âPaPa, MaMa, are we going to take pretty photos?â Mengmeng handed the bouquet to Zhang Han and asked in a low voice.
âWeâll take pictures later.â
Zhang Han smiled and patted Mengmengâs little head.
âAs we can see, our groom-to-be is holding an engagement ring as a symbol of their love. Now you may give the ring to your beloved fiancee, and the bride-to-be may give the ring to your beloved fiance as well...â
While the host gave the speech, Zhang Han slowly opened the ring box. The staff quickly moved the camera to point at the ring.
To everyoneâs surprise, the ring was not a diamond ring.
It was a pair of rings with transparent edges like crystal. Many noble ladies were astonished.
âWhat an extraordinary ring. I have never seen a ring like that before.â
âIt must be made of rare materials, right? It looks better than a diamond ring.â
Lei Tiannanâs eyes narrowed and he murmured something when he saw the ring on the platform.
âSpace Ring!â
The expressions of all the martial artists changed a little bit.
Space rings were common, but most of them were silver. It was very difficult to refine space rings into a crystal shape.
The looks on their faces were grave when they stared at Zhang Han. It seemed that they knew him better, but they could never figure out how strong he was. His trump card was always elusive. He was unlike many other famous masters, as they had their own signature. They were masters in tai chi, fire, or other things. But when it came to Zhang Han, they could only come up with one word.
Unpredictable.
There was no doubt that being friends with such a person was great. And if he were to be an enemy, nothing good could come of it.
In front of everyone, Zhang Han put the ring on the third finger of Zi Yanâs left hand.
The ring was big, and Zi Yan felt that it would slip from her finger if she slightly waved her hand. She didnât expect that the ring would shrink to fit her finger perfectly.
Zhang Han took Zi Yanâs hand and left a kiss on it. He looked at her softly and said nothing.
Zi Yanâs beautiful eyes blinked, then she also took her ring and slowly put it on Zhang Hanâs left ring finger.
Once they put on the rings, they stared at each other, smiling happily.
Meanwhile...
âHuh? What about mine? PaPa, where is my ring?â
Mengmeng pouted and looked up at Zhang Han.
âEr...â Zhang Han looked at Mengmeng and thought for a moment. âBecause Mengmeng is still growing, your hands will grow bigger, so you canât wear a ring.â
âIs that right? Well, then I donât want a ring. Is there any other surprise? Shall I close my eyes?â Mengmengâs eyes were full of expectation.
As a father who adored his daughter, Zhang Han didnât let her down, so he nodded and smiled.
âOf course, close your eyes.â
âIâll close my eyes.â
Mengmeng closed her eyes. The bouquet of flowers in Zhang Hanâs right hand shook a little bit, then suddenly a small corolla appeared.
The corolla was made of rose petals and was put in front of Mengmeng.
Zhang Han said, âOkay, open your eyes now.â
Mengmeng immediately opened her eyes and said excitedly, âOh, what is this?â
âItâs a corolla. Putting it on will make you more like a princess.â Zhang Han chuckled and put the corolla on Mengmengâs head.
Mengmeng carefully touched it and smiled in satisfaction.
Waiting off to the side, the host started to talk again. He would normally follow his routine of hosting a wedding, but he noticed that it might interrupt their talking. Today, his mission was as follows:
He had to hold the engagement party with great caution. If he did, he would get a promotion and a pay rise. If he failed, his company was finished.
Only a fool would choose the latter, and he was no fool. So he was careful and not in a hurry. The audience was patient, and they were all major figures. There was no need for him to be anxious.
Seeing that they finished talking, the host said, âNow letâs please welcome Wang Ming and Rong Jiaxin, they represent Mr. Zhangâs family!â
Then Wang Ming and Rong Jiaxin stepped on the stage.
âFor certain reasons, Mr. Zhangâs parents couldnât show up. Ms. Rong Jiaxin, as an aunty, represents Mr. Zhangâs senior to witness the engagement. Two seniors in the Zi Clan are also here, Zi Jiangshan and Wang Zhanzong. Letâs welcome them.â
Zi Jiangshan and Wang Zhanzong also went on the stage.
Zi Jiangshan, as a leader, first took over the microphone.
He looked around the audience and slowly said, âNow, Han is part of the Zi Clan. Iâm very happy to see them have a good life. By tradition, Han has already given a generous gift as a dowry. I wonât say more about what it is. As a gift in return, itâs a blessing for us to give you two billion yuan on this bank card. Count it as icing on the cake.â
Zi Jiangshan handed the bank card to Zhang Han.
âThank you, old man.â Zhang Han took the card.
Zhang Han didnât care that much about money. However, the Zi Clan, as a business giant, had given them two billion yuan, which was quite a gesture.
It made a stir in the audience.
People in the square said that the Zi Clan was extremely wealthy, but they didnât understand that in the martial arts world, money was nothing more than a number.
Then the microphone was handed to Wang Zhanzong.
âOh.â Wang Zhanzong coughed softly, then smiled and said, âI donât know what to say. In fact, Iâm not an immediate family member, but I know that Han is a nice and very capable young man. He is neither arrogant nor impetuous. Whatâs more important is that he cares about othersâ feelings. I can only wish them to have an everlasting love, er, and we are all very happy for him to have Zi Yan as his wife.â
âYes, please go back to your seats,â the host continued.
He asked Zi Qiang and Wang Ming to make a speech, during which people had been taking photos.
Mengmeng wanted to take pictures with PaPa and MaMa as a family. So after Zi Qiang and others sat down, the family took some pictures. Mengmeng was satisfied.
âNow I announce that Zhang Han and Zi Yanâs engagement party begins!â
After the host said this loudly, some dishes were brought in one after another.
Mengmeng sat beside Rong Jiaxin and took some bites of food. Zhang Han and Zi Yan, following Zi Qiang, gave a round of toasts on the platform.
Major figures all stood up with a smile when they came to toast.
Back in their seats, they were all talking and laughing.
The round table was big, so Mengmeng couldnât get to some dishes in the distance.
Rong Jiaxin and Xu Xinyu sat to the left and right of Mengmeng. They had been adding food on Mengmengâs plate, so the little girl enjoyed the highest service.
Then they moved aside when Zhang Han and Zi Yan got back.
The engagement went on while they were all chatting.
âYan, Han, by tradition, you could go back to our place tomorrow. Today, the floor where we stayed last time in the castle hotel is all yours. You can go there in the afternoon.â
Zi Qiang looked at Zi Yan and waved his hand. He sounded a little bit sad.
Zi Yan pursed her lips, and they all went silent.
Then Mengmeng looked up and asked Zi Qiang, âGrandpa, are you coming with us?â
As soon as the little princess spoke, the atmosphere was enlivened.
Zi Qiang smiled, then shook his head slightly and said, âGrandpa wonât go today.â
âWell, thatâs great,â Mengmeng said happily.
â???â Zi Qiang was stunned on the spot.
âPoof...â Zi Qingtian sprayed the tea on the ground.
He looked at Zi Qiang in surprise.
âHow annoying this guy is in his granddaughterâs eyes!â
Zi Jiangshan and Wang Zhanzong at the table were also stunned and looked at Zi Qiang strangely.
They all thought, âDid he do something unforgivable to annoy Mengmeng?â
People were staring, so Zi Qiang was embarrassed.
He looked at Mengmeng and asked in a low voice, âSweetie, do you dislike Grandpa?â
âI like you!â Mengmeng looked innocent.
âThen why do you think itâs great that Grandpa doesnât go?â Zi Qiang asked curiously.
âWell, because tomorrow I will be able to eat the egg tarts made by Grandpa when I come back with PaPa and MaMa!â Mengmeng said and chuckled.
The little girlâs words made everyone laugh.
âHahaha...â Zi Qiang was relieved as he looked at the others and smiled proudly.
âSee? In just a few days, my granddaughter began to like my egg tarts!â
âBy the way, Mom and Dad, we plan to go back to Hong Kong tomorrow. Weâll leave in the morning after breakfast. You should also pack up,â Zi Yan said after taking a small bite.
âYou are leaving tomorrow morning? Wonât you stay for a few days?â Dong Ling paused and asked.
âWell, Mengmeng is about four years old. We are going to ask about sending her to kindergarten this time.â Zi Yan nodded.
âWell, thatâs important. Mengmeng is almost four years old. Itâs not too early nor too late for her to experience communal life.â Dong Ling understood.
âKindergarten again, anyway I...â
Mengmeng pursed her lips and murmured something.
Zi Yan figured that the little girl seemed to say âthen I will have PaPa come to kindergarten with me.â
She was a little sad and became more determined to send the little girl to kindergarten.
Their little girl had stayed with Zhang Han for more than two months. She thought that it couldnât go on forever. Zi Yan was reluctant to send the girl to kindergarten also, but she had always been a strict parent when it came to the girlâs education.
Even if girls were more obedient than boys when they were young, Zi Yan knew about Zhang Hanâs past and the power in the martial arts world, so she felt that it was better for Mengmeng to live a normal life and learn some common knowledge before Zhang Han taught their daughter to practice martial arts or learn related knowledge.
âFine. Your father and I will pack up in the evening,â Xu Xinyu said with a smile.
âHow long will you be gone? What about things here?â Zi Qingtian asked Zi Qiang.
âThose projects we have discussed before can go on, you know them well. I donât have much to do in the early stages. I will take a few days off in Hong Kong. If Chairman Liu has time, we can work with each other on some good projects.â Zi Qiang looked at Liu Qingfeng with a smile.
âOh, thatâs great. Thatâs what I want. Elder Brother Zi, if you need anything, please donât hesitate to ask.â Liu Qingfeng laughed.
âFine. The younger generation, Zi Feng and others, could give it a try in the next few projects,â Zi Qingtian said.
The family rules were gone. Now the Zi Clan was trying to cultivate some capable young men. Obviously, Zi Feng was outstanding.
Zi Feng, sitting off to the side, heard them and got excited. It was his chance to achieve something.
He looked at Zhang Han with more respect and worship.
If one is strong enough, they could change the rules!
The party was heated, while invited local singers were singing and sending blessings.
The party lasted until two oâclock, then the guests began to leave.
Liu Qingfeng, Tang Jiayi, and others were returning to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
Before leaving, Chairman Liu of the Royal Entertainment Company looked at Zhang Han and Zi Yan.
He said with a smile, âZi Yan, itâs a good day for you. I also have good news. The sales of your album âEternalâ have exceeded 700,000. There is still half a day to go. The first dayâs sales volume will definitely exceed one million. Itâs estimated to break the record of 1.1 million. Congratulations.â
âThank you,â Zi Yan said with a smile. She was happy.
She felt that she was so lucky to get engaged and make progress in her career on the same day.
People left one after another, only the Zi Clanâs men, the Wang family, and Zhao Feng stayed.
âGo ahead.â
Zi Qiang smiled and patted Zhang Han on the back, saying, âI like you very much, in spite of your power. But if you donât take care of Zi Yan, I will be mad at you.â
âDonât worry. I wonât let Zi Yan suffer even a little injustice.â Zhang Han nodded.
âWell, I believe in you. Leave now.â
Zi Qiang smiled.
âMom and Dad, weâll be back tomorrow morning,â Zi Yan looked down and said.
âOK, weâll prepare breakfast for you tomorrow,â Xu Xinyu said with a smile.
âThen we are leaving, Grandpa and Grandma, see you.â Mengmeng waved her small hand to the crowd.
Then they got in the Mercedes Benz and slowly drove to the castle hotel in Resorts World Sentosa.
Seeing the leaving cars, Zi Qiangâs eyes were slightly red, as he was a little sad.
âAh...â
He sighed deeply and had a rather complicated feeling.
...
In the car, Zi Yan knew Zi Qiangâs feelings, so she was a little upset as well.
Fortunately, their daughter was like a happy elf in the car.
Mengmeng hummed a song and waved her arms, then she murmured, âWe are going to the amusement park again, Papa, MaMa. I want to explore the water park and the long slide. Shall we play later?â
âWell, weâll play later.â Zhang Han smiled.
So they got out of the car and went to play in the water park until it was getting dark.
In the evening, they rested in the princess suite.
Rong Jiaxin, Zhang Li, Zhou Fei, and others left the couple alone. Zhang Li, Zhao Feng, Zhou Fei, and others gathered in a room to play cards.
Zhang Han and Zi Yan stayed with Mengmeng in bed until 10 oâclock, then they all fell asleep.
In the morning of the next day, they got up and returned to the Zi Clan at seven oâclock.
After breakfast, they took their own luggage and took the helicopter on the lawn.
On the platform, as three generations of the Zi Clan came out and watched the helicopter leaving, they had mixed feelings.
They didnât expect that Zi Yan could bring such an excellent husband into their family.
It was a dreamlike feeling, but they all knew that the Zi Clan would be back in their prime, as they were a hundred years ago.
The helicopter just took off.
In front of the Manor of the Li Clan in Hong Kong, a black Mercedes Benz E-class stopped at the gate.
âBang, bang, bang!â
Four people got out of the car. A sharp man with a flattop haircut in his 50s came out of the passenger seat. His eyes looked a little muddy, as if they were covered in a protective color.
Three 30-year-old men were also out of the car. The driver was Protector Du, a disciple of the Heavenly Elixir Sect who once went to Mount New Moon.
âElder Xu, do you know Grand Master Li?â Protector Du looked at the polite guard and asked in a low voice.
Elder Xu gave him a cold glance and ignored him after a groan.
Protector Du gave him a wry smile. When he called Elder Xu, he could feel the dissatisfaction over the phone. Obviously, Elder Xu was angry that they didnât accomplish the mission. He scolded them and said that he didnât understand why they couldnât take the furnace back directly. No one dared to ask about it back at the Heavenly Elixir Sect. Whatâs more, the situation had changed.
Protector Du said nothing when Elder Xu was giving a lecture. They all knew that Elder Xu had a bad temper.
When he arrived at the Li family, Protector Du asked the question. He felt aggrieved. He said that there were two powerful spirit beasts on the mountain, which elder Xu refused to believe. He just said that they didnât get the job done. Anyway, Elder Xu was just picky.
Hearing Elder Xuâs cold groan, Protector Du didnât dare to ask more. Two people behind them even pulled back. If Elder Xu got angry, he would punish his own disciples.
They went to the main residence under the guidance of Liâs servants the entire time.
Inside, there were eight men, all core members of the Li family.
Among them, Patriarch Li got up and bowed.
âWelcome, Elder Xu. Please take a seat.â
Elder Xuâs cold face now showed a smile. After nodding to the patriarch, he looked at Li Zhan in the seat of honor, then bowed and said, âSenior Brother Li.â
âI once said donât call me senior. We are not from the Qiwu Sect, just call me Brother Li,â Li Zhan waved and said.
âAll right, Brother Li.â
Elder Xu showed a smile that only the two of them understood.
They came from the Qiwu Sect in the Northwest Dawn. During the fight with Lan Ling Pavilion, they left with some natural precious materials, hiding in normal peoples. Two years later, they heard that the Qiwu Sect was destroyed. No one knew them, so they dared to appear in public.
âMy men were incompetent. I need to come here myself and drop by,â Elder Xu sat beside Li Zhan and said with a smile.
âIâve heard. Lei Tiannan did the wrong thing. He took away the five elements furnace and lent it to another person. I have some doubts about his ability to sit in the position of director.â Li Zhan shook his head and showed contempt for Lei Tiannan.
Lei Tiannan ranked 11th on the list of Hong Kongâs Top Martial Artists, so he was good.
However, Li Zhan was third on the list. In the early years, one fierce fight after another decided the rankings.