"Lord, are we just letting this go?"
Seeing Gu Yue appear, the waiting group of fierce beasts all exchanged glances, their eyes wide with disbelief. Among them, Bear Lord looked especially furious, as if he wanted nothing more than to tear Xia Yi to pieces.
"You shouldn't have been eavesdropping!" Gu Yue shot them a sharp glare.
"Lord, we weren't eavesdropping, but judging by your expression, it's clear that you've already forgiven Xia Yi," Bi Ji said in a melancholic tone.
"If I don't forgive him, then what? Should I act like a shrew, making a scene with tears and tantrums?" Gu Yue said, feeling aggrieved.
At first, she had indeed been heartbroken and even considered completely severing ties with Xia Yi.
But after understanding the full story, she abandoned that idea.
If she broke up with Xia Yi, wouldn't that be playing right into Leng Yulai's hands?
If she and Xia Yi split, Leng Yaozhu might feel guilty, but Leng Yulai would surely be laughing for three days and nights.
She absolutely wouldn't let Leng Yulai have that satisfaction.
As for Zi Ji's suggestion of killing Leng Yulai at the first opportunity—
She had never even considered it.
Gu Yue was as intelligent as ice and snow; she naturally understood the consequences of such an action.
Not to mention that if she took action, the fierce beasts might take the chance to eliminate Leng Yaozhu as well.
Just thinking about the potential fallout made her wary.
Even though Xia Yi was at fault first, if she really did such a thing, even if she and Xia Yi remained together, a rift would undoubtedly form between them.
That was not what she wanted.
Besides, killing Leng Yulai would be too petty.
It would make her seem like a jealous, small-minded woman!
With her status, she could never do such a thing.
The most crucial reason, however, was that she realized she could never truly satisfy Xia Yi.
All this time, the fulfillment Xia Yi showed when he was with her had been an act.
That realization made her feel a little guilty as well.
"Even Di Tian has Zi Ji and Bi Ji; Xia Yi is their master, so it's normal for him to have two more as well," Gu Yue consoled herself, finding yet another excuse for Xia Yi.
All these factors combined were the reason she ultimately forgave him.
Rather than letting Xia Yi see her as a jealous woman, it was better to make him feel guilty towards her.
That way, he would cherish her even more in the future.
As for the grievances she suffered, she could endure them.
And if she couldn't bear it anymore, she could always find a chance to take it out on Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai.
"No, I need to vent right now!" Gu Yue clenched her teeth and immediately turned the carriage around, heading back to the Spirit Pagoda.
"Madam!"
Seeing Gu Yue arrive, Leng Yulai quickly stood up and saluted her.
Having survived in the Holy Spirit Cult for so many years, she was extremely skilled at reading the situation.
She knew that under no circumstances could she afford to offend Gu Yue right now.
"Hmph!" Gu Yue gritted her teeth and snorted coldly before heading straight to the back bedroom.
Leng Yulai's submissive attitude made Gu Yue even more frustrated—she couldn't even find an outlet for her anger.
The moment she entered the bedroom, she saw Leng Yaozhu sitting dazedly on the bed, her gaze empty and her expression twisted in anguish.
"Teacher, what's wrong with you?" Gu Yue was startled by Leng Yaozhu's condition, and her resentment diminished significantly.
Yes, she was in pain over what happened, but weren't Leng Yaozhu and Xia Yi suffering too?
At this point, the only one who might be smiling was probably Leng Yulai.
Gu Yue immediately grabbed a piece of clothing and draped it over Leng Yaozhu, covering her flawless figure.
Hearing Gu Yue's voice, Leng Yaozhu trembled, snapping out of her daze. Seeing that Gu Yue still cared for her despite everything, she couldn't hold back any longer.
Slap!
She suddenly slapped herself across the face.
"Yue'er, I'm sorry… It's all my fault. I have no shame! How could I even think of stealing your man?"
What happened last night had already left her feeling immensely guilty.
But what she couldn't forgive herself for was that, after being brainwashed by Leng Yulai, she had actually started to believe that she and Xia Yi should be together.
Having entertained such a disgraceful thought, she now looked at Gu Yue—her most beloved disciple—and felt an overwhelming urge to kill herself to atone.
"Stealing? What do you mean? You want to take Xia Yi from me so that you and your sister can have him all to yourselves?"
Gu Yue's expression instantly turned icy.
"I didn't!" Leng Yaozhu frantically shook her head, grabbing Gu Yue's arm as she desperately tried to explain, "Yue'er, please believe me! I never wanted to monopolize Xia Yi."
"You never wanted to monopolize him?"
A barely perceptible smile flashed across Gu Yue's lips before her eyes turned cold again.
"If you didn't want to monopolize him, that means you still wanted a share, doesn't it?"
"I didn't! I didn't! Yue'er, you have to believe me!" Leng Yaozhu, drenched in cold sweat, was on the verge of breaking down.
"You just admitted it yourself—you're not monopolizing him, which means you do want a part of him." Gu Yue's gaze was sharp.
"I didn't mean that, Yue'er! Please, don't misunderstand!"
Seeing that the "misunderstanding" was growing deeper, Leng Yaozhu was so anxious that she was nearly in tears.
"Hmph!"
Gu Yue snorted.
"Since you're not trying to monopolize him, then it's all good. I'll be the bigger person and allow your relationship with Xia Yi—but from now on, when we're alone, you have to call me 'Elder Sister'."
"No, no! That's not what I meant!" Leng Yaozhu frantically shook her head, horrified at how things were spiraling.
"Refusing? What, do you think you should be the superior one here?"
Gu Yue seemed truly enraged now, her voice rising.
"Don't think that just because you're my teacher, you can be unreasonable! Xia Yi was with me first! I am his rightful wife! Even if I had to separate from him, I would never call you Elder Sister!"
"You can't separate from Xia Yi!"
Leng Yaozhu was completely flustered. If Gu Yue and Xia Yi split because of her, she would never forgive herself.
"Then call me Elder Sister!" Gu Yue pressed on.
"I…" Leng Yaozhu opened her mouth, but the words simply wouldn't come out.
She was Gu Yue's teacher! How could she possibly call Gu Yue "Elder Sister"? She would die of shame!
"No? So you still think you should be above me? Do you really want me to call you Yaozhu Elder Sister instead? Aren't you being a bit too much?"
Gu Yue "furiously" questioned her, her eyes brimming with grievance.
Then she burst into tears.
"Ugh… What kind of teacher steals her student's man and won't even call her Elder Sister? Do you really want to make me the lesser wife?"
Leng Yaozhu's guilt surged unbearably.
She had no idea why she couldn't explain herself clearly.
Why did the more she spoke, the deeper Gu Yue's "misunderstanding" became?
Seeing Gu Yue sobbing so heartbreakingly, Leng Yaozhu could no longer hold back.
She hesitated for a long moment before finally forcing out two words—
"Elder… Sister…"
With those two slowly spoken words, it was as if Leng Yaozhu, an Ultimate Douluo, had exhausted all her strength.
The moment she said them, she collapsed onto the bed, completely drained.
Never before had she imagined that she would one day be so utterly "shameless."
"Hehe, now that's more like it." Gu Yue giggled, her earlier grievances and anger instantly vanishing without a trace. She smiled and said, "Now, Zhu'er little sister, we can stay together forever."
"Yue'er, you…" Cold Yaozhu stared at Gu Yue, whose attitude had shifted so drastically, and finally understood what had happened.
"You… how am I supposed to face anyone after this?" Leng Yaozhu covered her face in shame. She finally realized it—Leng Yulai had brainwashed her, but Gu Yue had directly pressured her, giving her no chance to refuse.
"Zhu'er little sister, since you've already called me 'sister,' then as your sister, I have a task for you." Gu Yue suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
"What task?" Cold Yaozhu asked curiously.
"Keep an eye on your sister, especially make sure she doesn't come into contact with Yali and the other women. If something like this happens again, don't blame me for being merciless. At that point, don't expect me to care about your face either." Gu Yue snorted coldly.
After saying this, Gu Yue turned and left, while Leng Yaozhu remained where she was.
She accepted it.
What concerned her most was the possibility of Leng Yulai retaliating against Yali because of Yun Ming.
Though the chances were slim,
It was better to be safe than sorry.
Watching Gu Yue's departing figure, Leng Yaozhu felt a little dizzy.
She never expected things to turn out like this.
When Gu Yue had cried, although it was partly for show, She could tell that her sorrow was real.
Otherwise, tears wouldn't have fallen so easily.
But for the sake of her, for the sake of Xia Yi, Gu Yue had forcibly endured it.
And she had even used this method to push her into a corner.
Leng Yaozhu could fully imagine just how much pain Gu Yue was suppressing inside.
"Yulai, Yali!" Leng Yaozhu suddenly recalled Gu Yue's words, and in that instant, she felt a jolt of fear.
If Gu Yue hadn't pointed it out, she wouldn't have thought of it.
But now that she had been reminded, she truly believed there was a possibility.
(End of Chapter)