Collapse Iron: I just transmigrated! You want me to save the Black Tower?!

For Black Tower, this doll was certainly more than just a simple communication device.

That's what she said to Jiang Jiu.

She even added some special measures to the doll to prevent herself from not being able to find Jiang Jiu in the next reincarnation.

This ensures that the other versions of himself in other timelines can quickly become curious about "Jiang Jiu".

But what if Jiang Jiu throws away this doll...?

Confident as she was, Black Tower never even considered this option.

Jiang Jiu's gaze swept over the black tower and the little doll, and he raised his hand to place the mini version of the black tower doll on the windowsill.

He struggled helplessly.

"Hmm... how much do you know?"

"All."

"..."

Although I feel like I haven't done anything wrong, I'm inexplicably feeling guilty. What should I do?

Jiang Jiu wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he found that no matter what he said or what the reason was, it all seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

"I......"

“No need to explain.” Black Tower interrupted Jiang Jiu, her smile chillingly cold. “I know everything.”

Chapter 164 I think I care about you more than I thought.

Jiang Jiu looked into Hei Ta's eyes, and all the jumbled words he had just prepared in his mind were swallowed back.

The air in the laboratory seemed to freeze, and for a moment no one spoke.

Jiang Jiu pondered for a moment what to do next, when he saw the little black tower doll on the windowsill stretching its hand at him in dissatisfaction.

He hesitated for two seconds before taking the little doll back onto his shoulder.

...That's a bit strange.

It seems we're surrounded by Lord Black Tower.

You know...

Hei Ta suddenly spoke, staring directly at Jiang Jiu.

What do I hate the most?

She didn't wait for Jiang Jiu's reply, but continued talking to herself.

"I hate uncontrollable variables, I hate illogical things, and I hate even more people who have the ability to change the outcome but still choose the most extreme and uncompromising path."

Jiang Jiu blinked.

"You... don't you hate wasting time the most...?"

"What I hate is wasting time on meaningless things, or do you think the time saved at the cost of death is valuable?"

Black Tower's fingers clenched unconsciously.

"Jiang Jiu, what do you think you are? A piece of code that can be rolled back and restarted at will? Or a program that can format itself an infinite number of times to achieve a goal?"

But he is not.

This rollback did come at a cost.

On the path of self-destruction, nothing is closer to nothingness than death. If one no longer cares about life, then what will sustain one's existence?

"I'm backing up my memories not to admire your bravery, but to remember, to remember the next time, and the time after that, and if there's a next time... what method should I use to stop you, you damn bastard who always tries to solve problems by yourself!"

Towards the end, her voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

She was really angry.

Jiang Jiu was completely stunned.

He had witnessed the Black Tower's arrogance and her impatience.

I've witnessed her fervor when she's immersed in her research, and I've also seen her occasionally reveal a pure curiosity about interesting things.

But he had never seen a black tower like this before...

So solemn, so direct... she expressed her concern.

This concern weighed heavily on him, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

My chest feels tight...

He opened his mouth, but found his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a sound.

He looked at the black tower, at her eyes that now only reflected his image, and an absurd thought uncontrollably surfaced.

It seems that she... knew more than just his past, and was more than just worried about his future.

She seems to be...afraid of losing him...?

This realization made Jiang Jiu pause in surprise.

He really doesn't care about these things.

Countless deaths have made him less familiar with many concepts; as long as he can achieve his goal, nothing else matters.

But at this moment, Black Tower, with her stubbornness to grasp at any connection even across timelines, shattered his supposedly sound logic.

So it turns out... his choice really could leave such a deep mark on another person's heart.

So that's why... being cared for, worried about, and even schemed against like this doesn't feel so bad.

An inexplicable impulse, mixed with a belated sense of apology, welled up in my heart.

He took a step forward, closing the already short distance between them.

Black Tower seemed startled by his movement and instinctively tried to back away, but her heel hit the windowsill. She could only raise her eyes and look at him with a hint of wariness and confusion.

Jiang Jiu didn't give her time to think or back down.

He reached out, but instead of touching her, he gently lifted the small black tower doll.

The doll sat quietly in his palm, gazing back at him.

"Black Tower".

His voice was a little hoarse, but it carried an unprecedented seriousness.

“You’re right, I’m an idiot… I’m used to seeing everything as a calculable cost, including myself.”

He looked up and met Black Tower's gaze: "But there's one thing I didn't anticipate."

Black Tower's breath hitched almost imperceptibly, and a hint of doubt flashed in his purple eyes.

Jiang Jiu looked at her, a slight smile curving his lips. It wasn't his usual casual smile, but a smile that was tinged with helplessness, self-deprecation, and utter honesty.

“I didn’t expect…” he said softly, each word as if it were taken from the deepest part of his heart, carrying a burning temperature, “that someone would go to such lengths, over and over again, across timelines, to settle scores with me.”

His gaze fell on the doll in his palm, then shifted back to Black Tower's face; those eyes, accustomed to death, were now frighteningly bright.

"I certainly didn't expect this..."

He paused for a moment, as if gathering his courage, and then spoke clearly, word by word.

"Because of this trouble, I feel that coming back alive... is an extremely worthwhile thing."

"I would feel that it's not so bad to be remembered like this because I know that someone has backed up all my memories, even my worst choices."

“I didn’t even expect this,” his voice was lower, yet closer, almost a whisper, with a desperate, almost reckless directness, “to see you angry, to see you worried, to see you lose control because of me, here…”

With his free hand, he gently tapped his heart.

"To jump so fast..."

The laboratory was deathly silent.

Black Tower froze completely; all the expressions on her face were frozen.

She looked at Jiang Jiu, at his eyes that no longer flinched, and at the clear reflection within them that belonged only to her.

And...an emotion she had never seen in his eyes before, an emotion that was both vulnerable and intensely passionate...

Time seemed to be stretched out, each second feeling like an eternity.

Then, Jiang Jiu made an even bolder move.

He placed the little doll back on the windowsill, then raised his hand... extremely slowly, tentatively, and with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, gently touched Black Tower's hand, which was tightly gripping the windowsill.

The Black Tower didn't dodge.

The moment their fingertips touched, both of them trembled slightly.

“So,” he looked at her, his voice soft but each word heavy, “next time… if there is a next time, I promise I’ll try to choose a method that will make you worry less.”

"It's not because I'm afraid you'll hold me accountable."

He leaned forward slightly, so close that they could feel each other's breath.

"But because..."

His gaze swept over her slightly widened eyes, over her lips that were slightly parted in shock, and for a moment she was speechless.

"I think I care about your opinion more than I thought."

Chapter 165 Kiss

The Black Tower completely lost all ability to react.

She looked into Jiang Jiu's eyes, her mind blank.

She wanted to say something—to refute, to mock, or at least to maintain the image she had always had.

But she tried several times, her lips slightly parted, but she couldn't make a sound.

After an unknown amount of time, she took a deep breath and calmly said, "Oh, I understand."

She appeared calm on the surface, but the uncontrollable blush on the tips of her ears betrayed her inner turmoil.