Gu Chenan was extremely reluctant to leave.
He had experienced this world twice, falling in love with the female leads twice.
It was too cruel to never see the female leads again after this.
But Lin Yu's destiny was exhausted, and his performance had ended, with no way to salvage it.
"System, have you finished calculating?"
Gu Chenan wanted to know how much time he had left.
"System calculation in progress, estimated time one day and eight hours," the System replied coldly.
[The calculation still has one day and eight hours left, which means I can stay in this world for one day and eight hours?!]
Hearing this, Gu Chenan was both surprised and delighted.
He was surprised that this damn System was so slow at calculating, proving it really was a garbage system.
He was naturally happy that he could spend one more day with the female leads.
Although it was only one day, he could use this time to fulfill unfinished wishes with the female leads.
"If you squeeze any harder, I'll die in your arms instead of Lin Yu's," Gu Chenan said with a wry smile.
The female leads exchanged glances.
One day and eight hours?
There were still one day and eight hours left!
The group of female leads felt both sorrow and joy, releasing their grip with tear-filled eyes.
"Why are you crying? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" Gu Chenan reached out to wipe away the tears from Su Qianmo, who was closest to him.
Su Qianmo, with reddened eyes, held Gu Chenan's hand and said, "Let's go back and treat your wounds first."
Gu Chenan shook his head, "No need for that. I'd rather have some chicken soup made by Yutian and eat the food Mingrui cooks."
"Alright, I'll go home and make soup for Young Master Gu right away!" Bai Yutian cried tears of joy, happy that Gu Chenan was unharmed and hadn't disappeared in a flash.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Liu Mingrui sighed with relief. "Today, I'll let you taste my cooking skills!"
"Great," Gu Chenan smiled, looking around at the female leads. "Let's go home."
"Chenan, what about Cao Mang?" At that moment, Fang Yuanyuan pointed at Cao Mang, who was also lying there like a mud puddle.
"Sister Fang, you're the leader. It's your decision," Gu Chenan smiled.
"Leader... I... please spare me. I just wanted to avenge Gong Fei..."
Cao Mang looked at Fang Yuanyuan, begging for mercy like a stray dog.
"Hah," Fang Yuanyuan chuckled lightly, leaning close to Cao Mang's ear and whispering, "Cao Mang, I would have spared your life originally."
"But you dared to beat my Gu Chenan to such a state..."
With that, she plunged a dagger through his chest.
...
At the Gu family home.
All the female leads followed Gu Chenan back to his family home.
On the way back, Gu Chenan briefly thought about what to do with this one day.
He had previously promised Su Qianmo that they would get married, but knowing he had to return, it didn't seem appropriate to marry Su Qianmo now.
Besides, there wasn't enough time to get married in just one day, unless they only registered for a marriage certificate...
In the kitchen, Bai Yutian and Liu Mingrui were each busy with their own tasks.
Outside the main hall in the pavilion, Hoshino Kannon and Fang Yuanyuan stood silently by the small bridge over flowing water for a long time.
"Kannon, what do you mean by this?" Fang Yuanyuan blinked and asked.
Hoshino Kannon pursed her lips, "Leader, I don't mean anything else. I just want to stay here tonight."
"Kannon, there are still many things in the organization waiting for us to do. I know you have deep feelings for Chenan, but can't you come to Donghai after we finish our work?"
Originally, Fang Yuanyuan had thought about coming to Donghai to have a chance to do some "exercise" with Gu Chenan.
But as soon as she saw Gu Chenan bringing back so many women, she immediately gave up on that idea.
Damn it, with so many women, what kind of "exercise" could be done!
Even if we lined up, it wouldn't be my turn! It's infuriating!
Go back to Yanjing, go back to Yanjing immediately!
Fang Yuanyuan felt a surge of anger just thinking about it.
However, Hoshino Kannon said dejectedly, "It will be too late after we finish..."
"Hm? What do you mean?" Fang Yuanyuan was confused.
What did she mean by "too late"? Gu Chenan was right here, perfectly fine. How could it be too late?
"Chenan is leaving," Hoshino Kannon said softly.
"Leaving? Where is he going? Suhang? Let me tell you, even if Chenan leaves Donghai, won't there still be many opportunities to meet in the future?"
"Or, after we finish this busy period, I'll give you a long vacation, and we can come together to keep Chenan company."
Fang Yuanyuan thought Hoshino Kannon meant Gu Chenan was going somewhere else when she said he was leaving.
Come to think of it, Fang Yuanyuan, who couldn't hear Gu Chenan's thoughts, had no idea she was in a novel world.
"No, Leader, it's not like that..." Hoshino Kannon began, tears falling as she spoke. "He will never come back."
"Huh?"
Fang Yuanyuan was completely baffled.
Wasn't Donghai Gu Chenan's home? If he's not coming back to Donghai, where is he going?
Abroad?
"What's going on? Tell me in detail."
Hoshino Kannon tentatively said, "This is a world inside a novel!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Fang Yuanyuan was stunned, and so was Hoshino Kannon.
She could say it out loud now, finally these words could be spoken.
Previously in Suhang, she had asked Gu Chenan about the novel world, but whenever she tried to speak about it, all that came out was gibberish that no one could understand.
Since then, she had never mentioned these things again.
Now that Gu Chenan's performance was over and this world was about to close, these irrelevant matters were no longer restricted.
"Novel world? What are you talking about?" Fang Yuanyuan didn't believe it at all.
"It's true, Leader. Listen to me..." Hoshino Kannon adjusted her posture and told Fang Yuanyuan everything she knew, including all she had heard from Gu Chenan's thoughts, in exact detail.
...
In the main hall.
Su Qianmo placed her hand in Gu Chenan's, glancing sideways at him with eyes full of reluctance.
"Chenan," she murmured softly.
"Hm?" Gu Chenan turned his head. "What's wrong?"
Su Qianmo bit her lip. "Nothing, it's nothing."
Although Su Qianmo said this, Gu Chenan could still see the reluctance in her eyes.
Suddenly, Gu Chenan was taken aback.
[Is it my imagination? Why does it feel like Qianmo is looking at me as if we're facing life and death separation?]
[No way, she doesn't know I'm going back to the real world, does she?]
"I know," Su Qianmo said softly, her eyes reddening.
Gu Chenan was stunned, his pupils dilating. "What did you say?"
Su Qianmo bit her lip and repeated, "I said, I know."
"You... you know what?" Gu Chenan swallowed hard, incredulously.
Su Qianmo's eyes were brimming with tears as she bit her red lips and said, "I know everything. I know this world is a novel world, I know my identity in this novel world, and I know you will return to the real world."
Whoosh!
Gu Chenan jumped up from the sofa in shock.
His expression was one of surprise and disbelief as he blinked rapidly. "How... how do you know?!"
Su Qianmo gently placed her hand on Gu Chenan's chest, over his heart.
"It told me."