As the two were about to leave, Cheng An arrived.
Upon hearing this, Ling Luo Yi and the other looked over, exchanged a glance, and both shook their heads, not recognizing him.
"The two of you, my young master requests your presence."
"Who is your young master?" Ling Luo Xiao asked.
"My young master is the eldest young master of the Fang family." Seeing that Ling Luo Yi didn't recall, he added, "Ten days ago, at the Alchemist Guild, the eldest young lady Ling saved my young master."
"Oh, it's that person who was poisoned by the Azure Phosphorus Snake," Ling Luo Yi remembered. "Is he better now?"
"My young master has recovered greatly and is currently at the Mingyue Tower, asking me to invite the two of you up."
"Fourth brother, let's go take a look. Maybe we can get a free meal."
"Luo'er, it's not like we can't afford to eat," Ling Luo Xiao said helplessly.
"Oh, come on, let's go."
Cheng An led the way, and Ling Luo Yi pulled Ling Luo Xiao along.
"Young master, the eldest young lady Ling and fourth young master Ling have arrived."
With a creak, the door was opened by a woman.
"Please come in, the two of you."
Ling Luo Yi and the other walked in and found a total of three men and two women inside, each with their own maids and servants.
"Please sit, the two of you," said the person at the head.
Ling Luo Yi was not polite and sat down directly.
"May I ask what business you have with me?" Ling Luo Yi asked directly.
She always disliked unnecessary pleasantries and chatting with others during meals.
Fang Yan Ning smiled and introduced, "Eldest young lady Ling, allow me to introduce them. This is my eldest brother, Fang Yan Qing, the one you saved at the Alchemist Guild. These two are my fourth brother, Fang Yan Hai, and fifth brother, Fang Yan Qiao. This is my second sister, Fang Yan Xi. I am Fang Yan Ning. May I ask if eldest young lady Ling still remembers me?"
"Miss Fang the third, yes, I remember. So, what is it?"
"Eldest young lady Ling, it's like this. At the Alchemist Guild, it was eldest young lady Ling who saved me. I've always wanted to thank eldest young lady Ling personally. I couldn't visit a few days ago because I wasn't feeling well. I had originally planned to speak with eldest young lady Ling privately at the palace banquet, but I never found the opportunity. Since we met today, I had Cheng An invite you up."
As he spoke, Fang Yan Qing stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "Thank you, eldest young lady Ling, for saving me. I know everything that happened that day. If it weren't for eldest young lady Ling's rescue, I would have already returned to the underworld. I will repay eldest young lady Ling's life-saving grace with my own life."
Ling Luo Yi watched, her mouth twitching, and said, "Alright, alright, it was just a small effort, not anything important. Besides, I only did it because Miss Fang the third was truly distressed."
For her brother, she disregarded her own injuries and pleaded earnestly.
After her brother was saved, to thank her, she even knelt in front of everyone.
Ling Luo Yi didn't know why Fang Yan Ning did that, but Fang Yan Ning's tearful appearance reminded her of Ling Luo Ran.
When she first saw Ling Luo Ran, she noticed that Ling Luo Ran's eyes were very dry, not as dewy as when she was a child, likely due to prolonged crying.
Therefore, seeing Fang Yan Ning cry like that, Ling Luo Yi felt a pang of compassion.
Hearing that it also concerned her, Fang Yan Ning looked at Ling Luo Yi with a bewildered expression.
"Regardless, it was eldest young lady Ling's intervention that saved my life," Fang Yan Qing said, picking up his teacup. "A life-saving grace should be remembered."
"If you want to remember, then remember. Do as you please," Ling Luo Yi also picked up her teacup, took a sip, frowned slightly, and then put the teacup down.
She still couldn't get used to the tea here.
For a moment, the private room was quiet.
Fang Yan Qiao broke the silence and said, "Eldest young lady Ling seems to be different from other young ladies."
"Oh?" Ling Luo Yi was very curious.
"If other young ladies received my eldest brother's promise, they would be incredibly excited. Eldest young lady Ling seems to have no reaction at all."
"Why should I have a reaction?" Ling Luo Yi asked.
"Don't you think my eldest brother is graceful and handsome? Moreover, my eldest brother's cultivation is quite good, and he is the direct eldest young master of the Fang family!"
When Fang Yan Qiao praised his eldest brother, he was truly eloquent.
Fang Yan Qing tugged at Fang Yan Qiao's sleeve, but Fang Yan Qiao ignored him.
"So?" Ling Luo Yi asked, her eyes wide open.
"Ah?!" Fang Yan Qiao was genuinely confused. Since childhood, he had seen countless people who liked his eldest brother and wanted to be his sister-in-law. This was the first time he had seen someone completely indifferent to his eldest brother.
Ling Luo Yi propped her head up and said, "Fifth young master Fang says eldest young master Fang is graceful and handsome. Is my eldest brother not good-looking?"
"No, no," Fang Yan Qiao said anxiously.
Although the Ling family had been kicked out of the noble families and declined, everyone agreed with the appearance of the Ling family members. Each of them was envied and jealous of their looks, especially the eldest branch of the Ling family.
Eldest young lady Ling had been missing for many years, so she might not know, but eldest young master Ling had grown up in the public eye, with sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, and a handsome and elegant demeanor.
"Eldest young master Fang has good cultivation. Is my eldest brother inferior?" Ling Luo Yi asked again.
"This..."
He didn't know about this. Ling Luo Chen hadn't displayed his strength for a long time.
However, he heard that when the Yuan family patriarch came to their door, Ling Luo Chen had even taken three moves.
From this, it seemed that Ling Luo Chen's cultivation was no lower than his eldest brother's.
"Eldest young master Fang is indeed the direct eldest young master of a first-class family. I admit that the Ling family has declined, but who would dare to look down on the current Ling family? Who would dare to bully them?"
"This..." Fang Yan Qiao was about to break down.
The Ling family had indeed declined, but it couldn't change the fact that the Ling family was once the head of the five great noble families. Moreover, even for the sake of Ling Luo Yi, no one would dare to bully the current Ling family.
"As for fifth young master Fang saying I am different from other young ladies, why should I be the same as other young ladies? Life is a journey. If one lives like others, wouldn't it be a wasted life?"
Life is a journey. If one lives like others, wouldn't it be a wasted life!
Ling Luo Yi's words shocked everyone in the private room. They had never heard such words before.
"Therefore, I am Ling Luo Yi, and I am only Ling Luo Yi. I am not someone's young lady, daughter, sister, or elder sister."
"But when others mention you, they still say you are the eldest young lady of the Ling family."
"But they also know that the Ling family has declined. Can a young lady from a declining family be addressed with honorifics?"
The Fang family members were shocked again.
Yes, a young lady from a declining family would not be taken seriously enough to be addressed with honorifics. But the title of Eldest Young Lady Ling was by no means a joke!
Therefore, the Eldest Young Lady Ling that others spoke of was not due to the Ling family's importance, but because she brought the Ling family into the public eye and thus gained importance!
"Eldest young lady Ling lives so freely, it's truly enviable," Fang Yan Xi said with emotion.
"If second young lady Fang likes it, you can too."
"Me? I can't. I am the second young lady of the Fang family. Everything must be for the family."
"Second young lady Fang, your identity is merely something that allows others to understand you better, nothing more."
"Eldest young lady Ling, you have lived outside for a long time and don't understand family matters well. We are born into families and grow up in families. Our upbringing teaches us to bring honor to the family and never to bring shame upon it."
"I will never reach the level of awareness that you have. If the family restricts me, while I won't abandon it, I will distance myself."
"Isn't that equivalent to betraying the clan?"
"Is living for oneself equivalent to betraying the clan? I really don't know. Fourth brother, what do you think?"