Read Must I Capture My Arch-Nemesis? - Chapter 109, End of Main Text (Part 2): Never to Be Apart...

Chapter 109, End of Main Text (Part 2): Never to Be Apart...

Xue Rongyue is dead.

At that moment, her death was like a grain of sand thrown into the deep sea, causing no ripples in Chang'an. Apart from a few people sighing with regret, one person's hair turned white overnight, his heart was broken, and he could not let go of the grief.

The sun and moon alternate, the cold comes and the heat goes, flowers bloom and wither, the passage of time never changes, never stops.

But as time went on, the waves stirred up by this inconspicuous grain of sand became more and more towering.

King Xian died, died suddenly and unexpectedly.

He didn't fall at the feet of the male and female leads with relief and helplessness, but died at the hands of a vicious female supporting character, full of resentment and unwillingness. He died at a point where he shouldn't have died. Not only that, but his plans over the years were also dismantled effortlessly.

Xue Fengchun flipped through the book in his hands, but often became more and more restless as he looked at it, and would often fall into a daze.

As if guided by some unseen force, she was urged to do something, but now that the dust had settled, the villains had been brought to justice, and her great revenge had been achieved, she no longer needed to do anything.

The crown prince stood atop a towering pavilion, overlooking the streets and alleys of Chang'an, his gaze constantly searching for something among the crowd.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he had a vague feeling that there was someone in his life who hadn't appeared yet, and that he should go find her.

Officials who would have struggled to survive in the turbulent court will no longer be forced to take sides; those who would have suffered at the hands of Prince Xian in the years to come will live well; and the wars that would have been caused by Prince Xian's rebellion will never happen again...

The story has been quietly changed.

More and more "should have" were modified, giving rise to more and more inexplicable things. Unbeknownst to many, the seemingly peaceful Chang'an was actually hiding a breathtaking and turbulent undercurrent.

At first, it was just one person who suddenly went mad.

He was a scholar who had failed the imperial examination again. Looking at the posted imperial edict, his expression suddenly became crazed and twisted. He ran down the street shouting, "It's fake! It's all fake! It's all a lie! It was all predetermined!"

Many people sighed upon seeing this, assuming he had gone mad from the shock. However, upon closer inspection, they noticed a few people in the crowd with thoughtful expressions.

Gradually, more and more people went crazy.

They were refugees and vagrants, ordinary people, embroiderers, scions of noble families, scholars, ladies of the inner chambers, maids in the mansion, or... once a majestic general.

One person is insignificant, two people are insignificant, five people are insignificant, ten people are insignificant, a hundred people are insignificant, but what about a thousand or ten thousand people?

Gradually, even the world changed.

An elderly woman, her eyesight failing, sat by candlelight late at night sewing a wedding dress for her granddaughter. She lit one candle after another, but found that dawn was never breaking.

A young child, peering curiously out the window, counted the night watchman walking past the gate once, twice, three times, four times, five times...

He asked his mother curiously, "Is he lost?"

Meanwhile, Ji Dian was shocked to find that Qin Jin, who could once hit a target from a hundred paces away and take a man's head with a single arrow on the battlefield, looked haggard and was as thin as a skeleton.

Moreover, he couldn't even pull the bow anymore.

He then found Wushi Powder in Qin Jin's room.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince, who had always been in good health, fell ill without any warning.

He lay on the bed, unconscious, but kept muttering that he wanted to find someone.

The emperor was at his wits' end about this, but neither the Taoist priests nor the renowned doctors could offer any solutions, and in the end, they could only come up with one conclusion—

"This is a psychological problem."

[Beep—]

[A serious deviation from the original plot has been detected, with several characters' personalities inconsistent, making it impossible for the story to continue in the original world. Corrections are now necessary.]

[Fixing in progress...]

[To ensure the original plot can return to normal and to save several characters, the character [Xue Rongyue] has been eliminated, based on the judgment of the original work.]

[The original plot has been successfully revised!]

As the earth-shaking pronouncement fell, the world that had been paused was refreshed, Chang'an City was revitalized, and everything related to Xue Rongyue was completely erased.

As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the long street remains as bustling and lively as ever.

Refugees wandering around beg along the streets, ordinary people hustle and bustle for a living, and embroiderers thread needles to sew handkerchiefs.

The young men of noble families indulged in revelry and pleasure, while the young ladies gazed out the window at the spring branches, hoping for the day the flowers would bloom. The maids in the mansion helped the old lady get up, and the majestic generals fought on the battlefield, making a name for themselves.

Everything seemed to be back on track.

However, the traces that an individual can leave behind are far more profound than what the system can imagine.

These traces, woven into the fabric of time, might be a cup of hot tea, a favorite hairpin, a branch adorned with spring blossoms, a beloved pastry, or... a red string that was once forgotten.

Even more so, it is a living, breathing person.

Qin Jin has been acting increasingly strangely lately.

It wasn't just Ji Dian who discovered this; everyone who knew or associated with Qin Jin noticed it.

He often fell into deep thought while drinking tea, and would suddenly mutter something while eating chestnut cake. A man who was not yet married would take out his silver and buy a beautiful hairpin, and would always subconsciously reach out to pluck a blooming crabapple tree...

Even Qin Jin himself couldn't explain why he was behaving so strangely.

These behaviors seemed to be etched into his bones and integrated into his flesh and blood; he always did them subconsciously.

Fortunately, he soon got the answer.

It was a bright and sunny spring day. Qin Jin was invited by Ji Dian to Puming Temple. Ji Dian was concerned about Qin Jin's recent strange behavior and originally wanted to invite him to come and pray. However, when they walked out of the temple and passed the lush and leafy marriage tree, Qin Jin suddenly froze.

"What's wrong?" Ji Dian asked, puzzled.

Qin Jin did not answer. He raised his head and stared intently at the red rope floating down from above.

His hands clenched tightly, his heart pounding faster and faster as memories he had been deliberately concealing surged forth, overwhelming him—

"I wonder what the young master has left behind. I will send people to look for it."

The host walked over.

Watching the woman's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Qin Jin withdrew his gaze, smiled slightly, and said, "Please fetch another red string."

Upon hearing this, the abbot understood, put his hands together, said "Amitabha," and then personally went to get a red string.

While waiting, Qin Jin walked to the edge of the cliff, intending to watch the woman descend the mountain, but unexpectedly, a splash of red caught his eye.

The red rope, which had been hung up by the woman and then blown away by the wind, was now entangled in a few feet of withered branches below the cliff, swaying in the wind.

The host brought out a new red rope and was about to walk to the edge of the cliff to hand it to Qin Jin, who was standing there. Suddenly, Qin Jin took off the long whip from his waist, tied it to the old tree beside him, and then jumped!

A series of exclamations immediately rang out from all around.

The host stared wide-eyed in disbelief. After realizing what had happened, he quickly walked over, but before he could reach the edge of the cliff, Qin Jin had already nimbly leaped up using his long whip.

He was still tightly clutching a red string in his hand.

Under the host's surprised gaze, he hung the red rope up again firmly, then walked over, took the new red rope from the host, and thanked him.

He clasped his hands together, stood devoutly under the tree, and made a wish.

What is your wish?

Qin Jin took a deep breath and finally remembered.

"I hope that Xue Rongyue's wishes will all come true."

Xue Rongyue.

The name emerged from the depths of his heart, took root and sprouted again, growing into a towering tree. At that moment, all his strange behavior had an answer.

"Xue Rongyue Xue Rongyue Xue, Rong, Yue..."

Qin Jin repeated the name over and over again.

He finally remembered everything.

But he was the only one who remembered all of this.

Xue Rongyue's existence has been completely erased. This name is so unfamiliar to everyone. They don't remember that the Xue family once had a Second Madam Xue.

Everyone else had forgotten her, except for Qin Jin.

So everyone said he was crazy.

He really has gone mad.

[Beep—]

[Fixing in progress...]

[To ensure the original plot can return to normal and to save several characters, the character [Xue Rongyue] has been eliminated, based on the judgment of the original work.]

[The original plot has been successfully revised!]

However, this time it didn't last long either.

The character [Qin Jin] cannot forget Xue Rongyue, and all attempts to erase her are in vain. He will repeatedly utter that name to awaken that memory.

It's like a recurring dream.

No matter how many times he tries to erase his memories and traces of you, he will always remember you, causing the plot to deviate and the character's personality to collapse.

Ultimately, with no other option, they had to restart the original story and start over.

With the system's words echoing in her mind and the ceaseless whistling wind in her ears, Xue Rongyue pursed her lips, cracked her whip, and her steed galloped away like an arrow.

The horse carried Xue Rongyue past pavilions and towers, across flickering firelight, and through the bustling streets. A quarter of an hour later, it stopped at Qin Jin's private residence.

The servant was surprised to hear someone knocking at the door. Peeking through the crack, he saw Xue Rongyue.

The servant quickly opened the door: "Madam Xue, what brings you here at this hour?"

Xue Rongyue ignored him, her face pale, and she rushed towards the secret chamber with hurried steps.

The secret room had been locked again. Xue Rongyue anxiously tugged at it a few times without success. Her eyes searched around, and finally she took a stone brick from under the tree and smashed it hard against the lock on the door.

"Clang!"

One sound after another echoed throughout the courtyard, and Xue Rongyue did not stop even though her hands were already bloody and mangled.

Upon hearing the news, Guang Sheng rushed over anxiously. He carefully approached and said, "Madam Xue..."

Xue Rongyue's eyes reddened, and she looked at him warily upon hearing this.

Seeing this, Guang Sheng quickly said, "I have the key, let me open it."

Xue Rongyue's gaze shifted to the key in Guang Sheng's hand, and she slowly took a step back.

Guang Sheng didn't dare to delay. He stepped forward and quickly opened the lock, and even took a candle and handed it to Xue Rongyue.

The faint firelight dispelled the gloom in the room, and the moonlight shone in, illuminating the painting clearly.

Snow falls in winter, under the white plum tree.

Every inch of the scene in the painting corresponds to the real place.

Xue Rongyue stared intently at the blank space under the tree, a space that had not been depicted by any brush or ink.

It was so clear under the moonlight and candlelight.

It was a blank human figure.

The candlestick in his hand suddenly fell to the ground, the candle went out, leaving only a wisp of smoke.

Touching the painting, the realistic texture made Xue Rongyue's fingertips tremble violently. Her breath caught in her throat, and tears streamed down her face.

Standing in front of this painting, she stood there for an unknown amount of time, until even her tears stopped falling.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

She turned around and saw Qin Jin standing at the entrance of the secret chamber, still wearing his armor. He was backlit by the moonlight, so she couldn't see the expression on his face, but his eyes flickered with unfathomable emotions.

"You...you still have memories of your past life, right?"

Xue Rongyue's voice choked with emotion as she asked the question with difficulty.

If Qin Jin had no memories of his past life, how could he have painted this picture?

Qin Jin remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Upon hearing Qin Jin's admission, even Xue Rongyue, who had been certain on her way here, couldn't help but tremble. She collapsed to the ground, closed her eyes, but still couldn't suppress the pounding in her heart.

Qin Jin walked over and tried to help her up, but she pushed his hand away.

After a moment of silence, Qin Jin squatted down.

He didn't speak again, but quietly looked at Xue Rongyue and stayed by her side.

The lanterns hanging under the eaves had their candles burned out, their light extinguished, leaving only the moonlight tirelessly casting its silvery glow.

It felt like countless hours had passed, yet also like only the blink of an eye. Xue Rongyue, her voice hoarse, finally managed to ask the question: "Qin Jin."

With tears welling in her eyes, she looked at Qin Jin and asked, "Do you...do you still hate me?"

Qin Jin shook his head again, his voice hoarse and low: "I stopped hating him a long time ago, it's just..."

Xue Rongyue asked softly, "But what?"

"But sometimes when I think about the past, I still can't let it go."

Qin Jin looked at Xue Rongyue, his eyes also reddening: "For example, in my previous life, what did someone say after kissing me while I was asleep?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks again. Qin Jin raised his hand to wipe them away, but Xue Rongyue suddenly hugged him.

"I love you."

Qin Jin's body stiffened instantly. He abruptly raised his eyes, his breathing trembling.

Xue Rongyue hugged him tightly, her scalding tears falling onto his neck, making Qin Jin's heart tremble.

Xue Rongyue's voice trembled as she said, word by word, "I love you. In my previous life, I said, I love you."

Suddenly, the world fell silent, so quiet that one could clearly hear the sound of each other's heartbeats.

The question that had been weighing on his mind finally got an answer.

Qin Jin's breathing became increasingly heavy, and he remained stiff for an unknown period of time, like someone who was lost in a beautiful dream and unwilling to wake up.

Finally, he reached out and hugged Xue Rongyue back.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and at that moment, he couldn't help but shed tears: "...That's enough."

[Detection revealed that the target [Qin Jin]'s hatred value has decreased by 1, and is now at zero.]

[Based on testing, the target [Qin Jin] initially had a maximum affection level of 100, and currently has a maximum affection level of 100 (data exceeding the maximum value is ignored)]

[Upon inspection, the progress for the objective [Qin Jin] has increased by 1, bringing the total progress to 100%.]

[Congratulations, host! The ultimate mission—conquering the character [Qin Jin]—has been completed!]

The silent world suddenly erupted into noise again. A sudden gust of wind sounded like a joyful cheer, tirelessly swirling in golden osmanthus blossoms that scattered across the ground behind the two of them.

Under the tranquil moonlight, birds circled and flowers bloomed.

Inside the room, the two embraced each other tightly, their shadows intertwined.

It seems to be a silent declaration—

From this day forward, for all eternity, we shall never be apart.

[End of text]

-----------------------

Author's Note: The main text is finished. This book can be said to have been created because of Xiaoyue's character design and the content of the last two chapters. I made a plate of dumplings for a dish of vinegar.

To be honest, this is my second completed novel after "My Pure White Persona Cannot Be Lost". When writing this novel, it was inevitably difficult for me. I doubted myself and was internally conflicted. But this time, I did not back down. Instead, I gritted my teeth and finished it, at least giving Xiaoyue and Shizi a complete life.

At the same time, it also gave me a lot of confidence.

It may sound contradictory, but it's true. After finishing "White Lotus," I felt like I was caught in a vicious cycle. I couldn't finish a novel. I would always be overwhelmed by difficulties after writing just the beginning, and then I would choose to escape. This made me doubt myself and whether I was suitable for writing or even capable of writing.

Although only the main text is finished, the completion of this book at least tells me that I can still finish writing a book.

Although this article has many problems and the data is obviously not good, my daily income has remained at around five or six yuan for the past few months of updating it, and sometimes it can reach more than ten yuan. But I am very glad that I persisted in writing it.

But I must say that much of my motivation to persevere comes from you all. Looking at the IDs that have been familiar from the beginning, and those that were initially unfamiliar but have become increasingly familiar, I truly thank you. Sometimes I feel powerless when it comes to writing, but most of the time I'm shocked—shocked at how lucky I am. Often, the amount of "nutrient solution" (comments/rewards) for this story exceeds its number of favorites. Almost every chapter has comments from you all, including Xiao Bao's sincere encouragement. I even saw some readers say they haven't had time to read it recently, but will turn on auto-subscription to read it when they're busy. It made me want to cry. [Crying][Crying]

Sometimes, I really feel like I'm not worthy of it.

Thank you all, thank you so much.

I will always love you all.

Thank you again with sincere gratitude. (bows)

Hopefully we can meet again in the next book~ Goodnight everyone~