530: 8.130 Cross My Heart*

8.130 Cross My Heart*

Lu Yizhou staggered on his feet due to the shock. From his position, he could only see Ellen's side profile but that was already enough to tell him that something had gone terribly wrong. Ellen had never shown such an expression in front of him before — no, perhaps, this was how he was supposed to be.

The real Ellen, villain of this world.

His arms were grabbed from both sides, followed by the concerned inquiry. "Are you okay?!"

Lu Yizhou turned to find Cyrus and Luan by his side. Both of their faces were bloodless but there was a loosening tension on their shoulders upon seeing him. The way they looked at him was akin to a savior. Lu Yizhou's voice was numb when he asked, "...What happened?" He had only gone for less than half a day, what could have brought such a great change to Ellen?

The eloquent Cyrus was actually tongue-tied at his question. His mouth opened and closed, but the answer Lu Yizhou was waiting for did not come, as though he had no idea how to word it in a way that would not offend anyone. 

Lu Yizhou brushed them off. "It's okay, I can already guess." 

Cyrus still looked like he wanted to say something but Lu Yizhou gave him a look — it should be somewhere between 'leave the rest to me' or 'don't you dare take one step closer' — and they finally relented. 

However, Lu Yizhou had not taken more than two steps before Cyrus suddenly shouted, "Be careful!"

Lu Yizhou clenched his fists and for a split second, anger surged up his chest. The way Cyrus acted like Ellen was a dangerous being ticked him off in a wrong way. In this world, nobody knew his lover more than him. They might be short-tempered, haughty and arrogant sometimes, but Lu Yizhou had glimpsed upon the fragility they inadvertently showed; the loneliness and desolation that shrouded their entire being. It was like they were intent on pushing everyone away, the further the better.

Everyone might be daunted by their thorns, but not Lu Yizhou. Never.

Lu Yizhou ran across the slippery deck and held onto the nearest stable support as he looked up at Ellen's figure.

"Ellen!" He hollered atop of his lungs. Cold air rushed to his lungs, making his voice crack in the end. Coupled with the rushing waves and the hubbub around, his voice was instantly drowned into nothingness. Yet as though it was the loudest voice he had ever heard, Ellen's expression froze and he slowly, slowly turned toward where Lu Yizhou was standing. 

A brief surprise flashed through his eyes — crimson, as striking as flowing blood, Lu Yizhou keenly noticed — before it was swiftly covered by derision and self-deprecation. 

"You came?" Ellen's eyes raked him up and down before he slowly descended to stand in front of Lu Yizhou. The sound around them ebbed away as if someone had pressed a pause button. The striking waves, incessant cries and fierce lightning — all of them stopped and only silence remained.

The distance between them stretched close yet far at the same time; as close as heartbeat, yet it felt like everything would dissipate into smoke if he were to take one step closer.

Just as Ellen was sizing him up, Lu Yizhou was also taking in this unfamiliar side of Ellen. He still had that tilting smile on his face as though everything in this world was beneath him, but those eyes — the eyes Lu Yizhou had gazed into every passing second for the past four days — were immensely sad.

"Ellen…" Lu Yizhou slowly reached out a hand. "I've fulfilled my promise. I have returned."

Ripples formed across Ellen's eyes as he glanced at Lu Yizhou's outstretched hand before it became stagnant again. He put his hands into his pocket and stayed where he was. If not for the massive wave behind him, he would have given the impression of a leisurely young master on a vacation. "Hmm, so what?" He shrugged. "Everything is too late anyway."

"How so?" Lu Yizhou quietly asked.

That question stunned the other. Ellen blinked once before he burst out into laughter, loud and raucous. Lines formed between Lu Yizhou's brows. He did not like it when Ellen laughed like this, so full of desolation and loathing, both to himself and the world. Alas, before he could open his mouth to speak, Ellen beat him to it, 

"It would be better if you stayed unconscious for a few more hours," he sighed in pity. "By then, everything will be over."

Lu Yizhou understood immediately. No, to be exact, he had had a nagging feeling that this day would come sooner or later. Just that… he never expected it would be so soon. 

Both in Ella's diary and from Ellen's mouth itself, Lu Yizhou had learned that he was the creator of these separate worlds or instances. Ellen wanted to destroy this instance, just like he did with the previous one, and created another. Then he would bring Lu Yizhou out with him and settle them into another place. 

From the start to the end, there was only one thing he wanted.

—Safety. 

Ellen scrutinized his expression carefully and found none of the shock he was waiting for. His lips curled again in ridicule. "Since when have you found out?"

There was no context in that question but both of them understood it either way.

Since when have you found out that I am the second bug?

Lu Yizhou pursed his lips tight. "I have my own suspicions… since the start."

That's right, Lu Yizhou had been suspicious ever since Ellen was unwilling to tell him his role — no, he should have guessed it from the very first second he woke up in this world. 

The bug in the simulator could be considered a 'virus'; they messed with the operation and caused errors to form all over the place. In the previous quest, Ellen had had such a long contact with Baines and they even had their lives bound together. In this way, how was it possible for Ellen not to be 'corrupted' by the 'virus'?

Logic notwithstanding, perhaps Lu Yizhou just did not want to see the truth. When Ellen evaded his questions, Lu Yizhou subconsciously put him into the guest camp. He had even told Ellen that he did not care about the game, emphasizing that no matter which camp Ellen was in, he would forever be Lu Yizhou's first priority.

But then, Ellen still hesitated. 

After that, came Ellie's warning…

The more Lu Yizhou wanted to lie to himself, the harsher he was slapped by concrete evidence that popped up one after another. 

Ellen had a huge secret he could not tell anyone. It was even more terrible than being in the opposing camp as Lu Yizhou. With just a little bit of thinking, Lu Yizhou could easily guess the crux of the matter.

However, Lu Yizhou was still unwilling to push him. Instead, he gave subtle signals, trying to get Ellen to trust him; he gave Ellen space so that the man could see that he was worthy; that no matter what the truth was, it would not change how Lu Yizhou would treat him…

Alas…

Ellen's expression cracked. "Why…" He fumbled on his words. "Why are you crying?"

Lu Yizhou flippantly wiped his face and shook his head. He took a deep breath. "Now that both of us know the truth, do you still not trust me, Ellen?" His voice carried a trace of hoarseness, faintly pleading even. "I have told you from day one… With me here, no harm will come to you again—"

"I don't fucking care about that! This world can fuck me up and I won't even give a shit!" Ellen suddenly cut him off. He was enraged, his face twisted as he gritted out, "Do you think I will not know if you change your clothes? Do you think I will not know what you have experienced there? Lu Yizhou, who are you trying to fool?!"

Ellen's slender figure was trembling. "Ever since I brought you out of that place… Ever since I brought you out of that fucking place, I have made up my mind to walk through this path! You know what, I am not the same Ellen as I was at the beginning, even Ella and Ellie started to fear me! But you…" His expression turned stricken and a sheen of mist covered his crimson eyes. His voice quivered, whispering, "Only you… You're the only one who has not changed. Lu Yizhou, I don't want to lose you…"

Ellen added with a mockery wet smile, "Again and again, I will destroy and create a new world… as long as I can grant you safety. As long as I can give us a place where we can belong… Do you understand now, Lu Yizhou?"

Lu Yizhou froze. It was like the ground beneath him had given away to utter blankness. For a split second, he could not fathom what Ellen was talking about. Until a sharp pain struck the most tender part of his heart, turning it into sieves. His pupils trembled in great shock.

All these while… all of the things Ellen had done, it was for him…?

They always tried to protect the other, disregarding all logic and reason, even at the expense of their own lives. Unaware of the other's intention, they unknowingly hurt each other. 

…Exactly how stupid they were?

Ember flickered in the depth of Lu Yizhou's tattered heart, waving and crashing like the sea around them, turning into a tidal wave that forced him to move his feet forward. He crossed this empty space, reminiscent of the distance between them and the silly misunderstanding, and braved through them in lieu of taking his lover back into his arms.

Ellen let out a quiet gasp. "Lu Yizhou…?" 

Lu Yizhou whispered hoarsely into his ear, "Let's go. You don't need to torture yourself through this vicious cycle again, Ellen. The safety you have been yearning for, the place where we could belong… I have prepared them for us." Pulling away, he stared into Ellen's disbelieving face, smiling through the tears that blurred his eyes. "Let's go together… okay?"

Ellen gaped at him, seemingly not expecting this kind of reaction. There was a flicker of golden surfacing in his crimson eyes as he stuttered, "But… But I and this world are tied together. As soon as I leave, I will die…" He whispered the last few words with a trembling voice.

Of course, Lu Yizhou knew. Ellen had been regarded as a bug by the system. As soon as he left the protection of this world, then the simulator would work to get rid of him. 

Lu Yizhou would be damned if he were to let such a thing happen.

"Nonsense," he rebuked with a gentle yet firm tone. "Nobody will die. You, Ella and Ellie, I will bring the three of you out. No one will be left behind." He cupped Ellen's face and declared once again, "Do you hear me, Ellen? I will not let you die. I will bring you out of here. Alive."

At long last, Ellen could not maintain his mask of composure again. He grasped onto the hem of Lu Yizhou's shirt tightly, his knuckles whitening. "R–Really?" He was actually very afraid, very very afraid. However, he was used to not showing it on the surface. He had to remain strong so he could protect everyone, that was the principle Ellen had always abided by. But now… Lu Yizhou was telling him that it was okay to not be strong? That it was okay to admit that he was suffering and let the man share his burden? Could he still be okay after that…?

Lu Yizhou smiled and wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. "Cross my heart, sweetheart."

Ellen stared at him for one long moment before a smile finally broke through the gloom of his face. Yes, this was the man he loved, the man whom he was willing to hand his whole life to…

Almost at the same time, the chaos around them resumed its vitality. The giant wave was heading straight to them, while lifeboats were seen scrambling across the pitch-black surface like a piece of floating wood. Far in the distance, the crack on the sky intensified and fragments of it sprinkled down like the ray of hope amidst the desolation, creating a picturesque scene of beauty in chaos.

Lu Yizhou could faintly hear Cyrus and Luan's voices behind him yet at the moment, nothing existed in his eyes aside from Ellen.

Ellen grinned at him, while he returned with a faint smile. He dropped a lingering kiss on the other's forehead and murmured, "I will see you soon… Ellen, Ella and Ellie."

[666.]2

[666: Aye, aye, Host! Hehehe *rub hands* Let's test how mighty 666's code manipulation is. Don't worry, Host, that rubbish system 404 can traverse through worlds just fine with this skill and as the most brilliant and intelligent system, 666 will definitely make it happen to Ellen too!]

[Mn, thank you.]

He hugged the man to himself as the colossal wave slammed into them, bringing with it the formidable force that immediately broke the cruise ship apart and turned it into ruins. Lu Yizhou's nose and mouth was submerged into the water, and the pressure was so high that he could feel his ribs cracking. Yet the grip he had on his lover was strong and unyielding. He would not let go, even after death.

In the split second before their bodies went underwater, Lu Yizhou seemed to hear Ellen whispering to him,

"My Lady, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight."

.

.

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Arc 8 — The End

A/N: Let's say goodbye to LYZ onee-sama! Next arc, apocalypse world! We will get zombie LYZ and who has missed original plot? *raise hand* I think we have had enough of being kept in the dark QAQ

Some important info in the author's note. Please read it hehe~

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