ASPWL Ch98.2: It Should End

After the task lines of the small world were isolated, the plot of this task line would no longer be monitored by the regulatory system.

In other words, this task’s timeline would no longer be restarted by Ye Leyao.

However, this task line still belonged to the QA20231007 world, meaning that in the future, this task line would still coincide with the A20231007 timeline.

Ye Leyao hoped that on the day the timelines coincided, Bai Yu would come to awaken him.

Bai Yu asked, “So you’ve found a way this time?”

Ye Leyao said, “Yes, the next time will be the last time the time resets.”

Bai Yu asked again, “What should I tell you then?”

Ye Leyao thought for a moment and quickly edited a program: “Just ask me, ‘L1, have you found a way to save Qin Yao?’”

Bai Yu nodded seriously: “Okay, I’ll remember.”

Ye Leyao soon left.

He exchanged for task line separation in the points mall, isolating Bai Yu’s task timeline from the A20231007 world. Then he purchased a time pause extension.

The system points mall had a system communication forum.

Every day, the products sold in the points mall were anonymously announced.

That day, the points mall suddenly released a new announcement: “One minute ago, the system exchanged for 1,000 bottles of ‘Pause’ potion.”

As soon as the prompt appeared, countless systems were thrown into an uproar.

“??? One thousand bottles?”

“Ha? Which system is this crazy one?”

“I remember just a while ago, a system exchanged for 5,000 bottles of life potions, right?”

“5,000 bottles of life potions? My goodness! They are so wealthy!”

“I’m so envious I could turn green; those 5,000 bottles of potions cost a full 500 million points!”

“No, what I’m focusing on is that one bottle of potion can save a hundred people. Did they exchange for 5,000 bottles to save the world?”

“If it’s come to saving the world, this world is probably on the verge of collapsing, right?”

“Maybe, and now they’ve exchanged for 1,000 bottles of pause potions? They’re probably trying to figure out how to save this world.”

“So which system has caused a mess? Can’t anyone let me see the excitement and eat some melons?”

…

The system forum was abuzz with discussion.

Meanwhile, L2 was frowning deeply at the news.

“One thousand bottles of pause potion can pause time for a thousand years. What is L1 planning to do?”

Qiu shook her head.

L2 jumped onto her shoulder, looking up in confusion: “You don’t know either?”

Qiu replied, “I don’t know, but I can roughly guess what he wants to do.”

L2 swished its tail: “What does he want to do?”

Qiu’s gaze fell on the paused A20231007 world, and after a long time, she said, “He wants the time flow of the A20231007 world to match that of the main system.”

As soon as she said this, L2’s entire system was stunned: “Huh? Is L1 crazy?! The time flow rate of our main system is one hour to a year in the A20231007 world! How many points would it take to make the time flow of the A20231007 world match ours? A billion… a hundred billion… even a trillion wouldn’t be enough!”

“Is L1 out of his mind!!!”

Qiu said nothing as a data panel lit up in front of them, displaying Ye Leyao’s figure.

At this moment, the L1 system had begun to rush around various worlds, all to quickly gather points.

L2 noticed that he was simultaneously overseeing ten worlds and couldn’t help but curse him a madman. Then he asked, “What exactly did you say to him?”

After a long time, Qiu finally said, “I told him that having ‘Qin Yao’ die at the same time node could indeed get the main system to acknowledge the plot, but if L1 replaced Qin Yao’s death, his data would also be shattered.”

“Well, of course! To have the main system acknowledge the plot, it has to be a real death,” L2 murmured.

Even as a system, it had to be a real death.

But systems were fundamentally different from cellular organisms.

When cellular organisms died, the cells could not regenerate.

But systems were different; after their data disappeared, they could still be restored with careful care.

It was just that this restoration took a long time.

If it was quick, it might take one or two years; if slow, it could take over ten or twenty years.

Realizing this, L2 suddenly reacted: “So L1 is trying to restore the ability to see that person again… Qin Yao? Is that why he wants to make the time flow of the A20231007 world consistent with ours?”

Qiu nodded.

The reason she told Ye Leyao that they couldn’t meet again after saving Qin Yao was precisely due to time issues.

Shattered data took a long time to recover. Even if Qiu and L2 helped him repair it, it would take at least two years.

In the A20231007 world, let alone two years; after just three hours, Qin Yao might have aged to death.

Just as Qiu said, after L1 saved Qin Yao, he could no longer meet him.

But who would have thought that L1 would think of changing the time flow rate?

L2 sighed heavily: “But at this rate, even if he oversees ten worlds at once, he won’t be able to earn enough points in a short time.”

Qiu nodded.

L2 sighed again: “Forget it, I’ll go help him.”

Qiu looked at him in surprise.

L2 huffed, “Don’t look at me like that. I just think it’s exhausting for a system to keep doing this for who knows how many years. Anyway, I have plenty of points right now, and I don’t have any use for them at the moment, so I can give all my points to him…”

As he spoke, L2 continued, “Oh, just right, I’ve had enough time off lately; I can also help him gather points.”

When Qiu heard this, she couldn’t help but laugh: “Why are you going to such lengths to help him?”

L2 huffed again.

After a long time, he said, “Because L1 helped me a long time ago.”

Qiu responded, “Hmm?”

But L2 fell silent.

Because that memory was indeed infuriating!

At that time, L2 had just been created by the main system and was not yet a regulatory system.

Meanwhile, L1 was already the enviable number one in the main system.

During a task, L2 accidentally made a fatal error that nearly caused the small world to collapse.

It was L1 who arrived just in time to stabilize the small world.

Afterward, L2 thanked L1, saying he would definitely repay him in the future.

“Do you know what L1 said at that time?” L2 asked Qiu.

Qiu chuckled: “I can guess. He must have said something like he has many points?”

L2 snorted: “It was worse than that. He said that if I didn’t make mistakes on tasks in the future, that would be the best repayment to the regulatory system! What do you think? Isn’t he being unreasonable?!”

Qiu laughed: “Unreasonable, unreasonable!”

Only then did L2 nod in satisfaction, but soon he added, “However, I can understand; after all, at that time L1 didn’t understand what feelings were. Now he understands, and the whole system is caught up in it!”

L2 said this in a teasing tone.

But after the words left his mouth, neither he nor Qiu laughed.

Because they both knew that the path L1 had chosen now was destined to be lonely and long.

That was why L2 wanted to help him.

……

For several decades afterward, every year, the points system forum would see an anonymous announcement:

“One minute ago, the system ** exchanged for 1,000 bottles of ‘Pause’ potion.”

In the first few years, every time this announcement popped up, it would spark endless discussions among the systems.

They were curious about which system had caused such a huge disaster to need to exchange for so many pause potions every year.

But no matter how curious they were, they knew nothing about the system behind it.

However, in recent years, the systems began to hear a rumor—

The number one system in the Space-Time Regulatory Bureau, L1, was recently very poor.

How poor was it?

Didn’t you hear he argued with the main system’s regulatory system over 1 point?

This incident was actually quite trivial.

The main system’s regulatory system was an old system, and because it was an old system, it was somewhat old-fashioned, stubbornly refusing to change its system processor, which sometimes led to operational errors.

This time, it had just miscalculated L1 by 1 point.

However, 1 point really couldn’t do much, so most of the time, the systems were too lazy to cause trouble for the main system’s regulatory system.

Unexpectedly, L1 raised a fuss over just this 1 point!

He even said that if the main system didn’t give him a solution and compensation plan, he would go on strike along with L2.

In recent years, older systems had increasingly enjoyed taking time off, while newer systems had caused quite a few problems.

Many of these troubles were resolved by L1 and L2 together.

If L1 and L2 went on strike together, it would indeed be quite a headache for the Space-Time Bureau.

In the end, the main system had no choice but to offer L1 double compensation—2 points.

Hearing this, many systems couldn’t help but laugh and cry.

“Just for 2 points, he made such a fuss?”

“Yeah, I’m curious too.”

“Logically speaking, L1 isn’t short of a few points, so could it be that he’s just too stingy?”

Quickly, other systems came out to defend L1:

“L1 is not stingy!”

“Yes! He previously gifted me 100 bottles of life potions!”

Seeing this news, other systems were stunned:

“So the system that bought 5,000 bottles of life potions before was L1?”

“Don’t say! It really could be L1; after all, besides him, no other system has so many points.”

“What exactly does L1 want to do?”

No systems knew.

The only two systems that knew, had been working alongside L1 all these years.

After yet another regulatory period ended, L2 truly couldn’t take it anymore.

“I can’t take it anymore, I need to rest for a while. Ye Leyao, aren’t you going to take a break?”

L2 had now become accustomed to calling L1 Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao said, “No, thank you. You go rest first; I’ll continue to the next world.”

L2 sighed; he didn’t persuade him further because it wouldn’t be of any use.

The two systems quickly parted ways. Ye Leyao took a deep breath and headed for the next world.

As soon as he arrived in the small world, Ye Leyao eagerly pulled up the data, but before he could finish reading the plot line, he froze.

The small world was numbered: A20231007.

Ye Leyao could clearly hear his heart suddenly starting to race.

Wasn’t the A20231007 world paused by him?

How could this be…

No, it was possible.

The time flow of the small world was different from that of the main system’s space-time, so the task time for the systems was naturally all kinds of bizarre.

Some tasks existed in the same small world, but they were not tasks from the same period.

This time, the task was set eighteen years ago.

At that time, Qin Yao had just turned five years old.

So that was it.

So this was the first time Qin Yao would meet him.

Ye Leyao hardly hesitated; in the next moment, he quickly headed towards Qin Yao.

He flew swiftly, and the large snowflakes sliced against his face like sharp blades, but he seemed to be oblivious to the pain.

Until he arrived at the path leading to the Qin family villa.

While still in mid-air, Ye Leyao spotted the small figure in the snow.

Five-year-old Qin Yao was only wearing a thin sweater. As the cold wind made him shiver, he hugged his little body, taking one tiny step after another.

As he got closer, Ye Leyao could even hear Qin Yao encouraging himself with laughter: “Walk faster… If I walk faster, I won’t be cold. I’m the best, the best child…”

Ye Leyao felt his eyes sting.

In the next second, little Qin Yao suddenly tripped and fell.

On the icy snow, he fell in a very awkward manner.

Ye Leyao’s heart tightened, and he hurried over. Just as he was about to help little Qin Yao up, he suddenly heard a muffled cry.

“Wuwuwuwu… I… I’m the child my mom doesn’t like…”

“Why, why doesn’t my mom like me…”

Ye Leyao could no longer hold back. He exchanged for a down jacket from the points store and wrapped little Qin Yao completely.

“Because there are indeed mothers in this world who do not like their own children.” Ye Leyao’s voice was hoarse, and his gaze almost greedily swept over little Qin Yao’s face.

Little Qin Yao didn’t expect someone to pick him up. In the sub-zero temperatures, the mist on his eyelashes had already frozen into ice.

Ye Leyao reached out and gently covered his eyes: “Don’t cry, I’ll carry you home.”

Little Qin Yao choked up: “You… big brother, why do you say that? They all say it’s because I’m not good enough that my mom…”

After putting Qin Yao on his back, Ye Leyao spoke, “Qin Yao, she doesn’t like you. No matter how well you do, she won’t like you, do you understand?”

Little Qin Yao lay on Ye Leyao’s back, suddenly feeling very warm, but he still didn’t understand: “Why?”

“Because you can’t expect someone who doesn’t like you to like you; it’s useless. Instead of that, you should love yourself well,” Ye Leyao said.

Little Qin Yao was confused: “Love myself? But… but I want my mom to…”

“You don’t want to!” Ye Leyao interrupted him, his tone softening a bit as he continued, “Just love yourself well; don’t try to please her anymore. You need to become yourself.”

Little Qin Yao said, “What you said is so hard; I don’t understand.”

Ye Leyao smiled: “You will understand later; you’re a smart child; you will definitely understand.”

Little Qin Yao nodded and asked, “Then who will like me?”

Young children are the most starved for love.

Ye Leyao thought for a moment before saying, “There will be many people who like you.”

“Like who?” Little Qin Yao pressed for details.

Ye Leyao replied, “Like your dad, like your friends, your classmates, your teachers,” and as he spoke, Ye Leyao’s voice grew especially soft, “like… me.”

Little Qin Yao’s eyes widened: “Big brother, you like me too?”

Ye Leyao’s ears turned red; he didn’t even dare to look back at Qin Yao. He nodded: “Yes, I like you. But not the you right now.”

Little Qin Yao was puzzled: “Why? Am I not worthy of your liking now?”

Ye Leyao chuckled as he set Qin Yao down and squatted to look at him.

It had to be said, Qin Yao was indeed good-looking even as a child.

So Ye Leyao said earnestly, “You’re worthy of my liking now, but my liking for you isn’t the same as liking beautiful things.”

Little Qin Yao was even more confused: “Then what kind of liking is that?”

“I’ll tell you when you grow up,” Ye Leyao said.

Little Qin Yao’s eyes sparkled: “So we’ll meet again?”

Ye Leyao nodded: “Yes, I will come find you in the future.”

Little Qin Yao asked, “When?”

Ye Leyao replied, “In another eighteen years.”

Little Qin Yao questioned, “You won’t be lying to me, will you?”

“I won’t lie to you,” Ye Leyao assured him.

Little Qin Yao smiled, and he was completely warm now. He held Ye Leyao’s hand: “Then… when I grow up, I will protect big brother too!”

Ye Leyao looked at him.

Little Qin Yao continued, “I will grow up well, so you won’t be hurt at all!”

Suddenly, Ye Leyao remembered the words Qin Yao had said during the third time restart, when he lay in his arms.

Qin Yao had done it.

He truly had protected himself.

Ye Leyao felt a sting in his eyes. He slowly squatted down and gently wrapped Qin Yao in his arms: “Okay, thank you. But I need to tell you something.”

Little Qin Yao asked, “What is it?”

Ye Leyao smiled: “I’m a system, so I don’t need your protection.”

Little Qin Yao frowned.

He didn’t understand what a system was, nor did he understand the meaning of Ye Leyao’s words at that moment.

He wanted to say something to Ye Leyao, but Ye Leyao interrupted him, saying it was time to go.

So, for the rest of the way, Ye Leyao quickly flew back with Qin Yao.

Ye Leyao landed on the familiar balcony and placed Qin Yao down.

“Qin Yao, I will come find you. Don’t forget me.”

Little Qin Yao was still in shock from having just flown up. He stared at Ye Leyao without blinking. Until Ye Leyao left and disappeared, he still couldn’t utter a single word.

Right, how did he know his name?

Little Qin Yao still couldn’t figure it out.

……

The clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker.

Bai Yu turned his head to look at Ye Leyao, who was still sitting in place, and signed, “It’s going to rain.”

Ye Leyao finally snapped back to reality from the long memories, smiling: “Mm.”

Everything should come to an end now.