The answer could only be Gu Chengyin.
Who else but Gu Chengyin could turn the Aloof Immortal into this sickeningly sweet version of herself?
And Gu Xiaoli had to face another cruel and urgent truth.
In this war without smoke or flames, she had already fallen behind.
It wasn’t a matter of cultivation. Although she truly couldn’t defeat Lin Qingyan, that had never been the main battlefield between them.
They weren’t fighting over who was stronger. They were fighting over who could win more of Gu Chengyin’s favor.
On this particular playing field, the difference between cultivation levels was practically meaningless. The gap between someone at the half-step Nascent Soul stage and someone invincible among Golden Core cultivators could be all but ignored.
What truly decided the outcome was an entirely different set of rules.
Who was better at acting spoiled? Who was better at showing weakness? Who could strike more precisely at the softest place in Gu Chengyin’s heart?
Whoever could do that would gain the upper hand in this battle for affection.
And Lin Qingyan had clearly grasped that point with remarkable acuity—and had wasted no time striking first.
From the moment she had taken the initiative to wrap her arms around Gu Chengyin’s neck, to the way she acted more like a kitten than even Gu Xiaoli did when seeking his favor…
That entire combination had flowed together seamlessly, like a perfectly choreographed routine refined through careful design and repeated practice.
Every move struck precisely at a man’s instinct to protect and his sense of fulfillment.
Every syllable was like a feather lightly brushing against his heartstrings, making them tremble ever so slightly without snapping them taut.
To be honest, from an outsider’s perspective, it was utterly upside-down that the dignified Lord Jingzhe, invincible among Golden Core cultivators, would actually have to curry favor with Gu Chengyin, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.
By the values generally accepted in the cultivation world, the strong were meant to be admired, obeyed, and pampered.
It was the weak who needed to lower their heads, bend their backs, and ingratiate themselves with others.
With Lin Qingyan’s strength and status, she could have handled everything with nothing more than a cold look and a command.
She had no need to show weakness to anyone, no need to please anyone.
And she certainly had no need to set aside her proud bearing—one that looked down upon the entire world—for the sake of a man.
Yet Lin Qingyan had chosen not to do that, because she didn’t care in the slightest what outsiders thought.
No matter what the people of the cultivation world believed, no matter what rumors spread through the streets and alleys, none of it was worth even a single strand of Gu Chengyin’s hair in her heart.
For Lin Qingyan, as long as Gu Chengyin wasn’t angry, as long as he didn’t ignore her, then that was the right thing to do. It was proper. It was only natural.
And if she could make Gu Xiaoli suffer a little on top of that…
Then it would be perfect.
That was why, when Lin Qingyan buried her face against Gu Chengyin’s neck, the faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips wasn’t merely because she had won his favor.
At least half of it came from seeing the furious and anxious expression on Gu Xiaoli’s face—an expression that was helpless despite everything.
The feeling was like taking a huge gulp of ice-cold sour-plum drink on a sweltering summer day. It was refreshing from head to toe, with every pore cheering in delight.
Gu Xiaoli had noticed it too.
Lin Qingyan had struck first and claimed the moral high ground, using a proactive apology to win sympathy.
Then she had used coquettishness and weakness to consolidate her advantage, and finally sealed the deal by declaring her claim through intimate physical contact.
The entire process had been perfectly linked from beginning to end—a textbook example of how to compete for someone’s affection.
And what about Gu Xiaoli?
She was still pouting and sulking, still caught up in the aftermath of the recent commotion, and before she had even recovered, Lin Qingyan had already thrown her at least two places behind.
No. This absolutely couldn’t continue.
She had to regroup. She had to find an opening. She had to win back a round.
Otherwise, in this household, she really would become the silly cat trampled beneath Lin Qingyan’s feet.
She was a cat, yes, but she absolutely refused to be trampled beneath Lin Qingyan’s feet.
Just as Gu Xiaoli’s eyes began to dart about and her clever little brain started plotting a campaign of coquettish attacks, Gu Chengyin’s voice rang out again:
“Auntie, how are things over at the Celestial Master’s Palace?”
His tone was no longer as stern as it had been when he was lecturing the two of them. Instead, it had returned to its usual calm and casual manner.
Yet that change in tone made Lin Qingyan relax slightly.
Even if Gu Xiaoli had been the one in the wrong this time, was Lin Qingyan herself completely blameless?
Of course not, because Gu Chengyin was always right.
If Gu Chengyin was wrong, refer to the previous statement.
That was why Lin Qingyan was also afraid that Gu Chengyin might be angry with her.
But judging from his tone, he didn’t seem to be, and her heart finally settled.
When the conversation turned to serious matters, Lin Qingyan put away her ingratiating expression and replied, “Zhao’er and I have received quite a few representatives from various sects.”
“So far, nothing unexpected has happened.”
That answer was exactly what Gu Chengyin had expected.
On the eve of the Taihe War, all the major sects had gathered in the Divine Capital. On the surface, they had come to watch the battle and pledge their allegiance.
In reality, each had its own plans and ulterior motives.
They had only just arrived, however, so everyone was still in the stage of observing and testing the waters.
“Mm.”
Gu Chengyin nodded. His tone remained even, but then he changed tack, and a touch of genuine concern entered his voice.
“Auntie, you need to watch out for your own safety too. Otherwise, I’ll worry about you.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Lin Qingyan’s eyes softened.
The sharp light in her eyes, clear and limpid as autumn waters, seemed to be gently wrapped in something.
It melted into two pools of unfathomable tenderness, so intense that it nearly spilled from her eyes.
What Lin Qingyan cared about wasn’t the words “watch out for your safety” themselves.
She was Jingzhe of the Celestial Master’s Palace, invincible among Golden Core cultivators. The number of people throughout the entire Great Luo cultivation world who could injure her could be counted on one hand. Her safety was hardly something worth worrying about.
What mattered to her was the message hidden behind his words.
He was worried about her. He cared about her.
That was enough. It moved her more deeply than any sweet words could have.
Beside them, Gu Xiaoli pouted again. Her large eyes were filled with three unmistakable words:
I want some too.
But she wasn’t an unreasonable cat. She knew they were discussing serious business, so she didn’t make a scene or start pouting in jealousy at a time like this.
She merely stared at Gu Chengyin with eager, pleading eyes.
“Mm, Chengcheng, don’t worry. I’ll be careful at all times. I promise I won’t lose even a single hair.”
After saying this, Lin Qingyan paused.
Then she leaned forward slightly and brought her red lips to Gu Chengyin’s ear.
Her movements were slow, as if she were deliberately giving Gu Xiaoli plenty of time to watch.
Her lips nearly brushed his earlobe. The breath she exhaled was warm and moist, carrying a faint, fresh fragrance.
Every syllable seemed wrapped in honey, so sweet it was cloying and so soft it made one’s bones go weak.
“After all, every part of my body—even a single hair—belongs to Chengcheng~”
When she reached the final word, Lin Qingyan lightly brushed her lips against Gu Chengyin’s earlobe before pulling back.
Gu Xiaoli: “…”
By now, she was practically one hundred percent certain that Lin Qingyan had been possessed by something.
Gu Xiaoli had known Lin Qingyan for a long time. She had been dealing with this woman since long ago.
But she had never—ever—seen Lin Qingyan like this before.
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
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.
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!
