Who to Save When Both Fall Into the River

The natural cooldown time for the Life Simulator was ten thousand days—over 27 years.

Long by some measures, short by others.

Xu Xi had long prepared himself to wait out these 27 years, even halting further simulations in anticipation.

Yet.

He never imagined that this seemingly endless countdown could have a "shortcut."

If it were truly possible to bypass the wait and step onto that nameless path ahead of time, Xu Xi would gladly take it.

"...How exactly was this done?"

"Suddenly, a hundred hours were subtracted."

"Could it be related to Xu Moli?"

"Or is it because of me?"

Numerous speculations arose in Xu Xi’s mind. To test them, he even reenacted his earlier conversation with his sister, but the simulator’s countdown didn’t budge.

Recalling the full name of the simulator—

The Beautiful Life Simulator.

Xu Xi pondered, a vague understanding dawning on him.

"Brother, did Moli help you?" Xu Moli asked curiously, nestled in Xu Xi’s arms.

"Yes, you did. You helped me greatly," Xu Xi replied with a gentle smile, resting his hand atop her head and ruffling her hair lightly.

In the days that followed,

Xu Xi didn’t actively chase after reducing the countdown.

He simply continued with his usual rhythm of life.

Sometimes spending time with the five girls, other times stepping out to check on Earth’s condition, visiting the people of the Survival Army or Li Wanshou in the capital.

Occasionally, he even brought blood-replenishing treasures to the red dragon.

"Brother, the melons today are so sweet."

"Mentor, do you think this outfit suits me?"

"Psst, sir, I’ve thought of a foolproof plan for eloping—no one will ever find out."

"Master, I found a wedding dress. It’s the same one we saw before, by coincidence."

"Great Sorcerer, I also want to… ahem, you know, that thing."

An ordinary life.

A mundane routine.

Like a faintly rippling cup of tea, nothing particularly remarkable.

Yet within these simple moments lay an indescribable warmth and tenderness, like soaking in lukewarm water, washing away all worries.

This was the beautiful life Xu Xi had always yearned for.

[Ding—]

[Ding—]

[Ding—]

Amidst these uneventful days, every so often, the simulator’s interface would chime, subtracting dozens or even a hundred hours at a time.

The once-distant 27-year countdown began slipping away at an increasingly rapid pace.

"Three years… no, perhaps just one or two, and it’ll be complete."

After calculating this, Xu Xi felt a brief daze before chuckling softly.

Condensing 27 years into one or two was certainly cause for joy—especially since the waiting process had been anything but dull.

"Sir, sir."

Wu Yingxue’s voice pulled Xu Xi from his thoughts.

It was summer.

The young noblewoman had changed into lighter attire, trotting up to Xu Xi and tugging at his sleeve with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Sir, I just read a question in a book."

"What question?"

"Ahem, listen carefully—if all five of us fell into a river, who would you save first?"

Silence fell.

His sister, the witch, the mechanical maid, and the hero all maintained calm expressions.

But their ears were secretly perked up.

Clearly, they all wanted to hear Xu Xi’s answer.

"Who to save…" Xu Xi glanced at Wu Yingxue, then at the other four girls in the courtyard, sensing an indescribable, majestic presence—a supreme authority.

He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples in resignation.

"I suppose I’d save the river first."

Among the myriad realms, no river held a higher status than the River of Time. Yet even that primordial current, flowing through chaos itself, could not withstand the power of the supreme beings.

As far as Xu Xi knew,

that mother river of spacetime had already run dry many times.

Fortunately, the girls had always restored it.

...

Spring, summer, autumn, winter—the seasons cycled.

Sun and moon rose and fell, heaven and earth shifted.

As time passed, Xu Xi grew ever closer to the five girls.

In truth,

they hadn’t changed.

Nor were their actions anything new.

Watching sunrises and sunsets, embracing one another, buying new clothes, cooking new dishes, acting childishly capricious, sharing heartfelt secrets—

all these so-called intimate moments

had happened long ago between Xu Xi and the girls.

Yet the same acts, at different times, brought entirely new shifts in emotion.

"Mentor, your tea."

While Xu Xi browsed through historical records of various worlds in his study, Krisha arrived as usual, carrying a warm afternoon brew.

The porcelain cup trembled slightly,

ripples disturbing the tea’s surface,

clearly reflecting Krisha’s serene face and those mesmerizing eyes.

"Thank you, Krisha."

Xu Xi accepted the cup, sipping the tea while stealing a glance at Krisha’s attire.

No longer the long skirts of a maid,

but something softer—

a graceful, body-hugging outfit draped with a brown shawl.

"You look almost like…" Xu Xi hesitated, glancing at his tea, then at Krisha, who waited patiently.

"A gentle, devoted wife, waiting for her husband to finish his work?"