Never Coming Back

Gu Chengyin was not surprised that Shangguan Yunying would come.

Because on the night of the second hypnosis, Shangguan Yunying had explicitly stated that she was well aware of the changes in Luo Zhao before and after.

She was also well aware that it was Gu Chengyin who had controlled Luo Zhao.

Her previous initiative to approach Gu Chengyin was actually to save Luo Zhao.

And now, as long as Shangguan Yunying had truly awakened from the hypnosis, she would experience a gap in her memory.

Comparing Luo Zhao's current state with her previous one, given Shangguan Yunying's keen perception,

she would inevitably guess what had happened.

Gu Chengyin slowly released his grip on Shangguan Yunying's wrist.

But he didn't let go completely, smoothly grasping the hilt of her sword instead.

"Give me the sword first, alright?"

Shangguan Yunying did not resist.

She loosened her grip, allowing Gu Chengyin to take the sword and toss it into the corner of the room.

Now, there were no longer any weapons between the two of them.

Shangguan Yunying remained leaning against the wall, the back of her crimson palace dress pressed against the mottled bricks.

She looked up at Gu Chengyin.

She was waiting for an explanation.

Gu Chengyin took a small step forward.

This step shortened the distance between them until they were almost touching.

Then he reached out his arms and gently wrapped them around Shangguan Yunying's waist.

This movement was very sudden; Shangguan Yunying's body stiffened for a moment, but ultimately she did not push him away.

She even rested her forehead against Gu Chengyin's chest.

From a distance, this posture looked exactly like a pair of lovers cuddling together.

Who could have imagined that just moments ago they were engaged in a life-and-death struggle?

"Yunying."

Gu Chengyin spoke softly:

"I know that for a woman as beautiful and intelligent as you, getting angry in this situation is only natural."

"But whether you believe it or not, in my heart, you have always been the person I trust the most and the most important person to me."

This sentence, Gu Chengyin truly meant from the bottom of his heart.

Among so many people, she was the only one he felt he owed something to.

Listening to Gu Chengyin's tender words, Shangguan Yunying's heart finally softened.

Her body slowly relaxed, and she raised her hands from her sides, slipping them around Gu Chengyin's waist to gently embrace him.

"Then why did you... bully me..."

Shangguan Yunying's muffled voice came from Gu Chengyin's chest, full of grievance and reproach.

This was neither the calm and capable chief female official nor the murderous sword cultivator from just now.

But rather a wronged woman complaining to her beloved.

Gu Chengyin's heart trembled slightly. He took the opportunity to tighten his arms, pulling her completely into his embrace.

"I'm sorry, Yunying."

"I never intended to hurt you. Mainly, I just didn't want to put you in a difficult position."

"And I promise."

"I absolutely did not harm Her Highness, not even a single hair."

After a long while, Shangguan Yunying's muffled voice sounded again:

"Really?"

Gu Chengyin blinked.

This question was a bit tricky.

Did those tests count as harm?

Did psychological harm count as harm?

But Gu Chengyin knew he couldn't hesitate at this moment.

"Testing shouldn't count, right?"

He asked cautiously, a trace of guilt in his tone:

"It was just... testing whether Her Highness was truly hypnotized."

"You know how powerful Her Highness is. If she was faking it again, I would be dead."

Shangguan Yunying fell silent. She certainly knew exactly how Gu Chengyin had tested her.

But she couldn't say it out loud at this time.

After a while, Shangguan Yunying spoke again.

"So, why did you do such a thing to Her Highness?"

This was a threat, but also a way out.

If Gu Chengyin's explanation did not satisfy her, Shangguan Yunying would continue to carry out this threat.

But if the explanation was reasonable, she could be persuaded.

Gu Chengyin understood. He slowly spat out a few words:

"Because of His Majesty."

This answer stunned Shangguan Yunying.

She had thought of many possible answers: for power, for self-preservation, or even to deceive her.

But she never expected the answer to be His Majesty.

Shangguan Yunying raised her head slightly, pulling back a little distance from Gu Chengyin's embrace to see his expression clearly.

Half of his face was bright, and the other half was hidden in the shadows, but his eyes were very serious, not looking like a casually fabricated excuse.

Could it be that Gu Chengyin truly had a reason that forced him to do it?

Thoughts raced through Shangguan Yunying's mind.

But she didn't question him further. Instead, she rested her forehead back against Gu Chengyin's chest, her hands still wrapped around his waist.

This posture made her feel very comfortable; she could hear his heartbeat, feel his body temperature, and... embrace him as a matter of course.

Previously, under hypnosis, she had to obey him.

Now, she was wide awake, yet she still chose to obey.

The subtle difference in this was something only Shangguan Yunying herself understood.

"I'm listening,"

she said softly, her tone filled with patience and anticipation.

Seeing that Shangguan Yunying didn't raise any doubts, Gu Chengyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

As long as she was willing to listen, it meant that Shangguan Yunying was rational and could be reasoned with.

"Do you remember when His Majesty promoted me to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites?"

Shangguan Yunying gave an sound of acknowledgment.

"But this matter is actually not that simple."

"The greatest responsibility of the Right Vice Minister of Rites is to interface with the immortal cultivation sects, regularly inspect the major sects, and represent the imperial court in dealing with the cultivation world."

"If I were an ordinary person, this would indeed be a plum job."

"But unfortunately, my identity is the heir of the Qingyun Immortal Clan."

Gu Chengyin paused, letting the weight of this sentence sink in:

"Yunying, do you know what this means?"

This question was asked very cleverly.

It was both an explanation and a probe.

Shangguan Yunying blinked.

Of course she knew. During the family banquet at the Shangguan residence, Jiang Jianli had explained it very clearly.

Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly thought of something and immediately stopped herself.

She shouldn't know.

Because according to the timeline, she was still under hypnosis at that time and wouldn't have that memory.

This bad man!

Shangguan Yunying felt both annoyed and amused in her heart.

Even at a time like this, Gu Chengyin didn't forget to try and trick her.

But Shangguan Yunying showed nothing on her face, deliberately feigning ignorance as she asked:

"I think I heard my grandfather mention it... but I'm not very clear on the details. Is there something wrong?"

This answer was very smart.

It admitted to knowing something while stating that the knowledge wasn't detailed, and also provided a reasonable source for the explanation.

This was exactly what Gu Chengyin had expected.

Then he briefly repeated Jiang Jianli's explanation.

And finally summarized:

"So, this is actually an open scheme."

"His Majesty knows my identity, and he also knows the situation in the cultivation world."

"But he still promoted me to this position. If I don't accept it, that's defying an imperial decree."

"If I accept it, then as the Right Vice Minister of Rites, I will inevitably have to leave the Divine Capital to inspect the sects."

"If I can come back alive, then everyone is happy."

"But what if... I can't come back?"

When he finished saying this, Gu Chengyin clearly felt Shangguan Yunying's body stiffen in his arms.

Shangguan Yunying raised her head and looked at Gu Chengyin.

His expression was very calm, but his eyes held an incredibly cruel clarity.

"What... do you mean?"

Gu Chengyin sighed and said softly:

"Those cultivation sects are undeniably powerful, but I am no weakling either. Not to mention, we still have the Azure Sword Sect."

"However, the true killing blow rarely comes from the front; it comes from behind."

"What if... and I am just saying what if."

"His Majesty is the one who wants me dead?"