After Faking My Death, My Iceberg Ex-Wife Went Crazy for Me - Chapter 26

“Don’t move,” the man rasped, his voice hoarse and tinged with madness.

Geng Xiaoxiao immediately raised her hands. The man pressed the knife against her neck.

“You’re remarkably calm.”

The longer sentence allowed Geng Xiaoxiao to recognize his voice. “Li Du?”

“You know me?”

The blade pressed closer. Geng Xiaoxiao glanced down. The knife was brand new, a common kitchen knife with no signs of use.

If the System’s “robber” was Li Du, it wasn’t surprising.

After Li Du’s rampage at Mo Yuan Technology, Geng Xiaoxiao hadn’t followed the aftermath closely. But with Xiao Miao around, she’d picked up the gist of it.

The incident had reportedly caused a massive uproar online. People naturally sympathize with the vulnerable, and Li Du—having lost his son and wife while fighting against corporate greed—had seized the moral high ground.

Mo Yuan Technology’s competitors seized the opportunity to stir up trouble, deploying waves of online trolls.

Li Du, nearly drunk with self-importance, started live-streaming, boasting to the camera about how adorable his child had been and how deeply his wife had loved him.

Though some acquaintances tried to expose his lies, they were all swiftly blacklisted.

Hours after the scandal erupted, an old news report suddenly resurfaced in the public eye.

It was a two-year-old article about a police raid on an illegal gambling den. The suspect’s hometown and age matched Li Du’s.

Anyone could see this was Mo Yuan Technology’s counterattack.

They hadn’t doxxed him, nor had they made any threats. They simply released a calm statement, then, at the peak of public outrage, swiftly seized control of the narrative.

After this, more information came to light.

Someone doxxed Li Du’s personal information, revealing numerous records of gambling arrests. Others found court documents showing he was currently serving time for accidental assault.

Forced into a corner, the local police issued a statement claiming he had been released on bail.

Just as the storm seemed to be calming, a bombshell dropped in the early hours of the night.

The charitable donations Li Du had raised under the pretense of his child’s serious illness had also been gambled away.

Donors united in condemnation, demanding Li Du publicly disclose a detailed accounting of the funds. They threatened to sue him for fraud if he refused.

Li Du, of course, couldn’t produce any financial records, let alone repay the lost money.

Choosing to take a gamble was in line with a gambler’s nature.

The question now was whether Li Du had taken her hostage intentionally or unintentionally.

The thought flashed through her mind in an instant. Geng Xiaoxiao cautiously revealed a neutral identity: “I’m an employee of Mo Yuan Technology. I saw you that day.”

“Mo Yuan’s employee?” Li Du repeated, his tone inexplicably chilling.

Geng Xiaoxiao’s brow twitched as she suddenly realized that among the personnel information provided by the System, there was one other person who knew her true identity:

Shang Mi’er.

“Is she telling the truth?” Li Du asked, glancing in a certain direction.

“…It’s true. She is an employee of Mo Yuan Technology, but she’s also Ye Ling’s wife.”

Ye Ling’s wife.

So that was the reason.

Geng Xiaoxiao chuckled softly, her gaze locking onto the source of the voice. Their eyes met for less than half a second before the other woman turned away, her expression a mix of shame and resentment.

“You’re finally admitting it?”

“It’s a fact. There’s nothing to deny,” Shang Mi’er replied, still refusing to look at her, her voice muffled.

“Oh, I thought you’d never admit it in your lifetime,” Geng Xiaoxiao said casually, withdrawing her gaze.

Shang Mi’er gritted her teeth. “If you had listened to me and left A-Ling back then, none of this would have happened! This is the price you pay for coveting what you shouldn’t!”

“But I told you back then that this wasn’t something I could decide alone. You should have talked to Ye Ling.”

“You… you just got there first! What makes you better than me?!”

“I don’t know,” Geng Xiaoxiao replied calmly, her voice even lifting slightly at the end, as if she were a cat toying with a mouse. “But I’ve wanted to ask Miss Shang something for a long time. If I don’t ask now, I might never get another chance.”

Shang Mi’er snorted coldly. “Speak.”

“Tell me,” Geng Xiaoxiao paused deliberately, drawing Shang Mi’er’s involuntary attention, “does one need to pay the price for obtaining what they shouldn’t through lies?”

“What lies…?” Shang Mi’er’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened, her expression momentarily twisted with rage, and she lunged at Geng Xiaoxiao without restraint.

“What do you mean by that?!”

The force of her outburst was overwhelming, and Zhu Zi, fearing she might actually harm Geng Xiaoxiao with the knife, nearly lost his grip.

He hissed a warning, “Don’t move! Do you want to live or not?!”

Li Du narrowed his eyes. “Zhu Zi, switch. Keep an eye on her.”

As the two men exchanged positions, Shang Mi’er glared fiercely at Geng Xiaoxiao, her eyes streaked with crimson bl00d vessels.

Li Du was far more ruthless than Zhu Zi. He immediately pressed the knife against Shang Mi’er’s neck, drawing a thin line of bl00d.

Shang Mi’er froze completely.

“Now you’ll behave, won’t you?”

Having dealt with the immediate threat, Li Du turned to the larger problem. “Say another word to provoke her, and you won’t live to regret it. We only need one hostage anyway.”

“Oh,” Geng Xiaoxiao replied dismissively, her gaze drifting away, clearly ignoring him.

The stinging pain from the cut on her neck made Shang Mi’er glare at Geng Xiaoxiao, but she dared not move.

Restrained physically, her mind raced relentlessly. Tonight, Geng Xiaoxiao felt different—like a completely different person, yet somehow still the same.

Damn it, what exactly is different about her?

Her attention completely diverted, Shang Mi’er didn’t realize she was being led out through the restaurant’s glass doors until she finally spoke up.

“I’ve shown you the person you wanted. Can I go now?”

Still seething with anger, her tone unconsciously carried an air of innate arrogance and condescension, as if issuing commands.

Geng Xiaoxiao clearly saw Li Du’s expression turn colder.

But due to her limited perspective, Shang Mi’er remained oblivious, her voice growing increasingly impatient.

She pointed at Geng Xiaoxiao. “From a strategic standpoint, she’d be more useful for threatening Ye Ling than I would. You’re planning to flee to a visa-free country first, right? Traveling with two people is always more cumbersome than going alone.”

“Besides, if they discover I’m missing, the Shang Family will move heaven and earth to find me. If you let me go now, in exchange… I can buy you some time.”

The threat in her words was unmistakable.

Li Du’s expression darkened further.

“Miss Shang is truly magnanimous.”

He released the knife in his hand. Before the surprise in Shang Mi’er’s eyes could fade, the cold blade pressed against her throat once more.

“But what I hate most is being treated like a fool.”

“You and that woman are rivals in love. If I let you go, who’s to say you’ll help us buy time instead of trying to wipe us all out?”

“I promise I won’t!” Shang Mi’er raised three fingers. “I swear on my life.”

“Anyone can make empty promises. I could make ten thousand of those worthless oaths, but none of them would be as effective as having Miss Shang here as our living Buddha.” Li Du chuckled, showing no intention of letting her go.

“You!” Shang Mi’er gritted her teeth, her resentment plain on her face.

In contrast, Geng Xiaoxiao remained remarkably calm, moving when told and stopping when instructed.

As they approached the elevator, Li Du removed his hat and concealed his knife beneath it. Zhu Zi followed suit, using Shang Mi’er’s bag as a shield.

“When we encounter anyone, don’t look where you shouldn’t and don’t say what you shouldn’t. Otherwise, the blade in my hand won’t show any mercy.”

After issuing the threat, Li Du calmly ordered, “Zhu Zi, call the elevator.”

“Right.”

Zhu Zi reached out with his free hand to press the button. Just as his finger was about to touch it, Geng Xiaoxiao spoke up. “Don’t press it.”

She glanced at the descending numbers above the elevator. “Someone’s coming.”

 

Ye Ling hurried through the lobby on the first floor.

Two employees chatting behind the reception desk immediately stood up. “Good morning, President Ye.”

Ye Ling acknowledged them with a curt nod.

Arriving at the elevator, she pressed the button and casually scanned the area. Her gaze froze on a small blue dot.

A nail fragment.

Her eyelid twitched violently. Even though she knew it wasn’t human, a chill ran through her.

Suppressing the urge to gag, Ye Ling stepped back. “Xiao Xu, clean this up.”

“Right away.”

The called-upon employee approached, pinched the nail fragment with a tissue, flipped it over, and muttered, “Looks like Miss Shang’s. I wonder if she wants it back.”

The elevator doors opened. Ye Ling was about to step inside when the words stopped her.

“Miss Shang?”

“Yes,” Xiao Xu replied without looking up, oblivious to Ye Ling’s darkening expression. “When Miss Shang came by earlier, I noticed her nails were this color.”

“Earlier?” Ye Ling frowned. “Didn’t I say no guests were allowed today?”

“No, no, not a guest,” Xiao Xu waved her hands frantically. “It was Shang Mi’er from Xiu Huan Hotel. Didn’t you ask her to deliver something to Miss Geng?”

“Who?” Ye Ling froze.

“You mean Shang Mi’er,” Xiao Xu ventured, gauging her expression. “About ten minutes ago? She came with two bodyguards and said you’d asked her to deliver a valuable item to Miss Geng.”

“But Shang Mi’er was in a car accident. She should be at People’s Hospital right now,” Ye Ling said, her suspicion deepening. “Are you sure it was her?”

“Yes, yes, I’m absolutely certain,” Xiao Xu insisted, calling for backup. “If you don’t believe me, ask Xiao Liu.”

Another young woman leaned in. “Earlier, Miss Shang came with another girl. Special Assistant Meng introduced them to us.”

“Right, Special Assistant Meng!” Xiao Xu nodded vigorously. “You can ask him… Wait, didn’t she come back with you?”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Ye Ling’s phone rang.

The caller was Meng Lianqiu.

Ye Ling answered, and a slightly distorted voice came through the line: “President Ye, I’m at People’s Hospital. The nurse said they did admit a car accident patient tonight, but it’s not…”

“Call the police! Call the police now!”

A figure stumbled out of the security room, his voice not sharp but rather muffled, like a sticky swamp swallowing everyone whole.

Hearts plummeted.

“There are robbers in the fourth-floor restaurant! Call the police now!!!”

“Did you call the police? Or was it you?!”

Li Du gripped Shang Mi’er’s neck, the knife slicing through the air and cutting a hole in the tablecloth.

In that critical moment, Zhu Zi pulled Geng Xiaoxiao back, narrowly avoiding the blade.

Geng Xiaoxiao frowned. “The person who pressed the elevator button might not be after you, but if you keep squeezing, Shang Mi’er will die. If one of you is missing, I guarantee you won’t leave Yuexin alive.”

Zhu Zi chimed in, “Brother, ease up. This woman has powerful connections. Don’t accidentally choke her to death.”

“…Useless trash,” Li Du spat, though it was unclear who he was cursing. Still, he loosened his grip.

Shang Mi’er doubled over, clutching her neck in agony, bl00d seeping through her fingers.

Geng Xiaoxiao felt a pang of sympathy. She touched her own neck, but when her hand brushed against the back of the knife, she quickly withdrew it.

“You seem smarter than the others,” Li Du said, glaring at her. “Tell me, who do you think is coming?”

“I don’t know,” Geng Xiaoxiao replied, her voice steady.

It definitely won’t be Ye Ling.

If the car accident was a lie, Ye Ling must have been deliberately kept away and wouldn’t be able to return so quickly.

Besides Ye Ling and Meng Lianqiu, she didn’t know anyone else.

Li Du was dissatisfied with her answer, but with the situation uncertain, he had to proceed cautiously.

The darkness of night provided perfect cover. Li Du crouched behind the table, only his eyes visible.

Time ticked by, and finally, at the end of the corridor he was watching, a figure appeared.

Dressed in white with black hair, her slender and upright figure resembled a pine tree under the moonlight, she approached with measured steps.

“Impossible,” Shang Mi’er murmured, the first to react. “It takes at least an hour to go back and forth. How could she be back so soon…?”

Li Du ignored her muttering, focusing his attention on Ye Ling’s back. In that brief moment, Shang Mi’er abruptly stood up, overturning the dining table in front of her.

“Run! They’re after you!”

“Are you crazy?!” Li Du scrambled to his feet, restraining her again.

Geng Xiaoxiao was also pulled up, stumbling to her feet. As she steadied herself, she heard Ye Ling’s first words:

“I know. That’s why I came.”

The night breeze lifted Ye Ling’s long hair. She raised a finger, hooking it behind her ear to reveal her clean, unadorned left ear.

“A-Ling…” Shang Mi’er breathed, her voice filled with heartbreaking tenderness.

Geng Xiaoxiao glanced up. Ye Ling’s gaze seemed to be fixed directly on Shang Mi’er.

Is this what childhood friendship is like?

One willing to sacrifice herself to let the other escape, the other willing to brave hellfire to save her.

Geng Xiaoxiao felt a bitter laugh rising in her throat.

But then again, I’m the biggest joke of all.

She lowered her head silently, like a porcelain statue.

Her downcast gaze never met anyone else’s.

 

What do you want?

On the enlarged surveillance screen, Ye Ling stood alone, calmly negotiating with the two robbers.

Xiao Xu gripped his phone, so tense he barely dared to breathe.

“I just dozed off for a minute,” Xiao Zhang, who was manning the surveillance room, wailed, his face pale with despair. “I’m done for. I’m definitely getting fired.”

“And you’re worried about that now?!” Xiao Xu snapped, his teeth grinding in frustration—at Xiao Zhang, and at himself.

The Hai City air hung thick and humid. On the monitor, one of the men removed his mask, revealing a face Xiao Xu recognized instantly: it was the troublemaker from earlier that afternoon!

How could she have missed him?!

Xiao Xu stamped his foot in frustration, muttering, “Why did we let President Ye go up there alone? What if something happens…?”

He paced frantically, like a headless fly, until his phone screen lit up. He unlocked it and tapped the notification.

“We’ve got news! Xiao Liu has met up with the negotiation expert. They told us to keep a close eye on the surveillance and report anything suspicious to the police immediately… No, that’s too slow.”

Xiao Xu dashed out and returned with a phone stand.

“Xiao Liu’s line is busy. I’ll have to add the police officer on WeChat… Accepted!”

He propped up his phone and initiated a video call.

 

The night wind howled, whipping the sheer curtains that draped everywhere.

What should have been a romantic sight felt sinister under the moonless sky.

Li Du, unsure if Ye Ling had any tricks up her sleeve, stood apart from Zhu Zi and his men, each group holding hostages to maintain leverage.

Geng Xiaoxiao was dragged to the edge of the balcony. As she turned, her side slammed hard against the flowerbed, causing her to wince in pain.

Li Du is really my nemesis, she thought grimly. He nearly ran me over the other day, and now this, before the bruises have even faded.

“Don’t hurt her,” Ye Ling warned coldly.

Hearing this, Shang Mi’er’s sobs intensified.

Geng Xiaoxiao glanced over, but the angle and the hazy curtains obscured her view.

Li Du wasn’t known for his restraint; it was entirely possible he might accidentally injure Shang Mi’er.

Geng Xiaoxiao didn’t dwell on it.

Li Du had been watching her closely, noting her unchanging expression throughout the ordeal.

He flipped the knife, its blunt edge sliding dangerously across Shang Mi’er’s throat.

“I almost fell for your act, Ye Ling. You and that woman don’t seem like what you claimed at all.”

“I heard you and Ye Ling were childhood sweethearts? You must be very close. Tell me, did you just grab some random passerby to fool me?”

Shang Mi’er trembled, her eyes fixed downward. Even though she couldn’t see anything, the sensation of the blade sliding against her skin sent a chill through her entire body.

“Everything I’ve said is true…”

“It better be.”

Li Du tossed out the threat casually and turned to Ye Ling with a swagger. “President Ye, how about we make a deal?”

“What do you want?”

Ye Ling’s voice sounded almost normal, but only those who knew her well could detect the suppressed tension in her tone and the slight tremor at the end of her words.

Geng Xiaoxiao looked up and met Ye Ling’s gaze, but the moment was fleeting. Ye Ling quickly averted her eyes.

Instead of looking at Shang Mi’er, Ye Ling stared at some point in the distance. Geng Xiaoxiao followed her gaze and saw the roses on the table.

Carola red.

“Would you give me anything I ask for?” Li Du pressed.

“As long as it’s within my power,” Ye Ling replied immediately. “Their safety is paramount. If you release them, I’ll agree to whatever you want.”

Li Du began counting on his fingers. “Alright then. I want plane tickets—accounting for travel time to the airport… two hours from now, tickets to every visa-free country. One for each destination. And you can’t follow me.”

“And money. For two hostages, one hundred million per person isn’t unreasonable, right? Cash only. No tricks.”

“Brother,” Zhu Zi couldn’t help but advise, “four hundred million in cash could crush us. We’d be exhausted just carrying it all.”

Li Du clearly hadn’t considered this. His expression froze for a moment before he erupted in frustration, “Then what do you suggest? Transfer it to our cards? Their United Bank will freeze them, and we’ll end up with nothing!”

Used to being scolded, Zhu Zi pondered for a moment before replying, “Flying isn’t safe either. I want you to use your private jet to get us out of the country as quickly as possible. For the money, we’ll take two million in cash, half the rest in Bitcoin, and the remaining half transferred to foreign bank accounts once we set them up.”

“Agreed,” Ye Ling said. “I’ll have someone arrange the flight route immediately. Release the hostages first.”

“Release them now?” Li Du scoffed. “The moment I let go, I’ll be dead before I even leave this room!”

Ye Ling: “Without the hostages, I can’t trust you.”

“Trust? That doesn’t sound like something President Ye would say,” Li Du clicked his tongue in mock surprise. “Don’t worry, I’ll release them. One after we land abroad, and the other once we have all the money. How’s that?”

Seeing Ye Ling’s silence, Li Du shook his head regretfully. “If that won’t work, then there’s only one option left—”

He lowered his voice and whispered into Shang Mi’er’s ear, “We’ll kill them.”

He had long suspected that Shang Mi’er harbored an abnormal fear of kidnapping. A casual conversation on the way here had confirmed his suspicions: she had been kidnapped before.

As he’d predicted, the moment she heard the words “tear up the ticket,” Shang Mi’er erupted into a piercing scream.

She reached out blindly, her hands flailing desperately.

“No! A-Ling, save me! He’s going to kill me! He really will! Please, save me…”

“Tsk, crying so pitifully. President Ye, your little lover is quite the scaredy-cat.”

Li Du glared maliciously at Ye Ling. “Here’s a compromise: we each take a step back. I’ll release one hostage now, and the other once I’m safe. How’s that?”

“……”

“Agreed,” Ye Ling said.

Li Du continued his demands: “Then it’s settled. Two million as a deposit, cash only. Put it in the white car downstairs, license plate number…”

A few minutes later, Xiao Xu came up from the fourth floor, his voice trembling. “President Ye, the money’s been placed.”

Ye Ling nodded and turned back to Li Du. “Release the hostage.”

“But I have two hostages,” Li Du said, glancing left and right, a sinister smile twisting his lips. “Which one should I release first? Such a difficult choice…”

“Perhaps you should decide, President Ye?”

 

A deathly silence swiftly spread.

The terrace restaurant, the surveillance room, Xiao Liu and the negotiation expert, and even the police officers huddled around Xiao Xu, sharing surveillance footage analysis to devise countermeasures—all fell silent.

“This is simply impossible!” someone wailed in the conference room, clutching their head in anguish.

“It’s psychological warfare. Both of these people are crucial to President Ye. Li Du is doing this purely for revenge.”

“But no matter how difficult, we have to choose. We must choose.”

A red laser dot circled an area on the screen.

“The terrain here…”

 

On the terrace, Geng Xiaoxiao quietly watched Ye Ling.

The System had told her today was her death date. Ye Ling’s choice of who would survive seemed obvious.

Yet, in this moment, Geng Xiaoxiao despairingly realized she was still hoping.

Hoping for a fantasy?

A fantasy Ye Ling had personally crafted.

The apologies, the marriage proposal, even turning back halfway when she thought Shang Mi’er had been in a car accident—all for her.

At least, when Ye Ling decided to return, she couldn’t have known Shang Mi’er’s accident was fake. Otherwise, Meng Lianqiu would have been the one reporting to her just now.

This was the first time in four years.

All for her.

The life-or-death crisis made Geng Xiaoxiao’s heart race. She could barely tell whose name her heart was beating for.

Thump—

Thump-thump-thump—

The moment that broke the silence that had stretched for countless centuries.

Her fantasy shattered.

Under the night sky, Ye Ling’s face was pale and stern as she coldly delivered her answer.

“I choose Shang Mi’er.”

In that instant, her heartbeat froze.

A voice echoed, muffled as if through frosted glass.

“I heard that woman is your wife. I thought you’d choose her.”

It was Li Du’s voice. Ye Ling glanced at him once, then immediately looked away.

“Now, release her.”

“Release, release, release! Who chooses a mistress over their wife? You’re definitely in cahoots to trick me.”

“A-Ling!”

“This remaining beauty, whose identity we don’t know, is our only hostage. Zhu Zi, keep a close eye on her.”

“If you dare harm her, I’ll never forgive you.”

“Look, have I laid a finger on her? Judging by your tone, you really do treat her like your wife. Tsk, look at that pale little face, terrified even before I’ve touched her…”

The cacophony of voices vibrated in the air.

Amidst the chaos, the clearest sound was the System notification that suddenly appeared in Geng Xiaoxiao’s mind:

Ding—Detected an increase in favorability. Current favorability: 92 points.

Ding—Detected an increase in favorability. Current favorability: 93 points.

Ding—…

Geng Xiaoxiao blinked blankly, staring at Ye Ling and Shang Mi’er, who was sobbing in her arms.

The terrace restaurant’s lighting was carefully calibrated, dim enough to avoid being jarring at night, yet bright enough for her to see everything clearly.

For instance, the red stain on Ye Ling’s shoulder was Shang Mi’er’s bl00d.

Coincidentally, it was in the exact same spot as the stain on the clothes she’d found in the laundry room that night.

So why, why was the favorability rating increasing?

Was it guilt?

If so, how pathetic.

The moment Ye Ling loved her most was when she decided to give her up.

How utterly laughable.

Yet why did her heart ache even more?

Geng Xiaoxiao clutched her chest, where an emptiness swirled like a vortex, threatening to suck her in and tear her apart.

Thump—thump—

What should she do? It seemed she loved Ye Ling far more than she’d realized.

What should she do…?

Current Favorability Rating: 100 points.

Congratulations, Host! The bonus mission has been completed. You may return to your original world after the mission ends. Do you wish to proceed?

Yes     No

The sudden options appeared like an invisible hand, momentarily pulling her out of the emotional maelstrom.

Geng Xiaoxiao began to consider her options.

The original world? My grandmother is dead. What good would it do to go back?

But this world doesn’t seem to have a place for me either.

A shattering pain spread through her heart. When the pain reached its peak, Geng Xiaoxiao’s reaction was to laugh.

“No longer…” she murmured, her voice so soft it shattered in the wind.

Only Zhu Zi heard her, frowning as he asked, “What did you say?”

“I said, no longer. I have nothing to do with Ye Ling anymore.”

Geng Xiaoxiao laughed until she tilted her head back, her eyes shining like stars.

She opened the small square bag she carried and pulled out a folded A4 sheet of paper.

“Divorce agreement. Effective upon signing. So, three days ago, I ended my marriage with Ye Ling.”

“……”

“Pfft, hahahaha!” Li Du was the first to react, clutching his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. “You two are a real pair! You’ve given me quite a show tonight!”

“Beauty, with a performance this spectacular, I’ll make sure you get out of here safe and sound. Don’t worry!”

Who would believe a kidnapper’s promise to keep their hostage safe?

Geng Xiaoxiao didn’t argue. She simply looked at Ye Ling and casually tossed the divorce agreement aside.

“Xiaoxiao…” Ye Ling gazed at her, her beautiful eyes misting over with a sorrowful, heartbreaking expression.

Geng Xiaoxiao turned her face away.

Xiao Ba, I still think the death you described earlier would be too painful.

Crashing through a guardrail and plunging into the sea… her bones would break, right?

Definitely.

She was genuinely afraid of pain.

Even a simple needle prick as a child would bring tears to her eyes, earning her grandmother’s scolding for being overly sensitive.

Yet, despite the scolding, her grandmother would always take the needle away.

So, the thought of broken bones… it was too much. She really couldn’t bear it.

Just thinking about it now made her want to cry.

Let me be selfish, just this once.

For the last time.

If the ending is always falling into the sea, wouldn’t jumping from here achieve the same result?

Xiao Ba didn’t answer, so Geng Xiaoxiao took it as tacit approval.

After all, Xiao Ba had said she could choose her own path.

Geng Xiaoxiao pulled her phone from her bag and tossed it to the ground as well.

This height wouldn’t be fatal, and the landing spot was conspicuous, making it easy to find.

That’s enough, Geng Xiaoxiao thought silently, taking a half-step back. She braced her hands behind her and sat on the flowerbed.

Zhu Zi stood beside her, his knife held forward. Moving backward would be safe.

I wonder if there are sharks near the shore… Probably not, but it’s best not to bleed.

It was a shame about the crushed flowers. Geng Xiaoxiao propped her legs up and gently touched the petals.

Zhu Zi was so bewildered by her actions that he didn’t even think to stop her.

“What are you doing?”

“Guess.”

Geng Xiaoxiao stood up, her white dress billowing in the wind, making her seem ethereal.

A fairy must ascend to the celestial palace.

Ye Ling stared at her, her heart gripped by overwhelming panic.

She took a step forward, only to be blocked by Shang Mi’er.

“If this is what you truly want,” Geng Xiaoxiao said, her gaze unwavering. Her eyes held no love, no hatred, only a terrifying calm.

“Then I have only one request: take care of my Grandma.”

“No, that’s not…”

Ye Ling shoved Shang Mi’er away with all her might, but it was too late.

The girl in the white dress tilted her head back, her gaze fixed upward. Sadly, no stars were visible in the city sky, only the moon hung high above.

With a gentle leap, she plummeted downward like a bird with a broken wing.

“No!!”

Ye Ling’s voice tore from her throat, but it was too weak for anyone to hear.

The world seemed to slow to a crawl, every detail magnified and stretched before her eyes.

Ye Ling sprinted forward with all her strength. Li Du emerged from behind a gauze curtain, brandishing a knife and charging toward her without hesitation.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out. A knife flew past, slicing across Ye Ling’s arm.

Li Du collapsed.

Another gunshot. A second assailant fell.

Ignoring everything else, Ye Ling lunged toward the edge of the flowerbed, half her body leaning over the edge as she gripped her lifeline tightly.

The wound on her arm tore open from the strain, warm bl00d trickling down her forearm and dripping onto the porcelain-smooth face of the girl below.

The girl’s eyes fluttered open, revealing clear, light brown irises.

“Xiaoxiao, please, please stay alive.”

More liquid dripped down, warm and indistinguishable between bl00d and tears.

“My palms are covered in bl00d, they’re so slippery. I can’t hold on much longer. Please, grab onto me.”

Ye Ling pleaded, her devotion surpassing even the most devout believer.

Geng Xiaoxiao momentarily faltered.

But only for a moment.

“What would you do if I held on?” she asked Ye Ling. “Keep me as your eternal second choice?”

“Xiaoxiao, it’s not like that. I…”

The body beneath her hand slipped further down, Ye Ling’s face contorting in pain. “Please, just come up first. I’ll explain everything slowly.”

Geng Xiaoxiao remained silent, her gaze fixed upward, but not on Ye Ling.

A new sensation wrapped around her wrist, like being bound by a rope.

It was the Bodhi bead bracelet Grandma had left her.

She’d almost forgotten—this too had to be returned.

“Then you’d better hold on tight.”

Geng Xiaoxiao raised her other hand, slowly reaching upward.

Ye Ling exclaimed in delight, “Yes, that’s it! Grab…”

The weight in her palm suddenly vanished.

Ye Ling froze, her hands still clenched in a futile grip.

Fireworks erupted, their timing utterly inappropriate.

Colorful blooms filled the sky, their reflections dancing on the sea. Amidst this spectacle, the girl in the white dress was the most inconspicuous flower of all.

Splash

Congratulations, Host! Geng Xiaoxiao’s death scenario has been completed.