Chapter 61: My Egg Actually Cracked Like This
Xueqing pulled me down, and after reaching the first floor, I thought there was no more road, but Xueqing continued to the gap in the stairs and then pushed open the wall.
It’s a revolving door!
After entering, there was still a staircase going down.
Does this mansion have a place like a basement?
But why is Xiao An in this kind of place…
Speaking of which, when was the last time I saw her…
Every time I recall this matter, my brain feels like it’s going to crack, and this crucial memory is missing.
But what is certain is that the last time Xiao An came to find me must have been a long time ago. I remember my hair wasn’t this long back then. Now Xueqing says she’s taking me to find Xiao An, but she’s taking me underground… Will “Ruanruan” do anything to Xiao An… No, it shouldn’t be.
Even if she’s blacked out, Ruanruan wouldn’t harm a child, so why would she place Xiao An here?
Continuing downward, the stairs were a four-section spiral staircase. Turning constantly, after repeating this process several times, I was completely lost and couldn’t tell which way was which.
But Xueqing was still resolutely leading me down. Sweat had already seeped into my palms. I wanted to let go and wipe them, but Xueqing held my hand tightly and refused to let go.
“Don’t, let go.”
“Why?”
“If we separate, the starting point and the ending point will be connected.”
“Huh? You mean, if we two separate, the starting point and ending point of this staircase will be connected? An infinite corridor?!”
Xueqing nodded, then said.
“The white-haired maid said so.”
“White-haired… you mean Miss Shirley…”
This kind of conceptual trap does resemble the abilities of Miss Shirley and the other maids. But in this world, Miss Shirley is just an ordinary person, right? Why could she create such a bizarre staircase leading to the basement? Is it Ruanruan’s doing… As an administrator, she also has the authority to change things within a certain range. If anything, this is equivalent to a ‘demigod’.
Speaking of which, in our Investigation Department’s Class 6 building, there are also two floors where the stairs form this state. Although I’m curious, my instinct for danger tells me not to approach it easily.
The feeling of being unable to escape no matter how much you struggle must be terrible, like saving a dead file in a game. It’s not only annoying but also easy to cause mental breakdown.
…The previous spiral nightmare was exactly that feeling. That’s certainly an experience I never want to go through again.
If someone could persist through countless cycles of reincarnation, that person would either be a fool who charges forward or a monster consumed by obsession.
“We’re here.”
While I was thinking about all sorts of nonsensical things, Xueqing had already pulled me to the end. It was quite a long way. If the four-section staircase counts as one floor, we are now about ten stories underground.
It was very dark while going down the stairs, but Xueqing calmly led me to the bottom. She’s truly amazing.
Fortunately, at the bottom, there was an ancient-looking incandescent chandelier. Below the chandelier was a door. I went to open the door first and was relieved to see that the other side was no longer a staircase.
…So, is Xiao An here?
The basement was also unlit, and I couldn’t find any light switches around, but it wasn’t dark inside.
An egg radiating a warm orange-red light…
“Isn’t this… an egg?”
“This is An.”
“Oh, this… Uh huh? Why did it become an egg again?!”
Is it growing again?
Last time, she transformed from a three-year-old girl into a ten-year-old loli. Does this mean that this time she will transform from a loli into a young girl, or even an onee-san?
This is terrible. My daughter is growing up so fast, I, as her father, can’t accept it!
Also, the temperature was not as high as last time, and there was no flame. It was just emitting a faint reddish-orange light and felt warm to the touch.
I walked up to the glowing egg and placed my hand on it, which was about the size of a dinosaur egg, and murmured.
“When did Xiao An become like this…”
“A long time ago.”
“So it’s been a long time.”
“Last time, during hide-and-seek, Xun couldn’t find Xiao An in the end.”
I remember Keling mentioning that three people were playing hide-and-seek, with Xun as the seeker searching for the other two.
How long ago was that? I have no concept of time…
“Then, Xun forgot about An.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
The sudden turn of events made my brain unable to process Xueqing’s words in time.
Xueqing probably thought I didn’t hear her clearly, so she repeated it.
SF Light Novel
“No, I heard you… Xun forgot about Xiao An?”
“Not just Xun, everyone else… also forgot.”
“Eh?!”
Everyone else forgot too! But they were all…
Indeed, recently, Xiao An hasn’t been mentioned at all.
They all live together, so if someone is absent for a while, they would surely worry.
But no one went to find Xiao An.
It turns out it’s because everyone forgot about Xiao An.
“Juncheng, too.”
“What! I didn’t forget Xiao An! She’s my precious daughter!”
Although the memories in my mind are scattered and many memories are missing, I didn’t forget Xiao An! That’s why I’m looking for her everywhere now!
“The previous Juncheng forgot. Then An became like this.”
“The previous me…”
I mean the period when I was lost before.
During that time, let alone Xiao An, I couldn’t remember anything. My brain couldn’t think properly, and the hormone secretion made me completely lose my reason.
Ah… but it’s true that in retrospect, I neglected Xiao An… Playing with her was something I did when I first moved into this mansion.
When even Xun forgot about Xiao An, wouldn’t Xiao An be completely ignored?
That child was always alone, lonely and cold.
Suddenly, I felt so regretful and heartbroken. What was I doing before?
In the end, because no one remembered Xiao An, she returned to this form.
Unlike last time, it didn’t emit flames because it wasn’t ‘growing’, lacking the vitality of life and fiery flames. It was merely a self-sealing form of ‘preservation’.
“Since everyone else forgot, why do you still remember Xiao An, Xueqing?”
Xueqing tilted her head at this question, probably because she herself didn’t know why.
I originally thought this might also be Ruanruan’s doing, but now I think it wasn’t, because I didn’t forget Xiao An.
Ruanruan took away my memories, but didn’t take away the memories related to Xiao An. Then there would be no point in her taking away other people’s memories.
SF Light Novel
Since everyone else has become her subordinate, there’s no need to deliberately erase memories. That would be redundant.
So, who erased all memories related to Xiao An?
And why only I and Xueqing remember…
“An and I are very similar.”
At this moment, Xueqing walked up to me, looking up at the glowing egg. Her fair cheeks were flushed red by the orange-red light.
“We both… have cheerful smiles and give thumbs up.”
I patted Xueqing’s head and then…
“Never again!”
“But don’t worry! I won’t leave you alone again—”
“Okay, now I need to figure out how to move this egg.” I tried to hug the super large egg, but just as I was about to lift it, I heard the sound of a door opening from the front.
“…A guard!
Indeed. Such an important place wouldn’t be unguarded.
Who is it? Ruanruan? Or the maids?
Which one is it? I hugged the egg. Because the surface was very smooth, it was difficult to hold, and it was too big. In short, I need to escape quickly! Without thinking, I hugged it.
It almost blocked half of my vision, so I couldn’t run at all.
There’s no way I can take it like this!
But I can’t abandon it here.
…Right.
I can roll it! I started pushing the egg, controlling it to roll towards where we came in.
An idea struck me, and I quickly put the egg down. Then I couldn’t care about anything else!
I don’t know if Xiao An inside will get dizzy, but
“Xueqing, help me stop him!”
“Okay.” With Xueqing’s combat power, even if the opponent is a maid, she can definitely stall for time.
I just need to escape by then!
“This voice… Juncheng?”
This voice… Xinran?
Why are you here? “Three floors.”
“Why are you here? This is underground ten… it’s underground thirteen floors!”
“That’s what I want to ask! How do you know here?”
“I took the elevator.”
There’s an elevator?! It’s impossible to get past her, so I can only escape the way I came.
Unfortunately, the elevator is now blocked by Xinran. If I want to… Egg? What’s that?’
“Wait, Juncheng, why are you running? What are you pushing? Do you not know, or are you acting to fool me? No, I can’t see through you at all.
Seeing that Xinran seemed completely unaware, this is really… Why are you here? Answer me.”
“Stop, An Juncheng, what exactly are you doing? she asked again.
Xinran walked towards me while sternly questioning me.
“I’m not answering you!” I turned and ran towards the stairs, so I had to pick up the egg again.
Finally, I rolled the egg to the basement door. Next, I need to go up the stairs. If I don’t hold hands, it will become an infinite corridor! And I have to carry the egg with both hands. At this moment, I suddenly remembered that this staircase…
If so, I won’t be able to hold Xueqing’s hand… Xinran rushed towards me, but Xueqing stood in front of her and gestured to me behind.
“So… You mean ‘An is in your care’?”
Ugh, Xueqing…
No, I won’t abandon you! The problem is that if I don’t hold hands, the door won’t become an infinite corridor!
“Xueqing, hurry! Hug my back!”
“Wait, don’t think about running!”
“Unsheathe.” With a flash of light, a cut as if slicing water, her clothes were cut into strips. Xueqing assumed a ready stance, her hand on the hilt. However! What was completely unexpected was that Xinran didn’t flinch at all. Even when she was naked, she continued to charge at Xueqing, and even grabbed Xueqing and continued to rush towards me.
“Eeeek?!” Xueqing bumped into my back. I couldn’t dodge at all. The result was that Xinran, carrying Xueqing, rushed towards me.
The egg in my arms hit the stairs with a crack.
Cracks spread all around.
No way! My egg actually cracked like this!
