The familiar number flashed on the screen, and Tong Yang immediately recognized it as a call from Peking University’s admissions office. Having already decided to attend Peking University in the capital, she answered without hesitation.
"Hello, is this Tong Yang? Congratulations on ranking in the top 50 of the province!"
"Yes, that’s me."
"Apologies for the intrusion—are you feeling alright? I hope I’m not disturbing you."
"Thank you for your concern, I’m fine."
"Good, good."
Tong Yang paused before asking, "Was there something you needed?"
Of course, she knew exactly why the admissions officer was calling. Though she had already made up her mind to attend Peking University, she couldn’t let it show too obviously.
The officer chuckled. "We just wanted to check—have you decided which university you’ll be applying to?"
After a moment of thought, Tong Yang replied, "Not yet, but I’ve narrowed it down to universities in the capital. I still need to think it over."
"Student, has Tsinghua contacted you already?"
"Yes. Their offer sounds quite good, to be honest. If my scores hold up, I’ll likely choose between your university and Tsinghua. It’s just..."
The officer’s voice suddenly sharpened. "You really need to think carefully! We can offer you a direct path to a Ph.D.—Tsinghua might not guarantee that. Plus, if you enroll with us, we’ll give you a 500,000-yuan scholarship right away!"
"But Tsinghua—"
"Student, personally, I don’t think Tsinghua suits you. I’ve already inquired about your background—you’re a resilient student, raising your younger brother alone. That’s exactly the kind of determination Peking University values. You’ll thrive here. Didn’t you say you were unsure about your major? We’ll arrange one-on-one consultations with professors, and you can choose freely before the semester starts..."
"But Tsinghua—"
"You’re still young—don’t be swayed by their flashy promises! Things might not turn out as they say. You know last year’s national liberal arts top scorer? She’s dating one of our students now and regrets choosing Tsinghua. She wishes she’d come to Peking University instead!"
Suppressing a laugh, Tong Yang sighed. "But Tsinghua—"
"Student, are you free tonight? I’ll book a flight right now—let’s talk in person! Tsinghua’s admissions haven’t even started yet; it might be a scam. How about we meet at that restaurant from last time at 7 PM?"
"Teacher, thank you," Tong Yang said sincerely. "If everything aligns, I’ll likely choose Peking University."
"That’s wonderful! I’ll bring the contract tonight—we can sign it immediately!"
"I’m sorry, Teacher, but I still have some personal matters to handle. I’ve been quite busy lately..."
"Is it about your neighborhood’s demolition?"
"...You know about that?"
"Of course! Are you worried about your brother?"
"...Yes. I don’t know what will happen to him."
"No problem! We’ve already arranged everything. If you enroll with us, your brother can attend Peking University’s affiliated elementary school—tuition-free! If housing is an issue, the school can help with that too. You won’t need to worry about expenses!"
"Really?"
"Absolutely!"
Tong Yang was speechless. It wasn’t surprising they’d investigated her family, but offering Tong Le a spot at Peking University’s affiliated elementary school? The offer was almost too good to believe.
"Teacher, be honest with me—am I the provincial science top scorer?"
"What?!" The officer feigned surprise. "Student, we wouldn’t know! Only you can see your scores, right?"
Tong Yang scoffed. "Sorry, Tsinghua’s calling. I’ll have to hang up—"
"Don’t!" the officer blurted, then muttered, "Well... at least top three in the province."
Tong Yang didn’t call him out. Instead, she narrowed her eyes. "My brother can really attend Peking University’s affiliated elementary school?"
"Of course, but there’s one condition."
"What is it?"
"Once he’s enrolled, he’ll be on a track to Peking University. The school has noticed his exceptional talent in math and wants to nurture him early—straight into an accelerated Ph.D. program. It’ll be rigorous, but in short, he’ll be groomed as a national talent. All his expenses will be covered by the state."
Tong Yang fell silent. "You’ve already approached Tong Le privately?"
The officer admitted, "We did, when we first offered you the guaranteed admission."
Groomed as a national talent? It didn’t sound like a bad path.
Tong Yang said, "I can’t decide this alone. I’ll discuss it with Tong Le this weekend and get back to you."
"Great! I’ll be waiting for your call!"
"Understood. Thank you."
After hanging up, Tong Yang leaned against the bed, lost in thought.
If Peking University had already reached out to Tong Le, then even in the original timeline—where she had died in a home invasion on May 28—her brother would have likely still entered the affiliated elementary school, groomed as a national talent.
In hindsight, that didn’t seem so bad.
Two years later, he’d probably still be there.
On Friday, Tong Yang arrived at the elementary school gate as usual to pick up Tong Le for the weekend.
"Sis!"
This time, he didn’t keep her waiting. Tong Le came running out, backpack bouncing, huffing and puffing.
Yang Lin trailed behind him, already sweating profusely from the short sprint.
"Wipe your sweat." Tong Yang handed them tissues.
"Thanks, Sis." Yang Lin smiled shyly.
"Hey, am I invisible here?" Chu Shiyu walked up and pinched Yang Lin’s cheek without hesitation.
"Shiyu-jie, stop pinching me," Yang Lin pouted.
"Hi, Shiyu-jie!" Tong Le beamed at her.
Chu Shiyu reached to pinch his cheek too, but Tong Yang smacked her hand away.
"Stingy." Chu Shiyu rolled her eyes. "It’s getting hotter. Let’s grab a seat somewhere?"
Tong Yang considered it—she did have something to discuss with them. "Fine. Your treat."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
"Fine, I’ll pay. You’re so broke."
"Reverse card."
Tong Le and Yang Lin giggled behind their hands as they followed the two girls.
"Shiyu!"
Outside a milk tea shop, they ran into three or four girls—Chu Shiyu’s usual entourage.
"What are you all doing here?" Chu Shiyu asked, surprised.
"We’re hanging out! Shiyu, what’s going on? You’ve been turning down all our invites lately. We heard you got hurt helping someone—we were so worried!"
"Thanks, but I’m fine now."
The girls glanced past her at Tong Yang and the two boys. When their eyes landed on Yang Lin, their faces twisted with unmistakable disdain.
Yang Lin lowered her eyes and obediently held Tong Yang's hand, clearly already accustomed to such situations.
"Why are you with her?" the girl asked in a hushed voice.
Chu Shiyu replied, "What's the problem?"
"You didn’t like her before, did you?"
Chu Shiyu glanced back at her guiltily and said, "It's not that I didn’t like her, I just thought she was a bit odd. And we were wrong before."
"Whose kid is that with her? She looks so… Ow!"
Before the girl could finish, a backpack suddenly smacked her in the face.
Chu Shiyu, standing nearby, instinctively caught the backpack.
"Sorry, my hand slipped."
Tong Yang shrugged. "Chu Shiyu, we’ll go in first and wait for you."
With that, she led the two kids into the milk tea shop.
Chu Shiyu held the backpack, her expression darkening. "That’s my cousin."
The girl froze. "Shiyu, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that…"
Chu Shiyu pressed her lips together and walked into the shop without another word.
After ordering, the group settled into a private room, but Chu Shiyu’s mood remained sour.
Tong Le and Yang Lin huddled together, whispering and bursting into laughter over something. Seeing that Yang Lin’s spirits hadn’t been dampened, Chu Shiyu’s expression softened slightly.
"Chu Shiyu, I’m planning to apply to Peking University," Tong Yang suddenly announced.
Chu Shiyu looked surprised. "You’ve made up your mind?"
"Yeah."
"What about Lele?"
Tong Le, who had been chatting with Yang Lin, immediately tensed up and turned to them.
Tong Yang explained, "Auntie mentioned that Linlin will be transferring to Peking University Elementary next semester. She suggested I bring Lele along to live with them—Uncle and Auntie will help take care of him."
Chu Shiyu nodded. "I’ve heard Aunt and Uncle talk about it. They adore Lele and want to repay you. They even asked Linlin for her opinion. But what about you? How do you feel?"
Tong Le scooted closer to his sister and anxiously clutched her sleeve.
"The admissions office at Peking University reached out to me. They know my family situation and promised Lele a spot at their affiliated elementary school. I’m still considering it."
Hearing this, Tong Le’s eyes lit up. "Sis, I can go with you?"
"But there’s a condition."
"What condition?"
Tong Yang looked at him. "They’re not just choosing you because of me. I suspect it’s mainly because of your talent in math. They want you on a fast-track program—undergrad to Ph.D.—which means more work than most students. You won’t have much freedom in choosing your career path later."
Tong Le hurriedly said, "Sis, it’s fine! I love math! And you’ve taught me some physics too. I can handle it! I don’t mind working hard if it means you’ll have an easier time. I want to go!"
Chu Shiyu interjected, "He’s willing. What’s your decision?"
Tong Yang studied him with a conflicted expression. "Tong Le, are you really sure?"
"Sis, I really am!"
"Absolutely?"
"Absolutely!"
After a brief silence, Tong Yang nodded. "Alright. I’ll accept their terms."
Chu Shiyu asked, "What about you? Do you want to go to Peking University?"
Tong Yang shrugged. "They’re offering me a 500,000-yuan scholarship. Of course I do."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
"Classic you."
Yang Lin glanced around excitedly. "Lele gets to go to the same school as me? That’s awesome!"
Tong Yang leaned back lazily on the sofa. "Yep."
Tong Le finally relaxed. "I get to stay with Sis!"
"Not right away. I’ll have to go ahead first."
"Why?" Tong Le pouted, confused.
"Don’t worry about it. Once summer break starts, you and Linlin can come over."
Tong Le slumped dejectedly. "Why can’t you wait for me?"
"I’ve got things to take care of."
Tong Yang grabbed her phone and stepped outside to call the Peking University admissions officer, confirming her intent to enroll. They invited her to visit the campus in the capital and sign the contract.
After some thought, she accepted and arranged to fly there the following week—the school even booked her ticket.
When she hung up, Chu Shiyu emerged from the room.
"You’re going early because of the parallel world thing?"
Tong Yang nodded. "Yeah. We’ll move out of Dongyang Apartments in a couple of days. I’ll give Auntie Yang some money to look after Lele for a while."
"I’ll go with you. I need to visit my grandma anyway. Where are you staying?"
"The school said I can stay in the dorms."
"Fine. We’ll figure it out later."
Tong Yang gave her a strange look. "Why would I contact you?"
Chu Shiyu stiffened, then glared. "Didn’t I say I’d help you investigate the parallel world?"
"Oh." Tong Yang shrugged. "Whatever."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
Tong Yang’s indifferent attitude made her grit her teeth. After everything they’d been through, she thought they were friends who’d faced hardships together!
Tong Yang took a few steps back and noticed Chu Shiyu wasn’t following. She turned to find her fuming.
"What?" Tong Yang asked, puzzled.
"You don’t have many friends, do you?" Chu Shiyu snapped.
Tong Yang nodded. "Nope."
"No wonder." Chu Shiyu scoffed and brushed past her into the room.
"Bizarre," Tong Yang muttered, watching her go.
Tomorrow was the 29th—the day their blocked exam results would be released at midnight.
At 5 p.m., Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu got a call from their school, asking them to return and check their scores together. The staff offered to drive them home afterward, and after some thought, they agreed.
Tong Le and Yang Lin wanted to tag along, but it was too late. Auntie Yang ended up picking them up and insisted Tong Yang stay at Chu Shiyu’s place after checking her results instead of going home.
Tong Yang had no objections.
That evening, Auntie Yang treated everyone to dinner, where they met Chu Shiyu’s parents.
Tong Yang, unused to dining with so many adults, stayed quiet the whole time. Tong Le, however, charmed the group effortlessly, nearly getting himself adopted on the spot.
After dinner, Chu Shiyu dragged her and their classmates from Exam 1209 to an arcade. Tong Yang, inexperienced at first, got crushed—but once she got the hang of it, the tables turned dramatically.
They hit up a barbecue joint afterward, where peer pressure got them to down a few beers.
By 9 p.m., the group dispersed, and a driver took Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu to their high school.
The principal, faculty, and all their teachers were anxiously waiting in the office—more nervous about their scores than the girls themselves.
At 11:50, they sat in front of two computers, logged into the score portal, and waited for midnight to hit refresh.
"Almost there!"
"Got any beer? I need a drink."
"I’m so nervous!"
"Hey, calm down! Don’t stress the kids out."
"One minute left!"
Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu exchanged glances. Before checking their exam results, they had been somewhat nervous, but because their teacher seemed even more anxious than they were, they ended up calming down instead.
As the clock ticked closer to midnight, the noisy office fell into complete silence—so quiet that even the sound of breathing seemed to vanish.
"Three, two, one..."
Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu simultaneously refreshed the page. A blue progress bar crawled slowly at the top of the screen, paused midway, then suddenly surged to the end as the blank page gradually filled with their results.
Everyone held their breath, scanning the screen from top to bottom.
"Ah!!!"
"Provincial rank—TENTH!!!"
The teacher standing behind Chu Shiyu shrieked in excitement.
Chu Shiyu stared blankly at the screen, unable to process what she was seeing for a long moment.
Provincial tenth place… 709 points…
She had never scored this high before!
After the initial burst of celebration, everyone immediately turned their attention to Tong Yang, who stood at the center of the crowd.
"What’s Tong Yang’s score? Did she make the top three?"
Chu Shiyu also stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see the screen.
Tong Yang stared expressionlessly at the results, but when she heard a collective gasp behind her, she swiftly covered her ears.
"AH!!!"
"HOLY SHT!!!!!!"
"FIRST PLACE!!!"
"Provincial rank—NUMBER ONE!!!"
"We have a top scorer! Our school produced the provincial champion!!"
Chu Shiyu flinched at the deafening screams right beside her ear and squeezed forward to read the screen.
Name: Tong Yang
Chinese: 146
Math: 150
English: 148
Science: 300
Total: 744
Rank: 1
"You absolute… monster…"
"WHAT?!" Chu Shiyu threw her arms around Tong Yang’s neck. "You’re a monster! 744 points?!"
"No wonder Peking University offered to admit your brother into their affiliated elementary school—this must be the highest score in the country!"
"I’m buying ten thousand fireworks! We’re setting them off tomorrow night!"
"The library’s getting renovated next year!"
"Two students in the provincial top ten—our school’s going to become a provincial key school!"
"The provincial champion… the provincial champion…"
"Oh my god! I need to go burn incense next year—it actually worked!"
……
Tong Yang remained dazed, staring at the score on the screen, unlike the others who were bursting with excitement.
This was the highest score she had ever achieved in her three years of high school. Her previous best was during the first mock exam—743 points. She had assumed her final score would hover around 735, never expecting it to soar this high.
—744 points.
In a daze, she left the school and got into Chu Shiyu’s family car. Leaning against the window, she watched the streetlights flash by outside, her mind still floating somewhere in the clouds.
Even though she had guessed she might rank in the provincial top three—and even suspected she could take first place—when the result was finally confirmed by her own eyes, it felt surreal, like stepping onto a soft, weightless cloud.
For the first time, she truly tasted the sweetness of the fruits of her relentless effort.
"Are you okay?"
Tong Yang blinked at her. "Huh?"
Chu Shiyu frowned. "You’re acting weird. You’re not reacting at all."
"I already guessed. The conditions the school offered were too good—this must be the highest score nationwide."
Chu Shiyu sighed. "Thank god we survived. What a waste it would’ve been otherwise."
Tong Yang suddenly smiled. "Yeah. Thank god we survived. What a waste it would’ve been."
After spending the night at Chu Shiyu’s place, Tong Yang picked up Tong Le the next day and brought him home.
When he heard about her score, Tong Le was even more thrilled than she was, buying a small cake to celebrate.
Somehow, news of her and Chu Shiyu’s rankings had leaked—though the exact scores weren’t disclosed, media outlets reported their placements. Soon after, the district government arrived at her doorstep with gifts to congratulate her.
That night, the old city district was lit up with fireworks that lasted until dawn, making it impossible for Tong Yang to sleep.
Perhaps in celebration of her achievement, Dongyang Community miraculously didn’t experience its usual blackout at 11:30 PM.
Bored, Tong Yang lounged on her bed, scrolling through her phone. The gossip group she was in, active during daytime hours, was buzzing with excitement over her score.
[Hehehe]
[Tong-jie, I feel kinda awkward saying this…]
[I was worried something might still go wrong, so I kept searching for news about you. I think I found a pattern.]
Studying for Money: [?]
[None of the other future news reports changed—only events related to you keep shifting unpredictably.]
Tong Yang replied: [I figured. Probably because I didn’t die on May 28th.]
[Right, that’s what I thought too.]
[So… heh… you know what I’m getting at, right?]
Studying for Money: [?]
[Just searched again, and there’s another news article about you.]
[Huh?]
[Pfft—HAHAHA… Tong-jie, you poor thing… but this is hilarious.]
[Honestly, after everything you’ve been through, I’m not even worried you’ll die anymore. How does that make sense?]
[Same! No matter what happens, I feel like Tong-jie will always turn the tables.]
Studying for Money: […]
Studying for Money: [So what’s the news?]
[#Shocking! North Hope Province’s top science scorer Tong Yang robbed and murdered in her home on results day—three fatal wounds, bled to death#]
[Tong-jie, what time is it there? The death timestamp says June 29th, 11:52 PM.]
[Can you go live? Please! I’ve never seen a murder scene before—let me witness history!]
Tong Yang checked the time: 11:47 PM. Five minutes until her supposed death.
Studying for Money: [Five minutes left. 50 bucks per person to join the live stream.]
[User Hu Ergou sent 50 to Studying for Money.]
[User Caicai sent 50 to Studying for Money.]
[User Cheese sent 50 to Studying for Money.]
[User Dog_of_Oikawa sent 50 to Studying for Money.]
[User Two_Fifty sent 50 to Studying for Money.]
[User Pathetic_Simp sent 50 to Studying for Money.]
……
Studying for Money: [Wait for it.]
[Rubbing hands in anticipation.]
[I need a high-energy warning.]
[Ahhh, so excited!]
[Woo-hoo!]
[Hurry up, hurry up!]
Tong Yang tiptoed out of her room and listened at Tong Le’s door. Though she couldn’t prevent what was coming, she didn’t want him to witness it. She’d keep quiet—after all, in a few minutes, the blood and body would vanish as if nothing had happened.
Peeking inside, she saw Tong Le curled up fast asleep.
She closed the door softly and returned to her room, fishing out her Bluetooth earbuds before starting the group video call.
One by one, the members joined, their faces popping up on the screen.
"Whoa! It’s actually nighttime there!"
"This is so intense!"
"Why isn’t the killer here yet?!"
"Tong-jie, turn on the light—I can’t see properly."
"Come on, come on! What’s the murderer doing?!"
"Wait—can the killer hear us?"
……
Tong Yang propped her phone against the wall, facing the door, and whispered, "I’m wearing earbuds."
"Good!"
"What if the killer hears the noise and doesn’t come anymore?"
"Oh my god, I’m so scared, but also so excited."
Tong Yang moved to the door under the moonlight. To prevent the sound of the killer picking the lock from waking Tong Le, she turned the lock and opened a small gap, then hid behind the door with a rope in hand, ready to strike at the right moment.
"Is he here yet? Is he here yet?"
"Keep quiet," Tong Yang whispered.
She pressed herself against the wall, wearing only one earbud, straining to hear any movement outside.
In the dim, empty hallway, slow footsteps echoed.
"Thud… thud…"
The sound, neither too loud nor too soft, traveled through the walls like a heartbeat.
"Holy crap… I think I hear something…"
"Shh! Keep it down, don’t distract Tong Yang."
Near the kitchen, there was a window facing the hallway. Tong Yang stood between the window and the door, hidden by the wall.
The footsteps drew closer. Suddenly, someone in the earbud gasped sharply.
"There’s… a shadow on the window," someone murmured in a hushed voice.
From her position, Tong Yang couldn’t see the window directly, but through the video call on her phone propped against the corner, she caught a glimpse of a silhouette cast by the moonlight. As the footsteps neared, the shadow grew clearer until the full outline of a man appeared on the window.
Judging by the shape, he was a burly man, gripping a cold, gleaming axe. He paused by the window, pressing his face against the glass.
Tong Yang’s living room window was an old-fashioned four-pane design, with one pane slightly broken, leaving a small gap.
The man stood in the hallway, leaning against the window, his glassy eyes peering through the crack as they darted around the room.
"Ugh…"
"Holy hell…"
"This is terrifying!"
"Tong Yang, it’s a man—armed, probably with an axe. Be careful!"
"Just forget it! Take your brother and run. This is too scary!"
"Even through the screen, my hands and feet are going numb. Let’s just hide!"
Tong Yang listened to their frantic whispers but didn’t respond. She had no intention of retreating.
Her hiding spot was a blind spot between the window and the door—the man wouldn’t see her until he stepped inside.
If he was a man, he’d be harder to deal with, but not impossible.
Tong Yang wasn’t reckless just because she believed in some uncertain time loop. On the contrary, she valued her life deeply and refused to rely on unpredictable resets. She needed to grow stronger, to handle any danger that might come her way. She wouldn’t back down just because the threat was a man.
The man lingered at the window for a long moment, seemingly finding nothing of interest. With a guttural sound in his throat, he moved forward, stopping at the door.
"Guys, he’s coming!"
"Tong Yang, stay sharp!"
The man reached the door, noticed the gap, and pushed it open.
Tong Yang kept her eyes on his shadow. Instead of stepping inside immediately, he paused at the threshold, as if hesitating.
She tightened her grip on the rope, ready to strike from behind.
"What’s going on?"
"Why did he stop?"
The confusion buzzed in her earbud. Tong Yang was just as puzzled.
A few seconds later, the man lowered his axe and turned away, as if to leave.
"Huh??"
"He’s giving up halfway?"
"Good! Let him go. I’m scared Tong Yang can’t take him."
Tong Yang frowned as the shadow shifted away.
"Yay! Crisis averted!"
"Tong Yang, didn’t you say you were moving? Get out of Dongyang Apartments soon. This place feels way too dangerous…"
"Tong Yang…"
"HOLY CRAP! TONG YANG, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Amid the shocked cries, Tong Yang suddenly lunged from behind the door, rope taut, and tackled the shadow’s owner to the ground.
"You came all this way, and now you want to leave?"
Her voice cut through the air as she yanked the rope around his neck, dragging him down with a heavy thud.
The door swung wide open from the impact, revealing the hallway in the camera’s frame.
Tong Yang knelt on the ground, pulling the rope with all her strength, strangling the man. Choked silent, he dropped the axe, legs thrashing wildly. His face turned purple, veins bulging, eyes rolling back as he clawed uselessly at her hands.
The lack of oxygen soon sapped his strength.
"My god, that’s brutal…"
"Damn, damn! She made it look easy! Note to self: always go for the neck in a fight!"
"Tong Yang is insane—she was fully planning to kill him!"
"...I underestimated her. I actually felt relieved when he turned to leave."
"Holy shit!! Tong Yang is a legend!!"
"She didn’t hesitate at all!"
"I thought it’d be messier, but she barely broke a sweat."
Despite the man’s size, Tong Yang didn’t let up even as his struggles weakened. Only when his breathing stopped completely did she finally release the rope, panting as she slumped back.
"666!"
"Tong Yang, you’ll always be my queen. I demand live streams of every fight from now on!"
"Move over! Let me critique—Tong Yang, you could’ve done better."
"Ugh, I wanted to see him dismembered! Imagine Tong Yang coldly chopping off his limbs—so hot!"
"Med student here. I kinda wanna dissect him and see if his insides are normal."
"STOP! You’re all freaks!"
"Want him gutted? Pay up. But not tonight—I can’t risk waking Tong Le. He shouldn’t see this."
"Heh, Tong Le has no idea his sweet sister is actually a stone-cold killer, huh?"
"Didn’t expect Tong Yang to care about her image in front of her brother."
"Obviously! Can’t let her sunshine little brother witness this brutality!"
Tong Yang ignored their banter. To avoid noise, she’d chosen strangulation, but the effort left her arms weak and trembling.
Guess I need to hit the gym more. Physical strength is non-negotiable.
Tong Yang shook her hand, trying to get up from the floor, when suddenly she heard footsteps outside her headphones.
Her entire body stiffened, and she turned her head in shock toward the bedroom.
"Big sis..."
Tong Le stood in the hallway in his pajamas, his hair disheveled, staring blankly at her and the man lying on the floor.
"Holy crap? Did my little brother just see that?"
"This is bad!"
"How much trauma is this gonna give the kid?"
"Tong Yang, quick—lie to him! Say you were playing a game with your boyfriend!"
Tong Yang’s brain short-circuited. How did Tong Le wake up when she’d been so quiet?
She didn’t want him to know too much, and she definitely didn’t want him to see her like this.
"I—I was just playing a game with my boyfriend..."
She felt insane for actually taking their terrible advice! By the end of the sentence, she accidentally bit her tongue.
Tong Le stayed silent for a long moment. Tong Yang froze, not daring to look at him, and frantically kicked the man behind the door—somewhere out of sight.
After a few seconds of silence, Tong Le took a step closer and said, "Big sis, don’t be scared."
