Chapter 217: Appointed To Be A Bodyguard

Gu Qingya turned slowly.

"Give that back."

Lu Chen placed the phone against his ear.

"Old Gu."

The elderly man on the other end laughed.

"Lu Chen!"

"Still alive."

"Good!"

"Your granddaughter doesn’t seem happy to see me."

Gu Qingya reached for the phone.

Lu Chen leaned back beyond her reach.

Her eyes became murderous.

Her grandfather laughed.

"She’ll adjust."

Gu Qingya’s expression changed.

"Grandpa!"

Lu Chen looked toward her.

"That’s what I said."

She stared at him with pure disbelief.

The two men continued speaking as if she weren’t present.

Her grandfather explained the security concerns.

The recent threats.

The reason he wanted Lu Chen beside her.

Finally...

He said it.

"From today onward, protect Qingya."

Lu Chen’s eyes became serious.

"I will."

"She is the Gu Family’s future."

Lu Chen looked directly at her.

"And my woman."

Gu Qingya froze.

The car became silent.

Her grandfather laughed approvingly.

"Good."

She reached forward.

This time...

She took the phone from Lu Chen’s hand with enough force to nearly drop it.

"Grandpa."

Her voice was cold.

"I am not his woman."

The laughter stopped.

Gu Qingya continued.

"I will not tolerate either of you discussing me like property."

"Qingya..."

"No."

Her eyes remained on Lu Chen.

"He may work as a temporary security consultant."

"Nothing more."

Lu Chen smiled.

She hated that smile.

Her grandfather sighed.

"We’ll discuss it at home."

The call ended.

Gu Qingya looked toward Lu Chen.

"If you ever take my phone again..."

"What?"

"I’ll have you removed."

Lu Chen leaned back.

"You can try."

Her face hardened.

The bodyguards exchanged glances.

This was going to be a disaster.

At the Gu Family estate...

Old Master Gu waited near the entrance.

He leaned on a cane.

His health was poor.

But his eyes remained sharp.

The moment Lu Chen stepped from the vehicle...

The old man smiled.

"Little Wolf."

Lu Chen’s arrogant expression softened slightly.

"Old Gu."

They embraced.

Gu Qingya watched.

Her irritation did not disappear.

But she noticed something.

Lu Chen genuinely respected her grandfather.

That was perhaps the first positive thing she had seen.

Then Old Master Gu looked toward her.

"You brought him safely."

Gu Qingya stared.

"He did not require protection."

Old Master Gu laughed.

"No."

"Probably not."

He looked toward Lu Chen.

"Your grandfather would be proud."

Lu Chen’s smile faded slightly.

"He died proud."

A moment of silence passed.

Old Master Gu nodded.

Then motioned toward the house.

"Come."

"Food is waiting."

Gu Qingya remained near the car.

"I have a meeting."

Her grandfather’s expression changed.

"Cancel it."

"No."

"Qingya."

"I already came to the airport."

"I have obligations."

Lu Chen looked toward her.

"I’ll go with you."

She stared.

"No."

"Your grandfather asked me to protect you."

"My security team will take me."

Lu Chen glanced at them again.

Then shook his head.

"No."

One guard’s face tightened.

Gu Qingya stepped closer.

"You don’t make decisions for me."

Lu Chen lowered his head slightly to meet her gaze.

"I make decisions about security."

"Not mine."

"Especially yours."

Her eyes turned glacial.

Old Master Gu sighed.

Then spoke.

"Lu Chen will become your personal bodyguard."

Gu Qingya slowly looked toward him.

"No."

"This is not negotiable."

"It absolutely is."

"Someone is targeting the company."

"I can handle it."

"You don’t know who."

"Neither does he."

Lu Chen spoke.

"I will."

Both turned.

He smiled faintly.

"Give me a day."

Gu Qingya stared.

"You’ve been in China for less than an hour."

"More than enough."

Old Master Gu nodded approvingly.

Gu Qingya felt surrounded by insanity.

She looked toward her grandfather.

"You promised you would stop making decisions about my life."

"This concerns your safety."

"And the engagement?"

The old man became quiet.

Gu Qingya understood.

Nothing had changed.

Her grandfather still intended to push them together.

She looked toward Lu Chen.

He stood confidently.

As if the outcome was inevitable.

Her resentment grew.

"Fine."

Both men looked surprised.

Gu Qingya continued.

"He may follow."

Lu Chen smiled.

"But he follows my instructions."

His smile remained.

"He does not enter private meetings unless asked."

"He does not interfere with my work."

"He does not touch my belongings."

Her eyes sharpened.

"And he never calls me his woman again."

Lu Chen studied her.

Then...

"Three out of four."

She stared.

"Excuse me?"

"I’ll follow the first three."

Her expression became furious.

Lu Chen smiled.

"The last one depends on you."

Gu Qingya turned toward the car.

"Meeting."

Her assistant hurried after her.

Lu Chen followed.

Gu Qingya stopped.

She looked back.

"What are you doing?"

"Protecting you."

"I haven’t hired you."

"Your father did."

"Grandfather."

"Same family."

She closed her eyes.

Then entered the car.

Lu Chen followed.

Old Master Gu watched them leave.

He smiled like a man who believed everything was proceeding perfectly.

It was not.

. . .

High above the mountain resort...

Shen Tian stood beside Shen Yan.

Xu Ning displayed the final information.

-----------------------

Target: Lu Chen

Current Fate Value: 620,000

First Destined Opportunity: Identify Gu Family’s Hidden Enemy

Fate Value at Risk: 18,000

First Destined Relationship Event: Saves Gu Qingya from assassination

Fate Value at Risk: 25,000

-----------------------

Shen Tian stared.

"Forty-three thousand in the first few days."

[Yes.]

"And he’s already Spirit Perception."

[Yes.]

Shen Yan watched Shen Tian’s expression.

"Strong?"

"Very."

"Stronger than you?"

Shen Tian smiled.

"Not for long."

Xu Ning’s expression became cautious.

[Host.]

"What?"

[There is another problem.]

A new panel opened.

-----------------------

Gu Qingya

Current opinion of Lu Chen: Disgust / Distrust

Predicted Fate outcome: Gradual forced proximity leading to emotional dependency

-----------------------

Shen Tian’s smile disappeared.

He looked toward the distant city hidden beyond the mountains.

"Does she know me?"

Xu Ning searched.

[Not personally.]

"Family connection?"

[The Gu Family ranks below the Shen Family but maintains several business relationships.]

Shen Yan looked toward him.

"Are we leaving?"

Shen Tian turned.

Inside...

The others were beginning to wake.

Chi Lingxi appeared near the balcony door, rubbing her eyes.

Su Yue followed.

Yin Suyi’s voice came from inside, asking where her son had gone.

Shen Tian looked at them.

Then...

Back toward the city.

"No."

Xu Ning blinked.

[No?]

"Not yet."

He closed the panel.

"We have another day here."

Shen Yan’s expression softened.

Chi Lingxi walked closer.

"What happened?"

Shen Tian smiled.

"Work."

Su Yue leaned against the doorway.

"Another protagonist?"

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

She couldn’t hear Xu Ning or see the system.

But by now...

She had learned to recognize the expression.

"Something like that."

Su Yue sighed.

"And?"

Shen Tian looked toward the mountain valley.

Then...

At the people waiting behind him.

"Tomorrow."

Xu Ning smiled faintly.

Again.

Another protagonist could wait.

One day.

Because today...

His mother had planned breakfast near the river.

Bai Xue wanted revenge in board games.

Ling Shuangxue had discovered horseback riding.

Chi Lingxi wanted to hike to the waterfall.

Su Yue wanted photographs for memories she promised not to post online.

Shen Yan simply wanted to remain beside him.

And Shen Tian...

Wanted to stay.

Just a little longer.

He turned away from the city.

But far below...

Invisible threads of Fate had already begun tightening around Lu Chen and Gu Qingya.

The Mercenary King had returned.

He believed the city would bend to him.

He believed Gu Qingya belonged to him.

He believed anyone standing in his way would become another enemy to crush.

He had survived deserts.

Wars.

Assassins.

Armies.

Betrayal.

And death.

He had returned carrying six hundred twenty thousand Fate...

A mercenary organization willing to cross borders for him...

And enough strength to terrify nearly every hidden expert in the city.

--------

(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

SEND POWESTONES!!!

ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!