She understood it

Right in front of him, the beautiful police officer kept her eyes tightly shut, her whole body tense...

Waiting for the impending "assault"!

But what she got instead was the cold, hard muzzle of a gun pressed against her forehead.

It even poked her head, making it sway back and forth.

So she tremblingly opened her eyes, a trace of bewilderment flashing in them.

Then Fang Qi saw...

Those light brown eyes blinked, and a wave of disbelief surged in them!

—Huh? I actually wasn't assaulted?

—Is this guy even a man?

Her look seemed to be saying exactly that!

Fang Qi: "?"

No, what the f*ck...!

Fang Qi felt like his defenses were truly breaking!

He glared at Gu Xi!

I didn't touch you just now, you should be extremely grateful!

You should be breathing a sigh of relief!

You should think I'm a perfect gentleman!

And yet...

What kind of look is that?!

He felt like he had been subjected to a massive insult!

Officer Gu, you really should...

Learn from Lin Xiaoyou what high EQ means!

You've been provoking me this whole time!

From start to finish, provoking me!

Even your eyes are provoking me!

Fang Qi glared at her, his teeth genuinely itching with anger!

Damn it!

He abruptly stood up!

He strode to the center of the wooden cabin, grabbed the wooden chair leaning against the table...

"Bang!"

He slammed it onto the floor!

With the back of the chair facing Gu Xi, he straddled it!

Resting his hands on the backrest, he continued to glare down condescendingly at the beautiful police officer lying on the floor!

Then...

"Click."

He flipped the gun's safety back on.

He cast a sidelong, disdainful glance at the beautiful officer on the ground:

"No way, I was just making a joke, and you actually took it seriously?"

His tone was incredibly disdainful!

"Hilarious!"

"I don't even want to touch you at all!"

"Don't flatter yourself!"

"You're nowhere near as good as my wife!"

"My wife is way prettier than you!"

He decided to win back some face with his words.

Since he couldn't use his hands, he'd use his mouth!

In short...

Mock her!

Mock her ruthlessly!

Mock this beautiful officer's arrogance right out of her!

But after he said all this, Gu Xi didn't show the shocked and humiliated expression he had imagined.

She just lay on the ground, staring blankly at everything he did...

And then, visibly relaxed?

She let out a long breath!

Her whole body went limp.

Her tense shoulders relaxed, her fingers that had been clawing at the floorboards let go, and her feet, which had been pressing hard against the floor, stopped moving completely.

She just lay paralyzed on the floor, saying nothing.

She didn't look at Fang Qi anymore, but instead stared blankly at the bullet holes in the ceiling...

Wondering about who knows what.

The atmosphere became a bit awkward for a moment.

Fang Qi: "..."

He felt like he had punched cotton.

...What a waste of mockery.

The cabin was very quiet.

For a time, only the sound of their breathing remained.

Fang Qi was so embarrassed he didn't want to speak.

Was he... being a bit childish just now?

...Damn it!

He scratched his hair in a bit of frustration.

However...

He looked at the beautiful officer lying silently on the floor.

To be honest, he really admired Gu Xi.

Paralyzed on the ground after being electrocuted three consecutive times, threatened with assault, having a gun pressed to her forehead...

She still hadn't yielded from beginning to end.

She hadn't revealed a single word!

She really wasn't afraid of death.

Although Fang Qi wasn't afraid of death either, that was because... he had the safety net of respawning.

Dying was just like restarting a game, no big deal.

He only worried that Liguang's memory would be lost.

But Gu Xi truly wasn't afraid of death!

She really dared to risk her own life to protect those...

Secrets she thought shouldn't be told?

Tsk tsk.

This... forced one to feel some admiration.

As expected of a police officer.

As expected of someone from the authorities.

Fang Qi leaned on the back of the chair, watching Gu Xi.

She was no longer glaring at him, nor scolding him.

She just lay there quietly, her eyes rimmed with red, staring at the ceiling.

This suddenly made him feel...

Had he gone a bit too far just now?

Those threatening actions earlier, although just to scare her, to make her talk...

She was ultimately still a girl. When facing the possibility of "assault," she would still feel fear, still tremble, still shut her eyes tightly...

Damn...

He had really become the villain!

Fang Qi covered his face.

...He couldn't use these methods anymore!

His meager remaining conscience was aching!

...Change direction!

Then...

Continue executing the plan!

It was time to chat with Gu Xi about those "dreams"!

Fang Qi adjusted his posture and fixed his gaze on Gu Xi, who was limp on the floor.

Sunlight filtered in through the bullet holes in the roof, casting thin beams of light onto her scattered black hair.

"Officer Gu."

He suddenly spoke, his tone returning to normal.

Gu Xi didn't respond to him.

She kept looking at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Fang Qi didn't mind and continued speaking.

"Today should be our first time meeting, right?"

Gu Xi's gaze froze slightly.

Fang Qi observed her reaction and continued in a casual tone:

"But I keep feeling..."

"Like we've met somewhere before!"

Gu Xi still didn't speak.

But her fingers curled up slightly.

Fang Qi tilted his head, looking at her profile.

"Let me think—"

He pretended to be deep in thought, his fingers tapping lightly on the handgun.

"Smack!"

He suddenly clapped his hands!

"Oh, right!"

Startled, Gu Xi's body gave another slight tremble.

Her gaze moved away from the ceiling, but she still didn't look at him. Instead...

She stared at the wooden cabin's wall!

Turning her back to him completely!

Fang Qi didn't mind. He rested his chin on the back of his hand and smiled:

"Officer Gu, I think... I've seen you in a dream!"

These words made Gu Xi's breathing visibly quicken!

Her fingertips resting on the floor began to lightly scratch at the wooden boards!

She continued to stare fixedly at the wall, as if studying the texture of the wood!

Good! A reaction!

Fang Qi pressed his advantage:

"Officer Gu, earlier..."

"You seemed to call me directly by my name, didn't you?"

His tone suddenly became somewhat playful.

"Today is our first time meeting, right?"

"I don't think... I ever told you what my name is, did I?"

"Could it be..."

He tilted his head, staring intently at Gu Xi's profile.

"Officer Gu, you... have seen me in a dream too?"

The wooden cabin fell silent once again.

Sunlight filtered in through the bullet holes.

Dust danced in the beams of light.

Gu Xi's breathing was heavy and rapid.

Her chest heaved continuously.

Fang Qi didn't rush her, just leaning on the back of the chair, his head tilted as he watched her.

...She understood.

Of course she understood.

Because she had definitely had those dreams too.

She knew what he was talking about.

However, Fang Qi didn't plan to stop just yet.

He glanced at the cabin door. Sunlight seeped in through the cracks.

Liguang was still outside.

But according to their agreement, she had completely shut down her auditory systems.

Very well. Then there is no need to hold back anymore.

Fang Qi tapped the back of the chair with the gun in his hand.

Thud.

It was a somewhat muffled sound.

Gu Xi's body trembled again.

This time, Fang Qi did not beat around the bush.

His voice was calm, even somewhat candid.

"Officer Gu, I came here in that dream."

Gu Xi's breathing stopped for a second.

Fang Qi continued.

"This mountain, this mountain road, this little wooden cabin..."

"I have been to all of them in my dream."

"So today, I came here all over again."

"What about you?"

He tilted his head, looking straight into Gu Xi's eyes.

"Officer Gu, why did you come here?"

"Did you also have a... dream about coming here?"

Gu Xi continued to stare blankly at the wall.

Her lips were pressed tightly together, the curve of her mouth a bit stiff.

Ever since Fang Qi said the word "dream," her body had not moved at all.

Even her originally rapid breathing had become very, very light.

Fang Qi looked at her profile and waited.

He did not rush her, just waited quietly.

The cabin returned to silence.

Outside the window, the mountain breeze blew by, rustling the leaves.

Occasionally, the chirping of birds came from afar, echoing in the empty valley.

Time ticked by, minute by minute.

Just when Fang Qi thought Gu Xi would remain silent and was about to say something else himself...

She finally moved.

She...

Let out a long breath.

It was a very, very long breath.

It was as if she had been holding it in for a long time, and finally exhaled it at this moment.

And with this breath, her whole body slowly relaxed.

Her shoulders slumped, and the rising and falling of her chest slowed down.

Then she smiled, a tired, helpless smile, tinged with self-deprecation.

"Yes."

Her voice was terribly hoarse, still carrying the tremor from the electric shock, but her tone had softened.

It was no longer the stiff, rigid tone from before.

"Those 'dreams'..."

Her eyes were still fixed on the bullet hole in the ceiling, her gaze slightly dazed.

"...were too real."

Her voice was very soft, so soft she seemed to be muttering to herself.

"So real that..."

"It is absolutely impossible to forget."

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Excellent!

...She admitted it!

Just like Liguang, just like Lin Xiaoyou, just like An Lian—

They all retained the memories of the previous loop due to his "death return"!

"Dreams."

They all called them "dreams."

Fang Qi straightened up, taking his hands off the back of the chair and sitting properly.

He no longer faced Gu Xi with that casual posture; he looked straight at her!

"So..."

He lowered his voice.

"Officer Gu, in the last dream..."

"You were one of the 'informants' tailing me and Lin Xiaoyou, weren't you?"

Hearing the word "informants," Gu Xi was slightly taken aback.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and her lips moved.

"Informants...?"

She murmured, somewhat bewildered.

"Informants..."

"What is that?"