Zhe carefully settled the unconscious Nicole onto the back seat of the bike and was just about to leave.
"Please wait!"
Zhu Yuan stepped forward. Though the K22 Pacifier in her hand was not raised, her wary gaze stayed locked on Zhe.
"Who exactly are you? And that monster just now... what is your relationship to it?"
There were simply too many questions in her heart that needed answers.
Zhe paused slightly. Beneath the mask, his voice carried a steady electronic resonance.
"I am Kamen Rider ZZZ—an agent. My mission is to fight monsters like the one just now, creatures known as Nightmares."
He tilted his head slightly, glancing at Nicole, who lay sleeping peacefully on the back seat, before continuing:
"Please believe me. I stand on the side of order. But right now, I have more urgent business to attend to. I'll explain the details another time."
Zhu Yuan wanted to press further, but Qingyi raised a hand from beside her and stopped her.
"I hope your words are true," Qingyi said calmly. Her eyes were sharp, but not aggressive. "We look forward to the chance to cooperate in the future."
Zhe gave a small nod and said nothing more.
The bike engine let out a low growl and quickly carried the two of them away from the scene.
"Senior, why did you stop me?" Zhu Yuan asked Qingyi in confusion. "That person's identity is unknown, and his power is immense. We have to investigate him properly!"
"Precisely because he is powerful, and because his position remains unclear, we cannot rashly provoke conflict," Qingyi replied, her gaze still following the direction in which the bike had disappeared. "I've already recorded the appearance of the girl he was carrying. We'll run it through the Public Security Bureau database later. That may give us a lead."
Then she turned to Zhu Yuan, her tone reverting to its usual efficient sharpness.
"The priority now is to deal with the chaos in front of us, confirm whether any civilians have been injured, and assess the scale of the damage. Remember: the safety of the citizens is always our first responsibility."
"Understood."
Zhu Yuan took a deep breath, suppressed the doubts in her heart, and forced her attention back toward the devastated street before them.
Random Play
Zhe quietly returned through the back door to Random Play and released his transformation, carefully carrying Nicole on his back.
The exhaustion from battle was written all over his face, but what weighed on him even more was his worry for the girl slumped against him.
Rin, who had been guarding the television and following the unfolding crisis the whole time, heard the sound from the back door and immediately rushed over. She threw her arms tightly around her brother, her voice thick with tears.
"Welcome back!"
"I'm back."
Zhe freed one hand and gently patted his sister on the back. His voice was soft, though his fatigue could not be hidden.
Together, the two of them carried the still-unconscious Nicole upstairs and laid her on the bed in Zhe's room.
Even though the Nightmare had already been defeated, Nicole still showed no sign of waking.
What hurt even more was that traces of tears still clung to her cheeks. Her delicate brows were faintly drawn together. Even in unconsciousness, her face still held a sadness that would not melt away.
"Why hasn't Nicole woken up yet?" Rin asked in a low, worried voice, her fingers gently brushing the damp corner of Nicole's eye.
At that moment, Zero's calm voice came from the communicator at Zhe's waist:
[Zhe, you can attempt to establish a deep dream connection with Miss Nicole. She may still be blocked from fully returning to consciousness because of unresolved attachments in her heart.]
Zhe looked at the unconscious Nicole on the bed, then glanced at Rin beside him.
If he had to connect to Nicole's deep dreamscape... that meant he would have to sleep beside her.
His face showed immediate discomfort.
"This... doesn't really seem appropriate, does it?"
Rin let out a sigh, her gaze moving between her brother and Nicole.
"Special circumstances call for special measures. If it's for Nicole's sake... go ahead, big brother."
Zhe nodded.
He lay down gently beside Nicole.
The faint scent of gardenia on her body drifted into his nose, mixing with the familiar smell of his own room, and for one brief moment, he lost focus.
He closed his eyes, deliberately slowed his breathing, and soon sank into sleep.
When he arrived once more in the Golden Palace, the dream-space built from obsession was already collapsing.
The gorgeous decorations were dissolving like sandcastles in the wind.
The children brought in by the Nightmare were also turning one by one into warm specks of light—as the Nightmare had been defeated, the force binding them had vanished, and they were now on the verge of returning to reality.
At the center of the crumbling palace, Zhe found Nicole.
She was clutching the last little girl—Xiao Luo—in a desperate embrace, crying uncontrollably.
"Don't go... I'm begging you, please stay with me just a little longer..."
Her voice was shattered, filled with despair and pleading, every word sounding as though it had been torn straight out of her heart.
"This isn't goodbye, Big Sister Nicole," Xiao Luo said softly, patting Nicole on the back. Her voice was gentle, but firm. "We'll definitely meet again in the real world."
"But in the real world... I'll still be all alone." Nicole's tears soaked Xiao Luo's shoulder. "An empty room, silent nights... I'm really scared of that loneliness..."
"Big Sister Nicole, you're not alone."
Xiao Luo smiled, her eyes looking past Nicole's shoulder.
"Look. There's someone who's actually been watching you all along, waiting for you to turn around."
As soon as the words fell, Xiao Luo dissolved into light and vanished from the dream.
Nicole turned around.
And there, beside a shattered golden pillar, she saw Zhe standing quietly.
She hurriedly lowered her head, her sob-choked voice almost inaudible.
"Zhe..."
"I came to bring you home, Nicole."
Zhe stepped forward, his voice so gentle it seemed like he was protecting a fragile dream.
"Let's go back."
"Back? Back where?"
Her voice was full of bitterness.
"To that rented room with nothing but four walls? Or to that place where nobody is waiting for me anymore? There's nowhere worth going back to for me... I'd rather just stay in the dream forever..."
"Don't say stupid things!"
Zhe's suddenly raised voice made Nicole jerk her head up in surprise.
Only then did she notice that there were tear tracks on his face too.
"You're always like this..." Zhe's voice trembled from the force of his emotions. "Always acting strong. Always hiding your wounds behind a smile... Do you have any idea how much it hurts me every time I see you force yourself to smile like that?"
"You... worry about me...?"
"I saw your memories... I saw you standing alone in the rain in front of the orphanage, I saw you clutching the headmistress's letter and crying in the dead of night, I saw you taking one dangerous job after another just to survive..."
His voice caught.
"Every tear you shed, every smile you forced onto your face—I saw them all. And every time, it hurt me here."
"So what?" Nicole asked, tears spilling again. "If you know everything about me now, then why did you still try to stop me...?"
"Because I can't stand by and watch you bear all of this by yourself any longer!"
Zhe almost shouted the words.
"I want to be someone you can lean on. I want to give you my shoulder when you cry. I want to stay by your side when you're lonely!"
"Idiot... you don't understand at all..."
Nicole's tears broke loose once more.
"You have no idea how scared I am... scared of getting close to you, and scared of losing you too..."
"Yeah. We're both idiots."
Zhe gave a bitter smile and reached out to gently wipe the tears from her face.
"I realized how you felt a long time ago, but I was too cowardly to do anything about it. But it's different now—"
He drew in a deep breath, as though gathering every ounce of courage he had ever had in his life.
"From now on, I'll protect your smile. I'll wipe away your tears. If you lose your way, I'll be your lighthouse. If you feel cold, I'll be your harbor. And if what you need... is family—"
His voice was firm, but tender.
"Then let me become your family. From now on, I'll stay by your side."
"Wait..."
Nicole's voice shook.
"Do you even understand what you're saying? A promise like that..."
But Zhe did not answer.
Instead, he stepped forward and wrapped her tightly in his arms.
At first Nicole's body went rigid.
Then all at once, she softened completely, as though she had finally found a harbor where she could safely come to rest.
"Nicole, listen to me."
He whispered into her ear, every word burning with sincerity.
"You're not alone anymore. From now on, no matter what happens, no matter what kind of trouble comes your way, if you reach out your hand to me, then I will absolutely take it. I promise."
Those words were like warm sunlight, melting the final wall of ice in Nicole's heart.
She burst into tears and threw her arms around him just as tightly, as though she wanted to fuse him into herself.
"You're too late... you idiot... you made me wait so long..."
"I'm sorry..."
Zhe gently stroked her back and simply held the crying girl in silence.
The dream collapsed faster and faster, golden shards raining down like a storm.
But Nicole no longer needed this false paradise anymore.
Just as Headmistress Demara had wished, she had finally found someone she could truly trust—a family member willing to accept all of her.
When their consciousness returned to reality, the two of them woke at the same time on Zhe's bed.
The first thing they saw was Rin, keeping watch beside them.
"Thank goodness! Big brother, Nicole—you're awake!"
Zhe and Nicole both sat up at the same time.
Only then did they realize just how close they were.
Nicole still had tear marks on her face, and her loose hair clung messily to her cheeks. In the morning light filtering through the curtains, she was so beautiful that Zhe's heart skipped a beat.
Steadying himself, he reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair back beside her face. His fingertips brushed her still-warm cheek by accident.
"Welcome back, Nicole."
His voice was gentle enough to melt ice.
Remembering everything that had happened in the dream, and looking now at Zhe's warm, slightly foolish smile, all of the loneliness in Nicole's heart finally disappeared, replaced by an overflowing happiness.
She made up her mind.
A faint blush rose to her cheeks.
"I'm back, Zhe."
Those words were not just a reply.
They were a promise.
"That's great!"
Rin clapped happily.
"To celebrate solving the whole incident, let's go out and have a huge meal—"
She cut off mid-sentence.
Right before their stunned eyes, Nicole suddenly leaned forward, cupped Zhe's face with both hands, and pressed her lips against his.
The kiss was clumsy—
but utterly firm.
Zhe, almost on instinct, responded.
Time seemed to crawl.
Only when both of them were left breathless did they finally pull apart.
"Nicole... why?"
Zhe stared blankly at the blushing girl before him. His brain had completely stopped working, and it felt as though his heart was going to punch straight out of his chest.
Nicole blinked mischievously, the corners of her lips curving into a sly but sweet smile.
"That's your reward, idiot."
Her tone was light and playful, but her eyes were completely serious.
"And... that's my answer too."
The gesture sent Zhe's heart racing all over again.
"You two have seriously had enough already—!!"
At last Rin exploded.
Her whole face had turned bright red as she snatched up a pillow and started whacking both of them with it.
The room instantly dissolved into chaos.
But this time, what filled the air was no longer sadness or loneliness—
it was finally shared sincerity,
and the sign of a brand-new beginning.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 119)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter79)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter125)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 73
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 55
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 66
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 63
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 55
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 31
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 31
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 31
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