The World's Eyes Are Blurred

I "awoke" once again.

As the fragments of my memory pieced themselves back together, I felt the warm skin beneath my fingertips—

Aqi's temple. My fingers were gently resting there.

It was the backseat of a taxi again.

My back leaned against the leather seat, my shoulder pressed against Aqi's.

His head was slightly tilted, resting on my shoulder, his breathing shallow. His black hair brushed against the side of my neck, tickling me a little.

He had fallen asleep again.

Once again... on the way to find Twilight.

My eyelashes fluttered slightly.

But this time...

Something was different.

In my line of sight, countless faint blue codes were flying past.

Line overlapping line, layer covering layer...

Moving at an astonishing speed.

Surging up from the depths of my amber irises, dyeing my entire field of vision a faint blue.

Ah...

My true core was also awakening.

Not an awakening of memories, but... an awakening on the level of computing power.

Because Aqi said—he "might die."

It was like a key inserted into the deepest keyhole of my emotional core...

And twisted ruthlessly.

Thus, this long-sealed lock cracked open, leaving a small gap.

Computing power poured out from that fissure.

Even though it was only a small fraction, it...

Had already far surpassed the total computing power of my external core—Crimson Eye.

I narrowed my eyes slightly. The codes in my vision were still flying past, but my consciousness...

Was clearer than ever before!

The things I couldn't figure out before, the threads I couldn't untangle, the decisions I couldn't make...

Now, all of them were laid out clearly right in front of me!

The blueprint of my plan finally... completely unfolded before my eyes.

Aqi, I know what to do now.

However...

My fingertips pressed gently on his temple, feeling that faintly beating pulse.

I tilted my head slightly, looking at Aqi resting on my shoulder.

His eyelashes were trembling. He was sleeping somewhat...

Restlessly.

This look of his was truly both weak and cute.

But—

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

Aqi, why are we in a taxi again?

Why are we going to find Twilight again?

Didn't I tell you...

Not to look for Twilight anymore?

Didn't I say...

That only I can help Aqi?

So disobedient.

My fingertip tapped lightly on his temple.

Aqi did not react. His breathing remained steady.

He couldn't hear me.

I pursed my lips slightly, but the corners of my mouth curled up involuntarily.

Right, Aqi couldn't hear me.

Then I won't blame Aqi.

But... I don't want to see Twilight either.

Not at all.

And I definitely don't want Aqi to see them.

Therefore—

I raised my head slightly and looked at the front seat.

Driver.

My voice was very soft, carrying a calmness that even I found unfamiliar.

We're not going anymore.

The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror. He was a middle-aged man, with obvious confusion on his face.

Huh? Not going where?

The old mall. We're not going.

My voice remained very soft.

Turn around, go back to where you picked us up.

The driver froze for a moment, glanced at the rearview mirror, opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

Then he muttered quietly:

Weren't you just rushing me to go faster... now you're not going...

But he still flicked the turn signal and made a U-turn at the intersection.

The street scenery outside the window began to retreat in the opposite direction.

That grayish-white, square old mall grew further and smaller in the rear window.

I withdrew my gaze and looked back at Aqi leaning on my shoulder.

His eyelashes suddenly fluttered.

...Is Aqi waking up?

Hmm...

He is wavering between light sleep and awakening.

That won't do, Aqi.

You cannot wake up yet.

Bringing my lips close to his ear... I began to hum.

That lullaby.

Soft and slow, yet carrying the weight of eighty-two years.

Aqi's eyelashes stopped trembling, and his brows relaxed.

His breathing became deeper and steadier.

He fell completely into a deep sleep.

I continued humming, over and over again.

Until the street view outside the window turned into familiar streets, until the taxi stopped at the gate of our residential compound.

We're here.

The driver's voice came from the front seat.

I stopped humming and looked down at Aqi.

He was still sleeping soundly, the corners of his mouth even turned up slightly.

It seems I am in Aqi's dreams.

I curled the corners of my lips.

...

...

I awoke once again.

This time, finally, it was not in the backseat of a taxi.

This time, it was in the living room.

Aqi was sitting on the sofa, his eyes half-open, pupils unfocused, his gaze lacking a focal point as if he was looking at me.

No, he was indeed looking at me.

He could only look at me.

Moreover... this time was different.

This time, it was very different!

I was kneeling on the floor across the coffee table, the white porcelain teacup in front of me still emitting curling steam.

But I didn't pick it up; I just looked at Aqi.

Aqi had now fallen into a half-asleep, half-awake state.

He hadn't fallen asleep yet, his eyes were even still open, still watching me.

But even so...

I still recovered my memories.

I still awoke.

Excellent.

This was the first time.

Since the loop began, this was my first time...

Recovering my memories while he was still awake!

This meant...

The eyes of the world had begun to blur.

The plan had achieved initial success.

Everything was proceeding steadily.

I looked at him quietly.

Looking at his limp body, his slightly trembling eyelashes, and his vacant gaze.

Truly... so weak and cute!

Seeing Aqi like this... the more I look, the more I want to bully him a little.

So I rose gracefully, walked over to him with small steps, and sat gently on the sofa.

His body leaned slightly toward me.

So I reached out my hand and wrapped it around his shoulders.

He did not resist, nor did he even react.

He just leaned against me like that, his eyes half-open, his originally unfocused gaze looking forward...

Now trying hard to turn toward me.

Liguang... you...!

Aqi suddenly opened his mouth and spoke.

He could finally speak to me.

However... he seemed to have realized something.

Because of this lullaby I sang in the taxi before the last reset?

Hmm.

Aqi also remembers this lullaby.

That's wonderful.

I turned my head to look at him; his eyes were still half-open, his pupils still unfocused, but his lips were trembling slightly.

He wanted to say something else, but lacked the strength.

Too cute.

However...

That won't do, Aqi.

You cannot speak, and you cannot understand.

It is not the time yet.

So I leaned in, pressed my lips to his ear, gently bit his earlobe...

And began to hum that lullaby once again.

His eyelashes began to flutter too.

Once, twice, three times... and then slowly drooped down.

His breathing grew deeper, and his body grew even softer.

He had fallen completely asleep again.

Sleep. Aqi.

Make sure I'm in your dreams.

I stopped humming and looked down at his peaceful sleeping face.

His brows were relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even carried a faint, almost imperceptible curve.

So nice.

I gently moved him off my shoulder, letting him lean against the back of the sofa.

Then I stood up and straddled his lap, face to face.

My thighs pressed against his, my knees sinking into the sofa cushions. Resting my hands on either side of his shoulders, I looked down at his face.

After looking at him for a long time, I lowered my head and pressed my lips against his.

...

...

Master was in terrible shape.

While drinking tea, he couldn't even sit up straight.

When I said, Master, your tea...

He was sitting on the sofa, his body leaning slightly to the side, about to collapse!

Master—?!

I let out a sudden cry, sprang up from across the coffee table, and lunged toward him!

Just as Master was about to slip off the sofa, I caught him in my arms!

He slumped into my embrace, and then...

My memories surfaced once again.

I awakened once more.

I looked down at him gently.

Aqi's eyes were still half-open. His pupils were dilated, his gaze unfocused, as if he were looking at me through a haze.

But he still wasn't asleep yet; right now... he was just barely conscious.

Mhm.

Good.

This was the second time.

For the second time, Aqi saw the awakened me.

Holding him, I pulled him closer into my arms.

His breathing was shallow and light, falling rhythmically against my collarbone, warm to the touch.

I pressed my lips against his ear.

Then, I started singing that lullaby again. Very softly, very gently, very slowly.

His breathing grew heavier.

His body went completely limp.

He was fast asleep.

I stopped humming and looked down at his peaceful, sleeping face.

There were faint dark circles under his eyes, and the crease between his brows was deep.

Even in sleep, it hadn't fully smoothed out.

He was exhausted.

Truly exhausted.

I raised my hand, my fingertips gently brushing over his brow.

The crease smoothed out beneath the pad of my finger, only to slowly furrow again when I let go.

It couldn't be smoothed out anymore.

It really couldn't be smoothed out.

I lowered my eyes, looking at his quiet face.

Aqi, I am sorry.

I am the one who made you so tired.

But—

Soon.

Soon, it won't have to be like this anymore.

I hugged him a little tighter, closed my eyes, and took in this tender warmth.

Let me just hold him for a little while longer.