The Nightmare-Tossed Cold Ling'er

Black Street.

This was a lawless zone within the Eastern Nation, rife with violent crime and chaos.

The time was already 2:30 AM.

The dim, flickering streetlights cast patchy shadows on the cracked pavement, occasionally interrupted by the roar of speeding motorcycles shattering the night's silence.

The graffiti-covered walls at the street corner seemed like screams in the darkness, narrating the desolation and disorder of Black Street.

The air was thick with the stench of alcohol and tobacco, mixed with the faint, unsettling scent of narcotics. Beneath the neon lights, shadowy figures lurked, each seemingly concealing their own secrets.

Inside a dimly lit alleyway.

BANG!!

BANG!!

BANG!!

THUD!!

A boy, no older than 12 or 13, stomped his foot on the head of a grown man who had already been knocked unconscious.

In front of him, he held up another man—a hulking brute whose size far surpassed his own—by the collar.

One brutal punch after another left the man's face unrecognizable.

BANG!

With a dismissive flick, he tossed the group of perverts who had been drawn to him onto the ground like trash.

Splatters of blood stained his face, yet he simply closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly upward.

Under the moonlight, it was clear—the boy wore an expression of pure satisfaction.

"Ha......"

"That felt good."

After a long pause, he let out a soft chuckle.

He pulled out a pair of black-framed glasses from his pocket and put them on.

In an instant, his previously violent demeanor vanished, replaced by a gentle, unassuming aura.

"Young Master, it's time to return."

"The Leng Family's annual gathering is soon, and there are still many preparations to be made early this morning."

At that moment,

A nervous voice called out from the corner of the alley.

The boy was named Gu Linyi, younger brother to Gu Yan. Compared to Gu Yan’s sisters,

He was considered the least remarkable in the family.

Yet... he was the one who knew best how to please the Old Madam and Old Master Gu.

Following the voice, Gu Linyi glanced over. When he saw his bodyguard, Qiu Feng, cowering fearfully beside a trash can,

He adjusted his glasses and mused, "The annual gathering... I wonder how my dear brother will fare this year."

"If I recall correctly..."

As if struck by a thought,

Gu Linyi covered his mouth and let out a stifled laugh.

His voice dripped with mockery as he sneered, "This is his last chance, isn’t it?"

"Pfft—hahaha... How laughable. What makes a loser like him think he can compete with my other brothers and sisters for the position of family head?"

"Didn’t I hear he couldn’t even win over a woman?"

The bodyguard, Qiu Feng, was a woman in her thirties. She scrambled to her feet.

She was long accustomed to the young master’s dual personalities.

Hesitating for a moment, she forced a smile and replied, "Yes, this year is Gu Yan’s final opportunity. Barring any surprises, he’ll likely be stripped of his heir status."

"However... Rumor has it that Gu Yan and Shen Wan'er have already fallen out."

At this,

"Oh?"

"Wasn’t he the type to swear he’d marry no one but Shen Wan'er?"

Gu Linyi arched a brow in mild surprise. He crossed his arms, his voice rising slightly as the heel of his boot unconsciously twisted against the head of one of the Black Street thugs.

"Yes, but apparently, Gu Yan has found his true love now."

Qiu Feng’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, "According to my fellow bodyguard in Jianghai, Gu Yan’s true love is none other than the Leng Family’s eldest daughter, Leng Qingqiu!"

"They moved frighteningly fast—confirmed their relationship in a flash! And at a banquet, Gu Yan even beat up several prominent figures from Jianghai’s elite families just to defend her!"

"Rumor has it they’ve even been together long enough to have a child already!"

"Ah... When will I ever find true love like that?"

Hearing this, Gu Linyi’s smirk faded slightly.

His expression turned blank as he stared at Qiu Feng, who was still lost in her romantic fantasies. "Let’s go."

"Huh? Oh—right!"

Qiu Feng quickly pressed her hand against the alley wall.

The next second—

BANG!

A wooden door materialized out of thin air.

Without hesitation, she pushed it open, revealing a bedroom on the other side.

Gu Linyi stepped through without another word.

"What’s gotten into the young master?"

Qiu Feng frowned in confusion but followed anyway.

Well, his mood swings were nothing new. She was used to it by now.

Still, the annual gathering... Just thinking about it made her nervous.

But the young master would be fine. After all, he was the favorite.

......

......

3:00 AM.

On the couch.

The TV played softly in the background.

Leng Ling'er nibbled on a cream puff, her eyes glued to the melodramatic romance drama unfolding on screen.

Gu Yan, seated on the adjacent sofa, stifled a yawn and asked, "Hey, Ling'er, how did you explain to Qingqiu that you were able to come out?"

"What was her reaction?"

Leng Ling'er finished her sweet treat before replying, eyes still fixed on the TV, "Big reaction. Thought I’d done something to you."

"Oh."

Gu Yan grinned. That sounded exactly like the Qingqiu he knew.

Hearing his chuckle, Leng Ling'er shot him a glance before adding, "Then I told her you didn’t realize it wasn’t her anymore, so you kissed me again."

"That’s why she’ll tell you she has a second personality later. It all stems from that."

".........?!?"

Gu Yan’s smile froze.

Huh?!

But almost immediately,

Leng Ling'er turned her head, a faint smirk playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Just kidding."

"......"

"You little..."

Gu Yan’s eye twitched. He didn’t even know what to say anymore.

This personality...

Was downright malicious!

"Don’t worry, though."

"The other me used the Night King’s power to reinforce my barriers."

"She thinks I can’t come out anymore."

Leng Ling'er turned back to the TV, her tone casual.

Hearing this, Gu Yan exhaled in relief.

Leng Ling'er might have a nasty personality, but she was reliable when it came to getting things done.

Though...

If she could still appear now, didn’t that mean Qingqiu’s methods were useless against her?

"Alright, you’ve got this, Cold Sis."

"Keep watching. I’m gonna take a quick nap—wake me when you’re done."

Gu Yan closed his eyes, exhaustion weighing him down.

So tired... I feel so weak...

That same drained feeling from the first time he met Leng Ling'er was back.

Leng Ling'er gave an absentminded nod, already engrossed in the drama again.

Time passed silently.

Before long,

Leng Ling'er finished the last of her cream puffs. When she reached for another,

She realized the plate was empty.

Her brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out. "Puppet, I’m done."

"Pup—"

She turned, only to find Gu Yan sprawled on the sofa, fast asleep.

Her expression softened.

"Asleep, huh..."

"But it's true."

Leng Qingqiu murmured to herself, after all, she had secretly been absorbing Gu Yan's essence again.

With that thought, she turned off the TV and stood up.

Slowly, she walked over to Gu Yan's side.

Under the moonlight, she could clearly see the faint exhaustion on his face.

A furnace... he had put in so much effort for the sake of another version of herself.

Bearing too much alone would eventually become unbearable.

But none of that was her concern. If this was the path the furnace had chosen...

Then... as long as he didn't regret it in the end, that was enough.

Leng Qingqiu reached out and gently caressed Gu Yan's face.

As she gazed at him, strange memories she couldn't explain resurfaced in her mind.

"The first time... I killed the furnace..."

"The second time... the furnace turned into a monster..."

"What are these bizarre memories?"

She whispered, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Was there some connection here?

Did it involve her? Or... the other version of herself?

She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts.

After quietly watching Gu Yan for a few more seconds,

a sudden idea struck her.

A faint smirk curled her lips as her suggestive voice drifted softly through the living room:

"Other me... this time, you’d better thank me properly."

In Leng Ling'er's room.

Leng Ling'er tossed and turned, her expression twisted as if trapped in a nightmare.

"Brother-in-law... and that other sister did what you never did..."

"I... I definitely wasn’t involved..."