Chapter 48: Good Omen (Part 1)

  "Call me Yan." Ye Yi pulled Gu Huanli, who was shrinking by the car window, into his arms and then pinned her to his knees, just like holding a doll, coldly saying, "Little wild cat, I allow you to call me Yan."

  "Salt?" And sugar too! Could it be that their family runs a grocery store, a condiment shop, and the siblings line up to sell tea, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea.

  "Hmm." Ye Leng hummed, grabbed her hand and wrote the character stroke by stroke on her palm, then narrowed his eyes, "I know you're a child prodigy, so don't say you don't recognize this character."

  "I know, salt." Gu Huanli wasn't used to sitting on a stranger's lap, especially a strange man's lap. She shifted her body, wanting to sit in the back seat, but was held down by Ye and couldn't move. "Uncle Yan, if you take me away like this, my brother will worry."

  "Call my name properly." The dark, deep eyes stared tightly at Gu Huanli, the sharp gaze like the cold light on the blade, the scar on his cheek was particularly eye-catching under the streetlight, and a hint of evil color was revealed. It made people feel cool in their hearts. "Little wild cat, there is hatred in your eyes, but there is hesitation in your heart. So, you who are entangled by these negative emotions will ultimately achieve nothing."

  "Does one's appearance at three determine their youth, and at seven their age?" Gu Huanli gazed at his face, which didn't look particularly kind, with a detached expression that seemed to hold a sense of estrangement. He spoke coolly, "Thanks, I've never hoped to become the Secretary-General of the United Nations or land on the moon."

  "Hmph..." Zero couldn't help but laugh out loud, seeing that the master of their household had a bad expression. Well, to be honest, he never really had a good one anyway, it was always this bad. Plus, his personality was eccentric and cold, not putting anything at heart except for matters within the organization. Now, he's actually willing to chat with a little girl like me...

  Anything is possible!

  "Do you want to go to space?" Ye stretched out his hand and gently pinched Gu Huan's chin, suddenly laughing. His laughter pulled at the scar on his face, making it look even more terrifying. Zero, sitting across from him, felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed a faint cold air emanating from behind him.

  The master of the house is usually not fond of smiling, but once he starts laughing, it proves that someone will be in trouble.

  As expected, she soon heard Night say, "With your body, wanting to travel in space is really too weak. So, before you go home, I'll make sure to keep an eye on you and have you undergo various physical training."

  "Uncle Yan, I'm really sorry, but I'm not interested in the Olympic gold medal either." Gu Huanli ignored Zero's trembling and signaling, and said directly, "However, if you can teach me some self-defense techniques or something, I might be able to learn a little bit."

  "Call my name properly, this is the last time I remind you." Ye looked at Gu Huanli, his face scarred and terrifying, his eyes low and black as night, deep and cold. Like a thick evening sky with hidden stars, dazzling and beautiful, yet so distant.

  Gu Huanli stared at him with a bewildered expression, and after a long while, she seemed to sigh and softly called out, "Yan."

  "Hmph." Ye hummed coldly and disapprovingly, leaning down close to Gu Huan's face.

  Gu Huanli was startled, unable to avoid it, and could only be forced to stare at Ye, who said in a low voice, "You're the kind of person who yields to softness but not to hardness. As a 'Mei', sympathy is the most useless thing, remember that?" After finishing speaking, he twitched the corner of his mouth, seemingly smiling, but it was even more terrifying than when he wasn't smiling.

  "Do you have charcoal here?" Gu Huanli furrowed her brow, thinking to herself that she must have done a lot of bad things in her past life to be so unlucky for two lifetimes.

  He narrowed his eyes, and although there was no expression on his ferocious face, a faint glimmer flashed in his eyes as he said word by word, "What charcoal?"

  "As long as there's coal, there's charcoal, are you guys using wind power to generate electricity?" You know that children's imagination is boundless, and their thinking agility is even more astonishing. Although they kidnapped her, she thought to herself that since she had made a promise, nothing bad would happen to her, so she might as well relax. Anyway, staying put was the same either way.

  "Hmm..." Zero saw the master of the house slowly turn his head, and hastily waved his hand to indicate that he didn't do it on purpose. "Master, the weather has been quite cold lately, and influenza is going around..."

  "Go back and let Bai Wei take a look at you, and by the way, prescribe you 180 packs of cold medicine." Ye said slowly, but his tone was not joking at all, while Ling's expression looked like he had swallowed 180 catties of Huanglian.

  "Since there's Pinellia, there should be Trichosanthes, Magnolia...". Gu Huanli counted on her fingers and suddenly raised her head to ask curiously, "Do you have Nanhua in your place?"

  Ling covered his head, sighing, and suddenly heard Gu Huanli's question. He put down his hand and smiled lightly, "Of course there is, I'm just afraid that if you see him, you'll be so angry you'll die."

  "Why?"

  "For in his presence, everyone is a chatterbox."

  "It's fine like this." Gu Huanli supported her cheek and looked out the window. Since Ye wanted to hold her like a pet, then so be it, anyway she couldn't struggle free.

  "Where is good?" Ling thought for a moment, then thought again, "Quiet is indeed true."

  "You can tell him all the secrets you want to share with others but don't want them to know. Looking out at the unfamiliar streets and buildings, Gu Huanli said softly, "If I could have a friend like that who is indifferent to fame or fortune, it would probably be a lifelong friendship."

  He slightly lifted his head and glanced at Ye, only then did he have some realization in his heart. Why had Ye decided to take Gu Huan as "Mei" back to the organization in just a flash of an eye?

  The carriage fell into silence.

  After a long time, Gu Huanli finally didn't get dragged into that mysterious big iron gate by Ye at night. However, being carried around like this, her footsteps were synchronized with the others, but along the way, the dropped jaws of the crowd were really terrifying.

  However, Gu Huan Lingshi would rather be held by Ye at night. Otherwise, those Tibetan mastiffs led by the black-clad bodyguards with cold expressions might pounce on her and tear her apart directly.

  As for the iron wire mesh on the wall, and the complicated process of entering the door, even if it was intentionally shown to Gu Huan Lian as a security measure, in fact, there is only one meaning, which is to tell her that wanting to escape from this place - there's no way.

  What drove Gu Huanlin even crazier, and also reassured her, was that as soon as she entered the grand hall with its black and white decorations, her eyes landed on the ash-blonde-haired, blue-eyed clumsy angel.

  "Miss." Cassidy gazed into Gu Huanli's ink-colored eyes, which seemed to reflect the fine rain like a mirror, shining with a gentle luster. He finally understood the way Gu Tianxi and Gu Huanli interacted as siblings. Tonight, he hid in the crowd, watching her being framed by Chu Lian, watching her solve problems on her own, watching her engage in a war of words with Ling, watching her being forced to swallow a capsule...

  To be honest, if he wasn't Gu Huanlin's soul guardian, he would probably think that this child had gone mad. Just like Gu Quanjuan and Chu Liangyou said, Gu Huanlin had received too great a shock, to the point of losing her mind.

  "Master Young has instructed me to inform Miss that she will be staying with Master Ye for the next few months to learn martial arts." Cassidy bowed slightly and said in a low voice, "Master Ye, my mistress is counting on you. Her luggage has been sent to her room, and here is the menu prepared by the nutritionist for her." He then pulled out a stack of papers from his pocket and handed them to Ling.

  Gu Huanli listened to his words, stunned for a moment, and for some reason, her heart skipped two beats, her breathing slightly disordered. "Is big brother in danger?"

  "There's no danger, just a bit of a nuisance." Cassady whispered a word of comfort to her, then looked up at the night and said, "I have a few words I'd like to say to Miss, may I have her back?"

  The next second, Gu Huanli felt like a hot potato being thrown out, fortunately, Cassidy caught her. "Are you sure this isn't the most mysterious acrobatic troupe in the universe, Smida?" Gu Huanli asked.

  "Hmph..." After laughing to her heart's content, she covered her mouth and ran out of the room at top speed. It wasn't until she reached the door that she remembered she should give someone an explanation, so she shouted, "Ye, I'm going to find Bai Wei."

  Cassidy couldn't help but chuckle at her frustrated and unreasonable expression, his eyes gradually softening. "Although things aren't too troublesome, the young master doesn't want you to encounter any danger. Fortunately, this place is still relatively safe."

  "I had no idea my brother knew these people." Gu Huan's voice was tinged with melancholy, but her gaze fell deep into Cassidy's eyes, the look in them pleading, like a faint ripple on an autumn lake. "Cassidy, tell me the truth, what did my brother give up for my safety?"

  "Miss, it's not as complicated as you think." Cassidy gently brushed her black hair with his fingertips and couldn't help but sigh. Being thrown into an unfamiliar environment, the first thing she thought of was not her own situation, but rather Gu Tianxi's safety. This little girl could sometimes infuriate people to the point of grinding their teeth, yet at other times, she could also evoke a deep sense of sympathy. "All things in this world follow what is called 'equivalent exchange', Miss. The one who truly participated in the exchange was you, while Young Master only provided a possibility for a transaction between you and Mr. Ye."

  "People can't get anything without sacrifice, to gain something you have to pay the same price." Gu Huanli knew Cassidy wouldn't lie, so she regained some spirit. "Will you stay?"

  "I'm afraid that's not possible." Cassidy stroked her hair with a slightly spoiled tone, saying softly, "You always complain that I nag you every day, but now you're reluctant to part with me?"

  "Nonsense!" Gu Huanli angrily grasped his flaxen hair, just like a child throwing a tantrum, "You abandoned me in the wolf's den, and I'm supposed to say, 'Let's go, let's go, leave me behind, I'm not afraid of anything'? Do you think that's reasonable?"

  Cassidy gazed at the shimmering water in her eyes and sighed, "To be honest, I'd like to stay, but this is after all... Shitian City of Yulian Continent."

  What's the benefit?

  Shanxi City?

  Gu Huan Lian gazed at Ye in a daze, who was standing behind them with an icy stare. After a while, she murmured to herself, "He told me to call him Yan, but within this city of Shanjian, only the Emperor can stand at the highest point."

  The confusion in her eyes was clear as day, he curled up the corners of his mouth, vaguely resembling a smile, walked forward and took Gu Huanli back from Cassidy's hands, "You can leave now."

  "Wait." Gu Huanli looked at Ye, that ferocious face had a faint smile on his lips. This person might be violent, but he wasn't an unreasonable man. So she turned to Cassidy and said, "Brother promised me I could watch his match... At least, on the day of the finals, you have to come pick me up."

  "If Young Master can't make it into the finals..."

  Gu Huanli smiled lightly, her hands clasped together and placed on her lips. After a long while, she said, "Basketball isn't a one-man show, I know that Lan Gege, Yi Chen Gege, and Gege's teammates will walk with Gege to the very end."

  "Alright." Cassidy nodded slightly, seeming to smile and sigh at the same time, saying softly, "Please take care of yourself, Miss. Before the final match, I will personally come to pick you up."

  "See off Cassidy, Gu Huanli looked at the night with a thoughtful expression, and suddenly said, "Are you taking me for someone else? Or do you know my father or mother?"