Location: NovaVerse Emotional Recovery Wing – Singapore
The room was quiet. Too quiet.
Tang Xinyi sat alone on the edge of the hospital bed, staring at the medical chip interface on her wrist. Outside, the city glittered with success built on Bai Chen's back—but inside, her heart still ached with emptiness.
She had survived Black Nine.
She had escaped death.
But she hadn't escaped being left behind.
The other women had moved forward—Su Yiran with her iron command, Lin Yuwei with her battlefield loyalty, and Qingyue with that kiss that shattered the balance.
But what did she have?
A broken past. A once-savior now caught in a storm of affection he couldn't control.
And a love... that might never be returned.
System Alert: Emotional Collapse Risk Detected
⚠️ Target: Tang Xinyi
💔 Affection Level: 70% → 61%
Danger: Emotional Isolation
💡 Special Redemption Mission Available
Title: "The Girl Who Waited"
Objective: Enter memory realm of Tang Xinyi using Emotion Dive Protocol
🧠 Requirements: Bai Chen must enter and relive Xinyi's suppressed trauma to resolve her hidden wounds
🕊️ Reward:
– Restored Bond
– Special Trait: "Empathic Anchor"
– Unlock Xinyi's Support Class Role: "Emotion Healer"
Scene: NovaVerse Neural Dive Lab
Bai Chen stood over the dive pod as Xinyi lay inside, neural links pulsing.
"Are you sure?" Su Yiran asked. "It's dangerous. Emotion Dives aren't just virtual—they rip open real trauma."
"I have to do this," Bai Chen replied. "I owe her more than just protection."
He closed his eyes and stepped into the pod.
Memory Realm: Old University Campus – Winter Afternoon
Snow fell gently on cracked pavement.
Bai Chen opened his eyes and found himself back on their university campus.
Tang Xinyi stood in the distance—young, quiet, in her worn red hoodie. Her long black hair fluttered as she fed breadcrumbs to a stray cat.
He approached her slowly.
"You always liked this corner," he said.
She didn't turn.
"Why are you here?" her voice echoed faintly.
"Because I want to understand," Bai Chen said. "Why you never told me the truth."
The world flickered.
Suddenly—a group of girls surrounded Xinyi, mocking her.
"Your dad's bankrupt, right?"
"You think someone like Bai Chen would love a charity case?"
"She only helped him because she pitied him. That's all you are. Pity."
Xinyi didn't respond. She simply looked down, her eyes wet.
Bai Chen stepped forward. "Who were they?"
"My dorm mates," her voice whispered through the illusion. "They knew I had feelings for you. So they made sure I buried them."
System Dive Prompt: Trauma Echo Detected
💔 Emotional Fracture Logged
Root Pain: Belief that she was never truly wanted, only pitied
🧠 Suggested Action: Deliver Heart Declaration or risk emotional collapse
Bai Chen moved in front of her, facing her teenage self.
"You think I didn't want you?" he said. "I wrote letters. I watched you from afar. I wanted to be worthy of you. But I thought I was the pity case."
She finally looked up at him, eyes wide.
"You're wrong," he said. "You weren't my charity. You were my reason to fight."
Suddenly the snow turned golden. The bullies vanished. Light burst from her chest like shattered chains.
Tang Xinyi fell to her knees, sobbing.
"I waited so long for you to say that…"
Memory Realm Collapse: Dive Ending
✅ Trauma Resolved
💘 Tang Xinyi Affection: 61% → 85%
🌸 Special Trait Gained: "Empathic Anchor" – Bai Chen now gains emotional regeneration during heavy psychological attacks if Xinyi is present
🧠 New Role Unlocked: Xinyi – Class: "Emotion Healer"
She can now suppress mental manipulation effects on Bai Chen or allies
Scene: Recovery Room – Reality
Bai Chen blinked awake in the pod, gasping.
Xinyi sat beside him, eyes red but full of warmth.
She touched his hand.
"Thank you… for walking back into my heart."
He smiled. "I never left. I was just too broken to find my way back."
She laughed softly.
"I'm not asking to be the first," she said. "I just want a place in your heart that can't be replaced."
Bai Chen leaned in.
"And you have it. Always."
They embraced, not with fire, but with quiet understanding—a love that endured when words failed.
System Update
💘 Tang Xinyi – Bond Confirmed
💞 Intimacy Path: Emotional Fusion Tier
💎 Route Status: "Healer of the Empire"
🔒 Trait Fusion Path Available: To unlock, complete Black Nine's Final Assault Arc
Final Scene: Black Nine Hidden Bunker – Unknown Location
A cloaked woman in red removed her mask, staring at a wall of floating holograms.
"Three bonds restored," she muttered. "His empire is almost whole."
A shadowy male voice replied, "Then it's time we rip out the last piece—his legal queen."
The screen flashed.
📍 Target: Su Yiran
Status: Marked for Elimination