Chapter 618

Fang Qi stared at Lin Xiaoyou’s messages…

He was so confused.

Truly, utterly confused.

The excitement that had risen in him just moments ago because Liguang had remembered Little Star… now suddenly lodged itself in his throat, unable to rise or fall.

He stared at his phone screen, at those three messages…

The longer he looked, the more muddled his mind became!

…Xiaoqing didn’t remember anything anymore…?

Did that mean she didn’t remember what had happened in the previous cycle?

Fang Qi furrowed his brows and gripped his phone tightly.

…There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with that.

It wasn’t as if he were the only one who had died and gone back in time while his wife had also forgotten everything from the previous cycle…

It was perfectly normal for Xiaoqing to have forgotten!

But…

His gaze fixed on the third message, unable to move away for a long time.

[Have Liguang give back the part of my “soul” she confiscated before!!]

Fang Qi opened his mouth.

…What “soul”? What did she mean by “confiscated”?

Why couldn’t he understand this?

He wasn’t unfamiliar with the word “soul,” but the three words that followed—“give it back to me”…

He genuinely couldn’t make sense of them!

No… When had Liguang ever confiscated Lin Xiaoyou’s “soul”!?

In the previous cycle?

Back on the raft?

No, no, the more important question was—

His eyes widened as he stared at that line.

Could a “soul” actually be “confiscated”!?

What?!

And furthermore…

Fang Qi raised a hand and vigorously rubbed his temples again!

The tone of Lin Xiaoyou’s message, the meaning behind her words…

She couldn’t possibly be talking about what happened in the previous cycle, could she? Did she still remember?

But…

The corner of Fang Qi’s eye twitched.

…What gave her the right to remember?

Even his wife had lost all her memories of the “dream.” Why…

Why did Lin Xiaoyou still look as if she remembered everything with perfect clarity?!

…Miss Genius, what happened to my wife and me in the previous cycle should have…

Nothing to do with you, right?

You weren’t the one behind it, were you?

Huh?

Fang Qi felt his temples begin to throb.

There was simply too much information. His brain really couldn’t process it all!

What on earth was going on…?!

“Creak…”

A soft sound rang out.

Fang Qi instinctively looked up, only to see…

The door to Liguang’s little room had opened a crack at some point.

A scarlet eye was staring at him gloomily through the gap.

The crimson gleamed faintly, like a tiny flame burning in the darkness.

Fang Qi: “…?”

He stared blankly into that red eye.

She didn’t hide. She simply crouched behind the crack in the door, revealing only one eye and a strand of silver hair…

And continued staring at him in silence!

Her light-blue house dress appeared and disappeared in the gloom behind the door.

For a moment, Fang Qi’s mind failed to catch up.

He stared at that eye for several seconds. Then…

His eyes widened! Only then did he belatedly realize—

…Ah!

His wife had been monitoring his phone from every angle, without a single blind spot!

So…

He instinctively lowered his head and looked at the three messages on the screen.

…So Lin Xiaoyou’s messages had been seen by her.

She had seen Lin Xiaoyou telling her to return her “soul” to her!

However…

He raised his head again and met the scarlet eye peering through the crack.

That eye merely stared at him gloomily, flickering faintly.

…His wife didn’t seem to understand? Her attention appeared to be focused entirely on the fact that he had contacted Lin Xiaoyou behind her back.

“…Heh…”

He pressed a hand to his forehead. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. He wanted to laugh, but couldn’t quite manage it.

This really was…

A nostalgic feeling.

It was like returning to the past.

Back then, he had always been extremely wary of his phone, especially when it came to…

Messages from Lin Xiaoyou, the queen of courting death!

He had been terrified that Lin Xiaoyou would send something reckless again, only for Liguang to see it and trigger her darkening switch!

But…

He wasn’t the same person he had been back then. He didn’t feel the slightest bit nervous now.

In fact, he even felt…

A little reassured.

His wife was still the same wife.

Even though she had lost her memories, she was still that same…

Crazy Girl who secretly checked his phone!

With that thought, the tangled knot in his heart miraculously loosened a little.

“—!”

He took a deep breath, then…

Crossed his arms and looked toward the scarlet eye behind the crack in the door.

“Finished rebooting?”

His gaze sharpened as he struck a pose befitting the master of the house, his tone turning noticeably firmer.

“Then come out.”

He even lifted his chin.

“Just in time. We should settle the score for what happened earlier…”

“For saying that the Little Star your Master gave you was ‘ugly’!”

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes at her.

She had actually dared to call Little Star ugly…!

She had nearly scared him to death!

Crazy Girl, did you really think he was afraid of you? If you dared come out, he dared beat you up!

And just as expected, that scarlet eye froze!

The crimson flickered in panic before it vanished with a “whoosh” behind the door.

“Bang!”

The entire door slammed shut.

“N-not yet, Master!”

Liguang’s voice came from behind the door, carrying a hint of forced bravado.

“Liguang was just about to reboot when Master’s call came through… Hmph!”

Then Fang Qi heard a series of heavy, rapid footsteps from inside, heading deeper into the room.

Immediately afterward came a soft click—the sound of the charging pod opening and closing.

A few seconds later, a long electronic tone rang out from within.

Beep—

It looked like…

The deep reboot had already begun.

Fang Qi stared at the tightly closed door, remaining motionless for a long time.

Liguang had really rebooted.

But…

Would rebooting actually help?

Afterward, would Liguang truly be able to remember anything?

…He didn’t know.

He genuinely didn’t know.

Right now, he was so confused!

He still hadn’t figured out exactly what Liguang had forgotten or what she could still remember, and then Lin Xiaoyou had struck him with another blow out of nowhere!

He raised a hand and covered his head.

…What was all this supposed to mean…?!

What exactly had happened to Liguang…?

…She had clearly forgotten about Little Star just now.

But after he reminded her, she had remembered it herself with an “Ah!”

She had forgotten, but not completely?

The memories were still inside her, only…

Temporarily inaccessible?

His gaze trembled.

Still, based on his reasoning…

It made sense that Liguang had remembered.

Because the memories connected to Little Star weren’t part of the “dream.”

They were real events that had happened at the amusement park on the very first day, memories that had never been erased by the reset!

They should have been safe and sound within Liguang’s “real memories” all along!

It was just that now…

Something had jammed them in certain places.

As if…

The passage leading to her memories of the “dream” had been severed, and in the process…

The real memories beside it had also been shaken, leaving cracks behind?

So Liguang looked as though she remembered nothing at all, but as long as he found the right trigger…

At the very least, she should still be able to recover the parts that didn’t belong to the “dream,” right?

Fang Qi stared blankly at the door.

…But what about the memories inside the “dream”?

Their elopement across the sea, their wild days in the apartment, their…

Could she recover those memories too?

Could she…

Suddenly, a flash of light!

Hm?!

Fang Qi’s eyes narrowed!

At the edge of his vision, a bright light suddenly flickered!

…Who was that?

His eyelid twitched as he turned toward the source of the light—

It was outside the balcony window.

The instant he turned his head, another bright, somewhat glaring beam shot straight across his face!

Fang Qi squinted.

Ah…

It was the window of the building opposite.

Someone was holding up a small mirror, repeatedly reflecting sunlight toward him…

Flashing it into his eyes!

That window…

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and sure enough… he saw that familiar round little face.

Even from this distance, he could still clearly make out the angry expression on Lin Xiaoyou’s face.

She held up a small mirror in one hand and planted the other on her hip, her almond-shaped eyes opened wide!

When she saw him looking over, she deliberately shook the mirror harder, then waved it twice more right in front of him!

Then she lowered the mirror, picked up her phone, and looked down…

Ding!

A message came in.

Fang Qi lowered his gaze…

[Lin Xiaoyou: Liguang! You bastard!]

Fang Qi: “?”

Who were you sending messages to?!

[Lin Xiaoyou: I know you’re monitoring your master’s phone! I know you can see this! Don’t you dare play dead!!]

Ah…!

Fang Qi’s eyelid twitched violently!

Lin Xiaoyou, you…!

[Lin Xiaoyou: Bastard! Fine, you beat me up, but why did you make Xiaoqing lose her memory?! What the hell did you do?!]

The messages kept coming one after another. It was obvious from every word that she was utterly furious!

[Lin Xiaoyou: And hurry up and give me back that part of my “soul”!!!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: If you don’t give it back, I’m going to turn back into “Lin Xiaoyou” again!!!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: I don’t mind being Lin Xiaoyou, but Xiaoqing just had to lose her memory at a time like this…!]

[Lin Xiaoyou: Senior! Liguang! Surely you don’t want to lose an incredibly brilliant assistant like me, right?!]

Fang Qi: “…”

He stared at the messages on the screen, mouth hanging open… then slowly closed his eyes.

Heh… hehehe…

He raised a hand and rubbed his temples hard, until even his brow bones started to ache!

No, seriously, Miss Genius…

My head is already messed up enough right now!

Could you please stop making it even more complicated?!

Fine, her soul had been confiscated… but she would also turn back into “Lin Xiaoyou”?

What did she mean by “turn back into Lin Xiaoyou”? Turn back into that airheaded sweetheart?

And besides… it really did look like she still remembered what had happened in the previous route!

Fang Qi slowly narrowed his eyes.

…Why?

How was it fair that she remembered, while his wife didn’t?

She, like Liguang, had memories from the “dream.” So why was she acting as if nothing had happened?!

Did Liguang’s self-destruct rollback only wipe her own memories?

…No, that couldn’t be right. Xiaoqing had lost her memories too, hadn’t she?

Then why hadn’t anything happened to Lin Xiaoyou…?!

Bang!

Fang Qi jolted!

A sudden, thunderous crash abruptly cut through his thoughts!

Liguang’s bedroom door flew open!

Bang!

It slammed into the wall, then bounced back!

Fang Qi instinctively looked toward her…

Inside the room, the lid of the charging pod stood wide open, several strands of blue electricity crackling from it with a sizzling sound!

…Had the cable been ripped out?

And that slender figure was already standing straight in the doorway!

Her pale-blue house dress was clearly disheveled, her silver hair loose and unkempt, her bare feet planted on the floor as she stared straight at Fang Qi!

Her crimson eyes shone brightly, almost painfully so!

…Huh?

Fang Qi sat frozen on the couch, phone still in hand.

And the silver-haired girl… began walking toward him, one step at a time!

“Mas-ter?”

Her voice was so soft.

“Why…?”

She stopped in front of him.

Fang Qi caught the familiar sweet scent of strawberries on her, along with… the faintly heated metallic smell from inside the charging pod.

“Why would Miss Lin know…”

She tilted her head at him, her heterochromatic eyes opening wide!

“That Liguang… is mo-ni-tor-ing her mas-ter…?”

Fang Qi’s throat bobbed.

…Why?

Why do you think?!

In the previous route, my wife had just beaten the crap out of her, and now you’re asking…?!

“So Miss Lin…”

Her small hand slowly lifted and rested on Fang Qi’s shoulder.

“Also knows that Liguang… has a-wa-kened?”

That hand was still trembling slightly, but mixed in with that tremor… was more than a little excitement!

Fang Qi… had no idea what to say.

Ha ha…

When the silver-haired girl saw that he remained silent, the corners of her eyes curved upward. She bent down, bringing her face inch by inch closer to his.

Her amber left eye was still moist and dewy, but her crimson right eye…

Suddenly flared to full brightness!

It illuminated both their faces, glowing so red it seemed almost ready to drip blood!

“Master…?”

She whispered.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Fang Qi: “…”

Why wasn’t he saying anything?

Because he felt…

Like his head was about to explode!

What was with all this…?

What, exactly, was going on here?!

One Lin Xiaoyou, one Liguang… Couldn’t the two of them give his brain a break?!

He felt like he was going to overthink himself to death!

No, seriously…

I’m just a guy who plays dating sims!

My brain isn’t that powerful!

The two of you keep acting like you’ve lost your memories, then acting like you haven’t. One wants her soul back, while the other wants to go dark…

What are you doing?!

Couldn’t you at least give me some time to think it through?!

You two…!

“Ah, so Miss Lin actually…”

The silver-haired girl suddenly spoke. She turned her head slightly and looked out through the balcony window…

Her phoenix eyes narrowed as she stared at the window in the building opposite.

The corners of her lips slowly curled upward.

“…is peep-ing at her mas-ter?”

Fang Qi’s heart jolted.

“She not only knows Liguang’s secret, but she’s also… peeping at her master?”

She drew her gaze back and looked at Fang Qi again.

That smile was still hanging from her lips, but there was not the slightest trace of a smile in her eyes!

“Hee hee…”

She giggled.

“Master…”

She leaned closer again, the tip of her nose brushing against his once more, her warm breath spilling across his lips.

“What, exactly… did you tell Miss Lin?”

She spoke each word separately, as though reciting a sweet yet vicious curse.

“Hm? Master?”

Fang Qi felt a chill at his temple.

He didn’t need to look to know that the familiar, icy finger had pressed against him again.

…Heh heh.

What could he say? Sometimes…

He really felt like nothing more than a reckless brute.

Just like right now.

At this point, he really didn’t want to think anymore.

He took a deep breath.

What did he want to do?

He wanted to—

He suddenly raised his hand, grabbed Liguang’s slender wrist, and pulled her onto his lap!

“Eh?! Master, you…!”

Smack smack smack smack smack!

“Yaaah—! Master—!!”

Smack smack smack smack smack!

“Ahh! Liguang was wrong! Master, stop hitting me…! Waaah—!”

Wife, you were the one who taught me this method!

Now take it!