Su Qinglan’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"They have all left their positions," Han Jue continued. "Now people can go in and out freely. Even the guards around the city lord’s house are gone."

For a moment, Su Qinglan did not react.

"...They withdrew?" she repeated slowly.

Han Jue nodded. "Yes. No one is stopping us anymore."

Su Qinglan’s brows furrowed slightly. This was too sudden.

"That man... suddenly decided to leave?" she muttered.

Han Jue shook his head. "We don’t know yet. Maybe something changed. Or maybe an agreement was reached."

He paused, then added, "It also means... you can meet your father soon."

Hearing this, Su Qinglan’s expression changed slightly.

Her father...

She had not seen him for so many days. But instead of feeling only relief, a strange uneasiness rose in her heart.

"Do you know what happened exactly?" she asked.

"No," Han Jue replied. "We only know that the guards are gone. As for the reason... we have to wait for the tribe leader to explain."

Su Qinglan nodded slowly. But her heart did not calm down. Something felt so wrong. That man...Rong Yanchen was not someone who would act without reason.

There was no way he would suddenly withdraw everything just like that.

"He is definitely planning something..." she thought.

Her fingers tightened slightly.

There were only a few possibilities.

Either he had reached some kind of agreement with Lan Yue’s family...

Or...

He had already decided to take Lan Yue away.

Neither option was good. Her expression turned more serious. "I need to go and see," she said quietly.

Han Jue looked at her. "You want to go to the city lord’s house?"

Su Qinglan hesitated for a moment.

What if Rong Yanchen recognized her?

What if he had already suspected something?

After all, his sudden appearance yesterday...It could not have been a coincidence. That man did not look like someone who would casually stroll around. He must have had a purpose.

"Maybe... he already suspects me," she thought.

But then again, if he truly knew her identity, would he have let her go so easily yesterday?

What is the point of talking so casually with her? Is he that free?

That did not seem right either. Her thoughts became tangled. "He might not be sure yet..." she reasoned.

But even that possibility was dangerous. She could not underestimate him. Su Qinglan slowly took a deep breath.

"No matter what... I cannot just sit here," she said firmly.

Han Jue nodded. "Then we will go together."

Su Qinglan looked outside, her eyes slightly narrowed. Whatever Rong Yanchen was planning...

She had a feeling it would not be simple, and this sudden calm...Might just be the beginning of something much bigger.

***

Inside the city lord’s residence, the atmosphere was heavy and tense.

In the main hall, both sides were seated, facing each other.

On one side sat City Lord Mo Qingli and Priestess Wang Mulan, along with her three husbands. Su Mingxuan sat calmly beside them, his expression steady, while Lian Sun and Yin Feng remained silent, their gazes sharp and watchful.

On the opposite side, Rong Yanchen sat alone.

He looked completely relaxed, as if the tense atmosphere had nothing to do with him. One hand rested lazily on the high bundle of beautiful and expensive hides. His posture was casual, but his eyes were deep and unreadable.

Mo Qingli looked straight at him, his expression cold and serious.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then, Mo Qingli finally broke the silence.

"If the Young City Lord no longer wishes to continue the marriage arrangement with our princess," he said slowly, his voice low but firm, "then that is fine."

He paused slightly, his gaze turning sharper.

"But in that case, return the marriage agreement to us. Let both sides be completely free from this matter."

His tone was calm, but there was clear determination behind his words.

He truly did not understand what Rong Yanchen wanted.

At first, this man had come aggressively, imprisoning them, forcing them step by step, even demanding that they hand over Lan Yue. His methods were ruthless, leaving no room for refusal.

But now...

In just a few days, everything had changed.

Rong Yanchen no longer insisted on Lan Yue. He had even withdrawn his forces.

This sudden change only made Mo Qingli more cautious.

Because a man like Rong Yanchen would never act without reason.

Still, no matter what his intention was, this was an opportunity.

No one in this room had ever wanted to send their daughter to such a man.

A man known for cruelty, someone who could even slaughter his own kin without hesitation.

To them, he was nothing less than a monster.

So if he was willing to step back, they would take this chance to cut all ties cleanly.

Mo Qingli continued, his voice steady. "The agreement was made before the child was even born. It was written by the fox beast city Priest and exchanged between both sides."

His eyes did not leave Rong Yanchen.

"Now that the situation has changed, it is better to return it. That way, neither side will owe the other anything."

The meaning behind his words was clear.

Once the agreement was returned, Rong Yanchen and the Fox Beast City would no longer have any leverage over them.

There would be no excuse to threaten them again.

Silence fell once more.

Su Mingxuan’s fingers tapped lightly on his knee, but his face remained calm. Lan Shun and Yin Feng also stayed quiet, though their bodies were slightly tense, ready to react at any moment.

All eyes were on Rong Yanchen.

Rong Yanchen, however, did not respond immediately.

Instead, he let out a faint chuckle.

The sound was soft, but it broke the tension in an unsettling way.

"So eager to cut ties?" he said lazily, lifting his gaze toward Mo Qingli.

His lips curved slightly, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

Mo Qingli did not waver. "It is better for both sides."

Rong Yanchen leaned back slightly, his expression turning thoughtful.

"For both sides..." he repeated.

Then he tilted his head, looking at the people sitting across from him one by one.

His gaze lingered briefly on Su Mingxuan, then moved away.

"City Lord Mo," he said slowly, "you seem very confident."

Mo Qingli frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Rong Yanchen smiled faintly.

"You think returning the agreement will solve everything," he said. "That once it is gone, I will have no reason to interfere with you anymore."

He paused, then added in a calm tone, "Is that really what you believe?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The atmosphere instantly grew colder.

Lan Shun’s brows furrowed. "Then what exactly do you want?" he asked directly, his patience thinning.

Yin Feng also looked at Rong Yanchen with a sharp gaze.

Rong Yanchen’s smile did not change.

"I never said I do not want the marriage," he said lightly.

The moment these words fell, everyone’s expressions changed.

Mo Qingli’s face darkened. "Then what is the meaning of all this?" he asked, his voice turning colder.

Rong Yanchen’s fingers tapped lightly on the hides.

"I only said... I do not want her," he said, his tone casual.