CHAPTER 72 – Gu Yanzhou Stakes His Existence
Gu took Xiao Xi's hands in his, his touch burning—not painfully, but like a foundational spark igniting something vast and terrifyingly powerful in her core.
The system hummed loudly, accelerating the merger.
[Anchor bond strengthening. Full data merge initiated.]
[Host potential rising. Final ability access granted.]
Xiao Xi's heart hammered against her ribs. "Yanzhou… if you go any further—this place isn't real.
If the link breaks, you could lose your identity.
You could—"
"I don't care," he whispered, cutting her off, his voice absolute.
He pressed his forehead to hers, their two minds momentarily one against the storm of the System.
"If saving you means losing myself, losing my memories, or even losing my existence to this code, I'll do it without hesitation."
Xiao Xi shook her head fiercely, tears burning her eyes.
"No. I won't let you disappear for me! I already lost you once!"
Gu cupped her face, his gaze locking with hers.
"I already chose you, Xiao Xi.
My choice is the new reality."
The hacker screeched overhead, frustrated by the delay.
"PATHETIC.
YOU ARE DATA.
LOVE IS A BUG, NOT A FEATURE."
Gu ignored him completely.
His focus was solely on Xiao Xi.
He kissed her—slow, deep, full of the silent history of their two lives, the sacrifice, and the absolute, unconditional love that transcended their fictional origins.
The world exploded in a blinding flash of golden light emanating from their merged connection.
Her System flashed violently, the warning lights turning into triumphant stars:
[HOST POWER UNLOCKED: 100% ACCESS.]
[ABILITY: WORLD REWRITE.]
Xiao Xi gasped as immense, unimaginable power surged through her veins—the ability to manipulate the fundamental threads of the narrative.
She could suddenly feel the fate pressures, the broken code, the structural framework of the entire novel world.
She could rewrite all of it.
But the effort—the immense, destabilizing act of transferring his entire existence into her power core—was rapidly killing Gu.
His body began to flicker violently, his form dissolving into cascading static and code fragments.
She grabbed him, her hands trembling.
"Yanzhou! You're disappearing—STOP!"
He smiled weakly, a heartbreaking, beautiful expression of final surrender.
"Rewrite the world, Xiao Xi.
I'll hold on as long as I can."
Her tears spilled freely onto his flickering face.