“How could that be…” Yu Nian’an still showed that sweet smile that made Xiao Cheng feel chills. “How could you have entered my dream?”

Xiao Cheng’s eyes widened as he felt the truth of everything floating to the surface in his mind.

Why was Qi Xia’s expression so wooden?

Why had Qi Xia lost all ability to think?

Why couldn’t he accomplish even the simplest cognition?

Because in this dream realm, he was not the master at all—he was merely one of the ruled.

There was no difference between him and those motionless people standing on the street. If there had to be a distinction, it was that Qi Xia still had his facial features.

But how did this bizarre situation come about?

“Sister Yu…” Xiao Cheng took a deep breath, then swallowed. “I can pretend I know nothing… I won’t patch up that crack either. Just let me out.”

Xiao Cheng felt that the terrifying nature of the girl before him far exceeded his imagination. This situation was completely beyond his ability to handle.

She had seen him long ago but deliberately pretended not to have noticed. All his actions must have seemed as laughable as a child’s to her.

She only intervened when he was about to interfere with the dream realm. She had absolute control over this dream—killing him would be as easy as turning her hand.

But if he died here, his body in the outside world would die as well. Now he could only beg her to let him go.

“Xiao Cheng… wait a moment.”

Yu Nian’an finished washing the pot and hung it aside to drain. But that pot was clearly dripping viscous black blood that formed into threads.

“Can’t… leave?”

“Mm.” Yu Nian’an nodded. “You probably don’t know just how terrifying a situation you’ve gotten yourself into. This isn’t a simple matter of entering and leaving dreams. From the moment you came in, you were destined to be unable to leave.”

“Then what do you mean…? Sister Yu… I…”

“So I’m also thinking about how to free you.” Yu Nian’an said in a calm tone. “Oh right, if I kill you, will Xia wake up?”

Xiao Cheng slowly took a step back. This outcome wasn’t much different from what he had imagined.

But just who was Qi Xia…?

If this girl called Yu Nian’an wasn’t the master of the dream realm, why did she have such strong dominion over this dream?

“Because I am the ‘Guardian’ of this space.” Yu Nian’an answered.

That brief sentence made Xiao Cheng break out in a cold sweat.

“Xiao Cheng, in this space I can hear your thoughts and know you’re not a bad child.” Yu Nian’an smiled and shook her head. “But if you don’t hurry up and die… ‘He’ will come, and if ‘He’ sees you, I’m afraid you’ll never have peace again.”

“‘He’…?” Xiao Cheng’s lips moved slightly, his pupils constantly flickering. “Sister Yu, what do you mean by ‘never have peace again’? Just who will I provoke?”

“Do you think this is just a diseased dream realm…” Yu Nian’an wiped all the blood traces on her hands clean on her apron. “Xiao Cheng, this is another battlefield aside from the ‘Land of End.’ Never mind you—even I myself can’t get out.”

Xiao Cheng blinked in confusion and asked: “Whose… battlefield is it…?”

“It’s the battlefield between Qi Xia and ‘Heavenly-Dragon.'” Yu Nian’an answered without any evasion. “Do you think you can interfere in a battle between those two?”

“So that crack is…” Xiao Cheng looked toward the living room through the crack in the kitchen door in disbelief.

“It’s ‘Heavenly-Dragon’s’ handiwork.” Yu Nian’an answered. “But you don’t need to worry. Everything is within Qi Xia’s control. You can die at ease.”

What ironic words of “don’t need to worry”?

If one really had to ask about Xiao Cheng’s ultimate purpose in coming here, he just wanted to live.

He didn’t want to go through fire and water for Qi Xia, a stranger he’d only met once, experiencing all kinds of torment only to die inexplicably in the other’s dream in the end.

“What a pitiful child…” Yu Nian’an’s brows furrowed slightly, her expression somewhat gloomy. “Whether outside or here, are there people threatening your life?”

“Sister Yu… I can’t hide anything from you, but can you tell me who you are?”

Xiao Cheng knew that death was now a foregone conclusion. If the result couldn’t be changed no matter what, he only sought to lighten some of the doubts in his heart.

Yu Nian’an slowly raised her head. Her face was like a refreshing breeze in this boundless hell.

She was serene and tranquil. Every time Xiao Cheng saw this face, he felt his fear being soothed.

“I am a ‘Heart.'” Yu Nian’an answered.

“What…?”

“I’m responsible for guarding the last line of defense in Qi Xia’s heart, and I act completely according to his instructions.”

Yu Nian’an said, “I am both a ‘Heart’ and the final ‘Guardian’ of Qi Xia’s inner world. As long as I’m here, he won’t be defeated.”

Although Yu Nian’an patiently gave an answer, Xiao Cheng felt there were even more things he didn’t understand.

“You’re a ‘Heart’… but why are you in human form?” Xiao Cheng continued asking. “How can you be the master in Brother Qi’s dream…?”

“Because he entrusted everything to me.” Yu Nian’an answered.

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Nian’an waved her hand in the air, and a rope actually appeared in her hand out of thin air.

Xiao Cheng’s eyes widened immediately upon seeing this rope: “Sister Yu… are you also…?”

“‘Entering dreams’? I don’t know either, after all I’m not even a ‘person.'”

Yu Nian’an slowly tossed up the rope. One end of the rope burrowed into the ceiling like a venomous snake, then tied itself into a knot and fixed itself there, while the other end curled slightly, forming a circular loop for hanging.

“Xiao Cheng, it’s really dangerous here.” Yu Nian’an said. “You should go first.”

Although she said “dangerous” and “go first,” Yu Nian’an clearly pointed at that rope.

Xiao Cheng’s whole body felt somewhat numb. He knew that once he stuck his head into this rope, when he woke up next it would be in the real world and the interview room.

“Sister Yu, I have one more question…” Xiao Cheng said. “If you can tell me the answer to this question, even if I die this time it will have been worth it.”

“Alright, no problem.” Yu Nian’an nodded. “Go ahead and ask.”

“This world… has it always been like this?” Xiao Cheng took a trembling deep breath. “The things you’ve been feeding Brother Qi… has it always been these things?”

“Of course not.” Yu Nian’an smiled bitterly, then reached up to tuck her long hair behind her ear. “The world here was originally bustling with traffic too. Our happy little home, though not large, was also warm. But starting yesterday, everything was destroyed.”

“Yester… yesterday?” Xiao Cheng was startled. “What do you mean by destroyed?”

“‘Heavenly-Dragon’ merely waved his hand, and the entire city turned into nothingness.” Yu Nian’an said. “Xiao Cheng, could you do this if it were you?”

After that one statement, Xiao Cheng was completely stunned.

“Sister Yu, what exactly do you mean?! Is ‘Heavenly-Dragon’ also ‘entering dreams’?!”