Such Deep Brotherhood — Gu Changge's Precise Grasp of the Human Heart
Such Deep Brotherhood — Gu Changge’s Precise Grasp of the Human Heart
Inside the pavilion where Ye Ling and the others were staying.
Bai Lie had been waiting with eager anticipation, and finally, when the moonlight fell upon the third eave.
From the void outside the pavilion, a voice came.
“Bai Lie, I’m here!”
The voice was lovely and carried a bewitching charm, enough to make one’s heart and mind drift in enchantment.
Bai Lie was delighted and went straight to the window to greet her. The crowd of young prodigies all rose to their feet, every one of their eyes lighting up.
Such a beauty—no matter how many times one looked, it would never be enough. No wonder even an iron-blooded man like Bai Lie would drown in her tender embrace, unable to pull himself free.
“The Nine-Lives Gifted Lady, Yin Mei...”
Even Ye Ling grew more amazed the longer he looked. Today, Yin Mei had clearly dressed up with care, wearing light makeup, and he couldn’t help but feel a few degrees of envy toward Bai Lie.
“Yin Mei, you’ve come?”
Bai Lie smiled toward the window, an infatuated expression on his face.
“I’ve come!”
A woman in a red dress laughed softly.
She stepped out from within the phantom image, one step at a time, and beneath her feet, delicate flowers seemed to bloom one after another.
Her face carried a demonic allure, a bewitching charm.
She was extremely beautiful, but this beauty was different from those goddesses of before.
Hers was the beauty of a fox spirit, as if she could enchant all living beings.
She walked out from the phantom image and descended upon the void, beautiful to the point of seeming unreal, her oval face lustrous white like mutton-fat jade.
A pair of curved, dark eyebrows, eyes like rubies, shimmering with crystalline light.
A pert, elegant nose, lips touched with red, pearly teeth gleaming, and a head of hair smooth as silk.
Beneath the night sky, the moonlight was hazy.
Her figure was graceful and poised as she stepped toward the pavilion, like a peerless immortal blossom that could charm all living things.
Her skin glowed with luster, utterly flawless.
Clearly, Yin Mei had dressed up specially today—she was far more beautiful than Bai Lie had ever seen her before.
“970”He froze in a daze, then quickly recovered and let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration.
“Yin Mei, you’re so beautiful!”
Yin Mei’s eyes held a hint of shyness as she shot him a glance and chided, “What a blockhead.”
Those words nearly melted Bai Lie’s very bones; his entire soul seemed to shudder.
But soon, he noticed the crowd of prodigies inside the pavilion—and even his worthy little brother Ye Ling’s slightly dazed expression—and a trace of displeasure and discomfort immediately surfaced on his face.
After all, Yin Mei had dressed up specially to come see him. How could he let other men stare at her like this?
Though Bai Lie had a bold and forthright temperament, he was still a man, and his possessiveness was anything but ordinary.
He immediately let out a cold snort to show his displeasure.
Hearing that sound, the young prodigies in the pavilion quickly came to their senses and hurriedly withdrew their gazes, their faces somewhat embarrassed.
Ye Ling also slowly withdrew his gaze, feigning composure as he raised his cup and took a sip of wine, saying, “Brother Bai Lie truly is a fortunate man!”
Normally, Bai Lie would have been pleased to hear such words, but thinking of Ye Ling’s character, something about it now felt oddly off.
“Yin Mei, you’ve come at just the right time—we were just talking about you.”
But Bai Lie didn’t make an issue of it. He hurriedly welcomed Yin Mei in with a smile.
At the same time, he ordered the people in the pavilion to replace the wine and refreshments.
It was rare for Yin Mei to take the initiative to seek him out, and she had dressed up so beautifully besides. He was truly overjoyed, his face glowing red, the character “King” on his forehead flickering with a strange light.
Bai Lie even began to wonder whether something wonderful might happen tonight—whether he might finally steal a taste of her charms.
After all, it was night, and wine had been drunk.
Just thinking about it made him a little excited.
“Sorry to have kept you all waiting. There’s been quite a lot going on at the mountain gate lately—Gu shixiong has already been announced as the successor, and the Canonization Ceremony is coming up soon.”
“He left the mountain gate today; otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to come out so casually.” Yin Mei then said with a smile, seating herself with easy grace.
However, she kept a subtle distance from everyone, which didn’t displease Bai Lie in the slightest—on the contrary, it made him even happier.
At this moment, he wished more than anything that everyone would leave, so that only he and Yin Mei would remain.
The banquet began anew.
Yin Mei conversed with everyone, natural and poised, perfectly proper in her manner.
But Bai Lie’s expression grew faintly displeased, especially when he noticed some of the young prodigies sneaking glances at her.
Tonight, Yin Mei was simply too radiant and enchanting—it was impossible for her not to draw attention.
Soon enough, seeing Bai Lie’s expression, the young prodigies tactfully took their leave one after another.
If they offended Bai Lie over this, the loss would far outweigh the gain.
For a time, only Ye Ling, Yin Mei, and Bai Lie remained in the pavilion.
“Let me toast the Gifted Lady. A heaven-blessed woman like you, who neither curries favor with the powerful nor fears to stand against Gu Changge, is truly rare in this day and age!”
“And even with Gu Changge covering the sky with one hand at Skyward Schloss, you still don’t fear him. Just for that alone, this little brother admires you!”
Ye Ling said with a hearty laugh, raising his white jade cup and toasting Yin Mei from afar.
He was speaking the truth.
When he had heard about what happened at the Thousands Banquet, he had developed quite a favorable impression of a woman with such unyielding integrity as Yin Mei.
Now that they had met quite a few times, seeing her tonight with her light makeup was truly dazzling, and he sighed inwardly that Brother Bai Lie’s fortune with women really ran deep.
The Gifted Lady of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan—few could match such status.
Thinking this, Ye Ling drained his cup in one gulp, the picture of boldness.
“Brother Ye Ling is too polite.”
Hearing this flattery, Yin Mei seemed quite pleased. She smiled radiantly and returned his toast from afar.
“Recently, I’ve also heard quite a few rumors about Brother Ye Ling, and I truly can’t help but admire you. Not only did you fight Ye Langtian—the one they call the Reincarnation of an Ancient Emperor—without falling behind, you even issued a challenge to Gu shixiong. Such courage is astonishing.”
“Knowing Gu shixiong’s strength and still daring to do so—few among the younger generation could compare.”
She smiled behind pursed lips, her eyes curving into crescents, looking very happy as she began chatting with Ye Ling across the distance between them.
“Not at all, not at all—the Gifted Lady flatters me. But what’s there to fear? Gu Changge may be strong, but there are plenty who don’t fear him.” Hearing this, Ye Ling also chuckled.
The flattery felt very comfortable, and moreover, the one speaking it was no one else but his big brother’s fiancée.
It gave rise to a strange feeling in his heart.
But Ye Ling concealed it well.
Soon, the two were talking as if no one else were present. Yin Mei covered her mouth with laughter from time to time, her eyes rippling with charm, appearing all the more beautiful and captivating.
Though Ye Ling’s features were ordinary, he carried an air of confidence unlike common men.
This scene fell into Bai Lie’s eyes, and his expression turned ugly. At this moment, it was as if he had become the outsider.
Moreover, Yin Mei was usually very polite to him, her attitude never this natural and relaxed.
But now, talking with Ye Ling, she laughed from time to time, looking thoroughly delighted.
Bai Lie’s expression grew darker and darker, and he faintly felt that Ye Ling—this worthy little brother who had always been so agreeable to his eyes—was becoming an eyesore.
“Ye Ling...”
Bai Lie spoke with a slightly darkened face. This time, he didn’t even call him “worthy little brother,” but addressed Ye Ling by his full name.
“Brother Bai Lie...”
Only now did Ye Ling suddenly come to his senses, his face slightly embarrassed. He had indeed stolen the host’s thunder just now.
He had been so absorbed in talking with Yin Mei that he’d left Bai Lie out in the cold.
However, inwardly he didn’t think much of it. He felt Bai Lie was being too narrow-minded—it was just a conversation with Yin Mei, and across a distance at that. What was there to fuss about?
Ye Ling then glanced at the night sky outside and rose to take his leave, smiling, “This little brother won’t impose any longer. It’s getting late—time to take my leave and rest.”
He also knew Bai Lie was probably a bit angry now.
So he planned to leave first and let Bai Lie cool off. His luck with women had always been good; Yin Mei exchanging a few more words with him was nothing in itself.
Bai Lie was making a mountain out of a molehill.
Bai Lie’s expression was unpleasant. What Ye Ling had done today was, in his view, truly hard to justify.
Normally, he had taken great care of Ye Ling, providing him with no small amount of cultivation resources. Yet now, right in front of him, Ye Ling was actually “flirting” with his fiancée?
What was this supposed to be?
Bai Lie said nothing more, his face somewhat gloomy.
At this point, Ye Ling also bid Yin Mei farewell and left the pavilion directly.
In any case, where he was currently staying wasn’t far from here.
For a time, only Bai Lie and Yin Mei remained in the pavilion.
Bai Lie stared at Yin Mei, who had kept her distance from him all along, his face very displeased. He was just about to open his mouth and question her about her behavior earlier.
But at that moment, the smile vanished from Yin Mei’s face, and she spoke first, indifferently: “That Ye Ling has a crooked heart. Stay away from him from now on.”
The speed of her change of face left Bai Lie somewhat stunned, even dumbfounded.
Just moments ago she had been chatting and laughing with Ye Ling, and now she had reverted to her old polite, distant manner.
Bai Lie was stunned, unable to react for a moment.
But soon, he registered what Yin Mei had said, and his eyes widened slightly.
Yin Mei’s behavior just now... had actually been a test of Ye Ling?
At this point, Yin Mei glanced at him, looking somewhat exasperated at his failure to meet her expectations, and said flatly, “What’s inside that head of yours? How did you even make it this far?”
“From the very first day we met, that Ye Ling kept staring at me with impure eyes—who knows what schemes he was harboring in his heart.”
“You simply never noticed. If I had told you directly back then, you’d probably have suspected I was trying to drive a wedge between you two brothers. So now—have you seen clearly what kind of person he is?”
With that, she looked at Bai Lie, brows tightly furrowed, appearing deeply disappointed in him......
“This...”
Bai Lie froze on the spot.
Hearing these explanations and combining them with Yin Mei’s unusual behavior today, Bai Lie quickly came to a realization.
He didn’t doubt Yin Mei’s words.
Nor could he find any reason to doubt them.
After all, Ye Ling’s behavior just now had truly been outrageous.
Bai Lie thought it over carefully.
Helping him see Ye Ling’s true colors—this was Yin Mei’s real purpose all along.
Thinking of this, Bai Lie was somewhat moved. He hadn’t expected Yin Mei to have been secretly considering so much for his sake.
Just now, he had actually been doubting Yin Mei...
This filled Bai Lie with both guilt and gratitude.
“Yin Mei, you really went to such trouble. I wronged you—so you were looking out for me all along.”
Bai Lie spoke with emotion, but toward the end, his expression turned cold. “I’ve actually always had some understanding of Ye Ling’s temperament, but I never imagined he’d go this far—to even dare set his sights on you...”
He knew about Ye Ling coveting Yueming, the Crown Heir of the Unrivaled Celestial Dynasty.
Combined with what he’d seen today, his expression grew even colder, and he directly lumped Ye Ling into the same category as Gu Changge.
“Hmph, I knew it—this Ye Ling fellow is respectful to my face but harbors ill intentions in his heart.”
“He’s no different from that Gu Changge!”
Bai Lie said coldly, already beginning to consider how to deal with Ye Ling.
In a moment he didn’t notice, a trace of mockery flashed through Yin Mei’s eyes, but it vanished in an instant, well concealed by her.
Everything she had said and done tonight had naturally been arranged and instructed by Gu Changge.
Yin Mei had merely followed his script.
And everything had proceeded exactly as Gu Changge had said it would, following his plan without the slightest deviation. This made Yin Mei’s heart tremble uncontrollably, and she felt fear.
Gu Changge’s grasp of the human heart was simply too terrifying.
She couldn’t even imagine how it could all be so simple.
Years of deep brotherhood between Bai Lie and Ye Ling—dismantled by Gu Changge just like that, with such ease.
And in all of this, she had merely met Bai Lie a few times and spoken with him a few times.
She hadn’t done anything else at all, hadn’t concerned herself with anything else.
However, Yin Mei also understood that part of the reason was that she was the Gifted Lady of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan—her acting skills were inherently superb, leaving no flaws for anyone to find.
But of course, the main reason was that Gu Changge’s grasp of Bai Lie’s and Ye Ling’s temperaments was precise down to the finest degree. It made her shudder uncontrollably.
Though Gu Changge had never shown his face from beginning to end, he held the entire situation firmly in his grasp.
Bai Lie and Ye Ling probably had no idea at all that Gu Changge was secretly orchestrating all of this.
This was too terrifying!
It also made Yin Mei secretly rejoice that her decision back then had been the right one—otherwise, she probably wouldn’t even know how she died.
“Yin Mei, it’s late tonight. Are you still going back to the mountain gate?”
At this point, Bai Lie suddenly looked at Yin Mei with some anticipation and asked. 2.3
After all, it was the middle of the night—surely Yin Mei couldn’t return to the mountain gate now?
Hearing this, Yin Mei’s expression had already returned to normal, showing nothing unusual. She shook her head and smiled softly, “I’m not going back tonight. I have a small villa in this ancient city—perfect for getting some rest.”
Bai Lie was somewhat disappointed, but he couldn’t press the matter.
After that, Yin Mei didn’t linger long and took her leave.
But before leaving, her eyes flickered slightly, and her voice came with a smile, saying, “Though it’s not far from here—just three hundred li to the east.”
“Three hundred li to the east...”
Those words made Bai Lie’s gaze blaze fiercely, and his heart leaped with a trace of joy.
Could those words be Yin Mei’s hint to him?
But now was not the time to rush into such matters. His expression sank, and he waved his large hand.
“Come forth...”
From the void behind him, a terrifying figure appeared, its vitality and blood energy extremely vigorous—it was his secret Dao Protector, a great expert of the White Tiger Clan.
“Young Master!”
At the same time, Bai Lie’s usual attendants and followers emerged from below the pavilion, no small number of them, every single one extremely powerful—the weakest among them at the Honoured Noble Realm.
“Go and bring Ye Ling to me. That damned bastard dares to treat me like this.” Bai Lie said with a dark expression.
“Yes, Young Master!”
Soon, the entire group, including the Dao Protector, charged out of the pavilion toward where Ye Ling was.
Only then did Bai Lie relax a little.
He knew Ye Ling had no shortage of tricks, which was why he had sent the Dao Protector—he was determined to have Ye Ling captured and brought back.
“What Yin Mei said before leaving... that must have been a hint for me, right?”
At this point, a smile couldn’t help but appear on Bai Lie’s face. His figure moved, and he too left the place, heading toward the location Yin Mei had mentioned.