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.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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!
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
