Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - Chapter 150

Chapter 150

Throughout her kidnapping, He Jiarui had been in a constant state of terror.

Claustrophobia had made it impossible for her to think clearly. However, after being rescued, she had lost her sight. As she settled into a quiet life, isolated from the distractions of the outside world, the events of that day played on a loop in her mind.

Over and over again, leaving her no peace.

“Are you trying to say that the real culprit is someone else?”

Gu Huaiwei actually suspected Ji Xuan or Chen Liuxiang. However, given that the known kidnapper had committed suicide and the case was closed-and since the entire affair had no impact on her business-Gu Huaiwei saw no reason to pursue it further.

“I don’t know. I’m just… uneasy.” He Jiarui didn’t dare speak the answer she held in her heart.

Now blind, she couldn’t see herself in the mirror. But every time she touched her face, the loss of collagen filled her with absolute panic.

He Jiarui’s voice wavered with uncertainty. “I don’t know if I made the right choice…”

“Thinking this much will only exhaust you.” Gu Huaiwei felt that He Jiarui was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

She remembered the first time they met; He Jiarui had proudly boasted about her mental stability score being seventy. Now, she was a shadow of her former self.

The humans of this world withered far too easily.

He Jiarui was still agonizing over her decision.

“After the recording ended that day, Xiangxiang told me that if I still wanted to go back with her, she would hire the best doctors to treat my eyes. Because I’ve already shown signs of aging, she won’t go through with the Bonding again, but she said she’d have servants look after me until the day I die.”

At this point, He Jiarui’s tone became agitated.

“But if I go back, nothing changes! Xiangxiang doesn’t care about me at all. During the show, no matter how close I got to Ji Xuan, Xiangxiang never showed the slightest hint of jealousy. She wouldn’t even touch me when I hadn’t aged yet, let alone now that I’ve become this hideous ghost! She won’t touch any of the humans in her manor. To her, those humans are just mascots placed around the estate. Her heart isn’t with them.”

It was realizing this that had driven He Jiarui to despair.

If she returned to that manor, she would receive no affection and have no freedom. She would simply be trapped there forever… The only benefit would be having enough Magnetic Value to die with some shred of dignity.

Gu Huaiwei reminded her, “Actually, your original goal was the Magnetic Value.”

If she had stuck to her original intentions, she wouldn’t have ended up in this state.

“It’s not enough, Miss Gu. It’s not enough.” He Jiarui’s voice was miserable. She felt equally pathetic for having these thoughts. Wet tracks seeped through her bandages as she pressed a clenched fist to her chest. “If you have ever been loved, you’ll realize that material things are easy to overvalue when you lack them. But once you actually have them, you find that no amount of Magnetic Value can fill the void in your heart.”

She wanted it all.

She wanted to grasp both ends, but she couldn’t hold onto either.

Gu Huaiwei felt it was highly likely that Ji Xuan had set He Jiarui up. After all, Chen Liuxiang could only provide Magnetic Value, not tender care. The culprit had destroyed He Jiarui’s eyes, stripping her of her ability to care for herself. In such a mentally fragile state, she was far more likely to choose Ji Xuan over Chen Liuxiang’s team of nurses.

But He Jiarui was already in so much pain that Gu Huaiwei felt it would be cruel to share her analysis.
“What does it matter if you chose right? What does it matter if you chose wrong? You’ve already lost the chance to choose, so don’t overthink it anymore.” Sometimes, it was better to be blissfully ignorant; living with too much clarity when one couldn’t change anything only brought pain.

He Jiarui spoke, her spirit crushed, “Without enough Magnetic Value, I’ll age very quickly.”

Gu Huaiwei comforted her, “Ji Xuan will do his best to provide you with Magnetic Value.”

“I hope so.” Her inner suspicions remained unconfirmed, and He Jiarui let out a sigh. She had no choice but to accept her current reality. “I don’t have many human friends. After I leave here, we probably won’t be able to see each other often.”

Parting was an eternal theme in life.

Gu Huaiwei asked, “Which city are you going to?”

“Miller City.” It was located in the far north of this world.

Unfortunately, not one of Gu Huaiwei’s ten branch stores was located there.

“Safe travels.” Seeing He Jiarui rise to leave, Gu Huaiwei supported her and walked her to the door.

He Jiarui’s once glossy black hair now appeared somewhat brittle. Her cool hand gripped Gu Huaiwei’s wrist, and a faint smile touched the corners of her lips. “The thing you seem to care about most is your shop. That’s nice-you don’t have to worry about as much as I do.

Miss Gu, I truly hope you live a better life than I have.”

“I appreciate the kind words.”

He Jiarui returned to Ji Xuan’s embrace.

As Ji Xuan stepped out of the Oasis Matchmaking Agency, his peripheral vision flickered toward the high-and-mighty statue inside the Matchmaker God Temple, his expression one of fleeting disdain.

But that trace of contempt vanished from his eyes almost instantly. He transformed back into that useless, mediocre middle-aged man, supporting He Jiarui as they climbed into the cheap, second-hand car he had bought with a loan.

In truth, when He Jiarui had chosen Chen Liuxiang, he had been in agony, yet he had still chosen to let her go so she could be happy.

Without the government subsidies, Ji Xuan was acutely aware that he had no way to provide enough Magnetic Value for the rose he had personally pampered and raised.

He didn’t want to see her wither.

So, despite the immense heartache, he had chosen to respect her choice.

If only Chen Liuxiang hadn’t shown such complete indifference toward He Jiarui from start to finish.

If only it hadn’t been for that variety show.

If only it hadn’t been for that one text message that night.

[I want to come back to you, but I have no reason to.]

Ji Xuan would never have entertained the thought of bringing He Jiarui back to his side.

He had been law-abiding for so many years, working diligently at his company, saving every scrap of Magnetic Value, and living a frugal life.

He was so mediocre, even vulgar, yet for He Jiarui’s sake, he had done something that could cost him his head.

He was the one who had contacted the so-called murderer, kidnapped the human the “murderer” kept, forced him to confess to everything, and then staged the scene to look like a suicide.

He was also the one who had called the police.

And destroying He Jiarui’s eyes… that was only because of her text message.

He had to respond to her needs.

He Jiarui needed a reason to return to him, so he could only endure the pain of creating such a reason.

In the end, he had gotten what he wanted, and he had no regrets.

Gu Huaiwei watched them drive away into the distance.

Lin She stood behind Gu Huaiwei, his tall, slender figure like a shadow that light could not penetrate. His black hair clung to his pale face, and his thin lips moved as he said eerily, “Did you see the look in that Alien’s eyes when he left?”