Dr. Leng, There's Something Wrong with My Tongue

In the original story, Gu Zihua and Xuehua were a pair of criminals who committed the heinous act of killing their own family under the guise of "justice."

As the most trusted maid of Grandmother Gu and Old Master Gu, Xuehua easily tampered with the elderly couple's meals.

In a single night, she poisoned the two most respected elders of the Gu Family.

This not only threw the Gu Family into chaos but also plunged the entire Jianghai into turmoil.

Power was redistributed, and the landscape shifted dramatically.

Forces that had been lurking in the shadows, suppressed by the authority of the Gu Family elders, emerged all at once.

Moreover, in the original story, the Gu Family was merely a villainous faction designed for the protagonist, Xiao Lin, to trample upon and humiliate.

Thus, it came as no surprise when, one night, the Gu Family was besieged and destroyed by Xiao Lin, leading a coalition of various families.

However, the ultimate victor was not the protagonist.

Instead, it was... Leng Qingqiu from the original story.

Behind the scenes, it was Leng Qingqiu who had provided Xuehua with the poison to kill Grandmother Gu and Old Master Gu.

By that point in the plot, the story had reached the arc where Leng Ling'er died, driving Leng Qingqiu to madness and corruption.

She would seize any force that could aid her revenge—and the Gu Family was no exception.

She recognized no kinship, viewing everything in the world as a tool for her use.

Cold and ruthless, she was even capable of sacrificing half a city just to delay the protagonist's group.

Devoid of emotion, she willingly transformed into a weapon of vengeance, determined to drag Xiao Lin—her sister's killer—into an abyss of despair.

She... was supposed to be like this.

Residential area of the manor.

Thud!

"Ouch..."

Leng Qingqiu cornered Gu Yan in a hallway.

She pinned his hands against the wall, overlapping them, like a thug threatening a helpless girl.

Then, with a cold glare, she demanded, "Where have you been?"

She couldn’t believe this infuriating man had been gone for so long—without a single word.

Gu Yan struggled but couldn’t break free.

Damn it! Why has my strength been reset again?!

What kind of absurd setting is this?!

He wanted to cry but had no tears. Instead, he hurriedly pleaded, "Ah—ow ow ow! Qingqiu, let’s talk this out. Can you let go first?"

"There’s a reason, I had something important to handle—"

"Important? What could be so important that you’d disappear for this long?"

Before he could finish, Leng Qingqiu cut him off.

With the enhancement of the Power of Night, even her seemingly lifeless gaze carried an inexplicable pressure.

"Super important!" Gu Yan blurted.

"Is that so?"

Leng Qingqiu observed the glow of his life essence—still radiant.

He wasn’t lying.

Only then did she loosen her grip slightly.

Gu Yan winced at his reddened wrists. Ouch...

Qingqiu’s grip was strong, but... heh, they felt warm. Did that mean her touch had imprinted her essence onto him?

"Why are you smiling? What were you doing?"

Leng Qingqiu realized she’d overreacted—her grip had probably hurt him.

But...

She couldn’t help it. Ever since Gu Yan disappeared, an inexplicable unease had settled over her.

This feeling had been haunting her lately.

As if...

If Gu Yan ever vanished from her perception, he might truly disappear.

Logically, it made no sense, yet the fear persisted.

She worried that her behavior might make Gu Yan think she was too controlling.

That wasn’t her intention—but she was terrified of losing him.

As Leng Qingqiu’s beloved, Gu Yan naturally sensed her turmoil.

Perhaps due to the Pure Love Cultivation Technique, he could empathize with her anxiety and fear.

He’d long been attuned to her emotional shifts.

Why Leng Qingqiu felt this way, Gu Yan didn’t know.

All he knew was what he had to do...

"Qingqiu, please... trust me."

Gu Yan pulled her into an embrace, soothing her. "Believe me, I won’t leave you."

"I’ll always stay by your side. No matter what happens, I won’t abandon you."

"I’ll always love you. You have to believe that."

The annual gathering was in two days.

After that, time would run out—and he’d have to make a choice.

He didn’t know the consequences, but he was certain: he had to act, without hesitation.

Gu Yan could still remember...

The first time he met Leng Qingqiu.

His Pure Love Cultivation Technique allowed him to sense the endless, nearly imperceptible [black mist] emanating from Leng Qingqiu.

That was the [Power of Night].

It ceaselessly corroded her mind.

And now...

Gu Yan gently stroked the back of Leng Qingqiu’s head as she rested against his chest.

The [black mist] clinging to her would have gone unnoticed if not for his careful perception.

Soon...

Once the Night Dagger reclaimed all the Power of Night from Leng Qingqiu’s body...

Then, he could finally act.

A flicker of complexity passed through Gu Yan’s eyes.

Leng Qingqiu, soothed by Gu Yan’s sincere words, felt her Life Source still glowing brightly, unchanged.

Her emotions gradually settled.

Gu Yan...

She realized she had been too sensitive, too irrational.

Why had she become so weak-willed?

Leng Qingqiu didn’t understand, nor could she. She reached out and touched Gu Yan’s hand.

Her voice tinged with guilt and concern, she murmured, "I’m sorry, Gu Yan. It must hurt terribly."

"It does hurt. So, Qingqiu, how will you make it up to me?"

Gu Yan smirked, teasing her deliberately.

Leng Qingqiu’s guilt deepened. After a moment of hesitation,

she resolved to reveal a glimpse of her true power. She took his hand and gently brought it closer.

Gu Yan blinked. "Qingqiu? What are you—?"

But she had already made up her mind, her voice trembling slightly. "Just... be quiet."

Then...

She slowly extended her delicate tongue, inching it toward the swollen bruise on his wrist...

!!

In an instant,

a cool, tingling sensation surged through Gu Yan’s entire body.

He stared, stunned, as Leng Qingqiu—like a kitten—tended to his wound with her "water therapy."

And then came an even greater shock.

Before his eyes, the swelling on his wrist vanished in the blink of an eye.

"It’s... healed?!"

Gu Yan flexed his hand, disbelief written across his face.

What kind of ability was this?!

Leng Qingqiu, having finished, wiped her lips with a finger and turned away, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

Her voice was soft with shyness. "Sorry... I probably scared you."

"Please don’t tell anyone. The truth is, the cultivation technique I practice allows me to heal minor ailments."

(Though in reality, she could cure any affliction.

For as long as something existed in this world, she could [see] its lifeline—and sever it, bringing about its end.

As her perception grew, so did the range of her severance.

Now, she could annihilate anything within a radius of hundreds of kilometers.)

Gu Yan was utterly dumbfounded—not just by her ability, but by Leng Qingqiu’s current state.

She seemed mortified by what she had done,

her face flushed a captivating shade of crimson, making Gu Yan swallow hard.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and whispered, "Qingqiu... actually, there’s another place that hurts."

"My tongue feels a bit off. Could Doctor Leng take a look?"

"Huh? Your tong—... Mmm?!"

Her words were abruptly cut off.