Chapter 387
“Uh... right.” Xia Er thought she would need to explain further, but Ai Wei Na seemed to have already figured everything out.
“Okay, I understand.” Ai Wei Na nodded.
“How do you plan to handle this?” Xia Er asked, curiosity piqued.
“I’ll leak the news to the newspaper about my upcoming move to the Ma Fei Er district, hire a few people to renovate the exterior of the mansion, and let everyone see it.”
Without much hesitation, Ai Wei Na continued, “I’ll create the impression that I’ll move in as soon as everything is ready. As for when I actually move in, that’s my business.”
Indeed... with that, the timing of the banquet and the guest list would be entirely in Ai Wei Na’s hands. Although the nobles might see her as a bit hasty and impatient, it wasn’t a major issue.
“What if she... has no shame and insists on coming to confirm the banquet time?” Xia Er posed a likely scenario.
“Well...”
Ai Wei Na’s thoughts stumbled slightly; she hadn’t considered the possibility of the other party’s shamelessness.
“After all, she is a member of the royal family... and we’ve known each other for a long time...” Ai Wei Na’s tone began to waver.
“It’s fine. Just do what you think is best.” Xia Er reached out and gently squeezed Ai Wei Na’s shoulder, offering reassurance. “I’ll make sure your plan goes smoothly.”
“Okay...” Ai Wei Na bit her lip lightly.
She wanted to be the one protecting Xia Er from the storm, to be the one comforting him, rather than the other way around.
But right now, Ai Wei Na felt she lacked the ability to be the person she envisioned... Yet, for some reason, she had recently started to enjoy this feeling of being protected, of not having to rack her brain over what to do.
Two conflicting emotions clashed in her mind. Soon, she shook her head vigorously and turned to Xia Er, asking, “What about you? What do you plan to do next?”
With all the information she had gathered, Xia Er was bound to take action.
This question caught Xia Er off guard.
Because she was planning to enter the simulation again, trying to get her simulated self to make contact with the fourth-tier “Punishment Saint” Ai Li Nuo from the Church of the Savior, to see if she could recruit her as a follower of the Sheng Lin sect.
She wouldn’t even need to mark her; just changing Ai Li Nuo’s attitude towards the Sheng Lin Church would suffice. Of course, no one around Tara had the ability to mark a fourth-tier individual.
If Ai Li Nuo could acknowledge the legitimacy of the Sheng Lin sect, it would at least add a solid combat force to their ranks.
It had to be said, after encountering so many events, nothing had felt as complicated as this... It wasn’t just the pressure from Qiang Yin and his faction; it was also the tangled relationships among various powers.
Now, with the addition of the Farros Medical Association, Xia Er felt as if these organizations were like threads, all converging in An Su City, tying themselves into a knot.
Xia Er could see where the “knot” was; how to untangle it would depend on her skills.
“There are indeed some urgent matters to attend to...” Xia Er nodded but didn’t specify what she intended to do.
Hearing Xia Er’s vague response, Ai Wei Na sighed inwardly.
She knew Xia Er was about to undertake something dangerous again.
“Can I take half an hour of your time?” Ai Wei Na asked.
“Sure.”
Though Xia Er didn’t know what Ai Wei Na wanted to do, she didn’t see the need to argue over those ten minutes.
Every second counted as a way to restore her spirit.
Once Xia Er agreed, Ai Wei Na wasted no time.
A soft purple glow appeared in her eyes as she looked at Xia Er and slowly said, “Sleep.”
Xia Er almost instinctively took a step back, feeling her ability to think clearly working overtime to counteract Ai Wei Na’s influence.
But in the end, Xia Er chose to surrender to the pull.
Her body swayed, and she fell forward. Ai Wei Na reached out, catching her as she collapsed.
Gently, Ai Wei Na helped the unconscious Xia Er to the edge of the bed, and after ensuring she was lying comfortably, she gazed at Xia Er’s sleeping face, momentarily lost in thought.
Every time she saw Xia Er, the impression was even more stunning than the first time.
Perhaps this meant her feelings for Xia Er had deepened.
But the more she felt this way, the more Ai Wei Na couldn’t just stand by and watch Xia Er recklessly harm her own spirit.
At the very least, she could help Xia Er share the burden of spiritual pollution...
After gently brushing aside the hair that fell over Xia Er’s forehead and cheek, Ai Wei Na pressed her hand against Xia Er’s forehead and softly called her name.
In an instant, Ai Wei Na was pulled into a pitch-black space, where strange, unintelligible prayers echoed in her mind, accompanied by chaotic visions of destruction and colossal beings shrouded in mist...
...
Xia Er slowly awakened.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she felt a refreshing sensation wash over her, and the world around her seemed brighter than before.
It wasn’t just the change in her surroundings; more importantly, the oppressive emotions that had weighed her down were almost entirely lifted—most crucially, the chaotic voices in her mind had quieted somewhat.
Having grown accustomed to the “noise” in her head, even a slight reduction felt like a breath of fresh air.
“Ai Wei Na?” Xia Er turned her head, scanning the room, but didn’t see Ai Wei Na anywhere; only a piece of paper remained on the table.
Climbing out of bed, Xia Er slipped on her shoes and walked over to the table to pick up the note.
【I have things to do, can’t follow you anymore】
【Good luck】
【—Ai Wei Na】
Xia Er held the paper tightly before letting it go, letting out a slow sigh.
Ai Wei Na must have taken on the burden of spiritual pollution for her; she probably faced significant mental interference herself... Avoiding her now was likely to prevent Xia Er from worrying, and she had even found an excuse to leave, allowing Xia Er to act freely.
“Just the other day, she said she wouldn’t leave my side...” Xia Er’s fingers lightly tapped on the table, then she took a deep breath and opened the simulation interface.
She wanted to see how far the next simulation would go.
“Next Day: 1 Day (Saint Year 741, July 18, 18:29) (Cost: 10 Destiny Points)”
“Previous Day: 29 Days (Saint Year 741, June 19, 18:29) (Cost: 10 Destiny Points)”
One day later?
Twenty-nine days ago?
A simulation just one day later?
Her initial plan was to simulate a longer period to observe Qiang Yin’s reactions to the news and to try contacting Ai Li Nuo to develop her as a follower... With only one day, Xia Er wouldn’t be able to accomplish much.
Should she die quickly and reset this simulation? Or wait a day for a refresh?
No... that would yield nothing. Even though she had plenty of points and time, she didn’t want to waste it like this.
As long as she didn’t use spiritual summoning, the mental toll of a single simulation wasn’t too hard for Xia Er to bear right now.
Should she just save another save file? Or try to obtain an advanced potion?
If she could get another new save file this time, Xia Er would have eight extraordinary save files, completing half of the requirements to unlock the Old Days...
Xia Er had a vague feeling that, facing the deadlock in An Su City, she might be forced to use the Old Days simulation... which was the most mysterious and “expensive” trump card in the system so far.
It would be best to unlock the Old Days simulation in advance, figure out what it was, and keep a trump card for herself—right now, Xia Er felt like a rootless weed; if Qiang Yin found her in reality, she would face a significant risk of “reality corruption.”
Collecting new save files or upgrading to a new potion.
After hesitating for a moment, Xia Er opened the system’s shop interface. She had obtained two items from the last simulation but hadn’t had the chance to check them out. Quickly, she found what she wanted on the list.
“[Polluted Parasitic Brain (Slightly Cracked)]”
“Destiny Points: 10”
“[Eve Lafayette’s Personal Emblem]”
“Destiny Points: 1”
It’s cracked?
Xia Er hesitated to exchange for this item right away; it would be best to open it in a more discreet setting, or in the laboratory that Adele had built... right now, Xia Er’s storage had no remaining space.
Xia Er quickly made up her mind.
Table of Contents
