The time had come to four o'clock.
At the entrance of the Leng Family.
"Ah... I can't go on anymore, I'm going to pass out," Gu Yan complained, utterly exhausted.
Xiao Leng sat beside him, watching him with amusement. "How are you going to protect me like this?"
"It's Qingqiu I'm protecting, you're just a bonus!" Gu Yan immediately retorted.
"Heh, I've told you many times, Qingqiu is me, and I am Qingqiu."
"Forget it... come here for a second."
Xiao Leng shook her head, then reached out her hand toward Gu Yan, leaning slightly closer.
"Come here... what do you mean?"
Gu Yan was puzzled, but when he turned his head, he froze.
In that moment, Xiao Leng gently cupped his cheek with her hand.
Their gazes locked, each reflecting the other's image.
Xiao Leng's eyes were like the brightest stars in the night sky, shimmering faintly, deep and alluring.
Is this... Qingqiu's true eyes?
All sounds seemed to vanish.
One second, two seconds, three seconds—time seemed to stand still.
The space inside the car was filled only with the sound of their breathing, each breath echoing faintly in the confined space.
They stayed like this for a full minute.
Just as Gu Yan was about to regain his composure and say something, Xiao Leng let go of him.
"Alright."
"Today, like the other me, I had a lot of fun, my furnace."
With that, Xiao Leng pushed the car door open and stepped out.
Gu Yan was still confused by her actions. "Tsk, stop calling me a furnace, and don't come looking for me so often."
Xiao Leng smiled without saying a word. She didn't leave immediately.
Instead, she simply stood there, hands behind her back, her lips curling into a smirk as she looked at Gu Yan.
"Do you know what we just did?"
"Huh?"
"What did we do?" Gu Yan was completely baffled.
"We kissed~"
Gu Yan choked on his breath. "Kissed? Who kissed you? Xiao Leng, stop talking nonsense!"
What on earth was she talking about? How did a kiss come into this?
"Didn't we?"
Xiao Leng narrowed her eyes slightly, observing Gu Yan's reaction. She slowly pointed to her own eyes and smiled.
"Eye contact is a kiss without desire, a spiritual connection between humans."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yan's heart skipped a beat.
What kind of nonsense is this?!
He glared at Xiao Leng and said irritably, "Sorry, but when I look into your eyes, all I see is a pie chart—30% exasperation, 30% sarcasm, 30% indifference, and 10% 'what else can I do with you like this?'"
"I'm going to sleep, goodbye!"
Gu Yan rolled up the car window, stepped on the gas, and sped away.
Seriously, what kind of lines has Xiao Leng been learning?
Couldn't she at least learn from him before trying to flirt?
Gu Yan thought that if Xiao Leng had used Qingqiu's tone to say something like... "Your cold has arrived," he might have actually felt something!
Couldn't she at least learn some proper flirting lines before showing off?
Watching Gu Yan drive away, Xiao Leng felt a pang of doubt about her efforts for the first time.
Huh?
That shouldn't be...
He didn't react at all?
Xiao Leng was unwilling to accept this. She thought back to how she had been during the day.
Back then, she didn't have to do anything—just standing there was enough to make Gu Yan willingly do everything for her.
Could it be... that I really don't know how to control my furnace?
The image of her other self, triumphant and domineering, flashed in her mind.
Xiao Leng shook her head.
No, I refuse to believe I'm inferior to her in this regard.
She took a deep breath.
But there was something else that puzzled her...
She tapped her temple, her gaze lingering on the distant figure of Gu Yan, who had already disappeared.
Her eyes took on a strange gleam.
What was this sudden memory that had appeared in her mind?
That final scene...
Did I... kill my furnace?
But why does it feel so sad?
Is it the emotions of my other self?
As Xiao Leng pondered, her brows suddenly furrowed.
Tsk...
I'm about to wake up...
If I keep the furnace here any longer, it'll be exposed.
With that thought, Xiao Leng composed herself and walked into the room with an emotionless expression.
Until next time, my furnace.
......
......
The next day.
At the Gu Family.
Mei Xue could no longer wait. She had been holding back for too long.
She had been thinking that Gu Yan might not have had the chance to tell her about her brother because of his injuries.
But!
She couldn't hold back any longer.
Five tasks! She had completed five tasks for Gu Yan!
Some of these tasks even involved deceiving her own master!!
This was practically a betrayal of her master, and Mei Xue had been burdened with a heavy sense of guilt throughout.
But!
All of this would come to an end today!
Her deal with Gu Yan would also conclude today!
And then...
She would reveal everything Gu Yan had done behind the scenes to her master!!
Whoosh!
With a ripple of shadows, Mei Xue's figure slowly materialized in Gu Yan's room.
She had already sensed it.
The powerful figures who usually guarded Gu Yan were not in the house.
Gu Yan's parents had also gone out.
What struck her as odd was that there wasn't even a single martial artist guarding Gu Yan, who was supposedly injured.
It was as if...
As if Gu Yan hadn't been injured at all. Had he fallen out of favor?
Mei Xue was well aware of the dramatic twists and turns that could happen in wealthy families.
No... never mind that.
She scanned the room, her eyes immediately locking onto the bed.
But...
"Huh? Where is he?"
Mei Xue was puzzled. Where had Gu Yan gone?
She distinctly remembered that Gu Yan had been wrapped up like a mummy here.
To prepare for this, she had even personally escorted Gu Yan back.
She had only left after the doctor had issued a diagnosis.
So where was he now?
Just then.
Click~
The door slowly creaked open.
Mei Xue's heart skipped a beat, and she was about to leave when—
"Don't be so jumpy, Miss Mei."
"It's me."
A familiar voice made her pause.
The next moment.
Gu Yan, wearing a bathrobe, walked in yawning.
He was holding a cup of coffee, casually closing the bedroom door behind him as he sipped and glanced at Mei Xue.
"What brings you here?"
Mei Xue frowned as she looked at Gu Yan. "You're not injured?"
"Of course not. How could I be injured and still spend time with our Qingqiu?"
Gu Yan sat down on a single-seater sofa, his eyes scanning Mei Xue with interest.
Then he pointed to another sofa and said, "Mei Xue, have a seat."
"Enough with the pleasantries," Mei Xue said, cutting straight to the point. "What about what you promised me?"
"What I promised you..."
Gu Yan's expression turned contemplative, as if he was struggling to recall something from the distant past.
Seeing this, Mei Xue's eyes flashed with anger. She asked in a low voice, "The news about my brother!"
"Didn't you promise to tell me about my brother after I completed five tasks for you?!"
At this, Gu Yan suddenly seemed to remember. "Oh, your brother! You should've said so earlier!"
"Miss Mei, you've worked so hard for me, so of course I'll fulfill my promise to you..."
Mei Xue felt a bit relieved, thinking Gu Yan wasn't going to back out.
But the next second, Gu Yan's words made her heart race again.
Gu Yan took a sip of coffee and looked at Mei Xue with a hint of confusion.
"But... didn't you see your brother?"
"Wasn't he at the hospital?"
!!
"What do you mean? Explain yourself!" Mei Xue pressed urgently.
"Remember when I asked you to save everyone that night?"
"Yes! I saved everyone! Are you saying my brother was among the injured?!"
Mei Xue's eyes lit up with hope.
Her brother... at the hospital...
But... wait!
Mei Xue's excitement slowly faded.
Aside from members of the Night Organization like Murong Ci, the only other injured were Liu Jianxing and Bai Jun. But their ages were way off compared to her brother!
"How should I know? Did you save everyone?"
"Of course I did! Who is it? Tell me!"
Mei Xue was growing impatient.
Seeing this, Gu Yan decided not to drag it out any longer.
He smiled faintly.
The atmosphere in the room began to shift, growing eerier as Gu Yan's demeanor changed.
"Oh... really?"
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
His gaze suddenly turned playful as he looked at Mei Xue, finally revealing his true intentions: "Including... the successor of the Black Tortoise Gate, did you save them too?"
As soon as these words were spoken.
Boom!!!
It was like a thunderbolt striking Mei Xue's mind. She...
Instantly realized what was happening.
"Ah..."
Mei Xue froze in place.