I'll Take Responsibility!

Overwhelmed by immense guilt, panic, and a feeling of suffocation, he was completely engulfed like a tsunami.

Lin Xia recalled his forbidden admiration for Bibi Dong, his unforgettable love and betrayal for Qian Renxue, and his drunken vows last night to protect them, to "treat them well," and to "get what they want"... Now, not only had he not solved any problems, but he had fallen even deeper into the Abyss of sin!

He has betrayed everyone's trust!

He hurt them! From Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue to these three innocent girls in front of him! Lin Xia is a complete bastard! A scumbag!

"I..."

Lin Xia opened her mouth, her throat was so dry it felt like sandpaper was being rubbed, and her voice was hoarse and broken.

Looking at the three women's "tired," "aggrieved," "accusing," and even "resentful" eyes, he felt as if his heart was being repeatedly cut by countless dull knives, the pain making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Escape?

Like how you treat your teacher and Sister Xue'er?

No!

He can no longer run away!

If all of this is true... if he really did it... then he must bear the consequences!

Even if the consequences are far more severe than he can imagine!

A resolute determination, a mix of immense pain and a strong sense of responsibility, suddenly overwhelmed all his hesitation and fear.

He took a deep breath, a breath so heavy it seemed to draw in the power of an entire mountain.

The hangover headache and physical weakness lingered, but his eyes became unusually resolute at this moment, burning with an almost tragic flame, like tempered steel.

Lin Xia stopped dodging and her gaze swept over Hu Liena's charming yet "wronged" face in her arms, Dugu Yan's wild yet "accusing" eyes on her right, and Ye Lingling's cold yet "painful" face on her chest.

"I..."

Lin Xia spoke again, her voice still hoarse, but carrying a resolute and undeniable power, striking the frozen air with a resolute force:

"I will take responsibility!"

Those four words, like a thunderclap, exploded in the silent room!

A glint of triumphant joy flashed in the depths of Hu Liena's languid eyes, but she quickly concealed it, turning it into a deeper mist. She merely hummed softly, as if to say, "That's more like it," while tightening her grip on Lin Xia's waist.

The roguish smile on Dugu Yan's lips instantly widened, transforming into a smug arc brimming with possessiveness and a sense of victory. She even raised her chin triumphantly, her dark green eyes gleaming.

"Hmph! At least you have some conscience! You know how to admit your mistake!"

The leg that was straddling Lin Xia's abdomen did not lessen its pressure; instead, it pressed down even more defiantly.

Although Ye Lingling had her head down, the corners of her tightly pursed lips couldn't help but curve upwards into a very subtle, satisfied arc.

Her fingers, which had been gripping the corner of the blanket, loosened slightly, and her body seemed to relax a little, leaning against the blanket more naturally. However, a complex glint flashed beneath her lowered eyelids, Frisk by anyone but herself.

Looking at the three women's reactions— Hu Liena's "reluctant acceptance," Dugu Yan's "smugness," and Ye Lingling's "obedience and dependence"—Lin Xia felt a heavy sense of guilt and responsibility crashing down on her like a giant hammer.

He gritted his teeth, the flames in his eyes burning even more fiercely, as if he wanted to incinerate himself along with this absurd fate.

"Whether it's Qian Renxue Bibi Dong!"

Lin Xia's voice carried a desperate hoarseness and determination, as if she were declaring war on the world, or as if she were reaffirming her own beliefs.

"And you too... Hu Liena, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling!"

Each name he uttered felt like a brand being etched into his heart.

"I know... I... I, Lin Xia, am a bastard! I've let so many people down! I've done wrong... a terrible mistake!"

"But since it happened... since I did it!"

"I, Lin Xia, swear to God!"

"We will never run away! We will never shirk our responsibilities!"

"No matter what lies ahead—a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, the condemnation of a thousand men, or an Abyss!"

"I, Lin Xia, will take the blame!"

"You..."

His gaze swept over the three women again.

"I will take full responsibility! I will protect you with my life! I will give you an explanation! I will never let you down... for the injustice you have suffered today!"

Lin Xia's words were filled with a sense of tragic heroism and self-destructive responsibility.

He nailed himself to the pillar of shame as a "sinner," while simultaneously igniting the flame of "atonement."

He thought he was making a heavy promise and bearing an inescapable sin.

Unbeknownst to him, the moment his words fell, a knowing, triumphant gleam of satisfaction shone in the lowered eyes of Hu Liena, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling. Their "grievances," "pain," and "accusations" had all transformed into perfect stepping stones to the path leading to their heartfelt ambitions.

Lin Xia closed her eyes heavily, as if she had exhausted all her strength.

He dared not look at the three women's expressions any longer; only one thought was swirling wildly in his mind: Teacher Bibi Dong... Sister Xue'er... I'm sorry... But... I, Lin Xia, can no longer turn back!

This second path... I'm afraid I haven't even found it yet, and three more forks have appeared... And I have to keep going!

In this somber atmosphere, Dugu Yan seemed to feel that the cooking wasn't quite right yet.

Suddenly, he lifted a corner of the blanket on his side, revealing a small piece of the sheet underneath—where there was a striking, dark red bloodstain, like a plum blossom!

"Hey, you bastard..."

Dugu Yan's voice carried a deliberate air of embarrassment and a hint of barely Frisk cunning as she pointed at the bloodstain and glared at Lin Xia.

"Look what you've done! Lingling... it was her first time... you were so rough with her last night... she even bled! See how you're going to make it up to her later!"

As she spoke, she deliberately nudged Ye Lingling beside her with her elbow, signaling her to cooperate.

Ye Lingling's body trembled violently, and her long, silvery-white hair fell even lower, almost completely obscuring her face. Only her slender shoulders could be seen trembling slightly, as if she was trying her best to suppress her sobs.

That silent tremor was more powerful than any accusation.

Lin Xia's gaze fell upon that glaring red, and as if branded with a hot iron, her pupils suddenly contracted!

Boom!!!

The last glimmer of hope was completely shattered!

He felt ice-cold all over; immense guilt and pain almost tore him apart! He didn't even dare to look at Ye Lingling's trembling, "crying" back.

"I'm sorry... Lingling... I'm sorry everyone..."

Lin Xia's voice was dry and painful to the extreme, carrying a deep sense of powerlessness and a desperate promise.

"I will... spend my whole life... making up for it..."

No one noticed that on Ye Lingling's lowered face, the blush was like a blooming peach blossom, while deep in her tightly closed eyes, a small, triumphant ripple of satisfaction flashed through her eyes.

The bloodstains?

It was just some red wine that Dugu Yan accidentally spilled last night, and the tiny scales hidden on her fingertips scratched it, enough to create any desired "scar" effect.