Chapter 242: The White Paper That Was Stained

“How is this possible?!”

Yun Ruoxi muttered to herself in disbelief, then suddenly whipped her head around to look at Guan Kelai, who was sitting on the ground, terrified by the explosion.

Guan Kelai sensed the killing intent in Yun Ruoxi’s eyes and immediately scrambled backward in terror.

Yun Ruoxi raised her hand. It seemed that in her fit of rage, she had temporarily lost her mind and intended to kill the incompetent Guan Kelai right there in public.

But in the next second, she regained her senses and jerked her hand back as if she had been electrocuted.

However, it was already too late.

Yun Ruoxi bit her lip, noticing the looks Lin Zhen, Yun Che, and Zi Jiu were giving her.

They were looks of disbelief and heartbreak.

She looked up and saw the grief and pain on their faces. She saw Lin Zhen’s tightly clenched fists—clenched so hard that his palms had been pierced, and fresh blood was trickling down.

[Holy crap, it’s Lao Xi who wants to blow up the spaceship!]

[Lao Xi is the Iron Wolf; someone vote her out!]

[Explosive! This is a huge reveal!]

“I, I…” Even though Yun Ruoxi knew she had been exposed, she seemed unwilling to accept the truth. She flashed a sweet, gentle smile and patted her chest as if nothing were wrong.

“Ah, it actually exploded. That scared me to death! I thought the spaceship was going to be destroyed. If the spaceship were gone, what would we do? we wouldn’t be able to leave!”

“Xiao Xi…” Lin Zhen looked up, his expression dark. “What exactly are you saying? Even now, are you still going to keep acting?”

By the time he reached the last sentence, he was practically roaring.

Hearing Lin Zhen’s words, those who hadn’t reacted earlier also understood everything in an instant. They stared blankly at Yun Ruoxi.

Had Xiao Xi—their Sister—really done this?

Aili lowered her head with a complicated expression.

[This plot development is insane.]

[I feel like I’ve seen this line somewhere before.]

[Lao Xi’s acting skills are top-tier.]

[Why does it feel like Lao Xi’s mental state has collapsed?]

“Ah? Acting?”

Yun Ruoxi took half a step back, shaking her head frantically.

“I’m not acting. I didn’t do these things!”

She blinked, and two streaks of tears instantly flowed down from the corners of her eyes. She looked at everyone piteously.

“It really wasn’t me! I’m Xiao Xi. How could I possibly do something like this?!”

Yun Ruoxi’s tone was pitiful, and her expression seemed genuine.

But if not for the way the corners of her mouth twitched up and then down, and if Lin Zhen and the others weren’t already completely certain she had been brainwashed…

Maybe, just maybe… Lin Zhen and the others might have actually believed her.

After all, Yun Ruoxi had saved them countless times before.

In all their hearts, Yun Ruoxi was the representative of gentleness and perfection.

How could such a wonderful person do something like this?

“I’m not lying.” Yun Ruoxi laughed and cried at the same time. She looked down at Aili, whose hand she was holding, as if she wanted the other girl to help explain on her behalf.

“Xiao Ai, you know your Sister. I love everyone the most. How could I do something like this?!”

“Help Sister say something, quickly!” she said through gritted teeth, her voice carrying a hint of both malice and pleading.

Under her plea…

Aili, who had been keeping her head down, finally looked up.

She looked into Yun Ruoxi’s eyes, her tears flowing uncontrollably.

Then, as if she had made a firm decision…

She squeezed Yun Ruoxi’s hand tightly and said with a serious face:

“That’s right, Sister. You couldn’t have done such a thing. Xiao Ai… Xiao Ai will be with you forever.”

“Right? Right!” Yun Ruoxi laughed loudly as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw. She raised her right hand. “Xiao Ai said it too, I really — “

Before she could finish, Aili suddenly hugged Yun Ruoxi.

“Sister, wake up! Come with me! Brother A Zhen and the others will heal you!”

Yun Ruoxi’s movements froze instantly. Like a robot, she looked down at the pleading Aili.

“You… you don’t believe me?”

“I believe in Sister!” Aili shouted. “That’s why I’m certain this isn’t something Sister wanted to do. It’s Dr. Forefinger. It must be him forcing you!”

[The final blow. A total kill.]

[The finishing move comes from Xiao Ai.]

[Xiao Ai and Lao Xi really have a good relationship.]

[After all, they’ve been through life and death together.]

“Hehe, hehe, hehe!” Yun Ruoxi covered her face and suddenly burst into loud laughter.

But she only laughed for a few seconds.

Her laughter vanished, and her expression became incredibly calm—so calm it was almost frightening.

Then, a trace of relief and liberation appeared on her face.

“How… how did you find out? Was it Guan Kelai?”

“No, it wasn’t me!”

Guan Kelai crawled away, hiding behind Lin Zhen’s back, not even daring to glance at Yun Ruoxi.

Next to them, Genbeier had a complicated look on his face. Finally, he sighed and closed his eyes.

“I’m the one who found out!” Lin Zhen took a step forward. “With my metal manipulation, how could I not sense that sludge attached to the hull?”

“Xiao Xi, come with me. You’re sick! We will find a way to heal you!”

“I’m sick?” Yun Ruoxi tilted her head. “But I don’t feel that way.”

“Do you really not feel it?”

Lin Zhen said self-reproachfully, “Xiao Xi, you are definitely not this kind of person. Did Dr. Forefinger find out that your mind control was broken and brainwash you again? It’s all my fault. If only I had noticed sooner!”

Yun Ruoxi fell silent.

She looked down at her hands, and then she suddenly burst out laughing.

“You guessed wrong! Brother A Zhen, your method failed from the very beginning!”

“Poor little Xiao Xi… until she was tortured to deathly agony by the Mental Brand, she never received the salvation she was promised!”

“Even though she couldn’t say it, she gave you many chances and hinted at it many times. But you, and all of you, never caught it once!”

“So!” She looked up, a hint of madness in her eyes.

“Everything came to an end.”

“I appeared. I am her stronger version. With me here, she will never be hurt again.”

[Sigh, the iXi production team.]

[I’m so angry I’m laughing. So the Production Team has been secretly tormenting Xiao Xi all along? You guys are something else.]

[My heart aches for Xiao Xi.]

[Lao Zhen must be paralyzed with guilt after hearing those words.]

[There was nothing he could do. Lao Zhen is just a kid, after all. How could he possibly resist Dr. Forefinger?]

[This anime is way too dark and depressing.]

‘A second personality?’

Lin Zhen’s breathing was heavy. Had his method really failed from the very start?

Dammit!

“Give me another chance, Xiao Xi!” Lin Zhen pleaded.

“Once we leave the battle camp, everything will get better. No matter what it takes to heal you, I will try it!”

“Sister!” Aili also pleaded. “Xiao Ai will help you too. You must believe in Xiao Ai!”

“We will all help you!” the others added.

“No, it’s already too late!” Yun Ruoxi sneered, yet two streaks of tears unconsciously slid down from the corners of her eyes.

“It’s not too late. It’s never too late!” Lin Zhen said urgently.

“A clean piece of white paper… once it’s stained with color, it can never be wiped clean again! Don’t you all know that?”

Yun Ruoxi roared at the top of her lungs.

“There’s no such thing as starting over just by regretting it! It doesn’t exist! There is no medicine for regret in this world, and there is no such thing as being able to put down all your sins just by washing your hands of them!”

“I tried to rely on self-mutilation to endure that bloodlust!”

“But I couldn’t do it! I couldn’t!”

“Without you knowing, my hands have already been stained with the blood of countless people!”

Yun Ruoxi’s hands trembled as she raised them.

The mimetic skin on her arms instantly peeled away, revealing arms covered in blood scabs and fresh wounds.

It was a shocking sight to behold!