The Gu Household.
Gu Yan's mind hadn't even begun to process what was happening.
Leng Qingqiu's complicated voice came through once more: "Gu Yan... truthfully, I don’t even know when my second personality might emerge."
"That time in the forbidden zone, and perhaps every time you saw me afterward—it might have been my second personality acting."
"My second personality and I don’t share memories, so I have no idea what she’s done."
Leng Qingqiu's grip on her phone tightened slightly.
Her expression was troubled.
In fact, she hadn’t even told her younger sister, Leng Ling'er, about Xiao Leng.
Because she knew—her second personality was dangerous.
So she had done everything she could to suppress it, ensuring it wouldn’t surface.
But...
the very thing she feared had still happened.
The second personality had emerged in the forbidden zone.
And... it had been in Gu Yan’s presence.
She was terrified, because Xiao Leng was a dark, twisted, and ruthless alter ego that would resort to any means.
Xiao Leng: ["......"]
That was why she feared Xiao Leng might harm Gu Yan.
After all, Xiao Leng had always referred to Gu Yan as a "cultivation furnace"—from the very beginning, she hadn’t seen him as a person.
Leng Qingqiu took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly: "Gu Yan... I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner."
"I was afraid that if you knew about my second personality, you’d see me differently."
"And I was afraid you’d be in danger, because... I can’t control her."
"She’s a negative personality born from the trauma of that incident years ago."
"Gu Yan... I’m sorry for hiding this until now."
Her words were filled with sincerity and vulnerability.
She had told Gu Yan everything she could.
But the truth about the Night King was far too dangerous—that was something she would take to her grave.
So how would Gu Yan react?
After speaking, Leng Qingqiu’s heart pounded violently. She held her breath, consumed by nervousness and dread.
What would Gu Yan think of her now?
She had also realized that she was becoming more and more like a weak person who desperately needed to rely on someone else.
From the composed and detached person she once was, she had gradually turned into someone who couldn’t bear the thought of Gu Yan leaving her.
She knew this wasn’t right.
Because she was the Night King—even if she was in a relationship with Gu Yan, she should have maintained her independence.
But...
She couldn’t help it.
In all these years, the only sense of security she had ever felt came from Gu Yan.
The only warmth she had ever known came from Gu Yan.
In the darkness of these past five years, the only radiant light had been Gu Yan.
She... truly didn’t want him to leave her.
So, Leng Qingqiu was willing to lay bare her soul to him.
Except... for the Night King.
Time passed, second by second.
On the other end, Gu Yan stood frozen in place.
Qingqiu...
Had I been trapped in the original story all along?
The Qingqiu from the original novel would never have spoken in such a nervous, insecure tone.
That’s right...
Only now did Gu Yan realize.
Qingqiu was Qingqiu, and Leng Qingqiu was Leng Qingqiu.
The two were different.
The Leng Qingqiu from the original novel no longer existed—the Qingqiu by his side now was the one he truly knew.
Gu Yan clutched his chest.
He closed his eyes, his expression pained.
His heart was filled with torment and guilt.
Qingqiu had told him everything about herself—except for the Night King.
Even Xiao Leng’s existence had been revealed to him.
That meant she saw him as the person she trusted most.
But... the more she trusted him, the more Gu Yan suffered.
Because...
He had already done many things he couldn’t tell her about.
To him, this was pure agony.
Leng Qingqiu saw him as her light, but...
Gu Yan...
What he had to do was...
Bring her into the sunlight!
So...
Forgive me, Qingqiu.
Gu Yan opened his eyes, his gaze complex.
He took a deep breath, slowly straightened up, and spoke gently: "Qingqiu, wait for me. Two minutes."
With that, Gu Yan hung up first.
On the other end, Leng Qingqiu was stunned.
She held her phone, suddenly at a loss.
Why had Gu Yan hung up?
Two minutes?
What was he planning to do?
Could it be...
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Could it be that what she had told him was too much for him to process?
Did he need time alone to think?
"Why...?"
Leng Qingqiu murmured to herself. Had she been too naive?
Had she assumed that because Gu Yan loved her so much, he would accept everything about her?
Even something as dangerous as a second personality?
She bit her lip.
Her hands clenched into fists.
The sounds around her faded, and her mind spiraled into chaos.
"In the end... am I still destined to be alone...?"
But then—
[Other Me, the furnace is here.]
Xiao Leng’s distinctive voice suddenly rang out.
Was it just her imagination, or did Xiao Leng sound...
A little conflicted this time?
The next moment.
A wave of warmth suddenly enveloped Leng Qingqiu’s head.
"Idiot."
Huh...?
That voice—
Leng Qingqiu blinked in surprise, raising her head and opening her eyes.
When she saw the familiar, radiant glow of life essence, her mind went blank.
The life essence continued scolding her: "Why are you apologizing?!"
"Everyone has secrets—one or two is normal!"
"And even if you had two or three personalities—"
"Qingqiu! I’d still love you the most!"
"You melodramatic ice queen!"
"Have some faith in my love for you!"
Before Leng Qingqiu could even process what was happening—
Gu Yan leaned in, tilting her chin up with his fingers.
Their lips met.
As the familiar sensation washed over her, Leng Qingqiu’s heart slowly settled.
A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
Damn it... why did she always end up looking so pathetic...
[Other Me, how embarrassing.]
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
