The afternoon arrived, and Qixia and Yu Nian’an had already spent some time together.
He remained uneasy at heart.
After all, there were things he had once doubted, and even now, seeing them with his own eyes couldn’t dispel his concerns.
What exactly was the connection between Yu Nian’an and “Tianyang”?
He took out his tattered shirt from the bedroom closet.
On the chest of this shirt was a little cartoon sheep sewn by Yu Nian’an herself.
“What’s wrong, Xia?”
“An, why did you sew this little sheep for me back then?” Qixia asked bluntly.
Yu Nian’an stared at him as if he were a fool.
“Xia, is it possible… I sewed it because your shirt was torn?”
“That’s not what I mean.” Qixia shook his head. “Why a ‘sheep’ specifically?”
“Because that was the only patch I could find at home…” Yu Nian’an replied, sounding a little aggrieved. “Don’t you like sheep? Well, maybe it’s too girly. Next time, I’ll sew you a little dinosaur.”
Hearing this, the gloom in Qixia’s heart instantly lifted.
Yes, why should he distrust Yu Nian’an and believe a “tiger” instead?
He had only met Difu once and exchanged a few words.
But Yu Nian’an had been by his side for seven whole years.
“An, I’m not a child.” Qixia shook his head. “Besides, if your clothes tear in the future, don’t bother mending them—we can just buy new ones.”
“Mmm…” Yu Nian’an nodded. “I just wanted to save a little money.”
At the mention of money, Qixia’s expression darkened again.
Silently, he pulled a crumpled lottery ticket from his pocket.
Today was the last day to claim the prize.
“An, I have to apologize to you,” Qixia said.
“For what?”
“I scammed that scumbag for his money.” Qixia sighed. “I thought I could use it to give us a better life… but in the end, I failed.”
Yu Nian’an froze for a moment.
“Scammed?”
“Yeah, I had no other choice.” Qixia shook his head. “I wanted that bastard to get what he deserved, so I had to resort to fraud.”
Yu Nian’an took a deep breath. “Xia, was that why you set up that code phrase with me before? Because you were planning to commit fraud? You were afraid the police might come looking for me?”
“Yes.”
Qixia had once told Yu Nian’an that if he ever asked her, “Did you feed the fish yesterday?”
The only correct answer was, “Yes, but not much.”
Any other response would be wrong.
“Xia, why don’t you understand?” Yu Nian’an lowered her head dejectedly. “I don’t want revenge on anyone. I just want to live a peaceful life with you. Being by your side is more important to me than anything else.”
“I…”
Her answer mirrored exactly what Qixia had feared she’d say.
“That’s why I owe you an apology. First, I went against your wishes. Second, I failed to give you the life you deserved.” Qixia clenched his fists in frustration. “Both of those things torment me.”
Yu Nian’an fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “Xia, do you think I’m not in pain too? I never wanted you to become a fraudster for my sake. If that happened, I’d spend the rest of my life in misery…”
“Don’t worry.” Qixia patted her reassuringly. “Even though this was my first time committing fraud, the police probably won’t find me. I covered my tracks well.”
“Xia, no matter what happens in the future, as long as we can live happily together, that’s all I care about.” Yu Nian’an’s eyes shone with warmth. “Nothing else matters to me.”
“I understand.” Qixia nodded.
“There are many paths in this world, and everyone has their own to walk. But I don’t want you to take this one.”
Qixia nodded again, then lifted the lottery ticket in his hand, examined it briefly, and tore it to pieces.
Perhaps, as the saying goes, everyone’s fate is determined at birth.
If Qixia had claimed that two million, he would have lost Yu Nian’an.
If that were truly the case, he’d rather the ticket turn to ashes.
Under the warm afternoon sun of early autumn, the two of them made their way to the rooftop.
They nestled close, gazing at the sky, reminiscing about the past.
From the moment they met to the day they fell in love, every memory Qixia brought up was perfectly echoed by Yu Nian’an.
Every scene she described matched his own recollections flawlessly.
It seemed she had always kept him in her heart.
They talked until the sunset painted the horizon in hues of gold and crimson.
“Xia, you know what?” Yu Nian’an murmured softly. “I wish time could stop right here.”
“Yeah.” Qixia nodded. “If only it could freeze at…”
Before he could finish, he paused.
He stared at the dark red sky and the dull yellow sun in the distance, suddenly at a loss for words.
Though it was sunset, it somehow reminded him of the “Land of the End.”
“Stop here…?”
Time could freeze at any moment—but why *this* one?
Had Qixia never been to the “Land of the End,” an eternal twilight might have been the most beautiful sight.
But he had witnessed that desolate hellscape, and now the red sky and sickly sun only brought to mind rot and blood.
“Rot…?”
At the thought of “rot,” Qixia frowned.
Had he spent too long in the “Land of the End”? Even now, back in the real world, he could still smell decay.
By the time the sun fully dipped below the horizon, Yu Nian’an had already fallen asleep against his shoulder.
Qixia reached out, feeling the chill of the night breeze, then bent down and gently lifted her into his arms before carrying her back inside.
He laid her on the couch, then spread a few blankets on the floor to make a simple bed.
Once Yu Nian’an was settled, Qixia sat beside her, watching her peaceful sleeping face, a faint smile of relief crossing his lips.
He lay down beside her, carefully pulling her into his embrace.
It had been so long since he last slept like this—every pore in his body relaxed, his blood flowing freely once more.
How long had it been since he last felt this way?
About seven years, maybe.
Qixia didn’t remember falling asleep. He only felt the tension in his mind slowly unraveling, all the pressure dissipating.
He dreamed again.
He saw that endless hallway, and from its shadows, the “Zodiacs” emerged, watching him—neither reverent nor disdainful, but as if they had something to say.
When would this path ever end?
*”Knock, knock, knock…”* A soft sound echoed in his ear.
Qixia slowly opened his eyes to the pitch-black night outside, only to find Yu Nian’an sitting beside him, staring at him expressionlessly.
“An?” He blinked, confused. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Nian’an didn’t answer. She simply held his gaze and repeated softly,
*”Knock, knock, knock.”*
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