Xie Jianwei carefully settled the body.

Because “it” was dead, the body reverted to its original form—he truly was a powerful demon.

Xie Jianwei naturally wasn’t actually going to bury him. There was no reason to throw away such a ready-made gift.

It was still very difficult for a little skeleton to become human and stay that way forever. If they couldn’t be together forever, he still wouldn’t feel at ease. But if he became a powerful demon, that would be another story.

As for what to do next? There was no rush for now.

After settling all of this, he returned to the Demon Realm.

Lu Li had been waiting there since early on.

Xie Jianwei looked somewhat exhausted as he forced himself to cheer up and said, “It’s finally over.”

Lu Li felt distressed for him: “That wasn’t Aly Vance. Don’t overthink it.”

“Whether it was him or not, it’s all the same.”

Lu Li couldn’t find a response to those words.

That powerful demon understood human nature quite well. In the beginning, Xie Jianwei had told Lu Li: “The powerful demon has shown himself. He disguised himself as a human who closely resembles Aly.”

Hearing him say this, although Lu Li was surprised, he didn’t take it too seriously. When Xie Jianwei suggested they put on a act together, Lu Li still felt it didn’t matter.

But when he actually saw “Aly” and Xie Jianwei, he almost forgot that they were acting.

It was too realistic. Although this “Aly” was fake, he perfectly portrayed what a real human youth would do if he were reincarnated with his memories intact.

He still loved Xie Jianwei and hated Lifuer to the extreme. And Xie Jianwei indeed owed him; under the influence of such guilt, even if Aly couldn’t steal Xie Jianwei away, he could easily drive a wedge between them.

This was a vicious cycle, and what would ultimately happen at the end was simply unimaginable.

Fortunately, fortunately it was all fake.

Lu Li sighed softly, pulled him into an embrace, and said, “It was my fault back then.”

Xie Jianwei nuzzled against his chest: “I was in the wrong too. I should have paid closer attention.”

Although saying all this now was useless, this was all they could do.

Several hundred years had already passed. For humans, such a long stretch of time was enough to smooth over all traces of anything that had ever existed.

It had all passed, yet it still made one feel sad.

A single wrong thought had destroyed such a good young man.

Xie Jianwei remained somewhat listless over the next few days. Lu Li thought he still hadn’t stepped out from the shadow of these events, so he only carefully coaxed him, hoping he could be a bit happier.

However, after half a month had passed, far from getting better, Xie Jianwei’s spirits seemed to grow increasingly exhausted.

Lu Li felt anxious and asked carefully, “Do you want to go out for a walk?”

Xie Jianwei shook his head and said, “No.”

Lu Li wanted to continue suggesting ideas, but Xie Jianwei reached out his hands and said, “Hold me.”

Lu Li hurriedly pulled him into a tight embrace. Leaning against his chest, Xie Jianwei closed his eyes before long.

Lu Li lowered his head to look at him, his heart heavy—like the sky before a rainstorm, dense with dark clouds, ready to unleash lightning and torrential rain at any moment.

Xie Jianwei napped with his eyes closed. His skin was fair and flawless like smooth jade, except it seemed a bit too pale—so pale that it lacked any vitality.

Lu Li’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but call out to him: “Ah Wei?”

Xie Jianwei didn’t respond.

Lu Li grew even more flustered, his voice involuntarily raising: “Ah Wei!”

Xie Jianwei finally heard him. He slowly opened his eyes and gave a somewhat powerless smile: “What’s wrong?”

“You…” The words reached his lips, but Lu Li didn’t dare say them aloud.

Xie Jianwei closed his eyes again: “Let me sleep a bit, Lifuer. I’m a little tired.”

He rarely showed such a demeanor—acting spoiled in his arms like a weary cat. If it were usual, Lu Li would be so happy that his heart would overflow with joyful bubbles, but right now he only felt uneasy, exceptionally uneasy, as if a giant boulder were suspended over his heart, swaying precariously and about to fall.

Lu Li held him carefully, his mind in complete turmoil.

Why was he so weak?

Xie Jianwei slept for a long time, sleeping from the bright afternoon all the way until deep into the night. Lu Li placed him on the bed, but he still showed no signs of waking up.

Had it not been for his even breathing, Lu Li would have almost thought that he…

He couldn’t even think of that word without feeling immense terror.

After putting Xie Jianwei down, Lu Li spent the night frantically digging through a vast amount of reference materials.

It was about non-native demons.

Casting this spell was not difficult; what was difficult was using the life of one’s beloved as the catalyst.

Without a doubt, Lu Li only loved Xie Jianwei, so the only thing required was his life.

Under normal circumstances, after the spell succeeded, the beloved person would die immediately—a life for a life.

But Xie Jianwei’s situation was different. He was a Grim Reaper. A Grim Reaper’s life force was long and profound. Even though the spell succeeded and Lu Li turned into a powerful demon, Xie Jianwei didn’t die.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be said that he didn’t die; rather, the speed of his death was far slower than that of a human.

As soon as this thought formed in Lu Li’s mind, he clutched his fists so tightly out of nervousness that his knuckles turned white.

No. A Grim Reaper wouldn’t die.

Everyone thought so, didn’t they? A Grim Reaper—he was a Grim Reaper, how could he die?

Lu Li tried his best to convince himself, but unfortunately it was of no use. A terrible thought would spread rapidly like a plague, eventually occupying every nerve.

Xie Jianwei would die. He would die for him.

At this thought, Lu Li felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his numb body losing all functionality.

“Lifuer?” Xie Jianwei, who was slowly waking up, saw the stunned Lu Li.

As if awakened from a nightmare, Lu Li’s eyes focused, though he didn’t have time to wipe the thin layer of sweat from his forehead. He looked at Xie Jianwei carefully and finally couldn’t help asking: “Can a Grim Reaper die?”

Xie Jianwei was visibly startled, but soon he forced a pale smile and said, “Why ask this?”

“Tell me!” Lu Li’s voice was hoarse and restrained.

Xie Jianwei’s heart throbbed with pain, his voice tinged with bitterness: “If… I’m just saying if…”

He had only spoken half a sentence, but Lu Li’s internal organs felt as if they were being shredded, radiating a bloody pain: “If what…”

“If I die.” Xie Jianwei seemed to gather immense courage just to utter those few words.

Lu Li stared at him blankly.

Xie Jianwei probably knew he couldn’t hide it any longer. Rather than leaving abruptly later and plunging Lu Li into deeper despair, it was better to lay everything bare now.

He smiled, raised his hand, and said, “I want to touch you.”

Lu Li held his hand.

Xie Jianwei touched his face, inch by inch, meticulously and gently, as if wanting to engrave this face into his mind forever.

“Lifuer, I’m very happy.”

Lu Li’s brow was tightly furrowed.

Xie Jianwei said softly, “Every single day spent with you has made me extremely happy. Whether in Heaven or the Demon Realm, anywhere you are is wonderful.”

Lu Li’s voice was impossibly low: “Don’t… don’t be like this…”

Xie Jianwei said, “What must come will come. To have earned this stretch of time, I am content.”

“A Grim Reaper won’t die,” Lu Li’s eyes turned red. “You told me so yourself!”

“I’m sorry,” Xie Jianwei said weakly. “I lied to you.”

Lu Li’s eyes widened, the anxiety and fear in his gaze finally impossible to hide: “Ah Wei, you… you…”

“I’m still unwilling to accept it.” Hot tears fell from the corners of Xie Jianwei’s eyes, his voice choked with emotion, “Why did we have to miss out on so many years? Lifuer, I want to be with you, really… I really want to be with…”

Toward the end, he seemed unable to continue speaking, exhausted to the extreme and heartbroken to the extreme.

Lu Li held him tightly, his eyes completely hollow, but his voice was abnormally firm: “You won’t die. You definitely won’t die!”

Xie Jianwei smiled, leaned against his side, and fell asleep once more.

In truth, anyone with eyes could see… Xie Jianwei had already reached his absolute limit.

Perhaps he had been unable to hold on a long time ago, merely clinging to life through a single obsession—the obsession of not being able to stay together with Lu Li.

Now, everything between him and Lu Li had been laid out in the open, and they were together again. Once their hearts connected, he relaxed instead.

With this relaxation, the fake high-rise built on sheer endurance collapsed into pieces, turning into a heap of ruins in an instant.

As Xie Jianwei remained in a continuous coma, Lu Li frantically began searching for a way to extend his life.

Unfortunately, Lu Li’s prior reputation was too terrible. Everyone in the Grim Reaper Realm avoided him like the plague and refused to meet him at all.

Lu Li tried every possible means and forcefully kidnapped a 6-star Grim Reaper.

When the 6-star Grim Reaper saw Xie Jianwei, he gasped in shock: “How did he end up like this?”

Lu Li hurriedly said, “When a Grim Reaper is in danger, can’t they return to the Dark Realm? As long as he returns to the Dark Realm, wouldn’t he…”

“It’s no use anymore,” the 6-star Grim Reaper shook his head. “His Realm Soul has scattered. Without it, how can he return to the Dark Realm?”

“Realm Soul?” Matters concerning Grim Reapers had always been secretive, and very few people knew the specific details.

Although the 6-star Grim Reaper had been brought here by force, seeing Lu Li’s desperate state, he knew Lu Li cared deeply about Xie Jianwei, so he simply explained: “A Grim Reaper’s source of immortality is the Realm Soul. It acts as the key to enter the Dark Realm. But his Realm Soul… there’s hardly anything left of it. He can’t enter the Dark Realm at all.”

Without being able to return to the Dark Realm, he could only wait for death.

Lu Li asked anxiously, “Is there no other way? How… how can a Realm Soul be restored?”

The 6-star Grim Reaper shook his head: “I’ve never seen a Grim Reaper’s Realm Soul scatter before. You have to understand that this thing is the source of our life. Unless it’s offered up voluntarily, no one can damage it at all. But who would be foolish enough to offer up their own Realm Soul?”

The source of life… offered up voluntarily…

Lu Li closed his eyes, understanding everything in an instant.

The life of one’s beloved—this spell truly was cruel to the extreme.

A human would die directly, while a Grim Reaper’s death was a process of depletion—the Realm Soul slowly dispersing until finally walking toward death.

Xie Jianwei…

Refusing to give up, Lu Li asked once more: “Tell me, what method can restore a Realm Soul?!”

“None,” the 6-star Grim Reaper said helplessly. “There are absolutely no such records in the Middle Realm.”

Lu Li calmed down miraculously: “There is. There definitely is one!”

Lu Li began rushing about, searching for a way to restore Xie Jianwei’s Realm Soul.

Xie Jianwei was awake less and less, seeming to be in a coma almost the entire day. But fortunately, his vital signs never disappeared.

He didn’t want to die. Lu Li knew it—Xie Jianwei also wanted to be with him, and he would definitely stay with him! With this thought, Lu Li searched relentlessly for a breakthrough.

Yan Ke was also looking into information on this matter, but almost no one even knew what a Realm Soul was, let alone how to restore one.

Just as they were at a complete loss, Yan Ke unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

Luo Lun? That unprincipled 5-star Grim Reaper?

Yan Ke’s mind moved, deciding to go talk to him and dig for information.

Because of some minor past conflicts, as soon as Yan Ke appeared, Luo Lun said furiously: “You guy still dare to show your face in front of me!”

Yan Ke smiled: “All’s fair in war.”

“Bullshit!” Luo Lun swore, “You were setting a trap to use me from beginning to end.”

Yan Ke said, “Who asked you to be so foolish?”

Luo Lun was so choked by his words that his chest heaved up and down, clearly furious.

Yan Ke found his reaction quite amusing and wanted to say a few more words to tease him, but Luo Lun got competitive on his own.

With a slam, he slapped an item onto the tabletop and said, “Let’s bet one more time! If you win, this thing is yours. If you lose, you become my Eternal Familiar!”

An Eternal Familiar was no joke. A normal familiar contract could be reversed by someone with Yan Ke’s status as a high demon. Just like before when he deceived Luo Lun by signing a contract as a low demon—that kind of contract had weak binding force and could at most constrain a low demon, but was completely useless against a high demon like him.

But an Eternal Familiar was different. If this was signed, he would have to obey Luo Lun’s every whim for the rest of his life.

Yan Ke sneered: “You’re stupid, so you think I’m stupid too? Why should I bet with you? Who wants your piece of trash?”

Luo Lun said angrily, “You guy, take a good look at what this is before you speak!”

He shook the book-like item in his hand. Yan Ke cast a casual glance over, but froze completely upon seeing it clearly.

“Demon Restoration Spell?”

Luo Lun said triumphantly, “How about it? Good stuff, right? I heard only high demons can use this magic, which is pretty awesome that it can actually restore things.”

Yan Ke’s mind stirred slightly: “Can it restore anything?”

Luo Lun snorted: “Even souls eaten by you guys can be restored. Speaking of which, it’s pretty interesting—if you learn this stuff, you can even be self-sufficient: eat half, use the spell, restore it, and eat half again… Tsk tsk…”

Yan Ke made up his mind and slapped the table: “Bet.”

“If you lose, you have to be my Eternal Familiar.”

“Me, lose?” Yan Ke mocked, “I tricked you once and you actually took it seriously.”

“Verbal bravado is useless; I only look at strength.”

Their bet was quite… well… quite straightforward. The two walked through all three realms: for every woman they saw, regardless of how she was dressed or how old she was, they had to guess her bust size. Correct guesses scored one point, incorrect guesses scored zero points. After looking at 6,666 women, whoever had the higher score won.

Without another word, the two began guessing bust sizes with extremely high accuracy, basically keeping neck-and-neck.

The fake Luo Lun—actually Xie Jianwei—was completely speechless: “You guys really are…”

Yan Ke was still calling out numbers: “87, 88… Whoa, 96! That one’s incredible—such a thin waist with such a spectacular bust…”

Thank goodness Yan Ke (the system) was in his mind; otherwise, Xie Jianwei really wouldn’t have been able to compete with student Yan Ke.

Although he was destined to lose, losing too miserably would make him look unlike Luo Lun.

Xie Jianwei could act out Luo Lun’s demeanor, but he really didn’t have this particular skill of Luo Lun’s.

Women’s bust sizes… Strategist Xie expressed that he was truly not good at this.

Fortunately, the genuine Yan Ke (system) was present…

Yan Ke (system) was competing against “himself” with great enthusiasm. It was rare for him to be of some use, so he was quite happy too.

After fussing around for half a day, they finally reached the final moment.

Their current scores were tied at 6,574 to 6,574.

Only one person remained—the crucial moment to decide victory and defeat.

Yan Ke carefully gave a number: “88.”

Yan Ke (system) also wanted to say this number (since they were the same person after all), but he couldn’t. Saying it would result in a tie, and according to the plan, he was supposed to lose.

So he said to Xie Jianwei: “Say 87.”

Xie Jianwei thoroughly admired student Yan Ke in this regard, so he spoke that number.

Yan Ke immediately chuckled lightly: “You lost.”

Losing was the goal. “Luo Lun” threw the book at him with a face full of unwillingness: “Che, just wait. Next time I’ll definitely beat you.”

Yan Ke gathered his prize and smiled faintly: “I’ll be waiting for your challenge.” Such a foolish big guy—not tricking him would be a waste.

Xie Jianwei had finally successfully delivered the method right in front of Lu Li’s eyes, which truly took painstaking effort.

In truth, he had been genuinely quite weak during this period, though death was likely still somewhat far off. After all, the Little Skeleton was waiting for him; even if he wanted to die, he probably couldn’t.

The Demon Restoration Spell was something Xie Jianwei had discovered quite early on. At that time, in order to find a way to help the Little Skeleton restore his body, he had basically flipped through all the ancient texts he could find. Xie Jianwei had once considered using this Restoration Spell, but its restrictions were quite harsh: first, it could only be cast by a sufficiently powerful high demon; second, after casting it, the high demon would fall into a deep sleep for nearly a century.

These two conditions were quite severe—far harder than getting a high demon to voluntarily offer their blood.

After all, offering blood required only a small amount, which a high demon could replenish by consuming half a soul. By comparison, the side effect of sleeping for a hundred years was far too great.

Although Xie Jianwei had abandoned the idea back then, he had kept the spell.

It might come in handy, especially the hundred-year slumber effect, which held considerable value.

And step by step, things had progressed to where they were now.

When Yan Ke delivered this Restoration Spell into Lu Li’s hands, to Lu Li, it felt like surviving a disaster!

Lu Li asked, “Where did you get this?”

Yan Ke smiled: “From a stupid Grim Reaper.”

“How could he have such a thing?”

“Who knows? He wanders around all day—maybe he swindled it out of some female demon’s embrace.”

Lu Li couldn’t care less about the details. With this item, Xie Jianwei wouldn’t die, and they could be together! It was merely a hundred-year slumber; they had already lived through several hundred years, so how could a brief hundred years make any difference!

Lu Li excitedly returned to the room. Seeing the limp and weak Xie Jianwei, his eyes filled with heartache.

“Ah Wei, don’t be afraid. I have a way to help restore your Realm Soul!”

Seeing him like this, Xie Jianwei felt somewhat guilty. Although he was deceiving him for the greater good, he was deceiving him nonetheless.

Yan Ke (system) comforted him: “Lord Xie, don’t overthink it. This is already the most ideal solution! This dream will definitely end in less than a hundred years! Only by successfully completing the treatment will it truly be good for Marshal Lu.”

Xie Jianwei understood everything he said, but he simply couldn’t bear to see Lu Li sad.

Yan Ke (system) added: “And you should think of it this way: fortunately this is in a dream. If Marshal Lu’s real-world body had completely split and something like this happened, what would you have done?”

These words were truly incisive.

In the real world, if Xie Jianwei hadn’t discovered in time that Lu Li had a tendency toward mutual destruction and hadn’t conducted treatment, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

If what happened in the dream world were to occur in reality, even Strategist Xie would be helpless.

What could be done? Both sides of his palm were his own flesh; to him, these were all his lover. But to Lu Li, it was a different matter entirely.

Of course, a calm and cautious person would always nip the worst possibilities in the bud.

Therefore, such a thing would absolutely never happen in reality.

Xie Jianwei smoothed his emotions and asked him, “What method?”

Lu Li disclosed the matter of the Demon Restoration Spell without holding anything back.

Xie Jianwei was stunned for a moment: “A hundred-year slumber?”

Lu Li held his hand and said, “It’s only a hundred years! As long as this hundred years passes, we can be together forever!”

“But…” Xie Jianwei still expressed unease.

Lu Li kissed him to comfort him: “This is really wonderful. I only need to sleep once to trade for your life—it’s simply too worth it!”

Xie Jianwei said, “Is it really just like that?”

“I won’t lie to you.”

Xie Jianwei probably didn’t believe such a good thing could happen and couldn’t help thinking toward the worst: “Is it possible that you might never wake up?”

Lu Li smiled, cupped his face, and said earnestly: “If I die, will you accompany me?”

Xie Jianwei’s eyes widened suddenly.

Lu Li said, “I know this is very selfish, but if we can’t be together, I’d rather die together with you.”

Xie Jianwei heard the most beautiful love words in the world. The corners of his mouth curved up, and light returned to his eyes: “If you die, I will definitely not live on alone.”

“Mm,” Lu Li said, “I can’t bear to leave you behind alone either.”

With such a promise, Xie Jianwei finally felt at ease.

If he didn’t have absolute certainty, Lu Li would certainly not dare to speak this way.

Lu Li didn’t waste any time and cast the spell that very day. The result was self-evident: Xie Jianwei’s scattered Realm Soul miraculously restored itself, while Lu Li fell into a deep sleep.

Xie Jianwei kissed his lips lightly and whispered, “Have a good sleep. We will always be together.”

Yan Ke wanted to settle Lu Li.

Xie Jianwei said, “I want to take him to the Middle Realm.”

Yan Ke said in surprise, “Ah?”

Xie Jianwei explained: “The Demon Realm is too chaotic. If news of Lu Li falling into a slumber leaks out, I’m afraid there will be endless trouble. But the Middle Realm is relatively much safer, and I’m confident I can keep him completely safe.”

What he said made a lot of sense. The demon Lu Li was accustomed to being overbearing and arrogant, making many enemies. If people really found out he was unconscious, there would likely be a huge crowd looking to cause trouble.

Although Yan Ke and the others were loyal to him, loyalty didn’t necessarily correlate with strength; they were afraid that even with the will, they lacked the power to protect him.

However, if Xie Jianwei took Lu Li back to the Middle Realm, it would be extremely safe.

First, the Grim Reapers were detached from worldly conflicts and quite laid-back, not interfering in matters at all. Second, Xie Jianwei was a formidable 6-star Grim Reaper, far stronger in strength than Yan Ke and his group.

Furthermore, Yan Ke knew very well the feelings between Xie Jianwei and Lu Li.

Xie Jianwei was definitely the person who cherished Lu Li the most; putting him in his hands was a hundred percent reassuring.

Yan Ke responded: “Then I’ll trouble Mr. Xie.”

Xie Jianwei said, “It’s what I should do.”

Xie Jianwei finally returned to the Middle Realm. He naturally settled the sleeping Lu Li properly. Since this dream world had not yet ended, he still faced a certain level of danger, so he had to protect him carefully.

Fortunately, that “other it” was attached to the body of the demon Lu Li. Now that Lu Li was asleep, it couldn’t do anything and could only stare helplessly.

However, Xie Jianwei didn’t feel completely at ease either; without resolving it, it would always remain a latent threat.

Seeing the Little Skeleton again after half a year, he was still in that same state, bubbling over with happiness.

Xie Jianwei’s heart felt soft, and he held his face to give him a kiss.

The little bubbles successfully turned into little hearts.

Xie Jianwei couldn’t help smiling: “Did you miss me?”

The Little Skeleton said, “I did.”

“I missed you too.” Xie Jianwei held his hand and said slowly, “I went to look into some matters during this time.”

The Little Skeleton looked at him: “Is it related to me?”

“Mm.” Xie Jianwei looked toward him, “Do you want to know why you became like this?”

Hearing his words, the Little Skeleton clearly grew somewhat nervous.

Xie Jianwei’s eyes filled with guilt: “It was my fault.”

The Little Skeleton hastily said, “You’re the best.”

Xie Jianwei shook his head and spoke slowly: “It was because I failed to recognize you.”

The Little Skeleton couldn’t remember anything, so hearing him say this only made him anxiously flustered.

Xie Jianwei sighed and continued: “I’m not sure if you’ll remember in the future, but I want to tell you these things.”

The Little Skeleton said, “Okay, I want to know too.”

Xie Jianwei said, “We were together for thirty-three years. In the end, you died from an illness. When you were dying, you said you wanted to meet me again in the next life. I promised you. After all, I am a Grim Reaper, so I tampered a bit with your soul when reaping it…”

He didn’t speak quickly, but every word was clear, acting like a lead that pulled out a hazy, ambiguous memory.

Seemingly familiar yet completely different, he overturned this segment of memory through a blend of truth and falsehood.

The Little Skeleton’s will could already alter the world; now, having preconceptions planted by listening to what Xie Jianwei said, even if the past wasn’t like this, it would become like this.

Xie Jianwei said, “I don’t know what went wrong with your soul during reincarnation, but when you reincarnated, I failed to recognize you.”

“In that life, your name was Aly Vance, a young master of a prominent family. You were very unhappy due to family matters, and after sneaking out privately, you were kidnapped by a human tyrant. I happened to pass by while on a task and saved you.”

Everything Xie Jianwei said next was the truth—how he got along with Aly, how he persuaded him to go home, every detail big and small.

However, all parts concerning Lifuer were modified. Xie Jianwei said: “The reincarnated you still loved me. I could feel it, but… I didn’t know that was you. Because I had tampered with your soul, I firmly believed that only the soul with that mark was you, and this one without a mark definitely wasn’t you.”

“In fact, I vaguely felt it was you, but because I firmly believed my mark couldn’t be wrong, I failed even more to recognize you.”

The Little Skeleton listened blankly, vaguely seeming to experience that feeling—that helpless agony of longing without attainment and suffering without expression.

Xie Jianwei continued: “In that life, I broke your heart completely. Because I noticed your love and had no way to accept it, I thought of a terrible method…”

The Little Skeleton suddenly grew a bit tense.

Xie Jianwei said with a face full of guilt, “I found an angel to pretend to be my lover, hoping you would give up. But in the end… it harmed you.”

The Little Skeleton trembled. Although he still couldn’t remember anything, in a trance, he seemed to see the scene of Xie Jianwei being together with someone else. That heart-piercing pain instantly covered his entire body.

Xie Jianwei said with difficulty, “I didn’t expect that angel would be so cruel. I didn’t expect he would harm you like that. By the time I noticed… your entire family was dead, and you had collapsed. Although I avenged you, still…”

He seemed unable to continue speaking; those memories were truly terrible.

Xie Jianwei also genuinely placed himself into the scenario. After all, that was Lu Li; imagining Lu Li suffering such things made even his breath catch.

The Little Skeleton hurriedly said, “Ah Wei, it’s not your fault. Those things…”

“It was my fault!” Xie Jianwei said with rare emotional intensity, “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to suffer through any of that!”

The Little Skeleton felt at a loss: “It’s fine. Look, aren’t I doing well now? It’s all in the past; those things have all passed.”

Xie Jianwei shook his head and said, “No. You don’t have your memories right now, so you can forgive me. If you remember everything… you…”

“No matter what you did,” the Little Skeleton said, “I love you.”

Xie Jianwei froze for a moment.

The Little Skeleton said, “No matter what I become, no matter what I went through, even if I’m not even human anymore, as long as I see you, I’ll be drawn to you. Ah Wei… as long as you can stay by my side, I’ll…”

“But I really hurt you deeply. I really did something irreversible, I…”

The Little Skeleton said, “If you really care so much about those things, then I just won’t remember them.”

Xie Jianwei looked at him blankly.

The Little Skeleton gently touched him with his palm: “You’ll be with me in the future, right?”

Xie Jianwei nodded forcefully: “I’ll never separate from you again.”

The Little Skeleton said, “Then that’s all that matters. As for the past, let it stay in the past.”

His gentle voice soothed Xie Jianwei, and his emotions slowly leveled out. But as if having made a decision, he continued: “I still need to finish telling all of these things. Regardless of whether you can remember them, they genuinely happened. It was my fault, so I cannot run away.”

Xie Jianwei took a deep breath and continued: “You have the right to know, and the right to choose. Love cannot be blind; I want you to know everything.”

He told him the rest of the story.

The broken Aly, carrying the lives of his entire clan, walked hopelessly toward death.

Yet he could not die.

The mark Xie Jianwei left on his soul allowed him to evade the Grim Reapers’ vision.

Originally, Xie Jianwei’s idea had been that he would discover Lu Li’s soul at the very first moment and protect it forever, while worrying it might be reaped by other Grim Reapers, so he specifically concealed it for him…

Who could have expected that Xie Jianwei wouldn’t recognize Lu Li, while the concealment placed on Lu Li’s soul still remained, preventing other Grim Reapers from discovering him either.

With no one reaping the soul, the soul would not enter reincarnation on its own.

Aly’s body died, but his soul remained undying. Like a walking corpse, he lived on in a wretched manner.

As time constantly slipped away, his body gradually decayed. When even his brain weathered away with the wind, those memories of being human grew blurred. All that remained was a skeleton frame bound to an undispersed soul, wandering aimlessly through the mortal world.

Until he met Xie Jianwei once again.

The Little Skeleton listened to these things in a daze.

Xie Jianwei finally said, “You probably won’t be able to recall the memories of when you were Lu Li. Even if you can recover them, you’ll only remember the things from when you were Aly.”

Because this skeleton frame belonged to Aly, not Lu Li.

And Aly’s memories were far too painful—from beginning to end, a complete tragedy.

The Little Skeleton couldn’t snap back to reality for a long time.

Xie Jianwei said in a low voice, “Although doing this is very selfish, I really don’t want to lose you again.”

The Little Skeleton said, “Actually, staying like this forever is fine for me too…”

“It’s not!” Xie Jianwei said, “I want to try. I want to…”

The Little Skeleton asked, “How?”

“A human body is far too brief and fragile. I… I was thinking if it’s possible to guide your soul into the body of a demon.”

The Little Skeleton was stunned: “A demon?”

Xie Jianwei said, “A demon’s lifespan is extremely long. If we can succeed, we’ll never have to fear being separated again.”

This single sentence clearly struck a chord in the Little Skeleton’s heart. He couldn’t help saying, “Is that really possible?”

Xie Jianwei said, “I want to try.”

Saying so, he hugged the Little Skeleton, his voice filled with tender affection: “Ah Li, I really don’t want to lose you again. I have no confidence in finding you after you reincarnate, so… please don’t leave ever again.”

Mr. Skeleton wanted to be separated from him even less. He had even planned to accompany him forever in this skeleton body, yet now another possibility presented itself.

But could it really work?

Xie Jianwei comforted him: “It will work. I am a Grim Reaper; I can definitely do it.”

The Little Skeleton believed him and only wanted to believe him.

Xie Jianwei softly whispered a sentence: “All things have souls, right? Whether angels or demons, they all possess souls.”

This was a critically important psychological suggestion—a suggestion aimed at altering the laws of the world.