This only made Qiu Nian even more confused.
He could clearly sense that the girl in front of him was not pretending.
In other words, she genuinely believed that she was about to be forced by her father to marry that so-called childhood companion.
Had her perception been altered somehow?
While Qiu Nian was thinking, Qinglan spoke again.
"So…"
"I would like Mr. Qiu Nian to pretend to be my lover and see how that family—and my father—react."
"If it were an ordinary young talent from Liyue Harbor, that family might become suspicious."
"But if it were you, Mr. Qiu Nian… perhaps that problem would not arise."
Qinglan explained calmly.
Hearing this, Qiu Nian was rather surprised.
Liyue Harbor had no shortage of talented young men.
So why had this young lady specifically sought him out by name?
"Have we met before?"
"Or perhaps you have heard of me somewhere?"
Qiu Nian asked.
"Yes, we have met."
"You don't remember?"
"That time you were taking a stroll at Wangshu Inn, and I happened to pass by. We chatted for a while."
"But before that… I had never heard of you."
Qinglan replied, sounding slightly disappointed.
It seemed she felt hurt that Qiu Nian had forgotten her.
After all, it had only happened recently.
Qiu Nian frowned slightly.
Interesting…
No wonder Qinglan had said "we meet again."
A few days ago, he had indeed wandered around Wangshu Inn.
But he had never encountered this girl.
If Qinglan had simply dreamed about him, that would be even stranger.
Because before that, she had never seen or heard of him.
If she had neither seen nor heard of him—
how could she dream about him?
Moreover, when she saw him just now, she showed no surprise.
Meaning that in her perception, she had truly met him before.
And the version of him in her memory was identical to the one standing before her now.
Which meant—
there was a very high probability that something had tampered with her cognition.
And whatever that thing was—
it seemed to be targeting him.
Qiu Nian was curious.
He wanted to see exactly what kind of existence had altered this girl's mind.
"I agree."
Qiu Nian said calmly.
Qinglan froze for a moment.
She hadn't expected him to accept so easily.
"Thank you for helping me, Mr. Qiu Nian."
"After this matter is resolved, I will pay you ten million Mora as compensation."
She smiled and nodded.
Qiu Nian simply nodded in return.
"Then tomorrow at noon, I will wait for you at the entrance of Xinyue Pavilion."
"We just need to act like a normal couple—strolling around the streets and sharing a meal."
Qinglan stood up gracefully, placing one hand over her chest as she spoke.
For the rest of the evening, the two discussed the plan for tomorrow.
After finishing their conversation, Qiu Nian left Xinyue Pavilion.
By now, night had already fallen.
"Hm…"
Qiu Nian rested one hand on his chin, deep in thought.
Then he turned to Yueshu, who was standing nearby, and walked toward her.
"Miss Yueshu, may I ask about Miss Qinglan?"
"Of course, Mr. Qiu Nian."
Yueshu nodded politely.
In truth—
she had been eavesdropping the entire time.
So Qinglan had used the excuse of an upcoming marriage to get closer to Mr. Qiu Nian.
Qinglan had always presented herself as a gentle noble lady.
Yueshu never expected her to have such a bold idea.
Maybe…
Mr. Qiu Nian will become my brother-in-law in the future.
After all, countless talented young men had pursued Qinglan before—
and she had rejected every one of them.
Perhaps her standards were simply too high.
Now that she thought about it…
Only someone like Qiu Nian would truly match her.
They were practically a perfect pair—handsome and beautiful together.
Of course—
girls of her age were often full of romantic imagination.
"About Miss Qinglan…"
"When did she start believing she was about to get married?"
Qiu Nian asked.
Yueshu hesitated.
She didn't know how to answer.
If she said the wrong thing, wouldn't she ruin Qinglan's plan?
"Listen carefully."
"There's a high possibility that Miss Qinglan has been entangled by some supernatural entity."
"I'm a consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, so I can sense something unusual about her."
"So please answer my question honestly."
Qiu Nian said seriously.
"Miss Qinglan… haunted by a spirit?"
Yueshu was stunned.
"I know you were eavesdropping."
"And I can say this with certainty."
"A while ago, I really did wander around Wangshu Inn."
"But I never encountered Miss Qinglan there."
Qiu Nian added calmly.
Yueshu froze.
Seeing that Qiu Nian was completely serious—
she suddenly felt uneasy.
Although she addressed Qinglan formally as "Miss,"
in private they treated each other like sisters.
They had grown up playing together.
Yueshu's family had been poor.
Thanks to Qinglan's help, she was able to get such a well-paid job.
So she truly cared about Qinglan's safety.
"It started about three months ago…"
"For some reason, Sister Qinglan suddenly believed she would get married in four months."
"And that belief has continued until today."
Yueshu explained.
Thinking back on Qinglan's behavior over the past months sent chills down her spine.
Qinglan was still so young.
Her father would never willingly marry her off so soon.
And during those three months—
her father had only returned once after the Rite of Parting, before leaving abroad again.
And that so-called marriage—
Yueshu had grown up with Qinglan since childhood.
She had never heard of any engagement.
The more she thought about it—
the more terrifying it felt.
Goosebumps rose across her skin.
Worried sick, she quickly told Qiu Nian everything strange she could remember.
"Mr. Qiu Nian…"
"Please save Sister Qinglan."
Yueshu pleaded, tears forming in her eyes.
"Hm…"
"For now, keep this matter secret."
"Don't tell anyone."
"Don't worry—I will help her."
Qiu Nian sighed softly and gave her a reassuring smile.
"But I'll need your help with something."
"I need you to spread the rumor that Miss Qinglan and I are lovers."
"Try to let the news circulate before noon tomorrow."
Yueshu wiped her tears and nodded firmly.
Qiu Nian turned around and began walking toward Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Hm…"
One hand resting on his chin, he continued thinking deeply as he walked.
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