Are you really trying to cultivate immortality? Something feels off.

Lightning bolts struck wildly all around, replicating the rules and doctrines that bound him, holding him down tightly and preventing him from escaping even a fraction of an inch.

Tan Suiting was pressed down by the vast lightning to the point of almost kneeling, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, his teeth clenched, but his heart did not waver in the slightest: "The Dragon Clan values ​​loyalty and righteousness, and their pride is extraordinary, but that does not mean they want to imprison people in cages and let the fate of one person determine the life and death of the entire clan! Whether it is me, or my mother and father, we protect the Dragon Clan for the sake of our bloodline responsibility, not because we are coerced by the shackles of our clan."

He gritted his teeth and gripped the longsword with difficulty: "My path is determined by my own heart, and is not bound by the shackles of others—"

"I, Your Highness," he roared, his wrist suddenly twisting after gathering his strength, deflecting the oppressive lightning with a single sword stroke, "will never yield to coercion! You are not subjects of the Dragon Clan either!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sea of ​​clouds collapsed and the oppressive force dissipated.

His chest heaved, and his breathing became slightly rapid.

"Dragon Palace," Xie Weixing, who had been dozing off, sat up after hearing the noise, "What's wrong?"

Tan Suiting's lips were a little pale, but his expression remained relatively calm: "I'm fine."

He subconsciously took Xie Weixing's fingertips in his hand, and with his other hand he held his fluttering hair ribbon, quietly calming his turbulent heart.

The Inquiry Formation is indeed difficult to deal with.

Xie Weixing reached out and hugged him, patting and stroking him like he was comforting a child: "It's okay, Xiaolong, don't be afraid, your senior brother is here, I'm here."

The system said sarcastically: "Senior brother's here~ I'm here~"

Xie Weixing replied crisply: "I'm giving the kid psychological counseling. If you don't like it, then you can just die."

System: ...I'm fine.

Xie Weixing: ?

System: Anyway, I only do it occasionally.

Xie Weixing: ?

System: Needed.

Xie Weixing disabled its speaking privileges and said sincerely: Idiot.

Tan Suiting was embraced by him, and for some reason, he felt a chill run down his spine, probably due to the illusion he had just experienced.

"Senior brother," he gently bit his lower lip, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, "you just said..."

"Huh?" Xie Weixing asked, confused.

"Saying those things," Tan Suiting said vaguely, blinking slightly, "was it because you wanted to find a Daoist partner?"

"What?" Xie Weixing was stunned for a moment, then realized, "No, we're still young, it's too early to talk about these things."

He hasn't even finished his studies and he's already dating. It's not only a waste of his own time, but also a waste of other people's time. He has a hair tie hanging from his wrist and a few lollipops in his pocket. He's ranked hundreds of girls lower than others in his grade, and he still has the nerve to date. He had the audacity to look down on people like that when he was in school.

"But," Tan Suiting looked up and seemed to be grasping his hand somewhat urgently, "you are talented and good-looking, so naturally many people will try to curry favor with you. Even if you don't look for one, your master and senior uncles will find you a Daoist partner."

Not only that, Xie Weixing is gentle and sincere. When he first met him, he risked losing all his spiritual power to save him at Qingmu Mountain. He also protected him without hesitation at Lihuo Mountain Range, even at the cost of exhausting all his spiritual power.

Such a good person, if he likes him, others will naturally like him too.

But other people's affection for him will never be as pure as his.

He loves his senior brother and only wants to stay by his side for life, protect him, and be his best friend for thousands of years.

What about the others? Would they treat Xie Weixing the same way?

Human hearts are unpredictable. If others wronged, deceived, or cheated him, how could a man as loyal and righteous as my senior brother endure such humiliation?

Tan Suiting became increasingly confused, his heart filled with resentment, and he wished he could kill all those who harbored ill intentions towards him right now.

No one is allowed to hurt my senior brother.

"You mean Master and Uncle-Master? To find me a Daoist partner?" Xie Weixing raised an eyebrow, then chuckled after a moment. "Those two old men don't even have partners themselves, what are they trying to do by randomly pairing me up? And Junior Uncle-Master, three old bachelors without anyone to warm their own beds, are wasting their time on me. They should go dance in the square instead."

How is this any different from the pressure to get married in modern society?

He's never been pressured to get married by his own parents, so why would he experience it at Feng Hua Sect?

"So you're looking for a Daoist partner?" Tan Suiting gripped his hand tightly, forcing their fingers together. "My mother said that besides parents and siblings, the closest person in the world is one's lover, someone one might trust even more than one's brothers and sisters..."

"Of course," Xie Weixing said matter-of-factly. "Isn't that how couples are?"

Tan Suiting opened his eyes wide and stared at him blankly.

Xie Weixing was confused, trying to recall which sentence he had said wrong: "What's wrong?"

Tan Suiting was stunned for a moment. A faint crease slowly appeared between his brows, so slight that it could not be considered anger, but rather a feeling of grievance that had nowhere to be expressed.

"You're lying," he gritted his teeth, his voice trembling, "Xie Weixing, you're lying."

"How could I lie to you again?" Xie Weixing wanted to shout that he was innocent. "What did I do?"

Tan Suiting flung his hand away, his heterochromatic eyes fixed on him, and said hatefully, "Xie Weixing, you never keep your word. You're the worst person I've ever met!"

His brow was furrowed with anger, which softened his usual aloofness.

Xie Weixing was bewildered and grabbed his wrist: "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with finding a cultivation partner? It's a normal thing, I..."

"You dare bring that up again—" Tan Suiting's eyes were faintly red as she raised her hand and pointed at him sharply. "You said you'd only be best with me, but if you find a Daoist partner in the future, wouldn't that be even better than me? And what did you mean by 'two...what?'"

Xie Weixing, still confused, added, "Two, a couple, I guess."

"Yes, you and your husband!" Tan Suiting's fingertips trembled. "You've already planned to leave, haven't you? You've already planned that after we grow up, you'll go find other people, be with them, and you won't come with me to Cold Heart Lake anymore, you won't read or write with me, you won't play with me anymore, right?"

Xie Weixing stood there, stunned, a question mark practically forming above his head.

He never expected that his casual joke would be misinterpreted in this way by Tan Suiting.

The person before him, the Crown Prince of the East Sea Taixu Dragon Clan, who was known for his aloofness, was now tense all over, his fingertips trembling slightly uncontrollably, his eyes veiled with a thin layer of mist, the corners of his eyes reddening, and his usually indifferent and calm eyes were churning with unease and grievances, unable to hide his anxiety and fear of loss.

Xie Weixing's heart melted instantly. She quickly stepped forward and gently pinched his trembling fingertips, her touch tender yet firm: "What are you thinking about?"

His voice was extremely low and soft, devoid of his usual carefree attitude. His peach blossom eyes were clear and open as he looked directly at the other person, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness: "Who told you I was leaving? Who told you I wouldn't stay with you anymore now that I've grown up? Dragon Lord, how could you wrong me like this?"