Chapter 286: Unable to Resist
By the lake, under the shade of the trees.
A large fish was skewered through its mouth and tail, hanging above the firewood. As the stick rotated, the sizzling sound of the fish's skin cooking could be heard. A handsome young man in fine clothes skillfully took out various seasonings from his storage ring and sprinkled them on the fish.
Gu Xun'er rested her chin on her hand, sitting beside Yao Yan, silently watching everything unfold. She seemed still lost in thought, remembering the embrace at the bottom of the lake… how she had thrown herself into his arms, how he held her waist, and the lingering warmth of his breath, still fresh in her mind.
Just thinking about it made her heart race.
She couldn't help but glance at her fiancée, who appeared completely unaffected, and she felt a strange mix of embarrassment and irritation. She wanted to say something, but didn't know where to start. Her thoughts were like a tangled ball of yarn, more and more confusing, with a subtle bittersweet feeling that left her feeling unsettled.
Yao Yan looked at the fish, now golden-brown and nearly done, sniffing it with satisfaction. He nodded approvingly and sprinkled the final bit of seasoning. Then he handed the fish to Gu Xun'er, saying softly, "Try it, my skills shouldn't have declined."
He had spent years surviving in the wild, and cooking fish was a skill he had picked up during that time.
It was simple, practice makes perfect.
Gu Xun'er looked at the roasted fish, the smell making her stomach growl. She didn't hesitate much and took the fish from Yao Yan. Then she pointed to the bottles of seasoning beside them, asking curiously, "Do you always carry seasoning with you?"
"When I was training in the wild, I had to figure out how to take care of my own meals," Yao Yan smiled slightly, replying, "Give it a try."
Gu Xun'er didn't suspect Yao Yan of poisoning her. With his strength, if he truly wanted to do something to her, he wouldn't go through so much trouble. She carefully tore off a piece of fish from the belly, elegantly placed it in her mouth, and immediately, a strange gleam flickered in her cold eyes. She swallowed quickly and then said to Yao Yan, "It's really delicious."
"If you like it, eat more. If we get the chance in the future, I'll cook for you often... actually, I'm quite interested in cooking," Yao Yan thought back to his past life, smiling lightly.
Gu Xun'er paused for a moment, not sure whether Yao Yan was being sincere or just saying it on purpose. After all, he was about to become a Dou Saint—how could someone like him be interested in cooking? She had only known him for less than two days.
Yet in these two days, she had already thrown herself into his embrace, without any sense of disgust... something was off.
"You really are something," Gu Xun'er thought for a moment before slowly looking up at Yao Yan. Her moist lips moved slightly as her calm and rational voice echoed, "In just two days, I've developed some... fondness for you! You seem very good at dealing with women."
Her clear and intelligent eyes blinked slightly, her long, thick lashes trembling, as she tried to truly see through Yao Yan.
Because after spending time together, Gu Xun'er wasn't sure if he was truly like this or if he was pretending, doing it all on purpose for her to see.
"Good at dealing with women?" Yao Yan furrowed his brows, then asked in return, "Did I deceive you in some way?"
Gu Xun'er thought for a moment and shook her head. Then, she looked at the fragrant roasted fish in her hand and softly said, "It must be because your strength is so great that when I'm with you, it feels unreal… because of the disparity, there's some fear inside me, afraid that everything might be fake."
Yao Yan patiently listened to Gu Xun'er's words before responding calmly, "Time is the best answer. We've only known each other for two days, so naturally, there's some confusion. Over time, you'll know what kind of person I really am."
"But my time is running out, I want to go back to the Gu Realm!" Gu Xun'er lifted her head seriously, looking at her fiancée, who she had only known for two days, and said, "…I don't want to fall behind you too much!"
"A competitive spirit?" Yao Yan asked.
"Somewhat, but mainly because my Dou Qi cultivation is too weak, and there's a huge gap between us, which makes me feel uneasy," Gu Xun'er admitted candidly.
"Are you worried that I'll bully you?" Yao Yan smiled, teasing her softly.
"You really have bullied me!" Gu Xun'er glared at Yao Yan, saying confidently, "A girl's hand shouldn't be casually grabbed! Especially in front of so many people, and moreover... you even hugged me earlier!"
Her fair face turned slightly red after saying this, her eyes misty, but she suppressed the bashfulness in her heart and stared at Yao Yan as though she was trying to intimidate him, thinking that this would make her appear strong and control the situation.
But what she didn't realize was how alluring her current appearance was.
"I'll take responsibility," Yao Yan said with a gentle smile, his gaze soft as he made a promise.
The little courage Gu Xun'er had built up was immediately deflated by those words. Annoyed, she stopped talking to Yao Yan, lowered her head to eat, taking small bites until most of the fish was gone. Her little belly didn't even bulge a bit.
Yao Yan, on the other hand, was admiring the way she ate. Beautiful women always had an elegance about them, even when eating. It was like a beautiful painting.
"You can have the fish head and tail," Gu Xun'er said, grumbling as she handed the remaining fish to Yao Yan.
"Your personality is quite nasty," Yao Yan remarked as he took the fish head and began preparing it.
"You teach well~" Gu Xun'er replied with a smile.
Yao Yan chuckled and, while eating the tender fish head, said to Gu Xun'er, "When do you plan to return to the Gu Clan ?"
"In a few days~" Gu Xun'er's smile faded a little as she said slowly.
"Okay, I'll visit you in the Gu Clan when I have time," Yao Yan promised as he looked at her.
"Mm!"
The young girl's eyes curved into a smile as she made a quiet agreement with the young man under the tree's shade.
...
...
Gu Xun'er was a woman of action. The "few days" she spoke of turned out to be just two and a half days, after which Gu Yuan sent someone to retrieve her from the Gu Realm, as though he feared that if he delayed even a little, his precious daughter would be gone. Before she left, Gu Xun'er had left a dark golden Dou Qi technique scroll for Yao Yan as a return gift for the bracelet.
One had to say, Gu Xun'er was indeed a rich girl, and the Dou Qi technique she gave him wasn't some incomplete fragment but the full version of the Emperor's Seal Decision! A complete five-seal technique that could rival the Heavenly-level techniques!
In response to this...
Yao Yan was really curious about Gu Yuan's reaction. At the same time, he was a little confused. Gu Xun'er didn't seem like the type of girl to act irrationally. They had only known each other for less than five days, and while Xiao Yi Xian might have developed some fondness for him, she certainly wasn't at the point of falling in love with him. So why had she given him the Emperor's Seal Decision?
Not understanding, Yao Yan decided not to think too much about it. After all, there would be future opportunities to meet, and he could ask her directly then.
After seeing Gu Xun'er off, Yao Yan bid farewell to Xiao Zhan and explained that Xiao Yi Xian had already left, before leaving the Xiao family despite their attempts to keep him.
...
The Gu Realm.
Gu Yuan was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "You gave him the full version of the Emperor's Seal Decision?"
"Mm!" Gu Xun'er nodded slightly, answering softly.
"How long have you known him?" Gu Yuan felt a little dizzy, pressing his hand to his forehead, finding it hard to accept. When had his daughter become so easy to deceive? In just five days, she had even given away the family's inherited technique. If she married that kid from the Hun Clan, wouldn't she end up handing the entire Gu Clan over to him?
Gu Xun'er didn't care much, taking out her trump card: a slight smile, and silence.
As for why she gave him the Emperor's Seal Decision, it wasn't because she had fallen in love with Yao Yan. She had some fondness for him, but love was still a long way off. Moreover, she didn't even know what love was yet. She had done this purely to anger Gu Yuan and those old fools of the Gu Clan !
They hadn't consulted her before deciding to marry her off to Yao Yan and form an alliance with the Hun Clan. She couldn't let that slide, and she wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't stand up for herself.
What could Gu Yuan do? He could only hold his nose and bear it. He looked at his "obedient daughter" and helplessly said, "Fine, you gave it away. As long as the kid doesn't spread it, it's not a big deal… I'll handle the Elders, just focus on your cultivation. You need to catch up with him, only then will you be able to truly control your own fate!"
"Then I'll go cultivate~" Gu Xun'er smiled and replied, then turned to head to her small courtyard, intending to enter seclusion for a while.
Gu Yuan watched his daughter leave, his expression darkening. He had planned everything, but he never expected Yao Yan to so easily win over his daughter. How had his daughter, who once had such strong convictions, fallen for someone so quickly? In just five days, she had given away the family's treasured Dou Qi technique.
That kid was simply unnatural!
(END CHAPTER)
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