Chapter 161: Dark Desires
Outside the door, two women were pounding against it impatiently, their expressions growing increasingly frantic.
Inside, Shen Yu was still holding Sandy when another wave of unbearable heat suddenly surged through his body, forcing both of them against the door.
The atmosphere had become wild.
Chaotic.
Almost maddening.
The three women exchanged increasingly jealous glances.
And then—
Something seemed to reach its limit.
Yes... that’s right.
This feeling...
The feeling of being watched.
Of being stared at by them with naked jealousy.
[Sandy’s Favorability toward you +1]
[+1]
[+1]
A series of notification sounds rang inside Shen Yu’s ears.
He paid them no attention.
All he could hear was the continuous pounding from outside the door and the heavy thumping within the carriage.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, the train entered another tunnel.
Darkness instantly swallowed the compartment.
Shen Yu stumbled.
His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the floor.
He didn’t understand what was happening to his body anymore.
He only knew that he had to stand up.
Then do something.
Then repeat it.
It had become a maddening, irrational cycle.
Even though his body felt completely drained, even though some distant part of his mind understood that continuing like this would eventually kill him, Shen Yu couldn’t control himself.
It’s over.
I’m about to die in the most ridiculous way imaginable.
The viewers watching the live stream were already going crazy.
"Salute to Shen Yu!"
"This might qualify as the most comfortable death in history."
"Which man could refuse to die like this?"
At the same time, Shen Yu’s live stream had been blacked out for nearly two hours.
The barrage was filled with worried messages.
"He’s finished!"
"No, Shen Yu, you’ll die!"
But amidst the frantic pounding on the door—
Shen Yu suddenly felt someone force his mouth open.
Something small was pushed inside.
A pill.
He swallowed it instinctively.
The effect was immediate.
The unbearable heat raging inside his body was suddenly extinguished as though someone had poured ice-cold water over a furnace.
The fever rapidly subsided.
Shen Yu’s strength vanished along with it.
He collapsed onto the floor, completely exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke again, Sandy was lying beside him.
She looked exhausted as well, resting in his arms with a gentle expression.
"Six times already."
Her voice was soft.
"If this continues, you won’t be able to hold on."
She lowered her gaze.
"Neither will I."
A trace of worry appeared in her eyes.
"I can’t bear watching you die."
Ding!
[Sandy’s Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 87]
[New Favorability CG Unlocked]
Shen Yu stared blankly at the notification.
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of relief filled his chest.
He finally closed his eyes and returned to sleep.
Shen Yu had deliberately gone looking for Sandy.
It had been a gamble.
He had bet that Sandy wouldn’t allow him to die in this trial.
The true danger of this level wasn’t merely the overwhelming desire.
It was the loss of control.
If Shen Yu couldn’t control himself...
Then he would let Sandy control him.
With her favorability already so high, would she really allow him to die?
The answer was obvious.
No.
Absolutely not.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The train continued racing forward at tremendous speed.
No one knew how much time had passed.
Eventually, the scenery outside the windows began to change.
The endless sea of flowers disappeared.
In its place stood a grove of withered cypress trees.
A faint ray of sunset slowly filtered through the windows.
Sandy helped Shen Yu onto the bed before gently tapping his cheek.
"Hey."
"Wake up."
"Wake up."
"You aren’t completely out of it already, are you?"
Shen Yu’s mind was still blank.
He felt something itching against his face.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
He stared around the compartment for several seconds before finally remembering what had happened.
His gaze settled on Sandy.
"Is it over?"
"What else?"
Sandy rolled her eyes.
"Do you think your body could have lasted much longer?"
Shen Yu wiped his mouth and noticed a faint medicinal taste.
"What did you give me?"
"A drug that suppresses male hormones."
Sandy shrugged.
"Don’t worry. It has no side effects."
Shen Yu stared at her.
"Alright."
He slowly stood up, put his clothes back on, and walked toward the carriage door.
Looking through the glass, he saw Meilin and Matsumoto Kika lying exhausted on the floor.
Their faces were flushed, and they were leaning against each other, completely drained and asleep.
No one knew exactly what had happened during the chaos.
Sandy walked toward the microphone.
"Darling."
Her voice carried a teasing tone.
"Although your actions this time were somewhat opportunistic..."
She glanced back at Shen Yu.
"I’m still somewhat satisfied."
She paused.
"But for the challenges ahead, if you let your guard down again..."
Her lips curved into a playful smile.
"You’ll have to stay here with me."
Shen Yu’s expression twitched.
Sandy ignored him and picked up the microphone.
Then she began broadcasting.
"The next stop of the Twilight Train is Twilight Station."
"We will arrive in ten minutes."
"Please prepare to disembark."
"If you wish to continue riding this train, please obtain a transfer ticket at the station."
Her announcement echoed throughout the carriage.
Shen Yu stared silently at Sandy’s retreating back.
Then he opened the goddess strategy panel.
"Open new Favorability CG."
Ding!
[Playing Favorability CG — 75 Points]
There is no hope.
His memory is completely gone.
Cognitive impairment has progressed to late-stage dementia.
He has even forgotten how to eat.
"In this condition, treatment is essentially ineffective."
"I recommend taking him home and spending his final moments together."
The doctor stood in front of the hospital’s inpatient department, his expression cold and solemn.
Sandy stood behind an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair.
She lowered her head.
She didn’t say anything.
The sun was setting.
Golden light spilled across the old man’s face.
He stared blankly at the setting sun.
His lips trembled.
Yet no words came.
He had even forgotten how to speak.
The doctor sighed.
"Take your father home."
"Spend his remaining time with him."
Sandy didn’t even remember how she managed to push her father out of the hospital.
She simply pushed the wheelchair forward.
And somehow—
She arrived at a bus stop.
Twilight Station.
The station where her father and mother had first met.
The Twilight Train carried countless beautiful memories of her parents.
Sandy remembered something very clearly.
Even after her father lost his memories, he would subconsciously return to this station and sit there.
As though he were waiting for someone.
Other people didn’t understand.
But Sandy did.
He was waiting for her mother.
For the woman who had already passed away.
Her father’s memories were gone.
His mind believed that his beloved was still alive.
And so his body continued waiting for her.
His memories had disappeared.
But his feelings hadn’t.
Even when he could no longer recognize Sandy, there were still certain habits deeply buried inside him.
Whenever the evening became cold, he would subconsciously put on a coat.
Just like when Sandy was a child.
Back then, she would sit on her father’s lap.
And he would wrap his coat around her to keep her warm.
Some memories could disappear from the mind.
But perhaps...
Some feelings were too deeply rooted to ever truly vanish.
Woo! Woo! Woo!
A train bearing the familiar Twilight Train logo slowly arrived at the platform.
The father, who had been sitting motionlessly in his wheelchair, suddenly made a strange sound.
"Ugh..."
His finger slowly lifted.
He was pointing toward the approaching train.
"Dad..."
Sandy’s eyes instantly reddened.
Her mother had died while giving birth to her.
From childhood until adulthood, it had been her father who worked tirelessly to raise her.
She could give up love.
She could give up marriage.
But she could never give up her father.
"Ugh..."
The old man in the wheelchair stiffly tried to stand.
Sandy quickly wiped her aching nose and pushed the wheelchair forward, waiting for the Twilight Train to arrive.
Clang! Clang!
The moment the train doors opened, she pushed her father into the familiar carriage.
It was an ordinary compartment.
Cheap, hard seats.
Nothing special.
Yet Sandy remembered two seats very clearly.
7E05 and 7E06.
Ever since she could remember, her father had taken her onto this train during every holiday and fought to get those two seats.
Back then, Sandy never understood why.
Her father always told her only one thing.
"I’m taking you to find your mother."
It was only after she grew older that Sandy finally understood.
Those seats were where her father and mother had first met.
After carefully folding the wheelchair, Sandy struggled to help her father into his seat.
The moment the old man sat down—
His expressionless face suddenly softened.
Then he smiled.
Sandy stared at him.
Perhaps...
This was where his soul and consciousness could finally find some comfort.
Even if he had lost his memories.