In the hospital room, the nurse continued bandaging Tong Yang's wounds.
Chu Shiyu stood facing the wall, occasionally glancing back at Tong Yang.
Their eyes met, exchanging looks that conveyed a sense of camaraderie, like comrades in misfortune.
"Sister, are her injuries serious?" Tong Le stood beside her, asking with a solemn expression.
Yang Lin stood shoulder to shoulder with him, his gaze darkly fixed on Tong Yang.
Tong Yang looked up at the nurse, signaling with her eyes for her to cooperate.
The nurse sister said casually, "Not serious."
Tong Yang breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's just that there are too many wounds."
She glanced at Tong Yang and continued, "Your bravery is commendable, but driving like that was reckless, wasn't it? You even jumped onto a truck. If something had gone wrong, you could have lost your life."
Tong Yang's heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, sank.
She turned her head away uncomfortably and said, "Don't be so serious, it's not severe."
"Sister, is that really the issue here?" Tong Le pressed her lips together.
Yang Lin said, "Sister Tong Yang, you almost died."
"Who told you that? I had it under control..."
Grandma Yu walked up behind Tong Yang and slapped her on the shoulder, saying with a stern face, "What control did you have? Didn't you want to celebrate your eighteenth birthday? Did you hear what the nurse said? Was that something to play around with?"
Tong Yang said, "I know..."
"What do you know!"
"Pfft—"
Rarely seeing Tong Yang being scolded, Chu Shiyu couldn't help but let out a gleeful laugh.
"You still have the nerve to laugh? You've grown up, your wings have hardened, you even dare to use a gun now? Stand properly!" Grandma Yu reprimanded.
Chu Shiyu immediately wiped the smile off her face and continued facing the wall in repentance, afraid the conflict would spread to her.
Tong Yang lowered her head and offered no rebuttal.
If they knew what she had been up to recently, it probably wouldn't just be a scolding.
"Mom, don't be angry." Yang's mother walked up behind Grandma Yu. "Sit for a while."
Tong Yang immediately got up to give up her seat. Yang's mother frowned and said, "You sit."
Tong Yang obediently sat back down.
"You're injured, so I won't lecture you further. Tong Yang, you've always been an independent child with a good sense of judgment. Maybe you thought what you did was nothing, but think about Lele, think about the people who care about you. How do you think they felt seeing such a dangerous scene?" Yang's mother spoke earnestly.
Dad Yang returned after making a phone call, looked at Chu Shiyu who was still facing the wall, and said, "Alright, come over."
Chu Shiyu didn't dare move, looking at Yang's mother and Grandma Yu, waiting for their permission.
Both women had stern faces and remained silent.
"Forget it, forget it, I'll stand a while longer," Chu Shiyu said softly.
Yang's mother said, "Will standing longer make you realize your mistake?"
Chu Shiyu muttered under her breath, "I didn't do anything wrong."
"You didn't? Is a gun something for kids like you to play with?"
"I'm not a kid. The police gave me the gun. I have a permit."
"Say less." Dad Yang shot her a look. "I spoke to your parents. They wanted to come back immediately to deal with you, but I talked them out of it. You call them later and explain yourself."
Chu Shiyu said, "Thank you, Uncle."
Dad Yang continued, "I asked the people at the Public Security Bureau. The gun was indeed given to her by them. Shiyu has been practicing shooting for a while now; she's considered one of their auxiliary personnel."
"You two have really grown capable, getting involved with the Public Security Bureau?"
"Since you're so capable, why bother studying? Go to the battlefield! Oh, I almost forgot, Tong Yang, you already went to the battlefield."
Tong Yang endured the scolding without a word of retort.
Tong Le and Yang Lin stood right beside her, as if supervising the nurse bandaging her wounds.
The nurse sister, feeling their stares, twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "If you two keep watching, her wounds won't heal any faster."
Tong Yang said helplessly, "I'm fine, don't worry."
Tong Le grabbed her hand; his palm was sweaty, and his eyes were red. "Sister, I was so scared."
"Scared of what? I'm really okay."
"I saw the truck heading straight for you. What if you had died?"
Tong Yang really wanted to track down and beat up the person who posted the video online.
"Next time, I'll be more careful."
"Careful not to let us find out?" Yang's mother said.
Tong Yang: "..."
That was exactly what she had been thinking.
The nurse sister finished bandaging the wounds and said, "Your family can chat slowly. I'll head out now."
"Sorry for the trouble, nurse."
"It's fine."
The nurse sister left the room, closing the door behind her. Only the group of them remained, and for a moment, silence fell.
Ye Huai, who had been standing by the window without saying a word the entire time, walked over to the group.
"Have you eaten?" Ye Huai said.
Tong Yang stared at him but didn't speak.
Ye Huai explained, "I ran into Uncle and Aunt at the airport."
The implication was that he hadn't brought them here.
"You still have a problem with Xiao Ye?"
Tong Yang was speechless; she hadn't said anything.
"No. Have you all eaten?" Tong Yang said.
Tong Le said, "Sister, no, we just got out of school and saw the news."
Ye Huai asked, "You haven't eaten either, right?"
Outside the window, the sky was growing dark, with the glow of sunset on the horizon.
"Yeah," Tong Yang nodded. "A bit hungry."
Chu Shiyu said meekly, "Me too."
While Tong Yang and the other were being lectured, the boy had been moved out of the operating room and transferred to the ICU, with his family by his side.
Upon learning that the boy was out of danger and only needed observation in the ICU for two nights, Tong Yang and the group left the hospital.
Tong Yang's clothes were tattered, with bandages wrapped everywhere. Chu Shiyu was in slightly better shape, but her clothes were also filthy. Walking with the others, the two of them looked like little beggars, completely out of place.
After eating at a nearby restaurant, Ye Huai took them to a hotel he had booked in advance. Not only that, he had even prepared a complete set of clean clothes for both of them.
Tong Yang had injuries and couldn't shower easily. She had just wet a cloth to wipe herself down and hadn't had time to wash her hair when there was a knock on the door.
Tong Yang opened the door. Ye Huai and a hotel front desk staff member stood outside.
"What's up?" Tong Yang asked.
Ye Huai said, "I was worried you might have difficulty. I wanted to ask if you needed any help."
"No need."
Ye Huai nodded and let the hotel staff member leave.
Tong Yang guessed he had something to say and stepped aside to let him in.
"What happened?"
Tong Yang ducked into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and prepared to wash her hair.
"I killed someone from a parallel world. This is their warning to me."
Ye Huai walked to the bathroom door. Seeing Tong Yang trying to roll up her sleeves, he stepped forward to help, carefully rolling the sleeves of both her hands up above her elbows.
"Someone died?"
"Yeah, a student from our year, was in the same college entrance exam hall as me. Got pulled into the parallel world."
After filling the basin with water, Tong Yang bent over to soak the ends of her hair.
"Let me help you," Ye Huai said.
Tong Yang looked surprised. "You help me?"
"Yeah."
Ye Huai stood by the sink, undid his shirt cuffs, rolled up his sleeves, wet his pale hands in the water, and cupped the clear liquid to pour over Tong Yang's hair.
Tong Yang was silent for a moment, then didn't refuse. "Bring the chair over."
Ye Huai said, "Okay."
Ye Huai returned with the chair and placed it in the bathroom. Tong Yang sat in front of the washbasin, her hands resting on the edge, her head buried in her arms.
"Go ahead."
"Okay."
Ye Huai picked up the rinsing cup, scooped some water, and poured it over her head. His cool fingers gently massaged her scalp.
His movements were light, even somewhat cautious. Even though she couldn't see his expression clearly, Tong Yang could guess he was being very serious right now.
After working the shampoo into a lather, he gently applied it to Tong Yang's hair, treating it like something precious. His soft motions made Tong Yang relax her body and close her eyes.
The sound of water echoed in her ears from time to time, and above her head, she could hear a faint breath.
"If only I weren't sick," Ye Huai's low voice came after a long while.
Tong Yang's long eyelashes fluttered slightly. "Why do you say that?"
"I can't be of much help to you."
Tong Yang said, "If you want to help me, you don't necessarily need a healthy body. You've done very well before."
"If I weren't sick, I could probably do even better."
"It's enough."
Ye Huai pursed his lips, lowered his gaze, and his damp fingers brushed past her earlobe. "It's not enough. After meeting you, the things I want to do have become more and more numerous."
"There's plenty of time. After we resolve this matter."
Ye Huai rinsed the shampoo foam from her hair. After a moment of silence, he said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with you."
Tong Yang said, "You can keep up. You've always been standing beside me. There's no need to chase."
"I will strive to always stand by your side."
"Then keep striving."
After washing her hair, Ye Huai draped a towel over her shoulders to keep her clothes from getting wet, then stood behind her to dry her hair.
"Where do you plan to go afterwards?" Ye Huai asked.
Tong Yang's eyes grew slightly serious. "They want me to go to the First World."
"They?"
"The First World humans who attacked Examination Hall 1209."
"Why?" Ye Huai frowned.
Tong Yang said, "I'm not sure."
Ye Huai's lips tightened. "What do you think?"
"I want to go to the First World."
Ye Huai's brow furrowed even tighter. "Now?"
"Mhm."
"Dr. Wu said his understanding of the First World is limited. He needs time to gather information. Rushing into the First World isn't a wise move."
Tong Yang nodded. "I know it's not wise. But there's no faster way to understand the First World than to enter it."
Ye Huai's hands paused in their motion.
Tong Yang continued, "Besides, the reason the First World attacked the candidates of Hall 1209 lies with me. Since I'll have to go in eventually anyway, I want to understand the situation sooner."
"If you enter the First World, they'll stop targeting the people from Hall 1209?"
Tong Yang said, "That should be the case. If I stay in the real world, even if I do nothing, the lives of Tong Le and Yang Lin's family could still be threatened. Even though the police are providing covert protection, if the people who come are trained soldiers, no one can hold them off."
Those two were clearly coming for her.
"Even so, isn't this like walking into the lion's den?"
Tong Yang shook her head. "The First World's goal isn't to kill me. What exactly they want to do, I'll only know once I'm inside."
Otherwise, they should have found Tong Yang directly and taken action against her.
"It's too risky."
"Anyway, I have to enter the First World sooner or later. As long as I want to run, they can't stop me. It's worth the risk."
Tong Yang had always been someone with her own ideas, and almost no one could sway her.
Ye Huai knew this well.
"I'll go with you."
"You want to go with me to die?"
Ye Huai: "..."
Tong Yang smiled, turned to look at him. "It's more convenient for me to act alone."
Ye Huai's pale eyes fixed on her. After a pause, he said, "After we return, let's see Dr. Wu. Hear his opinion."
Tong Yang didn't insist further. She had originally planned to meet with Wu Pingxue after returning to the capital. Entering the First World would inevitably require his help.
"Okay," Tong Yang nodded.
Ye Huai's shirt was soaked with quite a bit of water, becoming nearly transparent and clinging to his body, the texture of his skin faintly visible.
Tong Yang had to admit she might not be such a noble person after all. What had attracted her to Ye Huai in the beginning was precisely this physical appearance.
"I think I might be quite shallow. I think you're really good-looking," she glanced at Ye Huai's wet shirt. "Your figure is nice too. Not too muscular, looks very comfortable."
Ye Huai chuckled softly. "In that case, I'm quite shallow too."
"Really?" Tong Yang looked slightly surprised. "I couldn't tell."
"Because I know how to act," Ye Huai said quite frankly.
Tong Yang laughed. "You don't seem like someone who'd be interested in such things."
"Neither do you," Ye Huai said, placing the towel over her head and rubbing her hair ends. He bent down, almost at eye level with her. "Do you want to test it?"
Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. "Test what?"
"Whether I'm interested or not."
"How?"
Ye Huai knelt on one knee in front of her, his hands holding the chair arms, leaning his body forward. "A kiss?"
Tong Yang lifted her right hand, resting it on his shoulder, and smiled. "Won't you faint?"
"I'm prepared."
"Is that so."
Tong Yang lowered her long lashes, her gaze falling on Ye Huai's slightly parted lips—thin, looking very soft.
"Close your eyes," Tong Yang said.
Ye Huai's eyes darkened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Their breaths drew closer. A soft touch met the corner of his lips, fleeting and then gone.
Tong Yang leaned back. Ye Huai opened his eyes, pressed his lips together, and said dazedly, "That's it?"
Tong Yang used the towel to dry her hair, looking innocent. "What else?"
Ye Huai parted his lips as if to say something, but ultimately held back.
"Forget it, it's nothing."
Tong Yang said nonchalantly, "Move aside, I need to blow-dry my hair."
Ye Huai stood up, took the hair dryer hanging on the wall. "Let me do it."
Tong Yang didn't stand on ceremony. "Then you do it."
Ye Huai blow-dried her hair, told her to rest early, and then left the room.
After he left, Tong Yang leaned against the headboard, thinking of his reaction, and couldn't help but feel amused.
The next day, they set off back to the capital.
Tong Yang contacted Mr. Du. Although the videos online didn't clearly show her face, at Tong Yang's strong request, Mr. Du managed to block all videos and photos related to her.
On June 8th, Tong Yang's 18th birthday, Yang Lin's parents took them to a beachside villa. They told Tong Yang to gather all her friends for a coming-of-age celebration.
Xu Junyue and the others had been waiting for this day. Before Tong Yang could even contact them, their calls came in.
Tong Yang gave them the address and told them to drive over themselves.
The scale of this year's birthday celebration surpassed even last year's. Tong Yang wasn't the rowdy type, but after the birthday festivities ended, those maniacs Xu Junyue and the others had Yang Lin's parents take the two little ones back to their rooms to rest early. Then they caught Tong Yang, insisting on getting drunk with her to celebrate.
"Can she drink?" Ye Huai said.
"Come on, Tong Yang, you're finally an adult. Having a drink once shouldn't be a big deal, right?"
"This is a gift for your adulthood!"
"Let's celebrate our Tong Yang finally being able to drink legally and date legally!"
"Cheers!"
Tong Yang drank a few rounds with them, while Ye Huai sat beside her, not touching a drop of alcohol.
"That's about enough. It would be terrible if something unexpected happened tonight." Tong Yang's alcohol tolerance wasn't great. Last time she drank a can of beer she felt fine, but tonight after two or three cans, she felt light-headed.
"Tong Yang, it's a rare happy occasion. Can't you relax a little? Even if you get drunk, we're still here! When I say I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, I'm not joking!"
"On your eighteenth birthday, don't overthink things. Just have fun. Leave the rest to us."
"Tell me, have you ever relaxed for a single day your whole life? On such a significant day, don't worry so much!"
"Exactly! Tonight, don't worry about anything. Even if something happens, we can handle it."
"Right!"
Tong Yang pursed her lips. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Hey! What kind of question is that?"
"If we can't handle it, can't we at least run away?"
"Besides, Xu Junyue, future special forces soldier, is here! What's there to fear!"
Xu Junyue laughed loudly, opened a can of beer, and placed it in front of Tong Yang. "Drink!"
Tong Yang smirked. "Although you all aren't very reliable, with Ye Huai here, it should be fine."
"Hey! Who among us isn't more brawny than Boss Ye?"
"You're the one who's all brawn and no brains."
"Enough talk, drink!"
Eighteen years old—an age where if you break the law, you can be sentenced to death.
Tong Yang said indifferently, "Then let's drink."
Clearly, Tong Yang had overestimated her alcohol tolerance. Just one can of beer down, and she was already dizzy. She barely managed to play a few rounds of games with them before collapsing onto the table.
"Drunk already?"
"Tong Yang's tolerance is weak. We're just getting started."
"Let her sleep. She can continue when she wakes up. Let's keep drinking for now."
"Come on, come on!"
"It's been so long since we all drank together!"
...
The outdoor dining table was bustling with noise and excitement. Tong Yang slept soundly with her head on the table. Ye Huai draped his jacket over her and coughed lightly into his hand.
Time passed minute by minute, but Tong Yang showed no sign of waking up.
Just as everyone was having a great time, a metallic clanging sound against ceramic tiles came from inside the villa.
"Clang—"
The clear sound immediately caught their attention, and the noisy table instantly fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at the villa. In the dim light, several figures stood motionless inside.
"Is Tong Yang's mouth cursed? She mentions something and it happens?"
"Who's going?"
"Xu Junyue."
"Hurry up! It'll be trouble if we wake Uncle Yang and the others."
"There are four of them! Let's all go together."
"No, we should also check if anyone's near Uncle Yang's place."
"But what about Tong Yang here..."
Ye Huai said, "You all go. I'll stay here with her."
"Alright then."
"Let's go, let's go. We can't let them cause trouble for Tong Yang on this special day. How unlucky!"
"Hurry up. We should be back in time for the second round."
...
The ones who had been drinking feared nothing, striding over with bold, swaggering confidence.
"Awake?"
The night breeze brushed her face. Ye Huai asked tentatively.
"Mhm." Tong Yang lifted her head, her complexion rosy, her eyes seeming veiled in a misty haze.
"Where are the others?"
"Some people from parallel worlds showed up. They went to deal with it."
"Oh." Tong Yang stretched lazily, grabbed the jacket from her shoulders, and threw it to Ye Huai. "Put it on."
Ye Huai obediently put the clothes on.
"Tong Yang, happy eighteenth birthday."
Tong Yang fiddled with her hair, her movements pausing slightly as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
After a moment, Tong Yang said meaningfully, "Eighteen years old... an age when you can fall in love."
Ye Huai's expression faltered slightly. "Yes."
-
The consequence of a hangover was everyone sleeping until afternoon before getting up.
It happened to be Monday. Early in the morning, Yang Lin's parents had taken the two children back for class, sending a text to Chu Shiyu to let her know.
After waking up, Tong Yang smelled the alcohol on herself and immediately ducked into the bathroom for a shower, changing into clean clothes.
When she came out, she saw several people with bruised and swollen faces sitting at the dining table eating.
Tong Yang asked in surprise, "What happened?"
Hu Shuo said, "Some people from parallel worlds came last night. We fought with them."
He Jingjing scoffed, mercilessly exposing the truth. "He and Zhou Jingyun got into a fight when they got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night."
Tong Yang sat down at the table. Ye Huai placed a cup of hot milk and a plate of pasta in front of her, along with cutlery.
"Why?" Tong Yang asked.
Zhou Jingyun rolled his eyes. "I came out of the bathroom, and this idiot insisted I was from a parallel world and wanted to drive me out for freedom's sake. What a lunatic."
Hu Shuo retorted, "Who told you to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without turning on the light? I showed mercy by not smashing you with a vase right away."
"Showed mercy? Seems like you were the one who got beaten up worse."
Zhou Jingyun rubbed his black eye, exasperated. "Do you know how much this face of mine is worth? Can your pitiful salary even cover it?"
Last year, after Zhou Jingyun and Ji Jiaen appeared on a variety show, they landed several roles. The reception was very good after broadcast, their popularity soared, and they jumped to become rising actors of the new generation.
Hu Shuo was currently in an internship phase, with an appallingly low salary that wasn't even enough for food and drink without his parents' help.
"Oh, Brother Zhou! What are you saying? Between brothers like us, your face is my face. A hit to your face pains my face too. Please be magnanimous and forgive me this once!"
After saying this, he even blinked obsequiously.
"Get lost."
"Right away."
"Tong Yang, how does it feel, the first day after coming of age?" Tao Bai asked with a smile.
Tong Yang picked up her cutlery and said casually, "Doesn't feel any different."
"Drink some milk. It's good for your stomach," Ye Huai reminded her.
Tong Yang nodded, took a sip of milk. Her stomach had been growling with hunger. Seeing the delicious-looking, aromatic pasta, she dug in heartily.
"Something seems off..." Hu Shuo murmured.
"I think so too," Zhou Jingyun agreed.
Xu Junyue asked, puzzled, "Is there? What seems off?"
"Brother Ye, can you cook?" Hu Shuo asked.
Ye Huai, who had been looking at Tong Yang, shifted his gaze upon hearing the question and replied, "Mhm, a little."
"Wait, no..."
"Hold on a sec..."
"Let me organize my thoughts."
Ye Huai nodded patiently. "Alright."
Then he shifted his gaze back to Tong Yang.
Everyone exchanged glances, looking at the steaming hot pasta and milk in front of Tong Yang, then at the dry bread and mineral water in their own hands, finally realizing what felt off.
"Boss Ye, look."
"Tong Yang gets pasta and hot milk, so what about us..." Hu Shuo raised his eyebrows, implying something.
Ye Huai said, "Sorry, I forgot to remind you. There's more milk and pasta in the kitchen. Please help yourselves."
"Great! I knew Boss Ye wouldn't be so heartless."
"Thank you, Boss Ye!"
Chu Shiyu and Tao Bai remained seated, not heading to the kitchen like the others.
Their eyes shifted between Tong Yang and Ye Huai, their expressions odd.
"You two..."
Ye Huai looked away, turning to them with a questioning look. "What is it?"
"You two..."
Tong Yang slowed her movements, looking at Chu Shiyu and the other.
Chu Shiyu and Tao Bai exchanged a look, exclaiming in unison, "No way..."!
