Silence.
A deathly silence pervaded the narrow space reached by the dim glow of the bedside lamp.
Only the slightly ragged breathing of two people intertwined, adding a heart-pounding vitality to the suggestive scene.
Shangguan Yunying froze as if struck by a paralysis spell. The blush on her cheeks bloomed like peach blossoms under the hazy light, spreading to her delicate earlobes and even staining her slender neck a soft pink.
Gu Chengyin leaned against the headboard, looking quite speechless.
After a few moments, Shangguan Yunying seemed to finally regain a shred of composure and began to attempt an explanation.
I… I just… wanted to ask… She spoke rapidly but stumbled often, clearly in a state of extreme mental turmoil.
My father… he is cautious by nature. Sometimes… well, overly cautious. I was worried… worried that your talk didn't go well, or… that he held something back and failed to grasp the deeper meaning, thus ruining the Prince's grand plans…
She looked up, stealing a quick glance at Gu Chengyin before immediately lowering her gaze. Her voice dropped even lower, almost a murmur to herself: Truly… I didn't mean anything else… I just… just wanted to ask about the outcome… Yes, that's it.
This explanation was less for Gu Chengyin and more an attempt to convince herself, trying to find a plausible excuse for this impulsive and reckless late-night visit.
Gu Chengyin rubbed his temples, trying to keep his tone level.
Master Yunying.
In the middle of the night, a man and a woman alone… you breaking into a male guest’s quarters… even if we are innocent, if word got out...
He paused, his gaze sweeping over her crimson cheeks. Even if you didn't mean anything else, I'm afraid others would think you did.
Hearing this, Shangguan Yunying’s head hung even lower, almost burying itself in her chest.
She bit her lower lip, her voice muffled, tinged with grievance and stubbornness: I know it’s against the rules, but…
She suddenly looked up, a spark of desperate resolve flashing in her eyes: This is my home! Very few people ever come to the East Wing. I even specifically ordered that no one approach. And… and I really, truly wanted to know!
She took a step forward, seemingly wanting to get closer to Gu Chengyin to make her words more persuasive.
With eyes shimmering like water and filled with a thirst for knowledge, she looked at Gu Chengyin earnestly: I know my father's mind best. He’s been able to sit in the position of Minister of Revenue for so many years because of his tact and thoroughness.
Although the Prince relies on him, he always prioritizes stability when handling the Prince's tasks. I was really worried he might just offer some trivialities to brush you off.
Gu Chengyin was momentarily speechless. He could see her sincerity and understand her worry.
Shangguan Yuan’s previous attitude had indeed confirmed her assessment.
It was just her way of doing things that gave him a headache.
He sighed. Seeing the situation, he realized she wouldn't leave easily without an answer.
Forget it. Gu Chengyin waved his hand. Sit down first.
He pointed to the candlestick on the table. Should I turn up the light?
Don't!
Shangguan Yunying immediately stopped him, her voice thick with panic: You can't light the lamp! If the night watchmen or… or my mother sees, I… I won't be able to explain myself!
As if imagining the terrifying consequences of being caught, the blush on her face deepened. Her tone was almost pleading: Just… just talk like this! I promise, as soon as you finish, I'll leave immediately! Really!
Looking at her nervous state, Gu Chengyin felt both annoyed and amused.
The usually dignified and steady Chief Female Official actually had such a side to her.
He eventually relented, leaning back to find a more comfortable position against the headboard. He gestured, Fine, then sit on the edge of the bed. I'll… speak softly.
Shangguan Yunying felt as if she had received a royal pardon and immediately sat on the edge of the bed.
She leaned forward slightly, her beautiful eyes exceptionally bright in the darkness, locked onto Gu Chengyin’s face with infinite curiosity.
That focused gaze seemed to say: Go on! I'm ready! Don't miss a single detail!
Gu Chengyin thought for a moment and decided to keep it brief.
Actually, the talk with your father went quite well.
He kept his voice very low, ensuring only the two of them could hear: Your father has agreed to provide key evidence and fully cooperate with the Prince to bring down a Grand Secretary.
Gu Chengyin spoke slowly and clearly.
At the first half of the sentence, Shangguan Yunying nodded repeatedly, her face showing a "just as I thought" look, believing her father was being dismissive.
She also felt a bit of relief that Gu Chengyin had indeed found a way to make him talk.
But when those last few words clearly reached her ears…
Time seemed to hit the pause button.
Every expression on Shangguan Yunying’s face froze instantly.
Her bright eyes widened at a visible speed, her pupils contracting, filled with unbelievable shock.
She even forgot to breathe.
The next second, an exclamation that almost burst from her throat exploded in her chest, about to escape.
Mmph!
At the critical moment, Shangguan Yunying’s remaining logic kicked in.
She suddenly raised both hands, covering her mouth tightly to force the scream back down!
The movement was so sudden it created a slight breeze, fluttering the bed curtains.
A suffocating silence lasted for a full ten breaths.
Only then did Shangguan Yunying move her hand slightly away from her mouth, cautiously confirming with Gu Chengyin.
Deacon Gu… what did you just say? I… I didn't hear clearly… You said… my father agreed to cooperate with the Prince to… to bring down… a Grand Secretary?! Is it… that Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet?!
Her voice was full of absurdity, as if she were confirming a fairy tale.
Gu Chengyin nodded, giving a firm answer: That's right. A Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet.
He took the opportunity to explain why he was staying the night: Your father needs some time to organize things. Tomorrow morning, I will take the materials he prepared and return to the palace to report to the Prince.
Shangguan Yunying could no longer sit still.
She stood up abruptly, paced back and forth in front of the bed, then suddenly stopped and turned back to Gu Chengyin.
Without warning, she leaned in close again, almost pressing against the bed, and grabbed Gu Chengyin’s hand!
Tell me!
Shangguan Yunying was completely unaware of how inappropriate her actions were. Her eyes were startlingly bright, burning with a fierce flame of curiosity.
How on earth did you do it?! Tell me in detail! I know my father too well! He’s as slippery as a loach in a river; he slips away faster than anyone when he senses trouble!
When it comes to his own safety and fundamental interests, he is cautious to a fault!
Bringing down a Grand Secretary? That's practically tearing a hole in the sky! How could he have agreed?! What did you say to him? What method did you use?!
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
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?!
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!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
