Chapter 217

Gu Rongjin looked into Azi's eyes and said, hoping she would understand.

Translation: Gu Rongjin looked at Azi's eyes and said, hoping she could understand.

We need to keep natural English, not add extra. "Gu Rongjin looked at Azi's eyes and said, hoping she could understand." That's fine.

Azi, lying on the bed, seemed not to have expected Gu Rongjin to suddenly speak to her so seriously.

Translation: Azi, lying on the bed, seemed not to have expected Gu Rongjin to suddenly speak to her so seriously.

We need to keep meaning: "Azi, lying on the bed, seemed not to have expected Gu Rongjin to suddenly speak to her so seriously." Good.

All along, she had been carefully maintaining their relationship, not letting him notice anything.

Translation: All along, she had been carefully maintaining their relationship, not letting him notice anything.

But now, Mu Yuanzhi is constantly by his side, and she constantly watches.

Translation: But now, Mu Yuanzhi was constantly by his side, and she constantly watched.

Seeing it often, the fact she had deliberately ignored keeps reminding her over and over.

Translation: Seeing it often, the fact she had deliberately ignored would repeatedly remind herself.

She grew increasingly unwilling, and thus increasingly liked to do things that revealed flaws.

Translation: She grew increasingly unwilling, and thus increasingly liked to do things that revealed flaws.

She grew increasingly unwilling, and thus increasingly liked to do things that revealed flaws.

She also knew he would surely notice.

Translation: She also knew he would certainly notice.

Then she would wonder, if he pretended not to see, would that be tacit approval?

Translation: Then she would wonder, if he turned a blind eye, would that be tacit approval?

Or perhaps, after he accidentally discovers her feelings, he might gradually be boiled like a frog in warm water and maybe develop a little fondness for her?

Translation: Or, after he accidentally discovered her feelings, would he gradually be boiled like a frog in warm water and perhaps develop a little fondness for her?

All she needs is a little bit, and she can proceed without hesitation.

Translation: Just a little bit, and she could proceed without hesitation.

But now, he so bluntly declared her failure, leaving her suddenly with nowhere to hide.

Translation: But now, he so bluntly declared her failure, making her suddenly feel ashamed.

It was as if her petty feelings were laid bare and exposed to the sunlight.

Translation: It was as if her petty feelings were laid bare and placed in the sunlight.

Azi lowered her gaze, her fingers unsure where to place them.

Translation: Azi lowered her gaze, her fingers not knowing how to place themselves.

She remained silent for a long time.

Translation: She remained silent, not speaking for a long time.

Gu Rongjin didn't press her, waiting until she had thought it through before speaking.

Translation: Gu Rongjin did not press her, waiting for her to think it through before speaking.

After a long, long time, to the point Gu Rongjin thought Azi wouldn't say another word, she finally spoke: "My lord, are you going to drive me away?"

Translation: After a long, long time, long enough that Gu Rongjin thought Azi would not say another word, she finally spoke: "My lord, are you going to drive me away?"

My lord, are you going to drive me away?

"Of course not, I said I treat you as my sister—how could a brother drive his sister away?" Gu Rongjin didn't let Azi avoid the question, "Do you understand, Azi? Don't evade what I'm telling you."

Translation: "Of course not, I said I treat you as a sister—how could a brother drive his sister away?" Gu Rongjin did not let Azi avoid the question, "Do you understand, Azi? Don't evade what I'm telling you."

We need to keep quotes. We'll produce: "Of course not, I said I treat you as a sister—how could a brother drive his sister away?" Gu Rongjin did not let Azi avoid the question, "Do you understand, Azi? Don't evade what I'm telling you."

"I heard you clearly." Azi nodded.

Translation: "I heard you clearly." Azi nodded.

Gu Rongjin smiled slightly and asked, "So what's your answer?"

Translation: Gu Rongjin smiled slightly and asked again, "Then what is your answer?"

Azi lifted her eyes to Gu Rongjin and said, "I'll give it a try."

Translation: Azi lifted her eyes to Gu Rongjin: "I'll give it a try."

She had wanted to say she couldn't let go, but she knew that if she did, she might not be able to stay by his side anymore.

Translation: She had wanted to say she couldn't let go, but she knew that if she did, she might not be able to stay by his side.

She was unwilling, she truly was unwilling!

Translation: She was unwilling, she truly was unwilling!

As long as she remains by his side, perhaps someday...

Translation: As long as she remained by his side, perhaps someday...

Gu Rongjin smiled warmly at him: "Azi, if you focus your attention on others, you won't keep fixating on me—for example, Qi Shihuai?"

Translation: Gu Rongjin smiled warmly at him: "Azi, if you focus your attention on others, you won't keep fixating on me—for example, Qi Shihuai?"

Gu Rongjin smiled warmly at him.

Azi coughed lightly.

Translation: Azi coughed.

She hadn't expected him to suddenly act as a matchmaker for her.

Translation: She hadn't expected him to suddenly act as a matchmaker for her.

She and Qi Shihuai are not acquainted at all.

Translation: She and Qi Shihuai are not acquainted at all.

"You don't like Qi Shihuai? Then... Qilin? He's too young, no way—I'll keep an eye out for you," Gu Rongjin said, torn.

Translation: "You don't like Qi Shihuai? Then... Qilin? He's too young, no no, I'll keep an eye out for you." Gu Rongjin said, torn.

Azi had no interest in listening to these; she had no interest in anyone else.

Translation: Azi had no mind to listen to these; she had no interest in anyone else.

And likely there never will be.

Translation: In the future, there probably wouldn't be either.

"Rest first, I have things to do, so I won't keep you company."

Translation: "Rest first, I have other matters, so I won't keep you company."

Gu Rongjin closed the door, yet he didn't feel a sense of relief.

Translation: Gu Rongjin closed the door, yet did not feel a sense of relief.

How could liking someone be so easy to shift one's affection elsewhere?

Translation: How could liking someone be so easy to transfer affection elsewhere?

We can only take it slow.

Translation: We can only take it slow.

When he returned to his room and saw Mu Yuanzhi buried in her research, he impulsively gave her a surprise hug from behind: "Ambush!"

Translation: When he returned to his room and saw Mu Yuanzhi buried in research, he suddenly felt playful, grabbed her from behind: "Sneak attack!"

"How boring, I already knew it was that bully," Mu Yuanzhi said, annoyed, putting down what she was holding.

Translation: "How boring, I already knew which bully it was." Mu Yuanzhi put down what she was holding, annoyed.

"Impossible, my martial arts are far superior to yours; if I concealed my aura, you couldn't possibly know," Gu Rongjin objected.

Translation: "Impossible, my martial arts far surpass yours; if I concealed my aura, you couldn't possibly know." Gu Rongjin objected.

"Even a tacit understanding wouldn't work?" Mu Yuanzhi countered.

Translation: "Even a heart-to-heart connection wouldn't work?" Mu Yuanzhi countered.

"Yes! Absolutely!" Gu Rongjin exclaimed, overjoyed to the point of losing his bearings, "Great, my little Yuanzhi isn't angry with me!"

Translation: "Yes! Absolutely!" Gu Rongjin, overjoyed to the point of losing his bearings upon hearing that, exclaimed, "Great, my little Yuanzhi isn't angry with me!"

Great, my little Yuanzhi isn't angry with me!

He sat down, leaned in to look at her: "Is that right?"

Translation: He sat down, leaned in to look at her: "Is that right?"

"Did you make everything clear to her?" Mu Yuanzhi interrogated him.

Translation: "Did you make everything clear to her?" Mu Yuanzhi interrogated him.

"I made it clear; she said she'll give it a try."

Translation: "I made it clear; she said she'd give it a try."

"That means it's a no." Mu Yuanzhi instantly understood, "She won't give up."

Translation: "That means it's not possible." Mu Yuanzhi instantly understood: "She won't give up."

Gu Rongjin sighed, "You need to give her some time, or wait until I find her a good husband, then she won't continue this mistaken affection."

Translation: Gu Rongjin sighed: "You need to give her some time, or wait until I find her a good husband, then she won't continue this mistaken affection."

"Give a woman who lusts after my husband the chance to stay by his side?" Mu Yuanzhi looked at Gu Rongjin with a smug smile.

Translation: "Give a woman who covets my husband the chance to stay by his side?" Mu Yuanzhi looked at Gu Rongjin with a smile full of meaning.

Gu Rongjin also had a headache; Azi was not only his subordinate but also someone he had always treated like a sister, making it impossible for him to ignore her, both publicly and privately.

Translation: Gu Rongjin also had a headache; Azi was not only his subordinate but also someone he had always treated as a sister, so publicly and privately he could not ignore her.

"I promise you I will never meet her alone, okay?"

Translation: "I promise you I will absolutely not meet her alone, okay?"

"No! Senior sister, don't listen to his sweet talk!" Qilin burst in, full of vigor.

Translation: "No! Senior sister, don't listen to his sweet talk!" Qilin burst in through the door, full of vigor.

Gu Rongjin's head was pounding, "Little brat, don't stir up trouble."

Translation: Gu Rongjin had a headache to death: "Little devil, don't stir up trouble."

"Gu Rongjin, if a man constantly clung to my senior sister, what would you do?!" Qilin demanded.

Translation: "Gu Rongjin, if a man clung to my senior sister all day, what would you do?!" Qilin demanded.

"Aren't you that man? And I haven't done anything to you."

Translation: "Aren't you that man? I haven't done anything to you either."

"Don't twist the concept—I don't even like my senior sister!" Qilin glared, "Your analogy is terrible and shows no remorse!"

Translation: "Don't switch concepts—I don't even like my senior sister!" Qilin widened his eyes, "Your analogy is vicious and shows no remorse!"

"What have I repented for? What have I done wrong?" Gu Rongjin rubbed his forehead, "She is my capable assistant and like a sister to me; are you asking me to drive her away?"

Translation: "What have I repented of? What have I done wrong?" Gu Rongjin rubbed his forehead, "She is my capable assistant and like a sister to me; are you asking me to drive her away?"

"If she's sensible, she should just leave; if she doesn't, she's clueless!" Qilin refused to budge, "You have so many people in Shuangjiang—why doesn't anyone else constantly hover around you? She's already grown; does she really need you, her good brother, to lift her up?"

Translation: "If she were sensible, she'd leave on her own; not leaving means she's not sensible!" Qilin would not budge, "You people of Frost Descent have so many—why doesn't anyone else constantly cling to you, hovering around you? She's already grown; does she still need you, this good brother, to lift her up?"

Qilin snorted coldly and continued, "Anyway, if you transfer her away, she shouldn't appear before my senior sister unless necessary; otherwise you're tacitly approving and giving her a chance."

Translation: Qilin snorted coldly and continued: "Anyway, if you transfer her away, don't let her appear before my senior sister unless necessary; otherwise you're tacitly approving, giving her a chance."

Gu Rongjin licked his lips, thought for a moment, felt Qilin made sense, and said, "Alright, let's do that."

Translation: Gu Rongjin licked his lips, pondered a bit, felt Qilin also made sense: "Alright, let's do that."

"If it's too much trouble, then forget it." Mu Yuanzhi never wanted to force anyone; she lowered her head to fiddle with her earlier research, her tone giving no hint of emotion.

Translation: "If it's troublesome for you, then forget it." Mu Yuanzhi never wanted to force anyone; she lowered her head to fiddle with the earlier research, her tone giving no hint of emotion.

"It's not a problem; how could it be? Compared to this, naturally my little Yuanzhi's happiness matters more!" After making this decision, Gu Rongjin felt light-hearted.

Translation: "Not troublesome—how could it be troublesome? Compared to this, naturally my little Yuanzhi's happiness is more important!" After making this decision, Gu Rongjin felt lighthearted.

No need to be torn; people naturally have favorites, and he's just favoring the treasure he likes—what's wrong with that?

Translation: No need to be torn; people always have favorites—he just favors his beloved treasure, what's wrong with that?

Besides, Azi is an adult, highly capable, and fundamentally doesn't need his protection.

Translation: Besides, Azi is an adult, very capable, and fundamentally doesn't need his protection.

Now we need to output each line as 【N】 translation.

Make sure each line is a single line, no line breaks inside.

After all lines, output

Then

Qilin only became satisfied after hearing this, saying, "If you don't firmly choose my senior sister, you have no right to be my brother-in-law!"

"Yes yes yes, Lord Qilin's reprimand is correct." Gu Rongjin waved his hand, "Alright, Lord Qilin, you can go back now, don't get in the way."

Tsk!

Qilin also likes to be a third wheel here.

Since the annoying woman is leaving, he also stops targeting Gu Rongjin.

Only late at night did Gu Rongjin go alone to meet with Cloud Mirror Tower, and of course he didn't tell Mu Yuanzhi about this.

The Xiao Yichen hiding nearby finally waited for Gu Rongjin to leave, then sneaked in under cover of darkness.

Although Qilin is also a threat, he no longer has time to wait; he must see A Zhi! By the way, he also wants to check on Pei Shangling's condition.

At this time, Pei Shangling was tightly bound in the woodshed; meals are delivered at set times each day. At first he refused to eat, insisting on seeing Mu Yuanzhi; when that failed, he could only reluctantly take a couple bites—after all, he can't starve to death here!

A true man can bend and stretch!

That Xiao Yichen fellow is dilly-dallying and still hasn't come to rescue him!