Chapter 103: Wait With What, My Ashes?
Xiao Li had been faking her unconsciousness, but when someone approached, she fell into a genuine stupor—the kind from which she couldn’t be roused.
Xiao Li once again found herself in that mystical space.
’As expected, going after the protagonist works. I can’t just kill myself every time. Even though I’m not afraid of death, it still hurts.’
The space felt much smaller than last time. Moreover, the figure that called itself the World Consciousness was gone, leaving only a chessboard before her.
The golden chessboard was filled with white jade pieces, but among them was a single black piece, stark and glaring.
Although there were black and white pieces on the board, the arrangement was agonizing for someone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, as if it were deliberately tempting her to pluck it off.
Xiao Li made her move. She picked up the black piece, and it vanished from her hand in the blink of an eye. But when she looked down, another black piece had appeared on the board. Though not in the same spot, it was just as maddening to look at.
Xiao Li removed it again. The piece vanished as before, but now two black pieces appeared on the board.
"..."
Xiao Li then tried to move a white piece, only to find she couldn’t touch them at all. When she removed the two black pieces, they were replaced by three.
She removed them.
Four pieces.
She removed them again.
Five pieces.
Xiao Li laughed in exasperation. "What are you trying to say? That everything I do is futile and will only make things worse in the end?"
The black pieces flickered, as if in response.
Xiao Li asked again, "So what should I do? Let Prince Chen go, let events unfold, and then wait for you to give me an outcome?"
The white pieces shifted, forming the word ’Yes’.
Xiao Li’s lips twitched. "And the time? How long do I have to wait?"
This time, the space fell silent for a long time.
If Xiao Li weren’t still in this space, she might have thought the entity had left.
Finally, as if its calculations were complete, three words appeared on the board: Three Hundred Years.
Xiao Li: "..."
’When you’re this speechless, you can’t help but laugh.’
"I’m a mere mortal. You want me to wait three hundred years? What am I supposed to wait with? My ashes?"
She raised her hand and swept the pieces off the board, her voice cold and harsh. "I hate being manipulated more than anything. Even if you let me live, I won’t willingly sit in a prison for three hundred years."
"If you try to stop me, you have two choices: either send me away from this world, or kill me."
"If you can’t do either, then don’t ever show your face to me again."
"I can’t control the struggles between you so-called ’world consciousnesses’, but I’m the one living in this world. How I live, who I kill, or who kills me—that’s all my business."
After speaking—perhaps because her own consciousness was too strong—she actually managed to break free from the space on her own.
The golden space trembled. A faint silhouette slowly materialized. On its featureless face, a pair of golden eyes appeared.
It gazed with a complex expression at the spot where Xiao Li had vanished.
’The more she interferes with this world’s affairs, the deeper her connection to it becomes. It’ll be even more impossible for her to leave in the future.’
’Absolutely no patience at all.’
If Xiao Li could have reached the entity, she would have backhanded it without a second thought. ’That’s three hundred years, for fuck’s sake! Three hundred years!!! Not three hundred days.’
’Even if the World Consciousness let me live, what was I supposed to do for three hundred years? Become some ancient monster, living in hiding, and then, when the time finally came, haul my own coffin lid back?’
’I’m not at an age where I’m hoping for immortality. Besides, I still think this world is just like a game.’
’Is living a fake life for three hundred years in a game world something to be happy about?’
’As for my connection to this world growing deeper? Hah. Compared to three hundred years, that’s not even worth mentioning.’
-----
"Where is Xiao Jingyu?"
The first thing Xiao Li did upon waking was to ask for him.
Hong Yue didn’t know, but she immediately went to find someone who did.
Lan Yue brought Xiao Li a glass of water and explained what had happened during the two days she was unconscious. "Princess, you were unconscious for two days. His Majesty brought the Imperial Physician to see you. After confirming that you were simply in a deep sleep like last time and not in any danger, he left."
"Wang Shiqi’s body is at the Wang family residence. The Wang family has come by several times asking if you’ve woken up. They probably want you to name the killer so they can avenge Wang Shiqi."
"Also, that girl named Jiang Yu’er... the Jiang family has refused to claim her body. Her corpse is currently being kept at the Wang residence as well."
At this point, Lan Yue paused, glanced at Xiao Li’s expression, and said angrily, "Second Madam Wang is heartbroken over the loss of her son. She came looking for you several times, but you were still unconscious. Now she’s actually blaming you, Princess, telling everyone that you’re a husband-jinx who brought about Wang Shiqi’s death."
Xiao Li: "...In what world was Wang Shiqi ever my husband?"
’A lovesick idiot who schemed against me. It was nauseating enough to call him a suitor, let alone my husband?’
"Princess."
Rong Qing entered and bowed from behind a beaded curtain. "You’re finally awake, Princess. The heavens truly bless the fortunate."
Xiao Li beckoned. "Come here."
Rong Qing hesitated for a moment, then lifted the curtain and stepped inside. Xiao Li was sitting on the bed, dressed only in her nightclothes. He caught a glimpse and quickly lowered his head.
Xiao Li asked, "Where is he? Don’t tell me he got away."
’Last time, we failed to corner Gu Ling. Don’t tell me Prince Chen also managed to escape.’
Rong Qing replied, "He’s in the dungeon. Yang Jun is guarding him personally."
Xiao Li immediately got up.
Hong Yue yelped in surprise, "Princess, your shoes!"
Xiao Li impatiently threw on her clothes and a cloak, then headed for the dungeon without a moment’s pause.
It was the same three doors. Last time, Liu Xueyin had been imprisoned here. This time, it was Xiao Jingyu. ’The happy couple is reunited at last, I suppose,’ she thought.
Before seeing him, Xiao Li couldn’t shake the feeling that he might have vanished into thin air. ’If they both disappeared from the same location,’ she wondered, ’would Xiao Jingyu just reappear at Liu Xueyin’s side?’
"Princess."
Yang Jun opened the final door. Xiao Jingyu was lying weakly on the straw-covered floor. His clothes were torn open, revealing bandages wrapped around his chest.
Hearing the noise, he slowly opened his eyes and looked over.
Xiao Li mused, ’As expected of the male protagonist. Shot twice and fell through a hole in the ice, and still he won’t die.’
"Xiao Xuan Yang!"
He bit out each word, his teeth clenched. The icy expression on his face finally cracked, his cold, merciless eyes filled with rage.
Xiao Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Seeing you like this is much more pleasing to the eye, Brother."
’That icy face he had before, looking like the whole world owed him money... it just made a person want to slap him.’
Xiao Jingyu’s eyes blazed with fire. "There is no enmity between us. I have never harmed you in the slightest, yet you repeatedly make an enemy of me and even try to take my life."
If that’s the way he wanted to play it, Xiao Li was more than ready to set him straight.
"I only hurt you at the palace banquet, but that was because you were protecting Liu Xueyin. She deserved to die. You chose to protect her, so you deserved to get hurt."
"And as for your current situation... haven’t you brought this upon yourself?"
Xiao Jingyu said angrily, "I was only looking for someone! I didn’t harm you."
Xiao Li’s eyes filled with scorn. "You knew perfectly well that Jiang Yu’er was determined to kill me to avenge Gu Ling. Leaving me for her to kill—wasn’t that your deal? You say it as if I should be grateful you didn’t kill me with your own hands."
’His brain must be full of holes.’