Tears suddenly gushed out, and the heart that had been indifferent for a century suddenly surged violently. You shouted in a collapse: "——Su Ming'an! You have always respected others' will to die, why don't you respect mine this time?!"

His eyes flickered: "Because... this time it's not necessary."

He can do it, so you don't need to die.

He knows you actually don't want to die at all.

You squatted down and buried your head into your knees.

You can't tell if what's in your heart is pain or gratitude, anger or relief. You don't want him to see your vulnerability, otherwise, he would discover your desire to survive. You can't let him find out.

Only cry this once... just this once...

You held tightly, almost to the point where even your breathing stilled. Until your shoulders stopped trembling, and even the snow vaguely stopped, you slowly raised your head...

Under the blue moonlight, the young man still stood quietly beside you. Behind him, stood a tall and ethereal white Shadow.

"Deity, please do it." Su Ming'an said.

You opened your eyes wide.

The Deity extended its hand, gazing at you with icy silver eyes, letting your memories about Su Ming'an gradually peel away...

Su Ming'an is about to erase your memories of him once again.

"Su Ming'an! You selfish guy! Wait——" You shouted out loud, retreating.

The Deity was silent and only chose the option that maximized benefits, cold as a machine. Now, it only listened to Su Ming'an's thoughts, as Su Ming'an was now the leader of the millennium plan.

You could feel that Su Ming'an's spirit was almost obsessive, under the heavy emotional pressure, he was no longer normal.

But others' madness was manifested in killing, smashing, and hurting more people. And his madness was only manifested in——keeping you.

...Su Ming'an, Su Ming'an!

The memories in your mind were being stripped away bit by bit. At that moment, your breathing was stagnant, you desperately wanted to hold on to something.

...Su Ming'an?

...Su ()?

...()?

The appearance of the black-haired young man in front of you became strange, his pupils no longer made you miss.

Such a familiar name, such a close person... but why don't you recognize them?

"I can't..." The last struggle vanished in a frantic call, tears streaming from your eyes.

The night was silent.

Su Ming'an embraced the unconscious you, smoothing the furrow on your forehead. He smiled slightly, as if finally achieving a successful rescue, whispering gently in your ear:

"This way... you will definitely not die."

In this way, he finally stopped a chariot at least once. This group of life-disregarding liars, liars who promised him they wouldn't die, liars destined to head toward a grand death... at least he saved one of them.

A rare joy was revealed on his face, a kind of nearly obsessive madness, like a machine on the verge of losing control, the last spark of fireworks in the night.

He finally… was no longer powerless, no longer helpless. Those deaths that were destined to be declared, he finally reversed it once.

A win-win situation, great.

"If you're tired, just sleep, Chao Yan." He gently stroked your eyelids:

"Leave everything to me. At least... I'm not a liar."

...

[Second Act.]

The protagonist calmly goes mad.

He knows the potential consequences of every action he takes, he knows how to maximize benefits, and he knows his own madness. He is willing to bear every consequence and cost for maximizing benefits.

...

The Steam Age declines again, time reverts to the Old Days 515 years.

Outside the window, the pansies bloom in full, and your mind is blank.

In this life, your memories were thoroughly erased, you couldn't recall anything. So you didn't actively seek out anyone but settled down, living with a family. Your adoptive parents treated you very well, just like a biological daughter, and you lived happily.

You opened a painting academy, adopted several orphans, led a simple and happy life. But something always felt missing in your heart, and in the midnight dreams, the sound of a voice often came to your ears.

[??: We have met. Maybe... in your dream.]

[??: Even if you turn into a star, I will remember it.]

[??: Chao Yan, in the next Great Cycle, don't forget me... don't forget my name, don't forget my appearance...]

[??: A Princess saves a Prince, it's also a good story. The two protagonists will surely have a beautiful ending.]

...

A year passed, ten years passed, thirty years passed... In the cold winter of the Old Day 554, your body suddenly became very weak, this was the consequence of not using the Life Authority, but you didn't care, after all, this was a time destined to be reverted.

You enjoyed a peaceful life, adopted many children. You were known as the "Painter Immortal," many people came to visit and apprenticed under you.

In the harsh winter of 555, you lay on the bed, with your family around, they asked for your final wish.

You still thought of him, although you still couldn't recall his appearance and name.

"Grandma, what are you thinking about?" A child approached your bed: "Are you still thinking about that person? You can't remember, why still think about him?"

Your heart tightened, with an impulse to cry. The child in front of you, you adopted based on a vague impression. Occasionally… you could see his Shadow in the child.

You didn't particularly reminisce about him, just you didn't want... to be left behind by the one burdened with great responsibility.

In a trance, you seemed to see a pair of eyes... It's been too long, your memories only retained his obsidian-like pupils.

You felt the end was near, so you drove all the children out, lying alone in bed, quietly spending your last moments.

The pansies outside the window were long withered, the last leaf of the phoenix tree fell. You unrolled the painting scroll bit by bit, stroking the featureless person on the painting, and suddenly felt regret.

Yes, you had a peaceful life. You were famous across the world, had disciples everywhere, created hundreds of timeless works, and cultivated thousands of painters. You had loving adoptive parents, understanding disciples, and sincere friends. But…

"... So dark." Your vision dimmed gradually, and your physical life was drawing to a close.

White hair fluttered, your breath slowly weakened.

At this moment,

A person pushed open the door and walked toward you.

Black hair fluttering, eyes like the sea, bringing the scent of sunshine and sunflowers. He gazed at you with unprecedented gentle eyes.

"... You're here, Su..." You leaned weakly against the headboard, your voice barely audible.

"Yes." Su Ming'an squatted down, touched your emaciated bones: "I won't leave, I came for you."

You managed a smile, maybe an ugly one: "... Great, this way I have no regrets..."

Su Ming'an gently embraced you, a medicinal scent lingered in the air, he softly promised in your ear: "I'll never leave you again."

The voice was extremely gentle, letting one get lost in it.

"... Thank you, Qin Ying." You said.

"Su Ming'an's" fingers froze, nails embedded in his palm, seeping blood.

"How did you... see through I'm not Su Ming'an." Qin Ying released his hand: "Clearly, there was no flaw in my disguise."

"Just a feeling, you're not him." You smiled, blood trickling from the corner of your mouth: "Thank you for wanting to make up my final regret, but, you're ultimately not him. If he decided, it's hard to change. As long as he doesn't want to see me… even at the end, he won't soften... He's just so eager for me to live."

Qin Ying lowered his eyes.

The smile you showed just now was the brightest smile he'd seen from you in these decades. But it didn't belong to him.

"Do you have... any other wishes? Teacher." Qin Ying said.

You said: "Your true identity should be Xiao Ying. Can you bring out Xiao Ying's Persona, please?"

Qin Ying nodded, closed his eyes, and remained silent for dozens of seconds before opening them: "Hello."

You said: "Hello."

Hello, Xiao Ying. Even though we meet again from entirely different standpoints, I know you will fulfill some of my requests. After all, we were once friends.

Moreover, our goal... is for the same person.

"What do you want... to say." Xiao Ying looked at you, lying old and weary on the bed, puzzled as to why you've made yourself this way. Clearly, you could be happily on vacation, so why insist on seeking the blanks in your memory? Clearly, even the Angel said you were not needed anymore.

You closed your eyes for a moment, silver strands fluttering, and smiled slightly.

You recalled the past decades of your life, genuinely grateful to Su Ming'an... It was indeed a very happy life, but this is enough, this is sufficient. Any more warmth would be too much to hope for.

"In this life, I had kind elders, understanding juniors, and the best of friends." You spoke slowly.

This truly is a perfect life ending.

However,

you still do not wish to abandon that person charging ahead in the front.

You are favored by the World, you wield the Life Authority, your life spans the heavens and earth—but the quality of life is more about depth, not length.

You hope you can fulfill more people's happiness, including his.

"But destiny should not be like this, a perfect ending has never belonged to me since The Original. Although I am favored by the World, I need to face the future head-on." You said.

Su Ming'an cannot save this era alone, it's too difficult.

Only if you share the burden with him does this World have a future path.

Only if you fight side by side does this World have a more ideal possibility.

You do not belong to happiness, that probability is ultimately still too small, too small.

Xiao Ying listened, remained silent for a while, seemingly moved by your spirit of sacrifice, then after a long time, finally said: "So, what do you want me to do? Or rather... what do you want 'you' to do?"

You leaned in and whispered something to him.

"I understand, I will help preserve your memories for the next life, after all, my memories cannot be erased and can be passed on to you." He nodded, intending to leave. At this moment, he suddenly turned back, and looked at you again, heartfully asking:

"—is a happy end not good?"

If it were him, living happily with his mother would be enough. He wouldn't be as stubborn as Chao Yan, insisting on the most correct and efficient path.

But you merely smiled, full of wrinkles, and slowly said:

"...but I am unwilling."

I am proud, and also idealistic.

I am unwilling for false happiness.

I am unwilling for a meaningless end.

I am unwilling for a deceived life.

I do not want to lose to this game.

I do not want to leave him alone at the front.

Xiao Ying, you can retain memories, please let me after the Time Retrospection remember all this, achieving a save-load-like effect.

Please.

I hope Su Ming'an and Yuanyuan, those people... achieve happiness, and this happiness is unlike any other, unique and unparalleled.

They are travelers from the Otherworld, they do not need to bear the costs for us.

If only... sacrificing me alone would suffice.

...

[Act Three.]

If a gun appears in the first act, it will surely fire in the third.

...

Su Ming'an stared at the remaining 21 hours, feeling a splitting headache, the accumulated emotions sedimenting in his brain, almost tearing him apart.

When he stepped onto the lands of Burg Castle again, he found a black-haired, turquoise-eyed girl standing on the Airship, blocking his path.

"Are you willing to take my hand and call me by the beautiful name of the morning glory?" You smiled, reaching your hand out to him.

"No matter how many times you leave me, I will follow along."

"If you are a thief wanting to steal my memories."

"Please..."

"Take me on a journey, Protagonist."

"This time, I've caught you."

...

[Final Act.]

The snow will stop.

Everything will get better.

...

Enduring emotions is a painful thing, just the pain alone can drive people mad. To help you persist, he used the Power of Faith from the Eye of the Old Days to grant you a Word Spirit.

"I curse you." He gazed into your unwavering eyes: "No pain, no sense, undying."

The Word Spirit etched onto you, you no longer felt pain.

You put on the Eye of the Old Days, your fingers touched his forehead, transferring the emotions from him. Endless torrents flowed from him into you, your face turned pale, but fortunately, you felt no pain.

"Then I bless you..." you gently said: "With pain, with sense, with death, with end."

Compared to his solemn Word Spirit, these words were just your humorous words, yet his eyes seemed slightly red.

You still walked down this path.

He silently watched you.

But you smiled, eyes curving, like moonlight.

...

[The girl holding a medicine bowl asked: "I curse you, no pain, no sense, undying—what is the next sentence?"]

[Su Ming'an thought for a moment, he had never heard this sentence: "I don't know."]

...

Click, click, click

The bell tolled.

Time seemingly crossed here, blurring causality. "Past" and "future" intersect simultaneously with "now."

As if the soul "clicked" into alignment, like a reversing Mobius.

The story of this World was always that there was a conclusion before there was a process, a process before there was a beginning.

People said, on the day the snow stopped, everything would get better, dawn would come, spring would arrive.

...

On the day when the girl took his hand.

The snow finally stopped.

—TE (Tenacious ending) began to unfold towards them.

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