I'm Not Falling for That!

At nine o'clock Gospel time, Qinna, who was handling official business, felt her crest warm up right on schedule. As a privately funded dreamscape where the family bore all profits and losses, every activation of the family reincarnation dreamscape consumed a vast amount of resources. Therefore, it was only open for four hours each day, from 20:00 to 24:00. Consequently, it was impossible for everyone to swarm in all at once; otherwise, the Sennheiser District would be paralyzed. Off-duty personnel had no restrictions—at eight o'clock, their crests would warm up promptly—while staff required to work night shifts had to enter the dreamscape in scheduled batches to ensure every operational unit continued functioning normally. This arrangement was mandatory. Until your designated time slot arrived, your crest would not heat up at all. As for how to allocate the shifts fairly and efficiently, that was, of course, coordinated by the great Gospel. Unlike ordinary people's wide-eyed admiration of the Gospel, as a clan matriarch who regularly used it, Qinna had a much deeper understanding of its immense power and accuracy. Because of this, she had complete faith in the Art Board from the Weaving Ceremony. According to her investigations, it wasn't just the other clans in Fanmula; the entire Gospel Country had begun strategically stockpiling supplies. Every faction was preparing to weather the impending, unknown disaster. Although Sennheiser was one of the six ruling clans of Fanmula, compared to the Gospel as a whole, it was merely a minor family. Before a calamity capable of obliterating countries and flattening cities, they were nothing more than ants struggling to survive. Qinna felt deeply anxious. Fifty years was not distant for her; she was very likely to witness Sennheiser's downfall with her own eyes. Yet on the surface, she could not show the slightest urgency. She was the spiritual pillar and backbone of the entire family. Everyone else could worry and fear, but she alone could never show a single flaw. This was precisely why she had sheltered Annan and her group. Sending Annan and Yaxiu away was merely icing on the cake for the clan, useless for the greater picture of the future. But if Annan's group could secure a divine wish, Qinna would be in a position to offer timely help in an hour of need and demand repayment in return. That Contract was merely bait to keep Annan pinned down here. Now that they were all in Sennheiser, every one of them would have to enter the family dreamscape tonight—and that was Qinna's true killing blow. Threats and bribes were never the proper path to expansion; only love and family could turn others into kin forever. Still, Annan had probably seen right through her intentions from the beginning. Qinna found fault with her daughter in every regard, except when it came to malice and scheming—on that front, mother and daughter were well-matched rivals. Seeing through it was one thing, but Annan still had to step meekly into her trap. What Qinna loved most was seeing that look on her daughter's face: utterly disgruntled, yet forced to submit. No one knew that Qinna had deliberately raised Annan this way: intelligent, cunning, and fiercely rebellious. As a genius sorcerer, clan matriarch, and Sanctuary Red Hat, it had been a very long time since Qinna had encountered a worthy rival. She had few friends to begin with, and even if she did, none would ever dare to cross or challenge her. Combined with an elf's long lifespan, Qinna had eventually begun to find life somewhat dull. So she resolved to create a rival, a playmate, an enemy for herself—and who was better suited for cultivation than her own daughter? After creating ample childhood trauma for Annan, Qinna let her leave to inherit the Doran family estate, waiting for the day she would return to seek vengeance. Whether she came to seize the family enterprise or bring Sennheiser to ruin, Qinna was counting on matching wits with Annan to pass the boring remainder of her life. Although Qinna appeared covetous of the Doran family business, as stated before, Doran's secret inheritance was nothing more than icing on the cake for Sennheiser today; it could never elevate the clan to new heights. Stealing the Doran legacy was merely an excuse for Qinna to keep bullying Annan. Yet the Weaving Ceremony happened to foresee an impending disaster, suddenly making the Doran inheritance crucial... Perhaps this was the reward she deserved for tormenting her daughter. Then again... was it about time for Annan to get married? When she first saw Lisi, Qinna had actually thought the girl was Annan and Yaxiu's child. She couldn't help it—after all, looking at the Art Board, Annan had actually painted a portrait of Yaxiu, and she seemed to have been forced to do so. Yet right now, Yaxiu was an employee bound to Annan by Contract. From such a dynamic, one could easily imagine a hundred thousand words of twisted, master-servant love and hate. Although no sparks seemed to have flown yet, Qinna believed firmly in the Weaving Ceremony. Even if there were none now, there definitely would be in the future. *If I send someone else to seduce Yaxiu away, would that stoke Annan's competitive spirit even more? It would be best to send someone Annan knows... Nona would do nicely...* Musing to herself, Qinna sank into the family dreamscape. She did not linger long in the Initial Land, heading straight into an orange bubble. Transforming into a female elf pastry chef, she descended upon the pastry factory. Many had speculated about what their matriarch did in the dreamscape. Some guessed she went to a battle royale bubble, others guessed she liked playing an inquisitor, and some even thought she indulged in wild, debauched orgies... Not a single soul would ever guess that Qinna actually enjoyed making cakes and chocolates in the dreamscape. In truth, Qinna had never planned on it either. It was just that Annan used to love sweets, so Qinna would deliberately bake desserts herself. When little Annan came over hoping for a bite, Qinna would present her with all sorts of impossible demands. Once little Annan failed and sat aside, drooling and on the verge of tears, Qinna would leisurely savor the treats she had made. That unique joy had turned the process of preparing pastries into a delightful pastime. The pastry factory bubble had always been an unpopular sector in the dreamscape, usually frequented by only the handful of clansmen who shared the hobby. So when Qinna arrived tonight, she immediately noticed an unfamiliar new face. She cast a glance over, then focused on her own craft. Tonight, she wanted to make a Black Forest cake. She had made one for Annan in the past, though unfortunately, little Annan failed the challenge again that time, so Qinna had smashed the Black Forest cake right into her face. *Clatter!* Qinna paused. The newcomer had sent a dish flying while whipping cream. *Ignore him. Just ignore him...* *Clatter! Thud! Clang! Smash!* When he knocked over the cream bowl yet again, Qinna finally ran out of patience. Striding over, she demanded, "Do you even know how to—" Her reprimand cut off abruptly. Before Qinna was a clumsy elf boy who had tumbled to the floor. He had remarkably delicate features, with a petite and dainty frame that was far from frail, looking so soft and tender that it seemed milk might squeeze out at a touch. His milky-white skin flushed with apple-red blush, his thin lips were lightly pursed, and large eyes sheltered radiant golden pupils, making it impossible to look away. His pointed elf ears trembled slightly, a shy, sheepish smile gracing his face. His chef's uniform featured a dark crimson gradient, and his legs were clad in black over-the-knee socks that left only a small strip of snowy thigh exposed in striking black-and-white contrast. Soft, fluffy cream was splattered all over him, with even a dab stuck to the tip of his nose. Yet he did not look messy at all; instead, it resembled dollops of cream garnishing a Black Forest cake, making him look like a dessert worthy of an art piece. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at making cakes..." He stared at the floor, blushing so deeply his face looked ready to drip blood. "I disturbed you..." "It's quite all right." Qinna spoke in the gentlest voice of her entire life. Helping the youth to his feet, she barely suppressed the urge to pull him straight into her embrace. With a slightly breathless tone, she asked, "What kind of cake do you want to make?" "Red velvet cake," the boy said. "My younger sister loves it. I wanted to learn how to make it in the dreamscape so I can bake it for her in reality." "Then let me teach you." Without giving him a chance to object, Qinna took hold of his hands and drew him into her arms. "First, I'll teach you how to whip cream. By the way, what's your name?" "My name is Xiao Ya..." Qinna felt a stir in her heart. But seeing the youth's earnest expression, she couldn't resist reaching out, wiping the cream from the tip of his nose, and popping it into her mouth. ...... ... Upon arriving in the initial dreamscape, Annan was dazed for a moment. The last time she had entered the dreamscape was more than a decade ago. Back then, she had still been a minor, restricted to a pre-configured single-player children's amusement park. If the family reincarnation dreamscape was an ocean, she had at most picked up a few seashells on the beach. Banjie's words earlier had not merely been a warning to the employees; they were also a reminder to her, the boss: just because you rode the kindergarten tricycle doesn't mean you can drive the adult university bus. Although the Purple Moth was bickering with her butler, she was not an obstinate little girl deaf to good counsel—her rebelliousness was reserved solely for her mother. Therefore, she intended to stay safely within her personal dreamscape and spend these few days quietly. In any case, falling in love was her employees' job; Annan had neither the need nor the eligibility to compete for a spot on the second board. For an indigenous citizen born and raised under the Gospel like her, the Gospel had long since woven her future, refusing to acknowledge any unknown "possibilities" left within her. *Still... what should I play?* In a dreamscape, thinking was a redundant form of labor. By the time Annan gathered her thoughts, the dream had already shifted into the children's amusement park she was most familiar with. When she was a child, this was the place she looked forward to the most. Because her mother couldn't enter, she could play to her heart's content, gorge on cake, scribble graffiti, and curse freely, without ever having to mind Qinna's scowl. Annan discovered that she had also reverted to how she looked at six or seven, wearing her fluffy purple princess dress. She herself didn't actually have much passion for purple, but purple was Qinna's most hated color. Anything Qinna despised, Annan loved. Before breaking away from Sennheiser, the only place she could wear purple clothes was in the dreamscape. This was her dreamscape, and she could not conceal the deepest yearnings of her heart. Fortunately, no one would ever know what happened in here; otherwise, if that bunch found out how childish she was, Annan wouldn't even know how to maintain her dignity. *Since there's no one else...* Annan's eyes darted playfully. She dropped straight to the ground and rolled into the playground like a barrel, then dove into the sandbox to play with sand, rode the merry-go-round, swung on the swings, and slid down the slide... So boring. Despite her deep childhood nostalgia, actually playing quickly felt dull. After all, she was past the age of wide-eyed curiosity about everything and had turned into a boring adult. Going back to play in the sand simply failed to spark any real excitement. More importantly, playing all by herself was far too lonely. As a child, she could play alone because she had Bear Friend, Fox Friend, and Kitty Friend; as an adult, they were just teddy bears, stuffed foxes, and plush kittens. *If only I could find a friend...* Just as the thought surfaced in her mind, a whooshing slide sound came from nearby—someone had entered her dreamscape! "Beautiful little princess, may I play with you?" She turned her head to look and found a tender youth barely older than her (current) self. He had raven-black hair, slightly longer than a typical cut, draping past his ears and brushing his shoulders. Thin lips were curved in a faint smile, and azure-blue eyes were filled with warmth and mirth. He wore a white formal outfit trimmed with gold thread, a golden capelet gleaming on his left shoulder, and spotless white athletic ankle boots—looking straight out of a fairy tale as a little prince. He naturally took Annan's small hand. "Princess, what's your name?" Annan's rationality screamed: *The family dreamscape is dangerous... Make him leave quickly... Otherwise you'll get trapped in it... Make him leave quickly... You don't need to finish the mission... Make him leave quickly!* "Xiao An," she murmured, blushing with head lowered. "What about you?" Rationality crumbled in total defeat. "Just call me Xiao Xiu," the boy smiled. "We're going to be great friends." Annan felt a flutter in her heart, yet allowed herself to be dragged along by the boy to play on the seesaw, brimming with childish delight. ...... ... Failed a mechanic again. Another team wipe. Kicked from the raid party again. Yaxiu exited the game, sat in the gaming pod lost in thought for a moment, and finally summoned the Book of Gospel: "Gospel, is there something like... an instant alert for what mechanic is coming next? A gaming wheelchair that would let a disabled player like me... er... clear raids smoothly?" "Not that I'm trying to slack off, but memorizing mechanics is pure repetitive grunt work. If I can cut corners, I might as well. After all, my time is extremely precious, you understand?" Book of Gospel: "Your Flirtatious Grace, there is no need to justify yourself. For merely 10 Gospel points, the Gospel will immediately install the latest Epic raid wheelchair for you." Hm? Yaxiu: "Why did some adjectives get tacked onto my title?" Book of Gospel: "Your Fickle Grace, this is a random nickname feature; please pay it no mind. If you mind it deeply, you may spend 50 points to—" "No, I don't mind." Yaxiu caught on. This was just like a temple fortune-teller starting with 'your forehead is dark, a bloody calamity awaits'—a cheap trick to lure customers into impulse spending... No wonder its customer service was so attentive; it was waiting to spring this on him. I'm not falling for that!