Chapter 115: Marriage agreement
Ruan Mei's fingers tightened around the dungeon token, and Xingluo looked toward her at once. The fear on her face was enough to make Xingluo forget the voice behind them for a moment.
Ruan Mei hesitated before turning around.
Several young men had stopped near the registration counters behind them.
One stood slightly ahead of the others, watching Ruan Mei while the people around him naturally stayed half a step behind.
"I see you're finally back, my dear cousin."
Ruan Mei's lips pressed together, but she did not answer.
The young man stopped several steps away and looked her over. "You disappeared for long enough. I was beginning to think you planned to hide outside Golden Dragon City forever."
"Tang Yun."
"So you still remember me." His smile widened slightly. "Then perhaps you also remember the marriage pact you ran away from."
Ruan Mei's grip tightened again.
Tang Yun noticed, though he continued in an almost casual tone. "Still, it's good that you're back. When are you returning to the estate?"
"I'm not."
"Mei—"
"I already said it before, Tang Yun." Ruan Mei finally met his eyes. "I'm not going back to that family, and I'm Ruan Mei not Tang Mei."
Tang Yun stared at her for a moment before the smile disappeared.
"You're still the same selfish bitch."
Xiaorou's eyebrows rose behind her glasses, while Xingluo immediately turned toward him.
Tang Yun ignored both of them. "You ran away because you didn't want to do one thing the family asked of you, and everyone else was left dealing with the mess."
"I didn't create that mess."
"You think saying that changes anything?"
"It changes enough for me."
Tang Yun gave a short laugh without any amusement. "Of course it does everything only needs to make sense to you."
Ruan Mei's face remained pale, but she answered him anyway. "I told them I wouldn't enter that marriage before I left but nobody listened."
"You don't get to decide every obligation disappears because you dislike it."
"And you don't get to decide who I marry."
Tang Yun's jaw tightened and for a moment Xingluo thought he would keep arguing, but he stopped and drew a slow breath instead.
"Last time, Grandpa stood behind you."
Ruan Mei went quiet.
Tang Yun watched her closely. "That was the only reason everyone backed off but don't expect that protection again."
Ruan Mei did not ask what he meant, and Tang Yun did not explain.
He continued, "The family was already preparing to find you. Coming back to Golden Dragon City only saved us the trouble."
Xingluo had been trying to remain out of it because Ruan Mei clearly wanted nothing to do with the conversation, but that was enough.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Tang Yun finally looked at her properly.
Xingluo stepped closer to Ruan Mei. "She said she's not going back. She said she doesn't want the marriage. You keep talking like she forgot to return something you own."
Ruan Mei glanced toward her, but Xingluo kept her eyes on Tang Yun.
He studied her for several seconds before asking, "Who are you?"
"Luo Xingluo."
The name seemed to mean nothing important to him.
Tang Yun looked back toward Ruan Mei. "You really know how to find people in strange places."
Xingluo's eyebrows drew together. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means some backward wild girl who barely arrived in Golden Dragon City should learn when a matter has nothing to do with her."
Xingluo's temper rose immediately. "And maybe some rich family bastard should learn—"
Ruan Mei caught her hand and the words stopped halfway out.
Xingluo turned toward her and found Ruan Mei looking back with a small shake of her head. Her fingers were tight around Xingluo's hand, much tighter than they needed to be.
Xingluo swallowed the rest.
Tang Yun had not intimidated her, but Ruan Mei was asking her to stop and that was enough.
Ruan Mei kept hold of her hand as she faced her cousin again. "Say whatever you came to say and leave."
Tang Yun looked between the two girls before returning his attention to her. "Fine, come back to the estate before they have to bring you back."
"I'm never entering that marriage."
He laughed softly. "Tang Mei, Ruan Mei... call yourself whatever you want. You're still entering it."
"I'm not."
The answer came quickly this time.
A few nearby students had started looking over by then, and Tang Yun lowered his voice slightly.
"You still think this is the same as before."
Ruan Mei's fingers tightened around Xingluo's hand.
Tang Yun looked directly at her. "It doesn't matter whether you enter that marriage alive. Dead will suffice as well."
Xingluo stared at him.
Wuxia's attention settled completely upon him from beside Xingluo. The threat was not empty, and Tang Yun was clearly considerably stronger than an ordinary student.
Ruan Mei's grip had gone rigid around Xingluo's hand.
Xingluo wanted to answer for her, but she remembered the small shake of Ruan Mei's head and stayed where she was.
Tang Yun watched Ruan Mei for another moment. By then, more people near the counters had begun glancing toward them, and one of the young men behind him leaned closer.
"Brother Yun."
Tang Yun looked around once and apparently decided the conversation had lasted long enough.
He turned back toward Ruan Mei. "We'll talk again."
Ruan Mei did not answer.
Tang Yun left with the others, disappearing into the crowd moving between the dungeon sectors without looking back.
Only after he was gone did Ruan Mei release Xingluo's hand.
Xiaorou remained beside them, staring after Tang Yun before slowly adjusting her glasses.
*What the fuck did I involve myself with?*
Yesterday she had volunteered to guide three transfer students around campus because they seemed interesting. Since then, Xingluo had fought a Level 299 King-bloodline Hell Hound, Vice Dean Mu had personally appeared during breakfast and taken Tianhe away for training, and now Ruan Mei had somehow brought the Tang family into the picture.
Xiaorou slowly looked between the two girls.
*At this point, I wouldn't even be surprised if I saw a ghost.*
Wuxia stood beside Xingluo, less than two metres away from her.
He did not react, and Xingluo's attention remained on Ruan Mei.
"Ruan Mei."
"I'm fine."
The answer came too quickly.
Xingluo looked at her for a moment. "I didn't ask."
Ruan Mei glanced toward her, and something close to her usual expression almost returned before disappearing again.
"Then don't."
Xingluo wanted to ask about her grandfather, but the dungeon hall was still crowded.
Ruan Mei put the dungeon token away. "Let's leave."
"What about Drakefang Valley?" Xiaorou asked, then immediately seemed to regret speaking.
Ruan Mei shook her head. "Not today."
Xiaorou nodded without arguing. "Fine. We can use the token later."
The three started toward the main exit instead of Gate Twelve, while Wuxia followed beside Xingluo.
They had barely crossed the next row of registration counters when Ruan Mei spoke again. "Sorry."
Xingluo looked toward her. "For what?"
"We came here for the Transition Missions."
"So?"
"And now we're leaving because of me."
Xingluo frowned. "Ruan Mei, if you think I'm going to complain because we delayed one dungeon after some bastard threatened to kill you, then you seriously haven't been paying attention."
Ruan Mei looked ahead again. "I knew coming back here could cause trouble."
"You also came back because you didn't want me coming alone."
That stopped her for half a step.
Xingluo did not continue. There was no reason to turn it into something bigger than it was.
Xiaorou walked on Ruan Mei's other side and kept her mouth shut, which might have been the strongest proof that the situation had actually unsettled her.
They reached the wide doors leading out of the dungeon hall and stepped into the academy grounds.
Ruan Mei took several more steps before slowing.
Xingluo waited beside her.
After a moment, Ruan Mei looked down at her own hand. "I thought I had more time."
Xingluo did not ask what that meant.
Ruan Mei closed her fingers and started walking again. "Let's just go back first."
"Alright."
Xiaorou nodded as well. "I'll come with you."
Ruan Mei gave her a tired look. "You really don't know when to run away."
"I considered it."
"And?"
Xiaorou adjusted her glasses. "At this point, leaving would just make me more curious. Besides, I already paid the dungeon fee."
Xingluo glanced toward her. "Now you sound like me."
"That might be the most insulting thing you've said all day."
A weak smile finally appeared on Ruan Mei's face.
It lasted only a moment, but Xingluo saw it.
The four of them continued back toward the residential district, with Wuxia remaining beside Xingluo and Ruan Mei walking close enough that their shoulders occasionally brushed.
She did not mention Tang Yun again.
Neither did anyone else.
But for the rest of the walk, Ruan Mei kept one hand closed tightly at her side.