The summer night was cool, with a gentle breeze drifting through the air.

  Ye Tianxie walked alone down a bustling street illuminated by countless lights, his hands tucked into his pockets. The flow of people and traffic passing by failed to catch even a sliver of his attention. His mind was preoccupied with the image of Guoguo appearing in this world just moments ago.

  All the answers must lie within this "Moment of Fate."

  He reached for the black pendant hanging on his chest. Whether it was the world of destiny or the real world, Guoguo had emerged from within this object. This inexplicable and miraculous "Moment of Fate" could exist freely between the world of fate and the world of the game. But why?

  What had she left behind for him?

  Who... was she?

  Ye Tianxie’s steps suddenly halted. This was a question he had avoided and forgotten for many years, yet now it surged through his heart like a long-buried tide. He exhaled deeply before continuing forward.

  After crossing three streets, he finally arrived at the nearest vending machine. Although the villa district where he lived had no shortage of 24-hour supermarkets, the thought of a grown man running out in the middle of the night to buy a heap of lollipops was… simply too embarrassing. He could already imagine the cashier’s bewildered stare piercing through him.

  Glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was watching, Ye Tianxie pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and fed it into the machine. He tapped the lollipop button twenty times in quick succession. A stream of colorful candies clattered into the collection tray. After another quick scan of his surroundings, he nonchalantly stuffed them into his pocket, making sure they were well concealed.

  Just as he was about to leave, he hesitated for a moment before turning back. Fishing out another hundred-yuan bill, he purchased ten assorted chocolate bars, filling his other pocket to the brim.

  Mission accomplished!

  Letting out a small sigh of relief, he quickened his pace back home. Never in his life had he imagined he’d one day sneak out just to buy candy for a little girl. But Guoguo’s innocent, pitiful, and expectant gaze had utterly defeated him.

  Night had completely fallen. A dark cloud veiled the incomplete moon, stripping the land of its faint silver glow. The city lights flickered, flaunting their brilliance, yet they could never illuminate the countless sins and filth hidden in the darkness.

  Ye Tianxie had always seen himself as an outsider, someone fundamentally out of sync with reality. At times, he was cold and withdrawn; at others, he did things most wouldn't dare to attempt. What was it that he truly sought? Even he was still searching for the answer. Observing the world with detached eyes, peering into corners unseen by ordinary people, he felt himself drifting further and further away from it all.

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  *"Blue, you are so sky."

  "White, you are so cloud."

  He gazed up at the darkened sky, its clouds painted in dull, shifting shapes, and recited a poem so dreadful it would make his elementary school teacher weep and dive headfirst into a sewer.

  A cool breeze swept past his ears. Ye Tianxie tilted his head slightly, savoring its faint freshness, tainted though it was with the scent of the city’s pollution.

  Then, his footsteps stopped.

  His gaze shifted slightly to the right—toward a dimly lit alley in the distance.

  "Mmmph… mmph… let go of me… help… someone…"

  A trace of mockery curled at the corner of Ye Tianxie’s lips. He withdrew his gaze without a second glance and continued walking. The capital of Huaxia, the nation’s grandest metropolis, was riddled with filth—both seen and unseen. He had long since grown numb to it.

  What had once sparked anger had gradually become mere routine, until eventually, he ceased to care at all. Perhaps this was just another law of reality, one he no longer had any interest in interfering with.

  The muffled cries were over a hundred meters away, far beyond the ears of ordinary people. No one would see what was happening in that dark corner.

  Turning a street corner, Ye Tianxie casually glanced in that direction—then stopped in his tracks once more.

  Through the night, his gaze cut across the distance, locking onto the terrified face of a girl in that alley.

  Something about her felt… familiar. Not distant, but recent—so recent, it was as if he had just seen her earlier that day.

  A moment later, realization dawned on him.

  Sighing in mild exasperation, he turned around and walked toward the alley, muttering under his breath, "Lucky you. You must have checked your horoscope before heading out today."

  "Hurry up! Her bodyguards aren’t ordinary people. If they find her, we’re in trouble."

  "Tch! Those idiots are probably still running in circles, chasing their own tails. Hah, elite mercenaries from the ‘Cheetah Organization’? What a joke. All it took was a simple diversion, and they scattered like headless chickens." The man with a buzz cut, dressed entirely in black, sneered.

  "Enough. Get her in the van."

  Under the shroud of night, the rear door of a black van slid open. A girl, her mouth sealed with tape, was shoved roughly toward the vehicle. Her eyes widened in terror as she struggled desperately, muffled whimpers escaping her throat.

  Four men in black. Their expressions and attire made their intent clear—they didn’t even need a sign that read "We’re criminals."

  "Ah, what a beautiful night," a lazy voice echoed suddenly.

  The four men stiffened instantly, their heads whipping around.

  A young man stood leisurely in the dimly lit distance, dressed in casual loungewear. A relaxed smile played on his lips, yet, inexplicably, just the sight of him sent a chill down their spines.

  None of them had noticed when he had arrived. Not a single one.

  The leader of the group quickly masked his surprise. He spat out his cigarette, his sharp, wolf-like eyes gleaming coldly in the darkness.

  "Take care of him," he ordered flatly.

  "Mmmph…!" The girl let out a desperate whimper, her frightened eyes fixed on the unexpected figure.

  She had nearly lost all hope. But now, like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline, she thrashed with renewed desperation.

  Click!

  A metallic sound sliced through the air. A silver handgun was raised, its barrel aimed directly at Ye Tianxie’s forehead.

  A sinister smirk crept across the four men’s faces.