Tong Yang and the other person rushed out of the office to find Police Officer Lin sitting in the lobby eating fried rice noodles.
Seeing their frantic state, Police Officer Lin swallowed her food without chewing properly. "You two... cough..."
"No time to explain."
Tong Yang and Xu Junyue each grabbed one of her arms, lifted her up, and bolted out the door.
"Hey! What's going on here?" Police Officer Wan, passing by, watched the scene with amusement.
As Tong Yang passed him, she casually grabbed his clothes. "You're coming with us."
Police Officer Wan was also one of the few people aware of the parallel world situation.
"Heh! Anyone would think you two were the police officers!"
Dragging and pulling the two officers to the entrance, the officer on duty whistled and teased, "Need me to call for help?"
"Get lost!" Police Officer Wan shot him a glare.
Finally inside the car, Police Officer Lin protectively held her fried noodles and asked calmly, "Found it?"
Police Officer Wan looked utterly confused. "Found what?"
"Hold on tight!" Xu Junyue slammed her foot on the accelerator, nearly throwing the three passengers off their seats.
Tong Yang opened her phone, her brow tightly furrowed. "Liang Xi actively contacted Yan Qing."
"Where?" asked Police Officer Lin.
"Near Half Moon Villa."
"Half Moon Villa? Where Yan Qing lives?"
"Mm."
Tong Yang's fingers swiped quickly across the screen, replying to Yan Qing's message: [Are you at home?]
Yan Qing: [Yes]
Yan Qing: [Tong Yang, jie, Xi Xi asked me to go to the underground garage. She said she's waiting for me down there.]
Yan Qing: [Can I go?]
Study is for Making Money: [Go ahead if you want to die.]
Yan Qing: [...]
Yan Qing: [Then what should I do?]
Study is for Making Money: [Are your parents and Aunt Liu home?]
Yan Qing: [No, parents are at work, Aunt Liu went out.]
Study is for Making Money: [Lock all doors and windows immediately. Stay in your bedroom and don't go out. We're on our way.]
Study is for Making Money: [Don't open the door for anyone until I arrive. The person contacting you might not be Liang Xi, and even if it is, don't trust her.]
Yan Qing: [Then how should I reply to her?]
Study is for Making Money: [Say you're not home and will contact her later.]
Yan Qing: [I understand.]
The car sped down the road, the occupants' expressions grave.
Police Officer Wan said solemnly, "So, the parallel world Yan Qing wants to replace the real world Yan Qing?"
"Mm."
Tong Yang thought for a moment, sent a message to the gossip group telling them to inform her immediately of any developments, then video-called Yan Qing, worried this little fool might be sweet-talked into opening the door.
"Tong Yang jie..."
Yan Qing answered the video call. She seemed to be hiding in a narrow space, the light was dim, and she was deliberately whispering.
"Put on your earphones."
"I am wearing them."
"Where are you?"
Yan Qing whispered, "I'm hiding in the wardrobe."
"What do I do, Tong Yang jie? I'm so scared. If it's not Xi Xi on the phone, who could it be?"
Her face wasn't visible in the darkness, but her voice was full of panic.
"The you from the parallel world."
"Her?!"
"Tong Yang jie, when will you get here?"
"About half an hour."
"Ding-dong—"
"Ding-dong—"
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"Tong Yang jie! The doorbell!"
"Don't open it."
"Ding-dong—"
Simultaneously, Yan Qing's phone chimed with a message notification.
"Tong Yang jie..."
Yan Qing's voice trembled as she tapped into the chat. The contact named Xi Xi had sent a message: Why aren't you opening the door?
"Ding-dong—"
"Ding-dong—"
Yan Qing curled up nervously. "Tong Yang jie, when will you get here? I'm so scared."
Police Officer Lin said, "I contacted the Tianyuan District substation. They're heading to Half Moon Villa immediately. Tell Yan Qing to hold on a little longer. Absolutely do not open the door."
"Thud—"
The person outside had grown very impatient; the doorbell ringing had almost turned into kicking.
Even though she was hidden in the bedroom wardrobe, separated by two sturdy doors, the sound was still clear, as if right in front of her.
"Qing Qing, I know you're home. Why did you lie to me?"
Liang Xi's voice came through intermittently, her windpipe still sounding as if something was pressing on it, her tone indescribably eerie.
"Qing Qing... open the door... I'm so sad..."
Yan Qing covered her mouth and nose tightly, her expression terrified.
"Qing Qing, aren't we best friends?"
"Why are you ignoring me? I'm so sad..."
Liang Xi's voice came clearly through the phone into Tong Yang's ears.
She had disconnected the Bluetooth earphones, so everyone in the car could hear.
"What kind of voice is that? It's so strange." Police Officer Wan frowned, rubbing the goosebumps on his arm.
"Qing Qing... you know... I'm in so much pain..."
"My body hurts so much... please open the door... aren't we best friends..."
"Qing Qing... Qing Qing..."
Liang Xi's voice was slow and devoid of emotion. Yan Qing buried her head between her knees, tears streaking her cheeks.
It's not Xi Xi. The person outside is not Xi Xi.
Her tone is so strange. Xi Xi wouldn't talk like this.
"Tong Yang jie..."
Tong Yang asked, "Is there anything around you to defend yourself with?"
"No... sob... what should I do?"
"Qing Qing, I'm in so much pain. Open the door, okay?"
"Open the door my ass!" Yan Qing couldn't help but curse softly.
Tong Yang said, "First, go find something to defend yourself with. If someone comes in, fight back directly. Don't be afraid, you won't go to jail."
"Really? I don't want to go to jail..."
"She's been injected with the gene serum. Ordinary methods won't kill her."
"Oh..."
Yan Qing sat up straight, about to leave the wardrobe to get a weapon, when a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the door.
"Hehe..."
"Qing Qing, why won't you open the door?"
“It's okay, I won't be angry with you. Remember? You told me Aunt Liu has a bad memory, and there's a spare key hidden behind the 'Fu' character sticker on the door... hehe...”
Yan Qing's whole body jolted. "Tong Yang jie!"
"Click—"
"It's open."
"Qing Qing, I've come to find you."
As the front door opened, a sticky, strange sound of footsteps followed.
Yan Qing didn't dare leave the wardrobe now. She pressed herself back, covering herself with clothes, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Qing Qing... where are you..."
Liang Xi's voice was getting closer and closer to her, and still approaching.
"Qing Qing... why are you ignoring me..."
Across the internet connection, Tong Yang and the others could do nothing. Yan Qing was hiding in the wardrobe with nowhere to go.
"Don't go out yet. The police should be there soon." That was all Tong Yang could advise.
"Qing Qing... open the door..."
The voice finally reached just outside Yan Qing's bedroom door.
Being closer now, the voice grew clearer.
"Thud—"
"Qing Qing, why won't you open the door? Are you afraid of me?"
"We're friends. I won't hurt you."
"Qing Qing..."
"Why... why are you ignoring me..."
"Don't be afraid... Do you know what I look like now... You're disgusted by me..."
"Qingqing... I'm so sad..."
Liang Xi's voice grew closer, and the people in the car couldn't help but sweat for Yan Qing.
Even through the phone, they felt chills run down their spines, let alone Yan Qing who was only separated by a wall from Liang Xi. It would be a testament to her strong mental fortitude if she wasn't scared out of her wits.
"Qingqing... don't be afraid of me..."
"Let's... let's keep being friends, okay..."
"Thump—"
"Thump thump—"
"Wah..."
Liang Xi let out a sob, then asked, "Qingqing, what should I do? Qingqing is ignoring me."
Hearing this, Tong Yang clenched her jaw.
Sure enough, besides Liang Xi, the Yan Qing from the parallel world was also outside the door.
"Xixi, I told you long ago, I'm the only one who considers you a true friend. No matter what you become, I will never be disgusted by you."
A voice identical to Yan Qing's in tone and manner spoke up outside the door.
"Xixi, you and I are best friends. No matter what happens, I will always stay by your side. Didn't we promise that since we were little?"
"Mmm... Qingqing is right..."
"Let's kill her, okay?"
"Okay... kill her... as long as Qingqing is here..."
"Xixi, can you squeeze through the door crack and open the door?"
"I can... if Qingqing needs me to..."
"...Damn!" Xu Junyue couldn't hold back any longer, cursing.
"They're not planning to have that pile of meat sludge squeeze through the crack, are they? Isn't that disgusting?"
"Tong Yang... how much longer until you get here... I'm so scared..."
Tong Yang's eyes turned dark. "Go out," she said.
"Wha-what?"
Yan Qing and the three in the car were stunned simultaneously, asking in disbelief.
"Her upper body isn't fully healed. If she squeezes through the crack, she won't have any ability to fight back. This is your only chance."
Hearing the words "only chance," Yan Qing shuddered all over. "Wha-what should I do?"
"Your bedroom window overlooks the artificial fountain pool. Throw her body out the window."
"Gag—"
Police Officer Wan retched dryly. Police Officer Lin and Xu Junyue also had their faces turn pale.
"I don't dare... Tong Yang..."
"Then just wait to die."
"Tong Yang..."
"Qingqing, where are you..."
Tong Yang said sharply, "Hurry up!"
"Wah..."
Despite the intense resistance and fear in her heart, Yan Qing still opened the wardrobe door and stepped out.
"Qingqing..."
With tear-streaked cheeks, Yan Qing walked to the door. The phone camera was aimed at the door crack, where some pale, fleshy substance was squeezing in from underneath, wriggling constantly.
"Gag—"
The image on the screen made even Tong Yang feel somewhat uneasy.
"Qingqing... you finally came out..."
"Now!"
Yan Qing clenched her jaw, wrapped her hand in clothing, grabbed a handful of the substance, quickly ran to the window, opened it, and threw it out.
"Qingqing?"
"Qingqing... what are you doing..."
"Ah! My body! My body! Where did you throw my body?"
Liang Xi's voice instantly became hysterical.
"My body... my body..."
The method seemed to work on Liang Xi. Yan Qing overcame her psychological barrier, immediately returned to the door, grabbed another piece through the clothing, and threw it out the window. It landed with a "plop" in the fountain.
Fortunately, there was no one near the fountain to witness this.
"Ah!!"
"My body!"
The human tissue that had squeezed through the crack frantically retracted, terrified that Yan Qing might throw more of it out.
Hearing her frightened voice, Yan Qing finally felt a sense of triumphant satisfaction. She stomped on it hard a couple of times, cursing, "Idiot! Serves you right for scaring me! Serves you right! I'll stomp you to death!"
"Qingqing!"
"Xixi, don't be afraid. She's bullying you. I'll help you kill her."
"Kill her! Kill her! Hurry up and help me kill her!"
"My body... what about my body..."
"It's okay, I'll pick it up for you and put you back together. It's fine."
"Wah... Qingqing... we're best friends..."
"This trick really worked?" Xu Junyue said in surprise.
"It's just a bit disgusting..." Police Officer Wan looked ashen, and the way he looked at Tong Yang was as if he'd seen a ghost.
Xu Junyue said, "Tong Yang, I've discovered you're truly a freak."
"What decent person could come up with such a disgusting method."
Tong Yang glanced at her, pretending not to hear.
However, it was indeed a bit disgusting. If it were her, she'd probably just open the door, finish off "Yan Qing()", then call the police and let others deal with Liang Xi.
"Tong Yang, it suddenly went quiet outside," Yan Qing whispered.
"Don't let your guard down."
"I know!"
Everyone held their breath, listening intently to the sounds from the other end of the phone.
There was no sound from outside the door for a long time. It was unclear if the two had left.
"Can you slide the phone out through the door crack?" Tong Yang said.
"Yes." Yan Qing nodded, switched the camera to the rear-facing one, placed the screen against the floor, and carefully pushed it out.
Suddenly, she felt resistance, as if it had bumped into something.
"Tong Yang... it won't go any further..." Yan Qing said.
By now, the rear camera was already outside the room.
Tong Yang stared at what was on the screen, her breath catching.
"What?" Police Officer Lin, sitting beside her, looked over curiously.
In the dark, grainy image, a single eyeball dangled in mid-air. Around it were things resembling a nose and lips, though most were mashed together with the fleshy pulp, forming a grotesque, abstract face.
Police Officer Lin gasped, drawing in a sharp breath.
"Tong Yang, is there something outside?"
Tong Yang hummed in affirmation, her tone relatively calm. "Pull the phone back. They haven't left yet."
"Oh..."
"Qingqing?"
Suddenly, Aunt Liu's voice rang out not far away.
Tong Yang frowned tightly. This was bad.
"Aunt Liu is back! Tong Yang, what do I do? They won't hurt Aunt Liu, will they?" Yan Qing's voice became panicked.
"Ah, Aunt Liu, you're back?"
The voice of the parallel world's Yan Qing came through.
Yan Qing didn't dare make a sound, worried that if her parallel self's cover was blown, Aunt Liu might be in danger.
Aunt Liu said, "Yes."
"Is that Liang Xi? What is she doing lying on the floor?" Aunt Liu asked, puzzled.
The parallel world's Yan Qing didn't seem to intend to harm Aunt Liu. She laughed and said, "She's looking for something on the floor."
"Aunt Liu, could you go downstairs and buy something for me?"
"What is it? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"We'd like some fruit. Sorry to trouble you."
"Alright, what fruit do you want?"
"Pineapple? Xixi likes pineapple."
Aunt Liu didn't seem to notice anything amiss. The sound of her footsteps gradually faded away.
Yan Qing and the people in the car let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the parallel world's Yan Qing had no immediate plans to harm anyone else.
"...The police are here? Why would the police come?"
"Xixi, why don't you go hide in the kitchen for a bit? The police officers will just get in the way."
"Qingqing... okay..."
"Qingqing, be a good girl, don't make a sound, you know I can't die, but they might."
The Yan Qing from the parallel world knocked on the bedroom door and said to the real-world Yan Qing.
Yan Qing, utterly distraught, said, "Sister Tong Yang... what do we do? The police are here!"
Tong Yang pressed her lips into a tight line. The parallel world Yan Qing was right; she had taken the gene serum and wouldn't die, and she had plenty of chances to escape. The unsuspecting police officers, however, had no room for error.
"We should be at Half Moon Villa in a few minutes. If you can hold on that long, listen to her and don't make a sound."
Yan Qing asked, "I... I'll try to hold on a bit longer..."
"We received a report of a possible danger here. What's going on?"
A strange man's voice sounded not far away.
Xu Junyue froze in surprise. "Old Xu?"
"Sorry, I thought there was a burglar in my house earlier."
"Is that so?"
"Mhm. May I ask who called the police? I didn't."
Officer Xu said, "Your friend did. Please step aside. We'll just do a routine check. If everything's fine, we'll leave."
"Do you have to check?"
The parallel world Yan Qing's voice grew a few degrees colder.
"Mhm..."
Before Officer Xu could finish his sentence, his phone suddenly rang.
"Excuse me."
He casually hung up the call.
In the car, Xu Junyue looked at the disconnected call and cursed, "You old bastard."
"We'll just check and then be on our way..."
The phone rang again, cutting Officer Xu off.
"Officer, it might be something urgent. You should answer it."
"My apologies."
Finally, the call was answered.
Another officer who had come along walked past "Yan Qing" and glanced into the living room, noticing an unidentified wet stain on the floor. "What's with the water on the floor?"
"I was just about to mop it."
The officer said, "You haven't even changed your shoes."
"It's my own home. I'll change if I feel like it. Is there a problem, Officer?"
The young officer was taken aback. "No, it's fine."
"Spit it out." Officer Xu answered the phone, his tone impatient.
"Old Xu, listen to me. Police Officer Lin and I will be there in about five minutes. Try to buy us some time."
"Get to the point."
Xu Junyue took a deep breath, silently cursing again. "The person you're seeing isn't Yan Qing. If you don't believe me, listen."
"Officer! I'm in the bedroom! The person outside isn't me..." Yan Qing's voice, lowered and mixed with static, came through.
Officer Xu remained expressionless. "And then? What mischief are you up to now?"
"Mischief my ass!"
Police Officer Lin continued, "Officer Xu, the person in front of you is dangerous. Try not to anger her. Stall for time. We're almost there."
"Alright, hanging up."
With that, Officer Xu cleanly ended the call.
"Really nothing wrong at home?" Officer Xu turned around and asked nonchalantly.
"Officer, really, nothing's wrong!"
"Are your parents home?"
"They're at work."
"What about the auntie?"
"Aunt Liu went downstairs to buy groceries. She just left, took the other elevator."
"Officer, if there's nothing else, you can go back. Sorry for the trouble. I need to go back to my room to do my homework."
Officer Xu said, "Since we're here today, let's talk about what happened last time."
"What happened last time?"
"The incident where you jumped off the building. Forgot?"
"No, Officer. It's been so long, how do you still remember? Don't worry, I won't do anything that stupid again."
"You know it was stupid? Your parents get divorced and you try to kill yourself? You're not a child anymore. How can you be so immature?"
"I know I was wrong! Didn't you already lecture me? I won't do it again. I'll cherish my life!"
"Officer, I really need to do my homework now!"
"Qingqing..."
Just then, Liang Xi, hiding in the kitchen, called out uneasily.
"Qingqing, where are you..."
Officer Xu saw the "Yan Qing" in front of him change expression slightly, her smile fading. She asked, "Officer, if you don't want to leave, would you like to come in and sit for a while?"
Officer Xu stared at her for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No need. Since you have a friend here, we'll take our leave."
"Okay, please take care."
The security door to the living room clicked shut.
Yan Qing hid by the door and whispered, "The police left. Are you here yet?"
"The police didn't leave; they're in the elevator lobby. We're at the entrance to the residential complex," Tong Yang said.
Hearing this, Yan Qing let out a heavy sigh of relief. "That's good."
"Qingqing... help me up, please..."
"Qingqing... what do we do..."
"It's fine. If anyone else comes looking, I'll just kill them directly. They'll all die anyway."
"What... what do you want? Liang Xi, what's wrong with you?" Yan Qing mustered her courage and shouted at the person outside the door.
"Qingqing? Qingqing?"
"Qingqing... it hurts so much... Mom hit me... wu wu..."
"Qingqing, open the door, please? I feel awful, really awful..."
"Can you give my body back? I... I won't blame you..."
"You're lying! You want to kill me!" Yan Qing shouted angrily.
"No, no... I don't want to kill you..." Liang Xi's tone became somewhat anxious.
"The person with you wants to kill me! And wants to replace me!"
"No, that's not it... listen to me..."
"She's my friend... you're my friend too... I have nowhere to go... please help me, help me, okay..."
"How do you want me to help you?"
"Let me stay here. You'll help me, right?"
"Then make her leave!"
"Her? Qingqing, I can't. She won't leave me."
Just then, Tong Yang's voice came through the earpiece.
"We're at the door."
Yan Qing's face lit up with joy, and then she started yelling, "Bullshit!"
"You're not Liang Xi!"
"You monster! So ugly! I would never help you!"
"Monster! Monster!"
"Ah! I'm not! I'm not a monster! Qingqing! You can't say that about me! You can't treat me like this!"
The parallel world Yan Qing soothed, "Xixi, didn't I tell you? No matter which world we're in, we are each other's only friend. And only I will treat you as a true friend, no matter what you become."
"Xixi, do you understand now?"
"Wu wu... I'm not a monster... I'm not a monster..."
"Xixi, you're not a monster. You're still as beautiful as before."
"Qingqing, I'm so sad, so sad! Why? Why? Why is it only me who became like this..."
"It's okay. Shall I help you kill her?"
"Kill her... kill her..."
"I want to make them become like me!"
"Okay, I'll make her become like you."
"Knock knock—"
"Who is it now! Who is it! Kill them! Kill them!"
"Kill everyone!"
"Why is it only me who became like this? What did I do wrong?!"
The parallel world Yan Qing responded gently, "Alright, I'll go kill them."
"Yan Qing" gently stroked Liang Xi's cheek, even though her original features were now barely discernible, the touch carried a hint of solace.
A moment later, she stood up, walked to the coffee table, picked up a fruit knife from the fruit bowl, hid it behind her back, and stood before the door.
"Who is it?"
"Hello, gas meter inspection."
"Yan Qing" leaned close to the door, peering through the peephole. It might have been broken, as all she saw was pitch black.
But what did it matter? She was going to kill them anyway.
"Click—"
The lock turned, and she slowly pulled the door open.
"Please come in... Hrk!"
Before she could clearly see the person outside, a swift gust of wind rushed at her face. An icy cold sensation touched her throat, followed immediately by the "drip, drip" of thick droplets rolling onto the floor.
"Yan Qing" stared blankly ahead. A pair of eyes, fierce and predatory like a wolf or tiger, glinted with a cold, venomous light, fixed unwaveringly on her.
"Hrk..."
"Yan Qing" clutched her neck and stumbled back two steps. The fruit knife clattered to the floor. She seemed to have touched something strange. Looking down, she saw a blood-stained dagger embedded in her throat.
"Wh-why..."
She seemed to want to say something, but the blood gushing forth like a spring prevented her from forming a complete sentence.
"Thud—"
Tong Yang lifted a foot and kicked her, sending her flying to the ground.
"Yan Qing" glared wide-eyed, her expression a mix of confusion and boundless hatred.
"Qingqing... Qingqing..." Liang Xi's voice echoed in the hallway. Everyone turned to look. A humanoid shape was crawling on the floor, leaving a trail of wet stains, its upper body a horrifying, mutilated mess, wriggling and dragging itself forward.
"Qingqing... Qingqing..."
"Whoa! This thing... 'Mystery Science' would have to film at least five episodes on it!" Xu Junyue exclaimed in awe.
"I'm fine."
"Yan Qing" yanked the dagger from her neck. The wound healed at a visible rate, and she was already able to speak.
She gripped the dagger tightly, her face dark, eyes glaring venomously at Tong Yang, pupils nearly splitting with rage.
"Tong Yang, you really deserve to die!"
Police Officer Lin avoided Liang Xi's body on the floor, walked to the door of Yan Qing's bedroom, knocked, and said, "We're here. Don't open the door yet."
"Oh..."
Tong Yang looked at her coldly. "You're the one who deserves to die."
"Yan Qing" let out a cold laugh.
"So? Was District One fun? I'm very curious how you all managed to get out of District One."
Facing the hostile group, she showed not a trace of panic, instead appearing completely at ease.
"You guess?" Tong Yang walked over to Liang Xi and lifted her shattered body. "Why don't you tell me first, why did she end up like this?"
"T-Tong laoshi... You're here?"
"I really like your face... Qingqing said she'd peel it off and give it to me later... I'm so looking forward to it..."
Tong Yang looked at her writhing body, her expression unchanged. "You want my face? Do you think you're worthy?"
"Before entering District One, you deliberately brought up 'Yan Qing' with me, didn't you?"
"Yes, I would help Qingqing..."
"Thwack—"
Tong Yang picked up the fruit knife from the floor and plunged it into her body.
"Ah! It hurts! It hurts so much!"
She began shrieking hysterically.
"Tong Yang, I will definitely kill you, you damn beast!" the girl gritted her teeth and cursed.
Tong Yang scoffed. "How do you plan to kill me? Aside from your body constantly regenerating, what advantage do you have?"
Tong Yang slowly approached her. The person with the time-loop ability couldn't be Liang Xi, so it had to be "Yan Qing."
She wanted to know the conditions, the trigger, and the anchor point of the other's loops.
Tong Yang pulled another knife from her backpack and said with a smile, "I know you can heal your body an unlimited number of times. But if I chop your body into little pieces bit by bit, skewer them separately on bamboo sticks, can you still heal then?"
"Yan Qing" chuckled softly and said, "Tong Yang jie, sometimes I wonder, do you really come from the Shadow World? Perhaps you should join the Main World instead."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Don't you think you're so cruel you're hardly even human?"
Tong Yang said, "Yan Qing, what's the difference between the parallel world and the real world? Weren't you all like this from the start?"
"Weren't you? You're a born demon! You're more terrifying than those bone-devouring upper echelons of the Main World!"
Tong Yang's gaze darkened. After a long moment, she smiled sarcastically.
"Before May 18th, I was just an ordinary student. I saw the college entrance exam as the only hope in my life. I never thought about breaking the law, never thought about killing. The most malicious thing I ever did was not call for help when a disgusting old man died suddenly."
"Was I like this from the start?"
"Maybe you were."
"If it weren't for you trying to kill me, if it weren't for someone who looked exactly like my damn mother trying to kill me, I should have finished my exams and lived the peaceful life I wanted."
Tong Yang walked up to her and raised the knife in her hand high.
"Yan Qing" seemed to finally react, turning to run towards the door, but Tong Yang grabbed her by the hair, yanked her back, and viciously drove the knife into her neck.
"You know what?"
"Some things are like Pandora's box. Once opened, they can never be closed again."
"Knowing you want my life, should I have just whimpered and begged you not to kill me?"
"Ah..."
Tong Yang hadn't forgotten the suffering she endured because of her.
In her eyes, these things weren't human, just invasive species from another world.
She stabbed, each blow more vicious than the last, blood splattering everywhere.
The police officers beside Officer Wan and Officer Xu watched, stunned.
"This..."
"Killing someone in front of the police... this person's got some nerve, right?"
Police Officer Lin shook his head. "She's not human."
Officer Xu didn't fully understand what was happening, but his reaction wasn't as strong as his younger colleague's. He said to the young officer, "Go downstairs and keep watch. Don't let Aunt Liu come up."
"...Understood."
"What's going on?" Officer Xu shot a glance at Xu Junyue.
Xu Junyue shrugged. "I told you parallel worlds exist. You didn't believe me."
"I'll deal with you when we get back!"
"Who's to blame for not believing?"
"It seems in the parallel world, you're just a lowly person too." Tong Yang's expression was terrifyingly calm. "Aside from your body regenerating, what use are you?"
She had opened over a dozen wounds on "Yan Qing's" body. Blood gushed out, pooling on the floor.
What is human fear born from? Tong Yang had pondered this for a long time.
—The unknown.
The greatest harm supernatural entities and spirits inflict upon humans is fear.
Once you tear away their mysterious veil, confront them bare-handed, trample them, you realize the actual harm they can inflict isn't that great.
It's just that when faced with fearful things, humans instinctively choose to flee.
Tong Yang fled once, and ended up dead at the hands of the parallel world.
But once she chose to confront and resist, these things that seemed terrifying and incomprehensible to ordinary people proved to be just as fragile as humans.
"Fight back."
"Aren't you going to kill me?"
Tong Yang grabbed her hair, looking at the wounds pulsing on her body like fish lips, and whispered lowly in her ear, "Or, will you loop one more time? Hide away obediently? Don't let me find you?"
Hearing this, "Yan Qing" shuddered all over, her eyes wide with fury, staring at Tong Yang in disbelief.
"You... you..."
The corner of Tong Yang's mouth lifted. "No matter how many times you loop, if you can't kill me, I will be like this now, cutting off your head, over and over, torturing you, over and over, making you wish you were dead."
Her voice was like a demon's whisper, a cruel nail piercing "Yan Qing's" body from head to toe.
"Yan Qing's" pupils constricted sharply. Looking at the face so close to hers, she felt the fear emanating from the depths of her heart.
Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes, smearing the blood on her face.
"Wah..."
She managed to let out a choked sob, her eyes filled with terror.
No matter which world she came from, she had only lived for fifteen years.
Unlike bloody and disgusting things, the fear Tong Yang instilled in her was a signal from the very depths of her heart, a primal sensation.
Like being naked on a snowfield, encountering a beast skilled in hunting.
"Wah..."
Tong Yang held the knife tip suspended above her head, grabbed her hair as if lifting a leather ball, and said, "If you can't die, deep unconsciousness will send you into the loop, right?"
"Yan Qing" looked at her weakly, unable to make a sound in her throat.
"Come on, let me see how long you can keep looping."
As the words fell, the knife tip simultaneously plunged into "Yan Qing's" brain.
With her brain nerves damaged, "Yan Qing's" body convulsed uncontrollably, gradually losing consciousness.
Tong Yang let go and stood up from the floor.
"Tsk tsk." Xu Junyue shook her head and sighed. "Boss, you really don't seem human."
Tong Yang shot her a glare.
"There are several police officers standing right here. You really aren't afraid of getting arrested."
Tong Yang said, "You should cherish the present moment. In a little while, you might not remember any of this."
"I don't believe it!"
"Believe it or not, I don't care."
"Her body is disappearing! Is she going to die?" Xu Junyue pointed at the bloody, mangled thing on the floor, exclaiming in astonishment.
Following that, the bloodstains on Tong Yang and the floor also began to vanish.
Tong Yang glanced at Liang Xi on the floor and said, "Liang Xi isn't dead, so how could she die?"
Police Officer Lin asked, "Will all of our memories disappear?"
"To be precise, not disappear, but be replaced by some vague memories."
Before long, "Yan Qing's" body completely disappeared.
Police Officer Wan exclaimed, "Her body is disappearing too!"
"What do we do?"
"Can't stop it."
Tong Yang knew "Yan Qing" would definitely enter the loop. Since they were not within the loop, time wouldn't roll back; only the changes caused by "Yan Qing" after entering the loop would lead to the refilling of others' memories.
Watching Liang Xi's gradually disappearing body, Tong Yang narrowed her eyes, turned around, picked up an apple, and expressionlessly took a bite of the flesh while observing the reactions of the others.
The point where their memories changed was roughly the time of "Yan Qing's" current loop.
"You can still eat at a time like this..."
At the same time, Tong Yang was watching the changes in their expressions.
In an instant, their expressions became somewhat dazed.
The water stain left by Liang Xi on the floor had also vanished without a trace.
"Tong Yang..."
Tong Yang took another bite of the apple and asked, "What do you all remember?"
"What?" Police Officer Lin looked confused.
Xu Junyue said, "Weren't we all coming to find Yan Qing together?"
"And then?"
"And then? Yan Qing said Liang Xi sent her a message? That seems to be it."
Police Officer Lin and the others in the room looked at each other, puzzled.
"Liang Xi and the parallel world Yan Qing weren't here?"
"Something feels off to me..."
Officer Xu glanced at the others.
Tong Yang understood. The loop time for "Yan Qing" was within half an hour. The time from Yan Qing receiving Liang Xi's message to them arriving at Half Moon Villa was roughly half an hour.
This time, "Yan Qing" and Liang Xi did not enter Yan Qing's home.
Moreover, the previous "Yan Qing" loop time was about seven days, looping back from today to September 17th. I wonder what the specific conditions are.
Tong Yang walked to the room door and knocked. "Come out."
Yan Qing carefully opened the door, peeked out through the crack, and called, "Sister Tong Yang..."
"Give me your phone."
"Oh..."
Yan Qing handed her the phone and asked curiously, "Did you find Xi Xi?"
Tong Yang didn't answer. She opened the social app and found the chat dialog with Liang Xi.
Nearly thirty minutes ago, Yan Qing had replied that she wasn't home, and there was no reply from the other side.
The loop time was within thirty minutes. With a Liang Xi who lacked free mobility, they couldn't have run far.
Tong Yang not only wanted to control them to prevent the future car accident but also wanted to figure out the secret of the loop on "Yan Qing."
Can't let them get away.
Immediately, she called Ye Huai again, with the same purpose as before.
"They are moving. Their current location is probably near the mall in the First District where we entered."
Tong Yang asked, "Are you busy now?"
"Moderately. You're the creditor, your matters take priority."
"Then don't hang up. I need to know their real-time location."
"Okay."
"Let's go." Tong Yang turned and said to the others.
"Sister Tong Yang, what about me?" Yan Qing pointed at herself, looking uneasy.
"You're safe for now. I'm borrowing your phone."
"Ah..."
Tong Yang wasted no more words on her and quickly gave chase.
Such a good opportunity, she must not miss it.
Trying to run now? It's already too late!
"Boss, where are we going?"
"After them."
"You know where they are?"
"Yes."
Taking the elevator back to the first floor, Aunt Liu had already returned with her shopping and was being stopped by a young police officer on the way.
Officer Xu said, "It's fine now, Sister Liu, you can go up."
"That's good. I just went down to buy some fruit, why wouldn't they let me go back! Gave me quite a fright!"
"Sorry."
In the earpiece, the sound of rustling paper occasionally came from Ye Huai's side.
"The location is still moving forward," Ye Huai said.
"Okay."
At the same time, Tong Yang opened Yan Qing's phone and sent a message to Liang Xi:
[Yan Qing, why are you running?]!
