Ten Day Ultimatum
Chapter 220

Chapter 220 Joy Within Hell

Qi Xia found himself ensnared in a dream—a dream where he traversed an interminable corridor, each step carrying him deeper into its vastness. On either side, countless wooden doors creaked open in slow succession, revealing nothing but shadowed voids.

From behind these doors, the {Earthly Branches} emerged, poised at the thresholds, their gaze fixed intently upon him.

Silent and unmoving, they followed his every motion, their eyes the only sign of life, watching with unwavering attention.

Yet Qi Xia’s footsteps never faltered as he continued walking forward.

The heavy thuds of his footsteps reverberated ominously, the sound sharp and hollow as it struck the decaying wood beneath him. The path stretched before him, seemingly without end.

“What’s going on…?” Qi Xia murmured weakly to himself.

Everything before him appeared hazy, the world blurred into an indistinct smear of shadows and shapes. An overpowering stench of decay flooded his nostrils, thick and nauseating. If this were a dream, why could he still smell?

“Where am I?”

He glanced around at the {Earthly Branches}, but his feet refused to halt, moving forward with a will of their own.

Was this road nearing its end?

“Wake up.”

A voice rang in Qi Xia’s ear.

“Sir! Wake up!”

With a sudden jolt, Qi Xia snapped his eyes open, drawing in a sharp breath.

Yet, as his surroundings came into focus, he leaned back in his seat, a sense of relief washing over him.

This cycle was finally over.

Qi Xia let out a bitter laugh. Compared to last time, there had been a noticeable improvement. After all, he had died on the fourth day before; this time, it was the fifth.

How ridiculous.

A cycle meant to last ten days, and yet, he couldn’t even endure half of that.

"Hey, young man, what’s wrong with you? You’re not on drugs, are you?!" the taxi driver beside him asked, his voice laced with apprehension.

Qi Xia didn’t answer. He simply placed a hand on his forehead, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.

A sense of disorientation overtook him, his memories fragmenting and blurring. He distinctly remembered being tormented to death by Black Tortoise, but why had he seen Yu Nian'An there?

Was it a hallucination?

Or... could Yu Nian'An really be in {End Point}?

The cool breeze, tinged with the unique scent of autumn, drifted into Qi Xia’s nostrils, grounding him, making him feel alive once again.

No matter how tightly the strings in his mind had been pulled in {End Point}, today, he could finally rest.

But where should he go now?

To Jinan, or return home?

If this was a world without Yu Nian'An, he would rather return to {End Point}.

Lost in thought, Qi Xia felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

Few people had his number, so it was most likely a spam call.

But when he glanced at the screen, his eyes widened in surprise.

{A}!

‘An?!’ Qi Xia froze for a moment, then cautiously pressed the answer button.

"Hello?"

A voice on the other end asked, "Xia, have you arrived?"

It was Yu Nian'An's voice.

Her voice, always like water swept by the autumn wind, instantly calmed Qi Xia.

"I—I—I have arrived?"

"What's wrong?" Yu Nian'An asked with a soft laugh. "Have you arrived in Jinan?"

"Ah... I..." Qi Xia's pupils trembled, and his body shuddered slightly. He only had one thought now—

To confirm if he was going insane.

He swallowed hard and slowly said, "An, I don't know where I am right now... I'll have the driver talk to you."

The driver, wearing dark sunglasses and with dark skin, took the phone from Qi Xia's trembling hand.

"Wait, what? Me?!" The driver was taken aback. "Young man, we're on the highway, having me talk on the phone while driving is dangerous."

"Talk to her!" Qi Xia commanded, his gaze cold as ice.

"Wh—what the heck?" The driver seemed startled by Qi Xia's sudden demand. "Alright, alright, I'll talk to her!"

The driver took the phone and yelled loudly, "Hello! What can I do for ya?"

"Hello, sir, have you reached Jinan yet?"

"Ah, we're almost there. Another ten minutes, we’ll be off the highway," the driver called out boisterously.

"Please drive carefully, and take your time."

"Got it, don't worry."

Qi Xia was staring at the burly driver in shock.

He had actually been able to talk to Yu Nian'An!

Yu Nian'An wasn’t just an illusion!

After hanging up the phone, the driver casually said, “Alas, young man, your wife checking in on you?”

Qi Xia looked at the phone, his feelings tangled. After a long pause, he turned to the driver and said, “Driver, turn around.”

“Huh?” The driver was taken aback. “Turn around?”

“I’m not going to Jinan anymore,” Qi Xia shook his head. “I’ve been wrong all along. I never should've headed to Jinan.”

“Young man... you...”

“I’ll pay the full fare, no less than a penny,” Qi Xia said firmly, staring out the window. He just wanted to go home and see Yu Nian'An as soon as possible.

“Alright then...”

The driver took the nearest exit off the highway, steering the car onto a different path that led toward Qingdao. Throughout the journey, Qi Xia remained silent, his mind heavy with unease. He feared that, much like the last time, their taxi might become trapped in a lengthy traffic jam on the highway.

Yet, to his surprise, the ride unfolded without incident.

Before long, the car arrived back in Qingdao, and the driver pulled to a stop in front of his apartment complex.

Qi Xia paid the fare as indicated on the meter, then stood still outside, gazing up at the building before him.

A sense of unease settled within him. Even when immersed in the most perilous Terrestrial-grade game, he had never felt this anxious.

Was Yu Nian'An home?

What if, upon opening the door, he found no trace of her presence, as if she had never been there?

For five long minutes, Qi Xia stood at the base of the building, steeling himself for the worst possible outcome. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he took a deep, steadying breath and made his way toward the stairs.

If he didn’t mentally brace himself, Qi Xia feared that this time, he might break down completely.

He had already begun to accept the reality that Yu Nian'An was gone; all he could do was hope that fate would cease to torment him further.

The third floor was hardly high, but despite his reluctance to face it, he found himself standing at his apartment door. His hands trembled as he fumbled for the key in his pocket, slowly and carefully slipping it into the lock.

‘No more games... please,’ Qi Xia gritted through his teeth. ‘You can torment me however you want, but don't use Yu Nian'An to toy with me…’ His voice faltered, and his actions came to a slow stop.

He lacked the courage to open the door.

When Qi Xia finally opened his eyes again, he found them brimming with tears. He was on the brink of (mentally) collapsing. If the ending was to lead to despair once more, how could a mere human bear it?

{Click.}

The doorknob turned slightly, and to his shock, the door opened on its own.

Yu Nian'An stood there, holding a frying pan like a weapon, carefully peering around. "Who—who is it?"

Qi Xia stood frozen, staring at the woman in front of him, speechless in sheer disbelief.

"Xia?" Yu Nian'An paused for a moment, her eyes widening as the frying pan in her hand lowered. "You scared me! I thought there was a thief. Weren’t you supposed to be in Jinan?"