Amid the surging energy flow, Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning’s mental strength had reached their limits.
Once the world consciousness fully withdrew from them, they both passed out.
The watching bodyguards and police: “!!!”
The entire situation was unbelievably surreal.
First came the earthquake and tornado, with the two standing in the center as if transcending tribulation. Then everything calmed, leaving a gentle breeze surrounding them. Next, the pair started kissing, and when the breeze dissipated, they suddenly collapsed to the ground.
The lingering aura was inexplicably soothing, relaxing the taut nerves of everyone present.
But they only hesitated for a few seconds before rushing to the observation deck.
On the way, they checked on Li Yu, who had fainted in the driver’s seat. Carefully, they moved her to the back seat and laid her flat.
Since they didn’t know the exact condition of the three individuals, they refrained from driving them to the hospital in case of complications and instead called for ambulances.
Once this was done, an eerie silence lingered on the observation deck for half a minute.
It wasn’t until the bodyguards at the villa called to ask about their status that things resumed. After a brief explanation and hanging up, everyone’s attention turned to the two young people.
The younger guards, who had initially failed to stop Li Yu at the hotel and joined the car chase, were now part of the group at the scene.
“Are you sure the boss only mentioned Li Yu being controlled by some mysterious force and nothing else?”
“Positive! That’s all we know; we told you everything on the way.”
“I used to be a firm believer in science, but now… what do you think happened here? Is that a magic array on the ground?”
“I have no idea, but I swear I felt a gentle breeze earlier. It was so pleasant.”
“Same here! There’s no way that kind of warmth exists in winter.”
“Hmm, you know, I dabble a bit in fortune-telling. Our boss has a fate of wealth and prosperity; technically, he shouldn’t have encountered so many misfortunes.”
“So, could it be that some demon has targeted his good fortune?”
“Seems likely.”
A round of wild speculation ensued.
By the time the ambulances arrived, the guards had pieced together a storyline: Fu Xiuning was a reincarnated deity, and Xing Shi was his destined soulmate. Upon learning of this, some demon or dark force attempted to steal his divine body, but how could a god be so easily usurped? Even in reincarnation, a god retains fragments of their memory and thus enacted a ritual to thwart the attack.
“If that’s true, then that earlier aura must’ve been divine energy, right? I swear the impact I felt in the car crash earlier has already healed a lot.”
“Yeah, I feel unusually energized now. I thought it was just my imagination.”
“Do you think we might develop spiritual roots and be able to cultivate?”
“Even if not, we’ll probably live long, healthy lives. I’m buying a lottery ticket tomorrow.”
“Good idea! Maybe I’ll try a scratch-off here—I might strike it rich! I’m definitely scratching it here!”
“Count me in. What’s the harm in trying?”
The nearby police officers: “…”
The ambulance took the three patients to the hospital, while the police finally made it to the reported crime scene and saw Sang Chenhao’s body.
The 01 fragment had constantly overclocked its host’s physical limits, causing blood to seep through the skin. At first glance, it didn’t look like a natural death.
The police questioned the bodyguards, who told them to ask Fu Xiuning, Xing Shi, and Feng Zifan for answers.
Feng Zifan, whose wounds had been treated, told the police he’d been controlled and couldn’t remember anything that happened in between.
The officers stared at him.
Feng Zifan met their gaze calmly.
After witnessing the tornado, the police fell silent, nodding slowly and deciding to wait for the other two to wake up.
That wait lasted a full day and night.
In the meantime, the “mountaintop ritual” became a viral sensation online. The initial buzz came from someone who had filmed the tornado from afar, capturing flashes of light at its base.
At first, viewers thought it was a natural phenomenon and the light was just reflections from mountain lamps. But soon more reports surfaced—accounts of tremors on the mountain that night, people feeling a strange but pleasant breeze, and so on.
Then came the explosive revelations: this was Fu’s family property; Li Yu had been spotted at the hot spring hotel; and Fu Xiuning, Xing Shi, Li Yu, and Feng Zifan were all in the hospital, with three of them unconscious.
Z City is home to several entertainment companies and numerous internet personalities.
By sheer coincidence, two smaller influencers had been at the hot spring resort that night. Alarmed by the tremors and curious about the arriving police cars and ambulances, they went up the mountain and recorded footage of the array on the observation deck.
Once the tornado gained traction online, they realized its potential for views, quickly edited their footage, and included the array in their video.
Given that Fu Xiuning’s mysterious incidents were still fresh in public memory, this latest development exploded in popularity.
Speculation ran rampant, with conspiracy theories and supernatural claims pouring in.
Some alleged the pair were disciples of a secret sect. Others analyzed their facial features and the mountain’s feng shui. Real estate agents jumped on the trend, reporting that wealthy clients were inquiring about buying villas on the mountain overnight.
The police held an emergency meeting.
The officers on the scene gave a detailed account of events, submitting footage from their dashcams and body cameras.
After watching the recordings, everyone in the room fell into stunned silence.
The mountain road and observation deck were sealed off, and public relations efforts began suppressing rumors online. Meanwhile, the police hadn’t even announced Sang Chenhao’s death yet.
If that news broke, it’d dominate headlines again.
Li Yu woke up the next morning.
Since the Main System didn’t overclock her physical capabilities while controlling her body, she, like Feng Zifan, was only fatigued. However, unlike Feng Zifan, she lacked the “wake-up call” of a stab wound and only fully regained consciousness the following day.
Her account mirrored Feng Zifan’s: she had been controlled and couldn’t recall anything useful. The police still had to wait for Fu Xiuning and Xing Shi.
The pair slept until the evening.
Both families rushed to the hospital upon hearing what had happened.
As soon as Fu Xiuning woke up, he recognized the family-owned hospital suite.
It was a two-room suite, and unsurprisingly, Xing Shi was in the adjacent room.
Fu Xiuning got out of bed and walked out, immediately meeting the concerned gazes of their families. He nodded politely and made his way to the other bedroom.
Opening the door, he found the person he was looking for.
As he entered, he softly asked the families, “How is he?”
Bian Ran replied, “The doctor said he’s fine.”
Fu Xiuning approached the bed, gently touching Xing Shi’s forehead to check his temperature. Once reassured, he finally relaxed.
Xing Shi stirred, sensing his presence. His voice was still drowsy as he murmured, “Brother.”
Fu Xiuning replied, “I’m here.”
Xing Shi shifted slightly, making space beside him. Fu Xiuning understood the gesture, lifted the blanket, and lay down, pulling Xing Shi into his arms. Xing Shi leaned into his shoulder and closed his eyes again.
The parents outside: “…”
Quietly, they turned away, closing the door behind them.
Xing Shi leaned against Fu Xiuning, gradually waking up. “I remember everything now.”
Fu Xiuning replied, “So do I.”
He recalled the beautiful child he had met long ago and remembered Xing Shi’s face during the car accident.
At that moment, he had planned to carry his system host away, even bracing himself for injury. But someone had rushed in to save him, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
In that fleeting moment, Fu Xiuning had seen Xing Shi’s face clearly before losing consciousness.
Looking at Xing Shi now, Fu Xiuning asked, “Why did you leave after that? When did you travel to another world?”
Xing Shi replied, “I left on the spot. The world consciousness found me.”
The world consciousness, unlike the data-driven Main System, had shown him everything in an instant—the truth, their childhood memories, Fu Xiuning’s struggles, and their original destinies.
It had offered him a choice, and he chose the magical world.
The reason his magic core resembled system energy was because the world consciousness had captured several lost systems, giving their energy to him. Upon crossing over, this energy became the base layer of his initial magic core.
Although his experiences in the other world were fraught with danger, he always managed to survive, protected by that world’s consciousness.
He continued, “The flow of time was different between the two worlds. My soul left, and my body was safeguarded by the world consciousness for over a month. After I leveled up, it floated for a few more days until a new system was deployed. That’s when I returned.”
Fu Xiuning was surprised. “What was it like, floating?”
Xing Shi laughed. “I felt like a cloud. Maybe you looked up once and saw me.”
Fu Xiuning asked, “Then how did you lose your memory?”
Xing Shi replied, “They were worried I’d rush the upgrades and take unnecessary risks in that world, so they sealed my memories in the magic core.”
Fu Xiuning stroked his face, resisting the urge to kiss him since he hadn’t brushed his teeth yet. “Do you want to sleep a little more?”
Xing Shi shook his head. “No, I’m hungry.”
Fu Xiuning helped him out of bed, and the two went to the bathroom to freshen up.
Inside, they shared a delayed good morning kiss before heading to the living room for dinner.
Their families, who hadn’t eaten yet, had ordered food to be delivered.
The parents had cried inexplicably the previous night. Though they couldn’t recall the flood of emotions that overwhelmed them, they knew their children had endured too much hardship.
While waiting for the food, they decided to have a serious conversation. This time, they were determined to get some honest answers.
When the police arrived at the hospital to question them, Fu Xiuning succinctly explained the “strategy” process, assuring them that it was all over.
Perhaps influenced by the world consciousness, the families instinctively believed his words. Bian Ran, eyes red, clutched her son’s hand tightly.
The police, who had seen the tornado footage, were skeptical. “Do you have any evidence?”
Fu Xiuning calmly replied, “No.”
“What about Sang Chenhao’s death…?”
“The cause of death is likely the same as the mentally unstable person who attacked Xing Shi. Let the forensic experts investigate.”
The police left with this bizarre statement and later heard that Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning had been discharged that same day.
Back at the station, they were summoned for further questioning, this time by the criminal investigation team leader and higher-ups.
Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning stuck to the same story, suggesting the police consult meteorologists for a plausible cover-up.
The officers, having already spoken to experts, knew such phenomena couldn’t be man-made. As for Sang Chenhao’s death, preliminary forensic results indicated probable organ rupture and failure.
With no further leads, the two were released, leaving the authorities to deliberate on how to word their report.
Thanks to official narrative control and Fu’s family’s PR efforts, the story trended online for a day or two before fading from public attention.
Time moved on, and so did life. Without external malice, the world slowly returned to its proper course.
When Feng Zifan was discharged, Xing Shi invited Fu Xiuning and Li Yu to join them for hotpot.
During dinner, he shared what had happened with Sang Chenhao and the aftermath. Feng Zifan, feeling emotional, raised his glass. “To Brother Sang.”
Li Yu followed suit. “To all the victims.”
Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning lifted their glasses, clinking them together.
May all the souls that were once wronged and manipulated find peace.
The four of them stayed until late into the night before parting ways.
On the way home, Fu Xiuning stopped the car, saying he needed to buy something.
Xing Shi went with him, letting himself be led forward by Fu Xiuning. Just as he was about to ask what they were buying, he realized Fu Xiuning’s true intention.
This seemed to be the path they’d walked in the original timeline, the one where they had decided to be together.
Fu Xiuning stopped at the spot where he had confessed, turned around, and held Xing Shi’s hand, lowering himself to one knee.
Xing Shi’s breath hitched.
Fu Xiuning repeated the words he had used back then: “I like you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you give me a chance?”
There were no flowers or carefully arranged scenes, yet Xing Shi felt his eyes sting with emotion. He gave the same answer as before. “Sure.”
Fu Xiuning looked at him. “Are you sober now?”
Xing Shi replied, “What if I’m not?”
Fu Xiuning said, “Then I’ll propose again tomorrow.”
Xing Shi chuckled, pulling him up and kissing him.
The night was quiet, and the stars shone brightly.
Hand in hand, the lovers returned home, peaceful and content.
(The End)
