At midnight.
Gu Yan was jolted awake by a faint rustling sound.
Half-asleep, he opened his eyes.
"…What was that?"
He sat up with a dull ache in his head. The sound was soft, repetitive—
Like pages being flipped.
…Wait.
Gu Yan's drowsiness vanished instantly. His eyes widened.
No way.
Could it be Qingqiu?
He grabbed his phone and checked the time.
2:10 a.m.
…She's still awake at this hour?
Moving quietly, Gu Yan slipped out of bed. As he opened the door, a faint strip of light leaked from beneath the study door across the hall.
He sighed softly.
Qingqiu was really pushing herself too hard.
He knew revenge was the only thing keeping her moving, that she didn't want to waste a single moment.
But at this rate… her body would collapse long before she reached her goal.
Besides, he had already decided—whether it was written in the original story or not—he would help Leng Qingqiu uncover the truth of what happened back then.
So, to stop his wife from breaking down first, Gu Yan quietly went downstairs.
---
Ten minutes later.
In the study.
A book lay open on Leng Qingqiu's desk, black smoke slowly seeping out from its pages.
Her eyes were open—within them, strange runes glowed faintly, etched deep into her pupils.
She flipped the pages with slender fingers.
Each turn released another wisp of black smoke, which flowed straight into her eyes.
Buzz—buzz—
Suddenly, the book trembled.
Leng Qingqiu's expression changed. She closed her eyes and, in a flash, swapped the book for an ordinary one on the desk.
Swish.
The black book vanished without a trace.
Then—
Click.
The study door creaked open.
Gu Yan leaned against the doorframe and walked in.
"Qingqiu, why are you still awake?"
His helpless voice reached her ears.
Hearing him, Leng Qingqiu finally relaxed. She replied calmly,
"I don't feel like sleeping."
"That's nonsense. You're exhausted."
Gu Yan set something down on the desk and looked at her with clear concern.
"Look at those dark circles. You look like you've been smoked."
Leng Qingqiu fell silent.
…How was she supposed to tell him she'd been cultivating an evil forbidden scripture?
Even if she did, he wouldn't understand. He was just an ordinary man—he knew nothing about the martial world.
"So," she changed the subject, "you didn't sleep either?"
"And…" she sniffed lightly, "…what did you make?"
There was a faint sweetness in the air.
Gu Yan pulled over a chair and sat beside her. He picked up a bowl, scooped a spoonful, and smiled.
"Brown sugar ginger water."
"It's been getting colder lately. And at this hour, yin energy is strongest. You'll catch a cold if you're not careful."
"Come. I'll feed you."
Leng Qingqiu almost laughed.
Since cultivating that book, she hadn't feared cold for a long time. In fact, her body temperature was already far from normal.
She shook her head indifferently. "No. I'm not cold."
Gu Yan put the spoon down and took her hand.
The icy chill in her palm made his heart tighten.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Your hands are freezing."
He immediately took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Leng Qingqiu made a show of resisting, but the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Warmth spread quietly through her chest.
She hadn't expected him to wake up in the middle of the night just to make this for her.
He must be exhausted himself.
"…Go to sleep," she said softly. "I'm really not cold anymore."
"Nope."
Gu Yan shook his head firmly.
"I'll leave after you finish drinking."
"Girls shouldn't catch colds."
"And you barely ate dinner."
He scooped another spoonful and brought it to her lips.
Leng Qingqiu snorted lightly.
"If it doesn't taste good, take it away and go back to sleep."
Gu Yan's eyes lit up.
"Deal."
She sipped, frowning slightly as if evaluating the taste.
He leaned closer, hopeful.
"How is it?"
"…Mm."
Leng Qingqiu replied flatly.
"Too much sugar. And the heat was too high."
"It's… average."
Gu Yan froze.
…Impossible!
My cooking skills are god-tier!
[Pure Love Partner feels happy and delicious. Points +1]
Gu Yan blinked.
Oh.
So that's how it is.
Playing the tsundere card again, huh?
Fine. Very fine.
Leng Qingqiu noticed he'd gone quiet and assumed she'd stunned him.
She felt secretly pleased.
Serves you right for doubting my taste.
Just as she was about to say she was joking—
"Gu—"
"?? Huh?? That can't be right!"
Gu Yan suddenly shouted dramatically.
"Let me taste it myself—using this spoon!"
Now it was Leng Qingqiu's turn to freeze.
"…Wait. Wait!"
She jumped up and reached out to stop him.
Her face flushed red instantly.
That spoon—
She had just used it.
But her hand grasped nothing.
Behind her came a sound.
Slurp—slurp.
"…Sweet, smooth… and there's even a hint of a mysterious sweetness on the spoon."
"Perfect with my brown sugar ginger water!"
Gu Yan put the spoon down, savoring the aftertaste, then looked at her dazed expression.
"Qingqiu, tell me—how could something this good be called bad?"
"…You."
Leng Qingqiu turned around slowly, her voice strained.
"…You really used the spoon I drank from?"
Gu Yan glanced at the spoon, then smiled brightly.
"Yeah."
"And you even licked it clean."
"Thanks for the treat."
—
Ahhhhh!!!
Leng Qingqiu's mind exploded.
Shame surged up like a tidal wave.
She had never imagined such a shameless person could exist.
"You! You—!"
She grabbed the crutch beside her and swung it furiously, her face burning red.
"You saliva-eating perverted freak!"
"Die! Pervert! Die!"
Years of cultivated calm shattered completely.
"Hiss—wait! Qingqiu! Are you serious?!"
Smack!
"Nonsense! I refuse to speak to a disgusting pervert like you!"
"Go to hell!"
"Ah! Murdering your husband?!"
"You—what husband?! Stop shouting! You'll wake Ling'er!"
—
In the other room.
Leng Ling'er lay on her bed in pajamas, dark circles under her eyes, staring at the ceiling.
She felt like crying.
…No.
I was woken up a long time ago.
Do you two really have to play this intensely in the middle of the night?