Claimed Before Them All
929 Words
The moment we stepped onto the staircase, the air shifted.
It was subtle at first but unmistakable.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Like the house itself was holding its breath.
My fingers tightened slightly against the railing as we descended. Each step felt louder than it should, echoing faintly against the polished walls.
Something was wrong.
No something had already gone wrong.
By the time the sitting room came into full view, the reason revealed itself.
My grandmother.
Seated at the center like a ruler on her throne.
Around her were the elders of the Xiao family men and women whose words carried weight, whose decisions shaped lives without hesitation.
No one spoke as we entered.
It was as though they had been waiting.
For us.
For me.
“We greet the elders,” I said softly, lowering my head.
Li Zhen stood beside me, calm as ever, his presence steady almost defiant.
A chorus of low acknowledgments followed, but the warmth expected in such greetings was absent.
Cold.
Distant.
Judging.
I straightened slowly.
And then I met her eyes.
Grandmother.
That same look.
Sharp. Disapproving. Almost… resentful.
She had never liked me.
Not even when I was a child desperate for her approval.
And she had despised my mother even more.
To her, we were stains on the Xiao family name.
Her gaze lingered on me just long enough to remind me of my place… before shifting away, as if I wasn’t even worth her attention.
It landed on Li Zhen.
And her lips curved.
Not kindly.
“Well,” she began, her tone laced with mockery, “it seems the young master of the Li family has quite a lot of free time.”
Silence stretched across the room.
“Sleeping under the Xiao family roof,” she continued, “as though it were your own home…”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“…even after bringing trouble to this family.”
The accusation hung in the air like smoke.
I felt the tension beside me sharpen.
But Li Zhen didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
He simply looked at her.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Almost amused.
“Old Madam Xiao,” he said evenly, “would you care to explain the trouble I’ve supposedly caused?”
A faint murmur rippled among the elders.
Grandmother scoffed, clearly displeased.
“So this is how the Li family raises its heir?” she said, leaning back slightly. “Interrupting elders without a shred of respect.”
Her words were sharp but they didn’t land the way she intended.
Li Zhen remained composed.
If anything, his silence now felt more powerful than any reply.
Grandmother’s expression hardened.
She didn’t like losing control of a conversation.
Without waiting any longer, she spoke again this time with finality.
“The elders of the Xiao family have already reached a decision.”
The room stilled.
Every gaze turned toward her.
Even my breath felt trapped in my chest.
“Xiao Jue,” she continued, her voice steady and commanding, “will be the one to marry into the Li family.”
The words struck like a sudden clap of thunder.
My heart dropped.
Xiao Jue?
Then…
What about me?
“As for Xiao Jiao…” she added, almost dismissively, “another match has been arranged.”
A faint ringing filled my ears.
Another match?
Without my knowledge?
Without my consent?
My fingers curled slightly at my sides.
So this was it.
A decision made for me… as though my life were nothing more than a transaction.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
No one objected.
No one questioned it.
Because in this family, the elders’ words were law.
And yet
Li Zhen laughed.
Softly.
The sound cut through the tension like a blade.
Every head turned toward him.
Even Grandmother’s eyes narrowed.
He lifted his gaze, meeting hers directly.
There was no politeness left now.
Only certainty.
“If that’s the case,” he said slowly, each word deliberate, “then there will be no wedding.”
Shock rippled through the room.
“What did you say?” one of the elders demanded.
Li Zhen didn’t even glance at him.
His eyes remained locked on Grandmother.
“Cancel the engagement between the two families.”
This time, his voice was firmer.
Colder.
Final.
A wave of murmurs erupted.
“This is outrageous”
“How dare he”
“The Li family cannot”
Grandmother raised her hand sharply.
Silence fell instantly.
Her gaze darkened, anger flickering beneath the surface.
“Young man,” she said, her voice low and dangerous, “do you understand the weight of what you’re saying?”
Li Zhen’s lips curved slightly.
“I do.”
“An alliance between the Xiao and Li families is not something you can dismiss on a whim.”
“Then don’t treat it like a game,” he replied smoothly.
The room froze again.
His words landed harder than before.
Deliberate.
Provocative.
And completely unapologetic.
For the first time, I felt it
The shift.
The balance of power in the room… tilting.
Grandmother’s expression turned icy.
“And what exactly do you mean by that?”
Li Zhen finally moved.
Just slightly.
Enough to step forward.
Enough to make his stance unmistakable.
“This engagement,” he said, his voice steady, “was never with Xiao Jue.”
A pause.
Then
“It was with her.”
My breath caught.
Before I could react
I felt it.
His hand.
Closing firmly around mine.
Warm.
Unyielding.
And in that moment, every gaze in the room fell on us.
On me.
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