"Why didn't you inherit your master's gift?" Gu Lili asked. "I thought such things were passed down."
"Perhaps Heaven knew I was too faint-hearted, so I took after my father instead."
"I can only hope that's the only trait you inherited from him… Oh, wait—your scoundrel tendencies seem quite similar too."
Gu Xichen had no retort, for what she said was nothing but the truth.
When they arrived at his residence and the car came to a stop, Gu Lili reached out to block him. "Transfer the ten thousand to me now—no credit, no exceptions."
"You must be the most expensive chauffeur I've ever hired."
"Willing buyer, willing seller. Not just anyone gets to ride in my car."
Gu Xichen turned to her, thoughtful. "Earlier, I said I was in a bad mood because I realized something— the more impressive you are now, the more it proves how blind and foolish I once was."
"That only delights me further," she replied, lips curling. "Because it means I get to see your stupidity in ever sharper detail."
He chuckled. "When you go on the offensive, you never pull your punches."
"I'm hardly some helpless little lamb—I bite."
"A dog, then?"
She shot him a sideways glare. "Are you courting death?"
After receiving her payment, Gu Lili drove home in high spirits.
A single evening out had yielded quite the windfall.
Changing into her house slippers, she trotted over to Long Yubei's side. "Hubby, I'm home!"
"Where did you run off to?"
"The Imperial Court," she said, quickly recounting the night's events. At the end, she added with a grin, "Aren't I amazing?"
Long Yubei let out a low laugh. "You truly are. But this Gu Xichen… paying you ten thousand just to drop him off—what exactly was he thinking?"
"That I'm not sure of. But he did say something—he said the more outstanding I am now, the more it proves how foolish he was back then."
Long Yubei's dark eyes grew a shade deeper. "He regrets it bitterly. You could've been his wife. But he let you go. That's how I was lucky enough to meet such a beguiling little enchantress."
"Shows your taste is exceptional."
His lips curved. "Naturally."
Gu Lili threw herself into his arms, wrapping tightly around his neck. "Hubby, let's go upstairs and sleep."
"Sleep?" He raised a brow. "Gladly. Sleeping with you is my favorite thing."
"I think your brother is about to fall for your sister-in-law," Shen Congmo said, scooping from half a watermelon and feeding Fengxi as she watched a movie.
"Is that so strange?" Long Fengxi replied without even glancing away. "You know my brother. He walks around with that 'Do Not Disturb' sign on his face, but deep down, he's the biggest closet romantic."
"If he hears you say that, he'll definitely smack you."
She raised a brow. "I'm only telling the truth. We're twins—our personalities overlap more than people think."
"So you're admitting you're a closet romantic too?"
"A little," she confessed.
Shen Congmo held out a spoonful of watermelon, and she ate it without missing a beat.
"This movie must be truly captivating. Is it more attractive than me?"
She turned, laughing despite herself. "Are you jealous?"
"Fengxi, let's go on a trip," he said suddenly. "I want to travel with you—to all the places we've ever dreamed of."
"You're so busy. Will you even have the time?"
A soft smile touched his lips. "I've already set aside the time. All that's missing is you."
"If we go away together, won't people start to suspect something?"
"Why would they?" Shen Congmo replied calmly. "We've got plenty of excuses. You can say you're going solo, and I'll tell people I've gone abroad. No one will look twice."