Chapter 894: Chapter Eight Hundred Ninety-One: "What Color Do You Like?
"Come over, let me bandage it." Su Ming’an saw the blood on Su Luoluo’s arm and asked her to sit down.
Su Luoluo sat next to him.
In the air filled with floating dust, they sat on the rubble, and he disinfected and bandaged her blood-soaked hand. This wound should have been caused by a shockwave, with several glass shards embedded in her arm.
Su Luoluo did not cry, watching quietly as he bandaged the wound. Behind her lay the bodies of her relatives and the ruins of her once cozy home. All the photos preserving memories, all the diaries she wrote as a child, all the little trinkets she cherished in an iron box had vanished.
"So I’m this insignificant," she whispered.
Su Ming’an paused for a moment but quickly resumed bandaging.
"I always thought that as long as I worked hard enough, anything was possible. I kept streaming to earn money desperately... building up my little home bit by bit, earning a little each day." Su Luoluo said softly:
"In the end, just when I thought everything was getting better... My carefully decorated home, the piggy bank where I saved all my money for over a decade... and my father. All gone."
"Nothing is left."
Su Ming’an removed a glass shard, and she gasped lightly, the sound faint.
"When I was little, I heard the most expensive thing in the world was a villa, and I thought if I worked hard enough, I’d definitely live in a villa someday, so I loudly proclaimed it to everyone I met. Relatives smiled at me, and I thought that was a blessing, now I understand it was the look adults give to children’s fantasies." Su Luoluo murmured to herself with her head down:
"As a child, I thought I could change the world, but growing up, I found myself so insignificant. Just a slight accident, and everything can vanish into smoke."
"If it weren’t for meeting you, Little Cloud, do you think I might have ended up living in a big villa?"
Su Ming’an remained silent.
He knew that the "villa" Su Luoluo mentioned was just an image representing her desire to break away from the fate of an ordinary person and leave the small, confined town. However, if Su Wensheng had never met Su Luoluo, it was indeed unlikely for her to change her destiny.
Her most likely outcome would be to keep exploiting herself, constantly dream patrolling to earn money for her family, enduring the malicious comments about her appearance, figure, and personality from netizens every day, eventually dying from overwork-induced mental collapse.
A half-drunk bottle of liquor rolled at their feet, the clear liquid spilling out and reflecting a golden light in the sunlight.
Su Luoluo stared blankly at the liquor on the ground, lost in thought.
The air was filled with piercing cries; no one could accept the sudden departure of their loved ones, especially in such a cruel manner.
Newly built houses, freshly planted gardens, the carefully prepared home... all gone. The city was like a devastated ruin, with pain everywhere.
Li Mingyue stood silently in the ruins, voicelessly watching as the common people wailed on the earth, gazing at the scarred land, witnessing mothers drag out the bodies of children, witnessing surviving couples hug each other tightly, seeing elderly with gray hair walk hand in hand across the ruins.
Watching people laugh heartily because their loved ones survived, watching people wail bitterly because of loss, observing the darkness and numbness in people’s eyes.
Under the sinking blood-red sunlight, white hair fluttered like flowing wind.
"Click."
Glass shards were removed, and Su Ming’an finished bandaging.
"You have a high pain tolerance," Su Ming’an said.
While treating the wound, Su Luoluo never cried out. Even in such moments, she instinctively controlled her emotions, not wanting to trouble others.
"I’m used to it." Su Luoluo blinked her dim purple eyes.
"In the future, live at my place, my home hasn’t been bombed yet," Su Ming’an said.
"I’m sorry to trouble you. When I become popular as a streamer, I’ll find a way to move out, I won’t trouble you too much," Su Luoluo said softly.
"You’re not a burden," Su Ming’an said.
"..."
"I don’t regard people as burdens," Su Ming’an said.
"..."
"Let alone a successful streamer like you," Su Ming’an said.
"..."
"If you want to cry, just let it out," Su Ming’an said.
The girl lowered her head, her short black hair hanging beside her ears, her cheeks marked with scars from the flames. Her arm had seven pieces of glass, and one shard almost pierced her bone. Even a grown man would have cried out in agony, but when Su Ming’an removed them, she didn’t make a sound, didn’t cry.
She was stunned upon witnessing the remains of her father’s body, yet she didn’t cry.
Even when her home, carrying all her savings and emotions, turned into ruins, she still didn’t cry.
It wasn’t until Su Ming’an said, "If you want to cry, just let it out," that she seemed to have a nerve struck, breaking into sudden, intense sobbing.
"Ah ah—ah ah ah—"
It started as soft whimpers before swiftly escalating into unrestrained wailing.
The cries were like sparks in the air, her sobs mingling with the wails of others, resembling gathering rain clouds that floated over the scarred earth, slowly spreading like a storm.
Figures on their knees, frantically digging, faded into the rapidly spreading wind as though they were living tombstones.
Blood flowed over the ground, like natural blood-soaked soil.
Bullets were engraved in the pits, like scars etched into bones.
At this moment, no one cared anymore about the prohibition against crying in public. Everyone cried out loud, embracing each other amidst fire and smoke, tightly holding onto one another as if trying to fuse into each other’s flesh, the cries spreading like an infection.
The girl cried out like a child, while Su Ming’an sat silently beside her.
"Daddy, Daddy..."
"I really wished you were a good father... I... I wish so badly you’d return to your old, normal self."
"I want... like when I was little, to go to the park with you, for our family to have a picnic. I was clearly still hoping—I thought that when I earned money, became a top streamer, you wouldn’t be so crazed for money anymore—though the hope was small, I still hoped..."
"I haven’t even become a top streamer yet... I haven’t earned big money yet... I haven’t shown you my success yet..."
"Why is there war, why...? Why...?"
"Ah ah ah—cough, cough cough—"
In intermittent intervals, wailing, whimpering, trembling, roaring, coughing.
All the sorrow surged like a torrent through this moment, interconnected with everyone’s pain, seeming like an unending stream.
Tears rolled down her rough cheeks, her face marked with the trace of smoke and fire, her tears stung at the touch, the immense pain cascading down her cheeks into her heart, like a destiny rock plummeting at a high velocity.
Beneath the giant stone of fate, the helpless girl covered her face, first sobbing a few times, then bursting into loud crying.
Similar to her wailing, was the shared experience of countless families’ destruction.
"Daddy, Daddy—"
"Mom—"
"Grandma, Grandma—"
Millions of voices gathered together, forming a sea.
Under the sinking blood-red sunlight, blood-stained glass shards clattered to the ground, making a crisp sound.
"Click."
...
The deities watched from afar, indifferent to it all.
...
...
Su Ming’an took Su Luoluo back home.
The girl lay on the bed and fell asleep; she had low blood sugar to begin with, and her face was as pale as a corpse.
When Su Ming’an hung up her coat, he found a corner of a medicine box exposed; it seemed to be some kind of mentality drugs, suggesting she had been suffering from an illness for a long time.
[Please Call Me Miss Demon King] had to pause her live stream today. Since Su Luoluo couldn’t reveal that the reason for stopping was the war, otherwise, her real address might be discovered, she could only lie and say she was sick.
After posting the leave message, a bunch of viewers eagerly waiting left comments:
[Miss Demon King, take care of yourself. We’re waiting for you.]
[Get some good rest.]
[Did the streamer just vanish after getting popular?]
[Sick? I hope it’s not just an excuse; you seemed full of energy yesterday.]
[Who knows, quite a few people get cocky once they become famous.]
[I saw many streamers taking leave today; the news mentioned several cities being bombed recently. I wonder which force did it. Could this be why the streamer took leave?]
[Something like that? Wasn’t war supposed to be far from us?]
[...]
The leave note was edited by Su Ming’an for Su Luoluo. Once it was posted, numerous replies appeared instantly. Su Luoluo’s sudden rise to fame was met with jealousy from her peers, and many left malicious comments. Some even said she surely sold herself to gain favor from the first Dream Patrol Family.
Su Ming’an shut down the computer, tucked in Su Luoluo, and opened the door to find that Li Mingyue was still there.
The white-haired man stood among the ruins, dressed in pure white, like an angel suddenly appearing in the dusty light.
Upon hearing the door open, Li Mingyue glanced at Su Ming’an,
"Wensheng," Li Mingyue said, "This world is vast. Expressing negative emotions is human nature, and you can’t change everyone. Unless you resort to using force to stop them."
Su Ming’an faintly sensed that Li Mingyue knew who the streamer Su Luoluo was.
"But even if you could kill a hundred, a thousand... ten million, one billion people, even if you never stopped killing, you’d have to kill millions of times." Li Mingyue said:
"Similarly, even if you never stopped saving, over and over again, it wouldn’t end these tragedies. The situation in this city would just keep occurring thousands upon thousands of times."
"Unless you tackle the root of the issue and completely eradicate these tragedies from their source."
"Godfather..." Su Ming’an vaguely understood.
Li Mingyue was subtly telling him that only by rising above the Deities could he change everything, whether the pain of war or the surging malice of the crowd.
Despite being a Bishop of the Church and one of the leaders of the Holy Alliance Army, Li Mingyue was urging him to find ways to resist the Deities.
"You’ve decided to take the college entrance exam, and I won’t stop you. But if you can’t bear it afterwards, remember to cover yourself with a layer of clothes." Li Mingyue said:
"If you still can’t bear it, add another layer."
"Only you can know if you’re cold or warm. Whether you need to add another layer of clothes — just don’t let yourself be wrapped in clothes to death, unable to see your true self, that way, you will always be playing it the safest."
Though it was a conversation about adding clothes, Su Ming’an sensed a deeper meaning — as if Li Mingyue was referring to Su Wensheng’s many-layered vest, rather than simple clothing.
"Godfather, have you already put on the ’clothes’?" Su Ming’an said.
Li Mingyue’s gaze shifted slightly:
"A long, long time ago. Humanity has already donned countless layers of clothing."
He changed the subject, suddenly asking: "Wensheng, what color do you like?"
Su Ming’an paused for a moment: "White."
Li Mingyue shook his head: "Next time, remember, never reveal your true preferences and weaknesses at any time. Once revealed, someone might use your weaknesses and points of concern to attack you, coerce you, and threaten you."
"If you really plan to leave this small town and step onto the road of college entrance exams, there will be no turning back for you, and you’ll carry endless burdens on your shoulders. If someone threatens you with things you care about at that time — you’ll face the trolley problem."
"On one side is the world, and on the other side, everything you hold dear. You must abandon one side to save the other. Everything you care about will become a bargaining chip for the enemy to bind you."
"So, the innermost layer of clothing, you should have already put on long ago."
Su Ming’an remained silent for a while.
Li Mingyue asked again: "Wensheng, now what color do you like?"
Su Ming’an replied softly: "... I don’t have a favorite color."
"Correct answer."
Li Mingyue turned and walked toward the direction of the sunlight.
The spire of the church appeared faintly in the sunlight, even from a great distance, the towering and magnificent building still revealed its tallest part, the black spire accompanied by faintly visible glazed tiles radiated a rainbow-like splendid light.
White doves flew through the intense dust, and the man’s pure white shadow faded into the overwhelming light, moving further away.
Su Ming’an stood at the door, slowly closed it, shutting out the brilliant light beneath the sky.
"Boom."
...
Due to the city being bombed, the head of the psychological department, Lin Yunting, called to say Su Ming’an could reschedule his visit.
"Doctor Su, we have a new mentally collapsed patient in the ward, and he’s been specifically naming you for treatment. I’ve told him you’re very busy, but he won’t relent. Moreover, he’s got quite a few secrets in his head; we must get him back to normal..." Lin Yunting’s voice sounded somewhat weary.
"I understand, I’ll come over tomorrow." Su Ming’an said.
"Alright, please come tomorrow, everything here is a mess, the walls have been blown out, and the front door needs repair— Hey! Put those bricks down! They’re not toys! Hey!"
Lin Yunting seemed very busy, and after a few words, he started yelling outside the phone. The psychological counseling department was akin to a psychiatric hospital, housing various patients. In such a world that ran parallel with madness, people becoming madmen was rather normal.
"Put the bricks down, they’re not toys! Hey, put them down! They’re not Barbie dolls either, act normal, the doctor will be here soon— beep beep beep—"
In Lin Yunting’s anxious voice, the phone automatically hung up, one could imagine how chaotic it was on that side.
Su Ming’an hung up the phone, sat at the computer desk, and searched for information about [Rules].
Whether it’s in the game or the real world, many places are interconnected. In The World of Old Days, there were rules similar to those in "Louyue Nation", such as: [When fetching water, wear a tan felt hat, or else the ’abnormality’ will drag you into the well.] [If kneeling in front of a mirror at the third watch, you need to stand up after a moment, or you will suddenly die from a blood explosion.]
Su Ming’an browsed the internet and found more [Rules]. For example, one area couldn’t be approached at midnight, if approached, you’d suddenly drown. In another city, one couldn’t go out after ten at night, or you’d suddenly lose your heart.
These [Rules] were chilling to read, making it impossible to deduce their principles.
Su Ming’an closed the computer and looked back to see Lv Shu feeding cabbage to a mantis. This time Lv Shu had an oriental face with softer features, a cross necklace hanging on his chest, and his black robe almost touched the ground.
"Why are you a Priest this time?" Su Ming’an asked.
"I’m not sure either, I don’t know a thing about Churches." Lv Shu said.
"Do you know where Noel and the others are?" Su Ming’an said.
"I don’t know." Lv Shu thought for a moment and replied: "In ’Louyue Nation’, I was a guard, got killed many times, and didn’t see anyone."
"How does it feel?" Su Ming’an asked. He knew death was a painful experience.
"It’s okay." Lv Shu shook his head, his expression somewhat fearful: "It was indeed painful, but luckily, after dying a few times, I got out of the predicament, and didn’t end up dying repeatedly."
Su Ming’an nodded:
"That’s good."
He took a deep breath: "... That’s good."