To say that Ouyang Ye, despite her young age, was quite skilled at flattery would be an understatement. Moreover, to get Gu Qingfeng to agree to help, the little girl was also very open-minded. Not only did she actively pour wine, but later she even started massaging Gu Qingfeng's shoulders.
"Good brother! If your little sister were in trouble, would you help?"
Sure enough.
After three rounds of drinks, Ouyang Ye began steering the conversation in that direction.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingfeng lay reclined in his chair, legs crossed, waving his White Jade Fan, sipping his wine, and enjoying the little girl's shoulder massage. He looked exactly like a good-for-nothing, spoiled second-generation scion—utterly at ease and supremely comfortable.
"Little sister, do we need to be so formal between us? If you have something to say, just speak up. Your brother is here. Go on, what is it?"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng agree, Ouyang Ye secretly felt a flash of triumph. She even shot a meaningful glance at Han Dong beside her, as if to say, "See, Elder Sister Handong? My methods are effective, aren't they? A few cups of wine and this guy is already so confused he doesn't know which way is up."
Han Dong could only shake her head helplessly. Her nature was aloof and cold; she wasn't good at social interactions and didn't know how to broach the subject. Whatever Ouyang Ye did, she could only go along with it.
"Hehe!" Ouyang Ye sat down beside Gu Qingfeng, poured another cup of wine, and offered it with both hands. "You really are a good brother. Let your little sister toast you another cup."
Gu Qingfeng threw his head back and drank it down, then nibbled on a delicacy from the table. "Go on, tell me what you need help with. If your brother can help, he will. If he can't, he'll still find a way to help you."
"Hehe, good brother, it's nothing major. We just want you to impersonate someone."
"Impersonate someone?" Gu Qingfeng chewed on a fruit of unknown name, looking at Ouyang Ye with some surprise and a touch of amusement.
He was surprised because, while he knew these two girls had something to ask of him, he hadn't expected it to be impersonating someone.
He was amused because the situation felt incredibly coincidental. He clearly remembered when he first awoke and met Ouyang Ye—the girl had asked him to impersonate her so-called dual cultivation partner, Young Lord Chiyan. Now, several years later, meeting Ouyang Ye again, she was once more asking him to impersonate someone.
This made Gu Qingfeng sigh inwardly. He and this girl really were fated!
"Good brother, what do you think? It's just impersonating someone. Don't worry, you won't have to do anything special. Just carry on as you normally would."
"Impersonating someone isn't a big deal, but..." Gu Qingfeng asked, "Who do you want me to impersonate?"
"Impersonate Elder Sister Handong's dual cultivation partner."
"Elder Sister Handong's partner?" Gu Qingfeng suddenly thought of something and gradually felt something was off. He wiped his mouth and asked, "If I remember correctly, Elder Sister Handong's partner is that Young Lord Chiyan, isn't it?"
"That's right! We want you to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan!"
"What did you say? Impersonate... Young Lord Chiyan?"
Watching Ouyang Ye nod her head vigorously like a chick pecking at rice, Gu Qingfeng was speechless and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When he first heard Ouyang Ye ask him to impersonate Han Dong's partner, he'd had a bad premonition, but it was just a feeling. Only when Ouyang Ye said it out loud did he realize how utterly ridiculous this whole thing was. He truly didn't know what to say.
Ouyang Ye, thinking Gu Qingfeng was scared, quickly explained, "Good brother, you don't know this, but the Young Lord Chiyan you saw earlier in the Peach Blossom Secret Realm was fake... The real Young Lord Chiyan died three years ago... The situation is like this... Let me explain..." Ouyang Ye knew that to get this guy to agree, she had to tell the truth. She didn't hide anything, recounting everything she knew from beginning to end.
First, she carefully explained the situation at Yaoyue Palace and the crisis facing Han Dong from start to finish. Then she explained why she had found Ling Jie to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan.
"Those elders at Yaoyue Palace have always wanted to strip Elder Sister Handong of her heir apparent position. I could only find someone to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan to save her. Young Lord Chiyan's identity is special, and he's hailed as the successor of Lord Chixiao. Those Yaoyue Palace elders wouldn't dare act rashly for a while. Only this way can we buy more time."
Gu Qingfeng had already guessed that the idea of finding someone to impersonate him must have been Ouyang Ye's brainchild. However, only after hearing her explanation did he understand why she had done it. He also had to admire the little girl's resourcefulness. Although the idea was a bit crude, he had to admit it was a good method to help Han Dong through her difficulties. Finding someone to impersonate him—only this little girl could come up with something like that.
"Originally, Ling Jie was the one impersonating Young Lord Chiyan, but... Ling Jie is pregnant now. If she continues impersonating him, it'll be easy for people to see through the act. We really can't find anyone else, so we're asking for your help..." Ouyang Ye shook Gu Qingfeng's arm, cooing, "Good brother, please help us, okay? In the future... Elder Sister Handong and I will be very grateful to you!"
Beside them, the silent Han Dong finally spoke up. "Young Lord, I am not good with words and don't speak well. If you are willing to help... I will certainly remember it in my heart. In the future, I will do everything in my power to repay your kindness." Although Han Dong's face remained coldly beautiful and expressionless, her misty eyes held sincerity. She continued, "If... this matter puts you in a difficult position... I won't force you... You can still live here in the future, and Yeye and I will continue to treat you well with good food and drink..."
"Good brother, you're such a good person, so kind-hearted... Please help us, okay? Please, good brother..." Ouyang Ye continued to shake Gu Qingfeng's arm as she pleaded, shaking him until he felt dizzy.
"Alright, alright, stop shaking. It's just impersonating that so-called Young Lord Chiyan, right? A trivial matter. I agree... It's not like it's the first time anyway."
Indeed.
Gu Qingfeng had already impersonated Young Lord Chiyan once before; one more time wouldn't make a difference.
The only distinction was that the first time, the Young Lord Chiyan he impersonated was a fictional character Ouyang Ye had made up—someone who never existed.
This time, the Young Lord Chiyan he was to impersonate was himself, who had died three years ago.
Gu Qingfeng mused that this might be what was called karma.
If he hadn't agreed to Ouyang Ye back then to impersonate some Young Lord Chiyan, there would never have been a Young Lord Chiyan in the Great Northwest Frontier in the first place.
He had spent a year running around under the Dao title of Young Lord Chiyan. After dying completely, who would have thought he'd have to continue impersonating Young Lord Chiyan?
What made Gu Qingfeng sigh even more was that the first person to ask him to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan was Ouyang Ye, and this time it was still her.
However, that wasn't the reason for his sigh. What truly made him sigh was that he knew a karmic connection from a past life existed between him and Ouyang Ye.
At the same time, he became even more certain that so-called karma... was always unfolding in the unseen workings of fate.
You reap what you sow.