Fang Rui tried her best to maintain her composure, but in front of this imposing Gu Junshi, she knew she couldn't hide anything.
Her heart pounded, and she pursed her lips. "No, I came here on my own. You… you cheated me out of so many high-grade spirit stones back then, and you haven't returned them all these years. I'm here to collect my debt."
Gu Junshi naturally didn't believe her words. "Since you already know my current identity, you dared to sneak in without even changing your appearance. Aren't you afraid of being captured as a spy?"
Fang Rui immediately became indignant upon hearing this, not bothering to address Gu Junshi's point. Instead, she aggressively moved closer to her.
"Gu Junshi! I always looked down on you before, thinking you weren't worthy of the astonishingly talented Junior Brother Liu Jiang. But… but how could you marry someone else? You two had such a difficult time back then, everyone opposed you, everyone was against you, yet you refused to leave him. You were so good to him…"
Seeing her grow more agitated, Gu Junshi casually interjected, "Oh, is it possible… that it was all an act?"
But Fang Rui became even more emotional, shaking her head. "No! I'm a woman, I know that even if you weren't devoted to him until death like he was to you, your eyes always belonged to Junior Brother Liu Jiang. Whenever he was present, your gaze was always the first to fall upon him."
Gu Junshi paused. "Really?"
She had heard that love is unique and exclusive, so was her feeling for Liu Jiang Fusheng special?
Fang Rui could tell from Gu Junshi's expression that she hadn't realized this before. This woman was maddeningly obtuse.
She continued with conviction, "Gu Junshi, you don't understand love, but your heart has already discerned who you want. Although I haven't met this Fengdu Human Emperor, I'm sure you don't like him!"
"I quite like him," Gu Junshi said slowly.
Fang Rui choked.
"You… you're lying!"
Gu Junshi looked at her crestfallen expression and said with a half-smile, "Does one have to be in love to get married?"
"No," Fang Rui's answer was unexpected, but she then continued sternly, "But if you have someone in your heart, you shouldn't marry someone else!"
"Apart from this, what else makes you think my heart belongs to Liu Jiang Fusheng?" Gu Junshi asked nonchalantly.
Fang Rui thought for a moment and then said, "If someone slightly resembles Fu Sheng Junior Brother, would you treat them the same?"
"No."
"Have you ever shown special treatment to just one person?"
Gu Junshi thought for a moment. "Yes."
But it wasn't out of affection at the time.
"You've met so many men. If you had to choose one to have a child with, who would you let be your child's father?"
This time, Gu Junshi pondered for a long time.
Fang Rui delivered the final blow. "Gu Junshi, admit it, you've fallen in love with Liu Jiang Fusheng!"
"Hahahaha…" Gu Junshi let out a laugh from her chest as she listened to Fang Rui's impassioned speech. Then, she cupped Fang Rui's face, her expression carrying a disturbing sense of danger. "Thank you for coming all this way to tell me this."
"You…" Fang Rui took a step back, startled by her gaze, but couldn't escape Gu Junshi's grasp. "What… what are you going to do?"
"What am I going to do?" Gu Junshi raised an eyebrow, suppressing the smile at the corner of her lips, her eyes as deep as an abyss locking onto Fang Rui. "I'm going to do what I've always wanted to do."
Wasn't this what she had been waiting for – to fall in love with him?
Perhaps she had finally completed her mission.
Fang Rui had no idea of the madness beneath Gu Junshi's calm exterior. She only cared about one thing. "Then are you still going to marry someone else?"
Gu Junshi released her.
"What do you think?"
Fang Rui was stunned.
What should she think? What could she say?
So, Gu Yi's words were all true. Even if she realized she had someone else in her heart, she wasn't going to give up?
"The wedding must proceed as planned. You'll stay here, because I don't like complications."
With a casual wave of her hand, a black orb transformed into hundreds of ropes, binding Fang Rui.
Fang Rui was desperate, but with her cultivation, she couldn't break free. "Gu Yi, what exactly do you want to do? Why are you associating with the people of Ghost City?"
"Was it your father or someone else from the Immortal Alliance who sent you?"
Gu Junshi knew that her past identity couldn't be hidden forever, but Fang Rui wasn't capable of exposing it yet. Now, it was likely that those who could investigate had already done so, and those who couldn't would remain in ignorance.
Fang Rui still refused to speak. "No matter who sent me, I have no ill intentions towards you. The demon race is making a comeback, and the front lines in the Endless Sea have suffered countless casualties. The Immortal Alliance cannot manage matters in Fengdu. They even want to reconcile with Fengdu and form an alliance to protect the three realms."
"According to you, then you shouldn't have told me those things. If the Human Emperor finds out that the wedding has changed and it's related to you, then this reconciliation might just be in vain," Gu Junshi said.
"...I know, but Junior Brother Fusheng, he's too pitiful. He's been waiting for you to change your mind and for your family to reunite, yet you're marrying someone else. It was clearly mutual love, so why did it turn out this way?"
Fang Rui bit her lower lip, like a fan whose idol had been wronged, her heart utterly broken.
Gu Junshi found it amusing. "You still like him?"
Fang Rui became a little embarrassed by her question. "I admit, I've always admired him. But I also know that I'm not worthy of him now, with or without you. So, I simply feel that the person who should stand beside Junior Brother Fusheng is you, not someone else."
"You've probably watched too many plays. Love can bring pleasure, but it's not irreplaceable."
Fang Rui's face flushed red at her dismissive words. "To put it bluntly, you're just a faithless woman! At least take responsibility for Fu Sheng Junior Brother. You even had a child together…"
"Junshi, are you in there?"
Suddenly, a lazy, provocative voice echoed, and a tall figure appeared before her room.
Fang Rui's entire body froze in shock, her neck stiff. She didn't dare to move.
Gu Junshi showed no panic, calmly replying, "Yes."
There was a pause outside, then a relaxed voice. "The auspicious time is approaching. Don't let trivial matters delay the wedding."
"I know what I'm doing. You go prepare."
"...Alright, I'll wait for you."
After the shadowy figure outside left, Gu Junshi turned back. "Stay here quietly. If you scream and attract the attention of the people from Fengdu Ghost City, I can't guarantee they'll be polite to you."
Fang Rui was almost angered to the point of her nose turning crooked.
"You…"
"Oh, and about your 'faithless woman' comment…" Gu Junshi interrupted her, her gaze falling into the empty air. "It's a bit too early to say that now."
Fang Rui's eyes widened.
Hey? What did she mean by that?