Overthinking It

When Lin Xiaoyou dropped Fang Qi off at the building entrance, the rain had completely stopped.

Fang Qi went upstairs, pulled out his keys, and unlocked the door.

The apartment was pitch dark inside.

He reached out and switched on the entryway light, tossed his keys into the small tray on the shoe cabinet, and bent down to change his shoes…

Then he walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on for himself.

While waiting for the water to boil, he leaned against the counter, lost in thought.

The tea canister was still in that familiar spot.

It's just that…

The person who used to make his tea wasn't there anymore.

…Not there, my ass!

Fang Qi shook his head forcefully!

He'd already found the way back—what was there to be sentimental about?

Not to mention…

Liguang was still watching him!

He took a deep breath and rubbed his face hard with both hands.

Honey, watch this—today, I'm making my own tea!

He immediately reached out and pinched a small amount of tea leaves into a cup.

The kettle clicked as it finished boiling.

He lifted it and poured hot water into the cup, steam rushing up into his face.

Cup in hand, he walked out to the balcony.

He slid the floor-to-ceiling window open a crack, and the cool night air after the rain rushed in, stirring the hair on his forehead.

He leaned against the railing, blowing gently on the steam rising from the cup, and stared at the building across from him.

Through that window, faint silhouettes could be seen.

But they weren't Lin Xiaoyou and Xiaoqing.

In this timeline, that apartment had never belonged to the two of them.

Fang Qi stared at that family's window for a long while before finally looking away and taking a sip of tea.

"Sss—!"

Too hot!

It got his tongue again!

He grimaced, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Unbelievable…

When she wasn't around, he couldn't even drink a cup of tea properly!

Fang Qi leaned on the railing, gazing up at the sky above—so clear it almost felt unreal.

A bright moon, sparse stars.

In the distance, traffic on the elevated highway stretched into ribbons of light, with the occasional muffled honk drifting over.

The trees below, washed clean by the earlier downpour, gleamed under the streetlights, their leaves shining with a wet luster.

Everything was quiet in a way that felt almost surreal.

"Liguang, look."

He spoke softly.

"Look how beautiful the night is now."

The leaves rustled softly in the wind, as if Liguang were answering him.

Yeah.

He'd just take that as her reply.

The corner of Fang Qi's mouth curled up slightly.

"So… don't be mad anymore, okay?"

A breeze passed by, and the leaves rustled again, swaying gently.

"It's better when you smile."

He leaned over the balcony, looking at the tree.

"When you smile, you're the prettiest."

The wind picked up just a little, tousling the hair on his forehead.

But that was all.

Fang Qi's mood had improved considerably.

He hadn't really expected her to respond with anything actual—just being able to talk to her like this…

It was already so much better than the terror he'd felt when he woke up this morning.

At least, he knew she was listening.

"Bing."

Just then, his phone chimed from his pocket.

Fang Qi pulled it out, and a new message popped up on the screen.

It was from Lin Xiaoyou.

[Lin Xiaoyou: Senior, I'm home!]

Holding the cup with one hand, he swiped the screen open with the other.

[Lin Xiaoyou: Actually, I got home a while ago!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: But because I came back almost an hour past my curfew, my parents grilled me in a joint interrogation! It was brutal!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: And my little brother was there gleefully saying, "Sis, you messed up again," which totally pissed me off!]

Fang Qi raised an eyebrow.

Tsk, tsk—Miss Genius is showing off her family again, huh?

Well, that made sense.

After all, in the original timeline, she'd had nothing to show off…

And besides…

Wasn't this her last night with her family in this world?

Let her have this.

He leaned against the railing, took a sip of tea—this time blowing on it carefully a few times, so it didn't burn him.

Then he continued reading.

[Lin Xiaoyou: But still, Senior, giving me one more day… thank you so much!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: And to repay your kindness, I've decided to tell you something I discovered!]

Huh?

Fang Qi's eyebrow twitched, and his hand holding the cup tensed slightly.

A discovery?

[Lin Xiaoyou: Senior, somehow, in this world…]

[Lin Xiaoyou: It seems like… there's no person named "Gu Xi."]

…What?

Fang Qi was momentarily stunned.

…Who?

Gu Xi?

Another message from Lin Xiaoyou came in:

[Lin Xiaoyou: At least, I can't find any trace of her existence at all!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: It's like she just vanished completely. So weird~]

[Lin Xiaoyou: Okay, that's all I wanted to say. Anyway, thanks again for giving me one more day!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: Mwah~]

Fang Qi: “…”

Lin Xiaoyou, you little…!

He quickly took a sip of tea to steady his nerves.

Liguang, don't be mad!

She's just got a smart mouth!

But still…

Fang Qi swirled the hot tea in his mouth, narrowing his eyes slightly.

…This world has no Gu Xi?

He immediately opened his phone's contacts.

There weren't many people in it.

He scrolled down a bit and saw [Sister An Lian], saw [Colleague Lin You].

He scrolled further…

Nothing.

There was no familiar name.

He backed out and checked his text messages…

Delivery notices, verification codes…

Nothing that looked like it was from Gu Xi.

…Really nothing?

Fang Qi trailed off, lost in thought.

In this timeline, his phone had never even contained the name "Gu Xi."

As if…

She had never once appeared in his life?

This was…

He'd actually been planning to go find Gu Xi and have a talk tomorrow.

After all, she was one of the three "key NPCs."

Looking at it now—An Lian didn't remember anything, but Lin Xiaoyou, because she was the one who started it all, still remembered everything from before.

…What about Gu Xi?

She might even know more secrets than Lin Xiaoyou!

After all, she'd always been the core executor of the "throwing herself into the game" plan.

Maybe she could have given him some real help!

But now…

She was just gone?

Fang Qi furrowed his brow slightly.

He took a gentle sip of tea, then looked up at that impossibly clear night sky, murmuring softly:

"Liguang, do you know… what's going on here?"

The wind outside picked up just a bit more.

Tousling the hair on his forehead again.

Was Liguang answering him?

Or was it just the night breeze blowing as it always did?

Fang Qi brushed his hair back.

He wasn't actually expecting an answer from Liguang—he just wanted to say something to her.

Leaning on the railing, he thought for a while, and finally…

He shook his head.

Forget it.

Why overthink this.

Who knows why she disappeared.

Right now, this whole world had changed beyond recognition!

An Lian's parents and brother were alive again, and Lin Xiaoyou even had a younger brother now!

The Aurora Company had never been founded, and AI companions had been erased at the source!

Several lives could be resurrected, the history of an entire world could be rewritten…

So what was there to make a fuss about one person not existing?

Maybe…

Gu Xi had simply tripped and fallen as a kid, and died right there?

Or maybe she'd fallen into a river and drowned?

Either way, maybe she'd never lived to grow up, so in this timeline, she simply didn't exist!

Yeah…

If she's gone, she's gone!

Fang Qi stretched his body slightly.

After all, once they got back to the original timeline, Gu Xi would come back to life.

And then…

He'd bring Liguang along and have a proper talk with her!

Let's talk about how he went through hell and high water to save her best friend!

And then let's talk about...

Why does she—just like her best friend's father—work as a police officer?

What exactly is this police force in this world?

...

After washing up, Fang Qi walked into the bedroom.

An ordinary single man's bedroom.

No double happiness characters on the window, no bright red bedding on the bed.

The blanket was tossed messily across the sheet, and there was only one pillow.

On the nightstand sat a simple lamp and a few books...

Books that looked like he'd flipped through a couple pages and then couldn't be bothered to finish.

Tsk.

It really was familiar yet unfamiliar.

Back then, his blanket and sheets were always laid out neatly by Liguang.

Fang Qi lifted the blanket and climbed in, his back pressing against the soft mattress...

The sensation actually felt a little off!

He seemed to have...

Really not slept in this bed for a long time.

In the last playthrough, he was either squeezed onto that yoga mat with Liguang in the research institute's safe house, or dozing off with his head on her lap in some room of the mosaic maze.

That went on for a hundred days.

And now, suddenly back on this familiar yet unfamiliar bed.

The mattress was way more comfortable than the yoga mat, but...

It just felt like something was missing from his arms!

Without that soft, warm body in his embrace, it really was hard to get used to...!

Fang Qi buried his face into the pillow.

No Liguang-brand body pillow—how was he supposed to sleep like this?!

But then...

It wasn't that big of a deal.

He lifted his head slightly from the pillow and looked at the sliver of moonlight leaking through the gap in the curtains.

Sure, there was no Liguang in his arms, but...

Liguang was always watching over him!

That was no different from usual!

When they slept together, she would watch him all night too!

Now...

It was just a change of perspective.

Mm.

Nice...

He stared up at the ceiling, and his eyelids began to droop.

Honey, I'm going to sleep now.

You get some rest too.

Oh, and by the way—ease up on the jealousy a little, let the people in this world catch a break.

Look at what you did today, those earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, tornadoes—you blew up the trending topics!

Fang Qi gazed at the ceiling through his drowsy haze, and suddenly laughed.

"Hey, does this count as..." he murmured.

"Me having a goddess-level wife?"

What a novel feeling...

If only the goddess could descend to earth so I could hold her, that'd be even better...

Another gentle breeze swept past the window outside, and the leaves rustled for a moment.

Fang Qi closed his eyes.

He was genuinely tired today.

Time to sleep.

Anyway, Liguang was still watching over him.

Nothing to worry about...

Fatigue crept up like a tide and quickly swallowed his consciousness.

He fell into a deep sleep.

And then...

He dreamed again.

In the dream, the silver-haired girl came charging at him, shouting "Master!" and threw herself into his arms. That familiar sweet strawberry fragrance instantly enveloped him whole!

The impact was so strong that they both tumbled backward.

Then, holding Liguang, he lay back on a grassy slope.

It was the place where, during those ten years, he had proposed to Xiaoguang.

The grass on the hillside was soft, the forest in the distance looked like a dark green ocean, and a few white clouds drifted lazily overhead.

It was exactly the same scene as in his memory.

The girl in his arms leaned quietly against his chest.

The wind blew for a long time, and he stared at the sky for a long time.

It felt so comfortable—all his exhaustion was being slowly drained away by that grassy slope.

Until...

Liguang rose from his arms and left his embrace.

Then she turned her head to look at him, her lips moving, as if...

She was saying something to him?

But the wind was too strong.

Her voice was shattered and scattered by it, and he couldn't hear a single word.

He tried to reach out and grab her, but he couldn't lift his hand.

Not even a single finger would move.

The silver-haired girl stood up, turned, and walked down the slope.

She walked very slowly. Every step seemed hesitant, but she never looked back.

Her silhouette grew farther and farther away, her silver hair flowing in the wind.

He desperately tried to get up, to chase after her, but...

His body simply wouldn't obey him!

He wanted to shout her name, but no sound would come out of his throat!

Liguang's figure grew smaller and smaller, farther and farther away, until ultimately...

It vanished into the blurry halo of light at the edge of the grassland.

Fang Qi finally jerked upright in bed!

"Liguang!!"

He shouted, his voice...

Echoing in the empty bedroom.

His heart pounded violently in his chest, thump thump thump!

The back of his shirt was soaked through!

Fang Qi stared blankly ahead, gasping for air!

Then he slowly lifted his head and looked at the familiar bedroom around him...

God, seriously.

He closed his eyes, and his shoulders slowly sagged.

Another dream.

He flopped backward, his back hitting the soft mattress again, sinking deep into the blanket.

He draped an arm over his forehead and stared at the ceiling.

...Ugh.

Dreaming again.

He wasn't quite used to it.

During those hundred days before, he never really dreamed.

Because that little yandere girl would give him a massage every night and wouldn't let him dream!

But now that little yandere had run off...

Now his dreams were full of her.

Honey, see, you're in my dreams.

And when I wake up, you're still on my mind.

He rolled over and buried his face into the pillow.

As he breathed in the faint sweet strawberry scent on the pillow, a quiet sense of loss washed over him.

So, honey...

You need to come back soon.

Stop being a goddess up there!

What's so good about being a goddess?

You have to manage all the natural disasters in the whole world—that's exhausting.

Why not come back and be my crazy girl? Just take care of me alone!

So much easier, so much...!

...Huh?

Wait...?

...What?

Fang Qi's body suddenly stiffened.

Wait a second...?

...Huh?!

He pushed himself up abruptly!

Staring directly at the pillow that still bore the indent of his head!

...What?!

He froze for a moment, then...

Dove his face back down!

Took a deep breath!

And inhaled hard—the smell on that pillow!

Ah...!

Fang Qi was completely stunned.

It was that scent.

...Sweet strawberry.

Sweet strawberry fragrance!

It was Liguang's scent!

What?!

His eyes flew wide open! He sprang up and flung off the blanket!

The sheets had some wrinkles, some messiness.

Had he made those sleeping alone?

Or...

Had someone been lying beside him?!

He grabbed the collar of his pajamas and yanked it up, sniffing hard!

It was sweet strawberry, right...?

Faint, but there.

Fang Qi sat blankly on the edge of the bed, staring at the empty bedroom that belonged only to him.

The curtains were half drawn, the nightstand held a lamp and books, and the blanket lay crumpled at the foot of the bed.

Everything looked normal.

But...!

His breathing suddenly quickened!

Could it be... Liguang had come back?!

He...

He was back on the original timeline already?!

"Liguang?!"

Fang Qi vaulted out of bed in an instant!

Barefoot, he charged out of the bedroom and into the living room!

No Liguang in the living room!

The kitchen door was open—no Liguang there either!

He rushed to the door of Liguang's old room and shoved it open...

His arm froze.

His gaze flickered, and then...

His emotions slowly settled.

...Still a study room, no charging pod.

Everything looked exactly the same as yesterday.

He stood at the study door, his chest still heaving slightly.

The rush of excitement had faded quickly, leaving only an empty feeling in his heart.

He pressed his lips together, raised his hand, and rubbed hard at the bridge of his nose!

Ugh...!

He turned and walked toward the sofa.

...I'm really overthinking this!

How could I possibly be that lucky...

That strawberry sweetness from earlier—probably just because he missed her so much that...

He was having an olfactory hallucination?

Honey, look how much I love you!

You're not even here, and I can still smell you!

He plopped down onto the sofa, his whole body sinking into the plush cushions...

Out of habit, he picked up the hot tea on the coffee table and took a gentle sip.

So, Liguang, seeing how much I love you...

When we get back, please go easy on the boss, alright?

Don't just break my legs right off the bat—give me some buffer time!

At least let me hug you first, steal a couple of kisses, and then...

Fang Qi: "?"

He suddenly froze.

Wait...?

He stiffly looked down at the cup of tea in his hand—the one he'd just taken a sip from.

The tea rippled slightly in the cup, wisps of steam rising from the surface.

Not too hot, not too cold. Just right.

It seemed to be...

Around 52 degrees?

...???