I feel like the Aries before me is truly unfamiliar…
He terrifies me.
Clearly, he’s the one whose mind is a little disordered… So why has mine become disordered too?
It feels like a neatly arranged book suddenly has a few pages shuffled.
Though the overall direction remains intact, those few pages are indeed out of place.
A bold thought abruptly surges in my mind…
What exactly am I?
The memories in my mind, my life… are they all fake?
Did Aries alter my life…?
When exactly did I arrive here?
When did I meet Jiang Ruoxue, Old Sun, and Gu Yu?
When did I establish the 「Extreme Path」?
Why am I spacing out? What was I doing before I spaced out?
“A-Aries… what did you do to me?” I ask hoarsely. “Why are my memories like this?”
“I advise you not to ask,” Aries replies. “Just remember that you’ve helped me a great deal, and I won’t harm you.”
Right… I believe Aries wouldn’t harm me… After all, if he wanted to, he wouldn’t need to go through such trouble.
But my memories really are in disarray…
After being by Aries’ side for so long, this is the first time I genuinely want to retreat.
“Aries…” I whisper. “Will this pawn… be discarded?”
“No,” Aries says. “I’ll still need your strength when it’s time to liberate this place.”
“And after liberation?” I ask. “After that, will I return to reality with everyone else?”
Aries turns to look at me, hesitates for a long moment, then slowly utters a single word: “Yes.”
How could he…?
He’s well-versed in psychology—he knows this kind of answer would reveal his lie to me…
Why would he knowingly do this…?
“Aries… what exactly am I in your eyes…?” I tremble as I ask. “Am I just a clever dog… or a useful pawn?”
“Neither. You’re one of us,” he answers.
I lower my head slowly, finally understanding Jiang Ruoxue’s perspective—Aries is far too dangerous.
Even though I’ve always felt excitement and anticipation toward this sense of danger, this time is truly different…
The Aries of the past, in my eyes, was a clever person.
The Aries now, in my eyes, is a clever monster.
I’d willingly interact with the former, but never the latter.
A monster of such high intelligence could tear me apart at any moment. I’ve been willingly stepping into the fire.
“You don’t have to believe me,” Aries says. “But you must believe in your own life. Every scene you’ve witnessed is real—even if they contradict each other, they’re still real.”
It’s hard for me to trust Aries.
When Jiang Ruoxue called me “wife,” there’s no way I could have met Gu Yu.
“Or you can leave now,” Aries offers. “For the four years you’ve worked for me, I’ll compensate you in the form of 「Dao」. You won’t lose out.”
“Compensate me with 「Dao」…?”
“That’s right,” Aries confirms. “I can give you three thousand 「Dao」—a quantity no ordinary person could amass in four years. Many organizations now treat 「Dao」 as currency, exchangeable for food and supplies. These resources are enough to let you live comfortably here for years.”
“But that would mean you’re letting me off the train, right?” I counter.
“I don’t want to deceive you,” Aries says. “But yes, you would be off the train.”
“I won’t leave,” I declare. “Aries, I won’t step off, but our terms need renegotiation.”
“Oh…?” Aries frowns at me.
I know his confusion—this is the first time since meeting him that I’ve actively set conditions.
“Well?” I ask. “Do we have a deal?”
“Go on.”
“I’ll continue doing what you’ve assigned me, ensuring everything goes smoothly,” I take a deep breath. “But you must promise me: First, guarantee the safety of both me and Jiang Ruoxue. Second, never alter my memories again. Third, ensure I return to the real world. Fourth, once I’m back, restore all my true, original memories to me.”
Aries stares at me for a long time.
I expect him to refuse or agree, but once again, he defies my expectations.
He simply reaches out and knocks on the table.
*Knock knock knock.*
I truly will never understand Aries.
“What are you doing…?” My lips tremble slightly. “At a time like this… you need to create an 「anchor」 for yourself?”
“Yes, this moment is important,” Aries says. “If I don’t remember it, I might forget your demands.”
“What?” I’m taken aback. “So… you agree?”
“I’ll agree to three of them,” Aries states. “The fourth is impossible—I won’t let you see your true memories.”
“Why…?!” I grow agitated. “Those are *my* memories! What right do you have to alter them?!”
Aries gives me a meaningful look and says, “Yan Zhichun, you believe someone has tampered with your life. You remember poisoning your roommates through the water dispenser, but with your intellect, if you truly wanted to kill them, you wouldn’t leave such glaring evidence, would you?”
“Arrogant as it sounds, I *could* do it flawlessly,” I argue. “If I really wanted to kill someone, why would I use such a stupid method?”
“You think you’re clever, so you always find clues in your own memories,” Aries says. “You even believe the one who altered your memories doesn’t understand you, hence the contradictions and inconsistencies in your fabricated life, right?”
“Yes…” I’m stunned he’s guessed my thoughts. “But what does that change?”
“Your reasoning is perfectly logical,” Aries says. “You’re intelligent—everything you’ve pointed out is undeniably flawed. Anyone could see through it.”
“Then what are you trying to say…?”
“What I mean is…” Aries’ gaze turns icy as he speaks in a low voice, “What if I didn’t alter your life… but your *intelligence* instead? How would you handle that?”
“What…?”
“What if *I*… was the one who made you a smart person? What would you do then?”
The words drift coldly from Aries’ lips, striking me like a bolt of lightning.
My eyes widen as a tsunami of realization crashes inside me.
Wait…
What is he saying?
“If I agree to the fourth condition, you’ll become weaker than you are now,” Aries sighs deeply. “This is for my sake, but also yours. So I can’t agree.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage