It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 193

 

ITOTIABSAM | The End | 193

As the master of the illusion woke up, time naturally no longer followed its predetermined course.

The world was in ruins, players disappeared, yet there sat Xie Ye, still in his youthful appearance, on a park bench. He looked up, earnestly admiring the sky where the magnificent and eerie "giant fireworks" coexisted.

— That's right, the damned Infinite Game system exploded again.

Clearly, he had put in the effort last time, but he didn't see anything, which was a bit of a loss.

The explosion after the collision of vigorous energy was an ultimate beauty. Xie Ye watched with great concentration, so much so that it took him a long time before he raised his hand and accurately pinched someone's chin, pushing it to the side.

The intense gaze was too scorching that it could revive a dead person, let alone mesmerize them.

Though Gu Cong lost his composure, he showed no signs of getting annoyed, obediently turning his head along Xie Ye's force, his voice tinged with a smile, "Had enough venting?"

Xie Ye released his thumb.

"Far from enough," he said.

Although compared to the suffering he had endured before, such a beautiful death was quite satisfying. But seeing someone sitting beside him at this moment, Xie Ye couldn't be bothered to dwell on it any longer.

Before he could retract his hand, it was held by another large hand.

"It's cold tonight," Gu Cong said, slipping his hand into Xie Ye's with a tentative tone, interlocking their fingers intimately. He looked serious. "Let me warm you up a bit."

Xie Ye glanced at him lightly, his tone casual but with a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Feel free to hold my hand if you want."

No need for all these strange excuses.

So, the tall figure of warmth leaned in immediately. The two of them, who had been simply sitting on a bench, now looked like a couple with their knees touching and shoulders pressed together.

Xie Ye raised an eyebrow, sensing Gu Cong's cautious attitude toward himself after regaining all his memories. "What's wrong? Afraid I won't acknowledge it?"

Although in appearance, his younger self looked delicate and vulnerable, in terms of aura, even though he was half a head shorter than Gu Cong, Xie Ye didn't fall behind in the slightest.

"It's not about that..." Gu Cong replied, lowering his head. He paused for a moment, unconsciously playing with Xie Ye's fingertips. "I'm afraid you'll be angry with me."

After all, it was he who, without Xie Ye's consent, forcibly linked their destinies with a wish.

"But you've already given me the choice," Xie Ye said softly, understanding Gu Cong's implication without the need for many words. "You've lost your memories as well, didn't you?"

Now Gu Cong was genuinely surprised.

But more than that, there was a sense of mutual joy and relief, as he responded lightly, "I think you probably wouldn't enjoy feeling like you're being pursued."

Even though it wasn't his original intention, deliberately approaching Xie Ye with a god's eye view and the regret of past actions was, to Xie Ye, inherently unfair.

"Heartfelt exchange for sincerity," Gu Cong looked up at Xie Ye and smiled. "That's what you taught me."

"I just hoped you would be able to fall in love with someone you like."

However, before setting off, he cleverly arranged for his younger self, the first one who would meet Xie Ye, to appear as if he were eighteen years old. Firstly, to make up for the regret of their initial encounter in "Cultivation world". Secondly, he figured that awakened Xie Ye's state of mind would probably be similar to his own in "Infinite Game". Compared to schemes, the most sincere and passionate straight approach would be more effective.

Young people are always persistent and relentless.

He also hoped that Xie Ye would experience the fluttering heartbeats he felt when he devoured the cream roses one by one back then.

"Of course, I'm a little late," remembering all those little worlds where Xie Ye awakened and lived alone, Gu Cong apologized, "I made you wait for a long time."

Xie Ye wasn't angry at all.

But he curiously sought an answer: "Why?" 

According to Gu Cong's character, regardless of whether Xie Ye awakened or not, he would immediately chase after the small world where Xie Ye was located; that was his style.

【Because he's repaying a debt.】

A professional saboteur, a fist-sized ball of light drifted out faintly: "Using up all his points to make a wish, but forgetting that points would be deducted for failing the mission, the poor guy with empty pockets can only be thrown into a punishment world."

Cough.

Clearing his throat, Gu Cong introduced, "0028, my system."

0028, who had been locked in the illusion along with the host's memories for hundreds of years: ...

Swiftly bypassing Gu Cong, it swam like a fish, floating to Xie Ye's empty hand, politely touching Xie Ye's cold fingertips: "Hello, I'm 0028."

Xie Ye cooperatively jabbed back, "Hello."

"I'm Xie Ye."

Damn it! Damn it!

Watching the "little demon" come to "harass" it’s host, 1101 in the cognition sea was jealous to the point of producing acid: this was its host! Its! 

If it weren’t for being unable to connect to the Quick Travel Bureau in the illusion, it would definitely submit a report and change to a furry appearance, occupying the host's embrace and making the other party back off.

Sensing several significant fluctuations, all in the same frequency band as 0028: "This colleague seems very lively."

Xie Ye nodded.

Before a certain childish system completely withdrew in grievance, he added, "Also very cute."

This time, the "vinegar jar" emitting a strong sour smell all over his body switched to Gu Cong.

Although Xie Ye was aware of the olive branch extended to him by the Quick Travel Bureau and it was within his expectations, the thought of someone—some sentient being accompanying Xie Ye longer than himself made him unable to help but feel uncomfortable.

"The task of repaying debts is just too troublesome," deliberately avoiding the word "punishment," Gu Cong complained carefully, "There's no difficulty, it was purely a waste of time."

"The time flow rate in each small world is different..."

So, when he had everything sorted out to go after Xie Ye, the latter had already awakened, and even tired of the counterattack, chose to be a passive salty fish.

0028 indifferently said, “You talk as if you haven't been secretly keeping an eye on someone yourself."

Unable to even ensure their own safety, yet not forgetting to secretly observe the changes in their target every night.

"Don't listen to it... Alright," under the seemingly smiling gaze of the black-haired Xie Ye, Gu Cong, helpless, could only swallow his denial that was already at his lips and confess more openly, "It's not as excessive as you imagine, nor as... deviant as 0028 makes it sound."

"I just applied for permission from headquarters to observe the small worlds."

The nascent small worlds, including the protagonists, were all blindly following the plot, and the possibilities beyond the original were bound, like lifeless planets converging to form a more chaotic vortex.

In the midst of this unchanging darkness, there gradually emerged a dazzling golden light. Initially faint, its radiance persisted, growing brighter with time. It not only polished itself to a brilliant shine but also caused changes in the surrounding stars that had fallen silent.

Gu Cong knew it was Xie Ye.

He was certain.

Because even with countless stars shining, none could outshine his brilliance.

"So he drew that scene and tattooed it on himself," accurately capturing the host's thoughts, 0028 commented objectively, "But I have to say, it's truly worth admiring repeatedly..."

The latter half of the sentence abruptly halted as the light orb floating near Xie Ye's hand disappeared.

Xie Ye, also possessing a system, understood: "Is it the small black room?"

Gu Cong: …

After hundreds of years without seeing each other, 0028, this seasoned veteran who used to know when to advance and when to retreat, had unexpectedly become so sharp-tongued. A misstep, indeed.

"No need for it to remind me; I remember," lifting his empty hand, Xie Ye touched the man's shoulder, close to the chest area, through the fabric. He recalled the time when the mysterious little Gu Cong wanted to show him the tattoo, smiling, "It's here, right?"

A subtle shift occurred in Gu Cong's Adam's apple.

This position held a special significance for him, bearing so much between himself and Xie Ye.

To seal memories, construct an illusion rated as "confidential," and then present it as a final gift to Xie Ye, who had once again truly fallen in love with him, Gu Cong could only intervene in the settings of the first small world.

The limitations imposed by the points-exchanged, self-serving time-travel were quite restrictive. 

Before the plot began, there couldn't be too much screen time, major plot changes, or stealing the protagonist's spotlight. The only low-level "cheat" that he managed to obtain was reserved for the directional skill of "healing Xie Ye." 

He tattooed the image that he had once gazed at night after night onto the young version of Gu Cong, fearing that he might forget under the influence of the original plot, forget the stars he had once yearned for.

Fortunately, even without this tattoo, only a scar-like birthmark remained. Reincarnating over and over, he still managed to find him time and time again amidst the crowds.

The brilliant fireworks came to their conclusion.

As massive stones plummeted and fierce flames erupted, the crumbling illusionary world was on the verge of collapse. In this scene resembling doomsday, Gu Cong uncontrollably lowered his head, drawing closer to the young, eerily crimson lips:

"Xie Ye."

"Can I kiss you?"

The answer was the sudden softness pressing against him. Moist, cool, with a slight trembling, as if the other person, like himself, harbored a mix of nervousness and anticipation for this newfound intimacy with no more secrets between them.

Unable to contain his joy, Gu Cong chuckled softly.

Just before Xie Ye's eyes widened in embarrassment, Gu Cong placatingly brushed his lips against the corner of his mouth. Then, unexpectedly, he ventured forth with moist warmth, launching a surprise attack, parting the faintly closed teeth.

The flowers, grass, lakes, and bustling villages... as the world around them fell apart, only they remained as the most genuine and concrete presence for each other.

1101, adept at avoiding unwanted attention, sank to the deepest recesses of Xie Ye's consciousness:

"Well, since this illusion built on memories is crumbling, there shouldn't be any drastic consequences in such a short time... at least, I hope not."

...One would hope.

As it idled away, indulging in some drama, 1101 sensed a breach in the barrier separating them from the main world. When it next heard the voice of its host, the surroundings had indeed transformed into a familiar scene.

Xie Ye, now restored to his youthful appearance, stood hand in hand with Gu Cong, facing the portal used by the fast-traveling agents of the Quick-Transmigration Bureau.

Having never successfully "coerced" the host into the main world before, 1101 vaguely sensed something significant and spoke with a hint of tremor in its voice:

"Xie Ye..."

"The contract that's been prepared for a while, bring it over."

With his deep black eyes gently curving, Xie Ye, who had finally found his place after countless cycles of life and death, turned his head to look at the man standing beside him. His tone lightened, "Yao Yao."

"I want to have an office romance."

——END.

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Author's Note:

Ta-da! The main story is complete! Applause! (As usual, there's a completion red packet. Leave a comment below this chapter, and it'll be available until tomorrow night's update.)

Next, there will be a few chapters about the sweet daily life in both the main world and the side worlds, considered as extras.

Thank you all for your support over the past six months, and for understanding the instability of the updates in the later period. In any case, writing about Xie Ye and Gu Cong's story has been a joy, and I hope readers feel the same happiness.

If we can provide a moment of relaxation for everyone amidst work and study, that would be the greatest joy for the author.