Gu Chengyin's tone was crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.
Seeing that Gu Chengyin agreed, Lin Qingyan felt relieved, knowing there was no time to waste.
She had spent enough time with Gu Chengyin to know his way of doing things inside and out.
Once he decided to do something, he would never drag his feet or second-guess himself.
Since he said he would join the Heavenly Master Mansion, he truly meant it.
And once a decision was made, the sooner it was carried out, the better—to avoid any trouble down the road.
Gu Chengyin's sudden decision was clearly tied to the imperial decree before him.
The decree had only just been issued, and the news hadn't fully spread yet.
This was the critical moment where every second counted.
Lin Qingyan let go of the arm she had been holding and said,
"Then I'll go back and make the arrangements now?"
Her voice carried a hint of inquiry, a trace of reluctance, and a subtle undercurrent of eagerness.
The inquiry came from wanting to know if Gu Chengyin had any other instructions.
The reluctance came from having to leave so soon after such a brief moment together.
The eagerness came from finally being able to do something.
From the moment she had taken the initiative to admit her mistake and apologize, Lin Qingyan had been thinking.
What could she do to make up for her earlier cluelessness?
Now that the opportunity had come, she was determined to do it well.
Gu Chengyin turned his head, his gaze meeting Lin Qingyan's.
Sunlight slanted through the window lattice, falling on her profile, illuminating half her face with a bright and tender glow.
Her eyes, in that light, looked remarkably clear—like two shallow pools touched by sunlight, filled with his reflection.
Gu Chengyin smiled gently. "Sorry to trouble you, Aunt."
His voice was as warm as a spring breeze, softly brushing past Lin Qingyan's heart.
There was no formality or distance in his tone, only a natural intimacy.
As if it were only fitting for Lin Qingyan to do things for him.
That sense of naturalness reassured her more than any sweet words ever could.
Lin Qingyan said nothing more, only pressing a gentle kiss to Gu Chengyin's lips.
This kiss lingered slightly longer than the last—her lips rested against his for a full two breaths.
As if telling him with this gesture, I'll be right back, wait for me.
And at the same time, it was a declaration of ownership to the two others present.
After the kiss ended, Lin Qingyan stood up.
She didn't glance at Luo Zhao, nor at Gu Xiaoli. She simply turned and walked toward the hall's exit.
Her steps were calm and light, her skirt swaying gently at her ankles like petals stirred by the spring breeze.
Her back was straight, her demeanor cool and aloof, restored to the proper bearing of Fairy Jingzhe.
But the tips of her ears were still red—red as cherries freshly plucked from the branch.
Giving away without reservation the shyness hidden deep within her.
Under Luo Zhao's contemptuous gaze and Gu Xiaoli's expectant stare, Lin Qingyan drifted out of the hall.
Luo Zhao's eyes followed Lin Qingyan's retreating figure until it completely disappeared behind the corridor's end outside the hall, and only then did she look away.
Her mouth was still turned down at the corners, and the contempt in her eyes had not faded—if anything, it burned even brighter.
She had seen that kiss Lin Qingyan planted on Gu Chengyin with her own eyes.
In broad daylight, in the open world, before the crown princess, before the loli.
The two of them had no sense of restraint whatsoever!
If she and Gu Xiaoli hadn't been there, those two might have gone even further!
Gu Xiaoli's reaction, however, was the complete opposite of Luo Zhao's.
From the moment Lin Qingyan had kissed Gu Chengyin, a light of anticipation lit up her big eyes.
That light burned bright and pure, like a hungry kitten spotting a dried fish, or a child who had waited long finally seeing candy.
She no longer rested her chin on her hands; instead, she braced both palms on the table.
Leaning her upper body forward slightly, her whole posture was one of coiled readiness.
The moment Lin Qingyan disappeared from sight, Gu Xiaoli moved without delay.
She craned her neck, pushing her delicate little face toward Gu Chengyin.
Her neck stretched long, like a fledgling bird waiting to be fed, or a kitten begging for a treat from its master.
Her lips were pursed high, pink and soft, parting slightly and glistening with a faint sheen in the sunlight.
"Brother, Xiaoli wants a kiss too!"
Her voice was soft and sticky, carrying a wheedling, pleading tone.
And a hint of hurt that said I've been waiting so long, you can't play favorites.
As she spoke, Gu Xiaoli's big eyes stared unblinkingly at Gu Chengyin's lips, her gaze full of longing.
Seeing such an eager cat-eared loli, Luo Zhao wasted no time throwing Gu Chengyin the most contemptuous glare she could muster.
Like a sharp little blade, it cut straight toward him.
Her eyes were filled with accusation, with disgust, with fury at such a scoundrel.
The corners of her mouth were pulled down so hard they nearly reached her chin, her brows tightly knit.
Her entire face was a mask of unabashed revulsion and disdain.
As if to say: Gu Xiaoli is this young and you won't let her be? Are you even human?
The emotion in that stare was so obvious that Gu Chengyin could feel its heat even from across the table.
Luo Zhao hadn't said a single word, yet she had conveyed everything she thought with that one look alone.
But Gu Chengyin paid it no mind. The charged gaze was no more than an irrelevant breeze to him.
It blew past, nothing more, not even stirring a single corner of his clothes.
Gu Chengyin looked down at Gu Xiaoli's delicately pretty face pressed close to his.
A rose need not grow tall; the one who loves it will bend down of his own accord.
But Gu Chengyin didn't bend down—not because he didn't care for Gu Xiaoli.
And not because he was afraid of getting zapped by Lin Qingyan.
As far as he could tell, this cat-eared loli was perfectly legal.
She only looked young on the outside because she was a half-step Nascent Soul cat demon, which kept her in this perpetually world-weary loli form.
Though Gu Chengyin wasn't Straw Hat Boy, still—if it was going to happen, it had to be back in the room, not in broad daylight...
So his hand came down with a light smack on Gu Xiaoli's head.
The force was neither too heavy nor too light, just enough to push her little face back where it came from.
His palm rested briefly on the top of her head, feeling the softness and warmth of her hair.
Like fine silk, smooth and slippery, tempting him to run his fingers through it more than once.
But he merely gave a light press and withdrew, with no extra gestures.
"Xiaoli, we still have business to take care of."
At the word "business," Gu Xiaoli instantly settled down.
She blinked her big eyes, the anticipation within gradually receding, replaced by a forced, well-behaved understanding.
Her lips no longer pouted but pressed together slightly into a well-behaved curve.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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!
] [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!"
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.
