Hearing Qin Dingdong’s question, Qi Xia stared at her and said word by word:
“I can’t speak for Chu Tianqiu, but I never doubt myself. Even if my personality has changed, my life can’t possibly be fake.”
“What…?” Qin Dingdong paused slightly, then turned to exchange a glance with Chen Junnan.
This was clearly an extreme way of thinking.
No matter how sharp a person’s mind is, they shouldn’t be so confident as to never question themselves.
Seeing the three of them fall silent, Qi Xia continued, “Chu Tianqiu is probably the most qualified to speak on this matter. What changed in him wasn’t just his ‘temperament’—even his ‘abilities’ were altered.”
Then he turned to Chen Junnan and asked softly, “Do you remember how you introduced Chu Tianqiu to me when we reunited?”
Chen Junnan thought carefully before replying, “I said he… seven years ago, he was crying and begging to serve the three of us… but when we met today… damn guy suddenly had an air about him…”
Qi Xia nodded, pointing a finger at Chen Junnan. “That’s the line. There are just too many inconsistencies in it.”
“How so?” Chen Junnan asked.
“In your memory, Chu Tianqiu was a nobody.” Qi Xia tapped his temple. “But from what I’ve observed, he doesn’t seem like someone who could ever be insignificant. He wasn’t bluffing—he definitely has intellect beyond the average person. So why would he have been crying and begging to serve us back then? Were you lying to me?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you for Chu Tianqiu’s sake,” Chen Junnan replied. “But ‘serving us’ was a bit of an exaggeration. He just begged us to take him in.”
“Then why didn’t you find it strange when you saw him again?” Qi Xia asked. “He was obviously different from before.”
“Maybe I just chalked it up to him ‘getting lucky,'” Chen Junnan said. “You smart folks can spot other smart folks, but a reckless guy like me wouldn’t notice.”
“You’ve always been biased against him,” Qi Xia said. “But I’ve been observing him. Besides this recent change, Chu Tianqiu also went from being the ‘King of the Good’ to a complete madman. No matter how you look at it, it’s abnormal. Maybe, like Qin Dingdong, there was a trigger for his changes.”
Qin Dingdong pondered for a moment before asking, “What do you think the trigger was?”
“If you could find evidence of your own ‘errors’ based on small clues, Chu Tianqiu definitely could too. Those clues were the ‘triggers’ for his changes.” Qi Xia answered. “Maybe he discovered the trigger during his first transformation, which turned him into someone with leadership potential. But the second trigger was even stronger—it came from Wen Qiaoyun. His consciousness was shattered by the person most important to him, and in the end, he became a madman.”
“So you’ve always been paying such close attention to that kid Chu?” Chen Junnan frowned. “Is he really that important?”
“I can’t say for sure.” Qi Xia shook his head. “In my memory, I’ve deliberately protected many people because they were useful to me, but I don’t recall ever deliberately protecting Chu Tianqiu.”
Chen Junnan thought for a moment. “You mean Chu got to where he is today entirely on his own.”
“Exactly.” Qi Xia nodded. “I can see traces of many people in him. He’s gone through things others have experienced, yet he was never truly broken. Besides, the fact that he’s still standing here today speaks volumes about his strength.”
“What about you?” Qin Dingdong suddenly shifted the topic. “Compared to Chu Tianqiu, do you think your life is fake?”
“My life can’t be fake.” Qi Xia said. “I have reasons that force me to believe in it.”
“You’re being way too stubborn…” Qin Dingdong muttered.
Chen Junnan seemed to realize where the problem lay. The idea of a “false life” seemed to trigger Qi Xia’s defense mechanism, putting him back into a guarded state.
This had happened many times before, but no one had ever been able to talk him down.
Now that Qin Dingdong had brought up the theory of “fabricated memories,” maybe this was the perfect opportunity to test Qi Xia’s stance once more.
“H-Hey, Qi… how about listening to me for once?” Chen Junnan said. “Whether you believe it or not, I’d never lie to you.”
“If you’re going to judge my two possible lives, I won’t listen to a word.” Qi Xia replied.
“You… you’re too damn stubborn!” Chen Junnan snapped. “You’ve got a vague answer buried deep inside, but you refuse to dig it up.”
“I have no choice.” Qi Xia said. “This is the only way.”
“You can find flaws in anyone’s words… but you refuse to acknowledge the inconsistencies in yourself.” Chen Junnan frowned. “Qi, the way you are right now is really strange…”
“Enough.” Qi Xia cut him off. “I told you, my life can’t be fake. Otherwise, nothing makes sense—not even me standing here.”
“What…?”
“If I dig up that answer, the ‘me’ standing here will vanish.” Qi Xia said with a darkened expression. “I’ll instantly become someone else—a walking corpse with no goals, no drive, no direction, no fighting spirit. I wouldn’t even be sure if I’m still me.”
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin understood exactly what Qi Xia meant. They exchanged a glance before lowering their heads in silence.
“So not only must I bury that answer—I need you to help me bury it too.” Qi Xia said, his grayish-white eyes unwavering. “Only by pressing it deep into my heart can I have any chance of saving everyone.”
Chen Junnan nodded, but Qin Dingdong clearly didn’t grasp Qi Xia’s meaning—she didn’t understand the significance of “Yu Nian’an.”
“Qi…” Qin Dingdong asked, “Aren’t you even the slightest bit curious about what’s happening to you? Like why we feel this way? Or why it’s specifically the three of us?”
“No.” Qi Xia answered firmly. “And I advise you not to be curious either.”
“How could I not be…?” Qin Dingdong frowned. “Qi Xia, you and I are completely different. I genuinely want to return to the real world and live my life. But if my life was fabricated… how do we even go back? The life I’d be returning to—is it really mine? If it’s entirely made up… how am I supposed to keep going?”
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