"Have you all lost your minds?"
The faces around the table were grave as they watched the two people standing in confrontation.
"Can't we talk this out calmly? Is this really necessary?"
"Jingjing, calm down! Don't you understand Xu Junyue's temper?"
"You're all insane! Do we really have to be so hostile when we've finally managed to meet up?"
Tong Yang rested her chin on her hand, watching the two with a faint look in her eyes.
She was curious about He Jingjing's purpose in doing this.
If it was just about the death of He Jingjing (Sister), something she couldn't move past, unable to accept the fact that everyone's time moved forward except for He Jingjing (Sister), then Tong Yang had nothing to say and wouldn't spare her any consideration.
Xu Junyue said impatiently, "Enough nonsense. Aren't we playing a game? I'm not someone who can't handle it."
He Jingjing curled her lips into a cold smile. "Right, Xu Junyue, you can handle anything. Someone as heartless as you would never back down from a game."
"Cut the crap. Let's go."
He Jingjing lowered her gaze, looked at her own hand, raised the scissors, and stabbed down fiercely.
"Jingjing!"
"Clang!"
The scissors grazed He Jingjing's fingers and plunged deep into the wooden table.
She let go of the scissors and looked at everyone with a half-smile. "Why so nervous? It's just a game."
The others subtly let out a sigh of relief, but Xu Junyue's face darkened.
"You're looking down on me?"
He Jingjing sneered, "Not at all. I just don't want to get hurt."
Tong Yang lifted her eyes to look at her and said, "Xu Junyue, what are you waiting for?"
Xu Junyue's expression was ugly as she forcefully stabbed the scissors into the wooden table, the blade sinking almost halfway in.
"Continue." He Jingjing spun the pointer. The others looked grim, the atmosphere heavy and tense.
Without He Jingjing (Sister), things could never truly go back to how they were before.
But whose fault was it, really?
Who should bear the blame?
They had no way of knowing.
It was just that facing this version of He Jingjing, they couldn't bring themselves to call it off.
If they couldn't resolve the conflict between them thoroughly tonight, the next time they met, they might only be enemies.
Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu couldn't pretend to be outsiders either.
Finally, the golden pointer stopped in front of Tong Yang.
She silently drank the beverage in her cup and said, "Truth."
He Jingjing asked, "If the person who fell back then wasn't Jingjing (Sister), but someone else—Chu Shiyu, or Xu Junyue, or anyone else—would you have used the time loop to save them?"
"Jingjing, that kind of question..." Chu Shiyu frowned, trying to interrupt her.
Xu Junyue asked, "He Jingjing, have you lost your mind? Why should she save us? And die once herself first? Whether she saves us or not, what does it have to do with us?"
"I just want to know the answer." He Jingjing remained unmoved.
Tong Yang lowered her eyelashes. The warm yellow light from above shone on her face. After a long silence, she nodded slightly. "Yes."
In that situation, no matter who it was, she would have saved them.
Only for He Jingjing (Sister), she wouldn't.
He Jingjing looked at her, her eyes gradually reddening. "You would save me?"
"Mhm."
"You would save Chu Shiyu?"
"Mhm."
"You would save Xu Junyue?"
"Mhm."
"You would save Tao Bai?"
"Mhm."
"You would save Hu Shuo and Zhou Jingyun?"
Tong Yang looked up at her, her gaze calm, her tone firm. "Mhm. I would save them."
"Why? Why would you save everyone else, but just refuse to save Jingjing (Sister)?"
Tong Yang said, "Because she was from a parallel world."
After a pause of two seconds, she continued, "And also because... she couldn't be saved."
He Jingjing withdrew her gaze, her expression gradually closing off. "Continue."
She spun the pointer again. Whether intentional or coincidental, the pointer stopped in front of Tong Yang once more.
"Truth." Tong Yang drank another cup of beverage and said.
"I'll ask." Xu Junyue said.
He Jingjing glanced at her. "Suit yourself."
The atmosphere was too heavy. Everyone focused their gaze on Xu Junyue, wondering what she wanted to ask Tong Yang, likely something related to Jingjing (Sister) or the parallel world.
Despite what had just happened, Xu Junyue's face was still grim as she asked, "Tong Yang, answer this question honestly."
It was rare for Xu Junyue to be this serious. Tong Yang guessed it might be related to how she knew about future events.
Tong Yang thought for a moment and said, "If it's something I can answer."
If it was related to the gossip group, Tong Yang naturally wouldn't answer, not in front of so many people.
Xu Junyue said solemnly, "Are you actually interested in President Ye or not?"
Tong Yang was taken aback: "?"
The others: "?"
"Are you crazy?" Hu Shuo shot her a glare. "What kind of stupid question are you asking at a time like this?"
Xu Junyue said innocently, "I really want to know."
"Pfft—" Chu Shiyu covered her face and laughed. "Actually, I'm quite curious too."
Tong Yang sighed helplessly. "Xu Junyue, you never fail to disappoint."
"Come on, tell us! No lying!"
Everyone's curiosity was piqued, their eyes fixed on her.
Tong Yang said, "I am interested in him, but probably not in the way you all think."
"I knew it!"
"See! You're just after his looks!"
Tong Yang rolled her eyes at her. "I said it's not what you think."
"How is it different?"
"Even if it's different now, it'll end up that way eventually."
"Enough chatter. Continue."
"Let's go!"
Xu Junyue spun the pointer. This time, it stopped in front of He Jingjing.
He Jingjing drank the wine in her cup and said, "Truth."
Tao Bai asked, "What is your most genuine thought at this very moment?"
Compared to Xu Junyue's erratic train of thought, the others were still focused on resolving the conflict.
He Jingjing kept her eyes downcast, her emotions unreadable. "You all can't see Jingjing (Sister). She looks so pitiful."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's faces froze simultaneously.
"Wha... what?"
"Hey... He Jingjing, don't say such creepy things in the middle of the night!"
"Jingjing, Jingjing (Sister)... she's already gone."
Tong Yang, however, furrowed her brows slightly, her expression growing more serious.
He Jingjing didn't acknowledge their reactions. "I answered your question. Let's continue."
Tong Yang spun the pointer. The golden pointer rotated continuously on the wheel before stopping in front of He Jingjing once more.
She finished the wine in her cup expressionlessly and said, "Dare."
A subtle light flickered in Tong Yang's eyes. She had wanted to seize the chance to ask about the meaning of He Jingjing's previous statement, but He Jingjing wasn't giving her the opportunity.
"...What kind of dare?"
Everyone exchanged glances, hesitant and uncertain.
He Jingjing said with a smile, "If you can't think of anything, we'll just have to skip it."
After He Jingjing's shocking statement in the last round, they all wanted a dare related to it.
A long silence fell. The sound of oil from the meat on the grill dripping onto the charcoal hissed.
"Have a conversation with the He Jingjing (Sister) you can see." Tong Yang uttered earth-shattering words.
Instantly, gasps were heard around.
The cold night wind rustled. The warmth everyone had finally built up vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling sensation as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.
He Jingjing wore a strange smile on her face. "Alright."
She turned her head to look at the empty seat to her right and said, "Jingjing, it seems everyone still remembers you."
The wind howled in their ears, and a dense, creeping chill invaded their bodies.
A deathly silence filled the barbecue table.
"Heh..."
A clear, crisp laugh rang out in the void.
Everyone shuddered, looking at He Jingjing with disbelief.
"Sister... I'm so happy..."
A girl's voice, fragmented and intermittent, sounded.
Their faces turned ashen, eyes filled with terror.
"Jingjing?"
"That's Jingjing's voice? How could it be..."
Tong Yang's frown deepened. Based on what was known from "Yan Qing" and Meng Xiao, people from the parallel world were affected by the magnetic field. Ordinary people who betrayed the parallel world would undoubtedly die, and there was no doubt He Jingjing(Sister) knew this too.
Moreover, falling from such a great height, there was almost no chance of survival. So why...
A ghost? Could there really be ghosts in this world?
"Sister..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I've missed you so much..."
"Me too."
Amidst the intermittent voice that seemed wrapped in the wind, Tong Yang keenly detected a faint crackle of static.
"Is that a phone?" Tong Yang asked.
Hearing this, the others snapped back to reality somewhat.
Compared to supernatural imaginings, they preferred to believe that He Jingjing(Sister) was not dead, but was contacting He Jingjing from a distant place.
"You really are clever," He Jingjing said with an ambiguous tone, flipping over the phone that had been face-down on the stool. The screen clearly showed an ongoing call interface.
Tong Yang lowered her gaze slightly. "So you want to say that He Jingjing(Sister) isn't dead?"
"Yes, Jingjing isn't dead. It's just that, for some reason, she can't return to our side."
Tong Yang raised her eyes to look at her. "What reason?"
He Jingjing smiled and said, "You, of course."
"Me?"
"As long as you're gone, Jingjing can return smoothly."
Chu Shiyu and Xu Junyue understood her meaning, their expressions momentarily complex.
Chu Shiyu said, "Jingjing, do you really believe Jingjing isn't dead?"
"Otherwise? Who do you think is on the other end of the phone?"
Tong Yang stirred her glass and said, "Let's continue."
"I'll do it."
He Jingjing spun the pointer, and the golden pointer indeed stopped in front of Tong Yang.
"Truth."
"This is your last chance to choose truth. Next time, you'll have to choose dare."
Tong Yang had chosen truth three times in a row. According to the game rules, the fourth time the pointer landed on her, she could only choose dare.
"Mhm." Tong Yang nodded.
He Jingjing asked, "You acted so decisively against people from the parallel world. So, would you kill someone from the real world?"
The deeper meaning in this question required no deep thought from Tong Yang.
He Jingjing knew she was the temporal anchor point. With her here, He Jingjing(Sister) couldn't return. Therefore, He Jingjing might directly target Tong Yang.
In a direct confrontation, He Jingjing was no match for her.
Tong Yang said, "In a case of self-defense, of course I would act."
If He Jingjing tried to kill her, and Tong Yang acted in self-defense, even if she accidentally killed He Jingjing, it wouldn't matter.
He Jingjing let out an ambiguous laugh. "Continue."
She spun the pointer, watching the golden needle rotate on the wheel. Tong Yang mentally prepared herself to accept a dare.
However, the pointer finally stopped in front of Zhou Jingyun.
He Jingjing smiled, her eyes curving, and reminded him, "Zhou Jingyun, you've also chosen truth three times. This time, you can only choose dare."
Zhou Jingyun's face turned pale. He drained his glass of wine. "Go ahead, tell me what you want me to do."
Tong Yang glanced at the time. It was already 1 a.m. on November 24th.
Tong Yang had a bad feeling and was about to speak when He Jingjing already opened her mouth.
"Jump from here," He Jingjing said.
"What?"
"Jingjing, are you joking? He can't swim, he's been drinking, and the river is so dark—someone could die!" Hu Shuo frowned.
Chu Shiyu said, "There's no need for that. Think of another one."
"No." He Jingjing refused categorically. "Zhou Jingyun, can't you handle the game?"
Zhou Jingyun's face was pale, his expression wooden. "I..."
"Didn't you like Jingjing? Aren't you willing to die with her?"
Tong Yang's face darkened. In the future news, Zhou Jingyun died by accidentally falling into the water. This had already happened in the original timeline, unlike the incident at Xili Mall on August 12th.
The people in the gossip chat group hadn't known about the Xili Mall news beforehand; it was very likely a change caused by the butterfly effect.
In the original timeline, Zhou Jingyun's accidental drowning might have been related to He Jingjing(Sister).
Now, with He Jingjing(Sister)'s fate unknown, the person causing his death had become He Jingjing, and it was no longer an accidental drowning.
Perhaps because of Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu's involvement, the situation had changed.
In the original timeline, their paths shouldn't have crossed.
"Jingjing, don't go too far. We're here today to celebrate Jingyun's birthday," Tao Bai said somberly.
"No, wait a second." Xu Junyue interrupted them seriously. "Since when did I not know you liked He Jingjing(Sister)? You kept that pretty well hidden."
Everyone: "..."
Xu Junyue looked at He Jingjing and said, "Are you sick? Didn't you say He Jingjing(Sister) isn't dead? What's this? Wanting him to commit love suicide in advance?"
Xu Junyue patted Tong Yang's shoulder and continued, "Since she's not dead, what's with the passive-aggressive act all night? Our boss already knows how to travel to the parallel world. At worst, we can just go bring her back."
"Really?"
"Tong Yang, you have a way? Without needing someone from the parallel world?"
Everyone's faces lit up with hope.
"Then let's go bring Jingjing back!"
"Anyway, she's already betrayed the parallel world!"
"How do we do it?"
Tong Yang looked up at them, unsure if these people were overly optimistic or had drunk too much and lost their senses.
If He Jingjing(Sister) were really alive and He Jingjing wanted to bring her back to the real world, the first thing she should do is kill Tong Yang, not reveal her purpose through a game of Truth or Dare.
When she laid her purpose out in the open, it was no longer her true purpose.
Chu Shiyu said, "Calm down, everyone. Jingjing, she..."
She hesitated, unable to continue. Although there was no concrete evidence and they had heard He Jingjing(Sister)'s voice from the phone, she felt the chance of the other girl still being alive was very small.
Compared to their delight, He Jingjing's expression became flat, showing no joy at Xu Junyue's words.
"Zhou Jingyun, will you jump or not?" He Jingjing stared fixedly at him. "If you can't handle the game, our gathering ends tonight."
Tong Yang tightened her grip on her glass. Thinking carefully, He Jingjing had almost been guiding them to uncover her secrets. She wasn't fixated on bringing He Jingjing(Sister) back. Or rather, she knew the person on the other end of the phone wasn't He Jingjing(Sister).
Who helped her contact He Jingjing(Sister)? Who was the person on the other end of the phone?
What was her real purpose in all this?
Or rather... what did she want to tell Tong Yang?
—The gathering must not end.
An intuition told Tong Yang that the drinking game couldn't end like this.
The others seemed to understand Tong Yang's expression, or perhaps their own thoughts aligned with Tong Yang's.
—The drinking game must not end now.
The reason wasn't clear, but it absolutely could not end like this.
"As long as I jump down, that's it?" Zhou Jingyun took a deep breath and asked.
He Jingjing said, "Yes."
Tong Yang didn't stop him. Instead, she asked the others, "Can you swim?"
"I can."
"I can a little too."
Tong Yang said, "There are lifebuoys over there. You two go into the water first and wait for him. If you die, I'll loop once."
If they died, as long as Tong Yang entered the loop within ten minutes of their deaths, she could return to ten minutes before her own death. By controlling this window of time, the others could be passively pulled into the loop.
Tong Yang sat up straight, her eyes fixed intently on He Jingjing.
He Jingjing might be hiding some secret related to parallel worlds.
Fortunately, apart from Zhou Jingyun, the other two boys could swim. They took off their jackets, leaving only their underclothes, and entered the river ahead of time with the lifebuoys.
The ropes of the lifebuoys were tied to the guardrail, securing their positions.
"Aim carefully! Jump right into the lifebuoy!"
The Qing River wasn't turbulent. As long as they grabbed the lifebuoy ropes, they could float in a fixed spot.
Like them, Zhou Jingyun wore only his underclothes, standing at the edge of the barbecue stall's platform, shivering, unable to muster the courage to jump.
The barbecue stall owner was inside the building, some distance away, unaware of what was happening here.
"Hurry up! We're freezing to death!" Hu Shuo urged.
"Don't rush me! It's not you who's going to die!" Zhou Jingyun had completely lost control of his expression by now, his body trembling with fear.
He already knew from Tong Yang beforehand that he would drown today, and now he had to jump into the river voluntarily. How could he not be terrified?
"So cold! Hurry up!"
Tong Yang and the others watched from the sidelines without a word.
A phone screen lit up, a message popping in.
Ye Huai: [Do you need an ambulance? You all don't look too good.]
Tong Yang looked up in surprise, glancing left and right.
[You're here?]
Ye Huai: [Yeah, not long.]
Ye Huai: [By the roadside, it's too dark for you to see.]
[Oh.]
[It's fine, we can handle it.]
Ye Huai: [Okay, I'll stay right here.]
The implication was that she could ask for help if needed.
[Alright.]
She turned off her phone and looked up to find Zhou Jingyun still rooted to the spot, psyching himself up.
That sickly guy didn't listen, running out here by himself in the middle of the night. If something happened to him, he'd probably come looking for trouble with her.
Tong Yang got up, walked to the edge of the platform, eyed the position of the orange lifebuoy in the water, raised her hand, and pushed Zhou Jingyun, who was standing outside the platform guardrail, down.
"Holy shit!!!"
Zhou Jingyun fell into the river with a "plop," his head smacking right into the lifebuoy. His body flipped in the air, landing perfectly seated inside the lifebuoy.
"Holy crap! Scared me to death!"
Zhou Jingyun had completely abandoned any pretense of language control, looking around his surroundings in shock.
"Wow! He didn't even get his clothes wet!"
"Let's get out first."
Tao Bai and Hu Shuo, frozen and turning blue, swam to the grassy bank below, hastily dried themselves, and wrapped themselves in their jackets.
"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Zhou Jingyun laughed in relief.
The thoroughly soaked Tao Bai and Hu Shuo glared darkly. One of them mischievously yanked hard on the lifebuoy rope, causing it to capsize and dump Zhou Jingyun straight into the water.
Then, satisfied, they hauled him onto the bank.
"Serves him right," Xu Junyue commented sharply.
Tong Yang returned to her seat and saw a new message on her phone.
Ye Huai: [Murder is illegal. Check if there are any surveillance cameras around.]
Tong Yang: "..."
For a moment, she couldn't tell if he was joking or not.
A short while later, the three shivering boys returned to their seats, huddling around the grill fire and sneezing several times.
"So you see, don't go swimming in the river in winter. Uncomfortable, isn't it?"
Xu Junyue was truly asking for a beating, talking without feeling the pain.
"Shut up."
"Swimming? I'll kill you!"
Xu Junyue shrugged, "Come and try if you dare."
"Alright, let's continue," Tong Yang said.
She spun the pointer. Whether intentional or not, it landed squarely in front of He Jingjing.
He Jingjing drank a cup of beer. "Truth."
Tong Yang asked, "Have you met someone from a parallel world?"
He Jingjing lowered her head, the warm yellow light spilling over her face. "Yes."
"Continue."
Tong Yang spun the pointer again, and it stopped in front of He Jingjing once more.
He Jingjing couldn't help but look up at her. "Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Yes," Tong Yang admitted openly.
Zhou Jingyun said, "I'll drink for you. Choose."
He drained the beer in his cup.
He Jingjing didn't refuse. "I choose truth."
"Do you know He Jingjing (Sister) is already dead?"
"Yes, I know."
"Continue."
Tong Yang spun the pointer yet again. Somehow, she always managed to make it stop steadily in front of He Jingjing.
"Truth or dare?"
Hu Shuo drank the beer for her.
He Jingjing said, "Truth."
Tong Yang asked, "Do they want to make a deal with you?"
This was just Tong Yang's speculation. The parallel world, using He Jingjing (Sister)'s voice, established contact with He Jingjing, inducing her with the promise that if she killed Tong Yang, He Jingjing (Sister) could return. However, the deal's content could only be for her to use her identity as a person from the real world, and as someone who had contact with Tong Yang, to strike when Tong Yang let her guard down.
That seemed more efficient.
He Jingjing looked up. "Yes."
Hearing this, the group erupted in murmurs.
"Continue."
Tong Yang spun the pointer again. As expected, it still pointed at He Jingjing.
"I'll do it," Xu Junyue walked over to her and drank the beer in his cup.
"Truth or dare."
"Truth."
Tong Yang fell silent, pondering the information she currently knew.
He Jingjing had made a deal with people from a parallel world, but she knew He Jingjing (Sister) was dead and couldn't be revived. Therefore, she didn't choose to attack Tong Yang directly. Instead, she kept leaving subtle clues, arousing their suspicion, guiding them step by step to uncover the secret she carried.
Could she ask her purpose directly?
Tong Yang glanced at He Jingjing's phone on the table, still on the call screen.
He Jingjing's gaze was calm, waiting for Tong Yang's question.
"Are you okay?" Tong Yang asked.
Hearing this, He Jingjing couldn't help but be stunned.
Her expression suddenly became distant, her eyes reddening.
"I'm fine. Even if I fell from the ninth floor, I wouldn't die."
Tong Yang's breath hitched, her face instantly turning grim.
"Continue."
The pointer stopped in front of He Jingjing. Xu Junyue drank for her.
After three rounds of truth, she could only choose dare for the fourth round.
"Dare."
"Do whatever I do," Tong Yang said.
She pulled the scissors Xu Junyue had stuck into the table out, placing her left hand on the table.
"Tong Yang?"
Tong Yang pressed her lips together. "The knife game. It's easy to get hurt if you don't do it well."
She had a point. He Jingjing gave a slight nod.
The knife tip darted swiftly between her fingers, leaving several marks on the table. Thirty seconds later, Tong Yang's hand was completely unscathed. She handed the scissors to He Jingjing.
The others didn't understand what was happening and worriedly said, "Jingjing, take it slow, it's okay..."
Before the words finished, He Jingjing had already driven the scissors hard into the palm of her hand.
"Jingjing!"
Blood splattered. Amidst the panicked crowd, only Tong Yang and He Jingjing(Sister) remained utterly calm.
"It's fine." He Jingjing pulled the scissors out, revealing the bloody wound.
Tong Yang looked at the injury. The wounded flesh was rapidly healing.
Tong Yang clenched her teeth. Just as expected!
He Jingjing had been injected with the genetic serum.
Chu Shiyu and Xu Junyue were also stunned, seeing her continuously healing wound.
"You got the genetic serum injection? He Jingjing, you bastard!" Xu Junyue flared up in anger, grabbing her by the collar and yanking her close.
"Are you insane? Do you even know..."
He Jingjing impatiently pushed her hand away. "Mind your own business."
"Genetic serum? The stuff from the parallel world that Jingjing(Sister) talked about? Made from those people's brain nerves?"
"Jingjing, how could you..."
Hu Shuo said, "Isn't that great? The wounds heal automatically."
Xu Junyue cursed, "Great my ass! That stuff is clearly..."
He Jingjing shoved her away, indifferently flicked the blood off her hand, and sat back down. She said to Tong Yang, "Continue."
Tong Yang spun the pointer. It stopped in front of He Jingjing.
"Truth or Dare."
"Truth."
"Defective or Premium."
He Jingjing curled her lips in a mocking smile. "Defective. You think they'd inject me with the premium genetic serum?"
"Defective..."
Chu Shiyu, her face pale, said, "Defective genetic serum? That has side effects... You might not have long to live..."
"Idiot," Xu Junyue cursed.
He Jingjing didn't care. "So what?"
"Continue."
"Truth or Dare?"
"Truth."
"What do you want to do?"
He Jingjing said, "Get revenge for Jingjing(Sister)."
"Sister... get revenge for Jingjing(Sister)... kill the Time Anchor..."
From the phone, He Jingjing(Sister)'s voice came through intermittently.
It didn't sound like a noise a human could make in a normal state; it bore some resemblance to Liang Xi's voice.
Did those bastards inject the dead He Jingjing(Sister) with defective genetic serum too?
They wouldn't be stingy about giving them the premium version.
"Continue."
"Truth or Dare?"
"Truth."
"How do you know it's defective genetic serum?" Tong Yang asked.
If the people from the parallel world wanted to use her, they probably wouldn't have told her the quality of the serum themselves.
He Jingjing looked at her and said, "Dr. Wu."
"Dr. Wu?" Xu Junyue frowned deeply. "Why is it him again?"
Tong Yang pressed her lips into a tight line. That old thing? Was he obstructing the parallel world's plans?
He Jingjing lowered her head, looking at the lit screen, and said, "I know better than anyone that the person on the other end of that call can't possibly be Jingjing(Sister)."
"Let's end it here." He Jingjing put away her phone and said to everyone.
Tong Yang asked, "He Jingjing, what is your goal?"
"The Q&A session is over."
He Jingjing smiled. "Let's hang out again sometime."
Tong Yang's face was grim. "You plan to cooperate with Dr. Wu?"
He Jingjing said, "He can help me. After it's done, he'll give me two doses of premium genetic serum."
After saying that, she paused briefly and asked, "Or, are you going to kill me here? Tong Yang."
Xu Junyue said, "He's from the parallel world. Cooperating with him, are you insane?"
"So what? Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Otherwise, why would I come find you all?"
He Jingjing stood up, opened a can of beer, blinked and said, "At first, I wanted to kill you all."
"But, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Being friends with you is too much fun. Jingjing(Sister) surely feels the same way."
She tilted her head back and took a sip of beer, then said to Tong Yang, "I'll cooperate with Dr. Wu, help him achieve his goal. If you need help, you can come find me too. Of course, I'll need two doses of premium genetic serum."
Tong Yang, her expression steady, poured some beer into her own cup and clinked it against He Jingjing's from across the table.
"Be careful," Tong Yang said.
He Jingjing put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly. "You're the one who should be careful, waiting to be hunted down."
After finishing her beer, He Jingjing waved at them. "I'm off first. Keep in touch."
Everyone watched her figure disappear into the darkness.
Xu Junyue said in surprise, "Tong Yang, she's going to work for the parallel world! Why didn't you take action against her? I was ready just now!"
"Murder is illegal."
"She's not even human anymore! She's defected!"
Tong Yang looked at her with a complicated expression. "You should get your brain checked soon."
"What do you mean?" Xu Junyue looked utterly confused.
Tao Bai patted her shoulder and said, "Figure it out yourself."
Zhou Jingyun said to her sincerely, "Brawn over brains."
Finally, Xu Junyue and Hu Shuo looked at each other.
"What does that mean?"
"How should I know?"
"Are you guys playing some high-level game?"
"What are you even talking about? Didn't He Jingjing defect?"
Chu Shiyu couldn't help but laugh. "What were you two even listening to?"
Xu Junyue, puzzled: "She defected."
Hu Shuo, confused: "Isn't that right?"
"Think about it. If she defected, why would she come find us? And why specifically tell us?"
"She's an idiot."
"Exactly."
"You're the idiots!" Chu Shiyu restrained the urge to roll her eyes. "Didn't she say that Tong Yang could come to her for help if needed?"
"What about it?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Think again. On the surface, she's helping Dr. Wu, but secretly helping Tong Yang. What does that make her?"
"Didn't she have demands? Two doses of premium genetic serum!"
"What she meant was she needs two doses of premium genetic serum, not that Tong Yang specifically has to provide them! Translated, it means she'll help Tong Yang, but she also wants to get the premium serum!"
Xu Junyue exclaimed in realization, "She's going undercover over there! She wants both the serum and to choose the side of justice?"
Chu Shiyu patted her head approvingly. "Good comprehension. That's exactly it."
Tong Yang contacted Ye Huai, then put an arm around Chu Shiyu's shoulders and walked forward, teasing, "Don't get too close to the idiots. You might catch it."
You! Xu Junyue unwillingly bumped into them. "So what if your brains work fast? Wanna fight a couple rounds?"
"Keep those moves of yours for a lifetime."
The situation was pretty much as Chu Shiyu had explained.
He Jingjing first made a deal with others from the parallel world and got injected with defective genetic serum. Later, through Dr. Wu, she learned about the side effects of the defective serum. With two doses of premium genetic serum as her condition, she agreed to cooperate with Dr. Wu.
Dr. Wu's goal was to win over the upper echelons of the real world. Due to the existence of the time anchor, his actions were inevitably constrained, so having the real world's high society work for him was, of course, ideal.
However, He Jingjing wasn't as easy to control as he had imagined. Instead, she chose to tell Tong Yang about the matter.
"Could Jingjing be in danger?"
Xu Junyue scoffed, "Worry about yourself. She wouldn't die even if she were crushed by a truck."
"Damn! Is the gene serum that terrifying?"
"I kind of want some too now!"
Tong Yang shot him a look. "If the gene serum floods into the real world on a large scale, or if the real world finds a way to manufacture it, then just wait for everyone to die. Not even the greatest immortal could save you all."
Chu Shiyu nodded. "Human greed knows no bounds. In ancient times, countless people were sacrificed in the pursuit of elixirs of immortality. If something like that were created, the real world would ultimately be destroyed by our own hands."
"Yikes... that makes sense."
"Forget it then. Living like this for a lifetime is pretty good too."
He Jingjing's candid words lightened the mood for everyone.
They walked to the side of the main road where two cars were parked, one of them with its hazard lights flashing.
"Who's that? Parked here so late at night, waiting for someone?"
No sooner had the words been spoken than the rear door of the car with the flashing lights opened, and a tall, slender figure stepped out.
Ye Huai walked towards the group. The hazy moonlight enveloped him, his gaze faint as it settled on them.
"Good evening."
"Mr. Ye???"
"What brings you here? What wind blew you in?"
Xu Junyue put on an exaggerated expression.
Ye Huai said, "It's too late. Let me take you to the hotel. Rooms have already been arranged."
"Damn... Is he really that handsome in person? I saw him in the news when his brother had that incident, and he looked pretty ordinary!" Hu Shuo whispered.
"Is there something wrong with your eyes? You call this ordinary?" Zhou Jingyun nearly rolled his eyes at him.
"Sorry for the trouble," Tong Yang greeted him.
"No trouble. That car can't fit everyone. You come with me." Ye Huai paused for a few seconds. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Alright." Tong Yang didn't think too much of it and agreed immediately.
"Ye Huai, long time no see."
Suddenly, a voice chimed in from the side.
Tao Bai strode up to the two of them, extending a hand. "Do you remember me? I'm Tao Bai."
Ye Huai shook his hand, his expression mild. "Long time no see, senior."
"I heard your health has been deteriorating. How are you now?"
Ye Huai replied, "Nothing serious. Thank you for your concern."
"Tong Yang, come here for a second." Xu Junyue waved her over.
Tong Yang glanced back at the pale-looking invalid and said, "You get in first."
Ye Huai nodded. "Alright."
Ye Huai bid farewell to the others, bent down, and got into the car, leaving the door open.
"Boss, you're not going to leave with him tonight, are you?"
Tong Yang gave him a look. "What? You're worried I'll get the short end of the stick?"
Xu Junyue shook his head. "Not that. I'm worried you might kill him."
"Shut up."
"Seriously, do you want to go to the amusement park together tomorrow?" Xu Junyue asked.
"No..."
"Don't listen to Tong Yang's opinion. Do you guys want to go?"
Tong Yang: "..."
"Yes!"
"It's finally the weekend. Perfect to have some fun before heading back to school."
Chu Shiyu said, "I want to go too!"
"Then it's settled. We meet at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Whoever doesn't show is a coward."
Tong Yang: "..."
"No problem."
"Let's go, let's go! Get in the car! I wonder what kind of hotel Mr. Ye has arranged for us. I'm kind of looking forward to it."
"Tong Yang, wait. Let's talk alone for a bit." Zhou Jingyun hesitated.
Xu Junyue and Chu Shiyu knew what they needed to discuss and ushered the others into the car. The second vehicle was a seven-seater van.
The two walked to the side, about to say something, when a faint, muffled cough came from the car with the open rear door not far away.
"Tong Yang, after today, I should be in the clear, right?"
Tong Yang said, "Yeah. Remember to transfer the money. I'll let you know if there are any issues."
"Is it because of Jingjing?"
Tong Yang said gravely, "Pretty much."
"What about Sister Jiaen's situation..."
"Her matter isn't urgent. Tell her to contact me if she encounters anything strange, preferably on weekends."
"Then..."
"Cough."
Zhou Jingyun seemed to want to say more, but hearing the intermittent coughs and glancing at the open car door, he said to her, "Never mind. You should get in."
"I'm afraid he might die on the way."
"Remember to transfer the money soon."
"Got it!"
Tong Yang turned and got into the open car door, closing it behind her.
The air conditioning was on inside the car, making it quite warm.
"Let's go," Ye Huai said to the driver in the front.
"Yes, sir."
The car drove on the road, with the van following behind.
"Didn't I tell you not to come?" Tong Yang said.
"It's fine. My body isn't that fragile."
"That's debatable. They were all afraid the wind might blow you away."
Ye Huai turned his head to look at her for a moment, then asked, "Are you afraid?"
Tong Yang thought for a bit, her tone serious. "I kind of don't want you to die."
Ye Huai's gaze faltered slightly. "Is that so."
"You haven't paid me yet."
Ye Huai sighed helplessly. "I'm working on it."
"Don't die before you've even earned enough money."
Ye Huai gave a soft laugh, turning to look out the window. The light and shadows were dappled, and Tong Yang's blurred reflection was visible on the glass.
"I don't want to die anymore.
