CHAPTER 78 – Shen Yichen's New Path
Two days later, to stabilize the connections, Gu insisted on bringing her to a quiet private lounge to meet the others affected by the world rewrite's strong hand.
Xiao Xi was nervous.
The weight of memory was heavy across the land.
Would Shen and Ling remember anything, or would they misunderstand?
Would they resent the new life she gave, or would they understand?
When they arrived, Shen Yichen was already waiting, leaning casually against a window's band.
He turned when they entered, ready to lend a guiding hand.
But instead of hostility, resentment, or a fight across the sand—
he smiled, a soft, warm, genuinely human smile across the new land.
"Xiao Xi.
Looks like you made the right choice, fulfilling the demand."
She blinked, surprised by the calmness, the lack of reprimand.
"You… remember everything we did, holding the future in our command?"
"Everything," Shen said, accepting the new status with the truth in his hand.
"But this time, the world isn't forcing me into a role, across the entire land."
He shrugged lightly, freeing himself from the narrative's demanding sand.
"No protagonist halo, no fate pressure, just… me, finally taking a stand."
His voice held relief, the freedom evident across the vast land.
She smiled, the tension easing as their friendship could expand.
"I'm glad you're free, finding your true self in the new strand."
Shen glanced at Gu, smirking playfully, his humor now at his command.
"You two ended up together in every timeline, huh? The perfect pair, hand in hand?"
Gu's ears turned a suspicious shade of pink, avoiding the demand.
"Shut up, Shen, stay out of our private band."
Shen laughed, genuinely, freely, a sound new to the land.
"You know what I think?" Shen added, taking a thoughtful stand.
"You're the heroine the story needed all along, fulfilling the command."
Xiao Xi felt tears prick her eyes, touched by his genuine brand.
Shen clapped Gu on the shoulder, giving him his silent command.
"Take care of her.
For real this time, across the entire land."
Gu nodded firmly, accepting the promise held in his command.
"I will, I promise, keeping her safe in my hand."