Chapter 34: A Fragile Truth
I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Qin Jinnan and the system knew each other's existence.
Perhaps, even, they could communicate in ways I couldn't fully understand.
The original hero and heroine of this world had been dead for years, yet the world continued to turn as usual.
The system had been toyed with by Qin Jinnan, but despite its resentment, it still chose to "resurrect" me.
It seemed that my return wasn't an accident at all—it was a consequence of Qin Jinnan's actions.
I voiced the question aloud.
Qin Jinnan paused for a moment, then smiled gently. His hand brushed through my hair, and he leaned down to place a tender kiss on the scar at the side of my face.
"So smart," he murmured.
He met my gaze, his eyes filled with a quiet, intense understanding.
"I figured out how the world works after you were gone for the first two years," he began. "When I killed the male and female leads of the fate-bound story, the world should have fallen apart. The hero and heroine were the source of the energy keeping the world in motion."
He paused, then continued in a softer tone. "But I forced the system to reveal the truth. The world runs on energy—on a thriving economy, a growing population. That's what keeps it alive."
I blinked, processing his words.
"So, for the past ten years," he continued, "I expanded my business empire, feeding the system the energy it needed to survive. My goal was always to resurrect you."
I stared at him, trying to reconcile the man in front of me with the image the system had painted of him—the God of Fury, ruthless and cold.
What he said sounded too simple. His empire, vast and sprawling, could hardly be maintained as easily as he made it sound.
I raised an eyebrow, the question bubbling up. "You're holding its soft underbelly and threatening it."
Qin Jinnan's arms tightened around me, and he let out a soft laugh. "Yes, I can supply the energy it needs to survive, and I can also destroy it completely."
His gaze darkened for a moment. "It's used to being untouchable, but I've forced it to bend. Naturally, it resents me for that."
His fingers traced the scars on my body, his touch gentle but firm. "The system's resentments have led to the creation of those raiders, and it even let you suffer. But that's on me. I'll find a way to heal you, and I won't let the system off the hook."
I listened, his words washing over me. For a moment, I thought I should be scared or angry, but I wasn't.
I lightly covered my lips with my fingers and smiled, not with malice, but with the quiet understanding of a woman who had heard a thousand stories. "At noon, you were still telling me you were innocent."
The tension in the room shifted, but the underlying uncertainty remained. There was more to this game than either of us had let on.