Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Reality

He stared at the dried blood on the ground, his eyes reflecting the dim light. Eventually, his gaze shifted to the entrance of the town.

"Congratulations! You finished this round early and earned 10,000 points!" announced the system message.

With that, the round officially ended.

---

Sunlight streamed into the room through the large windows, casting a warm, golden glow on the green plant in the corner of the traditional Chinese desk.

"Miss, your flight back home is all arranged," said the middle-aged man in a black suit, bowing his head. "I also blocked a call from there asking about your health, just as you requested."

Ye Nianchu nodded slightly, acknowledging his words without saying more.

On her phone screen, she saw the homepage of a forum with the latest trending post.

"I met a fairy in Peach Blossom Land! What a stroke of luck!"

"The game was nearing the early morning of the sixth day when the boss suddenly went crazy, attacking everyone like it had just chugged a ton of energy drinks. No matter what props you had, you couldn’t stop it."

"To make matters worse, a huge fire shrank the map. It was a rough day! I even tried hiding in a pigsty, but the boss still found me."

"I thought it was the end, but just when it seemed like I was done for, the system announced that the game was ending early."

"For the first time, the system's cold, robotic voice sounded like pure music to my ears!"

"This is a special game!"

"I can’t believe someone managed to finish early. There must be a big shot in this round!"

Replies below were filled with guesses about who the top player might be.

Some people were also making fun of the original poster.

"Reducing the map? Come on, this isn’t a battle royale game! By the end of the fifth day, you should know the boss went berserk because someone met the early finish conditions. It wasn’t just some random fire shrinking the map. Probably a pro player clearing the level."

"Even if you’re a noob, your luck is amazing to have ended up with such a big shot and got a free win. I remember being chased by a restaurant owner for blocks—people might have thought I stole his wife. I used up all the props I saved for six months."

Ye Nianchu casually scrolled through the posts, then exited the page and turned off her phone.

---

The next day.

In City A.

The sky was clear and blue, as if freshly washed.

Ye Nianchu walked out of the airport at a relaxed pace, carrying a bag.

In China, it was spring and summer, with pleasant temperatures. She wore a light green dress and simple makeup, her graceful movements making her stand out.

From a distance, someone was waving excitedly at her.

Ye Nianchu saw her cousin Shen Yan, who was busy helping with the bags and opening the car door. "Why are you here? Where’s the driver?"

"Sister, I heard you were coming back. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep all night. Picking you up at the airport is such an important task that I had to come myself," Shen Yan said, looking a bit disappointed. "We haven’t seen each other in a long time."

Shen Yan usually drove flashy cars—either purple or green. Today, wanting to make a good impression and avoid any dislikes, he had deliberately chosen a black car.

Ye Nianchu smiled, bent down to get into the car, and Shen Yan closed the door. He went back to the driver’s seat and started the car.

"I heard that family has been trying to find out about you recently. They don’t have good intentions!" Shen Yan said, his expression turning serious as he gripped the steering wheel.

Ye Nianchu responded with a casual "Hmm," not taking it too seriously. "It’s understandable. They must be quite disappointed that I survived this incident."

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