Scum A with a Sweet Black Lotus O – Chapter 146

Flowers in the Mirror (End) + Return to Reality

As an outsider, Pei Xuezhi watched in her vision as another, younger-looking ‘Pei Xuezhi’ wore a grim and stern expression, her eyes a deep, melancholic pool of undissolvable ink.

…Yet, they were also resolute.

            

Then, she witnessed a series of operations—

World reconstruction.

This world’s ‘Pei Xuezhi’, despite being an outsider, was not sent back to her original world.

            

The fortune that Fu Chaoyun had transferred with just a few words earlier had not been a failure.

From the moment Pei Xuezhi appeared in this world, she had landed by Fu Chaoyun’s side, staying near the Alpha. Her body had, more or less, been tinged with some of Fu Chaoyun’s aura.

Including her fortune.

            

Later, when Fu Chaoyun confessed her feelings, pursued her, and they got together… the methods of absorbing fortune increased.

However, Pei Xuezhi was ultimately not a person of this world and was rejected by the world itself. Her body was like a funnel, unable to retain anything. And the longer she stayed, the more fortune she required, until a day would come when Fu Chaoyun could no longer afford to pay.

Fainting was a sign.

            

Fu Chaoyun’s wish was successful.

She was indeed Heaven’s favored daughter, even bearing the mission of this world’s development and progress. By transferring all her fortune, she ensured Pei Xuezhi would not be erased or dissipated.

The latter thus became increasingly dazzling. As a price, Fu Chaoyun herself dimmed bit by bit, until she could no longer hold on, and their identities swapped… One day, she would replace Pei Xuezhi and be completely erased.

            

Both were “protagonists,” but they were supposed to shine in different worlds. Forcibly merged, only one could survive.

The current Pei Xuezhi carried the fortune gifted by Fu Chaoyun. While she was acknowledged by the world, this fortune itself belonged to this world, so naturally, it wouldn’t allow her to take it back to her original world to benefit others.

After the reset, all their memories were wiped. Pei Xuezhi, carrying the fortune gifted by Fu Chaoyun, met Fu Chaoyun once again.

            

Yet, it wasn’t truly Fu Chaoyun.

The original, best Fu Chaoyun had been forcibly split into two parts: one representing truth, goodness, and beauty, and the other, a collection of all evil.

The nascent World’s Will​¹ felt that Fu Chaoyun had been too good to Pei Xuezhi, this outsider—so good that she was willing to give away the world’s source foundation.

            

She deserved to be punished.

Simultaneously, to ensure things developed smoothly, some changes were necessary.

But since Fu Chaoyun could be chosen as the daughter of fortune, she was inherently excellent; the malice in her was very, very little, pitifully so.

            

Therefore, the part that was left behind was an evil-seed version, dragged out and then amplified countless times by the World’s Will.

The kind Fu Chaoyun was cast into the river of time, to slumber there… Perhaps her consciousness would have some fortuitous encounters in other times and spaces, while that evil incarnation was placed by Pei Xuezhi’s side.

They met once more.

            

—This was precisely Pei Xuezhi’s familiar “previous life.”

Everything that followed flashed by quickly, like watching flowers on horseback​². Pei Xuezhi’s “previous life” was actually her second life.

Her second life had its beginning cut off, starting entirely from her encounter with that evil incarnation of Fu Chaoyun.

            

The long-blurred past in her memory, the tenuous family ties, the mother whose face she could no longer recall…

All of this proved that her past memories were indeed false!

Of course, they would be hazy, of course, she wouldn’t remember, because—she wasn’t from this world to begin with!

            

All her past existence was fabricated, fictitious. Only the smooth-sailing fortune bestowed by Fu Chaoyun allowed a brand new mother figure to suddenly appear when she needed a grand family background to match the Alpha.

It was all for her.

All to serve her!

            

Only those occasional flashes of images when her head ached later were real, because that was her first encounter with Fu Chaoyun, their first life.

…She had seen it all in the previous visions.

Continuing to watch, she found that even these forcibly constructed memories of the second life were also false.

            

Upon meeting again, she did not like this “Fu Chaoyun” full of malice—that was not Fu Chaoyun’s true nature. The Fu Chaoyun who could attract her, make her fall in love, and willingly stay was never like this.

But perhaps, no matter what, the other party was still “Fu Chaoyun.” This splintered part still confessed its love to her.

She was rejected.

            

The differences between the two became evident from then on.

That “Fu Chaoyun” was more intense and paranoid, resorting to forceful and even despicable means.

But it was as if something restrained ‘her’, keeping ‘her’ always stuck within a certain line.

            

The so-called harm and imprisonment were false memories fed to her by that voice, precisely to make Pei Xuezhi make a clean break​³ with Fu Chaoyun.

It called itself the World’s Will. Fu Chaoyun, as the Heaven-chosen woman, was mutually beneficial with it and also within its scope of protection.

As for Pei Xuezhi… who cared?

            

Her appearance had thrown everything that was originally fine into disarray. It was already magnanimous of it not to take the opportunity to retaliate; why would it care about her life or death?

So, it meant that.

No matter which world, the only one who would ever care about “Pei Xuezhi” was “Fu Chaoyun.”

            

But clearly, the other party wasn’t too smart, and the outcome was a failure.

The evil Fu Chaoyun did not conquer Pei Xuezhi, nor did ‘she’ manage to reclaim the fortune from Pei Xuezhi’s body.

Learning from this lesson, it realized that forcibly plundering fortune wouldn’t work; the other party had to offer it willingly.

            

—Just like Fu Chaoyun had given it away back then.

Thus, the third life emerged. Retracting once more, Pei Xuezhi was reborn, and that good half of Fu Chaoyun was placed back by her side. Everything was developing in a good direction.

But when the second life was reset, it had actually reclaimed part of the fortune from Pei Xuezhi. That fortune was used on that scum Alpha. The World’s Will needed fortune to maintain its operations, but it couldn’t directly manipulate this matter itself. So, that person (the scum Alpha) evaded its supervision and control and also followed her over…

            

It was both unexpected and not.

Everything was finally clear.

With so much information suddenly crammed into her head, at this moment, Pei Xuezhi could only think of one thing—

            

No wonder she had previously felt that Fu Chaoyun seemed to be missing something—possessiveness and greed…

These negative emotions, common in romantic relationships, had never appeared in Fu Chaoyun. This was another proof of the depth of their feelings for each other.

Compared to her own constantly fluctuating emotions, she had even felt dissatisfied many times that Fu Chaoyun never showed such emotions.

            

But…

How could those things possibly exist?

They had already been taken away!

            

Whether it was the Fu Chaoyun of the first life or the third, she had already given Pei Xuezhi everything she could possibly give.

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When Pei Xuezhi woke up, she subconsciously raised a hand to touch her face.

The dampness on her fingertips revealed that, at some unknown point, tears had already streamed down her face.

            

“What time is it?” Pei Xuezhi asked.

Everything was clear.

The so-called World’s Will was the thing currently speaking in her head, perhaps it could also be called—the System.

            

【Not long, not long at all! It’s only been five days since you last saw that person. There’s still time!】

The System was also very anxious about this matter of a doppelgänger occupying the original body; otherwise, it wouldn’t have crammed all this information into Pei Xuezhi’s head—things that, as an outsider, she should never have known.

“En.”

            

Pei Xuezhi responded and quickly got up. Now was not the time to settle scores with the System.

She had to save Fu Chaoyun!

Just like Fu Chaoyun had done for her…

            

She got out of bed and put on her shoes.

Just as she opened the door, a strange yet familiar face appeared before her.

A few days had passed, and “Fu Chaoyun’s” injuries had healed somewhat; ‘she’ could now get out of bed and walk around. Perhaps because ‘her’ heart was always on edge, the light bathing ‘her’ beautiful face still left it looking pale.

            

‘Her’ amber eyes were gentle and deep; when ‘she’ focused on Pei Xuezhi, ‘she’ seemed identical to that person.

‘She’ seemed to be intentionally imitating the real Fu Chaoyun.

Yet, ‘she’ was different.

            

Pei Xuezhi no longer feigned civility​⁴ with ‘her’. Her gaze was cold and sharp. The Alpha chuckled softly.

“Xuezhi, you know everything now?”

It was “Xuezhi,” not “Zhizhi.” This was the difference between this ‘her’ and the other ‘her’.

            

Even though ‘she’ was split from the same body, this malicious part now possessed its own will.

If it were possible…

‘She’ didn’t want to be mistaken.

            

‘She’ also yearned, craved, to receive “her” love!

Even if it was just a tiny bit that slipped through the cracks…

The tender approach had no effect. Pei Xuezhi’s expression and eyes as she looked at ‘her’ were cold, as was her voice.

            

“Give it back.”

—Give Fu Chaoyun’s body back!

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The author has something to say:

            

The secrets are revealed~!

All the previous foreshadowing has finally been used and resolved… (clenched fist) The ending is in sight!!!

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