Chapter 617: Miscalculation

Di Hu slowly stood up, stretched lazily, glanced at the darkening sky, and then looked at the lit-up zhuan song men not far away, letting out a slow yawn.

He was just about to leave when he suddenly remembered something, so he turned around and walked into the building behind him, heading straight down the stairs.

Qi Xia was already fast asleep, slumped over the desk.

The candle on the tabletop was nearly burned out, suggesting it would let him sleep peacefully.

Di Hu looked at Qi Xia and shook his head slightly. He then took off his oversized suit jacket and spread it on the ground nearby before walking over and gently calling out:

"Yang Ge?"

Qi Xia was sleeping deeply, clearly exhausted.

"Yang Ge?"

Di Hu called softly again, but Qi Xia showed no response, only furrowing his brow as if burdened by immense pressure.

Di Hu decided not to wake him anymore. He simply draped Qi Xia's arm over his shoulder and lifted him up, then carried him over and laid him down on the jacket he had prepared, letting him lie flat.

"Ah… Yang Ge…" Di Hu stood up and sighed softly, murmuring, "Why do you push yourself so hard? When it's time to rest, you should really rest."

He knew that no one would disturb Qi Xia that night, no matter what burdens he carried. Di Hu just hoped he could get a good rest in this space.

As Di Hu watched, the furrow in Qi Xia's brow gradually relaxed, and he felt relieved. Turning around, he walked back up the stairs.

He didn't notice that, under the dim candlelight, Qi Xia's sleeping expression was slowly becoming uneasy.

He also didn't notice that a black thread had somehow tied itself to Qi Xia's wrist, with the other end attached to the base of the burning candle.

…

Qi Xia opened his eyes and found himself lying on the floor of his home. The floor was hard and painful against his back.

He reached up to rub his head, feeling his thoughts in complete disarray.

The ceiling in the house was completely cracked, and spiderwebs hung in the corners. He slowly sat up, trying to piece together what had happened.

"This is…?" He narrowed his eyes, thinking quickly, but it felt like his mind was completely blocked, with all his thoughts cut off.

Qi Xia slowly got to his feet and scanned the room, his gaze settling on the desk in this bedless space.

On the desk sat a photo frame.

He picked it up; it was a picture of himself with Yu Nian An.

"An…?"

Qi Xia reached out to touch the figure in the frame, sensing something off about it.

"I'm at home?"

The thought made his expression instantly ease.

No matter how many troubles a person has, as long as they can return home, everything can fade away.

"An…?"

Qi Xia pushed open the door and entered the living room, but the house was completely empty, with no one in sight.

Yu Nian An wasn't home—where could she be?

Qi Xia searched the kitchen and bathroom, but the rooms were indeed deserted. All that remained were dilapidated furniture, a dust-covered single sofa, and a completely cracked floor.

He turned to look out the window; outside was a blood-red sky and a dull yellow sun.

Qi Xia furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, quickly reassuring himself that Yu Nian An was probably downstairs buying groceries.

As soon as the idea crossed his mind, he felt a wave of dizziness, as if his brain had fallen into total chaos. He could only see what was right in front of him, unable to recall the past or predict the future.

He walked to the front door, about to open it and look for Yu Nian An, when a strange sense of fear suddenly washed over him.

He had a feeling that opening this door would lead to something terrifying, so after hesitating for a few seconds, he foolishly pulled his hand back.

What was outside the door?

Qi Xia's heart started racing. He slowly turned around and saw Yu Nian An standing right behind him, staring straight at him.

She was dressed in white, spotlessly clean, with long hair cascading down her back, appearing flawless at first glance.

"An…?" Qi Xia was startled but quickly smiled. "You're at home?"

"I am." Yu Nian An smiled and nodded.

"But I… how didn't I see you?" Qi Xia's mind spun with dizziness again.

"Because I've always been behind you, so you couldn't see me." Yu Nian An said with a laugh.

"Behind me…?" Qi Xia nodded blankly. "Oh… that's fine…"

"Xia, are you hungry?" Yu Nian An asked. "Shall I make something for you to eat?"

Hearing this, Qi Xia's expression softened a bit, though still tinged with confusion.

For some reason, in his limited memories, it felt like Yu Nian An was always making things for him to eat.

"An, I'm not hungry. Can we just chat?" Qi Xia asked, almost instinctively.

"Chat…?"

After a pause, Yu Nian An said lightly, "No, that won't do, Xia. I need to make you something to eat."

Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brow, feeling his mind clearing up. "Why…? I'm not hungry right now; I don't want to eat."

"It's not possible." Yu Nian An's smile faded, her face expressionless. "Xia, I'm going to cook now. Guess what delicious thing I'm making for you?"

"What the…?"

Qi Xia's expression turned cold in an instant, realizing how strange everything was.

Why did Yu Nian An always insist on making him food every time they met?

Why was the room so rundown?

Why was everything covered in dust?

Why was only Yu Nian An completely spotless?

The lost thoughts seemed to be gradually returning.

"This isn't my home, and you're not Yu Nian An…" Qi Xia's eyes suddenly sharpened. "Where is this?"

"Xia, what are you saying?"

"Who exactly are you?" Qi Xia asked coldly. "Why are you pretending to be Yu Nian An?"

To Qi Xia's surprise, Yu Nian An's face began to blur right in front of him; her features grew less defined until they completely vanished.

Now standing before him was a figure with no facial features at all.

Yet, she was still speaking.

That flat, featureless face was producing sounds.

"Xia, do you know?" she said. "There are many paths in this world, and everyone has their own."

"Monster…" Qi Xia gritted his teeth and cursed. "Do you think you can keep fooling me with such clumsy tricks? Just because you've sealed my thoughts, do you think I won't think anymore?!"

Knock knock knock.

A faint knocking sound suddenly came from behind Qi Xia, making his hair stand on end.

In front of him was this faceless version of Yu Nian An, and behind him was the old wooden door—which, in his memory, had never been knocked on before.

Knock knock knock.