She only wanted Shangguan Yunying to call her "Sister," to make clear who held the position of the rightful wife.
After that, she would treat Shangguan Yunying as one of her own.
This was not oppression; this was acceptance.
A satisfied smile spread across Lin Qingyan's face.
That smile was even more radiant than before, the curve at the corners of her eyes softer as well.
She reached out and once again wrapped her arm around Shangguan Yunying's waist.
This time, the gesture was far gentler than before—not a confining, oppressive hold.
Instead, it was intimate, like the way sisters lean into each other.
Lin Qingyan's arm slid around Shangguan Yunying's back once more, her palm settling on her side.
She drew her in lightly, pulling her closer.
Her other hand rose, fingertips hooking beneath Shangguan Yunying's chin.
Lin Qingyan's gaze swept over Shangguan Yunying's face—from brows to eyes, from nose to lips, from lips to jaw.
Then she said with a smile, "Don't worry, Sister Yunying, I still like you very much."
"After all, you're far less trouble than Zhao'er."
There was genuine relief in Lin Qingyan's tone as she spoke.
Luo Zhao might be firmly under Gu Chengyin's thumb now, but her temper and her airs were still there.
So Lin Qingyan always had to put in extra effort where she was concerned.
But Shangguan Yunying was different. She was gentle and sensible, knowing when to step forward and when to step back, never causing trouble for anyone.
Even in matters of great importance, Lin Qingyan would admit that she herself was no match for Shangguan Yunying.
Having someone like her by Gu Chengyin's side was the most reassuring thing.
Besides...
She genuinely did like Shangguan Yunying, after all.
If it weren't for Gu Chengyin, Lin Qingyan would never have discovered just how interesting this former chief female attendant truly was.
Lin Qingyan's fingertips began to move downward, tracing from Shangguan Yunying's chin along the line of her jaw.
Sliding down her slender neck, past her delicate collarbones, finally coming to rest on her collar.
The collar was pale green, perfectly complementing Shangguan Yunying's gentle temperament.
A few tiny pearl buttons were sewn at the neckline, holding the lapels neatly together.
Lin Qingyan's fingers pinched the first pearl button.
With a casual twist.
The button turned half a circle under her fingertip and slipped free from its loop.
The collar loosened, revealing a small patch of fair, jade-like skin beneath.
That skin gleamed with a soft luster in the gentle light, like the finest mutton-fat white jade, so fine that pores were almost invisible.
Shangguan Yunying blinked. Her gaze fell on Lin Qingyan's hand holding the pearl button, then shifted to her own collar.
She looked at the gap that had been opened, at the small expanse of skin revealed within.
Her lashes fluttered up and down several times, her mind filled with countless tiny voices all speaking at once, a clamor that drowned out all coherent thought.
A sense of foreboding rose in her heart, like a drop of ink falling into still water.
It spread rapidly, tinging her entire heart with a faint unease.
Shangguan Yunying instinctively raised her hand and grabbed Lin Qingyan's fingers where they still rested on her collar.
Her fingers pressed over the back of Lin Qingyan's hand, her palm faintly damp, her fingertips trembling with tension.
Then, hesitantly, she asked, "Ji... Sister Qingyan, what are you doing?"
Shangguan Yunying had almost called her "Lord Jingzhe" again, catching herself only at the last moment.
Her gaze searched Lin Qingyan's face, trying to read something from her expression.
Could it be that this Fairy Jingzhe was actually into women too?
But Lin Qingyan's face showed only amusement—a smile with both playfulness and sincerity.
"What am I doing?"
Lin Qingyan repeated, a hint of teasing in her tone.
Her hand had been caught by Shangguan Yunying, but she didn't pull it away. She let it rest there, held.
Her eyes met Shangguan Yunying's, the playfulness in them growing deeper.
Then Lin Qingyan leaned in slightly, bringing her lips close to Shangguan Yunying's ear.
Her breath brushed against Shangguan Yunying's ear, warm and soft, like a spring breeze sweeping past.
Her voice was low, so low that only the two of them could hear.
Each word seemed to float out softly from the depths of her throat, carrying a seductive, mesmerizing power.
"Of course, I'm teaching you how to take over. Otherwise, what if you get caught?"
Lin Qingyan paused, letting those words ferment in Shangguan Yunying's mind.
Then she continued, "Sister Yunying, you wouldn't want Chengcheng to reject you, would you?"
At those words, Shangguan Yunying froze.
Her hand still rested over Lin Qingyan's, but she no longer made any move to stop her.
Her gaze grew distant, drifting away from Lin Qingyan's face to fix on some invisible point in the air.
As if she were looking at a scene only she could see.
Would Gu Chengyin reject her?
In theory, no.
Shangguan Yunying knew Gu Chengyin well. On the surface, he seemed cold and hard, but in truth, he was soft-hearted.
As long as she made the first move, as long as she was willing, as long as she lowered her posture enough—
Gu Chengyin wouldn't turn her away.
But that was the theory.
In reality?
In reality, Gu Chengyin hadn't claimed her.
Not from the very first day that man appeared.
Not from the day Shangguan Yunying began to harbor those improper feelings for him.
How long had she waited for him?
How many times had she hinted at him?
How much had she done for him?
And what was the result?
The result was that Gu Chengyin always kept that distance—not too far, not too near.
Neither pushing her away nor drawing her close, leaving her suspended in between, unable to rise or fall.
So much so that Shangguan Yunying had considered resorting to underhanded methods.
She had thought about it, she truly had.
Since Lin Qingyan could have him, why couldn't she?
Those thoughts had flashed through her mind on countless sleepless nights.
Slipping him a potion, taking advantage of his drunkenness, manufacturing a situation where he'd have no choice but to take responsibility...
These were tricks Shangguan Yunying knew well, and she'd even had someone teach her directly.
Because Jiang Jianli had done exactly that to Shangguan Yuan.
And the proof was that the forcibly plucked melon had indeed turned out sweet.
Now, Lin Qingyan was offering her a different option.
Not some underhanded scheme, but taking over.
So Shangguan Yunying wasn't scheming against Gu Chengyin—she was simply helping Lin Qingyan out.
She wasn't setting a trap for Gu Chengyin—she was just practicing how not to be discovered.
None of the initiative was hers, none of the scheming was hers.
She was simply a well-behaved, obedient sister following her older sister's arrangements.
This proposal—there was no denying it—struck exactly the chord Shangguan Yunying had been longing to hear.
Her psychological defenses cracked in that moment.
The crack was thin and small, but it was enough to let a thought she had never seriously entertained slip through.
As long as she had him—even if mistaken for Lin Qingyan—that was still having him.
The method didn't matter; the result was what counted.
Once the rice was cooked, what happened afterward...
Well, that would no longer be up to Gu Chengyin.
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!
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.
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
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?
