Ten Day Ultimatum
Chapter 222

Chapter 222 Decay

As the afternoon wore on, Qi Xia and Yu Nian'An had spent quite some time in each other's company.

However, an unsettling unease lingered in his heart. There were doubts that had once plagued him, and even now, having seen things with his own eyes, those suspicions refused to dissipate.

Was there truly any connection between Yu Nian'An and {Celestial Goat}?

He reached into the bedroom closet and pulled out his torn shirt.

The shirt bore a cartoon goat patch stitched onto the chest, a personal touch from Yu Nian'an herself, who had sewn it on with her own hands.

"What's wrong, Xia?"

"An, why did you sew this little goat onto my shirt?" Qi Xia asked, his question blunt.

Yu Nian'An looked at him as though he had lost his mind.

"Xia, do you not suppose it’s possible that I stitched this little goat patch onto your shirt simply because it had a hole in that spot?"

"That was not what I was implying." Qi Xia shook his head. "Why, of all things, must it be {goat}?"

"Because this was the only patch available at home..." Yu Nian'An said, sounding slightly aggrieved. "I guess you don’t like the {goat} pattern? Well, I admit it’s a little on the girly side. Next time, I'll find you a little dinosaur instead."

Upon hearing Yu Nian'An’s words, the darkness that had lingered in Qi Xia’s heart dissipated.

Why had he doubted Yu Nian'An and placed his trust in a {tiger}?

He had met the Terrestrial Tiger just once and said a handful of words. Yet Yu Nian'An had been with him for seven years.

"An, I’m not a child," Qi Xia said, shaking his head with a smile. "And from now on, if my clothes tear, don’t bother patching them up. We can just buy new ones."

"Hmm..." Yu Nian'An nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I was just trying to save a bit of money."

At the mention of money, Qi Xia's smile faded, his expression clouding over. He reached into his pocket and silently pulled out the crumpled lottery ticket.

Today was the last day to claim the prize money.

"An, I owe you an apology," Qi Xia said.

"What?"

"I’ve already swindled that scumbag’s money," Qi Xia continued, his voice tinged with regret. "It could have given us a better life... but in the end, it was all for nothing."

Yu Nian'An paused, slightly taken aback by his words.

"{Swindle}?"

"Yes, I had no other choice." Qi Xia shook his head. "I wanted that scumbag to face retribution, so I had to {swindle}."

Yu Nian'An exhaled a deep sigh and said, "Xia, the secret code we agreed on earlier—was that because you were going to commit fraud? Were you worried the police would trace me?"

"Yes."

Qi Xia had once told Yu Nian'An that if he ever asked her, {Did you feed the fish yesterday?}, she had to answer {Yes, but not enough}."

Any other response would be wrong.

"Xia, why can't you understand?" Yu Nian'An lowered her head, her voice tinged with sadness. "I don't want to take revenge on anyone. I just want to live peacefully with you. Being by your side is more important than anything else."

"I..." Yu Nian'An's words mirrored exactly what Qi Xia had been thinking. "That's why I owe you an apology. First, I didn't follow your wishes. Second, I didn't give you the good life you deserve." Qi Xia spoke in distress, "Both of these matters have been a source of great anguish for me."

After a brief silence, Yu Nian'An spoke, "Xia, don't you think I'm suffering too? I never wanted you to become a swindler for my sake—if that happens, I’ll be deeply sorrowful for the rest of my life..."

"Don't worry." Qi Xia reassured, gently patting Yu Nian'An. "Though this is my first time committing fraud, the chances of the police finding me are slim. I handled it flawlessly."

"Xia, whatever the future holds, as long as I can live happily with you, that's all that matters." Yu Nian'An's eyes gleamed with a quiet determination. "I don't want to concern myself with anything else."

"I understand," Qi Xia replied softly.

"Though there are many paths in this world, and everyone walks their own—I just don’t want you to take this one."

Qi Xia nodded, his gaze drifting to the lottery ticket in his hand. Without a word, he tore it to pieces. Perhaps, as the books often say, a person’s fate is sealed from the moment they are born. Had Qi Xia won that two million, he would have lost Yu Nian'An.

If that was the case, he would rather see the lottery ticket turn to ashes, lost to time forever.

The two of them made their way to the rooftop, where the warmth of the early autumn afternoon sunlight wrapped around them like a comforting embrace. They settled close together, gazing at the sky, lost in quiet reflection of the past. Each time Qi Xia spoke of a memory, Yu Nian'An would pick up on the details, painting the scenes with such vividness that every word she spoke matched perfectly with Qi Xia’s recollections.

It was clear she had always kept him close to her heart.

They continued their conversation until the sunset emerged, painting the distant horizon in shades of gold and orange.

"Xia, do you feel it?" Yu Nian'An whispered softly, her voice barely audible. "If only time could freeze at this moment."

"Indeed," Qi Xia nodded, his gaze lingering on the fading light. "If it could just stay like this forever—" But before he could finish, his expression suddenly faltered. His eyes drifted to the dark crimson sky, the sunset now a murky, dirt-colored shade. For a brief moment, he was struck silent, a sense of foreboding creeping into his chest.

Though it was the hour of sunset, there was something oddly reminiscent of {End Point} in the air.

‘Freeze at this moment...?’

Time could halt at any moment—so why this particular one?

Had Qi Xia never journeyed to {End Point}, the perpetual twilight would have likely appeared as a beautiful, serene landscape. But after witnessing that desolate, hellish place, he could no longer see the red sky and dirt-colored sun as anything but a haunting echo of decay and bloodshed.

‘Decay...?’

The word {decay} triggered a frown on Qi Xia's face. It seemed as though his time spent in {End Point} had left an indelible mark on him, for now, even in the real world, he could still smell the lingering stench of decay.

As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, Yu Nian'An had already fallen asleep, resting her head gently against Qi Xia’s shoulder.

Qi Xia stretched his hand out to feel the chill of the night air. He gently bent down, lifting Yu Nian'An into his arms and carrying her back to their home.

Once inside, he placed her gently on the sofa, then spread a few blankets on the floor, crafting a simple makeshift bed.

With Yu Nian'An settled, Qi Xia sat beside her, his eyes tracing her peaceful, sleeping face. A smile of relief slowly spread across his features, and the weight of his thoughts momentarily lifted.

He tried lying down beside her, gently pulling Yu Nian'An into his embrace. It had been so long—so very long—since he had lain down to sleep like this. The sensation of relaxation slowly spread through him, every muscle unwinding, as his blood began to flow freely, circulating through his body with a soothing rhythm.

How long had it been since he felt this at peace?

Probably seven years.

Qi Xia couldn’t remember how he had drifted into sleep. He only knew that the mounting pressure in his mind had slowly begun to ease, like a weight lifting off his chest.

He had dreamt again.

He dreamt of the long corridor, where figures of {Earthly Branches} were slowly emerging from both sides. They were all looking at him, their gazes neither respectful nor disdainful, but rather filled with unspoken words.