From the Bureau's perspective, Ruan Qing'an was once a native of this small world. Before becoming a mission taker, she was an ordinary person in this small world, just as Xie Huainan said—enjoying a simple and peaceful happiness.

Nguyen Thanh An's parents run a business; although it's not a large company, they are wealthy people who live in a villa.

He was living the life of a small business owner.

She was beautiful and intelligent, seemingly born to be a princess, living a smooth and near-perfect life.

...

In the spacious living room, Nguyen Thanh An sat on the sofa.

A first-aid kit was placed to the side, and the mother gently disinfected and applied medicine to her eyes. Seeing that the girl's eyes were still red from crying, she felt even more heartbroken.

"Qing'an, what's wrong with you?"

The woman's words contained no blame, only worry.

Hearing her gentle words, Ruan Qing'an couldn't help but bite her lower lip. How could she possibly reveal everything that had happened before? Whether it was a dream or not, it was all too real to tell.

Looking at everything familiar before him, Ruan Qing'an instinctively nestled into the woman's arms, whispering, "Mom..."

"Don't worry, Mom is always here."

She finally closed her eyes, carefully concealing her emotions.

In Ruan Qingan's memory, everything had gone smoothly until she went to university, when her mother's health suddenly deteriorated and she was diagnosed with stomach cancer and hospitalized.

Moreover, when Nguyen Thanh An was a sophomore, her mother could no longer hold on, her condition worsened, and she passed away suddenly.

And after her mother's death, her father's heart was also taken away...

Although my father wasn't exactly on the verge of death, his condition clearly deteriorated, and he remained listless for a long time. During this period, his former competitors seized the opportunity presented by his poor health, gaining considerable advantages in business, and even...

In the end, their situation worsened, and they sold the villa and moved into a cramped rental apartment.

All of this happened in just a few years.

Thinking of this, Ruan Qing'an, who was nestled in the woman's arms, subconsciously raised her head and looked at her profile: "Mom."

"What's wrong, Qing'an?"

"...Let me take you to the hospital for a physical examination."

The mother was clearly surprised, but seeing that Ruan Qing'an was in a bad mood and looked like she was about to cry, she sighed and said, "Alright, alright, we'll listen to Qing'an. Don't cry."

Soon, as if to verify something, or to determine his mother's health condition, Ruan Qing'an directly booked a medical check-up at the hospital for the next day, and took his mother for a comprehensive examination, with a focus on the stomach.

A few days later, the hospital finally released the report.

Compared to her mother, who didn't pay much attention, Nguyen Thanh An went to the hospital early in the morning and got the report from the doctor.

She also had experience as a doctor in small worlds. Although there were some differences in the details of medical care between different small worlds, they were not much different in the same modern world.

"This is……"

After examining the condition carefully, Ruan Qingan's expression suddenly turned grim. Based on her experience, her mother's condition was already showing signs of developing into cancer, but it was not too late yet; it was only in the early stages and could still be saved.

Thinking of this, Ruan Qing'an couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "Luckily, I really did come for the check-up; it's still in time..."

The mother, standing nearby, asked, "Qing'an, can you understand it?"

Instead of answering directly, she said, "Mom, tell Dad right away and arrange the treatment today."

"Okay, okay..."

Seeing Ruan Qing'an's decisive and overly reliable demeanor, and how she arranged and handled everything so well, her mother simply felt at ease and entrusted the matter to her.

In a daze, her daughter felt both familiar and strange.

Ruan Qing'an quickly informed her father, who was on a business trip out of town, about the hospital check-up. After all, this matter concerned her mother's health, and her father took it very seriously after receiving the news. He immediately ended his work out of town and rushed back.

Ruan Qingan also took care of all the hospital affairs, running around to ensure his mother could receive treatment as soon as possible.

Until nightfall—

The hospital corridor was quiet. Ruan Qing'an sat outside the ward, stroking the examination report in his hand, waiting.

Just then, the sound of running footsteps came from behind.

The father, carrying a briefcase in one hand, came running up, panting: "Qing'an, how is your mother?"

"It's alright, don't worry, Dad."

Ruan Qingan explained, "It was discovered early, and the doctor said that if we start treatment now, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Upon hearing this, the father breathed a sigh of relief. Noticing that there were still medical staff in the ward, he did not go in, but simply hugged Ruan Qing'an and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Qing'an."

“I’m all grown up now, Dad.”

"Alright, alright, if you hadn't dragged your mother here for the checkup, and it had been delayed until later, then it would have been completely ruined!"

Upon hearing her father's words, Ruan Qing'an suddenly froze on the spot, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably until she recovered from her previous busy and anxious state—

Ruan Qing'an then realized that what was happening now indeed confirmed his memories. If that was the case…

So what exactly is meant by "a grand dream"?

Before the father could notice Ruan Qing'an's strange expression, medical staff came out of the ward and rushed over to ask what was wrong.

Ruan Qing'an stood outside the ward, looking at his mother inside, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

If... everything is real, and it's not a dream, then if she changed the course of the story, would she still encounter the Management Bureau, and would she still encounter X09 from back then?

Even she herself didn't know the answer.

However, if Nguyen Thanh An were to watch his parents die, just to maintain the same trajectory as before...

She couldn't do that...

Just then, her father called her from behind, and Ruan Qing'an finally snapped out of her thoughts and turned around. As she turned her head, it was as if she had made a decision.

...

Things unfolded exactly as that person had predicted—

She can return to the place where she once lived, enjoy a simple and peaceful happiness, and have a smooth life until the end.

My mother didn't die, and my father's business is booming.

Ruan Qingan buried all his memories deep inside, never speaking of them to others, but simply using his abilities to help his family get better and better, and live happier lives.

And so it went, one year, two years...

It wasn't until his sophomore year that Nguyen Thanh An returned home from school, which was actually a crucial turning point in his life.

On her way back to her rented room, she saw a beggar girl, but the system that had fallen accidentally hit her on the head due to an incorrect landing location, taking her to the Administration Bureau.

This is why Nguyen Thanh An became increasingly anxious.

Just then, the front door opened, and the mother appeared carrying a shopping basket: "Oh, Qing'an's back?"

"mom……"

Hearing the slightly hoarse voice, the mother subconsciously looked over and saw Ruan Qing'an looking at her, seemingly hesitating about something: "What's wrong, Qing'an?"

"...Mom, if there is something that might happen and cause a big change, I have the option to choose whether or not to do it, but I may not have the option."

Listening to Ruan Qing'an's somewhat incoherent and illogical words, the woman had never seen her like this before, but she still didn't say anything more, instead gently asking in return.

"Qing'an, do you want to do this?"

"..."

After a brief silence, Nguyen Thanh An nodded.

She had been enjoying two years of ordinary life, but she still couldn't let go of that experience in her memory, the restart of reincarnation and the intersection of fate. She also couldn't forget those dark green eyes and the tall figure scattered among the stars.

At this moment, the mother said, "Then go ahead and do it. Your parents will support you in whatever you do. It's okay."

...

As evening fell, Ruan Qing'an arrived at the alleyway from her memory. In her past life, it was here that she met the beggar girl and, by a twist of fate, obtained the system.

But when Nguyen Thanh An arrived, only the dimly lit alleyway stretched out into a deep darkness at its end.

Despite this, there was no one in the alley.

There were no beggar girls...

Upon realizing this, Ruan Qing'an suddenly froze on the spot. Looking at the empty alley in front of her, all the entanglement and hesitation in her heart vanished in an instant.

"Heh, so it really is because the trajectory changed..."

She whispered, "Or perhaps... it was just a dream."

Ruan Qing'an's leaden gray eyes dimmed involuntarily, but just as she turned around—

'Thud!'

A ball hit her on the head, right in the center of her aim.

The next moment, a voice appeared in Ruan Qing'an's mind: "Three Thousand Dimensions Administration Bureau, System x09."

"Hello, host. You can call me x09."

Ruan Qing'an stood there blankly, subconsciously looking up. Beyond the dark night sky, it seemed as if he could see eyes gazing at him, because—the voice in his mind had changed from an inorganic electronic tone to a deep male voice.

Beyond the small world, amidst a sky full of stars, a godlike man holds the small world, which resembles a crystal ball, and gazes down at his lover with tender affection.

Reborn after reincarnation, from weak to strong, traversing billions of light-years, searching for countless small worlds.

The world, disrupted by the butterfly effect, prevented him from tracing the footsteps of his loved ones, and even from finding that tiny, fragile plane that had given birth to his beloved.

Despite all this, he traveled tirelessly to the stars, and finally—at the time ordained by fate—they met again as promised.

"You can also call me Xie, Huai, or Nan."

"Long time no see, my... Ruan Ruan."