Chapter 51: The Agreement

For many years, the Fang family has desperately denied that they were once dependents of the Lei family, considering it a deeply disgraceful matter. Now, with the Fang family's considerable influence and their ambition to rival the Lei family on equal terms, they naturally go to even greater lengths to conceal the past.

However, some members of the younger generation within the Fang family are still aware of it.

Within the family, this piece of history is regarded as a humiliation, and mentioning it is strictly forbidden.

Now that Lei Bin has brought it up so abruptly, Fang Tan is instantly enraged and ready to resort to violence.

"Lei Bin, step outside with me for a moment. I have something to say to you." Seeing that Fang Tan is about to strike, Baili Xue suddenly takes a step forward, placing herself between Fang Tan and Lei Bin, and addresses the latter.

With this intervention, Fang Tan finds himself unable to make a move, and the fist he had already raised is forced back down.

Lei Bin, whose anger was also flaring as he desperately calculated various ways to take down this Fang Tan, is saved by Baili Xue's timely appearance, which diffuses what was about to become a major brawl.

*Damn it, this guy is a tier-three martial artist; he's really not easy to defeat.* After processing countless possibilities through the Starmap system, Lei Bin realizes that even with a sneak attack, the probability of defeating Fang Tan is extremely low.

After all, a gap in raw strength is not so easily bridged.

"Hmph, a lackey will always be a lackey. That can never change." Lei Bin looks down at Fang Tan with arrogant disdain, wearing a thoroughly contemptuous expression.

"You... Lei Bin, do you dare accept my challenge? Tomorrow at the school arena, let's sign a life-and-death pact and fight to the death." Fang Tan is driven nearly to the point of explosion by Lei Bin, every word forced out between clenched teeth.

Hearing the challenge, Lei Bin casts a dismissive glance at him and replies indifferently, "Are you an idiot, or am I? You're a tier-three martial artist, and I'm only at tier one, yet you want a fight to the death? Why don't you go down to a kindergarten and challenge a toddler instead? A life-and-death pact? Do you really think that piece of paper means anything? Let me ask you something: if anything were to happen to me here at school, do you honestly believe the old man back at my house wouldn't march a fleet of warships straight here and flatten your entire Fang family into dust?"

At this moment, seeing that Lei Bin is still tangling with Fang Tan, Baili Xue reaches out and links her arm through his, giving him a gentle tug to signal that they should leave and put an end to the pointless wrangling.

When Lei Bin feels Baili Xue actually linking her arm through his, the touch of her warm, soft skin against his sends a jolt straight through him, as if he has been struck by lightning, turning his limbs entirely weak.

Thus, he casts a supremely triumphant and provocative look toward Fang Tan, implying: *See? Baili Xue is linking her arm with mine right now. She's my future wife, and it's going to drive you crazy.*

Seeing that triumphant look, Fang Tan's face shifts rapidly from pale green to deep red, and then to stark white, much like a chameleon.

Baili Xue gives Lei Bin's arm another tug. Too lazy to squander any more time on Fang Tan, Lei Bin simply goes along with her and departs, leaving Fang Tan standing in place, grinding his teeth so hard they nearly shatter.

The exact moment Lei Bin and Baili Xue step out the door, a mouthful of fresh blood gushes from Fang Tan's lips.

He has been utterly defeated in this confrontation with Lei Bin. If he wants to fight, Lei Bin simply refuses to engage—and not out of cowardice, but because the point has been made crystal clear: *I am tier one, and you are tier three; even if you win, there is no honor in it.* Furthermore, even if they were to enter the arena and sign a life-and-death pact, would he actually dare to beat Lei Bin to death? Lei Bin is completely right: if he were to truly kill Lei Bin, Lei Na would cast aside all hesitation and completely obliterate the Fang clan.

Without Lei Bin, the Lei family would have no heirs left, pushing the lineage to the brink of extinction. With nothing left to lose, what could they possibly fear? Lei Na would undoubtedly go to any lengths necessary.

Right now, Lei Bin is unquestionably the single most untouchable person in the entire Federation. If any harm were to come to him, the entire Federation would suffer a massive political earthquake.

If that were all, he might still be able to swallow the humiliation. The crucial blow comes at the very end when Baili Xue takes the initiative to link her arm through Lei Bin's, having previously intervened to stop the fight—clearly to protect Lei Bin.

That is the deepest cut of all.

The person he loves to the absolute depths of his soul has ultimately thrown herself into the arms of his mortal enemy and stood against him. That sensation is a heart-shattering torment.

Everyone else watches Fang Tan with looks of pity, well aware of how suffocatingly humiliated he is, yet completely helpless to intervene. On every single front, he is entirely outmatched.

Even Royce, who was his rival in love just moments ago, comes over and pats Fang Tan's shoulder in a gesture of consolation. Although Royce is also furious that Baili Xue has left with Lei Bin, he has certainly not suffered a blow of this magnitude.

Royce is a fickle man who scatters his affections everywhere, incapable of loving any woman with genuine depth. Therefore, even upon discovering that Baili Xue's heart belongs to another, he feels nothing more than a passing surge of jealousy and mild annoyance, entirely immune to the devastating devastation crushing Fang Tan.

"Damn it, how could Baili Xue possibly fall for that little punk? Literally anyone else here is hundreds of times better than him," Royce spits out, cursing bitterly.

"Exactly. That little punk just relies on the Lei family's influence. What's so great about him?"

"Sigh, who can compete with someone born into such an incredible family? There's just no comparing."

"Don't put it quite like that. Controversial as some of his actions might be, Lei Bin's actual strength is undeniably formidable. Leaving aside the heroic feat of leading thousands of people to break through an enemy blockade, just look at how he answered the teacher's question in class today. It's clear he's far more than what he appears on the surface."

"True. Anyone from a different major would never understand those concepts. Those frivolous antics he puts on might just be a smokescreen to confuse people."

"Still, I can't figure out why he's worthy of Baili Xue. If it were Lei Lei from their family, that would at least make some sense."

"But marriages in families of this caliber are beyond anyone else's interference. Looking at Baili Xue's expression, she's clearly unwilling. Yet, since her family decreed a political alliance with the Lei family, she has no power to resist."

"Precisely. That is the tragedy of belonging to a great family."

A group of people lingers here, sighing and pouring out their feelings of melancholy and jealousy now that the goddess has been claimed. Because they all share the exact same sentiment, they find common ground easily, growing more and more congenial as they chat, with many forming genuine friendships through the shared misery.

Meanwhile, escorted by Baili Xue, Lei Bin has already left the teaching building.

Lei Bin feels as though his stride has turned somewhat stiff because, for as long as he can remember, this is the very first time a girl has ever linked her arm through his—especially a girl who happens to be his prospective wife.

This sensation causes the hormones within his body to surge wildly, making his entire being feel strange and his limbs temporarily uncooperative.

*Damn it, why am I being so useless? Even when I was hacked to pieces back in the day, I never acted like this,* Lei Bin thinks, filled with profound dissatisfaction toward his own reaction, though entirely powerless to control it.

Baili Xue is well aware of Lei Bin's stiffness, prompting a slight frown to form between her brows as she muses inwardly: *Judging by his behavior, he seems to have never been close to a girl before. Yet, the rumors paint him as a lecherous and shameless little punk. Could all those stories truly be malicious slander?*

Continuing to hold his arm, Baili Xue leads him into a small grove on the campus grounds before finally releasing him and turning to face him.

Seeing that Baili Xue has stopped and is simply gazing steadily at him, Lei Bin feels an acute sense of awkwardness, unsure of where to place his hands. With a rather stiff, awkward smile, he ventures, "Well... nice to see you."

After that, his mind goes completely blank, leaving him with nothing more to say.

Noticing his reaction, Baili Xue finds it somewhat amusing. Unsure whether this is merely an elaborate act put on by Lei Bin, she maintains a solemn expression and says indifferently, "Lei Bin, my grandfather has already informed me about the arrangement between us. To be honest, this is not what I wanted. However, for the sake of my family's interests, I am willing to accept it. I asked you out here today because I want to propose an agreement, and I hope you will agree to it."

"Huh? An agreement? What kind of agreement?"

Baili Xue's words carry a distinct trace of ruthlessness—making it clear that she is only accepting him as a fiancé because of familial interests, completely devoid of any affection and dripping with cold indifference.

However, Lei Bin does not particularly mind this attitude because he deeply empathizes with the feeling of being forced into something against one's will.

After all, he is currently being tortured by the Starmap system and trapped under the heavy shackles imposed by the Lei family; that sensation is far from pleasant. When something is entirely contrary to your personal desires yet mandatory, it truly feels akin to being violated.

Baili Xue didn't even know him previously, and now she is suddenly told she must become his wife, so developing genuine feelings overnight is obviously impossible. If Baili Xue had approached him with overwhelming warmth and flirtatious winks right from the start, Lei Bin would have felt deeply unsettled instead. Unwarranted displays of excessive affection always harbor hidden motives or deceit. In contrast, her current attitude feels entirely normal.

Therefore, Lei Bin feels no resentment toward her words; instead, he merely asks with slight bewilderment about the nature of this agreement.

Seeing that Lei Bin's expression lacks the repulsion she anticipated and remains remarkably calm, Baili Xue is slightly taken aback before continuing, "Our marriage is entirely a political alliance, built on no mutual affection. For the sake of my family, I can accept it, but I hope you will grant me a few years of freedom. Throughout our university years, I will remain myself, and you must not treat me as your woman. Of course, during this period, I will never involve myself with any other man; the women of the Baili family do not bring shame upon their lineage. Once we graduate from university, I will marry you, and from that moment onward, I will be your woman and a member of the Lei family. I simply wish to have a few years that belong entirely to myself."

Hearing this, Lei Bin is momentarily stunned before immediately realizing that beneath Baili Xue's exterior lies a fierce streak of rebellion; she simply possesses a greater grasp of the bigger picture and is willing to sacrifice herself for the family's welfare.

Yet, she also yearns to claim a segment of her own life before being completely bartered away by her clan.

A powerful wave of resonance washes over Lei Bin. His expression instantly shifts to one of sorrow and indignation as he declares, "Baili Xue, to tell you the truth, I am just as helpless regarding this marriage. It was that damned old man back home who secretly locked in this engagement behind my back, all to forge an alliance with your Baili family and boost their political influence. I resisted with every fiber of my being because I refuse to let my emotions become a tool for familial interests; I only wanted to find a simple, genuine love of my own. But then my father came to me, tears in his eyes as he laid out the harsh realities, telling me that I am the final hope of the Lei family and must sacrifice myself for the clan's survival. I... I couldn't bear to see my father in such agony, which is why I ultimately relented and accepted this match. I completely understand your feelings, and I agree to your proposal wholeheartedly. Let us both hold onto a period of freedom that belongs to us. As for the future, we can only submit to the arrangement of fate; no matter how bitter it may grow, we must walk this path to the end."

By the time Lei Bin finishes speaking, his eyes are brimming with boundless grievance and swimming with unshed tears, as if he has endured the greatest injustice in the universe.