Die Now Episode 20 (Ending) Recap
> Die Now Recap
Six successfully obtained the ring this time, and the loop continued, but now every version of him could acquire it. Xia Chi placed the ring on his own finger, at which point the GM's voice announced his completion of the "Hand-in-Hand Ring" optional task.
This item, the GM explained, would accompany Xia Chi throughout his game, with the following rules for its use: it could instantly teleport him to another player, was effective in both the "Win World" and games, could only be used once per week, and required him to clench his fist and shout "Gasaga Player Name" at the ring, upon which the game would immediately exit, with the instruction not to move.
After exiting the game, Xia Chi found himself by a lake, where Qing Zhi from the "Win World" confronted him, questioning if everything they had experienced together was fake. Xia Chi responded that while those memories were beautiful, they were not what he truly desired. Qing Zhi then asked if he had considered that if the real Qing Zhi returned, she herself would disappear, be overwritten, or if this was their last meeting.
She expressed her deep unwillingness to accept this, having fantasized countless times about how wonderful it would be if she were the real Qing Zhi, so she could truly love him with her own heart. Xia Chi's gaze shifted, and he turned his body away. Qing Zhi offered him a small bear, pleading for it to accompany him in her place, hoping it would remind him of her for a moment whenever he saw it.
Xia Chi reached for the bear, but halfway, ultimately did not take it, offering several apologies. Xia Chi then entered Ji Lu's game, wearing the Hand-in-Hand Ring, and finally encountered the real Qing Zhi. Crying, Qing Zhi embraced Xia Chi and explained that she had suddenly arrived in this space, where a voice informed her it was a game called "The Last Puzzle."
A wall would periodically move to crush her to death, then retreat to its original position after a while, at which point she would revive. This cycle had repeated many times, and she only remembered being crushed and revived repeatedly. Xia Chi, listening to her, focused instead on their recent embrace, their first hug. Qing Zhi, annoyed, questioned why he was saying such things at such a crucial moment. Just then, the wall began to press in again.
Xia Chi pulled Qing Zhi, and they ran forward, only to find another wall in front of them. Xia Chi tightly shielded Qing Zhi as the wall mercilessly crushed them. After reviving, Xia Chi recalled the terrifying sensation, even remembering his entire life and a profound sense of despair. He wondered how Qing Zhi had endured being trapped there for two months. Qing Zhi awoke at this point, and Xia Chi began searching for a way to break the game.
They tried pushing the wall together, but it wouldn't budge, so they sat on the ground. In his frustration, Xia Chi hypothesized that if the space was imagined as a box with a movable partition in the middle, perhaps the external structure could be pushed. Xia Chi began pushing the external structure, and indeed, it moved. After pushing one side of the external structure to a certain position, the internal wall shifted with a click to a different angle.
A long time had passed since the last crushing, and the internal wall was now stuck, unable to move. Yet, even stuck, the game was not over; they wondered what clues they had missed. They then tried pushing in the opposite direction, finding it surprisingly easier. Suddenly, Xia Chi found himself trapped in a narrow passage, alone. He loudly called for Qing Zhi to push the wall back, but heard no reply.
The wall began to shift again with a click, and at its end, a door appeared. Xia Chi walked out and saw Qing Zhi. Qing Zhi explained that she had pushed the wall back because she hadn't heard any movement from Xia Chi for a long time. Xia Chi asked if she had heard him calling her earlier when he was inside.
Qing Zhi's eyes darted away, and she said no. Xia Chi looked at her intently and declared, "You are not Qing Zhi!" Under Xia Chi's unwavering gaze, Qing Zhi recoiled slightly, then finally admitted it, asking how he knew. Xia Chi explained his suspicion had arisen from the moment he entered: for a player trapped for over two months, her mental state was too good, and in two months, had she never tried pushing the side walls?
More importantly, when he had called her from inside, she claimed not to hear him, yet he could perfectly hear outside sounds from within. But then she had opened the door for him. He concluded there was only one answer: she had heard him but was debating whether to open the door. Qing Zhi confirmed this was true. Xia Chi was furious.
As they stood on opposite sides of the wall, Qing Zhi explained she wasn't hesitating; she simply wanted to spend a little more time with him, to make time slow down, even more. Even with a wall between them, they were still together, and she could spend just a little more time with him. She loved him too much.
Xia Chi recalled their time together, realizing that this stage required someone to help him push through, and Qing Zhi had followed him here to help him. Her love for him was her destiny. Qing Zhi told Xia Chi that his devotion, even to someone who wasn't her, was what touched her most. She wished him happiness. The "Mind Game" door opened, and Xia Chi entered the game, arriving in a four-walled space.
He then entered a narrow corridor, where he pounded on the walls and shouted for Qing Zhi. A disheveled and weary Qing Zhi, trapped inside, asked who it was. Xia Chi, with red eyes, identified himself, "It's me! Xia Chi!" Qing Zhi couldn't believe it was really him, thinking she was hallucinating, her eyes welling up. Xia Chi instructed her to push the wall to the other side.
Qing Zhi complied, and Xia Chi emerged from the door, rushing forward to embrace her tightly. Qing Zhi told him how much she had missed him. Xia Chi brought Qing Zhi back to the real world and took her to the hospital. In her hospital room, Qing Zhi wept, thanking Xia Chi for saving her yet again. She felt guilty thinking about how long he had fought alone.
Xia Chi pulled out the "Wishing Coin," telling her that Qing Zhi had actually been by his side all along, fighting with him. Qing Zhi affirmed that she would always support him and stay with him until the very end. At that moment, Chun Xuxiang arrived at the hospital room to deliver flowers to Qing Zhi. Qing Zhi asked Chun Xuxiang to tell Meng Qin not to act rashly, stating that one person challenging the Mind Game was enough.
Bodyguard Seventeen, hearing movement in the room, opened the door. When he returned, Qing Zhi was gone, leaving only the flowers on the bed. Meanwhile, Jia Li's team of experts located the Mind Game hall! Hidden high in the Arctic region was a flying device, according to scanning parameters, and on the screens, Xiao Dong's brain was connected by two lines within the game hall. Xiao Dong's eyes then opened, and all the expert team's screens instantly went black!
Meng Qin, realizing the danger of challenging the Mind Game, rushed out! He arrived at the hospital room, where a weary Qing Zhi smiled at him, then shook her head. Meng Qin clenched his fist. Xia Chi arrived at the game hall, and as player Xia Chi, he entered the challenge. From above the Arctic, inside the flying device, within the game hall, Xia Chi lay on a platform, his eyes closed, with two lines connected to his brainwaves.
