The Contract 2

Inside Meng Lin's room, she looked at Guang Yue with determination before speaking. "Do you have a pen for me to sign?" Guang Yue gave a small smile before replying. "Sign the contract with blood. Bite your thumb and press it on the signature space."

Meng Lin hesitated for a moment at the response before taking a deep breath and biting her thumb as instructed. However, instead of blood flowing out, tears welled up in her eyes instead. She squeezed her eyes shut and cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

Seeing this, Guang Yue sighed in exasperation, rubbing her temples before stepping closer and placing a finger on Meng Lin's thumb. A soft white light flickered briefly, and immediately, blood began to seep from her thumb.

Meng Lin nodded before quickly pressing her bloodstained thumb onto the signature space of the contract. At that moment, red characters appeared on the document, and the contract was finalized.

Seeing this, Guang Yue nodded in satisfaction before healing Meng Lin's wound and storing the contract into her dimensional ring.

"At eleven o'clock today, members of the Meng family will arrive here. Do you want to meet them?" Guang Yue asked in a calm tone.

Meng Lin fell into deep thought for a moment before replying. "I'm not sure yet..."

Guang Yue looked at her with a smile. "I recommend you go. And also… my food must be eaten while it's hot, young lady."

With that, Guang Yue turned and walked away, but before she exited the room, she glanced back. "Oh, and one more thing. Meet me in the guest hall at three in the afternoon. I'll take you to choose a new beast. If you need anything, just call for the maids. Got it?"

Meng Lin responded respectfully. "Understood."

After Guang Yue left, Meng Lin turned her gaze toward the neatly prepared meal on the table. She couldn't understand why, after talking with Guang Yue for a while, she felt that she wasn't like what Li Juan had described to her at all. She thought about this as she lifted the lid covering the food. A rich, savory aroma filled the air.

On the plate was Rainbow Meat from a King-level Demonic Ape, grilled to a perfect medium rare, served with mashed potatoes and side dishes. Meng Lin swallowed as she slowly cut into the meat with her knife. Juices oozed out slightly as she brought a piece to her mouth. But just before she could taste it...

"Stop! Stop right now, young lady!"

Meng Lin jolted in shock at the sudden loud voice coming from the window. She turned and saw Gu Long pushing open the window, speaking with a serious expression. "That food is poisoned!"

Before Meng Lin could react, Gu Long leaped into the room with a grave demeanor. "Let me test it first. If it's safe—"

Boom!

In an instant, Gu Long's body was sent flying out the window by an unseen force, soaring far across the garden.

A voice echoed from somewhere. "I specially prepared that meal for you. Are you not going to eat it, dear~?"

Gu Long, who had crashed into the ground, struggled to get up. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, Guang Yue's voice rang out again.

"You're not going to eat it… dear?"

Her tone carried an immense pressure, laced with a chilling killing intent.

Gu Long had an answer in mind, but upon seeing Guang Yue, he decided to change his words immediately. "Of course, I'll eat it! Dear…"

Meng Lin, who had been watching the entire scene, suppressed her laughter, her shoulders shaking. She had never seen a married couple with such a strange atmosphere before.

Outside, the atmosphere was filled with amusement and laughter, while inside Gu Tian's study, a butler entered and knocked on the door in an unusual rhythm, tapping seven times before a voice from inside responded.

"Come in."

The butler silently opened the door and walked towards Gu Tian, who was sitting on the sofa with his phone in hand.

"I have retrieved Meng Lin's contract, young master."

Gu Tian, still focused on his game, glanced at the butler for a moment before replying flatly. "Put it on the bookshelf."

The butler nodded, following the order, and carefully placed the contract on the shelf.

With Gu Tian's words, the butler bowed and quietly exited the room.

Gu Tian walked over to retrieve the contract from the shelf and silently brought it to his bed. The document in his hands was titled "Blood Contract," a binding agreement that, if violated, would demand the signee's life as payment.

Narrowing his eyes at the document, Gu Tian let out a faint smile. The reason he chose to help Meng Lin was not out of kindness or mercy. It was because he wanted to avoid future conflicts with an Emperor-level beast tamer. If Meng Lin were forced into marriage with the son of an Emperor-level beast tamer and harbored deep resentment, it would undoubtedly become a serious threat in the future.

If she ever sought revenge or attempted to leverage her husband's family's power against them, allowing her to remain free would be far too dangerous. That was why he had his mother, Guang Yue, approach Meng Lin under the guise of the Star Commerce Guild, fostering trust while presenting her with an offer she could not refuse.

Of course, this plan wasn't just about helping her. It was merely a small piece of his larger strategy to position Meng Lin as a key figure for the future.

Gu Tian's smile deepened as he ran his fingers along the contract's pages. He carefully pulled back the fifty-year agreement, revealing another contract hidden beneath.

The characters on the new document emitted a faint red glow under the room's lighting. Gu Tian observed it with satisfaction. This contract was entirely different from the first one.

The first contract was meant to control Meng Lin, but the second one… had a much deeper purpose.

It was a failsafe for money laundering. If, by some chance, the Central Government went mad and investigated illegal financial routes, uncovering a loophole in Gu Tian's operations, they would never be able to trace it back to him directly. This contract ensured that all accountability would fall onto Meng Lin or the Meng family entirely.

The chances of the Central Government discovering his money-laundering network were extremely low… but not impossible. And in the worst-case scenario, he needed a contingency plan.

Gu Tian tapped his fingers lightly against the document, lost in thought. No matter how airtight his plans were, risks always existed. If that day ever came…

"Having an exit strategy in place won't hurt."

Gu Tian murmured softly before storing the documents within his spatial dimension and reclining against the bed with a satisfied expression.

A notification sound from his phone rang out. Gu Tian picked it up and saw a new message.

"I've acquired research on the spiritual domain. Do you want me to bring it to you now?"

A smirk formed on Gu Tian's lips as he typed a reply.

"Yes."

Almost immediately, another message popped up. Gu Tian read it before chuckling and speaking aloud.

"The Meng family… No one has ever stolen money from me and gotten away with it… You're making me play dirty again."

After reading everything, Gu Tian sent a message to Gu Long, Gu Mo, and Guang Yue.

"Plan B."

Guang Yue and Gu Mo responded with confirmations, while Gu Long sent a message shortly after.

"What was Plan B again? (っ º - º ς)"