Chapter 528: None of Your Business

Yuan Yao feels a slight headache.

If she doesn't kill Qian Yunzhou, she feels she would be betraying her master from her past life.

If she were to kill Qian Yunzhou, the 250 system now limits her actions. Moreover, Qian Yunzhou is deep‑thinking and ruthless; should he sense her intention, his vengeful temperament would retaliate by any means, and then she wouldn't be able to kill him and might even be dragged in herself.

Thinking of this, Yuan Yao forces herself to calm down, takes a deep breath of cool air, trying to suppress the surging emotions.

She temporarily forces the person Qian Yunzhou and that deep‑seated hatred into the deepest part of her heart.

She says to the 250 system:

"When will Xie Yan break the shell and be reborn?"

【Sorry, host, the system cannot detect it.】

"Useless system."

【Detecting that the host is verbally attacking this system, system requesting offline…】

Yuan Yao is speechless: "I curse you once, and you try to run!"

【……】Some system is self‑isolating.

Suddenly, she receives a transmission.

It's from Qian Yunzhou.

"Yuan Xiao Liu, I've arrived at Xianling Capital; aren't you coming to welcome me?" The tone carries a few careless notes.

Yuan Yao's fingers gripping the transmission crystal tighten slightly, the knuckles whitening from the pressure.

The cold sensation from the crystal reaches her palm, yet cannot suppress the sudden chill and killing intent that flare in her heart.

She closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, the emotions in her eyes have fully withdrawn, leaving only a calm, placid surface.

"Fine.

A single word, concise and clear, reveals no emotion.

The night is as black as ink, stars speckle, scattering over the deep heavens. Below the heavens, Xianling Capital now shines with brilliant lanterns, bustling traffic, a scene of prosperity that starkly contrasts the tranquil night sky.

Yuan Yao and Qian Yunzhou arrange to meet in a tea house.

On the second floor, by the window, sits a pair of strikingly beautiful man and woman.

The young woman wears a plain white outfit, her ink‑black hair tied high into a sleek ponytail, highlighting her snow‑white skin and painterly features. She rests a single hand on her chin, elbow on the smooth pear‑wood table, posture lazy, her clear bright eyes idly fixed on the man opposite, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness: "Qian Yunzhou, you've already drunk five pots of tea; aren't you satisfied yet?"

She has been sitting here with him for almost two hours.

Hearing this, Qian Yunzhou puts down his white jade tea cup; the bottom of the cup collides with the table with a soft sound. He lifts his gaze to Yuan Yao, his eyes deep, with a trace of inquiry: "Yuan Xiao Liu, do you really dislike me?"

"Hmm."

"You really don't hide it at all." Qian Yunzhou says, half laughing, half crying, as he looks at her picture‑perfect brows and eyes, recalling Lu Xiangxiang's line: "We killed Yuan Yao!"

Though Qian Yunzhou finds Lu Xiangxiang's mention of the past life absurd, there is some logic to it.

Qian Yunzhou says: "Since you're so bored, let me tell you a story."

Yuan Yao is a bit surprised: "You can tell stories?"

"Of course." Qian Yunzhou, unperturbed, calmly sets down his cup, his gaze steady as he slowly begins: "Once, there were twin brothers, their looks, talents, even early experiences were almost identical. The elder was named Da Zhou, the younger Xiao Zhou. They grew up together in the same environment until adulthood. Later, a sudden accident sent them into two seemingly similar yet possibly completely different mustard‑seed spaces."

At this point, Qian Yunzhou suddenly pulls two chess pieces from a storage compartment, one black and one white, and places them on the table.

His slender finger points to the black piece, voice calm and unruffled, yet seeming to carry a certain penetrating force: "Brother Da Zhou, in his mustard‑seed space, first encountered some unscrupulous people who led him astray; eventually his heart changed drastically, and he committed many heinous deeds, his hands stained with blood, killing many."

He gently moves his fingertip to the white piece: "Meanwhile, younger brother Xiao Zhou, in his other mustard‑seed space, luckily met some pure‑hearted people who guided him toward goodness. Thus he made choices entirely opposite to Da Zhou, always staying true to his heart, never harming an innocent."

"However, when these two originally parallel mustard‑seed spaces collided and merged due to some unknown force—"

"Brother Da Zhou and younger brother Xiao Zhou were, after the merger, judged by the merged space's rules to be a single existence. Thus a brand‑new person was born, named Zhou Zhou."

Qian Yunzhou's voice pauses slightly, his gaze deepening further.

"Zhou Zhou possesses none of Da Zhou's memories, nor his violent soul. He holds Xiao Zhou's complete memories and his pure soul. One could say Zhou Zhou is entirely governed by Xiao Zhou's consciousness."

His finger lightly taps between the black and white pieces, his gaze returns to Yuan Yao: "Now, the question arises. Those who were killed by Da Zhou have followed cause and effect to find Zhou Zhou, seeking revenge. Do you think Zhou Zhou is innocent? Or should he bear the consequences of Da Zhou's crimes, unforgivable?"

Qian Yunzhou slowly lifts his head, his deep eyes like a cold pool, staring unblinking at Yuan Yao, awaiting her answer.

The air seems to freeze at that moment, the clamor outside the window fades, leaving only the silent tension between the two.

Yuan Yao understands his implication.

She does not answer immediately, but looks up at Qian Yunzhou, "And you? If you were the current Zhou Zhou, what would you do?"

"Yuan Yao, I'm the one who asked you first." Qian Yunzhou unusually calls her by her full name.

Yuan Yao looks straight into his eyes, "I want to know whether Zhou Zhou is from good or from evil."

Qian Yunzhou's fingertip curls slightly, "What if he wants to be good?"

Yuan Yao states plainly.

"And you?"

Qian Yunzhou's breathing falters; in his heart he instantly understands—she indeed knows about the previous life.

"I would make the same choice."

Yuan Yao coldly says: "Qian Yunzhou, remember today's words; if you backtrack, I, Yuan Yao, will even in death crush you to dust!"

"Fine." Qian Yunzhou smiles, then says: "Lu Xiangxiang told me many strange things; do you want to hear them?"

"Go ahead."

Qian Yunzhou reveals almost everything Lu Xiangxiang said to Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao, after listening, sneers coldly.

"She deceived you."

"Oh? What did she deceive me about?"

Yuan Yao is about to speak, but the 250 system silences her.

She keeps a composed face, points at herself, and can only hint: "I, have nothing to do with you."