“I…” Qi Xia blinked, feeling his brain somewhat swollen. “I, I used experience from struggling through society…”

“Including that Leiden-something theory?” Qiao Jiajin asked from the side. “Liar boy, could people learn that in your society back then?”

“Leidenfrost effect…” Qi Xia blurted out, but immediately even he felt it was strange.

Where exactly did this knowledge come from…?

Whenever he needed to use this knowledge, it would just come out, as casually as using his right hand.

“I… just read many books…” Qi Xia said somewhat uncertainly. “I just read more books than others…”

As soon as the words fell, Qi Xia realized this reason was hard to establish. His home was completely empty—forget about a single book, there wasn’t even a piece of paper.

Why had he never considered these questions before?

Where did he read these books?

What books did he read?

Qi Xia vaguely remembered himself flipping through pages in the corner of a dark room—”Game Theory,” “Murphy’s Law,” “The Art of War,” “Thirty-Six Stratagems”…

He recorded every word from the books page by page, yet he couldn’t recall where he had read them.

But that knowledge had truly become his flesh and blood, integrated with him.

“Old Qi… if it were you…” Chen Junnan also asked with furrowed brows. “Would you rather believe you’re a fraudster… or believe you’re a master’s degree holder in psychology?”

A master’s degree in psychology… what a suitable degree for manipulating people’s hearts?

“You…”

Chen Junnan could never figure out Qi Xia’s thoughts. At this moment, he didn’t believe anyone?

Why did going to be a “Zodiac” for seven years cause him to forget even his own life?

Was this an aftereffect of becoming a “Zodiac”?

“Is Liar boy actually a very cultured person?” Qiao Jiajin asked Chen Junnan in a low voice.

“Old Qiao… isn’t he?” Chen Junnan was somewhat confused by the question. “Do you really believe what he said, that he’s a fraudster operating in the dark side of the city? Would someone like him risk everything for two million… even becoming a criminal? Do you believe that with his intellect he’d be poor to this extent?”

Qi Xia heard the two whispering, and his expression became complicated at this moment.

Yes… the matter was actually very simple.

As long as he could admit that Yu Nian’an truly didn’t exist, everything would become very reasonable.

He was twenty-six years old, which would be exactly the age of a graduate student who had just entered society.

Why was everything so coincidental?

Did he really meet Yu Nian’an the year he graduated high school and begin a miserable and absurd life… or did he continue studying as Chen Junnan said and had just graduated before coming here?

Qi Xia furrowed his brows, suddenly feeling he had figured something out.

“Yu Nian’an can’t possibly not exist…” he murmured softly.

“What…?” Chen Junnan saw that Qi Xia still didn’t believe him and showed a troubled expression. “Old Qi, this young master doesn’t want to discourage you, but you’ve never mentioned Yu before…”

“Yu Nian’an can’t possibly not exist!” Qi Xia obstinately raised his voice, interrupting Chen Junnan’s words.

“You…”

“Isn’t everyone saying…” Qi Xia grabbed Chen Junnan’s forearm in one swift motion. Chen Junnan felt Qi Xia’s fingertips were somewhat cold at this instant.

“Chen Junnan, didn’t you all say that people who come to the ‘Land of End’ are all guilty people?!” Qi Xia said with wide eyes, his face rigid. “I’ve finally found ironclad evidence of Yu Nian’an’s existence!!”

“What do you mean…?”

“Only if Yu Nian’an exists would I commit a crime!” Qi Xia showed a bizarrely strange smile. “If Yu Nian’an doesn’t exist, I have no reason to defraud that two million… I’d be a ‘guiltless person’! I’d have no reason to appear here… Excellent… I’ve finally found the logical loophole… If they want to deceive me… even ‘Heavenly-Dragon’ can’t do it…”

Qi Xia’s unstable emotions caused the always grinning Chen Junnan to instantly furrow his brows.

He felt that Qi Xia seemed sick, very seriously sick.

“Old Qi…” Chen Junnan placed both hands on Qi Xia’s shoulders, looking at him with worry. “I might have to discourage you again… We discussed this question a long time ago. Back then, we already discovered that there are indeed rare ‘guiltless people’ in the ‘Land of End.’ As far as I know, both you and Chu Tianqiu are ‘guiltless people.’ Before you came to the ‘Land of End,’ forget about having committed crimes—you didn’t even have any major mistakes.”

“What…?” The belief Qi Xia had just established nearly collapsed again. “Both of us are ‘guiltless people’…?”

“Yes…” Chen Junnan nodded. “Perhaps you only just learned this news, but for us… this matter stopped being news a long time ago.”

Qi Xia remembered that Song Qi had also told him before that this place was not only full of people who made mistakes, but there were also some people who couldn’t remember what mistakes they had made no matter what.

If that was the case… didn’t it mean this damned place wasn’t built for “atonement” at all?!

What was the meaning of its existence?!

What was the reason he was brought to this damned place?!

Qi Xia’s brain spun rapidly, feeling many things had become strange.

“You’re saying that crazy Chu Tianqiu hasn’t committed any mistakes…?” Qi Xia said incredulously. “You must be joking…”

Qi Xia felt Chen Junnan seemed to have told a fantastical story. How could Chu Tianqiu possibly be a “guiltless person”?!

“It’s not that ‘it’s reasonable when Yu Nian’an doesn’t exist’…” Qi Xia bit his lip, trembling all over. “It’s reasonable precisely when she exists! As long as she exists… I’m a sinner… I should be captured here… I should escape… I will have all the motivation… Yes, this is too reasonable… Yu Nian’an must exist…”

Qi Xia was like he was hypnotizing himself, repeating these sentences over and over, making the two grown men beside him feel somewhat unbearable to watch.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin couldn’t help but exchange glances, neither knowing what to do.

Qiao Jiajin shook his head, not particularly surprised. He knew Qi Xia’s emotions had always been unstable, especially when the three words “Yu Nian’an” were mentioned. This state had appeared many times before.

Chen Junnan was indeed somewhat frightened. In those days seven years ago, Qi Xia had never been on the verge of collapse like today. If this damned place could drive even Qi Xia crazy, whose psychological fortitude could withstand this trial?

“Excellent…” Qi Xia said with vacant eyes. “Yu Nian’an exists… Let’s hurry and set out… I need to find her back as soon as possible…”