I alone am the Honoured One!

"Rui Lian?"

Rui Guzhi nodded his head gently "Yes, Lady Matriarch."

She sat back slowly, her fingers still resting on the closed book and forced herself to maintain composure "And who… exactly announced this marriage?"

Rui Guzhi chuckled politely "Ah, Young Tian hasn't made it formal yet... With how close those two have been, it's easier to understand."

"I see..." she muttered, pressing her palm to her temple "So this is... a potential marriage and not yet official."

"You are right, Matriarch." Rui Guzhi nodded his head.

"But the elders are excited. After all, Young Tian has contributed immensely to our Star. A union between him and a direct descendant of the Rui Clan could greatly solidify his presence here and tie our fates together for generations."

Rui Yuying gave a thin-lipped nod "Of course…"

Rui Guzhi hesitated for a moment, sensing something amiss "Matriarch… are you perhaps against it?"

Rui Yuying showed a calm smile "I am not against any union that brings prosperity to our clan. However... I will have a personal conversation with Young Tian regarding this matter."

Rui Guzhi bowed respectfully, clearly satisfied "As you wish. I shall leave it in your hands, then. Good day, Matriarch."

Once he turned and left, Rui Yuying's expression shifted entirely.

She leaned forward, dropping her book on the table with a thud, and muttered under her breath, "That little fox dares to stake a claim while I'm still warming the seat?"

"Rui Lian must have told elders about her close relationship, and they must have thought that it's good to marry her to him."

Her gaze turned sharp with an exasperated possessiveness swimming in her eyes.

She stood and paced a few steps before stopping and gritting her teeth lightly. 'I only just sat on his lap this morning and we were still in a trial period. And now there's a marriage proposal?'

She sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose "…I need to have a little chat with a certain someone."

Without waiting, she turned on her heel and marched straight toward Zhao Tian's residence.

Somewhere not far away, Rui Lian sneezed.

"…Strange," she muttered, rubbing her nose. "Did someone just curse me?"

...

Meanwhile, Zhao Tian was lying on a lounge chair in the garden, sipping tea and basking in the peace of the evening air.

He was just about to close his eyes when he sensed a presence approaching quickly.

He opened one eye, only to see Rui Yuying standing before him with her arms crossed.

"…Did I do something?" he asked, sitting up warily, as he could sense she is mad about something.

She stared at him for a moment before asking, "Do you know who you're marrying?"

Zhao Tian blinked in surprise "I mean… I was thinking of maybe someday… with you?"

She stared blankly for a few seconds, then sighed, walking forward and flicking him on the forehead.

"Wrong answer. Let me rephrase, did you propose to Rui Lian?"

"Rui- huh? No! Of course not!" Zhao Tian muttered in confusion.

"Why would I propose to Sister Lian? We're close, yes, but not like that."

Rui Yuying exhaled slowly and the tension in her shoulders eased "Good."

"…Did something happen?"

With a faint nod, she muttered "The elders are considering marrying her to you. Now everyone in the inner circle thinks you're going to be her husband."

What? Zhao Tian buried his face in his hand "That explains the weird look Elder Yun gave me earlier today… I thought it was because I forgot his name last time we met?"

She moved his hand and sat on his lap before taking his arms and wrapping them around her waist by herself "I am suspicious about that Rui Lian, she must have said something to the elders and instigated this..."

Zhao Tian shook his head and muttered "I don't think so... I am pretty sure she doesn't see me like that in the first place."

"I think the elders are assuming that I like her or maybe she likes me, because I killed the Paragon to save her in the first place."

He tightened his arms gently around her waist as he continued, "From their perspective, it must look like I risked everything for her. So naturally, they assume either I like her… or she likes me. Or both."

"And since I've now become the most powerful ally within the clan's reach… well, what better way to tie me to the Rui Clan than through marriage?"

Hearing this, Rui Yuying's gaze narrowed slightly, and she let out a long breath, resting her head back against his shoulder as her fingers lightly traced circles on the back of his hand.

"If they want to tie you to the family, then you can marry me... the Matriarch."

He raised her chin and looked into her eyes "Really? This beautiful Matriarch is ready to marry me?"

Her eyes narrowed playfully. Then she reached up, curled her fingers around his collar, and pulling him slightly closer "Why not? You don't want to marry me, bastard?"

He smiled and replied "No, it's just... we are skipping some steps." he replied, brushing his thumb gently across her cheek.

But even as he spoke, she wasn't really listening to the words as her gaze flickered down to his lips and saw the texture of his lips.

"You know…" she murmured as her breath warmed against his skin, "you have some great lips."

"Eh?" Zhao Tian blinked, caught mid-sentence.

Before he could process what she meant, Rui Yuying leaned in and closed her eyes as she tilted her head slightly.

Her lips met his lips gently.

She kissed him softly at first, as if savoring the contact.

Then, with a slight tilt of her head, her mouth parted just a little more, and she deepened the kiss, gently sucking on his lower lip.

Her fingers gripped his collar tighter, pulling him closer.

Zhao Tian's breath hitched, and his arms instinctively pulled her closer.

He closed his eyes and reciprocated the kiss, feeling teh softness of her lips prying him.

When she finally pulled back, just an inch or two, her gaze was slightly dazed and breathing had quickened.

"That... was something else."

A slow smile appeared on his lips as he leaned forward and gently caught her lower lip between his teeth, not enough to hurt, just enough to tease.

He pulled back slightly, holding it there for a brief moment before releasing it with a soft pop.

"Did you not like it?"

Rui Yuying blinked once, her eyes smoldering with the aftermath of the kiss and shook her head slowly "No… I loved it."

Her fingers tightened slightly around his collar, and she leaned in again.

Zhao Tian responded instantly, matching her energy as his hand cradled the back of her head.

Their mouths moved in perfect rhythm as they kissed.

Her hands slid up his chest, curling lightly at his shoulders, before slipping around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer.

She tilted her head slightly to the side, deepening the kiss again and this time his tongue brushed against hers in a tender, coaxing dance.

He groaned softly against her lips, and that sound alone sent a flutter through her chest.

Rui Yuying's heart pounded beneath her ribs, not from nervousness, but knwing that with each passing second, she is falling deeper... not just into the kiss, but into him.

Zhao Tian pulled her more firmly into his lap and his arms circled tightly around her waist.

When they finally slowed, their lips brushing more gently now as he whispered "Yuying..."

She hummed in reply with her eyes still closed and her fingertips traced small shapes at the base of his neck.

"You're not just dangerous…" he said softly, smiling. "You're addictive."

Her lips curved in a lazy, satisfied smile as she murmured, "Then it's too late for you now. I already warned you I bite."

He chuckled, pulling her closer into his embrace again, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder.

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I hope you guys liked this chapter!