Earth-Tiger slowly stood up and stretched lazily. He looked at the darkening sky, then at the glowing teleportation gate not far away, and slowly yawned.

He was just about to leave directly when he suddenly remembered something. He turned around and walked into the building behind him, going straight down the stairs.

Qi Xia had already fallen asleep sprawled across the table.

The candle on the tabletop was almost completely burned out, but it looked like it could let him sleep well.

Earth-Tiger looked at Qi Xia and shook his head slightly. Then he took off his oversized suit jacket and laid it on the ground to one side. He walked over and gently called out, “Sheep Bro?”

Qi Xia was sleeping deeply, looking quite exhausted.

“Sheep Bro?”

Earth-Tiger called softly again, but found that Qi Xia still showed no response. He just kept frowning, as if bearing an enormous amount of pressure.

Earth-Tiger simply stopped calling him. He directly placed Qi Xia’s arm over his own shoulder, lifted him up entirely, then walked over to the side and laid him down on the suit jacket he had spread out, letting him lie flat.

“Ah… Sheep Bro…” After Earth-Tiger stood up, he sighed and said quietly, “Why make yourself work so hard? When it’s time to rest, just rest properly.”

He knew that tonight, no one else should come to disturb him. No matter how much burden he carried, Earth-Tiger only hoped he could rest well on his grounds.

Earth-Tiger watched as Qi Xia’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed. Only then did he feel relieved. He turned around and walked up the stairs.

He didn’t notice that in the dim candlelight, Qi Xia’s sleeping expression was gradually becoming uneasy.

He also didn’t notice that a black thread had somehow been tied around Qi Xia’s wrist at some point, with the other end of the thread bound to the bottom of the burning candle.

……

The ceiling at home had completely cracked open, the corners were filled with spiderwebs. He slowly sat up, as if trying to figure out what had happened.

“This is…?” He squinted his eyes and thought rapidly, but always felt that his brain had become completely blocked, all his trains of thought severed.

Qi Xia slowly stood up and looked around. His gaze stopped on the desk in this bedroom that had no bed.

A picture frame sat on the desk.

He picked up the frame. Inside was a photo of himself and Yu Nian’an.

“An…?”

Qi Xia reached out and touched the figure in the frame, always feeling that something was strange.

“I’m at home?”

When this thought emerged, Qi Xia’s expression instantly became much more at ease.

A person could have countless worries, but as long as they could return home, all worries could vanish into thin air.

“An…?”

Qi Xia pushed open the door and entered the living room. The house was completely empty, not a single person in sight.

Yu Nian’an wasn’t home—where could she be?

Qi Xia searched through the kitchen and bathroom, but the room was indeed completely empty. He couldn’t see even half a person. All that was there was dilapidated furniture, a dust-covered single sofa, and a completely cracked floor.

He turned his head to look out the window. Outside was a blood-red sky and an earthy yellow sun.

Qi Xia furrowed his brow and pondered briefly, then quickly relaxed. If Yu Nian’an wasn’t home, she had most likely gone downstairs to buy groceries.

As soon as this thought appeared, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, as if his brain had fallen into a state of complete chaos. He could only see what was in front of him—he couldn’t remember things that had happened before, and couldn’t guess the direction of the future.

He walked to the front door of the house. Just as he was about to open it to search for Yu Nian’an, a surge of unusual fear suddenly welled up within him.

He felt that after opening this door, he would encounter something extremely terrifying. After hesitating for a few seconds, he foolishly withdrew his hand.

What was outside the door?

Qi Xia’s heartbeat involuntarily quickened. He slowly turned around, only to find Yu Nian’an standing right behind him, looking straight at him.

She was dressed entirely in white, spotlessly clean. Her long hair hung down her back. At a glance, she was perfect and flawless.

“An…?” Qi Xia was startled, but quickly revealed a trace of a smile. “You’re at home?”

“I am.” Yu Nian’an also smiled and nodded.

“But I… how come I didn’t see you?” Qi Xia’s brain once again felt a wave of dizziness.

“Because I’ve always been behind your back, so you couldn’t see me,” Yu Nian’an said with a smile.

“Behind my back…?” Qi Xia nodded blankly. “Alright then… alright then…”

“Xia, are you hungry?” Yu Nian’an asked. “Should I make something for you to eat?”

Upon hearing this sentence, Qi Xia’s expression eased slightly, but he still seemed somewhat puzzled.

He didn’t know why, but in his limited memory, it felt like Yu Nian’an had always been making him things to eat.

“An, I’m not hungry. Can we just chat?” Qi Xia asked as if possessed by a ghost.

“Chat…?”

After these words, Yu Nian’an also froze for a moment, then said flatly, “No, that won’t do, Xia. I need to go make something for you to eat.”

Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brow, feeling his brain becoming clearer. “Why…? I’m not hungry right now. I don’t want to eat anything.”

“That’s not acceptable.” Yu Nian’an put away her smile and said expressionlessly, “Xia, I’m going to cook now. Guess what delicious thing I’m going to make for you?”

“What the hell…”

Qi Xia’s expression instantly turned cold. He gradually felt that all of this was simply too strange.

Why was it that every time he met Yu Nian’an, she was always making him food?

Why was the room so dilapidated?

Why had dust fallen everywhere?

Why was only Yu Nian’an spotlessly clean?

Those lost thoughts seemed to be gathering back together bit by bit.

“This isn’t my home, and you’re not Yu Nian’an…” Qi Xia’s eyes instantly gained brightness. “Where is this?”

“Xia, what are you saying?”

“Who exactly are you?” Qi Xia asked coldly. “Why are you impersonating Yu Nian’an?”

Yu Nian’an’s face actually gradually blurred before Qi Xia. Her features became less and less three-dimensional, finally disappearing completely.

Now standing before Qi Xia was a person with no facial features at all.

But she was still speaking.

That flat face was still emitting sounds.

“Xia, do you know?” she said. “There are many roads in this world, and each person has their own path.”

“Monster…” Qi Xia cursed through gritted teeth. “Do you people still want to continue deceiving me with such crude tricks? Do you think that just by sealing my thoughts, I won’t think anymore?!”

*Dong dong dong.*

A series of small knocking sounds suddenly rang out behind Qi Xia, making all his hair stand on end.

Before him was a faceless Yu Nian’an. Behind him was that old wooden door. In his memory, this door had never been knocked on by anyone before.

*Dong dong dong.*