After Ling Ying left, Gu Xun'er lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. Scenes from her dream kept resurfacing in her mind, growing clearer and clearer. She could even recall every single thing she had said to Xiao Chen.
Time passed, and the darkness gradually faded. A pale hint of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon...
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
A measured knock sounded, startling Gu Xun'er, who had been tossing and turning in bed. After a sleepless night, her face showed a trace of fatigue as she opened the door.
Seeing Xiao Chen outside, a flicker of surprise crossed Gu Xun'er's face, but it instantly turned to delight. She said in a clear, sweet voice, "Brother Xiao Chen, what brings you here?"
"I was going to ask if Xun'er wanted to watch the sunrise with me. But you look like you didn't sleep well... Maybe... we should do it another day!"
Seeing how exhausted Xun'er looked, Xiao Chen gave up on taking her to watch the sunrise.
"I'm fine. Maybe I'm just not used to it here yet!"
Xun'er shook her head, then very naturally took Xiao Chen's hand. "Come on, Brother Xiao Chen. Let's go watch the sunrise!"
For a moment, Xiao Chen felt like his CPU was about to burn out. He had come here to raise Xun'er's affection for him, but things seemed to be unfolding beyond his comprehension.
Normally, shouldn't he be the one taking Xun'er to watch the sunrise and sunset every day, taking her out shopping now and then, and buying her little gifts... slowly building their relationship?
Why was Xun'er holding his hand right off the bat? Wasn't that supposed to be his move?
What the heck? This was completely backward!!!
At the back of the mountain, two small figures sat side by side atop a smooth boulder.
"Brother Xiao Chen, do you believe in fate?"
Xun'er turned toward him and leaned against his shoulder. Gazing at the sun that had just risen in the distance, she suddenly asked the question out of nowhere.
Xiao Chen felt like his CPU was about to smoke. He couldn't figure out what Xun'er was up to, but he still gave her a firm answer. "I do!"
After all, he had transmigrated. How could he say he didn't believe in fate? If he didn't, how could he explain his transmigration?
Xiao Chen had always felt that his transmigration was fate's arrangement, something predetermined and bound to happen. As for why fate had sent him here, he still didn't know. Perhaps the answer would be revealed in the future.
"Xun'er believes in fate too. Maybe meeting Brother Xiao Chen was fate's arrangement!"
Gu Xun'er's lips curved into a slight smile. She had figured things out and no longer dwelled on last night's dream. To her, the scenes in the dream had been a hint from fate.
She believed that the boy before her would change her destiny, and that meeting him had been fate's arrangement.
Xiao Chen didn't say anything. He just patted Xun'er's head in response. He really didn't know what to say.
Even now, he couldn't understand why Xun'er kept doing so many things that were beyond his comprehension.
As time passed, the sun rose completely. After watching the sunrise, Xiao Chen walked Xun'er back, then returned to his room.
"System! Why is Xun'er acting so strangely?"
When in doubt, ask the system. That was the best idea Xiao Chen could come up with.
[You can't guess what's on a girl's mind!]
Hearing that, Xiao Chen clicked his tongue and grumbled, "Tsk! Useless. Why aren't you a romance system?!"
[Ding! A new character, "Xiao Yan," has been detected. Would you like to begin a simulation?]
"Holy crap! Simulating Xiao Yan? System, can you handle this enormous karmic burden?"
Seeing Xiao Yan appear in the simulator, Xiao Chen could barely hold it together. That was the future ruler of the Great Thousand World and the Endless Fire Territory, the sovereign whose complete name would be inscribed on the Heavenly Sovereign Board.
[What's there to be afraid of? Xiao Yan isn't someone like Huang or Ye, whose achievements make them eternal. At most, he's a multiversal powerhouse. What's so hard to handle?]
"Since you put it that way, what else is there to say? Let's get started!"
With the system's assurance, Xiao Chen wasn't worried. He started the simulation right away.
[Ding! Simulation begins. Character for this simulation: "Xiao Yan"!]
[Year One]: You were born into the Xiao Family in Wutan City, the son of the Xiao Family's clan leader, Xiao Zhan. You had a secret: you were actually a transmigrator, and only you knew it!
[Year Two]: After a year of effort, you finally learned the language of this world and understood how it differed from your previous one. You were thrilled and secretly vowed to work hard at cultivation!
[Year Three]: You began trying to cultivate, but you still couldn't sense the so-called Dou Qi. You started wondering if you had no talent, but you didn't give up!
[Year Four]: Through tireless effort, you finally sensed the presence of Dou Qi. This only strengthened your resolve to work hard at cultivation.
[Year Five]: One day, a middle-aged man who looked exceptionally distinguished came to the clan with his daughter. Your father wanted you to show the girl around the clan, but that conflicted with your cultivation time, so you refused!
[Year Six]: The Dou Qi in your body grew stronger, but you couldn't use its power. You were confused and even began to doubt whether it really existed. This doubt gave you an idea: find an opportunity to test it!
[Year Six, Month Four]: In the end, you couldn't resist the urge. But you worried that testing it on someone from the clan would arouse suspicion, so you chose the little girl who had come from outside as your target.
[After nightfall, you sneaked into the courtyard where she was staying and quietly picked the lock on her door with a piece of wire. But to your surprise, the little girl was standing right there, holding a thick book and fixing you with a cold stare. It was as if... she'd known you were coming all along.]
[In an instant, your hands and feet turned ice-cold, your hair stood on end, and an unprecedented sense of danger washed over you. You hurried to explain, but she didn't give you the chance. She swung the book in her hands at you!]
[The heavy spine of the book slammed into your face, and the taste of blood burst across your mouth. You staggered back two steps, seeing stars. You didn't dare explain any further and immediately tried to flee.]
[But as soon as you turned around, a cold voice sounded behind you: "Ling Ying! Catch him!"]
[Your vision blurred, and a figure in black robes clamped a hand around your throat...]
"Hmm? What the heck? Xiao Yan got caught? What's going on?"
Watching everything unfold in the simulator, Xiao Chen was completely thrown into disarray. Nothing like this had ever been mentioned in the original story.
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