Gu Qing nodded.
He watched her petite figure vanish completely at the end of the street.
However.
In a dark alley not far from the high platform.
A pair of eyes was fixed on everything that had just happened.
Qian Renxue was hiding in the shadows.
She watched the two of them chatting and laughing. She had even seen Gu Qing take that girl's hand!
And then he'd gone and given her flowers in all sorts of fancy ways!
Qian Renxue was grinding her teeth in anger.
Her chest heaved violently.
"That bastard!"
"I knew you were no good!"
The nameless fire in her heart burned hotter and hotter.
She wanted nothing more than to rush out and confront the man to his face.
Besides Qian Renxue, who had been following Gu Qing all along.
Sword Douluo was also hidden in the shadows atop a distant rooftop.
Today, he had come on Ning Fengzhi's orders.
His task was to secretly observe Gu Qing's movements and probe his background.
Not long ago.
Sword Douluo had planned to test Gu Qing a little while he was alone.
He would release a touch of sword energy and pressure to gauge the young man's strength.
But just as he was about to act.
He happened to see Gu Qing with the little princess of his sect, Ning Rongrong.
The two were acting intimately and interacting constantly.
Ning Rongrong had even been led along the street by Gu Qing, hand in hand!
The sight had left Sword Douluo greatly astonished.
To avoid alarming Ning Rongrong.
And, more importantly, to prevent his test from causing any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Sword Douluo could only hold back for the time being.
He reined in all his aura and quietly hid in the shadows.
He had yet to make a move.
At that moment.
Gu Qing stood at the street corner, but didn't leave at once.
A breeze swept past.
His brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Though he didn't turn around.
His keen senses had already detected someone watching him from the shadows.
The other party had deliberately suppressed their Soul Power fluctuations, but a trace had still leaked out.
This aura was incredibly powerful.
Their strength was unquestionably at the Titled Douluo level.
Gu Qing knew that it wasn't yet time to face an opponent of that caliber head-on.
Since a Titled Douluo had set their sights on him.
He decided not to linger.
He turned and walked straight down another street.
His pace was unhurried, and he showed no sign of panic.
Then.
After turning a street corner.
Gu Qing changed course without looking back.
With a clear destination in mind, he headed straight toward the place where Qian Renxue was hiding.
Meanwhile.
Qian Renxue was sulking in the dark alley.
Suddenly, she heard steady footsteps approaching.
She peeked out.
And saw Gu Qing walking straight toward her!
Qian Renxue's heart jolted.
Had he found her?
She immediately calmed herself.
Turning around, she pretended to casually admire the lantern stall beside her.
She looked every bit like an ordinary passerby.
As if she hadn't noticed anyone approaching from behind.
The footsteps drew nearer and nearer.
At last, they stopped behind her.
Qian Renxue was still debating whether to pretend to be startled and turn around.
But Gu Qing walked right up to her.
He gave her no chance to react.
He reached out and grabbed the brim of the hood on her head.
With a sharp tug.
He pulled off her cloak.
A cascade of golden hair tumbled down at once.
In the glow of the lanterns, it shimmered brilliantly.
Her flawless face was laid bare.
Gu Qing looked her up and down and smiled.
"Well, who's this?"
"Didn't you say you weren't coming?"
Qian Renxue's disguise had been exposed.
A flicker of panic crossed her face.
But she quickly composed herself.
She lifted her chin and met Gu Qing's gaze without backing down.
Then she retorted stubbornly.
"I was just passing by because I was bored."
"I was cooped up at home, so I came out for a walk."
Gu Qing folded his arms and quietly watched her performance.
When Qian Renxue saw that he wasn't saying anything, jealousy and anger surged through her again.
Her face turned cold, and her tone grew barbed.
"You're certainly having a good time all by yourself."
"You've barely been in the Heaven Dou Imperial Capital for any time at all."
"And you've already hooked up with another woman."
Qian Renxue cursed him inwardly.
That shameless lecher!
On the very first day they'd met, he'd dared to smack her on the butt.
He'd been so adamant, saying he would never accept the engagement.
But behind her back, the moment he got the chance, he went off flirting with other women!
That Ning Rongrong from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect looked innocent. She had to have been fooled by him.
Gu Qing listened to her barbed words.
Then he took a big step forward.
He came right up close to Qian Renxue.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
"Weren't you going to break off the engagement?"
"What?"
"Do you actually care about this?"
Gu Qing looked down at her, amusement in his eyes.
Qian Renxue's breath caught as he crowded her.
She unconsciously took a step back.
Her back had already hit the cold wall of the alley.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
But she still refused to back down.
She kept up her defiant front.
"Who said I cared?"
Gu Qing looked into her stubborn eyes.
Then let out a cold laugh.
"All talk."
This woman's temper really hadn't changed at all.
Qian Renxue felt the air around her grow oppressive.
She didn't want to stay in the alley with him any longer.
Nor did she want to keep arguing over such pointless things.
She turned sideways, ready to leave at once.
She had barely taken two steps.
When Gu Qing swiftly reached out.
And grabbed her wrist.
Qian Renxue jumped in fright.
She struggled, trying to yank her hand free.
But Gu Qing's grip was as strong as an iron vise.
Gu Qing held her hand.
It felt soft and supple beneath his fingers.
Her fingers were slender, her skin smooth as silk.
"Let go of me!"
Qian Renxue lowered her voice and glared at him viciously.
Not only did Gu Qing refuse to release her, he tightened his grip.
"You're already here."
"Release a lantern before you go."
He gave Qian Renxue no chance to refuse.
Gu Qing pulled her out of the alley by force.
They returned to the brightly lit street.
Qian Renxue put on a show of struggling a few times.
But in front of the crowd, she didn't dare use her Soul Power and cause a commotion.
All she could do was let him pull her through the crowd.
The two wandered along the street.
Gu Qing stopped in front of a stall run by an elderly craftsman.
His gaze swept over the various lanterns on display.
At last, he chose a large, intricately made hexagonal palace lantern.
Gu Qing paid for it, then carried the lantern over to Qian Renxue.
He shoved it straight into her arms.
"Hold it properly."
Qian Renxue held the large lantern.
She put on an expression of disdain.
"Childish."
She turned her head away, not even looking at the lantern.
But Gu Qing was utterly unyielding.
He gave her no room to object.
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth.
As she looked at Gu Qing's unyielding gaze,
she knew she couldn't win an argument with him.
She could only go along with it.
Holding the lantern, she followed Gu Qing to the riverbank.
They found a spot where the current was gentle.
Qian Renxue crouched down.
She drew a fire striker from her robes and lit the red candle at the center of the lantern.
The candlelight flared, shining through the gauzy silk of the hexagonal palace lantern.
A warm glow fell across her face.
Gu Qing stood beside her,
using his body to shield her from the evening breeze blowing across the river.
Qian Renxue held the lantern's base in both hands.
She gently lowered it into the river.
The water rippled.
Together, they watched the large lantern drift smoothly downstream with the current.
Gradually, it joined the dazzling sea of lanterns spread across the river.
Qian Renxue rose to her feet, and the tension in her expression quietly softened.
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