Chapter 139 The Surface of This World

Chapter 139: The Facade of This World

The layout of Lanyue Pavilion was the same as when Liu Qingci had come with Xiao Jing that day, only now it had been tidied up a bit.

Liu Qingci walked to the warm chamber where he had once stayed for a long time, and it was completely different from what he remembered.

All of this was what it looked like after the plot had been reset.

There was no brand-new carved wooden bed here, nor the desk Xiao Yan had specially prepared for him.

"According to the original development, was everything supposed to be like this?"

Standing next to the screen, Liu Qingci swept his gaze across this unfamiliar warm chamber, his expression dazed.

"There is no such thing as 'supposed to be.'"

Xiao Yan walked over, his tone firm. He told Liu Qingci,

"All of this was altered only because of external forces. In reality, the past you remember, the past we experienced, is the true past."

Xiao Yan gave a cold snort and said indignantly,

"If it weren't for that so-called main system meddling, none of this crap would have happened..."

Little K couldn't stand it anymore and came out to come to its own defense: "Host, that's not fair. If it weren't for our system center's mission, you would have died long ago! We have our work!"

Xiao Yan still ignored it.

He approached Liu Qingci and comforted him, "Don't be so sentimental. We'll change everything back later. I'll make it exactly the same, and I'll also change Tingzhu Courtyard back to how it was, okay?"

Liu Qingci gave a tight-lipped smile: "I don't really care about that."

He reached out and hooked his index finger around Xiao Yan's fingers hidden beneath his sleeve, gently, like a kitten pawing.

"As long as you're still here, that's enough." His voice was soft and tender.

This made Xiao Yan's heart itch, his whole body growing restless.

He stared straight into Liu Qingci's clear eyes and leaned in.

He was a hair's breadth away from touching those alluring lips.

Liu Qingci turned his head aside to dodge him. He looked ahead, his expression serious and earnest.

"I was just about to ask you about this."

Xiao Yan stopped moving and took a deep breath.

He forcibly suppressed the restlessness that surged from his heart and endured it for now.

How could this person interrupt him with such seriousness just when he was distracted with desire?

"Ask what?"

Liu Qingci frowned deeply and asked a question that had puzzled him for a long time: "When you talk about the reset of the plot, does it reset time or memories?"

Xiao Yan thought for a moment: "According to their explanation, it should reset time—reset everything that happened."

"But... everything we experienced is what truly happened."

Liu Qingci analyzed,

"I believe they have the ability to change some things in this world, but in the end, ultimately, it's all an illusion."

While Xiao Yan was carefully pondering Liu Qingci's words, he heard Little K muttering softly in his mind:

"Oh my, how is Xiao Liu so perceptive?"

Xiao Yan's eyes darkened, and he demanded Little K mentally: "What's going on?"

"It's actually not that important..." Little K admitted honestly, "Host, you already know, right? The reset program itself had some issues, which is why you were allowed to return to this world!"

"Right," Xiao Yan said. "The problem is that Liu Qingci awakened self-awareness, isn't it?"

Little K gave an awkward laugh: "Exactly, that's one of the biggest problems. But besides that, there are many other minor issues."

"Such as?"

Little K admitted honestly: "For example, some plot points that were changed due to your presence before might not be overwritten by the reset program either."

At that moment, Liu Qingci looked up at Xiao Yan with a thoughtful expression and said:

"When I went home that day and saw my parents, their faces were ruddy and their spirits high—not at all haggard from hardship. But according to the so-called reset, if everything had returned to its original course, they should have experienced those trials and tribulations. They should be nowhere near this state."

After speaking, Liu Qingci solemnly arrived at his own conjecture:

"So the reset doesn't change everything. It only... changes people's memories, changes the facade of this world."

Little K fell silent for a moment in Xiao Yan's mind. The ball of light flickered, as if startled by something.

"Ahhh—how did Xiao Liu even guess that?!"

"It's precisely because of your intervention and the plot's deviation that the program produced many loopholes. Some details we haven't figured out yet, and the main system is still monitoring them..."

Hearing these words, Xiao Yan suddenly smiled.

He looked at Liu Qingci's piercing eyes and felt an indescribable pride.

"That's right." He smiled and affirmed, "Your guess—everything you said—is correct."

Xiao Yan continued, "The reset program has loopholes. It can't cover everything we've changed."

He reached out and stroked Liu Qingci's cheek.

"Your parents—they're fine. The suffering they were originally supposed to endure has been undone."

Hearing this, Liu Qingci's eyes suddenly prickled.

He recalled the images of his family, safe and healthy when he returned home that day. It turned out those images weren't just his imagination.

Those people he desperately wanted to protect truly hadn't been harmed by that so-called fate.

—

All the chefs of Prince Yu's manor had been urgently recalled by Fu'an, enough to provide meals for the entire residence.

So Xiao Yan, half-coaxing, half-tricking, kept Liu Qingci at the manor for dinner.

The last hint of orange-red faded from the western horizon, and the night, like an invisible sheet of silk, silently spread out, enveloping the entire Prince Yu's Mansion.

Fu'an, both surprised and uncertain, directed people to bring the evening meal to the Lan Yue Pavilion.

Good heavens!

Young Master Liu had actually spent an entire afternoon peacefully in the same room as His Highness Prince Yu, no less.

And now they were going to have dinner together?

Was he going to stay overnight at the Prince's Mansion as well...?

What in the world was going on?

Fu'an withdrew from the Lan Yue Pavilion and couldn't resist sneaking a peek inside.

That glance happened to catch the Prince placing food onto the plate of Young Master Liu.

His expression was tender, his movements meticulous.

Now even Fu'an began to doubt: could this Prince be a counterfeit?

Fu'an came out, confused, and saw Yun Feng pacing anxiously outside the Lan Yue Pavilion.

Given how precarious his own situation was now, Fu'an put on a friendly face with everyone, afraid of offending anyone.

He stepped forward and said in his high-pitched voice, "The mansion has prepared an evening meal. If you're waiting for your young master, go get yourself a bite to eat."

Yun Feng stood stubbornly in place: "I won't go! I'll wait until the young master finishes his meal, and then we'll return to our own mansion."

"Hey, you!" Fu'an rolled up his sleeves. "How long do you plan to wait here?"

Yun Feng glared at him, thrust out his chin, and said, "None of your business! I'll wait right here!"

Fu'an clicked his tongue and said kindly, "Do you really think your young master will come out immediately after dinner and go back with you?"

Yun Feng looked at him in confusion.

Fu'an shook his head and clicked his tongue again. "The way I see it, your young master won't be going back today. I'll go get a room ready right now."

Yun Feng's mouth fell open in surprise. "For the young master?"

"No." Fu'an shook his head. "It's for you."

Your young master won't need his own room.