Chapter 229: 206: Spend a Lifetime Searching for Her

Translation:

Half an hour later.

Both fully armed, they aimlessly wandered around the riverbank.

Gu Yan tried his best to make no sound, hoping that Ye Xiao would forget his presence and then they could just keep walking until the end of time.

Ye Xiao suddenly stopped, and Gu Yan’s heart skipped a beat—he knew that what was inevitable had finally arrived.

He preempted her by tentatively saying, “How about we call it a day for now? Something suddenly came up for me, I’ll go ahead…”

Ye Xiao was somewhat speechless and raised an eyebrow, “Gu Yan!”

Gu Yan instinctively stood up straight; he looked at Ye Xiao with a hint of a plea shining in his eyes.

He had already been so careful; couldn’t he even watch her from a distance now?

Ye Xiao fell silent.

Since coming here, she had met many people and formed numerous bonds.

But most of these people and these bonds had to do with the original owner of her body.

Only Gu Yan was different.

In the books, he barely had any interaction with the original Ye Xiao until the end, when he collected her remains.

Perhaps, this was their destiny across past and present lives?

Maybe.

Once the original Ye Xiao returned, could the two of them forge a good relationship?

That’s what Ye Xiao thought, but for some unknown reason, she felt oddly uncomfortable at the idea.

The breeze blew gently as Ye Xiao said calmly, “Gu Yan, you don’t have to come find me for the next three months.”

Over the years, the remaining three books had gradually lost their luster.

Ye Xiao looked at the progress, estimating that in at most three months, these books would completely vanish.

By then, the original Ye Xiao would return.

And whatever choice the original Ye Xiao made afterward would have nothing to do with her.

Three months.

Ye Xiao suddenly mentioned such an exact time frame.

Gu Yan’s face turned pale all at once.

Panic flickered in his eyes, “Three months… After three months, where will you go?”

Ye Xiao smiled, “Nowhere in particular. It’s just that I might undergo some changes. I believe you all will accept my changes. By then, come and get to know the brand-new Ye Xiao.”

As for whether or not there would be a destiny between Gu Yan and the original Ye Xiao at that time, it would be none of her concern.

[Of course, I’ll be returning to where I originally belong. Coming to this world was an adventure for me, and now that the adventure is ending, everything should return to its original state.]

Ye Xiao thought this calmly.

Gu Yan turned even paler.

Ye Xiao couldn’t help but say, “It’s only three months, not that long of a time.”

[Who knows, after three months, he and the real Ye Xiao might even spark something.]

Gu Yan stared at her intently.

Ye Xiao felt uncomfortable under his gaze and was just about to speak.

Gu Yan suddenly said, “You’re leaving? Going back to your original world?”

Ye Xiao was stunned for a moment; the next second, her pupils shook violently!

[Gu Yan said, ‘your original world?’ What does he know!]

Regardless, Gu Yan said, “I know, you’re not from this world; I know you were chosen by something called a ‘system’ to come and save the fate of side characters. Ye Xiao, I know all of this.”

Ye Xiao was astounded.

[???? Gu Yan! How does he know these things!]

This was her biggest secret, and Ye Xiao was certain she had never divulged it to anyone.

A gentle light glimmered at the bottom of Gu Yan’s eyes.

He spoke softly, “I’ve always had this nightmare. In it, I’ve made so many efforts, but no matter how hard I tried, I would still be controlled by the so-called plot and fall into the abyss over and over. I’ve walked through such stories thousands of times, and experienced the same despair time and time again. In this life, I thought I would, as always, toil in vain before waking up to be trampled underfoot by so-called male and female leads once more.”

Gu Yan paused for a moment.

As Ye Xiao listened, a thoughtful glint passed through her eyes.

“But in this life, everything has changed,” Gu Yan said earnestly. “The plot has changed, and I’m no longer that NPC who can be manipulated by others. Xiaoxiao, all these changes, they’re all because of you.”

Ye Xiao: “…”

She could never have imagined that she would hear such words tonight.

Gu Yan, he too had the memories from the book.

No wonder many things had been done by Gu Yan even before she could hint at them.

Ye Xiao didn’t know what to say. After a while, she squeezed out a phrase: “You’re welcome.”

Gu Yan immediately laughed.

His angular and cold face suddenly softened with a smile, which seemed to captivate the soul amidst the evening wind.

He asked softly, “So, you’ve saved so many people, and your task is also completed. Are you leaving this world?”

Ye Xiao hadn’t expected the conversation to turn to this topic.

But since it had come to this, she no longer denied it.

“I was never meant for this world. When I leave, the original Ye Xiao will return.” Ye Xiao tried to keep her smile as light as possible. “She is the real Ye Xiao. When she returns, both worlds will be set right.”

Gu Yan looked at Ye Xiao, staring for a very long time.

After a while…

He spoke slowly, his voice, for some reason, hoarse.

“No matter where you go, I will come find you,” Gu Yan’s voice carried a note of stubbornness.

Ye Xiao was taken aback and hurriedly said, “That’s impossible. You can’t find me.”

This wasn’t about space, nor was it about time.

Between them lay an entire world.

Gu Yan’s lips revealed a faint smile as he said softly, “I will search. If I can’t find you in a day, I’ll search for two days. If a year isn’t enough, I’ll search for two years. If a lifetime isn’t enough, I’ll search for two lifetimes, three lifetimes. I will keep searching, and one day, I will find you.”

Gu Yan was smiling, his voice calm.

Looking at him, Ye Xiao had only one thought.

“You’re crazy,” Ye Xiao felt her heart race.

Gu Yan shook his head. “I’m perfectly sane. If I were crazy, I wouldn’t be able to search for you properly.”

Ye Xiao did not dare look at him, biting her lip as she said, “Gu Yan, you know it’s impossible. Don’t waste your time. Moreover, your feelings for me might just be gratitude, actually…”

Gu Yan shook his head. “I know best what my feelings are.”

Some emotions need just a slight catalyst to grow from a seed into a towering tree.

He couldn’t be bothered to ponder how much of this emotion was pure.

All he needed to know was…

For whom his heart was now beating.

Ye Xiao was at a loss for words.

After a while, she said somewhat helplessly, “Suit yourself.”

The two fell silent, simply looking together at the eternal flow of the river.

[Gu Yan is just being impulsive right now. In a few months or years, he will probably find today’s impulse quite laughable.]

Thinking this, Ye Xiao felt a sense of peace.

Gu Yan watched Ye Xiao, smiling without a word.

He did not persuade Ye Xiao to stay, nor would he.

That wouldn’t be fair to her, or to the other Ye Xiao.

But.

He would spend his lifetime searching for her.

He could find her; he was certain he could.