You Wish

Gu Chengyin maintained his calm and composed expression, comforting her, "It's fine, Auntie. His Majesty is a man of his word and possesses a broad mind."

"Since he has already retracted the decree, there is no reason for him to make an exception again."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't be His Majesty."

He said this, but Gu Chengyin knew very well why Emperor Luo hadn't killed him.

The real reason was that Luo Zhao was in his hands.

And Luo Zhao was Empress Lin's biological daughter.

To Emperor Luo, she was the only memento left behind by his deceased unforgettable first love.

When he played the card of using Luo Zhao to force the palace, it was basically the same as showing his hand to Emperor Luo.

But Gu Chengyin did not regret it; a card played is a good card.

As long as Luo Zhao remained in his hands for a day, Emperor Luo couldn't do anything to him for a day.

This was a true death-exemption medallion.

However, to keep Lin Qingyan from worrying, Gu Chengyin decided to change his approach.

He lowered his head and leaned in close to Lin Qingyan.

Very close.

So close that their noses were almost touching.

So close that they could clearly see the light reflected in each other's eyes.

So close that Lin Qingyan's breath caught in her throat.

The corners of Gu Chengyin's lips curled up slightly. His eyes were full of tenderness as he confessed with incomparable devotion:

"Besides, now... I have you."

These words fell upon Lin Qingyan's ears like a heavenly melody.

Back in the Celestial Master Mansion in the Luo capital, while recovering in the Tranquility Pagoda.

She had said these very words to Gu Chengyin just to catch a glimpse of the memories sealed by her inner demon.

And now, Gu Chengyin was returning them to her, word for word.

Thus, Lin Qingyan's heartbeat helplessly quickened.

It beat so fast, like a fawn thrashing about in her chest.

So fast, like thunder clapping at the tip of her heart.

So fast that her entire world...

Was left with only Gu Chengyin.

Lin Qingyan's eyelashes fluttered violently.

She didn't speak; she just looked at him, staring unblinkingly for a long time.

After looking for a long, long time, she suddenly opened her arms and hugged Gu Chengyin tightly.

At the same time, she promised with absolute earnestness:

"I definitely won't let anything happen to you!"

Buried in Gu Chengyin's embrace, Lin Qingyan's heart was filled with resolve.

She had already lost someone once.

That time, she had watched helplessly as her older sister passed away, unable to do a single thing.

That time, it took her a very, very long time to pull herself together.

But had she truly moved on?

If she had, then what were those memories sealed within her inner demon?

However, Lin Qingyan was absolutely certain of one thing: she didn't want to experience it again.

She didn't want to experience the death of her most beloved ever again.

She didn't want to experience that kind of powerlessness ever again.

So this time, she absolutely would not allow it.

She would never allow anyone to take Gu Chengyin away from her side.

Not even Emperor Luo.

Not even the Celestial Master Mansion.

Not even the entire cultivation world...

No one!

Holding Lin Qingyan in his arms, Gu Chengyin suddenly felt a bit emotional.

How had his relationship with Lin Qingyan started?

It was the inner demon.

It was hypnosis.

It was a transaction.

It was all those inexplicable things.

But along this journey, he felt it more and more clearly.

Lin Qingyan truly cared about him.

And it wasn't because he resembled Empress Lin, nor because he could weaken her inner demon.

This feeling was very strange, because Gu Chengyin could clearly sense it.

Lin Qingyan was very familiar with him—from her eyes, her attitude, everything she did.

It was as if... she had known him from a long time ago.

This made Gu Chengyin very confused. The first time he met Lin Qingyan was in the warm pavilion.

They had never met before that, so where did this familiarity come from?

However, this also proved one thing.

His position in Lin Qingyan's heart was becoming increasingly important.

Gu Chengyin even had a feeling that his status had likely surpassed Luo Zhao's.

This was also the first time Gu Chengyin had gained the upper hand among the people around Luo Zhao.

This was a good thing.

It was also a bad thing.

The good thing was that he could receive Lin Qingyan's sincere and full protection.

With this Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion guarding his side, even Emperor Luo wouldn't be able to touch him.

And the bad thing was...

This protection would very likely be for a lifetime, for an eternity, for the rest of his life.

Ultimately, it returned to the question Gu Chengyin worried about the most.

If Lin Qingyan wanted more, could he afford to give it to her?

Gu Chengyin didn't know the answer to this question, so he decided on a direction.

That was to take another step forward and break through to the Golden Core Realm.

Originally, there was no problem with this direction.

But now, Gu Chengyin realized he had overlooked a crucial point.

That is, if some unexpected situation truly arose.

Could he beat Lin Qingyan in a fight?

Gu Chengyin fell deep into thought, beginning to consider this question very seriously.

Previously, he believed that as long as he could break through to the Golden Core Realm, the problems he faced now would no longer be problems.

Because his cultivation was linked to his influence, allowing him to crush anyone in the same realm.

But did "anyone" include Lin Qingyan?

Did it include this Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion, who possessed invincible combat power even at the early Golden Core stage?

The corner of Gu Chengyin's mouth twitched.

He wasn't sure.

Because Lin Qingyan was simply too strong.

Even though she was currently acting like a lazy cat lounging in his arms.

She was truly formidable.

What made Gu Chengyin feel even more helpless was that Lin Qingyan's strength...

Had been forged by his own hands.

If it were the previous Lin Qingyan, plagued by her inner demon and with her immortal path severed.

Even if she were invincible in the Golden Core realm, Gu Chengyin would still have ample confidence to crush her.

And it would be the kind where he pinned her down and taught her a harsh lesson.

But what was the current Lin Qingyan like?

Her inner demon had been thoroughly suppressed, and her immortal path now had a clear direction.

She had even successfully broken through from the early Golden Core stage to the mid Golden Core stage without the slightest hindrance.

And all of this was brought about by him, Gu Chengyin.

This meant that even if Lin Qingyan really locked him up in a small dark room in the future.

The foundation of that small dark room would have been built by Gu Chengyin's own hands.

Thinking of this, Gu Chengyin couldn't help but gasp.

This is bad.

After all his careful calculations, how did he still end up trapping himself?

Should he keep his distance?

No, previously he had only called her Lord Jingzhe.

Lin Qingyan had exploded with anger on the spot. If he hadn't reacted in time...

He would probably be in the small dark room right now.

Then...

Just at this moment, a world-weary face suddenly appeared in Gu Chengyin's mind.

Gu Xiaoli.

His eyes instantly lit up. Even if he couldn't beat Lin Qingyan...

Could a half-step Nascent Soul Gu Xiaoli really not beat her?

Lin Qingyan noticed the emotional fluctuations in Gu Chengyin.

She looked up and asked with some confusion:

"Chengcheng, what are you thinking about?"

Gu Chengyin blinked and finally confessed truthfully:

"I was wondering if I'd be able to beat you in a fight in the future."

Lin Qingyan froze for a moment.

Then, her face flushed red.

As red as the sunset glow on the horizon, as red as the peach blossoms on the branches.

Looking at Gu Chengyin's somewhat helpless smile, she suddenly understood something.

Lin Qingyan gave a soft hmph and buried her face back into Gu Chengyin's chest.

"In your dreams."