Not Like It Was the First Time I'd Cried, Either (Special Perspective)

At first, Yu Xing could still hear Yan Li Medusa arguing beside her.

As the memory bubble burst in my mind with a "pop," the sounds of the outside world gradually faded away, and my consciousness sank into the "new memory," forgetting my body.

The new memories flowed into his mind without any hindrance, and soon he "remembered" Medusa's night before.

I was assigned to a residential area in the north of the town. The family that was hosting tourists was said to be the owner of a textile factory in the town, and their house could accommodate two people.

I originally planned to bring Lan Wu along, but after seeing Yu Xing's choice, I changed my mind and let him sleep at the hotel. A guy I didn't recognize took the opportunity to ask if I could bring him along.

What, you think I'm into that kind of thing just because Lan Wu thin? That affected shyness is giving me the creeps. Is that all? I really want to shove him down the drain.

I rejected this Fallen Path little bamboo pole, and when he tried to pester me again, I spit his mouth out. Did he really think I was going to play hard to get? I told him he wasn't worthy, and he truly wasn't worthy. I've never had much patience for anything other than a beautiful woman, and I can only tolerate this once.

Lan Wu here, so I plan to find a place to stay by myself.

I've had experience living with strangers before, and those people were either incompetent and caused me trouble, or they thought they could get on my good side just because they had a nice face... I know it's a matter of probability, but I guess I'm just unlucky~

My attitude towards Little Bamboo Pole deterred the other restless guys, and finally no one came looking for a beating. Following the address on the note, I "borrowed" a bicycle from the street and headed straight for my destination.

There's nothing I can do; I'm always so unlucky. Even when I get a random slip of paper, I always end up with the one furthest away.

I asked some townspeople on the way, and they said the neighborhood I was going to was quite upscale. Anyone with status and money lived there, as if squeezing in with other rich people would make them look impressive.

When we arrived at our destination, we still had plenty of time.

I thought it would be a community with strict screening, but I was surprised to find that I could enter easily; the security guards didn't even try to stop me.

It seems that even the wealthiest neighborhoods in town lack adequate privacy protection measures. Is it because they lack the awareness to do so? What's the point of these so-called "rich people's neighborhoods" then? Is it just to show off how rich and foolish they are?

As I entered the building and went up the stairs, I remembered my plan to kill the womanizer.

That Boss Hua's tactics are obvious. I have no interest in working for anyone anyway, so I'll just let Yan Li go alone. If anything goes wrong... humph, it's his own fault.

"Wow, welcome, welcome!"

The legendary textile factory manager opened the door for me. He was in his fifties, and his wife was about the same age. The two of them looked at me with the same warm hospitality as the townspeople outside.

The decor of this house is no different from what I imagined; it has a nouveau riche vibe. The only good thing is that it's more relaxing to stay here than to be fed bugs in a moldy house.

Hehe, I'm talking about the one Yan Li drew. He hopes a little bug bites his thigh, preferably until he cries, because he was terrified of bugs when he was little... But in this cold weather, are all the bugs frozen to death?

Tsk, what am I thinking? Even if there are bugs, he wouldn't be afraid of them now, would he? Get out of my head!

The textile factory manager introduced himself as Mr. Wang, so I just called him Boss Wang. The couple showed me the room I was going to stay in; it was all pink and delicate, like it was prepared for a young girl.

"We have a daughter. She's always loved pink, and she still does now, haha." Boss Wang smiled warmly, with a touch of nostalgia. "Ever since my daughter got married, this room has been empty. The furnishings haven't been touched, but it's gotten a bit lifeless without anyone staying in it, so we've made it available for tourists."

I nodded casually. Based on my experience dealing with NPCs, I should have pressed them for answers at this point, perhaps to unlock some Side Quest or learn some secrets. But I had a strange feeling that it was best not to have any special contact with this couple; the more indifferent I was, the better.

"You're so beautiful, even prettier than my daughter," Boss Wang's wife suddenly said, staring at me enviously. "I've lived in town for so many years, and I've never seen anyone more beautiful than you. Are you a big star?"

"No." It would be easy for me to gain the favor of an auntie, but her gaze made me uncomfortable, so I decided to call her an old woman in my mind.

"Oh my, what a beautiful young lady! It's a shame she's not a star." The old woman frowned and clapped her hands, as if she genuinely felt this was something sad, which was quite inexplicable.

Boss Wang seemed to sense my impatience. He pulled his wife away and said to me apologetically, "That's just how my wife is, don't mind her. It's getting late, and I heard your tour group has to get up early to meet tomorrow, so you should go to sleep."

Indeed, according to my estimation, it is now 11:40 in this world.

I plan to wait until the couple falls asleep around midnight before getting up to search the house. I don't have a good feeling about them, but the items are unlikely to be missing.

I closed the bedroom door and turned off the lights, then lay down on the soft bed with pink sheets. There were many poorly made rag dolls piled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, but judging from the arrangement, the "daughter" who used to live in this room was indeed a person with a very girlish heart.

They don't resemble me at all.

Time passed by, and with my hearing, I could hear the couple talking in the living room, but what they were saying... it wasn't that I didn't hear them clearly, but rather that they were just making gurgling noises and not saying anything meaningful.

Hmm, when no one's watching, even the content of your speech becomes this perfunctory?

As soon as midnight struck, I received the system settlement notification, and then suddenly felt incredibly sleepy. I didn't want to sleep, but my willpower seemed unable to overcome some kind of forced sleep rule. Is this something that happens to everyone around midnight?

Before being forced into a deep sleep, I placed a venomous dagger under my pillow.

Not only did I fall asleep, I also had a dream.

There seemed to be fragmented, indistinct pieces in my dream. I couldn't quite make out what was happening. Everything was churning in my consciousness, like clothes being tossed into a washing machine, constantly buzzing and washing something over and over again...

It feels like something has disappeared, leaving an emptiness in my heart, yet it also feels like something has appeared, mixing with what was already there.

A faint alarm bell rang in my mind, but I was far more vulnerable in my sleep than when I was awake. I clearly sensed this was a familiar cognitive distortion, but...

The stirring stick shattered my thoughts.

I drifted in and out of my dreams, completely losing track of what year and month it was.

I don't like dreaming. It'll be fine when I wake up. I don't know now, but I'll know when I wake up... Hmm, what was I thinking about just now...?

It's okay, I can definitely handle it, but pink is so cute... Damn jerk, breaking up with me like that, you're such an idiot... Are there really Pyramid-Headed monsters in the world? What are you thinking? I'm not going to marry a Pyramid-Headed jerk... Silent Hill is a terrible place to live...

ψ‰??

"Call--"

In the complete darkness, I opened my eyes, drenched in cold sweat.

My heart was pounding in my chest, and my whole body felt numb. I groped around next to my pillow for a while, then suddenly realized I didn't know what I was trying to grab.

Oh, the alarm clock.

I pulled the cord of the bedside lamp, and the soft light still stung my eyes. I leaned out halfway and reached under the bed to find my alarm clock.

It's only 3 a. m.

Whew... I was startled awake. I'm not sleepy at all now.

I have this problem: once I'm woken up, it's hard for me to fall back asleep. I end up tossing and turning in bed for a long time. Looks like I won't be getting any sleep tonight.

By the way, what did I just dream about?

I seemed to remember it quite clearly for a moment when I woke up, but in just that short time, I have no memory of it at all. Only some lingering sadness is affecting me.

My parents seem to be talking in the living room again. It's so late and they're still not asleep. Are they trying to outlive me, a young person?

I can't sleep anyway, so I might as well go to the kitchen to get a glass of water and send my parents to bed. They really don't know any better about their health.

I got out of bed and opened the door. Sure enough, the living room light was on, and my parents were sitting on the sofa, discussing something while holding a chart.

I wasn't happy, so I walked straight over and said, "What's so important that you have to talk about it in the middle of the night? Can't we talk about it tomorrow?"

My mother's eyes lit up when she saw me, and she smiled as kindly as ever, "My dear daughter, why are you awake? Did I wake you up?"

I was about to speak when Dad glanced at me, "Why are you still wearing the clothes you wore when you went out to play during the day? You haven't even changed out of your pajamas. You're not going out to play at this hour, are you? It's too late, Dad doesn't allow it!"

I paused for a moment, looked down, and realized that I hadn't changed into my pajamas. No wonder I felt a little uncomfortable sleeping in them earlier.

"I'm not going out to play, I'll change later—Mom, I just had a nightmare~" I sat down next to my mother in a spoiled manner, just like when I was little. Whenever I had a nightmare when I was little, my mother would pat my head and tell me not to be afraid.

Although I haven't been this close to my mom since I grew up, she'll probably be quite surprised...

However, my mother hugged me tightly.

"Let Mom hug you, a hug will make you feel better, okay?" Mom looked at me with concern, but I stood frozen in her arms.

I know that I haven't been a good girl since I became an adult, and I often make my parents angry and upset, but I have my own ideas, and I often can't reason with them.

As a result, the differences between us have grown, and we haven't done anything this intimate in a long time. I speak to my parents in a harsh tone, and they are always wary of me running out to play wildly late at night.

I just... suddenly felt like being a little spoiled.

My mom would probably pat my head and jokingly tease me for being afraid of nightmares at my age. This reaction is... I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's kind of weird.

Moreover, her embrace wasn't warm at all; it was cold instead.

I also wasn't comfortable with this kind of physical contact, so I pushed her away, frowning, "Look at you, you're all frozen to the bone, and you're still chatting with my dad here! What if you catch a cold!"

"Hey, it's all because of your blind date..." Mom handed me the piece of paper they were looking at. "You like that Xiao Zhao, right? And you said he's always busy at the factory. Your dad and I finally managed to contact Boss Zhao, and we agreed to arrange a blind date for you two."

I was pleasantly surprised.

I've liked Brother Zhao for a long time, but I've never had the chance to get to know him. I can't just go to him directly, otherwise it would be too unreserved.

Brother Zhao's family owns a breeding farm and is quite wealthy in town. My parents support my marriage to Brother Zhao; they've long wanted me to have a legitimate relationship with him, and this time they've finally taken action.

That's right, if I keep waiting, I'll go from a young girl to an old maid—pfft, pfft, pfft, I'll still be beautiful even when I'm thirty.

This piece of paper contains some information about Brother Zhao, and also a photo.

I just like... uh, it's so ugly.

I don't know why, but when I saw that ordinary face in the photo, I had a strange feeling of absurdity.

He doesn't seem to be the person I remember liking.

I clearly...

My head hurts a little.

I stared at the documents in my hands, enduring the occasional throbbing pain in my head.

Why didn't I realize before that Brother Zhao was so unworthy of me? What do I look like? What does he look like? It would be so stifling for me to marry this guy.

I'd feel nauseous if he even tried to touch me. How could this be?

A mocking smile involuntarily crept onto my lips, but I quickly suppressed it before my parents noticed. I asked, "Now that the blind date is arranged, what are you still discussing?"

"Your mother and I are just reluctant to part with him," Dad glanced at me, "We have to talk about what's good and bad about this kid."

That's true. In the minds of their generation, going on a blind date basically means getting married.

They're such an old fogey.

I was already thinking about how to skip this blind date, but there was no need to rush tonight. I urged them to go back to their room and go to sleep, then went to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water and returned to my bedroom.

Tonight has given me a really strange feeling; nothing feels right.

After drinking the water, I turned my head and suddenly saw the mirror on the desk.

The woman in the mirror was stunningly beautiful, with long, smooth hair that reached her ankles. Every move she made exuded an effortless maturity, and her lips looked as if she had applied lipstick.

This is me.

But it doesn't seem like it's me.

I tried applying the lipstick, but I suddenly realized that the vibrant color wasn't applied; it was the natural color of my lips.

As red as blood, and as intense as my poison.

"Wait, what do you mean by my... poison?"

I stared at the woman in the mirror, as if I were in the scene of a horror story.

I am the daughter of the factory manager of the textile factory in Nanshui Town. I grew up in a relatively wealthy family, but I have never left the town. The person I love is the most capable and wealthy young man in the town. I will marry him and live happily ever after in Nanshui Town.

Ha?

Fart.

Is this run-down town really worth me staying here my whole life? And that guy surnamed Zhao, he's considered outstanding?

When I met the woman's gaze in the mirror, for a moment it was as if I saw the calm shadow of a snake.

A voice deep inside me tells me that I know true gems, and the people I admire should be just as outstanding. But what about myself? Is the woman in the mirror someone that Nanshui Town could possibly cultivate?

Don't be ridiculous. Even thinking about it that way, I feel like I'm insulting myself.

So the question arises: if I am not myself, then who am I?

The chaos I felt in my dream returned, slamming into my head like a hammer, making me dizzy. The things I had just realized were fading away again. I slumped onto the bed, and suddenly kicked something.

I suppressed the urge to thrash around and looked down, where I saw a strangely shaped dagger at the foot of the bed.

This dagger has no sheath and looks like a strange fang. It's mine; I knew it was mine the moment I saw it.

Instead of picking it up, I squatted down and pushed aside the pile of rag dolls to look at the wooden pillar at the foot of the bed.

One, two, three, four, five.

Five brand-new scratches appeared side by side there. My head was so muddled that I was about to faint. On some kind of instinct, I gripped the venomous dagger tightly and carved a sixth scratch.

I put the dagger back under the bed in a blind spot, and restored the plush toys to their original state as much as possible, effectively concealing the scratches.

Just then, I heard a question coming from outside the door.

"Honey, what's wrong? Your dad and I heard some noises."

I think I've heard this question more than once.

When my head could no longer hold on, I used the last of my clarity to collapse onto the bed, close my eyes, and fall into a struggle between sleep and wakefulness.

The next second, it felt like someone pushed open my door.

Two sets of footsteps, each with the same frequency, approached me, and I smelled a repulsive odor emanating from them.

Someone carried me back to bed, covered me with the blanket, turned off my bedside lamp, and put the alarm clock back on my bedside table.

The old woman muttered to herself, "Why is she so difficult? When will she ever become a big star...?"

My consciousness returned to stillness.

"Call--"

In the complete darkness, I opened my eyes, drenched in cold sweat.

My heart was pounding in my chest, and a lingering restlessness from my sleep still lingered in my mind. I sat up, staring blankly into space.

I think I dreamt of some very bizarre and fantastical scenes, but I can't remember anything when I woke up.

I reached out and felt around the pillow, but found nothing. I turned my head and turned on the light on the bedside table.

My little alarm clock sits next to the lamp; it shows 3:30 AM.

This is really bad; why did I have to wake up at this time of all?

I have trouble sleeping. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I can't fall back asleep for a long time. My head feels foggy and I feel a bit uncomfortable.

My throat is quite dry too.

I got out of bed to put on my shoes, intending to go out and get a glass of water. As I passed the pile of dolls at the foot of the bed, I seemed to sense something and stopped, staring at the largest teddy bear for a while.

The teddy bear's dark eyes seemed to be staring back at me. I smiled, dismissed that unrealistic thought, and opened the bedroom door.

As I raised my hand, the fabric that wasn't my pajamas made me pause in confusion. Had I not changed my clothes before bed? Strange, what had I done? Why did I go to bed in my outdoor clothes...?

To my surprise, the living room lights were still on. As soon as I opened the door, I saw two figures sitting on the sofa, silently studying something on the coffee table.

Perhaps it was my lingering rebellious phase, but seeing them both stirred a sense of revulsion within me. It was also unusual for them to be still awake at 3 a. m., so I reluctantly asked, "Dad, Mom? What are you doing so late?"

"Daughter, why are you awake at this hour?" The woman turned around and gave me a somewhat surprised smile. I took a few steps closer and saw a piece of paper that looked like a form on the coffee table, along with a bowl of steaming noodles.

"Your mom got hungry in the middle of the night and insisted on getting up to cook a midnight snack. She kept me up all night, sigh." The man yawned. "Then she said she couldn't eat too much. Since you're here, why don't you have some?"

"Ah, yes, daughter, it's been so long since you've had your mother's noodles, hasn't it? You loved them when you were little." The woman greeted me warmly, even getting up to tug at my arm, but I didn't feel warm at all, just annoyed.

"Mom," I dodged her tugging, "I just came out for a drink of water. It's so late, I never eat late-night snacks, they'll make me fat."

Does an elegant, slender waist appear on its own? No, it doesn't. You still have to maintain your figure diligently.

Besides, just because I liked certain foods when I was a child doesn't mean I like them now. How old am I? Only parents who don't understand my preferences would keep bringing up what I liked to eat and use when I was a child, even though I'm already an adult.

Perhaps it was that inexplicable aversion deep in my heart that made my thoughts much more radical. I know it's impolite, but strangely enough, I don't want to change my attitude.

I poured the water and was about to go back to my room when I caught a glimpse of the untouched bowl of noodles on the table.

The next second I saw the document next to the bowl. The photo of the man on the document surprised me slightly. "This is Brother Zhao's information? Where did you get it?"

"I almost forgot, don't you like that Zhao family guy? We finally got in touch with your Uncle Zhao and were going to arrange a blind date for you two." The man handed me the information sheet. "Before the blind date, we need to let you get to know him better, so we got this information. Look, this guy's looks, age, and salary are all pretty good. Hmm, my daughter has even better taste."

I blinked, took the watch, and glanced at it.

Yes, in terms of conditions, this is already one of the best in Nanshui Town. A girl as outstanding as me... no, a woman, if she's going to get married, of course she'll choose the best.

It's weird, why do I feel like I'm trying to look young when I try to call myself a girl? I'm clearly very young.

Lost in thought, I silently put the watch back on the table.

I won't go on a blind date with him.

"Huh? Why? Didn't you used to insist on marrying him?" The woman was clearly very surprised.

He's not good enough for me.

"You're talking nonsense, kid. In this Nanshui Town, Zhao family's boy isn't good enough for you, who is?" The man frowned, as if blaming me for being so ignorant.

"So why do I have to stay in Nanshui Town?" I laughed. "Can't we go to the next town to look for work? Dad, you're the factory manager of the textile factory, you have a lot of influence in Nanshui Town, but you're more knowledgeable and should understand how backward this place is, right?"

The man started to get angry, as if my words had hurt his pride—no, not quite, more like he was angry about my leaving Nanshui Town: "You little brat, how can you be so wild? We've spoiled you too much, and now you think you're all grown up and want to fly away!"

What a joke! This is a closed-off town. You old folks don't want to leave, and now you're dragging the young people down with you. Are you afraid the young people will have a better life?

I didn't say it aloud, because from his expression I knew that there was absolutely no room for negotiation for him.

"Sigh, stop arguing. Our daughter just doesn't like that Zhao family boy, it's not a big deal." The woman comforted me, then looked at me as if she understood me perfectly. "Tell me, which family have you taken a fancy to? Even if he's a poor boy, as long as he's a good person, it's not something we can't discuss."

Actually, I didn't fancy anyone. There wasn't a single decent-looking guy in this strange town. What I wanted was a tall, handsome man with long legs, broad shoulders, and a strong waist. He also had to have a good personality, at least not like these uncultured hooligans in town.

A figure suddenly appeared in my mind: a man dressed in black with his back to me, his head turned to the side.

I was stunned for a moment. Was this the person I dreamed about?

Forget it, stop thinking about all this nonsense.

However, this interruption made me vaguely recall that besides the Zhao family, there was another, even more prestigious family in town.

"I like the Fang family." Although I've never met anyone from the Fang family, I know that the young people in this family aren't people these two can just contact whenever they want. I'll give them a challenge first, let them worry about me, so they won't keep trying to mess with me every few days.

"The Fang family?" The man frowned. "You mean the Fang family? Don't even think about it. Fang family Fang Xiao is married, and the couple is doing just fine. It's none of your business."

The woman chuckled and sighed, "My dear daughter, this joke is way too outrageous."

"Doesn't the Fang family have a younger son? Their younger son has come back; I've even seen him before." I don't know why I said that, but it came out so naturally, as if I had actually seen him.

"What?! You're back?"

The expressions on the faces of the two people in front of them suddenly changed.

Their faces were unfamiliar to me. It was as if, the moment I heard the news, who I liked or who I wanted to go on a blind date with became unimportant.

The woman lunged at me, grabbing my shoulders tightly, and asked urgently, "You've seen him before? Where did you see him? Where is he now? When did you see him?"

A barrage of questions came rushing at me, and I had a feeling that if I gave her a gentle nudge, she would realize she shouldn't have offended me like that.

An absurd thought arose in my mind, and I blurted out, "Are you my mother?"

There was a moment of silence in the air.

The woman stopped moving, and the man stared at me intently.

"Am I asking this question for the second time tonight?" I ignored their odd behavior and tilted my head to think.

A sharp pain shot through my head, but along with the pain, a jumble of images flashed through my memory.

"Sorry, Mom got too excited." In the few seconds of silence that followed, the woman withdrew her hand and gave a warm smile, while the man once again revealed the gentle expression of a father who dotes on his daughter.

They said I probably didn't want to discuss these things so late, that they were the ones disturbing me, and told me to go back to my room and sleep.

Lost in thought, I took my water bottle and went back to my room.

After closing the door, I paused and pressed the deadbolt.

Intuition led me to the foot of the bed, where I swept the rag dolls aside and saw six scratches.

I tried touching it from a blind spot and sure enough, I found a sharp tool used to carve those scratches.

This seems to be my venomous dagger, I thought hesitantly.

With the idea of completing a certain ritual, I carved the seventh scratch.

That's about enough, I've seen everything I wanted to see.

I'm not the textile factory manager's daughter, right? Then... who am I?

The moment this thought crossed my mind, the sharp pain in my head intensified suddenly, as if it were trying to forcibly churn my brain into a slurry.

But this time I didn't feel like I was going to collapse. On the contrary, fragments of memories pieced together in my mind, completely shattering my already distrustful perception.

Ah, it's cognitive distortion.

Something wants me to consider myself a local, to live here forever. They even want to tie me down with marriage... Ridiculous, I hate the word "marriage." I once believed that day would come, but those who made that promise were just as quick to abandon it.

Who I am?

I gradually remembered what had happened around these marks.

I woke up at 12:30. I wandered around the room and looked in the mirror for a while, and I already sensed that something was wrong. I went out of the bedroom to leave, but I found two people that my brain identified as my parents in the living room. They were staring at me and asking me where I was going.

This sense of incongruity instantly brought me to my senses. Distorted perceptions are commonplace for me. As a chess player, how could I be trapped on the chessboard like a tiny chess piece?

I asked with a smile, "Are you really my parents?"

The throbbing pain in my head was slowing me down, and I knew that the entity that had briefly affected me was still watching my reaction.

Fine then. Since you're taking advantage of me and making me call you "Dad" and "Mom," how can I not turn the tables and squeeze some information out of you?

I told them it was just a joke and went back to my room.

I know they won't let me go and will definitely distort my perception again until they achieve their goal. But unfortunately, this level of cognitive distortion can't hold me back for long. I still have to do them a favor.

I pulled out the venomous dagger I had placed under my pillow before going to sleep. I had taken it out in advance to prevent myself from forgetting how to retrieve the offerings. Fortunately, my understanding hadn't returned to that point yet, so I made the most of it.

I made the first scratch at the foot of the bed and then engaged in cognitive manipulation—I would lower my guard, pretend to be the daughter of those two men outside, fully accept the alterations they made to my memories, and obtain information from them.

Even so, I knew I would soon realize something was wrong and connect it to the truth.

So I gave a very lenient condition... I wouldn't have to continue until seven marks had accumulated.

As I expected, I would wake up in this bed almost every half hour, spend some time talking to my "parents" outside, and then, after experiencing self-doubt, return to my room to find the marks and be suppressed again.

Now, there are seven engraving marks.

So, it's time for the "playing with others" service to end.

I didn't pay much attention to the stinging pain in my mind because I wasn't deliberately trying to resist it. This power wasn't even as strong as what I had in my hands. Someone like Yan Li could probably withstand it with just his willpower.

"Honey, what happened? Your dad and I heard something."

Outside the door, the old woman uttered those words for the seventh time.

I almost burst out laughing.

What kind of person dares to call me "daughter"? I'll cut your tongue out so you won't know how bad my temper is.

I deftly twirled the venomous dagger, and the next second, just like before, they should have pushed the door open and entered.

But this time I locked the door.

I calmly leaned against the desk, watching the things outside the door grow increasingly anxious and frustrated, as if they were trying to force the door open.

Thinking back to the enthusiastic smiles that Boss Wang, the so-called textile factory manager, and his wife gave me when I first entered this house—tsk, their acting skills were nothing special.

"What's going on?" I called out with a mischievous glint in my eye. "Why are you two acting like lock-pickers, trying to sneak into my room in the middle of the night? Don't you know what respect is?"

Silence fell instantly outside the door.

Two seconds later, the knocking on the door started again, and the man's voice was hypocritical yet forceful. "Open the door. I'm your father. You have to listen to me, or I won't give you a single penny and I'll kick you out."

Oh my, that really scared me to death!

I quickly opened the door for this remarkable, wealthy man.

Outside the door, Boss Wang and his wife stood side by side blocking the entrance. When they saw that I had actually cooperated and opened the door, they began to scrutinize me.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Don't make me curse you out." I pretended to be sleepy and yawned, then questioned with great dissatisfaction, "I was still sleeping and you woke me up. Are you guys trying to break in? Hey, you're not planning to do anything bad to me, are you? Is this your purpose in cooperating with the tour group?"

"Girl, what are you saying?" The old woman still didn't believe me and tried to further distort my understanding with her words, "Sleeping in the lake..."

"Huh?" I laughed rudely. "It's true I slept in your daughter's room, but that doesn't mean I have to be your daughter. You two are dreaming, aren't you?"

"I'm speechless. To encounter such bizarre people on a trip, attempting to enter a female tourist's room in the middle of the night! Luckily, I locked the door; otherwise, I can't even imagine what terrible things might have happened. I'll report this to the guide tomorrow. How can there be such inexplicable people?"

"Wang, the textile factory Boss Wang? He looks all respectable, better he knit himself a funeral shroud. Even a turtle would be more pleasing to the eye than you."

"You've really opened my eyes! Don't you even look in the mirror? The two of you look like this—" I usually only praise beautiful women and have no interest in attacking other people's ordinary appearances, unless they deliberately provoke me.

"You want to be my parents? Do you even deserve it?"

"Alright, I'm not staying in this room anymore. It'll save me from sleeping for another two hours and then you guys selling me off as someone else's wife. I guess I'm just unlucky."

I didn't give them a chance to interrupt. I finished my tirade, collected some "interest," and then turned around to pick up my backpack from the room.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Boss Wang darkened. Perhaps he hadn't learned how to deal with being directly exposed like this, and he couldn't muster that warm and hospitable smile no matter what.

He grabbed my arm; his cold hand didn't feel like a living person's, but rather like some kind of powerful mechanical device.

The old woman, seeing that he had already grabbed me, stared blankly, seemingly talking to someone. "Someone here wants to leave; someone here saw what we did."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than the force that hadn't given up distorting my perception suddenly intensified, and even I felt as if a bunch of jumbled things had been stuffed into my head again.

Such offenses are harmless when I allow them, but they anger me when I don't.

My eyes transformed into snake children, gazing upwards.

Because I can sense that something is trying to control my brain, right above me.

There was even a hint of their own kind in it, and I hate the smell of my own kind the most.

I slowly raised my head, and the illusion that had been covering my eyes quietly dissipated, revealing my gaze to another pair of snake children.

It was a phantom with a human body and a snake tail, two or three times my size.

A thick snake tail coiled on the living room floor, its exposed upper body resembling a woman, long hair obscuring the parts that needed to be covered, its face exuding the unique venom of a snake, its arms outstretched, and something like puppet strings trying to pierce my brain.

"It's you." My virgin eyes shimmered with a faint light. As I channeled my surging spiritual energy through the puppet strings and backfired onto her, I gripped the Poison Fang Dagger, leaped up, and thrust it towards her chest.

This is [redacted], I know her, she is [redacted], [redacted], I will always be their enemy. Because in [redacted]'s domain, the weak can only become food for the strong.

I■■■■■

She ran away, leaving behind [unclear - possibly a character or symbol], and I even cut off her tongue, while I only suffered a scratch from her claws. I won.

This wound won't heal so easily, and beside her, having given up on this place, Boss Wang and his wife have long since become two motionless puppets.

I tore the two bodies into a bloody mess.

Then I took a shower, treated my wound, and went to sleep in the living room.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't staying here anymore. The rules don't say I can't kill the townspeople, but leaving my place of residence would likely be against the rules. I'll at least wait until dawn.

The bubble of memory, once fully formed, slowly dissipates.

Yu Xing opened her eyes, her brain adjusted to the difference between "me" and herself, and her consciousness and body regained perfect harmony.

Some parts were disposed of by Medusa, but he also saw the huge human-bodied snake-tail, which was clearly some kind of symbol of Qianjie.

The one he remembered was far less powerful than the Qianjie Statue he encountered in the Yin Yang Corridor. Medusa seemed to be thinking that she and the other beings with human bodies and snake tails had a devouring relationship?

Just like him and Ghost Tree?

Could it be that, aside from "her," who is either an avatar or a child, all the other evil gods' power carriers scattered across various worlds are in a relationship of mutual absorption...?

His gaze went from hazy to clear. It only took Yu Xing about a second to think about all this. He didn't want Medusa to see how much he knew about it, so he raised his hand and pressed his temples, as if his head was throbbing from those memories.

However, Medusa in this memory seems to have revealed quite a few things related to Yan Li... She doesn't seem to mind that I know.

Yu Xing suddenly realized that it was too quiet around him. He turned his head and saw two people who looked like they had just had a fight.

Medusa, legs crossed, seemed to be the victor in the argument; though her hands were clenched tightly, her face still held an indifferent expression. Yan Li—

Are Yan Li's eyes red???

The tall man stood behind the bench with a cold expression. He had been looking into the distance, but when he heard the noise, he immediately turned to look at him.

Yu Xing gasped.

What's all the arguing about? Why are you making him look so aggrieved? It's because he's currently...

With little color in his face, the redness under his eyes and the tip of his nose was particularly noticeable.

If it weren't for the live broadcast, Yu Xing suspected that Yan Li would have cried. Perhaps... perhaps the memory of Medusa mentioning that this person "cried because he was bitten by an insect" when he was a child had given him a great shock.

"Finished reading everything?" Yan Li's voice was slightly hoarse; it was clear he was trying hard to remain calm, the skill of maintaining an expression seemingly ingrained in his DNA. "We can continue now."

Yu Xing: "..." Are you sure it's okay?

"Don't worry about him. Just have the system erase the audience's memories after it's over. It's not the first time we've done this." Medusa knew what he was thinking. She glanced at the man who looked extremely aggrieved, dusted herself off, and got up.

Yu Xing seems to have learned something remarkable again.