As Long As I'm Willing

Shangguan Yunying found herself leaning against Lin Qingyan, whether she liked it or not.

She could feel Lin Qingyan's body heat, could feel the rhythm of her breathing.

Could feel the faint trace of coldness that came when those fingertips traced across her neck.

Though the cold was light and subtle, it made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Shangguan Yunying understood that this cold touch was not a caress, but a test, a warning.

The temperature of those fingertips could shift from cold to icy in an instant.

The force of those fingertips could change from a gentle touch to a cutting edge at any moment.

If the answer she gave was wrong, those fingertips would immediately become the sharpest blade.

Not a metaphor. A real blade.

Lin Qingyan was invincible at the Golden Core stage; once she infused her spiritual power into her fingers, cutting open a person's throat was barely harder than cutting through a sheet of paper.

But precisely because of this, Shangguan Yunying finally understood what Lin Qingyan truly meant.

This was not a negotiation, not a joke, and certainly not flirtation.

This was a declaration of sovereignty, a way of telling her who the rightful principal wife was.

That was why Lin Qingyan wanted Shangguan Yunying to call her "elder sister."

The title of elder sister inherently implied order by seniority, a distinction of rank and status.

It meant Lin Qingyan held the senior position, and Shangguan Yunying held the junior one.

As long as she uttered that word "sister," Lin Qingyan would treat her as family.

And since they were family, it was only natural for sisters to support one another.

Shangguan Yunying taking over Lin Qingyan's role was not seizing something from Lin Qingyan, but helping her elder sister share the burden.

Lin Qingyan allowing her to take over was not yielding ground, but offering support.

In this way, the primary and secondary became clear, the hierarchy became distinct, and who stood above and who below was obvious at a glance.

But if Shangguan Yunying refused to say it...

Then Lin Qingyan would resort to less conventional methods.

After all, she was Jingzhe of the Heavenly Master Manor, and she had no shortage of ways to make someone submit.

She did not even need to actually do anything, just make Shangguan Yunying understand.

I have countless ways to make you obey, but I chose the kindest one. You should cherish this opportunity.

Shangguan Yunying weighed the matter back and forth and ultimately chose to concede.

Her lashes lowered, veiling the flicker of complex emotion that crossed her eyes.

Her lips moved slightly, as if she were chewing over the word she was about to speak, savoring its weight, measuring its cost.

Then Shangguan Yunying gritted her teeth and forced the two syllables out from the depths of her throat.

"Elder sister."

Her voice was not loud, but it was crystal clear.

Every syllable was pronounced with precision, as if measured with a ruler.

As she spoke the address, Shangguan Yunying's gaze rested on Lin Qingyan's face.

In her eyes were resignation, helplessness, and a faint trace of hidden relief.

Hearing that word, Lin Qingyan smiled.

The smile began at the corners of her lips, slowly spreading to her brows and eyes, washing her ordinarily cold features with a layer of warmth.

Her fingertips withdrew from Shangguan Yunying's neck.

The moment that cold sensation disappeared, Shangguan Yunying's breathing visibly eased.

Her shoulders sank, the taut muscles along her spine relaxed, and her entire being seemed to shed an invisible heavy burden.

"Mm, Sister Yunying."

Lin Qingyan's voice carried amusement, pronouncing the word "sister" with particular gentleness.

As if savoring a freshly brewed cup of tea, its fragrance carrying a hint of lingering sweetness.

The corner of Shangguan Yunying's eye twitched.

That "Sister Yunying" landed in her ears and sounded grating no matter how she heard it.

She was the one who had met Gu Chengyin first, so how had she ended up as the younger sister instead?

This was not about sisterhood in the familial sense, but about hierarchy, for when it came down to it, Lin Qingyan was the elder.

But Shangguan Yunying could not say such things out loud.

She had already called "elder sister" a moment ago, and the threat at her neck had already been withdrawn.

If she went back on her word now, she would only be slapping her own face.

All Shangguan Yunying could do now was swallow the frustration and think carefully about what to do next.

For now, the most important thing was cultivation.

Her current cultivation was nowhere near enough to hold a candle to Lin Qingyan. If she did not work hard to catch up, she might not even have the right to stand by his side in the future. At the very least, she had to close the gap first.

Lin Qingyan glanced at Shangguan Yunying's ever-changing expression.

On the face of this former chief lady-official, the shy blush from moments ago had already transformed into an expression of extreme complexity.

There was unwillingness, helplessness, resignation, and a deeply hidden resolve.

These emotions clashed and interwove across Shangguan Yunying's brow.

Like the shifting clouds in a summer afternoon sky, alternating between light and dark, impossible to pin down.

Lin Qingyan knew what Shangguan Yunying was thinking, so she spoke calmly:

"Don't overthink things. I just don't want Chenchen to have a hard time."

"After all, if I wanted to, you wouldn't even be able to stay in the divine capital."

Her tone was flat, as if she were talking about some trivial, insignificant matter.

But the words themselves hit like a basin of ice water, poured directly over Shangguan Yunying's head.

Shangguan Yunying's expression stiffened, her pupils contracted, and her lips twitched slightly.

As if she wanted to speak, but in the end, nothing came out.

Because what Lin Qingyan said was the truth.

If Lin Qingyan was willing, she could indeed make it so Shangguan Yunying could not remain in the divine capital.

In fact, it was not just Shangguan Yunying. Lin Qingyan could make anyone she did not like disappear.

Even Emperor Luo.

This was not a threat, not a warning. It was simply a statement of fact.

A fact built upon absolute power, one that brooked no doubt.

Even Gu Xiaoli, who was at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, would have to yield when facing a serious Lin Qingyan.

Against Lin Qingyan, Shangguan Yunying had even less ability to fight back.

And the reason Lin Qingyan had not done so, the reason she had chosen this almost childlike method of establishing hierarchy through the title of "elder sister," was simply that she did not want to put Gu Chengyin in a difficult position.

If things truly turned ugly, no one would benefit.

Shangguan Yunying let out a sigh, releasing little by little whatever had been pent up in her chest.

Her shoulders sank, and her spine was no longer as straight as before.

Her entire posture shifted from defensive alertness to the relaxed acceptance that follows resigning oneself to reality.

"I understand, Sister Qingyan."

Shangguan Yunying answered obediently, this time her tone far more sincere than before.

That earlier "elder sister" had been forced out, squeezed between clenched teeth, every syllable dripping with reluctance.

But this time, Shangguan Yunying said it willingly.

Because she had figured out one thing. Lin Qingyan was not bullying her through her seniority; she was giving her a way out.

With Lin Qingyan's strength and status, she could have handled this matter far more forcefully.

She could have simply made her leave the divine capital, could have made her disappear from Gu Chengyin's side.

She could even have made sure she never saw Gu Chengyin again.

Or made sure Gu Chengyin never saw anyone again.

But Lin Qingyan did not do any of that.