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The hotpot gathering lasted until 10:30 PM, and only then did everyone reluctantly say their goodbyes and leave.

Liu Shuyue had to continue dealing with the relocation of Hot Pepper Village, while Wang Baihu, Jiang Siqi, and Little Pigeon each headed home. Xu Xuanling and Liuli stayed at the subway station to "stand guard," though given the latter’s level of intoxication, she was hardly helpful and would likely pass out as soon as she hit the bed.

This could only be described as the swordsman’s "character setting," otherwise, with her physique that wouldn’t die even with a gaping hole in her chest, the effects of alcohol would likely be negligible.

Xu Xuanling controlled her intake rather well. Although she appeared tipsy from the start, she remained at that level until the end; she merely regarded being slightly drunk as a diversion.

After sending everyone off, only Chen Xuan, Lin Qing, and Elorie were left to clean up the mess.

"It would be nice to have the ability to do chores," Chen Xuan muttered as he gazed at the empty plates and bottles scattered all over.

Even if he stopped the end of the world, altered the course of the future, and forced a super organization to withdraw from Jiang City, he still had to wash the dishes when it came down to it.

"It’s not that bad; you don’t have to wash by hand, just put them in the dishwasher," Lin Qing chuckled. "Look at Little Angel; she’s much more industrious than you."

In the span of two sentences, Elorie had already stacked all the plates into a tower.

"Heave-ho," she exclaimed, lifting a dozen plates at once. "Where should I take these?"

"Let me," Lin Qing stepped forward to take the dishes. "Your body still hasn’t fully recovered, right?"

"Oh, right." Chen Xuan said with some concern, "You Chi also mentioned that long-term immersion in a suspension capsule can cause muscle atrophy. You should go rest."

"Eh, really? But I feel fine," Elorie said, clenching her fists. "I’m indeed not as strong as before, but I’m totally okay with daily tasks."

Saying that, she picked up the bottles on the floor again.

Chen Xuan and Lin Qing exchanged a glance.

Then he coughed twice, "You did say you’re not as strong, which means the coma had an impact."

Lin Qing gave a sly smile, seeming to understand his thoughts. "I once read about a case where a patient woke up after a long coma and felt fine initially but became completely paralyzed the next day after hopping around all day."

"Pa-paralyzed?" Elorie’s eyes widened.

"Yes, later this person went through cyborg transformation, replacing the spine and legs with cybernetics to stand again." She paused. "Of course, that might have been a cyborg company’s ad."

"At least your world has cybernetics for replacement." Chen Xuan sighed, "If that happened in our world, the person would be stuck in a wheelchair for life."

Little Angel shivered without knowing why.

"Maybe... I should go rest?"

"I’ve been saying that all along." Chen Xuan nodded, "Leave the cleanup to Lin Qing and me."

"Sorry, and thank you." Elorie bowed apologetically before leaving the banquet hall.

"Such a polite child," Lin Qing said, finishing stacking the plates. "...Now it’s just the two of us."

"Yes," Chen Xuan replied.

An unusual silence fell between them.

He looked at her, noticing she was also looking at him. Her eyes sparkled as if some emotion was brewing.

It turned out he wasn’t alone, Chen Xuan thought, she had also been waiting for this moment.

The broken time reconnected.

The two were as if back in that quiet hospital room.

"When you first woke up..." he began after much thought, "...why?"

Lin Qing pursed her lips, "Do you genuinely not know, or are you just asking knowingly?"

"Because it happened once before." Chen Xuan cleared his throat, "I want to know, were those two times the same?"

"No," the other answered without hesitation.

He couldn’t help but take a step closer to Lin Qing, "How are they different?"

"One was gratitude for bringing hope to the world, the other for everything you’ve done for me." She stepped forward instead of retreating, "I admit there’s one thing I was wrong about."

"What was it?"

"I guessed that changing the future might make me disappear, but avoiding an apocalypse was worth that price—up to that part, it was all clear." Lin Qing stood before Chen Xuan, hands behind her back, looking up at him directly, "And what I thought then was that if it did come to pass, you should forget me. Don’t ever compromise your original intention because of me. If you worsened the world to bring me back, it wouldn’t make me happy at all... I would only be disappointed in you."

She gave a slight, wry smile, "That’s the part I got wrong."

"When I remembered everything that had happened, there wasn’t even any time to think about disappointment; there was only joy... uncontainable joy."

That’s why she did what she did.

Chen Xuan realized.

"And you?" she asked.

"Me?"

"Did you bring me back just because you didn’t want to lose a staff member?" Lin Qing smiled, deliberately feigning a hurt tone, "If that’s what you think, don’t say it—just blink and let me know."

Chen Xuan leaned down to her ear, "I’ll let you know now."

With that, he took the initiative to kiss her.

The moment their lips touched, Lin Qing responded with the utmost passion.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as if wanting to merge him completely into herself.

Their lips and teeth mingled without reservation.

A moment later, Lin Qing took a breath, "Wait... the table’s still a mess."

"That... isn’t urgent, is it?"

"What if we forget?" she asked, still kissing, but without any intention of stopping, "Won’t they find out?"

"I’ll switch the restaurant skin tomorrow," Chen Xuan thought for a moment and replied.

After all, new skins reset all settings.

Lin Qing smiled slightly and kissed him again.

...

...

By the next morning, Elorie, feeling refreshed, put on her staff uniform and headed downstairs.

"Good morning, boss!" she cheerfully greeted Chen Xuan.

"Good morning," Chen Xuan replied hoarsely, "How did you sleep?"

"Great, better than in my dreams," Elorie said, patting her chest. "Any new stock today? I can help organize!"

He yawned, "No rush, you should have breakfast first. I ordered takeout, it’s on the coffee table."

"Do you have a cold?" Little Angel quickened her pace to the counter.

"Me? No."

"You sound a bit tired, I thought you weren’t feeling well," Elorie said, relieved, but her eyes soon fixated on the red marks beneath his collar, "Hey, your neck..."

Chen Xuan instinctively pulled up his collar, "It’s nothing, just scratched a bit because it was itchy yesterday."

"Oh." The young girl nodded.

"You two are up early," Lin Qing said, walking down the stairs and waving to Elorie.

"It’s almost nine; it’s not that early." Chen Xuan rolled his eyes.

"Oh right, I forgot I don’t have Lv to remind me of the time now," she lazily rubbed her stomach, "I’m hungry, is there anything to eat?"

"There’s some on the coffee table; you two eat together."

"Aren’t you eating?"

"I already did."

"Okay." Lin Qing put an arm around Little Angel’s shoulders, "Let’s eat, don’t worry about him."

"Eh... okay." Elorie nodded a bit bewilderedly. Although it was a normal conversation, she sensed an inexplicable harmony, as if in just one day, the two had become not quite the same as before.