Chapter 19: with translation of chapter title

After experiencing several repetitions of 'Do you have anything to say?' — 'Nothing left to say, act quickly!'

Afterward, the entire Underground Space was filled with an indescribable awkwardness.

Xi Lian's originally tear-filled azure eyes, now from repeated crying, were slightly red and dry, even carrying a hint of physiological sting.

She looked at Heimu, who still (in her view) kept a cold face, her voice hoarse and deflated, she whispered a proposal: '…Can… we… change the acting style?'

No.

Heimu refused outright, while inwardly she wildly complained about Aha's pitiful scoring standard.

Seeing Xi Lian's pitiful state, where she could barely squeeze out tears, she felt that not administering some Fierce Medicine was unacceptable.

Thus, she again coldly snapped her fingers, and the sinister Light Screen beside her lit up once more.

Still Ke Xia.

Still the demonic music.

But this time, besides the green-haired scholar wildly dancing and singing 'Ha Ji Mi~oh north-south mung beans~', beside him appeared a gray-haired girl with equally 'wise' eyes, equally abstract movements, jumping along with him!

Xi Lian: '……'

She felt her nerves had gone numb.

She even began to wonder if, when Weng Fa Luo Si was destroyed, everyone had actually become like this, and only she was kept in the dark?

Under dual mental and physical exhaustion, Xi Lian reluctantly went along for a few more rounds.

Until the twenty-seventh repetition of that line (Heimu silently counting), she finally couldn't hold on.

'I… I really… can't cry…'

Xi Lian's voice carried deep resentment and helplessness, feeling she had cried out all the tears of several lifetimes; she lifted her red, swollen eyes, like two peaches weathered by storms, gazing at Heimu—that look wasn't that of an enemy, but of a troublesome sprite unreasonably tormenting her to exhaustion.

Heimu looked at those bloodshot eyes that could no longer shed tears, and a soft spot in her heart was lightly touched.

At the same time, a strong sense of dissonance welled up in her heart.

It's been over twenty times…

The emotion, lines, and atmosphere are clearly all in place, so why can't we get a perfect score?

She frowned in thought, her consciousness unintentionally sinking into fragments of past-life memories, searching for the scene of the Bitter Fate Mandarin Ducks.

Suddenly, an overlooked detail flashed through her mind like lightning—…Perhaps… I'm the one who should be crying?

In other words…

Heimu's consciousness froze for a moment, then she felt a surge of absurdity—…Am I supposed to cry?!

Not her?!

This tiny detail made the corner of her mouth twitch uncontrollably.

Ah… this… seems like a mix‑up?

She instinctively looked again at Xi Lian—the girl's slightly red‑swollen eye sockets, her aggrieved yet strained expression, together with her miserable state bound by chains…

(Inner monologue: …It seems… this actually makes sense…? Especially since I forced her to watch so many repetitions of Ke Xia's Dark History…)

Guilt and embarrassment flitted through her mind, making her feel her face warming slightly (although her blood‑less delicate face remained pallid).

'Cough…'

She cleared her throat to mask her inner unease.

Fortunately, Xi Lian's admission that she couldn't cry gave her a convenient step to change tactics, and she finally realized the key reason this scene could never be perfect.

Otherwise she would truly be stuck here like a solo‑play clown, endlessly looping.

(Inner roar at Aha: Besides! Why didn't you give a hint earlier! You just want to watch us keep NGing here!)

(From somewhere, a faint chuckle seemed to come: Hehe~ You found the fun point~ The joy lies in watching the 'villain' break down!)

'This time…'

Heimu's voice remained flat, but upon closer listening it seemed to have lost some of the deliberately cultivated heaviness, gaining an indescribable complexity—'…I'll cry.'

She slightly lowered her eyelids, striving to mobilize her emotions—imagining Xi Lian's helplessness bound by chains, imagining Ke Xia's abstract dance hiding 'sacrifice', imagining her own frustration at having to play the villain for this bit of Repair Degree…

All those emotions mixed together, and indeed they caused a faint moisture to gather in her dark‑purple, lackluster eyes, eventually forming two crystal‑clear tears that slid silently down her fair cheeks.

She lifted her tear‑filled eyes (although only two drops), gazed at Xi Lian, and with a voice choked (hard‑won) and immensely complex (this time genuine), she spoke the familiar line once more:

'You… do you have anything to say?'

Her voice actually carried a hint of pity and sympathy, and even a touch of unwillingness (mainly toward herself).

Xi Lian was stunned by Heimu's sudden tears, but she still followed the earlier instruction, closed her eyes, summoned her last strength, and replied in a heavy, resigned tone:

'…Nothing left to say… act quickly!'

The instant Xi Lian's words fell——

【Ding! Performance Score: 10/10! Congratulations on perfectly performing 'Heart‑wrenching Tears'!】

【Joy Energy fully loaded! Core Repair Degree up 2%! Current Total Repair Level: 30%!】

A burst of sound only Heimu could hear—extremely cheerful, even with a confetti‑like effect—rang in her mind.

Done!

Heimu shuddered, almost reflexively, and snapped her fingers sharply!

'Whoosh—'

The heavy, icy dark chains binding Xi Lian shattered at the sound!

They were like shattered glass, instantly turning into countless purplish‑red Data Light Dots, scattering and vanishing in the air like fireflies.

Deprived of the chains' support, Xi Lian gasped and her body uncontrollably plummeted from mid‑air.

Heimu instinctively stepped forward, extended her arms, and firmly caught that light, soft body.

In an instant, the girl's warm temperature, her slightly quickened heartbeat, and the faint scent of dust on her were clearly conveyed.

Heimu's arm stiffened for a moment.

Xi Lian was completely dazed, her mind a blank, and she instinctively grabbed the front of Heimu's shirt, her blue eyes wide open, filled with utter confusion and bewilderment.

Heimu lowered his head, clearly seeing the girl's long eyelashes in his embrace and her lips slightly parted from shock.

A sense of embarrassment and the relief after completing the task welled up in his chest.

She leaned close to Xi Lian's ear and, speaking extremely fast, mumbled a sentence:

"... Sorry."

After saying that, she flinched as if scalded, instantly released her arms, gently set Xi Lian on the ground, then quickly straightened up, turned without hesitation, almost fleeing, walking with a pace that seemed calm but was actually a bit quicker than usual, hurrying down the stairs without daring to glance back.

Only Xi Lian remained, barefoot on the cold floor, still wearing that torn light‑purple dress, blankly surveying the empty space where only scattered data light dots lingered.

The chains…have disappeared?

She…was let down?

That "Iron Tomb"…held her…and even said…"Sorry"?

Then…just left?

Xi Lian raised her hand, touched her ear, where a faint warmth lingered along with that barely audible apology.

So…

Those dozens of "act now" repetitions just now…

What was it all for?

She stared toward the stairs where Heimu had vanished, her blue eyes filled with an unprecedented bewilderment.

What…happened?