Chapter 596

“Master!!”

“Crash!”

The sound of the terrace door being shoved open came from upstairs!

The wind chimes rang!

Then came the sound of someone climbing through a window!

It was obvious that Liguang had climbed down from the second-floor terrace!

Immediately afterward…

Footsteps went pattering around the little cabin.

Fang Qi remained frozen in place.

Why?

Why couldn’t Liguang see him?

He had clearly been right in front of her just now. He had called her name and reached out to grab her…

But she had passed straight through his palm.

…?

“Bang!”

The half-open wooden door was suddenly slammed open again, striking the wooden wall with a heavy thud!

Liguang charged back into the cabin through the front door!

Her chest heaved violently as her trembling gaze swept across the entire room.

Her eyes passed over Fang Qi, who was standing right in front of her… yet they didn’t linger on him for even half a second.

“Liguang!”

Fang Qi instinctively called out and reached for her hand again.

But…

His hand passed straight through hers once more.

“…”

Fang Qi froze, staring blankly at the silver-haired girl before him.

How could this be…?

He was clearly standing right here. He could clearly see Liguang!

He could hear every word she said!

He could even smell the faint, sweet scent of strawberries on her!

But he…

Just couldn’t touch her?!

Hey… that voice…!

This was your doing, wasn’t it?!

He suddenly looked up at the ceiling, as though he could glare that voice into existence!

But the voice had already vanished.

“Master…?”

Liguang clutched the hem of her cream-colored swimsuit dress. Her eyes were unfocused as she murmured, her voice trembling faintly.

“Master… where… are you…?”

“I’m right here!!”

Fang Qi immediately rushed in front of her, frantically waving his hands.

“I’m right here! Liguang!”

“Right in front of you!”

He was panicking too!

How could he not panic?!

He was right here!!

But Liguang’s gaze didn’t stop anywhere.

Her crimson and amber eyes kept flickering! Scarlet and deep-blue light tangled together in chaotic patterns!

It was as if they were frantically calculating something!

Fang Qi stared at her, his heart tightening again and again.

He was genuinely terrified!

Since the beginning, Liguang hadn’t sensed a single one of his actions?!

Calling out to her was useless, and touching her was even more impossible.

The two of them were almost as if…

They existed in different worlds…?

What was going on…?

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms as he tried to use the pain to calm himself down.

But just then…

“Hehehe…!”

The silver-haired girl before him suddenly laughed.

It was a laugh filled with relief and lingering fear.

As she laughed, she continued looking around the room.

“Master, you’re here, aren’t you?”

Her tone had even relaxed considerably.

Fang Qi was stunned.

Huh?

He saw Liguang’s eyes curve into a smile, tears glimmering in them without falling. She simply smiled like that, as if waiting for a response.

His eyes lit up!

Liguang had figured it out!

Good, good! He knew this Crazy Girl would definitely…!

“You… must have regained some of your authority, so you deliberately ‘disappeared’ to scare Liguang…”

“Isn’t that right?”

Her tentative voice trembled faintly, and her expression was filled with cautious hope.

Fang Qi: “...!”

Ah…

His heart felt as if a knife had viciously carved into it.

He couldn’t stand seeing Liguang like this.

How formidable was this Crazy Girl usually? Fierce and ruthless, twisted and spoiled—when had she ever shown an expression like this?

What he wanted even less was…

To see that expression turn into disappointment, or even despair!

He instinctively took a step forward and spread his arms, wanting to embrace her.

“Liguang, that’s not it! I’m right here, you—”

He embraced nothing but empty air.

He stumbled, taking a step that carried him straight behind Liguang.

And so…

The two of them stood frozen, back to back.

They remained that way for a long time.

Neither moved, and neither spoke again.

Fang Qi could hear Liguang’s faint, suppressed breathing behind him.

He didn’t dare turn around.

He was a little… afraid to see the expression on Liguang’s face right now.

But…

But…!

What in the world was going on?!!

His entire body trembled. His teeth clenched so hard they creaked, and his temples throbbed.

Why?!

Liguang was standing right behind him, yet he couldn’t touch her or embrace her…

He couldn’t even make her see him?!

He suddenly remembered that voice again.

The last thing it had said was…

“Is this your choice?”

Then the door had opened.

Liguang had come in.

And then… he had become like this.

Fang Qi’s breathing grew faster and faster.

So…

Had that voice done something?!

Had it severed him from Liguang’s world?!

No, that wasn’t right!

Liguang couldn’t see him, couldn’t hear him, and couldn’t even sense him, but…

He could see Liguang! He could hear her voice!

He could even feel the warmth and scent coming from her!

Why was that…?

Normally, a problem this troublesome would have been tossed to Liguang to figure out long ago!

But now…

Fang Qi slowly closed his eyes.

Now, he could only rely on himself. He had to…!

“Thump.”

Suddenly, a soft sound came from behind him.

Huh?!

Fang Qi abruptly opened his eyes and turned around, only to see…

The silver-haired girl had turned her back to him and knelt straight down!

Her silver hair spilled down her back, and her body trembled faintly!

“Master.”

Liguang spoke, her voice trembling terribly.

“Liguang was wrong… Master, please come out. I’m begging you…”

Fang Qi’s breathing stopped instantly.

“Liguang really was wrong. Liguang shouldn’t have locked you in the room, and shouldn’t have talked to Miss Lin behind your back…”

“Liguang knows Master is angry. Liguang… Liguang…!”

She began to ramble incoherently.

Her shoulders shook, and even her back trembled!

And Fang Qi…

He could no longer remain standing!

He practically charged in front of Liguang, dropped to his knees, and reached out to touch her head!

“Liguang, I’m right here!”

“I’m not angry anymore! Stand up! Look at me!”

His hand passed through her silver hair!

It was like passing through soft light.

Then his own hands met one another where Liguang’s head was supposed to be.

He froze.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Master…”

Liguang remained kneeling there, continuing to apologize without pause.

And his hands simply overlapped in midair, unable to do anything.

So…

Fang Qi slowly lowered himself into a kneeling position and stared blankly at his own hands.

Why…?

This feeling was almost as if…

The two of them existed in different times and spaces, only occasionally overlapping.

He could see her and hear her, but…

He couldn’t touch her.

Like a ghost.

“Master!!!”

Liguang shouted!

Then she suddenly lowered her head and slammed it toward the floor!!

Fang Qi was startled and instinctively drew back his leg!

Given their positions, her little head should have struck his leg perfectly!

But that small silver head passed straight through his leg and—

“Bang!”

It slammed heavily into the wooden floor!

The deep, muffled impact struck Fang Qi hard in the chest!

His entire body shuddered!

“Please, Master!! Please!!”

“Come out!! Liguang can’t be without her master!!”

Liguang slammed her forehead against the wooden floor again with a loud bang!

“Please!! Come out and tell Liguang that Master is only punishing Liguang because he’s angry!!”

“Liguang will never do something like that again!!”

“Master! Liguang really…!”

Her final words caught in her throat and never made it out.

She remained kneeling, prostrated on the floor with her forehead pressed against the boards, her shoulders trembling again and again.

Fang Qi knelt before her, both hands braced against the floor…

His eyes were bloodshot!

He had never felt so helpless before.

He would rather Liguang turn dark like she used to, go berserk, grab him by the throat, and demand an explanation…

He would rather have that than see her like this!

Because he had no idea how to comfort Liguang in this state.

He… had… no… idea… how… to… comfort… her…!!

He couldn’t even hug her!

Suddenly, Liguang jerked her head up!

Her expression was frightened, yet as though she had suddenly realized something.

Fang Qi could see the red mark on her forehead from the impact, as well as the light flashing wildly in her mismatched eyes.

She fumbled frantically over her body, muttering nonstop:

“That’s right… Master is angry. Liguang has to return Master’s authority. Return Master’s authority!”

“Then Master can roll back time, and—!”

She suddenly stopped.

Her entire body went rigid.

“Huh?”

Those mismatched eyes stared blankly into space, her lips trembling faintly.

“Liguang’s… authority… where is it…?”

she murmured.

“Where is the authority Master gave Liguang…?”

Fang Qi’s pupils contracted sharply!

What…?!

What did that mean?

Liguang… couldn’t use his authority anymore?!

Then he saw…

“No… no…!”

The silver-haired girl suddenly seemed to have lost the last bit of strength in her body. She went limp…

And collapsed completely.

“Master took back the authority he gave Liguang…”

she whispered, trembling violently.

“No… Master… Master doesn’t want Liguang anymore…?”

“Could Master have…”

Her gaze trembled as she looked toward the wide-open door and the sea outside, bathed in the morning light.

Toward the line where sea and sky met.

“Left with Miss Lin…?”

Fang Qi’s heart sank.

What?!

Lin Xiaoyou had left?!

He abruptly turned toward the doorway. The stretch of ocean outside was empty. There was no sign of the little white boat!

No, wait!

That wasn’t what mattered right now!

He spun back toward the silver-haired girl on the floor.

Liguang had collapsed completely. Then…

Little by little, with great difficulty, she began crawling toward the doorway.

“No… no, no… don’t… Master… are you going to abandon Liguang…?”

“Liguang was wrong… Please, Master… come back… come back…!”

She crawled forward while repeating the same words over and over, her voice broken and halting.

And Fang Qi…

His breathing had completely fallen into disarray!

What had Liguang just said?

Right!

She couldn’t use the authority anymore, which meant…!

Fang Qi clenched his fists fiercely!

He suddenly shot to his feet and stared toward the blinding morning light outside, about to rush out!

So had the authority returned to him?!

If so, then didn’t that mean… he could roll back time?!

Why bother worrying about anything else?!

Roll it back! Roll it back right now!!

He frantically looked around.

A harpoon gun stood in the corner!

Fang Qi rushed over and reached out to grab it…!

But his hand closed on empty air.

He froze.

The harpoon gun was still right where it had been, utterly unmoved.

He couldn’t even pick up the harpoon gun…?

Fang Qi slowly looked down at his hand.

Then he raised his head and stared out at the deep-blue sea.

Jump into the ocean?

No… he seemed to have been able to breathe underwater before.

If he jumped in, he would only sink to the bottom…!

…Was there really nothing he could do?

No.

That wasn’t true.

He could still…

He could still smash his head against the ground!

Fang Qi stared at the silver-haired girl, who was crawling weakly toward the doorway. His lips trembled.

Liguang, wait for me.

If the authority really has returned, and if my damn guess is right…

Then right now, I’ll…

Use death to roll back time and take you with me!

He drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, leaned his body backward, and then—

Slammed his head into the floor with all his strength!!!

“Bang!!!”

Pain exploded through him in an instant!

It hurt! But…!

Fang Qi was overjoyed!

Because everything before his eyes suddenly went black, and consciousness began to be swallowed by darkness!

Ah… it’s here!

This feeling…

The rollback…!

Although the pain was excruciating, Fang Qi still relaxed a little.

Good. He had rolled back.

This time, he would return to the moment before that bowl of shark fin soup.

He would hold Liguang and comfort her. He would tell her that he could never abandon her. And the next time something like this happened, she absolutely mustn’t…!

His consciousness suddenly churned in the darkness.

Then, in the next instant…

Fang Qi slowly opened his eyes.

…Huh?

His gaze trembled.

He discovered that he was still slumped on the wooden floor of the cabin.

There was still a phantom pain in his forehead, but… the wound had already vanished.

It was as if… nothing had happened at all.

Liguang had already crawled outside. She continued murmuring:

“Master… Master…!”

Her voice grew farther and fainter.

Fang Qi stared blankly at the open wooden door.

Outside, the sea was dazzling beneath the morning light.

Why…?

He hadn’t rolled back time.

He had…

Resurrected in place?