The moment these words left her mouth, before Gu Chengyin could even react, Luo Zhao exploded internally, almost switching out of her conscious puppet state.
What is wrong with Shangguan Yunying?!
Was this the plan?!
This wasn't what she said at all!
Weren't you, Shangguan Yunying, supposed to be the one being bullied?!
This was all to solidify the illusion of the hypnosis, to make Gu Chengyin believe that everything was truly under his control.
But now?
What is Shangguan Yunying doing?!
Not only was she not following the plan, but she was also saying such... such indecent things in front of Gu Chengyin!
Is Shangguan Yunying still the Chief Court Lady or not?!
Does she have even the most basic loyalty left?!
Or could it be...
Did Gu Chengyin drug Shangguan Yunying?!
Is this bastard really that good?!
Meanwhile, Gu Chengyin froze upon hearing her words.
Immediately after, alarm bells rang in his head.
Something was wrong.
This was a massive trap!
This was absolutely not something Shangguan Yunying would say.
At least, not something a dutiful Chief Court Lady would say.
Was she probing him?
Or seducing him?
But whichever it was, it carried an intent he could not currently comprehend.
"Yunying, what are you saying."
Gu Chengyin took a half-step back, creating some distance between himself and Shangguan Yunying, and said with a hint of mild anger:
"How could I possibly have such thoughts? Besides, the person I like is you."
Gu Chengyin spoke these words fluently and naturally, with utmost sincerity.
But what greeted him were Shangguan Yunying's smiling eyes.
She wasn't disappointed by his denial, nor did she retreat because he stepped back.
She merely gestured toward Luo Zhao on the bed, the corners of her lips curving into a sly arc.
"Really?"
"Then why are you controlling Her Highness, and using her to threaten me?"
Shangguan Yunying leaned forward a half-step, closing the distance between them once more.
Her gaze locked straight onto Gu Chengyin, the amusement in her eyes deepening.
"No matter how I look at it, you don't seem like a good person at all~"
These words...
Gu Chengyin's breath hitched slightly.
This tone, this demeanor, this phrasing...
Half-reproachful, half-angry, half-truth, half-falsehood.
She didn't seem at all like a court lady being blackmailed; rather, she seemed like she was flirting with her lover.
Gu Chengyin could no longer figure out Shangguan Yunying's thoughts at all.
What on earth was this woman thinking?
Could it be that because Luo Zhao was under hypnotic control, she lost her psychological burden and simply let herself go completely?
Or was this actually some sort of superior probing, using this borderline betrayal to test his true attitude?
Gu Chengyin's brain worked at lightning speed.
But no matter how he deduced, he couldn't find a completely reasonable explanation.
Because women, fundamentally, had no logic.
Especially a woman as smart and beautiful as Shangguan Yunying.
Gentle and capable on the surface, but actually incredibly meticulous and sensitive.
Seemingly unfailingly loyal, but harboring complex emotions.
She should hate him to the bone, yet she liked him so much she couldn't help herself.
The behavioral logic of such a woman had long surpassed the realm of deduction.
Ultimately, Gu Chengyin decided to give up guessing and asked directly:
"Yunying, what exactly are you trying to do?"
His voice was calm, with no questioning or anger, only a frank sincerity.
The smile on Shangguan Yunying's face slowly faded.
That sly, teasing look receded, replaced by an unparalleled seriousness.
"Gu Chengyin, you are actually still suspicious of Her Highness, aren't you?"
Gu Chengyin was slightly taken aback.
He didn't answer immediately, but quietly looked at Shangguan Yunying.
After a long while, he finally nodded.
"Yes."
Shangguan Yunying seemed to have expected this answer long ago; there was no look of surprise on her face.
She continued asking:
"Is it because last time, Her Highness broke free from your control, so this time you can never truly put your mind at ease, right?"
Gu Chengyin nodded again, admitting to this fact.
The moonlight shone through the window onto his face, casting his features in half-light and half-shadow.
A trace of complex emotion flashed in Shangguan Yunying's eyes as she slowly spoke:
"I want to give you an opportunity."
"An opportunity that will let you completely put your mind at ease."
Gu Chengyin's pupils suddenly contracted as he looked into Shangguan Yunying's eyes.
There was no trace of a joke in those eyes, only profound determination.
She was serious.
This realization made Gu Chengyin's heart skip a heavy beat.
Shangguan Yunying was Luo Zhao's Chief Court Lady.
Her loyalty had never wavered.
But now... she was saying she wanted to give him an opportunity?
Is this reasonable?
Countless questions flashed through Gu Chengyin's mind in an instant.
Is this a trap?
Is it a more advanced probe authorized by Luo Zhao?
Or could it be that Shangguan Yunying had developed feelings for him strong enough to betray Luo Zhao?
Gu Chengyin did not speak.
He just quietly looked at Shangguan Yunying, trying to find the answer in those eyes.
And Shangguan Yunying seemed to see right through his doubts.
"Are you thinking right now..."
"Aren't I the Chief Court Lady? How could I do such a thing?"
Gu Chengyin nodded.
Let alone him, anyone would be suspicious of such a thing.
Suspicious of Shangguan Yunying's motives, suspicious of her loyalty, suspicious of whether there was a grander conspiracy hidden behind this.
But Shangguan Yunying didn't explain, didn't justify herself.
She didn't even continue this topic.
Instead, she opened her arms and stepped forward to embrace Gu Chengyin once again.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face in the crook of Gu Chengyin's neck.
"Gu Chengyin..."
"Have you ever thought about..."
"How important you are to me, and to Her Highness?"
Shangguan Yunying spoke these words very slowly, each syllable seemingly dug out from the deepest depths of her heart.
Gu Chengyin was stunned, momentarily not knowing how to respond.
Shangguan Yunying continued speaking on her own:
"Last time, Her Highness did indeed break free from your control."
"But did Her Highness do anything to you?"
"She didn't do anything at all, did she?"
Gu Chengyin frowned. Put that way, it wasn't wrong.
After breaking free from the hypnosis last time, Luo Zhao truly hadn't taken any action.
But not doing anything didn't mean forgiveness; enduring silently was just preparation for a counter-kill.
Gu Chengyin was still very clear on the difference between the two.
"Yunying."
"I understand what you mean."
"But this is merely mutual exploitation."
This was the most rational explanation he could provide.
Luo Zhao needed him, and he needed Luo Zhao.
Each taking what they needed, mutually exploiting each other.
Nothing more.
However, these words seemed to strike Shangguan Yunying's most sensitive nerve.
She abruptly lifted her head, her eyes already turning red. She stared straight at Gu Chengyin, her eyes churning with near-collapsing emotions.
"Then what about me!?"
Shangguan Yunying's voice suddenly rose, sounding particularly piercing in the quiet bedchamber.
But she didn't care at all whether she would wake up the soundly sleeping Luo Zhao.
She just stared dead at Gu Chengyin, tears finally rolling down from her eyes.
Sliding down her cheeks, sparkling in the moonlight.
"I am Her Highness's Chief Court Lady!"
"You are the person I like the most!"
"If in the future, it must come down to life and death between the two of you..."
"What am I supposed to do!?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
