Embrace

Hearing this sincere apology, Lin Qingyan, hiding behind her inner demon, couldn't help but widen her eyes.

This Dead Cat had actually apologized?!

Was this normal?

After all, back when Gu Xiaoli had fought with her over their sister.

They had argued so many times, but when had Gu Xiaoli ever backed down? When had she ever bowed her head?

Even when their sister personally stepped in to mediate, Gu Xiaoli would never apologize.

At most, she would pout, turn her head away, and use silence to show her protest.

But now, she had actually apologized?

Lin Qingyan's heart was churning like a tempest, yet her face remained the same dead stillness of someone who cared about nothing.

She didn't dare show it, because she was now the inner demon.

An inner demon wouldn't be moved by such a small matter.

But in Lin Qingyan's heart, waves were already crashing violently.

Gu Chengyin, how on earth had he managed this?

Gu Chengyin looked at the bowed head of Gu Xiaoli, and the stern expression on his face gradually softened, giving way to a warm smile.

He reached out and ruffled Gu Xiaoli's head, saying in a gentle tone:

"Admitting your mistake and correcting it makes you a good child."

Gu Xiaoli looked up, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him.

The grievance and reluctance from moments ago seemed to vanish completely under that touch.

Gu Chengyin withdrew his hand and turned to Lin Qingyan.

"Little Aunt, do you accept Xiaoli's apology?"

Lin Qingyan looked at the still-bowed Gu Xiaoli, her mind racing with countless thoughts.

Accept it?

If it were her original personality, she would definitely want to put on a proud and stubborn act.

Even if she accepted it in her heart, she would say a few smug words out loud.

But now, she was the inner demon.

Would an inner demon, filled with pain and hatred, agree at a time like this?

Lin Qingyan didn't know.

She had no idea how the inner demon would react.

And Gu Chengyin was acting extremely forceful.

His gaze and his tone seemed to imply that if she didn't accept, it would be her fault.

In the end, Lin Qingyan gritted her teeth. What if she didn't accept, and Gu Chengyin chose Gu Xiaoli over her?

Wouldn't that turn into an 'it's her or me' situation?

No, absolutely not.

Finally, Lin Qingyan let out a soft "mm."

It counted as accepting Gu Xiaoli's apology.

Gu Chengyin nodded in satisfaction.

Sure enough, these two couldn't be soothed with kind words—the more you coaxed them, the more they'd push their luck.

You had to force them to make peace, so they'd understand who was really the head of the household.

Gu Chengyin released both their hands, stepped back, and looked at Lin Qingyan and Gu Xiaoli, who were still holding hands, and said:

"Since you've already made peace."

He paused, the corner of his lips curling slightly.

"Then give each other a hug."

As his words fell, the room suddenly went quiet.

Gu Xiaoli jerked her head up, staring at Lin Qingyan in disbelief.

She, a proud cat demon at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, was supposed to hug this evil woman?!

Wasn't this too much?!

Gu Xiaoli's cat ears instantly perked up, and her tail puffed out like a bristle brush.

She stared with wide eyes, her whole face screaming the four words: I don't want to.

And Lin Qingyan's shock was no less than Gu Xiaoli's.

But hiding behind the inner demon, she didn't show it.

Still, a look of indignation flickered in her eyes.

Hug?

Hug this Dead Cat?

What a joke!

Lin Qingyan turned her head and stared coldly at Gu Chengyin, demanding:

"Gu Chengyin, what do you mean by this?"

Her voice was as cold as frost, carrying a hint of suppressed anger.

Gu Chengyin's face still held a calm smile as he said warmly:

"Little Aunt, please don't be upset. I don't mean anything by it."

"It's just that since you've made peace, you should show it through actions."

"What kind of reconciliation is it if you say sorry with your mouth but still hold a grudge in your heart?"

"A hug wipes away all grievances, and from then on, you'll be family."

Family?

Lin Qingyan sneered inwardly.

Who's family with that Dead Cat?

Back then, she fought with her over their sister, and now she's fighting with her over Gu Chengyin.

She didn't want a family like that!

But Gu Chengyin's gaze left her unable to say no.

And Gu Xiaoli was even more resistant.

She'd rather eat ten more plates of roasted lamb than hug that evil woman!

But Gu Chengyin was watching them.

In his gentle eyes, there was now a bit of expectation, a bit of encouragement, and a hint of something that brooked no refusal.

Gu Xiaoli and Lin Qingyan exchanged a glance.

Then quickly looked away.

Both of them stood frozen in place, neither willing to make the first move.

Shangguan Yunying watched this scene and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She leaned close to Gu Xiaoli's ear and whispered softly:

"Xiaoli, be good, go give her a hug."

"After the hug, you'll get to eat the lamb. If you're obedient, Brother Gu will feed it to you."

Gu Xiaoli's cat ears twitched.

Lamb, and fed by Gu Chengyin's own hands.

She swallowed.

But...

Gu Xiaoli looked at Lin Qingyan again, her face full of conflict.

On Lin Qingyan's side, her face remained as dead as ever, but inside she was already cursing.

Gu Chengyin was doing this on purpose, wasn't he?

He definitely was!

He was trying to force the real her out!

Then he'd tear things apart and never want her again.

But no, she was the inner demon now. An inner demon would never take the initiative to hug.

Gu Xiaoli watched Lin Qingyan like this, and suddenly her cat ears twitched.

The next moment, she took the initiative to step forward toward Lin Qingyan.

Then she stiffly opened her arms and gave a quick embrace.

It was incredibly fast, like lightning—a touch and then a release, as if she'd been scalded.

Lin Qingyan made no move at all, simply letting Gu Xiaoli hug her.

Gu Chengyin watched this scene and couldn't help but smile.

"That's right. We're all one family, why keep fighting like this?"

Lin Qingyan gave Gu Chengyin a cold look but said nothing.

Gu Xiaoli pouted, turned around, and threw herself into Shangguan Yunying's arms, burying her face and refusing to look up again.

Shangguan Yunying smiled and patted her back, gently coaxing her.

Gu Chengyin walked over to Lin Qingyan and said in a low voice:

"Little Aunt, since you're here, why not have a bite with us?"

Lin Qingyan raised her eyes to look at him, her expression still as calm as ever.

But she didn't vanish on the spot. Instead, she turned and sat down.

It wasn't for the roasted lamb, mainly because watching Gu Xiaoli's humiliated expression seemed quite amusing.

Besides, sitting here could also prevent Shangguan Yunying from getting too close with Gu Chengyin.

It was killing two birds with one stone.

Gu Chengyin turned and sat down at another seat.

The roasted lamb had already been brought in before he and Lin Qingyan entered.

"Alright, everyone, stop standing around."

Gu Chengyin called out, "Come sit down. The lamb is still hot."

Shangguan Yunying carried Gu Xiaoli over and sat down.

Gu Xiaoli curled up in her arms, still refusing to lift her head, only showing her two reddened cat ears.

The four of them sat around the table, the atmosphere delicate.

Gu Chengyin placed a piece of lamb on each of their plates and said with a smile:

"Eat up. It won't taste as good once it gets cold."

Shangguan Yunying took it with a smile and ate in small bites.

Lin Qingyan looked at the lamb in her bowl, hesitated for a moment, then picked up her chopsticks.

Gu Xiaoli poked her head out from Shangguan Yunying's arms and stole a glance at Lin Qingyan.

Lin Qingyan happened to be looking at her at the same time.

Their eyes met, and then they both looked away at once.