episode_0034

“Mmgh——!!!!”

Su Qingya gasped in sharp pain, her grip going slack.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Nian shoved her away forcefully.

And laughed.

Her laughter carried rhythm.

Anyone familiar with modern music would recognize it—the melody of a currently trending love song.

The Ferris wheel had reached its zenith.

Blinding sunlight streamed through the cabin window, casting its glow over Xu Nian.

Su Qingya collapsed onto the floor, staring helplessly at her.

She couldn’t hear.

She couldn’t see.

She couldn’t hear what Xu Nian was laughing about.

She couldn’t see Xu Nian’s expression, what she looked like in this moment.

Because Xu Nian stood bathed in light.

That laughter stabbed into her skull, sending tremors through her entire body.

The girl before her seemed to have lost herself, cackling wildly.

Had Nian gone mad?

Why?

Su Qingya sat motionless on the floor, stunned.

Why? Why? Whywhywhywhy—

What had even just happened?

She couldn’t stop it. She’d been so careful, done everything possible to prevent this.

So why hadn’t it worked?

Why hadn’t it worked?

She hadn’t noticed anything.

How had she missed every sign?

No abnormalities, nothing at all!

But then—without warning—Nian had snapped.

If Nian had truly lost her mind… would she lose her forever?

If Nian was really being controlled by the Emotion-Beast’s influence, if it killed her—

Would she really lose her forever?

Not the kind of loss where hearts change.

But loss in the truest, most irreversible sense.

To lose her at the peak of their love, when they cherished each other most.

Just like that.

Because of her own incompetence.

Because of her own weakness.

Lost completely.

If she lost her…

If she truly lost her forever—

Never hearing her voice again, never seeing her face, never feeling her warmth—

She would—

She would—

She couldn’t imagine that outcome.

Even the thought of it made her tremble in terror.

Her future couldn’t exist without Xu Nian.

She would not allow that future.

No—no, this couldn’t happen!

She couldn’t lose Xu Nian.

She couldn’t lose Xu Nian!!

【Fear Level: 93%】

She had to do something.

She must do something.

Or else—or else her Nian would be stolen from her.

Dark currents seeped from Su Qingya’s body, pooling at the base of the cabin like dry ice.

The entire compartment groaned with an eerie creak.

Skreeek—craaak—skreeek—craaak—

Xu Nian watched as the once-peaceful cabin twisted into something horrifying.

The sky darkened.

The clear blue was tainted by swirling black mist, devouring the heavens.

A storm brewed, flickers of lightning threading through the gloom.

Xu Nian’s laughter died.

…The hell?

She was just singing a love song. What, was her singing that bad?

She thought she sounded pretty good.

【Ding~ Daily quest completed. +1 Simulation count. Current remaining simulations: 1】

The cabin descended past the peak, but the black mist had already slithered through the door seams, spreading like rot across the Ferris wheel.

“Look—what’s happening over there?!”

Someone pointed at the shrouded Ferris wheel, baffled by the inexplicable phenomenon.

Only the oddly uniformed staff reacted—their expressions shifting.

The worker in pink at the base scowled deeper.

Xu Nian wanted to speak, but the rules held her tongue.

She had just gotten a simulation chance—should she use it now?

But this was a crucial opportunity. She wanted to prepare properly before using it, or risk wasting it.

Yet seeing Su Qingya like this left her uncertain.

…Fine.

Opportunities existed to be used.

Who knew what would happen if she waited?

Su Qingya seemed possessed.

If Xu Nian focused only on escaping and ignored her safety—wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse?

So…

【Ding~ Host has initiated simulation】

【-1 Simulation count. Remaining: 0】

【Simulation loading…】

[Due to certain circumstances, you and your girlfriend have reached the Ferris wheel’s pinnacle—the most romantic setting in any story. Legend claims lovers who confess here receive heaven’s truest blessing, guaranteeing a lifetime together. Thus, you decide to sing her a love song at the top.]

[You opt for an… unconventional approach. Mere singing feels too cliché—instead, you laugh the melody, believing it more impactful. Surely, your girlfriend would find your laughter enchanting, utterly lost in your “song.”]

[Your girlfriend thinks you’ve gone insane. Terror grips her. She worries for you—but no matter. She intervenes.]

[You watch as she corrupts the Ferris wheel with an occult force. It twists alive, morphing into a monstrous entity. It dredges up a so-called “Love-Beast” from some unseen abyss, grinding it apart before your eyes. Blood sprays. She believes witnessing the creature’s death will “cure” you.]

[Her bloodied hand caresses your cheek. She whispers comforts, pleading for your sanity. Her crimson eyes lock onto you—unblinking, unrelenting.]

[Black chains shackle you to the cabin. Fearful for your safety, she imprisons you in the only “secure” place she knows—the Ferris wheel. She pins you to the ceiling, embracing you tightly, murmuring reassurances.]

[You remember—you’re a lockpick master. You could escape these binds… if only she weren’t watching you every second.]

[Through the window, you see the monstrous Ferris wheel move, crushing anything in its path. Ants? Casualties. To her, only your safety matters. All else is enemy.]

[You black out—from stress, or perhaps because she wills it.]

[You awaken in a lightless void. She’s lit a lamp for you—oddly, the flame is black, yet it illuminates the space perfectly.]

[The chamber is sealed. No doors, no exits. Somehow, air circulates—you breathe, but escape is inconceivable.]

[You turn—and find her still there. Staring. Unwavering. Her eyes are bloodshot.]

[“Nian, I won’t let you leave my sight again.”]

[“Nian, let’s grow old here together, okay? The outside world is too dangerous. Stay with me forever—only then will you be safe.”]

[“I’ll give you everything you want. We can do anything—just don’t leave. Never leave me.”]

[“So… I won’t let you face danger again. Just stay here. Just stay.”]

[“You only need to be with me.”]

[“You’re mine. No where else.”]

[You may spend the rest of your life trapped in this abyss with her.]

[Simulation Complete]

[Unlocked Ending: Cave-Keeper]

[You believe the purest love is eternal togetherness. Though freedom is forfeit, you’ll exist in an everlasting world of two—merged, inseparable.]

[Such greedy love.]

[Select Reward:]

[1. Laughing Melody — The skill to “sing” love songs through laughter]

[2. Chains of Dread — Shackles that restrain your hands preemptively]

[3. Emotion-Artifact — Lamp of the Entombed Soul]