You Will Definitely Be Mine

This might not have been particularly devastating to anyone else.

But to Cui Zilu, it was a killing blow.

Because this was the kind of scene she could only imagine in her dreams.

And now, it had actually happened right before her eyes.

Cui Zilu stared blankly at him as tears streamed down her face.

As for Gu Chengyin, he had not been trying to flirt with Cui Zilu.

He was merely fulfilling a young girl’s dream.

It was just that the way he had done it looked rather scummy.

But women’s minds worked differently from men’s, especially a girl like Cui Zilu.

She would not analyze what his words truly meant or try to decipher the subtext.

She would only remember how she felt in that moment, because the feeling was so beautiful—beautiful enough that simply remembering and cherishing it was more than enough.

She could take it out every night and savor it.

Gu Chengyin did not understand girls’ thoughts, nor did he know how to pursue women.

That was a fact, not false modesty.

He could stir up storms in the imperial court, maneuver effortlessly through the cracks between competing powers, and find the optimal solution in any complicated situation.

But even now, Gu Chengyin did not dare claim that he understood women.

He could not understand Lin Qingyan’s thoughts.

He could not understand Luo Zhao’s thoughts.

He could not understand Shangguan Yunying’s thoughts.

And he could not understand Cui Zilu’s thoughts either.

Every woman was like a book written in an encrypted script—without punctuation, without paragraph breaks, and with even the page numbers jumbled.

Gu Chengyin had read through those books countless times, yet on every reading, he discovered something new that he could not understand.

But he understood human nature, and he understood one fundamental formula: contrast.

The person in power becoming humble. The predator becoming gentle.

The rational person losing control. The weak person rising up in fury.

The ascetic reaching ecstasy. The promiscuous person begging for mercy.

The flirtatious person yearning for true love. The loyal person becoming possessive.

The holy person falling into depravity. The mighty person meeting with misfortune.

People were base by nature. The more unattainable something was, the more they wanted it. The more jarring the contrast, the more deeply it would be etched into their memories.

So what was the dream of an eldest daughter of an aristocratic family like Cui Zilu?

It was simple. When confined to the inner chambers, she dreamed of rebellion and freedom. When she gave her heart to someone, she dreamed of romance and ceremony.

That was why Gu Chengyin had knelt on one knee, turning the ceremonial moment of Cui Zilu’s dreams into reality.

Deep affection had never been enough to win a woman’s heart. It was always the right tricks that worked.

The meaning of ceremony did not lie in what happened afterward, but in the instant when it happened.

As for what would happen later, Cui Zilu would become Luo Zhao’s new Chief Lady Official.

The Cui Clan would automatically become half-aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction.

Would she marry Gu Chengyin as his concubine? Would their relationship go any further?

No. At least not within the next three years.

Because people might act in secret, but Heaven was always watching.

The road from the lakeside bridge to the entrance of the Cui residence was not long, but Cui Zilu felt as though she had walked it over the course of an entire lifetime.

Her mind was like a pot of boiling porridge, bubbling furiously. Inside every bubble was a scene:

Gu Chengyin kneeling on one knee before her. Gu Chengyin taking her hand. Gu Chengyin looking at her. Gu Chengyin saying, “For the rest of our lives, I hope we can continue to guide and support each other.”

Those images played over and over in Cui Zilu’s mind.

It was as though someone had pressed the repeat button, and it could never be stopped.

Thus, her face remained flushed the entire way, and her head stayed lowered the entire time, until her chin was practically pressed against her chest.

Her head was lowered so far that the loose strands of hair falling over her forehead covered her eyes. So far that her entire world consisted of the flagstones beneath her feet and the tips of her shoes.

Cui Zilu did not dare raise her head. She did not dare look at the road, much less at Gu Chengyin beside her.

She was afraid—afraid that the moment she looked up, she would see Gu Chengyin’s face.

Then all the mental preparation, all the restraint, and all her rationality would collapse in an instant.

Cui Zilu knew that she was still too young—so young that, in the eyes of adults, her feelings amounted to nothing more than childish make-believe.

She needed to prove herself with time, with her actions, and with her achievements.

So what she needed to do now was not marry Gu Chengyin as his concubine, but become Luo Zhao’s new Chief Lady Official.

That was the goal Cui Zilu had set for herself, and the path she had chosen.

As long as she became the Chief Lady Official, she could remain in the divine capital openly and honorably, remain by Gu Chengyin’s side, and take part in matters she had once been able to do nothing more than observe from afar.

She would be able to see Gu Chengyin every day, hear his voice, know where he had gone, what he had done, and whom he had met.

She could also help him deal with tedious affairs, share the burdens weighing on his shoulders, and resolve the minor problems he could not conveniently handle himself.

She could become his eyes, his ears, and his hands.

She could make him understand that Cui Zilu was not a little sister in need of protection, but a partner capable of fighting alongside him.

Therefore, she had to perform well as Chief Lady Official. She had to become more outstanding and more capable than Shangguan Yunying.

Xiao Ruxu had once told her that although her age was currently her greatest disadvantage, it was also her greatest advantage.

Because Cui Zilu had plenty of time to grow, mature, and become the kind of person Gu Chengyin liked most.

There was no need to hurry, no need to compete, and no need to make a reckless move before she had any real certainty of success.

She only needed to wait—to wait until she grew up and became stronger.

Just like slowly boiling a frog in warm water, she would occupy an irreplaceable place in Gu Chengyin’s heart, little by little.

So she had to endure. She had to be more patient than Sister Princess.

Gu Chengyin and Cui Zilu walked together to the entrance.

The main gate of the Cui residence stood open. Sunlight poured in from outside and spilled across the flagstones, illuminating the entire gateway.

A carriage belonging to the Cui residence was waiting outside. The coachman was already seated on the front bench, reins in hand, ready to depart at any moment.

Cui Zilu turned around, still keeping her head lowered and not daring to look at Gu Chengyin. In a soft voice, she said, “Brother Chengyin, I… I’m going to find Her Highness now.”

Gu Chengyin crouched down and gently patted Cui Zilu on the shoulder.

“Do your best. I believe Zilu can handle it.”

Cui Zilu stared without blinking at Gu Chengyin crouching before her, at his gentle face and smiling eyes.

The impulse she had forced down transformed into boundless courage at that moment.

She suddenly leaned forward and kissed Gu Chengyin on the cheek.

Then, with incomparable resolve, she swore, “Brother Chengyin, you will definitely be mine!”

With that, Cui Zilu turned and ran toward the Cui residence’s carriage without looking back.

She climbed into the carriage with a series of hurried footsteps. The coachman snapped the whip, the horses whinnied, and the wheels began to turn.

The carriage slowly departed from the entrance of the Cui residence and headed into the streets of the divine capital.

Gu Chengyin remained where he was, watching the carriage disappear into the distance.

He shook his head lightly. He approved of Cui Zilu’s determination.

But this little girl clearly had no idea who her opponent really was.

Still, having a dream was always a good thing. At the very least, with the Cui Clan joining them, Luo Zhao would have one less thing to worry about after they went to the Azure Sword Sect.

What Gu Chengyin truly valued was not what Chenglu Academy could bring him.