When the words left her mouth, Lanyin was momentarily stunned, and Qi Yubai raised an eyebrow. “Smooth-tongued?”
He wasn’t actually angry, though. Instead, he let out a low chuckle, repeating her words, then lowered his gaze to look at Lanyin and asked, “So now you’re not afraid of making me angry anymore?”
It was only then that Lanyin remembered that Qi Yubai had come here to “settle accounts” with her. A sudden wave of nervousness surged in her heart. She straightened up from his embrace, looked at Qi Yubai cautiously, and asked, “Then… are you still angry?”
Lanyin truly didn’t understand herself at all.
She always thought she was rigid and cold, lacking the softness a woman should have. Yet, she was unaware that the expression in her brows and eyes at this moment would evoke tenderness in anyone who saw her. In truth, which woman in this world wasn’t like this? No matter how cold and tough they usually appeared, when facing the one they liked, they couldn’t help but soften, making them seem both like a woman and a girl at the same time.
Besides, loving someone meant loving them entirely—whether soft or cold, the person who liked you would admire and cherish you regardless.
It was just that no one had ever taught Lanyin this before, so she had never realized that she wasn’t incapable of being soft—she had simply never met the right person in the past.
Lanyin didn’t realize how delicate and pitiable she appeared, but Qi Yubai saw it clearly. Seeing her looking at him like a little kitten caught in the rain, so pitifully, his throat bobbed slightly. Not to mention that he had never been able to get truly angry with her in the first place—even if he had been filled with fury, facing her like this, he could only bow his head in surrender.
With a sigh, Qi Yubai reached out and ruffled her hair. Then, under her watchful gaze, he softly said, “I’m not angry anymore.”
The moment she heard those words, her eyes immediately lit up, turning dark and bright like a pair of glistening obsidian gems, as if she had finally set her heart at ease. Qi Yubai, affected by her emotions, also smiled again, his brows relaxing into a lighthearted and pleased expression. One of his hands remained around her waist, while the other—upon noticing the red jade earrings adorning her ears—paused in thought.
Lanyin had fair skin to begin with, and this shade of red only made her complexion appear even more luminous.
Dark, glossy hair tied in a cloud-like bun, a delicate and fair face, and that striking touch of crimson—together, they formed a breathtaking beauty.
As if his hand had a will of its own, it reached out toward her face. Before Lanyin could react, her earlobe had already fallen into his grasp. He gently pinched and rubbed it between his fingers, sending a tingling sensation through her entire body. Lanyin felt as if a current of electricity coursed through her, rendering her completely limp as she collapsed once again into Qi Yubai’s embrace.
Compared to earlier, the atmosphere between them had grown even more intoxicating.
Perhaps it was a woman’s intuition, but Lanyin suddenly sensed danger—like a small prey being targeted by a ravenous beast, knowing that in the next moment, it would be devoured whole. As she became aware of how the man was getting closer and closer, Lanyin finally spoke. She reached out and gave him a light push, but with her lack of strength, she couldn’t halt his approach. She could only struggle weakly against him.
“Qi Yubai, don’t…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her face turned a deep crimson.
Her voice… it was far too husky.
Sure enough, she caught sight of the dangerous look in the man’s eyes. His dark gaze locked onto her, so deep it seemed capable of drawing her entire soul into its depths. He still hadn’t let go of her, his fingers continuing to tease her earlobe as he turned his head slightly to look at her. Their proximity was such that if he leaned in just a little more, he could easily capture her ear between his lips.
Lanyin couldn’t withstand the intensity of Qi Yubai’s gaze. She dared not meet his eyes any longer, so she could only keep her hands pressed against his chest, using it as a barrier between them.
“I… I have something to tell you.”
At last, she summoned her courage to speak. As if afraid that he would continue teasing her, she quickly added, “Something very serious.”
Qi Yubai studied her expression for a moment. Perhaps realizing that she genuinely had something important to say and wasn’t merely trying to avoid his closeness, he thought for a bit before backing away slightly. His hand, which had been caressing her ear, finally withdrew—but the one around her waist remained.
Still holding her, he lowered his gaze and said, “Go ahead.”
Lanyin bit her lip. “I…”
She opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Fortunately, Qi Yubai was not an impatient man—he didn’t rush her, just waited quietly for her to speak. This gentle patience gave Lanyin an immense sense of reassurance.
She clenched her fingers, hesitated for a while longer, and finally lifted her head to say to Qi Yubai, “I like you too.”
As soon as the words fell, silence enveloped the room.
It was as if, in that instant, the entire world had gone quiet. The sound of wind and rain outside vanished without a trace. In this vast world, it felt like only the two of them remained.
Qi Yubai stared at Lanyin, his gaze frozen.
His stunned expression made Lanyin’s cheeks flush with embarrassment. She had no idea what he was thinking. The little courage she had just gathered seemed to dissipate again. She lowered her gaze, unwilling to meet his eyes, until she suddenly felt his hand grasp her arm. His voice, urgent and trembling with tension, rang in her ear.
“What did you say? Say it again.”
Afraid he had misheard, even his voice carried a hint of pleading. “Gu Lanyin, say it again.”
It was only then that Lanyin realized—even someone as powerful as Qi Yubai could feel nervous, could feel fear. In matters of love, no one stood above the other. No matter how strong a person was, they would still be afraid.
Something in her heart softened. Just like that, her unease and anxiety melted away.
As he wished, she lifted her gaze once more. Looking into his anxious and uneasy eyes, her voice was light, yet gentle. She met those dark, piercing phoenix eyes and slowly repeated, “Qi Yubai, I like you.”
Perhaps, in the two lifetimes she had lived, this was the first time she had ever spoken such words—the kind of words she once believed she would never say in her entire life.
Back then, although she and Xiao Ye were not in a blind, arranged marriage, they were both reserved by nature. Moreover, there had always been too many barriers between them, making love and affection seem like a distant concept.
She never imagined that one day, she would say these words to Qi Yubai.
This man—he appeared colder and more distant than anyone else, making people feel that speaking of love and desire to him would be a form of desecration.
Yet who could have imagined that beneath that icy exterior, the real Qi Yubai burned so fiercely? That he, too, had love, longing, and obsession—perhaps even deeper than anyone else.
His love captivated her.
It was under his unreserved affection, under his unrestrained love and desire, that she finally learned how to express herself, how to no longer suppress her own emotions and desires.
She watched as his eyes darkened with an almost crazed intensity, like flames blazing in the night.
Her waist was suddenly gripped tightly again, and before she could react, she found herself collapsing into his embrace.
His scorching breath brushed against the side of her ear once more. Lanyin could feel his warm breaths falling against her shoulder, and when she looked at him, his phoenix eyes locked onto her intently. That sense of danger wrapped around her heart again—but this time, she was not afraid.
She only remembered that she had something to say to him.
Pressing her lips together, she momentarily suppressed the emotions surging in her heart. Steadying herself, she softly said, “Qi Yubai, listen to me.”
The man remained leaned against her shoulder, his voice hoarse as he murmured, “Mm.” He didn’t move away. “I’m listening. Go on.”
Lanyin pressed her lips together again. She didn’t push him away, only lowered her gaze and hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“I let Miss Xu go upstairs. It wasn’t because I wanted to make you angry. I just…” She lightly bit her lip and suddenly stopped.
She had lived two lifetimes, yet she had never exposed her true thoughts to anyone.
No matter how socially adept she was in the world of human interactions, when it came to facing herself—facing love—she was clumsy and inarticulate.
And revealing her vulnerabilities and shortcomings to someone else had never been easy—for anyone.
For her, it was even harder.
She had spent her whole life knowing how to protect herself, knowing how to guard against danger.
But now she understood—she had to say it.
She liked Qi Yubai.
She didn’t want to keep pushing him toward others.
So she couldn’t leave this unresolved, couldn’t let these unspoken words remain unspoken for the future.
Even if it was difficult, she had to try and tell him.
“I… am not as good a person as I seem to be.”
Her voice was hoarse as she spoke. The moment the words left her lips, she saw the man who had been resting against her shoulder suddenly straighten up. His brows furrowed slightly, and before he could speak, Lanyin quickly reached out, pressing her fingers against his slightly parted lips.
“Let me finish first.”
Qi Yubai pursed his lips, his brows still drawn together, clearly displeased. But he did not interrupt her. Instead, he caught her hand and held it tightly in his scorching palm.
Being treated like this again, Lanyin couldn’t stop her face from flushing, but she didn’t pull away. She only took a deep breath, gathered her emotions once more, and continued.
“I… am not good at communicating. When it comes to relationships, I might not even be as capable as a child. I don’t know how to express myself properly.”
“And… I’m also a very selfish person.”
As she spoke, the hand that wasn’t held by his clenched tightly against the window sill. Lowering her head, she bit her lip. “Do you still remember what I said to Madam Cheng that day in front of the house? Back then, Sun Jin bullied a girl. That girl happened to be a close friend of one of my maidservants. I knew she had suffered great injustice, and I knew that the right thing to do was to clear her name. But for the sake of my own position and interests, I chose to keep silent.”
“But she’s doing very well now.”
The sudden voice made Lanyin freeze. She had been looking down, but upon hearing this, her head snapped up. Under Qi Yubai’s gentle gaze, she asked in shock and doubt, “How do you know?”
Qi Yubai reached out and gently stroked her hair. He did not hide it from her.
“After that day, I sent someone to investigate.”
He could never let her be in danger. No matter how small the matter, he would never ignore it.
“She is now married to a good husband and has given birth to a lovely child. You think you were selfish, but have you ever considered—without you, what would her fate have been?”
Under her stunned gaze, Qi Yubai continued stroking her head as he said, “Whether she reported it or not, she was doomed either way.”
“It was you who gave her silver to protect herself. It was you who sent her away from that place of trouble so she could start anew.”
“Lanyin, self-sacrifice is for saints. But we are not saints—we are just ordinary people. Being able to help within our limited means is already more than enough. If you were truly selfish, you wouldn’t have helped her at all.”
“I know what you’re trying to say, but have you ever considered that I, too, have my own flaws?”
Tears welled up in Lanyin’s eyes, but she still gazed at him stubbornly, choking on her words as she refuted, “You have no flaws.”
At this moment, she resembled a child, refusing to let her beloved admit to any shortcomings. In her heart, he was good at everything. There was no one in this world better than him.
Qi Yubai must have found her words quite pleasing because the smile on his face became much brighter. He gently rubbed her head with his thumb, his voice tender and warm.
“I’m happy that you see me this way. But as human beings, who doesn’t have flaws? You say you’re not good at expressing yourself, but look at me—I’m not very good at it either. Otherwise, how could I have made you feel so insecure?”
Lanyin opened her mouth to refute him.
How could this have anything to do with him?
But before she could speak, Qi Yubai pressed his finger lightly against her lips—the same trick she had just used on him—leaving her unable to say another word. Lanyin had no choice but to fall silent.