Chapter 90: A Flaw in the World

“……”

“You’re standing too close……”

Su Qianqian shifted back a little. Her feelings were complicated at the moment, and she still instinctively kept her guard up against Luo Wuhen, even though Luo Wuhen clearly hadn’t done anything.

Seeing Su Qianqian’s wary expression, Luo Wuhen’s eyes dimmed as she slowly sat up.

“Rest assured and get some sleep. I’ll keep watch over you.”

“Thank you.”

Su Qianqian replied politely, though a bit distantly, then slowly lay down. Before closing her eyes, she stole a glance at Luo Wuhen.

Just as her eyes drifted shut, Luo Wuhen’s voice came softly to her ear:

“The person you imagine isn’t the real me. I wouldn’t do those things to you.” For some reason, Luo Wuhen felt an inexplicable panic as she said these words.

“I hope so……”

Not long after, Su Qianqian’s breathing grew even. Luo Wuhen leaned down slowly, gazing at Su Qianqian’s peaceful sleeping face.

She wanted to reach out, but her hand froze halfway. She slowly pulled her hand back.

She did not wish for the future Su Qianqian feared to become reality.

“Thank goodness, it’s all just her imagination. Thank goodness……” Luo Wuhen pressed a hand to her chest.

Why did she feel so stifled? Was it because Su Qianqian’s strange visions made it hard to get close? Or was it because she was afraid those things might really come to pass?

When Su Qianqian described it just now, the scenes that appeared in her mind were so vivid, and the desires, nostalgia, and regrets that welled up in her heart felt just as real……

“I’ve already achieved a decisive victory. Her parents are living here with me, and now she doesn’t need to worry about her lifespan anymore—she’s free of worries. I can enter her heart. It’s not difficult. I have the patience, and enough… love!”

“But when Qianqian mentioned cooking and playing chess, the smile on her face wasn’t fake either. Maybe I can……”

……

In her sleep, Su Qianqian still could not escape the erosion of scrambled memories.

The events of the day and the scenes from Sword Sect, which should have “appeared,” kept switching back and forth, making Su Qianqian feel as if her consciousness had split into two.

One was following the path of her memories, and the other had entered a different world. Which one was real? She couldn’t tell—they blurred together…

Once again, a nightmare. Su Qianqian woke up soaked in sweat, her breathing rapid, only to find a pair of hands gently wiping her cheeks.

As expected, it was Luo Wuhen.

“Thank you.” Su Qianqian feebly thanked Luo Wuhen, though it was clear Luo Wuhen was very worried.

Su Qianqian’s spirit had been weak for some time; even sleep only brought nightmares, making it impossible to truly recover. Sooner or later, this would become a real problem.

“Take some calming Dan Medicine. You can’t just force yourself through illness.”

“No need… Never mind… Give me some, please…”

Su Qianqian originally wanted to refuse, but she was already tormented to the point she couldn’t bear it anymore.

But, as expected, even after taking it, it didn’t really help.

After dragging herself out of bed, Su Qianqian slapped her cheeks, forcing herself to perk up, and managed a faint smile. She didn’t want her family to worry.

“Luo Wuhen, come with me to the bookstore later. Maybe reading a good book will help distract me.”

“No problem. If you need anything, just ask.” Luo Wuhen agreed with a gentle smile. It was the first time Su Qianqian had asked her for something—this was a good start.

After putting on an act of being fully recovered in front of her parents, and accompanied by Su Lingling and Luo Wuhen, Su Qianqian arrived at a familiar place, and found a familiar bookstore!

“This bookstore?” Su Qianqian stared in surprise.

She’d only come here on a subconscious hunch that there was a bookstore, but when she saw it, she suddenly remembered—why did she know this place?

Was it because… in her uncertain memories, it was exactly the same!

“Qianqian, what about this bookstore?”

“It feels really familiar. I think I’ve… seen it before.”

Luo Wuhen could naturally hear the deeper meaning in Su Qianqian’s words.

She’d seen it before, and it made her act so out of sorts—so the only possibility was that she’d seen it in a Dream. But how could that be?

At that moment, a servant from the bookstore walked out and greeted them with a smile: “Welcome! This is an old store with several centuries of history, with branches everywhere. I’m sure our collection will satisfy you all.”

Luo Wuhen had a sudden realization: “Maybe Su Qianqian’s mind imprinted on this place when she was dazed, so it became an image in her illusions, or perhaps she had some subtle impression of it from a previous life…”

While Luo Wuhen was subconsciously filling in the logical gaps, Su Qianqian grew suspicious. A centuries-old store?

That didn’t seem right. Besides, apart from in her dreams, she had absolutely no impression of this place.

But to suspect just because of that would be too sensitive, so Su Qianqian suppressed her doubts and stepped into the bookstore.

Inside, the layout was slightly different from what she remembered, but there were plenty of familiar things as well.

Su Qianqian swept her gaze over the whole shop, silently noting a few details, then walked from shelf to shelf.

At one bookshelf, she stopped. There was the story of the Empress and a certain woman. Su Qianqian glanced to the side:

Classic Completed Novel Recommendations

“Dear guest, all of these are well-received novels from earlier years. You may have read them before. If not, I highly recommend them. For instance, there’s a story where someone finished reading this novel and thought they were the main character, eventually losing their mind—pardon me, that rumor is a bit exaggerated, but it shows how compelling the book is.”

The servant’s voice suddenly sounded behind Su Qianqian. She hadn’t even noticed when the servant approached. That was clearly abnormal—this was just an ordinary person, and the purpose in those words was far too pointed…

She didn’t suspect that she had read the novel before and been influenced by it, or at least, she didn’t believe that was the case.

Yet Su Qianqian instinctively rejected such thoughts, though she needed more evidence.

At this moment, her expression hardly changed, but a seed of suspicion began to sprout within!

“I need more proof. If things are as I suspect, then there should be…”

Su Qianqian spent a long time skimming through the books in the store.

There were many works on history, humanities, and music theory—strangely enough, there were even quite a few governing books.

Of course, there were plenty of novels, too, but most seemed familiar to Su Qianqian, and those she hadn’t read, once she opened them, either contained the kind of content young girls with budding feelings liked, or else the writing felt awkward… Just as she expected.

The corners of Su Qianqian’s lips lifted—she almost wanted to declare, “I have unraveled the truth of the world!” Of course, she held back in the end.

Now, as for what was real and what was false, she already had an answer—or at least a strong suspicion. Her thoughts became much clearer.

Seeing Su Qianqian deep in thought, Luo Wuhen gently patted her shoulder and asked, “Qianqian? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I feel like my thoughts suddenly became clear—it’s a relief.”

Su Qianqian’s long-repressed nerves and chaotic mind gradually regained clarity. She couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing Su Qianqian’s unrestrained smile, Luo Wuhen felt that maybe winning her over would be easier than she’d thought.

But what she didn’t realize was that, from this moment on, Su Qianqian would become even harder to approach…