually eaten—no one else touched their food, and no one was full. Ethan Hsieh and Caleb Wang, worried about William and Serena, didn’t feel like eating either.

Of course, no one came for the food. Everyone had their own goals for this meal, and by now, most had a sense of how things would play out.

After dinner, Nolan Dongling invited everyone to the viewing platform to admire the lotus flowers. The villa was ready—lamps everywhere, bright as day.

Judging by Nolan’s demeanor, he wasn’t angry or even a little bit concerned. Serena felt a twinge of disappointment—she was definitely unhappy, but she forced herself to ignore it.

She couldn’t demand anything from Nolan—she’d long since realized he only teased her when he felt like it. To him, she was just a woman; how could she expect him to treat her like a delicacy?

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The Crown Prince and Nolan Dongling walked at the very front; Prince Terrence Valen, Prince Quentin of Northlyn, Adrian Dongling, Zichun, and Dominic Zhai followed half a step behind—unless you looked closely, you’d think they were all walking together.

Princess Serenity called Princess Yara and Su Wan to walk with her. Ethan Hsieh and Caleb Wang didn’t care, falling easily to the rear—they never expected Nolan to act like a proper host anyway.

The young masters of the Wang and Hsieh families were just as impressive as the princes and dukes. Even when ignored, they strolled along with easy confidence, their elegance undiminished.

Normally, William Wang Jinling would be the center of attention, even dressed in plain white. But tonight, he deliberately fell back a few steps to walk at the very end with Serena.

William seemed especially attached to Serena tonight. Nolan Dongling didn’t object—in fact, he seemed to be quietly helping William create opportunities.

"Jinling? What’s going on?" Serena tugged at William, deliberately slowing their pace to fall behind the others and asked in a low voice.

If she didn’t ask soon, she’d explode. Everything tonight was just too weird—from her clothes to William’s attitude, nothing made sense.

William slowed down, and at Serena’s question, his smile grew faintly worried. He gestured toward Dominic Zhai’s group: "Qingchen, didn’t you hear what they were saying at dinner?"

"What did they say?" The Crown Prince and the others seemed to talk about everything and nothing—Serena never paid much attention to diplomatic chatter.

"A marriage alliance!" William was neither relaxed nor confident now—worry and unease showed through.

Serena had rarely seen William like this, and it made her tense up too. "What’s that got to do with me?"

Serena was completely baffled—what did a four-nation marriage alliance have to do with her?

All these people just wanted to use a marriage alliance to keep the peace, to tell the others, 'I have no intention of attacking you. In fact, I want to be friends—we’re all seeking harmony.'

Southern Lyn and Lyndaria sent noblewomen to marry into Eastlyn—partly to flatter the Emperor, but also to plant spies. Northlyn marrying a princess hinted at recognizing Eastlyn as the leader, hoping to use Eastlyn’s power to build themselves up.

Everyone treated Eastlyn like the sucker, while Eastlyn schemed against them in return. But what did these grand state affairs have to do with a mere girl like her?

"You know, sometimes you’re sharp as a tack, but other times you’re hopelessly dense." William Wang Jinling tapped Serena on the head. She quickly dodged, pitifully rubbing her head: "Why does everyone have to hit my head? I’m not smart to begin with—what if I get even dumber?"

"What? Someone else hit your head too?" A flash of sharpness passed through William’s eyes as he glanced toward Nolan Dongling, then chuckled and said no more.

Serena couldn’t be a concubine, and William couldn’t marry her as his wife. Likewise, that man couldn’t make her his principal consort—even if the Emperor agreed, the scholars and moralists wouldn’t, and neither would the world.

Knowing it was impossible, he still got involved—what was he thinking?

William discreetly shielded Serena behind him. He couldn’t marry her, but he wouldn’t let anyone else ruin her happiness either.

Serena mumbled something but didn’t answer. Seeing William let it drop, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She couldn’t explain the whole business with her clothes tonight. If she brought up what happened at the lotus pond that afternoon, she’d never clear her name—even if she jumped in the Yellow River.

She figured Su Wan’s crowd must hate her by now, Princess Serenity’s group was surely jealous, and then there was Princess Yara…

She hadn’t forgotten: Prince Rowan Dongling kept glancing at her and William all day. That look… tsk tsk tsk… as if Serena was his property, and she’d just cheated on him right under his nose.

Serena pursed her lips and decided to ignore it for now. The moment she put on these clothes, Nolan Dongling had thrust her into the spotlight—there was no way to avoid it. What mattered now was: "Jinling, what’s really going on with this four-nation marriage alliance? Does it truly involve me?"

William nodded. He hadn’t been sure before, but seeing Prince Tyler Xiling arrive—and thinking of Nolan Dongling and Serena’s matching outfits—he understood…