Tong Yang clicked on the photo sent in the group chat. It was Liang Xi.
"Sister Tong Yang, are you still there?" Yan Qing's voice choked up over the phone.
"Mm."
Tong Yang picked the call back up, her face darkening.
"Have you seen Liang Xi's body?" Tong Yang asked.
Yan Qing said, "No, my parents had me take time off these past couple of days, they won't let me go out."
"Alright, I understand. I'll hang up now."
"Sister Tong Yang, did you discover something?"
"No. Hanging up."
Tong Yang ended the call and entered the gossip group, asking: 【When exactly did Liang Xi's parents die?】
【Sometime around late September, early October?】
【Sister Tong, the specific time wasn't published online.】
【#Recently, a couple in the capital died in a car accident. It is reported that the two were a local court judge and a lawyer from a top-tier law firm respectively...#】
Tong Yang clicked the news link. The publication date was October 6th, 2024. It indeed did not state the specific time of the accident.
Right now was September 30th, 2024. Liang Xi's death was a few days ago. Her parents, worried about affecting their work, hadn't publicized the matter. It wasn't impossible that there would be no news of Liang Xi's death in the future.
Studying is for Making Money: 【Is Liang Xi still alive?】
【Seems like she went abroad.】
【I've seen her videos online, a proper socialite.】
【I heard her parents were very strict with her. After they died, she started letting loose, squandering the huge inheritance they left, traveling all over the world.】
【I think her grandparents on both sides cut contact a long time ago.】
Tong Yang frowned deeply. So, according to this, Liang Xi didn't die in the future?
Then who was the person that jumped out of the car and got dragged under the truck a few days ago? No matter how she thought about it, it felt off. Could it be related to the Yan Qing from the parallel world?
"Tong Yang!"
Xu Junyue stood not far away, waving at her.
Chu Shiyu also returned with the two kids to find her.
"How did it go?"
Once they got closer, Xu Junyue asked.
"What 'how did it go'?" Chu Shiyu asked curiously.
Tong Yang shook her head. "It's nothing. Let's go, head back."
After dropping off Tong Le and the other kid at their place, the three of them made an excuse to leave and went to a nearby milk tea shop.
Entering a private room, Tong Yang sat down thoughtfully.
"Did you ask? What did Yan Qing say?" Xu Junyue inquired.
Chu Shiyu looked at the two of them, confused. "What's going on, exactly?"
"Liang Xi died."
"Liang Xi? Yan Qing's friend? How did she die? Is it related to the parallel world?"
Xu Junyue said, "Don't know. I heard she got into an argument with her mom in the car, impulsively jumped out on the expressway, and got crushed into a pulp by a truck."
Chu Shiyu showed a shocked expression. "What?"
"She's not dead," Tong Yang stated.
Both of them looked at her simultaneously.
"What?"
"No way? How do you know?"
Tong Yang fell silent. The Tong Le from 2036 had told her. The other members of the gossip group shared the same timeline as hers, happening in 2024. Changes in 2024 would cause a butterfly effect, leading to the same changes occurring in 2026.
In 2026, Liang Xi was not dead, at least not before her parents.
"Don't worry about how I know. The point is, Liang Xi isn't dead. The accident and the body are suspicious."
"Faked? There really isn't any news about this accident online."
Chu Shiyu said, "Is it possible the one who died is the Liang Xi from the real world? The Liang Xi from the parallel world could replace her?"
Tong Yang shook her head. "If the goal was to replace Liang Xi, they could have done it without anyone knowing. There was no need to stage a car accident."
Xu Junyue said, "That makes sense. Even without news reports, the police and the truck driver know about it, not to mention other cars driving normally on the road at the time."
"Tong Yang, are you sure Liang Xi isn't dead?" Chu Shiyu frowned.
"I'm sure."
"Then this is really strange."
"What are you planning to do?"
Tong Yang didn't answer immediately. If it were just an ordinary traffic accident, it would have nothing to do with her. But the fact that the ones who died in the future weren't Liang Xi, but Liang Xi's parents, inevitably made her connect it to the parallel world and "Yan Qing."
However, she couldn't enter a time loop just because of a hunch.
If she let it go, who knew what kind of disaster it might lead to.
Regardless of whether it was related to the parallel world, she at least needed to figure out why the person who died wasn't the same in 2024 and 2026.
"I want to find out what's going on," Tong Yang said.
"I want to know too!"
Immediately, Tong Yang called Police Officer Lin.
The accident happened in the Shuangbai District, so the case was naturally handled by the Shuangbai District Public Security Bureau.
"Hello, Tong Yang?" Police Officer Lin's voice came through the receiver.
Tong Yang said, "Officer Lin, I wanted to ask, did you handle a traffic accident a few days ago?"
"Traffic accident? Yes, we did. Why?"
"Was one of the victims a high school freshman named Liang Xi?"
"Liang Xi? You know her?"
Tong Yang said, "She attended one of my lectures."
Police Officer Lin said, "There was indeed such a case. She argued with her mother, jumped out of the car on the expressway, got dragged under a normally passing truck, and bore full responsibility for the accident."
"Can you confirm the deceased was Liang Xi?"
Hearing her question, Police Officer Lin's voice hesitated. "The upper body of the deceased was completely crushed, the face unrecognizable. Although the forensic examiner didn't conduct identification on her body tissues, the deceased's mother was in the car at the time and confirmed it was Liang Xi."
Tong Yang was well aware of that. Liang Xi's mother was in the car with her. If the deceased wasn't Liang Xi, then who could it be?
But then, why wasn't she the one who died in 2026?
It was just too strange.
"Officer Lin, do many people know about this?"
Police Officer Lin said, "The deceased's family does not wish for the matter to be publicized. The police will try their best to respect their wishes."
Tong Yang sank into thought. Things were just too bizarre. The only explanation was that the Liang Xi in 2026 was from a parallel world. However, the gossip group members said she was somewhat of a public figure, often sharing her life online. Why hadn't the Shuangbai District Public Security Bureau, who knew about this accident, exposed her?
At the very least, the Shuangbai District Bureau knew Liang Xi had died in the accident.
"Tong Yang, what's wrong?" Police Officer Lin sensed something keenly. "Do you think it might be related to the parallel world?"
Tong Yang hadn't told anyone else the secret of the gossip group. As more people learned about the time loops, the gossip group was essentially her final trump card. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn't want others to know.
So, she simply admitted it. "I think it might be related to the Yan Qing from the parallel world."
"Do you have any evidence?"
"No. Where is her body? I'd like to see it."
Police Officer Lin said, "The deceased's body is still with the forensics team, undergoing restoration work. But it's extremely difficult. The upper body is a horrific sight. I don't recommend you go see it."
"It's alright, Police Officer Lin, please help me get in touch."
Police Officer Lin said helplessly, "Alright."
After the high-quality gene serum incident, Tong Yang had already been regarded as an auxiliary member by both the police station and the 749 Bureau. Director Zhao had instructed them to cooperate with Tong Yang as much as possible.
"By the way, how is Meng Ting doing?" Tong Yang asked.
"She's receiving psychological treatment and is doing a bit better than before."
"Okay, I understand."
"Come by tomorrow when you have time. I'll take you to see the people at the forensics department."
"Okay, thank you, Police Officer Lin."
"That's settled then. We'll be in touch."
"Mhm."
After that, the two hung up the phone.
"We'll go with you tomorrow. We're on holiday anyway."
"Mhm."
The next day, after breakfast, around eight-thirty, Xu Junyue somehow managed to get a car and picked them up to go to the Shuangbai District Public Security Bureau.
"You can drive?" Chu Shiyu asked in surprise.
Xu Junyue lifted her chin, gesturing for them to get in the car. "I am nineteen years old and have legally passed the exam to obtain a motor vehicle driver's license."
"But don't you only have vision in one eye?"
"My left eye meets the visual acuity requirements. My horizontal field of vision is 150 degrees."
Tong Yang got into the car, thinking to herself about when she should also go get a driver's license. It would be more convenient to get a used car for getting around.
However, she'd have to wait until she came of age.
After a drive of over half an hour, the three arrived at the Shuangbai District Public Security Bureau.
Police Officer Lin, who had been waiting for a while, had Xu Junyue drive directly to the forensics area.
Passing under an overpass, Police Officer Lin pointed upwards and said, "The accident scene is right up there."
Tong Yang glanced up, then looked at the surrounding buildings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Not long after, the car stopped outside a forensic identification facility.
"Let's go."
The three followed Police Officer Lin inside.
They walked through a clean, bright corridor with the smell of disinfectant hanging in the air, arriving in front of a closed door. Police Officer Lin raised her hand and knocked.
A few seconds later, a man in sterile clothing opened the door.
He wore a mask and nodded at Police Officer Lin.
"How is it going?" Police Officer Lin asked.
The forensic examiner said, "Hard to say. You can come in."
Entering the chilly autopsy room, they saw a human-shaped outline covered by a white sheet on a metal platform.
Before lifting the sheet, the forensic examiner hesitated, glancing at Tong Yang and the other two.
Police Officer Lin said, "It's fine. I just brought them to take a look."
The forensic examiner nodded, then lifted the white sheet.
Seeing the corpse on the table clearly, Chu Shiyu couldn't help but gasp, and Police Officer Lin also frowned tightly.
The upper half of the body had been crushed into pulp—it was no exaggeration.
Tong Yang and Xu Junyue stepped forward, one on each side.
Xu Junyue exclaimed in amazement, "This is even more mangled than what my family's meat grinder produces."
"Xu Junyue, shut up!" Chu Shiyu said, fighting back nausea and shooting her a glare.
The forensic examiner said, "Can your family's meat grinder crush bones too?"
"Don't know, never tried."
Tong Yang ignored them. The deceased's upper body was little different from meat paste. Restoring it was basically an impossible task. After processing, the corpse didn't emit any strange or foul odors.
The skin on the corpse's face was gone. One could only vaguely distinguish the facial features. As for whether it was Liang Xi or not, Tong Yang couldn't tell.
The lower half of the body was in slightly better condition, though it was also covered in wounds.
"Tong Yang, are you a freak? Looking so intently?" Xu Junyue asked in surprise.
"Get lost," Tong Yang cursed without looking up.
"What did the family say?" Police Officer Lin asked.
The forensic examiner said, "They want to take it directly for cremation."
"Sigh, there's no other way. It can't be restored."
"Yeah."
Leaving the autopsy room, they returned to the car.
Police Officer Lin, sitting in the passenger seat, asked, "Tong Yang, did you notice anything?"
Tong Yang shook her head. "No."
Liang Xi's mother saw her jump with her own eyes. The body couldn't be anyone else's.
Police Officer Lin sighed. "Don't be too tense about this. That child's family was indeed very strict, and combined with the strong self-esteem of adolescence, a moment of impulse is understandable. It has nothing to do with parallel worlds."
Tong Yang lowered her gaze and said, "Can we run a DNA test on the body?"
Police Officer Lin was taken aback. The dashcam in the deceased mother's car was broken. Since she was directly involved and was absolutely certain after the incident that the person in the car was the deceased Liang Xi, the forensic examiner hadn't verified the deceased's identity through DNA testing.
Generally, in such cases, the identity is already considered confirmed, and no further DNA testing is needed.
However, she had come to understand Tong Yang's character somewhat. She wouldn't make such a bizarre request on a whim.
After a moment of contemplation, Police Officer Lin asked, "Can you tell me the reason?"
The other two in the car also glanced at Tong Yang out of the corners of their eyes, wanting to know why she insisted the deceased wasn't Liang Xi.
Tong Yang kept her eyes downcast, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them.
After a pause of several seconds, Tong Yang spoke: "The people who should have died in the car accident are Liang Xi's parents."
Upon hearing this, all three people in the car looked at her with surprise.
"Watch the road!" Tong Yang slapped Xu Junyue's arm. The car had almost hit the curb.
"What do you mean?"
"How do you know?"
Although Tong Yang didn't want them to know about the gossip group, since she was the only one who could see the contents of the gossip group in 2024, revealing some information wouldn't cause any problems.
Tong Yang said, "I can learn about some things that will happen in the future. I can't tell you the reason for now. But the ones who should have died in the car accident are Liang Xi's parents, and in the future, Liang Xi is still alive."
The expressions of the three changed slightly. To be blunt, ever since they'd known Tong Yang, some of her actions did seem like foresight.
Chu Shiyu felt this most clearly. Back when Tong Le went missing, she was the first to know he had been taken to Nameless Slope. It was the same during the college entrance exams.
Xu Junyue exclaimed in surprise, "So it's because of foresight that you became so smart? I always thought sometimes you were smart to the point of not being human. You didn't cheat on the college entrance exams, did you? I don't believe anyone can score that high."
Police Officer Lin's expression became even more serious.
Tong Yang shot her a glare. "Shut up. I hate cheating the most. I can only know a portion of the information, and it's very limited."
Chu Shiyu said, "Like fortune-telling?"
"Sort of?"
After going through so many things, there was no longer any need to doubt the truth of Tong Yang's words.
Police Officer Lin asked seriously, "Is there any other important information besides this?"
Tong Yang said, "The time of the car accident should be before October 6th. If it's related to Liang Xi's death, even if it could be avoided at the time, it would definitely happen later, just like the Ye Wen disappearance case."
Because the news report date was October 6th, but there was no specific time given.
Police Officer Lin nodded. "So, Ye Wen stayed at home for a week before returning to school back then?"
"Mhm."
Xu Junyue said in surprise, "Doesn't that mean it's inevitable? The car accident will happen sooner or later."
Tong Yang said, "Not necessarily."
Chu Shiyu said, "If the car accident was man-made, then finding the person who caused it could prevent it."
"Right, I think Liang Xi is connected to her parents' accident because she didn't die."
Police Officer Lin looked ahead thoughtfully and said, "I'll ask the forensic examiner to run a DNA test on the body, but it will take at least a week."
If it takes a week to get the results, then the results won't matter anymore. Liang Xi's parents will die before October 6th; they can't change anything.
"Tong Yang, for now, don't tell anyone about the premonition. Perhaps it can become our final trump card in the real world," Police Officer Lin added.
Tong Yang nodded and said, "I know, and I'd also like to ask you not to tell anyone else, including the 749 Bureau."
After dropping Police Officer Lin off at the Shuangbai District Public Security Bureau, the three of them drove back to Tianyuan District.
Having already experienced stranger things, the other two didn't press for details about the premonition.
Even if they had asked, Tong Yang wouldn't have minded. It was precisely because she trusted the three of them that she chose to reveal part of the information.
While waiting for the DNA test results, Police Officer Lin found a reason to have the police monitor Liang Xi's parents' movements 24/7. Other than that, without any direct evidence, there was nothing anyone could do.
Tong Yang and the people in the gossip group kept a close eye on future news reports and Liang Xi's movements abroad.
To be honest, even if the DNA results came back, without other clues, Tong Yang couldn't do much. It's just that it might be related to the parallel world, and she wanted to figure it out.
Later, Tong Yang learned some details about the day of the incident from Police Officer Lin. Strangely, in the capital city, which is covered in surveillance cameras, not a single camera captured Liang Xi getting into the car. When the police questioned Liang Xi's mother, she explicitly stated she would not answer any further questions on the matter. This was because the dashcam footage from a car behind showed that the person in the passenger seat had indeed opened the door and jumped out themselves, ruling out homicide.
At this point, until the DNA report comes out, there won't be any further progress.
[@Study to Make Money @Study to Make Money]
[Tong Yang, sis! Come out!]
[Sis Tong Yang!!!!]
Study to Make Money: [?]
[Liang Xi is back in the country!]
[I saw that too!]
[She's traveling domestically, seems like she'll stay for at least two months!]
[Sis Tong, I'm super close to her location!]
Looking at the messages in the chat, Tong Yang couldn't help but frown.
Liang Xi is back?
[Since we don't know what's going on anyway, why not just go ask her directly?]
[Maybe we can find out the reason and change the past before her parents have the accident!]
[That makes sense! I bet only Liang Xi knows what really happened.]
[@Hu Ergou Are you in Langchuan?]
[Yep, really close to where she's traveling, just a forty-minute bus ride!]
Study to Make Money: [If she's from a parallel world, you could be in danger.]
Hu Ergou: [Wouldn't that be even more exciting! I've never met someone from a parallel world!]
[Me neither!]
[Sis Tong is right, Ergou. Don't end up dead without knowing how.]
Hu Ergou: [She wouldn't just attack me in public, would she?]
Hu Ergou: [Sis Tong, you guys don't have any leads, right?]
Tong Yang was silent for a moment. The reason she wanted to figure it out wasn't to save Liang Xi's parents. She simply thought it was related to the parallel world. According to future developments, even if they did nothing, the truth would eventually come to light.
Study to Make Money: [Not scared?]
Hu Ergou: [A little, but not much.]
Hu Ergou: [Mainly just want to feel involved, you know? It's like being a spy or something.]
Study to Make Money: [Then give it a try, but be careful.]
Hu Ergou: [Huh?? You're not going to look out for me?]
Hu Ergou: [No no no, I can't do it alone! I need to voice chat with you! I'll feel safer with you there.]
[Hahaha]
[I get it, I get it.]
[Sis Tong is like our solid backup. With her here, no surprises!]
[Even if there are surprises, our Sis Tong can handle them!]
Study to Make Money: [Fine.]
Study to Make Money: [I can't crawl through the internet to save you, so handle it yourself.]
They were all adults; they should be able to bear the consequences of their own actions.
Although it's uncertain who exactly died in 2024, Tong Yang felt that the Liang Xi from 2026 probably wasn't from a parallel world.
October 3rd, three days before the news report's publication date, Hu Ergou went to Liang Xi's tourist spot for a "chance encounter."
According to her, actively seeking out internet celebrities for chance encounters was pretty normal in 2026.
"Sis Tong Yang, who do you think the person who jumped from the car and died is?"
Hu Ergou sat in a restaurant Liang Xi had checked in at. She had wandered around the area all day without catching a glimpse of Liang Xi.
Tong Yang hadn't held out much hope to begin with and was going about her own business, currently reading a book in her room.
"Not sure," Tong Yang said calmly, wearing headphones.
"You should probably head back soon. We'll know once the police DNA test results come out."
Hu Ergou sighed. "What a shame, I really wanted to meet her. I sent her a private message online saying I was waiting for her here, but no reply."
"I want to sleep."
"Me too."
"Maybe let's just forget it. Sis Tong is right, we'll find out eventually."
"If Liang Xi is appearing in public under her own identity, that body will eventually be proven not to be hers. Otherwise, she'd become a person with no legal status!"
Tong Yang said, "Stop waiting, go home."
Hu Ergou grumbled, "Alright... Holy crap?! She just walked in!"
Tong Yang was momentarily startled and warned, "Be careful."
"Um, hello? Are you Liang Xi? I'm a fan of yours!"
Immediately after, Hu Ergou's voice came through the headphones.
The restaurant was relatively quiet, with light music playing in the background.
"Thank you." A familiar voice sounded, no different from the one in Tong Yang's memory, even through the phone.
Tong Yang closed her book, listening intently to every sound through the headphones.
"Can we chat? Let me treat you to a meal?"
"Sure."
Expecting a refusal, Hu Ergou was surprised when Liang Xi readily agreed.
She agreed so easily? Something unusual must be going on.
Tong Yang said, "Don't be alone with her."
"Shall we get a private room?" Liang Xi suggested.
"Can we just stay out here?"
"Okay." Liang Xi agreed just as readily.
"Her voice sounds so young."
"Duh, she's not even an adult yet!"
They each ordered. While waiting for the server to bring the food, Liang Xi spoke first.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
Hu Ergou had prepared in advance, trying to make her reason sound less abrupt.
"I know you're Lawyer Qin's daughter. She helped my mom with a lawsuit before, and our whole family is very grateful to her. I happened to know you were here too, so I thought I'd try my luck. I didn't actually expect to run into you."
"So that's how it was." Liang Xi's voice was calm, betraying no emotion.
"Would you like to talk about my mom with me?" Liang Xi asked.
Hu Er'gou said, "If you don't mind, could we talk about it?"
Liang Xi smiled, "I don't mind. I rarely talk about my parents with others. My friends are all very wary of the topic, but I don't avoid it."
Hu Er'gou breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
"Ladies, your order is ready."
"Thank you."
Liang Xi said, "Mom always wanted me to study hard, get into Peking University, and eventually become someone like her or Dad."
Hu Er'gou asked, "Didn't you like that?"
"It's not that I didn't like it. I just didn't want to live under their control forever."
"Were they very strict? The kind that micromanages every detail of your life, arranging everything for you?"
"Er'gou's pretty good at this, huh? So conversational? If it were me, I'd just say 'you poor thing' and end the topic right there."
"Of course! Isn't our Er'gou studying psychology?"
Following her question, Liang Xi answered, "No. Sometimes I feel like they simply hated me, couldn't bear to see me do well."
Hu Er'gou said in surprise, "Really? When I met Lawyer Qin before, I thought she was a very gentle person."
"Gentle? You're the first person to describe my mother that way."
"Why is that?"
Liang Xi laughed, "Perhaps to prove that I couldn't do anything without them, Mom would always contradict everything I did. I liked vegetables, she'd tell me meat was better; I liked math, she'd say Chinese was better; I liked white clothes, she'd buy me black ones... No matter what I liked, she'd force me to accept the complete opposite."
"What about your dad?"
"Dad?" Liang Xi's tone turned sarcastic, "What's the difference between him being alive or dead? If it weren't for him, how could I have ended up like this?"
Hu Er'gou exclaimed in shock, "Really? The car accident wouldn't have anything to do with your dad, would it? To be honest, ever since Lawyer Qin's accident, I've felt things weren't that simple. Part of the reason for 'running into' you today was to ask about this. There's hardly any information online."
Hu Er'gou said this following her lead, sounding very natural.
Liang Xi, lost in past emotions, indeed didn't become wary and blurted out, "The accident was entirely his fault!"
"If it weren't for him, Mom wouldn't have died! And I wouldn't have..."
"How could that be?"
Liang Xi said, "My dad had an affair."
"Your dad had an affair?"
"Huh???"
"No way?"
"There's such hidden drama?"
Tong Yang didn't make a sound, listening quietly.
"They had a huge argument on the drive home, crashed into a large truck, and had an accident on the overpass."
Hearing this, Tong Yang couldn't help but frown. Why did it sound so similar to the circumstances of that corpse's death?
"Hu Er'gou, ask her the date of the accident."
Hu Er'gou asked, "Do you remember the month and day?"
"September 27th. Why?"
Tong Yang's expression froze. "September 27th?"
"September 27th? Sis Tong, I remember it's already October in your timeline, isn't it?"
"Huh???"
"I'm a bit confused now."
Tong Yang said, "The car accident that happened on September 27, 2024, where someone was dragged under a truck on the overpass, was Liang Xi."
Even though the corpse's identity wasn't confirmed yet, the person in the car accident that day absolutely could not have been her parents, because just yesterday, her mother, Lawyer Qin, was still alive.
Hu Er'gou said dazedly, "Are you sure the accident happened on September 27th? How come I remember..."
After the incident, Tong Yang hadn't asked for the specific time of the accident; the message Yan Qing sent her said September 27th.
An eerie silence suddenly fell in the earpiece.
A few seconds later, Hu Er'gou drew a sharp breath and asked, "Wh-what's wrong?"
It seemed Liang Xi had done something on the other end of the phone that made her feel uneasy.
Then, another few seconds of silence.
Liang Xi's tone became indescribable, tinged with a hint of eeriness: "What do you remember?"
Hu Er'gou seemed to see something frightening; her breathing became rapid. "Nothing, maybe I remembered wrong."
Liang Xi's voice softened a bit, saying, "That must be it. How could I misremember the anniversary of my parents' death?"
"Right?"
Hu Er'gou repeatedly agreed with a "yes," her voice actually trembling slightly.
"Yikes... I think Liang Xi's attitude is really strange."
"Me too, it gives me a weird, creepy feeling."
"Er'gou, maybe you should find an excuse to leave first."
"She might really be from a parallel world."
Tong Yang also felt something was off and said, "Leave first."
They could sense the abnormality even through the screen, let alone Hu Er'gou sitting face-to-face with Liang Xi.
"It's getting late, I should go..."
"No hurry. Didn't you want to talk with me? We haven't finished." Liang Xi's unhurried voice sounded.
"No, I should first..."
"Are you afraid of me?" Liang Xi's voice suddenly dropped.
"Do you know some secret related to me?"
"I don't know," Hu Er'gou said, forcing herself.
"Then let's continue talking."
Hu Er'gou didn't speak. Listening carefully, there was a faint sound of a chair being moved on the other end of the phone.
"I never had friends growing up because Mom wouldn't allow me to make friends."
"She was really strict with me. When did it start? Probably from the first time Dad was discovered having an affair."
"Hu Er'gou?"
"Er'gou? Are you okay?"
"Say something!"
Liang Xi was talking endlessly about his childhood, during which Hu Er'gou made no sound.
The onlookers anxiously called out her name, but there was no response.
Instantly, a bad premonition rose in everyone's hearts.
Something dangerous had happened to Hu Er'gou; for some reason, she couldn't speak.
"I hated Mom, and I hated Dad even more. My only friend was Qingqing."
"Qingqing, right?"
Tong Yang's breath hitched, suddenly realizing something.
The sound of a chair being dragged she heard earlier was someone else sitting down near them.
"That's right. Xixi is my best friend. I'll always stay by Xixi's side."
A familiar voice came through. Tong Yang cursed inwardly; it indeed had something to do with the parallel world.
Liang Xi's voice became somewhat happier, saying, "So even without Mom and Dad, it's okay. Qingqing will be with me forever."
"That's right. I'll always be with Xixi."
"Hu Er'gou?"
"Say something... don't scare me..."
"Could they both be from a parallel world?"
"Sis Tong, what do we do?"
"C-can I leave now?"
Finally, at the moment of their utmost anxiety, Hu Er'gou's voice sounded.
"Er'gou, you're okay? You scared me to death!"
"Get out of there, quick! I almost called the police!"
Tong Yang remained calmer than the others. After all, the restaurant was a public place; even if Liang Xi and Yan Qing were from a parallel world, they wouldn't harm Hu Er'gou in front of everyone.
"The meal isn't finished yet."
Hu Er'gou took a deep breath. "I'm full..."
"Oh, what were you about to say you remembered?" Yan Qing's cheerful voice came through.
"Nothing, I was just talking nonsense." Hu Er'gou tried hard to stay composed. Clearly, compared to Liang Xi, the person who frightened her more was Yan Qing.
"You're wearing earphones. Are you on a call with someone?"
As soon as the words were spoken, some rustling sounds came through the earphones. Everyone held their breath, not making a sound.
"Huh? No sound at all?"
Hu Er'gou said, "My dad is coming to pick me up soon. I should go."
"Ah? What a pity. I thought you wanted to be friends with us," Yan Qing said.
"Sorry, I have to go!"
A sharp screech of a chair scraping against the floor came through the earphones, followed by the sound of rushing wind.
Soon, Hu Er'gou's panting could be heard.
"Holy shit!!!"
"Those two aren't human!"
Hu Er'gou was breathing heavily, as if she were running desperately.
"What's going on?"
"Holy shit?!"
"Be careful! Get to a safe place first!"
Hu Er'gou continued, "Tong Yang, Liang Xi's body is rotten! Like meat paste!"
"Holy shit??"
"Don't scare me! I'm terrified..."
"Help... Er'gou, run!"
Tong Yang frowned deeply. "Be careful. Try to stay where there are lots of people."
"A bus is coming. I'll get on first!"
"Are there people on the bus? Be careful."
"A few people."
"How did Liang Xi rot?"
"It's over! I can't even imagine that scene..."
"Er'gou, you're really a warrior!"
"Let me find a seat in the back."
After a while, Hu Er'gou let out a long sigh of relief. "That scared me to death!"
"Are you safe now?"
"Safe!"
"Quick, tell us, what exactly happened?"
Hu Er'gou said, "When she lowered her head to drink water, the rim of the cup touched her face, and a chunk of flesh fell into the cup! Damn it, there was a hole missing on her face! Just like mud! That girl called Qingqing came out of nowhere and helped her pick up the flesh and stick it back on!"
"Ah!!!"
"Oh my god!!!!"
"I can picture it!!!"
"Holy shit! Could she have died long ago? No wonder she always wears such heavy makeup!"
"You know what? Someone dug up info on a forum, saying her face looked unnatural. Photos of her face collapsing were leaked before, and everyone said she had plastic surgery!"
"Please no! Is it that scary?"
Tong Yang said, "A few days ago, I went to see her corpse. The upper body was completely crushed into pulp."
"Oh my god..."
"No way!"
"Could she not be dead?"
"Impossible! If the upper body was crushed into pulp, not even a god could survive!"
"What's really going on? I can't take it anymore!"
"What exactly is the parallel world!"
Tong Yang said, "The parallel world has a kind of gene therapy that can repair physical trauma. Perhaps Liang Xi was injected with it. Although it saved her life, the injuries were too severe and weren't fully repaired."
"Wow! The parallel world is that advanced?"
"Even if the upper body is crushed, life can still be saved?"
"That's not gene therapy; that's the Supreme Old Lord's elixir of resurrection!"
"If this medicine could be mass-produced, ten real worlds wouldn't be enough for their invasion."
"That's so disgusting."
Tong Yang thought for a moment, opened her phone, entered a social app, and clicked on Yan Qing's chat window.
Study to Make Money: 【What was the date of Liang Xi's car accident?】
Yan Qing basically never let her phone out of her sight during vacation. A reply came not long after the message was sent.
Yan Qing: 【Liang Xi? September 27th. Why?】
Study to Make Money: 【What were the specific circumstances that day? Where did Liang Xi get in the car?】
Yan Qing: 【Liang Xi got in a car?】
Yan Qing: 【Tong Yang, what are you talking about?】
Study to Make Money: 【?】
Study to Make Money: 【What?】
Yan Qing: 【It wasn't Liang Xi who had the accident, it was Liang Xi's parents.】
Tong Yang's body stiffened, and a sudden chill enveloped her entire being.
She quickly sat up from the bed, opened the door, and went to the living room.
Chu Shiyu was watching TV in the living room. Seeing her grave expression, she asked puzzledly, "What's wrong?"
Tong Yang asked, "Do you remember Liang Xi?"
"Of course I remember. What about her?"
"She died in a car accident."
Chu Shiyu showed a surprised expression. "What are you talking about? Wasn't it her parents who had the accident?"
Tong Yang's lips tightened. "You're sure it was her parents?"
"Yeah, didn't we go see their bodies together?"
Tong Yang clenched her teeth. "Lend me your phone."
"Oh..."
Tong Yang took her phone and called Xu Junyue.
"Hello? Chu Shiyu? What's up?"
"Do you remember the thing about Liang Xi? You were the one who told me."
"Tong Yang?" Xu Junyue sounded surprised. "Of course I remember. What's wrong?"
"Who died?"
Xu Junyue said, "Her parents! We went to the forensic identification center to see the bodies. It was really gruesome. Did you forget?"
"I forgot?" Tong Yang scoffed, threw the phone back to Chu Shiyu, and returned to her room.
"What's going on?" Xu Junyue asked.
Chu Shiyu shook her head in confusion. "I don't know."
"Do you remember what the bodies looked like?" Chu Shiyu asked.
Xu Junyue said, "I forgot. I just remember they were crushed."
"Me too."
Tong Yang closed the bedroom door, realizing one thing.
The past had been altered.
Just like when she entered the time loop, the memories of those outside the temporal dislocation would be refilled.
But she hadn't entered a time loop!
Someone else had entered a loop and changed the past where Liang Xi died.
"Tong Yang?"
"Hu Er'gou?"
"What's wrong with you guys?"
"Why did you all suddenly stop talking?"
"Hu Er'gou? How are you?"
"Say something? Are you okay?"
"Weren't you safe on the bus?"
"Didn't you guys hear it earlier?"
"After the bus reached a stop and other passengers got on, Er'gou never spoke again!"
"Holy shit... no way..."
At the same time, everyone realized a terrifying fact.
Tong Yang also discovered something more troublesome than others being able to enter loops: Hu Er'gou was probably in trouble.
2026, a bus traveled along a bustling street, with an overpass a few hundred meters away.
For some reason, all the passengers were gathered in the front half of the bus, while three young women sat in the very back row.
Two figures with unclear features sat on either side, and the girl sandwiched between them had a deathly pale face and was trembling all over.
2024, a voice came through Tong Yang's earphones.
"Why did you run?"
