Qingyi: I Was Clearly Here First!!

ATM Machine No. 1: Powerful and aloof.

His real name He Zhiqiū, his Player ID [Dead Zero▪Indefinite], and he is a member of the Night Watcher.

Hmm... that's all Bai Zhi knows about the other party.

Of course, after today, perhaps one more point should be added to these understandings.

I really like to solve problems directly using violence.

It took about half an hour, and with the Night Owl's corroboration, Bai Zhi was finally able to barely clear up the series of misunderstandings.

Balcony.

"... Why is Anna here?"

After staring at Anna for a while, Dead Zero turned to look at Bai Zhi.

Because Anna had completely changed into modern attire, and the White Crown she wore on her forehead had been removed for being in the way, coupled with the refined demeanor cultivated from her time immersed in the sea of knowledge... she didn't recognize the other person at first glance.

When she first saw the other person, she did think about it in that direction, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the way the Night Owl addressed her.

And then there was that familiar Ring on her ring finger... how could she possibly have the mind to think about anything else?

However, she has now recognized the other party's true identity.

That is something that exists within the Rose Manor — Princess Anna.

Let me show you my Title first.

Bai Zhi already had his own ideas on how to deal with this, so when the Dead Zero asked about it, he simply revealed his ID.

[Your Prince▪Black&White]

"Do you know Fairy Tale tales about Prince and Princess? Take Sleeping Beauty as an example. The Prince saves the Princess in the end, wins Princess heart, and they live happily ever after... Anna's situation is like that."

"But she's Anomaly."

Having understood the meaning behind Bai Zhi's words, the Dead Zero frowned slightly.

"Some people are still Player, but which type of gamer do you think is more terrifying, the Player or the Anomaly? There Player bad Player, and naturally there are good Anomaly and bad Anomaly."

Bai Zhi looked unconvinced.

"Besides, Anna's true nature isn't entirely Anomaly; she's just a pitiful, innocent victim... Now you know why I didn't want you to come, right?"

"... What happened that day when you were alone in the very heart of that castle?"

After a moment of silence, the Dead Zero raised his head and looked at him.

"And how did you get her out of there?"

"The system's rewards, plus her own willingness."

Bai Zhi shrugged slightly.

"As for what I did, it's very simple. I merely pulled her out of the Abyss of despair and prevented her from suffering a tragic end. That's all."

"... So that's why you haven't told me where you really live?"

His voice unconsciously lowered a few decibels, and the Dead Zero raised his head to look directly into his eyes.

"Is it because of Anna? Because of my attitude towards Anomaly... But why are you willing to tell me now?"

(Of course, it's because I'm afraid you'll kill me...)

"Because I believe you have your own sense of justice."

After silently muttering a complaint to himself, Bai Zhi spoke seriously.

"I believe you have a clear sense of right and wrong, and don't judge a person's character solely based on superficial appearances. Thanks to the intervention of the system's Strength, Anna has been redeemed, and she deserves a Perfect life of her own."

"... why not just make things clear earlier?"

Turning his head to the side, the Dead Zero spoke in a low voice.

"Since it's a system reward, then there's nothing we can do... So what about the other one?"

"Qingyi? Uh..."

Turning his head to look at the living room, Bai Zhi glanced at the White-haired loli who was peeking out from behind the Sofa, looking at him with a murderous aura. Bai Zhi's lips twitched slightly.

"Her story... to be honest, I don't know how to talk about it. It's a long story... are you concerned about this?"

"... I was referring to Mu Qiansè."

After a moment of silence, the Dead Zero gave his reply.

"Also, didn't you say you live alone? Why are there so many people here?"

"She's the one who told me you were coming back. During the Cold Wave, she had nowhere to go. You know how it was back then, for safety reasons, I tricked her into... cough cough, and invited her over."

Bai Zhi coughed a few times, his hand clenched into a fist and placed near his mouth, his face radiating righteous indignation.

"That Night Owl is a bit timid and didn't want to stay in a hotel, so out of humanitarian spirit, I brought him here to form a temporary gathering place. Perhaps out of guilt, she helps with cooking every day... that's basically the situation."

What is your relationship with him/her?

"Classmate, Teammate."

"The others."

"Cough... Just like you, she's an ex-girlfriend."

"How many ex-girlfriends have you had?"

"Uh... there's really no need to hide this kind of thing, since you can easily find out by asking around at school... including you, there are seven in total."

Bai Zhi ran his hand through his hair and gave a casual reply.

"So, I said, actually there's nothing... Wait, put down the knife, let's talk this out!! I don't think I've done anything to provoke you!?"

Seeing the Young Girl in front of him silently tighten her grip on the hilt of her knife, Bai Zhi quickly reached out to stop her, somewhat amused and exasperated.

"Although I know that changing seven girlfriends in three months is a bit scummy, it's just my own business, right? Relationships are simply a matter of mutual consent, and we live in a harmonious society where love is free."

"... Who is your current girlfriend?"

He gripped the knife handle tightly and then loosened it, but the expression on the Dead Zero's face remained unchanged.

"Mu Qiansè? She's your seventh..."

"No, it's me!! It's me!!"

A head peeked out from behind Bai Zhi, and the White-haired loli, finally unable to hold back any longer, angrily declared her dominance.

"Everything is about first come, first served, but I was clearly the first one here!!"

"Well..."

Bai Zhi suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Freedom to love..."

His gaze lingered on the Loli Qingyi for a moment, then shifted to Bai Zhi's face. Finally, the expression on the face of the Dead Zero changed.

To put it simply, it was like... looking at a hopeless kidnapper.

He produced a pair of fluorescent handcuffs from who-knows-where, and expressionlessly handcuffed the Dead Zero's hands. Then, he produced an identification document stamped with a red seal from who-knows-where and showed it to him.

"You have the right to remain silent, but everything you say can be used against you in court. Do you have anything else to say?"

Bai Zhi: "..."