Still Waiting for Us

Fang Qi just stood there quietly.

Watching Lao Zhang's body slowly fall to the ground.

Thud.

After a muffled sound, the corridor fell silent again.

Pale light poured down from overhead, illuminating the gruesome scene on the floor.

Fang Qi's stomach cramped again.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

The smell in the air was so choking it made him want to cough.

But his mind... was terrifyingly clear right now!

He had actually thrown up just now.

He wasn't faking it.

He really threw up.

Living for over twenty years, both before and after his transmigration...

When had he ever seen a scene like this?

Lao Zhang's eyes were still open, his mouth slightly ajar, as if... he wanted to say something.

Looking at this expression, Fang Qi suddenly remembered how he looked when he charged at him just moments ago.

Wearing tactical goggles, holding a gun, his face full of vigilance.

And then he died.

His throat slit by Liguang from the ceiling.

Before that, it seemed like...

He had even wanted to protect him?

Fang Qi's Adam's apple bobbed.

He suddenly wondered...

Had he... gone too far?

The moment this thought popped up, even he was stunned.

Gone too far?

How had he gone too far?

These three were NPCs!

NPCs in a game!

Armed personnel of the Chenxi Company!

Bad guys who came to capture Liguang!

If they died, they died... what did it matter to him?!

The number of NPCs he had killed in various games in the past was too many to count!

What was he feeling melancholy about now?!

But in his mind...

A dark, tanned face suddenly flashed by.

The old man from the fishing village.

The old man who helped him look for Liguang, running around for him, even gathering the villagers to search the water, and finally... watching him leave in silence.

And that... fisherwoman who handed him hot tea.

Weren't they NPCs too?

...Were they really just NPCs?

Fang Qi's breathing stopped for a fraction of a second.

...Then what about these three people in front of him?

Could they... have families too?

Could there be someone waiting for them to come home?

He stood there, his facial expression freezing for a moment.

That previous burst of excitement, that frantic urge to go all out...

Seemed to suddenly freeze over slightly.

He just stood there.

Looking at the bloodstains, looking at Lao Zhang's... unclosed eyes.

His mind was buzzing.

Had he... really gone too far?

Had he...

Heh...

Heheh...

Gone too far?

Gone too far?!

Haha...

Fang Qi suddenly laughed.

Fuck!

What was he thinking!

He could reload his save!

He could fucking reload his save!!!

Once he died later, everything would reset!

These people would all come back to life!

Him, him, and him!

They would all be perfectly fine!

Remembering nothing, as if nothing had ever happened!

...What did he have to feel guilty about?!

Besides...

Fang Qi's gaze swept across the corridor, over the corpses, over the blood on the walls...

Sweeping over Liguang, who was crouching and gently poking the scattered firearms on the ground with her finger.

Finally... landing on An Lian, who was curled up not far away.

He had already directed Liguang to kill so many people.

The company definitely wouldn't go easy on him anymore.

His fate in this playthrough, he figured...

Would be dying even more miserably than these guys in front of him?

Riddled with bullets?

Burned full of holes by lasers?

Shocked into a crisp by stun batons?

Heh.

Whatever.

He was going to die a miserable death anyway...

Why would he care if others died or not?!

And once he died, they would live!

He didn't owe them anything!

If they wanted to blame anyone, they should blame themselves for working for this damn Chenxi Company!

Wasn't everything they did... also an attempt to kill Liguang?!

The corners of Fang Qi's mouth slowly curled up again.

The tear stains on that pale face hadn't dried yet, and his lips were still trembling slightly.

But that smile became more and more obvious...

And more and more manic!

Right!

Exactly!

His plan had been successful all along!

From bringing Liguang to find An Lian, to intentionally letting the armed forces surround them, and then having Liguang go on a killing spree...

Every step was proceeding exactly according to his envisioned plan!

Without the slightest deviation!

He should be happy!

He should be excited!

And An Lian... she was slumped there right now, watching all this with her own eyes!

From now on, she would remember tonight even in her dreams!

Perfect!

Too fucking perfect!

Fang Qi took a deep breath!

That burst of excitement that had been slightly frozen...

Was back!

Surging through his entire body like a tidal wave!

Since he had already come this far... he shouldn't fucking hesitate anymore!

If he was going to do it, he would go all the way!!

Add some more fuel to the fire!!

So, he took large strides toward An Lian!

An Lian was still huddled in the corner.

Limbs slumped weakly, her long black hair plastered messily across her face, her white T-shirt splattered with a bit of scarlet.

The wound on her ankle... was still slightly oozing blood.

Hearing the footsteps... she slowly raised her head.

Tear stains crisscrossed her face, uncleared vomit still hung at the corner of her mouth, and her gray eyes were hollow, like two dried-up wells.

But when she saw clearly who was walking over, those eyes suddenly gained a bit of focus...

A focus born of fear!

Accompanied by a trace of... a thought Fang Qi couldn't understand.

Nor did he want to understand!

He walked up to her, crouched down, and then reached out...

Grabbing her hair in one swift motion!

Yanking it upwards forcefully!

Ah!

An Lian let out a short, miserable scream, her whole face forced to tilt upward.

The stinging pain from her scalp made her tremble all over!

But her limbs were already useless; she couldn't even manage to struggle.

She could only keep her face tilted up like this, looking at the man in front of her!

Fang Qi leaned in close to her, so close he could see the teardrops hanging on her eyelashes.

The corners of his mouth were still curled, his voice very light:

Miss An Lian, did you see that?

He pulled her hair, forcing her to turn her face toward the corridor.

All of this is because of you.

Because you... insisted on requesting some data extraction.

Because you insisted on sending people to catch us.

Because you... insisted on being this loyal dog!

An Lian's lips trembled violently.

In those gray eyes, the hollowness was torn apart bit by bit, revealing the surging despair and breakdown underneath!

No... it wasn't me...

Her voice was terribly hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of her throat.

I... I just...

You were just doing your duty.

Fang Qi finished for her, and then smiled.

Smiling so broadly his eyes curved into crescents.

Yes, you do your duty, you are professional, you are calm.

And so... they all died.

He paused, yanking her hair up a bit more.

An Lian's face scrunched up in pain, tears streaming down.

Don't worry, I won't kill you.

Fang Qi's voice was very gentle, so gentle it sent chills down the spine.

You need to live well, and remember this scene well.

Remember these people who died because of you.

Remember their faces.

Remember...

He leaned in to her ear, enunciating every word:

It was you who got them killed.

An Lian's pupils contracted sharply!

And then...

Ahhhh!!!!

She suddenly screamed!

A voice so shrill it almost pierced the eardrums!

It's my fault!!!

"It's me!! I clearly knew... I clearly knew... but...!!!"

"It's all my fault!!!! Kill me!!! I beg you!!! Kill me!!!!"

"Don't hurt anyone else!!! I beg you!!!!"

She screamed frantically, her face covered in a mess of tears and snot!

Her entire face was flushed red, and the veins on her neck bulged.

Unable to move her limbs, she writhed her body desperately, like a dying, struggling fish!

"I beg you!!! Kill me!!!!"

"It's all my fault!!! Kill me!!!!"

Fang Qi looked at her in this state, his breathing catching slightly.

That aloof Miss Commissioner...

Had finally, completely broken down.

His lips trembled slightly, but...

Once again curled into a smirk!

This was the planned situation.

This was! The planned situation!

Having come this far...

He could not hesitate!!

So he grabbed her hair, pulling her broken face a little closer!

"Kill you?"

He chuckled lightly.

"I can't bear to do that."

"You have to live. You have to watch all of this carefully!"

"Watch how... you got them all killed!"

An Lian's screams came to a sudden halt.

She just tilted her face up, staring at him blankly.

The tears were still flowing, her lips were still trembling, but no sound came out.

In her gray eyes... something seemed to have completely shattered.

Then suddenly—

"Swish."

A faint sound of something slicing through the air.

A scarlet light flashed before Fang Qi's eyes!

He only felt his hand lighten, and he almost fell backward!

"—!"

He took a step back, stumbling twice before steadying himself!

Looking down, he was still clutching a handful of hair. Black, long, with a slight curl at the ends.

But there was only hair left.

An Lian's face had already smashed into the ground with a muffled thud.

She couldn't even cry out, only her entire body twitched once.

Fang Qi froze for half a second, and then a familiar warmth pressed up against his back.

Slender arms wrapped around his waist, hugging him tightly.

A soft touch transmitted through his clothes, carrying a faint sweet scent of strawberries.

Warm breath puffed against his ear, tickling it:

"Master—"

The voice was sickly sweet, yet carried a trace of a dangerous tremor.

"You are not allowed... to touch anyone else."

"Not even... their hair."

Fang Qi looked down at his empty hand, and then at the small tuft of severed hair on the ground.

Then... he laughed.

First his shoulders began to shake, and then his whole body was shaking!

Laughter spilled from his throat, completely uncontrollable!

"Haha... hahaha..."

He laughed so hard he bent over!

He laughed until tears came out!

Excited, manic, unstoppable tears!

Then he turned around...

And fiercely pulled the soft, warm body behind him tightly into his embrace!

With such force, it was as if he wanted to crush her into his very bones!

The silver-haired girl let out a muffled sound from being hugged so tightly!

But her two arms immediately wrapped around his neck, hanging her entire body onto him!

Hanging tightly!

Fang Qi looked down at her, looking at her heterochromatic eyes that reflected his own face, looking at the curve of her lips that was exactly the same as his.

He could not stop laughing.

"Okay."

His voice was trembling.

With a thrilled tremor!

"Okay! Master will never touch anyone else again!"

"Not even a single strand of hair!"

"I will... only touch you!"

Then he lowered his head and fiercely bit her lips!

It wasn't a kiss, it was a bite!

A slightly maddened bite that declared ownership!

The silver-haired girl's eyes widened instantly, and her face flushed completely red.

"Wu...!"

She let out a soft whimper, shrinking her whole body into his arms.

But the hands wrapped around his neck tightened even more.

Fang Qi lifted his head, licked his lips, and tasted the faint sweet scent of strawberries.

Holding the slightly feverish, delicate body in his arms, his gaze...

Swept across this true battlefield of carnage.

All over the ground...

Masterpieces.

The masterpieces of his crazy plan!

He should have known from the very beginning that this scene would happen!

Since he had chosen this path...

Then he shouldn't be afraid of this scene!

Now, there was no way back.

In this playthrough, he absolutely had no way to turn back!!

The company would go crazy!

Armed forces would swarm up!

The law would also punish him!

And he...

Would die a miserable death!

But so what?

He smiled even more happily!

What he needed to do—

Was to slaughter his way through this building!!

Slaughter until they didn't dare to come again!!

Slaughter until they trembled at the mere sight of Liguang's shadow!!

Slaughter until this world...

Never dared to separate the two of them again!!!

Fang Qi lowered his head, buried his face into the silver hair, and took a deep breath!

The sweet scent of strawberries, mixed with a faint smell of blood.

It smelled so damn good!

When he raised his head... his expression had calmed down.

From downstairs... came more hurried footsteps!

"Listen, crazy woman."

His voice was also calm, just carrying a slight tremor.

"Those people who want to 'kill' you..."

"Are coming again."