Xing Tie: After the simulation, they all wanted to lock me up in a dark room.

[In the 20000001st cycle of reincarnation, you have arrived in Janusapolis, where Xilian is celebrating her birthday alone...]

You thought the fire within you had almost burned away everything, but seeing Xi Lian still stirred something within you.

Chen Yue, wearing a black cloak, silently watched Xi Lian celebrate his birthday alone from outside the window. He watched quietly, tears streaming down his face, but they were quickly evaporated by the fire within him.

Feeling she had seen enough and afraid that if she continued watching, he wouldn't be able to resist, Chen Yue turned to leave.

Just then, a voice rang out:

"Little guy, were you just looking at me from my window?"

Upon hearing the voice, Chen Yue saw Xi Lian looking at him with a smile on her face.

"I...no, you've mistaken me for someone else."

Chen Yue lowered her head, thinking she should leave as soon as possible.

Xi Lian immediately stopped him, saying, "Little guy, lying is a bad habit. I noticed you were secretly watching me a while ago, and I only came over to ask you because I saw you were about to leave."

"I'm sorry... I didn't... mean it, I'll... leave now." Chen Yue was thinking of leaving as soon as possible.

Xi Lian persisted, "Today is my birthday, and it's so boring to celebrate alone. I see you here watching me all by yourself. Are you also alone? Do you want to celebrate my birthday with me?"

[You tried desperately to explain, but Xi Lian just stuck with you and practically forced you to go back to her room.]

"Judging from your appearance, you must be hungry. My birthday feast is just finished."

Xi Lian spoke as she brought dishes from the kitchen.

Looking at the dishes, which contained no cilantro or scallions, his body trembled slightly.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside stir-fried meat, and was about to pretend to put it in his mouth when he paused for a moment. He looked up and saw the girl opposite him with her small hands supporting her cheeks and her smile still on her face. Seeing Xi Lian like this, his movements suddenly became a little stiff.

Why are you... staring at me like that?

Chen Yue's words, almost without inflection, came out intermittently. Each time, he was secretly observing from a corner. This familiar feeling of being noticed made Chen Yue somewhat uncomfortable.

"Can't I?" Xi Lian tilted her head, looking very playful and cute.

"..." If it were the old Chen Yue, he might have made a sarcastic remark, but... now he could only remain silent.

The room fell silent. Chen Yue lowered his head, and Xi Lian watched him quietly. He slowly picked up another piece of meat, blew on it gently, and the meat was instantly charred. He quickly put the meat in his mouth, a movement that Xi Lian did not even notice.

The charred jerky was immediately burned away by the fire within him, and Chen Yue forced a smile: "I didn't expect... your... cooking skills to be so good."

For some reason, he felt an unprecedented calm, and the burning sensation of the fire within him lessened considerably.

At this moment, he temporarily forgot both the deep-seated pain in his heart and his plan to collect the sparks and break Onphalus's cycle of reincarnation.

My heart, which had been on the verge of collapse, seemed to have found a brief haven here.

"How is it? Is it delicious? Would you like to try my celery stir-fry with pork?"

Xi Lian's expression revealed her joy as she pushed the celery and pork stir-fry next to her toward Chen Yue.

"Who... stir-fries celery leaves with meat?"

The words slipped out of her mouth, and Chen Yue was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting herself to say such words without thinking.

He only realized now that he seemed to have relaxed a bit too much.

This feeling of relaxation made him forget for a moment the pain of the fire constantly burning his body.

He felt a deep sense of comfort, a memory he could barely recall, a feeling he shared with Xi Lian back then.

Although he couldn't recall the memories from back then, he could feel that the many shackles that had been suffocating him were crumbling one by one at this moment.

Although it's only temporary, it's enough.

There were two people; one ate quietly, and the other watched quietly.

There is no communication in any language, nor is there any need for communication in any language.

Chen Yue's mind was quieter than ever before.

Since taking on the responsibility of saving the world, his face has never shown a smile again, and the corners of his mouth have unconsciously curled up slightly.

"I'm full... The celery and pork stir-fry you just had was delicious... Even though it only had celery leaves, it was still very tasty."

Chen Yue put down her chopsticks and said softly.

This sentence is not only a praise of Xi Lian, but also a farewell to this brief moment of relaxation.

The brief respite was only temporary; for Xi Lian and the others, he couldn't stop forever. Nor would this doomed Onfaros allow him to stop forever.

"I'm glad you like my cooking. It's just that the stir-fried celery leaves with meat was made because the celery roots were spoiled. I was worried you wouldn't like it."

"No... I think it tastes delicious."

"You're leaving again?" Xi Lian's voice rang out as she looked at Chen Yue, who was completely covered by a black robe.

Originally a wanderer who would never return home, he became enamored with the mortal world because of wine.

Xi Lian wanted to keep Chen Yue, but she couldn't.

"Um……"

Chen Yue only replied with a single word, but that single word contained a great deal of meaning.

Neither of them spoke; the two remained silent for ten seconds.

A strange impulse welled up in Chen Yue's heart, as if a tempting voice was bewitching him, urging him to stay here and not care about the bullshit Onfaros or the plan to collect fire seeds and become the Great Lord of Annihilation.

You're already exhausted. Even if you give up, no one will blame you. You've already done enough.

No longer wanting to think about these chaotic temptations, he turned his head away and stopped facing Xi Lian.

He was afraid, afraid that he would waver, afraid that he would give up the spark he had painstakingly collected.

His beloved person, warm meals, a cozy haven—these things are making him almost unable to hold back his emotions any longer…

But what he wants is definitely not now...

He didn't want Xi Lian to end up with him in the Black Tide...

Perhaps only when he thinks about this will he realize that his persistence was not in vain...

I persisted time and time again to protect Xi Lian...

For Xi Lian...

The moment the door opened, a fierce wind howled.

"See you tomorrow, Sister Xilian. Remember our promise."

The sound rang out, the power of the Titan of Fate was activated, and it vanished from the spot.

As Chen Yue disappeared, the door was gently closed by a strange force, once again separating the warmth inside from the cruelty outside into two worlds.

Xi Lian stared at the tightly closed door and murmured, her voice choked with emotion, "Idiot, you clearly hate cilantro, how could you not smell that celery leaves are cilantro?"

Just then, a note suddenly fell down.

Xi Lian picked up the note, which read:

"In the past, we walked different paths with the moon; from now on, we are strangers on opposite sides of the world."

I'm sorry... Sister Xilian.

I hope we can keep our promise to meet tomorrow.

Don't worry about me—Chen Yue.

Upon reading this, Xi Lian's hand holding the note trembled uncontrollably, and she finally couldn't help but burst into tears: "Little Yue... I don't want to see you tomorrow, I want to see you every day."

Someone once said that you, Bai E, and Xi Lian all grew up together, and you all represent the same thing: Xi Lian is the past, Bai E is the present, and you are the future. Just like now, Xi Lian yearns for the past, Bai E fights against the present, and you search for the future.

(PS: Dear readers, Xi Lian's simulation will probably end in two more chapters. I hope you all enjoy the ending I wrote for Onpharos.)