After AFK for five years, I returned to be number one in the entire server.

As Chu Changqing stared at the black light, the color drained from his face like a receding tide.

His once arrogant eyes were now unfocused, and he had even lost the most basic instinct to escape.

Suddenly, a white ribbon shot out from afar, faster than anyone could imagine, and wrapped around Chu Changqing's ankle.

A tremendous pulling force suddenly erupted, dragging Chu Changqing out of the area covered by the black pillar.

boom!

The golden sky, upon contact with the black beam of light, was like molten iron poured onto a thin layer of snow, without even a fraction of a second of delay.

The golden light was instantly erased, and the sky melted and collapsed.

A black beam of light pierced the sky, carrying raging black lightning, and struck the desolate mountains and wilderness below with a solid thud, causing the earth to let out a muffled groan.

The terrifying seismic waves spread wildly in all directions from the point of impact.

When the black light that pierced the heavens and the earth finally dissipated, only a bottomless, giant crater with a diameter of a thousand meters remained on the earth.

Players hiding in various places, whether they were powerful figures who ruled over their own territories or self-proclaimed extraordinary experts, all fell silent as they gazed at the abyss that seemed to lead to hell.

Jingzhou.

The main machine room of the Queen Mother of the West deep underground.

At the center of the large screen, a chart showing ever-increasing energy fluctuations occupied the central position.

The red warning borders lit up around the screen, and a massive energy shockwave was propagating through the ground towards the urban area of ​​Ningchuan City.

Ningchuan City is experiencing the evening rush hour.

The streets were bustling with traffic, and pedestrians hurried along.

Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet shook noticeably, the lampposts on both sides of the road swayed slightly, and the glass windows of the shops along the street made a slight humming sound.

An uproar immediately broke out in the crowd. Many people stopped and looked around in panic, some even preparing to find cover for safety.

At that moment, a gentle and steady female voice simultaneously entered the public broadcasting systems on all the main roads of Ningchuan City, the screens of large shopping malls, and the smart devices carried by citizens.

"Attention all residents of Ningchuan! The earthquake that just occurred was a minor seismic wave caused by ordinary crustal movement. It will not affect building structures or personal safety. Please do not panic and maintain normal traffic and daily life..."

The broadcast echoed repeatedly over the city, quelling the impending panic.

……

……

After the final exams, winter break quietly arrived.

In the recently highly anticipated college player tournament, Ningchuan University faced off against another top university in the second round.

Ningchuan had two players at the Firefly level, so they were destined not to go very far and were ultimately eliminated with a total score of 1 to 2.

The opposing university was not a weak school, so although we lost, it wasn't too embarrassing.

On the campus of Ningchuan University, students can be seen everywhere, pulling suitcases and walking hurriedly. Most of them have booked their tickets home early and are eager to return.

Inside the rental house.

Shen Yi was sitting on the sofa, reviewing the documents and tasks sent by the company.

Lin also pushed open the bedroom door and placed a neatly packed black suitcase on the living room floor.

As her friends and classmates gradually left, Shen Yi didn't say anything these past two days, but a hint of confusion would occasionally flash in her eyes.

After the gate to that courtyard in Changshui Town was locked, apart from this small rented room, she had no other place in the world that she could call "home".

She plans to stay in Ningchuan for the entire winter break and devote all her energy to her internship at the new company.

Lin walked up to her and said, "Come back to Linhai with me for the New Year."

Shen Yi suddenly looked up, her lips slightly parted, and then she lowered her head again.

During this time, she had actually thought about this issue, but she was very scared. She was afraid that Lin Ye's parents would look down on her background, that they would think she was a burden that would only drag Lin Ye down, and that they would strongly oppose them being together.

Even though she knew in her heart that Lin was never swayed by others when it came to things he was certain of.

But they are Lin Ye's parents after all. If they really don't like her, if Lin Ye really listens to them... As long as even a one in ten thousand possibility flashes through her mind, she will feel panic and fear, and even breathing will become difficult.

She had already lost her only relative, Lin Ye, who was the most important person to her in the world. She couldn't imagine what she would become after losing Lin Ye.

"I...I think I'll stay in Ningchuan. I just started working there recently, and I still have a lot of materials to review to familiarize myself with the business..."

Shen Yi lowered her eyes, found an extremely lame excuse, and tried to push the topic away in a low voice.

"Oh, I see. Then I won't go back."

After Lin finished speaking, he dragged the black suitcase, turned around, and was about to open the bedroom door to put the suitcase back.

Shen Yi panicked completely and stood up from the sofa.

Countless thoughts flooded her already sensitive mind. If Lin Ye didn't go home for the New Year because of her, she would feel guilty to death, thinking that she had dragged him down and prevented him from reuniting with his parents.

What's even more terrifying is that if Lin Ye's parents find out that their son isn't coming home for the New Year because of a girlfriend he just started dating, they will definitely not have a good impression of her and will completely despise her as a "vixen."

Shen Yi quickly walked to Lin Ye's side, grabbed his sleeve, and moved her lips, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.

Overwhelmed by guilt and panic, she finally lowered her head, her voice filled with helpless compromise.

"I...I'll go back with you."

Upon hearing this, Lin stopped in his tracks, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.

The two first went to the desolate mountain outside Changshui Town.

The desolate mountains in winter appear even more bleak, with withered yellow weeds swaying in the cold wind.

Shen Yi arranged the fruit she had brought in front of her mother's grave and lit three incense sticks.

She didn't cry; instead, she spoke softly in a calm and gentle tone to the person sleeping in the soil, recounting her recent life.

"Mom, I'm going to Linhai for the New Year. I found a great job. Also, I'm in love, and he treats me very well. You don't have to worry about me being alone anymore..."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and Lin stood quietly behind her.

After the ceremony, the two traveled by car to Ningchuan High-Speed ​​Railway Station.

Shen Yi leaned back in her chair, her nerves tense again as she prepared to face Lin Ye's parents. She kept rehearsing the scene in her mind, thinking about how to appear obedient and virtuous.

Lin also took out her phone and contacted her parents in advance to tell them about Shen Yi and Tian Shu.