Thinking of Mo Qiyan, Gu Jiayin’s heart felt as though a gentle feather brushed lightly across it. For a moment, the still water rippled, and her thoughts became disordered. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel•fire.net Seven years ago, when she was taken to Suri by agents of the Suri Royal Family, Mo Qiyan was eighteen, a remarkably gifted and handsome prince. The first time she saw him was at the Royal Riding Ground. That day, her eyes were blindfolded with a strip of cloth and she was secretly brought to the riding ground, where the Emperor was to meet her. At that time, her life was dark and confused. She was like a drifting leaf, having no idea where she was heading. With a gun pressed against her back, walking in bewilderment, her entire world was darkness. She was so thankful then that she at least had ears to hear the outside world. "Prince Qiyan." Suddenly, the agents halted in their tracks, their voices filled with respect. "Hmm." The voice came from above—pleasant-sounding, with a warm and magnetic tone as if it could soothe a person’s soul. He seemed to carry a smile, "Is she Gu Jiayin?" Then she heard the sound of hooves and felt the breath of a horse approaching her. The next second, a large hand pulled away the cloth covering her eyes. Looking up, a stunningly handsome male face appeared before her, as though crafted by the hand of God. He was sitting on the horse, dressed in an exquisite white riding suit, leaning down to look at her. After a few seconds of amazement, laughter overflowed from his eyes. His smile was even more beautiful, as if he was naturally accompanied by sunshine. "You are very beautiful." His gaze was not profane, and his compliment was sincere. She stepped back slightly and elegantly opened her lips, "Thank you." "Your voice is also very beautiful." He maintained his pose leaning on the horse’s neck, continuing to praise as he stared at her face. "I will definitely marry you in the future." "I’m sorry, I have a boyfriend." Yes, at that time, her heart was still filled with Pei Nianchen. She still vividly remembered their youthful vows and was still hoping for the day she would return to Licheng City to rekindle their relationship. When did that love begin to fade? Perhaps after she underwent the hellish agent training, the physical pain dispelled the feelings in her heart. Mo Qiyan didn’t get angry but rather raised his handsome eyebrows and laughed heartily, "Your little boyfriend is in Licheng City, right? From now on, you are one of the Suri people, so you might as well forget about the good in him." After speaking, he threw the whip to the stable boy, jumped off the horse, and took her hand to lead her forward, "I’ll take you to meet the Emperor." At that time, she was only sixteen, and he was only eighteen. In hindsight, they were just a teenage boy and girl, his words always had a touch of childishness. After meeting the Emperor, she found out that after agents captured her and her mother, the Suri Emperor thought he could interrogate them about the whereabouts of the Blood Tears Jade, but to no avail. Because she and her mother knew nothing about the Blood Tears Jade. Her grandfather secretly stole it, told no one, and passed away too suddenly, leaving no last words. In his anger, the Suri Emperor wanted to kill her and her mother to vent his frustration, but Mo Qiyan pleaded for mercy, suggesting that the Emperor utilize her to retrieve the Blood Tears Jade for the Imperial Family. The Suri Emperor accepted this suggestion. Otherwise, with her status, there wouldn’t be a chance to meet the Emperor. That day, when the Suri Emperor met her, it was to ask if she was willing to undergo training and later return to Licheng City to retrieve the Blood Tears Jade for the Imperial Family, in exchange for her and her mother’s freedom. In reality, did she have a choice whether she was willing or not? Later on, many times, as he watched her endure the pain during special training, Mo Qiyan said to her with sadness that he deeply regretted suggesting that to the Emperor. If he had met her earlier, known he would be moved by her, he would never have chosen that way. He pushed her onto this path and could not change it, so he personally made this bracelet to give to her. He was originally a sunny boy, but because of what happened later, he developed a split personality, with one side being sunny and gentle, and the other cold-blooded and ruthless. The seven years she spent with him were divided by a stark line, separating the first three years from the latter four. The slender and graceful body, calm on the outside with a peaceful demeanor, yet clearly her inner self was in turbulence. Sheng Qianchi watched the woman pretending to sleep with closed eyes very intently, naturally comprehending this. She was too good at hiding, her thoughts deeper than the sea; he couldn’t understand nor penetrate her mental world. Her story must have had many layers, yet she wasn’t willing to share any of them with him. He used his right thumb to gently massage her brow, "Jiayin, tell me, what is your purpose in entering Twilight? Do you want to take back Twilight or destroy the Qin Family?" The woman didn’t answer, there was only the sound of shallow breathing. Sheng Qianchi brushed a few strands of hair from her cheek behind her ear, leaning closer to her, "As long as you say so, I will help you achieve it, hmm?" Gu Jiayin finally opened her eyes. Her pupils were bright, yet so calm it was as if he was talking about an ancient tale unrelated to her. She faintly curved her lips, pushed away his hand with elegant indifference, "No need, what I want is my own business. Rather than getting it through your help, I prefer to obtain it with my own hands." What she wanted, no one knew except for the Suri Royal Family. Originally, she did think about seizing Twilight while searching for the Blood Tears Jade. After all, it was her grandfather’s lifelong work, and back then, her grandfather was determined to pass on Twilight to her brother Gu Yachen. But now, she no longer planned to take that step. Licheng City would no longer be her place of residence because of Sheng Qianchi. So, after finding the Blood Tears Jade, she would destroy the Qin Family, end her time with Twilight, and with the winemaking craft her grandfather passed down to her, she would look for a new place to create another Twilight. Sheng Qianchi silently watched Gu Jiayin for a long time, ultimately just letting out a silent sigh. This woman had encased herself in ice-cold indifference, viewing him as someone she wished to be thousands of miles away from. With a two-month timeframe, how could he make her willing to stay? The competition in the afternoon was intense because it was the final showdown. By this stage, it was all based on true skills. As the wine tasting entered the third round, the top ten had already emerged, with the eliminated contestants quietly seated below to watch. Qin Zhennan, as the chairman of the Wine Trade Association, naturally had his own subtle tricks in what was colloquially his territory. During the third round, the questions were drawn randomly by computer. He had someone deliberately manipulate the system to give Gu Jiayin extremely difficult questions, thinking it would eliminate her smoothly. But he underestimated Gu Jiayin’s wine tasting skills, which were truly exceptional. Gu Qiyun’s wine tasting skills were once renowned throughout the city, and Gu Jiayin had surpassed her predecessor. When Gu Jiayin broke into the top ten, Qin Zhennan sat in his office staring at the surveillance footage on the computer, beginning to feel increasingly restless. He had set up this whole affair himself, intending to prevent Gu Jiayin from entering Twilight. Now it seemed more like he had unwittingly provided her with a stepping stone.