TRWSB – Chapter 101 Pre-Marriage Agreement

Tianlan College dormitory.

Qi Shaorong reclined lazily in a chair, wiping a teacup lid with a leisurely air, barely acknowledging Qi Yao’s presence.

“Father, such a grand visit—I’m truly honored,” Qi Shaorong said indifferently, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

Qi Yao, visibly irritated by his son’s dismissive attitude, glared at him. “You’ve grown wings now, haven’t you? No longer regard the Qi family as important?”

“Father, you’re mistaken,” Qi Shaorong replied coolly. “It’s not that I’ve recently stopped valuing the Qi family—I’ve never considered it worth my attention. A heartless and selfish clan doesn’t deserve my respect.”

“You… What do you mean by this?” Qi Yao’s voice rose in anger.

“I mean exactly what you think. As I recall, when I was a child, you often said to me, ‘Why doesn’t this useless child just die?’ Do you remember, Father?”

Qi Yao’s expression darkened. “And now you bring this up to hold a grudge?”

Qi Shaorong laughed lightly. “Exactly. My ability to hold grudges would surprise even you.”

“Do you think you’re untouchable now because Zhuang Hao is backing you?” Qi Yao snarled.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Why not? The Zhuang family’s strength surpasses the Qi family’s by far, and Zhuang Hao himself has limitless potential.”

Qi Yao’s face turned red with fury. “You’re ridiculous!”

With a faint smile, Qi Shaorong responded, “If there’s nothing else, Father, you should leave. This humble abode is too small to accommodate someone of your stature.”

“And look at the company you keep!” Qi Yao snapped. “Do you even know what kind of person Yi Fan is?”

“Father,” Qi Shaorong said, his voice cold, “I know Yi Fan’s character very well. Instead of meddling in my affairs, perhaps you should discipline your own daughter. I’ve tolerated Qi Shaoru’s antics long enough. If she continues to behave so recklessly, her fate may mirror Yi Chuxue’s.”

“Are you threatening me now, like Yi Fan did to his siblings?” Qi Yao asked, trembling with anger.

Qi Shaorong shrugged. “I can’t say.”

“You dare—”

“Father,” Qi Shaorong interrupted with a smile, “don’t overthink it. Consider this a friendly warning.”

Qi Yao tried to regain his composure. “I hear you’ve entrusted the operations of Allure Cosmetics to Yi Fan and Qi Heng. How could you hand over such an important business to people like them—servants and sworn enemies of our family? Who knows how much money they’ve embezzled behind your back!”

“Enough, Father,” Qi Shaorong said impatiently. “Allure Cosmetics is just a minor venture of mine. I know what I’m doing. No need for your concern.”

Despite Qi Yao’s prolonged lecture, Qi Shaorong refused to relent, and Qi Yao eventually left, thoroughly defeated.

Tianlan College Library.

“Why are you here, Tingxuan?” Qi Shaorong asked curiously.

Mu Tingxuan looked slightly awkward. “I don’t know either. Yi Fan brought me here.”

Qi Shaorong nodded knowingly. “Yi Fan is considerate.” Folding his arms, he thought to himself, To get Mu Tingxuan into the library, Yi Fan must have been extorted for quite a bit. Who knows how much he has left?

“Young Master,” Yi Fan greeted as he emerged.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “You’re here too?”

“Young Master, I heard Qi Yao came looking for you again?” Yi Fan asked.

Qi Shaorong chuckled. “Yes, he’s quite annoying. I never realized he could be so talkative.”

Yi Fan smirked. It was clear that Qi Yao, trying to benefit from Qi Shaorong, had resorted to idle chatter.

Qi Family.

Qi Yao furiously swept the teacups and teapot off the table onto the ground.

“Father, what happened?” Qi Shaoru asked cautiously, trembling slightly.

“That ungrateful child!” Qi Yao growled.

Qi Shaokang furrowed his brows. This wasn’t the first time. Every time Qi Yao returned from dealing with Qi Shaorong, he would fly into a rage.

“Father, if Qi Shaorong doesn’t know his place, then why bother with him? When the time comes for him to marry, if no elder from the Qi family attends, it will only embarrass him,” Qi Shaoru suggested.

Qi Yao snorted coldly. “You’re right.”

Qi Shaofu rubbed his nose, thinking to himself, Qi Shaorong is thick-skinned enough. He openly admitted to being supported in the past—having no elders at his wedding wouldn’t bother him. Qi Shaoru’s plan is doomed to fail. If the Qi family doesn’t attend, Qi Shaorong might lose face, but the Qi family’s reputation would take a hit too.

Qi Shaorong’s Dormitory.

When Qi Shaorong returned to his dorm, Qi Heng came to greet him. “Young Master, Zhuang Qian is here and waiting for you inside.”

“That little chubby guy? Let me go take a look.”

“Fourth Young Master Qi,” Zhuang Qian quickly stood up when he saw Qi Shaorong enter, bowing respectfully.

Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Qian. “Ah Qian, what brings you here?”

“I came on behalf of someone else. Brother Shaorong, do you have any specific requests for the engagement banquet?” Zhuang Qian asked.

Qi Shaorong smiled and said, “I have plenty of requests. Listing them all at once might be too much for you to remember. How about we meet at Luohuaxuan tomorrow to discuss further? Also…”

“Also what?” Zhuang Qian prompted.

“Also, have someone more authoritative from the Zhuang family come to talk,” Qi Shaorong replied.

Zhuang Qian chuckled awkwardly. “Brother Shaorong, you think I lack authority?”

“In terms of body weight, you might just meet the requirement,” Qi Shaorong teased.

Zhuang Qian laughed dryly. “I understand.”

“Ah Qian, your skin looks a bit rough. Should I gift you a set of cosmetics?” Qi Shaorong asked.

“Really? That would be wonderful,” Zhuang Qian replied excitedly.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Of course. No need to thank me.”

Zhuang Family.

“You went to see Qi Shaorong on your own?” Zhuang Hao questioned, glaring at Zhuang Qian.

Zhuang Qian nodded earnestly. “Yes! I saw you pacing around at home, unable to make a decision, so I thought I’d help you out.”

“Thank you,” Zhuang Hao said flatly.

Zhuang Qian tilted his head, grinning. “Big brother, are you worried Qi Shaorong might reject you, and that’s why you haven’t gone to see him?”

Zhuang Hao gave Zhuang Qian a sharp look. “You talk too much.”

Zhuang Qian pouted. “Don’t worry, big brother. From what I’ve seen, Qi Shaorong probably won’t back out of the engagement. But he will definitely have many demands.”

Zhuang Hao smiled faintly. “As long as he doesn’t cancel, that’s fine.”

Luohuaxuan.

“Young Master, the guests have arrived,” a maid reported.

Qi Shaorong sipped his juice leisurely. “Since they’re here, let them in.”

Zhuang Renquan entered, accompanied by Zhuang Hao and Zhuang Qian. Qi Shaorong sat at one end of the long table, flanked by Yi Fan, Bi Liuyun, Mu Tingxuan, and Qi Heng.

Zhuang Renquan scanned the people seated at Qi Shaorong’s side, a calculating gleam in his eyes. He smiled politely at Qi Shaorong. “Fourth Young Master Qi, you’re truly remarkable. Not only are you impressive yourself, but the people around you are also exceptional.”

Qi Shaorong smirked. “Well, as the saying goes, proximity to cinnabar makes you red, and proximity to ink makes you black. I’m impressive, so it’s natural that the people around me are too.”

Zhuang Renquan laughed. “Of course. By the way, I recognize Yi Fan, Bi Liuyun, and Qi Heng. Would you mind introducing this gentleman?”

Qi Shaorong gestured casually. “Sure. This is Mu Tingxuan, a wood element mage. He’s been running my cosmetics business outside the capital—he’s relatively low-key.”

“I see. Fourth Young Master Qi, it seems you’re surrounded by talents,” Zhuang Renquan said admiringly.

Mu Tingxuan nodded politely. “You flatter me, Zhuang Third Master.”

“Not at all. Mu Tingxuan, you’re too modest,” Zhuang Renquan replied with a smile before shifting topics. “By the way, Fourth Young Master Qi, your father recently visited the Zhuang family.”

“What for?” Qi Shaorong asked with a raised brow.

“He claimed it was to discuss your engagement with Zhuang Hao.”

Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes. “I thought I’d already been disowned. My affairs are none of his business.”

Zhuang Renquan nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I didn’t discuss anything with him.”

“Wise move, Zhuang Third Master. Any arrangements made with Qi Yao are invalid as far as I’m concerned,” Qi Shaorong declared.

“Naturally. Since the Qi family has already severed ties with you, they have no claim over your matters,” Zhuang Renquan agreed.

“Here’s the prenuptial agreement I drafted,” Qi Shaorong said, tossing a thick document onto the table.

Zhuang Qian glanced at the hefty stack of papers and couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Zhuang Hao.

Flipping through the pages, Zhuang Qian blurted, “Fourth Young Master Qi, isn’t this a bit excessive?”

Qi Shaorong shrugged. “Not at all—just the right amount. There are 2,736 clauses in total, meticulously thought out.”

“You didn’t have to go to such lengths,” Zhuang Qian muttered awkwardly.

“Why not? I wouldn’t want your brother to get off easy,” Qi Shaorong said with a grin.

Zhuang Qian forced a laugh. “My brother wouldn’t dream of escaping your grasp.”

“Exactly. Still, it’s good to have everything clearly laid out,” Qi Shaorong replied nonchalantly.

Flipping through the document, Zhuang Qian paused. “Why does my brother have to do the laundry?”

“Because I don’t like doing it,” Qi Shaorong answered matter-of-factly.

“But there are servants for that,” Zhuang Qian protested.

“Yes, but if they’re unavailable, it’ll be his turn,” Qi Shaorong replied.

Zhuang Hao: “…”

Zhuang Qian asked incredulously, “Fourth Young Master Qi, did you come up with all these clauses yourself?”

Qi Shaorong shook his head. “No, it was a group effort.”

Suspicious, Zhuang Qian pointed to a clause. “This one about priority access to the restroom if both parties have food poisoning—who thought of that?”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

Bi Liuyun twirled his hair and glanced at Yi Fan. “If I recall correctly, that was Yi Fan’s idea. He’s always so meticulous.”

Yi Fan: “…”