A strong drag pulled Duan Chen into a dark place, yet he felt both coldness and a gentle touch on the ground.
Duan Chen couldn't comprehend where he was. "Wu Suo Wei, how could you..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Duan Chen realized something was amiss.
Wait, this person's appearance... was this the first time they met?
How did he know his name was Wu Suo Wei?
Wu Suo Wei, panting, stood before Duan Chen. "Listen, I only have five minutes. You must return to that place now and retrieve your memories, otherwise..."
With a wave of his hand, Wu Suo Wei conjured a bizarre image to their right.
It was Duan Chen's face, but his arm had sunk into his flesh, leaving only his nostrils for him to breathe.
"This person is about to forget everything. Once he forgets, his body will be mine!"
"Mine! I am clearly his wife!"
"Then is the daughter unimportant? Give her to me!"
"Then you'll become a monster, ha ha~"
Duan Chen felt a surge of acridness rise in his throat. "What... what is this..."
"An elevator, going up and down. Make your own choice."
"What do you mean?"
Just as Duan Chen was about to ask further, a dull sound echoed from the darkness.
It sounded like a heartbeat pounding against one's psyche, or perhaps the footsteps of something else entirely.
"Remember, the thing most closely connected to you is what stores your memories."
Wu Suo Wei shouted from within the space, but Duan Chen felt as though he had been thrown out, his soul crashing back into the banquet hall.
No one seemed to have noticed the anomaly that had just occurred. They appeared to be continuing their meal and conversations.
"Hey, Duan Chen, are you so happy you've lost your mind?" Gao Tian Kai waved his hand in front of Duan Chen's eyes. "Don't be like that. Besides me, you're the second protagonist in this banquet hall."
Duan Chen looked at the person before him with a complex expression.
Indeed, as Wu Suo Wei had touched him, fragments of memories had seeped into his mind.
Including Gao Tian Kai's betrayal, and...
"Brother Gao."
Duan Chen watched as Gu Sang, holding his girlfriend's hand, stood somewhat foolishly before Gao Tian Kai. "Congratulations on your promotion."
The deceased Gu Sang and his girlfriend were standing before Duan Chen.
The delicate girl's abdomen was slightly rounded.
If nothing had happened, this scene would have been the ideal scenario for everyone.
Joyful sounds resounded continuously.
But who had Gao Tian Kai betrayed?
How did Gu Sang and his girlfriend die?
Duan Chen couldn't recall any of it.
But what that person had said was true: everything here was fake.
Only...
Duan Chen clutched the lighter in his pocket. Its scorching heat seemed to sustain his consciousness.
The thing most closely connected to him?
Most closely connected?
Suddenly, Duan Chen glanced to the side, where a familiar shadow loomed.
Ignoring everyone present, he rushed over, only to see people carrying a painting.
"Excuse me, this woman is..."
"Oh, she was the previous owner of this hotel. She's emigrated to another country now, so she's taking all her belongings with her."
The staff member replied smoothly, but Duan Chen stared blankly as the painting floated past his eyes.
This spot was a corner of the banquet hall. Beneath the portrait was a display stand, inside which rested a gun with an ancient design.
"Husband, still thinking about your old flame?" Zhong Yu's voice dripped with jealousy. "She's married to a foreigner now, can you still chase her to another country?"
"Married to whom?"
"Oh, whoever it is, you are my husband now."
Zhong Yu, unwilling to let him leave, wrapped her arms around him like water snakes, entwining his body and mind.
At this moment, everyone gathered around.
"That's right, Duan Chen, why are you still so caught up? This place is wonderful." Gao Tian Kai said, impeccably dressed. "Look, even I have a wife now."
"Duan Chen, stay. You'll be a grandfather here soon."
"Yes, Dad, look, your granddaughter is so beautiful."
Duan Chen looked at these people. Their words were gentle, yet they were inching closer to him. As they spoke, their constantly opening and closing mouths vanished.
On their oval heads, blurred features morphed into a vortex, drawing nearer.
He suddenly felt a cool sensation seeping into his body.
He looked back, realizing his other hand, at some unknown time, had touched a glass display case.
Looking to the other side, he saw several blurry monsters clinging to his hand like octopuses.
Duan Chen finally understood.
*Bang!*
With one hand, he smashed the glass case, pulled out the rust-covered firearm, and shouted at the indistinct figures.
"Thousand Illusions Pandora!"
With a roar, bullets spewed from the gun, trailing faint sparks of gunpowder as they surged towards the blurred figures.
Under the erosion of spiritual energy, he saw the indistinct monsters gradually shed their human skins, a viscous red liquid pooling on the ground.
As everyone converged into a single entity, a massive wave crashed towards him.
The liquid flooded his nostrils, seeping into his lungs.
Air was slowly squeezed out.
His hands struggled, and then sliced through something, allowing him to breathe again instantly.
*Crack!*
"Cough, cough!"
Duan Chen coughed incessantly. The putrid smell within his body was utterly nauseating.
"Awake?"
Duan Chen heard a familiar voice. "Why does this woman always do these things?"
His chest heaved rapidly. He rolled over, ignoring the bloodstains on the ground, and lay down calmly.
"I'm telling you, she even had Zhong Yu seduce me, and..." Duan Chen stopped himself. The fabricated family in the illusion was too perfect.
And...
"Jing Hua means 'mirror flower, water moon,' but activating it requires many things." Wu Suo Wei pointed to something. "The second to last one. You've used up your big skill, remember to pay the bill when you get back."
"Got it, got it." Duan Chen took the hand Wu Suo Wei offered, sitting up halfway to calm his emotions.
"The life within the illusion, Duan Chen, wasn't it perfect for you?"
Situ Ying's icy voice asked by his ear.
"A beautiful wife, a lovely daughter, your companions haven't betrayed you, nor have they died. All the regrets in your life are nonexistent. Isn't this the life you yearn for the most?"
As Duan Chen gradually calmed down, he simply raised his middle finger.