Really Autumn Then the Plan Changes

"Hey, hey, hey.

What's going on here?

There's no way the system's notification is wrong, right?"

"System, are you glitching?"

[Reporting to the host, this system does not make errors in judging pure love values!]

Hiss...

Hearing this, Gu Yan inwardly drew a sharp breath.

If the system was this confident...

Then that meant...

He raised his head and looked at Leng Bingning, Leng Qingqiu's elder sister, who had pulled him into her arms with one hand.

In other words...

This person... was actually...

Our Qingqiu?!

Hiss!!

For some reason, apart from growing even more nervous, Gu Yan also felt an inexplicable thrill of excitement.

It was like the giddy rush of coming home from a business trip to find the person he loved waiting in his rented apartment, surprising him with open arms.

But... what should he do now?

Gu Yan's mind raced.

The armored vehicle had been ambushed by the Demon Creatures he'd arranged—according to the script, he and Old Gao were supposed to take injuries and exit the scene here.

But!

Qingqiu was already here, and he...

Wanted to stay with her a little longer!

So!

After deliberating for a mere 0.00001 seconds, he reached a decision.

He would—immediately change the battle plan!

He—would not retreat just yet!

Sorry, Old Gao... I’m deviating from the script.

Back in reality—BOOM!!

With the driver injured, the vehicle quickly lost control, crashing into a thick tree and stalling.

"Waaah! We’re flipping over! Bai Jun, save me!"

Lin Yinyin threw herself into Bai Jun's arms, trembling in fear with her eyes shut tight.

"Professor, calm down! It's Demon Creatures—we’re under attack!"

Bai Jun sighed helplessly as he looked at Lin Yinyin, who had boldly vowed to protect everyone just minutes ago but was now cowering in his embrace.

Well, that was just her personality—powerful, yes, but easily frightened.

"Really? Just Demon Creatures?"

Lin Yinyin immediately lifted her head, an awkward smile flashing across her face as she straightened up. "Heh, just a little joke."

"Pathetic Demon Creatures? I could wipe them out with a flick of my finger!"

Bai Jun exhaled. "Let’s hope so..."

He turned his gaze to the window, but strangely...

The Demon Creatures seemed to have vanished after flipping their vehicle, attacking only the driver before retreating.

"Captain Bai, he's fine—just unconscious from inhaling miasma and a dose of toxin," Wang Yi called out after checking the driver’s condition.

Hearing this, Bai Jun nodded, then turned to Lin Yinyin. "Professor, scan the perimeter."

"On it!"

Lin Yinyin focused for a few seconds before frowning. "No Demon Creatures nearby."

"Even the big one from earlier is gone."

Gone...

Bai Jun narrowed his eyes. He trusted the professor’s sensory abilities completely.

If she said the coast was clear, then it must be safe.

After confirming everyone was mostly unharmed, he ordered, "Logistics team, stay in the vehicle and tend to the injured."

"Everyone else, grab your gear and follow me outside!"

"Professor, you stay here and guard the support team."

Then, his gaze landed on Gu Yan, who was in an awkward position. "Gu Yan... you..."

Still held in Leng Qingqiu’s embrace, Gu Yan coughed lightly. "It's nothing, just a crick in my neck."

After a pause, he slipped free and rotated his neck with a grin. "See? Good as new."

"Oh... Alright then."

A few minutes later—

CRACK!

The door swung open, and the group cautiously stepped out, weapons in hand.

Unlike the world they knew, this place was shrouded in a crimson mist.

The air was thick with dampness, and an eerie silence blanketed the surroundings—a calm that hid unpredictable danger.

"What’s going on? Are there really no Demon Creatures here?" Qin Rong muttered warily, scanning the area.

Nearby, Chu Ge, a man holding a detection device, nodded. "No readings on the scanner. The area's clean."

Despite the reassurance, Bai Jun remained vigilant. The sudden ambush and subsequent disappearance of the Demon Creatures was too suspicious. "Stay alert. Some Demon Creatures excel at masking their presence."

"We have too little intel on the Fifth Forbidden Zone. First, let’s confirm our coordinates."

"Understood, Captain."

Whether Bai Jun and the others were at ease, Gu Yan didn’t know.

But he certainly wasn’t.

According to his plan, hundreds of Demon Creatures should have swarmed them by now, scattering the group and forcing Old Gao to retreat after getting knocked unconscious.

That was how it was supposed to go...

So... what was happening?

[My King! Disaster—the forces we sent were annihilated in an instant by some unknown power!]

Listening to Lin’s panicked voice in his mind, Gu Yan had a guess.

Who here could wipe out so many Demon Creatures without a trace?

His eyes shifted to Leng Qingqiu.

Oh... My dear wife, you’re truly something...

The disappearance of the Demon Creatures was, of course, Leng Qingqiu’s doing.

To protect Gu Yan, she had to ensure no living threat remained within a hundred miles.

Moreover, how dare these lowly creatures attack him? As the Night King, she would not tolerate it.

Even if her current strength was limited, with her dagger [Night], her perception, and the Night King’s innate abilities—

In just 0.00001 seconds—

She had drained the life essence of every Demon Creature in the vicinity.

Sensing Gu Yan’s gaze, Leng Qingqiu smirked inwardly. Hmph!

Gu Yan, Gu Yan, no need to panic. I’ve cleared the area for you. Explore safely—I’ll make sure nothing harms you this time.

[Other me... You shouldn’t have done this...]

[The point of the cauldron plan is to temper him. You’re only hindering his growth.]

The ever-logical "Little Cold" immediately intervened in their shared mindscape.

This wasn’t part of the plan! With Leng Qingqiu being this blatantly overprotective, Gu Yan might have already figured out her identity.

After all...

Given his usual "I only love Qingqiu" act, who’s to say they didn’t share some kind of psychic connection?

They might immediately notice something off about Leng Qingqiu’s disguise as Leng Bingning.

That’s exactly why I’ve always been against it—against the other me constantly meeting with the furnace vessel under false identities.

This kind of recklessness will only backfire.