episode_0052

“Hmph, the Xu family truly treated us to a fine spectacle—how shamelessly you bully others with your power!”

Voices rose from all around, rallying in defense of the young girl, all deeply dissatisfied with Xu Nian’s actions.

Su Qingya paid no heed to the surrounding remarks, urgently whispering,

“Nian Nian, what’s wrong with you?”

An inky, nearly imperceptible aura slowly seeped from Su Qingya’s body, wrapping around Xu Nian until she finally calmed, her chaotic mind gradually settling.

“I… I don’t know. Just now, I suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to destroy something.”

This inexplicable situation… didn’t seem entirely unfounded.

With a jolt, Xu Nian’s mind reeled.

“An Emoter!”

This person before her was undoubtedly an [Emoter]!

She must have wielded the power of emotion.

But why would she do this?

Only after hearing Xu Nian’s response did Su Qingya finally understand.

That person had come specifically to target the two of them.

No—to target Nian Nian in particular.

Unforgivable.

Su Qingya shielded Xu Nian behind her, her gaze locking onto the young woman, eyes flashing with uncontrollable fury.

The girl was still crying, performing pitiful gestures to garner sympathy from the crowd.

Then, a violent urge to destroy surged uncontrollably in Su Qingya’s heart.

Taking Xu Nian’s place, she strode toward the girl, grabbing a nearby stool as she advanced step by step.

Thud. Thud. The wooden stool scraped against the floor.

Each step was like a club striking against their hearts, making pulses skip erratically.

“What do you think you’re doing, Su Qingya?! She just spilled a bit of wine—are you seriously going to hit her over that?”

Someone hurled accusations at her.

“No surprise, coming from some nobody who crawled out of nowhere. Completely unfit for proper society—just look at those clothes. Disgusting. Bet her character’s just as rotten.”

Others jeered mockingly.

A storm of insults pierced through the air like blades, yet none had any effect.

Su Qingya ignored them entirely.

Her focus remained fixed on the Emoter, as if fearing she might flee.

The girl stiffened, stunned.

She couldn’t detect even the faintest trace of [Pity] rising within Su Qingya.

Under such pressure, any normal person would have felt at least some sorrow.

But Su Qingya felt none.

The emotion spread further.

“Qingya?! What are you doing?”

Xu Nian’s parents had finally noticed Su Qingya’s actions and called out to her, but she refused to answer.

A few courageous souls stepped forward to intervene, only to be sent flying by Su Qingya’s brutal backhands—her strikes impossibly heavy, unmatched by any ordinary person.

“Security! Security!”

At the shouts, patrolling guards rushed over, wielding steel batons meant to restrain her. Yet they found their weapons passing straight through Su Qingya’s form, failing to even graze her.

“A ghost?! It’s a ghost!”

Someone shrieked, and terror instantly contaminated the air.

Everyone had seen the impossible sight.

What else could phase through solid objects except a ghost?

With another vicious slap, Su Qingya sent the interfering guard sprawling, her strength terrifying.

Each step left a pitch-black imprint on the ground, while the girl only wept harder.

Gradually, Su Qingya felt her movements slow, as though something beneath the earth was dragging her down, pulling her into quicksand.

The solid concrete liquefied into mud, seeking to crush her.

“How could you do this? How could you?! Have you no humanity? No compassion? This was your fault—why double down on harming the victim?”

Voices surged from all directions, crashing over Su Qingya like waves.

Not just people—even objects began to condemn her.

She could no longer drag the stool forward.

Xu Nian hadn’t anticipated things spiraling this way.

Why had an Emoter suddenly appeared?

A [Pity Path] one, no less.

And she was targeting Xu Nian specifically.

A simple banquet shouldn’t have harbored this level of upheaval.

Xu Nian clenched her fists.

She decided to simulate—to seek out a solution.

__ Ding~ Host initiating simulation. Deducting 1 simulation attempt. Remaining attempts: 0. Simulation commencing…

Due to certain circumstances, you and your girlfriend have finally reconciled and gained your parents’ approval. As time passes, you attend her homecoming banquet together after returning. It’s a lavish affair—acquaintances from your father’s social circle gather, and the spread is sumptuous, promising a feast for the senses.

You assumed the night would pass peacefully—just a standard homecoming banquet, hardly a crucial plot point. At most, some oblivious male lead might show up. But you underestimated protagonist gravity. A protagonist’s banquet is never without strange incidents.

A [Pity Path] Emoter collapses beside you. Had your girlfriend not been nearby, you might’ve fallen prey to her eerie influence, spiraling toward an unknown fate.

Your girlfriend burns with indignation—she wants to avenge you. But as a One-Star, she stands little chance against a Three-Star Emoter.

You naturally accept the crisis and start brainstorming solutions. Then you recall owning an Emotional Artifact—perhaps this will be your key to breaking free.

You ignite the artifact—”The Lantern of the Restless Dead.” A Four-Star Fear Path artifact classified as B-grade by the authorities, it can isolate space, creating a domain where escape is impossible.

You trap the Emoter—or so you think. Her wails permeate the lantern’s barrier, awakening pity within your artifact. After all, you haven’t spent much time bonding with it. Instead of obeying you, it sympathizes with the Three-Star Emoter’s plight.

Now immobilized by your own artifact’s mercy, you realize she came for you—to take something from you. What was meant to be a mere probe unexpectedly succeeds. Free from restraint, she whisks you away to a desolate nowhere.

Your body is torn open. She extracts something from your heart—apparently the answer she sought.

Your girlfriend searches for you desperately, teetering on madness, but all she finds are your remains. Terror festers in her heart.

“Nian Nian… how could you end up like this? That wretched creature dared do this to you.” “I’ll never forgive her. Never! They all deserve to die—every last one!” “Please wake up… just once more. Look at me again…” “I can’t lose you, Nian Nian!”

Fear reshapes your corpse. In the future, you may persist as a fox-zombie hybrid—but your girlfriend refuses to let you stray from her sight. She’ll move heaven and earth to keep you by her side.

Simulation complete. Unlocked Ending: Love Beyond Death You believe the purest love persists even beyond the grave—clawing back from the underworld to stand beside her. Even as a lifeless husk, incapable of shapeshifting, your companionship remains unbroken. What a tragic, beautiful bond.

Please choose your reward: 1. Deepen your Emotional Artifact’s bond. 2. Xu Nian’s Heart. 3. Prematurely transform into a Zombie-Fox body.