The wind on the rooftop felt like icy blades, carving into Lan Yucheng’s exposed skin. She stood at the very edge, the traffic and neon below appearing as minuscule as ants.
Su Yiyi’s final words, “You’ve disappointed me deeply,” seared into her heart like a glowing brand, leaving a permanent mark. The strategy had failed, hope had vanished, and the path back to Xiao Xue was utterly severed.
Rather than merely existing in a world without her…
She closed her eyes, her body leaning forward. Just as the sensation of falling threatened to engulf her—
[Emergency intervention! Detected rapid deterioration of strategist’s vital signs! Forcibly loading backup emotional anchor… Qing Xinxue data model, temporarily activated!]
Time seemed to freeze for a single instant.
The next second, a powerful, irresistible force slammed into her from the side!
Lan Yucheng was tackled fiercely, falling backward onto the cold, rough concrete. As the world spun around her, a body so familiar it made her soul tremble pressed tightly against her. Arms like iron bands clamped around her waist, their strength so immense it felt as though her ribs might snap.
“Cheng-jie—! You’re insane! What were you trying to do?!”
A shrill, distorted female voice exploded in her ear, laced with unprecedented panic and fury.
Lan Yucheng’s eyes snapped open, locking onto a pair of eyes she had longed for day and night. Gone was their usual adoration and sweetness, replaced by an overwhelming rage and a fear that bordered on shattered. It was Qing Xinxue! The real, tangible Qing Xinxue! Her warmth, her scent, the violent rise and fall of her chest, fueled by extreme anger!
“Xia… Xiao Xue?” Lan Yucheng’s voice was fractured, trembling with disbelief. She reached out, carefully touching Qing Xinxue’s cheek—it was warm, real. “Is it really you? Am I not dreaming? The system… the system really…”
“What system?!” Qing Xinxue practically roared, grabbing Lan Yucheng’s hand with icy fingers that nonetheless held a burning grip. “Tell me first! Why were you trying to jump?! Why?! You said you were mine! Your life is mine too! Who gave you permission to do this?!”
As she yelled, she roughly checked Lan Yucheng for injuries, her movements betraying a frantic, post-fear disarray, yet her gaze was ferocious, as if she might devour her.
Once she confirmed Lan Yucheng only had scrapes, Qing Xinxue abruptly hauled her off the ground, dragging her away from the rooftop edge without explanation, her strength causing Lan Yucheng to stumble.
Only when they reached the relative safety of the stairwell did Qing Xinxue seem to run out of energy. She slid down the cold wall, still clutching Lan Yucheng’s wrist tightly, pulling her close. Her eyes fixed on Lan Yucheng’s, her voice dropping to a hoarse whisper, trembling with the relief of a narrow escape:
“Tell me… what exactly happened? Who bullied you? Or… did you not want me anymore?”
The last question carried a hint of deep-seated, almost imperceptible vulnerability.
This familiar possessiveness, this domineering claim, this undisguised panic… it was real! Her Xiao Xue had returned! Even if only for a moment!
Overwhelming euphoria and profound grief, like a bursting dam, instantly shattered all of Lan Yucheng’s defenses.
She burst into tears, no longer the suppressed sobs from before, but a heartbroken wail, like a child lost for too long who had finally found their way home. She threw herself into Qing Xinxue’s embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.
She spoke incoherently, tears streaming down her face as she recounted her story in broken fragments:
“I didn’t not want you… How could I not want you… It was the system… It took you away… It said I could only see you again by strategizing with others… Su Yiyi… I tried… but I messed up… She doesn’t want me anymore… I can’t see you… Without you… what’s the point of living… *sob*…”
She rambled about the system’s rules, the failure of her strategy, Su Yiyi’s disappointment, and the suffocating loneliness and despair. These bizarre experiences, recounted through her tear-filled accusations, seemed incredibly real and heartbreaking.
Qing Xinxue listened at first with tightly furrowed brows, her eyes full of confusion and malevolence. But gradually, as Lan Yucheng’s tearful confession continued, the rage in her eyes slowly subsided, replaced by a strange gleam.
Though she couldn’t fully comprehend words like ‘system’ or ‘strategize,’ she precisely grasped the core information:
Her Cheng-jie, in order to see her again, had been willing to approach others.
Her Cheng-jie, terrified of losing her, had been so distraught she wanted to end her life.
Her Cheng-jie, even while attempting to ‘betray’ her, had thought of, and yearned for, only Qing Xinxue.
This realization, like the sweetest poison, instantly soothed all her anger and unease, and even… filled her with a twisted, immense satisfaction and pleasure.
She gently patted Lan Yucheng’s back, which trembled with her sobs, allowing her tears and snot to dampen her clothes.
Only when Lan Yucheng’s cries had softened into mournful whimpers did Qing Xinxue cup her face, using her fingertips to gently wipe away the tear stains.
Her gaze deepened, carrying a nearly god-like, magnanimously cruel expression, and a hint of excited, almost imperceptible dark light.
“There, there, don’t cry.”
Her voice was exceptionally gentle, yet held an undeniable command. “I understand now. So… it was that damned ‘system’ playing tricks, forcing my Cheng-jie to do things she didn’t like.”
She leaned close to Lan Yucheng’s ear, her warm breath caressing the sensitive lobe, her voice a low, seductive whisper:
“Cheng-jie, listen. My heart, my soul, my everything, has long been yours. No one can steal it, not even I can control it from loving you.”
She pulled back slightly, gazing into Lan Yucheng’s swollen eyes, which held a mixture of bewilderment and dependence. A seductive, magnanimous curve played on her lips:
“So, if you want to see that Su Yiyi, go see her. If you want to strategize with someone, go ahead.”
Lan Yucheng’s eyes widened abruptly, staring at her in disbelief.
Qing Xinxue, however, smiled, her expression filled with absolute confidence and a chilling possessiveness:
“It doesn’t matter, I don’t care. Because I know that no matter what you do, no matter who is by your side, here—”
She gently tapped Lan Yucheng’s left chest, over her heart, a gesture both suggestive and declarative. “—will ultimately only beat for me. Everything you do is merely… to embrace me longer, more truly.”
She tilted her head, her gaze both innocent and wicked:
“Since that’s the case, why would I stop you? My Cheng-jie is working so hard for me; I’m delighted beyond words.”
These words, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved through Lan Yucheng’s chaotic mind. She looked into Qing Xinxue’s eyes, which seemed to see through everything and yet indulge everything, observing her confident posture that declared, ‘I allow you to play, but you know who you belong to.’ An indescribable emotion, a volatile mix of gratitude, submission, and intense desire, erupted within her like a volcano!
She no longer needed to hesitate, no longer needed to feel guilt! Her Xiao Xue understood her! Her Xiao Xue allowed it!
She even… reveled in this almost twisted loyalty!
“Xiao Xue… my Xiao Xue…”
Lan Yucheng murmured, her eyes filling with a crazed love and possessiveness. She was no longer the helpless child seeking comfort, but a privileged, greedy predator.
She abruptly tackled Qing Xinxue onto the cold ground, her movements rough and urgent.
Looking down at the person beneath her, Lan Yucheng’s gaze was predatory, as if she intended to devour them whole.
“Prove it to me…” She panted, tearing away the superfluous obstacles between them, her fingertips branding new marks on familiar territory with an undeniable force. “Prove you’re mine… prove you always will be…”
****
Qing Xinxue gently stroked the damp hair of the person in her arms, pressing a soft kiss to her sweaty forehead.
“See, you always have the strength… to make me beg for mercy…” Her voice was hoarse, carrying the languor of aftermath and a love so thick it couldn’t be dissolved. “So, don’t be afraid. Go do what you need to do. I’ll wait for you.”
With that, her body in Lan Yucheng’s embrace gradually became transparent, like dissipating starlight.
[Temporary load complete. Qing Xinxue data model offline.]
The system’s cold prompt sounded.
But this time, Lan Yucheng felt no fear or despair. She lay on the cold ground, feeling the soreness in her body and the lingering, crazy scent of Qing Xinxue in the air. A slow, tear-streaked yet incredibly resolute smile curved her lips.
Her Xiao Xue loved her. Loved her enough to indulge her ‘betrayal.’
So, to return to this wild embrace, what was there that she couldn’t do?
Su Yiyi… wait for me.
This time, I won’t fail again.