The person opposite had a face exactly like Lu An'an's. The difference was that Lu An'an was lively and vibrant, full of life, while the person opposite was extremely thin, with sunken cheeks, and exuded a sense of withering and decay. An indescribable atmosphere of despair surrounded him, so heavy that it was suffocating.

"Why...did it turn out like this?"

Lu An'an's gaze was fixed on the "self" in front of her, her eyes reddened, her voice trembled, and she choked with uncontrollable sobs.

The person opposite her had eyes full of tenderness and relief. She looked gently at the energetic and vibrant Lu An'an, a faint smile appearing on her lips: "Hello, Lu An'an, I am... An'an."

An'an took a few small steps forward and stopped in front of Lu An'an. Her withered fingers gently traced the contours of Lu An'an's face. Her eyes gradually turned red, but she forcefully restrained herself from letting the tears fall.

She smiled and nodded, her voice slowly spilling out: "That's wonderful, Lu An'an, you're happy now."

Lu An'an tightly gripped that thin, bony hand. In that instant, she seemed to feel the overwhelming despair of "An'an," and her heart ached terribly. Lu An'an involuntarily bent over, each breath feeling like it was being torn apart in her chest, and a faint smell of blood seemed to fill her mouth.

"An'an" gently pulled her into her arms, her voice soft: "Don't be sad, you did a great job, congratulations, Lu An'an, you successfully protected your parents and brothers, you are better than me, you protected the people you love."

It took Lu An'an a long time to calm down before she asked, "Why...why don't I have these memories?"

"An'an" smiled and said, "Just like your master said, I made a deal with the Heavenly Dao in exchange for a chance to restart the small world and change my destiny. Your memories are carefully organized by me and are the most suitable gift for you now. They will allow you to move forward with more determination."

As if she had thought of something interesting, a beautiful smile appeared on her pale face.

"But I didn't expect you to argue with me for so long because of these memories. It's quite interesting to argue with yourself."

However, the smile vanished in an instant, and her eyes gradually lost their luster.

“An’an, I hope you won’t blame me. I’ve experienced the pain of each world restart. Those memories have been stuffed into my brain again and again. Besides deepening my hatred and despair, they have also made me lose my judgment of the enemy. Pei Sheng and I are too familiar with each other, so much so that we can’t reach a real settlement.”

"His conspiracy was far beyond my imagination and my capacity to bear. In my current state, I was unable to respond rationally. Every time I restarted, I was unable to truly protect my family. So when I made a deal with your master, I begged him to alter your memories."

She gently stroked Lu An'an's hair and continued, "Saying I am you might not be accurate. An'an, you are a completely new you. Pei Sheng doesn't understand you now and can't predict your next step. You have given me hope. You can stop him."

Lu An'an's voice was slightly hoarse, as if an invisible boulder was pressing on her throat: "What is his conspiracy?"

An'an's voice was heavy: "He wants to destroy the world."

Lu An'an frowned: "Why?"

"An An" slowly said, "A cold father, an abusive mother, the identity of an illegitimate child, and a broken him are the settings for the male lead. I awakened earlier than him and didn't want to follow the tragic love story script of redeeming him, having aborted three children and still having a happy ending. In order to resist the plot, I left him early. It should be because of me that Pei Sheng also awakened quickly, but unlike me, he couldn't accept that his tragic life was artificially woven and became completely black."

"Pei Sheng knew the plot's future direction and that I, as the female lead, had awakened. He wanted to cooperate with me to overthrow the world. However, because I knew the plot, I disliked him and was unwilling to cooperate with him. In order to force me, he started to target the people around me. In his logic, the reason I was unwilling to join forces with him was because there were too many people around me who were holding me back, such as my parents and brothers. So he started to eliminate the obstacles around me according to his wishes."

An'an curled her lips into a mocking smile.

"The plot has completely changed. The male and female protagonists have become enemies. The small world is unstable and restarts again and again. The two of us are also awakening faster and faster. Every time we awaken, the memories of the last time will return to our minds. So the result is that we are trapped in the cycle of restarting the world. Pei Sheng and I are completely irreconcilable enemies."

A heavy pain flashed in An'an's eyes.

"With Pei Sheng's repeated awakenings and the enhancement of his memories, his thoughts have become increasingly profound, and he understands me better and better. All my plans are transparent to him. I have failed too many times. In order to completely defeat him, I begged the Time and Space Administration Bureau for the Heavenly Dao in exchange for this opportunity to be reshaped."

She looked up at Lu An'an with a gentle yet firm gaze, and said softly, "An'an, your master has raised you very well. I haven't seen myself so vibrant in a very long time. Thank you."

Lu An'an's eyes were empty and blank. She shook her head gently. She had no memory of the words "she" had said. But as she narrated, an indescribable sorrow spread in her heart and grew deeper and deeper.

She didn't doubt the truthfulness of those words, but... a strange sadness welled up in her heart.

It turns out that "she" had once walked such a path filled with despair.

She struggled to open her mouth, her voice hoarse: "What should I do?"

An'an smiled gently and said, "Just be yourself. You've already done a great job, haven't you? Your parents and brothers are all by your side. In fact, you've changed the fate of many people around you. An'an, please don't carry too much on your shoulders. Just keep going and stay strong."

After saying that, she gently hugged Lu An'an again, her voice dissipating into the air like the wind.

"An'an, I hope you can walk well on the road ahead. I believe in you, you can do it. Thank you for giving me this trust and hope."

With a very soft "thank you" uttered, Lu An'an's vision returned to normal, and she was back in her master's courtyard.

Across from him, the master closed his eyes and concentrated, sensing the last trace of "An'an's" breath dissipate, and sighed softly.

His gaze fell on his young apprentice's face, which was already unconsciously wet with tears. His fingers gently caressed the edge of the envelope in his palm. After a struggle in his heart, he finally silently put it away.

The little girl is so sad right now, let's not add to her burden.

only……

The master frowned slightly, pondering in his heart.

Should we tell our little apprentice about Fu Zhiyan's true identity now?