Strong Guarantee

She stopped leaning forward and sat back properly in her seat.

Her hands rested neatly on her knees, her back ramrod straight.

She looked like a primary-school student who had just been praised by the teacher, doing her best to maintain a well-behaved, obedient appearance.

The main reason was that Gu Xiaoli had already been scolded once by Gu Chengyin.

A moment ago, in the courtyard, she had impulsively butted heads with Lin Qingyan.

Although Gu Chengyin had forgiven her afterward, Gu Xiaoli knew very well—

That was because her big brother was generous, not because what she did was acceptable.

Now that her brother said there was something serious to discuss, she could not afford to be willful again.

This kind of thing absolutely could not happen a second time; otherwise, her brother would start to dislike her.

As a clever cat-girl, Gu Xiaoli was well aware of her greatest strengths:

Her cultivation at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, and her knowledge of Empress Lin's secret.

So as long as she obeyed—really obeyed—Gu Chengyin would never abandon her.

Seeing Gu Xiaoli settle down obediently, Gu Chengyin turned his gaze to Luo Zhao.

When his eyes landed on her face, the corner of his mouth suddenly curved up slightly, forming an arc that made Luo Zhao's heart skip a beat.

It was like he was plotting something mischievous, or brewing a proposal she would absolutely hate.

The light filtering through the window lattice reflected in Gu Chengyin's eyes, making them shine in a way that was almost frightening.

Luo Zhao's instincts were screaming alarms at her.

After dealing with Gu Chengyin for so long, she was all too familiar with that kind of look.

Whenever Gu Chengyin showed that expression, it meant he had come up with another idea to use her, tease her, or drag her into trouble.

The last time he had that look, he had asked her, "Your Highness, would you be willing to be a concubine?"

What happened afterward was plain for all to see.

So this Red Egg was definitely plotting something again.

Luo Zhao instinctively wanted to shrink back, but the chair back was right behind her—there was nowhere to retreat.

She could only grit her teeth and stay put, sitting even straighter, as if using that posture to bolster her courage.

Her hands were folded on her knees, fingers clenched, the tips pale from the pressure.

Gu Chengyin, meanwhile, raised his hand and deliberately tapped the imperial edict first.

His fingertip brushed against the surface of the bright yellow silk brocade, producing an audible rustling sound.

The spot he tapped happened to be exactly where the three characters "Gu Chengyin" were written on the edict.

Then Gu Chengyin spoke, his tone like a sinister, scheming villain laying his cards on the table before a prey.

"Your Highness, you should be able to see by now—His Majesty is targeting me."

As he said this, Gu Chengyin kept his gaze fixed on Luo Zhao's face, taking in every shift of her expression.

The corner of his mouth remained slightly lifted, forming a faintly ambiguous smile.

It was impossible to tell whether he was stating a fact or digging a trap.

Luo Zhao blinked.

Her eyelashes fluttered up and down several times as her mind raced.

Although she hadn't fully grasped the deeper meaning behind this imperial edict—after all, her father's methods were buried too deep—

She had only seen the surface details, not the bigger scheme behind it the way Gu Chengyin had seen through it at a glance.

But since Gu Chengyin said so, it meant he had already seen through everything.

Which also meant her father truly was targeting Gu Chengyin.

And the methods were extremely vicious—so vicious that Gu Chengyin had no choice but to look for other paths to avoid them.

Just now she had asked Lin Qingyan about the Celestial Master Palace's Taiji rank, and had also had Lin Qingyan arrange for him to join the Celestial Master Palace.

This whole string of actions was clearly a scheme laid out in response to her imperial father.

Given Gu Chengyin's nature, if he hadn't been backed into a corner, he wouldn't have reacted so fiercely.

So the question was, why did Gu Chengyin suddenly bring this up?

Why did he say these things to her at this time, in this tone, with this expression?

Could he be thinking...?

Luo Zhao's gaze began to drift.

Her eyes moved away from Gu Chengyin's face.

They fell on the window lattice, then on the tea cup on the desk, then on her own fingers resting on her knees.

She simply dared not look back at Gu Chengyin.

Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily, and an extremely ominous premonition was spreading slowly in the depths of her heart.

Seeing Luo Zhao's wandering gaze, Gu Chengyin didn't bother asking whether she understood.

After all, that point wasn't really important. What mattered was that Luo Zhao was the daughter of the Luo Emperor.

She was the crown princess of Great Luo, and the person the Luo Emperor cared about most in this world—bar none.

To Gu Chengyin, Luo Zhao's greatest value right now was that she was the Luo Emperor's Achilles heel.

This significance even surpassed her status as crown princess.

Joining the Celestial Master Palace and then striving for the position of Taiji there was the path forward.

But to make this path smooth and unimpeded, relying solely on Lin Qingyan was not enough. He needed even stronger safeguards.

Gu Chengyin patted Gu Xiaoli on the shoulder.

He patted lightly, merely pressing gently on her shoulder.

Gu Xiaoli looked up, her big eyes meeting Gu Chengyin's gaze for a moment, and she understood his meaning from his eyes.

Gu Chengyin was telling her that he would use some tactics on Luo Zhao next, but they were only tactics.

He wouldn't actually harm Luo Zhao, so she could rest assured.

Gu Xiaoli nodded, without making a sound, and simply shifted her body aside to give Gu Chengyin some space.

In this matter, she trusted Gu Chengyin greatly, and she also believed that he was not coveting Luo Zhao's beauty.

After all, if he truly coveted her, Luo Zhao would have already been completely his by now.

Gu Chengyin rose from his seat, neither hurried nor slow, moving as casually as if the crown princess's residence were his own home.

Then, under Luo Zhao's terrified gaze, he walked to her side and sat down without the slightest hesitation.

The spot where Gu Chengyin sat was right next to Luo Zhao; the chair was originally meant for one person alone.

Now that two people were squeezed onto it, it felt exceptionally cramped.

Luo Zhao instinctively tried to shift away, but her other side was the armrest—there was nowhere to retreat.

Then Gu Chengyin reached out, wrapped his arm around Luo Zhao's waist, lifted her entire body, and set her down on his lap.

At the same time, he drew this royal highness into his embrace.

The move was overbearing and direct, nothing like the gentle and refined young tutor of the crown prince he had once been.

The old Gu Chengyin had always been courteous before Luo Zhao—speaking softly, behaving properly.

Though he occasionally showed his fox's tail, at least on the surface he maintained the propriety expected of a subject.

But the Gu Chengyin at this moment seemed like a completely different person—

more like a rogue bandit who had just seized a virtuous young lady.

Luo Zhao fell into Gu Chengyin's arms, her mind going completely blank.

Her pupils dilated sharply, and everything before her eyes blurred into nothing.

Only the heart in her chest remained, pounding wildly, its thunderous beats making her eardrums ring.