Fang Ruyu raised her head, her beautiful eyes staring straight at Chen Shi'an.
There was desolation in her eyes, sorrow, and anger.
For some reason, meeting those eyes left Chen Shi'an distinctly uneasy, and he almost instinctively averted his gaze.
"Chen Shi'an, you're the Three-Killing Battalion Commander now, high above everyone else. Even my master, the City Lord, has to show you deference. A mere Martial Academy disciple like me is nothing before you."
Fang Ruyu continued staring straight at Chen Shi'an. "But the child is mine. You have no right to take him away.
"You could give me mountains of gold and silver, and I wouldn't care. No matter how much power or how high a position you offered me, I wouldn't want it.
"If you won't acknowledge the child, fine. I'll raise him myself, and I won't cause you the slightest trouble.
"If you require it, I can make sure he never learns who his birth father is."
Chen Shi'an was somewhat surprised to hear this.
After a brief pause, he said quietly, "Fang Ruyu, I know you fairly well. You don't need to play these games to drive up your price.
"Tell me, what exactly do you want before you'll agree to my terms?
"I can tell you very clearly: as long as it's within my power, I'll do everything I can to satisfy your demands.
"But if your terms are too harsh, I certainly won't let you push me around."
Fang Ruyu gave a soft laugh. "So that's how you see me. Anything can be turned into a bargaining chip with a price attached."
"Isn't that so?" Chen Shi'an countered.
A look of desolation appeared on Fang Ruyu's face. She fell silent for roughly six breaths before speaking slowly.
"My master told me beforehand about what