If You Hate Me, Then Hate Me
"Really?" Lily Evans poked her head out and looked at Alexander Hayes after hearing his words.
"Of course it's true." Alexander Hayes smiled and ruffled Lily Evans’s hair, his eyes full of affection. "You, my dear, are just used to being strong. How could you forget that you have me behind you? You don’t need to be so cautious with every step. Even if you stumble, I’ll be here to clean up the mess. There’s nothing for you to worry about."
Lily Evans felt completely reassured after hearing Alexander Hayes say that.
She thought to herself that she’d just been overthinking things. When it came down to Gregory Gu Jr.’s fate being in their hands, there was no way he could stir up any trouble.
A great weight lifted from Lily Evans’s heart, and she started talking to Alexander Hayes about the Firestorm Battalion.
When the Firestorm Battalion was mentioned, Alexander Hayes grew animated and delighted. "Darling, those firearms you brought really are incredible! The elite soldiers of the Firestorm Battalion learned how to use them in just a few days. Things like aiming are also easy to pick up. These weapons are truly something—their power is immense and their lethality is astonishing. Even the elderly, women, and children can handle them without effort!"
After he finished, Alexander Hayes laughed at himself. "Darling, I’ve trained in martial arts since childhood, enduring years of hard practice. But if I came up against someone with just a bit of skill wielding a firearm, I wouldn’t stand a chance. The Hayes Army has drilled for years, and every soldier under my command is an elite, a master of hand-to-hand combat. Training such a warrior takes at least two or three years, sometimes five or six. But your firearms—give someone less than a month and they’ll be proficient enough to wipe out those who’ve trained for years."
"That’s what they say—no matter how skilled you are, you still have to watch out for the kitchen knife!" Lily Evans squinted her eyes with a smile. "Has the Firestorm Battalion started training and fighting using my methods?"
"Naturally." Alexander Hayes nodded. "We’re following your combat strategy—on the battlefield, soldiers stand in ranks. The first row fires, then the second row steps up, while the first row falls back to reload... This way, the troops can maintain constant firepower. Even if the enemy were immortals, they’d be blown to pieces. Lily, you really are a genius!"
The couple quickly shifted topics, tossing aside the unpleasantness and tangle they’d encountered at the Gu family.
Lily Evans pondered: after Principal Gregory Gu passed away, she would first write to Phoenix Academy under the name of Scholar Jade Evans, asking the other six administrators to temporarily manage the academy’s affairs. For any major decisions, they could write to consult her.
Once Lily Evans had given birth and finished her confinement, she planned to find an opportunity to formally take over as principal at Phoenix Academy—and maybe even visit her hometown and relatives while she was at it.
Just as Lily Evans was planning her future at Phoenix Academy, Gregory Gu Jr. was galloping on horseback, heading straight for the Imperial Palace.
"Grand Tutor Gregory Gu Jr., you’re in such a hurry to see His Majesty—do you have urgent business?" The young eunuch leading the way was secretly shocked to see Gregory Gu Jr. breathing unevenly and walking so fast.
Grand Tutor Gregory Gu Jr. was known for his impeccable manners—no one had ever seen him so flustered. What could have happened today?
He’d heard Principal Gregory Gu was in poor health—could something have happened to him?
The young eunuch speculated as he led Grand Tutor Gregory Gu Jr. to the imperial study.
At that moment, Emperor Jin Xuan was reviewing memorials. He summoned Gregory Gu Jr. inside. "Gregory, do you have urgent business to attend to? You seem to be in quite a rush."
A fierce struggle raged in Gregory Gu Jr.’s heart, but he finally made up his mind. He thought to himself: Lily, I’m sorry. For the sake of the Gu family, I have no choice but to do this. If you end up hating me, then so be it!