Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 39

On the system panel, time dripped away slowly.

Zhou Qian saw a line pop up in the message bar: [My body is trapped, but my spirit can enter the games. Hidden Blade is my teammate.]

Zhou Qian: [Oh.]

[137]: [So… um? Just click ‘Agree’.]

Zhou Qian: [Ah, this situation makes it very difficult for me.]

[137]: [?]

Zhou Qian: [It seemed that Hidden Blade was very sincere. Although you said you asked him to take me as a disciple, when I chatted with him, he said he admired me very much, thought I was formidable, and wanted to accept me as his disciple.]

[137]: […From what I know, that doesn’t seem to be the case.]

Zhou Qian: [What do you mean? Oh, you think I’m not formidable or qualified enough. You’re looking down on me.]

[137]: [Of course not.]

Zhou Qian: “No? Oh, if you’re not looking down on me, then it’s Hidden Blade who is. Did he badmouth me?”

[137]: [He didn’t either.]

Seeing the reply, Zhou Qian grinned mischievously.

A moment later, [137] messaged: [Zhou Qian, click ‘Agree’. I need to log off soon.]

Zhou Qian replied: [Oh, then you can log off. I have something else to do.]

[137]: […What are you up to?]

Zhou Qian: “Going to find Jiang Yuqing. I’m going to brush up on our relationship line. Bye.”

[137]: “……”

Ignoring the system panel, Zhou Qian reached out and took out a scale from his bag.

Can this scale bring the little dragon back?

Zhou Qian wasn’t sure. He tried aligning the scale to his watch but couldn’t access its function through the system.

He put the scale away and walked out to room 701 across the hall. Through the glass, Zhou Qian saw Jiang Yuqing turn over, get out of bed, walk to a bookshelf, and start reading. He looked more awake than before.

Perhaps because the players completed the mission, Jiang Yuqing began recalling some past events.

In fact, his current behavior was completely in line with the preset settings. Zhou Qian remembered the front desk mentioning that Jiang Yuqing is quiet at night, implying that players didn’t need to attend to him during the evening. During the day, players challenge levels, and at night, they rest. This was the routine for players in this particular instance.

Lost in thought, Zhou Qian glanced at the man on the bed. He tried messaging [137] again.

The system indicated [137] was offline.

Zhou Qian stared at the notification for a while, then browsed through recent chat records. He intended to bother Qi Liuxing or He Xiaowei, get updates on their situations, and introduce them. But his plan was interrupted when he noticed [Hidden Blade] was online.

Seeing this, Zhou Qian quickly messaged: [Hey, isn’t this my master?]

[Hidden Blade]: [???]

[Hidden Blade]: [We’re definitely not that kind of relationship! Stop spreading nonsense!]

Hidden Blade sent two messages consecutively. Zhou Qian calmly replied, [Weren’t you going to accept me as your disciple? Why the sudden change?]

[Hidden Blade]: [What? I clearly told you it was for a friend! I never wanted you!]

Zhou Qian: [Why does your friend go by ‘137’?]

[Hidden Blade]: [How would I know?]

Zhou Qian mischievously replied: [By the way, 137 said you’re mediocre.]

He Xiaowei has praised Hidden Blade to the skies, even swearing to take him as a master. So, wouldn’t anyone with real skill be upset upon hearing such words about themselves? How would Hidden Blade react? Were he and 137 truly good teammates and friends?

Zhou Qian didn’t expect [Hidden Blade] to reply: [What? He actually praised me as ‘mediocre’? That’s amazing! Thanks, Zhou Qian. I’ve always dreamed of his praise!]

Zhou Qian: [………]

[Now I’m going to run an instance. Let’s chat later. Please, stop calling me ‘Master’. I wouldn’t dare compete with his choice.]

After leaving that message, Hidden Blade stopped responding, probably entering the instance.

Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jiang Yuqing through the glass, then returned to his room.

……

The next morning, due to having had a good rest, Zhou Qian woke up very early. While washing up, he looked in the mirror. The reflection he saw was someone he no longer recognized. For now, he completely resembled [Bei He].

Jiang Yuqing’s life had only three days left. Despite his dementia, he was reluctant to forget himself or his teammates.

After passing through two levels, his memory had been restored to the point where he could recall himself and his teammates. As a result, in the world of memories, the appearances of those teammates, including Jiang Yuqing himself, became clear. Moreover, having cleared a high difficulty level, the players even achieved a hidden achievement—making Jiang Yuqing remember that all his teammates had sacrificed themselves in Cypress City.

So… what could Jiang Yuqing’s third wish be?

Could it be a desire for Bei He to be resurrected? Even if it’s just a false resurrection in the memory world?

While pondering all of this, Zhou Qian didn’t immediately go to Room 701 to find Jiang Yuqing. Instead, he headed to the elevator and went to the ground floor lobby. The hall was empty. The security, receptionists, and other caretakers were all gone.

It seemed that only Zhou Qian and the elderly Jiang Yuqing remained in this entire building.

The main door was wide open, and the sunlight and green lawn outside seemed to be beckoning Zhou Qian to leave this false world, abandon the side mission, and return to reality.

Zhou Qian slowly walked to the door, looking at the enticing green grass. However, after a deep breath towards the sunlight, he resolutely turned around and headed for the elevator.

Inside the elevator, the buttons for the other floors still seemed fake, unable to be pressed. Zhou Qian tried a few and then returned to the seventh floor. This time, he went straight to room 701.

Inside room 701, the elderly Jiang Yuqing was reading. As Zhou Qian knocked and entered, Jiang Yuqing looked up and smiled at him.

Zhou Qian glanced at the table, which was empty. He wondered if Jiang Yuqing had eaten the osmanthus cake from yesterday or simply forgotten about it.

After a few steps into the room, Zhou Qian asked Jiang Yuqing, “Do you still remember me?”

At first, Jiang Yuqing nodded, but then his gaze became a bit distant, and he shook his head.

Suddenly, something caught Zhou Qian’s peripheral vision. He noticed that the blue and white porcelain vase on the bedside table had disappeared right before his eyes.

So, the elderly Jiang Yuqing was still “killing” objects in the memory world.

As Zhou Qian looked back at Jiang Yuqing, he saw him yawn, put down his book, and head towards the bed. He was about to go to sleep, indicating that the next level was about to begin.

Zhou Qian quickly called out, “Mr. Jiang, wait.”

He took out a piece of the osmanthus cake he had taken from the lobby two days ago and handed it to Jiang Yuqing. As expected, Jiang Yuqing was still very interested in it and began to eat.

After temporarily preventing Jiang Yuqing from sleeping, Zhou Qian turned to the photos on the wall. The images of the four people were clearer now—they were the players who successfully completed the main quest and survived. His gaze passed over each one, finally settling on the young officer in the photo.

Touching the photo, a familiar sensation came over him. Through that cold, damp touch, Zhou Qian was transported again to that dreamlike scene—Jiang Yuqing writing poetry by candlelight. The first time Zhou Qian touched this photo, he felt an uncommon surge of emotion—a deep-seated sadness that nearly took his breath away.

At this moment, Zhou Qian finally understood where this sadness came from. In the dream, Jiang Yuqing was sad while writing the letter. Bei He was dead, and no one would receive his letter. Jiang Yuqing’s heartfelt letter could only be sent by burning it, a way to express his sorrow.

“Jiang Yuqing, do you remember me? I’m Bei He.” In the dream, Zhou Qian spoke to the man bathed in soft light.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuqing immediately looked up, his eyes filled with joy. “Bei He! You’re here? How… why are you here…”

Unlike previous dreams where the handsome officer’s features were always vague, this time the light illuminated his handsome face, which was a sight to behold. After a moment, he looked down, finished writing the letter, folded it, and placed it near the candle flame.

But this time, before he could burn the letter, Zhou Qian promptly spoke up to stop him, saying, “Were you writing to me? ‘Night Rain Addressed to the North’… is the ‘North’ referring to me?”

Jiang Yuqing seemed to be caught off guard by the question, his ears reddening. He quickly hid the letter. “You’re talking nonsense,” he stammered.

Zhou Qian extended his hand with a smile. “Don’t burn it. Give it to me. I’m right here.”

“You… You…”

Was there an opportunity for the unspoken words to be voiced? Those covert and ambiguous feelings—would he ever understand?

Jiang Yuqing hesitated but eventually handed over the letter as Zhou Qian had asked.

In this illusory environment, the scene was always bathed in a dim yellow glow of antiquity. It seemed to be raining outside, and the room was filled with dampness.

Zhou Qian felt as though he was standing under warm, hazy candlelight while Jiang Yuqing was slowly approaching him, ready to hand over the letter. But just as Jiang Yuqing was within reach, just when Zhou Qian felt the touch of his fingertips—

Jiang Yuqing suddenly withdrew his hand. Tears appeared to form in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Qian asked.

Jiang Yuqing shook his head in sadness and despair. “It’s not real. It’s my fantasy. You… you died… in Cypress City… I’m dreaming again.”

Zhou Qian squinted, not pressing him to hand over the letter but instead asking, “How did I die?”

“Bei He, you—” Jiang Yuqing choked back tears and seemed to recall some painful memories. Taking a seat, he covered his heart, his shoulders trembling.

The current Jiang Yuqing looked genuinely pitiable. But Zhou Qian, without mercy, pressed, “Jiang Yuqing, you must tell me. I’m trapped in hell and can’t remember how I died. If this continues, I fear I won’t be able to be reborn!”

“You—! You were a hero. How could this happen?” Jiang Yuqing looked at Zhou Qian in horror.

Zhou Qian responded, “Then tell me the truth.”

After a moment, Jiang Yuqing gave Zhou Qian the answer he sought. Observing his surroundings, Zhou Qian noted that with the restoration of some of his memories, the environment seemed clearer.

He could now see the details of the room, like the kettle, cups, trinkets, and paintings, all of which showed signs of an older era.

Turning to Jiang Yuqing, Zhou Qian asked, “What era is this? Have we won?”

Jiang Yuqing clenched his fist and nodded. “We won! Everything is fine now. There’s no war. I… I’ve aged.”

Zhou Qian laughed. “No, you haven’t aged a bit, still as dashing as ever.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yuqing’s eyes turned dazed again. “Are you just a figment of my imagination, or have you really come from the underworld to see me?”

At that moment, Zhou Qian heard a sound from outside this illusory world. It was the older Jiang Yuqing getting up to go to bed.

Seizing the last moments, Zhou Qian looked at the man in the illusion. “I want to ask you one last question.”

Jiang Yuqing nodded. “Ask.”

Zhou Qian’s question was brutal. “All of your trusted comrades, including me, died. They all died protecting you. Do you feel guilty?”

“If you were to live the rest of your life alone, what would your truest wish be?”

Five minutes later, Zhou Qian was outside room 701. Behind him, he could hear Jiang Yuqing’s deep breathing, indicating he was asleep. Zhou Qian took one last glance at him and then turned the doorknob, stepping into a new scene.

It was a dark, narrow corridor that barely allowed one person to pass through. Zhou Qian could only judge this because of the light seeping through the slightly ajar door of room 701.

But as the door closed, the corridor plunged into complete darkness. Unsure of any lurking dangers, Zhou Qian didn’t turn on the light but lifted his left wrist to access the system panel.

In this game, all NPCs could only act according to the predetermined plot. One noticeable thing was that the system seemed to have set it up so that the NPCs wouldn’t react to the player’s watch or system panel.

Furthermore, only the player could see their own system panel and couldn’t view those of others. But when the system interface popped up from the watch into the air, there was a faint glow visible only to the player’s eyes, though this light was very dim.

Therefore, at this moment, Zhou Qian was using the extremely faint light from the system panel to explore the corridor.

Zhou Qian didn’t immediately move forward. Instead, he turned around to look behind him.

The door to Room 701, which was originally here, had disappeared. Zhou Qian cautiously moved forward in the pitch-black environment and unexpectedly touched a wall with his outstretched hand.

He knocked on it and found it solid. This meant there was no way forward in this direction, and he would have to turn and go another way.

However, Zhou Qian didn’t turn around immediately. He stood still, raised his watch, looked up, and tried to push upwards. But above him, there was also a solid wall. So, at least from where he stood, there was no way out.

Naturally, there was a reason why Zhuo Qian tried to push upwards.

From the current information, the elder Jiang Yuqing was the one intending to kill the players, while the younger Jiang Yuqing was the opposite.

In the side mission “Checks and Balance”, Room 701 always existed, and players could return to the room at any time to view the photo. The photo triggered illusions that allowed the young Jiang Yuqing to provide clues.

But from the “West Pier” mission onward, Room 701 disappeared.

Therefore, if the young Jiang Yuqing from the illusions could still provide clues to help the players, it would most likely only be before the official start of the mission.

At that time, Zhou Qian would use the osmanthus cake to distract the elder Jiang Yuqing, preventing him from falling asleep, and then enter the illusion to seek out the younger Jiang Yuqing for clues.

The current side mission was called “Night Rain Addressed to the North”. It was undoubtedly a story that revolved around the two main characters, Bei He and Jiang Yuqing.

So, most of Zhou Qian’s questions in the illusion were related to Bei He. One of the critical questions was about Bei He’s real cause of death.

In West Pier, the young Jiang Yuqing witnessed his comrades turning into ghosts, realizing that they had all died. He should also have remembered the true cause of Bei He’s death.

Indeed, in the illusion, Jiang Yuqing recounted the story with profound sadness. It was during the invasion of Cypress City that the Falcon Squadron risked everything to find him and then tried to break out with him. However, during their escape, all five comrades died, leaving only Bei He to flee with Jiang Yuqing.

The two managed to escape into underground tunnels under grave danger, aiming to get to the city’s outskirts. But halfway through, they were discovered by a squad of more than ten soldiers from the S Army.

Some of the vanguard soldiers of that squad opened a household’s stove, intending to pursue Jiang Yuqing through the tunnels.

Bei He, after shooting a few of them, prevented them from entering the tunnel. He hid Jiang Yuqing and jumped out of the stove to single-handedly confront the squad.

Bei He, being a member of the Falcon Squad, fought valiantly against ten, showcasing unparalleled bravery.

After a fierce battle, Bei He was severely injured, but the enemy soldiers suffered even worse losses, with more than half of them dead. In the end, only four of them were left, and they didn’t dare confront Bei He, whose eyes were bloodshot from rage. Under his intense gaze, they turned and fled.

Worried, Jiang Yuqing came out, intending to drag the injured Bei He back into the tunnel.

But Bei He decisively sent Jiang Yuqing back into the tunnel and turned to leave.

Jiang Yuqing grabbed Bei He’s hand, pleading, “This is the last stretch. Once we escape from here, we can leave from the dock. Bei He… Come with me!”

But Bei He firmly shook his head. “Some of those soldiers escaped. They already know the tunnel’s location. If they report to their superiors, you might be doomed. Yuqing…”

“Wait for me in Nancheng. If I survive, I’ll find you.”

After saying this, he pushed Jiang Yuqing into the tunnel, rearranged the stove equipment, and left to chase the remaining S soldiers.

In the end, Jiang Yuqing escaped safely.

But for the rest of his life, he never saw Bei He again.

Jiang Yuqing didn’t witness what happened to Bei He after he entered the tunnel alone.

But he could guess—Bei He and those S Army soldiers must have perished together. To prevent them from leaking the tunnel’s location, Bei He gave up his life.

At this moment, Zhou Qian slowly walked in a narrow, lightless corridor, continuously reaching out above and around him, attempting to find an exit.

He guessed that he might be in Cypress City again.

However, this Cypress City seemed more real than the illusory, allegorical ghost city he’d experienced before.

Regarding this corridor… perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a tunnel.

This tunnel, in real history, should correspond to the final route Bei He and Jiang Yuqing took when they fled together.

As expected, a loud noise emanated from below, and Zhou Qian felt the surrounding walls and the ground shaking violently.

He was in a tunnel, and the entire city outside was probably under the bombardment of shells and gunfire.

Zhou Qian had another thought—Why wasn’t Jiang Yuqing with him now?

In Jiang Yuqing’s conscious world… how would he construct this route?

Did he wish to escape the tragic city with Bei He?

Did he hope that for the rest of his life, Bei He would always be by his side?

Or… did he just hope to confess the hidden, unspoken love to Bei He before his death?

There were so many unresolved regrets in this world.

What did Jiang Yuqing truly desire?

Having walked a considerable distance without hearing any noise or encountering any danger, Zhou Qian no longer cautiously used the dim light from his system panel but finally turned on his flashlight.

Shining the flashlight forward, its long beam was immediately swallowed by the endless darkness.

Looking at the unfathomable blackness ahead, Zhou Qian slightly raised his eyebrows. Could it be that this endless tunnel was another of Jiang Yuqing’s desires?

After all, in this way, he could keep walking with Bei He. As long as they didn’t reach the tunnel entrance where they were discovered by the S army, Bei He wouldn’t die.

But this route eventually had an end.

After walking for about two hours, Zhou Qian shone his flashlight forward, only to find a wall.

When he tried to push it, the wall was solid and immovable.

Moreover, on his way here, Zhou Qian had been continuously tapping the ceiling and walls, but he never found an exit.

So now the only unexplored areas were to the left and right of this wall.

Zhou Qian first shone his flashlight to his left.

Surprisingly, there was a glass door there. When his flashlight illuminated it, a light inside suddenly turned on.

Under the light stood a young and handsome man—it was Jiang Yuqing.

Upon seeing Zhou Qian, the young Jiang Yuqing immediately approached.

He pressed his hands against the glass door, seemingly desperate to get out, but he couldn’t open it. He just gazed at Zhou Qian with increasing urgency.

This scene was indeed a bit unexpected.

Zhou Qian then shone the flashlight to his right.

There was another glass door to the right.

Similarly, as soon as the flashlight illuminated it, the light inside the door turned on. This time, an elderly Jiang Yuqing stood inside.

Unlike the anxious young Jiang Yuqing, the elderly Jiang Yuqing stood still, his expression numb, eyes dull and lifeless, resembling his previous dementia-like state.

At this moment, the system sent a message.

[Among the two glass doors, only one can be opened; the glass door can only be opened by the player, not NPCs.]

[Please choose one of the glass doors to open. Once opened, the next plot will be triggered. The player may pass or may die.]

[Player Zhou Qian, please make a choice within ten minutes.]

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 38

Zhou Qian’s words always had a mix of truth and deceit, making it difficult to discern how much of it was an act and how much was genuine. But the look in the eyes of the person listening to him at this moment was undoubtedly very serious.

His gaze was as deep as the ocean and as gentle as the softest wave on the sea surface.

Hearing him speak with the same gentleness, Zhou Qian said, “Bei He, I will never blame you. As long as you’re alive, I am happier than anything else.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian gave Jiang Yuqing a thoughtful look and then heard He Xiaowei’s voice. “Alright! We’ve found the boat! Do we just need to get Jiang Yuqing on board and consider our mission accomplished?”

Yun Xiangrong chimed in, “Let’s try.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian stood up and looked at Jiang Yuqing. “Let’s go.”

“Okay.” Jiang Yuqing nodded, and with Zhou Qian’s support, they headed towards the boat.

Moments later, Zhou Qian, assisting Jiang Yuqing, was the first to board. But as Jiang Yuqing got on board, Zhou Qian, for some unknown reason, slipped and fell back to the shore. He Xiaowei, who was right behind him, tried to catch him and board the ship, but he too slipped off.

Sensing something was wrong, Situ Qing and Yun Xiangrong tried to get on, but they couldn’t either.

Facing the sea breeze, Zhou Qian stood by the sea, his feet stepping on the rough sand. He looked up at Jiang Yuqing on the boat.

The sea breeze carried mist, blurring Jiang Yuqing’s features. Through the mist, Zhou Qian could see a very puzzled expression on Jiang’s face, seemingly clueless about the situation. But Zhou Qian quickly waved at him and said, “After a long journey together, it’s time to say goodbye.”

“Goodbye? Aren’t you coming aboard?” Jiang Yuqing asked with a hint of urgency. “When will I see you again?”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian remembered the poem Jiang Yuqing had written in the dim candlelight. At this moment, the images of Jiang Yuqing against the vast ocean and that in the candlelight overlapped and then separated. Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and waved to the man on the boat.

With a smile, he whispered, “When it rains in Bashan at night.”

A system message appeared at this moment.

[Players have cleared the main level “West Pier”]

[A cutscene will play next. Rewards will be given after the cutscene. Please wait…]

“Holy crap, Qian’er! Your face!”

He Xiaowei exclaimed next to Zhou Qian, followed by, “Oh damn, your feet!”

Zhou Qian turned to He Xiaowei, and as expected, He Xiaowei’s face had turned pale and his feet were gone—he had become a ghost.

Suddenly recalling something, Zhou Qian took out a box of Wangji osmanthus cakes that he had picked up earlier. The unique fragrance of the cakes was gone, replaced by a foul odor. Opening the box, Zhou Qian found the cakes had turned moldy.

“What… What’s going on?” He Xiaowei asked.

Zhou Qian frowned and replied, “The S Army massacred Cypress City and brought Jiang Yuqing here. The Falcon Squadron risked their lives to rescue him, enabling him to take the vital technology out and save countless lives. The Falcon Squadron fulfilled their mission, but at the same time, they all perished.”

“This is probably… a real historical event.”

In the real timeline of Jiang Yuqing’s life, he hadn’t written the poem “Night Rain Addressed to the North” at this point in time. Maybe during his time in Cypress City, he hadn’t realized his true feelings until Bei He was forever lost in Cypress City.

For countless days and nights afterward, Jiang Yuqing spent his time missing Bei He. He repeatedly wrote that poem in his letters. But none could be sent because Bei He was dead.

Every time after writing, Jiang Yuqing would burn the letter.

Zhou Qian wondered if Bei He in the afterlife would understand his deep longing and unspoken love.

……

[After the player cleared the side quest “Checks and Balance”, Jiang Yuqing remembered himself. He remembered the vague figures in his memories and who they were, as well as the enemy, the S army. However, he couldn’t remember why those people left.]

[In order for the players to help him recall everything, the nursing home loaded the player into the main mission “West Pier”.]

[The players brought Jiang Yuqing to the west pier to board a ship, but everyone couldn’t leave Cypress City except for Jiang Yuqing himself. This successfully made Jiang Yuqing recall that to protect him, all his comrades had sacrificed themselves. Therefore, now the players in his memory world have also suddenly turned into ghostly figures.]

[Before Jiang Yuqing’s death, he had two wishes. The nursing home will do its best to help him fulfill them.]

[Jiang Yuqing’s first wish is to remember who he is.]

[Jiang Yuqing’s second wish is to remember those comrades who sacrificed themselves for him.]

[The first wish has been achieved. As for the second wish, from the perspective of each player, ensuring their survival in the memory world means they haven’t been forgotten. So, from the individual player’s perspective, the mission has been achieved.]

[Also, although each player has completed the mission, due to varying levels of completion, the rewards will differ.]

[Among them, Zhou Qian, He Xiaowei, and Yun Xiangrong have a conversion rate of 100% and a completion rate of 100%. Situ Qing has a conversion rate of 80% and a completion rate of 80%.]

[Players He Xiaowei, Yun Xiangrong, and Situ Qing can leave through the nursing home. You have completed the mission and successfully achieved the hidden achievement.]

[Player Zhou Qian was the first to trigger Jiang Yuqing’s vision of writing poetry and presented Jiang Yuqing with Wangji Osmanthus Cake in the “West Pier” main storyline, initiating the side mission “Night Rain Addressed to the North” and triggering Jiang Yuqing’s latent third wish. Current progress is at 50% completion.]

[Player Zhou Qian can choose to stay in the nursing home to complete the side mission or leave with the other players.]

[Once the side mission is completed, player Zhou Qian can achieve the ultimate hidden achievement.]

Messages from the system came one after another on the panel above the wristwatch.

As the players read the messages, it seemed like their memories were also being restored at the same time.

Six joined the Seventh Army, coming from all over the country, each with a distinct appearance and character. After rigorous selection and testing, they became members of the Falcon Squadron.

From then on, they abandoned their original names and identities, dedicating themselves entirely to their homeland.

Based on their hometown’s geographical direction, they named themselves Bei He, Dong Shui, Xi Jiang, Nan Hu, Zhong Liu¹, and Xi Xi².

¹Middle Steam
²West Creek

They dreamt of eliminating the enemies and returning to their hometowns one day.

Unfortunately, they all stayed in Cypress City.

At this moment, on the vast ocean, a ship carrying Jiang Yuqing gradually moved away, disappearing over the horizon.

The blazing sun finally rose, illuminating the entire sea and the city on the east.

Witnessing this, the players thought—

May the members of the Falcon Squadron be blessed in their next life, with tranquil seas, peaceful rivers, and a world without wars.

……

The ocean vanished, the sun disappeared, the ruins faded…

The players returned to Room 701. Jiang Yuqing was still sleeping, but there seemed to be a sign that he was about to wake up.

They had been in the peculiar level for an entire night.

But returning to the nursing home, it was only just noon.

The system prompted the players who cleared the game to leave, so the four temporarily left 701 and took the elevator to the lobby.

There was no security guard in the lobby now, and the main door was wide open, allowing players to leave at any time.

Watching He Xiaowei, Situ Qing, and Yun Xiangrong head for the door, Zhou Qian just leaned against the front desk, standing casually with crossed legs.

He Xiaowei couldn’t help looking back at him repeatedly. “Qian’er, why not just leave it be?”

Zhou Qian replied seriously, “I can’t. I’m staying to level up the relationship.”

He Xiaowei frowned deeper. “Man, you’re weird. Why are you leveling up a relationship with a man?”

Zhou Qian smiled without answering. He Xiaowei continued, “I get it; it’s for the ultimate reward. But what if the level is too hard?”

Zhou Qian replied, “It should be fine. Jiang Yuqing likes Bei He. Why would he hurt him?”

He Xiaowei quickly reminded him, “Hey, did you forget? There are two Jiang Yuqings. The young one won’t hurt him, but the older one, representing dementia, wants to kill him!”

“It’s okay. I can rest for a whole day.”

Zhou Qian yawned and stretched. “Jiang Yuqing has only three days to live. A wish for each day… now, there’s only the last day remaining. I want to stay here and accompany him on his last journey. You all go ahead.”

Watching his teammates leave, Zhou Qian returned to the empty seventh floor.

When he reached the door of Room 701, he peeped inside through the window.

Jiang Yuqing had fallen into a deep sleep again.

Looking at him, Zhou Qian couldn’t help but think that this ‘instance’ wasn’t exactly as he had previously imagined.

Perhaps in the real world of this instance, the nursing home was a very special one, capable of restoring certain memories. According to the system’s messages, the so-called “caregivers” seemed like tools used by the system to help the elderly restore their memories.

Now, what Zhou Qian and his team were responsible for was the memory exclusive to Jiang Yuqing.

In the memory world, the elderly Jiang Yuqing fell asleep again.

After silently watching him for a while, Zhou Qian entered the room, left a piece of osmanthus cake on the table, and then returned to his room across the hallway to rest.

Zhou Qian purchased some food from the system’s official trading hall and ate it. After taking a shower, he slept all afternoon.

Zhou Qian’s condition was pretty good. Ever since he had the dream about stars, his vitality had been fully restored. However, after battling in the instance all night, he was mentally exhausted.

In the evening, Zhou Qian woke up. The first thing he did was access the trading section, listing items he wanted to purchase. He then started browsing the trading hall, trying to find useful items.

At that moment, he received another disciple invitation message, surprisingly from the quirky [137].

Zhou Qian stared at the number for a moment and simply sent back a question mark: [?]

After a while, the reply came: [Click ‘Agree’.]

[I won’t,] Zhou Qian quickly replied. [I was considering accepting [Hidden Blade’s] invitation. He asked first. Maybe I should accept him as my master.”

[137] replied, [He’s my friend. Due to some limitations, I can’t be online often. I wanted [Hidden Blade] to take you as his disciple so that when I’m not around, if you need anything, he can help. His skills also have to do with crowd control. I think he could be of help. But now I’ve reconsidered. I’ll do it myself.”

Zhou Qian responded promptly, [Hidden Blade… does his skill have to do with blades? This time, when I faced danger, someone saved me. Based on my teammates’ descriptions, this person seemed to gather wind or something to form a blade. When he slashed with that blade, it was terrifying. Was it Hidden Blade who saved me? He seems quite skilled; maybe I should take him as my master.]

About a minute later, when Zhou Qian thought the person had gone offline again, [137] finally sent another message.

[He’s not that impressive. Just average.]

Zhou Qian: [If he’s not impressive, are you?]

Before [137] could reply, Zhou Qian asked, [Wait, how old are you? If I’m older than you and have to call you ‘Master’, it wouldn’t be fair!]

30 seconds later, [137] replied, [I’m older than you.]

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Zhou Qian retorted, [Oh? In what way are you older?]

There was a moment of silence on the other end before the question was thrown back, [What do you think?]

Zhou Qian replied swiftly, [How would I know? I don’t know you.]

Before the other could reply, Zhou Qian quickly added, [How about you? Do you know me?]

[137] replied immediately, [Yes.]

Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and typed, [Can we meet in real life?]

[137]: [No.]

Zhou Qian: [Why?]

[137]: [I’m temporarily trapped.]

Zhou Qian didn’t respond but stared thoughtfully at the words sent by [137].

After a while, he saw [137] type: [Due to certain rules, I can’t reveal too much to you right now, as it would be detrimental to you. But this restriction won’t last for long. Just click ‘Agree’ for now.]

Zhou Qian took a deep breath, the tension in his face relaxing. [[Hidden Blade] gave me a lot of things when he wanted to take me as his disciple.]

[137]: [Open the trade hall now. I’ve sent you some items. What else do you need?]

Zhou Qian indeed went to the trade hall and accepted the items happily.

Afterward, tapping a few more times with his index finger on the dial, he asked, [What kind of friend is that Hidden Blade to you? You’re trapped and limited by so many rules… How do you have time to make friends?]

---

The author has something to say:

Zhou Qian, the relentless interrogator.

Hidden Blade: ??? (Hey, why is this concerning me?)

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 37

In the midst of a ruined wall, thousands of enemy soldiers lay defeated. They had once ravaged this land, and now they repaid it with their own flesh and blood. The resentment of countless ghosts was appeased, and the dark clouds that had lingered dispersed. Above the sky, stars and the moon reappeared. Beneath this starry canopy, Jiang Yuqing stood tall, revealing an exceptionally handsome and pleasing face.

After a while, Jiang Yuqing felt warmth in his palm. He quickly let go, then swiftly grabbed Zhou Qian’s hand, finding the bandage on his wrist soaked red with blood.

Jiang Yuqing frowned immediately. “Bei He, you’re injured!”

Indeed, Zhou Qian was suffering. Having stormed his way here, his stamina was completely drained. Moreover, intentionally dropping his health to below 10%, the excessive blood loss made his head spin.

At this moment, he had a deeper realization about his ultimate ability—he was literally burning his own life force to summon the power of vengeful spirits.

With the support of his ultimate ability, Zhou Qian could still walk and shoot. But now, its effect had ended, and he was struggling. Feeling drowsy, Zhou Qian unconsciously leaned forward, but Jiang Yuqing took a step and steadied him, allowing Zhou Qian’s head to rest on his shoulder.

As Zhou Qian’s consciousness faded amidst a haze of red, he still managed to ask with a smile, “Hey, you could barely stand, and yet you’re supporting me?”

Elsewhere. Inside a gaming room booth. In front of a flat screen.

Mu Sheng watched everything unfold with a nearly malicious grin on his lips. “Ha, as I expected! Sacrificing one’s own health for power… Foolish. Do you think it’s over?”

Hearing this, Priest, who was next to him, raised an eyebrow and calmly responded, “If it followed the original settings of this level, it would have ended.”

“It’s different now that I’m here! It’s not over! I’ve been waiting for this moment! Zhou Qian… your health is at 9%, and your teammate’s mana is almost depleted! I want to see how you can win now!”

“No one can take away my sister. I want you dead! You’re going to die!!!”

With that, Mu Sheng quickly pressed a button on the screen, accessing the system menu with the privileges of a high-level gambler, and opened the item bar.

[Advanced Gambler Mu Sheng used the item: Joyful Modifier]

[Effect: Can forcibly change the storyline; an extremely rare item.]

[Note: Please follow system instructions and input your desired changes within a minute.]

[Advanced Gambler Mu Sheng used the item: NPC Loader.]

[Effect: Can load your consciousness into any NPC; an extremely rare item.]

[Note: NPCs have a hard life. Choose wisely; you have 30 seconds to change your mind.]

……

Seeing Mu Sheng’s actions, Priest frowned. “I advise you to consider carefully. After all, you’ve never been a player, never been to the real game world. Do you really think… you can adapt?”

Mu Sheng replied, “Now is the perfect chance to kill Zhou Qian. I can’t miss it! Zhou Qian, I will repay you in your own coin!”

Priest sighed softly. “Mu Sheng, I think you’ve truly gone mad.”

Before loading into the game, Mu Sheng turned to Priest with manic eyes. “I’ve gone mad, just as you’d like, right?”

……

Inside the game.

The entire playground had turned to ruins.

In the center of this destruction, two figures leaned on each other, resembling the most trusting of comrades or the most intimate of lovers.

Zhou Qian felt more and more dizzy.

After a while, he heard He Xiaowei’s voice. “Qian’er, hey, I’m here. Are you okay? I have a tiny bit of mana left, enough for a basic healing skill. It doesn’t heal much, but it’s better than nothing. Let me try! Wait… Oh my god! What… What is that?!”

Yun Xiangrong’s voice deepened. “My God…”

Situ Qing, usually composed, exclaimed in shock, “How can this be?!”

The voices of his teammates filled with extreme surprise and profound fear echoed around. Zhou Qian blinked tiredly, and then a deep rumbling noise surrounded him, reminiscent of distant thunder. This thunderous sound carried a dangerous aura, like the deep roaring from the sea before a terrifying tsunami.

Raising his head with difficulty, Zhou Qian looked over Jiang Yuqing’s shoulder and gazed ahead.

The situation had indeed changed.

Countless corpses of the S Army, whether intact, twisted, or fragmented, surprisingly stood up under the influence of some invisible force.

The scene was incredibly bizarre because it didn’t conform to the settings and logic of the instance.

In a reasonable game, hints for passing the level would be discreetly embedded in advance. Players could find ways to pass by searching for clues and understanding the storyline. It shouldn’t suddenly introduce a life-threatening monster without any prior clues or methods to defeat it.

So… What on earth was happening?

The next moment, an even stranger event unfolded before the four players.

After countless S Army skeletons stood up, they rapidly converged mid-air, forming a tremendously large humanoid monster.

This creature was made of a pile of corpses, so immense that it seemed to step on the ground and touch the sky. Surrounding it was a gray mist-like substance—the spirits of the deceased S Army!

He Xiaowei couldn’t help but exclaim, “What the… What the hell is this?!”

Yun Xiangrong was almost holding her breath. “This skill looks like Zhou Qian’s! It’s as if… someone copied Zhou Qian’s skills and power?!”

“But that’s impossible. I’ve cleared so many instances and never encountered this,” Situ Qing began, her face turning pale as she seemed to recall something, clenching her fists tightly.

Soon, the giant monster began to move. It twisted its grotesque and incredibly heavy head from side to side, then fixed its gaze on the players. With a menacing intent, it took heavy steps toward them. Each step was accompanied by a loud rumbling sound, shaking the ground as if the entire city would be destroyed beneath its feet!

“This isn’t logical!”

“What’s happening?”

“It’s raising its hand!”

“It seems to be targeting Zhou Qian! It’s going to attack him!!”

Amidst the cries of his teammates, Zhou Qian seemed somewhat indifferent.

He looked ahead, his eyes cold as ice, but he didn’t move.

He truly had no strength left.

Zhou Qian had no ability to counter such a monster. All he could do was think quickly and consider any possible means of survival.

But he couldn’t think of any.

Before the game started, he had observed the trading hall for a long time and hadn’t bought items like the [Universe Teleportation Mirror] that could allow him to teleport instantly. Even if he had, it wouldn’t be of much use against such a gigantic beast.

The teleportation range usually didn’t exceed a thousand meters, which was a distance that the giant monster could catch up with within a few steps.

He Xiaowei was always loyal. He quickly ran to Zhou Qian’s side, holding his guqin. Despite his fear, he said, “Qian’er, I’ll try to heal you. I also have protective items like cloaks and arm guards. Hold on, I’m giving them to you now.”

Yun Xiangrong, standing behind He Xiaowei, turned completely pale.

It’s useless. Zhou Qian’s ultimate skill is limited. With only 9% health left, if he can’t kill the monster instantly, he’ll be killed by it.

He Xiaowei knew this too. As he looked at Zhou Qian’s pale face, tears welled up in his eyes. With a swift pluck of the guqin’s strings, he used up the last of his mana.

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP restored to 13%]

It’s over.

Zhou Qian is finished.

All of us are probably done for.

Suddenly, He Xiaowei noticed a figure with a rifle rushing to the front from behind him.

It was Situ Qing!

Compared to the gigantic monster formed from thousands of spirits and corpses, Situ Qing seemed utterly insignificant, as tiny as an ant or even a speck of dust. Yet her advancing figure seemed fearless and determined, as if she was ready to fight this immensely powerful creature to the death!

This act clearly enraged the giant creature.

It roared, causing the entire ground to shake violently.

The monster then raised its palm, and a whirlwind formed in its grasp, striking fiercely towards Zhou Qian.

In that moment, it seemed as if the gods, in order to punish the criminal who committed a heinous crime, unleashed a wrathful force from the heavens, intending to obliterate him with a single strike.

Under such divine might, no one could find redemption.

He Xiaowei’s heart thudded wildly, as if about to burst. Realizing something, he quickly turned his gaze to Zhou Qian, wanting to assist him in his last moments. After all, it was thanks to Zhou Qian that he had come this far.

But then, an unexpected event occurred!

At a glance, He Xiaowei saw Jiang Yuqing, seemingly dead, devoid of any life force, collapsing backward unexpectedly.

Ignoring Jiang Yuqing’s situation, He Xiaowei rushed to support Zhou Qian by the shoulder, trying to prevent further damage from a potential fall.

Suddenly, the earth trembled even more violently!

Weak and exhausted, Zhou Qian could no longer withstand the shaking and passed out. Seeing this, He Xiaowei instinctively shielded the unconscious Zhou Qian with his body. As the palm formed by the vast grudge force brutally descended, he couldn’t help but let out a desperate scream, which was immediately swallowed by a terrifying storm.

However, moments later, the anticipated divine-like destructive power didn’t arrive.

Surprised, He Xiaowei quickly straightened up and looked up. Along with the shocked cries of Yun Xiangrong and Situ Qing, he saw a dragon!

Its origin was unknown.

Hovering high in the sky, it resembled a deep blue lonely moon, casting a faint blue veil over the entire sky and land, fluctuating with the wind.

The dragon’s tail was incredibly long, covered in deep blue scales, reminiscent of a flowing galaxy or the most beautiful ribbon floating in the air.

With a slight movement of its tail, a strong gust formed into the shape of a blade. This blade faced the storm created by the monster and split the black whirlwind in half, vanishing it in an instant; the next moment, the blade whirled forward and hung over the creature’s head for a split second before slashing down—

The monster was literally bisected alive!

“Roar—!”

The severed beast howled and, under the resentment, quickly reformed. It leapt towards the dragon in the sky.

The dragon, still hovering high, simply swished its tail again, creating another blade of wind. This time, the sharp blade struck the monster head-on. In an instant, the massive creature, formed by countless corpses and spirits, as well as the many buildings and trees behind it, were all turned into dust! Large sections of the city’s ground were lifted, inch by inch!

Even the vast ocean in the far west was affected by the wind blade, as giant waves surged and countless ships were caught in the waves, on the verge of sinking…

This was the true thunderous force—a nearly world-ending power!

In the nick of time, staring at the rising waves in the far west, the dumbfounded He Xiaowei realized something and shouted at the dragon in the sky, “Stop! We still need the ships to clear the level!”

The wind ceased.

The monster vanished, and all the corpses of the S Army turned to dust. Most of the city was completely leveled.

The world fell into silence.

After a while, the dragon in mid-air lowered its gaze, seemingly looking at the center of the playground.

Sensing something, He Xiaowei quickly embraced Zhou Qian again, guarding him closely. Feeling the responsibility of being the only “healer” on the team, he watched the massive dragon warily.

Although it seemed to have helped them earlier, who knows the real intention behind such a terrifying creature?

Suddenly, the dragon vanished from the sky, only to reappear right in front of He Xiaowei. The luminous tail swiped towards him, but without any force, simply nudging He Xiaowei’s hand away.

The moment He Xiaowei touched the frosty dragon tail, his whole body shivered, and he was immediately repelled by an invisible force, landing on his ass in a nearby pit.

Brushing off the dirt as he stood up, just as He Xiaowei was about to question the dragon’s intentions, he saw it coil its tail on the ground of the playground, then wrap Zhou Qian entirely within its lengthy tail.

It was at this moment, due to the close proximity, that He Xiaowei realized it wasn’t entirely a dragon. Its body and tail resembled a dragon, but its ears didn’t. Instead, the ears looked like those of elves from Western fairy tales.

The horns on its head didn’t seem to be those of dragons either. Those twin horns were incredibly sharp, shining coldly in the night, as sharp as knives.

So, it’s not a dragon but rather a dragon-like… monster?

At this moment, Zhou Qian seemed both awake and sleepwalking.

He unconsciously raised both hands, continuously sliding them over the dragon’s scales, occasionally pinching one and flicking it as if intending to rip it out. After playing with the scales in one area, he moved on to another, seeming to enjoy himself immensely.

Zhou Qian’s actions made He Xiaowei’s heart race.

The dragon would feel pain if played with like this, right?

What if it gets angry? Wouldn’t it annihilate us in seconds?!

Yet, the dragon seemed very patient. Regardless of how Zhou Qian toyed with it, its icy-blue eyes merely gazed at Zhou Qian with a gentle expression.

After a moment, its tail wrapped tighter, bringing Zhou Qian up to the area around its neck. In his drowsy state, Zhou Qian naturally leaned in and hugged its neck tightly.

Then the dragon did something that almost made He Xiaowei’s jaw drop.

It bowed its head, gently pressing its lips to Zhou Qian’s forehead, as if tenderly kissing him.

He Xiaowei immediately exclaimed, “Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?! Zhou Qian! Qian’er, wake up! You’re being taken advantage of—”

Suddenly, a cold gaze from the dragon swept over. He Xiaowei found himself unable to speak. The next moment, a chunk of wall flew from somewhere, embedding itself into the ground before him, blocking his view completely.

He Xiaowei: “…………”

……

Zhou Qian felt as if, in a daze, he had fallen into a sweet dream.

It was as if he were sinking deep into the sea or floating among the stars.

He was surrounded by deep blue. The blue should have been cold, but Zhou Qian felt safe.

Zhou Qian often felt exhausted.

Always having to think, always being on guard against others. But now, he felt relaxed. There were no schemes, no guards up; he just needed to sleep peacefully. He wasn’t sure where this sense of safety came from, but he instinctively let down all his guards.

It seemed Zhou Qian dreamt of playing with stars. After some time, a cool yet gentle sensation touched his forehead, and all his pain was healed in that instant.

……

In the virtual game hall.

Mu Sheng was ejected from the system, collapsing on the ground, bleeding from all his orifices. However, only his spirit had entered the game hall, so he wasn’t dead yet, giving Priest a chance to temporarily save him.

Priest gave Mu Sheng a pill and sighed. “You could have been a talent if you weren’t so obsessed. Such a pity…”

As Mu Sheng coughed up blood, he grabbed Priest’s wrist. “What… What power is that?”

“It’s the power of a God Rank player,” Priest said. “A God Rank player entered the instance as Jiang Yuqing. He’s selecting his shepherd.”

Priest sighed again. “There’s a game rule. To select a qualified shepherd, a God Rank player can create some challenges for players without violating the original character design, game plot, rules, and settings. However, they are not allowed to help the players or go out of character.”

“In other words, they can only increase the game’s difficulty, but not reduce it. But there’s an exception—”

“That exception is, when someone outside the game uses an item to forcefully change the game’s plot and significantly increase the difficulty, God Rank players can help the players with their own power. That’s why I said… you really brought it on yourself.”

Priest laughed, glancing mockingly at Mu Sheng. “But I should thank you. Thanks to your actions, I now know who the God Rank player interested in Zhou Qian is.”

Mu Sheng, who had fallen to the ground, coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. He clutched Priest’s calf with both hands. “I promise you. I’m willing to go to Zone X. I’ll accept the transformation! Let me… let me become a God Rank player! I can’t stand being just a gambler hiding behind the scenes! I want to be a player!”

……

Inside the game.

When Zhou Qian woke up, the sky was already tinged with the rosy hues of dawn, marking the end of this lengthy night.

As he stood up from the playground, he felt slightly dazed and somewhat lost. Frowning, he opened his palm and saw a deep blue, shiny scale.

Hmm, so that dragon… wasn’t just an illusion.

It saved him again.

After staring at the scale for a while, Zhou Qian put it away. Looking up, he saw He Xiaowei treating Jiang Yuqing’s leg wound nearby.

The bullet hadn’t hit the bone but had passed through the calf, making it relatively easier to deal with.

Not too far on the other side, Situ Qing and Yun Xiangrong were both lying on the ground, asleep. They must’ve been exhausted, not minding the fact they were resting amidst piles of corpses.

Zhou Qian looked to the west and noticed that a significant portion of the city had been destroyed. Tall buildings that once stood tall were now reduced to mere rubble.

The battlefield was in disarray, but at least the enemy was completely wiped out.

The city awaited the people who could breathe life back into it.

Zhou Qian then approached He Xiaowei and Jiang Yuqing. On seeing him, He Xiaowei exclaimed, “Qian’er! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Zhou Qian replied, then asked, “What happened… while I was unconscious?”

At that moment, He Xiaowei really wanted to blurt out something he had been holding back.

“Qian’er, it seems you were molested by a dragon… ah, no, rather, a monster! It’s weird; there were two beautiful ladies there, but the creature didn’t even glance at them. Why did it go after you, a man? I must tell you, that was no ordinary dragon…”

But recalling the look the dragon gave before it disappeared, he refrained.

So, He Xiaowei simply said, “A dragon appeared and saved us! What the hell is this instance? Or what’s going on in Jiang Yuqing’s consciousness? In any case, the strange monster made up of thousands of S Army corpses was defeated by the dragon. None of us were harmed… Maybe it was some cutscene in the game? Anyway, it doesn’t matter to us clearing the game, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense!”

Thinking of the scale in his hand, Zhou Qian didn’t say much but cast a thoughtful glance at Jiang Yuqing. Then he asked, “Mr. Jiang, are you alright?”

Jiang Yuqing nodded. His pale face still showed signs of weakness. He whispered, “Thank you, Bei He. I’m fine now.”

Zhou Qian smiled at him. “I’m glad we managed to save you. Let’s rest a bit and then take you to the west pier.”

An hour later, He Xiaowei, Situ Qing, and Yun Xiangrong were walking ahead while Zhou Qian, supporting the injured Jiang Yuqing, followed.

After another two hours, they reached the sea.

The clouds over the sea had completely dissipated. The dawn was glowing red, and the vast sky and boundless sea were painted in layers of red and blue, blending into different shades of purple, ultimately merging with the horizon in a distant gray ribbon.

While the other teammates went in search of an intact boat, Zhou Qian and Jiang Yuqing sat on a rock by the sea.

Zhou Qian turned to him. “He Xiaowei told me that when the dragon appeared, you passed out. He was scared and thought you died.”

Jiang Yuqing seemed to not understand, lost in the game’s character setting. He replied, “Thank you, Bei He, and the Falcon Squadron, for everything you’ve done for me and our people.”

Zhou Qian added, “After looking into your eyes, I’m even more convinced that you resemble someone I know.”

Jiang Yuqing blinked as if he still didn’t comprehend.

Turning his gaze back to the vast sea, Zhou Qian said, “This dungeon was really dangerous. But I vowed to get out alive. I dug up his ashes and even took down his tombstone. So, I must live to see if the tombstone I ordered has been prepared, so I can give him a proper burial. Otherwise, if I meet him in hell—”

 Zhou Qian turned back, looking deeply into Jiang Yuqing’s eyes. “What if he blames me?”

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