"No."
Gu Yan shook his head and explained, "I was laughing because you're so adorable. I never intended to get to know them anyway."
"Adorable... What nonsense are you talking about?"
Leng Qingqiu didn’t respond to his teasing.
Gu Yan picked up his chopsticks and tossed the card into the trash.
He took Leng Qingqiu’s hand, and under her slightly flustered expression, he poured out his feelings for her: "Qingqiu, my Qingqiu, my world is small, and having you is enough."
"Please believe me, okay? I will never leave you. I will only ever love you, forever and always."
As soon as these words were spoken...
"...!"
Thump! Thump!
Leng Qingqiu’s heart began to beat faster and faster.
She shyly lowered her head, a faint blush blooming on her cheeks.
Leng Qingqiu gently bit her lip, feeling a mix of shyness and confusion in her heart.
Even though she had heard Gu Yan say such things countless times, it still made her blush and her heart race every time.
How infuriating...
But she also noticed that Gu Yan seemed to be quite popular with other girls. Although she trusted that he wouldn’t be swayed by anyone else...
Still... she couldn’t help but think about it.
Perhaps it was because she didn’t want to lose the feeling of being with Gu Yan like this...
Or maybe...
It was simply because she didn’t want to lose anything else.
.....
.....
At the Leng Family.
After spending some more time with Leng Qingqiu, Gu Yan walked her home.
However, she seemed distracted the entire way, as if lost in thought.
"I’m heading off now, Qingqiu."
Gu Yan stood at the door, waving to her.
"Mm."
Leng Qingqiu looked up at the glowing life essence in front of her, feeling a little dazed.
She had been thinking a lot on the way home. Gu Yan liked her, so he expressed his feelings openly.
But she liked Gu Yan too, yet her own sense of reserve always made it hard for her to express herself.
If she kept holding back, she wasn’t sure if she and Gu Yan could stay this loving forever.
Sometimes she even had nightmares, dreaming of someone who looked just like her walking hand in hand with Gu Yan.
The two of them would go out at night, having fun... Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
So... how could she express her love for Gu Yan?
Gu Yan turned around, ready to leave. He had plans to make.
But then...
"Wait."
Leng Qingqiu suddenly called out, stopping him.
Gu Yan paused, then turned back.
He saw...
Leng Qingqiu slowly walking towards him, taking off her sunglasses to reveal a pair of dull yet captivating grayish-black eyes that, in Gu Yan’s eyes, were full of emotion and charm.
"You said you’d love me forever, right...?"
Her cool voice reached Gu Yan’s ears as she stepped closer, reaching out to grab his collar.
She pulled him down, their gazes locking.
The difference was, Gu Yan could see the faint blush on Leng Qingqiu’s face.
While Leng Qingqiu could only see the glowing life essence in Gu Yan’s eyes.
They were so close that Gu Yan could hear her heartbeat.
After a few seconds...
Leng Qingqiu softly spoke, her voice tinged with a shy, girlish tone: "Gu Yan."
"Forever is too far away..."
"I just want... you to be here every tomorrow..."
"By my side, staying with me. That’s all I need."
As she spoke, her tone grew more assertive, and she tugged gently on his collar: "But most importantly..."
"I want to say... you’re mine. No one can take you away."
"No one."
As her words fell...
"!!"
Gu Yan’s head tilted slightly, and his lips were met with Leng Qingqiu’s bold kiss.
Their lips pressed together, a sweet sensation flooding both their hearts.
As if unsatisfied with just that...
A strange feeling rose in Gu Yan’s heart. His eyes widened in surprise.
This was... a tongue...
So bold...
Gu Yan gradually responded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into an embrace.
[Kiss with pure love interest: +100,000 points~]
[Continuous interaction with pure love interest...]
Meanwhile, in Leng Qingqiu’s mind...
Little Leng was equally shocked, constantly reminding her:
[It’s increasing, so fast...]
[Other me, is this your full power?]
Though Little Leng was reluctant to admit it, she had to acknowledge that the other her was indeed skilled in the art of handling Gu Yan.
Every time, she brought a little surprise.
....
....
After what felt like an eternity...
Whoosh~!
Gu Yan drove off in his car.
As he drove, his expression became dreamy.
He licked his lips, savoring the memory of what had just happened.
Ah! Qingqiu! My Qingqiu!! I love you so much!
He trembled with excitement. If he weren’t driving, he might have been writhing on the ground in sheer happiness.
Bold Qingqiu, I love it!
With this excitement, it was time to dive into the next phase of his plan!
"Ancient Qi... hehe."
Gu Yan recalled the faces of the Azure Wave Sect members.
A faint smile curled on his lips.
There was no such thing as Ancient Qi. It was just a false rumor he had spread.
His goal was simple...
To dismantle the massive martial sects from within!
After all, not only were the sects divided, but even the disciples within the same sect weren’t truly united.
Gu Yan planned to exploit this, causing the martial sects—who had finally come together to oppose the Night King—to collapse from the inside.
The method was straightforward...
The Peach Blossom Society’s base was conveniently isolated by a hidden formation, making it the perfect spot to stage the opening of a mysterious [Ancient Ruins].
There, he would put on another performance of the night.
And this would be a crucial one.
First, he would let Claw Claw devour the souls of martial artists to grow stronger.
As Claw Claw grew stronger, so would he, and so would his subordinates.
This would allow him to act without restraint.
Second...
The deaths of a large number of martial artists, especially those at the Houtian, Xiantian, and even Grandmaster levels, would destabilize the martial world.
To fill the void, the martial departments would have to make compromises.
They would likely relax the difficulty and increase the number of recruits for next January’s martial artist enrollment.
This would make it easier for him to plant his own people.
Thinking of this, Gu Yan couldn’t help but let out a sinister chuckle.
As for the specifics, he would wait for the right moment.
At that moment...
Ding ling ling~
Gu Yan’s phone rang.
He answered, and from the other end came the voice of Old Gao, who had recovered from his injuries—
"Young Master, the list of attendees for the Gu Family annual meeting has been compiled."
Hearing this, Gu Yan’s lips curled into a smile.
"Good."
It was time to follow up on the matters regarding the Gu Family annual meeting.