After nine lifetimes of reincarnation, the yandere villainous heroine descends.

In a corner of the vast starry sky, darkness, as black as ink, swallows everything, leaving only boundless silence and desolation, where even starlight is stingy in its sprinkling.

Suddenly, a blazing red sword light pierced through the thick darkness, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night.

Immediately afterwards, a figure dressed in fiery red descended from the sky and landed on this desolate land.

Qin Hongyi stared at the empty darkness before her, unable to sense any sign of life; her exquisitely beautiful face was filled with numbness.

She knew she had gone to the wrong place again.

Since the last battle with the chained woman, Yan Xuanshi, who was traveling with her, has disappeared without a trace.

From then on, she was like a headless fly, wandering aimlessly through the Milky Way.

She didn't linger, nor did she show the slightest hint of disappointment. She simply lifted her foot, stepped into the void once more, and turned to leave.

For her, this search was fruitless, but there was always another place to look, and she had to keep searching.

The only thing that kept her going in this desolate galaxy was finding her master's trail.

"Has this always been your way of life?"

Just as Qin Hongyi was about to completely leave this darkness, a soft voice suddenly rang out.

The sound came from her waist—where a bright green tassel leaf was tied.

The petals are crystal clear, with a faint shimmering light flowing through them. Another soul resides within the leaf, listening to the whispers.

Qin Hongyi paused slightly, lowered her eyes to look at the tassel at her waist, and said softly, "Mm."

From within the tasseled leaves, Wen Yu Ning's voice carried a hint of pity: "For so long, you've never been willing to tell me about you and Young Master Shen. What... exactly happened between you two?"

Since Qin Hongyi took Wen Yuning away from Jiang Qianqiu's world, she has traveled through the Milky Way, and the only one who can accompany her is Wen Yuning, who has transformed into tassels.

Although Yan Xuanshi had accompanied him before, the two were ultimately just cooperating for mutual benefit, and there were constant disagreements between them, let alone any heartfelt connection.

Although Wen Yuning also cares about her master, her personality is completely different from Yan Xuanshi's.

She was more like Qin Hongyi's friend, the second person besides her master who truly cared about her.

In this lonely and cold starry sky, Wen Yuning was the only person she could talk to.

Along the way, she mentioned Young Master Shen several times and also cautiously inquired about her past with her master.

Qin Hongyi remained silent.

It's not that I'm unwilling, but rather that I don't know where to begin, let alone how to say it.

Seeing that she remained silent, Wen Yuning did not press further, but gently comforted her: "Although I don't know what happened between you and Young Master Shen, or what you did to him, I think Young Master Shen won't blame you."

Wen Yuning had vaguely guessed from Qin Hongyi's repeated silences that she had done something to Shen Shuchou that was difficult to talk about, or even something she couldn't bear to recall.

"Really?"

Qin Hongyi suddenly spoke, her voice trembling slightly.

For so long, she had asked herself countless times: If she saw her master again, would he blame her for killing him?

This was the nightmare that haunted her heart, and the root cause of how she was almost devoured by her inner demons.

Hearing Yuning's words at that moment was like a glimmer of light, instantly igniting the almost desperate hope in her heart.

It turned her back into that little girl who desperately wanted an answer.

"I know Mr. Shen's character quite well. He raised you, so no matter what you did, he won't blame you. Mr. Shen is an extremely gentle person."

Within the tassel leaves, Wen Yu Ning's voice was gentle yet firm.

Qin Hongyi fell silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on the endless darkness in the distance, and two streaks of blood appeared deep in her eyes.

She finally asked, with difficulty and pausing to enunciate each word:

"What if... I killed him with my own hands? Would he still... blame me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Milky Way seemed to fall into a deathly silence.

After a moment of silence, Wen Yuning's voice, tinged with shock yet still gentle, rang out: "Red dress..."

She never imagined that her past would be like this.

"I don't know how to say it..."

Wen Yuning's voice hesitated for a moment, but quickly became firm, "But if Young Master Shen knew about your suffering all these years, and knew that you have been looking for him, perhaps... he would understand that you have no choice in the matter."

Wen Yuning paused for a moment, then said, "Moreover, Young Master Shen is living a good life somewhere right now. What you are carrying is the regret of the past, but there is still a future between you and him that you can continue to write."

Qin Hongyi didn't speak, she just stared at the boundless darkness.

The bloodshot in his eyes gradually faded, leaving only a deep, unyielding confusion.

The mark of personally killing one's master is etched into one's bones; it cannot be easily erased with a few words of comfort.

But Yu Ning's words were like a seed, unexpectedly falling into the long-barren depths of her heart.

Perhaps... is there really still a chance?

She raised her hand and gently grasped the warm tassel leaf at her waist.

A moment later, the red figure moved again, transforming into a streak of light and flying towards the next unknown star field.

......

......

A few hours later, Shen Shuchou's flight landed at Yandu Tianfu Airport.

He changed into an ordinary black coat and mingled in the bustling crowd, walking unhurriedly toward the exit.

Stepping out of the huge terminal, the scene outside is completely different.

The crowds holding signs to greet passengers, travelers hurrying by with their suitcases, and drivers occasionally approaching to ask questions created a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Shen Shuchou kept his eyes straight ahead and walked directly to the roadside, intending to find a place to stay first, and then search for Wu Qinghan's whereabouts based on the clues provided by Wu Shushuang.

But he had only taken a few steps when a figure suddenly blocked his way.

Shen Shuchou looked up and saw that the other person was a tall and thin middle-aged man wearing a faded jacket with a simple and honest smile on his face, looking like an old driver who had been driving around for years.

"Hey kid, where are you headed?"

The middle-aged man rubbed his hands together, speaking in a warm tone, "Do you need a ride? I have a car here, the price is fair, much cheaper than taking a taxi."

Shen Shuchou looked at the feigned simplicity on his face, his expression still calm, but a cold smile crept up in his heart.

An ordinary person might be fooled by this appearance, but he could clearly sense that there was a faint but not negligible spiritual energy fluctuation surrounding the other person.

There was also a deliberately suppressed malice hidden within, a kind of scrutiny and calculation of the target, which, no matter how well concealed, could not escape his perception.

What puzzled Shen Shuchou was who exactly was targeting him.

But Shen Shuchou didn't expose him immediately. He just glanced at him indifferently, walked around him, and continued walking forward, saying in a distant tone, "No need."

The middle-aged man's smile froze for a moment, and a barely perceptible shadow flashed in his eyes.

He quickly caught up, persistently saying, "No, young man, it's hard to get a taxi in Yandu, especially at this hour. Which district do you need to go to? I'll take you there, it's really not expensive..."

Shen Shuchou did not stop walking, nor did he even turn his head.

He could sense several subtle gazes fixed on him, indicating that he was not alone.

Shen Shuchou knew that this group of people would not make a move in public; they must be trying to lure him to a secluded place before taking action.

Even after they leave the terminal, they will definitely follow them.

Instead of passively defending ourselves, we should go with the flow and see what tricks they're up to.

At that time, it remains to be seen who will be the prey and who will be the hunter.

Just as he was secretly calculating, the middle-aged man was still rubbing his hands, persistently asking, "So, young man? Have you thought it over? My price is definitely a bargain, no cheating on anyone, young or old."

Shen Shuchou looked at his deliberately smiling face, his eyes growing colder, and was about to speak in agreement.

Suddenly, a series of crisp footsteps came from ahead, the sound of high heels clicking on the ground, growing louder as they approached.

Immediately afterward, a figure blocked his way, a cold voice asking, "You're Shen Shuchou?"

Shen Shuchou paused, his words caught in his throat, and looked up at the woman before him, slightly taken aback.

The other person was wearing a black overcoat, had a tall and upright figure, and wore a baseball cap.

He wore a pair of dark sunglasses that covered almost half of his face, revealing only his well-defined jawline and tightly pursed lips.

"It seems so."

Seeing that he remained silent, the woman added in a calm tone, "Someone asked me to pick you up. Come with me."

"Miss, do you really know him?"

Seeing this, the middle-aged man standing nearby hurriedly stepped forward, a fake smile plastered on his face, "This is my guest, he's almost agreed to ride in my car."

Upon hearing this, the woman in the coat calmly took out a small purse from her pocket, pulled out two hundred-yuan bills, and handed them to the middle-aged man, her voice still flat: "Is this enough?"

The middle-aged man glanced quickly across the crowd out of the corner of his eye and saw an inconspicuous woman subtly shake her head at him.

He immediately put on a fawning smile, took the money, and said, "That's enough! Young man, you should have said so earlier if someone was picking you up at the airport! But we're destined to meet again!"

After saying that, he turned and merged into the crowd, but his gaze, though seemingly unwavering, never left Shen Shuchou.

After the middle-aged man left, the woman in the coat looked Shen Shuchou up and down, her face still expressionless: "Let's go."

Shen Shuchou stood still, his gaze fixed on her, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes: "Who was the person who asked you to pick me up?"

"You don't need to know who that person is right now. All you need to do is come with me."

The woman in the coat said calmly.

Seeing that Shen Shuchou remained unmoved, a displeased expression appeared on her face: "You know that I've already wasted a lot of my time picking you up. I don't want to waste any more time with you now. In short, either come with me or stay here."

Shen Shuchou looked at her, then glanced at the prying eyes that were faintly visible in the crowd, and finally followed her.

The two walked into the parking lot one after the other. The woman went straight to a black sedan, opened the door, and said, "Get in."

Shen Shuchou bent down and sat in the passenger seat. The moment the car door closed, he clearly felt it.

The gazes that were following them were kept at bay, but the tense atmosphere in the air did not lessen in the slightest.

The car smoothly drove out of the parking lot and merged into the traffic flow in Yandu.

The carriage was completely silent, with only the low hum of the engine.

The car had barely driven off when the woman in the coat in the driver's seat received a ring on her phone.

She swiped the screen with her slender finger, brought the phone to her ear, and a slightly anxious voice quickly came from the other end: "How is it? Did you pick him up?"

"Received."

Xie Zhixia's voice remained calm.

"It's good that you received it."

Shen Wanfu breathed a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone.

He then added, "Take him to your place first. I'll be boarding the plane right away and will be there soon. Oh, and I'm warning you, don't you dare have any improper thoughts about him!"

Outside Suzhou Airport, Shen Wanfu held her phone, her tone clearly wary.

Inside the car, Xie Zhixia glanced at Shen Shuchou in the passenger seat without making a sound, her eyes flashing with undisguised disdain.

She said into the phone, "Who do you take me for, Xie Zhixia? She's just a pretty face; she's not good enough for me."

Her words were so blunt they were almost harsh, but Shen Shuchou seemed not to hear them, still gazing at the street scene flashing past the window, his face expressionless.

But he could hear the voice on the other end of the phone perfectly clearly.

The woman's voice sounded somewhat familiar, as if I had heard it somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place it.

P.S.: As the year draws to a close, please remember to keep warm! Have a wonderful New Year!