Soon, the duo arrived before the doors of a grand, central hall. This was clearly the heart of the estate, and where Sui Mei'er was leading him.
"Wait here," she pointed at a sofa in the middle of the hall. "Do not move and do not touch anything. I am going to get my parents."
Lei Feng just waved a dismissive hand. "Hurry it up. I have important things to do."
Shui Mei'er gave him one last glare before disappearing through a side door, leaving him alone in the large, empty hall.
Left alone, Lei Feng wandered around the hall, barely glancing at the rows of polished furniture and displays of rare artifacts.
None of it seemed to impress him.
What finally caught his attention was a large painting on the main wall—a family portrait, framed in gold and hung where everyone could see it.
He could make a solid guess about the first two people.
A handsome, stern-faced man in his forties stood with a graceful, beautiful woman who looked to be of a similar age. They were probably the parents of Shui Mei'er.
Beside them was a younger version of Shui Mei'er, smiling brightly.
But it was the fourth person in the portrait that captured his full attention.
Beside the woman stood another girl, about eighteen years old. And the moment Lei Feng laid his eyes on her, he was spellbound.
She had striking long black hair that fell in waves down her back and eyes so dark blue they were almost violet. Even in the painting, she seemed to possess a quiet confidence and an effortless beauty that could mesmerize anyone who glanced at it even for a second.
Most importantly, her chest was... captivating to say the least.
Lei Feng walked closer, his eyes fixed on the image of the older sister. This had to be Shui Lin.
He stared at the portrait for a long moment, taking in every detail. He even reached out with his fingers and started caressing the picture, as if caressing the real person.
A slow smile started spreading across his face.
"Idiot Lei Feng," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "You almost missed out on a top-class fiancée just because of her flatboard sister."
He felt a sense of relief, as if he had narrowly avoided a great loss. If he had really missed this beautiful wife of his, then he would have no one else to blame but himself.
Feeling satisfied, Lei Feng spoke aloud, even though there was no one else in the vast hall to hear him.
"Alright. You pass my test," he said, his voice loud and echoing off the high ceiling.
"I'm more than happy to take you as my wife. Maybe I'll even give you a special position." He grinned up at the painting.
"Shui Lin, from now on, you're mine and no one else's. In this life, you can only follow me."
"YOU BRAT, YOU DARE?!"
Before he could say anything else, the main doors burst open with a sudden, loud bang that echoed through the hall.
The man and woman from the portrait strode in. The man was tall and handsome, with a dignified air that spoke of authority, while the woman beside him was mature and beautiful, her grace apparent even in her anger.
Both of their elegant faces were contorted with rage and dark expressions. Shui Mei'er followed just behind them, pointing an accusing finger at Lei Feng.
The man, clearly the Shui family's patriarch, glared at Lei Feng, wanting to chop him up into millions of pieces.
The lady, who was probably his wife, called out to Lei Feng angrily.
"How dare you speak my daughter's name with such disrespect in my own house!"
Shui Jian, the patriarch of the Shui family, shouted in anger, his voice filling the grand hall. His strong presence, a sign of his advanced cultivation, weighed on everyone in the room. Still, Lei Feng acted as if nothing was happening.
"Who are you to make such a claim?" Shui Jian demanded, his handsome face tight with anger. "Explain yourself, or you will not leave this hall today. I, Shui Jian, will personally punish you."
Lei Feng glanced at the angry father, then the mother, and finally at Shui Mei'er, who looked pleased with herself. He sighed, sounding bored. "I've already told your daughter. My name is Lei Feng. I come from the mountains. My masters set up a marriage contract between me and your daughter, Shui Lin, 10 years ago."
"Initially, after meeting your younger daughter, I did not have much interest. However, fortunately, I came inside and saw her picture. Now I have made up my mind to take her in as my first wife."
He spoke in a relaxed, almost disrespectful way. Shui Mei was certain her father would lose his temper again.
But contrary to her expectations, as he finished, Shui Jian and his wife, Lin Meiying, shared a quick, irritated glance. Their troubled expressions showed that the situation was more complicated than it seemed.
Shui Mei'er, who was watching her parents closely, did not miss it. Her eyes narrowed. This was not the reaction she had expected. They were not treating him like a madman, but like an unwelcome problem they knew they might have to deal with.
There was more to this story than she knew.
After exchanging glances, Lin Meiying stepped forward. Even if this boy wasn't lying, she had no intention of giving up her daughter so easily.
"You speak of a marriage contract?" she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Let me tell you who my daughter is, so you understand the absurdity of your claim."
"My daughter, Shui Lin, is no ordinary girl. She is a phoenix destined for the heavens. She has always been talented in everything that she has done. However, things changed recently."
"On her eighteenth birthday, during her spiritual root awakening ceremony, a miracle occurred."
"When she touched the testing stone, a never-before-seen miracle happened," Lin Meiying continued, swelling with pride.
"The testing stone shattered into a million pieces, unleashing a seven-colored pillar of light that shot into the sky. It was a spectacle that the entire kingdom had never seen before."
"The royal oracle named it as a divine omen, a sign from the heavens themselves, visible across the entire capital."