I'm Making the Most of My Time

"Little Aunt, what do you think of Xiaoli?"

At the mention of that name, Lin Qingyan's eyes lit up in an instant.

Hypnotizing someone else might have given her pause.

After all, that kind of thing was ultimately about manipulating a person's will.

Lin Qingyan wasn't exactly soft-hearted.

But she wasn't the type to casually decide the fate of others either.

If it was Gu Xiaoli, though...

She wouldn't hesitate for even a second.

Gu Xiaoli.

Her public identity was Chief Female Officer of the Crown Prince's Palace.

Beneath that, she was a cat demon at half-step Nascent Soul.

Half-step Nascent Soul.

Lin Qingyan understood the weight of those four words better than anyone.

Going from Golden Core to Nascent Soul wasn't about accumulating spiritual power or mastering techniques. It was a complete transformation—from mortal to immortal, from flesh and blood to the Dao body, from finite to infinite.

Gu Xiaoli was only half a step away.

When she would take that final step, no one knew.

Maybe tomorrow, maybe next year, maybe never.

But whether she took it or not, her current strength was already brushing up against the threshold of Nascent Soul.

Even Lin Qingyan, in a direct confrontation, couldn't claim a guaranteed victory.

More terrifying still—Gu Xiaoli was a cat demon.

Those seemingly innocent cat eyes could see through any spiritual barrier.

No matter how precise the defenses, before Gu Xiaoli they were like sheets of paper soaked through with water.

Visible, but useless.

Her gaze could pierce all illusions and cut straight to the truth.

That wasn't something she trained for—it was instinct.

Born from the bloodline of cat demons, carved into bone and marrow.

Someone like this—no, a demon like this—

If left uncontrolled, she would be the greatest wild card.

But what if she could be controlled?

A cat demon who could see through every spiritual barrier—utterly loyal.

What kind of asset would that be?

More direct than any courtly scheming, more fearsome than any Golden Core fighter.

For Gu Chengyin, this would be even more effective than two deadly vows.

With Gu Xiaoli on his side, plus Lin Qingyan,

Gu Chengyin felt like he could fast-forward straight to staging a coup at Xuanwu Gate.

Two against many? Two against two had its own tactics.

Of course, all of this depended on one thing—successfully hypnotizing Gu Xiaoli.

Successfully hypnotizing.

Lin Qingyan sat up from the bedding.

Her movement was so swift it stirred a breeze, her long hair whipping in an arc as a few strands stuck to her cheeks and scattered across her shoulders.

The blanket slid off her, revealing her form. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window lattice, bathing her in a pale golden halo.

"When do you plan to act?"

Her voice was a pitch higher than before, carrying undisguised enthusiasm.

Those bright eyes reflected the sunlight, casting an almost burning glow.

Gu Chengyin watched Lin Qingyan like this, completely bare, and felt a subtle catch in his throat.

"Not yet. I'll keep Xiaoli steady first, make sure she doesn't get suspicious."

"As for the exact timing..."

"I know."

Lin Qingyan cut him off, turning over and sliding out of bed as she spoke.

She stepped barefoot across the carpet toward the clothes rack:

"You go find Xiaoli first. Make up some excuse to keep her in line."

"I'll go find that bastard dog. When I get back, we'll..."

Lin Qingyan's hand had already reached for the sky-blue robe of the Celestial Master Mansion hanging on the rack.

The robe was embroidered with pale purple thunder patterns, the collar and sleeves trimmed with silver thread.

Her fingers traced those patterns, pausing for a moment at the turns in the lightning motifs.

It was the mark of the Celestial Master Mansion's Jingzhe division—her identity, her armor, and also her shackles.

Gu Chengyin watched her silhouette.

Watched her standing barefoot on the carpet, hair loose, fingers resting on the robe.

Like a painting that hadn't yet been framed.

Lines clean, colors vivid, utterly alluring.

But still missing one final step, still lacking the last few finishing strokes.

Gu Chengyin stood and walked up behind her.

Lin Qingyan felt him approach.

She thought he was going to help her dress.

And he did reach out.

But his fingers didn't land on the robe—they landed on her waist.

One hand came around from behind and clasped her waist, not hard, but with a grip that brooked no resistance.

The other hand caught hers, the one resting on the robe, threading his fingers through hers.

Ten fingers intertwined, he pulled her hand back from the rack.

Lin Qingyan was startled.

"Chengcheng?"

"Not yet."

Gu Chengyin's voice came from behind her ear, low and calm.

His lips brushed against her ear, his breath stirring the lobe, carrying the natural arrogance of a man who took what he wanted.

Lin Qingyan's breath stopped for a beat.

She wanted to say something, but before the words could leave her mouth, her body was turned around by a force she couldn't resist.

In a blur of motion, her back hit the clothes rack, and the wooden frame let out a faint creak.

Gu Chengyin's arm braced beside her, caging her between him and the rack.

Then he kissed her.

Before Lin Qingyan could react, his tongue had already pushed past her lips and teeth.

This aggressive advance left Lin Qingyan’s mind completely blank.

Her hands pressed against his chest, pushing instinctively.

He didn’t budge.

Gu Chengyin’s body was like a wall—lean, but unyielding.

Her resistance against him was like a cat trying to push open a closed door.

It wasn’t a matter of strength; he simply never gave her the chance to open it.

Lin Qingyan snapped back to reality, and in an instant, she was both angry and flustered.

What angered her was that Gu Chengyin’s “urgency” meant exactly this.

She had just crawled out from under the covers, her voice still hoarse, her legs still weak, her body still bearing all the evidence of their recent battle.

She thought they were going to get down to business, but instead, Gu Chengyin had her pinned against the coat rack again.

What flustered her was that she hadn’t refused.

Her fingers slipped from his chest, no longer pushing him away, but instead curling into the fabric of his shirt.

Her fingertips tightened, wrinkling the cloth into several folds.

Her response shifted from passive to active, from retreat to embrace.

Gu Chengyin felt Lin Qingyan’s reply, and a sly smile flickered deep in his eyes.

That smile was hidden cunningly deep—so deep that if they weren’t pressed this close together,

if his eyelashes weren’t almost brushing hers, Lin Qingyan would never have noticed.

But this wicked man was smiling. He was smiling because her body was being honest with him.

Lin Qingyan grew even more furious.

Yet, instead of pushing him away, her fingers tightened further around his wrist.

Gu Chengyin’s kisses parted from her lips, traveling along the corner of her mouth, her jaw, her neck, moving all the way down.

His movements were slow—so slow it felt like his lips were measuring the temperature of every inch of her skin.

His lips pressed against the curve of her neck, feeling her pulse race beneath.

It was beating faster than his own, as if a frightened rabbit was sprinting through her veins.

“Chengcheng…”

Lin Qingyan’s voice had already turned a little husky: “There’s… still business to take care of…”

“Mm.”

Gu Chengyin hummed in acknowledgment, his lips not leaving her neck:

“I know.”

“Then you…”

“So I’m making the most of my time.”