As soon as those words left her mouth, Qian Daoliu, Bo Saixi, and even Qian Renxue herself—the one who had asked the question—turned their eyes toward Li Qing.
They all wanted to hear what the young man who would become Qian Renxue's future partner thought of the matter.
Qian Renxue, in particular, was filled with complicated anticipation and a streak of defiance.
She wanted to know how this guy, who had thought so little of her and decided she was destined to fail, would view her current choices and plans.
Li Qing met their gazes. The awkwardness brought on by being called "little husband" quickly faded from his face, replaced by a calm, understanding look far beyond his years.
He answered almost without hesitation, his voice clear:
"I think..."
He paused, looking straight into Qian Renxue's beautiful violet eyes.
"You probably wouldn't agree."
"Oh?" Qian Daoliu raised an eyebrow.
A flicker of surprise crossed Bo Saixi's eyes as well.
Qian Renxue's heart tightened slightly. Light flickered in her violet eyes as she pressed him, "Why? Tell me your reasons."
She wanted to see what sort of argument this guy could come up with.
Would he keep mocking her for being stupid, or did he have some other insight?
Unhurriedly, Li Qing glanced over everyone before turning his gaze back to Qian Renxue. His tone was calm, yet carried the force of someone who seemed able to see straight into people's hearts. "How much time have you spent on this plan?"
Qian Renxue bit her lip and answered softly, "I started when I was nine. I'm twenty-one now, so it's been twelve years!"
Bo Saixi was utterly stunned.
Damn, she went in at nine?
And she'd been undercover for twelve years without getting found out?
Were the people of the Heaven Dou Empire too stupid, or was Qian Renxue too clever?
"Then the reason is simple."
"First: pride—or, rather, perfectionism."
Li Qing spoke slowly. "You've invested too much in this plan. You left the Spirit Hall at nine and have been undercover ever since. More than ten years have passed. A decade of effort, every step carefully laid, and now you're only one step away from the highest position. For you, this isn't just a mission. It's a work you've shaped with your own hands and poured your heart into. To give it up just before it's finished, simply because there might be a better option... With your personality, I doubt you could accept that. It's not about gains and losses. It's more like... an obsession. Am I right?"
Qian Renxue's delicate body trembled slightly. A flicker of shock crossed her violet eyes as he touched on something she'd kept deep inside.
Li Qing's words had struck exactly the right place in her heart.
Yes, she couldn't accept it!
She had spent ten years undercover, playing someone completely different from herself, enduring loneliness, schemes, and danger. Victory was finally within reach, and yet she was supposed to give it all up for a better but uncertain future?
She really couldn't convince herself to do that.
"Second!"
Li Qing continued, his gaze growing more profound. "You want to prove to the people of the Spirit Hall that you're no less capable than the current Pope, Bibi Dong—that you might even be better. I don't know why you took part in this plan more than ten years ago, but I can be sure of one thing: Bibi Dong must have something to do with it."
Qian Renxue stared blankly at Li Qing, waves crashing through her heart even more violently than when she'd heard the divine prophecy.
This boy... He didn't just know the future. He could analyze her heart with uncanny precision, see her pride, her unwillingness to yield, her ambition, and her... rebellious streak!
He was almost completely right!
She truly couldn't bear to abandon the plan, and she truly wanted to prove herself—prove she was no less capable than Bibi Dong.
"The third point follows from the first two, and is the most likely outcome."
Li Qing's voice drew Qian Renxue back from her shock. "You won't end the plan right away. But you also won't keep staking everything on it as you did before. You'll start adjusting your strategy, becoming more cautious and leaving yourself a way out. At the same time, you'll speed up your efforts to consolidate power within the Spirit Hall and prepare for the God Trial. You'll try to... walk on two legs, or even more. You'll pursue both the empire and godhood. You want to prove to me, to Grandpa, to the Angel God, and to yourself that you, Qian Renxue, can have it all."
Silence fell over the Sea God Hall.
Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi both fell into thought.
Li Qing's analysis was compassionate and perceptive, cutting straight to the heart.
His understanding of Qian Renxue's personality and state of mind was especially unnerving in its precision.
Qian Renxue silently watched Li Qing for a long time.
The embarrassment and blush had long since faded from her face, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness and scrutiny.
Her violet eyes held a jumble of emotions: shock, dawning understanding, and the helplessness of being seen through completely. But more than anything, there was the strange feeling of finding a worthy opponent—and a kindred spirit who was hard to come by.
This boy, nine years her junior, this fiancé who kept criticizing her in his thoughts and even wanted to spank her, understood her thoughts and possible choices better than she did herself.
The feeling was unfamiliar, and... special.
After a long while, Qian Renxue took a light breath. A smile blossomed anew across her stunning face.
There was no longer any shyness or provocation in that smile. Instead, it held candor and acknowledgment, along with a hint of the excitement a player felt upon finding an opponent worth taking seriously.
"So, my little husband!"
She asked softly, a trace of anticipation and fighting spirit in her voice, "If I insist on doing this... will you help me?"
She wasn't just asking whether he'd help her with her plan in the Heaven Dou Empire. She was also asking whether he'd help her... change the tragic future that might await her.
Li Qing looked at the naked ambition, pride, and hidden vulnerability in Qian Renxue's eyes and suddenly smiled.
His smile was bright and open, yet carried the confidence of someone in control of everything.
"What else?"
He shrugged, his tone light but leaving no room for doubt. "Now that we're engaged, you're my woman. If you want to play, I'll play along. If you want to win, I'll help you win. But..."
His tone shifted, a sly glint flashing in his eyes. "My help comes with conditions. And my methods might not be very gentle."
Qian Renxue's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
Looking at Li Qing's seemingly harmless smile, she suddenly had a premonition: her life really was going to be turned upside down by this boy's arrival.
Watching the newly engaged couple already begin to spar and even negotiate, Bo Saixi and Qian Daoliu both found themselves thinking the same thing:
With these two youngsters together, the future of Douluo Continent was sure to get lively.
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