Jarvan needed Chen to give him an answer within three days, and Chen said it was no problem.
Not long after dinner, Garen and Jarvan returned to the training grounds, and Lux, knowing Chen's importance, personally escorted Chen and Powder back.
On the way, Lux and Chen started chatting:
"I didn't expect Jarvan to value you so much. Do you have a way to solve Demacia's current situation?"
Lux's probing was particularly obvious, clearly showing her lack of worldly experience.
But Chen thought about it and agreed; Demacia's constant internal strife among a few major families was truly uninteresting.
Chen kindly reminded Lux:
"I can solve Demacia's problems, but if I intervene, Demacia will inevitably be turned upside down."
Lux continued to ask, already pulling out her small notebook to write:
"What do you mean?"
Chen thought for a moment and then stated his ideas:
"If I am to solve the problem, first, this country cannot be ruled solely by the King; I can propose a constitutional monarchy system for you."
"Second, your current family system must be reformed."
"Third..."
When he got to the third point, Chen looked at Lux and met her gaze:
"Third, Demacia will no longer ban magic and will release innocent mages who have been captured."
None of these three points were achievable by Demacia. Chen was stating a fact: if he were to help, Demacia might indeed become like this.
Chen was trying to dissuade Jarvan, and also subtly refusing.
After speaking, Chen took Powder and jumped out of the carriage, walking back to the inn.
Lux watched Chen's receding figure with a bewildered expression.
Putting aside the first point, she felt a slight stirring for the latter two.
The Crownguard Family had stripped Lux of her life, and the magic ban had stripped her of her talent, also harming ordinary people born with magical talent.
But Lux sighed, knowing this matter was absolutely impossible. After returning, she told Jarvan and Garen about it.
Garen's anger flared after hearing it. He plunged his greatsword into the ground and furiously said:
"Impossible! What nonsense is this Chen talking about? Abolish the family system? Is he not putting my Crownguard Family in his eyes?"
Jarvan patted Garen's shoulder, telling him to calm down. Although he didn't realize Chen was speaking the truth, he understood that Chen was subtly refusing.
Jarvan, with the magnanimity of a monarch, calmly explained to Lux:
"He is making a statement to me. He is reminding me that my country cannot rely on outsiders. He is not from Demacia, he cannot help me, and I cannot rely on him. I must rely on myself."
"Never mind, I cannot force him to help. What he said also makes some sense. Lux, you can communicate more with him later; he has much worth learning from. Chen is a friend worth having..."
...
On the way back,
Powder's small fists vigorously hammered Chen's head:
"So much money! You just said no to it!"
Chen carried Powder on his back, his hands still needing to support Powder's thighs, so he could only take the beating obediently:
"My mistake, my mistake..."
Powder finally let Chen off:
"Hmph! Never mind, it's not wrong not to interfere in other people's internal affairs..."
At the entrance of the inn, Chen saw a familiar person again:
"Oh, my goodness, isn't this Lady Fiora? You're not here to avenge your father, are you?"
Fiora gave Chen a disdainful look, getting angry as she recalled her father's attitude towards her just a few hours ago. She took out a fancy invitation from her bag:
"I'm getting married in two days. My father certainly won't invite you, but I, personally, will invite you, my friend."
After all, Chen was the only one who called her his friend, her only friend, and he had to be invited, even if it caused some conflict with her family.
This was also Fiora's resistance to Destiny.
"Hmm?"
Chen took Fiora's invitation, his brow furrowing slightly:
"No, how is it so fast? I beat up your father like that, and the Crownguard Family didn't break off the engagement?"
Fiora looked at Chen with a gloomy expression:
"The Crownguard Family knows your identity. Their meaning is that you are too strong, and it's not shameful for my father to lose to you; they don't care.
But the damage to our family's reputation is already a foregone conclusion. In just a few hours, half of our family's business orders were lost. Father feared further changes and, to salvage the orders, moved up the date of my marriage into the Crownguard Family."
Chen immediately reverted to his Zaun nature, cursing loudly:
"What kind of father is this? He's useless himself and has to rely on marrying off his daughter to maintain the family? Bah, Fiora, I suggest you acquire a Frostmourne!"
"No matter what, he's still my father... Hmm, what does Frostmourne mean?"
Fiora looked at Chen helplessly. She had already agreed with the first part internally, but no matter what, he was still her father, and she still spoke up for her biological father.
But the latter part, Chen's Lich King's Frostmourne, made her very confused.
Powder explained to Fiora:
"If you don't understand, just pretend he didn't say it, it doesn't matter. His mind is a bit off, don't worry about him. Chen and I will definitely come to your wedding!"
Fiora forced a smile:
"Thank you!"
Powder watched Fiora's departing figure, feeling a little bad. She blinked her big eyes and said to Chen:
"How about we help her? Your word 'friend' might have been said casually back then, but she truly considers us, who met by chance, as friends."
"Who said I just said it casually? You're talking nonsense!"
Chen also watched Fiora's departing figure. He fully felt the tragedy of Demacian women.
Even in the most brutal Noxus, as long as you have ability, both men and women can forge their own paths, while Demacia, this feudal monarchy, still favors men over women, and women mostly have only one outcome: marriage...
Even Fiora, a complete genius swordsman, even Lux, the magical genius of the foremost family...
Chen told Powder behind him:
"We can't help her now. Only when she breaks through the restraints that once bound her can she change and live her own life."
Powder turned to look at Chen:
"When did you learn to speak properly?"
"..."
Chen couldn't follow up, so he abruptly changed the subject:
"Where are we going to play later?"
Powder flicked Chen's forehead again:
"Still playing? Sleep! You think everyone is like you, so energetic after not sleeping all night!"
...
At this time, Jax was not in a hurry to find Chen. He had already sparred with Garen and Jarvan, and as Chen said, he had indeed met his standard.
Moreover, he didn't lay a hand on Lux because in his eyes, Lux knew neither martial arts nor magic, so why bully a little girl?
So Jax went to the border of Demacia to find Poppy and Quinn. After sparring with all the masters of Demacia, he would come back to find Chen.
...
Time flew by, and two days passed like that. In a blink, it was the day of Fiora's wedding.
Chen specially rented a tuxedo for himself and a beautiful pink gown for Powder, somewhat similar to the Sweetheart Annie skin.
"You're beautiful, my Powder!"
"You're handsome, my Chen!"
After a brief exchange of compliments, the two walked towards the wedding venue. The wedding was held in the Crownguard Family's huge courtyard, the same place Chen had visited last time.
At the gate, servants were collecting invitations. Chen secretly peeked:
"They're not asking for money! No need for red envelopes! Yay!"
In China, you give a red envelope as a gift when entering a wedding, but there's no such custom here...
And the Crownguard Family has plenty of money...
Chen swaggered over. The Laurent Family's butler looked at Chen, at the person who had humiliated his family, and exclaimed in surprise:
"You... you... what are you doing here!"
The surrounding guests all looked at Chen, at this yellow-skinned young man. Many of them had heard about the duel a few days ago, so they immediately knew who he was: Chen, the young man who defeated the Laurent Family's patriarch a few days ago.
They began to whisper:
"Isn't that the kid from a few days ago? Why is he at the Laurent Family's wedding?"
"Is he here to cause trouble? He's showing too much disrespect to the Laurent Family..."
"I have a feeling there's a good show coming today, everyone don't miss it!"
Chen naturally handed over the invitation:
"I'm here to watch the wedding, is that not allowed?"
The Laurent Family's butler took the invitation and flipped through it for a long time. There was actually no problem, and the family seal was on it. Then he directly took out the Laurent Family's guest roster and searched for a while.
He couldn't find Chen's name on it, so he turned and shouted at Chen:
"Your name isn't on the roster, the Laurent Family never invited you! What are you doing here? Do you still want to humiliate our Laurent Family?"
Chen pointed at the invitation, which Fiora had clearly given him. Why wouldn't this person admit it?
"How can that be? My invitation is right here!"
"The invitation must be forged by you! Your name isn't on our list!"
The butler knew Chen was strong and didn't want to conflict with him, so he had a sudden idea and shouted directly:
"Everyone, come and see! There's a person here whose invitation is also forged!"
The butler believed that by accusing Chen of not being invited today and coming to cause trouble, everyone would think Chen was a villain, and Chen's honor would be lost in an instant.
The impact of the duel would be infinitely reduced, and the impact of losing the duel wouldn't be as great. Moreover, the family would reward his cleverness!
It was Chen's turn to be stunned. He looked at the invitation in his hand:
"Fiora gave it to me, though? How can it be fake?"
Coincidentally, Fiora's father, Sebastian, happened to walk over at this moment. His first reaction was also to look at Chen in surprise:
"Why are you here?"
The butler immediately said to Sebastian:
"He has a pass, but I suspect he has ill intentions, so I checked the roster, and sure enough, he wasn't on it."
Under everyone's gaze, Sebastian walked up to Chen with his head held high and chest puffed out:
"I didn't invite you. Where did you get a pass? Why are you forging a pass to enter my family's wedding?"
Chen didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he just said:
"Your daughter gave it to me!"
But Sebastian said to the people present:
"How could my daughter invite you? This matter is clearly unreasonable without even thinking about it. Are you deliberately trying to damage the Laurent Family's reputation?"
The questions from everyone came one after another, and Chen was now unable to defend himself.
Just as Chen was about to retort, the royal carriage outside the door opened, and a handsome young man stepped out. He held his head high and said faintly:
"I invited him. Do you have any objections?"
The scene erupted in an uproar. Almost all the gentlemen present removed their hats and bowed or curtsied, while the ladies curtsied with their skirts, followed by a chorus of greetings:
"Greetings, Prince Jarvan."
"..."