DSMC Chapter 36.1

I’m a kind woman. This is the end of instance, so I’ll upload both parts today~

Since this is the end of the 2nd arc, I’ll be resting for a bit. See you next Wednesday!

Yan Jiyun, in a trance, heard two voices calling out. His claws could no longer hook onto the cement ledge. Just as despair consumed him, his right foreleg was seized by an injured hand!

Lin Xie leapt down several steps in one stride, not caring if he might fall himself. He dove toward Yan Jiyun, and at the very last moment before the cat would have dropped, he caught him!

Close behind, Jiang Yan reacted instantly, grabbing hold of Lin Xie’s clothing to keep him from falling as well. The staircase here was treacherously dangerous.

A cat didn’t weigh as much as a box stuffed with Red Field Poppy. With little effort, Lin Xie pulled Yan Jiyun back from the line of death.

Yan Jiyun’s whole body was stiff, his mind filled with only six words: “Escaped death successfully.”

Lin Xie collapsed onto the stairs, letting out a deep breath before checking over the black cat in his arms.

He couldn’t help but say, “Blake, don’t you know it’s dangerous to run here? If you fell, you’d have lost your life.”

Yan Jiyun: …

Jiang Yan set a hand on Lin Xie’s shoulder, giving it a light pat. “It’s over now.”

In that perilous instant, they had pulled the cat back.

Yan Jiyun, after a few seconds to steady himself, heard the footsteps of Zhou Ying’s team. But before they appeared, they vanished.

The system that prompted this instance has been completed.

At the same time, Yan Jiyun also heard the chime of his personal system.

[Congratulations, Player Yan Jiyun gained +30 Favorability with Lin Xie]

[Congratulations, Player Yan Jiyun gained +110 Favorability with Jiang Yan]

[Congratulations, Player Yan Jiyun for successfully completing all main missions of “Midnight Diner.”]

[40 seconds remain until the instance ends. Players may choose to exit now, or wait until time expires for automatic exit. Staying allows completion of any remaining side quests.]

Yan Jiyun chose not to exit. He had come this far, so why not wait the last forty seconds? Better to finish what he started, and besides, the danger was gone now.

Lin Xie, true to his cool-headed nature, quickly regained his composure after nearly losing the cat. He turned to Jiang Yan.

“Zhao Renfu is dead. Jiang Yan, what about you? Who are you?”

The exaggerated temper and flashy act Jiang Yan had worn were gone. He stood up, took a step back, and extended his right hand: “Let’s reintroduce ourselves, Officer Lin. I’m Sunflower.”

For years, Lin Xie had only ever heard “Boss Lin” or “Second Young Master.” It was the first time someone had called him “Officer Lin.” After years in darkness, it was like breaking out of a cocoon, catching a shaft of sunlight.

They were facing west. The slanting rays of the setting sun fell on Jiang Yan, who stood a step above him, wearing a bright smile.

It was a Jiang Yan Lin Xie had never seen before, a man standing openly in the sunlight.

Sunflower was Lin Xie’s superior that he had never met in person.

Holding the limp black cat in his arms, Lin Xie reached out his right hand. “Thank you for protecting me all this time. I thought you were a woman… I never expected it was you, Officer Jiang Yan. I’m Wind Chime.”

At last, Yan Jiyun understood why that day, when he had run into Jiang Yan’s apartment, Lin Xie — who had been indifferent toward Jiang Yan — suddenly agreed to let him help bathe the cat after seeing that fake sunflower. Lin Xie had recognized him then. And Jiang Yan, perhaps, had already guessed from the carefully tended wind chime flowers on Lin Xie’s balcony and had been protecting him in secret ever since.

The clasping of their hands meant Lin Xie no longer had to doubt Jiang Yan, and Jiang Yan no longer had to pretend in front of him.

Suddenly, Lin Xie said: “Jiang Yan, call me ‘ge’ once.”

Jiang Yan tilted his head, letting out a laugh. It was exactly like when, years ago, he’d leaned on the window, snatching away Lin Xie’s freshly finished homework with a grin of triumph.

[Found 3/3 of Lin Xie’s secret]

[Secret Detail: He is an undercover officer. After learning one day that his biological father had been killed by Zhao Renfu, he quietly joined the police force during his time studying abroad. Since then, he has worked undercover at Zhao Renfu’s side, repeatedly providing critical intel. His codename is “Wind Chime.”]

[Found 2/2 of Jiang Yan’s secret]

[Secret Detail: He is an undercover officer. At the age of ten, he witnessed Zhao Renfu murder his mother with his own hands and learned of her true identity. After coming of age, he inherited his mother’s identity, made contact with her superiors, and secretly became an undercover agent for the police. He had always wanted to be the one to send Zhao Renfu to prison. His inherited codename is “Sunflower.”]

[5 seconds until the instance ends.] 

Yan Jiyun wanted to say something to them. But he wasn’t in human form anymore. In his panic, he stretched his two front paws out from Lin Xie’s arms.

Understanding, Lin Xie and Jiang Yan each took one paw and gently squeezed.

Then Jiang Yan suddenly thought of something, “Wait, where’s that young man just now?”

Lin Xie glanced downward: “We only heard Blake’s meow. He must’ve been pushed off by Zhao Renfu.”

Yan Jiyun froze, not daring to move. Hopefully, they hadn’t realized.

Now, there is 3 seconds until the end of the instance—

2—

1—

[“Midnight Diner” (Challenging Mode) ends.]

[“Want to Be Human” livestream ends.] 

“Kitty-cat, you nearly scared me to death! Don’t frighten us at the crucial moments of the instance! Your fans’ hearts can’t take it!”

“I really thought the streamer was done for! Good thing you changed into a cat at the last second. Those little paws held out a bit, and we even got to hear that soft meow. I want to see cat ears in human form!”

“I’m slowly getting used to the idea that the streamer can switch between cat and human. I love it. So exciting!”

“Newcomer reporting in. I heard there’s a cat streamer who can turn into a person? Damn, I’m late, the stream just ended!”

“Am I the only one paying attention to the story? That last shot at Zhao Renfu, it was Jiang Yan, wasn’t it? I’ve never seen him kill Zhao Renfu with his own hand before. I didn’t expect this twist. Did Meowmeow unlock a new ending?!”

“Lin Xie survived, Jiang Yan ended Zhao Renfu. This round was the undercovers’ victory. Poor kitty, that was brutal.”

“I just want to know, does the streamer want to be human more, or a cat? I’m lonely. When’s the next livestream?”

The long-missed dizziness swept over him. When Yan Jiyun opened his eyes again, he was back in the temporary rest area of the instance, greeted by the sound of virtual waves.

Before him, a giant screen rolled the settlement information for “Midnight Diner.”

[Instance Survival Number: 7/10]

[Instance Points Scoreboard]

1st Place: Yan Jiyun

2nd Place: Zhou Ying

3rd Place: Wen Nanxing

……

[Player Yan Jiyun’s Personal Points and Rewards]

Points rewards:

Main storyline completion reward: 15,000 points

Side mission completion reward: 4,700 points

Unlocking a new instance ending reward: 30,000 points

[Livestream Rewards]

Fate Coin tips settlement: 101,000, convertible into 101,000 points.

Yan Jiyun compared the instance settlement and the livestream rewards. Both were far higher than in the first instance, especially the livestream. It seemed that if he wanted to earn points, streaming was the way to go. No wonder Wen Nanxing had been glued to his audience when he first entered the instance.

Still, what drew his attention most was the new instance ending. He remembered that the last time he had unlocked a new ending, he had been able to watch it.

The system (in a young man’s voice) appeared at the right moment. “Congratulations, player, for unlocking the new ending ‘Righteousness Over Blood¹a less concise tl would be “killing own relatives for the sake of righteousness/justice”’ of the ‘Midnight Diner (Challenging Mode)’ instance. You have one opportunity to view the new ending. Do you wish to watch it?”

Yan Jiyun had only just exited the game and was still recovering, but he definitely wanted to see the ending.

His paws still seemed to carry the warmth from Lin Xie and Jiang Yan’s hands, but now they had reverted to being mere game characters. It was rather disorienting. After all, they had felt like living, breathing people.

Yan Jiyun reminded himself: ‘This is a game, a reality-bound game where people die.’

He asked the youth, “Why was it only after Zhao Renfu’s death that the instance was cleared?”

The youth: “Because you triggered the final mission along Jiang Yan’s storyline. Only by his hand ending Zhao Renfu’s life could the instance be cleared.”

Yan Jiyun: “What if he hadn’t fired that last shot?”

The youth: “Then you would not have been able to clear the instance.”

Yan Jiyun: “And how was the new ending triggered?”

The youth: “You unlocked Jiang Yan’s storyline, Lin Xie survived, and ultimately Jiang Yan personally ended the villain’s life. Meeting all three conditions triggered the new ending. Moreover, this ending is the only Happy Ending in the ‘Midnight Diner’ instance.”

Yan Jiyun: “So even if I had Jiang Yan’s storyline, but Lin Xie had killed Zhao Renfu instead, it wouldn’t work?”

The youth: “Correct.”

Yan Jiyun understood now. He had first triggered the final mission from Jiang Yan, then saved Lin Xie on the rooftop, and later, with both Lin Xie and Jiang Yan saving him, Zhao Renfu had died at Jiang Yan’s gun. That was how he unlocked the new ending.

He chose to view it. What would this ending be like?

The beach before his eyes vanished, replaced by a massive cinema screen.

“Righteousness Over Blood” unfolded differently from the first instance’s conclusion.

The opening showed Lin Xie and Jiang Yan as children.

When Jiang Yan was eight, Zhao Renfu successively adopted the half-caucasian Kevin Yang and Lin Xie. Kevin Yang was thirteen, Lin Xie was ten.

Lin Xie was a well-behaved, bookish child who disliked playing outside and feared the sun. Jiang Yan, however, was a mischievous monkey. He loved climbing trees for bird nests, diving into rivers to catch fish, always busy with something. Their country life was simple and happy.

At age twelve, Jiang Yan went into Zhao Renfu’s study to look for a toy. That day became one he would never forget: he saw with his own eyes his beloved mother murdered by Zhao Renfu. Fear and panic consumed him. Never had he imagined that the seemingly kindly father was a ruthless killer.

Lost and broken, he sought out Kevin Yang, but Kevin Yang was too busy video-calling his new girlfriend to pay attention. It was Lin Xie who brought him back to his room and stayed with him the whole time.

That night, Jiang Yan fell into a high fever. Lin Xie cared for the usually mischievous little brother all night. In his quiet moments, Jiang Yan seemed surprisingly gentle.

Fevered and delirious, Jiang Yan rambled a great deal. Lin Xie heard it all, his hand held tightly the whole night.

But Jiang Yan never told anyone what had happened that day. He acted as if he had forgotten, and Lin Xie also pretended nothing had occurred, yet he remembered it all.

At eighteen, Jiang Yan failed his entrance exam²specifically gaokao, China’s national university entrance exam and did not make it into university, staying by Zhao Renfu’s side. Lin Xie, on the other hand, was already in his second year at a university elsewhere.

Two years later, Lin Xie returned after graduation to help Zhao Renfu manage the so-called family restaurant business.

Among the three brothers, Kevin Yang had been with Zhao Renfu the longest. He saw more money, met more people, and began to change. Though Zhao Renfu told them repeatedly they were all adopted, Kevin Yang learned by chance that Jiang Yan was Zhao Renfu’s biological son. He began subtly driving a wedge between Jiang Yan and Lin Xie.

With Kevin Yang’s meddling, Jiang Yan and Lin Xie grew more estranged, a situation Zhao Renfu actually welcomed. If these three brothers were too close, it made him uneasy.

Eventually, the three each handled different matters, with frequent frictions in between.

Yet, in truth, Jiang Yan had joined the police force long ago, while Lin Xie had his own mission. Jiang Yan always knew Lin Xie’s true identity, but Lin Xie never knew Jiang Yan was the most deeply hidden undercover agent in his operations. Both were clever, masking their goals under circumstances and people, aiming to uncover Zhao Renfu’s deepest secrets and bring him to justice.

When Zhao Renfu judged the time ripe, he opened a restaurant, with Lin Xie placed in charge.

Zhao Renfu, who began to recognize his age, was ready to pass down authority, secretly letting his biological son take the reins, aided by Kevin Yang and Lin Xie.

But upon learning Jiang Yan was the biological son, Kevin Yang decided to go solo, stealing a fake formula to sell to rivals.

Lin Xie, however, never wavered. His only goal was to fulfill his father’s dying wish, avenge him, and see Zhao Renfu imprisoned.

It was also Jiang Yan’s goal. As the one supporting Lin Xie from the shadows, Jiang Yan backed every one of his reports, silently paving the way and protecting him, just as Lin Xie had protected him the night his mother died.

Their trials and conflicts skipped by quickly. The screen came to the moment of Lin Xie and Jiang Yan shaking hands, except Lin Xie wasn’t holding a black cat. After letting go, he glanced once at his injured left arm.

The shot faded, and his left arm disappeared. The scene shifted to the two reporting to their superiors at the police station.

Both wore crisp police uniforms, looking sharp and commanding. Lin Xie and Jiang Yan were awarded first-class medals of merit.

Afterward, they both left the force, becoming ordinary people. Together, they opened a restaurant.

Its logo was a giant black cat paw print. From then on, they lived together with their civilian identity. It was a rather ordinary, yet idyllic life. 

T/L:

Who’s going to join me in delusioning that Jiang Yan and Lin Xie totally got married in the end?

• 1
  a less concise tl would be “killing own relatives for the sake of righteousness/justice”
• 2
  specifically gaokao, China’s national university entrance exam