Old Six clenched his fists, his brows twisted into dead knots, fury bursting from his eyes.
"AAAAAAAHHHH—!!!"
With a clang, he slammed a fist into the hood, panting in rage and helplessness.
Then he stopped shouting. He lowered his head and fell silent.
After a moment, he asked Shi Tiexin in his heart, "Was I too irrational?"
Shi Tiexin nodded. "Yes."
Old Six said heavily, "I knew full well that this was all a Virtual World, that everything was a false illusion made of numbers, yet I still did something utterly unreasonable. In the end, I dragged Xiao Ling into unknowable danger and increased the risk of exposing myself. Am I a fucking idiot?"
Shi Tiexin continued nodding. "Yes."
Old Six buried his fingers in his hair and said painfully, "Why didn't you stop me just now?"
"Because I'm not some outsider standing high above, watching the fire from across the river, and spouting empty platitudes." Shi Tiexin's voice was calm. "This world is where you lived for thirty years. No matter how fake it may be to me, it is still very real to you. Yao Ling is the wife you deeply love. No matter how insignificant she may seem to others, you would still throw yourself into danger for her."
"I can understand your love for this world and for your wife, so I can understand you."
"To you, the real world is like a waking nightmare, while the Virtual World is what truly tugs at your heart. Your reason may remind you a hundred times, a thousand times, but your emotions will still instinctively refuse to believe it."
"That is only human nature. It is also your heart demon."
"If the heart demon is not broken, it will sooner or later cause a huge problem. So why