Listen to You

Lin Qingyan kept her head down, the roots of her ears so red they looked as if they might drip blood.

Her hands tightly gripped her sleeves, her entire body stiff.

She didn't know what she had just said.

Or rather, she knew, but she refused to recall it.

She only remembered that after Shangguan Yunying sat up, that flushed face carried a hint of the relief of surviving a disaster.

Her eyes were rippling with moisture, looking at her pitifully.

Then, Gu Chengyin's gaze shifted over, looking at her as if waiting for something.

And then...

As if possessed, she opened her mouth.

"Let me help Yunying."

She only said this one sentence.

Her voice was very soft, so soft it was almost inaudible.

But Gu Chengyin heard it, and Shangguan Yunying heard it too.

Shangguan Yunying's eyes went wide and round. She opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by a single look from Gu Chengyin.

Then she watched helplessly as Lin Qingyan helped her.

And after that, there was no 'after that'.

Shangguan Yunying sat to the side, completely dazed.

She looked at Lin Qingyan, then at Gu Chengyin, then back at Lin Qingyan, and then back at Gu Chengyin.

Her mouth opened and closed, closed and opened, but she couldn't utter a single word.

It wasn't because she couldn't speak; she was capable of speaking now.

It was because Shangguan Yunying simply didn't know what to say.

Lin Qingyan helped her?

This aloof and detached Golden Core fairy, untainted by the mortal world, had actually helped her?

Shangguan Yunying felt she must be dreaming.

She secretly pinched her own thigh, almost crying out in pain.

It wasn't a dream.

Then that meant...

Her gaze fell upon Lin Qingyan.

Lin Qingyan kept her head lowered, hiding her expression, but those thoroughly red ears and slightly trembling shoulders betrayed her current mood.

Shangguan Yunying suddenly had a strange feeling.

She had originally thought she was the most miserable one, having been taught such a lesson that she couldn't even speak and could only pitifully beg for mercy.

But now, looking at Lin Qingyan, she suddenly felt that she wasn't quite that miserable after all.

At least she could speak now, at least she didn't have to...

Shangguan Yunying's train of thought came to an abrupt halt.

Because Gu Chengyin's gaze had turned toward her.

"Yunying."

His voice was light, devoid of discernible emotion.

But Shangguan Yunying shuddered all over, as if she had been struck by something.

She instinctively wanted to turn her head away, not even daring to look at Gu Chengyin.

The experience from just moments ago was still vivid in her mind.

That feeling of being controlled, that feeling of being unable to resist, that shameful yet inescapable feeling.

But Shangguan Yunying's head froze halfway through the turn.

Gu Chengyin's gaze was fixed steadily upon her, carrying a hint of a half-smile in the depths of his eyes.

That look seemed to say: Try turning away if you dare.

Shangguan Yunying did not dare to try.

She slowly turned her head back, met Gu Chengyin's eyes, and tried her best to squeeze out a smile.

But that smile was uglier than crying; she tugged at the corners of her mouth for a long time without managing a proper arc.

Seeing her like this, the corners of Gu Chengyin's mouth curled up slightly.

But he knew this was not the time to laugh.

He had to take advantage of this opportunity to properly subdue Shangguan Yunying.

Otherwise, who knew what kind of trouble she would cause once they returned to the Divine Capital.

Even if he couldn't make her completely obedient, he at least needed to make her afraid at the sight of him, so she would involuntarily start behaving herself.

"Yunying."

Gu Chengyin called out again.

Shangguan Yunying trembled all over and subconsciously sat up straight, placing her hands obediently on her knees like a student called upon by a teacher in an academy.

"Turn your head to face me."

Shangguan Yunying blinked, somewhat confused.

Hadn't she already turned her head back?

But she didn't dare to ask. She just obediently let out a soft sound of acknowledgment and then straightened her head a bit more.

Looking at Shangguan Yunying's demeanor, a flash of amusement passed through Gu Chengyin's eyes.

The amusement quickly faded, replaced by a touch of seriousness.

"Are you going to cause trouble again?"

Shangguan Yunying shook her head vigorously, so fast it seemed she might shake it right off:

"No more trouble! Absolutely no more trouble!"

Her voice was rushed and quick, laced with an urgency as if she feared something terrible would happen if she spoke too slowly.

Gu Chengyin looked at her and asked again, "Will you be obedient then?"

Shangguan Yunying nodded vigorously, the motion even more exaggerated than her head-shaking:

"Yes! Obedient! Extremely obedient!"

Her eyes were sparkling, practically spelling out the words 'I am very obedient'.

Gu Chengyin looked at Shangguan Yunying, his gaze profound, and slowly asked:

"Then will you listen to Her Highness, or will you listen to me?"

Shangguan Yunying froze, instinctively wanting to answer 'listen to you'.

After all, in her heart, Gu Chengyin was already her man.

No, wait, she was already Gu Chengyin's woman.

Even more incorrect, but anyway, that was the general idea.

So wasn't it only natural to listen to Gu Chengyin?

But just as the words were about to leave her lips, Shangguan Yunying suddenly realized something.

The person Gu Chengyin was comparing himself to was Luo Zhao.

The Crown Heir.

The Highness she had sworn loyalty to, the Highness she had always believed would hold the absolute first place in her heart.

Shangguan Yunying blinked, her brain working in overdrive.

How was she supposed to answer this question?

Say she'd listen to Her Highness?

Then Gu Chengyin would definitely be unhappy.

If he was unhappy, she would be out of luck.

The recent experience was still vivid in her mind; she absolutely did not want a repeat of that.

Say she'd listen to Gu Chengyin?

Wouldn't that be a betrayal of Her Highness?

Even though Her Highness treated her very well, and even though she had always thought she would forever place Her Highness first.

But now...

Things seemed a little different.

Shangguan Yunying's thoughts were a tangled mess, her eyes darting around uncertainly.

Seeing her like this, Gu Chengyin sighed softly in his heart.

Sure enough, no matter how much Shangguan Yunying liked him, or how willing she was to be bullied by him.

In her heart, Luo Zhao still ranked first.

But this was understandable.

After all, with their bond and her loyalty laid out like that, how could it change at the drop of a hat?

Just as Gu Chengyin was about to say something to change the subject, he suddenly heard Shangguan Yunying speak.

"Listen... to you."

Her voice was very soft, carrying a bit of hesitation and uncertainty, but she had undeniably spoken those words.

Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow and looked at Shangguan Yunying.

Shangguan Yunying kept her head down, not daring to look at him.

Her face flushed red again, and even her neck took on a faint pink hue; she looked incredibly nervous.

But she had undeniably spoken those words.

Listen to you.

A flash of surprise crossed Gu Chengyin's eyes.

Although Shangguan Yunying had been very hesitant and had thought about it for a long time, her final answer clearly favored him.

What did this mean?

It meant that his position in Shangguan Yunying's heart had already begun to surpass Luo Zhao's.

Loyalty was no longer her first choice.

Although it was a choice made after hesitation and deliberation, it was undoubtedly a massive step forward.

Gu Chengyin thought for a moment and asked another question:

"Then what if I were to act against Her Highness?"

Hearing this question, Shangguan Yunying's body trembled.