Chapter 33
"So what?"
Qi Jin's voice was not loud, even gentle, but when it hit Shi Ye's eardrums, it was like metal hitting ice, making her soul tremble for a moment.
“Whatever the force, coincidence, or arrangement, whatever it may be.” Qi Jin leaned forward slightly, his breath brushing against Shi Ye’s forehead, carrying warmth and a barely perceptible tremor. “What I saw, what I touched, what I chose—was you.”
She paused, and two dark yet stubborn flames seemed to ignite deep within her eyes: "That's enough."
Shi Ye froze on the sofa, her back pressed against the soft cushions, yet it felt like she was against a cold, hard iron plate. Qi Jin's body temperature and breath were so close, the weight of his words almost suffocating her. Enough? What was enough? Was it Qi Jin's conviction that was enough, or was it the world's conspiracy to forcibly bind them together... enough?
The chaotic noise in his mind seemed to be temporarily suppressed by Qi Jin's words, receding like the tide, but the feeling of having his heart gripped by an invisible hand became even clearer. The 71% progress was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, with the words "This sword is non-refundable and non-exchangeable" engraved on its hilt.
"Qi Jin," Shi Ye heard his own voice drift, as if it came from a great distance, "Have you ever considered... what if this 'power' is malicious? What if its purpose isn't to fulfill something, but... something else?"
For example, turning her into a battery to keep this world running? Or worse, dragging Qi Jin into this vortex of collapse and having him swallowed up with her?
Qi Jin didn't answer immediately. She maintained that extremely imposing posture, her gaze carefully scanning Shi Ye's face, as if trying to read the unspoken fear and doubt in every subtle change in her expression.
After a long while, she straightened up and took a step back. The dim light of the living room filled the space between them again, and the suffocating pressure of close proximity lessened slightly.
“Shi Ye,” Qi Jin walked to the coffee table, picked up the empty soup bowl, and rubbed the warm porcelain with his fingertips. “I started learning fencing when I was five years old. My coach told me in the first lesson that on the battlefield, hesitation is more fatal than mistakes.”
She turned to look at Shi Ye, her eyes regaining their usual calm, but the flame deep within them had not been extinguished: "I can distinguish between real danger and excuses."
“Now, the brakes have been tampered with; someone wants to run me over. This is dangerous.” Qi Jin gently placed the bowl back on the coffee table, making a soft clinking sound. “And what you called ‘power,’ ‘arrangement,’ ‘coincidence’…”
She paused, a cold smile curving her lips: "Until I confirm it's dangerous, it's nothing."
In other words, in Qi Jin's logic, as long as this "power" doesn't hold a knife to her throat, she can choose to ignore it and continue to act according to her own will—for example, insisting on choosing Shi Ye.
This logic is so domineering it's almost naive, yet it damnably fits Qi Jin's character.
Shi Ye opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found herself speechless. Was she supposed to say, "No, this power is more terrifying than a knife; it might be formatting our data"? Where was the evidence? Just the intermittently functioning system in her mind and the few lines of code flashing before her eyes?
She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Silence fell in the living room again, but the atmosphere had subtly changed. The previous tension and panic had been somewhat diluted by Qi Jin's almost domineering declaration, replaced by a more complex and absurd confrontation.
"Ding-dong—ding-dong—"
The sudden sound of the doorbell, like a pair of scissors, abruptly cut through the silence inside.
The two of them froze, looking towards the door. This time? 2:30 AM?
Qi Jin frowned, her eyes instantly sharpening. She walked to the video intercom screen in the entryway and glanced at it.
On the screen, Lin Xiaoyu's face was squeezed in front of the camera, her hair was a little messy from the night wind, her eyes were wide open, and she was holding a bulging... pillow in her arms?
Qi Jin pressed the call button: "Xiao Yu?"
"Senior! Is Sister Shi Ye here with you?!" Lin Xiaoyu's voice came through the speaker, filled with obvious anxiety. "I kept trying to call her but couldn't get through! When I got home last night, I kept thinking that something was wrong. Sister Shi Ye wasn't doing well, and then something happened to you, Senior... I was really worried, so I came to check on you!"
Shi Ye: "..."
Qi Jin: "..."
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes, wondering, "What's wrong with this girl?"
Qi Jin pressed the open button. Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps going upstairs came from the corridor, followed by the sound of the keypad lock being pressed quickly.
The door opened. Lin Xiaoyu burst in like a cannonball, nearly tripping over the high threshold. She steadied herself, her gaze quickly sweeping across the living room, first landing on the band-aid on Qi Jin's forehead, and she gasped, "Senior! You're really hurt!" Then her gaze shifted to Shi Ye, who was dressed in ridiculously oversized pajamas and looked pale on the sofa, her eyes instantly reddening, "Sister Shi Ye! Are you alright?! You scared me to death!"
She ran over with a pillow in her arms, threw it on the sofa, squatted down in front of Shi Ye, grabbed her hand and looked her up and down: "Why couldn't I get through to you on the phone? I almost called the police! Then I remembered that my senior lived here, so I came here with a glimmer of hope... What happened to your foot? Why are you dressed like that? Are you injured too?"
A barrage of questions came at Shi Ye, making her a little dizzy. "I'm fine, Xiao Yu, really, I just... slipped and fell," she answered selectively. "My phone might be out of battery." Actually, the world had collapsed, causing both the signal and charging function to malfunction.
"You fell? Is it serious? Let me see!" Lin Xiaoyu was worried and reached out to lift Shi Ye's trouser leg.
"It's not serious, it's already been dealt with." Qi Jin spoke up at the right time, his voice regaining its usual calm. "How did you get here? It's not safe for you to be alone at this time."
"I took a taxi here!" Lin Xiaoyu finally let go of Shi Ye, turned to Qi Jin, her face filled with even more worry, "Senior, what did the police say? Is someone really trying to harm you? Is it that bastard Qin Ming? I knew he was no good! Let's call the police and have him arrested!"
"The police are investigating," Qi Jin said succinctly. "There is no direct evidence pointing to him yet."
"It's definitely him!" Lin Xiaoyu said angrily, then slumped her shoulders, looked at the wound on Qi Jin's forehead, and whispered, "Senior, does it hurt..."
"It doesn't hurt," Qi Jin said, then paused, looking at the pillow she had brought, "What is this...?"
"Oh! This!" Lin Xiaoyu picked up the chubby pillow with a cartoon rabbit print, a little embarrassed. "I... I was worried that Sister Shi Ye wouldn't have a place to sleep, or wouldn't be used to sleeping there, so I brought my favorite pillow! This pillow is so comfortable, it makes me feel really safe when I hug it!"
Shi Ye looked at the rabbit pillow that was almost half the size of Lin Xiaoyu, and then at Qi Jin's minimalist living room, and was speechless for a moment.
Qi Jin was silent for two seconds before saying, "There are pillows in the guest rooms."
“That’s different!” Lin Xiaoyu said earnestly, “Mine is ‘Peace of Mind Rabbit,’ it’s magical! Holding it will prevent you from having any nightmares!” As she spoke, she stuffed the rabbit pillow into Shi Ye’s arms, “Sister Shi Ye, you can sleep with it tonight, I guarantee you’ll sleep soundly!”
Shi Ye was forced to hug the soft, fluffy pillow that still carried the faint fruity scent of Lin Xiaoyu, and his lips twitched. "...Thank you."
Qi Jin rubbed his temples, seemingly weary from this sudden turn of events. "Xiao Yu, tonight..."
"I'm not leaving!" Lin Xiaoyu said immediately, her eyes resolute. "Senior, you're injured, and Sister Shi Ye isn't feeling well either. I'll stay here and take care of you! I can sleep on the sofa!"
As she spoke, her gaze searched the living room for a suitable "bed," then settled on the spacious but seemingly hard-looking leather sofa. Her throat bobbed, but she still puffed out her chest: "The sofa is perfect! I'm a very quiet sleeper!"
Shi Ye and Qi Jin looked at each other again.
Shi Ye gestured with his eyes: Think of a way.
Qi Jin returned her gaze: She wants to stay, and I can't stop her.
Finally, Qi Jin sighed: "The guest room can sleep two people."
"Really?!" Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, then she hesitated, "Wouldn't that be too much of a bother..."
"No," Qi Jin interrupted her. "Go take a shower; there are spare towels in the guest room bathroom."
Lin Xiaoyu cheered, picked up her small backpack (which even contained pajamas and toiletries), and rushed to the guest room with practiced ease. Just before entering, she turned back and called out, "Sister Shiye, go lie down! I'll be right there, I won't bother you!"
The guest room door was closed.
Only Qi Jin and Shi Ye remained in the living room, along with that oddly placed, grinning rabbit plushie.
Qi Jin walked up to Shi Ye, reached out... and took the rabbit pillow.
Shi Ye: "?"
Qi Jin placed the cushion on the single sofa next to him in a very natural way: "She's a restless sleeper, so I'll put this in the middle so she won't kick you in the middle of the night."
Shi Ye: "..." How do you know she's a restless sleeper?
Qi Jin seemed to understand her question and added casually, "She used to share a room with me when our university club went out for activities."
All right.
"Go to sleep," Qi Jin said. "Tonight... there shouldn't be any more trouble."
Her tone was certain, but Shi Ye detected a subtle tension. Qi Jin was also uneasy, but she habitually masked it with calmness.
Shi Ye stood up, clutching the rabbit-shaped body pillow that Qi Jin had rejected. The wound on the sole of her foot throbbed faintly under the dressing.
She took two steps, stopped, and turned back.
Qi Jin remained standing in the same spot, his figure appearing exceptionally tall and lonely in the dim light.
"Qi Jin," Shi Ye called out.
Qi Jin looked up at her.
"...Good night." Shi Ye only said these two words in the end.
Qi Jin's gaze seemed to soften for a moment.
"Okay, goodnight."
Shi Ye hugged the rabbit-shaped plush pillow and slowly walked back to the guest room. The door closed, shutting out the light from the living room and that gaze.
She tossed the cushion onto the bed and lay down herself. The mattress was soft, and the pillow carried an unfamiliar scent. From the bathroom next door came Lin Xiaoyu humming a song and the sound of running water, a lively atmosphere that strangely dispelled some of the lingering coldness and eeriness.
The system in my mind remained dead, but the vague feeling of being "watched" and "associated" followed me like a shadow.
71%.
Forced association.
Qi Jin's "So what?"
Lin Xiaoyu's sudden arrival and that silly, trusting rabbit.
All of this was mixed together like a pot of boiling, strangely flavored soup.
Shi Ye closed her eyes and buried her face in the fruit-scented rabbit-shaped pillow.
tomorrow.
Something needs to be done tomorrow.
We can no longer passively wait for the collapse to occur, or wait for that damned progress bar to reach 100%.
She needs to figure out the truth of this world, the purpose of the system, and... what kind of vortex she and Qi Jin have been dragged into.
Before her consciousness sank into darkness, she vaguely thought: I hope Lin Xiaoyu's reassuring rabbit really has some kind of magic.
At least, don't let her dream about those cold codes and torn data streams.
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