The little boy struggled with all his might, finally squeezing his way out of the crowded mass of people.
He wore an oversized black hoodie, jeans with rolled-up cuffs, and carried a faded yellow backpack as he excitedly ran up to Tong Yang.
"Big sis! Happy birthday!!"
Tong Le threw himself into her arms, wrapping his arms around her waist, his face beaming with joy.
He bore a striking resemblance to Tong Yang—fair, delicate skin, clear bright eyes, and a faint dimple on his right cheek when he smiled.
Tong Yang reached out and ruffled his fluffy hair, laughing. "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I missed you! Wait a sec."
Tong Le let go of her and turned to pull out a bundle of wildflowers wrapped in notebook paper from his backpack. He held them out to her, eyes curved into crescents. "Big sis, you’ve worked so hard!"
"Wow, so pretty." Tong Yang feigned surprise, taking the flowers and bringing them to her nose for a sniff. "Mm, nice and fragrant."
Tong Le puffed out his chest proudly. "This is nothing! One day, I’ll buy you tons and tons of the prettiest flowers."
"Alright then, I’ll hold you to that."
Tong Le took her hand and frowned. "Big sis, why are your hands so cold? Are you sick?"
"Nope."
Tong Le immediately scowled. "Have you been eating properly while I was gone? Staying up late again? And what’s with the bruises on your neck? And your hands—your hands too! Did you get into a fight?"
He fired off questions rapid-fire, like a little chatterbox.
"No, I didn’t." Tong Yang covered her neck innocently—the scars from her struggle with the person who tried to kill her hadn’t fully faded yet.
"Last weekend, you said you were busy studying for the college entrance exam and told me not to come home. Was it really because you got hurt in a fight?" Tong Le’s expression was deadly serious.
"No, I just accidentally cut myself while cooking." Tong Yang lied without blinking.
"Really?" Tong Le eyed her skeptically.
"Cross my heart."
"If anyone ever bullies you, you have to tell me, okay?"
Seeing his earnest face, Tong Yang couldn’t help but laugh. "And what would you do if someone bullied me? Fight them back?"
Tong Le pouted. "Then wait till I grow up! When I’m older, I’ll definitely help you get revenge!"
"Sure, we’ll talk about it when you’re older."
Tong Le could tell she was brushing him off and huffed in displeasure.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Hm? Not anymore."
"You have to be more careful when you cook!" Tong Le glared. "Actually, forget it—don’t cook anymore. I’ll do it from now on!"
"You?" Tong Yang gave him a once-over. "Do you even know the difference between a potato and a potato?"
Tong Le: "..."
"Big sis! I’m young, not stupid. A potato is a potato!"
"Oh? Is that so? First time I’m hearing this."
"Big sis!"
Having teased him enough, Tong Yang decided to quit while she was ahead.
"Ah, these siblings are so amusing."
"Yeah, my two troublemakers fight all the time, always trying to one-up each other."
"I’ve seen that kid before—he was in the newspaper once. Consistently ranks first in our district. His grades are outstanding."
"No wonder he was the first one out. You don’t get that privilege without top marks."
Hearing the adults’ chatter around them, Tong Le proudly squeezed his sister’s hand. His big sis was the most amazing, most incredible person in the world!
"Big sis, are you hungry? Let me treat you to something! To celebrate your birthday and finishing your exams."
Tong Yang led him away from the crowd, frowning. "You still have money left? Have you been eating properly at school? Or are you just hoarding it?"
"I’ve been eating fine!" Tong Le shoved his chubby-cheeked face closer. "Look, I’ve gained two pounds!"
Tong Yang pinched his cheek. "Like two pounds is even noticeable."
She occasionally gave him pocket money, separate from his living expenses, but worried he’d save it all, she had one rule—he had to spend it within a certain time, or she wouldn’t give him more next time.
Tong Le pulled his hand free. "I earned this money myself. You can have anything you want."
"Oh?" Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. "You earned it?"
"Yep! The teacher inspects our dorm every day, but some of my classmates can’t fold their blankets properly, so I help them—three bucks a week for blanket-folding, one buck for fetching hot water, one buck for running errands, one buck for lending notes, fifty cents for accompanying them to the bathroom at night... I’ve saved up a lot this semester!"
"Seriously? They don’t take advantage of you?"
"I’m the class monitor. They might laugh at me, but they don’t dare bully me. And I don’t care if they laugh—my grades are better, I earn my own money, and I don’t pick on others. If they mock me, it’s just because they’re immature."
Hearing him speak so confidently, Tong Yang couldn’t help but chuckle. "Well said. They laugh because they’re immature. But don’t let it affect your studies, got it?"
"I know, big sis. I just help them out when I can. I’d be doing these things anyway."
"Then treat me to a candied hawthorn stick."
"Sure!"
They bought two sticks from a street vendor and walked home, chatting and laughing.
It seemed like just another ordinary day.
On the way back, Tong Yang stopped at a bank and deposited 6,700 yuan into her card.
"Big sis, how do you have so much money?!"
Tong Yang then stopped at a roadside stall and got a ten-yuan tempered glass screen protector for her phone.
"I earned it. But only half of it is ours."
"You’re amazing, big sis!"
When they got home, Tong Yang went into what used to be Tong Le’s bedroom—she had swapped their rooms after that night.
After showering and changing out of her grimy school uniform, Tong Yang sat at her desk and picked up her phone. The group chat in her social app was already flooded with 99+ messages.
[@StudyForMoney]
[@StudyForMoney]
[@StudyForMoney]
[@StudyForMoney]
[@StudyForMoney]
StudyForMoney: [?]
[AHHHH FINALLY YOU REPLY!!]
[HOLY CRAP!!! WHAT DID YOU DO, SIS???]
[DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WE’VE BEEN THROUGH THESE PAST TWO DAYS?!]
[I WAS TERRIFIED! LITERALLY TERRIFIED!]
[I’ve been refreshing the news nonstop—it’s insane!]
StudyForMoney: [What’s wrong?]
[YOU’RE ASKING US WHAT’S WRONG?!]
[DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES THE NEWS CHANGED IN TWO DAYS? I HAVEN’T SLEPT, JUST REFRESHING UPDATES ON THE NO. 3 HIGH SCHOOL TERROR ATTACK!]
[Yesterday morning, the news said you all died in the hallway. By noon, it was the cafeteria. By afternoon, the classroom. By night, some died in the girls’ dorm, some in the school building, some on the sports field—AND ALL OF THEM WERE SCARED TO DEATH!]
[This morning, everything seemed calm. We thought you were safe. Then, at 5:20 PM, right after exams ended—DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE NEWS SAID THEN?!]
【1209 Examination Hall Incident: Students Mysteriously Found Dead, All with Strangulation Marks—Suffocated to Death. The Only Survivor—You—Jumped to Your Death Shortly After!】
【Yet within five minutes, the news vanished completely. The Third High School Terror Incident was erased as if it never happened. No one remembers.】
【What the hell happened?】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Guess】
【Damn it! You can’t just say that every time something happens!】
【Is this your catchphrase or what?!】
Studying to Get Rich: 【I’ve confirmed the origin of the killers now.】
【?】
【What?】
【Why change the subject?】
【Where are they from?】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Just as I suspected—parallel timelines.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【From the moment we stepped into the exam hall, everyone in 1209 entered a parallel version of Third High School. The shifting news you saw reflects what we experienced in that world.】
【???】
【Holy shit???】
【Wait, hold on—】
【Shut up, I’m thinking.】
【So your theory checks out! The parallel world’s inhabitants discovered us first and found a way to cross between worlds.】
【Damn… An entire class of students slipping into a parallel world? Not even movies would dare go that far.】
【But didn’t the school notice? You all disappeared!】
Studying to Get Rich: 【They didn’t. I suspect memories were wiped—just like how others lose their original memories due to my actions in the future.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Plus, they seem intent on avoiding widespread attention in our world. Being exposed wouldn’t benefit them, so the parallel-world exam results merge back into reality.】
【This feels way bigger than us. What do we do?】
【Call the police?】
【Honestly, maybe let the government handle it.】
【Problem is, they’d probably think we’re insane.】
【Just have them talk to Tong Yang in this group—that’ll prove it!】
Studying to Get Rich: 【I advise against that.】
【Huh? Why?】
【I actually tried adding my alt account earlier, but the group didn’t exist. Searching the ID or number turned up nothing.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Remember Sun Ye? The victim who was pushed off the building?】
【Yeah, Glasses Guy.】
【What about him?】
Studying to Get Rich: 【That day on the rooftop, I showed him the victim list from the terror attack. He said the screen was blank.】
【WTF??】
【chills】
【This is getting creepier by the second.】
【No way!】
【Way worse than I thought.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Try screenshotting my messages and sending them to others.】
【On it.】
【Me too.】
【Seriously?】
"Hey sis, what’re you doing?" Tong Le peeked over her shoulder at the phone screen. "Who are you texting? There’s no one there."
"The Emperor’s messages are only visible to the wise."
"Am I not wise enough?"
"Not as wise as me."
"Heh, of course my sister’s the smartest!"
Ding—
Ding—
Messages flooded the chat.
【OMG! I sent this to my mom—she says the text bubbles are empty!】
【I’m covered in goosebumps. My friend said the same thing.】
【Unbelievable. This kind of insanity is happening to us?】
【So in 2026, only we can see Tong Yang’s messages. Even if we report it, it’s useless. OTL】
【Someone save me, my legs just gave out.】
Tong Yang sent her brother to fetch water and replied: 【Exactly. In 2024, only I can see your messages too. Our timelines overlapped in this group, connecting us across dimensions.】
【Guess we’re the chosen ones, huh.】
【Tong Yang, wanna check who topped the 2024 science exams in North Hope Province?】
Studying to Get Rich: 【No need.】
The gaokao was over. Whether she’d been the top scorer or not no longer mattered. She’d rather uncover the truth herself, savoring the process.
【Group member Studying to Get Rich transferred ¥3,350 to IWannaBeOikawa’sDog】
【???】
【Sis, you hit the jackpot?】
【She only sent you ¥50, and you’re returning this much? Should’ve asked me for money too.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Earnings from the past two days. We agreed to split 50-50—divide it yourselves.】
【????????】
【How much?! You earned this in TWO DAYS?!】
【You made ¥3,350 during the gaokao?!】
【Wait, half of ¥6,700 is ¥3,350…】
【Hold up—you earned ¥6,700 in two days?!】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Still owe ¥16,000, though.】
During the math exam, they’d accepted her terms: everyone except Chu Shiyu owed her an extra ¥500, while Wang Xinyuan owed ¥1,000.
As for Sun Ye’s separate ¥20,000, Tong Yang didn’t include it in the split—she’d handled that solo from start to finish.
【How… how much did you say you made??】
【Is our currency’s value different or something? You pulled in over ¥20k in two days?!】
【Bruh, did someone pay you to kill them?】
【This money feels cursed. I’m scared.】
【At this rate, you’ll be self-made in under two years.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【Too optimistic. Opportunities like this are rare.】
Speaking of life-and-death deals, Tong Yang recalled one more thing.
Studying to Get Rich: 【Oops, forgot earlier. Total’s actually ¥66,000. Some rich kid paid me ¥50k to save his life.】
【EXCUSE ME???】
【Holy—! You added ¥50k in a MINUTE?! How?!】
【You’re splitting all of this with us??】
【Damn, this is what riding a powerhouse’s coattails feels like. No wonder TV characters always latch onto the OP ones.】
【Nah, people do this IRL too.】
【You’re seriously giving us a cut? We didn’t do anything.】
Studying to Get Rich: 【You provided intel. Without you, things wouldn’ve been harder. Plus, we’ll keep collaborating—more intel needed later, and not every job pays.】
She left the biggest reason unspoken:
She suspected her time loops were tied to this group. If it connected her to the future, maybe it could reach the past too.
Studying to Get Rich: 【Anyway, cheers to teamwork.】
【Awooo! I hereby declare myself Tong Yang’s #2 lackey!】
【#3 here!】
【#4!】
【Now I get why people cling to the strong.】
【Sis, take me with you to the top, I beg.】
After exiting the group chat, Tong Yang noticed a message from Sun Ye in her inbox—a recommendation to join a group called "1209 Secret Incident Archive."
Tong Yang sent a request to join, and within seconds, she was approved.
[Senior Tong, you're the last one missing! We're having dinner tonight at Dongpo Hotpot near the school. Our treat—bring your little brother along.]
[Group member Wang Xinyuan transferred ¥1,000 to "Studying to Get Rich."]
[Group member Liu Dong transferred ¥500 to "Studying to Get Rich."]
[Group member Sun Ye transferred ¥524.5 to "Studying to Get Rich."]
……
[Sun Ye, why the odd change?]
[I owed more—this is all my pocket money.]
One by one, the group members transferred their shares to Tong Yang, repaying the money they had borrowed from Chu Shiyu during the exams.
Tong Yang flipped open her ledger and crossed out each name. She deducted ¥24.5 from Sun Ye’s original amount, leaving a balance of ¥19,975.
[Group member Chu Shiyu transferred ¥50,000 to "Studying to Get Rich."]
[Huh? How much did you just send?]
[@Chu Shiyu, did you accidentally add two extra zeros?]
[Rich people really are built different—throwing cash around like it’s nothing.]
[Now I get why everyone says you’ve got an entourage. I wanna be your lackey too.]
[That’s such a niche amount—I’ve never seen that much in my life.]
Studying to Get Rich: [Miss Chu, no refunds even if you added two extra zeros.]
Tong Yang teased lightly.
Chu Shiyu: […Fine.]
[Wait, seriously? You’re just giving away ¥50,000?]
[Even charity doesn’t go this hard! That’s fifty grand!]
Studying to Get Rich: [Thanks, Miss Chu.]
Tong Yang accepted the money without hesitation—it was rightfully hers anyway.
When she sent half to the members of the gossip group chat, she sighed at the staggering sum on her screen. Maybe she should’ve proposed a 70-30 split instead.
Putting her phone away, she changed clothes and headed out to the hotpot restaurant with Tong Le in tow.
They had reserved a large private room in advance, and by the time Tong Yang arrived, almost everyone was already there.
"Senior Tong, you made it! Sit over here!"
Tong Yang nodded absently in acknowledgment.
"Wow, is this your little brother? He’s so handsome! How many hearts is he gonna break when he grows up?"
Tong Le greeted everyone with effortless charm. "Hello, everyone! I’m Tong Le."
"Thank you for treating my sister and me to dinner after your exams. You must be exhausted."
"Hey, we’re Tong Yang’s ride-or-die friends—no need for thanks!"
Tong Yang shot them a deadpan look before taking a seat.
"Lele, you’re adorable! How old are you?"
"Thank you, sis! I’m nine. You’re really pretty too."
"Your family’s genes are insane. If he’s this good-looking at nine, imagine him grown up!"
"Really? But I think you’re even prettier."
"Lele, can you handle spicy food?"
"Thanks for asking, bro. My sister and I aren’t great with spice, but a little is fine."
Watching Tong Le effortlessly navigate the circle of adults, Tong Yang marveled at his social ease—far beyond her own. According to his teachers, he got along well with both staff and classmates at school. He was even earning his own money now. Even if something happened to her on May 28th, he’d probably manage just fine on his own.
The thought eased her mind.
Still, she was impressed by how well the others were holding up after their brush with death. Their resilience was remarkable.
"Sis!" After saying goodbye to the group, Tong Le walked over to her, his voice just loud enough to carry. "Sis, everyone really likes you, huh?"
Tong Yang caught the flicker of eager, hopeful gazes directed their way and stifled a laugh, ruffling his hair. "Yeah, they do."
"Tong Yang, Lele, any dietary restrictions?"
"What sauces do you like? I’ll grab them for you!"
"What drinks should we get? I’ll go!"
After dinner, they decided to hit a karaoke bar—though Tong Yang suspected it was just an excuse to grill her about today’s events.
Not wanting Tong Le to overhear, she asked Sun Ye to take him for a walk nearby to burn off the meal.
Most karaoke bars in the old district weren’t strict about rules, so they easily booked a large private room.
The soundproofing was decent, and with the surrounding noise, locking the door ensured privacy.
"Senior Tong, spill it now. What really happened?"
"Honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around it…"
Tong Yang sighed. "Knowing too much won’t do you any good. My honest advice? Treat the last two days like a dream."
"You think we’d blab? No one would believe us even if we did."
"It’s just… terrifying. Last night, I never went home or saw my parents, but they swore I acted completely normal. When I asked for details, they couldn’t remember anything specific—just that it was ‘the same as always.’"
"School and the proctors didn’t notice either. They thought we were in the exam hall the whole time. Our papers were collected like nothing happened."
"To everyone else, we just… took the exams as usual."
Tong Yang nodded. That lined up with her guesses. "At least the outcome’s good."
"But how? Why did we end up in a parallel world? Why did we die, and how did you reverse time…?"
Tong Yang scanned the room, noting the silent tension. She knew she couldn’t dodge this forever. While she didn’t want to reveal too much, staying silent wasn’t an option either.
"On May 28th, I was murdered by someone from a parallel world."
"What?!"
"Murdered? That’s impossible…"
The group stared at her, stunned by the sheer weight of her words.
"The killer looked exactly like my late birth mother. After dying, I gained the ability to loop time—but I haven’t figured out the exact triggers or limits yet."
"Chu Shiyu, remember that person at the cafeteria who looked like Teacher Yang?"
Chu Shiyu blinked. "Yeah…?"
Tong Yang continued, "The extra people during last night’s exams? They were us—parallel versions of ourselves."
"Parallel versions of us?"
"How does that even work?"
"Then the people we killed were…?"
"They exist in this world too, but don’t worry—their deaths there don’t affect this reality."
Tong Yang’s voice turned grave. "Parallel-world travelers can move between dimensions, but there must be restrictions. The bakery murders back in March were their doing too. Judging by these incidents, their goal is purely to kill."
"Why? We have no grudges against each other... Why would you do this?"
Tong Yang replied, "Why? If we had discovered the people from the parallel world first, things would likely have unfolded the same way. The unknown represents danger and unpredictability."
"Besides, the parallel world is clearly different from reality. The living conditions there are terrible, and there don’t seem to be many normal people."
Seeing the shocked expressions of the others, Tong Yang lowered her gaze and said, "That’s all I have to say. If you tell anyone, I’ll pretend I know nothing about it."
"I don’t dare say anything. It feels like it’ll just bring more trouble."
"What do we do now? Will we still get dragged into dangerous situations?"
"I don’t know. I plan to investigate similar incidents first, to figure out why they’re traveling between the two worlds. Maybe once we solve that, we can close the passage between them and return to our normal lives."
"We can help."
"Feels like we’re saving the world!"
Tong Yang shook her head. "It’s too dangerous for you. If I die, I might just enter another loop. But what about you?"
Besides, they might just become deadweight. And she didn’t want to split the money she risked her life for three ways.
"..."
"That’s true..."
"What a shame."
"But we can still help with things that aren’t dangerous!"
"Exactly!"
"Of course. If I need help, I’ll ask. Otherwise, just focus on protecting yourselves and living ordinary lives."
As for other details, Tong Yang didn’t reveal too much—like the rules of the gossip group and the time loops... or the possibility that, at any moment, someone they knew might be replaced by a person from the parallel world.
Knowing too much wouldn’t do them any good. The butterfly effect could bring unpredictable changes to the future.
When Sun Ye and Tong Le returned, they wheeled out a pre-prepared cake and celebrated her birthday again.
Later, as it grew late, they said their goodbyes and headed home, carrying the memories of this strange and perilous experience.
Tong Yang held Tong Le’s hand as they walked down the bustling street. Perhaps because she had accomplished the most important task of her life so far, she felt an overwhelming sense of clarity.
"Jie, I want to give you a birthday present," Tong Le said mysteriously.
"What is it?" Tong Yang asked curiously.
"Ta-da! A bracelet! Do you like it?"
Tong Le held up a silver-white bracelet adorned with tiny bells that jingled softly as it swayed.
"I love it. Put it on for me."
"Then give me your hand."
Tong Le carefully fastened the bracelet around her wrist and said, "Sun Ye gege and I picked it out together."
"Really? It’s beautiful."
"Jie’s hands are pretty, so anything would look good on them."
Tong Le took her hand again, looked up, and said,
"Jie, when we were shopping earlier, I saw someone whose back looked just like yours. I almost mistook them for you."
Tong Yang froze, her expression stiffening.
