The male supporting character was actually myself.

"By the way, host, where are you going now?"

He didn't answer, but composed himself and strode into the banquet hall.

The officiant, Mr. Ouyang, came from a prestigious family and had devoted most of his life to literary studies. He was a highly respected figure across the twelve continents. The original owner was able to invite him to officiate the wedding thanks to the Ye family.

Ye Qingqing's father was once a prized student of Mr. Ouyang. Although he has passed away, the friendship between the two remains.

Therefore, when the original owner entrusted various connections to meet the old gentleman and ask him to officiate the marriage of the only daughter left behind by his favorite disciple, the old gentleman first investigated the original owner's family background and character, and then asked about the wishes of both parties. Only after he believed that the marriage was indeed a good match did he make an exception and agree to this task.

At this moment, Mr. Ouyang was surrounded by a group of scholars who admired him, discussing various questions encountered in studying ancient books.

"Mr. Ouyang," Jiang Chen stepped forward, indicating that he had something to say.

Mr. Ouyang was not familiar with the original owner of the body, but Young Master Luo was, after all, a businessman whose manners were like a gentle breeze. After the journey ended, this gentle and refined young man was going to marry his beloved disciple's daughter, so Mr. Ouyang naturally had a very good impression of him.

In addition, the heartfelt words spoken by Young Master Luo before presenting the token of their engagement during their engagement made him seem especially affectionate in an environment where women often had multiple wives and concubines.

Merchants often frequented places of wine, women, wealth, and power, but upon learning that this young master Luo had never engaged in such disrespectful activities as drinking and taking concubines, Mr. Ouyang was quite satisfied.

"Jiang Chen, is there anything you need to talk to me about privately?" He got up and walked out of the hall into the corridor. His kind face and gray hair and beard gave him a somewhat ethereal look.

Jiang Chen bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Mr. Ouyang, for officiating my marriage. Now that the ceremony is complete, according to the customs of our Lan Jinxi Continent, I will consummate my marriage with my fiancée tonight, which we call the Red Candle Night."

Upon arriving at the Luo family home on the western continent of Lanjin after the trip, the wedding ceremony was officially held, and guests were invited. That evening, they entered the bridal chamber.

Customs inevitably differ between different continents. I discussed this with the matriarch of the Ye family when we were discussing the marriage, and she agreed.

"You see, Qingqing isn't feeling well and is staying in her room with her mother, so it's not convenient for me to go to the elders' house to discuss the relocation..."

"Oh dear, this is my fault, I completely forgot about that!" Old Mr. Ouyang suddenly realized.

The groom did mention this matter during the traditional betrothal ceremony, and now that the bride is not showing up, it should be up to me, the officiant, to discuss it.

Seeing that it was getting late, he hurriedly followed Jiang Chen downstairs to the first-class suite to find the matriarch of the Ye family.

Before the two of them even reached the door, they could hear crying and commotion coming from the house of the matriarch of the Ye family.

Chapter Four: Annulling the Engagement

"Qingqing, we had a good agreement before. Things are different now. The Ye family has fallen too quickly, and we need someone to help us! You understand and agree with this, so how can you say it's selling your daughter?"

Marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers; this is how most people grow up.

Before I married your father, I didn't even know what he looked like, but I've been doing just fine all these years.

You said you wanted to pick one that you liked, so I, your mother, eagerly let you secretly peek at it from behind the screen.

You dislike the Luo family for not being a scholarly family and for being too rigid and old-fashioned. But Young Master Luo is both talented and handsome, and since he has lost his close relatives, he holds absolute power. If you marry into the family, you will be the undisputed matriarch!

"With no bullying in-laws above, no gossiping sisters-in-law below, and a wealthy and gentle young master Luo who has never taken a concubine, even if your father were still alive, it would be hard to find such a good match!"

"What perfect match? That's just Mother's wishful thinking!"

Ye Qingqing, tears streaming down her face, lay on the table, sobbing uncontrollably. "You were only thinking about selling your daughter and taking the Luo family's money so that the Ye family could make a comeback."

Did the mother ever consider her daughter's feelings?

You've never cared about me; you don't know what kind of husband I really want!

Mother Ye trembled with anger and said in a low voice, "Don't let anyone hear you crying on your joyous day!"

No one knows a daughter better than her mother; how could I not know what kind of husband you want?

You just read those fabricated erotic poems and songs, and you also dream of having a secret rendezvous with a scholar, who will one day pass the imperial examination, marry you in a grand sedan chair, and make you a high-ranking official's wife.

Stop dreaming!

According to the stories, a scoundrel who does scoundrel things and has no shame, who secretly meets and flirts with someone in the middle of the night, will never become a top scholar in the imperial examination!

Throughout history, those who have achieved the top rank in the imperial examinations have all studied diligently for over a decade before becoming famous overnight.

They don't have time to think about how to seduce rich girls or have shameless midnight rendezvous!

With such character and conduct, the imperial court would never give him an important position!

Moreover, if one is powerless and lacks influence, one will indulge in lust. If one day one becomes successful, won't one take concubines and frequent brothels? How could one possibly be committed to a lifelong, monogamous relationship with you?

Ye Qingqing, her secret exposed, cried even harder, "I'd rather die than marry Luo Jiangchen! I... I'll jump off the airship right now and smash to pieces..."

"Dangdang!"

Just as the mother and daughter were arguing, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Jiang Chen and Mr. Ouyang stood outside the door, having overheard the entire conversation between the mother and daughter. Both of them looked displeased.

"Host, you're amazing! You timed this perfectly!" The little white cat couldn't help but give him a thumbs up. "You just exposed the mother and daughter's little scheme. Now the officiant is losing face."

"Aunt Ye," Jiang Chen said in a cold tone after performing the junior's greeting, "Please forgive my rudeness; I didn't knock in my haste."

What your daughter just said was truly chilling.

I originally thought that the marriage between the two families was a matter of mutual affection, but I never expected that my heart was set on the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the ditch.

The matchmakers and betrothal gifts were meant to signify a deep and lasting love and a lifelong commitment.

The sedan chair carried by eight men was for a lady from a prominent family, the matriarch of the household.

Since Miss Ye is so aggrieved and unwilling to marry Mr. Luo, please return the token of your love to me. While we haven't spent our wedding night together, there's still time to cancel the engagement.

Go and pursue the one you love; I will arrange for him to marry a beautiful young woman.

His words were forceful, resounding, and well-reasoned.

Looking at Ye Qingqing, who was covering her face and weeping, and Madam Ye, who was at a loss for what to do, Old Mr. Ouyang sighed helplessly and said, "I have confirmed with both of you several times whether you are truly in love, but you two... sigh..."

“Mr. Ouyang, Qingqing just doesn’t want to get married and leave her family to settle down in such a far place. She’s feeling uncertain, which is why she’s throwing a tantrum. I will talk to her and comfort her!” Madam Ye quickly smoothed things over.

This marriage cannot be called off!

With such good conditions in the Luo family, if we miss this opportunity, our daughter will never find a better one!

However, Jiang Chen remained firm, "Please return the token, Miss Ye. Aunt Ye, please rest assured, although we cannot be a perfect match, I will still do my best to arrange your trip."

Some things can't be forced, so there's no need to force them.

Jiang Chen made his point very clear: he was all alone with no close relatives, and now that his business was growing bigger and bigger, he felt powerless to continue. Therefore, he needed to find a like-minded and capable wife to help him manage the family business together, with the husband handling external affairs and the wife managing the home.

Miss Ye is already past the age of marriage, but she has not yet settled down to be a proper housewife and live a stable life. She is still full of fantasies about secret rendezvous in unseemly novels. It is really not her place to marry such a woman who disregards etiquette and morality.

Mr. Ouyang was also a man of high moral character, and naturally disliked people with frivolous manners and words. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the misfortune of his beloved student's family.

His only beloved daughter has no sense of shame. If she were to secretly meet with someone in the future, wouldn't that bring shame to the entire Ye family?

It's understandable that Luo Jiangchen is unwilling to marry her. A woman who hasn't even left her boudoir yet already has so many thoughts. If she's busy with business and away from home for long periods in the future, will Ye Qingqing be able to endure the loneliness?

"Let's call off the engagement." Old Mr. Ouyang shook his head and sighed, "A marriage not of one's own volition cannot be forced. It's better to separate now."

The matriarch of the Ye family still wanted to mediate, but Young Master Luo insisted on announcing the engagement; her daughter cried incessantly without saying a word; and the old gentleman made the final decision.

There was no turning back now, so she could only nod in agreement, saying, "This is indeed my fault as a mother for not raising her properly."

I implore you, sir and young master Luo, to consider our past relationship and attribute the annulment to my daughter's poor health, which makes it unsuitable for her to relocate to Lan Jinxi Continent.

My daughter and I are extremely grateful!

Seeing that she was about to kneel down, Jiang Chen quickly stopped her and reassured her, "I will handle this matter properly, please rest assured."

Ye Qingqing felt somewhat conflicted upon learning that the engagement had been called off.

She felt quite reluctant, especially when the other party insisted on taking back the priceless jade pendant.

What girl doesn't love jewelry?

Such exquisite and unique jade, inlaid with green spirit stone, was beautifully designed and worn on her slender waist. With each light step, it reflected a dazzling luster, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

Unfortunately, Luo Jiangchen was a calculating, selfish, and mean-spirited merchant.

After marrying him, Luo Jiangchen was busy traveling between various continents to manage his business, leaving her, at such a young age, to spend a long time alone in an empty house. How was this any different from being a widow?

Which young girl doesn't want to spend her life with her lover, whispering sweet nothings under the moonlit flowers?

Merchants are all about profit; they don't understand romance or tenderness. I'll call off this engagement. Even if I find a man who isn't wealthy but understands my heart, that would be enough to make my life fulfilling!

With this in mind, Ye Qingqing steeled her heart and took off the jade pendant to return it.

Jiang Chen took the jade pendant and turned to leave.

Mr. Ouyang carefully considered his words, thinking about how to say the cancellation of the engagement in a way that would not hurt either side or arouse suspicion among the guests. He then left the room with Mr. Ouyang.

Mother Ye stepped forward, closed the door, sighed, and turned to go into the bedroom.

Ye Qingqing watched Luo Jiangchen's every move, and her last trace of hesitation disappeared. She followed and complained, "Mother, did you see Luo Jiangchen's attitude?"

They said such sweet words when they gave me the jade pendant, showing their deep affection and love for me, but what happened in the end?

My face immediately fell when I got the jade pendant. Clearly, all those sweet words were lies; he didn't love me at all!

If you truly like me, you must kindly persuade me to make a promise…

"You've already made up your mind to break off the engagement, does Young Master Luo have no shame and keep pestering you like a pampered servant?" Mother Ye retorted irritably.

Chapter Five: Whatever

"If it's true love, how could you give up so easily?" Ye Qingqing was filled with resentment.

Looking at her with a face full of disappointment, Ye's mother said, "To be honest, it's all your father's fault!"

If you ask me, what's the point of a proper young lady reading books? Just learning a few characters and being able to read account books so she's not completely illiterate is enough. The most important thing is to read more proper books like "Rules for Women" and "Knowledge of Etiquette," and learn needlework and how to manage a household.

The results of it?

Your father insisted on making you study and learn to read with a bunch of rascals, reading all sorts of messy love stories and novels, corrupting a perfectly good girl like you!

What kind of sincerity do you want?

Young Master Luo is very particular about etiquette. From the time the matchmaker introduced you to your engagement, he has only met you three times in total!

And all of these were in formal settings with so many people in attendance.

He's not some philandering playboy who bribes maids to invite you to a secret rendezvous in the middle of the night. How could he be so head over heels in love with a girl he's never even spoken a few words to before?

The marriage was arranged simply to see if the two families were a good match and if the girl's appearance suited the family.

My dear, why don't you understand?