However, it seemed as though fate itself was intent on proving Qingque wrong, ensuring that the day would not unfold as she wished.
Her mahjong friend's voice trembled as she scrolled through the rapidly updating news feed, her expression shifting from disbelief to fear.
"T-The local garrison of the Cloud Knights… has been completely wiped out!"
"What?!" Qingque's pupils constricted violently, her face pale with shock.
If even the Cloud Knights had fallen to the Denizens of Abundance, just how terrifyingly powerful were those remnants?
Without another thought, Qingque rushed around the table, grabbing her friend by the shoulders. Her eyes, wide with panic, stared straight into her friend's tearful gaze.
"If the Cloud Knights are gone," she demanded, her voice hoarse, "then who's fighting the Denizens of Abundance now?"
"It's… it's a masked fool named Yu Xian!" the foxian girl stammered, clutching her phone tightly. Her hands trembled so much the screen nearly slipped from her grasp. She was timid by nature and hardly prepared for this kind of chaos—the explosion earlier had already shaken her to her core.
She hurriedly blurted out everything she had seen online, tripping over her words.
"They say when that masked fool, Yu Xian, showed up, hundreds of the Denizens of Abundance were defeated instantly! And the hostages—they were all saved! He rescued every single one of them!"
"Is that so…? Phew…"
Qingque exhaled deeply, her shoulders finally relaxing.
"I knew it… My divination couldn't be wrong. Yu Xian was destined to come back safe. Those Denizens of Abundance could never be a match for him."
Relief washed over her, easing the tightness in her chest. Hearing that Yu Xian had not only survived but turned the tide of battle filled her with pride and bittersweet joy.
He, who had just promised to come back and play mahjong with her, who smiled so warmly and spoke so casually, was now the hero everyone was talking about—the savior of countless lives.
As others in the parlor chattered excitedly, speculating about this mysterious masked fool named Yu Xian, Qingque simply sat there, her heart swelling with tender affection.
To them, he was a hero—distant, awe-inspiring, and untouchable.
To her, he was the same fool who would grin sheepishly when he lost at mahjong, the man who held her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
…And someday, she thought with a dreamy warmth, maybe they really would get married and live happily ever after.
The thought made her face flush and her heart flutter.
"Hehe… hehehe…" Qingque giggled softly, lost in her own daydreams.
But then, she suddenly remembered—the Cloud Knights had been slaughtered. Her laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by guilt. It felt wrong to be happy while others had died.
She sat back down, her smile fading into silence.
"Hey, hey, why the sudden mood swings?" one of her friends teased lightly. "You were laughing a moment ago, now you're sitting there like a statue. Got scared silly?"
Qingque blinked, snapped out of her daze as her friend continued, "I just saw online that Yu Xian already defeated most of the Denizens of Abundance. We should be safe now. How about a few more rounds? I'm feeling lucky this time!"
Ugh…
Qingque's head spun slightly from the sudden shake, but truth be told, the offer was tempting. Her luck had been phenomenal all day—it would be a waste not to keep playing while her streak lasted.
Besides, it would help calm her nerves while waiting for Yu Xian's return.
"Alright, fine," Qingque said with a small laugh, returning her delicate hands to the table. The familiar sound of tiles shuffling began to fill the room again, bringing a fragile sense of normalcy back.
"Ugh!"
Suddenly, Qingque winced, clutching her chest. A sharp, stabbing pain lanced through her heart.
What… what was that?
The pain vanished almost as soon as it appeared, leaving her gasping softly, a few drops of cold sweat forming on her forehead.
"Qingque? What's wrong? You look pale—did something happen?"
Her friends leaned toward her, concern etched on their faces.
But after that brief flare of pain, Qingque felt perfectly fine—no dizziness, no weakness, nothing at all. It was as if the pain had been nothing but an illusion.
Was it?
Or was it an omen?
For a fleeting moment, an uneasy thought crossed her mind—could something have happened to Yu Xian after all?
Her brow furrowed slightly. But then she remembered the fortune she had drawn earlier.
She shook her head with a small smile.
"Don't overthink it, Qingque," she muttered to herself. "He's fine. He has to be."
Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her friends.
"It's nothing! Really. Let's keep playing."
And so, the game continued—Qingque forcing herself to laugh and chat as usual—
unaware that, far away, the one she waited for was already lying in Fu Xuan's arms, his body cold and still.
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A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon.
patreon.com/deadlygoober