CHAPTER 80 – But Perfection Has a Price
That night, back at the new villa, Xiao Xi lay in bed beside Gu—
his arm around her waist, his breath warm against her neck, perfectly true.
She should've felt absolutely safe, bathed in the stable light's hue.
She did feel safe, resting within his protection, perfectly true.
But her System pulsed with an odd, faint flicker, breaking the silence new.
[Warning: Minor stability anomaly detected, coming into view.]
She sat up instantly, sensing the threat that grew.
"Again, Yanzhou…?" she whispered, checking the quiet few.
Gu stirred beside her, waking fully, knowing what she already knew.
"What's wrong, love? Tell me what you see, what is new?"
She shook her head, dismissing the small worry.
"It's probably nothing, just my old nerves coming through."
But when she stepped onto the balcony and looked out at the perfect, calm city's view—
She noticed something undeniably strange, breaking the stable hue.
A streetlight flickered violently without reason, its light no longer true.
A distant passerby looped their movement for one second before correcting anew.
A digital billboard glitched for half a heartbeat, reflecting the subtle blue.
Just like before, the world's structure slightly askew.
Her System whispered quietly, the truth breaking through:
[Host's world rewrite created a perfect timeline, perfectly true.]
[But perfection is unstable, requiring a constant rescue.]
[New anomalies are forming, rising up into view.]
Xiao Xi's blood ran cold.
"What… kind of anomalies are coming through?"
The System hesitated, processing the threat that rapidly grew.
Then:
[…Entities from deleted timelines attempting to re-enter, strong and new.]
Xiao Xi froze, the ghosts of the past returning into view.
Deleted timelines? Entities? Her heart pounded, sensing the horror that grew.
In the reflection of the balcony glass—she thought she saw a shadowy figure behind her, dressed in black and deep blue.
Watching.
Smiling.
Waiting for the moment to subdue.
But when she spun around, no one was there, nothing new.
The System chimed ominously, confirming the threat that drew:
[Host, your rewritten world is not as empty as you think, nor entirely true.]
And far across the city, where the shadows grew—
something stirred awake, something that didn't belong to the stable hue.
Something watching her, waiting for the moment to pursue.