Putting everything else aside, Gu Chengyin truly did miss the cold and aloof Luo Zhao of the past for a moment.
That Luo Zhao who, on their first meeting, looked down at him with condescension.
That Luo Zhao whose phoenix eyes held frost, whose entire being radiated a keep-your-distance vibe.
That Luo Zhao whose every other word was "how dare you" and whose closing line was always "you're being presumptuous."
A Luo Zhao like that was at least pleasant to look at.
Not the current Luo Zhao, whose mouth said one thing while her body did another.
A Luo Zhao who made him want to conquer her every moment of the day.
Gu Chengyin let out a silent sigh in his heart.
Maybe he should just hypnotize Luo Zhao after all.
The thought flickered through his mind, but only for an instant, because Gu Chengyin knew he wouldn't actually do it.
He wouldn't waste something important on something useless.
But that didn't stop Gu Chengyin from reminiscing about the cold and aloof Luo Zhao of the past.
With that thought, Gu Chengyin took a step toward Luo Zhao.
A faint smile played on his face, warm and composed.
As if he wasn't walking toward an enraged Crown Princess, but rather a cat that was all bark and no bite.
Luo Zhao instinctively wanted to step back.
Her body reacted faster than her mind.
The tips of her feet shifted slightly backward, her center of gravity leaning to the rear, her whole posture forming a stance of retreat.
But her hands were still tightly wrapped around Shangguan Yunying, and Shangguan Yunying didn't move.
So she couldn't back away either, and could only watch helplessly as Gu Chengyin approached.
Then he stopped right in front of Luo Zhao, reached out, and grabbed her arm.
With a gentle tug, he pulled her entirely out of Shangguan Yunying's embrace.
Luo Zhao, caught off guard, stumbled forward a step, barely steadying herself in front of Gu Chengyin.
Her arm was still in his grip, the warmth of his large palm seeping through her clothes, sending a tingling heat across the skin of her arm.
"You..."
Luo Zhao instinctively wanted to rebuke him, to put on the dignity of the Crown Princess.
But Gu Chengyin didn't even glance at her.
His gaze landed on Shangguan Yunying as he spoke:
"Yunying, go handle your business first."
Shangguan Yunying was briefly startled, then quickly understood what Gu Chengyin was referring to.
Resigning from the position of Chief Female Official had originally been her personal decision.
It was for cultivation, for breaking through to the Golden Core stage earlier, for having more time to be with Gu Chengyin.
But now, this matter was no longer just about her alone.
It concerned the entire situation, influenced the direction of the future, and even determined whether the imperial edict could be issued.
Its importance went without saying.
And the reason she had to tell Luo Zhao was out of basic respect.
No matter what, Luo Zhao was the Crown Princess, the banner of the Crown Princess faction.
She was the foundation of their current status and influence.
Although Gu Chengyin didn't care about Luo Zhao as a person, he cared very much about the identity of Crown Princess.
Shangguan Yunying glanced at Luo Zhao, her eyes carrying a hint of apology, mixed with resolution.
She knew Luo Zhao would feel reluctant, panicked, and even angry.
But this matter was already decided; even if she disagreed, it wouldn't change anything.
After all, whether it was the Crown Princess faction or the Crown Princess's palace, neither was under Luo Zhao's control anymore.
Besides, right now, Luo Zhao herself was in Gu Chengyin's hands.
With that thought, Shangguan Yunying nodded, acknowledging Gu Chengyin's instruction.
Then she looked at Luo Zhao and said seriously:
"Your Highness, rest assured."
"Even if I'm no longer the Chief Female Official, you are still my Crown Princess."
These words were spoken with great solemnity, not as a formality but as a promise.
No matter how Shangguan Yunying's identity changed, no matter whether she remained Chief Female Official or not, no matter how much she adored Gu Chengyin, Luo Zhao's place in her heart would never change.
At most, she just ranked right after Gu Chengyin.
With that, Shangguan Yunying turned and walked out of the hall.
Her steps were quick, robes fluttering, her skirt tracing a smooth arc behind her.
She didn't look back, because she knew that if she turned and saw Luo Zhao's reddened phoenix eyes, she would soften, she would waver, and she would say something like "Then I won't resign after all."
But this matter could not afford softness.
As long as Gu Chengyin was there, the Crown Princess faction would never collapse.
No matter how loud the Prince faction clamored, they were nothing but clowns.
Shangguan Yunying's figure disappeared at the threshold of the hall, and the sound of her footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Luo Zhao watched Shangguan Yunying's retreating figure and blinked.
She didn't doubt the sincerity of Shangguan Yunying's words.
Even without being Chief Female Official, Shangguan Yunying still had her in her heart.
Luo Zhao was clear on that.
But the problem was...
Luo Zhao's gaze drifted downward, landing on Gu Chengyin's hand gripping her arm.
That hand was elegant in its bones, long and powerful, with light calluses on the fingertips.
It was clamped around her arm, its warmth radiating continuously through her clothing.
Luo Zhao looked at that hand, then at the direction Shangguan Yunying had disappeared.
Then she looked at her own current situation and swallowed the words she was about to say.
She was the Crown Princess, this was her palace, she was the master, and Gu Chengyin was the subject.
So why did it feel like she was a little kitten being held by the scruff by Gu Chengyin, completely at his mercy?
Luo Zhao cursed Gu Chengyin another hundred times in her heart.
But after cursing, she still stood obediently in place, without struggling, without resisting.
Not that she didn't want to, but she knew struggling was futile.
Gu Chengyin was a man who seemed easygoing.
But when he truly decided on something, no one could stop him.
Whether she struggled, resisted, or even dragged Emperor Luo into it, Gu Chengyin wouldn't bat an eye.
Besides...
Luo Zhao stole a glance at Gu Chengyin, then quickly looked away.
Besides, she didn't actually want to struggle that much.
After all, she had gotten used to it.
After all, it wasn't like this was the first time.
The moment this thought surfaced, Luo Zhao startled herself, and the tips of her ears flushed red involuntarily.
She began to scold herself inwardly: Luo Zhao, oh Luo Zhao, you are the dignified Crown Princess, the future Empress. How can you be so spineless in front of this Red Egg, Gu Chengyin?
Don't you have any pride left?
But Luo Zhao's body, very honestly, didn't move.
After Shangguan Yunying left, Gu Chengyin turned to Lin Qingyan.
"Aunt, what do you think of Her Highness's words?"
Lin Qingyan had been standing quietly to the side the whole time, watching everything unfold. Her expression remained that cold and distant look.
But in her clear, cool eyes, a glint of amusement surfaced, as if she had discovered something interesting, or as if she were calculating something.
Hearing Gu Chengyin's question, she walked over unhurriedly.
Her moon-white long dress trailed along the ground, making a faint rustling sound.
The sound of her footsteps echoed through the silent hall, step by step.
It was as if each step landed on Luo Zhao's heart, making her pulse race involuntarily.
Luo Zhao watched Lin Qingyan approach, and a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up inside her.
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?!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
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!
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?
