The bedroom door, which had been tightly shut twice before, now stood open before Xin Ye.
Upon entering the room, Xin Yan immediately turned the lock. Xin Ye couldn't help but reach out and touch the edge of the door. *So, this is how the door was locked?*
Xin Yan flung his backpack onto the bed in a fit of frustration, only to awkwardly drag it back toward him. He unzipped it and rummaged through the contents until he found his notebook—the one filled to the brim with his writing. He sat at his desk and flipped to the character setting pages, the ones Yi Ting had criticized last.
Xin Ye stood behind him, a silent witness to this bloodless surgery.
Xin Yan picked up his pen, set it down, and then finally tore those pages out. On a fresh, blank sheet, he began to write anew.
Stripping away the cold exterior he had crafted, Xin Yan molded a new male protagonist. Since the "No CP" subgenre was too niche, he tore away the serious traits and fashioned a female lead. He assigned the lively, talkative nature to the second male lead, and delegated the occasional cowardice and "cute" moments to a fourth teammate.
"What about Xin Ye?" he suddenly muttered to himself.
Xin Ye, standing behind him, tilted his head. "What about me?"
He hadn't named the primary characters yet.
Xin Ye was the name closest to his own heart. He felt it was inappropriate—and he simply didn't like the idea—to give it to any of those four. None of them were *him*.
He stared into space for a long time before designing a fifth member: the most useless person in the squad.
"What else do I have left to give you, Xin Ye? What’s left of me to dismantle... You can like eating crackers, just like me. You can like sweets. Yes, and lemonade. And you’ll have a face exactly like mine..."
"I can give you *myself*."
Xin Ye gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and rested his hand on Xin Yan’s shoulder.
He watched as Xin Yan wrote three words after the prompt "Ability:": *The Me in the Mirror.*
"This is the best thing I can give you..."
Xin Yan finally finished the last stroke, pressing down so hard the pen nearly tore through the paper.
Writing this had drained him of his strength. Having skipped both lunch and dinner, he closed the notebook and slumped over the desk, falling fast asleep.
Xin Ye moved around the desk, inspecting the stack of notebooks on the side until he found his target.
The notebook labeled "Villain."
It was 7:00 PM.
He stood by the desk and waited in silence, motionless, as if he knew no fatigue.
Xin Yan woke up at 11:55 PM.
He remained slumped over, eyes open, staring out the window for three minutes. Outside, the world was no longer white; it was the pure, unadulterated black of night.
Xin Ye saw his hands suddenly grip the edge of the desk with force.
"I dreamed... Did I just dream...?"
11:59 PM.
"...I dreamed that someone appeared beside me. Xin Ye, was it you?"
Xin Ye’s hand moved toward the notebook.
"I know you’re here..."
12:00 AM.
Xin Yan saw a person suddenly appear before his eyes—someone who looked exactly like him.
The pain in his chest felt like a hand tightening around his throat, forcing him to push back his chair and stand. Fighting back a flood of tears, he apologized to Xin Ye: "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. It’s because I didn't protect you that you ended up like this..."
Xin Ye didn't look at Xin Yan immediately. The moment he became physical, his first instinct was to snatch the notebook. Only with it in his hands did he feel a sense of security.
The Mirror Image had said he had emerged from the space at midnight on the 24th—Xin Ye’s birthday. Thus, Xin Ye had guessed that if he could appear before Xin Yan at midnight, he could take the opportunity to seize the notebook and destroy the core.
He found the page featuring Gu Shaolou, ripped it out violently, and shredded it, letting the scraps flutter to the floor right in front of Xin Yan.
"This is an effective apology. Do you understand?"
Seeing the boy’s bewildered face, a flicker of unbidden guilt rose in Xin Ye’s heart. "I..."
But before that guilt could take root, it was snuffed out by the person he had loathed for so long.
***
Xun Yin thought he was merely having a dream—a dream of the past.
The boy, whose face had been twisted in pain just a second ago, suddenly burst into laughter as if waking up. He reached out, intending to drape an arm over Xin Ye’s shoulder. "I finally get to see you, Xin Ye... What’s with that expression? You look like you actually pity me."
"But you know exactly what I am now, don't you?"
*A piece of trash who takes pleasure in bullying his own characters,* Xin Ye thought as he shook off the hand.
He must be losing his mind to feel even a shred of guilt for this person, even his younger self.
The force of the shove sent them both staggering back a step. Before Xin Ye could steady himself, the floor beneath them began to quake. Knowing this wasn't a real space, Xin Ye asked the other man expressionlessly, "What kind of nonsense are you pulling now?"
Xun Yin curled one side of his mouth into a grin. "You're so smart, can't you guess what's happening? It's fine. Special offer—you don't even have to beg; I'll tell you for free."
The darkness was shattered by the violent growth of green plants. The small succulent Xin Yan kept on the windowsill suddenly erupted into gaudy, brilliant flowers. A woman’s scream echoed from downstairs, but both of them ignored it in silent accord.
"The protagonists are set, so the story must begin. The apocalypse starts now. Spend this night with me—aren't you happy?"
*The true cause of this world’s sickness, no matter how you look at it, is the Creator—the author. Who is the real mutation core?*
The tremors grew stronger.
Xin Ye looked down to see loofah vines crawling out from the cracks in the floor, binding his feet tightly, just as they bound the man opposite him. Neither showed any fear—perhaps they didn't fear death, or perhaps they were certain they wouldn't die.
The ceiling groaned, on the verge of collapse.
Xin Ye threw the notebook to the ground.
"I really do hate you. I hate you so, so much."
A piece of debris grazed Xun Yin’s face as it fell, leaving a bloody scratch. He simply shrugged.
"Believe it or not, I like you very much. Very, very much. But regardless of the sentiment, it all ends now."
"It’s time for the finale, Xin Ye."
The entire ceiling caved in, crashing down toward them.
Xin Ye’s expression remained calm.
"I’ll take you at your word."
*
Xin Ye was spat out of the space, landing directly on a sofa.
Before he could even sit up, Lian Muyun lunged at him, pinning him down. The boy was a mess of tears and snot, wiping them all over Xin Ye’s clothes. "Captain! You’re back! Dammit, you just vanished without a word, I was scared to death!"
Xin Ye gave Lian Muyun a reassuring pat on the back before pushing him away. "Anyone else need comforting? Come on, next in line."
Tang Qiuqiu was the first to rush forward.
Dr. Chen, seeing that Xin Ye had returned safely, left in a hurry. Xing Yue, who had been standing in a corner holding back tears, finally couldn't take it anymore and approached. "Captain, after you’re done hugging Qiuqiu, give me one too."
Xin Ye set down the black cat he had been stroking and told Qiuqiu to go wash her hair back to its original color. Then he stood up and gave Xing Yue a hug.
"It’s over. Truly," he said.
The last one to walk over to Xin Ye was the Mirror Image.
He didn't say a word, nor did he ask for a hug.
Xin Ye said to him, "The mirror shards are back to normal. It won't happen again—you won't be stuck out here." The Mirror Image smiled, as if today were just any other ordinary day and he had simply gone for a stroll with Xin Ye.
Xin Ye led his teammates out of the clinic.
Tonight, with the wealthy Lian Muyun present, they could stay at a hotel and then...
Get some sleep.
Lian Muyun complained that Xin Ye was being too much of a health nut and tried to drag him into a game of Ludo. Xin Ye threatened that if he was forced to play, he would tattle to Leng Xianye when he returned, telling him that Lian Muyun was ostracizing him and intentionally leaving him out of games.
This tactic was highly effective. Lian Muyun immediately feigned an attack on Xin Ye before retreating to his own room in a huff.
Once Xin Ye reached his single room, he locked the door.
He had already called out in his mind many times without receiving a response from Xun Yin. Now that he was alone and the hotel room was well-soundproofed, he asked aloud, "Xun Yin, are you there?"
He wasn't.
He was truly gone.
Xin Ye let himself fall backward, closing his eyes as he sank into the soft mattress.
The mental tumor that had been growing on him had been excised. By any measure, it was a relief.
*Sleep. I'll deal with everything else tomorrow.*
...
...
*So why does my heart feel this strange sense of emptiness?*
*
Headquarters of the Mutation Investigation Department.
Starting at 7:00 PM, every machine in the experimental zone began blaring alarms simultaneously.
Researchers scrambled out of their labs in a panic, shouting things like, "The global mutation coefficient is plummeting!" and "All my research is going to be worthless!"
Fan Shuwan walked against the flow of the crowd, finally stopping in front of a specific laboratory.
He raised his gun and violently destroyed the electronic lock. As the door swung open, Yi Ting and Jian Weiwei both looked toward him.
"Weiwei, go eat. Those people haven't sent you dinner yet tonight." He gave Yi Ting a nod of acknowledgment and then turned to leave.
Jian Weiwei’s face was still covered in unhealed wounds. She looked down and asked Yi Ting, "Are we going to eat?"
"Yes."
Yi Ting took one last look at the large screen flashing [WARNING].
"The cafeteria is free today."
Dormitory.
Fu Shu asked Leng Xianye why he had called him over. Leng Xianye, now dressed in a management uniform, handed Fu Shu the proposal his father had given him. "This plan is a suicide mission for you. You’d better..."
Suddenly, a communication request popped up on his multi-function watch. It was Xing Yue.
"Wait a moment, I need to take this."
Fu Shu looked indifferent; he had plenty of free time anyway.
After finishing the call, Leng Xianye thought for two seconds, then tore the proposal to shreds and dropped it on the floor.
Fu Shu: "Whoa, cool."
Leng Xianye: "...Go pack your bags. Tomorrow, we’re going to find Xin Ye."
He glanced down at the call log and allowed a small smile to form. "It’s all over."
*
April of the following year.
Yi Ting called Xun Yin, telling him a film company wanted to buy the rights to his new book and asking if he was willing.
"Sell it. If there's money to be made, take it," Xun Yin said, a cracker clamped between his teeth. "The new book is much easier to film than *The Apocalypse Leveling Game*. I’m all for the financiers starting production."
In the new year, the sound of Yi Ting’s keyboard was as loud as ever. "It’s good that you’re being decisive. Don't be all wishy-washy like last year... The worst part was that we didn't even make any money in the end."
Xun Yin: "Aiya... passing on money you don't want to earn adds years to your life, you know?"
Yi Ting: "Not making money is what shortens your life."
The two chatted idly for a few more minutes before Yi Ting hung up because she was too busy with work.
Xun Yin set down his phone, put on his wired headphones, and opened his document to start coding—or rather, writing—his new book.
This new book was a horror-themed power fantasy. He found it easy to write, and it was performing better than his last one. The readers were happy, he didn't have to overthink it, and he was enjoying himself. A win-win.
To set the mood, Xun Yin kept the curtains tightly drawn even though it was broad daylight. The pitch-black environment helped him conjure up horror vibes and inspiration.
He was used to listening to music while writing; today, he had a creepy little tune playing.
Just as he reached a peak of inspiration, the music cut out. As a staunch materialist, his first reaction was to check if someone was calling him on a messaging app. But after confirming there were no pop-ups, a bad premonition crept into his heart.
"It couldn't be again..."
Xun Yin rubbed his nose. "Please, no. I can't bully this new protagonist; he’s got a nasty temper and I can't win an argument against him."
He let his thoughts wander, though he wasn't truly afraid. After all, no sound was coming through the headphones.
Just as Xun Yin was about to pull off his headphones to check the connection, he heard a soft chuckle.
His first instinct was to go "physical exorcism" and smash the computer, but he hesitated because he didn't want to waste the money. While he was wavering, the voice spoke again.
"Hey."
Xun Yin let go of the computer.
"How are things going lately?"
"Not bad."
"Are you a savior now?"
"No."
"Find a good job?"
"I wouldn't call it 'good.' I'm teaching. The others all went into politics."
"...What about romance?"
"None. Though Leng Xianye and Xing Yue are back together."
Xun Yin laughed.
"You're still that same unlucky guy."
Xin Ye, the man who couldn't find love and couldn't get promoted as fast as others.
"It’s rare for us to connect, and all you have to say is that I'm unlucky? Can't you say something nice for once?"
Xin Ye touched the receiver on his ear and turned to look at the blackboard behind him.
He was teaching biology now. Class had just ended, and when he heard the communicator, he thought it was a friend calling. He hadn't expected to hear *that* person's voice.
On the blackboard, there was still a drawing of a daphnia.
"Happy birthday to us, Xun Yin."
(End of Main Story)
***
