Blue skies, the sea, and the beach.

Everything within sight faded away like threads unraveling.

As Ji Yushi watched, everything reassembled during the rainy season: screen walls, rock gardens, streams, bamboo groves… He found himself in a traditional Chinese courtyard filled with an atmosphere rich in ancient culture.

Ji Yushi stood on a delicate stone bridge. Apart from the sound of trickling water, the courtyard was extremely quiet.

He speculated that, judging from the beach he had been on, this cunning Sky Vault System must create a personalized transit station based on each person’s subconscious. The command center they had previously stayed in was too crude and simplistic, likely because the Sky Vault System had only intended to unify everyone’s senses, preventing them from realizing it was just an illusion, from discovering that they had never actually left the capsule pod.

But this time, things were different. The Sky Vault System’s secret about the transit station had been exposed, so it directly selected a location from their subconscious that would provide them with the most comfort.

It could be said that this tailor-made illusion was the most relaxing place in the hearts of each of the seven teammates.

The courtyard was empty.

Ji Yushi stepped off the small bridge and chose a random direction along the stone-paved path. Soon, he arrived at a soft, green lawn.

The facilities on the lawn seemed out of place: a sandbox filled with fine sand, a castle-shaped slide, a colorful inflatable mattress, and a swing. At first glance, it looked like a small children’s park.

Was this… the Sky Vault System’s personalized transit station for Song Qinglan?

Ji Yushi had walked this far without seeing a single person.

Uncertain whether to continue, Ji Yushi pulled the swing over and sat down.

The weather was clear, and the temperature was just right.

The fresh moisture of the grass filled his nostrils, calming his slightly restless mood. It seemed that even if the Sky Vault System wasn’t planning to let them go back yet, it would at least ensure they rested here.

Sitting on the swing, Ji Yushi, with nothing better to do, let his thoughts wander.

He thought, since this was a place where Song Qinglan felt comfortable, it must exist in reality. Just like his own beach, it came from his high school days, which was why he was dressed in clothes from that time. As for these children’s play facilities… Could it be that Song Qinglan had turned into a child again?

A youthful, baby-faced image with chubby cheeks appeared in Ji Yushi’s mind.

Smaller than when he was forced to shrink in Chaos, his chubby arms like lotus roots, poking them would create little dimples. Despite his obedient appearance, his behavior was domineering—he would insist on playing with whoever he wanted, often running over to hug people, calling their names repeatedly to get his way.

In kindergarten, young Song Qinglan was a little tyrant, often using his weight to his advantage.

“Whoosh—”

A sharp sound cut through the air.

A short red arrow appeared on the wooden frame of the swing. The suction cup arrowhead didn’t hold, and after a brief pause, it fell to the ground.

“What are you thinking about?”

A mature male voice sounded not far away.

Ji Yushi’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked up.

He saw Song Qinglan, dressed in nothing more than a simple T-shirt and sneakers, holding a ridiculously small children’s bow. He was striding toward him.

Song Qinglan had shot the red arrow. Such a childish act should have been absurd for an adult, yet his long legs and imposing demeanor made it impossible to ignore his aggressive presence, which did not come across as humorous at all.

“Captain Song,” Ji Yushi asked, “Is this your home?”

“It’s my grandfather’s house in Ningcheng.”

Song Qinglan walked to the swing, crouched down to pick up the red arrow, and looked down at Ji Yushi sitting on the swing. “Consultant Ji, I was just about to come to find you when I received a prompt from the Sky Vault System that you were looking for me.”

Song Qinglan’s deep features, combined with his sharp gaze when looking down at someone, made his expression even more profound. His high nose bridge and the carefree curve of his lips added a touch of roguishness.

In this so-called transit station, everyone’s illusion was different. After the Sky Vault System’s explanation, everyone quickly thought to find their teammates, but the way Song Qinglan said it made it seem like the two of them were particularly in sync.

Ji Yushi looked away, his tone unchanged: “Is this where you spent your childhood?”

Song Qinglan had already mentioned to Ji Yushi that he spent his childhood in Ningcheng, so he continued, “Yes. These playground facilities were made by my grandfather for me when I was a kid. After my parents separated, my custody was returned to my father. But even after I left Ningcheng for several years, these facilities were still here until I went to middle school and couldn’t play with them anymore, so they were dismantled.”

So Song Qinglan also came from a single-parent family?

Ji Yushi hadn’t known that.

“I didn’t expect to experience my childhood again in this illusion.”

There was a hint of nostalgia in Song Qinglan’s voice, but it quickly faded.

He got to the point: “I thought we would return to the real world after that phone call went through. But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The so-called ‘B’ point is exactly the third second in our space-time jump, which is the moment we were hijacked.”

The third second of the space-time jump.

After completing tasks like [Ouroboros], [Chaos], and the derived [Who Am I], they always returned to that third second, as if they were forever trapped in the space-time hijacking.

Ji Yushi nodded.

Song Qinglan said, “I was just surprised that it even classified the bubble world as a task.”

At least now they understood one thing: until this so-called “Sky Vault System of all eras” was satisfied, until they completed all the tasks it assigned, this space-time hijacking would not end.

Anger, disappointment, and exhaustion couldn’t change that fact.

The only thing they could do was accept and complete the tasks.

Ji Yushi was even calmer than Song Qinglan in this regard: “But overall, it’s still better than being trapped in the bubble world.”

The tension of the moment before Minister Wang picked up the phone still lingered in Ji Yushi’s heart. No one knew that when he pressed the call button in his pocket, his palm was full of cold sweat.

If the call hadn’t been answered, the seven of them would have been taken away. What they would face afterward was uncertain, but the bubble would definitely not give them a second chance.

Everyone thought Ji Yushi was rational, knowledgeable, and logical, but only he knew that he was actually gambling.

If he lost, including Song Qinglan, they would be completely lost in the bubble world.

And the person who nearly obliterated that possibility was—

“Captain Song!”

“Consultant Ji!”

“Damn, this place is amazing!”

The peaceful scene between the two was interrupted as the other five members of Team Seven appeared in Song Qinglan’s exclusive transit station, all dressed in casual clothes. Li Chun was even in just shorts and slippers, with no shirt on, exposing his solid chest muscles.

All men, no one cared about their appearance; Duan Wen had his arm around him, one rougher than the other.

“I knew it, if you’re not with Consultant Ji, then Consultant Ji is with you.” Li Chun said, “Anyway, you two together is always right!”

Ji Yushi: “…”

“Put some clothes on.” Song Qinglan glanced at Li Chun. “What are you fooling around for in an illusion?”

Li Chun protested, “Boss, I was just sleeping at home! The bed is the most comfortable place in the world for me. If it’s tailor-made, shouldn’t I be allowed to be comfortable?”

He said that, but when his eyes met Ji Yushi’s, he suddenly felt very inappropriate.

Consultant Ji had a different sexual orientation. As a straight guy, he shouldn’t be wandering around like this in front of him. Besides, Consultant Ji was very refined, probably even sleeping fully dressed, making him seem like an uncivilized savage.

More importantly, he sensed that his current image seemed to displease his captain even more.

With that thought, and with Song Qinglan’s inscrutable black eyes making him feel creeped out, Li Chun suddenly found himself wearing a floral shirt.

He looked down, and with another thought, a can of beer appeared in his hand. He exclaimed excitedly, “Damn, this is really convenient!”

Everyone marveled and started to imitate him.

Tang Qi, wearing sunglasses, walked around the lawn: “Where is this? Why is there a children’s playground?”

Zhou Mingxuan, standing at the back, spoke up: “It’s Captain Song’s grandfather’s house. When he retired, I once went with him to visit. The old man is a refined person, and the garden is famously beautiful. It’s not open to the public. If I’m not mistaken, these are the toys Captain Song played with as a child.”

Li Chun: “So childlike, makes me want to play!”

Having escaped the bubble world but not returned to reality, Zhou Mingxuan’s mood wasn’t great. He retorted, “Good, you big child, you can play here to your heart’s content.”

Li Chun exploded, kicking him, “Damn it! Lao Zhou, that’s just mean. We finally managed to escape for a while, who knows when we’ll get back. Can’t you be a little more loving?”

Zhou Mingxuan: “We almost didn’t make it back, how can we be loving?”

Tang Le, sitting cross-legged on the lawn, slapped his thigh: “Speaking of which, how did Lin Xinlan recognize Captain Song? That’s so creepy! Even with the simulated face, he could still recognize him!”

Song Qinglan couldn’t figure that out either.

They were all wearing simulated faces, motionless, and looked no different from the shadows in the audio-visual room. Even though he was taller, the other party shouldn’t have recognized him so accurately.

Recalling that scene, Song Qinglan still felt a lingering fear: “Good thing he didn’t have time to press my simulated face; otherwise, I would have had to take him hostage.”

“Lin Xinlan?” Ji Yushi knew the name, and it was already within his expectations.

If Ji Yushi hadn’t gotten the phone in time, in that situation, taking someone hostage would have been the best way to protect oneself. He turned to Song Qinglan and asked, “You didn’t want to do that?”

Before Song Qinglan could answer, his teammates answered for him.

“Disgusting!”

“Who wants to touch him!”

“Might catch rabies!”

“Last time during the division’s fighting competition, Captain Song fought him once and almost washed his hands until the skin peeled off.”

Ji Yushi let out an “oh.”

Now he understood—it was Song Qinglan’s PTSD towards homosexuals.

They chatted about various things for a while. Ji Yushi was lost in thought until he heard his name being called several times. He looked up and saw everyone heading towards the house, planning to use this courtyard as their resting place.

Tang Le asked, “Consultant Ji, what are you thinking? I’ve been calling you for a while.”

Tang Qi and Song Qinglan were still waiting a few steps away.

Ji Yushi stood up from the swing, aware that Song Qinglan was watching him. He calmly said, “I suddenly miss my boyfriend.”