He was indeed Feng Qiongcang.

Everyone else had come into this timeline without their memories — so why was it only her and Feng Qiongcang who were different?

“What exactly are you trying to do?” Jiu’er tried to reason with him. “Since you’ve already come to another timeline, and this timeline gave you a new identity, letting you start over — why still make enemies of everyone?”

“Why don’t you consider that the ones who’ve made enemies of everyone… are actually you?”

Lu Qihong sneered, and tore the black cloth from his face.

That face, its cold smile carrying a chilling, murderous air — who else could it be but Feng Qiongcang?

After a whole lifetime apart, seeing him smile like that again still sent a faint chill through Jiu’er’s heart.

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead? Why is this happening?” She didn’t understand — yet she sensed, vaguely, that Feng Qiongcang might know something.

Lu Qihong looked at her, smiling faintly. “So then — what kind of timeline do you think this is?”

Jiu’er truly didn’t know.

This was absolutely not the twenty-first century she knew.

It could not be.

If it wasn’t, then how did this timeline even exist?

She couldn’t figure it out.

“So you’re saying, you know?” She tried to struggle a little.

Her hands were bound behind her back — she couldn’t move at all.

Every movement sent a searing, heart-tearing pain through her wrists.

It hurt terribly!

“You won’t break free. Don’t waste your strength.”

“What kind of timeline is this, really?”

Jiu’er raised her head and looked at Lu Qihong. “Since I’ve fallen into your hands, and I have no chance of surviving anyway — before I die, can’t you at least unravel this mystery for me, so I can die with my eyes closed in peace?”

“Heh, so you already know I won’t let you go?”

“Feng Qiongcang!”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the clever one? Why don’t you try guessing the whole cause and effect of everything here?”

Lu Qihong found himself a comfortable spot and sat down, legs crossed, watching her at his leisure.

By the look of it, he wasn’t in any hurry to kill her either.

As long as there was still a chance, Jiu’er still had hope in her heart.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle would surely find her!

“If I guess correctly, will you tell me?” she asked, seeming to have calmed herself down.

Though being bound was extremely uncomfortable, she still found a slightly more comfortable position, leaning back against the rock behind her.

“I can do that.”

“You won’t lie?”

Lu Qihong said nothing.

Jiu’er immediately added, “You have to promise you won’t lie, or I won’t bother guessing. Otherwise, if I guess right and you still don’t tell me, what would be the point?”

Lu Qihong eyed her for a while, then suddenly gave a cold, chilling smile. “Heh, fine. I promise — if you guess right, I’ll nod.”

“This is a virtual timeline!” This was, in fact, something Zhen Jiu’er had suspected in her heart all along.

She’d suspected it for a while now — that this timeline was fake!

Everything was fake!

Lu Qihong’s expression darkened. He said nothing, but his face grew uglier and uglier.

Jiu’er knew — she’d guessed correctly.

But why didn’t everyone else know — including herself, who had been completely in the dark this whole time — while Feng Qiongcang alone seemed to have his hand on everything, knowing it all?

“Could it be… that you’re the one controlling this timeline?”

This time, Lu Qihong still said nothing, but his expression grew composed.

“Impossible. If everything here were under your control, how could you possibly let the Ninth Imperial Uncle stay alive within your sight?”

None of this could possibly be something he controlled.

And yet, he knew this was a false world.

Why was that?