Chapter 224: Seeing Each Other in Thought

Qi Xia stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the street scene in the dead of night.

The night street appeared somewhat desolate, yet it was still ablaze with lights.

Several taxis with "empty car" signs drove by, reminding Qi Xia that this was a raw, bloody reality even more intense than Zhongyan Zhidi.

Here, the nights had no ants crawling over walls; instead, there was the purest form of humanity.

As Qi Xia stared at the empty street, his brows furrowed, and he made another bold hypothesis.

Could the real Yu Nian'an have entered Zhongyan Zhidi along with the earthquake?

The moment this thought emerged, a car passed by outside and honked, making Qi Xia's whole body jolt.

"That's right..." Qi Xia narrowed his eyes, feeling that his hypothesis was on the right track.

After all, the number of people who entered Zhongyan Zhidi was countless, impossible to tally.

Yu Nian'an might be among them, possibly in another city far from his own within Zhongyan Zhidi.

But ultimately, due to certain reasons, she never came out.

So, this world erased her existence.

Thinking further... things became somewhat terrifying.

If there was a cycle every ten days, why didn't Yu Nian'an come out?

Was it because she rose rapidly and truly became a Shengxiao?

Or did she make a wrong move... and die there forever?

If he had to choose between these two scenarios, Qi Xia naturally hoped Yu Nian'an was Tian Yang—at least she would still be alive, and there would be hope to rescue her.

From this angle, everything made sense.

The words Di Hu had said... and the clues subtly revealed by those Shenshou, seemed to connect piece by piece.

Tian Yang Yu Nian'an, and the seven years of disappearance.

These two matters must have an extraordinary connection, and that was all the answers Qi Xia could find for now.

However, for this answer to hold, it required that all the clues Qi Xia had gathered so far were "true."

If anyone had lied, or if anyone was insane, this answer would collapse entirely, like a tree rotting from the roots.

"Xia, you've been awake for a while?" Yu Nian'an's voice suddenly rang out.

Qi Xia, standing by the window, slowly turned around, his eyes filled with coldness and despair.

Unnoticed, dawn had broken.

"What's wrong?" Yu Nian'an stared at Qi Xia, puzzled. "Didn't sleep well?"

"It's nothing." Qi Xia shook his head. "An, I'm hungry. Let's have breakfast."

"Okay..." Yu Nian'an stood up and nodded lightly. "I'll make breakfast for you."

Half an hour later, the two of them squeezed around the small dining table, eating simple bacon and fried eggs in silence.

A night of contemplation had cleared Qi Xia's thoughts considerably, but it also pushed him to the brink of collapse.

The situation was becoming increasingly tricky.

He knew the real Yu Nian'an might still be wandering in Zhongyan Zhidi.

So, today, he didn't plan to take this "stand-in" out; instead, he would stay home quietly and wait for the earthquake.

He wanted to actively search for Yu Nian'an.

This time, his target was Tian Yang.

"An, even though it feels unfair to you, could you stay home with me today?" Qi Xia asked.

"Unfair to me...?" Yu Nian'an asked with a smile. "What's unfair about staying home? I'd rather you were home every day."

Yes, Qi Xia knew this feeling was incredibly awkward.

It was as if he were killing Yu Nian'an with his own hands.

He needed to die on time in the earthquake to return safely to Zhongyan Zhidi.

But was his speculation too bold...?

Just based on a few details, concluding that this Yu Nian'an wasn't the real one.

What was the difference between the real Yu Nian'an and the created one...?

Maybe... they were completely identical.

Yet, even so, Qi Xia didn't want a life orchestrated by others.

He only wanted the original Yu Nian'an.

The girl who suddenly appeared in his life, like a ray of sunlight.

The girl who would rack her brains to tell jokes when he was troubled.

The girl who, if she hurt her hand or foot, would grit her teeth and stay silent to avoid worrying him.

The girl who always used simple brainteasers, pretending to be profound, to test Qi Xia.

The girl who said "dong dong dong."

The girl who, despite being covered in scars, was willing to soothe him.

He wanted only her—no one else would do.

Not even a difference in a glance or a thought.

Qi Xia and Yu Nian'an sat squeezed together on the couch, quietly watching the people coming and going on the TV.

"Xia, do you know?" Yu Nian'an stared at the TV expressionlessly and asked.

"I know," Qi Xia said. "In this world, there are many paths, and everyone has their own road."

"Yes." Yu Nian'an nodded. "Xia, no matter which path you choose, I'll support you."

"I know." Qi Xia's eyes dimmed again. "An, I'll cross mountains and seas to find you."

"Find me?" Yu Nian'an gave a bitter smile. "Xia, I'm right here."

"Yes, I know." Qi Xia's eyes began to well up with tears. "Because I can't control my thoughts, that's why you're here."

"Xia, no matter where you go to find me, as long as I can feel your longing, I'll come to your side." Yu Nian'an's eyes also filled with tears, though she didn't know why she felt so sad.

This statement pushed Qi Xia's thoughts even closer to the edge of collapse.

Yes, if his "echo" was creating Yu Nian'an, could he ever find the real one?

As long as he longed for her, they would meet.

He would have to venture out without triggering any "echo," to see the Tianji Shengxiao.

Otherwise, Yu Nian'an would appear like a nightmare, repeatedly by his side.

He didn't even know what status a person created by "echo" had...

Would she vanish with Zhongyan Zhidi?

If she didn't vanish, then before Zhongyan Zhidi was filled with corpses, it would be overrun with Yu Nian'ans.

So, he couldn't let his "echo" happen.

What worried Qi Xia even more was that this seemed like an extraordinarily grueling journey. If he died without "echo," all previous clues would vanish into thin air, and everything would start over.

It was a huge gamble.

When the earthquake struck, Qi Xia sat on the couch, quietly holding Yu Nian'an's shoulder.

The entire building shook, cracks gradually appearing on the walls.

Roaring sounds like waves crashing followed one after another.

In the distance, glass shattered, and countless fissures opened in the sky, scattering shiny stars.

"An, I'm sorry..." Qi Xia said, his face full of heartache.

"It's okay..." Yu Nian'an shook her head. "Xia, as long as you're by my side, I'd even go to the endless hell."

"No..." Qi Xia gritted his teeth. "I won't leave you in endless hell... I want you by my side."

Suddenly, the ceiling cracked open, and a large chunk of debris fell. Qi Xia instinctively shielded Yu Nian'an in his arms.

In this world, he smiled only for Yu Nian'an and cried only for her.

He absolutely could not lose her.