Parting is a weight so heavy.
Like a boulder.
Like a mountain.
It presses on the heart, making it hard to breathe.
Only when parting truly arrives do people realize that all the rehearsals they prepared in advance are as light as a feather, barely ten percent of the actual burden.
Krisha had prepared herself for scolding.
As an object, she had openly defied her master's decision.
This was something absolutely unforgivable.
The moment the words left her mouth, the witch's heart sank into regret and self-blame, yet even so, she still had to reject Xu Xi's request.
As if by refusing his instructions, she could also refuse the parting.
Make Xu Xi stay.
Keep the warm sun from fading away.
"Please…" The delicate face, gently caressed by a withered hand, trembled as she spoke, "Don't say anymore. I won't accept it."
The witch's refusal took Xu Xi by surprise.
His expression shifted—first shock, then confusion, and finally a gentle, relieved smile. There was no scolding, as Krisha had feared.
"Hahaha… ahahaha…"
"Hack… cough!"
Xu Xi laughed.
He seemed to be in good spirits, but his frail body betrayed him. His laughter turned into violent coughing, harsh and urgent.
His aged face twisted in pain.
"Master!"
Krisha quickly cast a life-restoring spell to ease Xu Xi's suffering.
Every shallow breath, every flicker of pain, became an invisible blade piercing her heart, making her tremble uncontrollably.
What could she do? How could she save him?
Krisha didn't know. All she could do was desperately cast the highest-level life magic, over and over, to make Xu Xi's body feel just a little better.
Soon, Xu Xi's coughing subsided.
"I'm fine, Krisha. I'm just… too happy."
Xu Xi's eyelids grew heavier.
His tired eyes half-open, he gently took the witch's hand and shook his head, signaling her to stop casting. His gaze met her hollow, lifeless eyes.
"For the first time… this is the first time you've opposed me."
"Krisha, it's wonderful… you've gained your own thoughts…"
An object has no will of its own, nor does it express opposition. When a witch learns to oppose, it means she has regained her sense of self.
The witch had truly become—
A **person**.
Xu Xi's eyes were clouded and unfocused. He could barely see the world before him. Sleepiness surged, threatening to steal the last glimmer of clarity from his gaze.
"Krisha…"
On the bed, the dying old man softly declared, "You've graduated."
The world fell silent.
So silent that Krisha couldn't comprehend it.
So silent that fear welled up in her heart, dreading the cruelty that was about to come.
"But… compared to you, I'm still far behind…" Krisha's voice trembled. Her face remained expressionless, but the suppressed sorrow seemed to break free from her body, echoing in the air.
"There's still so much… so much I need to learn from you."
"Without you, I can do nothing."
Krisha's voice grew hoarse, the immense grief burning her throat like fire.
She didn't understand.
She couldn't comprehend.
She was Xu Xi's possession, a witch despised by the world, a worthless thing that could be discarded at will—lowly, ugly, and insignificant. She was a shadow that would lose its meaning without the light.
Thus, Krisha couldn't accept Xu Xi's acknowledgment of her "graduation."
It meant she would have to leave his side.
Clumsily, she listed her flaws and shortcomings, over and over, amplifying them to prove she wasn't ready to graduate.
"…"
Xu Xi didn't interrupt her. He simply gazed at her tenderly, his bony hand reaching out once more.
He placed it gently on Krisha's head.
Giving her one last touch of warmth.
Gradually,
Krisha stopped speaking, no longer reciting the lies she told herself.
The room was quiet. Outside the window, the world was bright.
But Krisha's heart was torn apart.
True despair isn't a sudden disaster—it's knowing the disaster is coming and being powerless to stop it.
This torment of helplessness, this despair of watching the end approach, drained the mystery and brilliance from Krisha's black-and-gold eyes, leaving only hollow sorrow.
"Please… don't leave me."
"Or… let me go with you."
Krisha choked back a sob, finally voicing the words she had buried deep in her heart. Her tone carried no weeping, yet it was filled with desolate sadness.
Like a candle on the verge of extinguishing.
Like a bird with clipped wings.
She pleaded helplessly with Xu Xi.
Krisha had already prepared herself to die alongside him.
Nothing mattered anymore—not the world, not godhood. In the loneliness of her heart, nothing weighed as much as Xu Xi.
Just as Xu Xi had saved her and given her everything,
Krisha was willing to abandon everything to accompany him in silent death.
No reason was needed.
No hesitation.
She was willing, with all her heart.
In response, Xu Xi's hand grew weaker on her head, and his voice became as faint as a wisp of air.
"Krisha, you know I won't allow that."
On the bed,
Xu Xi's breathing grew fainter. Each breath seemed like a final struggle, a fight against the pain and suffocation as his body slowly lost sensation.
He gave Krisha one last smile.
His aged, weathered face, bathed in sunlight, faintly revealed traces of his younger self.
"Please live well, Krisha."
"This is my request."
"Don't grieve over my departure. This isn't goodbye—just a long separation."
"One day, we'll meet again."
His weak hand could no longer caress her hair. It lost all strength and rested motionless on her head.
The spark of life was about to fade.
The shadow of death closed in.
Xu Xi spoke his final words to Krisha: "It's a pity… I never got to see you truly smile."
Suddenly,
Xu Xi paused, his pupils dilating slightly. A sudden shock seemed to delay death for a moment.
"Master…"
"Look…"
"This is… my smile…"
Under the golden afternoon sun, her gray hair cascading like a waterfall, Krisha sat quietly by the bed. Trembling, she raised her hands.
All fingers curled except the index fingers.
Two index fingers,
hooked at the corners of her mouth,
gently pulling, creating the shape of a smile.
The smile was stiff, and tears streamed down from her already brimming eyes, silently soaking her hands.
It was less a smile and more a silent cry.
"Such a beautiful smile…"
Xu Xi whispered softly.
In the quiet breeze, his breathing ceased. His tired eyes closed.
This time, he would never wake again.
[You have died.]
[Simulation ended.]
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
