The Second Simulation Begins

Bai Fan stood there at a loss while Little Golden Dragon lay on the ground, quietly watching the two argue.

"Ma'am, I really don't know you! The one you like is Yu Xiaogang. My name is Bai Fan—I'm not Yu Xiaogang."

Bai Fan made his final defense.

Love had never been the union of two bodies. It was the resonance of two souls, the familiarity born of staying together for a long time.

Bai Fan knew very clearly what he liked. He could not stir up even the slightest emotion toward the Bibi Dong before him.

The once-majestic Bibi Dong immediately wilted.

"You know everything, so you still think I'm dirty, don't you?"

Bibi Dong's sudden question left Bai Fan speechless.

"Seriously, ma'am, is your train of thought even normal?"

"I told you, we've never met before. We have no emotional foundation whatsoever. Could you please stop pestering me?"

Bai Fan desperately explained himself. Bibi Dong, who had been downcast moments ago, seemed to have figured something out, and her mood suddenly soared.

"Fine, I understand."

Bai Fan thought Bibi Dong had truly come to her senses and turned to leave. Yet the moment he took a step, Bibi Dong behind him took one too. When he stopped, she stopped as well.

At that moment, Bibi Dong had completely lost her queenly bearing and clung to Bai Fan like an unstoppable leech.

Bai Fan tried to reason with her and even anxiously shouted at her to leave, but nothing worked.

"Forget it. If you want to follow me, then follow me!"

"Little Fan, what's so fun about staying in Star Dou Great Forest all day? Let your Sister Dong take you to Spirit City for a look. If you stay here all the time, you'll practically devolve."

Over the past few days, Bibi Dong had long since changed out of her luxurious Pope's robes and into simple, plain clothing.

She looked just like a young girl, having shed the Pope's majesty as she simply stayed by Bai Fan's side.

For one brief instant, Bai Fan felt dazed, but it lasted only a moment.

Over the following days, the two wandered around Spirit City like ordinary friends.

In Spirit City, Bai Fan spotted a familiar shop—a shop that sold sweet rice cakes.

"Sweet cakes for sale! Fragrant, sugary sweet cakes! Don't miss them as you pass by!"

Bai Fan stopped unconsciously, his gaze fixed tightly on the sweet-cake shop as though he had recalled the first time he met Bibi Dong within the Heavenly Screen.

Little Golden Dragon rubbed against Bai Fan's leg, its golden vertical pupils filled with longing for the sweet cakes.

"Boss, bring out every sweet cake you have. I'll buy them all."

"Sir, I'll wrap them up right away." The sweet-cake shop owner grinned from ear to ear.

A stream of hopelessly undignified drool ran from the corner of Little Golden Dragon's mouth.

"Little Fan, do you have the money to pay? You aren't planning to dine and dash again, are you?" Bibi Dong crossed her arms and looked at Bai Fan with amusement.

"You really have no awareness as a follower! Don't you know you're supposed to pay?"

"Hm?" Bibi Dong was initially confused, then she spoke with delight. "You've accepted me?"

"Do we have to be lovers? Can't we just be simple friends? If you can't accept that, I don't mind skipping out on the bill again." Bai Fan's answer was utterly self-righteous.

"Fine! You heartless bastard! Friends it is, then!" Bibi Dong gritted her teeth and tossed a large bag of Gold Soul Coins before the shop owner.

The shop owner opened his mouth to speak, but Bibi Dong directly cut him off. "Keep the change. Consider it your tip."

Because Bibi Dong had kept her makeup simple, the shop owner did not recognize her.

"Miss, I think you may have made a mistake. Those Gold Soul Coins aren't enough!"

"What? These Gold Soul Coins are enough to buy property in Spirit City, and you're telling me they aren't enough?"

"Miss, you have to understand that times are advancing, and our prices need to keep up with the times."

The shop owner wanted to continue explaining, but Little Golden Dragon happened to finish every last sweet cake at that moment.

"Little Golden Dragon, run!"

Bai Fan shouted, and Little Golden Dragon instantly understood. It flapped its wings and shot into the sky, swiftly fleeing Spirit City.

Bibi Dong snatched the money bag from the shop owner's hands, took out two Gold Soul Coins, tossed them to him, and then left with Bai Fan.

This minor incident in Spirit City quickly spread throughout the entire continent.

It further confirmed that Bai Fan was hiding somewhere on Douluo Continent, and more and more people began tracing his footsteps.

A month passed quickly, and this day, Bai Fan was about to begin his second simulation.

"Sister Dong, you should go back."

"Why? Haven't we been getting along well? Why are you driving me away?"

Bibi Dong looked at Bai Fan in confusion. Over these past days, she had already made up her mind: she would first build a good relationship with Bai Fan, begin as friends, and establish a solid emotional foundation.

"Sister Dong, to be honest, I'm about to begin my next simulation. I won't be staying here for long."

"Over the past few days, I've also understood what you want. But I still want to explain that we are only friends, and our relationship can go no further than friendship."

Bai Fan's words were firm, without the slightest emotional wavering.

Bibi Dong did not continue arguing. Forcing a smile, she said, "Little Fan, then I'll return to Spirit Hall first. I'll wait for you to come back."

She did not know why Bai Fan had to undergo simulations, nor would she ask. She merely chose to support him silently and wait for him.

"The system will now draw the character for this simulation."

"Ding. Draw complete. The character for this simulation is Huo Yuhao."

The system's mechanical notification rang out.

"Wait, I have a question. Does simulation mean killing the original owner's soul so I can replace them?"

For the first time, Bai Fan questioned the system's simulation mission. The first simulation had drawn Yu Xiaogang, and he could carry it out with a clear conscience.

This time, however, he had drawn Huo Yuhao, and he could not bear it. If it meant killing the original Huo Yuhao's soul, he would rather accept the punishment, even if it meant his life ended here.

Bai Fan thought this way entirely because, in his previous life, he had cried more than once while reading Douluo 2.

Huo Yuhao had truly suffered terribly—he suffered as a child, and he still suffered after growing up.

"Host, this system's simulations do not kill the original owner's soul. The character you simulate has already died and no longer possesses a soul."

"You may also understand it as a parallel universe. In this parallel universe, Huo Yuhao died in his childhood. This parallel universe was originally a universe without a future."

"This system merely repaired this spacetime, allowing the host to replace Huo Yuhao and proceed according to the main plot."

After receiving the system's definite answer, Bai Fan let out a sigh of relief.

"I accept the simulation!"

Light and shadows swirled, and Bai Fan's figure vanished.

As expected, the Heavenly Screen appeared in the skies above Douluo Continent.

The two spacetimes of Douluo 1 and Douluo 2 saw the Heavenly Screen at the same time.

"Huo Yuhao life simulation begins. Time overlap with the main world detected. Main-world Huo Yuhao is under system protection."

Inside the Heavenly Screen.

Bai Fan opened his eyes and shook his groggy head. His whole body was weak, and the first thing he saw was a gentle woman dressed in coarse hemp clothes.

"Yuhao, you're awake. Come eat."