Chapter 726

Gu Gu Hanyuan said casually.

Actually, what they chatted about didn't matter.

Lin Lin Shiyin seemed to understand Gu Gu Hanyuan’s firm will and could only answer reluctantly:

"Okay... okay."

A period of time passed.

Lin Lin Shiyin’s tearful voice rang out.

"Young Master Gu, please let me go."

At the very beginning, things were peaceful enough.

Gu Gu Hanyuan seemed to be genuinely discussing elegant topics like poetry and prose with Lin Lin Shiyin.

It was just that the posture they held while conversing was far too peculiar.

An outsider would likely mistake them for a pair of lovers deeply in the throes of passion.

Though Lin Lin Shiyin felt humiliated and ashamed, she was utterly helpless.

The only good news was that Gu Gu Hanyuan remained relatively well-behaved, merely holding her.

She could only endure the strange, increasingly fiery sensation, trying her best to remain composed while accompanying Gu Gu Hanyuan in their discussion of poetry and prose.

Lin Lin Shiyin’s weak nature was laid bare by Gu Gu Hanyuan’s series of maneuvers.

She was always retreating and settling for less.

Perhaps only when pushed beyond the limits of her endurance would she ever want to resist regardless of the consequences.

Yet in Gu Gu Hanyuan’s eyes, Lin Lin Shiyin’s bottom line appeared remarkably flexible.

Or perhaps it could be said that she was also a romantic fool.

Only matters concerning Li Li Xunhuan could provoke her into desperate resistance.

As for her own gains and losses, they were always relegated to an afterthought.

It just so happened that the favor Lin Lin Shiyin owed was precisely for Li Li Xunhuan’s sake.

That was why she could continuously lower her own bottom line.

And in doing so, she was also eroding her own feelings for Li Li Xunhuan.

At a glance, Lin Lin Shiyin’s thinking seemed foolish.

In reality, it was indeed very foolish.

Yet it was also perfectly logical.

People always yearn to make up for regrets only after they have lost something.

The original plot had already demonstrated this point.

If Lin Lin Shiyin had possessed the courage earlier, how could she have missed her chance with Li Li Xunhuan?

The so-called Li Li Xunhuan who wandered through pleasure houses in disappointment was merely an excuse she had found for herself.

Perhaps even until the moment she married Long Xiao, she was still naively hoping that Li Li Xunhuan would come to snatch her away.

However, Gu Gu Hanyuan would not give her and Li Li Xunhuan a chance to rekindle their old flame.

He would only further exploit her weaknesses to launch his attacks.

When Lin Lin Shiyin seemed to gradually grow accustomed to this way of conversing, and was even attracted once more by Gu Gu Hanyuan’s talent,

Gu Gu Hanyuan quietly pushed for more.

Lin Lin Shiyin’s cries of alarm and pleas for mercy did not make Gu Gu Hanyuan let her go; instead, he said playfully:

“Does my lady wish to repay the favor right here?”

Lin Lin Shiyin exclaimed:

“No!”

Lin Lin Shiyin had prepared herself mentally quite a bit beforehand.

If it were at night in her boudoir, perhaps she could just endure it and let it pass.

But under this pavilion, she could not accept it no matter what.

A wicked arc crossed the corner of Gu Gu Hanyuan’s mouth, and he said in a low, haunting tone:

“Since my lady does not wish to repay the favor now, I shall have to collect some interest first.”

Lin Lin Shiyin was somewhat dazed upon hearing this.

Gu Gu Hanyuan’s words seemed to have a subtle deviation from her own thoughts.

The implication was that she could use the interest to stall for time, without needing to rush to repay the principal.

Facing Gu Gu Hanyuan, who had not stopped his actions even while speaking, she endured the strangeness and shame, asking urgently:

“Does Mr. Gu mean you will not force me to repay the favor?”

She feared that if she confirmed it too late, Gu Gu Hanyuan might disregard her opinion and collect the favor right there.

After all, the situation at this moment seemed to be at a critical juncture.

Yet to her surprise, Gu Gu Hanyuan seemed to be collecting only the interest as a token, with no intention of going any further.

“Extending the deadline a little is acceptable.”

Lin Lin Shiyin could not help but breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

At the end of the day, being taken advantage of and losing one’s chastity were two different things.

No matter how much she convinced herself to repay Gu Gu Hanyuan’s favor, it did not mean she could accept it willingly.

Even if Gu Gu Hanyuan’s method of collecting interest was somewhat excessive.

And even now, it was incessant, with endless variety.

It made her feel incomparably ashamed while also causing her to wonder why Gu Gu Hanyuan was so skilled.

Yet despite having sacrificed so much, she actually had to thank Gu Gu Hanyuan.

After all, as long as Gu Gu Hanyuan did not forcibly collect the principal of the favor, she could temporarily stall with the interest.

As time passed, perhaps this matter would blow over.

Lin Lin Shiyin did not believe Gu Gu Hanyuan would stay in the Wu Xingyun Manor forever; there would eventually come a day when he left.

Moreover, it was rumored that Gu Gu Hanyuan had countless confidantes, and she did not believe he would remain interested in her forever.

Perhaps one day he might even forget her.

Furthermore, youth is fleeting, and beauty fades easily.

Although she was currently in the prime of her years, in a few more years, it would be inevitable for her to grow old and withered.

By then, Gu Gu Hanyuan would be even less interested in her.

The only thing worth worrying about was Gu Gu Hanyuan’s integrity.

As long as Gu Gu Hanyuan could keep his word, the worst that could happen was letting him take advantage of her during the days he remained at Wu Xingyun Manor.

That was far better than losing her chastity.

It must be said that Lin Lin Shiyin was still far too naive.

Such naivety ran through the entire plot.

Deceived by Long Xiao, deceived by Li Li Xunhuan, deceived by Long Long Xiaoyun, deceived by Lin Xian’er.

She seemed hopelessly foolish.

In reality, this was caused by the environment in which she grew up.

Raised by her father in the manner of a refined young lady, she had spent a carefree childhood.

Her vision was forever confined within the Li Garden.

All the changes over these many years were merely the transition from Li Garden to Wu Xingyun Manor.

Her naivety remained as it was in the beginning.

Moreover, Gu Gu Hanyuan’s rhetoric also included the trap of a loan.

Interest could delay the time, but that did not mean the principal did not need to be repaid.

Especially when such matters were transferred onto a person, it was even less something that could be glossed over with a word like "interest."

The moment she had her bottom line breached by Gu Gu Hanyuan’s bait-and-switch, there was already no turning back.

What Gu Gu Hanyuan needed to do now was to make Lin Lin Shiyin believe that he would not force her.

After all, Gu Gu Hanyuan’s character was currently suspect in Lin Lin Shiyin’s eyes, making him difficult to trust.

Gu Gu Hanyuan sighed long and wistfully: