15: 15.
Broken Dreams and Banter defeat 15: 15.
Broken Dreams and Banter defeat The second day arrived, bringing a crisp, early morning chill.
Inside the central courtyard of the Gu Family Estate, Gu Yan came to a halt in front of a massive, ancient banyan tree.
He looked down at his own knuckles, then tilted his gaze back to the thick bark before him, his eyes gleaming with intense anticipation.
The most direct, foolproof method to test whether the [Cosmic Pure Love Art] actually worked was undoubtedly a classic physical trial.
After days of relentless, thick-skinned effort, he had finally accumulated enough favorability points to formally exchange for the manual from the System Mall.
Following last night’s successful transaction, he had immediately felt a subtle shift within his body.
When he woke up at dawn, his mind felt exceptionally sharp, and his skin possessed a healthy, clear radiance.
Yet, he still couldn’t quite pinpoint any dramatic changes in his raw strength.
Surely the magnificent effects of a cosmic-tier art couldn’t just be limited to basic physical fitness and skincare?
That would be a literal joke.
Armed with the firm, unshakeable belief that ‘this absolutely cannot just be a cardio routine,’ Gu Yan had marched out to the courtyard.
He placed his right palm flat against the tree trunk and closed his eyes.
According to the System guidelines, the Cosmic Pure Love Art operated automatically twenty-four hours a day.
As long as the practitioner actively performed authentic deeds of pure love, it would continuously stimulate and harvest Pure Love Energy, allowing his baseline to grow steadily stronger over time.
Furthermore, these deeds were entirely cumulative.
In other words, every single protective, affectionate act he had committed over the past two days had already been calculated, generating a wave of pur love energy that had quietly fortified his body.
So, logically speaking…
shattering a minor tree like this should be an walk in the park!
Whoosh~ A gentle morning breeze swept through the courtyard, causing the hem of his tailored shirt to flutter.
Gu Yan could feel a vibrant, warm force surging beneath his veins, enveloping his entire frame.
Here it comes!
This is it!
The true awakening of the Cosmic Pure Love Art!
Gu Yan’s heart pounded with excitement.
Sensing that a legendary breakthrough was about to manifest, he snapped his eyes open, exhaled a sharp breath, and slammed his palm forward against the trunk.
“Ha!” And then…
absolute silence.
Nothing happened.
The banyan tree remained completely unscathed, not even a single leaf drifting down from the canopy.
(?) Gu Yan slowly raised an imaginary question mark.
He frowned, staring blankly at the bark.
What’s going on?
How could a standard courtyard tree be this sturdy?
Slap!
Slap!
Refusing to accept the reality, he aggressively smacked the trunk with his bare palms a couple of times.
The result remained identical.
“How is this possible?” Gu Yan muttered, his face growing a bit stiff.
“Didn’t I literally just cultivate the Cosmic Pure Love Art?
Isn’t the cosmos supposed to be infinitely powerful?
Isn’t pure love supposed to conquer all?
Why is there zero physical reaction when you fuse the two variables together?” He was thoroughly bewildered.
Why did his destructive output feel utterly unchanged from his ordinary mortal days?
Right on cue, the System’s chime echoed directly in his brain.
[ Ding!
Hello, Host.
As the nomenclature explicitly implies, the Cosmic Pure Love Art is a sacred discipline that activates exclusively for deeds of pure love.
] [ The Host’s current behavior of aggressively assaulting an innocent courtyard tree does not satisfy the criteria for a pure love deed.
Consequently, zero combat output has been authorized for this action.
] (?) Doesn’t that mean it’s neither mine nor the technique’s problem, its actually your internal bais programming at fault.
Gu Yan thought, his mouth twitching.
“What kind of restricted martial art is this?!
Doesn’t this mean my beautiful dreams of flying through the clouds and shattering mountains are dead on arrival?” Gu Yan grumbled under his breath.
He had genuinely believed that with a cheat code in his possession, he had successfully stepped one foot into the realm of immortal cultivation.
He had envisioned himself as a legendary anomaly—while all the hidden martial artists of this urban world were busy learning ancient, terrestrial martial arts, he alone would be cultivating immortality.
But the System’s clinical clarification had brutally shattered his grand fantasy.
“Ah, whatever.
Let it be.” Gu Yan sighed, letting go of the grievance.
“As long as it grants me enough utility to protect Qingqiu when the danger hits, it’s more than enough.” He wasn’t genuinely devastated, but a sudden realization caused his train of thought to pause.
Wait a minute.
According to the original novel’s trajectory, Leng Qingqiu’s personal combat prowess would eventually stand at the absolute apex of the world.
Why would a future, world-shattering Truemaster ever require his protection?
On the contrary, his immediate priority was figuring out how to survive long enough before she fully unlocked her martial potential!
Gu Yan shook his head with a helpless laugh.
Damn, what a bizarre setup.
Am I on track to become the most physically restricted transmigrator in web-novel history?
To put it bluntly, isn’t this technique completely useless unless my fiancée is in direct peril?
What Gu Yan failed to notice, however—and what no human master in this reality could ever hope to perceive—was that his entire physical frame was currently bathed in a faint, swirling aura of soft pink light.
But since it was invisible to his own eyes, he remained blissfully ignorant of its latent protective properties.
Meanwhile, inside the main manor.
Gu Tianming and Su Murong were standing by the floor-to-ceiling dining room windows, staring out at their son punching a tree at the crack of dawn as if they had just witnessed a ghost.
The couple looked at each other in silent bewilderment.
“Honey…
has our son lost his mind?
Why is he slapping vegetation with his bare hands early in the morning?” “This…
could it perhaps be some trendy new high-society fitness method?” — The Leng Family Estate Over at the Leng household, Leng Ling’er was currently standing in front of the bathroom sink in her pajamas, drowsily brushing her teeth with glazed eyes.
Because her older sister had dragged her into the study for an emergency advanced mathematics tutoring session last night, she hadn’t managed to fall asleep until past 2:00 AM.
“Good morning, Ling’er.
Did you stay up late again?
You’re already a high school senior standing at a critical academic crossroads; you shouldn’t be pulling all-nighters reading trashy romance novels.” A casual, cheerful voice drifted past as a figure walked behind her, carrying a brown paper bag overflowing with fresh market vegetables.
“Oh, morning, brother-in-law…” Ling’er mumbled around her toothbrush, nodding reflexively.
Brush, brush, brush.
Suddenly, her movements froze solid.
The morning drowsiness evaporated from her brain within a millisecond as she hurriedly whipped her head around, barely catching the trailing edge of Gu Yan’s jacket as he turned the corner into the hallway.
“You!
You scoundrel Gu?!” Ling’er shouted in pure shock.
Wait, it’s not even 7:00 AM!
Why on earth is this guy in our house so early in the morning?!
Abandoning her oral hygiene routine, Ling’er bolted out of the bathroom and sprinted straight toward the kitchen.
The moment she crossed the threshold, she found Gu Yan already comfortably established at the main island counter, organizing ingredients.
“Hey!
Small fry Gu!
What do you think you’re doing?!” Ling’er demanded, marching closer with her hands on her hips.
Gu Yan was currently washing a set of preserved century eggs under the tap, glancing over at her with an amused expression.
The teenager was wearing a pair of loose, oversized pink bunny pajamas, her bright blonde hair forming a messy nest around her face, her brows knit into a fierce scowl.
She looked displeased by his presence.
This little brat…
she was eating my cooking like a starving feral animal last night, yet she acts like an guard dog the next morning, Gu Yan thought, his lips curling into a smirk.
Turning back to the cutting board, he answered smoothly, “I am preparing the morning breakfast We are having slow-cooked preserved egg and lean pork porridge today.” “Oh…
for a wealthy young master, you sure possess a surprising amount of domestic utility,” Ling’er noted, her nose involuntarily twitching.
Her eyes lit up with immediate, childlike hunger.
“Make sure to add extra lean meat to my portion.” Uh…
wait!
Focus!
She shook her head.
I am supposed to be drive him away to protect my sister!
“Understood, kid.
Now go finish brushing your teeth and wash your face properly.
You literally have toothpaste foam crusting around your mouth.
Try to maintain a little more elegance,” Gu Yan said, casually pulling a clean, damp paper towel from the dispenser and handing it across the counter.
Leng Ling’er stared blankly at the tissue floating in front of her face, then raised her eyes to lock onto Gu Yan’s calm, handsome expression.
A sudden wave of fluster washed over her, and she snatched the paper towel away, her cheeks flushing a vivid pink.
“Who!
Who are you calling a kid?!
I turned eighteen two months ago, you know!
I am a legally recognized adult citizen!” “Hmph!
Goodbye, small fry Gu!
Bleh!” She stuck her tongue out at him with childish defiance.
“I am going upstairs to report your unauthorized intrusion to my sister right now!” With that, she spun on her heel and scurried out of the kitchen.
“This kid…” Gu Yan shook his head with a helpless chuckle.
But right as his smile widened, a sudde burst of a specific scene tore through his consciousness.
A horrific, fragmented vision flashed across his mind with vivid clarity: [A slender, broken figure lay motionless within a widening pool of dark crimson blood on the cold pavement.
In the distance, a desperate woman with her eyes tightly bound in a white cloth ran forward in absolute, blind terror, her screams tearing through the air.] [“Sister…
use my heart’s blood…
to heal yourself…”] [“Actually…
I always knew…
My sacrifice…
could restore your eyesight…”] [“I’m so sorry…
I shouldn’t have provoked those bastards…
I’m so sorry…”] [“Ling’er!!!”] “….” Gu Yan’s playful gaze sharpened into a razor-like focus, his pupils contracting slightly.
He forced his hands to continue rinsing the preserved eggs under the running water, maintaining a calm, unbothered exterior as if nothing had happened.
But behind his eyes, that brutal, bloody scene kept looping with terrifying intensity.
This scene fragment…
it was an explicit excerpt from the side character epilogue concerning Leng Ling’er in the original web-novel script.
When he had casually read through those chapters in his past life, he hadn’t dedicated much thought to the paragraph.
But for some inexplicable reason, the exact moment his eyes had locked onto the living, breathing Leng Ling’er today, his mind had involuntarily flashed through that memory .
What is triggering this?
Is this a hidden premonition function inputted by the System?
If his memory served him correctly, that horrific scene was indeed the pre-destined canonical ending for Leng Ling’er.
Heart’s blood…
ocular restoration…
provoking those bastards…
Hiss!
Hold on a second!
Gu Yan drew in a sharp, icy breath as the narrative puzzle pieces instantly slammed into place.
He suddenly understood the precise psychological catalyst that would eventually cause Leng Qingqiu to completely break down and transform into the final, ruthless villainess of the entire story!
Everything made perfect sense now!
If that was the true trajectory of the script, then moving forward, he would have to keep a strict eye over this chaotic little sister-in-law.
Not for any self-serving points grind, but to completely rewrite and prevent this horrific tragedy from ever happening!
He was more than willing to let Leng Qingqiu maintain her status as the formidable, shadow antagonist, but he refused to let her climb to that throne by sacrificing the lives of her family!
‘No.
I will personally prevent this tragedy.’ A cold, unshakeable glimmer of determination hardened within Gu Yan’s eyes.
He quickly pulled up his System interface, reviewing his current pure love points.
His remaining balance was exactly thirteen Pure Love Points.
Thirteen points, huh…
Gu Yan pondered.
Even if he managed to hoard more points, the System’s puritanical code strictly barred him from cultivating any generic, miscellaneous martial arts techniques from other novels.
But that restriction didn’t mean he couldn’t acquire immediate, instinctual mastery over combat applications!
To ensure he possessed an immediate, overwhelming contingency measure against any sudden threat, he made his decision.
“System, to guarantee my sister-in-law’s safety and permanently prevent my Pure Love Spouse from experiencing a psychological collapse.
Dump all thirteen points exclusively into combat applications, martial arts techniques, and veteran tactical experience to maximize my immediate fighting capability!” [ Ding!
Actively liquidating your reserves to protect your sister-in-law and intercept a future psychological breakdown of your Pure Love Spouse?
This initiative perfectly satisfies the core condition of authentic Pure Love!
] [ The System is immensely pleased by the Host’s noble deed of love!
] [ Thirteen Pure Love Points deducted successfully!
Initiating immediate neural download…
Congratulations, Host!
You have successfully acquired [Divine-Tier CQC Combat Techniques] and [Divine-Tier Battlefield Tactical Experience]!
] Hearing the successful verification chime echo in his mind, a massive weight lifted from Gu Yan’s chest.
An immense, fluid wave of muscle memory, lethal reflex matrices, and situational awareness seamlessly fused into his nervous system.
With a greatmaster like Old Gao by his side, combined with his own newly unlocked divine-tier close-quarters combat capabilities, he finally possessed a solid array of trump cards.
He was fully prepared to handle any sudden, supernatural variables the original plot tried to throw his way.
“Excellent.
Now, let’s finish simmering this porridge.” — Minutes ticked by in quiet harmony.
Upstairs, inside the dimly lit second-floor sanctuary.
Leng Qingqiu was sitting at her desk, her slender fingers effortlessly tracing the Braille patterns of her books.
Suddenly, her hyper-refined acoustic senses caught a faint humming wafting up from the floorboards below.
A soft, beautifully rare smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
But almost instantly, she forced her features back into a neutral, calm expression.
— Leng Qingqiu turned her head toward the open study door and said flatly, “I don’t recall inviting you into my home.” Hearing her cold response, Gu Yan’s lips curled into a slight smile.
Somehow, listening to her dismissive tone didn’t make him feel discouraged in the slightest.
On the contrary, he found her prickly, guarded nature even more addictive.
Walking forward, he gently crouched down beside her chair and reached out to smooth a stray lock of her dark hair.
“You didn’t invite me, true.
But if I remember correctly, before I left last night, I told you I’d return, and you said it was fine.” He paused, a teasing warmth in his voice.
“Besides, if I don’t show up, who is going to make breakfast for you two?” “By the way, Qingqiu, how did you know it was me before I even spoke?” Leng Qingqiu noticed his hand moving to touch her hair, but she didn’t pull away.
Instead, she said calmly, “The meaning of ‘fine’ can also be a polite refusal.” Although her heart wasn’t actually averse to his arrival—and she even felt a quiet, hidden surge of happiness when his voice broke the silence—she would never dream of admitting that she had been looking forward to his return.
“As for how I noticed you,” she continued, “it is a proven fact that when a person loses their vision, their remaining senses become significantly more acute.” “Furthermore, by cross-referencing the weight, stride tempo, and respiratory rate from the previous two times you entered my room, any normal person should easily be able to discern that it’s you.” Gu Yan’s eyes lit up with admiration.
He stared at her and praised, “As expected of our Qingqiu.
Honestly, I can only think of two words to describe you right now.” Leng Qingqiu silently braced herself, assuming he would offer some poetic compliment to keep the conversation flowing.
In the past, whenever she spoke to suitors, her bluntness would instantly freeze the room, leaving everyone awkward and unsure of how to continue.
“Which two words?” she asked curiously.
“Holy shit!” “…” A look of exasperation crossed her face.
“Vulgar fellow,” she muttered, turning her head away to signal that she was officially done paying attention to him.
This dismissal caused Gu Yan to let out a series of exaggerated cries of despair.
Yet, hidden beneath her frosty exterior, Leng Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile to herself.
This man was completely different from any other heir she had ever met.
He didn’t care about rigid etiquette or pretending to be a flawless gentleman; he was just entirely himself around her.
Thinking this, and right in front of Gu Yan’s eyes, Leng Qingqiu gracefully stood up.
She extended her slender, jade-like hand toward him and said calmly, “Let’s go downstairs.
Did you prepare century egg and lean pork porridge?” This sudden shift caught Gu Yan off guard.
“Wow!
You can even deduce that?!” “Mm.
I calculated it.” “No way, right?
You can smell it all the way up here?” “No,” Leng Qingqiu’s lips curled into a rare, triumphant smirk.
“Ling’er ran upstairs a minute ago to tell me.” “…..?!” Gu Yan was struck by a double wave of shock.
He stared at her, utterly stunned that the fierce, hyper-genius shadow boss of the Leng family was actually playing along and cracking jokes with him!
Leng Qingqiu’s smile widened slightly.
Although she couldn’t see his face, she knew his expression must be priceless.
But just as she was about to speak again, she heard his voice drop into a playful, low murmur.
“In that case, my brilliant future wife, let’s see if your genius brain can calculate what I’m about to do next.” Leng Qingqiu froze for a fraction of a second, her mind instantly spinning to analyze the variables.
“Do…
do what…
Ah!” Before she could finish her sentence, her feet abruptly left the hardwood floor.
She felt the secure, solid warmth of his arms sliding beneath her knees and back, effortlessly lifting her entire weight.
He was holding her in a full princess carry!
Forced to lean against Gu Yan’s chest, her heart skipped a beat and began to race furiously.
Her standard defenses kicked in, and her body instinctively started to struggle against his hold.
“What do you think you’re doing?!
Quick…
quickly put me down!
What if Ling’er sees us like this?” Gu Yan naturally had zero intention of releasing his prize.
Instead, he tightened his grip, holding her securely against his chest as he let out a low, delighted chuckle.
“I refuse to let go.
Who told my dear Qingqiu to tease her husband just now?” “You!
How can a grown man be this incredibly petty?!” Realizing this absurd display was his immediate retaliation for her joke, Leng Qingqiu’s embarrassment turned into mock fury.
She swung her small, clenched fist, delivering a flurry of harmless thumps against his chest.
“You rascal, put me down this instant!” “Never!
I am personally carrying you all the way to the dining table!” Gu Yan declared righteously.
“You!
You…
you’re doing this on purpose!
Just like yesterday when you deliberately moved that chair to make me trip!” “Cough…
wait, hold on.
That…
that part yesterday was a total accident.” Seeing Leng Qingqiu suddenly lower her head, her cheeks flushing crimson as she fell into a defeated silence, Gu Yan’s thick-skinned confidence wavered for a second.
Panicking slightly that he had actually pushed her too far, he carefully and gently set her feet back down onto the floor, immediately switching into a coaxing apology.
“Qingqiu, I’m sorry!
I was wrong, I was totally wrong, don’t be mad.” However, the very next second, Leng Qingqiu slowly raised her head.
The cold, defeated expression was gone.
Instead, a brilliant, victorious smile graced her lips as she proudly held up two fingers right in front of his face.
“Now, the score is officially two to one.” Two to one.
Gu Yan stood frozen for a moment, his brain processing the sudden reversal.
When it finally clicked that she had played him to get him to lower his guard, he threw his head back with a helpless, booming laugh.
“Hahaha!
You…
wow, alright.
Haha…” Hearing the genuine, ringing joy in his laughter, Leng Qingqiu couldn’t maintain her stoic facade any longer, and a soft, beautiful laugh escaped her lips as well.
“Now you know the price of trying to bully me, don’t you?” “I know, I know.
I am officially terrified of your intellect now,” Gu Yan said with a wide, affectionate grin.
Reaching out, he gently took her hand in his.
“Come on, let’s go eat.” Leng Qingqiu made a performative show of tugging her hand back, but after just half a second of resistance, she relaxed her fingers, acting as though she simply ‘couldn’t break free’ from his grip.
She offered a soft, compliant nod.
“Okay.”