A mysterious realm descends, and I defy fate in comics.

Chapter 51 Holding Back

Jiang Xingni guessed that the next one might be Xiao Jiming, or it could be He Jingtong.

She preferred Xiao Jiming, since only by being with the main character could she gain more popularity.

Although Jiang Xingni has experienced a lot in the Ghost Realm during this period, without the presence of the protagonist, Jiang Xingni is certain that his experiences during this period will at most only occupy a few panels in the comic.

It's more likely that there won't be any plot points at all, but rather it will be mentioned briefly as background information in Song Juexiao's story.

You'll definitely get some screen time from Song Juexiao, but the main focus will still be on Song Juexiao...

As the scene before her eyes shifted, Jiang Xingni pursed her lips, anticipating seeing Xiao Jiming next.

—She did see Xiao Jiming.

She even saw He Jingtong, but not in the way Jiang Xingni wanted to see him.

Song Juexiao, who was beside me, disappeared at some point.

What Jiang Xing could see in front of him was a fragmented scene.

A similar scene in the downtown area, but young Xiao Jiming struggles to survive in it.

Jiang Xingni subconsciously ran towards him, but after only a few steps, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

This is just a fragment, not even a complete memory like Song Juexiao's. It's just a fragment, and Jiang Xingni doesn't even have the right to interfere.

So the little girl stopped, watching the scene with a deep and calm gaze, asking the system in her mind, not expecting to get any answer.

"The protagonist—Xiao Jiming, I mean, he also came from the lower city?" The little girl looked up and asked silently in her heart.

She found it difficult to articulate her current feelings.

Logically speaking, Jiang Xingni should feel lucky and then continue to analyze what benefits this information could bring him.

—She and Xiao Jiming come from the same place, which means that as long as she can join the main characters this time, there will definitely be scenes of her and Xiao Jiming spending time alone together in the future.

These are such obvious fellow townsmen, sharing similar connections, and will likely have common memories in the future... Jiang Xingni can easily imagine that he will definitely be able to gain a lot of popularity points from Xiao Jiming in the future.

Moreover, as Xiao Jiming's hometown, the Lower City District must have places worth exploring, and Jiang Xingni might even be able to use this to further refine his character.

But at this moment, Jiang Xingni merely blinked, her inner reaction more like calmness and a momentary daze.

"Then, my childhood explorations, and my parents' sacrifices..." Jiang Xingni murmured to himself.

No one heard what she said.

Only Jiang Xingni himself heard the last part of that sentence.

—None of it was wasted, and none of it was squandered.

In the future, it will become part of someone's story and will no longer be forgotten.

The system heard Jiang Xingni's lament and exclaimed in his mind, "Ahhhhh, what a pity!"

Jiang Xingni: ?

Based on their experience together, Jiang Xingni astutely avoided directly raising questions, instead casting a question mark over his own words.

Before Jiang Xingni could even ask a question, the system immediately exclaimed: "What a pity! If you had bound yourself to me earlier, Xingni, maybe you two would still be in the Lower City!"

Jiang Xingni: ? What are the benefits of being in the Lower City?

[Think about it, childhood sweethearts, innocent and carefree! Growing up together as childhood friends! Even if you didn't join the main characters, you certainly wouldn't die so easily!]

Jiang Xingni: ...

Jiang Xingni considered many possibilities, but he never expected that the system would feel sorry for such a simple reason.

She sighed silently: "No, I don't have the hobby of clinging to others and begging them to carry me through life."

The images of the lower city vanished in an instant, like bubbles bursting in the light. The last scene she saw was Xiao Jiming opening his eyes on his own in the illusion created by the ghost realm, unlike Song Juexiao who needed Jiang Xingni's help. Although she didn't know exactly what happened, it was clear that the comic's writers didn't want Jiang Xingni to steal Xiao Jiming's spotlight at this moment.

What Jiang Xingni saw next was a young He Jingtong.

It's still a fragment of memory, but this time, the scene shows Jiang Xingni in a place he doesn't know.

The dim lighting made it difficult for Jiang Xingni to see the specific scenes in the picture clearly; the only thing that was clear in the whole picture was He Jingtong's eyes.

Emerald green eyes gleamed in the darkness, like the gaze of a predator.

Seemingly noticing Jiang Xingni's gaze, he keenly turned his eyes in that direction.

Jiang Xingni did not dodge. She knew very well that this scene was just a projection of the past, and in fact, He Jingtong could not see her at all.

Just as she expected, He Jingtong merely glanced at her before looking away in confusion.

An ordinary person would probably not be able to see the confusion in He Jingtong's expression.

However, putting aside the fact that Jiang Xingni is very good at understanding people's hearts, she and He Jingtong have spent a considerable amount of time together. Moreover, He Jingtong, who appears in the scene, is still young and does not hide his thoughts as well as he does when he grows up.

She could tell, of course, that although He Jingtong's expression remained unchanged, it was obvious that a hint of doubt and self-doubt had surfaced in his emerald green eyes.

It was the same familiar scene, but many of the scenes flashed by so quickly that Jiang Xingni couldn't see what was happening at all.

All that could be seen was He Jingtong lowering his eyes. Although he still looked like a seven or eight-year-old child, the expression in his eyes belonged to a much older He Jingtong.

The moment the white light appeared, Jiang Xingni and He Jingtong both closed their eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw He Jingtong's cold, indifferent emerald green eyes.

—Not the young He Jingtong from his memory, but the one he knew well, a teenager.

"You were the last one to wake up." He Jingtong's tone was flat, with a slight, barely perceptible hint of reproach.

Jiang Xing chuckled.

Song Juexiao stood on the other side, casting a slightly worried glance at Jiang Xingni. Seeing that Jiang Xingni seemed to be alright, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked away.

"I saw some interesting scenes, and I came out late," Jiang Xing replied with a smile.

In fact, Jiang Xingni's heart skipped a beat—oh no, Jiang Xingni thought to himself.

Will Song Juexiao and I be criticized by real-world readers for being a burden?

Considering that the two of them came out so quickly on their own!