Chapter 220: Hell's Joy
Qi Xia had a dream.
He dreamed he was in a long corridor, walking forward step by step.
Countless wooden doors lined both sides, slowly swinging open as he passed.
The "Zodiacs" emerged from the doors one after another, standing by the doorways and watching him.
They neither spoke nor moved, only their pupils constantly tracking Qi Xia.
But Qi Xia's steps never faltered. He just kept walking forward.
His heavy footfalls creaked against the rotting floorboards.
This path seemed to stretch on forever, with no end in sight.
"What's going on...?" Qi Xia murmured weakly.
His vision felt blurry, and waves of putrid stench rushed into his nostrils.
If this were a dream, why could he smell things?
"Where am I?"
He stared blankly at the surrounding Zodiacs, but couldn't stop his own forward momentum.
This road... was it almost over?
"Wake up."
A voice sounded in Qi Xia's ear.
"Guest! Wake up!"
Qi Xia's eyes snapped open, and he gasped sharply.
But once he saw his current surroundings, he silently slumped back into his seat, a look of relief spreading across his face.
This cycle was over.
Qi Xia laughed bitterly. Compared to last time, this experience was a significant improvement.
After all, last time he died on the fourth day. This time, he died on the fifth.
How ridiculous was that?
A ten-day cycle, yet he couldn't even last the full ten days.
"Hey kid, what's wrong? You on drugs or something?!" the taxi driver beside him asked, flustered.
Qi Xia didn't answer. He just rested his forehead on his hand and looked out the window.
He felt a bit disoriented, and his memories were starting to get jumbled.
He clearly remembered being tortured to death by Xuanwu, so why did he see Yu Nian'an there?
Was it an illusion?
Or... was Yu Nian'an really in the "Land of the End"?
A cool breeze carrying the unique scent of autumn blew into Qi Xia's nostrils, reminding him that he was still alive.
No matter how tightly the string in his mind had been wound in the "Land of the End," he could finally rest today.
But where should he go?
To Jinan?
Go home?
If this was a world without Yu Nian'an, he'd rather go back to the "Land of the End."
Just as he was lost in thought, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
Not many people had Qi Xia's number. It was probably spam.
But when he picked up the phone, the name on the screen made his eyes slowly widen.
「A」!
"An?!" Qi Xia froze, then carefully pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
A voice came from the other end: "Xia, have you arrived?"
It was Yu Nian'an's voice.
Her voice was always like water brushed by the autumn wind—capable of instantly calming Qi Xia down.
"I... I... I've arrived?"
"What's wrong?" Yu Nian'an asked with a laugh. "Did you make it to Jinan?"
"Ah... I..." Qi Xia's pupils trembled constantly, and his body shook slightly.
He had only one thought right now—
To confirm if he was going crazy.
He swallowed and spoke slowly: "An, I don't know where we are right now... let me have the driver talk to you..."
With that, he slowly handed the phone to the dark-skinned driver beside him, who was wearing sunglasses.
"Huh? What? Me?!" The driver was startled. "Hey kid, I'm driving on the expressway here. This is dangerous."
"Talk to her!" Qi Xia said, his gaze icy.
"What... what for?" The driver seemed intimidated by Qi Xia. "Alright, alright, I'll take it!"
The man took the phone and shouted into it: "Hello! Who's this?"
"Hello, driver. Have you arrived in Jinan?"
"Oh, almost there, miss. About ten minutes until we get off the expressway," the man barked.
"Please drive carefully and stay safe."
"Got it, don't worry."
Qi Xia was staring at the man in shock.
He could talk to Yu Nian'an!
Yu Nian'an wasn't an illusion!
After hanging up, the man continued boisterously: "Hey kid, the wife checking up on you?"
Qi Xia looked at his phone, his emotions extremely complicated.
He paused for a long time, then turned his head and said, "Driver, let's turn back."
"Huh?" The driver was stunned. "Turn back?"
"I'm not going to Jinan anymore." Qi Xia shook his head. "I've been wrong all along. I never should have gone to Jinan in the first place."
"Kid... you..."
"I'll still pay you. Keep the meter running. Not a cent less." Qi Xia stared resolutely out the window. He only wanted to go home immediately and see Yu Nian'an.
"Alright, fine then..."
The driver took the nearest expressway exit, made a U-turn, and headed back toward Qingdao.
Qi Xia didn't say a word the entire way. He was afraid that, like last time, the taxi would get stuck in a long line of cars on the expressway.
But to his surprise, everything went smoothly.
The car soon returned to Qingdao, and the driver dropped Qi Xia off at his apartment complex.
Qi Xia paid the fare according to the meter, then stood downstairs and looked up.
He was nervous.
Even participating in a land-level game hadn't made him this nervous.
Was Yu Nian'an at home?
Would the room show no signs of her ever having existed the moment he pushed open the door?
Qi Xia stood downstairs for a full five minutes, mentally preparing himself for the worst-case scenario, before finally dragging his heavy legs up the stairs.
If he didn't mentally prepare himself, Qi Xia felt like he would completely collapse this time.
He had already started to accept Yu Nian'an's disappearance. He just hoped fate wouldn't toy with him over and over again.
The third floor wasn't high, and despite his attempts to delay, Qi Xia soon found himself at the apartment door.
Trembling, he pulled the key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock.
"Don't mess with me... please..." Qi Xia said through gritted teeth. "You can torture me however you want, but you can't use Yu Nian'an to toy with me..."
His voice grew quieter, and his movements slowed to a halt.
He simply didn't have the courage to open this door.
When Qi Xia opened his eyes again, he found them filled with tears.
He was about to break.
If the ending once again led to despair, how could a human being possibly survive?
「Click」.
The doorknob turned, and the door opened by itself.
Yu Nian'an was holding a frying pan as a weapon, carefully poking her head out. "Wh-who is it?"
Qi Xia stared at the girl before him, too shocked to speak.
"Xia?" Yu Nian'an was startled, and the frying pan in her hand drooped. "You scared me to death! I thought it was a burglar. Weren't you supposed to be in Jinan?"
Qi Xia could no longer hold back his tears. He rushed forward and embraced Yu Nian'an.
Her voice, her smile, the scent of her hair, the warmth of her body.
It was all real.
"An..." Qi Xia sobbed, gritting his teeth. "It's so good to see you."
Yu Nian'an was slightly taken aback. She reached out and gently stroked Qi Xia's head. "What's wrong, Xia? Have these past few days been hard?"
"Yes... no, no..." Qi Xia hugged Yu Nian'an with all his strength. "Being able to see you... even going to hell wouldn't be hard."