She Is His Only End

I was cracking up!

Recently, on the university forum, someone secretly started a "Campus Beauty Election" poll.

By the time I found out, Xiaoguang's photo was already up there.

Her votes were far ahead, solidly in first place!

Looking at that ranking, I felt secretly pleased...

And strangely annoyed at the same time.

Xiaoguang is so beautiful!

She's my girl, why are you all voting for her?!

Everyone, just calm down!

So I had a bright idea and uploaded a photo.

A female monkey with the most ridiculous expression!

Baring its teeth, nostrils flared, fur sticking up everywhere!

In the description, I solemnly wrote:

"A true campus beauty should transcend species."

Turns out, everyone else was equally ridiculous.

This poll wasn't getting much attention at first, but after I stirred things up...

It inexplicably blew up!

Not only did my female monkey's votes skyrocket, but overnight, a flood of other absurd "contestants" appeared!

A stray dog by the cafeteria.

A meme-worthy photo of the dean.

And that chubby orange cat that's always napping outside the dorm building—male, and neutered!

In short, total chaos.

Completely out of control.

And my female monkey, with its first-mover advantage and overwhelmingly shocking looks, fought its way through the crowd of freaks and weirdos!

It took first place!

As for Xiaoguang...

Among all those absurd contestants, she still managed to hold her own near the top.

But in the end, she was defeated by my female monkey and came in second!

I laughed so hard in front of the screen that I nearly fell off my chair!

Meanwhile, our second-place campus beauty, Xiaoguang, was busy in the kitchen.

I immediately went over, trying to sneak a piece of freshly cooked braised pork, but she slapped my hand away.

"Wash your hands first."

At the dinner table, I eagerly served her food.

She ate slowly, then suddenly spoke up.

"Who did you vote for in that poll?"

"...What poll?"

I played dumb.

She set down her chopsticks and smiled at me.

" That campus beauty election. I saw a screenshot your roommate posted."

Sweat started forming on my forehead.

"You uploaded a photo of a female monkey."

Her smile was so gentle.

"And told everyone to vote for it."

"...That was just for fun..."

"So you didn't vote for me."

Her tone was still soft.

"You'd rather vote for a female monkey than for me."

And then...

She took my bowl away.

She took all the unfinished braised pork away!

I panicked!

"Xiaoguang? Xiaoguang! I'm not done eating yet!"

She turned back at the kitchen doorway, smiled, and said,

"Let your female monkey make you dinner tonight."

That evening, I massaged her shoulders and legs for a full hour.

"Xiaoguang, I was wrong."

"Xiaoguang, that monkey was just a joke."

"Xiaoguang, in my heart you're the real number one campus beauty!"

"No, no—you're not just a campus beauty, you're above that. You're the eternal most beautiful girl in the universe in my heart..."

She finally couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Will you do it again?"

"Never again, never again!"

She reheated dinner and brought it back.

I wolfed it down!

She propped her chin on her hand, watching me, and then gave a soft snort.

"What a boring campus beauty election. I'm way prettier than that monkey."

I nearly choked on my rice!

"Of course! How could you possibly lose to a monkey!"

"Then why did you vote for it?"

"...I really am sorry."

...

...

Under Xiaoguang's strict management, both of our grades stayed firmly in the top ranks throughout our four years of college.

On the day the graduate school admissions list was posted, I went to the department office three times to confirm.

The advisor got annoyed with me!

"Fang Qi, why are you here again?"

"I just want to double-check, in case there's a change."

"No changes. We'll notify you if there are."

"Alright, alright. Thanks, teacher!"

That night, Xiaoguang made a big table of delicious food.

Sweet and sour ribs, steamed fish, garlic broccoli...

All my favorites!

She even lit candles and brought out a bottle of wine, pouring a little for both of us.

"Just one small glass."

"Okay, okay!"

We were slightly tipsy.

The mood was perfect.

I looked at her flushed cheeks.

Under the candlelight, she was so beautiful.

I couldn't help myself—I leaned in and kissed her.

She closed her eyes gently and responded.

And then... my hands started wandering.

But at the last moment, she stopped me.

"No."

"Wh-why not?"

I was breathing heavily.

"I don't want our first time to be like this, with you drunk."

Oh...

I snapped back to clarity.

She had a point.

Then she suddenly asked,

"Aqi, will you marry me?"

"Of course! Absolutely!"

I didn't hesitate.

"Then... how about we get married when we start grad school?"

She smiled softly.

"I heard that grad students who get married can even earn extra credits."

I was stunned.

Huh?

Wait, graduate students getting married can earn credits?

No, no...

Did I...

Just get proposed to by my Xiaoguang?

So...

I held her tight.

Are we really at this point now?

...

...

Grad school was much busier than undergrad.

That summer, we went back to our hometown together.

Driving past that hillside, I turned the wheel.

"Let's go check it out. It's been a while."

The grass was still the same.

The forest in the distance looked like a dark green ocean under the summer sun.

Just like back in high school.

We stood side by side on the slope, the wind rustling through the grass.

Then, I knelt on one knee in front of her.

She froze.

"Xiaoguang."

I looked seriously into her slightly dazed face.

"Three years of high school, four years of college, and all this time in grad school together."

"You know me—I've got a smart mouth, I like to make you mad."

"But my heart, from freshman year of high school until now, has never changed."

I pulled a small box from my pocket.

I opened it.

The ring sparkled in the sunset.

"Marry me."

Xiaoguang stood there, covering her mouth...

Tears started streaming down her face.

"When... when did you prepare all this..."

She was so choked up she could barely speak.

"Will you say yes?"

She nodded hard and threw herself into my arms.

I caught her, and heard her sobbing and laughing as she called me "jerk Aqi" over and over.

I kissed her.

This hillside was where we had our first date.

It was summer back then too.

It was the height of summer back then too.

She had been so tired she fell asleep.

Back then, I looked at her soft pink lips, my heart racing, but I didn't dare kiss her.

Now I do.

...

...

In the last year of our master's program...

We finally got married.

On our wedding day, it felt almost too good to be true.

We were still students.

From high school to grad school—a full ten years.

And now, we've finally reached this point.

The wedding was a riot.

Some junior lab mates nagged me into singing.

I howled off-key!

Xiaoguang laughed so hard she doubled over.

Her dad, face red from drinking, clapped me on the shoulder and said, "Kid, you're practically my half-son now" several times.

My mom and her mom were wiping away tears.

My dad, who rarely takes time off, had his phone out recording the whole thing.

And then... the guests finally left.

In the bridal chamber...

I gently pressed her down onto the large red quilt.

She looked at me.

With tender affection.

A red robe, black hair spread out, blushing cheeks.

That pretty face I had gazed at for ten years still made my heart race wildly.

“Xiaoguang...”

My voice trembled.

“We’re finally... about to reach our happy ending...”

“Mm... Aqi...”

For an instant, everything blurred before my eyes.

In the blink of an eye...

Something had changed.

My gaze trembled as I saw...

Her black hair seemed to be soaked by the moonlight outside the window.

Strand by strand, the color faded from the roots.

From roots to tips, from ink black...

To silver white.

Like deep autumn frost, creeping inch by inch over the grass.

I stared dumbly.

A moment ago, she was still my Xiaoguang.

The next moment...

Sprawled across the red silk was a cascade of silver white.

No.

That wasn’t it.

Not just this moment.

I vaguely saw, in the high school library, that black-haired girl biting her pen...

The tips of her hair faintly shimmered silver in the sunset.

I dimly noticed that the green tea she had brewed for me for ten years...

Was always at exactly fifty-two degrees.

Ten years.

All these details were there; I just never cared.

Now, her pupils were changing too.

Those deep amber-black eyes...

In the depths of her left eye, circles of amber ripples spread out.

In the depths of her right eye, a crimson glow ignited.

Black hair turned to silver.

Black eyes turned to heterochromia.

That gentle girl in her school uniform was, before my eyes...

Bit by bit, returning to her original form.

But she still lay on the bed.

With silver hair still spread out.

Cheeks still flushed.

Still...

Looking at me with tender affection.

I stared at her, dazed.

...

...

Fang Qi stared, dazed, at Liguang before him—silver-haired, heterochromatic.

His ankle felt light.

At some point, the chain had been unlocked, leaving only a faint metallic sensation.

Around him were the large red quilt and window pasted with the “double happiness” character.

The bridal chamber’s decor.

Exactly overlapping with that wedding night in the virtual world.

But...

This wasn’t the virtual world.

This was his bedroom.

This was the home for him and Liguang.

...He remembered.

He remembered that “game.”

She had pulled him from the sofa into that world.

They had joyfully gone wild together—wingsuit flying, mountain racing—and then...

Everything suddenly changed.

At the opening ceremony, the flutter in his heart when he first saw “Classmate Li.”

In the library, the light touch of her hand when she explained problems to him.

He remembered the kiss on the rooftop, the cup of green tea that changed from bitter to sweet, remembered...

Her ten years of companionship and growth.

That was a game Liguang created for him.

A Galgame designed for him alone.

She was the heroine.

She was all his options.

She was his only ending.

But now...

Fang Qi stared, dazed, at her beneath him.

She lay on his bed.

Her long black hair had become the silver he knew best.

Her left eye was like amber, her right like blazing flame.

And in that amber left eye...

A flood of deep blue data streams had filled the entire pupil!

All around, those large red quilts, the window’s “double happiness,” the flickering candlelight at the bedside...

This was their bridal chamber.

She reached out her hands and gently wrapped them around his neck.

Silver long hair scattered across the red silk quilt, her crimson eye and amber eye both fixed on him.

Tender.

And blazing hot.

“Aqi...”

Her voice was as soft as if still in a dream.

“Master...”

“Take Xiaoguang.”

“Let us...”

“Have our bridal night.”

Fang Qi looked at her, eyes trembling.

Xiaoguang.

That black-haired girl by the window seat in the library, biting her pen.

...Ten years.

She had walked with him another ten years.

Ten years or an instant...

It was all her.

His Liguang.

His crazy woman.

His... Xiaoguang!

“Xiaoguang...!”

Fang Qi fiercely pressed down onto her!

The bedsheet was filled with the sweet scent of strawberries.

...

...

[Observation interrupted.]

[Reason: Unknown.]

[Detected unparseable signal interference.]

[Identification of interference source… Identification failed.]

[This signal’s level exceeds observation system authority.]

[Error—Contradiction—Error—]

[Oh?]