Fu Xuan was gone.
Just like that, the young Diviner who had tirelessly worried over Yu Xian for days and nights without rest left in a hurry.
Apart from leaving Yu Xian, Qingque, and Bailu utterly bewildered, it seemed Fu Xuan had left nothing else behind.
It was truly perplexing…
Bailu pouted. This Dragon-child elder sister, wise beyond her years, still chose to speak up and explain on Fu Xuan's behalf—lest she be misunderstood from now on.
"Let me tell you, Fu Xuan, the Diviner, really has a cold face but a kind heart. She kept saying she didn't care, didn't care, but in the end—"
Bailu spread her hands.
"I saw clearly how much effort Fu Xuan expended to find me to treat you, Yu Xian. And afterwards, it's true that she never once came to your room to see you while you were lying in that sickbed waiting to die, but she had been staying in the adjacent room all along, watching you through the screen, not even closing her eyes for days and nights..."
Bailu explained on behalf of Fu Xuan, who had always tried her best to act tough—describing how deeply she cared for Yu Xian, how she had been unable to eat, sleep, or rest peacefully these past few days, and so on.
Afterward, Bailu examined Yu Xian once more, prescribed some medicine, and gave additional instructions—advising Yu Xian to rest properly and to call for her anytime if any issues arose—before finally taking her leave.
Ultimately, the fact that Bailu could come out to treat Yu Xian and stay for a few days was already the result of Fu Xuan calling in a significant favor.
If not for Fu Xuan, it would have been difficult to say whether Bailu could have appeared in this hospital room at all. Conventionally, Bailu should have been confined to her small room by her so-called guardians—reading, preparing medicines, and seeing patients…
'Ugh, the more I think about it, the less I want to go back. So boring, so tedious!'
Bailu clicked her tongue, then strode away, swaying her dragon tail as she meandered off.
The room suddenly felt much quieter. Now, only Yu Xian and Qingque remained.
The air, tinged with the scent of disinfectant, grew thick and heavy, carrying a faint, ambiguous pink hue and a delicate floral fragrance.
Ah, that was Qingque's scent.
One might call it thoughtful: when Fu Xuan hurriedly left, she hadn't given a thought to closing the door. But as Bailu exited the ward, a flick of her dragon tail swung the open door shut. Now, with the door closed, it sealed off any potential prying eyes from outside.
This was precisely why, the moment Bailu left, Qingque immediately threw herself into Yu Xian's embrace—entirely unafraid of being seen or causing any awkwardness.
At this moment, Qingque's petite and delicate figure nestled in Yu Xian's arms like a small cat, nuzzling her head incessantly against his chin.
Hmm.
Once again, Yu Xian cursed inwardly at the simulator for its inhumanity. He realized that being trapped in the simulation for a century had already cost him both arms in reality. Otherwise, he would have truly wanted to spread his arms and hold Qingque tightly, showering her with affection.
But now...
Yu Xian could only unsatisfyingly stretch his neck to gently kiss Qingque's forehead, conveying his feelings in that moment.
"Yu Xian…" The girl in his arms, already lacking rest and in poor condition, grew even more dazed from his kiss. Nestled against him, she began to whimper softly.
"You're still here… that's great… so great. I almost thought… you were going to leave me…"
Feeling the weight of the girl against him, Yu Xian chuckled softly. "Aren't I alive and well? Qingque, don't you see, I've always been here…"
Qingque suddenly lifted her head, her gaze fixed on Yu Xian.
Her face, turned up to meet his gaze, held an expression somewhere between anger and grievance. In any case, Qingque patted Yu Xian's chest with the faintest of force an act that felt more like a sulky plea for affection than an outlet for frustration.
"I was so scared—"
In the blink of an eye, the slight composure Qingque had regained vanished, and her voice trembled with tears once more.
Of course, Qingque hadn't had any dreams like Fu Xuan, nor did she know about Yu Xian's experiences within the simulation.
She simply felt an inexplicable conviction that if not for her, Yu Xian might never have ended up unconscious in a hospital bed, might not have lost both his arms, might not have...
Though she didn't know where this thought came from, she couldn't help but feel deeply upset. And the more upset she felt, the more she longed to draw even closer to Yu Xian.
"You're right here, aren't you? You won't die, right…?"
"Let me stay with you a little longer. Let me remain by your side, let me feel your warmth a while more…"
"I absolutely won't let you leave. Don't go, wuu…"
"So warm… so sleepy…"
"Let me doze off for just a bit…"
After who knows how long of speaking, Qingque lay against Yu Xian, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
Feeling the gentle rise and fall of the girl's chest against him, and the soft warmth of her body, Yu Xian also began to feel drowsy.
It wasn't just the mental exhaustion from spending a century all at once in the simulation, nor the helplessness of being unable to do anything while watching Qingque lose control repeatedly in the simulation. After returning to reality, Yu Xian truly felt the weakness in his body—the emptiness of energy and the loss of both arms, his physical condition had deteriorated so much.
'Damn simulator…'
With that thought, Yu Xian glanced at Qingque's peaceful sleeping face and closed his eyes.
Yu Xian also drifted into slumber.
...
[Hahaha, wasn't I right? You really need prosthetic limbs right now.]
[That's just how it is when simulation time is too long. The simulation continuously consumes Path energy to remain active, and your body couldn't withstand such prolonged energy expenditure. So, it's inevitable that your real body would suffer damage.]
[Don't worry, once you're strong enough, you can simulate for as long as you want—even a thousand or ten thousand years, and you'll be fine! It'll just cost a bit more energy, that's all…]
Hazy, shifting, dark, empty—indescribable, bizarre scenes.
A continuously scrolling text messages, their tone seemingly from the same AI customer service representative as last time.
Even if turned to ashes, Yu Xian would recognize this place.
The "Elation" brand simulator—the simulation space. A transit point between reality and the simulated world, and the perfect arena for his debates with customer service.
[Aiya, since you're here, how about… starting another simulation?]
"Ah, damn it! If I start another simulation now, I'll probably drop dead on the spot!"
Yu Xian clearly had no intention of agreeing to the suggestion from this overly familiar AI customer service.
"Today, I just want to stay with Qingque and sleep. It's my day off—no simulations!"
"Let me out—"
Yu Xian paused, then added:
"Oh, wait—what about those prosthetic limbs you mentioned? I've lost my arms; I can't even hold Qingque properly. That just won't do… Let me see how sturdy those prosthetics are?"
[Oh, right, right! You've hit the nail on the head. The prosthetic limbs from our simulator are absolutely the finest treasures in the world! Top-tier goods that you can't buy no matter how much you spend outside! I'll bring them up for you right now and equip them. You simply must give our simulator a positive review…]
[Come back often~]
Yu Xian woke from his dream. Opening his eyes, he saw Qingque still lying on his chest like a little cat, fast asleep.
Yu Xian smiled. Carefully, he extended the prosthetic limb given to him by the simulator a wooden hand made of some unknown type of wood and gently stroked Qingque's head.
"One day, I will achieve that perfect ending," Yu Xian murmured.
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Life Simulator: Starting in Genshin Impact!
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober