Tang Li couldn’t answer directly, hesitating as she tried to find a suitable excuse.
Because she couldn’t possibly stay—even if not for returning to the real world, she still had to go to the other four worlds.
Hearing no response from the girl, the man’s eyes gradually filled with crimson, his gaze both desperate and filled with sorrowful resentment. “Even in dreams, you’re unwilling to stay with me?”
“Do you… like Qi Jue that much?”
Qi Jue, the male lead of this world, was also her character’s senior from the same school.
In the plot, her character was the White Moonlight in many people’s hearts. After her family went bankrupt and her parents died, many wanted to possess her.
But her high medical expenses and increasingly frail body made them retreat, leaving only Qi Jue.
According to the plot, Si Du was still abroad at that time, developing his own power, unaware of the upheaval back home. He missed the chance to take her away for care during the critical period.
By the time Si Du returned to the country, she had already become Qi Jue’s “girlfriend,” and Si Du, unable to compete with Qi Jue at that time, was repeatedly suppressed and struggled to recover.
This planted seeds of hatred in Si Du, becoming one of the reasons he turned into the major antagonist later.
This was what the plot described.
But Tang Li didn’t know Si Du’s obsession with her would be this intense.
Was it because he failed to protect her, his little sister?
“I don’t like him. I’m just grateful to him, thankful that he took care of me and allowed me to live a little longer,” the girl whispered.
“We’re not in a relationship either. There’s a very good girl around him—they’ve been breaking up and getting back together—that’s his real girlfriend.”
Meaning the female lead of this world, a celebrity somewhat resembling her, whom the male lead took as a substitute.
This world followed the substitute-tortured-love trope, where the White Moonlight was just cannon fodder, periodically brought out to intensify conflicts between the male and female leads.
Yet somehow making them more entangled.
Tang Li didn’t understand it anyway—she just followed the plot.
The man’s expression softened slightly. “Really? Then why won’t you agree to stay with me?”
Si Du tightened his embrace, murmuring softly, “You blame me, don’t you? Blame your brother for not protecting you well, for not protecting your parents either, right?”
“When you needed me most, I wasn’t by your side. So I paid the price—I lost you forever, can’t even have you in my dreams. I know you hate me. I didn’t keep my promise, failed to stay with you forever…”
The man seemed to be speaking to Tang Li, yet also to himself, utterly tormented, his eyes red but unable to shed a single tear.
Tang Li’s heart ached with sorrow. She quickly shook her head. “No, I’ve never blamed you, Brother Si Du.” I just… I…”
The girl was nearly frantic with anxiety.
She had never lied before—now panicked, scared, and sad, she couldn’t think of anything!
System 78 hurriedly suggested, 【Tell him you got lost on the path to the underworld.】
Tang Li: “…??? Will that work?”
【He’s not normal right now and thinks he’s dreaming anyway—you can say anything!】 System 78 urged.
【His emotions are unstable. If this continues, the world will collapse even faster!The girl bit her full, soft cherry lips anxiously, stammering as she tried to comfort him, “I—I got lost and couldn’t find brother’s dream.””
Help, who would believe such nonsense?
But Si Du believed it.
The man was like a drowning person sinking into the deep sea—even the slightest ripple could completely submerge him. The girl’s words were his only hope for survival.
A faint smile appeared on Si Du’s handsome, gaunt face, and his previously lifeless eyes, like a parched sea, began to show signs of vitality. “That’s right. Tangtang has always been bad with directions, which is why she couldn’t find her way back to me.”
“Now that you’ve found me, you won’t leave again, will you? As long as you’re with me, you won’t get lost.”
[Agree with him, agree with him! Right now, Little Lychee, all you need to do is comfort and coax him without any reservations. Say or do whatever it takes—though of course, if he tries to do anything too extreme, that’s not allowed.] Number 78 still doted on its “daughter.”
Its Little Lychee was so adorable—it had long regarded her as its own child.
Tang Li had always obeyed the System. Hearing this, she softly hummed in agreement. “I won’t leave. Don’t be sad anymore, Brother Si Du, okay? And please don’t do anything dangerous—otherwise, Tangtang will worry.”
At the very least, he shouldn’t hurt himself anymore.
The man smiled lightly. Under the moonlight, his strikingly handsome features were filled with unmistakable joy and happiness.
Yet this only made Tang Li feel even more sorrowful. Just like when she was a child, she hugged Si Du and nuzzled against him, her voice soft and gentle. “Brother, let’s go back and rest.” You need a good sleep.”
Remembering that Si Du thought this was a dream, she hurriedly added, “Dreaming can be exhausting. Don’t dream anymore—just sleep well. I’ll stay with you.”
“Alright.”
At this moment, the man was like a marionette controlled by the girl, obediently following every instruction she gave.
Holding her, Si Du walked through the swaying sea of flowers, bathed in moonlight, and returned to the master bedroom of the estate.
Although she had been imprisoned here for three days, Tang Li still felt a chill of fear upon seeing the various-sized dolls scattered throughout the room. She unconsciously shivered in the man’s embrace.
“Brother Si Du.”..”
“What’s wrong?” the man asked gently, lowering his gaze.
“Nothing, it’s nothing. Just put me down quickly and go rest.” Tang Li hurriedly shook her head.
In the three days she had been here, she hadn’t seen him rest at all. After discovering the Daisy Bracelet on her wrist, he had confined her here.
He had repeatedly interrogated her, investigated her origins, and gradually descended further into madness.
Si Du followed the girl’s line of sight.
On the spacious bed lay an exquisitely crafted doll wearing a nightgown, its eyes closed as if asleep. Every detail was lifelike, realistic enough to be mistaken for the real thing.
“Don’t be afraid, Tangtang. It’s just a doll. Without you here, I had to find something to hold onto to keep living,” Si Du coaxed softly, lying down on the bed with the girl in his arms.
He was too happy to sleep, yet his spirit was utterly exhausted.
It was the kind of overwhelming fulfillment that comes after finding a beloved person, which unearthed the deeply buried weariness and desolation within him, desperately in need of solace.
“Tangtang, can you promise me that you’ll still be here when I wake up?” Si Du whispered, pressing his forehead against hers, his eyes deep and turbulent with hidden emotions.
Tang Li thought to herself that she had no way of escaping anyway.
The girl obediently nodded.
The man hugged her and almost instantly fell into a deep slumber.
Earlier, the System had attacked him, and even if he had forced himself awake, there would be side effects.
Tang Li finally let out a sigh of relief. “But what should I say when he really wakes up tomorrow?”
[Hmm… let him think of you as a substitute?] Number 78 suggested, then immediately felt it might not be feasible.
After all, given Si Du’s current status and position, if he wanted a substitute, countless people would be lining up willingly. But he didn’t seek one out—he only made these puppets, which shows he would never accept a replacement.
Yet there isn’t any other plausible explanation at the moment.
[How about this: say that “Tang Li” asked you to take care of her brother after her death, but unfortunately, you contracted the same illness as her and have only just recovered.]
[She also told you about the daisies. This way, Si Du probably wouldn’t be so resistant.]
Number 78 thought it was worth a try.