SBTW 10

 Chapter 10: The Heir Forces a Proposal in Public, Nearly Giving the Duke a Heart Attack

The entire Wangjiang Tower fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Lin Wan'er, daughter of the Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, clutched those two White Rabbit creamy candies tightly in her palm, frozen in place as her face cycled through shades of green and white.

The surrounding aristocratic daughters, who had all been itching to make a move moments ago, collectively sucked in a sharp breath.

Nobody had expected this weirdly dressed girl of unknown origins to boldly proclaim herself the future Heir's consort right in front of the entire imperial court. And she had said it with such unapologetic, righteous confidence, too.

"Nonsense!" A deep, authoritative roar suddenly rang out from the head table.

The already stagnant air instantly grew several degrees heavier.

The one who spoke was none other than Huangfu Su, the Duke of Zhenguo. His brows were tightly knit, radiating natural majesty without even needing to raise his voice, the oppressive aura honed from years on the battlefield instantly enveloping the entire banquet hall.

Meanwhile, seated beside him, the Duchess was holding her teacup, sizing Tian Qiqi up thoughtfully. Her gaze held surprise, scrutiny, and even a faint, barely suppressed trace of amusement.

Had it been any ordinary young lady, being barked at publicly like that by the Duke of Zhenguo would have scared her weak in the knees.

Yet who was Tian Qiqi? She was an e-commerce boss lady who fought tooth and nail daily against nightmare customers, logistics headaches, customer service tickets, and return forms—her mental fortitude was astonishingly strong.

"Greetings, Your Grace!" Far from backing down, Tian Qiqi took a generous step forward, flashing a smile so dazzlingly bright at the head table it seemed almost outrageous. "Pleased to meet you. I am Tian Qiqi. Just now, I saw Miss Lin nearly take a tumble, so I stepped in out of sheer enthusiasm to catch her and accidentally raised my voice a tad too loud. If I startled anyone, allow me to penalize myself with a drink first."

She had nearly let "large iced latte" slip out of her mouth, thankfully catching herself just in time.

Immediately afterward, she raised a cup of fruit wine with bold, breezy flair and downed it in a single gulp. Her movements were crisp and decisive, utterly unlike the demure, tiny-sipping etiquette of the capital's noblewomen. Strangely enough, it carried an indescribable, refreshing charm.

Lin Wan'er stamped her foot in fury. "Your Highness! Look at her! She's spouting absolute nonsense! When on earth did Wan'er ever suffer from low blood sugar..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, a slender, powerful hand reached over from the side.

Right in front of a hall packed with guests, Huangfu Ye clasped Tian Qiqi's wrist, seamlessly drawing her a fraction closer to his side—a motion so natural it looked as though he had done it countless times before.

Another wave of irrepressible gasps rippled across the banquet hall.

Huangfu Ye, however, acted as though he hadn't heard a thing, simply lifting his gaze to look at Lin Wan'er and the Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud. All the gentleness that had rested on Tian Qiqi moments ago vanished without a trace, replaced by a blade-sharp chill that no one dared meet head-on.

"Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud," his tone was unhurried yet coated in frost, "keep your daughter in line."

"Lady Tian is a specially appointed consultant for the Court of Judicial Review. Had it not been for her assistance in this Du estate treason case, the Court of Judicial Review might still not have uncovered the true culprit."

Huangfu Ye's gaze darkened slightly, his voice not overly loud, yet carrying distinctly to every single ear in the room. "Anyone who shows her disrespect makes an enemy of this official."

As those words dropped, the entire hall fell so quiet even the sound of breathing grew lighter.

Lin Wan'er's face drained of color inch by inch. She had never seen Huangfu Ye defend a woman like this, much less utter such words in front of the capital's entire aristocracy. In the end, she could only bite down hard on her lip and retreat to her seat with red-rimmed eyes, not daring to utter another half-word.

At the head table, the Duke of Zhenguo's expression grew increasingly grim. Setting down his wine cup with a heavy thud, he spoke in a deep voice, "Ye'er, are you publicly coercing an imperial official? How vital is the position of the Heir's consort—how can it be decided so arbitrarily by you!"

With that pronouncement, the atmosphere throughout the Wangjiang Tower instantly snapped taut, leaving the seated civil and military officials unconsciously holding their breath.

Tian Qiqi could feel Huangfu Ye's hand tighten slightly around hers, even the tips of his fingers carrying a faint, imperceptible tremor.

She suddenly realized that this Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review—normally calm to the point of ruthlessness—was genuinely nervous right now. And it was all because of her.

Tian Qiqi was just about to speak up to diffuse the tension when Huangfu Ye unexpectedly turned his head to look at her. Deep within those pitch-black, fathomless eyes, emotions suppressed for far too long finally surged to the surface.

"Qiqi," his voice sounded slightly hoarse, "the words you spoke just now... were you serious?"

Tian Qiqi blinked in slight surprise, never expecting Huangfu Ye to ask her with such intense sincerity in a setting like this.

Brilliantly lit lanterns surrounded them, and court officials and nobles filled the hall, yet his gaze seemed to pierce straight through everyone else, landing solely upon her.

Tian Qiqi felt a sudden rush of heat in her chest.

Her eyes curved into a smile—not her usual bold, flashy grin, but one carrying a rare touch of softness.

"Of course," she met his gaze without a trace of evasion, turning her hand to clasp his palm firmly. "Even though I, Tian Qiqi, am no celestial fairy, I'm a very loyal person."

At this, she deliberately arched an eyebrow. "In this lifetime, I only plan on being Lord Huangfu's exclusive cheat code. So, what do you say, handsome—are you planning to process a return?"

Huangfu Ye gazed steadily at her, and after a long moment, suddenly let out a soft, low laugh. The chuckle was deep and tender. "This official never processes returns."

The moment the words fell, he abruptly turned around while still holding Tian Qiqi's hand, and—under the shocked stares of the entire civil and military court—lifted the hem of his robes and dropped down onto one knee.

In an instant, the entire Wangjiang Tower completely exploded.

"Your Highness!"

"This..." Even the Duke of Zhenguo's expression shifted drastically.

Yet Huangfu Ye acted as though he were completely deaf to the surrounding gasps and commotion. Pressing one hand against his chest, his other hand kept a firm, unwavering grip on Tian Qiqi's, never loosening by even a fraction.

"Father, Mother," his voice was steady and solemn, "Ye'er has served in the Court of Judicial Review for many years, witnessing all manner of dark human scheming, and has never once had his heart moved by any woman."

Speaking up to this point, he lifted his head to look at Tian Qiqi, the affection brimming in his eyes no longer concealed in the slightest.

"Save for Qiqi. Her origins are bizarre, her temperament is chaotic, and this official frequently cannot understand the things she says."

The banquet hall fell silent enough to hear a needle drop.

Yet Huangfu Ye continued on, word by clear word. "However, only after she appeared did this official realize for the very first time that there could actually be someone in this world whom I cannot bear to let go of."

His hand clasping Tian Qiqi's tightened slightly. "Aside from Tian Qiqi, Ye'er will never marry anyone else in this lifetime."

Boom— Uproar swept the entire hall! Nobody had ever dreamed that this famously cold-hearted, aloof Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review would publicly declare such words.

Meanwhile, standing beside him and watching Huangfu Ye kneel on one knee, Tian Qiqi felt her entire heart tangle into knots.

She had always assumed ancient folks were subtle and reserved when it came to romance—turns out, the moment this Heir opened his mouth, it was a straight-up critical hit with off-the-charts lethality.

At the head table, the Duke of Zhenguo was so furious his beard practically trembled, just about to speak up.

Seated beside him, the Duchess—who had remained silent the entire time—suddenly smiled.

Covering her lips with a silk handkerchief, her gaze settled on Tian Qiqi. "Lady Tian," her voice was astonishingly gentle, "Ye'er mentioned that you possess snacks called White Rabbit creamy candies and little puffs?"

Tian Qiqi blinked. "I do, yes."

The Duchess's smile deepened. "In that case, accompany Ye'er back to the Duke's estate tomorrow to join me for a cup of tea and a chat. How does that sound?"

As soon as these words left her lips, the entire banquet hall quieted down once more. Everyone understood immediately—what kind of "tea" was this? This was clearly a future mother-in-law personally summoning her daughter-in-law for an audience.

Tian Qiqi's eyes instantly lit up, her social radar kicking into full gear on the spot.

"No problem!" she agreed with breezy enthusiasm. "Rest assured, Your Grace, I'll definitely bring the finest immortal-realm afternoon tea tomorrow!"

Huangfu Ye rose to his feet, watching her radiant smile as the tension tightly wound inside him finally began to unwind.

Lowering his gaze to their intertwined hands, the tenderness and indulgence pooling in the depths of his eyes nearly overflowed.

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