Seeing the strange behavior of the demon god towards her, and the person who followed her in the mountains, she realized that he must have been sent by Liu Jinli.
In Liu Jinli's eyes, she is now nothing more than a pawn. How to use her to maximize his own interests is probably Liu Jinli's biggest headache right now.
However, not only was Liu Jinli puzzled, but even she couldn't figure it out.
What exactly was the demon god's purpose in approaching her?
Logically speaking, given his status, what couldn't he have wanted?
Why would someone be interested in a fool?
Thinking of the Demon God, Liu Lanyan subconsciously touched her chest.
While she was in the mountains, she only sensed the presence of the people sent by Liu Jinli; she didn't sense the existence of the demon god at all.
However, she still discovered it, because—it hurt her heart.
That strange heartache reminded her that the demon god was nearby.
Their meeting was definitely not at the royal banquet, because she had felt that familiar heartache several times when she was gathering firewood in the mountains. At that time, the demon god was probably watching her from not far away.
What exactly happened?
It seems there's a secret involved, and she'll have to find an opportunity to dig it out properly.
!
☆、
The much-anticipated symposium is finally about to begin.
All the younger generation eagerly awaited the arrival of the product review conference, and were already itching to show off their skills at it.
The competition was originally an opportunity for them to show their strength and stand out from the crowd.
The words spoken by the Demon God earlier had given them a shot of adrenaline.
If the demon god wants someone to inherit his power, wouldn't that be the same as the demon god's disciple?
If they were to catch the eye of a demon god, their future achievements would be immeasurable.
In fact, one day they might even become the replacements of the demon gods, surpassing the ruler of the demon realm.
Imagine that feeling?
The feeling of trampling the entire demon realm underfoot...
That is the desire of all cultivators for power and authority!
There was still an hour before the discussion was to begin, and it was not yet dawn, but the venue was already packed with people, so crowded that it was impossible to move.
Fortunately, the royal guards were there to maintain order, and despite the large number of people, things were still orderly.
"Miss, please don't move around here. I'll go find the Prince." Qin Xiu didn't believe her young mistress would attend the appraisal meeting at all; she was just here to watch the excitement.
As for the rumors at the banquet, she had heard them but believed they were merely a passing fancy of the Demon God.
"Okay." Liu Lanyan nodded obediently and sat down obediently in the chair.
Qin Xiu left with peace of mind. This was the best opportunity; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought Liu Lanyan to the venue so early.
After Qin Xiu left, Liu Lanyan sat obediently with her head down, perfectly befitting her identity as a silly girl.
Less than fifteen minutes later, a mocking voice suddenly rang out: "You actually care that much about the discussion?"
Each noble family has its own independent space where no outsiders will disturb them, so there's no fear of being seen by others.
Liu Lanyan looked up impatiently: "I would be happier if you didn't bother me."
Yu Xinyi looked down and saw that Liu Lanyan's eyes were still sleepy. He was so shocked that his mouth dropped open, and then he realized that she was sleeping!
"You're really carefree." Yu Xinyi sat down next to Liu Lanyan without any hesitation. How could she still be asleep at this hour? Was she too confident or had she already given up?
"You'll really participate in the quality assessment meeting?"
He believed that Liu Lanyan was not as she appeared on the surface, but whether she was pretending to be stupid or not was a completely different matter from whether she had demonic power.
"Of course," Liu Lanyan said with a smile.
Yu Xinyi glanced at Liu Lanyan and remained silent for a long time, unable to understand what Liu Lanyan was trying to do.
On the other side, Yu Jinshuo, as a prince, had naturally arrived early. He had just finished dealing with the matters of the discussion meeting when his trusted confidant reported that the Grand Elder's men were requesting an audience.
Yu Jinshuo frowned as he beckoned the person over, a hint of doubt flashing through his mind: what did Liu Jinli's people want with him?
"Greetings, Your Highness." Qin Xiu entered and bowed. Yu Jinshuo waved his hand casually, but in his mind, he was pondering who this person was.
"Does Your Highness still remember the engagement with my young lady?" Qin Xiu knew that this opportunity to see her was hard-won, so she didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“Miss still holds the Grand Elder’s jade token, and the Demon God is now treating her with special favor. I think if Your Highness were to arrange the marriage soon, wouldn’t that be the icing on the cake?”
Upon hearing Qin Xiu's words, Yu Jinshuo realized that she was actually someone close to Liu Lanyan.
"Rest assured, I will not forget this engagement." Yu Jinshuo gave Qin Xiu a clear answer, which made Qin Xiu overjoyed. "This servant is waiting for Your Highness's decision. When will Your Highness make a decision?"
"After the discussion ends," Yu Jinshuo said, and Qin Xiu immediately took her leave.
Yu Jinshuo's confidant, who was standing nearby, was slightly dissatisfied: "Your Highness, she is just a lowly maid and she has gone too far with her words."
She actually wants a clear answer from the prince? Who does she think she is?
"It's alright." Yu Jinshuo waved his hand, not caring at all. In any case, it didn't matter to him who the woman he married was. What mattered was whether that woman had enough benefits for him to need.
Now that Liu Lanyan has gained the special attention of the Demon God and has the qualifications, he still needs to observe her more carefully to see if the Demon God truly cares about Liu Lanyan during the appraisal meeting or treats her as a plaything.
"Miss, what brings His Highness here?" Qin Xiu returned to Liu Lanyan's side and just saw Yu Xinyi leaving.
"I don't know," Liu Lanyan said, puzzled.
To be honest, she really didn't know what Yu Xinyi was doing here.
"Miss, after this appraisal meeting ends, the Prince will send betrothal gifts..." Qin Xiu's words were interrupted by a rude voice, "What, you dare to spread such rumors? Aren't you afraid of the Prince's wrath?"
"This was promised by the Prince himself just now." Qin Xiu had never been afraid of Liu Xinrong before, and now that the Demon God and Yu Jinshuo were backing her up, she was even less afraid.
"Really?" Liu Xinrong glanced at Liu Lanyan with a probing look and asked suspiciously.
"Rong'er." Liu Jinli, who was following closely behind, hurriedly tugged at Liu Xinrong's sleeve. He couldn't afford to offend Liu Lanyan at this time. The wound had just been repaired, and he would need Liu Lanyan to put in a good word for him with the Demon God in the future.
"Qin Xiu, you know Rong'er is a bit willful sometimes. We're all family, so don't take it so seriously," Liu Jinli said to Qin Xiu with a gentle smile, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.
He had a plan in mind: had Yu Jinshuo also agreed to Liu Lanyan's marriage proposal?
It seems he needs to curry favor with Liu Lanyan more; he absolutely cannot afford to antagonize Qin Xiu and the others now.
Liu Jinli kept giving Liu Xinrong meaningful glances, signaling her not to say anything more.
Liu Xinrong's lips moved, but she really didn't say anything more. It seems that Liu Jinli had been trying to persuade her for a long time these past few days.
With a cold snort, Liu Xinrong sat down in her seat. Liu Jinli smiled kindly at Liu Lanyan and Qin Xiu, and quickly followed suit.
"Rong'er, don't worry too much, just bear with it for now." Liu Jinli deliberately lowered his voice, comforting Liu Xinrong in a tone that only he and his daughter could hear.
"Understood, Father." Liu Xinrong didn't turn around. After glancing at Liu Lanyan, she turned her gaze to the center of the venue, where the appraisal meeting was about to take place.
Once the product discussion begins...
A sinister and cruel glint flashed in Liu Xinrong's eyes. She was certain that Liu Lanyan's life would end at this appraisal meeting, so she could endure it for now.
With a slight upturn of her lips, Liu Xinrong's eyes held a bloodthirsty coldness.
!
Chapter Thirty-Two: There's a good show to watch.
As the sun rose, golden light filled the entire venue. The magnificent doors on the high platform were pushed open from both sides, and a group of guards escorted the demon god in white robes who walked in front of them.
Her black hair was still casually draped, shimmering with a faint golden light. A gentle smile graced her lips, making her seem like a carefree immortal who had stepped down from the celestial realm to the mortal world—noble yet languid.
The heavily guarded meeting place was suddenly transformed by the arrival of the demon god. A gentle spring breeze blew through the tense atmosphere, easing the slightly oppressive feeling in the room.
No one would feel at ease because of such gentleness. How could they feel relaxed when they were facing a demon god?
The Demon Lord naturally stayed by the Demon God's side; however, because the Demon God's aura was too strong, it actually suppressed the Demon Lord's aura.
As the Demon God traveled, he was followed by the eyes of everyone, especially the younger generation, whose gazes were particularly fervent. After all, the Demon God who now stood above all others might very well become their master soon.
How could they not be excited?
The demon god and demon lord sat down in the highest seats, while the noble families had their own exclusive stands, and they did not disturb each other. As for the ordinary stands, they were for common people to watch the excitement.
All the younger generation who planned to participate in this product discussion were present at the event to prepare.
"Cousin, I'm going too." Xie Xinxiu smiled sweetly at Yu Jinshuo. At this moment, she was no longer arrogant and conceited as usual, but instead as obedient as a young lady from a well-to-do family.
"Be careful." Yu Jinshuo doted on his cousin and gave her a word of advice out of concern.
Anyway, the discussion doesn't have to go all the way; you can leave automatically.
"Don't worry, cousin, I know what I'm doing." Xie Xinxiu smiled, very confident in her abilities.
Xie Xinxiu left the stage, and the Demon Lord glanced at Yu Xinyi, who was sitting next to him drinking tea, and gave a cold snort.
This sound made Yu Jinshuo chuckle inwardly.
Such a fine prince, yet so ignorant and incompetent; the Demon Lord has probably given up all hope of him.
"Miss, where are you going?" Qin Xiu grabbed Liu Lanyan, who was about to leave her seat.