Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Confrontation

At night, Li Chengzhu sat alone in the main hall of the city lord’s mansion, pondering how to bring up the subject with Gu Linglong. The wedding was set for tomorrow, yet suddenly Xiaoying had appeared, throwing everything into chaos.

“What’s wrong? Not happy about getting a girl’s attention?” Yuan Mu appeared sneakily beside Li Chengzhu, his face full of mischief.

Li Chengzhu shot him a cold glare. “I refuse to be pursued.”

“Ahem… If something’s going on, just say it so we can talk it through. You’re like this, Xiaoying is like that—if you don’t speak up, how will anyone know? Maybe, given your temperament, the city lord will be understanding.”

“How so?” The big boss Li gave Yuan Mu a sidelong cold glance and snorted sharply. “Do you want me to say: I have two pieces of news—one good, one bad. The good is tomorrow the groom is about to become a father. The bad is, the child’s mother isn’t the bride.”

“Become a father?” Yuan Mu nearly bit his tongue off.

“Become a father!” Li Chengzhu ground his teeth, glaring fiercely.

Yuan Mu cursed a string of expletives before calming down, then sat beside Li Chengzhu, coughing softly. “Is it confirmed?”

“Yeah.” Li Chengzhu nodded bitterly. “I checked. Xiaoying really is pregnant.”

“Oh, congratulations then.” Yuan Mu smiled. “Double happiness for you.”

“Congratulations my foot.” Li Chengzhu snapped. “I’m worried sick about how to tell Linglong.”

“But brother,” Yuan Mu raised an eyebrow, “this move of yours is ruthless—one strike, and it hits.”

“You don’t know anything!” Li Chengzhu muttered. He was just as blindsided, also a victim here, though if he told Yuan Mu that, the latter would laugh his teeth out.

“Well, since it’s happened, you just have to face it. With the city lord’s temper, she probably won’t make a scene.”

“Of course I know that. Do I not understand Linglong’s character?”

“At worst, she won’t marry you tomorrow.” Yuan Mu grinned wickedly. “Rainbow City’s got itself some entertainment. Ha ha.” Then he strode away without another word.

“Bastard.” Li Chengzhu cursed bitterly, staring after Yuan Mu’s retreating back.

***

As time passed, Li Chengzhu’s unease grew, his heart pounding like a young bride’s on her wedding day. Standing before Gu Linglong’s door, he felt his calves trembling.

“Zhuzi, what are you doing at the door? Come in.” Gu Linglong’s voice sounded from inside.

Sighing softly, Li Chengzhu pushed the door open. There was no running away now; the big boss decided to steel himself and confess.

But in the next moment, he felt his soul almost leave his body.

Inside, the arranged Tianshi stones emitted a faint, unique glow. Gu Linglong stood in the center of the room dressed in a white wedding gown, like a fresh, innocent maiden. Her head bowed, fingers twisting the hem of her dress. Bathed in the soft radiance, her rosy, flawless face radiated an enchanting beauty that stole Li Chengzhu’s breath away.

“Do I look good?” Gu Linglong gently spun around, the long skirt tracing a graceful arc. Li Chengzhu even thought he saw shimmering light flicker with the dress’s movement, sparkling in his eyes.

“You look beautiful.” The big boss swallowed hard.

In this moment, Gu Linglong seemed the embodiment of a goddess—beautiful, noble, sexy, and adorable all at once.

“Really?”

“Yes.” Li Chengzhu nodded.

Seeing his exaggerated expression, Gu Linglong smiled happily, lightly shifting her delicate feet, swaying and dancing. She parted her lips to softly sing:

“Flowers brighten, moon dims, veiled in gentle mist,
Tonight is perfect to be with my love.
Stepping barefoot on fragrant stairs, holding golden embroidered shoes,
Meeting in the painted hall’s southern wing, always leaning on him trembling.
I dared to come out with difficulty, so you must cherish me freely.”

Li Chengzhu, a top graduate of Chinese literature who had studied poetry, immediately understood the meaning behind her song.

Originally, this poem depicted a woman’s feelings during a secret tryst with a man. Now, sung by Gu Linglong in a tone both plaintive and expectant, it was a delicate way of telling him to treat her well in the future.

Li Chengzhu sighed slightly, stepped forward, and took Gu Linglong’s small hand, gazing at her deeply.

Gu Linglong looked up at him, eyes blurred and shimmering with tears.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Gu Linglong suddenly remembered, “Oh, and here’s your suit.” She pulled from her ring a black tailcoat the tailor had made at Li Chengzhu’s request.

***

Li Chengzhu reached for the black tailcoat but tossed it aside. He helped Gu Linglong to the bedside and sat down, looking at her seriously.

“Linglong, I need to tell you something.”

Looking into her eyes, comparing them with Xiaoying’s big, wronged ones, Li Chengzhu finally resolved to lay everything bare.

“Okay.” Gu Linglong smiled and nodded.

The big boss took a deep breath, fixed his gaze on her face, and slowly said, “Xiaoying… she’s carrying my child.”

He felt Gu Linglong’s body shudder in his grasp. Before she could speak, he pressed on, “I know I’m a scoundrel. It’s my fault. But Linglong, honestly, I don’t know how to face you both, yet I have to face it all because I’m a man.”

Once he started speaking, Li Chengzhu’s tense heart began to calm. “I was just a common man, unworthy of either of you. Since you favored me, I have no right to ask for anything else. You can curse me, hit me, or even strip away my cultivation. Linglong, I still want to say I love you. But Xiaoying… she’s pregnant with my child. If you hate me, we can cancel the wedding tomorrow. I promise you won’t have to see me again.”

Gu Linglong’s shoulders trembled as soft sobs escaped her lips.

“If not for this accident, I think we’d have been happy forever.”

Her crying grew louder.

“But Linglong, I only ask you not to kill me. Though I’m despicable, I’m still a man with sky above and earth beneath. I’m not afraid of death, but I want to care for my unborn child and watch him grow.”

Her sobbing grew more intense.

“I’ve said all I have to say. Linglong, the choice is yours.” Li Chengzhu bent down and gently kissed her cheek, preparing to stand.

But his large hand was tightly grasped by Gu Linglong.

“I… I’ve known for a long time.” she whispered between sobs.