Xiao Leng: Gu Yan, do you like music

In the end, Leng Qingqiu never found out what Gu Yan had gone to do.

Perhaps she forgot, or perhaps she simply didn’t want to ask anymore.

The night was quiet.

Gu Yan slept peacefully on the soft double bed.

Of course, there was no one else beside him.

Leng Qingqiu had chosen to sleep in another room with Leng Ling'er.

Why was his mind racing with so many thoughts?

Because he couldn’t sleep.

He didn’t know if it was some kind of premonition keeping him awake.

Then—

Tap... tap...

A faint sound of footsteps slowly reached Gu Yan’s ears.

His brow furrowed slightly.

Hmm...

The rhythm of those footsteps...

It sounded like bare feet padding across the floor...

The footsteps grew closer, stopping only when they reached his bedside.

Then—

Swish!

A soft, prickly sensation brushed against Gu Yan’s face.

That familiar scent... that feeling...

Gu Yan opened his eyes.

In an instant, a breathtakingly beautiful face filled his vision.

Seeing this, Gu Yan sighed, a mix of resignation and realization in his gaze as he looked up at the figure leaning over him, long hair cascading onto his face—

"Xiao Leng, I knew it was you."

Gu Yan studied Xiao Leng, whose expression remained as impassive as ever.

The only difference was that she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her body slightly bent as she leaned down, as if carefully admiring Gu Yan’s sleeping face.

Xiao Leng, noticing Gu Yan’s unsurprised reaction, asked, "You knew I was coming."

"No, but I had a feeling you would."

Gu Yan paused, locking eyes with her. "Anyway, could you get off me first?"

After a tense silence that lasted over ten seconds, Xiao Leng slowly straightened up and sat calmly on the bed.

Gu Yan propped himself up against the headboard.

Xiao Leng cut straight to the point. "When are you planning to act?"

"Act," of course, referred to Gu Yan’s plan to seize the Dagger of Night.

"After the annual gathering."

"That’s in two days. Do you have a specific time?"

Ugh... Why does this feel like reporting to a superior?

Gu Yan thought for a moment before confirming again, "The Power of Night has weakened significantly, but it’s not completely gone yet."

"You’re Leng Qingqiu’s second personality. Can you sense how long it’ll take for the Power of Night to completely fade from her?"

Xiao Leng gave him a measured look. "You’re being cautious."

After a brief pause, she replied, "At most, half a month. If you don’t act by then..."

Her voice grew solemn as she fixed her gaze on Gu Yan. "The Night will choose a new Night King to replace Leng Qingqiu—and that new Night King will be me."

"The primary and secondary personalities will reverse."

Hearing this, Gu Yan’s expression hardened slightly.

Truthfully, he had already considered this possibility, which was why he felt the timeline was tight.

Hearing it from Xiao Leng only confirmed his suspicions.

It seemed... he had to act right after the annual gathering.

"Understood."

Gu Yan nodded, then gave Xiao Leng a puzzled look. "But why are you telling me this?"

"Wouldn’t reversing the personalities be a good thing for you?"

"......"

Xiao Leng fell silent for a moment before pressing a hand to her chest, murmuring in a rare display of confusion, "I don’t know."

"Just..."

She met Gu Yan’s eyes and said slowly, "I felt like I should tell you."

Gu Yan averted his gaze. "......"

He cleared his throat. "You called me by my name."

"Yes. So what?"

"So what..."

Gu Yan didn’t respond.

For a moment, the two lapsed into a strangely comfortable silence.

Hiss...

This was awkward. He didn’t know what to say.

Xiao Leng was a peculiar presence in Gu Yan’s life. She was Leng Qingqiu’s second personality, yet he had shared so much with her—even conspired with her.

It was complicated.

But the real reason Gu Yan felt so restrained around her...

Was because of those memory bubbles.

The fragments of different memories had given him some unsettling thoughts.

Why did these memory bubbles appear every time his bond with Xiao Leng deepened?

Once could be dismissed as coincidence, but twice, three times...

Did that mean...

These memories might, in some way, be connected to Xiao Leng?

He didn’t dare dwell on it. The truth might be something he couldn’t bear to face.

Hmm... Why wasn’t Xiao Leng leaving?

She usually vanished by now.

Gu Yan looked up to find Xiao Leng still watching him, which prompted him to ask, "Is there something else?"

Xiao Leng continued staring at him, her tone indifferent. "Can’t I stay if there’s nothing else?"

"I mean... you can..."

"Then it’s settled."

End of discussion.

Gu Yan didn’t want to dig deeper into the mystery of the memory bubbles, yet ignoring them felt like inviting disaster.

It was a dilemma.

New memory bubbles appeared when his bond with Xiao Leng strengthened, but pursuing that path filled him with guilt.

Even though he hadn’t done anything improper with her—and he didn’t even understand how their bond kept deepening on its own.

"Gu Yan."

Xiao Leng’s voice abruptly cut through his thoughts.

"Do you... like music?"

Gu Yan’s heart lurched violently.

But he forced a puzzled expression, blinking at her in confusion. "Huh?"

Xiao Leng studied his eyes intently.

After a long pause—

"Never mind."

She stood and walked toward a swirling black void that had appeared before her.

Just before stepping into it, she glanced back and said, "Don’t forget the plan."

Hum!

She vanished.

And Gu Yan’s expression... turned grave.

Music...

Wasn’t that what his last memory fragment was about? Forming a band?

And that flicker of emotion in Xiao Leng’s eyes when she asked...

Was it an act?

Or... genuine?

A headache pulsed behind Gu Yan’s temples.

His gaze darkened with complexity.

No way... Does Xiao Leng know about these memories too?

Are they connected to her?

But then how do I explain the first two memories?

Different worlds?

Parallel universes?

Or... am I being reborn over and over? Resetting? But why does the world change each time?

What... is the truth?