【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

Chapter 383 [Empire] Choice

When these things happened to Shan Qi, I always felt that man was pitiful and foolish. His willingness to sacrifice for love once instilled a certain pity and sympathy in me, as if he were trapped in his own emotional web, with no way out. But when these things suddenly happened to me, I realized—this wasn't "indifference," but "choice." Shan Qi's choice might have been wiser than I had once imagined.

I couldn't help but wonder bitterly, why were these dramas being played out on me? Why were they making me a substitute for someone else, using me to fill the void in their hearts? Just like last night, when he looked so dejected, telling me over and over again about the dinner he made for Shan Qi, as if he were exchanging food and sorrow for some kind of recognition. But in reality, he was using my time and patience to try to redeem something he had lost.

Something that was reluctantly replaced by me.

And what about me? I was trapped in the web he'd woven, feeling a softness he'd never experienced from Dan Qi. But everything was temporary, clinging to something, a fleeting comfort that filled a void. When I calmed down and looked back at it all, I felt it was all utterly absurd.

I suddenly thought of Shan Qi's choice, or rather, his withdrawal. Perhaps he had long since seen through it all. He wisely chose to step back, to walk away, no longer held back by emotion. Letting go was the only way out.

And I, like a fool, was caught up in this complicated emotional game, not knowing how to get out. Every time I tried to wake myself up, I couldn't help but get caught up in it, even though it was clearly my choice.

I gripped the metal railing of the bed tightly, suddenly feeling a deep sense of powerlessness. Shan Qi's choice wasn't just wise; it was also liberating. And what about me? Should I also let go and find my own direction, rather than continuing to be someone else's replacement, a hollow shell filled with emotion?

Actually, there is no need to doubt it. Intellectually.

I sighed softly, and a strange emotion welled up in my heart: hatred, but also a clarity I had never felt before.

I don't know when I fell asleep. I only remember wandering in that chaotic tangle of thoughts for a long time, until daybreak, when the reminder on the brain projector informed me that I had missed my alarm. That night, I couldn't figure anything out. In the end, all that was left was a deep sense of unease and exhaustion. I also don't remember what those tangled thoughts were. It was as if the entire night was shrouded in fog, and I couldn't see or grasp anything.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. I scrambled out of bed, like someone accustomed to a repetitive routine, hurriedly packed up, and headed for the classroom. The days seemed to fly by, as if every time I woke up, I was in the same place and time, doing the same things, living the same life. Yet, something inside me was constantly shifting, quietly sprouting. I wondered when it would mature, what would finally free me from my confusion.

As I walked into the classroom, sunlight streamed through the window onto the desks, and the air was filled with the distinct freshness of morning. I sat down unconsciously, my mind completely elsewhere. The teacher at the podium explained the course content, but I seemed to have no interest in the knowledge at all. Whether it was academic pursuits or the rules of the interstellar future, they seemed so distant, as if they belonged to another world.

I felt my mind enveloped by unease, especially thoughts of that man, which kept flooding back. I still remembered the look in his eyes the night before, a mixture of dependence and pain. Every time I recalled that look, it felt like an inexplicable pressure, suffocating me.

"Yang Ruyuan, come and answer this question." The teacher suddenly called my name.

I froze, realizing I was in a daze. I stood up and looked at the teacher, slightly bewildered. The question was about interstellar history, a topic familiar to me, yet a sense of emptiness filled my heart.

"Uh..." I hesitated for a moment and managed to muster an answer, my voice a little dry.

"Well, sit down." The teacher was obviously not satisfied with my answer and just nodded simply.

I sank back into my seat, the murmurs of my classmates filling the classroom. But my mind had already drifted away. The confusion that had lingered in the night remained unresolved. The content of the class seemed unimportant. What mattered was how I would face the rest of my life, how I would face this man who didn't belong to the same world as me, and how I could escape this maze of my own making.

Everything in front of me is blurry, and everything seems to be shrouded in fog. I don’t know what to do.