Chapter 2926

"Let me tell you, Guai Guai is still young. She isn't old enough to make her own decisions yet," Yan Tieniu said seriously, looking straight at Ouyang Tianyun.

her meaning was clear: You might have tricked our Guai Guai, and even if she agrees to the marriage, it means nothing if I, her father, do not consent.

Although modern times value freedom in marriage, one must wait until a person grows up.

"Uncle Yan, I understand your meaning, but…" Ouyang Tianyun smiled gently. "However, Guai Guai’s current position cannot be ignored just because of her age."

"What do you mean?" Yan Tieniu frowned slightly. Was there something he didn't know?

Ouyang Tianyun looked at him with a smile. "A few days ago, Guai Guai developed a new hemostatic drug. It stops bleeding very quickly. It is the best external medicine for soldiers on the battlefield, without a doubt. I took samples for clinical trials, and there are absolutely no side effects."

Hearing this, Yan Tieniu frowned deeper.

Ouyang Tianyun continued calmly, "Because of this, Guai Guai has even registered with the Emperor. Of course, registering with the Emperor is fine; she is a man of broad mind. But this does not mean the dark hands in the shadows will leave her alone."

She added, "Recently, discipline in the capital has been very strict because a famous international spy has entered our country. This spy aims to eliminate talented people who have contributed to our nation. Currently, Guai Guai has already caught their eye."

Yan Tieniu’s brows tightened further.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Cheng Junnan also frowned.

She had heard the rumors about the tight security recently, but she never expected it involved her own daughter.

Ouyang Tianyun spoke gently, "Actually, this happened some time ago. My cousin found out and told me, so I handled it."

She did not explain exactly how she handled it.

"However, dealing with one spy is easy. As Guai Guai’s fame grows, the dark hands will likely strike more often. But once Guai Guai is engaged to me, her information will be fully protected. Basically, her research projects can be listed under my name. This way, I will stand in front of her as a shield."

Ouyang Tianyun did not hide anything. Although Yan Xiwan would become his shield, he would also become hers.

Yan Tieniu understood Ouyang Tianyun’s meaning and sneered, "Are you feeling wronged to be a shield for our Guai Guai?"

"Of course not." Ouyang Tianyun quickly denied it. If he said he felt wronged, he and Yan Xiwan might never meet again, let alone marry.

"I am willing to be Guai Guai’s shield." Ouyang Tianyun smiled brightly. "But I hope to be her shield legitimately."

This sounded reasonable. Without engagement, there was no official status. Without status, it wasn't legitimate.

Hearing this, Yan Tieniu looked at Ouyang Tianyun again. "You young man are really good at calculating."

Ouyang Tianyun said seriously, "Uncle Yan, this isn't just calculation. Well, not entirely. There is some calculation involved."

Some things needed to be honest.

"I won't hide it from you. You probably heard from Uncle Junnan that our Ouyang family has nothing else but useful brains. Because of this, our family has become like Tang Monk's meat—everyone wants a piece."

Ouyang Tianyun smiled bitterly. "Especially those without marriage contracts. In my generation, my younger cousins are too small to be targeted. My older ones are either married or engaged. I am the only single man left, so I have been in trouble recently."

"Too much peach blossom luck," Yan Tieniu said.

"The problem is these are all rotten peach blossoms." Ouyang Tianyun smiled bitterly. He really didn't want this kind of luck.

Yan Tieniu looked at her with a half-smile. "You are twenty years old, full of energy. My Guai Guai is only ten. You must know, she won't be an adult for at least eight more years. Can you wait?"

This was a conversation between men.

Ouyang Tianyun said seriously, "Uncle Yan, please rest assured. The men of the Yan family only fall in love with the person they have chosen. They do not care about others. So, I can certainly wait."

"Then here is the key question. Are you sure you can make our Guai Guai realize her feelings for you after she grows up, so she willingly marries you?" Yan Tieniu asked.

"Uncle Yan, I arrived early in time. While Guai Guai hasn't realized her feelings yet, I will enter her life and guide her slowly, so she only falls for me. That is my goal."

Ouyang Tianyun was not afraid of making Yan Tieniu angry. "Of course, I admit this is a bit cunning. But Uncle, it is not easy to meet someone you truly like in a lifetime. Although Guai Guai is young, I can wait and guide her. And I believe no one in this world is better or more suitable for Guai Guai than me. Don't you agree?"

"You are very proud," Yan Tieniu said, glancing at him. "You are a grown man calculating a little girl who hasn't even reached the age of hairpin. Are you not ashamed?"

"I am not ashamed," Ouyang Tianyun said seriously. "For my future happiness, to marry a suitable wife, I must have thick skin. So, I am not ashamed. Even if Guai Guai were just born today, if I considered her my wife, I would wait for her to grow up. This is the spirit of the Ouyang family."

Yan Tieniu thought this Ouyang family spirit was quite twisted.

But undeniably, Yan Tieniu was still satisfied with this spirit.

"What if our Guai Guai likes someone else? Will you let her go?" Yan Tieniu asked.

"I will not give her the chance to like anyone else," Ouyang Tianyun said seriously. "Uncle Yan, you know Guai Guai’s character better than I do. Once Guai Guai decides on a path, she will not change. Marriage is the same."

Ouyang Tianyun smiled slightly. "I admit I calculated Guai Guai. But from the moment she agreed to be my shield, she will not regret the marriage, nor will she like other boys. She will think doing so is useless.

So, Guai Guai will either not fall in love, or the object of her affection will only be me."

This matter-of-fact tone amused Yan Tieniu and Cheng Junnan.

"You still have the face to admit you calculated Guai Guai," Cheng Junnan teased Ouyang Tianyun.

Ouyang Tianyun blinked, looking serious. "I never deny what I do. Also, my attitude is important. At least I can guarantee that except for Guai Guai, I will not show a good face to any other girl. Please believe me, Uncles."

Hearing this, Yan Tieniu lowered his head to think.

If his daughter’s future path had the protection of the Ouyang family, it would indeed be much smoother.

Moreover, Yan Tieniu knew his daughter had already agreed to this marriage. So even if he opposed it, it would be useless.

Although her daughter was young, she had her own ideas about everything.

Since she agreed to this match, it meant there were benefits for her.

That was why Yan Tieniu only asked to meet Ouyang Tianyun initially, rather than rejecting the match directly.

"Since it is an engagement, it should look like one. Even if we want to keep a low profile, the parents of both sides should meet." Yan Tieniu finally agreed to the match.

After all, from every aspect, this match was beneficial and harmless to Yan Xiwan.

"Uncle Yan, if you agree, I will invite my parents over tomorrow to discuss this," Ouyang Tianyun accepted Yan Tieniu’s suggestion completely.

Even in these times, when grand banquets were unsuitable, family meetings were necessary.

"Alright. No need to go to a restaurant. Let’s meet at Uncle Junnan’s house. Junnan, what do you think?" Yan Tieniu asked.

"Of course. Guai Guai is my daughter too. In these times, if we do it outside, we can’t escape the eyes of those with ulterior motives. It’s just an engagement to establish status. When Guai Guai grows up and marries, we can hold a big celebration then."

Cheng Junnan was very happy that Yan Xiwan and Ouyang Tianyun’s engagement was settled at his house.

"Then I will go back and find my parents. I will bring them tomorrow to finalize the engagement," Ouyang Tianyun said straightforwardly.

Yan Tieu nodded. "Before finalizing, I still say this: Since you chose Guai Guai, you must learn to wait."

After all, his daughter was only ten.

Ouyang Tianyun smiled and nodded happily. "Uncle Yan, please rest assured. I am not boasting, but I have enough self-control."

The next day, Ouyang Tianyun brought his parents.

When Ouyang’s father and mother learned of Ouyang Tianyun’s choice, they were stunned for a moment, but they did not object.

As Ouyang’s mother said, having a wife is better than having none. The wife is just young now. Once the status is set, she will eventually marry into the Ouyang family.

So, Ouyang’s father and mother came to the meeting with full enthusiasm.

After meeting Yan Xiwan, Ouyang’s mother immediately gave her a jade pendant. "When our sons are born, we make a pair of dragon and phoenix jade pendants for them. The dragon pendant is with Tianyun. This phoenix pendant is for Guai Guai."