A glacial gleam flickered in Gu Qingli's eyes, a chill sharp enough to cut through steel.
Her lips curled into a faintly wicked smile, the kind of cold smirk far too detached and composed for someone so young.
After a long pause, she finally lifted her gaze, locking eyes with Sikong Ran. The corners of her mouth lifted slowly, revealing a razor-edged smile steeped in frost.
"Very well… very well indeed." Her voice was calm—eerily so—yet it carried a chill that made one's spine instinctively stiffen.
Initially, Gu Qingli bore little animosity toward Sikong Ran. For someone of his age, status, and accomplishments, a degree of arrogance was hardly surprising. Having been raised amid constant adoration and flattery, his haughty disposition was, in some ways, inevitable.
But threatening her with her brother? That crossed the line. Did he truly believe her temper so gentle, so easy to provoke without consequence?
Without waiting for the Gu family's response, Gu Qingli turned and strode away from the registration area. Elder Mu, though helpless, dared not stop her.
But she did not go far. Hidden in a shadowed corner of the plaza, she silently waited—until the figure of Sikong Ran appeared once more within her sight.
His expression was thunderous. Since the moment Gu Qingli left, his face had been ashen with rage. Behind him, He Zhongyi exuded an icy aura, and the young men following them all wore dark, brooding expressions.
Who could have imagined that the proud young master of the City Lord's estate would be humiliated by a twelve-year-old girl once derided as useless?
"I've never in my life been threatened like that," Sikong Ran muttered, his fury simmering beneath the surface. The brilliance of his appearance was now eclipsed by a biting cold.
In his mind replayed her flawless, striking face—and those frigid phoenix eyes, brimming with killing intent.
Abruptly, he stopped. Glancing at the group trailing behind him, he waved them off with visible irritation. "You can all leave. Zhongyi and I will take a walk. And not a word of today's… incident… is to reach my father."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The entourage scattered swiftly, terrified of inciting his wrath.
He Zhongyi furrowed his brow and said as they walked, "Young Master, don't take it to heart. No matter how arrogant she is, she's just a twelve-year-old girl still wet behind the ears…"
Sikong Ran shot him an icy glare.
"Then what does it say about us, being outmatched by a little girl still 'wet behind the ears'?"
To the world, He Zhongyi might seem a mere guard, but Sikong Ran knew better. His father had confided in him that Zhongyi was the orphaned ward of an old friend—a boy of mysterious origins, in whom the City Lord had invested almost as much as in his own son. In truth, He Zhongyi was more like an elder brother.
Which was why their conversations were far more candid in private.
"That girl certainly has the strength to back up her arrogance," He Zhongyi admitted. "On the surface, she's at the fifth rank of the Martial Warrior level—but I'd wager she's even stronger than I am. She must not be underestimated. At her age, with such power… her future is limitless."
The image of her cold little face resurfaced in his mind. Had circumstances been different, he might have admired her from afar.
"Hmph. That damn girl's even more arrogant than I am," Sikong Ran sneered. "I just don't get how someone they all called useless for years turned out like this. If it were me, I'd have beaten anyone who dared call me trash!"
He Zhongyi's lips twitched faintly. "What she did today was a direct blow to the Gu family's pride. Compared to their current younger generation, I suspect even the family head will soon be forced to humble himself before her. She understands restraint—those who do are destined for greatness. She's no ordinary girl. I admit, I admire her a little."