Gu Chenan's body stiffened, and he stood there dumbfounded.
The air around seemed to freeze, as if time had pressed pause.
[What... what's going on?]
[How does Qianmo know what I'm thinking?]
Gu Chenan's heart trembled.
[So... does that mean Qianmo knows I'm about to leave?!]
"That's right, you'll be leaving in one day and eight hours, no, to be precise, one day and seven hours left."
Su Qianmo gazed at Gu Chenan with reluctance, her beautiful face filled with sorrow.
[Damn, don't respond to my inner thoughts, it's creepy.]
"I-I understand." Su Qianmo pursed her lips.
[You're still doing it?]
"I-I won't say anymore." Su Qianmo quickly covered her mouth and blinked her eyes.
"Sigh."
Gu Chenan sighed and plopped back down on the sofa.
"When did you start being able to hear?" Gu Chenan turned his head and asked resignedly.
"Well... since the day you kidnapped me." Su Qianmo said somewhat shyly.
As soon as Gu Chenan heard this, he immediately understood!
[Damn, so Qianmo has known everything I've been thinking all this time?!]
[Thankfully I didn't think of anything weird, otherwise it would have been mortifying!]
[Stop thinking, stop thinking, my inner thoughts are transparent in front of Qianmo, this is too embarrassing! How is this any different from being naked?]
Gu Chenan shook his head, forcibly dispersing the thoughts in his mind.
"I'm sorry," he said dejectedly.
"Why are you apologizing?" Su Qianmo gently rested her head on Gu Chenan's shoulder, her eyes moist as tears fell: "I've known for a long time that you were going to leave... it's not your fault."
Gu Chenan tenderly wiped away her tears: "Thank you."
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Su Qianmo suddenly sat up, forcing a smile: "We still have one day and seven hours, we have plenty of time."
"Gu Chenan!"
At that moment, an angry Fang Yuanyuan stood at the main hall's entrance with her hands on her hips.
The sunlight from outside the hall shone behind her, casting her petite silhouette in a holy golden glow.
"Come out here!" she commanded.
...
In the pavilion.
"Why did you call me out here? Surely not to admire the scenery with you?"
Gu Chenan joked, looking at Fang Yuanyuan who had her back turned to him and hadn't said a word.
"I know everything now."
Fang Yuanyuan turned around, her expression particularly solemn.
[She knows? Knows what?]
[Could it be... hiss, can Fang Yuanyuan hear my thoughts too?]
Gu Chenan blinked uncertainly.
[Not sure, let's try...]
[Fang... Fang Yuanyuan is a noob?]
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Fang Yuanyuan asked, looking at Gu Chenan who hadn't uttered a word for a while.
Gu Chenan was instantly delighted.
[Great, it seems Fang Yuanyuan can't hear my thoughts, which means... only Qianmo can?]
"It's nothing." Gu Chenan shook his head and said: "What do you know?"
"I know everything!" Fang Yuanyuan stroked her chin smugly and said: "So this world is a world inside a novel, right?"
"What...!"
Gu Chenan's eyes widened instantly.
[What the hell, I thought she couldn't hear my thoughts, how does she know this is a world inside a novel?]
Fang Yuanyuan rolled her eyes at Gu Chenan, raising a finger and still speaking maturely: "Listen to me first."
"I've long felt that something was off about this world. Here, no one can use magic, we mechanically repeat the same life every day, all that poetry and distant lands are fake, so this world must be fake too!"
As she spoke, she excitedly rushed in front of Gu Chenan and said: "Quick, tell me, what's your world like, no, what's the real world like?"
"Is it like in anime, where everyone can use magic?"
Looking at the expectant gleam in Fang Yuanyuan's blinking eyes, Gu Chenan's mouth twitched.
[The two-dimensional world is terrifying, stay away from me.]
"Sister Fang, how did you find out?" Gu Chenan asked.
Fang Yuanyuan waved her raised finger and said: "Never mind that, answer my question."
"Gulp."
Gu Chenan sighed: "To be honest, the real world isn't much different from this one, uh... to be precise, it's not nearly as interesting as this world."
"Huh?"
Fang Yuanyuan's eyes dimmed: "No way?"
"Really."
Gu Chenan added: "If it were in the real world, the things you've done would be enough for dozens of death sentences."
"Tch."
Fang Yuanyuan waved her hand: "I don't believe you."
Gu Chenan couldn't be bothered to say more, shrugging as he said: "Let's go inside, the food should be ready, let's eat."
But as soon as he turned around, he felt his clothes being tugged.
"What now?"
Fang Yuanyuan bit her lip and said: "If you're going back... can... can you take me with you?"
"You can't be serious." Gu Chenan turned his head: "You want to go to that boring world too? You're the esteemed Black Owl leader in this world, but you'd be nothing in that one."
"I don't care." Fang Yuanyuan said firmly: "The hero crossing over to another world for a wonderful adventure must take me along."
Another world...
Gu Chenan's mouth twitched: "I told you, that world is very boring, and it's not some other world."
[Besides, I don't think I have the ability to take you with me...]
"I don't believe you, I want to see for myself!" Fang Yuanyuan insisted stubbornly.
Ugh...
Gu Chenan sighed helplessly: "Fine, I'll try."
"Great, it's settled then!" Fang Yuanyuan excitedly jumped onto Gu Chenan's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.
Gu Chenan held onto Fang Yuanyuan's legs and hoisted her up: "If you fall, I won't be responsible."
"Okay!"
After saying this, Fang Yuanyuan's excited expression suddenly changed.
She pressed her face tightly against Gu Chenan's back, her eyes instantly turning red.
There is no other world... I don't want to go to another world...
I just want to be with you forever!
Entering the main hall.
Liu Mingrui had already prepared a table full of dishes.
Bai Yutian had also brought the simmered chicken soup to the table.
"Chenan, come eat!"
"Young Master Gu, the chicken soup is ready!"
Liu Mingrui, like a wife, waved to Gu Chenan while wearing an apron, while Bai Yutian held the chicken soup, smiling particularly brightly.
Gu Chenan was struck by this scene.
His heart suddenly clenched, as if hit by lightning.
This scene was too beautiful, too perfect to bear tearing apart with his own hands.
The thought that he would never see them again made Gu Chenan feel a sense of disorientation.
It was as if he had been in a beautiful dream all this time, a dream he didn't want to wake up from.
Gu Chenan took a moment to compose himself, then smiled and said: "Finally ready, I'm starving."