She was resigning from her position as Chief Female Official, choosing to be nothing more than Shangguan Yunying, the woman who belonged to Gu Chengyin.
Of course, if something more could happen along the way, that would be even better.
But then, Lin Qingyan had to show up.
The thought of it made another wave of nameless anger surge within Shangguan Yunying.
She clenched her back teeth, forcing the anger down, her face still appearing calm and composed.
It didn't matter.
Once she resigned as Chief Female Official, she would have more time to cultivate.
No longer tied down by tedious palace affairs, no longer distracted by trivial matters.
By then, she would be able to focus entirely on breaking through to the Golden Core stage.
With her talent and comprehension, breaking through was only a matter of time.
Because she had talent, resources, determination, the Qingyun Art that Gu Chengyin had taught her, and the immense wealth of the Shangguan family backing her.
She lacked nothing—only time.
The day she successfully broke through to Golden Core...
A faint smile curled at the corner of Shangguan Yunying's lips, and deep within her gentle eyes flashed a sharp, determined ambition.
By then, she would stand before Lin Qingyan and openly take possession of Gu Chengyin.
She would kiss him, hold him, even do more intimate things right in front of Lin Qingyan.
She wanted to watch that haughty 'Jingzhe' lord, to see that eternally cold and detached face twist with indignation and fury, to see her rage helplessly yet be unable to do a thing.
She would pay back every ounce of anger she had endured these days, with interest.
At the thought, the stifling frustration in Shangguan Yunying's chest eased slightly.
She lowered her lashes, hiding the sharpness in her eyes, and resumed her gentle, serene demeanor.
A little while later.
Outside the Crown Prince's palace, the Golden Core aura finally stirred.
Neither hurried nor slow, like someone taking a leisurely stroll.
Or perhaps deliberately giving those inside the last bit of time to prepare.
Footsteps approached from the distance, each step steady and measured.
Hearing the footsteps, Shangguan Yunying's fingers instinctively clenched within her sleeves for a moment, then slowly released.
Gu Chengyin, on the other hand, slightly raised his eyes, his gaze fixed on the direction of the palace gate, his expression calm and utterly unreadable.
Finally, Lin Qingyan's figure appeared at the doorway.
She wore a moon-white long dress today, the fabric as light as cicada wings.
It billowed gently with her steps, making her look like a celestial being—cold, elegant, and immaculate.
Actually, she was a celestial being by nature.
Lin Qingyan's gaze swept across the hall, lingered briefly on Shangguan Yunying, and then she turned away, her expression cold and indifferent.
Without hesitation, she walked straight toward Gu Chengyin.
When she reached his side, she sat down naturally, pressing close against him with not the slightest gap.
Seeing this, the corner of Shangguan Yunying's eye twitched slightly, but she held herself back.
After Lin Qingyan was seated, she raised a hand and, as if unintentionally, undid a button at her collar.
Her neckline loosened accordingly, revealing a pale, slender neck.
Her skin was as fine as congealed cream, yet what drew the eye was not the skin itself.
It was the scattered 'hickeys' upon it.
Some deep, some light, scattered purposefully—clearly the marks left behind by forceful sucking and kissing.
They stood out starkly against her snowy skin, both shockingly conspicuous and fiercely suggestive.
Lin Qingyan's gesture was perfectly natural, as if she merely found the collar a little tight and so she freed it slightly.
Once the button was undone, she paid it no further attention.
Her face remained that same cold, distant expression, even her tone of voice unchanged as she spoke:
"Chengcheng, I just received a few messages."
Meanwhile, Shangguan Yunying's gaze froze the moment she saw the 'hickeys' on Lin Qingyan's neck.
Her pupils dilated suddenly, and a storm raged within her eyes.
Is that...?
Is that—!
Shangguan Yunying's breath hitched. She felt a surge of hot blood rush straight to her scalp.
Her vision darkened, her ears rang, and she nearly fainted on the spot from fury.
You... Lin Qingyan!
Shangguan Yunying gritted her teeth and silently repeated the name.
Lin Qingyan was definitely doing this on purpose!
Deliberately releasing her aura outside, deliberately giving her and Gu Chengyin time to compose themselves.
Deliberately walking in at a leisurely pace, deliberately sitting down beside Gu Chengyin.
Deliberately unbuttoning that button, and deliberately letting her see those 'hickeys'.
It was all intentional!
From start to finish, Lin Qingyan's goal had only ever been one thing: to stake her claim.
Shangguan Yunying took a deep breath, then another, forcing the raging flames in her chest down.
After years of serving Luo Zhao, if there was one thing she had learned, it was the art of forbearance.
If she exploded now, she'd be playing right into Lin Qingyan's hands.
So, in the end, Shangguan Yunying shot a hateful glare at Gu Chengyin.
That glare was sharp as a blade, laden with accusation and reproach, as if to say:
Look at what you've done! I'll have words with you later!
Gu Chengyin had obviously also noticed Lin Qingyan's seemingly careless gesture.
His gaze rested on those 'hickeys' for a moment, then shifted away as if nothing was amiss.
He was completely unshaken by Shangguan Yunying's dagger-like stare, merely lowering his lashes slightly, as if he hadn't seen it at all.
After shooting that glare, Shangguan Yunying withdrew her gaze.
She lowered her lashes, folding away all the emotion in her eyes, and let a gentle, serene smile resurface on her face.
As if she had seen nothing, as if nothing had happened, her posture graceful and unhurried.
At the same time, she forced her thoughts away from those damned 'hickeys' and onto what Lin Qingyan was saying.
Lin Qingyan was speaking.
She said she had received a few messages.
She said that Emperor Luo might summon Gu Chengyin to become the Imperial Consort.
Shangguan Yunying listened, one brow gently furrowing.
Imperial Consort?
Gu Chengyin?
Wouldn't that make him His Highness's husband?
Her thoughts gradually pulled away from those 'hickeys' as she began to seriously consider the matter.
As Lin Qingyan spoke, she casually and deliberately observed Shangguan Yunying's reaction.
She saw the storm that churned in Shangguan Yunying's eyes when her gaze landed on her own neck.
She saw Shangguan Yunying swallow her fury and forcibly reclaim her calm.
Somewhat disappointingly, Lin Qingyan chose to stop pressing the matter.
She had wanted to savor Shangguan Yunying's indignation a little longer.
But Shangguan Yunying recovered too quickly.
So quickly that her regret barely had time to take shape before it was no longer necessary.
So Lin Qingyan withdrew her gaze and stopped looking at Shangguan Yunying.
Instead, her eyes settled on Gu Chengyin's face. She had finished relaying the messages she'd received.
Now all she had to do was wait—wait for her man to decide, and then tell her what to do.
Gu Chengyin did not disappoint her. After a moment of thought, he asked the one question that struck at the very heart of the matter.
"Little Aunt, Yunying, setting aside the Emperor for now..."
"Would His Highness actually agree to it?"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
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?
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?!
