Final Chapter
"Xie Chengnan...you mustn't die! If you die, I'll remarry immediately!"
Xie Chengnan heard this and smiled.
My body aches so much, it really hurts... but my mind seems to be clearer, and I can actually think of something. Thank goodness she didn't see that letter, otherwise, I don't know how much trouble she would have caused...
Lin Yi said again, "If you die, I'll die with you. If we're lucky, we can go home; if we're not, we'll disappear forever, and I'll cease to exist in this world. Do you hear me?"
"You can't die. If you die, I'll die too..."
Xie Chengnan naturally didn't hear what was said after that, as he fell into a deep sleep again.
It seemed that the moment of Qingming was just Lin Yi's illusion.
She couldn't help but start overthinking again, wondering what he had just said to her, what he might want to say to her, whether he, like her, desperately wanted to live... As she thought about it, her heart suddenly tightened. A phrase came to mind: a final burst of energy before death.
Why did Xie Chengnan suddenly wake up after being unconscious for so long? His condition is clearly worse than it was two days ago!
A huge wave of fear washed over her, and she tremblingly reached out to check Xie Chengnan's breathing, but just before she touched him, she suddenly pulled her hand back!
System system system!
Lin Yi screamed in his mind, but the system still didn't respond...
Despair was overwhelming.
That night, Xie Chengnan began vomiting blood, mouthful after mouthful, as if he wanted to vomit out all the blood in his body.
Dawn is almost here, and the system will be back soon...
Is there any other way? Can we stall for a little longer?
It definitely will!
In desperation, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, an idea flashed through Lin Yi's mind like a shooting star. She came up with a method that even she herself couldn't believe.
When she first transmigrated to this world, the system deducted points and then withdrew them for the first time, triggering a bug that caused her to fall into an endless loop.
The world in the book endlessly loops the same scene, and Xie Chengnan acted it out with her again and again. Apart from Lin Yi and the system, no one remembers or knows.
Is it possible to manually trigger a bug to extend Xie Chengnan's remaining time indefinitely until the system returns?
She was shocked by her own idea, yet felt it was feasible; her blood seemed to boil and rush to the top of her head!
If the goodness value fluctuates rapidly in the short term, it will cause a time malfunction. What should she do without the help of the system?
When people are at their wits' end, they pray for a glimmer of hope, but they can always rely on themselves to do something small yet crucial.
She entered the online store, redeemed all the items with her points, and then returned them one by one. Fearing this wasn't enough, Lin Yi then stormed into the prisoner-of-war camp, verbally abusing and hurling insults at the severely wounded Xili prisoners, before apologizing and, amidst their shocked gazes, providing them with medicine and food…
She watched her goodness value drop and rise again, rise and drop again.
Finally, she got her wish and when she returned to Xie Chengnan's side, she saw that the clothes she had vomited before leaving, which had been stained red with blood, had become snow-white and untouched.
The loop caused by the bug makes time blurry.
The sky had not yet brightened, but the three days agreed upon with the system had already passed.
The system hasn't appeared yet...
Was I late, or did the system time loop due to a bug?
Lin Yi didn't know.
However, as long as the system did not appear, she repeatedly witnessed Xie Chengnan's plain white clothes being dyed as colorful as maple leaves.
Lin Yi felt like he was that cruel and bloodthirsty executioner, forcibly holding onto this person and preventing him from being freed.
She couldn't bear to part with him, so she used every means to keep him in this world, in the world where she was.
She dared not think about, could not imagine, what kind of pain Xie Chengnan was going through at this moment; she could only be certain that his desire and wish were just as urgent as hers—to live on with her.
How selfish she is! She forces the people she loves to stay, time and time again.
She felt as if she herself had personally killed countless Xie Chengnans.
She forced herself not to run away, but to face it all. Even if Xie Chengnan would only remember the last painful moment, she would remember for him all those moments he had forgotten but had personally experienced, through countless cycles.
She became numb to this cycle and thus did not perceive that, on one occasion, Xie Chengnan very slightly pulled his fingers, as if trying to get rid of this endless pain, or as if trying to tell her that he was with her.
This night was exceptionally long.
Never before had the notification tone sounded like heavenly music to Lin Yi.
The system is back.
[The system has detected that you are trapped in a loop for unknown reasons. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.]
"No!" Lin Yi shouted.
【 ? 】
"Don't worry about it, don't try to understand, don't separate us until I say it's okay!"
This is the first time the system has encountered someone willing to endure repeated cycles without needing the system's intervention.
It is a system created from data code. Even if it is implanted with anthropomorphic emotions, it cannot truly possess its own feelings and therefore cannot understand the host's actions.
Lin Yi doesn't need his understanding, he just needs to do as he's told.
[Okay, host. Although I don't understand, the cycle will continue until you choose to stop. Also, the system upgrade is complete. As per your request, the shop has been updated with "Critical Chest Trauma Management Techniques," "General Thoracic Surgery," "Key Points and Techniques of Thoracic Surgery," etc., as well as potent antibiotics developed by modern top-tier hospitals and proportionally supplied medical surgical scalpel sets, alcohol, and other medical equipment. However, exchanging for these requires a large amount of Goodwill Points, so please choose carefully.]
“…Thank you,” Lin Yi said earnestly.
The cycle stopped, the long night ended, and the surgery was finally completed successfully.
Apart from Lin Yi, no one knew what they had experienced. It was just strange that the scene in front of them seemed very familiar, as if they had experienced it many times before.
When an An soldier on a night raid dodged a curved blade that the Li army was about to use to cut off his head thanks to an incredible prediction, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck.
It was as if his head had really been chopped off at some point.
An Jun, miraculously surviving, touched his neck, where the lingering pain of being slashed still seemed real and terrifying...
The siege of Liangzhou by the Li army has been lifted, and Gu Shuan finally arrived at the grassland to join Zhan Xian and the others, bringing with him reinforcements from Anguo.
The situation reversed, and they turned the tide against all odds.
With the king gone and the crown prince severely injured, various factions in Xili were eager to make their move, yet none could shoulder the responsibility. Faced with external enemies, they were fighting tooth and nail among themselves for who could seize the throne.
The King of Xili's ten years of painstaking planning were so easily wasted.
At this moment, Xili was nothing more than a pile of loose sand.
Gu Shuan led his troops in a personal campaign, advancing straight to the tent of the Crown Prince of Xili.
The crown prince was seriously injured and had been unconscious for several days. He had just regained consciousness when he heard this devastating news. While heartbroken, he immediately realized that Xili had lost this battle, and that there was no room for maneuver.
He sent someone to respectfully invite Gu Shuan inside.
No one knows what the two princes said in the tent. The Xili people only saw that the An Kingdom's prince walked out of the tent unharmed. After leaving the Li army camp, An Kingdom withdrew its troops and took their military advisor with them.
For the next hundred years, there may be no war here.
Anjun won a great victory, and that night a feast was held. The golden light of the setting sun shone on the waning moon, the banners fluttered, and the bonfires burned brightly.
Xie Chengnan finally woke up. His body was still very weak. Even if the ruptured lung was repaired and the broken bones and flesh were reconnected, the internal deficiencies could not be made up for in a short time.
He was seriously injured this time, and it's already a miracle that he survived. I'm afraid he will have a hard time fully recovering.
He remained unusually calm when Lin Yi told him these words.
The brush with death in the storm back then made him silent. Now, after facing life and death more directly, he has been tempered in blood and fire and become more calm, like a sharp blade sheathed, showing no trace of sharpness.
He had only been awake for a short time and it was difficult for him to even get up, but he insisted on going to see someone—the strategist of Xili, who was also the one who shot him through with an arrow.
Xie Chengnan went to see him not to seek revenge, but because that man held the truth he had been searching for.
Gu Shuan, who was drinking with his soldiers, withdrew his gaze from the General Po Li and listened to the guard's report.
"General Xie had just woken up and couldn't even stand up, so he had someone help him to the prisoner camp and specifically asked to see the Xili military advisor who was being held in solitary confinement."
Gu Shuan swallowed a mouthful of wine, his gaze continuing to secretly dart in a certain direction. "Let him see if he wants, interrogate if he wants, but spare his life first. It concerns the relations between the three countries. After we return to Mingzhou, the Dali Temple will finish interrogating him, and that life will be his."
He knew what Xie Chengnan was involved in. The poignant and heart-wrenching love story between the Marquis of Yong'an and the secret agent from the Southern Frontier was a popular topic of conversation in every household of Mingzhou City.
This was also one of the conditions he used to bring Xie Chengnan into the group.
He still had the authority to decide the fate of a military advisor.
Xie Chengnan refused Lin Yi's request to follow him closely, only agreeing to let her stay outside with him.
All those old stories, so many years have passed, but in the end, the only one who truly cared was him. If she wanted to know, he would tell her, but he wouldn't make her confront all that deceit and scheming.
In the military camp, the various facilities are all located relatively close to each other.
But after walking this distance with Lin Yi's help, his clothes were already soaked with sweat.
With Gu Shuan's permission, the journey proceeded smoothly.
Xie Chengnan entered the cell and sat down in a chair, his face pale. Compared to the man who was tied to the pillar, his face was only dirty and his clothes were still rosy, but he looked much more disheveled.
"You're still alive?" The strategist's hawk-like eyes stared intently at him, and he said fiercely.
“Some people don’t want me to die, and they’ll do anything to pull me back from the brink of death,” Xie Chengnan said. “You’re different. Nobody wants you to live.”
"Pah! You little bastard, just like your mother, shameless and short-sighted!"
Xie Chengnan seemed oblivious to the veiled insults, but his suspicions were confirmed once again: "You're from Southern Xinjiang, you know my mother."
"What is your relationship with her? You're clearly from the Southern Frontier, so why did you come to Xili?"
"Your mother was also from the southern border region, but she also ran away to Anguo and had a son from Anguo who gave birth to you, this bastard!"
It seems this person harbors a deep grudge against his mother. Xie Chengnan adjusted his posture uncomfortably, leaning back in his chair with most of his strength. "You should know that the Xili people have already handed you over to Anguo, and Nanjiang has also been on good terms with Anguo in recent years. Even if you don't say it, I can easily write a letter to Xili and Nanjiang to verify it."
"But in my opinion, some things are better said out loud."
"..."
Lin Yi and the others were outside the prison. Out of respect, Xie Chengnan didn't want her to hear, so she deliberately kept her distance.
She couldn't hear Xie Chengnan's voice, only the Xili strategist's shouts, sometimes angry and sometimes unreasonable.
Bored while waiting, she began to recall the dream she had just had.
After several days of continuous hard work, her body was already exhausted. She only managed a brief nap after Xie Chengnan confirmed that she was out of danger. But that short nap felt like a series of dreams. When she woke up, she could only remember a few scattered fragments.
In her dream, someone repeatedly asked her who she was, where she came from, and why she had this name. Sometimes it was the voice of her grandfather, the dean; sometimes it was her mentor; and sometimes it was her only friend.
Among those questions were her own.
Why? Lin Yi didn't know either. Maybe it was because she was always alone, or maybe it was because her parents or someone else were too lazy to give her a name, so they came up with a code name like one, two, or three.
Interspersed within that interrogation were questions from Qiu's father, Qiu's mother, and Xie Chengnan, who asked her who she really was and why she was impersonating Qiu Qingye.
Lin Yi couldn't answer.
Besides that, there was a strange man's voice, whose age was indiscernible, but which was gentle and made people want to get close to him.
He said that the reason she was called Lin Yi was because she was the only one, the one and only Lin Yi.
Lin Yi was overcome with grief, but suddenly woke up from the dream.
With a very soft goodbye from the system, the piercing electrical noise stopped abruptly. When she opened her eyes, Xie Chengnan was the only person beside her.
Lin Yi, who had just woken up, didn't have time to think. Her mind was entirely focused on Xie Chengnan, and only now did she think about the dream.
She tried to activate the system, but there was no response. The shop entrance and the goodwill value bar had also vanished, as if the system had never existed at all…
Lin thought that it might be one of her family members, whom she had never met for some unknown reason.
Perhaps he also has a connection with the system.
Although the system is generally inhuman, it has undeniably helped me a lot. The few times that abruptly broke into genuine warmth amidst those cold, impersonal mechanical voices might just be the answer.
But she had no way of knowing what the answer was, because the system never appeared again after that.
From that moment on, she truly belonged only to this world.
As Xie Chengnan had expected, those old stories were intertwined with interests and grudges. If one had to explain it, it was that the senior and junior disciples who grew up together chose different paths for their respective beliefs and met with their own fates.
They both went to other countries for training; one chose Xili, and the other chose Anguo; one advocated war, and the other advocated peace.
The one who advocated war was abandoned by the Southern Frontier and eventually became the strategist of the Western Li. The one who advocated peace found love and became the Azure Abyss Envoy of the Southern Frontier, rising rapidly through the ranks.
How could her senior brother be willing to accept this? They were clearly from the same school; he hated her to death and wished she were dead!
She died, and he continued to hate, hating everyone, and rightfully hating her son as well.
That's why that malicious arrow nearly cost Xie Chengnan his life.
The power struggles between nations, the intertwining of interests, and the complexities of love and hate... all contributed to the long-buried and unknown fates of Duan Ke and Xie Yanzhe.
Xie Chengnan leaned against the wall and walked out step by step.
Upon hearing the noise, Lin immediately helped the man up, and together they slowly walked back the way they had come.
The war was over. As the three armies prepared to return home, Lin Yi and Xie Chengnan were on their way.
Because Xie Chengnan's injuries had not yet healed and he could not withstand the bumpy ride, Lin Yi simply accompanied him, separated from the main force, and the two of them rode back slowly.
They weren't in a hurry to return to Mingzhou; they planned to visit Jiang Ji's hometown first.
He then made a detour to the southern border to seek more about his mother's past as the Qingyuan Envoy.
They also planned to take the opportunity to travel and enjoy the beautiful scenery, to see the great rivers and mountains that Xie Chengnan and Lin Yi had never experienced.
When Gu Shuan led his army south to Mingzhou, they happened to arrive in Nanyang and encountered Wang Chunsheng and Erhei.
Old Wang finally got his wish. Although the town was remote, thanks to his experience practicing medicine at the Mingzhou Medical Clinic, he was able to return home after decades. The villagers were very supportive of him because of his return from the capital, and his business was booming.
Erhei became much more cheerful and promised to return to Mingzhou after Wang Chunsheng's death and go to Lin Yi's school. Of course, he couldn't become a teacher there. Erhei was still shy and only wanted to help out at the school. He hadn't figured out what he wanted to do, but he would never do anything that would make him stand out in public.
At their warm invitation, Lin Yi and Xie Chengnan decided to stay for a few days before continuing their journey.
The people of Anguo had all heard of the bravery and might of the An army against the Xili army. They not only fought their way to Xili's homeland but also subdued them, and promised to cease hostilities between the two countries during the reign of the new king of Xili, who was also the crown prince of Xili.
Those who once hoped that Zhan Xian's arrow, which severely wounded the Crown Prince of Xili, would take his life, now only wish that the wound would not shorten his lifespan, hoping that he would live to be a hundred years old, so that this hard-won peace could last for a hundred years, or even longer.
When news of the Crown Prince's triumphant return reached the nation, the entire country rejoiced, and the city of Mingzhou was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers even during the day.
On the day of the city's entry, Emperor Zhaowen, who had been bedridden for a long time, opened his eyes. He still couldn't stand up to go to the city wall to greet his beloved son and soldiers. But his eyes shone brightly, and he would hold on until he returned.
Xueya and Cangxie stood in the welcoming line at the city gate, looking around and craning their necks, but they still couldn't see the figure they longed for.
It was Gu Shuan who was riding at the front and spotted him immediately.
He reined in his horse and stopped in front of the crowd. After struggling to identify her for a while, he finally confirmed that she was indeed the little maid from Qiu Qingye's family. He carefully tossed a letter into Xueya's arms, said nothing, and rode away.
Xueya opened the letter, puzzled. After reading it, she pouted, "Guard Cang! Miss said that he and the young master won't be coming back for the time being! -- Ahhhh, why aren't they back yet? Have they forgotten about Xueya?!"
The little girl is still as innocent and carefree as ever.
"No," Cang Xie said.
The war raged from late autumn into the following spring, and even the wood blossomed.
Cang Xie looked at the girl who had taken her arm around his and was shaking it, and thought to himself, "This time, the Marquis can't laugh at me."
The Qiu family, including Qiu Baekje and his wife, also received a letter from Liangzhou. The letter contained their daughter's handwriting, which was both familiar and strangely steady.
After reading the letter, Qiu Baiji slammed it onto the table.
"Hmph, they haven't come back after the war, their hearts have wandered far away!"
Although Madam Qiu was disappointed, she was still happy: "Stop saying such insincere things. The children are safe and sound, and you're not at ease? What's wrong with young people liking to play around? Back then, you even dragged me to Jiangnan, and we went for a month at a time, without even letting a servant come along, spending all your time—"
"Sigh! Why are you digging up that old almanac from twenty years ago again?" When the topic of twenty years ago came up, Qiu Yuanshi was clearly embarrassed.
"Why can't I overturn this mansion? Isn't it still my decision-making power? I'll manage the internal affairs, and you'll manage the external affairs. Wasn't that your own suggestion in the first place?"
"..."
Aunt Xue embraced Qiu Yulin, thinking to herself how truly loving the two were. She couldn't be envious; from now on, she would only care for Yulin and make sure he surpassed his sister!
The day after Gu Shuan returned to the capital, Emperor Zhaowen passed away.
The matter of overturning the verdict requires the collection of evidence and careful consideration. Although Emperor Zhaowen was unable to overturn the verdict against the Zhan family, he issued a decree before his death, announcing to the world that there were other hidden circumstances surrounding the Zhan family's defeat of Xili, and that the case should be handed over to the new emperor for retrial.
Changning, having assessed the situation carefully, made her choice long before learning of Prince Jing's actions. She united with court forces to restrain Prince Jing, waiting only for Gu Shu'an to return to the city. With conclusive evidence, the men waiting around Prince Jing's residence would immediately apprehend him. For now, she remained, in name only, a sister to the new emperor, maintaining a respectful relationship with him.
Zhan Xian regained her freedom, but chose to return to the army. The Zhan family army's name would once again be renowned in a few years.
Although she and Gu Shuan have not fully reconciled, she has, after all, ascended the throne, and she still has to give him the face of an emperor.
So even though General Zhan was unwilling, she didn't say anything to drive away the young emperor who had come to watch her lead the troops in training once again.
...
The apricot blossoms along the mountain path are in bloom, their pink and white petals glistening with morning dew.
Xie Chengnan's injuries were almost healed, but for the past month, Lin Yi hadn't let him do anything. He was allowed to travel slowly during the day and go to sleep at night. He wasn't even allowed to read many storybooks, and his body had become lazy again.
He yawned lazily and followed behind Lin Yi, leading his horse.
Suddenly, he thought of something, took two quick steps to stand beside her, and casually slipped his five fingers between hers.
"What was your name before you became Qiu Qingye?" Xie Chengnan asked.
She had said it, but he was not fully conscious at the time. He vaguely heard it, but couldn't remember it after waking up.
Her expression seemed to be recalling something, a little nostalgic, a little sad. Just as Xie Chengnan was about to change his mind and say that he wouldn't ask anymore, he saw her smile, a smile more dazzling than apricot blossoms: "My name is Lin Yi, the only one."
In this world, no one is superfluous. There is always a place, and there is always someone by your side. When you return to that place, you are their one and only.
Lin Yi thought, she had found that place, that person.
Once you've found it and got it, you won't let go.
[End of article]
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