Chapter 224: If You Miss Me, I Will Appear
Qi Xia stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the late-night street scene.
The street looked somewhat quiet at this late hour, yet it was still brightly lit.
A few taxis with their "Available" signs passed by, reminding Qi Xia that this was a reality even more bloody than the "Land of Endings."
There were no ants crawling over the walls on these nights; instead, there was the purest form of human nature.
Qi Xia stared at the empty street scene, furrowed his brow, and made another bold hypothesis.
Could the real Yu Nian'an... have also entered the "Land of Endings" along with the earthquake?
As soon as this thought came to him, a car passed by outside and happened to honk its horn, making Qi Xia shudder.
"That's right..." Qi Xia squinted, feeling that the direction of his hypothesis was very correct.
After all, countless people had entered the "Land of Endings," and there was no way to count them.
Yu Nian'an might be among them, perhaps even in another city in the "Land of Endings" far away from him.
But in the end, for some reason, she didn't come out.
So this world erased her existence.
Thinking further... things became a bit terrifying.
If there is a cycle every ten days, why didn't Yu Nian'an come out?
Because she advanced rapidly and truly became a "Zodiac"?
Or did she make a wrong move... and die there forever?
If he had to choose between these two scenarios, Qi Xia certainly hoped that Yu Nian'an was the "Celestial Sheep," at least she was still alive, at least there was hope of saving her.
Explained from this angle... everything made sense.
What the Earth Tiger had said... and the clues revealed between the lines by those "Divine Beasts" seemed to be slowly connecting here.
"Celestial Sheep" Yu Nian'an, and the vanished seven years.
These two things must have an extraordinary connection, and this was all the answers Qi Xia could find so far.
But the conditions for this answer to hold true were very strict; all the clues Qi Xia had obtained so far had to be "truth."
If anyone had lied, or if anyone was insane, this answer would completely collapse like a tree rotting from the bottom.
"Xia, you've been awake for a while?" Yu Nian'an's voice suddenly sounded.
Qi Xia, standing by the window, heard Yu Nian'an's voice and slowly turned his head, his eyes filled with coldness and despair.
Without him noticing, dawn had broken.
"What's wrong?" Yu Nian'an stared at Qi Xia, asking somewhat puzzled. "Didn't you sleep well?"
"It's nothing," Qi Xia shook his head. "An, I'm hungry. Let's have breakfast."
"Mm..." Yu Nian'an stood up and nodded gently. "I'll make breakfast for you."
Half an hour later, the two squeezed in front of a single-person dining table, eating simple bacon and fried eggs. Neither spoke.
A night of thinking had cleared Qi Xia's thoughts a lot, but it had also brought him to the brink of collapse.
The current situation had actually become more and more tricky.
He knew that the real Yu Nian'an might still be wandering in the "Land of Endings."
So today, he didn't plan to take the "substitute" in front of him outside; instead, he would wait quietly here for the earthquake.
He wanted to actively seek out Yu Nian'an.
This time, target: "Celestial Sheep."
"An, even though I feel really sorry for you, can you stay at home with me today?" Qi Xia asked.
"Sorry for me...?" Yu Nian'an asked with a smile. "What's there to be sorry about staying at home? I'd rather you were at home every day."
Yes, Qi Xia knew this feeling was very awkward.
It was as if he was personally killing Yu Nian'an.
He wanted to make sure he died on time in the earthquake, then return to the "Land of Endings" without fail.
But was his speculation too bold...?
Just because of a few details, he concluded that Yu Nian'an was not Yu Nian'an.
The real Yu Nian'an and the created Yu Nian'an... what was the difference exactly?
Yes... they might be exactly the same.
But even so, Qi Xia didn't want a life that was planned out for him.
He only wanted the original Yu Nian'an.
That girl who had suddenly appeared in his life, like sunlight.
That girl who would rack her brains to tell jokes when he was bored.
That girl who, when she bumped her hands or feet, was afraid he would worry, and gritted her teeth not to cry out.
That girl who always liked to take simple intelligence quizzes, pretending to be profound to test Qi Xia.
That girl who said "Dong dong dong."
That girl who, though already covered in scars, was willing to soothe him.
Only her. No one else would do.
Not even one glance, one thought different.
Qi Xia and Yu Nian'an squeezed together on the sofa, quietly watching the people coming and going on the TV.
"Xia, did you know?" Yu Nian'an asked, staring expressionlessly at the TV.
"I know," Qi Xia said. "There are many paths in this world, and everyone has their own path."
"Mm," Yu Nian'an nodded. "Xia, no matter which path you take, I will support you."
"I know," Qi Xia's eyes dimmed again. "An, I will cross thousands of mountains and rivers to find you."
"Find me?" Yu Nian'an gave a wry smile. "Xia, I'm right here."
"Yes, I know," Qi Xia's eyes began to slowly fill with tears. "It's because I can't control my longing for you that you're here."
"Xia, no matter where you go to look for me, as long as I can feel your longing, I will definitely come to your side." Yu Nian'an's eyes also began to well up with tears, but she didn't know why she was so sad.
These words also pushed Qi Xia's thoughts a big step closer to the edge of collapse.
Yes, if his "Echo" was "Create Yu Nian'an," could he find the real Yu Nian'an?
If you miss someone, you will meet.
He could only take the risk without triggering any "Echo," to go see the "Celestial-level" Zodiac.
Otherwise, Yu Nian'an would repeatedly appear by his side like a nightmare.
He didn't even know what status a person created by "Echo" had...
Would she dissipate along with the End?
If she didn't dissipate, then before the Land of Endings was filled with corpses, it would be covered in Yu Nian'ans.
So he could not let himself "Echo."
What worried Qi Xia even more was that this seemed like an exceptionally difficult journey. If he unfortunately died without the "Echo," all the previous clues would turn to ashes, and everything would start over.
This was a high-stakes gamble.
When the earthquake came, Qi Xia sat on the sofa, quietly holding Yu Nian'an's shoulder.
The whole building began to shake, and cracks gradually appeared on the walls.
The sound of mountains collapsing and seas roaring followed one after another.
In the distance came the sound of glass shattering, and countless cracks appeared in the sky, scattering sparkling stars.
"An, I'm sorry..." Qi Xia said with a pained expression.
"It's okay..." Yu Nian'an shook her head. "Xia, as long as you're by my side, I'll go even to the Avici Hell."
"No..." Qi Xia said through gritted teeth. "I won't let you stay in Avici Hell... I want you to stay by my side."
The ceiling suddenly cracked, and a large chunk of stone fell. Qi Xia instinctively shielded Yu Nian'an in his arms.
In this world, he only smiled for Yu Nian'an, and only cried for Yu Nian'an.
He absolutely could not lose Yu Nian'an.