Chapter 36: Mountain Village, Boy.

“With a heart clear as ice, no calamity can shake me…”

Xie Qiyang silently chanted a calming scripture from her memories, her back teeth nearly grinding to dust.

Forcing down the urge to claw at her body, her hands shakily formed exorcism seals in the air.

“I can’t take it… it’s too itchy!!” she cried out in agony.

Her hands moved uncontrollably, frantically scratching every inch of her body.

Where her nails passed, brief waves of relief washed over her. The harder she scratched, the more intense the momentary respite, nearly addicting her to the sensation.

Her once flawless, jade-like skin was soon marred with vivid red scratches, crisscrossing in a shocking display.

“Am I… really going to itch to death like this?”

Her consciousness blurred, caught between the maddening itch and the fleeting comfort of scratching.

A ridiculous, shameful thought bubbled up uncontrollably:

If only… Li Tianxing were here… I want to rub against him… his hot, solid body…

Maybe then the itching would stop.

In a daze, she almost felt someone catch her from behind, a warm embrace bringing indescribable safety, the maddening itch fading instantly…

His searing warmth made his identity unmistakable. He steadied her on the ground, and she, in a frenzy, tore at her clothes, craving more contact…

Then…

“Ugh—!” The thought snapped her awake. She clutched her burning, flushed cheeks, groaning in disbelief, “What… am I even thinking?!”

An unprecedented longing surged within her—for Li Tianxing. She desperately wished he’d appear right now.

Didn’t he want to “play a part”? Hurry up, she couldn’t wait.

A strange, absurd desire to be controlled consumed her.

Her state reminded her absurdly of her past life, driven by base urges, skipping game storylines like a headless fly, chasing special scenes and CG triggers.

Xie Qiyang gave a self-mocking smile. The unbearable restlessness and itching pushed her to the brink, tempting her to tear off her skin entirely.

Then, she remembered a seemingly useless technique.

Great Dream of Eternity.

With a desperate glint in her eyes, she stored the tattered white dress in her ring.

Gathering her remaining strength, she clenched her right fist and struck her temple without mercy.

Bang!

Her consciousness plunged into boundless darkness.

Great Dream of Eternity wasn’t mere physical hypnosis.

It allowed the caster to enter a deep sleep, their body acting on pre-set commands, like sleepwalking to handle crises.

Now… she could only gamble.

Don’t scratch, wear the dress, and fight enemies!

That was her final command.

…

At some point, the raging winds carried her to an unknown land, where towering peaks rose.

Torrential rain poured, fat droplets splashing into muddy pools.

In the inky clouds, lightning tore the sky, followed by deafening thunder.

Amid the storm, faint, incomprehensible growls echoed, chilling in this desolate wilderness.

The wind surged, flinging her toward a cloud-piercing peak.

Her thin black dress flapped wildly, nearly tearing apart.

But in the next moment, the wind stopped abruptly.

The dress glowed green again, gently stabilizing her, lowering her smoothly onto a wet mountaintop rock.

The glow faded, the dress spreading limply on the ground, calm once more.

At the peak, her view opened. Below was a dark, bottomless valley, with faint, firefly-like yellow lights at its base—a small village nestled against the mountain.

Through one shack’s window, a flickering candle glowed. A boy leaned out, peering into the storm.

He was strikingly handsome, with thick brows, large eyes, black hair, and golden pupils, his delicate face rivaling a woman’s beauty.

He suddenly widened his eyes, pointing at the peak where Xie Qiyang landed, shouting, “Grandma! Look at the mountain! There’s… a fairy up there!”

“Grandma, wake up, let’s find her!”

“What’s the racket?!” The awakened elder snapped, groping to sit up. Before her voice settled, a fan-like hand smacked the boy’s head with a “whack.”

“You rascal! Up in the middle of the night, yelling nonsense?! Fairies? I bet you’re having spring dreams again.”

The solid hit deflated the boy. Clutching his head, he shrank into his blankets, silent.

“Grandma, I really saw her…”

“Ugh… we’ll check tomorrow. Evil spirits love to haunt the night—might be one posing as a fairy.”

In the dim candlelight, the elder gazed at her grandson’s refined face, sighing deeply, her cloudy eyes full of worry.

“My Xing’er… you’re eighteen, but with a face prettier than mine in my youth… and you’re a boy. In this world, looking like that, what girl would want you? These old bones might not see you wed…”

“If you had even a tenth of your brother’s grit, I wouldn’t worry.”

She wrapped her worn coat tighter, her voice heavy with resignation.

From the blankets came the boy’s muffled, defiant voice: “Grandma, don’t rush me. Tomorrow… I’ll bring you a beautiful, virtuous granddaughter-in-law.”

“Big talk!” The elder snorted, blowing out the candle. “Sleep! You’ll find everything in your dreams!”

“Little brother, I really saw a silver-haired fairy in a black dress, so beautiful.”

After the elder fell back asleep, he nudged the younger boy beside him, sleeping soundly, a year or two his junior.

Unlike him, the younger boy was robust and martial. Annoyed at being woken, he yanked his hair.

It hurt, but the older boy bit back a cry.

“Keep yapping, and you’ll regret it,” the younger growled.

Darkness reclaimed the shack, leaving only the storm’s wail and the boy’s heavy sigh.

“But… I really saw her. And that fairy… felt so familiar. Do I know her?”

His soft voice was drowned by the howling wind.