The vermilion doors of the Minister's estate slowly closed behind them, shutting out the clamor and prying eyes of the streets outside.
However, the bustle inside the estate far exceeded Gu Chengyin's expectations.
He and Shangguan Yunying had barely stepped into the front courtyard, not even having the time to take in the estate's scenery, when a fragrant breeze carrying urgency and joy rushed toward them!
"Yuner! My Yuner, you've finally returned!"
The Minister's Wife practically sprinted over to greet them. She grabbed the hands of the still-dazed Shangguan Yunying, looking her up and down while chattering away like a rapid-fire cannon:
"You've lost weight! You've lost weight again! Have you not been eating well in the palace? Even though Her Highness is important, you can't neglect your own health..."
Her gaze then shifted, landing squarely on Gu Chengyin with the precision of a searchlight.
That look was filled with undisguised curiosity, scrutiny, and an almost burning satisfaction!
"And who might this be..." The Minister's Wife let go of her daughter and enthusiastically closed the distance to Gu Chengyin. After looking him up and down several times, a smile as bright as the summer sun bloomed on her face as she nodded in repeated praise:
"Oh my! This young gentleman is truly a man of striking appearance! His bearing is also steady and extraordinary! Yes, not bad, not bad at all! He is a good match for my Yuner!"
"Mother!"
Shangguan Yunying's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, red as a cooked shrimp. Both embarrassed and anxious, she hurriedly reached out to tug at her mother's sleeve, her voice carrying an unprecedented petulance:
"What... what nonsense are you saying! This is Gu Chengyin, Deacon Gu! Today, he has come on Her Highness's orders to visit Father and discuss important matters! Please don't speak nonsense!"
Her explanation was laced with obvious panic, and she didn't even dare to glance in Gu Chengyin's direction.
However, The Minister's Wife seemed entirely deaf to her daughter's words. Latching only onto the title of Deacon Gu, she kept her beaming smile and enthusiastically pulled Gu Chengyin inside:
"Deacon Gu? Good, good, it's all the same! Deacon Gu, is it? Oh my, truly young and promising! Quick, quick, please come in! You must be tired from the journey, right? Have you eaten yet? It just so happens we have a casual meal prepared at home, please don't stand on ceremony!"
Caught off guard by the overly enthusiastic Minister's Wife, Gu Chengyin nonetheless maintained a polite smile. He followed her pull inward while responding with impeccable courtesy, "Thank you for the trouble, Madam. Gu apologizes for the intrusion."
His gaze, directed toward the entrance of the flower hall ahead, collided head-on with another stare—one as dark and brooding as charcoal.
It was none other than the Minister of Revenue, Shangguan Yuan.
Standing at the entrance of the flower hall, his posture was ramrod straight, his face devoid of any smile, and his eyes firmly locked onto Gu Chengyin.
Especially upon seeing his wife acting with the demeanor of a mother-in-law evaluating a son-in-law, his expression darkened so much it looked ready to drip ink, and the veins at his temples seemed to throb faintly.
Understanding the situation, Gu Chengyin stepped closer and offered a solemn, deep bow to Shangguan Yuan, his tone respectful and clear:
"This humble official, Gu Chengyin, has come to visit on the orders of Her Highness the Eldest Princess. I apologize for the presumptuous visit and hope for Lord Minister's understanding."
Shangguan Yuan let out a heavy snort through his nose, a sound brimming with impatience and scrutiny.
Perhaps out of consideration for his wife and daughter, or perhaps because Gu Chengyin had brought up the name of Her Highness, he eventually squeezed a few words through gritted teeth:
"Deacon Gu... is too polite."
No matter how one listened, his tone sounded as if it were spoken through clenched back teeth, full of reluctance.
As if oblivious to this, Gu Chengyin calmly straightened up and followed Shangguan Yuan into the flower hall.
Upon entering the flower hall, Gu Chengyin's eyes were drawn to a round table made of yellow pear wood, laden with rare delicacies.
The dishes were lavish and piping hot, clearly prepared with meticulous care and perfectly timed.
This caused a jolt of surprise in his heart, making him cast another glance at Shangguan Yuan.
This Minister of Revenue truly possessed a mind even sharper and deeper than anticipated!
Not only had he predicted that Luo Zhao would send someone, but he had even calculated their approximate arrival time with great accuracy, preparing this family banquet in advance.
This was both a gesture of goodwill and a silent declaration.
No wonder he had sat securely in the position of Minister of Revenue for so many years; his insight and intellect were indeed not to be underestimated.
While Gu Chengyin was secretly pondering this, The Minister's Wife had already let go of him, turning to grab Shangguan Yunying once more to begin a new round of solicitous inquiries mixed with complaints.
"You silly girl, the moment you entered the palace, it was as if you forgot you even had a home! You haven't come back to visit in so long. Have you almost forgotten what your own mother and father look like?"
The Minister's Wife held her daughter's hands, her eyes turning slightly red, her tone a mix of reproach and heartache.
Facing her mother, Shangguan Yunying's capable and aloof demeanor had long vanished, and her voice softened:
"Mother, please forgive me... Your daughter knows she was wrong. It's just that I have been overwhelmed with duties lately, and with the constant turmoil in the royal court today, I truly couldn't find the time to step away."
At the mention of court turmoil, a look of worry and understanding appeared on The Minister's Wife's face, and she sighed:
"Sigh... Your father told me everything when he got back. Mother knows you are bound by circumstances, and I don't blame you for being busy. But no matter how busy you are... you should at least send a message back to let us know you're safe! Do you know how worried I've been about you these past few days? I couldn't eat or sleep well..."
Listening to her mother's rambling concerns, a wave of warmth surged in Shangguan Yunying's heart, mingled with guilt. She hurriedly nodded. "It was your daughter's negligence. From now on, I will definitely send someone to deliver messages regularly so Mother can rest easy."
The mother and daughter conversed in low whispers on their side, the atmosphere warm and harmonious, brimming with the affectionate warmth of a long-awaited reunion.
On the other side, near the seat of honor in the flower hall, the atmosphere between Gu Chengyin and Shangguan Yuan was like an entirely different world.
After the two took their seats, the air seemed to stagnate. Servants carefully served hot tea and quickly withdrew, not daring to linger.
Shangguan Yuan picked up his teacup on his own accord, gently skimming the floating leaves with the lid. His eyes were downcast, as if turning a blind eye to Gu Chengyin.
Gu Chengyin knew he had to take the initiative to break this awkward silence.
Picking up a cup of wine that had already been poured beside him, he held it with both hands toward Shangguan Yuan and spoke in a sincere tone:
"Lord Minister, my presumptuous visit today is truly on Her Highness's orders. The matter is of grave importance, and I dared not delay."
He paused, lowering his posture even further. "Consider this cup of wine a toast from this humble official to you, sir. Firstly, as an apology, and secondly, as a token of my respect. Your Lordship manages the world's finances and provisions, a task of great labor and high merit. This humble official is full of admiration."
With that said, Gu Chengyin downed the wine in one gulp.
Having spoken to this extent and fulfilled all the proper etiquettes, if Shangguan Yuan were to continue giving him the cold shoulder, it would seem too petty and unbecoming of a prominent minister.
Only then did he raise his eyelids to cast a glance at Gu Chengyin. He also picked up the wine cup in front of him and symbolically wet his lips as a response.
Setting down the cup, Shangguan Yuan's voice returned to its usual steadiness, though it still carried a trace of aloofness and scrutiny. "Deacon Gu flatters me. During today's court session, this old man also witnessed Deacon Gu's performance."
He spoke slowly, his gaze sharp. "Sharp of tongue and possessing extraordinary courage, turning the tide in a desperate situation. A formidable youth indeed. It was truly impressive."
The remark sounded like a compliment, yet it lacked any genuine warmth. Rather, it came across as an objective statement, tinged with a faint, imperceptible trace of wariness.
Gu Chengyin bowed slightly. "Lord Minister flatters me. This subordinate is merely fulfilling his duty and easing His Highness's burdens."
Shangguan Yuan gave a noncommittal murmur.
He fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words as his fingers unconsciously stroked the smooth surface of his teacup.
When his gaze finally returned to Gu Chengyin, it carried the unmistakable concern of a father.
Lowering his voice, he asked carefully, his tone feigning casualness yet laced with obvious probing.
"Deacon Gu, you arrived here with my daughter today..."
"I was wondering... how do the two of you usually get along while serving by His Highness's side?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
