◎Dabao's Call◎
Nearly three years after returning to her own world, Lin Anran had confirmed one thing: in this timeline, in this parallel universe, they truly did not exist.
The reason remained a mystery, but the lives of others had taken many unexpected turns in their youth.
It was as if, without the butterfly's presence, everything had changed drastically.
Until she received that invitation.
A wedding invitation from her godparents in another dimension.
The handwritten note, its ink seemingly still fresh, had appeared on her desk as if by magic.
Lin Anran stared at it in disbelief, yet somehow, it made sense.
If she had been able to cross worlds before, why couldn’t a wedding invitation do the same?
She could go back.
She had never imagined getting another chance.
The date on the invitation was only two days away from her current world’s timeline. She told her father she was taking a spontaneous trip to the capital.
Too eager to wait, Lin Anran rushed to wrap up her work and boarded the earliest flight to Ning City.
By the time she reached the hutong where the wedding was to be held, it was already late at night. She didn’t know when the crossing would happen.
But the moment she turned a corner and saw a much younger version of Aunt Zheng Yi, she knew—she had arrived in another world.
The younger Zheng Yi didn’t recognize her, addressing her as "comrade." Lin Anran almost laughed but held it in.
Typical of Aunt Zheng Yi’s style.
Zheng Yi didn’t know Lin Anran, but Lin Anran knew her.
She remembered how, in her original world, this formidable expert had played a crucial role in uncovering the conspiracy against her mother’s company and helping her reunite with her family.
On the day of her godparents’ wedding, Lin Anran’s emotions were a tangled mess.
Excitement and joy warred with confusion and bewilderment.
Then, during the simple wedding ceremony, as everyone gathered for a lively meal, her younger self uttered a phrase that struck her like lightning:
"Romance novel protagonists."
Yes, this was the world of romance novel protagonists.
This was their world.
...
If there was one thing that changed most after marriage for Yan and Zhu Jue, it was how they referred to each other.
"My partner" became "my love," spoken with effortless ease.
A bold declaration—this was the person they cherished.
"Dr. Zhu, here to pick up Professor Yan again?" At the entrance of Bin City Library, Zhu Jue stood with his hands in his pockets as the security guard greeted him.
"Yeah, seems busy today," Zhu Jue replied casually.
"Summer break—lots of families bringing kids and elders. The children’s section is especially noisy," the guard said.
"My love’s here. See you later, Brother Huo." Zhu Jue waved as Yan rushed out, bag in hand. He instinctively reached out, taking the bag and clasping her fingers in his.
"It’s the weekend! Happy, happy!" The moment they stepped outside, Yan couldn’t help but sway with glee.
Zhu Jue chuckled. "I’ve got two days off too."
If there was a happiest day of the week, it was Friday—the gateway to two glorious days of freedom.
After earning their doctorates, they had carefully considered their options and decided to stay in Bin City.
Having spent eight years studying there, the city had become their second home. Plus, even top-tier universities had regional biases when it came to job opportunities.
A Bin University doctorate was a golden ticket locally.
After much deliberation, Yan chose to become a researcher at Bin City Library. Having grown up in academia and spent eight more years at Bin U, she was tired of the university grind.
Teaching meant advising students and endless administrative tasks. Research at the library was simpler—her superiors handled the bureaucracy, leaving her free to dive into her studies.
Sure, there were still tedious tasks, but when was work ever purely fun?
Compared to her mostly punctual schedule, Zhu Jue’s job as a doctor was far more grueling, especially in his early hospital years—night shifts, overtime, being worked like a draft animal.
But things had improved lately, thanks in part to a certain "halo individual."
Namely, a prodigy at Bin University Medical School’s First Affiliated Hospital. The young doctor had been discovered by a visiting professor during an out-of-town surgery—exceptionally skilled in diagnosis and operations but weak in research, data analysis, and English.
Geniuses got special treatment, though. Through a twist of fate, Zhu Jue was assigned to the prodigy’s research team, helping with reports, data, and papers while offering life advice like a walking guidebook.
Grateful after experiencing the harsh realities of the medical world, the prodigy deemed Zhu Jue his one true brother at the hospital.
As a result, Zhu Jue’s name appeared as second author on several papers in The Lancet, Nature, and Science.
Oh, and the prodigy’s halo? His nickname was "The Scalpel."
Thanks to "The Scalpel," Zhu Jue stayed under the radar but still had plenty of surgeries, daily exposure to rare cases, and the privilege of clocking out on time as the team’s paper-writing specialist.
After leaving the library, Yan and Zhu Jue headed to the mall—dinner first, then grocery shopping for the weekend haul: vegetables, fruit, snacks.
On their way home, they picked up two bouquets from the subway station florist.
Back at their apartment, Yan trimmed the stems and arranged the flowers while humming along to their vinyl record. Zhu Jue organized the groceries in the fridge.
Then the phone rang.
Yan’s head snapped up as Zhu Jue answered.
"Bro, come quick! Wen Xin’s hurt!" Tan Dabao’s voice was frantic with panic and pain.
"The hospital?" Yan asked.
Zhu Jue shook his head. "Dabao says Wen Xin’s injured and needs me to check on him ASAP."
Yan dropped the scissors. "What? Did they call an ambulance? How was he hurt? Let’s go!"
"He wasn’t clear—just sounded desperate."
They threw on their shoes and bolted out the door. The Tan brothers’ business empire had expanded, and whenever they were in Bin City, they stayed in the same luxury apartment complex.
Yan and Zhu Jue rushed over in a frenzy. The facial recognition system unlocked the door, and the moment they stepped inside, they saw Tan Dabao, dressed in a sharp suit, kneeling on the floor while Wen Xin sat leisurely on the sofa, looking utterly exasperated.
She greeted them as they entered, "Sis, bro-in-law, you're here."
Yan walked over and noticed Wen Xin's hand wrapped in a messy bundle of gauze and bandages—otherwise, she was completely unharmed.
"He said you were injured and practically dragged us here like it was life or death," Zhu Jue remarked.
Wen Xin raised her hand for them to see, her expression a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"I had a nosebleed, and some blood got on my hand. When he came back, he thought I'd slit my wrist and was writing a suicide note in blood."
She gestured toward the documents on the coffee table with her chin.
Yan and Zhu Jue: "......"
Yan turned to Tan Dabao, her lips twitching. "Have you been watching too many dramas?"
Zhu Jue stepped forward to unwrap the haphazard bandages and wipe away the smeared blood on Wen Xin's hand. The more he looked at it, the funnier it seemed, until he finally burst out laughing.
"Did you two have a fight? How on earth did you jump to the conclusion that she was writing a blood letter?"
"No, he's just been binge-watching those over-the-top CEO romance dramas lately," Wen Xin explained.
Yan pulled out her phone and searched, "Ah, found it. Yep, there's a scene in this web series You Are My Gentle Love where the female lead writes a blood letter, and the domineering CEO male lead orders a private doctor to save her life."
From her phone came the CEO's dramatic roar: "If Xiao Rou isn’t cured, I’ll make every one of you pay with your lives!"
She looked up abruptly, and Wen Xin nodded. "That’s the one. The female lead’s name is Wen Xiaorou."
Zhu Jue flashed Tan Dabao a deceptively sweet smile. "So, the CEO barks an order, and the private doctor comes running to the rescue, huh?"
"Should I call Brother Xiao over for you too?"
"You think you’re some big shot who can just summon medical resources like they’re your personal property? What, you actually believe you’re that kind of domineering CEO?"
Yan cracked her knuckles in unison with Zhu Jue, the sound ominous.
"Tan Dabao, I see you haven’t been disciplined in three days, and now you’re tearing the roof off," Zhu Jue growled, yanking him up by his tie.
"I was wrong," Tan Dabao muttered, not daring to argue.
"I just panicked."
Wen Xin pretended not to notice, lowering her head to casually add:
"Sis."
"Before you beat him up, take off his suit first. It’s custom-made—super expensive!"
