Chapter 97

It was also a paper lantern, its candlelight flickering dimly within. Through the pure white paper, it resembled a tiny firefly, its radiance intertwined with that of the other lanterns in the vast, deep night.

Soon follows… the third, the fourth, the fifth… The lanterns appeared faster and faster, too fast to count, too fast to follow. They were like the carefree splashes of paint from a painter’s brush, a magnificent spectacle. They were like a boundless, surging river merging into a larger lake and sea, majestic and endless.

Countless paper lanterns formed a breathtaking, dazzling Milky Way, stretching all the way to the horizon’s edge, beyond the farthest sight. Not even the vast and deep night could hinder the light’s progress. Shaded by the thousands of paper lanterns, darkness and shadows receded, revealing the fullness of the spiritual landscape before its owner’s eyes.

Cluster after cluster of paper lanterns continued to bloom, from tiny dots to an enormous extent. Igniting the entire space, transforming everything before them into a new look, and illuminating the world with brilliant clarity.

Different from the sun’s brightness, the moon’s purity, or the brilliance of the stars, these countless lantern lights were warm, gentle, and full of life. They were the fourth kind of light that Cen Zhen had personally illuminated for Lian Yu’s spiritual world.

Lian Yu carefully treasured and protected this gift. He also feared that, if he wasn’t careful, this fragile lantern would disappear. Even though he secretly copied tens of millions of identical paper lanterns and, as a surprise, released them into the sky before his Guide, creating a dazzling display, he still instantly found that one most special, the original lantern.

Cen Zhen still has his head tilted upward, gazing at the majestic spectacle in the sky. Meanwhile, Lian Yu had long ago turned his head away, gazing at the person beside him as each lantern lit up, focusing on the person he longed to be with for a lifetime.

“Cen Zhen.” Lian Yu held Cen Zhen’s hand. He knew he should say something romantic and endearing. After all, he had brought Cen Zhen in to surprise him. He wanted Cen Zhen to be happy, to like him even more. But when he finally opened his mouth, what he confided was something completely unrelated—

“I’m scared…”

Lian Yu’s breath hitched. He clutched his aching chest and whispered again, “I’m so scared…”

“……” Cen Zhen looked back at Lian Yu in surprise, his heart still pounding from what he witnessed. He hadn’t known where Lian Yu had been hiding the paper lanterns, but he had to admit he was completely overwhelmed by this glorious, truly romantic scene. It was a beauty that couldn’t be captured by fancy special effects. It was a heartwarming gift from his lover, revealing his true heart and passion.

And yet, at this moment, what Lian Yu decided to say was… I’m scared?

“…What are you afraid of?” Cen Zhen intertwined his fingers, his voice so soft, as if he feared extinguishing the faint candlelight at his lips.

Lian Yu squeezed back firmly. “I’m afraid I’ll have another life. I’m afraid I won’t meet you in my next life!”

Just voicing this hypothetical made Lian Yu tremble slightly. He had been reborn three times, and he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t be reborn a fourth time. Cen Zhen’s situation was different. After all, he had come here from another world outside the book. Perhaps after death, he would return to his original place. But what about Lian Yu? He had always been greedy, even angry that Cen Zhen came too late, missing out on his first two lives. How could he bear to gain, then lose, and be reborn alone again?

“Why did you suddenly think of all this?”

As soon as he asked, Cen Zhen understood. Perhaps it was because the scenery here was too beautiful. The darkness faded, the light reappeared, the past was gone, and the person he loved most stood by his side. However, precisely because it was so beautiful, it felt a bit false, a fear that everything was like a bubble, ready to burst with the slightest touch… Lian Yu couldn’t help but feel anxious and worried.

The Sentinel’s mind sure can be considered resilient, but even Cen Zhen couldn’t be sure that he could maintain his sanity alone in the long, hopeless darkness or that he could still remain hopeful for the present and the future after experiencing such a painful past.

The mental black hole left an indelible shadow on Lian Yu’s heart, and three rebirths left him lost in the ethereal reality of life. He feared that one day he would wake up and find himself twenty years old again, and the person who lit his first paper lantern would disappear forever into the long river of time.

How desperate would he be by then…

“Don’t think about it,” Cen Zhen said. “This is beyond our control. Overthinking it will only add to our worries.”

Sentinel’s mood visibly sank. If possible, he’d like to find the novel’s author and have them write a special sequel with a happy ending for him and Cen Zhen.

Cen Zhen was afraid Lian Yu would become obsessed with the idea, and his words weren’t strong enough. After a moment’s thought, Cen Zhen glanced at the vast river of lights in the sky once again, etched the scene deeply into his mind, and then, without a word, closed his eyes and left Lian Yu’s spiritual world.

As soon as he opened his eyes in his real bed, Lian Yu immediately followed him out. He was about to say something when he felt a weight on his body. Cen Zhen rolled over and pressed down on him.

The Sentinel’s first reaction was, could it be that, seeing his low mood, Cen Zhen was planning a hearty brawl with him, perhaps to relieve his inner stress through sweat and pain?

If so, what should I do? If I hit him too lightly, it would be ineffective, but if I hit him too hard, what if Ana ends up in the hospital?

Lian Yu lay there, stunned. He had no idea that his suspicions were only half correct. Cen Zhen did intend to wrestle him, but it would be a different kind of ‘unholy’ brawl.

The next second, Lian Yu’s pajama pants were stripped clean, revealing two long, straight thighs. He was utterly shocked, and only when he was pressed against them did his reasoning return. “Didn’t you…ah…say… we can’t be over-indulging?”

“I also said,” Cen Zhen pressed against Lian Yu, his luminous blue eyes more alluring than the finest gems. “I could fail to hold it in.”

……

The next morning, Cen Zhen was awakened by an electronic chime.

“Your compatibility with this person is 89.03%.”

He opened his eyes and saw Lian Yu leaning against the headboard, looking at the newly released compatibility data with disdain. His skin, exposed outside the quilt, was smooth and clean, without a single scar. There was no sign of a night spent together, not even a trace left.

“Ana… oh,” Lian Yu scowled, sighing early in the morning. “I’ve discovered a pattern. Our compatibility increases by 0.01% each time we have sex. It’s currently at 89.03%, which means we’ll need to do it 97 times to reach 90%. Conservatively, you and I do it once a quarter, which means another 25 years?!”

“……” Cen Zhen propped himself up in bed. His upper body was too exposed outside the blanket like the Sentinel, but instead, his was battered. Bite marks, scratches, fingerprints, and bruises covered his shoulders, waist, and back. Two areas were visibly raw and swollen. Cen Zhen had just put on his pajamas when he slipped them off with a hiss.

Lian Yu grinned as he went to get the cooling ointment to reduce swelling. His mood is so joyful, there’s no trace of the depression he had felt the previous night.

“Twenty-five years… Is my blowing ability really that bad in your eyes?” Cen Zhen applied the patch and Band-Aids and was finally able to get dressed safely.

Lian Yu sat at the head of the bed, putting on his shoes. Upon hearing this, he immediately said, “Then prove it with your actions!”

Cen Zhen almost laughed due to anger: “Was it the air that got me in this state yesterday?”

“…You’re not a saint either, are you? Nonetheless, Sentinels have strong physiques, while Guides have poor recovery abilities. It’s innate. What can I do?”

“Go away.”

“Awo.”

When they met YaoJin again, he had already completely broken off relations with HongXing. However, the protagonist had no evidence to prove that HongXing had instigated the Jiao princess to abduct him to the Slave Market, so their relationship was merely a rift, with HongXing not being punished in any substantial way.

If this happened to Cen Zhen, there wouldn’t be any need for evidence; he would simply retaliate, letting HongXing experience the pain of slavery. If it happened to Lian Yu, lack of evidence wouldn’t be the case at all; instead, there would likely be a lot of other, unexplainable evidence.

Alas, the victim of all this is the novel’s protagonist, the righteous and kind YaoJin. Although his trip to the Slave Market has washed away his indecisiveness and naivety, preventing him from counting money for others after being sold and doing foolish things like repaying kindness with kindness and forgiving HongXing, his ultimate handling of the matter remains weak, leaving Lian Yu, who craves chaos, feeling uneasy.

Although Pan is also full of hostility towards HongXing, wishing he could turn evil and help YaoJin slay his enemies, he genuinely sides with YaoJin, insisting that whatever he does is right. YaoJin’s decision to spare HongXing for now is truly righteous and noble!

What else can Lian Yu say? He can only be thankful that the Guide he’s attracted to is also a tough guy.

In the original novel’s timeline, Pan is still searching for his husband across thousands of light-years, YaoJin is still trapped in the Jiao princess’s boudoir, Cen Zhen is flirting with various Sentinels while shamelessly pursuing Fan, and Lian Yu is enduring his illness while planning a ruthless revenge on society. Now, these four sit together, like ordinary students, discussing the upcoming final exams.

The plot has been completely disrupted, and the following life will be filled with new and unpredictable circumstances.

“Cen Zhen, you’re so hardworking and intelligent, there’s no doubt you’ll be fine… Oh, I’m in trouble. I haven’t been to class for a month.” Pan grimaced, thinking about preparing for the make-up exam before it even began.

YaoJin glanced at Lian Yu and sighed, “Lian Yu… you haven’t been to class since transferring here. I think you’re going to fail your theory final exam.”

Cen Zhen and Lian Yu exchanged glances, desperately wanting to say that their assumptions were completely wrong. If Lian Yu wanted to, he could easily get full marks in all his subjects, but for Cen Zhen… just passing all his subjects would be a testament to his diligent efforts over the past six months.

Original Author’s Note:

Catfish: Who would’ve thought, I’m actually a top student!

Brother Zhen: …I’m actually a poor student

Translator’s Note:

I am so tired and sleepy… Please point out if there is any grammar mistake, or if anything doesn’t sound right, thank youuuuuu!