"Camearra." Yu Zhou exhaled softly, preparing to be honest with her. "There's something I think… you've already figured out, haven't you?"
"Yes, I know."
Camearra gently ran her fingers through Yu Zhou's hair and replied in a soft, tender tone.
"Camearra…"
Feeling the warmth of her touch, Yu Zhou's anxiety eased considerably.
In this age of the internet, information travelled fast. Naturally, Camearra had also discovered some things online.
The so-called Giants of Light, Ultramen, and monsters—they only existed in this world's television shows and movies.
Compared to this reality, the world she had come from was nothing more than a fictional parallel world portrayed in these works.
But after watching those shows, Camearra realized that the events depicted there were not entirely the same as the ones she had lived through.
The main difference was that, in those stories, there was no Yu Zhou—and thus, everything unfolded as if he had never existed.
Camearra wasn't stupid; she quickly understood.
Yu Zhou must have somehow entered the world that existed within this world's fiction—her world.
"Even so… it doesn't matter," she whispered.
Closing her eyes, Camearra leaned closer, her face brushing against his.
As long as the person she loved was by her side—right here, right now—nothing else mattered.
Compared to the tragic fate her counterpart suffered in the television version, this Camearra felt her current self was far, far luckier.
"I am real," she murmured.
Then her soft lips pressed against Yu Zhou's. His eyes widened in shock, his face instantly turning bright red.
"I…"
"…love you."
Afterward, Yu Zhou transferred a large sum of money to his parents—hoping they could finally enjoy a comfortable life.
Before the looming catastrophe struck, he wanted them to be as happy as possible while they still could.
Because if he failed to resolve the coming crisis, there would be no future for anyone.
And his parents… would lose everything before ever getting the chance to live peacefully.
When the money arrived, the first thing his parents thought of wasn't travel or luxury—
it was buying a house for their son.
After all, their boy already had a girlfriend and had even introduced her to them.
He had bought a car, yes, but no home of his own.
Yu Xiasheng guessed that the money left after buying the car had all been handed over to them.
And this car, mind you, was worth over one million.
Now, Yu Zhou had just transferred them twenty million in total.
Twenty million!
To Yu Xiasheng, that amount was almost unimaginable. For a simple rural man like him, having such wealth in a lifetime felt like divine blessing—
as if the heavens had opened three eyes and smiled upon him with such a son.
"What? You're saying we're going to buy a house today?"
Yu Zhou was stunned. He hadn't expected his parents' first instinct after receiving the money was not to rest—but to immediately house-hunt.
"Of course!"
His mother smiled cheerfully.
"Look at how far you and Mearra have come. You'll need a house sooner or later anyway!"
"Let's go to the city and look at some properties today!"
The reason she said "how far you've come" was because, late last night, when she had gotten up to use the restroom, she noticed Camearra's door was open—
and discovered a few… things.
Since the two were already sharing a bed, it wouldn't be surprising if things progressed further.
So, after discussing it with Yu Zhou's father, they decided: better to help their son get a place of his own—
where he and his future family could live comfortably, instead of staying cramped in this small village.
"Dad, Mom… maybe we should wait a bit?"
Yu Zhou sighed helplessly. He couldn't understand what was going through their heads.
Why the rush? Were they planning to make him move out immediately?
"No more discussion! It's settled!"
Yu Xiasheng's expression left no room for argument.
"…Fine."
Yu Zhou could only surrender with a wry smile.
Still, he knew his parents meant well.
If they could all share a little happiness in these uncertain times, that was enough.
The family drove toward the city—naturally in Yu Zhou's new car.
He was the one driving; though his father had a driver's license, they'd never owned a car before, so his experience was basically non-existent.
Yu Zhou made a mental note: once they reached the city, he'd buy his father an SUV.
That way, even on muddy or hilly roads back in the countryside, driving would be easy.
The city they were heading to—Xia City—was a coastal metropolis, and their destination for today's house-hunting trip.
Although Xia City was well-developed, many rural areas farther from downtown still relied on traditional means to survive.
His parents rarely came to the city—only when one of them fell seriously ill and needed to visit a hospital.
After finding the housing complex they had seen on their phones, Yu Zhou set the navigation and drove straight there.
After a while, the family arrived.
Stepping out of the car, they were immediately surrounded by a bustling crowd—more people than their entire village combined.
"Been so long since I've come out like this," Yu Xiasheng said, scratching his head. "Even with new clothes on, I still look like a country bumpkin."
"Not at all, Uncle," Camearra said quickly, smiling sweetly. "You look very stylish in that outfit."
Flattery came easily to her—and it worked wonders.
Yu Zhou's parents' fondness for her grew by the minute.
"Hahaha! I know what I look like," Yu Xiasheng chuckled, delighted nonetheless.
Everyone enjoyed being praised, after all.
Chatting happily, the four of them entered the real estate sales office.
The place was busy, filled with families touring the available properties.
Most of the other visitors were dressed far more elegantly than Yu Zhou's family—
but with Camearra's presence, her stunning beauty drew the eyes of everyone in the room.
To their credit, the sales staff didn't show any hint of arrogance or bias.
No "looking down on people" here—especially since they knew that sometimes, the ones dressed the simplest were the ones with the deepest pockets.
Everything went smoothly.
The salesperson served them warmly, offering tea and describing the available homes—their layouts, prices, and key advantages.
"This one looks nice," Yu Zhou's mother whispered to him and Camearra, listening intently to the introduction. "How about we take this one?"
"Madam, you've got excellent taste!"
The salesperson immediately responded with a bright smile.
"This unit is right next to the artificial lake—perfect sunlight, unobstructed view, an excellent choice in every way!"
Yu Zhou was just about to respond to his mother—
When suddenly, the entire hall trembled violently.
Clang!
The chandelier hanging in the centre of the ceiling came crashing down with a deafening smash.
Then—
Rumble… rumble… rumble…
A low, thunderous sound began echoing from deep beneath the ground.