The clamor of the "Eyes of the Stars" charity auction dinner was like an invisible tide, isolated outside by the heavy study door.
In the Ye family's study, the only sounds left were the regular ticking of the classical clock's hands and the rhythmic sound of Duan Shuce's fingertips tapping on the edge of the tablet computer.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored dark suit, and the frameless glasses on his nose reflected the encrypted data stream flowing like a waterfall on the screen. His eyes behind the lenses were as sharp as a hawk, and he was focused as if he was performing a delicate surgical operation.
Ning Xiwan came over with a cup of freshly brewed hot tea and gently placed it next to Duan Shuce's hand.
She was wearing a comfortable cashmere cardigan, with her long hair loosely tied up. She looked at Duan Shuce with undisguised heartache and a hint of barely perceptible worry.
"Shu Ce, take a break? You've been staring for almost ten hours." Her voice was very soft, for fear of disturbing his concentration.
Duan Shuce's gaze finally moved away from the screen and fell on Ning Xiwan's face. The sharpness was instantly replaced by a deep tenderness.
He picked up the teacup, feeling the warmth emanating from its walls. His voice, slightly hoarse from intense work, remained remarkably steady. "It's almost there. Skydome's protective network has already covered all physical and digital spaces inside and outside the auction venue, including the three-story underground parking garage and communication nodes within a three-kilometer radius."
"If Qi Shang dares to use any unconventional means, even a trace of energy leakage will be instantly captured, analyzed, and located by the Sky Dome."
He took a sip of tea, the warm liquid sliding down his throat, bringing a sense of soothing.
"In terms of security, the 'Obsidian' team you've assembled, Xiwan, is top-tier in the industry. Combined with the Ye family's own security forces, both the visible and invisible lines have been deployed. Zhiye and Jinyue are providing support on the periphery; they're quite sharp."
When Bai Zhiye was mentioned, Duan Shuce's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly, as fast as an illusion, and then he returned to calm.
"I'm not worried about security." Ning Xiwan sat down on the single sofa next to him, frowning slightly.
"I'm worried about Qingliu. And... Chao Youye."
Her eyes cast towards the tightly closed door of the study, as if she could see through the door to the young master of the Ye family who was preparing for the dinner outside and was perhaps being surrounded by Hua Jinyue and Bai Zhiye to choose cufflinks.
"Qingliu... he hasn't been feeling well lately. After that incident at the factory, he seemed to be carrying something heavy that we couldn't see. And Chao Youye..."
She paused, remembering the young man's cold, lifeless eyes. "He doesn't feel like a living person to me right now."
Duan Shuce put down the teacup, leaned forward slightly, and folded his hands on his knees.
This action made him look more calm, but also carried an invisible pressure.
"Wanwan," his voice deepened. "There are things I've never hidden from you, but some details... concern the stability of the world. The fewer people who know, the better."
He pushed up his glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses was as deep as the sea, as if it contained the weight of countless worlds.
"Qingliu...is more than just the young master of the Ye family. In the 'records' of a higher dimension, he has a codename—'Observer.' His duty is to record the movement of countless world lines, just like recording experimental data, maintaining absolute neutrality and never interfering."
Ning Xiwan gasped, her beautiful eyes widening instantly: "Observer? Never interfere? In that factory, he..."
"He intervened." Duan Shuce interrupted her with a strangely certain tone.
"In order to save Xinrong, Youye, Jinyue and the others, he broke the most important rule of the observer. This is an unprecedented variable."
He looked at Ning Xiwan with complicated eyes.
"And I, Xi Wan, am codenamed 'Regulator'. My duty is to maintain the stability of the basic framework of the world line's operation and eliminate 'abnormal interference' that may cause the world line to collapse.
"Under certain definitions, observer intervention is itself an 'anomaly' that needs to be evaluated and even 'corrected.'"
The air in the study froze instantly. The color drained from Ning Xiwan's face.
She looked at Duan Shuce in disbelief, as if it was the first time she truly knew Ye Qingliu, the man she had been with day and night and raised together (although they themselves did not think so).
"Supervisor? Correction? What do you want to do to Qingliu?!" Her voice trembled slightly, and her body subconsciously tensed up like a mother animal protecting her cubs.
"No, Wanwan, don't be nervous." Duan Shuce immediately raised his hand, made a soothing gesture, and spoke in a very gentle voice.
"Hear me out. This world line... is very special. More special than any other world line. It is marked as the 'final iteration'. And Qingliu... is even more special."
His gaze became distant, as if penetrating the barriers of time and space.
"In countless other world lines, Observer Ye Qingliu is that cold recorder."
"He watched the gods Chao Youye and Mu Xinrong spiraling towards inevitable collapse and restart, never moved. He was like a programmed machine, perfectly carrying out his recording task."
Duan Shuce paused, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the cold edge of the tablet.
"But this line is different. From very early on, I noticed an anomaly. The observer on this line, his 'core' seems... to have deviated from its trajectory. He is no longer just a recording device."
"He'll feel helpless because of Jinyue's coquettish behavior, will reveal a little bit of the embarrassment of a teenager because of your 'discipline', will acquiesce to Zhiye's meticulous care for him, and even... will not hesitate to step into danger and break the rules for his friends."
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