“Twelve years ago…?” Zheng Yingxiong was startled, then lowered his head to calculate the time. “I think I remember…”

“Did anything strange happen that year…?” Yan Zhichun asked.

After all, in her memory, twelve years ago was the first time she encountered Baiyang. From that time, the entire structure of the “Land of End” began to change.

If she wanted to know what kind of person she had been, or what plans Baiyang had made… she could only obtain clues by asking someone whose memories exceeded twelve years.

“‘Heart Seizer,’ to be honest with you…” Zheng Yingxiong said, “among the people I know, not a single one has been able to preserve memories this long. When I arrived in this city, I also immediately asked if anyone knew about things from twelve years ago, but no one here remembers.”

After hearing this, Yan Zhichun gave a helpless, bitter smile. Yes… what a bizarre situation this was.

Twelve years was like a threshold, blocking everyone outside. Qi Xia had clearly done something before twelve years ago, but ridiculously, even he himself might not remember.

Only a very few people vaguely knew that from that time on, something major had begun to happen.

“Why are you also exploring what happened twelve years ago?” Yan Zhichun asked again.

“Because… it was around that time that I began to permanently preserve my memories,” Zheng Yingxiong answered. This was also the first time he had told the truth to anyone besides Li Siwei and Gu Yu. “No matter how much pain I’m in, I have no way to forget any of it. I really want to know what exactly happened twelve years ago…”

“Wait…” Yan Zhichun decisively discovered something suspicious. “You… also started preserving memories from before twelve years ago?”

“Yes,” Zheng Yingxiong nodded.

“Have you seen any strange ‘Zodiacs’?” Yan Zhichun asked again.

After all, in her memory, her method of preserving memories came from Baiyang’s note, yet Zheng Yingxiong, far away in “Jade City,” had also begun experiencing the same situation at the same time…

Thinking this way, wouldn’t it mean that if she could find people who had continuously preserved memories for twelve years… she could know who Baiyang’s “needles” were?

“No,” Zheng Yingxiong shook his head. “Even the ‘Zodiac’ in our room rarely spoke to me.”

“Yingxiong,” Yan Zhichun called out again. “How did you escape the great reshuffle in ‘Jade City’?”

“‘Great reshuffle’…” Zheng Yingxiong was slightly stunned. “You mean…”

“I mean the great reshuffle that occurs after collecting enough ‘chips.’ You must have escaped the great reshuffle to preserve your memories, right?”

“This…” Zheng Yingxiong shook his head. “‘Heart Seizer,’ no one in our city has ever collected enough chips, so there has never been any ‘great reshuffle.'”

“Ah…?” Yan Zhichun and Jiang Ruoxue were both stunned at the same time.

A city of over ten thousand people, yet in twelve years not a single person had collected enough chips—what an absurd matter was this?

It could only be said that “Jade City” was ultimately “Jade City.” The people there had different aspirations.

“About seven years ago when Brother Gu Yu returned, he changed Wancai’s ‘Jade’ away and told us about the rules of this ‘prison.’ He said no one could collect all these ‘chips,’ or else they would experience the ‘great reshuffle,'” Zheng Yingxiong said. “It was also on that day that I suddenly smelled a ‘huge idea’ from afar, so I…”

“Wait…” Yan Zhichun was stunned, her eyes widening. “What did you just say…?”

“Hm?” Zheng Yingxiong raised an eyebrow. “I said I smelled a ‘huge idea.'”

“No…” Yan Zhichun frowned slightly, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “You said that when Gu Yu returned seven years ago, he already told you the rules of this place…?”

After saying this, she turned to look at Jiang Ruoxue. “Are you kidding me… Gu Yu knew about this so early on, so why did he come ask us about it several years ago?”

After hearing this, Jiang Ruoxue was also stunned, as if she didn’t understand what Yan Zhichun was trying to express.

“Did he lose his memories…? Or did he deceive us?” Yan Zhichun asked. “But what would be the benefit of doing that…?”

“Zhichun… what’s wrong with you…?” Jiang Ruoxue said. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you think Gu Yu is very strange?” Yan Zhichun asked again. “Or is this child called Yingxiong lying…?”

“I’m a bit lost. Gu Yu indeed came to find us over seven years ago,” Jiang Ruoxue answered. “What’s wrong with you exactly?”

“What…”

“Are you learning from Baiyang again and haven’t slept in a long time?” Jiang Ruoxue said with a worried expression. “If you need to rest, then rest… Your subconscious isn’t as strong as his. Not sleeping for long periods will definitely cause problems.”

Yan Zhichun stared at Jiang Ruoxue for a long time before slowly uttering a few words: “Are you kidding me…?”

“What?”

“You’re saying Gu Yu came to find us over seven years ago…?” Yan Zhichun’s brow was tightly knit. “He clearly came here three to four years ago… What are you talking about…?”

After hearing this, the worry on Jiang Ruoxue’s face deepened.

“Zhichun… are you really okay?” Jiang Ruoxue stepped forward and tugged on Yan Zhichun’s arm. “When Gu Yu was here, I was still calling you ‘wife,’ and later you got angry and wouldn’t let me call you that anymore. Remember?”

Yan Zhichun’s pupils flickered slightly. She felt like her whole body couldn’t stand steady.

Yes… when Gu Yu was around, Jiang Ruoxue did indeed call her “wife.”

But that was from such a distant time ago!

In her impression, only during the period when Jiang Ruoxue had just met her would she call her “wife.”

“What are you saying…” Yan Zhichun’s lips trembled. “You’re saying… when Gu Yu appeared… even Baiyang hadn’t appeared yet?”

“Yes…”

“‘Heart Seizer,'” Zheng Yingxiong also called out from the side. “The scent on your body is very chaotic. If you don’t calm down immediately, your spirit may very well collapse.”

Yan Zhichun acted as if she couldn’t hear Zheng Yingxiong at all, continuing to look at Jiang Ruoxue with a horrified expression. “Ruoxue… something’s not right!”

“How, how is it not right…?” Jiang Ruoxue said softly. She continuously squeezed Yan Zhichun’s shoulders with her hands, hoping her emotions would calm down.

“This matter is contradictory!” Yan Zhichun said. “Do you remember why I came to find you?! The two of us argued because of Baiyang at that time… If Gu Yu appeared seven years ago… why would we argue because of Baiyang?! Baiyang hadn’t even appeared at that time, and even if he had appeared, he would only be ‘Human-level,’ but we argued because of ‘Elysium Bank’! That was Baiyang’s Earth-level game!”

“You… don’t scare me…” Jiang Ruoxue said with a frown. “Why would we argue because of Baiyang…? I know he’s a very important person to you, so why would I argue with you over his game?”

“You… you…” Yan Zhichun said incredulously. “Then why did we argue…?”

“Didn’t I just say…” Jiang Ruoxue smiled bitterly. “Don’t you remember why I stopped calling you ‘wife’ later? You got very angry at the time and told me you didn’t like that form of address.”