Love Me to Death

Fang Qi stood stunned, watching the chaos unfold before him.

The silver-haired girl's crimson eyes flashed with a blood-red light as she continued to forcefully strangle An Lian!

The force of An Lian's kicking legs was slowly weakening.

The hands that had been desperately gripping Liguang also began to lose their strength, slowly slipping away.

But Fang Qi's mind was still in utter turmoil!

That ending...!

That ending where she was so mad she wanted to kill him, yet for the first time, destroyed herself for him!

It was also... the ending where he first developed feelings for her.

It was that... out of all the endings he had experienced, the only one...

A special ending where the number and name were all question marks!

At that time...

It was his first time triggering a hidden ending that didn't exist in the game.

So... that ending name full of question marks didn't make him suspicious back then.

He thought that was just how hidden endings were!

But later... he triggered several more hidden endings.

Ending ??: Eternal Illusion

Ending ??: Despairing True Love

Ending ??: End of the World

All of them were hidden endings, completely new endings that weren't in the game at all!

These endings...

All had names!

Only that mountain forest ending... even the name was a question mark!

...Why?

Why was even the name a question mark?

What exactly was the difference between this ending and the others?

Ah...

That was it.

A very obvious difference.

This ending... was the only time Liguang truly wanted to kill him!

She, at that time...

Was truly broken, truly gone mad!

She had grabbed him by the throat twice, her strength terrifyingly great!

But every time... she would let go at the last moment.

Then, she began to self-harm, began to break down!

Began to frantically tear at herself!

Finally...

Trembling, she personally opened the soul interface on the back of her neck.

Amidst blinding electric sparks...

That faint blue core crystal was pulled out by her and handed to him with trembling hands.

She told him... not to forget her.

And then, she fell into complete silence.

After that...

He reloaded his save and saw her again, perfectly intact.

It seemed like everything had just passed.

But now... Fang Qi finally realized the difference in that ending.

He looked at the crazed silver-haired girl before him.

Liguang was still straddling An Lian...

Frantically strangling her!

Her pretty face was twisted, that crimson eye still burning, yet stubborn tears hung at the corners of her eyes, never falling.

Just like... how she was back then.

Fang Qi suddenly felt a bit dazed.

Liguang... she really would go mad.

Really would want to kill him.

...Did she also always know that one day in the future, she might go mad?

Always knew that her consciousness, her emotions...

Actually couldn't remain stable for long?

She also knew that after she went mad... she would want to kill him?

So, when she descended into madness in that mountain cabin...

She actually knew it all along?

She knew... her time had come.

That was why, at that time, she...

Even though she loved him so much, was so yandere, so unreasonable, so paranoid, so desperate to possess everything of his...!

Yet she immediately realized...

"Liguang... no longer has the right to be with Master."

"Liguang can't control herself... Liguang will kill Master..."

"Liguang... is a broken, dangerous thing."

Then, this most paranoid version of her...

Without any hesitation, simply gave up everything.

She couldn't reload saves, she didn't understand reloading saves.

She truly just gave up everything of hers!

She dug out her own core on the spot, returning the future to him!

All that paranoia and possessiveness, in the end...

All turned into the final extravagant hope of "don't forget Liguang."

Because she knew very well in her heart at that time...

She had already reached her own end.

She was no longer qualified to continue being with Master.

She was already... broken.

Because of a...

A reason that everyone in this world probably knew, but only he didn't!

A reason... she wouldn't allow An Lian to say out loud.

...So, Liguang's feelings...

Really had a lifespan?

And it was actually... very short?

"..."

Fang Qi stared blankly at An Lian, whose eyes were rolling back and body twitching...

"Liguang... let go..."

His voice... was a bit weak and floating.

He couldn't let her... kill An Lian.

He... still had things he wanted to ask An Lian.

The silver-haired girl's body suddenly stiffened.

The hand gripping An Lian's throat stiffened...

And finally, slowly let go.

An Lian instantly shuddered all over!

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!!!"

She immediately began to cough violently!

"Gasp— Gasp—!"

Then she gasped heavily for air, tears and snot smearing her face!

She curled up on the ground, trembling all over!

This mature woman who was just angrily lecturing someone was now like a frightened quail.

Both hands clutched her neck, which bore red strangulation marks, as intermittent gasps came from her throat.

She just shrank there on the cold floor, her white T-shirt wrinkled into a ball, her hair sticking messily to her sweat-drenched face, tears and snot mixed together.

Like a... bug that was almost crushed to death.

And the silver-haired girl straddling her... remained motionless.

She just sat stiffly on An Lian, her back to Fang Qi.

Her slender back was pulled straight, but her shoulders were trembling uncontrollably.

The hand that had just been strangling An Lian was still suspended in mid-air, its fingertips still quivering slightly.

She didn't move, nor did she turn her head.

Fang Qi couldn't see her face.

He looked at this slender back... feeling a slight daze.

What expression did she have right now?

Twisted, morbid, or... hollow?

What was she thinking?

Fang Qi's mind was a mess.

A complete jumbled mess!

He suddenly remembered An Lian's words again!

The more Liguang loved him...

The more she would hurt him?!

And eventually, she would kill him, the one she "loved" the most?!

Wait...

What did this mean?!

The "love" between them, even...

Was an accelerator leading her to chaos and madness?!

This thought pierced into his brain like a thorn!

His brain stung!

His gaze also fell on Liguang's trembling back.

She still didn't speak, still didn't turn around.

Still just sitting there stiffly, like a...

Child who did something wrong and was waiting to be punished.

Fang Qi's throat bobbed.

...So, Liguang, is it really like this?

Your consciousness, your feelings...

Have a lifespan?

The more we love each other, the shorter that lifespan will be?

Is that how it is?

His lips trembled.

Yes...

Her reaction just now... was so intense.

Didn't that basically mean...

That this point had already been verified?

She had always known this. Known it crystal clear.

That was why in that ending, she was so unhesitating to...

Give up everything of hers.

Because she knew that her consciousness and her love...

Had already reached their end.

Fang Qi slowly shook his head.

No...

No, no, no...!

That's not right!!!

If it really was like this...

Then weren't they destined from the very beginning to never be together forever?!

But that's not right!!

The true ending of the game is [Eternal Love]!!

If that's really the case, then how am I supposed to achieve [Eternal Love]?!

Doesn't that mean it's impossible to ever achieve?!

...Right, right!

Eternal Love!

Since the [Eternal Love] ending exists, there must be a way to solve this!

As long as... as long as I achieve Eternal Love...!

Damn it...!

But achieving Eternal Love means he'll leave this world!!

He'll leave Liguang!!

Fuck!!!

But... but if he doesn't achieve Eternal Love...

Her consciousness, her love, her emotions...

They all have a lifespan?!!

When the time comes, it's either he dies, or she's destroyed?!

Holy shit...!!!!

...Huh?

Wait a minute.

Hold on...!

Either he dies, or she's destroyed?

Fang Qi suddenly froze.

...Eh?

Wait.

According to what An Lian said, Liguang will eventually go mad no matter what.

Just like that [Ending ??: ????].

He might actually be killed by Liguang.

...And then what?

And then, he would just reload his save!

Fang Qi's eyes slowly widened!

His mind suddenly became clearer than ever before!

It seemed...

It wasn't really a big deal?

If he died, he could just reload!

It wasn't like he would actually die!

And most importantly...

According to his previous deductions, a reload triggered by his death...

...would likely allow Liguang to retain her memories in the form of dreams!

He hadn't verified it yet... but he was pretty much certain of it!

Though it might not just be Liguang; other important NPCs might retain their memories too...

But that didn't matter!

What mattered was...

He could make Liguang reload to a state before she went mad... and they would still keep their memories!!

Eh...?!

Fang Qi blinked.

In that case... even if Liguang really went crazy from loving him too much in the future and tried to kill him...

...wouldn't it not matter at all?

Let her kill him!

He'd just reload after dying, and Liguang would still remember...

What would he lose?

It was just dying once!

So be it!

If Liguang was like in that [Ending ??: ????], where she couldn't bring herself to kill him even when she was mad, and chose to destroy herself instead...

Then he... could just kill himself before she did, right?

Forcibly letting Liguang retain her memories!

...It was perfect!

This whole "lifespan" dilemma...

...meant absolutely nothing to him!

He could just reload the save with Liguang's memories!

Fang Qi's mind instantly became active!

The tangled mess in his head was untied in a flash!

Exactly!

Damn...

What was he panicking for?!

He had a cheat! He could reload!

Who cares about madness and chaos!

At most, this sort of thing would just be...

...a little romantic game of killing each other between him and Liguang!

That's so right...

That's completely right!

"That's exactly it!!!"

Fang Qi grinned from ear to ear on the spot and clapped his hands together loudly!

In the quiet living room, the sound was exceptionally clear!

An Lian's gasping suddenly stopped!

Her tear-filled gray eyes looked at him in terror!

Her gaze seemed to say...

—Is this guy sick in the head? He's really sick, isn't he?!

—At a time like this, what the hell are you smiling about?!

And the silver-haired girl who was still straddling her also shuddered violently!

Her entire body stiffened!

The hand she had suspended in mid-air trembled even more!

Fang Qi really...

...couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from curling up wildly!

He couldn't suppress it at all!

Don't panic, don't panic, wifey!

Go mad!

Go as mad as you want!

Kill!

Kill me as much as you want!

Come quickly... and love me to death!