The Oarless Boat

The current situation is that Qianjie controls most of Fang Xiao's thoughts, and wants to keep the new puppet Fang Xing.

When it controlled Fang Deming, it didn't keep Fang family son at home, probably thinking that Fang Xiao was enough. It wasn't until the scandal broke that it realized how important it was to have a backup plan.

It's not too late now.

The system went to great lengths to send Yu Xing here, giving Xiao Qianjie renewed hope. Naturally, Xiao Qianjie will do everything in its power to keep Yu Xing. As a result, it might lower its guard in other aspects.

"After all that, I've made my point clear enough. This simulation is entirely for your benefit. So why don't you just stop with the main and side quests and be honest with me, just tell me what I need to do." Yu Xing's plan was perfectly clear. He didn't know before, but now that the situation was so easy, he was too lazy to go through all that trouble.

Since the system needs his help and can't do without him, why bother with formalities?

He focused solely on killing the little Qianjie, as long as the system reward was still given.

[The Main Quest of this simulation was based on the ideas of the manipulator of Nanshui Town. Their goal is to further distort your perception by using the "sacrifice" of the Snow Festival.]

The system's female voice remained unmoved.

[Even without the Main Quest I set, the Snow Festival would still exist, and the tour group guided by Gao Yiling would remain a product of Nanshui Town itself, unchanged.]

[My main questline has always been to remind participants to be aware of dangers in advance, and I've also set up a temporary shop. The Side Quest are to provide participants with the passages I've found connecting to the real-world scenarios, giving them a chance to leave early.]

Ultimately, the system doesn't have high authority in many worlds. Perhaps in the copy worlds it creates, it can torment the deducer with a wicked sense of humor, but in worlds with low authority, the system basically provides full assistance to ensure the deducer's survival rate.

For example, this time, the system will issue Side Quest when the deducer comes into contact with specific events, guiding the deducer to discover the real scene. Without the system, many deducers might not be able to "coincidentally" walk to the place where the movie and reality intersect even if they stay in the town for half a month.

This has little to do with strength or weakness, but rather that the ability systems of the deducers are strange and unusual, and almost no one possesses the ability of "creation".

The system will naturally keep anything related to the same power system away from the predictor. Only in this way can it maintain its absolute superiority and suppress the increasingly powerful top predictors, preventing them from seizing power and turning the tables.

Yu Xing understood all of this. No matter how much the strategists grew, the abilities they gained largely depended on the opportunities and conditions created for them by the system. The system had invested so much, so naturally it wouldn't allow betrayal, nor would it leave anyone with the means to betray.

The only exception was probably the Dead Silent Island event, which was the one that angered the system, causing it to make such a big change after a period of silence.

"So I still have to follow the Main Quest?" Yu Xing's face fell. "Aren't you going to just tell me how to kill Qianjie directly?"

Such a snake might have a slight chance of winning in a head-on confrontation, but the problem is that the system wants much more than simply killing the snake.

From writing stories to creating movies with greater control, the former is creation, and the latter is control. It can be seen that Qianjie's plan to possess creative abilities has been somewhat successful, and "movies" are a product of her transformation by combining her own abilities.

Right now, the system is more concerned with recovering the portion of the ability that Xiao Qianjie took.

Otherwise...

Yu Xing thought that the system was so wary of its abilities being leaked because it would have very serious consequences.

He guessed more than that; there were some things he decided not to tell the system after some consideration.

He suspected that the system itself was one of the seven evil gods of Yin Yang City.

Only when abilities are very similar in rank will there be situations where they devour or fight each other. Since even the symbol of Qianjie covets the system's abilities, it is very likely that the real Qianjie also thinks so.

Of course, it's said that the evil god himself cannot leave Yin Yang City, which is why he places his symbols or avatars in various worlds. The system cannot be the true form of any god...

However, in terms of ability and status, they are certainly not much different from evil gods.

After all, Yu Xing didn't understand those evil gods. Perhaps there were various exceptions? Wasn't she one of them? On the surface, each world only contained a slice that could think for itself, but in reality, their thoughts were all the same. She could even directly descend into a certain clone and briefly deceive the rules of Yin Yang City.

If the system also left Yin Yang City in a rather unique form, could it have been a deliberate split?

For example, the Absurdity System and the Experiencer System were originally one, but in order to weaken their power, they created clones and went to worlds outside Yin Yang City. They deliberately separated and formed the competitive relationship they have now after successfully escaping.

That's getting ahead of itself.

Yu Xing suppressed the thoughts in his mind. He could see that the system was really good to him—ever since he absorbed the power of the Ghost Tree and re-established a connection with the system.

He hadn't forgotten the various ways the system had suppressed him before, including using Yi Qing to monitor him...

This change in attitude made Yu Xing. Moreover, given the previous collective betrayal, he couldn't possibly give the system any real trust before understanding the inside story. Therefore, it wasn't appropriate for him to directly express his speculation about whether the system's true form was an evil god.

[If you don't want to do the Main Quest, instead of asking me, you should try persuading Fang Xiao.]

The system had no idea what Yu Xing was thinking; it answered Yu Xing's question by offering a suggestion.

[If you tell Fang Xiao you don't want to continue the tour, he'll probably be very happy, but you definitely can't escape the festival he organized for you.]

Yu Xing then asked, "What about my exclusive Side Quest? Do I still have to do it?"

[In fact, undertaking this Side Quest can effectively reduce your cognitive distortion; conversely, in the snake's thirst for the Fang family bloodline, you might lose your way.]

"Fine, Yu Xing irritably, "Xiao Qianjie is about to learn your ability and level it up, but you're not worried at all."

The system remains silent for two seconds.

[Movies are not an upgrade of books. In fact, books can create any story. The reason why some people mistakenly believe that the structure of movies is more effective is because they haven't grasped the true essence of the subject.]

[It's only because Nanshui Town is too small, and its capabilities are mismatched, that the book's strengths haven't been fully realized. The book has no weaknesses; only the film does. It itself has left the world with its most fatal flaw.]

Yu Xing's eyes flickered. "Get straight to the point."

[Inside a container at the East District Port, there is a filming device.]

The system finally relented. It's unclear what damage this notification will cause it, but it seems it has considered this for a long time.

[Those devices were created according to the rules when the snake turned the world of Nanshui Town into a movie. Destroying those devices would destroy the movie-like world of Nanshui Town, and only then would there be a chance to kill the snake.]

[The cursed power of the Ghost Tree within you can destroy equipment; no one else in Nanshui Town besides you can do that.]

Even Medusa, who possesses the power of Qianjie, cannot do it.

Each evil god has its own strengths. Ghost Tree excels at curses, resentment, death, and destruction. Only by having Yu Xing take action can we ensure that the equipment is completely destroyed and cannot be rebuilt.

"So that's what you were planning. Couldn't you have told me sooner? Why did you go through all this trouble?" Yu Xing's eyes flashed, and she continued to argue, looking utterly exasperated by the system.

He muttered, "The movie actually has such a hidden danger. No wonder the East District has been sealed off. They're probably afraid the researchers will discover that equipment at the port. Thinking about it, the 'book' is indeed more advanced than the movie; at least it doesn't have such an obvious weakness."

Moreover, when the system uses its power normally, there is no physical blank book like the one that the giant python carries around, and there is no limit to the length of the book. It can only be said that Xiao Qianjie's skills are not enough, and she can only steal such a small part of the ability.

[The East District is under lockdown. Anyone attempting to cross the blockade set up by Qianjie will be Qianjie. Therefore, this matter is not easy. You need to gain Fang Xiao's complete trust and obtain the half of the rights he promised to give you. Only then can Fang Xiao take you directly into the port area and legitimately approach the equipment.]

Only if she brings someone there herself will Qianjie lower her guard.

Yu Xing already had a plan in mind.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the bathroom. He swallowed back what he was about to say to the system and pulled the messy towel back over his head.

"Dongdong."

The person knocked twice, and then, without waiting for a response, opened the door, saying, "Why did you take so long to wash? Is everything alright?"

Yu Xing met Fang Xiao's gaze as if she were drying her hair.

Fang Xiao smiled warmly when she saw him, "Why did it take you so long? I thought you weren't feeling well, or that you fell asleep in the wooden tub."

"I just soaked in the hot water a little longer. It felt so good in this weather, I couldn't resist." Yu Xing's movements as she dried her hair became gentler. "Then, I was going to dry my hair before going out, but it was dripping wet, and the new clothes you prepared for me are all soaked."

Fang Xiao walked straight towards him, took control of the towel from Yu Xing's hand, and dried Yu Xing's hair like a truly gentle older brother.

When they got this close, Yu Xing knew that Fang Xiao must have become suspicious again, wondering if he had been with someone in the bathroom, so he deliberately got close to smell if he smelled like anyone else.

For example, his two friends who entered the Fang Mansion together.

Yu Xing bent down to make it easier for the other person to move, and as expected, Fang Xiao relaxed because he could not smell or sense any special scent on him.

"Alright, that's about right. Let it air dry for a bit." Fang Xiao took the towel off and used his fingers to comb Yu Xing's hair. "Do you prefer a longer hairstyle?"

"Yes, that's how we artists are," Yu Xing said with a smile. "When I'm painting, if I don't grow my hair a little longer, wear strange clothes, and have a sinister expression, no one will believe that I painted those bizarre-style paintings."

"Even though it's a stereotype, if meeting those people's expectations makes my paintings sell better, why wouldn't I do it?"

"You can be yourself now." Fang Xiao patted his shoulder and uttered the most ridiculous lie.

In Nanshui Town, the least likely thing to do is to be yourself.

"By the way, brother, I haven't asked yet. If I just stay at the Fang Mansion, will I still be able to sell my paintings?" Yu Xing suddenly became worried. "My only interest and career is painting. I want my paintings to be recognized. If no one appreciates my paintings, there's practically no point in living."

"Don't worry, where do you think I saw this painting printed on your clothes?" Fang Xiao said. "Nanshui Town will be reopened to traffic in a while, and there will be many outsiders then. Some of the Fang Mansion's former business partners will also be back. Let them introduce you to people in the gallery."

It's impossible for Nanshui Town to have been completely isolated from the outside world for so many years. On the contrary, by exploiting cognitive distortion, Fang Xiao has made many friends who can cooperate with him.

Some of them could even act as Fang Xiao runners, becoming his eyes and ears outside the home.

Over the years, my brother and I have been exchanging letters through those people; otherwise, I wouldn't even know where to send a letter.

"That's good, I really love drawing." Yu Xing breathed a sigh of relief. "By the way, the tour group I joined—"

Fang Xiao's dark eyes turned around.

"Hmm... Anyway, we're going to be staying here from now on, so I want to make the most of this trip with my friends." Yu Xing glanced at the other person cautiously. "I've decided. I'll let my friends leave after this. There's no need for me to force them to stay in town. They have families outside too."

Fang Xiao listened quietly, without expressing whether he believed or not, but simply sighed, "Sigh... I understand how you feel about parting with your friends, but little brother, I'm more afraid that you'll never come back."

Don't be so presumptuous; aren't the tour groups under your control too?

Yu Xing thought to herself, "This is what I'm complaining about."

Before he stepped into the Fang Mansion, Fang Xiao probably wasn't sure if he would return after receiving the letter, or when he would return. The movie plot he set up for the tour group must have been prepared in advance.

But things are different now. Now that they know his younger brother came with a tour group, Fang Xiao will definitely oversee the tour group's scenes himself.

Under these circumstances, Yu Xing has nowhere to run. As long as he shows any intention to escape, once Fang Xiao discovers it, the entire Yu Xing Nanshui Town will become a net to capture him.

Yu Xing knew this, but he pretended not to, using the tour group as a way to build Fang Xiao's trust.

"Don't worry, I won't run away. There's only a little over a day left. After the trip, my friends and I will really have to part ways." Yu Xing's tone was filled with disappointment, yet also with pleading for Fang Xiao. "I haven't finished today's activities Yugi. I want to stay with the tour group for another day, and tomorrow is the festival..."

"If you're worried, come find me after dawn, and we'll participate in the Snow Festival together. Didn't you invite me in your letter?"

Yu Xing looked at Fang Xiao intently, and for a moment Fang Xiao even thought that his younger brother was about to act cute towards him.

They couldn't have escaped anyway.

He just wanted to see what his younger brother's attitude was. If his brother insisted on playing with his friends and wouldn't let him appear before then, he would really suspect that his brother had thought about something in the bathroom and changed his mind.

But his younger brother took the initiative to invite him to the Snow Festival.

This doesn't seem like an attitude of running away; on the contrary, it's just as the younger brother said—he's reluctant to leave his friend and hopes to participate in the festival with him.

Alright then, let's give my younger brother a little false freedom to make him happy.

Fang Xiao's lips curled up, looking reluctant. "Alright then, I'm happy to go out with you. I'll definitely come to keep you company tomorrow, but tonight, you need to get a good night's sleep. Don't think about 'wandering around' in town in the middle of the night, okay?"

"If I find out you're out running around at night instead of sleeping, I might misunderstand again, and I won't be able to bear letting you out anymore."

"Don't threaten me like that. I was afraid of you when we were kids, but I'm not anymore." Yu Xing's face clearly showed the joy of having achieved her goal, but she insisted on being tough. "If you imprison me, all the goodwill I've managed to regain towards you will vanish. You choose."

"... Pfft." As someone who could easily hold his younger brother back with just one hand, Fang Xiao felt good about his brother's harmless stubbornness, and even found it a little cute.

It's better to have a younger brother with a distinct personality, who can throw a little tantrum, than a younger brother who listens to everything but is somewhat distant.

He quickly turned the threat into a joke, "Alright, alright, I misused my words. Simple scare tactics won't fool you anymore. It seems next time I want to scare you, I have to catch you off guard."

"That's really twisted," Yu Xing retorted. "I'll scare you someday!"

"Oh? You think there's anything in this town that could scare me?" Fang Xiao raised an eyebrow. "It seems my brother has his own ideas. I'm waiting for the day I receive a surprise."

Yu Xing corrected. "It's fright."

"If you can really give me a surprise, that would be a pleasant one for me." Fang Xiao was far too confident in this regard. He affectionately pushed Yu Xing out of the bathroom, asking, "Do you like the clothes?"

"I love it! This is a real surprise! So you've been following my drawings all along..."

The two figures moved in perfect harmony, and their receding silhouettes, as seen by the old gardener who happened to be passing by, seemed like a dream.

The old gardener watched the two children grow up.

He was known as the gardener grandpa by the children. Although Fang Deming and Xu Wan didn't value him much, only telling him to do things like wood carving and garden management when he had nothing to do, they clearly thought he was useless and were too lazy to care for him. However, the two young masters liked him very much.

Perhaps it was because he always smelled of wood and flowers, and he was always cheerful and kind towards children.

From the time he could remember, the eldest son Fang Xiao, was required to learn this and that. Fang Deming valued him highly and was naturally very strict with him. Xu Wan Impermanence a capricious personality and dared not be bad to Fang Xiao, but she was not particularly affectionate either. The gentle care she showed on a daily basis was just a superficial gesture.

Needless to say, Nanny Li was created to suppress children, spying and monitoring them like a worm in the shadows. Even though her malice towards Fang Xiao wasn't obvious, Fang Xiao would definitely hate her if he wasn't stupid.

The gardener became the only person in the Fang Mansion who spoke to Fang Xiao with a smile.

The reason the gardener stayed at the Fang Mansion was because of something that happened when he was young.

At that time, Fang Deming had not yet married Xu Wan, and the gardener was just a wandering craftsman.

He met a girl he liked in Nanshui Town. After spending so much time together, he decided to stay in Nanshui Town and marry her.

They were very loving and lived peacefully for many years. The craftsman lost the novelty of wandering and could no longer travel and adventure, but his wife's love and the warmth of his family made him not regret his decision.

But on his thirtieth birthday, his wife went to the port to sell woven items and did not return that night.

He had long noticed that his wife was secretly preparing a birthday gift for him. The woman, overjoyed, would hide the birthday gift she was making every day, thinking she was keeping it a secret. But to the craftsman, his wife was far too easy to understand.

He had everything planned out; he was certain his wife would come home earlier than usual tonight to surprise him on his birthday. But he waited and waited, and even after his birthday had passed, he still hadn't seen his wife.

Then he learned that his wife had tragically died in a gang fight at the port and her body had been thrown into the sea to cover up the crime, leaving no trace of her remains.

The craftsman hated the gang and began to secretly observe their dirty dealings. He set up a stall at the port every day, using his skills to attract the attention of the gang leader. Under the guise of carving a wooden statue for the leader, he learned some secrets.

He restrained himself from acting impulsively, instead passing those secrets to a rival gang, hoping they would act as his scapegoat and kill his enemy.

But his little tricks had already been noticed. The young leader of the rival gang, who had obtained this information, didn't say anything, but simply asked him, "Why are you doing this?"

The craftsman, knowing his thoughts had been seen through, knelt before the man who was several years younger than him and replied, "I only want revenge."

The young leader smiled faintly, "You're not from around here, are you? It's quite rare to see such an interesting outsider like you."

He indeed went and wiped out that gang, and the craftsman became his subordinate. Only then did the craftsman realize that this young man was the head of the most prestigious Fang family in town, someone who had connections in both the legal and illegal worlds.

But the craftsman was a very kind person. He didn't want to fight and kill like the others in the gang, with his hands covered in blood. Fang Deming didn't force him and treated him very well, only letting him occasionally run errands for the gang, delivering things to the big bosses who were disembarking at the port.

Soon, Fang Deming got married. He asked the craftsman to choose whether to continue living that kind of life in the gang or to come to his house as a gardener, help take care of his new wife, and take care of the house.

Ever since his wife died in a stray bullet, the craftsman only wanted a peaceful life, and he chose that without hesitation the moment he officially became the Fang family.

He felt as if something had entered his mind.

He felt something was very strange every day. With this feeling of doubt and unease, he worked as a gardener in the Fang Mansion for a year. Then one day, he suddenly saw a snake.

It was an enormous python, beyond description. Its body was semi-transparent, and it moved effortlessly between the walls. Suddenly, just as the hairs on his head stood on end, the snake turned its head, and a pair of cold, serpentine eyes looked at him.

The moment their eyes met, countless chaotic memories flooded him. He saw Fang Deming's thoughts reflected in the snake's eyes, and the secrets of the entire Nanshui Town unfolded before his eyes.

It turns out, this town was just a story.

It turns out that his wonderful wife was just a minor character mentioned only briefly in this story.

It turns out that the gang warfare in the port was just Yugi that Fang Deming wrote out of boredom to pass the time.

It turns out that the reason Fang Deming was so kind to him among the crowd was because he was an outsider... a real person who didn't exist in Fang Deming's imagination.

Fang Deming paid little attention to most outsiders, but this one not only fell in love with the town's characters and stayed, but also actively approached Fang Deming in order to seek revenge, which aroused Fang Deming's considerable interest.

Upon learning the truth, he suddenly lost all right to be angry or hateful.

Fang Deming was the one who created his wife, and he was also Fang Deming one who indirectly caused her death for his own pleasure.

He suddenly felt a little tired; the first half of his life had passed just like that, and all he had gained was a bubble.

Moreover, the snake will definitely tell Fang Deming that it already knows the truth, and it's questionable whether Fang Deming will even be alive when he returns.

In the end, he survived.

Fang Deming didn't seem to care that his secret had been discovered. Instead, he smiled and said to him, "That's good. Now we have one more person we can completely trust."

He didn't understand at the time why he could be completely trusted, but he soon realized that when he accepted the secret, it was as if he had been marked by the snake. He couldn't tell anyone the secret; his brain was affected by something that prevented him from ever making the decision to reveal it to the public.

Fang Deming wanted a real person in the Fang Mansion, unlike Xu Wan. If Xu Wan represented love, then Fang Deming probably briefly regarded the gardener as a friend.

Things changed after Fang Xiao was born.

Fang Deming's personality began to become irritable, no longer as meticulous as before, and he even withdrew the patience he once had for some kind people. The gardener originally knew Fang Deming well; Fang Deming seemed cold and ruthless, but in reality, he always gave some extra favors to those kind people.

This was true for him, and it was also true for the owner of the Peaceful Sleep Inn. When the gardener was still running errands for the gang, he had delivered quite a few things to the owner of the Peaceful Sleep Inn, all of which were things that Fang Deming remembered to ask him to deliver.

But now, this person has completely changed.

He became terrible, only showing kindness to Xu Wan. But Xu Wan also became terrible, unpredictable, and her obsession with beauty reached a pathological level.

Fang Deming forgot his friendship with the gardener and increasingly neglected him, only letting him do the gardener's job. As for his free time, he preferred to let him play with wood carving by himself rather than be disturbed by him.

The gardener gradually understood that it seemed that as long as people stayed in this mansion, they would gradually become unlike themselves, as if they were being eroded and possessed. He himself was an exception. Fang Deming wanted a pure and genuine person, but for some reason, that twisted power really did not descend upon him.

He was fortunate enough to be able to watch the young masters grow up while still lucid.

Fang Xiao would come to him when she was under a lot of pressure, and while watching him carve wood, they would chat about her studies and things at the port.

Little Fang Xiao is unaware of the truth about the town, and the gardener cannot reveal it to him, so he can only be a listener and encourager, offering the child a little warmth.

Then the young master Fang Xing, was born.

The gardener still remembers how much Fang Xiao loved his chubby little brother when Fang Xing was Fang Xing in swaddling clothes. Even when he was feeling unwell, he would still make time to visit his brother.

However, the older they got, the worse their relationship became.

For some reason, Fang Xiao gradually lost his smile when Fang Xing had just learned to walk and was crawling all over him, clinging to his legs.

The gardener didn't know how to advise on this matter. The older Fang Xing got, the fiercer Fang Xiao became towards him. When they were young, it was common for them to snatch toys and food from each other. As they grew up, Fang Xiao started spreading rumors that Fang Xing caused trouble and stolen things. He even said that Fang Xing had damaged a certain internal gang report that Fang Xiao had left on his table because he was jealous of him.

These things varied in size, Fang Xing suffered countless hardships because of them. Whenever she felt so wronged that she couldn't bear it anymore, Fang Xing would run to the gardener, hug his legs, and cry.

When I got a little older, I stopped crying and just stared blankly at the gardener's hands as he carved the wood.

The gardener actually wanted to tell him that every time he was so sad, Fang Xiao was actually peeking out from not far away.

Fang Xiao's expression was strange, a mixture of guilt and reluctance, with a hint of envy hidden beneath the surface.

The gardener had long been unable to understand Fang Xiao. No wonder he was groomed by Fang Deming as his successor; he was even smarter and more shrewd than Fang Deming had been back then. His dark eyes were like those of a bottomless well.

Days passed by, and after Fang Xing was Fang Xing beaten by Xu Wan, the relationship between the two brothers suddenly warmed up.

That strange feeling spread from Fang Xiao to the two of them, as if a layer of unspoken understanding had appeared between them. Fang Xiao continued to bully Fang Xing, but for some reason, when the gardener looked at the two of them again, he felt that the disgust between them—especially Fang Xing towards Fang Xiao —seemed to have lessened a lot.

He sometimes wondered what it would be like if the two brothers had a good relationship and could play and joke around together.

That must have been a very happy scene, after all, Fang Deming was affected, Xu Wan seemed a bit crazy, the nanny Li who later joined the household was a monster, and he was a useless person.

These two children can only rely on each other.

Unfortunately, the gardener never got to see the two brothers get along well before Fang Xing left home.

So many things happened afterward. Fang Xiao showed his skills, and the internal situation of the Fang family changed again and again. Only the gardener remained the marginalized person who was not valued.

He's old.

Perhaps it was because of the warmth he received from him in his youth that Fang Xiao, now in power, still called him "Grandpa Gardener," or perhaps it was because he was useless that Fang Xiao did not allow that twisted human nature to befall him.

He was still so lucky.

One day, the gardener looked at Fang Xiao was also beginning to lose himself and whose personality was changing drastically, and suddenly had an epiphany, realizing the significance of what Fang Xing when Fang Xiao.

It turns out that Fang Xiao did not disappoint Fang Xing Xinggang, who uttered the first word "brother" when he first learned to speak.

It wasn't Mom, it wasn't Dad, it was my older brother.

He truly did everything an older brother could do for his younger brother, even enduring so many years alone without receiving a single word of thanks or a shred of love from his brother.

The gardener felt even more sorry for Fang Xiao. Fang Xiao had always wanted to get along well with her younger brother. She imagined that when they grew up, they could walk arm in arm, discussing girls, current events, and food, and playfully bickering with each other...

Why.

In a place like the Fang Mansion, even such a sight is a luxury.

As the gardener watched Fang Xiao stumble to this point, and when he discovered the sudden snowfall and temperature drop in the town, resulting in some uncontrollable deaths and frostbite, the gardener even wondered if perhaps his release was imminent?

They will all perish along with this world; that would be a relief.

The same goes for him, for Fang Xiao, for Fang Deming... well, Fang Deming brought it upon himself, while Xu Wan became much happier after being reborn. She looked at herself in the mirror every day, as if she were possessed. After Fang Xiao took power, she became even more free.

Because she was resurrected from that serpent.

Perhaps the snake had already planned everything. Xu Wan is an actress, Fang Xiao wants to create a world in the form of a film. To make this world stable, it cannot do without Xu Wan as the "actress" as a foundation.

Occasionally, the gardener could tell that Xu Wan was possessed by a snake and had left home to do something unknown.

She couldn't go against Fang Xiao's decision, but Fang Xiao couldn't do anything to her either.

The gardener knew that Fang Xiao was not happy at all. Even when he was dating Mingzhu, he was always anxious because he was afraid that Mingzhu would leave or even commit suicide if she found out everything.

Unexpectedly, at this very moment of liberation...

Fang Xing is back.

Upon returning, Fang Xing was completely brainwashed by Fang Xiao and obediently stayed at home.

Even more unexpectedly...

The scenes the gardener once imagined will come true under these circumstances.

The two brothers walked intimately through the mansion, like a beautiful, dreamlike scene. But who knew if this dream would ever return, vanishing with time and turning into an even more distant nightmare?

"Grandpa Gardener! What are you looking at?"

The woman's voice pulled the old gardener back to reality. He glanced in the direction he had been looking, but Fang Xiao and Fang Xing were nowhere to be seen.

Medusa smiled subtly, her face full of innocence. "What are you daydreaming about, Grandpa Gardener? Didn't you say you were going to teach me and that idiot how to make woodcarvings? Hmm... so where exactly is the room where we put the wood stakes? He's still waiting for us to go back!"

The old gardener lowered his head, not daring to look at the innocent child who had been brainwashed. "When people get old, they love to reminisce about the past and often space out. Sigh... Come on, I'll pick out a couple of tender tree roots for you, otherwise you won't be able to prune them."

"Okay!"

Medusa was much taller and had longer legs than the old gardener, but she followed slowly behind him, occasionally turning her head.

Having managed to so easily win Fang Xiao over, even making him take a bath and change clothes, Yu Xing must have gained quite a bit, right?

And she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but when she looked at Yu Xing from that distance, she seemed to sense a trace of the alluring power that was most familiar to her within her own ability system.

Something must have used its charm on Yu Xing, and it was extremely powerful. Only in this way could she have sensed it from such a distance. Ugh... She really has no sense of public morality.

It's one thing to use family ties to manipulate others, but to resort to seduction is another. Humph, what a despicable snake.

Medusa thought to herself, "Yu Xing should be able to withstand that kind of power, right? I just hope he doesn't get himself involved and then regret it."

But if she regrets it, then she'll have something fun to watch!

After changing her clothes, Yu Fang Xiao spent time with Fang Xiao reminiscing about their childhood in the room they had shared during their youth. Finally, Yu Xing was going to see Xu Wan.

After asking Xu Wan where her room was, Yu Xing went out and walked straight there. He could still feel Fang Xiao quietly following him.

It seems that no matter how genuine Fang Xiao's feelings for his younger brother are, and no matter whether Fang Xiao now believes that his brother has given up on running away, his inherent caution will lead him to choose a more prudent approach.

I remain skeptical unless I see it with my own eyes.

Yu Xing thought, Fang Xiao is indeed difficult to deal with. Such a person must be even more unpredictable before his cognition is completely distorted. If he hadn't been trapped in the Fang Mansion from the beginning, but instead became a diviner...

You'll grow up to be a very outstanding person.

With this pointless thought in mind, Yu Xing went to Xu Wan's courtyard and knocked on her door.

Fang Xiao's presence quietly faded away.

Xu Wan opened the door as quickly as she had rushed over to hug someone earlier. The door had barely made a sound when the woman in the pure white short dress swiftly opened it.

She even changed her clothes in the room, wearing less fabric than before, with the skirt barely covering her upper thighs. Her hair was loosely draped down, and she changed her necklace and bracelet to pearl styles, making her look even more innocent and youthful.

"Long time no see, my good son~" Xu Wan pulled Yu Xing into the house, glancing at his face to see if there was any obvious disgust, while closing the doors and windows tightly.

Yu Xing maintained her calm voice, and after being helped to sit on the small couch, she looked up at her. "We just met not long ago."

"Oh my, this has been a long time for a mother!" Xu Wan plopped down next to him and praised, "Did your brother give you this outfit? It really looks good, especially flattering to your figure. I knew it! One shirt, one trench coat, one layer on the left, one layer on the right, you've completely covered my son's figure!"

Yu Xing Wan's exaggerated tone, which Xu Wan noticed. "Could it be that you're shy? Mom is just telling the truth. By the way, this is actually Mom's personality all along. I was so miserable from being suppressed before, but now I truly feel happy."

Yu Xing could believe half of this.

Regardless of whose story it is, Xu Wan is described as a woman as passionate and romantic as a rose.

Yu Xing still unclear, but she's definitely romantic.