However, he still took the diary and began to read it.
With just one look, Wen Xishu's resolve wavered a little.
"Hello stranger, my name is Alain. Please allow me to take a bit of your time to introduce this place."
"Of course, maybe you already know everything. After all, anyone who arrives here must understand the Balance of Life and Death, right?"
"Let's first talk about the child who calls you dad. Her name is Nini; that's her pet name. Her real name, I don't know, because I'm not her real father. Her first father died in the apocalypse."
"The second father treated her poorly. He always abused her, so he was erased by the Balance of Life and Death."
"The third father treated Nini... just so-so, because Nini wasn't his biological child. But due to the rules, he fulfilled his responsibility as a father."
"But children can feel when their fathers don't care or are indifferent."
"Later, Nini ran away because she missed her own dad—her biological father, who died in the apocalypse."
"But because she ran away, the Balance decided that her third father wasn't competent, so... he was erased."
"The Balance of Life and Death never tilts. Erasing one person will give birth to another."
"I am Nini's fourth father. I love Nini very much because I was randomly created."
"In this city, there are many like me... people created by the Balance. We have no memories, only missions."
"I think my mission is to take care of Nini. She plays the role of the daughter, and I play the role of the father. We rely on each other to survive in this city controlled by the Balance of Life and Death."
"Nini feels guilty and has always felt guilty because her running away caused the disappearance of her third dad."
"She cried for a long, long time, saying she would never be willful again, never run away from home again. It didn't matter if Dad didn't love her, as long as she loved Dad. She didn't want to lose another dad."
"At that time, my heart ached for this child. After all, she was just a child. She didn't know the rules of this city."
"I promised her that I would take great care of her and that I wouldn't be replaced by the Balance. No matter where I went, I would take her with me."
"But I'm also afraid that one day, some unknown reason might replace me."
"In this city, you aren't only replaced for not playing your role well; sometimes outsiders come... when the living increase, the dead appear."
"The Balance never tilts..."
"I'm afraid someone will suddenly appear to take my place, but this rule is so cruel. Stranger... when you see these words, remember, you replaced me."
"But I also once replaced someone else, so I don't resent you. Just please... please take good care of Nini."
"She is an understanding child. In this world, where everyone has relationships but no fixed kin, please play her kin well, even if only for a moment."
"I lied to her, saying Dad wouldn't disappear, that Dad might one day just take on another form. Please don't expose my lie."
Plunk, tears fell.
They weren't Wen Xishu's tears, but Nini's tears.
The lively, adorable girl seemed finally to have let down her guard, enduring in silence outside.
"The previous dad said if I were well-behaved enough, he wouldn't leave... but he still left."
"Is it because I... wasn't well-behaved enough? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pestered Dad to take me out for treats! Dad... I don't want to lose family anymore. Can you promise not to leave?"
"I know Dad lied to me... he didn't turn into the new Dad, he just left, left."
Wen Xishu's heart ached sharply.
He suddenly understood what a terrifying city this was.
In this city, when someone comes, someone else must leave.
Your husband might, in the next second, become someone else; your daughter might, the next second, become someone else too.
But in this city, you must play your role well, must maintain the surface balance.
One could imagine, under such rules, how twisted many family relationships must be?
Under such a Balance Curse, for Nini's previous father and Nini to have such a pure relationship...
How utterly difficult it must be.
Wen Xishu had always had a steadfast resolve, but at this moment, he couldn't bear to let this child lose yet another father.
Especially since...
He knew very well that Alain's sudden disappearance was due to his arrival.
And from the experiences just now, it seemed that maybe this father and daughter were just out for a walk, and in a peaceful moment, the girl turned around to find her father gone...
The father became someone else.
But she didn't have time to grieve. In a way, Wen Xishu could even be considered the child's enemy for causing her father's death.
Yet her first thought was whether she did something wrong, whether pestering Dad to buy treats was too greedy, causing Dad to leave.
Causing Dad to be replaced by a new Dad.
Upon realizing all this, Wen Xishu naturally felt a huge sense of guilt toward Nini.
Those who have experienced the apocalypse's brutality fear no intrigue or conspiracy, but dread such pure guilt.
Wen Xishu hugged Nini:
"Nini... I'm sorry, my arrival caused your dad to disappear. I'm really, really sorry."
"It's not you, nor your dad that's at fault, but these damn rules of the world."
"Next, I will correct these rules. Will you stay quietly at home, okay?"
Wen Xishu could imagine that such tragedies must frequently play out in this city. He wanted to break these tragedies.
Though enveloped in immense guilt, he remained clear-headed, knowing that only by killing 'God' could everyone stop losing their loved ones.
"Are you a hero? Are you the hero dad spoke of?"
Nini cried again, a bullet screen floated above her head.
Wen Xishu touched the bullet screen, witnessing another heart-wrenching scene.
When the apocalypse descended, and the curse emerged, at the moment Nini's biological father was about to die, he used his last strength to say:
"Nini... don't be afraid. Daddy is leaving, but this world isn't scary at all. You must live well because in the future... a hero will come to save you."
Wen Xishu suddenly let out a silent laugh.
If there were no apocalypse, how enviable this father and daughter would be?
If there were no apocalypse, how many families would there be worth envying in this world?
"Yes, I hope to be your hero, Nini, so... I'm sorry, Nini, I'm sorry, but I promise you that after today, no one in this world will lose their family anymore."