His gaze swept over the people around him, and Ye Xiaobai's eyes grew even more desolate.
No, still no one.
Was it all just his delusion, and if so, how ridiculous his life had been?
Enough, enough, then let this ridiculous life end.
Ye Xiaobai, prepare to leave.
"Wait."
At this moment, a clear and resonant voice rang out.
He turned abruptly. From the second floor, a young girl in white, with a graceful bearing and a veil, flew down and landed directly in front of him.
He couldn't see the girl's face, but his heart began to pound. Overcome with emotion, he coughed incessantly. Before he could cover his mouth with a handkerchief, blood stained his veil. Yet, it didn't appear menacing; instead, it lent a tragic beauty to his features.
For some reason, he felt flustered, covering his face in a panic, as if afraid the veiled girl before him would be disgusted by him.
Finally, he decided to use his voluminous sleeves to shield the area below his eyes.
Opening his watery eyes, he looked at the newcomer, observing her closely.
Though he felt as if he were looking through a mist and couldn't see her eyes, Ye Xiaobai found her beautiful everywhere, perfectly matching his aesthetic.
Qiao Ci watched Ye Xiaobai, who was shyly and yet boldly peeking at her, and the bloodstains on his sleeves. Without further ado, she reached out to him, "Cub, let's go home."
Cub?
Let's go home?
Ye Xiaobai's pupils contracted violently. He looked at Qiao Ci with disbelief, unfamiliar scenes flashing through his mind.
He was Su Mo, Bai Xingyan, Su Ye, Dan Qing... Lan Ye...
And he had always loved a woman named Qiao Ci.
"You, you, A'Ci?" He looked at the woman before him incredulously, tears welling up, "A'Ci, did you come to find me?"
"Mhm," Qiao Ci nodded gently.
Without waiting for him to place his hand in hers, she took another step forward, getting extremely close to Ye Xiaobai. She moved his shielding hand away, removed his veil, and used an incredibly soft white cloth to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, her eyes filled with an overflowing affection, "So delicate."
Coughing twice and spitting out so much blood, wasn't that delicate?
Ye Xiaobai, fearing it was a dream, stood motionless, afraid of waking up and having the woman before him disappear.
He even felt a sense of unreality, as if this were a scene conjured in his dying moments.
"Silly," Qiao Ci gently tapped his forehead and, holding his hand, led him towards her private room.
There were many private matters she wished to discuss, and she didn't want everyone to witness them.
Ye Xiaobai offered no resistance, following her obediently, step by step.
With the two protagonists gone, people upstairs and downstairs fell silent, their hearts filled with a complex mix of emotions.
It turned out Ye Xiaobai was already critically ill.
Spitting blood often preceded death; he was likely not long for this world.
But fortunately, he seemed to have found the person he fell in love with at first sight.
In everyone's eyes, there was only deep blessing.
Lou Zui Ren, however, was already in tears.
It was truly wonderful that his friend could find that person in his final moments.
Ye Xiaobai wouldn't have to die. He wouldn't have to remain alone in his old age; he could get married and have a wife who cared for him, sob sob sob~
Thinking that Ye Xiaobai's body could no longer withstand the passions with that woman, Lou Zui Ren arranged for someone to host the guests and quickly went to Qiao Ci's private room.
Seeing Ye Xiaobai sobbing uncontrollably in the woman's embrace, Lou Zui Ren felt a pang of frustration.
At this critical juncture, why weren't they consummating their union!
He quickly explained Ye Xiaobai's condition and urged the two to hurry and "do it" to give Ye Xiaobai the antidote.
Qiao Ci spread her hands. This time, she genuinely couldn't help.
Her soul body was too powerful. If she were to be intimate with Ye Xiaobai, it would only accelerate his death. In fact, the very moment they were joined, he would explode.
Upon hearing the woman before him say she couldn't share a room with Ye Xiaobai, Lou Zui Ren was stunned. Just as he was about to curse in anger, Qiao Ci placed her hand on Ye Xiaobai's forehead.
Specks of sacred light flowed from her hand into Ye Xiaobai's mind. In moments, Ye Xiaobai, who had seemed on the verge of death, instantly became energetic and radiant.
Qiao Ci looked at the dumbfounded Lou Zui Ren with a smile, "But, I can save him through other means."
"God, a deity?" Lou Zui Ren quickly prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed thrice to Qiao Ci.
He thought, perhaps Ye Xiaobai was truly a celestial being descending to the mortal realm for trials, and that his celestial friend had come to save him!
Qiao Ci: ...
Ye Xiaobai: ...
They exchanged a look, finding the situation both tearful and amusing.
Ye Xiaobai stepped forward to help Lou Zui Ren up, laughing and scolding, "Hurry up and get up. Don't embarrass me in front of my future wife, alright?"
Lou Zui Ren then sheepishly stood up.
It was only then that he dared to look at Qiao Ci. Upon seeing her indescribably beautiful face, and considering her divine abilities, he gritted his teeth and slyly pulled Ye Xiaobai aside, whispering, "Do you remember the vow we made when we were kids, to grow up together and marry together?"
"Mhm, what is it?" Ye Xiaobai, having recalled all his memories and reunited with Qiao Ci, was in high spirits and spoke with a smile.
"Look, our relationship is so good, why don't we marry the same wife? You're older than me, so how about it? I won't demand to be served, hehe, just guide me a little, teach me some self-defense techniques."
"Lou Zui Ren, are you looking for death?" Ye Xiaobai hit Lou Zui Ren forcefully on the head, his tone firm, "Don't even think about it!"
He had recalled all his memories from the various small worlds and still cherished Lou Zui Ren, his sworn brother. However, when it came to vying for A'Ci, he would seal off all doors and windows!
"You're no fun, hmph." Lou Zui Ren had never intended to compete for his wife with his friend; he just wanted to bask in some of the celestial aura. Seeing his friend so lively and energetic, he was also happy.
Suddenly, he had a thought, "Xiaobai, you're not going to ascend immediately, are you? Will we be separated forever?"
Ye Xiaobai rolled his eyes, speechless, "I'm not a deity, what would I ascend for?"
However, whether his A'Ci was, he wasn't sure. Because in every small world, she was incredibly powerful, almost omnipotent.
Seeing that Ye Xiaobai was safe, Lou Zui Ren didn't want to be a third wheel and left them to their own time.
Qiao Ci looked at Ye Xiaobai and asked, "Do you only remember things from the small worlds? Do you remember anything else? Like why you appeared in so many small worlds?"
Ye Xiaobai looked bewildered.
Wasn't he just an ordinary, unfortunate person?