I'm caught in the cycle of endless competition, you're waiting for me in the apocalypse.

"Dr. Qi? Dr. Qi... I've finished talking... Also, I'm hungry..."

One mess after another, it's truly exhausting. With darkness falling completely, An Xin was starving. She wondered what was wrong with her adoptive parents; Wen Lan must have been terrified these past few days…

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements." Qi Mingxuan still frowned, as if he had thought of something, and said, "I'll go out for a while. Don't wander around, just stay here obediently. The An family's bodyguards are at the door, and you can also press the call button by the bed to find the doctor if anything happens."

Only after Qi Mingxuan strode out of the ward did An Xin dare to breathe loudly.

"Phew... that guy is finally gone. I wonder if he believed what I said. He's really too smart, and cunning too, trying to test me... Xiao Jiu, it's so hard without the original owner's memories." An Xin looked to Di Ting for comfort with a worried expression.

"You probably don't completely believe me yet! It's been tough on you, Xinxin. It's all my fault for being useless, not hearing everything... leaving you in such a passive position..."

Looking at the pitiful Di Ting in her mind's eye, and then at those big, dark puppy eyes that were practically brimming with tears, An Xin's heart softened instantly. "Oh, don't blame yourself. You've done your best. Things are already like this, let's not dwell on it anymore~ I'll work hard to recover and cultivate more, so we can start collecting missions as soon as possible. Go for it! Go for it! Go for it!"

After giving the dog a gentle rub, An Xin smiled brightly again, clenching her fists with great enthusiasm as if to cheer it on.

The dog listened attentively to the gentle rubs, nodded its head, and perked up.

..........................................................................................

These past few days have been peaceful.

An Xin had learned her lesson and now spent most of her time in the suite, eating and drinking as she pleased. Her adoptive parents were there for every meal, taking meticulous care of her. An Xin saw in them that their concern for her was genuine, filled with heartfelt doting affection. The more they did this, the more uneasy she felt, constantly remembering Qi Mingxuan's words—"My conscience will hurt!"

Qi Mingxuan would come to see An Xin from time to time, probably to fulfill his promise to his adoptive father. But An Xin was miserable; who wanted him to come? A grown man sitting by her hospital bed, not saying a word, just staring at her—was he out of his mind?!

When An Xin is alone, she scrolls through her phone, watching news and various videos. There's nothing she can do; she and Di Ting are still very weak, so they can only try to learn more about the world and survive by playing it safe.

"Xiao Jiu, when can we go back to the An family? I'm practically turning into a moldy mess here..."

"It'll be soon. An Zongping acted swiftly. He dismissed many of the An family's servants on the grounds that you were injured at the villa that day and were not taken to the hospital in time, leaving only a few 'old-timers.' It can be considered a case of 'better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.' No matter who they were, they were all cleared out. The same goes for the company. A group of professional 'cleaners' suddenly arrived and thoroughly searched the company inside and out, uncovering many spies from rival companies."

Have you found out who's behind this attack against me?

"no!"

"Then it's all for nothing..." An Xin sighed.

"Therefore, An Zongping suspects that the mastermind is an organization connected with ghosts and monsters."

"How to say?"

"They checked the villa's surveillance footage, all the footage inside and outside, and even got access to surveillance footage from the surrounding community. After investigation and comparison, they were able to determine that the original owner never left the room on the day of the incident, and no one entered the original owner's room."

"Could the surveillance cameras have been replaced?"

"We've checked, and the surveillance footage wasn't tampered with."

"The original owner died between 4 and 5 a.m.... If she was sleeping and no one else broke in, how did she die? Suicide?... No, who would commit suicide by hitting their own forehead? And when I woke up, I didn't find anything unusual in the room, and there was no murder weapon on the bed. Right, such a big wound on the forehead, where's the blood? There's none in the room. Did the original owner hit her head and then clean up the blood?... Was it murder? The killer hit the original owner's head and then cleaned up the scene? Within half an hour? I didn't smell any chemicals when I woke up... Even if it was a ghost, there would be blood. But the wound was so clean..."

An Xin propped her head up like that, muttering to herself for a long time...

"If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it. Even I can't hear this, you'll never understand it no matter how hard you try."

"Alright then, I am the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord Di Ting~"

Di Ting: I'm so angry!!!

………………………………………………………………………

"Anxin, get ready, you can go home today. Uncle An and Aunt An will come to pick you up soon. Also, remember your promise, I hope to keep it as soon as possible."

Qi Mingxuan walked in, sat down on the small sofa, and started peeling an apple.

Anxin: This man is so calm and elegant even when peeling an apple, what a noble young master... Why is he picking on me?

Qi Mingxuan finished peeling the apple and looked up to see the little girl frowning, looking at him with accusatory eyes. He calmly handed her the apple and continued to stare at her without saying a word.

The girl took the apple, reluctantly said thank you, and took a big bite, followed by another. Her pouty expression reminded Qi Mingxuan of some small animal, and he suddenly chuckled softly.

An Xin: Are you sick? What are you laughing at... Don't you know you look good when you laugh and your voice sounds nice... How can anyone hate him? It's totally unfair! -- From the discontent of a face-obsessed and voice-obsessed person.

"Um... Dr. Qi, there aren't many people I can trust in this world right now, and you're the only one who knows my secret..." An Xin clasped her hands together and asked cautiously, "Could I ask you for a favor?"

"What help?"

"Could you introduce me to a powerful Taoist master in your family? You know I know nothing about this world, and there are people who want to kill me, even ghosts are involved. If I can meet a master, maybe I can learn a move or two, and I can save my life."

"it is good!"

“And I was right under the nose of an expert… Huh? What, you agreed?” An Xin tilted her head, blinking in disbelief, her fluffy hair swaying slightly with her movements.

An Xin: Huh? Why is he suddenly being so easy to talk to?

Qi Mingxuan: Her hair looks so fine and soft, I wonder what it feels like to the touch...

He raised his hand almost unconsciously, then paused, changed the direction of his hand, and pressed it to his lips: "Ahem... Once you've recovered, send me a message, and I'll make the arrangements. Uncle An and the others will be here soon, so you can get ready. I'll head out now..."

Anxin: What happened all of a sudden?

A big question mark filled her little head as she watched Qi Mingxuan's departing figure.

...........................................................................

Soon, An Xin was taken home by her adoptive parents.

After dinner, and after a long talk of care and advice, An Zongping pulled the reluctant Wen Lan away, leaving An Xin alone in the room to rest.

"Finally back..." An Xin stretched lazily and let out a breath. "Let's go have a date with the jacuzzi!"

After drinking a bottle of elixir, An Xin comfortably settled into the bathtub. Feeling wonderful, she sprinkled herself with rose petals and lit the scented candles on the rim of the tub. Having done this, the girl slid into the tub, enjoying a thoroughly refreshing experience from head to toe. A moment later, like a water sprite, she emerged from the large tub, tossing aside her hair that had been obscuring her face and gently wiping the water droplets from her small cheeks. Laughing and playing, she released the tension and fatigue that had accumulated over time.

Fifteen minutes later, the sticky feeling on her skin returned. An Xin obediently leaned against the edge of the bathtub, silently enduring the pain of her spiritual energy clearing her meridians. Another fifteen minutes passed, and the pain subsided. As usual, she took two showers. The girl, wrapped in a bath towel, sat down at the vanity by the bathtub, preparing to blow-dry her hair.

"Buzz buzz buzz..." The phone vibrated.

An Xin was drying her hair with a hairdryer in one hand and reaching for her phone with the other. She almost lost her grip, and in her haste, her finger swiped across the screen, causing the phone to fall spectacularly to the ground.

Qi Mingxuan returned to his apartment, washed up, and, wearing a bathrobe, sat in front of the 270-degree panoramic window. Alone, he faced the city beneath this dark, gaping maw. In the distance, something seemed to be stirring restlessly on the dark horizon, making him uneasy.

The glass reflected the man's handsome features and his furrowed brows. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, the image of a vibrant young girl surfaced in his mind. That light was so radiant, seemingly possessing boundless energy, warm and healing.

Following his heart, Qi Mingxuan took out his phone, wanting to see what the girl was doing, and sent her a video call. After sending the request, he thought that the girl was probably already resting and shouldn't be disturbed. Just as he was about to hang up, the video call was answered.

The screen was shaking violently, but after a short while, a girl burst in.

Because she had just taken a bath, An Xin's face was flushed, and a tuft of slightly damp hair playfully clung to her cheek. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were slightly wide open, innocent yet revealing a hint of surprise. Beneath her delicate, upturned nose, her small, rosy lips were slightly parted. A tiny drop of water slid down her small chin, across her slender swan neck, her exquisite collarbone, and finally disappeared into her cleavage.

The increasingly refined figure was enveloped in a soft halo. In the steamy room, she resembled an elf who had strayed into the human world—pure, dreamlike, yet relentlessly dragging one into the abyss of desire…