Long Fengxi laughed heartily, "Watching my brother get outwitted is such a delight! Sister-in-law, your strategy is brilliant—a perfect counterattack. I must commend you."
Gu Lili smiled back, "Sister-in-law can't change your brother's mind; all she can do is change her own."
Long Yubei knew Gu Lili was resolute and seldom wavered. A flicker of unease crossed his face. "Are you truly resolved never to have children in this lifetime?"
"It's with you that I won't," she replied firmly.
He pressed further, "But with others, you would?"
"The future stretches far ahead, and who can predict what it holds? Perhaps one day, we simply won't be able to continue."
Long Yubei fell silent, deeply sensing that though Gu Lili appeared a woman easily understood and managed, in truth, she was utterly beyond his control.
"Have you identified who's hunting you?" Ye Yan asked Gu Xichen calmly.
"My stepmother. Who else, if not her, eagerly wishing for my demise? She's calculating, but no matter—she won't have her way."
"Seems she's desperate to pave the way for her own son," Ye Yan warned. "Stay vigilant. When dealing with that mother and son duo, strike swiftly, decisively, and without mercy."
"I'm well aware."
"Not long ago, Nightingale got roughed up by Gu Lili. Heard she tangled with Long Tianjiao and even spoke insolently before receiving a proper lesson," Ye Yan chuckled. "Nightingale set her sights on Shen Congmo, which is laughable. Shen Congmo's refusal to have girlfriends all these years was plainly because he's waiting for Long Fengxi. Anyone with eyes can see it, yet Nightingale is utterly blind."
"Her blindness suits us perfectly," Gu Xichen smiled knowingly. "It only highlights your talents as her half-brother. Better for her to be foolish."
"Speak of the devil," Ye Yan's gaze shifted toward Gu Xichen, who followed it just in time to see Nightingale entering the bar with a few friends—dressed scantily in tank tops and hot pants, her face heavily made up.
"Your sister just keeps getting uglier."
Ye Yan smirked, "She spotted us."
Nightingale's friends settled down and called for service, while she approached them. "What are you two doing here?"
"Strange, isn't it?" Gu Xichen replied. "We come here often."
"Nightingale said, 'Gu Xichen, I heard Gu Lili used to be your fiancée. She was an orphan raised on the mountain, right? How did she learn kung fu?'"
"My mother taught her. So don't provoke her unless you want to get beaten senseless. Your family can't protect you," Gu Xichen warned with a casual tone that carried an edge.
"Ha…" Nightingale rolled her eyes. "Why should I fear her? Long Yubei's wife or not, I'm not afraid of anyone."
"Youth often equals folly," Gu Xichen swirled his glass. "Some have no sense of their place."
"By the way, Gu Xichen, why did you break off the engagement with her and hand her over to Long Yubei?"
"That question…" He hesitated. "Why should I tell you?"
"Fine, then I won't ask," Nightingale said, turning back to her friends to continue drinking.
Gu Xichen set down his glass and rose. Ye Yan asked, "Not staying longer?"
"Going home."
His bodyguards fell in step beside him. Since the last assassination attempt, Gu Xichen had reinforced his security.
On the way back, he received a call from his father.
At home, the family of three was present. Gu Xichen sat opposite his father and asked, "You said Min was being targeted by assassins?"
"That's correct."