Escape Run

New Year's Eve.

Night.

Crimson fireworks burst across the dusky black sky, blooming into dazzling "flowers" woven from light and heat.

Tonight's New Year's feast was mostly luminous cuisine.

Xu Xi ate his fill.

Next was the young mistress.

After the meal, Xu Xi glanced at the still-laden dining table and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He chose not to dispel his fullness, instead sitting in his seat and spending half an hour chatting with the girls, letting the meal settle.

"Brother, it's time to change into new clothes."

Xu Moli checked the time and reminded Xu Xi.

New year, new beginnings.

Naturally, new clothes were in order.

"Alright," Xu Xi agreed, heading off alone to bathe and change. By the time he returned, the girls had already cleared the table.

What else was missing?

Xu Xi gazed into the darkness outside, pondered for a moment, then retrieved some small decorations from the storage room—festive New Year ornaments prepared in advance.

"Master, let me help."

Krisha approached, taking the decorations from Xu Xi's hands and affixing them to the doors, hallway, and walls, just as they had in previous years.

"Thank you, Krisha."

Xu Xi gently ruffled the witch's head—a gesture of gratitude tailored to her preferences.

By the time they finished, it was already 10 PM. Outside, the world was both dark and bright.

Dark, because the hour was late.

Bright, because the fireworks never ceased.

On this snow-flurried night, the booming of fireworks roared unendingly, painting the sky in dazzling colors.

The towering buildings, silent and gray as everyone returned home for the celebrations, reflected the world's festive glow through their glass facades—hazy yet intoxicating.

Click—

Xu Xi stepped into the living room and slid open the side door leading to the courtyard, letting the brilliance of the fireworks outside flood in.

"Sir, let's set off some fireworks!"

"I don’t mind, but did you prepare any?"

"Of course!"

Wu Yingxue, brimming with excitement in her red-and-white padded coat, dashed across the snow-covered courtyard and hauled out an enormous firework barrel from who-knows-where.

Xu Xi vaguely recognized it.

He’d seen it before on the Supernatural United Bureau’s marketplace page.

Its name was—

Heavenly Thunder Slap?

Outwardly, it was a massive firework launcher—one meter wide and two meters tall.

"Sir, let’s light this one!"

Xu Xi nearly objected, deeming it too dangerous, but the look in the young mistress’s eyes—bright and exhilarated, like a child unable to resist play—softened his resolve.

The words stuck in his throat melted into indulgence.

"Alright, go ahead. I’ll handle the safety measures."

Xu Xi nodded, waving his right hand subtly. An invisible force enveloped the skies above Yanshan City, ensuring the colossal firework wouldn’t startle anyone.

"Hehe, here goes!"

Wu Yingxue reveled in Xu Xi’s leniency.

Grinning, she crouched beside the firework barrel, and a flicker of flame leaped from her fingertips.

Whoosh—!

The spark danced in harmony with the stars above, instantly igniting the fuse.

A thunderclap, condensed to infinity, erupted from a single point and rocketed skyward, reaching the zenith of the heavens before exploding in a spectacle visible to all below.

BOOM!!!

The deafening shockwave cascaded like a waterfall of thunder, flooding the city with blinding blue-white light and stirring a chorus of startled murmurs.

"Happy now?" Xu Xi flicked the young mistress’s smooth forehead lightly, reminding her to exercise some restraint.

"No— ahem, yes! Very happy!"

The girl nearly teased back on reflex, but a second flick from Xu Xi instantly straightened her expression.

The shift from defiance to obedience was both adorable and amusing.

"First arrogant, then deferential—why the change?" The classic line flitted through Xu Xi’s mind, widening his smile.

"Are you laughing at me?"

The young mistress grew suspicious.

"Not at all. I just think Yingxue looks especially lovely today."

Xu Xi soothed her.

Overhead, the thunderous echoes still rolled, the lingering might of the explosion bleaching the sky in pale luminescence.

Like blades, like dragons.

The heavens churned with unparalleled splendor.

"Master, your tea."

Ailei brought over a steaming cup, placing it considerately beside Xu Xi with a small tray to shield his hands from the heat.

"Thank you, Ailei."

Xu Xi sipped his tea, eyes fixed on the sky.

The wind picked up.

The New Year’s Eve gale scattered the celestial lightning, sending it drifting like a vast, shimmering sea that stretched endlessly.

Amid the undulating waves of radiance, countless brilliant souls mingled with the wind, whispering the joy and cheer of the new year.

"So beautiful…"

The warrior sighed in genuine admiration, intercepting the falling snowflakes before they could drift indoors.

Time passed soundlessly.

Without a trace.

When the clock struck midnight, its hands aligned at zero, and every soul on Earth traversed time together, stepping into the first day of the new year.

Thus, the New Year was complete.

"Time to rest," Xu Xi declared, rising contentedly. He was thoroughly pleased with this, the first New Year after his marriage.

Under the soft glow of the lights, he presented each of the girls with a New Year’s gift.

...along with the corresponding New Year's greetings.

"Goodnight, everyone," he said, heading alone to his room, only for time and space to twist and reverse the moment he turned the doorknob.

Him.

From his own bedroom.

Teleported into the newly constructed master suite.

"Does the Great Sorcerer not know, for instance, what should be done tonight?" Servia's expression was gentle.

"...Can I say I don’t know?"

"No."

The new master suite was spacious, elegantly furnished with clean lines—white walls paired with brown wooden panels, exuding a refreshing simplicity.

Xu Xi found himself transported right in front of the absurdly oversized bed.

The five Supreme Ones closed in step by step.

Xu Xi swept a glance over them and noticed the princess's smile was the most wicked, straight out of a villain's playbook: "Sir, even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come."

"Wait, this—this lacks soul!"

Xu Xi attempted to sow discord.

He tried to stir conflict among the girls—using timing, sequence, anything.

But he failed.

The five Supreme Ones had already settled everything in advance.

At the same time, Xu Xi made a startling discovery: the flow of time inside the master suite was not synchronized with Earth's spacetime.

One hour inside the suite.

Only one second passed on Earth.

Xu Xi’s expression shifted drastically. Instinctively, he touched his waist, then sent a warning to his past self at the fastest speed possible:

[This is Xu Xi.]

[By the time you read this, I’ll already be in danger.]

[Run. Run now, me from a month ago!]

......

Long ago, during the fourth simulation.

While accompanying the mechanized maid.

On a federal planet, the mechanized maid curiously picked up a poster from the ruins and asked Xu Xi: "Master, what does 'restricted viewing' mean?"

Xu Xi glanced at the poster’s contents and burst into laughter.

"Nothing important, Ailei."

"You’ll understand it on your own someday."

"But for now—"

"Tsk. Not suitable for minors."