"Home"

A few minutes ago.

Gu Shiheng and Gu Jinzhi left the small building, walking side-by-side on the flagstone path in the back garden.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, the atmosphere heavy.

As they passed a flower bed, Gu Shiheng stopped and turned to look at his son, chuckling, "Your grandfather wanted you to test her, but you went all out. Aren't you afraid of offending your future wife and not being allowed to sleep in her bed?"

Gu Jinzhi's handsome features stiffened almost imperceptibly. "You saw the video recording, you should understand. If I hadn't gone all out, I wouldn't have been able to defeat her."

His mind involuntarily replayed the fierce battle from moments ago: her ghost-like movement, her unreasonably sharp sword light, and the Unity of Heaven and Man and her Life White Lotus...

The images intertwined, and a trace of lingering fear remained in his heart.

In over twenty years, when had he ever been so disheveled in a fight against someone of his own generation?

This dishevelment even dulled the joy of breaking through to Great Accomplishment with the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber.

Gu Shiheng's heart also stirred upon hearing this.

Heaven knew how shocked he had been while watching the video, and by the end, he had become somewhat numb.

A First Order nearly defeated a Third Order, and that Third Order was Gu Jinzhi, a Prodigy who already possessed the ability to fight beyond his level...

"Your grandfather and your mother have married a 'little monster' for you..." He shook his head with a wry smile, then seemed to recall something and pressed, "Is this girl alright?"

Gu Jinzhi gave his father a look that said, Does that even need asking?

After a moment of silence, he began to analyze clearly and methodically:

"Her Cold Pond Sinking Jade is extremely proficient. Even when using a training sword, she could suppress the sword's hum to an extremely low level. It's definitely the Minor Accomplishment realm, no doubt."

"With this level of Cold Pond Sinking Jade, it's absolutely impossible to achieve without fifty to sixty years of dedicated practice."

He paused, then added, "As for her Life Lotus, you saw it in the video. I don't quite understand the marvels of the Great Yin Jade Lotus Treasure Scroll, but it has always been a symbol of the Jiang Family's core inheritance."

"Her identity should be unquestionable."

Gu Shiheng let out a long sigh. "That's a relief. Your mother, she... alas—"

He looked up at the setting sun descending from the sky. "Given the Liang family's nature of helping relatives and disregarding reason, and their deep-rooted protectiveness, I thought she would find a scapegoat for you."

Gu Jinzhi's expression remained calm, but his eyes flickered slightly:

"I told her I would never accept anyone replacing me to go to the Western Frontier."

"If she insisted, I would go to my death with the woman she found..."

"She promised me she would respect my choice."

Gu Shiheng gave a wry smile. "If that were useful, would your grandfather have gone to the trouble of having you test that girl?"

He then shook his head. "Alas, I truly didn't expect your mother to be so... rule-abiding this time... Tsk, it's not like her usual way of doing things..."

"Now I can rest easy. Even if she wanted Jiang Xue to replace you, the Jiang Family Head wouldn't agree."

Gu Jinzhi: "..."

He naturally understood his mother's usual way of doing things, and this time it was indeed unusual.

"Forget it, let's not think about it anymore!" Gu Shiheng patted his son's arm, with encouragement and expectation. "Even for such a good wife, you must strive to live, understand?"

"As for the Zhang family," he mused, "I will unite with a few familiar forces and try my best to mediate. The events of thirty years ago were all their doing. Don't the Zhang family know their place? The two families don't have a deep-seated hatred. As long as it's handled properly, there's no need for there to be no room for maneuver."

"As for the battlefield..." Gu Shiheng looked at his son's tall and straight figure, his eyes full of fatherly pride. "I believe in my son. Mere Abyssal Monsters can't defeat you!"

Such a good wife?

Gu Jinzhi was "scorched" by the word "wife," his thoughts drifting.

Many fragments uncontrollably flashed through his mind.

The first time he heard that slightly excited sentence from Zeng Yi's voice message:

"A scapegoat, so be it. Dying for him, I'm willing! If I could squat in a bunker on the front lines of the Western Frontier for him, would you believe me if I said I'd wake up laughing in the middle of the night?"

Later, there was Jiang Han's exasperated question:

"I want to see, to what extent can you do this for that kid Gu Jinzhi!"

"Are you determined to go to the battlefield?"

And today... her casually putting her arm around his shoulder;

Her sword light like a waterfall on the training ground, extremely fast, unparalleled and sharp;

Her, enveloped by the White Lotus phantom, mustering her final strike, glorious even in defeat;

And... her, pouncing like a little wildcat, wrestling with him, utterly without method but yet... stirring something unusual in his heart...

Finally, the scene froze at the moment of their first meeting—

He stood on the second-floor balcony, leaning on the railing and looking down.

She had just gotten out of the car, the breeze lifting her skirt. She instinctively reached down to hold it, then looked up.

Their eyes met, a fleeting glance, and time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The image of that quiet, reserved young girl from back then was gradually being replaced by this vibrant, graceful figure.

A faint smile, barely perceptible, crept onto Gu Jinzhi's lips, softening the cool aloofness in his brows.

"Oh?" Gu Shiheng, sharp as ever, caught this subtle shift, his face breaking into a surprised and teasing expression. "What's this? The ice has finally thawed, have you fallen for her?"

The warmth on Gu Jinzhi's face instantly vanished:

"This marriage is just to appease Grandpa. As for anything else... we'll talk about it after I survive my trip to the Western Frontier."

Gu Shiheng chuckled, seeing his son's stubborn facade, "I thought you'd say the classic line, 'Woman, I, Gu Jinzhi, will never love you in this lifetime.'"

Gu Jinzhi's face darkened completely. "Dad, stop watching all that nonsense. You should spend more time cultivating."

Inside the Small Building, Liang Qiushi led Li Wei upstairs.

She pushed open the door to the room next to the master bedroom and introduced it warmly, "This is the bedroom prepared for you. I had it redecorated specifically. Come and see, do you like it?"

Li Wei peeked inside. The room was spacious and bright, easily fifty to sixty square meters, with an en-suite bathroom and a walk-in closet.

The overall decor was elegant and comfortable, without excessive ostentatious displays, but every detail exuded understated refinement and thoughtfulness.

It was clear that a lot of effort had been put in.

She felt a strange sense of being touched, and at the same time, a hint of confusion. "Aunt Liang, didn't you say... we were going to, to live together?"

Liang Qiushi smiled and ushered her into the room. "We're not officially married yet, are we? Let's live separately for a few days to give you two some time to get acquainted. It'll save any awkwardness later."

Li Wei let out a silent sigh of relief.

Thinking back to the mortifying, socially awkward scene in the training ground, her toes were still curled, wishing she could dig a three-bedroom apartment and bury herself in it.

If she had to share a room with Gu Jinzhi tonight, she felt she might just spontaneously combust.

Meanwhile, Liang Qiushi had already casually opened Li Wei's suitcase and was unpacking her things like a mother managing her household.

Small items like jewelry were carefully placed into the drawers of the vanity, while the few "Jiang Xue" outfits brought back from Britain were hung in the walk-in closet.

Seeing this, Li Wei hurried over to help.

But as she stepped into the spacious walk-in closet, she was stunned.

The wardrobes on three walls were already densely packed with all sorts of women's clothing, with rows of brand-new shoes and bags displayed below... a dazzling array.

Judging by their style and craftsmanship, they were undoubtedly top-tier luxury items.

Noticing her dumbfounded expression, Liang Qiushi's smile deepened. "See, these were all prepared for you in advance. I don't know if they suit your taste. Would you like to try them on now and see if you like them?"

"This... this is all for me?" Li Wei's voice was a little dry.

She had only seen such a display in novels and on television.

"Of course," Liang Qiushi replied cheerfully, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As she spoke, she excitedly took a chic black, white, and brown plaid jacket from the wardrobe.

Without a word, she held it up against Li Wei, exclaiming "Tsk tsk" in admiration, her eyes sparkling.

For the next half hour, Li Wei tragically discovered that she had become Liang Qiushi's personal mannequin.

From elegant long dresses to sharp pantsuits, from casual hoodies to exquisite coats...

She changed through more than ten outfits, back and forth, and was even asked to strike various poses and walk around the room to showcase the effect.

Liang Qiushi watched with delight, occasionally taking photos with her phone and murmuring, "My daughter-in-law looks good in everything."

Li Wei was dizzy and flustered, unsure whether to laugh or cry, yet unable to refuse such enthusiasm.

While Li Wei was trying on clothes, Liang Qiushi regretfully commented, "No, no, these standard sizes from ready-to-wear stores are still a bit lacking. They'll have to do for now. Sigh, after the wedding, I'll find some designer friends to come over and get you measured for a custom batch."

After all this fuss, coupled with the immense exhaustion from the earlier spar, Li Wei's head felt hazy.

Amidst Liang Qiushi's gentle smiles and busy movements, a strange and unfamiliar emotion quietly bloomed.

In a daze, she even had a fleeting illusion that she had truly returned "home."

It felt as if she were truly Gu Family's future daughter-in-law, about to start a new life here.

The moment this thought surfaced, Li Wei jolted as if pricked by a needle.

This isn't right, this isn't right!

Wake up, Li Wei!

This is all fake, it's just an act.

I'm not Jiang Xue, I'm Li Wei! I'll leave here sooner or later, this isn't my home...

The intense self-warning snapped her out of the illusory sense of belonging.

"Aunt Liang, I... I'm a little tired..."

She interrupted Liang Qiushi's enthusiasm, her voice carrying a subtle weariness and distance.

Only then did Liang Qiushi suddenly remember that Li Wei had just sparred with Jinzhi, and her vitality must have been greatly depleted.

She had been so caught up in her own happiness that she had overlooked it.

A hint of an apologetic smile appeared on her face, and she quickly put down the clothes in her hands.

After carefully reminding her a few times to rest early and to call her if anything came up, she then gently closed the door and left.

The room finally fell silent.

Li Wei stood there blankly for a long time before quietly tidying up the clothes she had tried on, then carefully re-hanging them in the wardrobe.

After finishing all this, she numbly looked out the window.

The orange-red light dyed the sky a brilliant hue, casting a golden glow over the Gu family's courtyard.

A strange sense of loneliness instantly washed over her, silently submerging her heart.

Having lived two lifetimes, I still don't have a "home." No matter where I go, I feel like a passerby...

She shook her head forcefully, trying to dispel the sudden sadness.

Why am I thinking about these useless things?

I should focus on registering for the assessment at the Martial Arts Alliance tomorrow! My effortlessly cool life is about to set sail in grand fashion!