Chapter 3110 — The Eldest Miss's Confession

"Th-this... in reply to the Palace Master, yes!" The black-clad elder broke into a sweat and answered hastily. He too had come to see that Gu Mengyao was no one to be trifled with. Even the Grand Elder dared not provoke her too far; she was utterly unlike the old Ye Rou'er. So the black-clad elder did not dare be negligent either.

"Oh. I don't like the look of him. Starting tomorrow, have him clean the toilets of the Dark Night Palace," Gu Mengyao said.

"This..." The black-clad elder had still thought highly of Zhao Qibing, and had once intended to make the boy his own successor. To send him off to scrub toilets now—he was rather unwilling.

"Black-clad, so you're unwilling?" The eldest miss's face turned cold.

"Black-clad, do you no longer wish to be an elder? If he won't scrub, then you'll scrub alongside him!" The Grand Elder grew anxious at once. She had finally managed to talk Gu Mengyao around, and now she was about to return to the Dark Night Palace—and here you were, stirring up trouble again. Do you have a death wish?

"Yes... then let Qibing go scrub the toilets..." the black-clad elder said in a great fright.

"Mm." Gu Mengyao nodded, her expression softening a little. She had long found Zhao Qibing an eyesore, but she had not raised him as a bargaining chip with the Grand Elder, because dealing with Zhao Qibing was, for the eldest miss who had become Palace Master of the Dark Night Palace, a matter of lifting a finger. Why bother to make it a condition?

Her condition was just that one. The Grand Elder could agree or refuse, but agree she must. Had there been more conditions, the Grand Elder could have picked one or two to grant and rejected the rest, and Gu Mengyao would have been helpless. This was the eldest miss's cleverness.

Of course, the eldest miss had not driven Zhao Qibing out of the Dark Night Palace either. The brat was far too sly and vicious; Gu Mengyao wanted him kept right under her nose, so that at the slightest rash move she could catch him at once—and so that she could keep tormenting him in fresh ways. It counted as venting a little of her pent-up anger.

"Then may we go now?" the Grand Elder asked.

"Mm..." The eldest miss nodded. With some reluctance she lifted her head and looked at the villa again, one last look, then smiled at Wei Zhao, Xiaoshu, and Xu Shilan, turned, and walked out of the villa with resolve.

Goodbye... Gu Mengyao said in her heart. But I will soon cultivate to the great perfection of the peak late Heaven Rank, and when that time comes, the Dark Night Palace will truly be mine to command. Then no one will be able to stop me. I will come back...

"Yao Yao..." Shen Yushu's eyes were red-rimmed, and she could not help calling out.

Gu Mengyao's steps faltered slightly as she left the villa. She stopped, turned back, and looked at Xiaoshu. "Xiaoshu, be good... I'm leaving, but I can still come back! From now on, no more mischief. At home, you listen to Wei Zhao, understand?"

"Oh..." Shen Yushu nodded obediently.

"Wei Zhao, goodbye... Take good care of Xiaoshu for me... I'm leaving her in your hands." Gu Mengyao had meant to walk away without looking back, but Xiaoshu's call had stopped her. She turned her head and looked at Wei Zhao, her heart full of reluctance.

This was the ache of parting from one's dearest. In that moment, the eldest miss realized how deeply she clung to Wei Zhao, how little she wished to be parted from him.

I like him? Yes... I like him!

In an instant, Gu Mengyao finally confirmed her own heart.

So often, only after losing something do we learn how much it mattered.

So it was true—I like him...

"Don't worry," Wei Zhao nodded.

"Wei Zhao..." Gu Mengyao bit her lip. Now that she understood her own heart, she did not want to leave with any regret. She wanted to tell Wei Zhao how she felt, yet the words would not come out.

At that moment, Gu Mengyao suddenly felt a flash of irritation. Damn Xiaoshu—usually so helpful, but the moment it mattered, she dropped the ball. Couldn't you say right now, "Oh, Yao Yao can't bear to leave Brother Arrowhead, she doesn't want to go!"? Then the eldest miss would surely have nodded shyly and said, Yes!

But Xiaoshu said nothing, and Gu Mengyao wanted to strangle her!

"Hm?" Wei Zhao looked at the eldest miss, whose expression had shifted slightly, puzzled as to what was wrong.

"Dropping-the-ball Shu!" Gu Mengyao glared at Shen Yushu, stamped her foot, turned around, and made ready to leave. She still had not managed to speak her heart. The eldest miss was a shy person.

"Oh?" Shen Yushu was baffled. Why would Yao Yao scold her just before leaving? But Shen Yushu was not truly foolish. She understood Gu Mengyao better than even Wei Zhao did—after all, they had lived together for so many years. "Oh oh oh, Yao Yao, don't worry! I'll guard the door for you at home and won't let anyone steal your place as the first wife!"

Wei Zhao glanced at Xiaoshu, puzzled. She was leaving, and Xiaoshu was still making jokes like that? But what surprised Wei Zhao came next!

The eldest miss actually blushed faintly, gave a slight nod, and made a sound barely audible: "Mm!"

"Hm?" Wei Zhao was stunned. Gu Mengyao's voice had been soft, but he was a fine Heaven Rank expert—her words had reached him clear as day! In his astonishment, something in Wei Zhao's heart seemed suddenly to stir...

So the eldest miss's heart was set on him! That one "mm" said a thousand words. Wei Zhao understood Gu Mengyao's feelings now.

"Yao Yao..." It would have been impossible for Wei Zhao to say he did not like the eldest miss. After so long together, anyone would have feelings—especially after all they had been through side by side. It was only that before, Wei Zhao had never been sure of the eldest miss's heart.

Gu Mengyao smiled shyly, turned away, and as she was leaving said softly, "Wei Zhao, I like you..."

With that stone lifted from her heart, Gu Mengyao felt in that instant so much lighter. After saying it, she did not look at Wei Zhao, but quickly vanished into the night.

"Me too..." Wei Zhao said to Gu Mengyao's receding figure. "I'll come to see you... Actually, when I first came to Songshan City, I already had feelings for you..."

Wei Zhao's confirmation made Gu Mengyao very happy, but her steps did not pause. She feared that if she stopped, she would not be able to walk away.

When he first came to Songshan City? Then Wei Zhao had liked her even earlier than Tang Zhi? At the thought, Gu Mengyao's heart swelled with joy, sweet as honey.

Only, Gu Mengyao felt a little regret—regret that she had not understood her own heart sooner. Why had she not spoken sooner? If she had, she and Wei Zhao might have had some sweet days together.