【Hello everyone, I am currently in the central area of Jianghai. As you can see, the ground here is in ruins, as if it has endured some brutal battle!】
【The ground is sunken, buildings are damaged, but miraculously, the people living inside are unharmed.】
【Now, let's interview some residents...】
On the TV screen, the central area of Jianghai was cordoned off by authorities with caution tape, and the residents stood outside their buildings, dressed and utterly confused.
To them, it seemed like they had just slept through the night, had a pleasant dream, and woke up to find the walls of their homes torn down.
The ground was also full of potholes.
【Hello, did you notice anything unusual last night?】
【Uh... I have no idea what happened, but does this mean I don’t have to go to work today?】
【...Haha, well...】
【Wahhh, Mom, my homework is gone... maybe it’s buried under the rubble...】
【......】
Gu Yan watched the news with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
The scale of last night’s events was too vast to keep under wraps.
Some people, with stronger resistance, weren’t affected by the grand formation and managed to capture footage of martial artists fighting, which they posted online.
The martial arts department was probably in chaos by now.
And, of course, the one to be held accountable would undoubtedly be Bai Jun.
As the head of the Jianghai martial arts department, such an incident occurring under his jurisdiction was a disaster.
Almost all the martial arts sects that had come to Jianghai were wiped out.
Only Liu Jianxing and a few others, whom Gu Yan had intentionally spared, remained.
Brother Bai... it’s not that I’m targeting you.
It’s just that most of the protagonists from the original story happened to come to Jianghai...
Let’s just say... it was an unfortunate coincidence.
Meanwhile, Leng Qingqiu, though she couldn’t see the TV, could hear it.
The more she listened, the stranger she felt.
Huh?
What?
So that fake “Night” went through all that trouble just to kill a bunch of martial artists from the sects?
And didn’t harm a single ordinary person?
Why?
Leng Qingqiu was puzzled.
She thought she had figured out what that fake “Night” was up to.
But now, hearing this, the fake “Night’s” actions seemed utterly illogical.
The sacrificial formation had been activated, and the righteous side hadn’t defeated the fake Night King.
So... shouldn’t the next step have been to use the formation to absorb everyone’s souls for cultivation?
Why... did he spare so many ordinary people?
Of course, Leng Qingqiu didn’t have any desire to harm innocent people either.
She just couldn’t understand why the fake “Night” would have such reservations.
How strange...
Leng Ling'er, on the other hand, was yawning repeatedly: “Brother-in-law~ This is so boring! I want to watch anime!”
?
Gu Yan slowly raised an eyebrow in response. Ah, the carefree life of a child.
After a moment of thought, he switched to a horror movie channel.
Leng Ling'er: “?”
....
.....
By noon, the dining table was laden with an extravagant spread, covering almost every type of cuisine imaginable—land, sea, and air.
Gu Yan couldn’t help but wonder if they were expecting a dozen or more guests, rather than just the few of them.
Normally, the meals were prepared by the housekeeper.
But today, since Leng Qingqiu was here, Su Murong had personally taken over the kitchen.
Regardless of anything else, the gesture warmed Leng Qingqiu’s heart.
“Qingqiu, don’t be shy. Tell me what you’d like to eat, and I’ll serve you.”
“Ling'er too, don’t hold back. From now on, we’re all family!”
Su Murong couldn’t help but adore Leng Qingqiu more and more. Her looks, her demeanor, her way of speaking—everything about her was perfect.
“Thank you, Mom,” Leng Qingqiu replied with a gentle smile.
Gu Yan sat beside Leng Qingqiu.
He leaned in slightly and whispered, “Qingqiu, don’t misunderstand. My mom is usually quite reserved. It’s just that you’re so beautiful, she got a little carried away.”
Was that a roundabout compliment?
Leng Qingqiu’s lips curled into a faint smile as she tilted her head slightly toward Gu Yan and whispered back, “It’s fine. I actually like this feeling.”
Because she had lowered her voice and leaned closer, Gu Yan could feel a warm breath brush against his cheek.
It tickled, making his heart race.
He whispered back, “I like talking to you like this too. It feels... exciting.”
“?”
“Just shut up.”
For some reason, even though it was a normal word, coming from Gu Yan’s mouth, it always carried a strange undertone.
To avoid any misunderstandings, Leng Qingqiu quickly ended the conversation.
The atmosphere at the table was warm and harmonious.
It felt as though they had been a family for years.
“Here, Qingqiu, try this dish. It’s my favorite.”
“And this soup, I’ve been simmering it for hours.”
“Ling'er, eat more. Look at how pale your hair is.”
“Uh... thank you, Auntie Su.”
“Call me sister.”
“Okay... Sister Su...”
Time passed slowly.
Leng Qingqiu, having been fed to the point of discomfort, tugged at Gu Yan’s sleeve under the table, silently pleading for mercy.
Gu Yan cleared his throat and said, “Mom, we’re almost done eating. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve invited Qingqiu to stay with us tonight. Since tomorrow’s the weekend, I’ll take them out and then bring them back to the Leng Family.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Su Murong’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Gu Yan, then at Gu Tianming, who was equally taken aback.
Has our son’s relationship with Qingqiu progressed this quickly?!
She immediately beamed with joy. “Of course! Absolutely! Gu Yan’s bed is big enough for two!”
!!
Leng Qingqiu’s face turned red, and she lowered her head, pinching Gu Yan’s thigh under the table, urging him to say something.
Gu Yan hadn’t expected his mother’s train of thought to align so closely with Leng Ling'er’s. He coughed lightly and said, “No, Mom, it’s not like that. Anyway, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle everything.”
“Alright, alright. I know you’re grown up now. But this reminds me of your father! Back in the day, he didn’t know anything about this stuff either. I had to learn from the internet... Oh! Tianming, what are you doing? Mmmph!”
Su Murong’s words were veering into dangerous territory, and Gu Tianming, his face flushed, quickly covered her mouth and led her away from the table.
He turned back to Gu Yan and said sternly, “Gu Yan, don’t let Qingqiu down, understand?!”
“Got it, Dad.”
Gu Yan couldn’t help but feel that the two adults had misunderstood something.
But, no big deal!
With Su Murong and Gu Tianming gone, the atmosphere at the table became more relaxed.
At this point, Leng Qingqiu seemed to be struggling with something. She looked up, her face slightly red, and tugged at Gu Yan’s sleeve.
She looked uncomfortable.
“Qingqiu?”
Gu Yan was momentarily puzzled, but a quick glance told him everything. He gently placed his hand on her slightly bloated stomach and asked softly, “Did you eat too much? Feeling uncomfortable?”
“Mm...”
Leng Qingqiu nodded, her voice barely audible.
Gu Yan chuckled and shook his head, wrapping an arm around her and gently massaging her stomach. “You didn’t have to force yourself to eat so much. Here, let me help.”
With his expert massage skills, the effect was immediate.
Hearing Gu Yan’s words, Leng Qingqiu pursed her lips and naturally leaned against his shoulder.
She savored the warmth and tranquility of the moment.
It had been a long time since she had felt this way—this sense of... belonging.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her voice, still tinged with embarrassment from Su Murong’s earlier remarks, was soft. “Because... I really liked this feeling...”
“So... I didn’t want to ruin it...”
As soon as she said this, clang!
Leng Ling'er, who had been happily devouring her food, froze, her eyes wide as if she had just heard something shocking.
As for Gu Yan, he...
Fell even deeper in love with Leng Qingqiu. “Sssss!!!”
He sucked in a sharp breath, completely caught off guard by her reasoning.
This reason... this reason!
It was just too...!
“!!! Adorable!”
“Qingqiu, you’re so adorable like this!!!”
"Qingqiu! I love you so much! I love, love, love, love, love you!!! One 'love' isn't enough to express how much I love you! I need to use multiple 'loves'!!! (p≧w≦q)!!!"
"What... what are you saying... Don’t stop what you’re doing, okay...."
"Oh, oh!! Qingqiu, can I discuss something with you~? Can I........."
"No!"
Leng Qingqiu immediately cut off Gu Yan's perverted suggestion.
Hearing the dejected tone from the person beside her,
Leng Qingqiu smiled knowingly. Heh, is this what life will be like from now on...
A life like this... seems quite interesting.
Just as she was thinking this,
one second, two seconds, three seconds......
...Wait! Something’s wrong!
How can I start thinking about the future when my revenge isn’t complete yet!
Control yourself! Stay focused!!
Leng Qingqiu, you must keep yourself in check!!!
Using him, compensating him—it’s all because you’re using Gu Yan as your cultivation cauldron for revenge, that’s why you’re compensating him!
After all, once the revenge is over, there’s nothing else to do, right? That’s why you’re reluctantly staying with Gu Yan!
Ah, of course, being with Gu Yan now is also to further your revenge, since he has the bodily fluids you need to extract!!
Yes, yes, that’s right!! Leng Qingqiu, you must remember this clearly!
Leng Qingqiu realized that she now had to remind herself every so often, lest she truly forgot what her real goal was.
Witnessing all of this, Xiao Leng seemed to understand something.
【.............】
【Heh.....】
【I see... I think I understand what the cauldron is looking forward to......】
The time is ripe. Tonight, the results can be tested.