CHAPTER 597: CHAPTER 597: CONTRACT

Long Yifan smirked when he saw her hesitation. "See? Even you cannot bring yourself to like him. Little White was different. He was ugly at first but had spirit. This one only eats."

Little Blue turned his eyes to Gu Jin, showing the ugliest ingratiating smile again. His fat body bent forward as if he were bowing.

Gu Jin rubbed her forehead. "Why is he looking at me like this? I feel like I’m bullying him if I say no."

Long Yifan shook his head. "Do not be soft-hearted. You do not need useless beasts. It is better to wait for another."

But Gu Jin did not reply right away. She crouched down in front of Little Blue and stared at him closely.

"You really want to make a contract with me?" she asked.

Little Blue nodded his fat head so fast that it almost looked like he would roll over. He made squeaky sounds again and patted her knee with his tiny claws.

Long Yifan snorted. "He is acting. Do not fall for it."

Gu Jin ignored him and continued to look into the caterpillar’s eyes. "If I agree, you cannot just eat and sleep. You must work hard. You must cultivate. Do you understand?"

Little Blue nodded again, his body trembling in excitement.

Gu Jin leaned back and sighed. "But you are so ugly. I really don’t know..."

Little Blue froze for a moment, then lowered his fat head and rubbed it pitifully against her foot, making soft noises as if begging.

Gu Jin looked at Little Blue one last time. "Very well. I will give you a chance. But remember, if you disappoint me, I will cancel the contract without hesitation. Do you understand?"

Little Blue immediately jumped up, almost bouncing despite his round body. He squeaked loudly, nodded many times, and even tried to twirl his fat body in excitement.

The ugly smile returned to his face, but this time it looked a little less disgusting, almost funny.

Gu Jin finally let out a small chuckle. "Alright then. Come closer."

Little Blue crawled quickly toward her, pressing his head against her palm.

Gu Jin closed her eyes and whispered softly. A faint light shone between her and Little Blue, weaving into a thin silver thread. The thread connected their souls, creating the contract bond.

Little Blue trembled as the light entered his body. He made a loud squeak of joy and rolled happily on the ground.

Gu Jin opened her eyes. She could now feel his presence inside her heart. A link had been formed.

Long Yifan watched the silver thread of contract disappear into Gu Jin’s hand. Little Blue rolled around on the ground like a fat ball, squeaking happily. He looked smug, almost too smug for his ugly face.

Long Yifan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He did not speak during the contract, but now he finally opened his mouth.

"Little one," he said calmly, looking straight at Little Blue, "if you dare to speak badly of me, then I will not hesitate. I will betray you without a second thought."

Little Blue froze in the middle of rolling. His big round eyes blinked in confusion, then he quickly rubbed his fat head against Gu Jin’s foot as if begging for protection.

Gu Jin frowned and looked at Long Yifan. "What do you mean by that? Why are you threatening him?"

Long Yifan only gave her a faint smile. "I said what I wanted. He will understand."

Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly. She was not sure what Long Yifan meant, but before she could ask again, Little Blue squeaked loudly and rubbed his head against her hand.

His eyes turned pitiful, as if saying, "Ignore him. He is just bullying me."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow at the strange scene. Little Blue was almost acting like a child hiding behind her.

Still, she chose not to dig deeper. Everyone had secrets. She had her own, and she would not force others to reveal theirs.

She scooped Little Blue into her arms. "Fine. Let’s go."

As she held the fat creature, a strange feeling passed through her. She could not tell why, but she felt as if she had seen this beast somewhere before. A faint sense of familiarity clung to her heart, though she could not remember when or where.

She shook her head. "It doesn’t matter. A contract has already been made."

Though Little Blue was ugly, so what? She would just tell herself that when it grew up, it would look better. Maybe like a plastic surgery for beasts, she joked in her head.

With that thought, Gu Jin calmly carried Little Blue back toward her room.

Long Yifan followed silently behind her. His sharp eyes caught the smug smile on Little Blue’s face as it sat comfortably in Gu Jin’s arms. The fat caterpillar even stuck its tongue out at him.

Long Yifan’s lips curved into a cold smile. "So brave, are you? Let us see how long that lasts."

He raised his voice just enough for Gu Jin to hear. "Gu Jin, you should not keep this beast too close when you sleep. Who knows what trick it might play during the night?"

Gu Jin stopped walking. She looked down at Little Blue, who only squeaked innocently, but her mind wavered. Long Yifan’s words made sense. She had felt strange from the moment she met this beast.

After a moment of hesitation, she sighed and turned to Long Yifan. "Fine. You hold him for tonight."

Little Blue’s eyes widened in shock. He squeaked loudly and shook his fat body in protest. But Gu Jin ignored him and passed him to Long Yifan.

Long Yifan held the struggling caterpillar with one hand and smiled coldly. "Well, well. You wanted to show me your tongue? Let us see if you still dare now."

Little Blue kicked and squeaked, but no matter how much he struggled, he could not escape Long Yifan’s grip. His fat face turned pitiful as Gu Jin calmly walked into her room without looking back.

Long Yifan carried the still-struggling beast into his own room. His expression was calm, but his eyes glowed faintly with hidden thoughts.

The next morning, both Gu Jin and Long Yifan prepared to return to their usual lives. The university semester was ending, and exams were close.

Gu Jin did not have much time to waste. She had been behind in her cultivation, and if she wanted to stand tall in the competition, she needed to close the gap. So she spent long hours inside her space, sitting cross-legged, cultivating without rest.

Days passed into weeks. Then weeks turned into two whole months.

Gu Jin barely left her space except for classes. Her aura grew sharper, her control over her elements more precise.

Long Yifan also trained hard, but unlike Gu Jin, his mind was not only on cultivation. He had his own network of spies working quietly in the background. And while he trained, they worked.

During this time, Little White visited Gu Jin often. The little beast had changed greatly. Though its body was still weak compared to others, its progress was shocking.

Gu Jin stroked his scaled back gently as he curled against her lap. "You have worked hard, Little White."

The once-broken beast had grown from a lizard-like form into a small dragon shape. It was still rough, its wings short and body uneven, but there was beauty in its struggle.

Gu Jin’s eyes softened. "You may not be the strongest now, but one day, you will stand above them all."

Little White gave a low growl, his eyes shining with determination.

..................................

Meanwhile, in another room, Long Yifan sat at a large desk. His men knelt before him, their heads bowed.

"Master," one of them said softly. "We have found her. Gu Aihan."

The room fell silent.

Long Yifan’s expression did not change. His face was terrifyingly calm, like still water hiding sharp blades. "Where is she?"

"She was captured outside the northern border. We brought her here secretly. She is waiting in the underground cell."

Long Yifan leaned back in his chair. His fingers tapped lightly against the wood. Inside his eyes burned a cold fire.

"Do not harm her," he ordered. "No one is to touch her before I say so. I want her alive."

The men nodded quickly. "Yes, Master."

Long Yifan’s voice dropped even lower, filled with deadly intent. "Gu Aihan ruined Gu Jin’s life. She destroyed the Gu family. Her crimes are countless. She will not die by the hands of a stranger. I will kill her myself. But first, she must face Gu Jin. The family must see it too."

The men trembled at his words. They had never seen their master’s calm voice carry so much killing intent.

After they left, Long Yifan closed his eyes for a moment. His hands clenched into fists. "Gu Aihan... your end has come."

That evening, Gu Jin returned from her cultivation. She was still holding Little White, his small body curled in her arms.