Qi Xia had a dream.

He dreamed he was in a long corridor, walking forward step by step.

On both sides were countless wooden doors that slowly opened as he walked.

The “Zodiacs” emerged from the wooden doors one after another, standing by the doors watching him.

They neither spoke nor made any movements, only their pupils constantly looking toward Qi Xia.

And Qi Xia’s footsteps didn’t stop—he just kept walking forward like this.

Heavy footsteps on the decaying floorboards made grating sounds.

This road seemed to have no end forever.

“What’s going on…?” Qi Xia muttered weakly.

He felt his vision was very blurry, waves of rotting stench pouring into his nostrils.

If this was a dream, why could he smell odors?

“Where am I?”

He looked confusedly at the surrounding Zodiacs, yet couldn’t stop his advancing footsteps.

This road… was it almost at its end?

“Wake up.”

A voice rang out beside Qi Xia’s ear.

“Customer! Wake up!”

Qi Xia suddenly opened his eyes and took in a large breath of cool air.

But after seeing the situation before him clearly, he silently leaned back in his seat, revealing an expression of relief.

This cycle had ended.

Qi Xia smiled bitterly. Compared to the last time, this experience showed great progress.

After all, last time he died on the fourth day, this time he died on the fifth day.

How laughable.

A ten-day cycle, yet he simply couldn’t last until ten days.

“Young man, what’s wrong with you? You’re not on drugs, are you?!” the taxi driver beside him asked somewhat frantically.

Qi Xia didn’t answer, only supported his forehead as he looked at the scenery outside the window.

He had lost direction somewhat, and his memories were beginning to become confused.

He clearly remembered being tortured by Xuanwu, so why had he seen Yu Nian’an there?

Was it a hallucination?

Or perhaps… was Yu Nian’an truly in the “Land of the End”?

The cool breeze carried autumn’s unique scent into Qi Xia’s nostrils, making him feel he was still alive.

No matter how tightly the strings in his mind had been wound in the “Land of the End,” today he could rest.

But where exactly should he go?

To Jinan?

Home?

If this was a world without Yu Nian’an, he would rather return to the “Land of the End.”

Just as he was lost in thought, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

Not many people knew Qi Xia’s phone number—it was probably a spam call.

But when he picked up the phone, the name displayed made his eyes slowly widen.

“A”!

“An?!” Qi Xia was stunned, then carefully pressed the answer button.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end asked: “Xia, have you arrived?”

It was Yu Nian’an’s voice.

Her voice was always like water touched by wind on an autumn day, able to instantly put Qi Xia at ease.

“I, I… I’ve arrived?”

“What’s wrong with you?” Yu Nian’an asked with a laugh. “Have you reached Jinan?”

“Ah… I…” Qi Xia’s pupils trembled constantly, his body also shaking slightly.

Right now he only had one thought—

To confirm whether or not he had gone mad.

He swallowed and slowly said: “An, I don’t know where I am right now… I’ll let the driver talk to you…”

Then he slowly handed the phone to the dark-skinned driver wearing sunglasses beside him.

“Huh? What? Me?!” The driver was stunned. “Young man, I’m on the highway right now. This is very dangerous.”

“Talk to her!” Qi Xia said with cold eyes.

“What… what for?” The driver seemed frightened by Qi Xia. “Fine, fine, fine. I’ll answer, okay?”

The large man took the phone and shouted loudly: “Hello! Where are you?”

“Hello, driver. Have you reached Jinan?”

“Oh, almost there, miss. About ten more minutes and we’ll exit the highway.”

“Then please drive slowly and be safe.”

“Got it, don’t worry.”

At this moment, Qi Xia was looking at the large man with utter shock.

He could converse with Yu Nian’an!

Yu Nian’an wasn’t a hallucination!

After hanging up, the large man still said carelessly: “Hey, young man, is your wife checking up on you?”

Qi Xia looked at the phone, his emotions very complex.

He paused for a long time, then turned and said: “Driver, let’s turn back.”

“Ah?” The driver was stunned. “Turn back?”

“I’m not going to Jinan anymore.” Qi Xia shook his head. “I was wrong all along. I should never have gone to Jinan.”

“Young man… you…”

“I’ll still pay the full fare, by the meter, not a cent less.” Qi Xia looked resolutely out the window. He just wanted to immediately go home and see Yu Nian’an.

“Alright then…”

The driver exited at the nearest highway ramp, then turned around and headed toward Qingdao.

Throughout the journey, Qi Xia didn’t say a word. He was afraid that like last time, the taxi would be stuck in a long line on the highway.

But what he hadn’t anticipated was that everything went very smoothly.

The car quickly drove back to Qingdao, and the driver dropped Qi Xia off at his residential complex.

Qi Xia paid according to the price displayed on the meter, then stood downstairs and looked up.

He was somewhat nervous.

Even when participating in Earth-level games, he had never been this nervous.

Was Yu Nian’an at home?

When he pushed open the door, would the house still have no trace of her existence?

Qi Xia stood downstairs for a full five minutes. After mentally preparing himself for all the worst possibilities, he finally lifted his heavy legs and walked upstairs.

Without proper mental preparation, Qi Xia felt he would completely break down this time.

He had already begun to accept Yu Nian’an’s disappearance. He only hoped fate wouldn’t toy with him again and again.

The height of the third floor wasn’t high. Although Qi Xia deliberately delayed, he still arrived at the apartment door.

Trembling, he took out his keys from his pocket and inserted them into the lock.

“Don’t toy with me… please, I’m begging you.” Qi Xia said through gritted teeth. “You can torment me however you want, but you can’t toy with me using Yu Nian’an…”

His voice grew smaller and smaller, and his movements slowly stopped.

He simply didn’t have the courage to open this door.

When Qi Xia opened his eyes again, he discovered his eyes were filled with tears.

He was about to break down.

If the ending once again led to despair, how could a human being survive?

Click.

The door handle turned slightly and actually opened by itself.

Yu Nian’an held a frying pan as a weapon in her hands, cautiously poking her head out: “Who, who is it?”

Qi Xia stared at the girl before him, shocked beyond words.

“Xia?” Yu Nian’an was stunned, and the frying pan in her hand drooped down. “You scared me to death! I thought there was a burglar. Aren’t you supposed to be in Jinan?”

Qi Xia could no longer hold back his tears. He rushed forward and embraced Yu Nian’an.

Her voice, her smile, the scent of her hair, the warmth of her body.

Everything was real.

“An…” Qi Xia choked out, saying through gritted teeth: “It’s so good to see you.”

Yu Nian’an was slightly astonished. She reached out her hand and gently stroked Qi Xia’s head: “What’s wrong, Xia? Were these past few days very hard?”

“Yes… no, no…” Qi Xia used all his strength to embrace Yu Nian’an. “As long as I can see you, even going to hell wouldn’t be hard.”