Chapter Twenty-Six: A Warm Moment for the Family of Three

Chen Xi's mouth was slightly open.

What was she seeing?

Du Fang?!

How could he be inside the Dream Disaster?

Chen Xi distinctly remembered that before entering, the captain had specifically instructed Du Fang not to step into the Dream Disaster.

But it was clear now that Du Fang had not obediently followed the captain’s orders.

Her body trembled slightly.

Though Du Fang had joined the Wildfire Squad thanks to her recommendation, the deep-seated fear within Chen Xi had never faded.

It was the fear of Du Fang’s daughter.

That night, under the moonlight—

Luo Luo’s sharp-toothed smile, and her tongue trying to reach across thirteen floors to stab her—

All had left an indelible terror.

At this moment, Chen Xi dared not move a muscle. She had finished the exam, gained the freedom to act, and ought to be searching for the captain and other teammates to see if she could help them solve the questions.

Given her understanding of the captain and her teammates’ educational backgrounds...

They most likely had no hope of completing the exam.

If they managed to guess all the multiple-choice questions, that would already be impressive.

When she finished answering, Chen Xi had also deduced the killing rule of this Dream Disaster.

It wasn’t just about finishing the exam within the allotted time. Most importantly...

You couldn’t fail!

If you failed, you would be killed just the same.

Even someone like Chen Xi, a top graduate from one of the nation’s ten best universities, found the exam difficult to answer.

It was clear: once the exam ended,

How many students here would die!

Chen Xi looked at Du Fang’s back.

She saw a blood-stained hand covering Du Fang’s own, answering questions swiftly and perfectly. She glanced at the answer sheet—every answer was flawless.

A sudden confusion washed over Chen Xi.

What kind of tactic was this?

Letting the invigilator help you answer...

She had never seen such an elegant, unconventional cheating technique!

“Ka... kakaka...”

Suddenly.

Chen Xi turned toward the lectern.

There, a middle-aged woman whose body was twisted and deformed, missing a hand, half her face shredded, her form seeming stitched together, was approaching with a grotesque gait. With every step, blood sprayed from her wounds.

“Cheating... no cheating allowed...”

“Cheaters... must die!”

“Give... give me... my hand back!”

A cold, raspy voice spilled from her mouth.

Her bleeding eye sockets fixed on Du Fang with venomous madness. With a roar, she lunged at him.

Chen Xi froze.

She felt the dream energy surging chaotically through the classroom, her heart pounding with dread!

This woman’s resentment was deep; the surging dream energy far surpassed the standard for a second-tier Dream Disaster specter!

But... there was none of that suffocating pressure from before.

Where had that overwhelming, suffocating dream energy come from earlier?

The hand?

Chen Xi’s clever mind spun rapidly, understanding the key in an instant.

The bloodstained hand that was so intimate with Du Fang...

It seemed to be crucial!

Chen Xi’s heart thudded wildly.

She looked at Du Fang, unmoved and serenely seated, and at Luo Luo’s face, radiant with bliss...

Her heart leaped into her throat.

Because the grotesque middle-aged woman had closed in within three meters of Du Fang.

“Watch out!”

Unable to help herself, Chen Xi cried out in warning.

Luo Luo, crouched atop the desk, her face radiant with a blissful smile, slowly turned to look at Chen Xi.

Just a glance,

And sweat broke out all over Chen Xi.

She was engulfed in an indescribable terror.

She collapsed into her chair, unable to lift even a finger.

That familiar terror was etched into her soul!

Yet, unexpectedly...

Luo Luo tilted her head, baring her sharp teeth in a slight grin.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

So polite.

The next moment,

Luo Luo remained in her crouched posture.

But the pink pig plush in her arms was flung out, slamming toward the grotesque middle-aged woman.

“Your hand?”

“That’s Mommy’s hand!”

“And... don’t disturb Mommy and Daddy’s date!”

“Don’t interrupt our family’s precious time together!”

“Get out!”

Luo Luo’s roar echoed.

She became suddenly violent, losing all the polite and docile demeanor she’d shown to Chen Xi.

Terrifying waves of dream energy surged out in every direction like a flood,

Oppressive,

Ferocious,

Raging!

They rippled through the air,

As if shredding the fabric of space, riddling it with holes.

The whole dream seemed unable to withstand it,

Fragmenting under the pressure of the dream energy.

And the pink plush pig, Qiqi, let out “moo, moo” pig squeals,

Swelling instantly like a balloon filled with air.

From a cute pink Dutch pig,

It ballooned into a pink wild boar—grotesque, fearsome.

A hoof struck out.

The screaming middle-aged woman was crushed beneath it,

Pinned helplessly to the ground.

Then, the wild boar Qiqi grabbed the woman, swinging her left and right, smashing her into the floor...

Bang, bang, bang!

As if pounding a ragged sack.

The entire dream shook and trembled.

Luo Luo withdrew her gaze, still crouched atop the desk, watching the hand-in-hand cheating scene between Du Fang and the hand... her face full of satisfaction and happiness.

She savored the rare warmth of their family of three.

Within Luo Luo’s smile...

It seemed, for that moment, time stood still.

Bang, bang, bang!

Qiqi the wild boar kept smashing, and after a while...

Qiqi’s hoof pinched the mutilated, meat-dropping woman, snuffling with its nose, then somehow produced a round jar with the other hoof.

It shook, scattering something like pepper from the jar.

Don’t throw away the ruined specter,

Smear on some sauce,

Sprinkle some pepper...

Qiqi’s mouth watered uncontrollably.

Then, before Chen Xi’s numb gaze...

The specter from this Dream Disaster was treated as pig feed and swallowed whole.

“Burp~”

Qiqi let out a satisfied belch.

Then, it returned to its plush pink Dutch pig form, nestled in Luo Luo’s arms, its mouth curled in contentment, appearing as harmless as ever.

This pig...

Left Chen Xi utterly dumbfounded.

...

...

Du Fang looked at the hand gripping his own.

Fair,

Smooth,

Skin like milk, even exuding a sweet fragrance.

It was a woman’s hand.

When it covered his own, Du Fang felt an unprecedented peace in his heart.

He had an urge to grasp it in return.

As if traversing time and space,

Transcending reincarnation,

All for the sake of this moment of interlaced fingers.

“My wife’s hand...”

Du Fang gazed at the fair hand, his expression complicated, shy, yet blissful...

Luo Luo had said this Dream Disaster carried his wife’s presence, and now he knew it was true.

The only regret was, Du Fang had hoped to see his wife in person, but only received her hand.

Still, even with just the hand, guiding him, he felt no fear.

Instead, there was...

A happiness so sweet it reached his heart.

Du Fang’s lips curled into a smile. He didn’t know why, but he enjoyed this feeling immensely.

If her hand was so beautiful, his wife...

Must be even more so!

He quietly lifted his other hand, gently covering the fair, soft hand.

The fair, soft hand seemed to freeze,

Just like a budding girl, stiff with nervousness when her hand is held on a first date.

Then, the hand lightly brushed his away,

If accompanied by a coquettish “You’re so annoying,” it would truly be a flirtatious moment.

Outside the window...

Sunlight broke through the clouds.

It shone into the classroom, bathing the two intertwined hands in light.

“Sweet as honey, ah so sweet, so sweet as honey...”

Soft music flowed from the exam room’s speakers.

Making the entire dream

Even warmer and sweeter.

...

Ding ding ding.

With the clear ring of a bell,

The sweet exam was over.

Full of reluctance, Du Fang left the exam room, surrounded by a crowd of lovely girls.

He stood at the gate of First Girls’ High School.

Inside, passionate girls waved goodbye to him.

Du Fang wore a gentle smile, waving back at them.

After bidding them farewell,

He looked down at his hand.

The lingering fragrance remained.

The softness and warmth still curled in his heart.

Exams...

Were truly fascinating.

Though this time he saw only his wife’s hand...

Du Fang looked forward even more to seeing his wife whole.

He raised his hand, fingers spread toward the sunlight,

The light traced the patterns in his palm, gleaming between his fingers, as if reflecting the vast world—fate born and dying in the palm.

Sunlight was dazzling and beautiful.

Even the air seemed thick with the scent of romance.

Of course, Du Fang was also a little confused and...

Angry!

Who was it

That dared to separate such a beautiful wife?

Unforgivable!

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