Ugh...
Gu Yue hadn't expected him to say that.
She thought to herself, was her charm really that lacking? Even a man of Wen Shao's status had fallen for her, yet Chen Jie was intent on breaking off their engagement.
Women's minds were indeed peculiar. If Chen Jie had been intent on fulfilling their engagement, she wouldn't have rejected it, but would have instinctively pushed him away.
Yet, now that Chen Jie was so eager to distance himself from her, she found herself less anxious and didn't want him to be so hasty.
"We don't need to rush this matter," Gu Yue blurted out.
"Why not? In fact, I'm more anxious than Miss Gu. After all, this is delaying Miss Gu's happiness. If we officially break off the engagement, Miss Gu can find a boyfriend freely."
A flicker of melancholy crossed Gu Yue's heart.
"It's okay, this is fine too."
Chen Jie asked in surprise, "Is Miss Gu not planning to find a partner anymore? Being childfree as a woman isn't a good choice."
"I, I'm not planning to be childfree, nor will I be single..."
"Then why?"
"Our engagement perhaps doesn't need to be broken." As she said this, Gu Yue's cheeks flushed.
She was inexperienced and didn't understand the intricacies of romance. The words felt difficult to utter, deeply embarrassing.
She quickly added, "This, this is my father's idea."
"Your father's idea? Does your Gu family..."
Gu Yue sighed. Now that it was out in the open, the shame lessened.
She said, "Your relationship with Li Ziling is not shallow. With you in Longmen, Longmen will only grow stronger. If we deepen our ties with Longmen, it will be beneficial to our Gu family, and also not detrimental to Longmen."
"Oh, so your mother is concerned about this. But rest assured, the Gu family and I have some history. If a partnership is truly needed, it doesn't necessarily require marriage."
"Today, your Gu family stepped in. I believe Zhu Qing and Li Ziling will be very grateful to you. This is a good opportunity for you all to discuss matters."
Gu Yue hoped for Chen Jie to say what she wanted to hear, but he never did, always evading the topic.
This made her somewhat annoyed, but as a woman, she couldn't press the issue.
She didn't realize that before she met Chen Jie, she could have handled such a topic with composure.
But now, when it involved certain matters, her heart became incredibly tense and flustered, her emotions deeply stirred.
"I will talk to them."
Chen Jie said, "There's one more thing. I hope the Gu family can help."
"Help with what?"
"My master is elusive, and it's not easy to find him. Since your Gu family is sure he's in the capital, you must have your own channels to track his whereabouts. I'd like to ask your Gu family to help me find him. I'll also be searching in my own way. That way, I can quickly take him to your Gu family to break off the engagement."
"Are you that eager to distance yourself from me?" Gu Yue snapped.
"Miss Gu, please don't misunderstand. I just don't want to delay you..."
"No need to say more! Since you insist, I will help you find your master's whereabouts. Then you and he can come directly to my Gu family!"
With that, Gu Yue turned and left.
Chen Jie was somewhat bewildered but didn't dwell on it.
Meanwhile, after clearing the scene, Zhu Qing pulled Li Ziling aside.
"Dragon Lord, your relationship with Chen Jie seems quite unusual!"
Li Ziling knew he was asking if she was Chen Jie's woman.
Li Ziling could only truthfully say, "Director Zhu, Brother Chen Jie does take very good care of me."
Zhu Qing was aware of their past, knowing Chen Jie had once protected Li Ziling during a mission for the Dragon Group.
He probed indirectly, "At Longmen, having someone to guide you, your management of Longmen would be fine. But now, all our Dragon Guards are dead, facing both internal and external threats!"
"What do you mean, Director Zhu?" Li Ziling, being sharp-witted, blushed slightly.
"For Longmen to flourish, we need a super expert to anchor it. Dragon Lord, since your relationship is so good, why not seize this opportunity to elevate your relationship with Chen Jie... If we have Chen Jie as our guardian, what future can Longmen not achieve?"
"Of course, if you're unwilling, I won't force you. Everything will be as you wish. The internal turmoil of Longmen is not your fault."
Li Ziling stammered, but eventually her eyes revealed resolve.
"I, I can try. If he refuses, it won't be my fault. But I believe that even without that kind of relationship, he wouldn't abandon me!" Li Ziling seemed to trust Chen Jie deeply, making Zhu Qing feel confident.
After all, Li Ziling was like a ripe peach, tempting to anyone who saw her.
He couldn't believe that a spirited young man like Chen Jie would be indifferent to her.
"Good, I'll await your word, Dragon Lord. With Chen Jie here, Longmen will be stable!"
After seeing Gu Yue off, Chen Jie found Li Ziling and Zhu Qing again, asking for their help in locating his master.
Now that Li Ziling was in charge, his request was naturally granted.
Longmen was currently in a vulnerable state due to the annihilation of its Dragon Guards.
However, no one would provoke Longmen at this time, as its ability to eliminate the Dragon Guards indicated it still possessed considerable underlying strength.
More importantly, there was Chen Jie.
By evening, Li Ziling invited Chen Jie to stay with her. Since Chen Jie needed to find his master and wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, he agreed.
He was also concerned about Li Ziling's safety, so he accepted.
As they left Longmen, Yingzi asked Chen Jie, "Brother Chen, should we continue the assassination of Wen Qiang?"
"Let's hold off for now. Next time I see him, I'll deal with him myself."
"Alright." Yingzi then vanished.
A Zhu had already returned. A Zhu and Li Ziling now lived together. Upon learning Chen Jie would be staying with them, A Zhu left earlier.
Their living situation was somewhat chaotic, with intimate apparel scattered everywhere.
Even their underwear were mixed up.
They desperately hoped Chen Jie wouldn't discover this, or it would be incredibly awkward.
Li Ziling's residence wasn't overly luxurious, but it was located in Longmen's senior residential area, where many of Longmen's experts resided, ensuring a high level of security.
As Chen Jie and Li Ziling arrived at the entrance, Li Ziling said nostalgically, "Teacher Chen, do you remember when you were protecting me, you lived next door, and you could know my every move."
"Yes! You were still a little girl without worries then. I never expected you to go through so much so quickly." Chen Jie said with concern.
"Don't you feel like this scene is familiar? I've brought you to my place again."