!
Shangguan Yunying jerked her head up. The color instantly drained from her face, only to rush back in a fiery flush. She opened her mouth but could not utter a single sound. Her eyes were wide and perfectly round, filled with shock and embarrassment.
Gu Chengyin was also slightly taken aback. He had not expected this madam to be so... bold.
Madam Jiang continued on her own, Mainly, I think you are quite a fine young man.
She looked Gu Chengyin up and down, as if appraising a newly forged precious sword. You have handsome features and a steady demeanor. You are neither haughty nor humble, and despite your young age, you have earned His Highness's deep trust. Most importantly...
She paused, a flash of approval in her eyes. Yuanyuan told me everything about what happened at the morning court after he came back. To be able to turn the tide in such a desperate situation and save a collapsing building... Beautiful! Truly beautiful!
Your intellect and courage are top-notch. You suit my tastes perfectly, far better than those young masters who only know how to eat, drink, and play around!
Gu Chengyin blinked, digesting the information in her words.
It was not surprising that Madam Jiang knew about the morning court, but who was Yuanyuan?
This term of endearment... made him involuntarily shift his focus for a moment.
Who was Yuanyuan? Could it be... Shangguan Yuan?
Thinking of that slick and worldly Minister of Revenue, combined with the affectionate nickname... Yuanyuan.
Gu Chengyin felt his perception of the world take a slight hit.
Thinking about it carefully, didn't it actually match Shangguan Yuan's round, edgeless, and slippery impression rather well?
By this time, Shangguan Yunying had recovered a sliver of rationality. Seeing her mother's words becoming increasingly outrageous, she grew so anxious that she forgot her embarrassment. She hurriedly ran to Madam Jiang's side, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered urgently, Mother! Please stop talking! It's not what you think! Director Gu and I are really just...
Just what? Colleagues? Or half master and apprentice?
Madam Jiang cast a sidelong glance at her daughter, interrupting her mercilessly. Yun'er, do you think your mother doesn't know your temperament?
Since you were little, when have you ever cared so much about any man? Would you risk sneaking over late at night just to spy because you were worried he wouldn't get along with your father?
I noticed it during dinner. You weren't eating properly, and your eyes kept drifting to the side. I thought you were looking at your father, but it turned out to be someone else.
With every word she spoke, Shangguan Yunying's face grew a shade redder, and her head dropped lower, almost burying into her chest.
Madam Jiang patted her daughter's hand, signaling her to calm down. Her gaze locked back onto Gu Chengyin, sharp as a sword, yet carrying the scrutiny and expectation of an elder.
Young Master Gu, what do you say? Give me an answer.
Although our Shangguan family is not a top-tier noble house, we still have a solid foundation. Even though Yun'er has a somewhat cold personality, her character, appearance, and talent are second to none.
Both you and she are capable right-hand aides to His Highness. You share the same goals. If you are willing, our Shangguan family will never treat you unfairly.
These words were almost an explicit declaration. It was no longer a simple matter of liking someone or not, but a formal proposal involving a family alliance and future prospects.
The pressure instantly shifted to Gu Chengyin.
After pondering for a moment and organizing his thoughts, he raised his head to meet Madam Jiang's burning gaze, his tone sincere and cautious.
I am deeply humbled by your great favor, Madam. Master Yunying... is pure-hearted, intelligent, and possesses both beauty and talent. To earn her affection is my profound honor.
However.
Changing the subject, Gu Chengyin's expression became solemn. A great man born into this world must know what he should do and what he should not do.
Today, the court and the country seem peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents are surging. His Highness has only just returned, yet there are already endless storms and conflicts.
He glanced at Shangguan Yunying beside him, who had raised her head because of his words, and continued, I believe that right now, we should prioritize His Highness's great cause and focus on cleansing the court.
When everything is settled, wouldn't it be more wonderful for Madam to discuss this with me then?
Madam Jiang listened quietly. Her eyes, capable of seeing through people's hearts, carefully observed every subtle change in Gu Chengyin's expression, catching the emotional fluctuations in his tone.
A moment later, she suddenly burst into laughter. Her clear and hearty laughter broke the heavy atmosphere in the courtyard.
She leaned back against the stone bench, lightly swinging her crossed leg.
I understand.
Madam Jiang looked at her daughter with a smile, her tone carrying teasing and helplessness. Yun'er, do you see? It's not that your mother isn't helping you; it's that you are too introverted! If you like someone, you have to be like how I was when I chased your father...
Mother!
Hearing her mother about to recount her glorious deeds again, Shangguan Yunying was scared out of her wits and quickly interrupted, You are getting off track! We are talking about serious business!
If she didn't interrupt, she was truly afraid her mother would spill all the details of how she engineered chance encounters and forced a marriage with Shangguan Yuan back in the day. If that happened, she really wouldn't be able to show her face ever again.
Alright, alright, I won't say it, I won't say it.
Madam Jiang held her tongue and looked back at Gu Chengyin, her gaze now holding a bit more appreciation and understanding.
Young Master Gu, I know what you want to say. Her tone softened, no longer as aggressive as before.
Yuanyuan also gave me a rough idea of what you talked about in the study.
She paused, her expression turning a bit more serious. Indeed, these are troubled and unusual times. Since you and Yun'er are in the thick of it, it is only right to be cautious.
Madam Jiang gently wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders, her eyes still fixed on Gu Chengyin.
I won't force you on matters of the heart. Although a forced melon can be sweet, since you say the time is not right, we will wait until the time is ripe.
Her tone shifted, and her eyes suddenly became sharp, instantly transforming from a gentle elder into the Foundation Establishment late-stage daughter of the Azure Sword Sect's Sect Master.
But, Young Master Gu, listen well.
Yun'er is my only daughter. She is the apple of her father's and my eye. We have held her in the palms of our hands and raised her to this age, not for her to suffer grievances.
Madam Jiang looked straight into Gu Chengyin's eyes, her tone commanding.
If anyone dares to bully her and make her cry tears of sorrow...
She did not finish her sentence, but that chilling aura belonging to a powerful cultivator and a mother explained everything.
Gu Chengyin's heart skipped a beat. He immediately cupped his hands and answered resolutely, his attitude incredibly solemn.
Rest assured, Madam! Absolutely no one will bully Master Yunying in the slightest! Not even myself!
His words were powerful and resonating, serving as both a promise and a declaration of his stance.
Madam Jiang stared at him for a few seconds, as if confirming the sincerity in his words.
After a long while, a smile reappeared on her face. She returned to her previous gentleness, now with an added touch of satisfaction.
Good. With your words, I can put my mind at ease.
She patted Shangguan Yunying's shoulder. Yun'er, it's getting late. See Young Master Gu back to his room to rest.
Remember, use the main entrance.
After Madam Jiang finished speaking, her fingertip casually flicked.
From the direction of the east wing's door came a faint click.
The lock opened.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
