Shangguan Yunying’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Her favorite person.
Gu Chengyin had called her... his favorite person!
Joy surged up from the depths of her heart, spreading to her face, creeping into the corners of her eyes and brows, nearly spilling out as radiant light.
Shangguan Yunying parted her lips, wanting to laugh, yet feeling that laughing so openly would be too unladylike.
She quickly pressed her lips together, suppressing some of the mirth.
But even as she held it back, traces of laughter still escaped through her eyes.
She lowered her head, trying to hide this delight, but the moment she looked down, she saw herself held in Gu Chengyin’s embrace.
His arm encircled her waist, warm and firm.
The happiness in her heart deepened even more.
Yet, amid this joy, a figure suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Lin Qingyan.
Shangguan Yunying’s smile faltered slightly.
She lifted her head to look at Gu Chengyin, her eyes carrying a hint of cautious probing, along with a reluctant urge to press further.
“More than... you like Master Jingzhe?”
Her voice was soft, as if afraid to hear the answer, yet also afraid not to.
Gu Chengyin watched her, finding the scene both amusing and endearing.
Shangguan Yunying really did care about this a lot.
To be honest, although the head female official was outstanding and the eldest daughter of the Shangguan household was certainly prestigious in her own right, next to Lin Qingyan it was like a star beside the moon—her brilliance was completely overshadowed.
Gu Chengyin raised his hand and ruffled Shangguan Yunying’s hair again, confirming with certainty:
“Of course.”
His tone was firm, decisive, leaving no room for doubt.
Shangguan Yunying froze.
Of course.
More than he likes Master Jingzhe.
She was Gu Chengyin’s favorite person.
More than he liked Lin Qingyan.
Those three words echoed in her mind over and over, as if bouncing off unseen walls.
Again and again, and again, until Shangguan Yunying felt completely dazed.
Luo Zhao’s instructions?
What instructions?
She had forgotten them all.
Every single one.
Now, only one thing remained in her thoughts.
She was Gu Chengyin’s favorite person.
More than Lin Qingyan.
Shangguan Yunying suddenly exerted force, pressing her hands against Gu Chengyin’s chest and shoving him backward.
At his back lay the wall of the alley, and with her push, he stepped back two paces, his spine meeting the weathered old bricks.
Though Gu Chengyin could have steadied himself, could have resisted, he chose not to.
It wasn’t as if he was some clueless brute who thought this was a test of strength.
At that moment, the Shangguan Yunying in his arms rose onto her tiptoes.
Her hands climbed to his shoulders, and she lifted her face, pressing a kiss to his lips.
The kiss came suddenly, carrying a hint of recklessness, yet also an undeniable resolve.
Shangguan Yunying’s lips were soft and warm as they met Gu Chengyin’s.
It was as if she were confirming something, or making a declaration.
Gu Chengyin paused briefly, then a glimmer of amusement appeared deep in his eyes.
A beautiful woman offering a kiss—what more could he ask for?
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling Shangguan Yunying closer, and lowered his head to return the kiss.
The alley was very quiet, so quiet they could hear each other’s heartbeats.
Sunlight slanted in from the entrance of the alley, spilling across the stone slabs at their feet, across the pile of discarded wooden crates.
It fell upon two sparrows that had somehow perched on the wall, tilting their heads to watch below.
From afar came the faint sound of the Imperial Guard changing shifts, along with noises from other palace buildings.
But here, there was only them.
Only Gu Chengyin and Shangguan Yunying.
After what seemed like an eternity, Shangguan Yunying finally pulled back, burying her face in his chest, afraid to lift her head.
Her ears were bright red, as if painted with the finest rouge.
Gu Chengyin looked down at her, couldn’t help but smile, and raised his hand to stroke the top of her head.
To be fair, Shangguan Yunying was pretty great too.
It suddenly occurred to him that the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Illusions was nearby, and Gu Xiaoli was inside that building.
Originally, he had come to find that world-weary little girl.
But now...
There was no rush.
Since Shangguan Yunying had come looking for him, he’d keep her company for a while.
After all, Gu Xiaoli wasn’t going anywhere.
Because Shangguan Yunying was different from Lin Qingyan.
Lin Qingyan was too strong—so strong that Gu Chengyin couldn’t control her.
Strong enough that he had to use hypnosis to bring the Jingzhe Celestial back to what he considered “normal.”
But Shangguan Yunying was far simpler, which was why Gu Chengyin didn’t hesitate to lavish her with affection.
What the pair in the alley didn’t see was the window on the top floor of the main hall of the Crown Prince’s residence, left half-open.
Behind that window, Luo Zhao watched with cold eyes from afar.
Her gaze cut through the layers of palaces, through sunlight and shadow, through the narrow alleyway.
It landed on the two figures entwined together.
On the two people kissing so deeply they forgot the world around them.
On the chief female official she had sent to stall for time—who had instead willingly surrendered herself.
Luo Zhao gritted her teeth so hard they ached. She had sent Shangguan Yunying to stall Gu Chengyin, not to throw herself at him as a trophy!
And what was the result?
The moment this woman saw Gu Chengyin, she forgot all of Luo Zhao’s instructions.
Forgot them, and even took the initiative to embrace him.
Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, so deeply, so wholeheartedly.
So...
So much that Luo Zhao wished she could rush over right now and tear them apart!
Luo Zhao took a deep breath, forcing herself to look away.
She couldn’t watch.
If she kept watching, she feared she might do something irrational.
But her gaze hadn’t even been averted for a second before it involuntarily wandered back.
Those two were still holding each other.
Shangguan Yunying’s face was buried in Gu Chengyin’s chest; Gu Chengyin’s arm was wrapped around her waist.
They seemed to be saying something—occasional small movements giving them away.
Maybe Gu Chengyin leaned down to whisper in her ear, making Shangguan Yunying look up at him with a laugh.
Or maybe he kissed her again.
Luo Zhao: “...”
She slammed the window shut and spun around to leave.
No more watching.
If she kept watching, she’d die from anger.
It was only good luck that Shangguan Yunying had ultimately managed to stall Gu Chengyin, allowing Gu Xiaoli to slip out of the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Illusions successfully.
But after taking two steps, Luo Zhao paused and glanced back at the now-closed window.
Gu Chengyin.
You bastard!
Are you determined to leave me with no one by my side?
Luo Zhao bit her lower lip, a surge of indescribable emotions welling up inside her.
There was anger, resentment, and a sense of injustice.
And also a trace of something she didn’t even want to admit to herself—
Tolerance.
Shaking her head, Luo Zhao cast aside these distracting thoughts.
She still had more important things to do. The joint tribunal had already failed, with Cui Shifan even making voluntary concessions.
But her campaign against Gu Chengyin wouldn’t stop here. Luckily, she still had plenty of cards to play—very many.
As for Shangguan Yunying... Since this woman had already given herself away, let her be.
There was nothing Luo Zhao could do to stop her anyway.
Luo Zhao took another deep breath, straightened her spine, and walked downstairs.
Her steps were firm, as if she had seen nothing at all.
But the tightly pressed corner of her mouth still betrayed something of her inner turmoil.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
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!
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.
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
