Gu Chengyin did not answer.
At this point, no amount of words could be as effective as action.
He reached out and wrapped his arm around Lin Qingyan's waist.
Then, he kissed her without hesitation.
Lin Qingyan did not resist; she was even more proactive.
Wrapping both arms around Gu Chengyin's neck, she pressed her body closer, their breaths intertwining.
The candlelight cast their shadows onto the wall, melting them into a single silhouette where one could not tell them apart.
The kiss was very long.
It was so long that it seemed to melt away all the longing, all the grievances, and all the joy of the past few days.
It was so long that it seemed to turn all the unspoken words into the intimacy of this very moment.
After a long time.
The two slowly parted.
Both were breathing a little heavily, their eyes carrying a hint of haziness.
The candlelight fell on their faces, clearly illuminating that lazy look of satisfaction.
Gu Chengyin looked at Lin Qingyan and said earnestly,
"Little Aunt."
"I missed you very much."
Lin Qingyan's eyelashes fluttered.
The last trace of lingering anger in her eyes finally dissipated completely.
It was replaced by gentleness, satisfaction, and something indescribable—like pride, or perhaps contentment.
The corners of her mouth curled up, blooming into a smile.
There was a light flashing in her eyes, the kind of light that only appears when someone you like expresses their longing for you.
But soon, her smile settled down.
Lin Qingyan stared at Gu Chengyin, her gaze returning to its usual coldness.
"Gu Chengyin."
Gu Chengyin looked at her, waiting for what was to come.
"I know what I am doing, and I know why I am doing it."
"So what you need to do is make me happy."
"Instead of making me angry at inexplicable times."
"Do you understand?"
Gu Chengyin nodded vigorously.
As long as Lin Qingyan wasn't blindly blinded by love, he certainly wouldn't actively ask for trouble.
After all, in terms of strength, Lin Qingyan could pin him to the ground and electrocute him.
And not just once.
Many times.
Images of being shocked unconscious flashed through Gu Chengyin's mind, making his mouth twitch slightly and his expression even more sincere.
But looking at it now, Lin Qingyan was clear-headed, and that was enough for him.
However, Gu Chengyin truly hadn't expected that they hadn't even started to keep their distance yet.
Just calling her Lord Jingzhe had actually provoked such a huge reaction from Lin Qingyan.
"Yes, Little Aunt! I promise!"
Seeing Gu Chengyin like this, Lin Qingyan gave a cold snort but said no more.
She threw herself back into Gu Chengyin's embrace, burying her face in his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his waist as she nestled completely into his arms.
Gu Chengyin held her gently, resting his chin on the top of her head, the faint cold fragrance of her lingering at his nose.
Neither of them spoke again.
Only the candlelight swayed quietly beside them.
Outside the window, the night was still deep. Moonlight spilled in through the lattice, adding a touch of cold, soft light to this warm scene.
The very faint sound of a watchman's drum came from afar, reminding people that the night was late.
Leaning against Gu Chengyin's chest, Lin Qingyan lowered her eyelashes. She appeared to be resting her eyes, but her mind was already filled with a myriad of thoughts.
She had discovered something, something very important.
Gu Chengyin...
Did not like her as much as she liked him.
This thought surfaced in her mind, but it did not cause much of a ripple.
Because Lin Qingyan had known for a long time, or rather, she had vaguely sensed it long ago.
Her relationship with Gu Chengyin began with an inner demon.
To weaken the inner demon, they had struck a deal.
Later, time and time again, she pretended to be the inner demon and took the initiative to approach him, and Gu Chengyin never refused.
Because it was a transaction, a transaction to weaken the inner demon.
Lin Qingyan needed Gu Chengyin to weaken her inner demon.
Gu Chengyin needed the protection of Lin Qingyan's power.
As for the rest...
Lin Qingyan's thoughts drifted a bit further.
She knew that the biggest reason Gu Chengyin agreed to this transaction was because she was Lin Qingyan.
She was Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion.
She was the invincible Golden Core cultivator who could fight three opponents at once.
Just like Gu Xiaoli.
When Gu Xiaoli first appeared, what was Gu Chengyin's attitude?
He kept a respectful distance, acted courteously, and used a venomous oath as insurance to make sure she wouldn't ruin things.
At that time, Gu Chengyin didn't know Gu Xiaoli's cultivation level and only treated her as a pawn of unknown origin.
And later?
After he found out that Gu Xiaoli was a half-step Nascent Soul?
Lin Qingyan remembered very clearly that in that instant, Gu Chengyin's eyes lit up.
It wasn't the kind of light driven by lust, but...
The gleam of a hunter seeing their prey.
Determined to win.
Determined to take her down.
She had been watching from the sidelines at the time, feeling no anger, but rather finding it somewhat amusing.
She only felt that this man was truly utilitarian.
She should have hated this kind of utilitarianism.
But Lin Qingyan could not bring herself to hate it.
Because she knew that this was exactly who Gu Chengyin was.
If it had been a useless piece of trash, upon learning of Gu Xiaoli's cultivation level.
Instead of acting like Gu Chengyin, they would have been hesitant and timid.
Even if that person possessed Empress Lin's aura, and even if that person could also suppress her inner demon.
Even if that person was a hundred times gentler and a thousand times more considerate than Gu Chengyin.
Would she take a second look?
No.
She wouldn't even bat an eyelid.
Because trash is just trash.
Timid when meeting important figures, awkward in grand situations, shrinking back when encountering the strong, feeling inferior when seeing the outstanding, and having low self-esteem when looking at beautiful women.
Such a person, no matter how gentle and considerate, could never catch her eye.
But Gu Chengyin was different.
He was different from the very beginning.
What Gu Chengyin didn't know was that as early as in Luoshui Commandery.
Lin Qingyan had already noticed him.
It was just that back then, she was secretly protecting Luo Zhao, while thirty thousand Golden Feather Guards were trapped in Beihe City.
Hiding in the dark, all she thought about was how to keep Luo Zhao safe.
It was at this time that Gu Chengyin appeared.
An ordinary person with no cultivation, he forcefully tore open a path of survival out of a desperate situation.
Crossing the Luo River four times, he played the pursuing troops like fools, stepping perfectly at every turn.
Lin Qingyan watched from the shadows, with only one thought in her mind.
This person is quite interesting.
But that was all.
Later, after returning to the Divine Capital, Lin Qingyan couldn't help but cast a few more glances at Gu Chengyin.
Watching how he established a firm foothold in the royal court, how he maneuvered among various factions, and how he protected Luo Zhao as they moved forward step by step.
The more she watched, the more she felt...
This person was indeed quite interesting.
But still, that was all.
Up until that point, Lin Qingyan thought she was merely curious.
Curious about what Gu Chengyin relied on to survive in the muddy waters of the Divine Capital?
What did he rely on to make so many people revolve around him?
So she wanted to know the answer.
And that was why she actively requested this assignment.
Originally, this assignment did not belong to Lin Qingyan; another Golden Core enshrinee had already accepted it.
She specifically went to Emperor Luo and forced the monarch to swap them out.
At that time, the look Emperor Luo gave her was somewhat strange, but he didn't ask much.
After all, if there was anyone in the entire Great Luo whom Emperor Luo couldn't control and didn't dare to control.
It would only be Lin Qingyan.
Thus, she appeared in front of Gu Chengyin just like that.
It was just that the subsequent developments had somewhat exceeded Lin Qingyan's expectations.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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.
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!
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...
