I have a life simulator.

She muttered to herself, her slender fingers gripping the blanket tightly.

"Because of my fault... Liang disappeared... It's all my fault."

"It was I who killed Liang."

Her tone became calm, so calm that it was as if she were just a withered shell, huddled there with the blanket.

"In the days that followed, her grades dropped significantly, she became distracted more often, and most importantly, she lost the ability to love and smile."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi raised his voice slightly:

“Since the sixth generation, no characters like you and her have been born in the White Room, so we have temporarily kept her in existence.”

Where is Xue now?

"You can go see her freely in the room where you and she are, and she will be fine."

"The same goes for the other person."

Ayanokouji Atsuomi turned around, staring into Kitagawa Ryo's eyes as he spoke, word by word:

“I know why you went back to the white room, and I know why you deliberately brought up those two names, so one of them has to stay here from beginning to end.”

"Under this principle, whether it's publicity or competition, as long as it can enhance the reputation of the White Room, you can do whatever you want."

Ignoring the threat in Ayanokouji Atsuomi's words, Kitagawa Ryo walked straight out the door, his clean and decisive movements making one wonder if he had even heard what Ayanokouji Atsuomi had just said.

"Councilor Ayanokouji..."

The assistant standing to the side seemed somewhat displeased that Kitagawa Ryo, a mere child, could put on such airs.

"Let him be."

But Ayanokoji Atsuomi simply waved his hand, completely disregarding Kitagawa Ryo's attitude. On the contrary, the more the other party seemed to care, the more substantial the bargaining chips the White Room was using to blackmail them.

I opened my phone, and sure enough, the latest breaking news included a blurry image of the white room and firsthand reports:

Did the White Room really exist? Top-secret information previously untapped is revealed!

Just as Ayanokoji Atsuomi had predicted, the armed guards and imposing police dogs, along with the location nestled deep in the mountains, satisfied all the netizens' voyeuristic desires and curiosity, and the popularity of the white room continued to rise.

"Let's prepare for the press conference."

At this opportune moment, Ayanokoji Atsuomi finally decided to make his formal entrance.

-------------------------------------

"……Snow."

Entering the long-missed yet familiar room, Kitagawa Ryo called out to her in the gentlest voice possible.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"—!"

The moment their eyes met, the girl, who had almost lost her ability to sense the outside world, realized that Kitagawa Ryo was there.

For the first time, her face showed vibrant color.

"cold?"

"Yes, it's me, Liang."

"I am here."

"Right before your eyes."

By confirming each other's identities through their names, Kitagawa Ryo reached out and pulled Yuki's body into his arms through the blanket.

This action is reminiscent of the scene when Kitagawa Ryo first met her. At this moment, it's like a sacred ritual, easily pulling Yuki's thoughts back from the distant past.

"Liang, where did you run off to before... No, it's okay, it doesn't matter how those things happened."

She couldn't bring herself to say anything critical or questioning; she reverted to the Xue who was always caring and concerned for others.

"It's fine to let it cool here."

She lingered in Kitagawa Ryo's embrace, as if she wanted to drown in his arms.

"How about we go out together tomorrow?"

"go out?"

Seemingly unable to comprehend the two words, a look of confusion appeared in her snow-purple pupils.

"Okay, get out."

Using his own body heat to soothe the other's cold body, Kitagawa Ryo repeated:

"Let me show you your name."

Tokyo is about to welcome its first snowfall at the end of November.

White bricks never fall from the sky; instead, cool, white, flower-like, beautiful snowflakes fall.

-------------------------------------

"The weather forecast says it will snow tomorrow, so Arisu should dress warmly."

Sakayanagi Narimori was picking out clothes for his daughter when Sakayanagi Arisu, who was watching TV, casually agreed.

With both sides tacitly agreeing, Atsuomi Ayanokouji quickly held a press conference, almost publicly confirming the existence of the White Room.

Of course, he also responded to the hottest topic of the past two days: the Dongyu and White House debate.

"Ryo is indeed one of the most outstanding students in the White Room. The genius daughter of the chairman of Dongyu University should know this best."

"After all, Liang was above her on the rankings back then."

This fiery response clearly delighted the reporters, and Sakayanagi Shigemori immediately responded on social media, stating that the White Room only produced students who excelled at solving problems but lacked the all-round development of students that the Tokyo Education System possessed.

After several rounds of back-and-forth exchanges, the rematch between Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu was successfully arranged.

As the reporters on TV read out Ryo's name, Sakayanagi Arisu was somewhat dazed:

"Liang... what are you doing at this time?"

A sense of eager anticipation welled up inside her, but even Sakayanagi Arisu herself couldn't quite tell whether she was looking forward to tomorrow's showdown or to their meeting.

Snowflakes began to fall softly from the sky.

Another winter has arrived.

It's still positive.

I've been staying home ever since I got back. A couple of days ago, I went out for a relative's housewarming party and then I caught a cold. It's worse than having a cold. I'll try to update as much as I can these next couple of days. I apologize for everything I've written.

My throat really hurts. When I had a cold before, swallowing saliva felt like swallowing a knife, but now even breathing feels like swallowing a knife.

Please take good care of yourselves, and I hope every reader stays healthy.

Chapter 103: Dark histories are meant to be shared!

Chiaki Matsushita is very satisfied with her life so far. As a new elementary school student, she considers herself a lucky child, born into a relatively wealthy family. Her parents are very kind to her and have a very open-minded approach to education, raising her in a way that does not restrict her freedom.

She was willing to fulfill her desires and buy whatever she wanted. In response, Chiaki Matsushita also achieved top grades in school and cram school.

—I'm very capable.

She couldn't help but have this thought.

Whether from their parents, teachers at school and tutoring centers, or classmates, they receive positive feedback.

Chiaki Matsushita is on the right track.

Parents are grateful for their children's excellence, and children are also grateful for their parents' excellence.

The family has a harmonious relationship, and I have a very good relationship with my parents. No matter how busy they are with work, they will take time every night to watch TV programs together as a family. My father will always brew a pot of strong tea, and because winter is approaching, my mother has started knitting sweaters these past few days.

"Tonight is the night that program airs, isn't it?"

The father suddenly brought up the topic as if he had just remembered something.

"It's today."

The mother glanced at the date and time on her phone:

"It's that showdown of geniuses that's been all over the internet lately."

"If you ask me, my little Qianqiu is a genius too."

At this point, the mother gently patted Matsushita Chiaki's head.

Matsushita Chiaki smiled shyly, pouting as she said:

"That's different."

After all, those two were rumored to be geniuses who could solve problems at the high school level. Although they were close in age, Matsushita Chiaki was not arrogant enough to compare herself to them. She did think she was a little smarter than the average person, but she couldn't be called a genius.

"In her mother's eyes, Xiao Qianqiu is the most amazing child in the world."

Putting down her knitting, the mother said kindly, then called out to her husband:

"You can't believe that so-called 'Taoist' stuff. That 'white room' is supposedly under semi-military management. Anyway, I would never think of sending Qianqiu to a place like that."

"When did I say I was going to send Chiaki into the White Room?"

After taking a sip of the strong tea in his cup, the father defended himself:

"I just think that the kid named Liang is really a genius."

"Of course, our family's philosophy will never change, and haven't we always planned to send Chiaki to Tokyo Advanced Educational High School in the future? In that case, we are definitely Tokyo Educational High School supporters."

The so-called internet is mostly about having a bias before you speak. After the debate these past two days, everyone has started to identify themselves, calling those who support Dong Yu the Dong Yu faction and those who support the White Room faction the White Room faction. It sounds quite convincing, and someone who doesn't know better might think it's a political party strife.

"Genius isn't just about solving problems."

Mrs. Matsushita rolled her eyes at her husband. Perhaps because she had a daughter, she clearly had a better impression of Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Studying books to death, studying books to death, that's not genius. That little boy named Liang looks so weak and frail... We can't let him become like that in the future, okay?"

"Oh."

Matsushita Chiaki nodded, pointing to the television screen and saying:

"It looks like the show is about to start, and it's being broadcast live."

Attracted by their daughter's words, the couple quickly found comfortable spots and focused their attention on the television.

"The venue is amazing..."

The opening shot was a top-down, zooming-in view, which prompted Chiaki Matsushita to exclaim in surprise.

Inside the futuristic-looking venue, the stands were already packed with people, with a rough estimate of over a thousand. Not to mention how many people were watching on television, just imagining the duel taking place under the gaze of so many people in person made Matsushita Chiaki look somewhat uneasy.

To the accompaniment of rousing background music, a well-dressed host quickly walked onto the stage from behind the stage. With a wave of his hand, he announced into the microphone:

Where are the child prodigies in Japan?

"it's here!"

The audience below the stage erupted in enthusiastic cheers, leaving Matsushita Chiaki completely stunned.

Why... do I suddenly feel like I'm watching some kind of variety show?

"Your talent is the wealth of humanity, and your ability is the future of the nation!"

"Welcome to the live broadcast of 'The Strongest Genius,' a program jointly presented by Tokyo Advanced Educational High School and White Room!"

"Let's welcome our two contestants today."

The host spoke very quickly, and before Matsushita Chiaki could even react, the TV screen had already switched to another scene.

As the scene changes, the background music quickly turns low and somber, creating a mysterious atmosphere while also highlighting a sudden movement—a thud, like something striking the ground.

“I am Sakayanagi Arisu. My grandfather was the founder of Tokyo Advanced Educational High School, and my father is the current chairman of the board of directors of Tokyo Advanced Educational High School.”

Accompanied by the cold and calm speech, first the legs, then the waist, and then the girl's face was half revealed in the shadows. Matsushita Chiaki also saw clearly the object making the thumping sound, which was a cane held in the girl's hand.

"Tokyo Advanced Educational High School has always been the most precious thing for me and my family."

The conversation shifted abruptly, and the background music stopped at just the right moment.