CHAPTER 73
The electronic sound came too suddenly and caught her off guard.
Time seemed to stretch beneath those two sentences. Ye Chengxing paused and asked, [Am I the only one who can leave?]
The electronic sound in her mind seemed oblivious to her question, relentlessly repeating the prompt, its speed accelerating like a countdown.
[Do you wish to leave the current world?]
[Do you wish to leave the current world?]
......
The electronic sound didn't answer, but Ye Chengxing already understood.
She was the only one who could go back, and once she went back, she couldn't return.
So she decisively chose [No.]
She chose to stay in this world.
In that moment of her decision, the inquiring electronic sound also ceased.
[Ding. The system has detected refusal of the lingering task performer to leave the current world.】
[Energy conversion complete, protective measures withdrawn.]
After the phrase "protective measures withdrawn," the electronic sound fell silent in Ye Chengxing's mind, leaving it completely quiet, even eerily so.
Although there was still one question she hadn't asked, at this moment, she had a strong premonition.
This was the last chance to make a choice.
—There would never be another instance where the electronic sound would ask her if she wanted to leave the world.
After choosing "no," Ye Chengxing realized that Li Jia was still waiting for her answer.
She met Li Jia's gaze, curved her lips into a smile, and seamlessly continued her interrupted response caused by the sudden appearance of the world's will. "Sure, let's wear it together."
The conversation between Ye Chengxing and the world's will was actually brief, happening in an instant.
But Li Jia noticed the pause just before Ye Chengxing's answer.
She didn't know that it was the world's will appearing, so she assumed Ye Chengxing was reluctant.
Her gaze fell upon Alpha's gentle smile, and a sudden sense of oppression rose in her heart.
If Ye Chengxing didn't want to, why did she agree?
Was it because she felt bad rejecting her after setting up a room full of wedding dresses?
But regardless... Ye Chengxing had agreed.
She wouldn't selfishly force her to stay by her side anymore.
So it didn't matter if Ye Chengxing didn't have that kind of love for her.
Being able to wear a wedding dress with her once before everything came to an end, she would consider it as if they had already spent eternity together.
...That would be enough.
Ye Chengxing couldn't help but lift her hand and hold Li Jia's face as a hint of redness appeared at the corner of her eyes. "What's wrong, Xiaoli? Why do you look like you're about to cry?"
Tears were already brimming in Omega's eyes, ready to fall with a blink.
"Are you suddenly feeling unwell somewhere?"
Li Jia shook her head. "No, Sister, I'm fine. I'm just so happy..." She was lying. She wasn't happy at all. In fact, the thought of being separated from Ye Chengxing was crushing her. But what else could she say?
How could she make Ye Chengxing love her too?
She was beyond help, consumed by her own greed, anger, and infatuation for this person, and it only grew stronger with time.
"Sister..."She called out, unable to control her tears any longer as they streamed down her face. "Do you love me?"
Love me a little more, please.
But Ye Chengxing clearly didn't have that kind of love for her, yet she was sacrificing herself to this extent. Li Jia couldn't make things difficult for her anymore.
However, just like knowing the answer to this question but still unable to resist asking it again.
Even a simple "I love you" would do.
Just one phrase that could slow down the crumbling in her heart.
Ye Chengxing still held her face, leaning closer as she heard her voice. She kissed away all her tears, starting from her nose and moving up to her lips. Her fingertips gently caressed Li Jia's back.
She wasn't forceful, but she completely pulled her out of those thoughts. "I love you."
Li Jia reached out and wrapped her arms around Ye Chengxing's waist, comforted by her kisses and the repeated words of love. Her emotions gradually settled.
Ye Chengxing held her tightly in her embrace.
The Omega's body trembled with some lingering unease, and this realization left Li Jia feeling somewhat defeated.
It wasn't that she felt annoyed or anything, but rather a rare sense of confusion. She had already stayed by her side completely, giving her everything to love her, yet Li Jia still didn't fully trust her.
Even though Li Jia didn't say it out loud, the fragmented and wavering sense of mistrust was palpable.
...She still didn't believe her.
A hint of bitterness welled up in Ye Chengxing's heart, but apart from being even more gentle in her comforting and caresses, she concealed all her other low emotions, not revealing a trace.
Her emotions had to remain stable.
She couldn't break down.
Li Jia was like fragile pieces that had finally solidified on the surface, but the cracks were still there, ready to shatter once again.
So her emotions had to be stable, it was a necessity.
Because if her emotions faltered, Li Jia would crumble even faster than she would.
She doesn't believe that she loves her, extremely suspicious, and all she can do is love her even more with all her might.
Ye Chengxing comforted her emotions and took her to the garden, where she used snow to mold little rabbits for her. After making the rabbits, she made many hearts out of snow and placed them around the rabbits, almost surrounding them. The little rabbits had blush on their cheeks and looked very cute.
Li Jia looked at the rabbits Ye Chengxing made for her and hesitated before lowering her gaze. "I'm sorry, sister. Am I annoying...?"
Ye Chengxing hugged her and smiled, her eyes curved. "Remember, when you apologize, you have to give a hug. And don't say sorry for anything."
She held Li Jia like this and started making a heart shape with the snow.
Soon, she finished making another one.
Ye Chengxing placed the new heart among the pile of hearts surrounding the little rabbit. "In my opinion, Xiaoli is like this little rabbit. She always feels that the love given to the rabbit is not enough. How could she think it's because of the rabbit's shortcomings that there's not enough love?"
She looked at Li Jia, whose slight blush hadn't faded, and leaned in for a kiss before standing up while embracing her. "How about I teach Xiaoli how to make dumplings tonight? We can skip the materials for the couplets, but we can still make dumplings."
As she finished speaking, Ye Chengxing naturally held Li Jia's hand, interlocking their fingers.
Ever since Ye Chengxing noticed that Li Jia adjusted her hand-holding position to interlock their fingers after the last time they held hands, she took the initiative to hold her fingertips like this every time they held hands.
......
Before moving into this place, Li Jia often cooked with Ye Chengxing in the kitchen. Ye Chengxing thought Li Jia would quickly get the hang of making dumplings.
However, when Li Jia actually started making them, it wasn't as she had imagined.
The Omega's expression was extremely serious as she held the small dumpling skin, carefully placing the filling inside. Her movements were meticulous to the extreme, as if she forgot to breathe. It didn't look like she was making dumplings but rather conducting some dangerous experiment.
Seeing this scene, Ye Chengxing suddenly remembered the snowman Li Jia built before—
The snowman whose head fell off right after it was built.
A strange premonition spread through her heart at that moment, and sure enough, the next second, the dumpling Li Jia made leaked. The white dumpling skin had a small opening, exposing the shrimp and corn filling inside.
Looking at the Omega, who seemed to deflate along with the leaking dumpling, Ye Chengxing couldn't help but curl her lips. She quickly salvaged the dumpling that leaked, fixing it in just a couple of moves, and praised, "Xiaoli, you did a great job. It went so smoothly for the first time. Do you want to make a few more?"
Li Jia looked at the new dumpling skins and the dumpling that was actually poorly made, blinked her eyes, and picked up another dumpling skin.
...Even though it was made poorly.
But Ye Chengxing really praised her often, as if she wanted to make up for all the compliments she had never heard in her previous life.
Interestingly, when she said these words, she didn't appear insincere at all. She was always incredibly genuine, even her gaze was gentle to the extreme.
Before, it seemed like she rarely heard such straightforward praise or compliments. Instead, she mostly heard accusations from others.
"Li Jia, don't you realize that you came from a terrible environment? Don't blame us for not providing you with better conditions. Have you ever thought about how terrible you are? Besides us, which other company would be willing to hire you? Be grateful to us."
"Don't look at us like that. It's your own fault for trusting others too easily. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too beautiful."
......
She glanced at Ye Chengxing, and her thoughts abruptly stopped.
The Alpha casually tied a small leather accessory to her hair, letting her long hair fall loosely on one side of her shoulder, creating a soft and beautiful profile.
In fact, those previous memories had become somewhat blurry, and she hadn't had nightmares for a long time.
Even when she recalled the unbearable memories buried deep within, they were immediately followed by the image of Ye Chengxing, either gentle or resolute—
"Be more confident in yourself, Xiaoli. You have so many strengths that they are countless. You are already an incredibly outstanding girl."
"If you ask me, you're more like a butterfly. A butterfly that undergoes metamorphosis and is reborn."
"The ones at fault are those scumbags. What have you done wrong?"
"Our Xiaoli is truly amazing."
"Xiaoli, you're doing great."
"You're already doing exceptionally well."
She was always like this, constantly by her side, encouraging and affirming her.
Li Jia lowered her gaze.
If she hadn't experienced those things, could she have a relationship with Ye Chengxing like any other couple? Like the lovers in those romantic movies, walking in the sunlight, freely expressing and feeling love.
She looked at the dumpling skin in her hand, lost in thought because of this idea.
Ye Chengxing thought Li Jia hesitated in making another dumpling because she had made a mistake with the previous one, so she put down the dumpling in her hand and moved closer to her.
From behind, she guided Li Jia step by step in making another dumpling, and Li Jia's eyelashes trembled.
It felt as if she was being embraced by her.
After making the dumplings, Ye Chengxing picked one up and smiled at her, imitating the sound of special effects, saying, "Ting-ting~"
Li Jia looked at her intently and after a while, she suddenly spoke, "Sister, you have flour on your face."
Ye Chengxing snapped out of her daze in a second and gently exclaimed, "Around which area?"
But before she could finish her sentence, she felt the Omega suddenly getting closer, and then her cheek was licked.
Taken aback by Li Jia's unexpected action, Ye chengxing blinked and realized, "Flour is raw..."
Li Jia casually replied, "It's clean now."
Then she paused and continued, "Sister, I still haven't learned how to fold them properly. Can you teach me step by step like earlier?"
Ye Chengxing placed the dumpling aside, her eyes filled with a playful smile, "You don't even need to ask. Of course, I can."
Li Jia felt her presence surrounding her again, breathing in her scent with an almost greedy longing.
She'll let her go after the Lunar New Year.
It just so happened that before Ye Chengxing left, they could take another photo together wearing wedding dresses.
.......
Ye Chengxing maintained a relaxed and bright expression on her face until Li Jia fell asleep.
A hint of weariness appeared in her eyes.
In reality, she hadn't had a good rest for many consecutive days.
It was not the kind of restless sleep where she couldn't fall asleep, but the kind where she would be startled awake once she did fall asleep.
And every time she woke up, the feeling of something draining from her existence would accelerate.
Not sleeping meant no more awakening, but prolonged sleep deprivation and frequent awakenings were no different. The most significant aspect was that this sense of drain couldn't be interrupted by simply staying awake.
It continued every minute and every second, even during the daytime, although it was less pronounced than during the night.
Ye Chengxing speculated that this was probably the weakness caused by the lingering world, as the system had mentioned to her before.
But this feeling of uncontrollably losing vitality bit by bit... it's really...
She held Li Jia tightly, and the silent, long night felt like a soundless cruel punishment.
The number of times she had been startled awake was too many, and she was now actually having difficulty falling asleep, or rather, the frequent startling awakenings had resulted in insomnia.
After all, falling asleep meant being immediately startled awake.
Like a festering sore attached to her, entangling her inescapably.
Ye Chengxing intended to endure this night as usual, closing her eyes to rest. She didn't know if it was an illusion, but she always felt that the speed of her drain had increased on this particular night, even though she wasn't in the state of awakening at the moment.
However, after lying down for a while, she unexpectedly felt a sense of drowsiness. It seemed like she was faintly touching the edge of sleep. Normally, at this point, her heart would start pounding intensely, but today it didn't happen.
She was just too exhausted. After struggling fruitlessly for a second in her fading consciousness, she simply let herself indulge in this long-awaited drowsiness.
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