Chapter 107: This is a Sickness, It Needs a Cure

Nuo instinctively started to nod, but seeing Qianyan's clenched fist and the sharp sword at his waist, she slammed on the brakes, her neck freezing at a stiff, exhausting angle.

"Is that so?" Qianyan lowered his head, rubbing his index finger as if there were some dirt on it. "In any case, that's not what I care about right now. Whether you feel guilty or not doesn't really matter."

Even though it was a dream, Nuo had no desire to get beaten up. Given the disparity in their martial skills, a fight would have a foregone conclusion.

As the saying goes, one should bend when the situation demands it. "Um, Qianyan, calm down. Let's talk this out."

Qianyan said, "I am very calm right now."

*No, you're not,* she thought. *You look like you're about to beat me to a pulp at any second.* Given Ciyuan's typical overpowered, world-destroying protagonist personality, he would definitely be furious once he realized he'd been played, and want to thrash her.

Seeing that Qianyan remained indifferent to her words, merely staring at her with bloodshot eyes, Nuo resigned herself. *Fine, if I get beaten, so be it. It's only a dream anyway.*

Nuo closed her eyes solemnly, preparing for her execution like a martyr. "Just... go easy on me."

Qianyan leaned down, his shadow gradually enveloping her. Feeling his breath drawing closer until it was right before her face, Nuo's heart hammered wildly in her chest.

"Mmh?" Suddenly, a soft, warm sensation pressed against her lips. Nuo snapped her eyes open. Before her was Qianyan's magnified face, and looking at the angle, what was pressed against her lips was... his lips.

"Mmph?!" Qianyan gripped the back of Nuo's neck, pressing down to deepen the kiss in a manner that brooked no refusal.

A tempest raged in Nuo's mind. What was going on? Wasn't Qianyan supposed to beat her up? Why was he kissing her?

"Still have the mind to think about other things?" Dissatisfied with her distraction, Qianyan pinched her cheek. "Look at me."

"What are you doing?" Nuo still couldn't believe it. In her own dream, Qianyan was forcing a kiss on her. Did her subconscious actually want to be with him? And did she view Ciyuan and Xingze as the same person as Qianyan?

She hadn't felt this fluttery even when she was playing the dating game herself. Why had she become so obsessed after returning to the real world? And to dream of three of them at once—it was simply mind-boggling.

Was it because she was too lonely in reality, never having had a relationship, that her subconscious craved men so much?

"Look at me," Qianyan's tone suddenly grew firm.

Nuo: "Mmh, mmph?!" *Stop pinching my face, I can't even speak properly!*

Qianyan let out a frustrated laugh. "To drift off even while I'm kissing you... Nuo, what place do I actually hold in your heart?"

"Mmh..." *Probably a pretty big one, otherwise I wouldn't dream of you kissing me.*

An angry kiss descended. Unlike the gentle probing from before, this was pure venting. Nuo was completely swept away by him, kissed until her eyes flushed red and she was left gasping for air.

"Cough, cough..." The moment he let go, Nuo genuinely suspected she was about to suffocate to death.

Qianyan said, "It seems you aren't good at everything."

Nuo asked, "In your impression, am I the type who... *cough*... is good at everything?"

Qianyan said, "You are very good at lying. You are heartless and cold."

"Heh..." Nuo gave a self-deprecating laugh. Perhaps her subconscious self was also despising her. To be honest, after being sold into the Organization, she had lived quite well there. There was an abundance of delicious food every day, and she enjoyed material comforts that ordinary people couldn't afford, which was much better than the conditions in the orphanage or school. The only hardship she endured was the rigorous initial training.

Yet it was precisely this harsh, almost inhumane training by the Organization that gave her strength beyond ordinary people and access to specialized knowledge, which helped her tremendously in her later life.

The Organization had groomed her to be a core member.

But she knew exactly what she wanted: a stable and peaceful life. So she betrayed the Organization, serving them up on a silver platter to stand trial in court, showing absolutely no mercy.

"Do you feel any guilt?"

"You once said you would never betray the Organization, that you viewed everyone here as family. Is this how you treat us?"

"Why?"

"Someone like you, cold, selfish, and heartless, will never receive love or redemption."

Memories that should have been buried by time gradually grew clear. Nuo could almost hear the Organization's boss harshly questioning her.

"Why?" Nuo murmured.

"Because I love you," Qianyan said, drawing Nuo into his embrace. "No matter how detestable you are, I love you."

Nuo sneered, "In your dreams."

*Boom!* A loud crash rang out.

Nuo opened her eyes. The yacht beneath her was rocking violently. The previous lively and cheerful atmosphere had long vanished. People on board were either shivering with their heads in their hands, or scrambling in panic, trying to escape the danger zone.

"Old Liu—" Before Nuo could finish her sentence, a cold sensation pressed against her forehead.

"I'm sorry, my hand was forced." Old Liu's gun was already loaded, its barrel pressed firmly against Nuo's head.

By now, Nuo had already guessed what was happening and had no intention of resisting. "Whose idea was this?"

Old Liu replied, "You should be able to guess."

Nuo said, "The Boss and the others?"

"Yes. Aren't you afraid?" Old Liu said. "They broke out of prison recently and found me to ask about your whereabouts. Unfortunately, the security in your home country is too strict, making it hard for them to act. But look at you, walking right into the trap. Your time is up."

Nuo reacted indifferently. "Oh."

Old Liu couldn't help but press harder. "Aren't you afraid?"

With the gun poking her forehead, Nuo leisurely picked up a piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth. "They probably don't want to kill me right now. Otherwise, they wouldn't have you standing here wasting your breath on me."

Old Liu sneered. "Tch, they don't want to kill you *yet*, but don't be naive enough to think they won't."

"Let's go, take me to see them." Nuo stood up, casually wiping her hands with a shawl left on the sofa.

"Behave yourself!" Old Liu felt extremely uneasy, wishing he could just shoot her right now.

Nuo was transferred to another boat. Watching the original yacht sink into the water in the distance, Old Liu said smugly, "A tourist named Nuo accidentally encountered a shipwreck while vacationing and died of drowning. By the time her bloated body is recovered days later, only the ID on her person will prove her identity."

Nuo gave a calm, cold laugh. "Heh."

This laugh shattered Old Liu's composure. "Let's see how long you can stay smug!" Facing death and she still dared to act tough. If it weren't for the Boss's orders, he would have taught her a lesson long ago.

On this boat, there were no handsome young men to feast her eyes on, nor any attentive service. Nuo was kept under house arrest, watched by eyes from all directions.

There was no form of entertainment whatsoever. It was boring to the extreme.

Nuo said, "Hey, Old Liu, I want to watch TV."

"Watch what?!" Old Liu was infuriated by her self-righteous tone. "Who do you think you are now? Still the former Code Name X?"

Nuo asked, "No TV, then? Can I play on my phone?"

Old Liu looked at her as if she were a corpse, too lazy to answer such a ridiculous question.

One moment she demanded to play on her phone, the next she complained of seasickness and wanted to go ashore for fresh air, and then she fussed about the food not being to her taste. Nuo tossed and turned for half the day, but achieved nothing.

"Just behave yourself and stop throwing tantrums. No matter how much you fuss, you can't escape."

Old Liu sneered contemptuously, letting her carry on. He figured she couldn't stir up any trouble anyway, and the guards' vigilance gradually relaxed.

Nuo stealthily pulled out her phone. What was she supposed to do at a time like this? Call for help, of course.

She lit up the screen, and sure enough, it was still on the game interface. This game was as sticky as a plaster. Nuo wanted to curse at it in frustration, but seeing the lonely figure on the screen, she swallowed her words. Forget it, this was an emergency; she couldn't waste time.

"What are you doing?"

Suddenly, Old Liu's voice rang out. The thugs nearby immediately sensed something was wrong and rushed over, trying to snatch the phone from Nuo's hand.

However, it was already too late.

With a few swift moves, Nuo threw the man to the ground. The lackeys rushed her one after another, only to fall one by one.

"Stop!"

Old Liu raised his pistol. Since Nuo kept moving, the loaded gun swayed in his hand as he tried to track her.

"Don't move! Move again and I'll shoot!"

"Heh," Nuo scoffed, trading blows with the thugs. "Go ahead and shoot, then."

Could he shoot? Naturally not. After all, Country K was a modern civilized society. The riverbanks were lined with pedestrians, and their Organization didn't have the audacity to fire guns in public.

It was mere bluffing. Nuo dashed straight toward Old Liu.

Seeing Nuo charge at him, before Old Liu could react, the gun was snatched from his hand, and its muzzle was pressed against his own head.

"Don't, don't!" Terrified, Old Liu quickly raised his hands in surrender.

Nuo tapped Old Liu's head with the barrel. "Behave, and I won't kill you."

"Yes, yes," Old Liu nodded and bowed, completely submissive.

A few of the knocked-down lackeys got back up and rushed Nuo again, completely ignoring the gun pointed at Old Liu's head.

Nuo didn't flinch, but Old Liu's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. "Stop, all of you! Can't you see she's threatening me?"

But the thugs didn't care about Old Liu's life. "Our mission is to keep watch on this woman." It didn't include keeping Old Liu alive.

Old Liu hurriedly said, "Don't do this! I've done so much for the Boss and earned merits for the Organization. Besides, if I die, this will be very hard to clean up."

One of the lackeys said, "She doesn't dare kill you. If she fires, she won't escape either."

Just as Old Liu hadn't dared to shoot earlier, no matter whose hands the gun fell into, it was merely a deterrent and could hardly be used to actually kill someone.

"Want to see if I dare?" Without blinking, Nuo pulled a silencer from Old Liu's pocket with one hand, quickly assembled it, and fired a shot out the window.

*Thud.* The bullet grazed past his ear.

Old Liu didn't dare fire, but this crazy woman absolutely did. She had dared to betray the Organization back then; what was killing a single person to her now? Old Liu's legs instantly went weak, and he fell straight to his knees.

Seeing that Nuo really dared to shoot, the thugs lost their confidence. They warily took a few steps back, giving her space. After all, she was still on the boat. Even if she emptied the gun, she couldn't take them all down, and she had nowhere to run.

Shivering, Old Liu said, "Um, Sister Nuo, could you please stop pointing the gun at my head?"

"If I don't use you as a shield," Nuo said unhurriedly, "then what value do you have on this boat?"

"I was wrong, I was really wrong." Old Liu was filled with regret. Had he known, he never would have let this lunatic Nuo return. No, even further back, he shouldn't have lured her here in the first place. It was like inviting a wolf into the house, leaving him with no peace for the past ten years.

"Explain it to me clearly. What's going on this time?" Nuo sat back down leisurely on the soft sofa.

Old Liu confessed honestly, "It's the Boss and the others... they broke out of prison and wanted to seek revenge on you..."

Nuo had ruined them completely, bringing down the entire Organization. All their years of hard work had vanished overnight.

The one who betrayed them was their most trusted core member, someone they viewed as family. How could the Boss accept that? Naturally, the first thing they did after escaping was to seek revenge on Nuo.

It could only be said that heaven was on their side. Just when they had no way to make a move in Hua Country, Nuo voluntarily came to Country K, walking right into their trap.

Their Organization had been severely crippled, its strength nowhere near what it once was. Planning this revenge operation had forced them to stake everything they had left.

In other words, they wanted nothing else—only Nuo's death.

Even hearing it from Old Liu, one could feel their bone-deep hatred for her.

Old Liu tried to appeal to whatever conscience Nuo might have left. "Sister Nuo, isn't there an old saying in your country: 'If you do nothing to prick your conscience, you need not fear a knock at the door in the dead of night'? What you did back then was really too much, otherwise the Boss and the others wouldn't be risking their lives just to kill you."

"You and I are old friends, with so many years of friendship between us. I really didn't want to harm you. If the Boss and the others hadn't been watching me closely before you arrived, I would have warned you never to come to Country K."

"Old Liu, I appreciate your kindness." Nuo was too lazy to listen to his nonsense. "Of course I won't kill you. We are friends, after all."

Hearing her call them "friends" did not put Old Liu at ease; instead, it made him even more terrified.

Nuo said, "And friends should take a knife to the ribs for each other."

"No, how could friendship require going that far?" Hearing this literally bloody phrase, Old Liu hurriedly said, "Does a friend have to get stabbed in the ribs to count as one?"

"Don't waste your energy." A weary, raspy voice suddenly rang out.

Nuo stopped her movements immediately and looked outside.

It was a middle-aged man with deep, handsome features. Perhaps due to mixed heritage, he looked older than his actual age, his face weathered and worn.

"We meet again at last, Nuo." He slowly raised his hand, the sharp blade in it reflecting a cold, piercing light. His eyes held nothing but icy murderous intent.

Nuo: "Joe."

The man named Joe said meaningfully, "You still recognize me? You still remember my name?"

"Yes, of course I remember." Nuo felt a touch of nostalgia. "After all, most of my skills were taught by you."

Joe said coldly, "Come. Let's settle this."

Nuo said, "I thought you would want to torture me first, making me wish I were dead to appease your hatred. You've changed, Joe."

Joe said, "Aside from your appearance, you haven't changed at all." Always abnormally calm, always seemingly lively and outgoing on the outside, but cold and heartless on the inside.

"Then let's begin." Nuo knew this fight was unavoidable.

Joe was right; most of her skills had been taught by him, and she couldn't gain the upper hand. Joe truly wanted her dead, every blow aimed at a vital spot. One wrong move, and she would be in mortal danger.

Nuo gradually struggled to cope, and Joe seized a loophole, knocking her down with a single blow.

"Cough, cough..." It hurt too much. In the game, she could mute the pain, but in reality, she could only endure it.

Joe's tone held a hint of disappointment. "After all these years, is this the best you can do?" He raised his blade.

The sharp edge reflected a blinding, cold light. She was done for. What goes around comes around. In that fleeting second, Nuo remembered the kiss from her dream. Old Liu was right; someone like her would never be loved, not even in death. Right before dying, all she could think of was the chance at love she had missed. Had she known, she would have enjoyed herself to the fullest in the game.

Nuo muttered to herself, "It hurts so much... Seven, can you help me block the pain?"

"Don't be afraid, Host! One-click pain blocker activated!"

The familiar, cute voice rang out in her mind. Nuo's spirits lifted as the pain instantly vanished. The lethal blade did not fall.

Instead, it was blocked by another, sturdier longsword.

Nuo slowly raised her head and saw the swordsman's white robes, long hair, and the face she would probably never forget even in death.

"Q-Qianyan?"

Seven's voice hammered at Nuo's brain like a little chisel. "Host? Host, what's wrong? Hang in there, don't pass out!"

As the world spun around her, Nuo lost consciousness.

When she woke up again, she was already in the hospital.

After asking her a few routine questions, the doctors and nurses confirmed that she was recovering well. Nuo quickly stopped them. "I suspect there's something wrong with my mental state."

The doctor looked puzzled.

Nuo continued talking to herself, "I'm having hallucinations and hearing things. I saw a character from my game appear in reality."

Showing excellent professional conduct, the doctor asked gently and patiently, "I see. Could you describe in detail what you felt at the time?"

"He was wearing the skin I bought for him with real money. His face was incredibly handsome, his hair was long and straight, and he held a sword to drive away the people who wanted to hurt me..." Nuo rambled incoherently. Perhaps because her head was injured, her verbal skills had plummeted.

"And my system, it's inside my head."

Hearing this, the doctor and nurse exchanged a glance. *You're right.* It did indeed seem like something was wrong with her head.

The hospital immediately arranged for her to undergo relevant examinations. The preliminary diagnosis was that Nuo had suffered severe trauma, leading to these symptoms, and that she would return to normal after a period of proper rest and recuperation.

Having spent the day seeing patients with various degrees of illness, the doctor felt this patient was relatively easy to handle. "You aren't experiencing any hallucinations or auditory illusions right now." Overall, it wasn't a major issue.

"But I can't see him anymore," Nuo said, a clear note of disappointment in her voice. "What do I need to do to see him again?"

The doctor: "???"

This was indeed an illness, and it needed treatment.